3.
The next morning I got to church, missing the announcements and welcoming but just as the first song, sung gloriously. I slid into the pew and inched my way next to my mother. She smiled as she sang and handed me a song book, and my dad nodded and smiled continuing to sing as well. I looked around for Brice and eventually saw him sitting with the rest of the young boys and girls to the right of the auditorium. He smiled and offered the tiniest wave of his hand. I giggled at his attempt to stay cool amongst his peers. As my eyes made their way back to my songbook, they rested upon the man I had seen last night.
It can't be; I thought as my heart thudded in my chest and I kept glancing in the direction of the man I found so intriguing. He, fortunately, was unaware of my constant stares. All day I wondered who he was since as soon as service was over he disappeared and I was too embarrassed to ask Brice or anyone else who he was.
After an uneventful day of doing nothing but relaxing and spending quality time with my parents, I was on my way home again. My mother begged and pleaded with me to be safe during my country visit over the next few weeks. I stopped to say goodbye to Brice at the beach. He was still in the water, so I waited, sitting on a bench and absorbing the wonders of the ocean. When he got out Brice awarded me with a sublime hug as he had done previously.
I relished every touch and before getting in my car, he said, 'You must join me at Bible study one evening. It's a fantastic group, some about as old as you,' he snorted, 'and mostly us surfers.'
After a punch on the arm for his sarcastic wit, I replied that I would do so on condition that I had my reports done in time.
'Reports won't get you into Heaven,' he smiled knowing he was right.
As I drove away, I passed a bakkie and, noticing a man packing his board into the back, I gasped, 'No it's him again!'
My heart fluttered mildly, fortunately for me, as I easily could have driven my car into a lamp post with my eyes glued on him instead of the road. All the way home I wondered if Brice perhaps knew him and if he attended the Bible study since he went to church.
***
Well, my curiosity had to wait until I returned from my country trip. Between the towns of Durban and Ladysmith, I only visited two stores a day as they were miles and miles apart hence I was more exhausted from driving rather than shopping. With a tired and sore body, I checked in at a country-style guesthouse in Estcourt and nestled into bed delving immediately into my book; another from the wonderful shelves of Readers Rest. Country trips were not my favourite. As much as the people were friendly there was something unnerving about them – the trips, not the people. I was completely out of my comfort zone, which was so ridiculous since I was probably safer here than in the city.
There was a nip in the air when I left the guesthouse the next morning and trotted to my car, hurriedly turning on the heater. The first store was fifty kilometres away, and I had another to visit after that. On entering the first store, there was a stifled atmosphere, as though if someone spoke a little higher than a whisper the whole place would explode. I stood in front of the shelf of various detergents when a choir of screams erupted nearby. At first, I thought it was a group of local ladies having an excited conversation but then I realised the screams were from fear. Another customer who had passed me not too long ago came rushing back to my aisle, which was farthest from the check-out counters and hovered around me. Her eyes were huge and she was panting, wheezing in fact, and trembling in fear.
'What is going on?' I questioned her.
She shook her head unable to speak. There was a deadly silence in the store; I only heard my whispers to the terror-stricken woman.
A security guard came hastily walking by and said, 'It's okay now. They have gone.'
'Who has gone? What happened?' I questioned again.
The woman burst into a hysterical release of anguish.
'Ma'am, we have just been robbed. The men, there were three of them, went up to the front till and held knives to the lady.'
'Did they catch them or are they still near the store?'
The idea of bumping into them made me shudder.
'No, they were caught as they got to their car.'
My hands and knees became very unstable as it dawned on me what had gone down in the store. I had always wondered if this day might ever happen. I had read of similar cases so many times in the papers and heard it on the radio often enough, but somehow I had been confident it would never happen to me. Well now it had, but I was not affected except of course that I had been in the store during the robbery. That was enough to unnerve me and make me cancel my visit to the other store for the day. Exiting the store, people clustered around to watch the paramedics attend to the traumatised cashier. I said a pray for her once I had locked myself in my car and thanked the Lord no one had got physically hurt.
As soon as I reached the guesthouse I phoned Mr Bartlett, who already got notified by the store manager of the incident. He, of course, did not know that I had been in the store at the time, and he was horrified when I informed him. And since I was "not employed" by him, it was a risk even answering his phone, but he did so without hesitation. After a lot of convincing, I managed to assure him that I was okay to complete my country trip. For today though I stayed at the guesthouse, calming my festered nerves. I sent my report to Mr Bartlett which was no different to what I had already told him. Then I phoned my father – telling my mother over the phone was just not a good idea. Fifteen minutes later I had a hysterical, sobbing mother's love pouring down my ear through the phone. She hated my country trips and now even more so. I was reminded by her to thank our Lord for His mercies in sparing everyone's lives. And as soon as I hit the end button on my phone I did exactly that.
I'd never done it before, but when I reached my hometown after three weeks in the country, thankfully without further incidents, I went straight to my parents' home. The first to greet me was my mother who held me so tightly and did not let me go until my father practically pried her off me. Then he did the same anyhow and then Brice pulled my father off me so he could have his turn. I had never felt so much love as I did at that very moment. As it was the weekend, I remained at their home, snug as a bug around two doting parents. Mr Bartlett phoned as soon as he heard I was home safe and sound. I did appreciate his call since my job was so secretive that we never communicated over the phone, and we had spoken twice since the time of the incident. Brice coaxed me out of the house on Saturday afternoon to go with him to the beach, and I teased him that he only wanted a lift from me. It was good to relax and empty my mind at the edge of the ocean.
'Hi,' a voice said behind me, startling me.
I looked around, thrilled to see a dark haired man with a lovely smile looking at me.
'Hi,' I replied and waited for him to make the next move.
He sat down on the sand next to me.
'I think I saw you at the club a few nights ago.'
It was him!!
I blushed and smiled, 'Yes I think that was me…I saw you at church a few Sundays ago too.'
He looked at me quizzically, 'Uhm, maybe…'
He was friendly and easy to talk to, but I must say my heart did not flutter all over the show as I had expected it would. Perhaps curiosity had killed the cat – satisfaction brought it back, and now the nerves were settled.
'Sorry, I am very rude, my name is Salma Asbury.'
I extended my hand toward him, a little snubbed that he had not introduced himself first. He shook his head.
'Oh my bad, I am so sorry, Lex Conley.'
He offered his hand, and I shook it.
'Wait,' he paused and looked toward the surfers in the ocean, 'Asbury? Are you Brice's sister?'
'Yes. He is a lot younger than me, a laat lammetjie.'
Lex laughed a little. 'He is a good kid, good surfer, too.'
'Yes, Surfing is his passion.'
The words were hardly out of my mouth when Brice joined us.
'Hey Lex, what's up?'
He nodded at Lex. I got up and dusted the sand off my bum and legs, Brice waited still holding his board.
'Hope to see you at the club again,' Lex said winking at me as he spoke.
I smile and nodded.
'Sure,' I replied at the same as I listened to Brice's explanation of the waves.
After dropping Brice, I closed the car door and let my window down to say another goodbye. He bent down so that he was at my eye level and reminded me that study was on Wednesday night, and I'd "better be there".