sorry?” Joe repeated. Even at his young age he knew he was responsible for the tension swirling around them.
“I know,” Violet answered gently.
Steve went to his desk, where his papers were now scattered on top, and took a metal box out of the drawer. He counted out three hundred rand, which amounted to less than forty dollars.
“Be safe,” Violet told them as she headed out the door.
As she exited, Steve walked over and took Kayla in his arms.
“Maybe the bad luck we’re getting from this whole tokoloshi thing is losing her,” Steve offered, trying to comfort his wife.
“I hope so,” Kayla said, trying to be optimistic. “It is so hard to find someone as capable as her. Maybe in time she’ll come back.”
“Can I get up now?” Joe asked as his parents still stared at the closed door.
“Come on, sweet boy,” Kayla said, jolted back to reality. “Let’s have some dinner and get you to bed.”
“It was the toggle-ishy,” Joe insisted.
“Joe!” Kayla admonished as she led him into the kitchen.
Steve put the metal box back in the drawer and began straightening the disheveled papers. It had been a long day, and coming home to Joe acting up didn’t make him happy. But he came across a beautiful photo Christmas card from their daughter, Stephanie, who was still back in Salem. She was in front of the family’s Brady Pub, smiling from ear to ear.
It read, “Merry Christmas. I love you, Mom and Pops. When are you coming home?”
Steve’s hand went to his chest. “I love you, too, baby, but we’re here for a while longer.”
Then he noticed, amid the pile, his and Kayla’s bank statement.
He opened it, and that smile from reading Stephanie’s card vanished.
Kayla’s last two salary checks bounced? he said to himself.
“Sweetie,” he heard as Kayla came from the kitchen. “Dinner’ll be in just a few.”
He was jolted back to reality. “Thanks,” he answered.
“Are you all right?” Kayla asked.
“Absolutely,” he said as he slipped the letter into the drawer. “Just emotional over Steph’s card.”
Now I’m lying to my wife. Holy tokoloshi.
“But I’m not really hungry this early. You mind if I head over to Ambri for a quick one? They just reopened after the holiday…”
“You don’t have to explain,” Kayla answered. “See the guys, and I’ll have Joe down by the time you get back. Then we can spend some together time.”
Steve pulled her into his arms and gave her a tender kiss. “How do you get sweeter every day, Sweetness?” he asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Knowing that you’re always here to protect us makes every day better.” She smiled with the smile that always melted his heart.
***
Bill and Cornelius were at the bar when Patch entered. Ambri Africa’s Bush Pub was one of their local hangouts. It bordered one of the game farms, so it was a great place to drink in the ambience of Africa. And it was a great place to drink, period.
“Hey,” Patch said as he slid into a wooden chair next to Bill.
“Hey,” Bill nodded.
“Can I get you a cold one?” Cornelius asked Patch as he stood. “Just going to get us another round.”
“Sure,” Patch answered with a sidelong glance at Bill.
“Two beers aren’t going to send me over the edge,” Bill said pointedly to him as Cornelius headed to the bar.
The atmosphere was lively, even early in the evening. With a pool table, a big-screen TV, and a pool outside on the deck, the pub was not only popular with the locals but also with the young international volunteers who worked at the camps. A smattering of dialects and languages flowed through the air.
“So, would you be comfortable approaching John Black?” Patch asked directly.
“About what?” Bill asked.
Patch rubbed his fingers and thumb together. “Cash.”
Bill adamantly shook his head no. “We’ve got until the end of the month, and I’ve already got something in the works.”
“The banks are not making loans,
“I know,” Violet answered gently.
Steve went to his desk, where his papers were now scattered on top, and took a metal box out of the drawer. He counted out three hundred rand, which amounted to less than forty dollars.
“Be safe,” Violet told them as she headed out the door.
As she exited, Steve walked over and took Kayla in his arms.
“Maybe the bad luck we’re getting from this whole tokoloshi thing is losing her,” Steve offered, trying to comfort his wife.
“I hope so,” Kayla said, trying to be optimistic. “It is so hard to find someone as capable as her. Maybe in time she’ll come back.”
“Can I get up now?” Joe asked as his parents still stared at the closed door.
“Come on, sweet boy,” Kayla said, jolted back to reality. “Let’s have some dinner and get you to bed.”
“It was the toggle-ishy,” Joe insisted.
“Joe!” Kayla admonished as she led him into the kitchen.
Steve put the metal box back in the drawer and began straightening the disheveled papers. It had been a long day, and coming home to Joe acting up didn’t make him happy. But he came across a beautiful photo Christmas card from their daughter, Stephanie, who was still back in Salem. She was in front of the family’s Brady Pub, smiling from ear to ear.
It read, “Merry Christmas. I love you, Mom and Pops. When are you coming home?”
Steve’s hand went to his chest. “I love you, too, baby, but we’re here for a while longer.”
Then he noticed, amid the pile, his and Kayla’s bank statement.
He opened it, and that smile from reading Stephanie’s card vanished.
Kayla’s last two salary checks bounced? he said to himself.
“Sweetie,” he heard as Kayla came from the kitchen. “Dinner’ll be in just a few.”
He was jolted back to reality. “Thanks,” he answered.
“Are you all right?” Kayla asked.
“Absolutely,” he said as he slipped the letter into the drawer. “Just emotional over Steph’s card.”
Now I’m lying to my wife. Holy tokoloshi.
“But I’m not really hungry this early. You mind if I head over to Ambri for a quick one? They just reopened after the holiday…”
“You don’t have to explain,” Kayla answered. “See the guys, and I’ll have Joe down by the time you get back. Then we can spend some together time.”
Steve pulled her into his arms and gave her a tender kiss. “How do you get sweeter every day, Sweetness?” he asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Knowing that you’re always here to protect us makes every day better.” She smiled with the smile that always melted his heart.
***
Bill and Cornelius were at the bar when Patch entered. Ambri Africa’s Bush Pub was one of their local hangouts. It bordered one of the game farms, so it was a great place to drink in the ambience of Africa. And it was a great place to drink, period.
“Hey,” Patch said as he slid into a wooden chair next to Bill.
“Hey,” Bill nodded.
“Can I get you a cold one?” Cornelius asked Patch as he stood. “Just going to get us another round.”
“Sure,” Patch answered with a sidelong glance at Bill.
“Two beers aren’t going to send me over the edge,” Bill said pointedly to him as Cornelius headed to the bar.
The atmosphere was lively, even early in the evening. With a pool table, a big-screen TV, and a pool outside on the deck, the pub was not only popular with the locals but also with the young international volunteers who worked at the camps. A smattering of dialects and languages flowed through the air.
“So, would you be comfortable approaching John Black?” Patch asked directly.
“About what?” Bill asked.
Patch rubbed his fingers and thumb together. “Cash.”
Bill adamantly shook his head no. “We’ve got until the end of the month, and I’ve already got something in the works.”
“The banks are not making loans,
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