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was happening. I knew all right! Philip gave me a hammering on the squash court. Couldn’t concentrate. Afterwards there was a kind of craving to see her just once more, but I resisted. I went to collect the mail like I always do, but I was desperate to get out and away from that place.’
    â€˜Thomas, look at it this way. On the surface what you say is true, but truth is rarely on the surface. Truth, it’s a big mystery and it has many, many threads. Fate, I don’t believe in it. God’s will, but He gave us free will. Guilt, it is easy to take that on board, comfortable, too, in a strange way. Fear, we are getting close here. The human heart has many wounds to bear. The death of that young man is a massive wound for the Rubai family. They have to bear it. We have a wound here, too, a smaller one perhaps, but we have to bear it. And the best dawa? Love …’
    The lake travellers were back, excited, noisy and thirsty. Five minutes later Sally, Maura and Rafaella returned from their visit into town. Sally was shocked to discover that Abel and Reuben had gone home. Alex wanted to explain, but he was forced to delay to allow the children’s enthusiasm to run its course. While she was listening to their stories of the adventure of a ride on a boat on the lake where they had seen hippos, five of them, under the boat, about David trailing his hand in the milky, green water and nearly touching the wet, brown back of a baby one, and thank goodness he didn’t because that would have made his mother angry and she would have tipped the boat over … Sally did not have the usual relaxed smile that lit up her whole being when she was in the company of her children. Meanwhile, after a nod in her direction, Stephen took the opportunity to go back to the fields. Alex walked with him to the kitchen where he drew the big man to him in a warm hug.
    â€˜Stephen, it was a very lucky day for the McCalls when you walked down our driveway. You’re the wisest man I know. What you said to Tom in there. Fantastic! Thank you. I’ll be down soon. Don’t ever leave us. Well, my turn to explain something. Here I come, Mrs Rubai!’
    Alex had not recovered his composure. He felt light-headed after the two assaults on his thinking powers from Abel Rubai and then from his own son. But when an anxious Sally asked what it was that had sent Abel and Reuben home so abruptly, his instinct for quiet diplomacy served him well.
    â€˜Sally, it got a little heated here when you ladies were away, but I think it’s fair to say that it was, how shall I say, mission accomplished for Abel.’
    â€˜You mean he asked forgiveness?’
    â€˜Yes, but it was forgiveness from himself for himself.’
    â€˜Alex, you’re talking in riddles here.’ For the first time since he had known her, there was tetchiness in her voice. For a few moments she was the wife of the big man in the country and she wanted straight answers, now!
    â€˜Well, in the end you’ll have to wait to find out at home. But … but when he left here, he was his old self-assured self. And he and Reuben were good pals, in harmony.’
    She narrowed her eyes into a frown. ‘Hmm, that’s a bit of a puzzle. Those two don’t always get along. “Harmony”, that’s a mighty word.’
    Without warning this new abrasiveness in Sally melted away. She shook her head and chuckled to herself. She patted her stomach. ‘Julius, my boy, we’ll need to talk about this later.’
    The children came out of the kitchen carrying glasses of soda and tea plates that could barely contain the huge slices of chocolate cake that Angela had just cut for them. Her children were happy and Sally’s good humour was fully restored. She called out to Angela who was still in the kitchen. ‘I hope you’ve got a slice or two of this gorgeous cake left! There’s a boy in here says he needs some pretty