THE DINNER

A moonbeam sparkled on the rounded edge of the soup tureen. He had prepared a cold cucumber soup, for the day had turned at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. He was fortunate that a thunderstorm had not built up and that they could have their dinner outside, for he loved the atmosphere in the cool of the evening under the African stars. Two or three lamps hung on the branches of the old Oak, and he would light the candles on the table just now when they sat down as there was no wind. The candlelight would make the dinner even more special.

His thoughts ran over the events in his life, and, of course, her’s, that had let up to this special dinner tonight. Even while the scenes played off in his mind, his feet never faltered, nor his eyes, nor his hands, as he put the finishing touches to the dishes he had prepared, and meticulously placed each little item on the table. Oh, it was simply marvelous that he had bought, and had paid for, this lovely dwelling in this land of sunshine.  It was money better spent than on a home back in the UK where his job was, for, being bred and born here, that other land was really too cold for him. And one day, when he had adequate means, he would come and live here again. Quite clever, he thought, the Rand-Pound ratio was something to be used, not thrown away!

She had been his school sweetheart, but afterwards their paths had separated. He knew she loved him, for through the intervening years after school, she had flown over the seas three times to come to him, and each time he thoroughly spoilt her, treating her to the West End, showing her the beauty of the huge city and of the country. Once they had taken a trip over the Channel to France, to see Paris. She had cried when she looked at the White Cliffs of Dover, and the graves and monuments of fallen soldiers in England and in France. They had spoken of how the various nations had survived that First World War and had arisen from the ground. It was then that he thought about it to have a family, people made of the sterner stuff that their forefathers were made of, and thus applicable to them also. But he still hesitated to ask her, and it was only when she had gone back to Pretoria, and he had one day dwelt in the streets of London, reading the names on the War Memorials, that he made his decision. He asked her to marry him.

It was a fairytale marriage in a cathedral. All his friends had come, and after the tea and cake, had all accompanied them to Heathrow to see them off on their honeymoon. David gave her a present marked “Fragile, Handle with Care”, and said that she could open it once they arrived at their house in Pretoria. He smiled, David was such a very special friend!

Arriving at O.R. Thambo the next morning, they found a sea of faces, her friends, who had come to welcome the couple. Again they were accompanied, this time to this beautiful house of his. So the festivities had shifted from one country to the other, but at least they had both slept soundly throughout the night on their flight back here.

He was fortunate to have a friend like Bill here in Pretoria, who was as meticulous as he was himself, and also so willing to comply with his request. He had done a perfect job. Come to think of it, it was right that he had married her, every single little thing seemed to turn out perfect! Bill had stocked up the pantry, aired the place, had it thoroughly cleaned, he had even chosen the very same flowers that he himself would have ordered, the exclusive Proteas and the heather, huge pots full of them. The grass had been trimmed, and the pool was sparkling. He himself was planning on building a boma with seating around an open fire, where they could enjoy the company of their friends and find warmth while eating around the fire under the stars.

It was now just about time for dinner. Their friends had left, knowing that at last the couple should have a chance to be alone and enjoy each others’ company after their wedding. He put the serving dishes on the table, and moved the candlesticks slightly, just so, and the serviettes, and then all was ready. He glimpsed at his wrist watch, he was precisely on time. Oh my, he thought, I never thought to tell Bill to buy a bell for dinner. Never mind, I’ll go in and call her.

She was speaking on her cellphone, standing at a window and looking out. He thought that he shouldn’t trespass and went outside to enjoy the company of the moon and the stars and the ripple of the pool in the quiet of the night. It had been a hectic time, these past two days and he found the evening peaceful as he stretched out on a garden lounger next to the pool.

When her telephone conversation was over, she thought about the gift that David had given them. She had temporarily forgotten about it with all the excitement of the day’s festivities. It was in her carry-bag, the one she kept with her on the trip back, for fear that the fragile present might break if she did not keep an eye on it. She put the bag on the bed and sat down to open it there so that if it should perhaps fall, the soft bed would be sufficient protection. It was wrapped in beautiful wedding gift paper tied with a festive sparkling silver ribbon, and further in red chiffon paper with a handwritten card on top of the gift. She opened it up to read.

He awoke with a start. How fortunate, he had nodded off for only a couple of minutes, dinner was definitely not yet spoiled! He went inside once more to call her to the table.

Her back was to the door and somehow she did not seem to hear him enter the room. She had a framed wedding photograph of the two of them in her hand. So, that is what David had given them, he thought. David could accomplish the feat of taking the pictures and framing a special one in a record time, for David was a professional photographer and had everything he needed to do so at hand.

Her feelings were so intense that she was not even aware when he sat down beside her, also now enjoying the beautiful photograph of the two of them outside the old cathedral yesterday. Was it only yesterday, it seemed so far back, they had packed such a lot into these past two days! As he put his arm around her shoulders she burst out in tears. Thinking that he knew her, knew that she was a woman who felt deeply, he looked into her eyes, and at that very moment the thunder boomed and the lightning struck to announce the arrival of a storm, the typical suddenness of which he had forgotten for it was long since he had been in Pretoria during the season of storms.

He wanted to run outside to save what he could of their special dinner, he wanted to urgently ask her to hurry and help. But the look in her eyes froze him. It was then that he knew that she knew. David must somehow have let on, he must have given the love they had for each other away. How could he, he said that he fully understood, that he knew that everybody wanted a child of their very own, even he himself had that yearning, yes, he understood.

She stood up and walked out of the door and into the street, the lashing rain stinging her skin and mingling with her tears, the wind and the thunder hurrying her along, the lightning showing her where to put down her foot for her next step.