“You don’t need pretty clothes.” He smiled at her and her legs gave way. He held her with both hands. “You’re beautiful just as you are.”
She had heard those words many times, yet hearing Hussein say them to her made her feel truly beautiful. “It had better be a delicious dinner,” she conceded.
“It will be the best.” His smile widened as he lowered his head to drop a chaste kiss on her cheeks. “Thank you,” he said. His gaze moved past her and he straightened up with the speed of lightning.
“Do you still want that breakfast?” Rueda asked from behind Kimberly. The housekeeper kept looking back and forth between Hussein and Kimberly.
“Yes, Rueda,” Hussein answered.
He took his breakfast in the kitchen while Rueda and Kimberly continued to prepare the ingredients for lunch. He found that he could not keep his eyes off the young woman who chatted with Rueda. Every now and then, their eyes met and she gave him a small secretive smile that made his throat constrict. Suddenly, he could not wait for evening to arrive. His food remained forgotten in the bowl.
“Your food is getting cold,” the housekeeper noted.
Hussein looked down into his half empty bowl and realized it was not food he wanted. In order not to hurt Rueda’s feelings, he scooped the remaining content into his mouth with his spoon before standing to his feet. “I will be bringing Mati home from Samboro tomorrow,” he announced.
Rueda dropped the bowl of chopped peppers onto the kitchen counter. There was a look of pure joy on her face. “You should have told me earlier, Hussein. I will prepare her favourite food for her. What time does she arrive?”
“Hold your horses, Rueda,” Hussein laughed. “She won’t be here until tomorrow. If you want, just give me a list of all the ingredients you’ll need and I’ll get them while I’m in town.”
“Oh, thank you, my boy. I’ll go get a pen and paper. Oh, I’m so excited. I’ve really missed her,” she said.
“Me too, Rueda.”
“Okay, I’ll go get that pen and paper now.” And she almost skipped out of the room.
“Your housekeeper is really excited about this Mati,” Kimberly laughed. “Who is she?”
“Mati is my great grandmother.”
The shocked look on Kimberly’s face was almost comical. “Great grandmother?” She nearly choked on the words.
“Yes, you sound shocked.”
“I am. I didn’t even meet any of my grandparents. It must be nice to have a great grandmother.”
“It is. Mati is the best.” Then as if as an afterthought, he added, “she will like you.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.” He moved closer. “Now Miss Kimberly Greene, I’ve been watching you chop peppers and sausages and meat all this while.”
“I noticed,” she chuckled. It felt good to have him close. She breathed in his clean aftershave. It wasn’t as pungent as others she had smelled before.
“Do you think you can spare me a tiny kiss before Rueda returns?”
She laughed. It was a lilting sound. “You’ve been such a good boy, sitting there and eating all of your breakfast. I think you deserve a bigger and better kiss.” She planted a firm kiss on his mouth.
But before she could pull back, he caught her head in one hand and tightened the other around her waist. He kissed her fully and it was more glorious than the last. He knew then that he could go on kissing her forever. He wanted forever with this independent city girl who made his blood run hot and cold in his veins. The realisation was so sudden, it hit him with all the force of the universe. He raised his head to look into her eyes.
“This is bigger,” he said. “Now let’s go for better.”
Kimberly chuckled. “Another time,” she said. “Rueda may arrive any moment.”
As if on cue, the housekeeper appeared in the doorway. Kimberly turned a bright shade of red as Rueda cleared her throat loudly and Hussein quickly straightened, but not before she glimpsed the humour in his eyes. He was really enjoying this.
“Is it ready?” he asked Rueda.
“Yes.” Rueda looked from Kimberly to Hussein before handing him the list.
He ran through the list before saying, “I’ll go get them now.” To Kimberly he said, “Another time.” And she knew he was referring to the kiss.
“Another time,” she said quietly. Then he winked and was gone before she could react.
She felt Rueda’s eyes on her, and the colour increasing in her face. Fortunately for her, the housekeeper said nothing, but the smile she tried to hide did not help Kimberly at all.
Kimberly was still deciding on the best dress to wear when the door to her room flew open.
“Can I come in?” Jessica asked, walking into the room.
“You are already in,” Kimberly rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “You should stop asking permission to do what you have already done.”
Jessica flopped onto the bed and sighed wearily. “So, how are you now?”
“I’m fine”
“Sure?”
“Yeah, why do you doubt?”
“Well, you’ve been moping around for some days now, and this morning you told me yourself that you were not feeling fine.”
“Yes, but I feel better now. Thank you for asking.”
“Going somewhere?” Jessica raised a questioning brow at the dresses lined up on the bed.
“Yes,” Kimberly sat by Jessica on the bed. “I’m having dinner with Hussein.” She waited for her friend to say something. The room was eerily silent. “Are you mad at me?”
“Yes.”
“Is it because I did not tell you or because I’m going out with Hussein?”
“I don’t know, maybe both.” Jessica sat up on the bed. “I’m not mad at you silly. But why are you having dinner with him? I thought you didn’t like him.”
“Oh, Jessica.” Kimberly hugged her friend. “Let’s just say we decided to not cut each other’s throat.”
“By going out to dinner? Tell me the truth Kim, do you like my cousin?” When Kimberly remained silent, Jessica laughed. “My God, Kimberly, your face is answer enough. Just don’t go and fall in love with him, okay. You know why.”
“I don’t plan to.”
“Love is not a planned affair.”
“No, but I know better than to fall in it, Farida.” She flopped down by Jessica. She knew that love and all that came with it were just a few of the many things that life would not allow her to experience. That chance walked out of her life the night her father walked out of their house on a thundering rainy night. And with it went everything that a twelve-year-old girl was supposed to enjoy in life. She understood and accepted that.
“It’s really ironic, you know. You can’t afford to fall in love, and I just don’t want to fall in love. No wonder we are best friends,” Jessica laughed.
“You will fall in love when the time is right, Jessica. I believe it.”
“Wow, look who’s the love expert now,” Jessica laughed. “That is supposed to be something I say, Kimberly.”
Kimberly laughed with her and said, “I guess we will have to take turns saying it.”
“You know I love you, Kimberly, as if you were my own sister,” Jessica said, instantly serious.
“Of course, I do,” Kimberly replied, “and I love you too. That is why we are best friends.”
“And it’s because of that that I have to remind you, Kimberly that you especially cannot afford to fall in love with Hussein. He loves this land, this house, the work on the land. It’s in his blood and he won’t leave to settle down anywhere else. And you cannot live anywhere that’s more than three metres away from your mother for long. Losing your heart to a man like Hussein will only get your heart broken.”
“I promise I’m not going to lose my heart to Hussein or any man like Hussein.” Kimberly smiled, but it lacked the certainty that she wanted. She hugged her friend to hide her uncertainty. “I’ll get dressed now.”
“Wear the red one,” Jessica said.
“The blue one it is,” Kimberly said and they laughed together.
Hussein came to the Big House at exactly seven. The faded jeans and T-shirt had been replaced by neatly pressed trousers and a shirt. He was clean shaven and his hair was neatly brushed.
He could admit to himself that he was a little anxious about her reaction once she found out where he was taking her. The nearest place that barely qualified as a restaurant was more than four towns away. He should have prepared ahead before asking her out, Hussein thought. Except, he had been unable to resist. And now, he was almost as nervous as a teenager on his first date.
His anxieties flew out the windows when Kimberly descended the stairs. For a moment, he was at a loss as to what to do. She wore a flowing blue dress and her hair, released from the once perpetual band, fell to her shoulders. Her dress was simple yet it was like she had dressed in the most elegant attire he had ever seen.
He was still ogling her when she walked up to him.
“You look handsome,” she said but her eyes were laughing at him.
“You are more err I mean you’re beautiful.” For a moment he was badly flustered. “You are always beautiful,” he finished.
“Thank you,” she smiled, oddly pleased to know that she could fluster him.
He took her hand in his and led her out. “We are going to have the best night ever,” he smiled at her. Kimberly smiled back. She did not doubt him for a second.
