sure of the answer. This time, however, she was.
âYour mother lived in South Africa, Zambia, Canada and Cuba. She and her parents left their country of birth against their will, but your mother was an adventurer and made the most of it. She would have wished her sons to do the same, if thatâs what they wanted.â
Sipho nodded, and Monica wondered whether the vision he had of his mother right now was of her lying sick in bed, or when she was still capable of hiding the disease from her family and friends.
âCan I tell you a secret, Mom?â
âOf course, sweetie.â
âI know I should go to America, but Iâm not so sure I want to.â He searched her face to judge her reaction.
This was one of those moments, Monica knew, when her mettle as a parent was being tested. She wanted to say, âDonât go, stay here with me.â But Monica the parent had to weigh her words. She didnât want Sipho to one day regret a missed opportunity. He was scared, understandably so. In his place, Mandla would not be, but Sipho was more cautious. Any change he made was because he had thought it through and made a considered choice to fulfill a purpose.
âYou donât have to stay there if youâre unhappy,â she said.
His eyes lit up. âYou wonât be disappointed if I want to come home after a month?â
Monica shook her head. The expense of airfare was unimportant. She would be proud that he had conquered his fear of trying something new.
âWell, then thatâs different,â he said.
They heard a car in the driveway. Zak had returned from taking his daughter to her motherâs house in Cape Town. The constant moving between two households had, at first, upset Yolanda, and her schoolwork had suffered. But now, at seventeen, in her second to last year in high school, sheâd mastered her dual lives with ease. She no longer even bothered to pack a bag, but kept clothes and toiletries at her fatherâs house.
Yolandaâs mother had married the man for whom she had left Zak, and although Yolanda had once left home and come to stay in Lady Helen for a while because she did not get on with him, she had learned to live in peace with him. She said, however, that she would never love him because he hadnât respected the sanctity of her parentsâ marriage.
Zak came through the front door, rubbing his hands together.
âItâs freezing out there,â he said. He kissed Monica and sat down next to her. âSo what have you been doing while I was away?â
âSipho and I have been talking about his trip to the United States.â
âAre you sure youâll be able to get someone to replace you at the hospital over Christmas?â asked Sipho.
Zak nodded. âIâm already looking into it. Donât worry, weâll be there.â
âGood. Well, Iâd better finish my homework.â
âWhere is your brother?â asked Zak.
Sipho rolled his eyes. âWriting to one of his pen pals, a girl who lives in Australia. Heâd be better off studying.â
Mandla was not as committed a student as Sipho, but his report cards were well above average. It had to be difficult having a brother who was the best student in the history of Green Block School.
Sipho went to his bedroom and Zak pulled Monica close. âAre you feeling okay?â he asked.
She sighed. âItâs going to be horrible to say goodbye to him.â
âWeâll see him in four months.â
âI know.â
âAnd what aboutâ¦?â
Monica knew what Zak wanted to ask. âIâm trying not to think about it,â she said.
He put both his arms around her. âItâll work out in the end.â
She nodded. There was no reason not to believe him. They were both young, both healthy. She leaned her head on his shoulder. The only bright spot in this whole mess was that they were together. Infertility could
Marion Chesney, M.C. Beaton