And that first road trip we took to Durban in that old run-down corsa
bakkie of yours? We left on that Friday before Easter, the same day that
every other Joburg person left. It took us like 12 hours to get there
and it was so hot and you didn't have an aircon. I'd stick my legs out
the window and I remember you laughing. I remember me laughing too. We
used to laugh a lot more.
Remember my parrot Monkey used to hate you. He got so jealous and would bite you all the time. I felt so bad about that. Remember our dog Kiko and we didn't ask the complex for permission to have her. She'd always be running around and you thought the body corporate was super lame with their super lame newsletters, but you read them anyway.
Remember how we used to sit up and watch movies until late at night. We were never tired. Except you took naps in the afternoons and I hated it cause I'd miss you so much. Then I hated it when I needed help with the kids. You never really did get to nap, did you?
I used to lay in the bath for hours watching Noah kick in my tummy. I'd call you and make you sit next to me until he kicked again... so you could see the ripples in the water as he did. Remember you always used to sit by me when I bathed and we'd chat about so many things. We'd talk all the time.
Ugh remember that house at Jackal Creek and it would get SO HOT in our room in the morning? We didn't have loads of money, so we bought that big piece of navy blue fleece fabric and hung it over our curtains and it made it even MORE hot? And it looked so tacky and you hated it.
I never loved you more than the day Noah was born. Remember they sent me home and we stopped at that garage in the middle of the night for a hot dog? And slept on my mom's sleeper couch? Remember how giant I was? And how scared we were.
Remember when we didn't have a washing machine? And we'd spend every Saturday or Sunday at the laundry room at my mom's complex. We'd fish for R5 and R2 coins and some days we had to sit and do 6 loads in one afternoon. You hated that more than anything, but I sort of liked hanging out there with you and Noah, just us with no distractions. I pretended to hate it with you, but I really loved it.
I used to take so many photos of you all the time. We'd go through all the pictures of us together and pick our favourites and frame them in our lounge for everyone to see. Why don't we do that anymore?
Remember the house at Kilcullen and how much you loved that garden. You watered it every day. You would pull out a blanket after work and you and Noah would just lay there and chat and play for ages. I was always in the room with Benjamin, nursing and nesting with him. You used to try coax me out the room with a glass of wine sometimes.
Remember that day Noah was with my mom and we went out and bought him that big sand pit and the blow up pool and all those plastic toys and cups and pots with lids. We set it all up in the garden. We fetched him and set him loose in there and his face was just in wonderment! Remember how happy he was?
You always used to make me that pasta I love with the tomato, chilli and basil. Remember how much I used to love that? Can you make it for me again sometime?
Remember at our wedding all the guys wore sneakers, and before the ceremony we were all in the courtyard at the venue, hanging up fairy lights, eating toasted cheese and drinking champagne? That was probably my favourite part of our wedding day.
And when Benjamin came and changed our lives with his clownish ways and contagious happiness. You fell in love hard and fast. We all did.
Remember how excited we were the day we both resigned. You got the contract and the job in Cape Town and we celebrated and talked all night about our bright, new future in a new city. A fresh start! That was such a long time ago. That was such a wonderful Christmas.
