The guests arrived one by one in the dining hall for breakfast.
Sandy sat on one of the sofas in the lobby, waiting. She frowned when she saw Darlene's family without her. Did she fall asleep and nobody woke her up? She stood up and ran upstairs.
Knocking on the door and calling her name didn't wake Darlene. Sandy turned the doorknob. It was locked. She knocked again. Harder this time.
The door suddenly flung open. "Yes?" Darlene yawned and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes enlarged when she saw who was standing at the door. "Oh my god! I overslept. What time is it?"
Sandy couldn't help smiling. Darlene's hair was all ruffled up and there were red wrinkles, from the pillow, on her one cheek.
"I will be downstairs in five minutes." She slammed the door in Sandy face and opened it quickly when she realized what she had done. "I'm sorry. Do you want to come in?"
"No, it's all right. I'll wait downstairs." She smiled again and left the half-sleepy woman standing in the doorway.
Darlene came jogging down the stairs after ten minutes. She found Sandy in the lobby on one of the sofas. "Phew. Can I still have breakfast or am I too late?"
A medium brown paper bag was held out to her. She frowned when she took it. "What's this?" she asked and peeped inside the bag.
"Your breakfast. Shall we get a move on?"
Darlene closed the bag up. Returned it to Sandy and ran into the dining hall. After a few minutes, she came back. "All set, can I have it back? I'm famished!"
While walking to the front door, Darlene took out a buttered cheese scone. Took a huge bite from it and mumbled about how good it was. She swallowed it down with a bottle of orange juice she found in the bag. "Oh this is good!" She took another sip and bite into the freshly baked scone again.
Sandy glanced at Darlene as she was digging into the bag again. Bringing forth a plastic bowl of fresh fruit salad covered with yoghurt.
She tripped over a rock while concentrating on opening the plastic bowl, and nearly lost her balance – and her food.
"I guess we better sit down before you hurt yourself." Sandy took her by the elbow, steered her into the shade of a nearby tree and pulled her down on the grass.
The two women sat cross-legged on the grass. The one waiting patiently while the other one finished her breakfast.
After eating the last cheese scone and gulped down the rest of the orange juice, Darlene was ready to go. "I'm stuffed," she said. Rubbing over her stomach.
"Glad you've liked it. I think it's safe to carry on walking now?"
Darlene chuckled and gave Sandy a playful slap on the arm.
"My mother wasn't keen on me not having breakfast with them. She can be so impossible sometimes."
"She's just looking out for you, Darlene."
The two women strolled down the dirt road leading to the farm. A half an hour's walk became an hour. They had a great deal of catching up to do and didn't realize how the time flew by.
A car honked behind them. They jumped out of the way and turned around to see who it was. Darlene's parents, with their black Mercedes Benz, drove up next to them.
"Hop in you two!" Her mother said when she let the window down.
"It's fine, we'll walk. Thanks."
Sammy glanced at her husband and let the window up as they drove off again. Looked back at her daughter until she couldn't see her anymore.
She turned back in her seat and glanced with a frown at Kirk.
"Isn't she cheating on Linda?"
He glanced over at his wife. His eyebrows arched. "Honey, if they are just friends how can it be cheating?"
Sammy glared at him and drew her lips into a thin line. "Oh, shut up! You think you're so clever."
A grin appeared on his face. He kept his eyes on the dirt road ahead of him. The grin faded, before his wife noticed it and roused herself to anger again.
The two women turned their faces down wind as the car drove off. Waited until the dust settled, before they carried on walking.
"Let's go through here. It's a shortcut." Sandy showed the way through bushes and shrubs.
The uneven plowland made it difficult for them to walk on.
Darlene lost her balance every now and again. Nearly fell a few times. But Sandy's strong arms prevented her every time from falling. She stumbled again and fell onto Sandy's chest. Their eyes met, and again the black eyes took her green eyes captive.
How could her eyes still be black? They stood in bright sunlight.
Darlene gently pushed her away. "We have to get a move on. It's hot and I'm thirsty."
For a brief moment, Sandy gazed at the woman in her arms. If she kissed her right now, would she kiss her back, or would she smack her? She smiled and let go of her.
Sandy pushed one of the large bushes aside. "There's the farm." She held her hand out to Darlene. "Come let me help you through the fence."
"How did you know about this shortcut?"
"I didn't have friends when I was in school and I had to keep myself busy. So I've explored every piece of land. Here and near the river. Stood here many times, watching you and your brother playing under that big old tree."
Darlene swallowed a lump. She remembered how rude the children were to Sandy.
Here was this lonely girl, too scared to reach out to other kids of the same age. Scared, because she would be teased again.
Although she didn't join when the children teased Sandy, she sure laughed at the jokes.
Darlene wanted to apologize, but struggled to find the right words. She gave the conversation a rest.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
She smiled when she heard her little brother's voice. Stevie came running towards them. "Where have you been? We drove past you ages ago." He grabbed her around the waist. "Mom is furious. She said you should've got into the car with us."
Darlene pulled a face. "Argh. Mom is always angry. Nothing new." She put her arms around her little brother. Glanced at Sandy and sighed. "Don't let my mother get you down when we go inside, okay."
Sandy nodded and carried on walking. She smiled as she watched brother and sister strolling across the green lawn with their arms around each other.
The three of them reached the house and entered through the front door.
Stevie let go of his sister and rushed to the living room. "They're here!" he announced.
Sammy rolled her eyes. "About time I should say!"
"Oh my, who have we here?" Pete stood up from his lazy-boy when his granddaughter entered, followed by a tall woman. He hugged Darlene and held his hand out to Sandy.
"It's Sandy, Uncle Pete." She smiled when she saw the frown on his forehead. She burst out laughing when the old man's eye grew big.
"No! Look at you! How long has it been? Five, or is it seven years, since I last saw you." He held her at arm's length. "As handsome as you can find!"
"Dad!"
"Oh, be quiet, Sammy! I'm admiring this young hulk. She's quite a catch you know, Darlene."
"Gramps stop it now. You're embarrassing her."
Pete grabbed Sandy by her hand and dragged her to the empty chair, next to his. "Get some Cokes in the fridge, Darlene. I suppose you quite thirsty. It's a long walk and it's hot outside." He turned to Sandy again and started a conversation with her, as if his daughter and son-in-law weren't even there.
Darlene came back from the kitchen and handed each of them a Coke.
"You know I don't drink that! You can bring me a fruit juice," Sammy said and grimaced. "It's like acid to one's stomach."
"Stevie, get Mom an orange juice. I'm tired after the long walk."
Her brother gaped at her. "Really?"
"Ugh! Don't bother you two. I'll get it myself." Sammy jumped up and marched to the kitchen.
Darlene rolled her eyes as she peered at her brother.
He shrugged and shoved himself back in the chair.
"She's working at La Croc's now, Gramps."
"Yes, she told me. I suppose the two of you will see more of each other?"
Sandy smiled and gazed at Darlene. "Well, if she let me. I would love to see more of her, Uncle Pete."
Darlene's cheeks flushed. She slightly smiled and held the cold glass against her face.
"Didn't I tell you a few days ago you'll find someone to keep you company?"
She rolled her eyes and smiled again. "I know, Gramps."
***
Sammy tapped her husband on his arm when she realized how late it was. "We're going to miss supper if we don't get a move on." She stood up, headed over to her father's chair and put her hand on his shoulder. "Dad, we'll see you at the guest house for lunch tomorrow? Be there at twelve."
Pete jumped out of his chair. "What's this nonsense? Martha is cooking for us. You are having lunch here, on the farm. And I've made up my mind. If you have a problem, you can eat alone at your damn guest house!" He stormed out of the living room, without saying goodbye.
"Mom, you come here once a year and now you want to eat at the guest house!"
Sammy glanced at her husband. "Are you coming or must I drive back alone?"
Kirk stood up, hugged his daughter and followed his wife out to the car.
Darlene and Sandy stepped back into the house, after the black Mercedes disappeared and left a trace of reddish dust.
They entered the living room.
Pete was still in his room, still mad at his daughter.
Sandy sat down on the couch and stared at the woman in front of the window.
Darlene's eyes fixed on the dirt road at the gate. Watching the red-brown dust settled down.
"You and your mom don't get along, eh?"
She turned away from the window. Groaned aloud when she fell onto the couch. Threw her legs over the armrest and lay down. "She makes me so mad! Since they moved to Sandton, my mother thinks she's so high and mighty. I hate her for being like that, and I hate her for treating Gramps this way."
"I better get going too. It's getting late. Will I see you tomorrow? After lunch of course."
"You can't go now! Remember, I told you about the wolf. She will catch if you're alone out there."
"Darlene! Don't start with that nonsense again!" Pete yelled from his bedroom.
She chuckled. "Gramps doesn't believe me."
"Well, I'm not scared of a silly old wolf anyway. I'll see you tomorrow then?"
Darlene nodded and accompanied Sandy all the way to the main gate. "You aren't taking the shortcut again?"
"No, it's already too dark to go through those thick bushes. I'll be home in no time." She took Darlene's hand and raised it. Pressed her lips softly on top of it, smiled and started jogging away.
A tingling feeling rushed through her whole body when she felt Sandy's lips on her hand. If only she would've kissed her on the lips.
She stared down the dirt road until Sandy disappeared into the void, before she headed back to the farmhouse.