“Mosola,” Stone said with a smile and crouched down so his face was level with the child’s. “Come give me a hug.”
He got a huge smile and a hug around the neck that looked like it would cut off his air but he didn’t seem to mind at all. Stone was laughing as he hugged him back then he stood up with the child still clinging to his neck. Soon another little one ventured forward then another, until Stone was surrounded by at least a dozen little boys, all demanding their hug. And Stone delivered.
Next, he went from table to table, greeting the older boys, addressing each of them by name. Indie wondered how he remembered them all but he seemed to have no trouble and it was clear that the boys appreciated the attention.
“He really loves those boys.” It was Jenna, right by her elbow, and she was whispering to Indie. “And you’ll love them, too, as soon as you get to know them. They’re all so sweet. You’ll see-”
She was cut off mid-sentence when a bell started to ring. "Lunch time is over," Jenna shouted over the din. “Time for the afternoon classes. Follow me.”
The boys formed a neat line and without Jenna having to say a word they filed out of the dining room and off to wooden buildings that stood at various ends of the compound.
Jenna took Indie on a tour of the classrooms. “We have eleven teachers,” she said, “covering the little ones in preschool right up to grade ten. For the higher grades the boys go on to high school in Johannesburg.” They’d reached a building cheerfully painted yellow. She held the door open. “Welcome to your new home away from home. After today, she’s all yours.”
It was a neat little bungalow that seemed to serve as Jenna’s office. A desk and file cabinet sat next to the sofa in the living room, partially hidden from view by a screen decorated with African print with stripes of orange, yellow and black. Surprisingly, the bedroom was the largest room in the house, with a huge four-poster bed with a canopy from which pale white curtains fell. A closer look told Indie those weren’t curtains but mosquito netting. Smart move. She knew from personal experience how vicious the tiny insects could be.
“Make yourself comfortable.” Jenna spread her arms wide. “The driver will soon bring your bags. The few things I have here are packed and ready to go. In fact,” she lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper, “as soon as Stone called to say he was bringing you, my husband and I started clearing up the place. I was never so happy to lose a job.” Then, as she saw Indie’s face she laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. You’ll love it. It’s just that Kirk and I want to get ready for our baby. This will be our first and, being so busy, we haven’t had a chance to prepare.”
“When are you due?” As far as Indie was concerned that baby looked like it should have come out already. Jenna looked about ready to pop.
“In two weeks, but you know babies. They can come a couple of weeks early or a couple of weeks late. I could go into labor right now.”
Indie put a hand on her arm. “Please. Don’t. Let me at least get settled first.”
The pregnant woman laughed and stroked her belly. “My baby has been good to me so far. I know she’ll cooperate just a little bit longer.”
“Oh, it’s a girl? Have you chosen a name yet?”
“We're still working on that. We have some names on our list - Diamond, Crystal, Jessica. One of the teachers suggested Imani, which means faith.”
“Very nice,” Indie said, nodding. “I’m sure she’ll be as beautiful as her name.”
They were interrupted when there was a knock on the door and Jenna opened to see one of the teenage boys with a tray covered with a striped cloth. “Cook sent lunch for the lady,” he said, and laid the tray in Jenna’s arms.
“Thank you, Mfana.” She took the tray and headed to the tiny dining room. “Come on, Indie,” she said over her shoulder. “We can talk while you eat.”
While Jenna brought her up to speed on what needed to be done to ensure the smooth operation of the home, Indie enjoyed a meal of boiled yams, curried chicken and carrot salad, also curried.
As she listened to Jenna talk, Indie realized that the job was going to be a lot more work than she’d thought. In addition to supervising the home with the assistance of six home mothers, Jenna was also principal of the school and she even filled in as substitute teacher when any of the staff members fell ill. Indie was going to have her hands full.
As long as she could find time to be with Stone.
She took a pause from her meal as she thought about that. Her primary purpose for being here was to get to know Stone – fast – and to get a marriage proposal, but based on all that Jenna had told her she didn’t even know if she’d find time to go to the bathroom, let alone go man hunting. She grimaced. Things were not looking good.
“Don’t worry, Indie. It’s not that bad.”
Indie blinked. She looked across the table at Jenna who was smiling at her.
“I know you’re worried. I can see it on your face. But you’ll be all right. The staff is very supportive. They're like my sisters and brothers.” She reached over and patted Indie’s arm. “And they’ll give you all the help they gave me. I’m sure of it. They want this home to succeed just as much as we do.”
Indie nodded. If Jenna only knew…
This was a good time to change the subject. “Where did Stone disappear to?”
“I guess he’s spending time in each of the classrooms, chatting with the boys. He always does that. That’s why they love him so much. We all do.” She got up. “Now you finish eating. I’m going to get Kirk to pick up my stuff. “She left Indie and headed for the front door.
So this is it. Indie looked around. This little house would be her place of abode for the next few weeks, maybe a whole lot longer. She knew her personal weakness. Once she’d attached herself to a cause she would see it through to the end. And if she wasn’t careful, whether things worked out with Stone or not, she’d most likely spend as long as it took to ensure