Mike and Sarah Pt. 06

I was amazed, Sharon had experienced the worst of my teenage years and as such had never taken to Marie, but she was courteous. She instantly took to Mum and Liz and by the time I served their drinks they were laughing over stories of my teenage years going through a photo album. Mum was shamelessly picking out the ones she wanted copies of. Before long, everyone was comfortable and knew to help themselves to drinks and whatever they wanted.

Scar and Becca won a lot of brownie points when they introduced themselves. As always Scar took the lead, "Sharon, Since you're Mike's aunty, we're your nieces too right? Like if we come back to Botswana we can just come over for Sunday dinner."

Sharon looked at me with a huge smile before responding, "Oh my babies, all of you are always welcome in this house. I'll make you a deal, you see that arsehole you call a brother? You give me regular updates on how he's doing since he never keeps in touch, next time you visit you can stay here."

As always Stuart put me in charge of cooking the meat while he held court. It was fun to watch, watching my friends and family separate by generation and gender. Sharon held court with Mum, Marie and Liz, while Stuart occupied Dad and Edward. Candice and Sarah took charge of the girls, and the boys joined me around the fire. I was so appreciative of how much time was being taken to make everyone feel a part of my Botswana life. They wouldn't always come to England but they knew I would always return to Africa, and the goal was to make everyone associated with me know they were welcome too.

There was a general protest when Don announced we had to leave at five the next morning. Sarah laughed and said we were taking it easy on them. We had decided we would spend a night in Maun before going into the bush. There simply wasn't enough room for all of us to sleep in the roof tents. We wanted a night in relative safety to make sure everyone knew how to set up and break down camp.

We arrived at Old Bridge Backpackers and Campsites at next afternoon. Between me, my Botswana friends and the boys just wanting to have a go driving a 4x4 we made good time with frequent rotations of driving turns. Don was possibly the biggest stickler for safety in the bush I have ever known made everyone set up camp, break it down and put it back up again before he allowed us to share a late afternoon meal sitting on the pavilion overlooking the river. We spent the afternoon casually drinking and eating while watching the river pass us by. Occasionally we would spot a crocodile. A particularly large male was lying in the sun completely oblivious to our presence 15 feet away and 12 feet below us when Don gave me the most evil look.

"You know, you English can't be true members of our group until you go swimming with them," He said nodding his head over to the big Croc.

It was hilarious to watch as panic overtook the group I shrugged my shoulders and ignored them. Sadly Candice wouldn't allow us our joke.

"Ignore the arsehole, there are safe swimming holes in the bush. Crocodiles avoid clear lagoons because they can't camouflage, and rapids where they can't control their floating. We might see a good lagoon, but we probably won't swim."

"How come Mike didn't tell me about this when he took me camping last year?" Sarah asked seriously looking at Candice.

Candice was equally serious in her reply, "It was just the two of you. Regardless of what the morons say, they'll never get in the water without at least two people on shore keeping watch. Crocs avoid the swimming holes, but that doesn't mean they aren't there."

There was a unanimous agreement that swimming wasn't going to be on the menu. Slowly we made our way to our assigned tents.

The next few days turned into what is probably my favourite safari trip of all time. Based on the size of our group we ended up in lesser-known but probably more animal-rich areas. We changed cars interchangeably and took different routes around the areas. No one but the drivers rode in the same vehicle twice. We were able to explore so much more of the area, and as a result, we saw so much more. We had walkie-talkies to relay special game sightings and by the time we headed back to civilisation, we found wild dogs hunting. At least two leopards, it might have been three but it is so hard to tell with the bastards. Sarah and I were taking a final drive together for some alone time when we found a truly special sight, a female cheetah with two cubs. I slowly relayed the news over the radio, and silently each of the other cars found us.

The cheetahs tolerated our presence for about twenty minutes before scampering off into the bush. As they left, I got out of the car first to start the tradition of sundowners. We had just toasted to a wonderful final night in the bush, but Don had another surprise and said we had two more nights camping. I looked at him confused but let him keep his secret. He woke us up before sunrise the next morning and had us on the road just after sunrise. After four hours of following his lead vehicle, I realised where were going.

He was leading us to one of two places in the entire country where it was fairly easy to find one of the most elusive animals on the planet, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. We set up camp before we went in search of Botswana's most protected animal. It would've been the perfect way to end the holiday but Don had one more surprise. We were nearly home and out of supplies when he pulled into the village where Sarah and I had been traditionally married exactly a week before. After refuelling the vehicles, he gave me a look which I instantly understood.

We dropped everyone off at a local bar, before heading off to restock for one night. We were going to one of our secret campsites. It was a place we went to when it wasn't about seeing animals, just getting lost in the middle of nowhere, sitting around a campfire and sharing stories with friends. When we arrived everyone was amazed by our secret oasis on the border with South Africa. That was the perfect night to end our trip into the bush.

Sarah and I had one night in Botswana before heading to Mauritius, but everyone else had to go. It certainly wasn't my planning but our final night as a group was at the first place I had taken Sarah to, The Bull and Bush for rib night.

After we shared our various farewells, Dad and Marie took us out for dinner. Maggie stayed at home with a babysitter. I hadn't reacted in violence to my father since I was sixteen but I was close. Over dinner, he explained to us that he wasn't winning his battle with cancer and maybe had a year to eighteen months left. I was so angry with him for convincing me that everything was going according to plan, all the work we had put into rebuilding a resemblance of a relationship disappeared at that moment and I just walked out of the restaurant. Before I knew it, I found myself with a bottle of wine sitting on the green nearest to their house looking up at the starlight mentally cursing my father.

Maybe I was distracted, maybe my wife is a stealth artist - I'm leaning towards the latter - but she found me an hour later, I didn't hear her arrival I just felt her sit in the dewy grass next to me and put a new bottle of wine into my hand.

We sat there for a few minutes before she broke the silence.

"I've forgotten how beautiful it is out here. We never see the stars like this at home." She let the statement hang in the air for a few minutes, and realising I wasn't going to speak she pushed on. "Mike, my love, I don't think he was trying to hurt you. You've barely seen him since we were here last year and we've been so busy getting married, enjoying that and getting married again, that I don't think he wanted to intrude on our happiness. The most time we've spent with him has been at our weddings, what was he supposed to say, 'Hi Mike, I'm happy for the two of you, just so you know I'm not going to be around for much longer?'"

I understood the validity of her words I just wasn't ready to talk about it. Instead, I put my arm around her, kissed her temple and started pointing out the various constellations I recognised. She knew what I was doing and just snuggled closer to me, listening to my meaningless talk. As we headed back to the house all the lights but the patio lights were off. Instead of leading me back inside she dropped me in Dad's meadow which separated his property from the golf course before slipping inside and returning with another bottle of wine, and his most expensive scotch.

"You're angry at him, I know that. So drink his booze, lash out I don't care. But tomorrow we're going on our proper honeymoon and I want my husband with me. Not the closed-off and emotionally damaged man I met. In the last five months, I've made vows to protect you through anything, once in a language I don't even understand and I meant it, you also made vows to put me above everything and everyone else. Now get through tonight and go back to being my husband please."

She really was the most perfect woman in the world. I laughed gently at her demand before downing the scotch. We were still drinking as the sun came up and the houses around us woke up. We hadn't got particularly drunk, drinking slowly and enjoying each other's company. Dad came out to check on us before he had to go to work, but Sarah shook him off before he got within 15 yards of us.

By the time we were boarding the plane from Johannesburg to Mauritius, I hadn't forgotten about Dad but my wife was back to being the most important person in the world.

Once we got to the resort I realised how meddlesome my father was, he had called ahead and upgraded us from a standard room to a beach villa. There was a time when I would have thought he was trying to buy my forgiveness. But at that point, I didn't care all he did was make my honeymoon better. Sarah had a strict schedule for our trip, it wasn't so much about sightseeing but ensuring we spent as much time in bed together as possible. We'd have breakfast served at our villa before or after sex depending on her mood, before spending the morning on the beach enjoying the day before it really heated up. We'd make love again before having lunch in the main dining room before taking an excursion around the island. Some days it would be a rum distillery, some days it would be to a national park. She didn't care she just wanted to explore. Coming back from our excursion we'd take a drink in the main bar before deciding which restaurant to have dinner in. Every night we'd reaffirm our bond. On our last night, she organised a private honeymoon dinner on the beach with a private chef and butler. I have never had a happier week.

Due to timings, we had to spend a night in Joburg before we flew back to England. We were sitting in the hotel bar discussing various dinner options when she excused herself. Not even two minutes later my father took her seat.

He put a drink in front of me, "Mike I'm sorry. I should have told you. We've been so much better and you've been so much better at making me a part of your life I didn't want to ruin it by telling you the truth."

I stared at him for a long minute. I didn't see my dad anymore. I saw a man who had accepted his future. It was the look I had seen on him in our few interactions. He was pushing his limits to be part of my life. I nodded my head and raised the drink he had given me in respect. Sarah and Marie must have been watching nearby because after we had finished our toast they joined us with Maggie. In the end, we left dinner up to Maggie. My darling sister picked an extremely expensive restaurant that we'd never have gone to but that night it was perfect. For the first time, we didn't argue about the bill, Dad just asked them to split it between the two of us. I was his equal and he wasn't the man who had abandoned me. He was my dad and he was welcoming me as his equal.

At the airport the next day we shared a proper hug. All the years we had lost were contained in that hug.

We were on the plane before Sarah made her confession.

"Mike, I'm so sorry but I knew. I've known since the first night we slept apart. I made a choice. It wasn't my place. It was between you and him, if I had told you would never have forgiven him. He told me thinking it was better if it came from me but I refused to get between you. I refused to do his dirty work. I was protecting you, I was protecting us. You would have hated that I knew before you, you probably do. I'm sorry, but now you know I can't keep this from you."

My wife looked fearful but I understood, so I just kissed her and took her hand as we waited for take-off.

***

Epilogue

Sarah

It's been ten years since I married Mike in Botswana and I can't believe it but somehow I love that man more every day. He might be sexually dominant over me but most importantly I am his partner. He works so hard to make sure I know how much he values me as his equal. He tells me at least three times a week how much he needs me so he can be the man I love. It would be cheesy if I didn't feel the same.

We had been home about a week before he explained his plan to buy a house for us, for the first time he gave me full access to his finances. It turns out my hubby is rich he just doesn't care enough about it to live like it and kept reinvesting. The day before his 21^st birthday Tesla went public, when William gave him his nest egg he spent half of his tax allowance to buy Tesla stock. He tripled his investment a couple of years later when his grandma died. He also has reasonable holdings in several other dividend-yielding companies. He was happy to sell enough stock to buy our dream house. We now live debt-free in our dream house.

This turned out to be a godsend after our second baby, I didn't want to go back to work. Being a homemaker and watching our children grow is something I never knew I wanted, but for the last few years has felt like my calling. His salary and dividend income keep us more than comfortable.

Mike made the wish I made at the Trevi Fountain come true. I like to think I got pregnant on our wedding night in the Botswana hotel with our rough and urgent sex but based on the timing it most likely happened while we had our honeymoon in Mauritius or a few days after we got home. I think we both knew because after that trip neither of us ever smoked again.

I have to admit I got self-conscious with pregnancy but my darling husband kissed away every insecurity. I was terrified of losing my fit hard body I worked so hard on but Mike just found me more beautiful. I would point out every change like a new stretch mark and he would just kiss it before saying something romantic like, "That's not a stretch mark, it's a beauty mark. Your body is making our baby, every mark and change that comes with that deserves to be celebrated." I don't know if it was the pregnancy hormones or Mike's complete dedication to being involved in the process but my sex drive went through the roof. If I was a needy bitch before I was pregnant, then I went to a new level over those nine months. We decided not to find out the gender, at my 16-week scan when they asked if we'd like to know, Mike just shrugged his shoulders and said it didn't matter, it's not like he'd love our child any less for knowing.

Unfortunately, William didn't live to see the birth of our first child. I was in the last month of my pregnancy when we got the call that he had been placed in emergency hospice care and only had a few days. Mike nearly didn't go back to say goodbye and attend the funeral he was so worried about me, but Mandy and the girls moved in to make sure he went. When he came back he had made peace with his dad. So much so that when our son was born three weeks later, we named him William Edward; for the grandfather he would never know and the great uncle who would take great delight in filling the role.

Marie and Maggie couldn't stand living in the house without William so Mike used some of his inheritance and shares to buy it. We rent it out on short-term leases now and use it as our base whenever we go home to Botswana. We have our own 4x4 vehicle now.

Our little Will was about 15 months old when I got pregnant again, this time we had a girl, Amanda Scarlett for her godmother and favourite aunt. We call her Lettie.

Will was four and Lettie was two when we got our bonus baby - Kate. Just after Lettie's first birthday, I signed us up as foster parents looking to adopt. We had only been approved for a couple of months when we got the call. Kate's mum was killed in a car accident, her father wasn't in the picture and when they tracked him down he had no interest so we took in the little two-year-old angel. It took a while for her to adjust, but we never gave up, Mike in particular was determined. He would wake up for every nightmare and soothe her. I would wake up to an empty bed and find him sleeping in the rocking chair in the nursery with our baby girls snuggled under his arms fast asleep on his chest.

I would sit opposite them and sketch them thankful for the love our home held. I would gently put them back in their beds before waking Mike up so he would come back to bed and make love to me.

Will was in his big boy bed but would still occasionally wake up in the night. One morning I went into the nursery to find Mike asleep with our girls and our little boy was asleep on the floor with his pillow and blanket. I took a picture before retreating to the bathroom to cry in happiness. That picture is on Mike's desk at work as well as in our living room. We cried happy tears together when our foster period was over and we were allowed to adopt Kate as ours.

I see my husband in all our children. Will is his mini-me, I can see he will develop Mike's height and strength. He also has his father's love for nature and the outdoors. Under Mike's supervision, he could build a campfire by the time he was six. Most importantly he has Mike's quiet strength, and he's fiercely protective of his sisters.

Lettie is definitely my little girl and more artistic. Despite that, she has Mike's hesitance and natural distrust. Once you get past her shell and she lets you in she is the most caring and loving of our children. Kate is her best friend and they do everything together.

Kate is her Daddy's girl. Wherever you find Mike, Kate isn't far away. Mike makes a point of not having favourites and includes all of them in any interaction, but Kate has been known to sneak an extra cuddle or kiss when no one is looking. Maybe she gets that from me, I take every opportunity to steal a kiss or cuddle from my husband.

One of the things I love most about Mike as a father is that he encourages all of our kids to be interested in each other's hobbies. I remember a couple of years ago when he was teaching Will to hold a cricket bat, he bought the girls lighter plastic versions so they could be included in the lesson. Whenever the girls have something he takes Will along to cheer for them.

Despite having three kids under ten, Mike still rings my bell several times a week. Our kids tire us out but we seem to have a special reserve of energy just for each other. We do get a lot of alone time. Amy and my Mum are doting grandparents and often fight over weekends to have the kids, that's not even including Edward and Karen. Mum wins most of the time because she lives closer but Amy gets her share. They have become close friends and often take the kids on trips together. The kids see a weekend with the grandparents as an opportunity to get spoiled and eat all the treats we don't let them have. I see it as an opportunity to put my collar on and spend an uninterrupted weekend in bed with my husband.