Chapter Six
Kimberly had cleaned all the dishes and tidily stuck them away. She felt calm and almost domestic moving around in Hussein’s kitchen. The memory of last night’s dinner still warmed her insides. It was such a sweet and touching thing he had done for her. Now in broad daylight, she saw how big and spacious his kitchen was.
It was still quite bare but she could envision how it would be when everything was done. There would be cabinets and cookers and a large workspace and all the things that a woman who loved cooking –and could –would want in her kitchen. It saddened her a little that she might never have that, but she did not dwell on that sadness. She was happy to be here in his own home. Even if it was just for a little while.
Waking up this morning in his bed, she had been oddly touched to see him sleeping on the blankets and pillows that he had arranged at the foot of the bed –there were few men who would not have tried to take advantage of her situation. He’d let her take his bed but he’d still stayed close by. She wanted to think he had stayed because he cared about her.
“I hope I am the cause of that beautiful smile.” The object of her thoughts breezed in like he always did when he entered a room.
“Good morning. Sleep well?”
“Yeah,” he smiled at her.
“I’m sorry for taking your bed.”
“I’m not complaining. How do you feel?” He looked at her intently.
“I’m fine,” she said. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve slept so soundly in a long time. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you did. I wish I could thank you properly with breakfast. Unfortunately, I can’t, so accept this tea.” She smiled as she handed him the cup, but he saw the sadness behind that smile.
He set the cup aside and moved in front of her. “I don’t care if you can’t cook. I l-like you just as you are.”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t cook anything. I can actually cook basic food with some success, I’m just not an expert.”
“I am,” he said to ease the tension. “I think we will make an awesome couple.” She froze. Where had that come from? “Don’t you think so?” he continued anyway.
“Nope.” Her laughter was nervous. She stepped back before turning away. “We will make an awful couple. You’ll be doing all the cooking and God knows what I’ll be doing.”
He picked up his cup again and sipped. “This is very good.” He sipped again.
“Don’t tease me, Hussein.”
“Really, I mean it. Where did you learn to make tea like that? It tastes different. Are you sure you used my teabags?”
“Yes. I added ginger and some lemon. It is how my dad used to make his tea. I kind of just picked it up.”
“You have to teach me.” He was standing by her again. “Or better, you can make it for me every morning. That would be enough payment for the bed.” He grinned wickedly.
“A bed in exchange for a life of servitude.” Kimberly laughed although the idea appealed to her a bit. She would love to make tea for Hussein every morning.
“I like hearing you laugh,” he said. “Your laughter is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said. And then as an afterthought she added, “I like seeing you smile. It is better than when you frown.”
Hussein laughed. “I don’t frown.”
“You do, too. Till recently, I thought it was perpetual.”
“And now?” he asked “What do you think?”
She looked up at him and touched his cheeks so she could feel his morning beard. “I think you are a good man, Hussein. You are a kind man and a wonderful person.”
“Go on.”
She laughed. “We have to get going,” she said. “You told Rueda you will be picking up your great grandmother today.”
“Oh yes, I almost forgot.”
“Somebody is super happy,” Emma observed from his position on the bench where he was playing Oware with Kimberly, “and it’s not because of the game.”
Kimberly couldn’t stop smiling, even though she was losing terribly. Since Hussein had dropped her off in the morning at the Big House before leaving to pick up his great grandmother, she had been feeling unnaturally elated.
She knew that it was crazy to be feeling what she felt now, but she had no way of stopping it either. Her lips suddenly had a mind of their own, and right now they were smiling without ceasing. “Don’t mind me,” she replied absently to Emma.
“Did you receive good news from your mum?” he persisted. “That must be the only reason why you can’t stop smiling”
“Who?” Kimberly was having a hard time concentrating on the game or on what Emma was saying.
“Your mum.”
“My mum?” She looked up and then she remembered. “Oh no! My mum. I totally forgot to call her. Oh goodness, I’ll be right back.” She dashed into the house and raced up the stairs nearly missing Ladipole who had just woken up from sleep. “Sorry,” she called as she entered her room.
Her phone was lying on the bed. Oh God forgive me, she repeated over and over as she dialled her mum’s number. It was answered on the second ring. “Mum?” she called cautiously.
“Hello, Kimberly,” Her mother sounded unusually cheerful. She double checked to see if she had gotten the right number. She had.
“Are you okay, mum?” she asked.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be? You sound worried. Is everything okay?”
“Um, yeah. I –I wanted to check on you. I forgot to call last night. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, Kimberly, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine. I did call though and Jessica’s cousin answered. He said his name was Hussein.”
“Hussein?”
“Yes, that’s what he said. Don’t you know him?”
“I do,” Kimberly answered, “but he didn’t tell me that he had spoken to you.”
“He must have forgotten,” Mabel said. “He was very nice and he spoke to me for hours even though he didn’t have to.” Kimberly heard the feeling in her mother’s voice. She knew from experience that Hussein had a way of planting that feeling in people –the feeling of being special.
“Yeah,” she said more to herself than to her mother, “he is very nice.”
“Okay, take care of yourself. I love you, bye.”
The line went dead. For the first time her mother had not wanted to prolong their call, in fact, she had been in a hurry to get back to whatever it was that she had been doing before the call.
