The Perils of Skinny-Dipping (27 page)

‘
Talk to him, adult to adult, not child to adult. You’ve complained that they always treat you like a child, so prove him wrong. Your father is only continuing to behave the way he’s been programmed to over the last thirty-three years, and if you don’t start reacting differently nothing is going to change. Be there for him tomorrow; be calm and, if necessary, take control if he gets upset. You never know, the penny might suddenly drop, and he might start to appreciate you for who you really are. And yes, Abbey, I’m not blind - I do understand why you feel the way you do.’

Abbey stood rooted to the spot. The anger in her subsided and grief immediately took its place. The tears flowed uncontrollably and her body shook as she finally released the suppressed emotion from her system. At no time did Darren try to speak or stop her from crying. He just held her, letting the weight of her body rest on his.

‘
She never knew,’ mumbled Abbey, her head still buried in his shoulder. ‘I tried to tell her, the last time I saw her, I tried.’

‘
Tried to tell her what?’

‘
That I loved her.’

Abbey agreed to postpone the flights until the weekend. Darren drove the three of them into town for the reading of the will. Her father and the solicitor were the executives and, as expected, everything was to be signed over to her father. Her mother had left Abbey an amethyst necklace, which she had always adored from being a child, but had never been allowed to touch.

‘
I’d like to have it today if possible, Dad,’ said Abbey as they drove back to the house. ‘Also, can I have a look through some of the family photographs, and maybe take some of the three of us back with me?’

Her father nodded absently in the back of the car but made no reply, preferring to look out of the car window and not in the direction of Abbey, who had turned around to face him.

At midday the following Saturday, the suitcases stood ready in the hall. Darren had booked a taxi back to the airport. Abbey was sitting in the dining room, going through a box of photographs that her father had eventually and very reluctantly retrieved from the attic. She put a couple into her bag and couldn’t help but think there were very few of her as a young child, or any family portraits. She comforted herself with the thought that maybe that sort of thing just wasn’t done when she was growing up. Yes, she was sure that would be the reason.

‘
Abbey, the taxi will be here soon. Are you ready to go?’ called Darren, who was standing in the doorway holding her jacket.

‘
OK, just coming. Dad, did you find the necklace for me?’ she shouted up the stairs.

Her father appeared on the landing.

‘
I put it in an envelope, on the table. Didn’t you see it?’

Abbey walked over to the table, picked up a plain brown envelope and looked inside. She slowly turned to face her father and held the envelope out to him.

‘
I want you to give this necklace to me,’ she whispered.

‘
I don’t understand,’ he said quietly. ‘You already have it.’

Abbey repeated her request, her heart now thumping inside her chest.

‘
Dad, I want you to take the necklace out of this envelope and hand it to me personally. You haven’t even written my name on the front. This necklace is a gift from my mother, not a letter from a stranger to be left on the table without a word, in the hope that I might just notice it!’

He stared at her, looking slightly confused. He then took the envelope and handed her the necklace.

‘
Thank you.’ She took the necklace, aware that her hand was shaking. ‘Dad, I know this is hard,’ she continued, determined not to let this opportunity slip by, ‘but you don’t have to be so guarded anymore in what you say or think. In fact, you’re going to have to start thinking for yourself again and make your own decisions.’

He stood fumbling in his pockets, not once looking at his daughter.

‘
And,’ she took a deep breath, ‘I was hoping that you and I could maybe start again? It’s not too late, you know. It’s never too late.’

His head slowly turned. His face was ashen grey and, as Abbey looked into his eyes, she got the distinct feeling that an inner struggle was going on inside.

‘
Look, I’ve no intention of walking away from you. This isn’t the end,’ she said quietly. ‘This is the beginning of a new era, for both of us.’

She walked towards Darren, and looked back at her father. ‘Oh, and Dad, I love you. Just so you know.’

They drove to the airport, Abbey finally with a sense of peace that had eluded her since the disjointed phone call from her father informing her of her mother’s death. Darren sat close to her with his arm around her shoulder.

‘
I’m so proud of you Abbey, I really am. I know how difficult that must have been for you.’

‘
I know this sounds awful,’ she replied, ‘but when I think about it, he’s never had the opportunity to express his feelings, or become the person he had the potential to be, and perhaps still could be. It’s like he’s been cocooned, not really living, if you know what I mean. In fact, they both have. They created an existence that not only seemed to stifle them emotionally, but actually encouraged them to behave in quite a destructive way.’

The tree-lined roads and gardens flashed past outside the car window.

‘
Do you think what I said to him will do any good and he’ll keep in touch?’

‘
We’ll make sure of it. But like you said, this isn’t the end, it’s a new beginning.’

She placed her hand on his arm. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘For everything,’ and kissed him on the cheek.

Chapter Thirty

Abbey descended down the steps of the small Botswana aircraft and onto the runway at Kasane Airport, looking around at the expanse of wilderness. The heat and the dust seemed to envelop them as they walked towards the airport building; but rather than it being uncomfortable, it gave her a feeling of familiarity, of being back home. Phil had driven Darren’s bakkie up and was waiting for them in the airport car park, leaning against the cab, smoking a cigarette.

‘
Home James,’ joked Abbey, after the bags had been thrown in the back. She looked out of the window as they made their way towards the town. She felt excited to be back amongst people she knew, and smiled to herself as they drove up to the bungalow.

‘
I’ll walk back,’ said Phil, throwing the keys to Darren. ‘And, I’ll catch up with you both tomorrow, not that you’ve missed much. Although!’ he paused for a second. ‘Nah,’ he laughed, ‘it can wait.’ He waved and disappeared down the drive.

Abbey was about to embark up the front steps when Darren took her arm.

‘
I think Mrs Scott,’ he said, ‘there is something I have omitted to do.’

‘
Oh, and what might that be, Mr Scott?’

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her over the threshold into the lounge. She giggled as he put her down, falling onto the sofa, feigning breathlessness. She looked around her house. Everywhere was spotless and there was a huge bouquet of flowers, beautifully arranged in a vase on the table. Abbey had a sneaking suspicion that Mary had been behind that idea.

She walked out onto the veranda and surveyed her garden and beyond. Darren came out and stood by her side, putting his arm around her waist. The sky blackened and large raindrops started to fall onto the parched ground. Abbey breathed in the cool, refreshed air.

‘
Put your shoes back on,’ said Darren suddenly.

‘
What? What for?’

‘
Honestly woman, will you ever just do as you’re told without holding a judicial review?’

Abbey laughed, slipped her sandals back on and followed Darren to the bakkie. They drove out of town along the familiar road, heading south, the heavy rain splashing onto the windscreen.

‘
Darren, are you going to tell me where we’re going?’

‘
No, is the simple answer to that.’

As the bakkie approached the Crossroads, Darren pulled over into the café car park.

‘
Why on earth are we here?’ she asked, jumping down out of the cab. Without answering, he took her hand and led her to the door. She looked at him puzzled.

‘
Open it.’

‘
What?’

‘
Abbey, open the door.’

She opened the door and walked inside. The cheers and laughter nearly knocked her off her feet. The room was full of people. Mr Kobe, Phil, Boitachello, Mary, Alfred and lots of other faces she knew from the town.

Behind the counter stood Isaac, a huge smile lighting up his face. Abbey ran over to him and hugged him.

‘
My god Isaac, where you’ve been?’ she asked, half laughing, half crying.

‘
They got me Miss Abbey, they came for me. I knew they would.’

‘
Is everything OK? Are you going to have to go back to Zim?’

‘
No, and thanks to your husband, you’re going to have to eat my burgers for some time yet!’

Abbey looked around the café. It had been painted and the furniture had been replaced. She took Darren’s arm and led him to an unoccupied table.

‘
How?’ she said looking at him.

‘
After you told me what had happened to Isaac,’ replied Darren, ‘I went to see Sergeant Lephepe in Kasane. I knew you had enough on your mind after the news about your mother. Anyway, he found out Isaac had been taken to Francistown and was being held there whilst the police waited for a deportation order. I enlisted Mr Kobe’s help and sent him with some money and told him to take Isaac back to the hotel. They arrived in Kasane just after we had left for your parents’ house. Whilst we were away, I made a few phone calls and found out who this place belongs to. Apparently, it’s on the deeds of the Savuti Lodge, which essentially means it’s in Mr Kobe’s hands.’

‘
Does this mean Isaac can stay? I mean in Botswana, legally?’

Darren nodded. ‘Yes. Mr Kobe appointed Isaac as the café manager and has given him a written contract. That means he can apply for a resident’s permit now. Not only that, but Mr Kobe decided that this café could be a thriving business and an asset to the hotel. He has invested money modernising it, including all the kitchen equipment.’

Abbey stared at her husband. ‘You know, you never cease to amaze me! Just when I think I know you, you go and do something else that makes me realise I still have so much to learn.’ She made her way around the table and sat on his lap. ‘Mr Scott,’ she said, putting her arms around his neck. ‘Will you marry me?’

Darren looked back at her, slightly confused. ‘Aren’t we already married?’

‘
Well yes, but I want to get married again. This time in Kasane, at the church, with all these people present.’

Darren smiled. ‘Oh course I’ll marry you, Mrs Scott. It would be an honour.’

They arranged to get married, again, two weeks later in the small church in the town. Darren’s family flew over from New Zealand, as they were determined not to miss out second time around. They had been booked into the Savuti Lodge at the personal invitation of Mr Kobe. Darren and Abbey decided to stay at the bungalow and sleep in the same bed, ignoring any superstition about the groom seeing the bride the night before the wedding. Phil arranged a quiet, or so he promised, stag night at the President’s Lodge, and Mary invited all the ladies to a BBQ at the house she was renting in the town.

Despite the fact Abbey was already married to Darren and had been so for some months, she could not remember being so excited or nervous. She remembered the short ceremony in Francistown where they first got married without one invited guest, and the drive back to the bungalow the same day.

As she sat daydreaming in the garden at Mary’s house, she felt a hand touch her on the shoulder. Darren’s mother, Penny, smiled and sat down beside her.

‘
I’m sorry about your mother, Abbey. I know you would have liked to have her here today.’

‘
Thank you. I just wish my father could have made it over. It’s too far, though, and I know he isn’t strong enough at the moment.’

Penny touched her arm. ‘You probably realise I am very proud of Darren and I just want to say I am so happy he has found you. I think you make a wonderful couple, and I’m thrilled for the pair of you.’

She gave Abbey a small ring box. Abbey opened it and inside was a diamond engagement ring.

‘
Darren’s father gave me this ring when we got engaged. The diamond comes from one of the mines here. I think it is fitting that you have it now.’

She kissed Abbey on the cheek before walking away. Abbey felt the emotion beginning to well up inside her and knew that it soon would embellish itself into a flood of tears. She hastily walked over to the riverbank and looked towards the horizon. She took a deep breath and then let the tears fall. Tears of sadness mingled with tears of sheer joy. She looked up into the starry sky.

‘
I’m so sorry Mum, I really am. Be happy for me, please.’

Abbey had asked Boitachello to be her maid of honour. Phil, for once in his life, relented about wearing formal dress and agreed to wear a suit and walk Abbey down the aisle. Stuart, Darren’s brother, was to be the best man. Mr Kobe and Mary organised the reception buffet, which was to be held in the Savuti Lodge gardens.