CHAPTER 20

IVAN:

Bernice's words was beginning to make sense to me...

your heart knows it but your head is fighting it....

My heart calls Rufi Nae salang but my head tells me its not possible.

My phone rang and I saw its my papa.

"Papa!"

"Buen días niño" Good morning son he greeted

"Good morning to you dad, how are you?"

"As fine as an old man can be hijo"

I heard the smile in his voice. I loved this man, we've been bast pals since I was little. We have more of a bff relationship than a father-son relationship.

"When is Callie coming home?" My baby sister ran off to Denmark last year after reading a book about Danes.

I want to see all the waters and the clear blue sky and feel the wind

had been her chant until papa got her a ten months visa to Esbjerg, Denmark.

"She should return anytime from the day after tomorrow, I really miss my princess" he groaned "I don't know where you all got your adventure genes from!"

I smiled, can't say I don't know where we got it from.

"Well,  I called to pass an info" Papa said

Poor me! And there I was thinking my papa called for a boys' chat "What info?"

"We're hosting a barbecue next week"

"Papa please!" I whined

"Hey man! You don't know what I'm getting at yet"

"I hear"

"Well! Your Nana wants---"

"Nana is home?" I'm a gunner

"Yes! And the barbecue is a welcome slash birthday party for her, so you're game?"

Damn me! "You're asking?"

Everyone knows I love my Nana. She'd been with Aunt Fer in South Africa for about three months now.

"Tell her to pack her things again and this time she's spending more than three months" I told Papa

"Noted" Papa laughed "The party is Sunday evening OK? Ask Bernice if she'll come"

"Bernice has a wedding to plan Papa"

"Come on, That doesn't mean she'll miss Nana's party"

True "I'll inform her"

"Alright son! Be cool"

"I will, ciao "

This gives me about a week to plan and head out to Mexico for Nana's birthday, it will also afford me time to get rid of Diana -hopefully.

My phone rang again and this time I saw the brownest of eyes on my screen. Grinning like an idiot I answered and spoke with the cutest part of my world.

***************

RUFI:

On Thursdays, Ivan made it his off too. According to him, his Salang shouldn't spend her day off work alone.

This Thursday is my last but one at Hen's, Ivan offered me a job that pays fifty grand monthly and I seriously doubt if that's the true salary. Maria get Forty thousand as a PA and I'm getting fifty to be a secretary to a PA.

Today, we were going to watch a bull racing match on the island. I dressed Ana-Blaire in the typical cowgirl dress Ivan got her last week, red killer boots, black jeans, off-white shirt and a dazzling red cowboy hat. The cloth looked perfect on her and it made me happy that the one man I liked took his time shopping for my baby and the cloth looks expensive. I don't look bad myself, I wore a jeans  with a tee-shirt and a baseball cap.

Ivan promised to be here by 10:00am and since it was just 9:30 I thought to kill time by making fruit juice.

Just after I finished washing the fruits and blender to start blending Ivan knocked and I huffed "Now I won't finish this?"

No way!

Ana-Blaire jumped off the stool and cut ten years off my life "Ana-Blaire Alicia Brown!" I screamed frightened

"Cow girl boot" she grinned running off.

I wish I had one. I don't know why I didn't get one. She was making me jealous.

Ivan waltz into the kitchen in that killer cowboy attire too!

This wasn't fair!

He gave my dress a one-over before that mischievous grin broke across his face .

"Good morning beautiful"

"Good morning" I replied as he pulled me in for a kiss

"What's with all this fruit?"

"I want to make juice"

"I'll help" he winked .

Something definitely is going on here.

"I think Ana-Blaire is up to something in the living room" he winked. Again!

That was my clue, I raced into the living room but halted as in saw the third set of red boots,off white shirt, black jeans, and dazzling red hat that morning.

Ana-Blaire stood grinning like a sales assistant that just convinced a bride as she handed me a note.

Nae salang

Hope you like it. Thought it would be nice to see you get jealous for a little while .

Ivan.

"You did make me jealous!" I raced back into the kitchen.

"You looked ready to grill me when I came inside" he grinned

I pocked him in the rib. "Ouch!" He chuckled.

"I expect a better thank you than that" his eyes turned sea blue.

My pulse raced, I know what that meant.

Damn my legs! Even his eyes can turn them into jelly. I dragged them forward until i was close to Ivan, so close our body touched in all the wrong places or maybe the right places.

His warm soft hands touched my cheek and I became a zombie.

"Nae salang" he breathed before taking me into that heaven only he knows how to.

**********

IVAN:

Immediately we entered into the court every eye zoomed on us. I guess they were thinking where we came out from all red cowboy Family. I've never felt this special all my life.

These girls are the finest jewel I've got.

My conscience kept criticizing me though, telling me that letting myself fall in love with someone as defenceless as Rufi was unfair. I know sooner than later the cat will be let out of the bag and Diana might try to harm her or worse Ana-Blaire.

Even though I try to deceive myself that Diana has a little conscience my mind keeps telling me otherwise.

After the first quarter of the game Ana-Blaire looked at me with those big green eyes of hers "I won ikim"

"Really?" This girl could bankrupt any ice-cream company placed in her care.

"Yes! Storbeyi"

Rufi watched us communicate with this unexplainable priceless look on her face.

"let's go get strawberry ice-cream for Ana-Blaire then" I got up "we'll be right back" I kissed Rufi before racing off with Ana-Blaire.

Ana-Blaire is definitely mixed. Just a look at her would confirm that, from her jet black silk hair, to her skin tone then her unmistakable green colored iris.

"Why do you call mama bawn eyes" She broke into my thought.

I smiled "your Mama's eyes are brown"

"bawn? Wat about me?" She looked at me with curious gaze of a child

"you have the cutest green eyes I've ever seen"

"Gwin?"

"Mm-hmm"

She chuckled "My eyes are gwin"

"yeah!" I laughed

"Your eyes are blue?"

How did she know that "who told you?"

"Mama told Aunt Maria" she supplied.

"Hmm!" I grinned

"Ivan?" she looked serious

"Yes?"I crouched taking pity on her neck.

"Will you be my Papa?"

I was a little taken aback by that question. Not that on some level I don't know the answer to the question but it was not the regular question a two year plus would ask.

"Ana-Blaire, there are a few people that matter to me in life, and you are on that list OK?"

She nodded.

"You want me to be your Papa?"

"Yes" she said timidly.

"Then I'll be" I told her in all sincerity

"Thank you"

"Thank you baby" I smiled "Now give papa a hug"

She hugged me as tight as her little arm would let her.