Road to Redemption

by Michelle Dalton

“You need to speak with Mina.”

  Ray’s head snapped toward his pa. “But she’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with me. Please, Pa. I have to know.”

  “And what peace will it bring you when you do?”

  “It’s better than wondering. Pa … is she mine?” Ray pleaded.

  His pa’s grip tightened where it rested on his arm, “It’s not for me to answer.”

  Ray’s legs gave way and he plonked onto the sand. His world flipped then imploded. Pa didn’t have to betray his confidences, Ray could see the answer plastered across the old man’s face. He fell forward with his hands digging in to the hot sand. He needed an anchor. His blood screamed for a hit and his heart bashed itself against its cage.

  Derek knelt beside him. “Now, more than ever, you will need your strength, my boy. You have a reason to become the man you once were.”

  “Why did you keep her from me?” He wasn’t angry—only hurt.

  “Why do you think? Your mother and I only found out just before she passed. She was just a baby, and you …” His pa inhaled. The action was laden with painful memories. “… were lost to a world of darkness and drugs.”

  The old man rose with a groan and held out his hand to his son. “Come.”

  Ray reached up, gripped his father’s hand, and stood.

  “Now it’s between you and Mina. Do you think you have it in you to be a dad, my boy?”

  Ray returned his gaze to the hill. She was gone. “I don’t know,” he whispered.

  He’d felt it that first time he’d seen her—a connection he couldn’t quite explain.

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll get the opportunity to find out. You deserve it.”

  “Do I?” Ray pressed a fist into his diaphragm, which had spasmed in shock.

  I have a daughter! I am a Pa!

  But was he man enough, good enough to be allowed into her life? He had no right to ask that of Mina, not after what he’d done, even if every inch of his blackened soul yearned to be the man he’d promised her to be all those years ago.

  “Life has a way of making even the worst situations work out for the best. You simply need to keep the faith, my boy.” His pa’s words rolled over him and watered the seed of hope he’d planted the day he’d run in to Mina.

  Pa continued on their stroll and Ray followed. His head and his heart were spinning.

  The pair walked up the path in silence as Ray led them to a tap so they could rinse their feet before putting on their shoes.

  “It was good to see you. I think there is still much you must face, but this time you are not alone.” Derek embraced him.

  Ray waved as the old man made his way back up the steps toward the main house. He longed to follow his pa.

  I have a daughter …

  Agh, who was he kidding? Father? He couldn’t be a parent to her. He’d given up that right the day he’d thrown Mina away like a soiled rag.

  This was his place in the world now. A bottom feeder. A nobody who owed the world everything and deserved nothing. And yet his heart ached to reach out and be with them more than his lungs yearned for oxygen.

  Mina looked up from her empty plate as Derek entered the kitchen.

  “Oupa!” Lullu called as she strutted into the kitchen from the back door.

  “Ah, back from your ride?” Derek asked.

  “What? What ride? Lullu Marie van der Westhuizen, you said you were going to groom Boesman, not ride him,” Mina scolded.

  “Agh, Ma, he was antsy. He needed a bit of a run before he’d settle down. You know what men are like.” Lullu brushed her mother’s anger off and sat down at the table. “What’s for pudding?”

  Mina gave Derek a warning glance when he burst out laughing, and Grace shook her head as she rose and walked over to the fridge while Derek, trying hard to smother his humour, cleared the leftover cutlery and bowls from lunch. Mina simply leaned her head in her hands and sighed.

  “Was that man your friend, Oupa?” Lullu asked as Derek took a seat across from her.

  Mina’s head shot up. She glared at Derek, who smiled and said, “Yup.”

  “He looks just like you from that photo of you and Ouma. You know, when you were also younger and thinner.” Lullu giggled when Derek leaned forward to tickle her.

  “It’s all your Omie’s good cooking.” He patted his belly in an attempt to change the subject.

  Mina felt her chest constrict. God! This girl was a bloodhound when she latched onto an idea, or in this case, the one thing Mina really didn’t want her to discover.

  “That’s enough now, bokkie. Come, Omie has made your favourite pudding.” Grace came to the rescue as she placed a plate of freshly made koeksisters and melktert before them.

  “Ooo yummy!” Lullu said.

  After they’d all finished the desert and coffee, milk for Lullu, and cleared the dishes, Derek stretched his arms up in to the air, “Ready Grace. It’s a long drive back.”

  “Ja, it’s time to go.” Her mother smiled as she stroked Lullu, who’d snuggled in to her grandmother arms, head.

  Mina walked her mother and Derek to the car. Lullu ran off to check on her pony, again.

  “So, Ray wrote to me about the poachers.” Derek’s voice took on the paternal tone he used whenever he got serious about things.

  “Ja. But we’re safe. They only wanted the abalone,” Mina reassured him.

  “Thank God. With all these farm attacks …”

  “You also live on a farm, Derek,” she reminded him.

  “True. We all need to stick together during these dark times.”

  “Look, I’ve got to ask …” She paused and looked her pseudo father in the eye. “Do you think Ray …” She swallowed when Derek frowned deeply. “Could he be involved?”

  “No.” His answer was swift and clear.

  “With his past …”

  Derek held up a hand. “Six months ago, I’d have cornered him myself. But the man I saw today … no, I can honestly say with a clear conscience that Raymond is not involved.”

  Mina nodded. She believed him. Derek had never beat around the bush when it came to his son’s faults.

  They continued on their walk to the car.

  “You need to speak with him.” Derek took her hand in his. “He knows, and I’ll not play middle man any longer. ”

  Mina swallowed hard. “He doesn’t deserve anything, Derek. I raised her. I’m the only parent she’ll ever know.”

  “That’s for your daughter to decide.” Her mom spoke up.

  “And what would you have done if my daddy had walked back into our lives?”

  “Mina,” Derek chastised.

  “No, she’s right, Derek.” Grace leaned on her open door and smiled. “I’d have given you the choice, no matter how hard it was for me. But the difference is, you have proof he’s changing. Your daddy never did come back, or change his ways.”

  Mina’s shame at snapping at her mom burned inside her chest. Scoffing her feet in the dirt, she sighed. “She’s thirteen, Ma. She’s not old enough to make those sorts of decisions for herself.”

  Grace smiled, let go of the door, and walked up to her. She placed her hand on Mina’s chest where her heart beat a stuttered thread. “Don’t underestimate your daughter or the blood which flows through her veins, my girl.”

  “I know what he did was unforgiveable, but have you never wanted to know why?” Derek asked.

  Mina wiped her hands down her face, “I asked him the week I found out I was pregnant. He told me to vokoff and said that I was a kaffirs kind. So do you still believe he deserves Lullu?” Mina had lowered her voice, but she made sure her tone sharpened her words.

  Derek winced and shook his head. “Yes. He must have been very afraid for you if he’d used those words, as awful as what they are, my dear. A second chance is just that—unconditional. Didn’t I once hear you say so?”

  Mina’s insides shook. She knew what Derek meant.

  Tears stung her eyes, but she would not
back down now. “That’s different.”

  “Why? Because it’s your heart on the line and not someone else’s?” Derek cocked his head, a shadow darkening his gaze.

  “No. Because it’s my daughter—your granddaughter, Derek.”

  Smiling gently, he said, “Exactly. I’ll be back for the next fortnight’s visit.” He slid behind the wheel.

  Her mother hugged her, placing a gentle peck on her forehead. “You’re not alone in this. Derek and I are always here for you.” She climbed onto the passenger seat and closed the door, then gave her and Lullu, who came trotting up on horseback, a wave.

  “Bye Oupa, bye Omie. I love you.” Lullu waved back.

  The car sped down the road away from the homestead.

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  Mina reached into her pocket for her asthma pump. Why did she have to deal with Ray now? After all these years, when she had her life sorted out. Her business was flourishing. And the pieces of her heart were neatly tucked away for no one to touch.

  Shaking the apparatus, she brought it to her mouth and inhaled, holding it, then slowly let it go. She was tired of all the stress and upheaval which had arrived with Ray.

  “Come on. That’s enough horsing around for today. I’m sure you have homework for tomorrow,” she commanded Lullu, who rolled her eyes and lay flat with her back meeting the gelding’s. “Fiiine,” she drawled out.

  Mina stomped back to the house, not wanting to see the inmate camp, when she stopped dead.

  She’d had a number of small cottages built for her permanent workers. They sat prettily along the eastern corner she’d cleaned up beyond the back of the stables. There, she saw Ben and Becky. Their discussion looked serious. Agh. She didn’t have it in her to mediate or even find out what it was about.

  Turning her attention to her daughter, she waved for her to hurry up.

  Mina made a mental note to ask Becky what the issue with Ben was. But all that’d have to wait.

  She hated to admit it, but Derek and her mom had a point. She had to confront Ray.

  7

  Mina inhaled sharply as Ben stood, arms hanging at his sides, looking down at his feet. Her morning had started off with a bang and a phone call from Abbe.

  The desk was the only thing between Mina and Ben which kept her from grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and shaking sense in to his thick skull.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t,” he grumbled.

  “Clearly. Ben, you of all people know how hard it is not to hand the locals a reason to give us grief, and then you, my manager, go out and pick a fight in one of their pubs.” Mina stopped pacing and leaned with her balled fists on her study desk.

  “To be fair, the doos was looking for kak, and he wasn’t a local.”

  “So you bliksemed a holiday-maker!” Her voice rose an octave.

  Seriously, she did not have the energy for this now. The poachers’ trawler had been spotted a hundred nautical miles north of her farm, which for all intents and purposes posed a huge risk, and she still had to confront Raymond Le Roux.

  She did not have time to manage her bad-tempered manager who’d set out on a path of self-destructive vigilantism, which had painted a bullseye on Redemption Farm. The papers were going to have a field day with this.

  “Vok. No, Mina, I didn’t simply walk into the bar and look for kak. The man’s known in the underworld for his links with poachers. I saw him pestering Becky earlier. The fact he’s here in town, days after our break-in … He’s so hooked up, the cops won’t even touch him.” Ben placed both hands on his hips and straightened his back. His dark eyes were on fire.

  “Great, so you picked a fight in town with the kind of crims the police don’t even want to mess with. I need you here, not stoking the hatred of the people in Tatensrope, or attracting more attention from the poachers.” Mina softened her tone as she sat.

  “Sorry, boss. But I have a theory,” he huffed.

  Mina knew he was sincere. He only ever called her boss when he was making a point of showing her his respect. “Do you think Becky’s involved?”

  “Not sure. I spoke to her.”

  “I saw.” Mina gave him a hard stare.

  “Oh.” He glanced down at his feet again.

  “What did she have to say?”

  “He was trolling for ass,” Ben replied.

  “Did you find anything out before you pummelled the poor bastard?” She waved for Ben to take a seat, but he refused. “Going to tell me who it was?”

  Ben inhaled deeply as if to brace himself, sending a warning tremble down Mina’s spine. “Jubejube.”

  “What the everlasting fuck!” Mina smacked both her flat hands on the table.

  Jubejube was absolutely the kinda crim you did not mess around with. His rep preceded him—God, there was talk he had the province’s premier in his pocket.

  “I just lost it when I saw him here. I know he’s involved.”

  “Is that your theory? Do you have proof?”

  “I told Abbe before she locked me up for the afternoon.” He wiped a hand over his freshly crew-cut head.

  “And?”

  “She said she’d look in to it. But boss, I’m telling you, be careful where you place your trust.” He paced the width of her office.

  “Gonna explain your theory any time soon Ben?” it irritated her that the man wasn’t giving her a straight answer.

  He stopped and leaned with both hands on the edge of her table, “This thing runs deep. There are big boys playing this game and they have too much to lose …” He returned to pacing, stopped, turned to say something, but then decided not to.

  “You need to tell me everything or I can’t watch your back.” Mina demanded.

  “Obviously this is an inside job.”

  “Why?” Mina placed steepled hands beneath her chin. She wasn’t convinced it was one of her people, if it were, the repercussions for her Redemption program would be far reaching.

  “Common Boss. You’d need someone who knows the comings and goings of everyone. The way the system was tampered with…don’t look at me like that Mina!”

  “You do know your theory would include you as a suspect. Hell I fall under that umbrella too.” Mina said.

  Ben sighed and massaged his creased forehead with his hand, “Ja, I do, but I also know it’s neither of us. I also don’t think it’s just one man feeding them info …” He gripped the back of the chair Mina had offered him a few moments earlier. His lips pulled tight and his cheeks paled as his dark eyes stared out the window. “It’s like a spider’s web, but with more than one spider weaving it. I …”

  “What, Ben?” Mina was tired of half stories and fish hooks.

  “Raymond Le Roux.”

  His words sent her insides cascading over the edge of the tight rope they’d balanced on.

  “What of him?” She gritted her teeth.

  “You know he was involved with those pieces of shit …”

  Mina stood, holding up her hand. “I’ve read his file. He had nothing to do with that.”

  “How sure are you? You know it only takes some cash, and his family is loaded.”

  “Enough. You have no place judging his family. As for him …” She swallowed hard. “… he’s not our man. Any other theories?”

  “I’ll tell you when I have something more solid.” His phone buzzed and he abruptly pulled it from his breast pocket. “I’ve gotta go. Intombi Security are here to fix the mess down in warehouse five.”

  “About bloody time too.” Mina huffed.

  “Ja well that’s Africa time for you.” Ben slipped his phone back in his pocket.

  “Okay … just be careful please, Ben; you’re not bulletproof. And if you’re that worried about local enforcement, I think I may know someone who can help us out.”

  “Who?” His right eyebrow cocked sharply.

  “A family friend.” Mina nodded, rose from her seat, and mustered all her strength. It wa
s now or never. “ Before you see the security blokes, send Raymond Le Roux up, will you?”

  Ben’s expression shifted. A deep frown formed between his eyes. “I thought you said …”

  “Do it, Ben. And please, stay out of town for a bit, and make sure these idiots replace the terminal with a foolproof system—if that even exists.”

  Ben nodded and stepped toward her. “It’s not my place, but …”

  Mina didn’t like where this was going. Ben had that look, the one he used when he got all soft for her. “Spit it out already.”

  “I know about Raymond Le Roux and your past … about Lullu …”

  His words turned her blood to ice.

  Holding up his hand, he said, “Your secret’s safe with me, but …”

  Mina stepped out from behind her desk and straightened her back as far is it would go. It caused her pain to have to do this, but he was right. “You have no place, Ben Meintjies. Now, do as I asked, then go see to the security.” Her tone crushed the warmth between them, confirming that at the end of the day, Mina was the boss and he was her employee.

  Ben’s shoulders stiffened as he nodded curtly, turned, and left.

  “Le Roux!” Mr. Meintjies voice barked across the warehouse to where Ray was shadowing one of the farm’s employees as they tended to the baby abalone.

  Ray looked to the worker, who said, “You better go. I can finish this.”

  “Okay.” Ray turned and made his way to where Mr. Meintjies stood huffing and glaring up his nose at him. It was the only advantage Ray had over him, his height, and he secretly revelled in it. “The boss wants you up at the house.”

  Ray’s insides flipped. He knew exactly who ‘the boss’ was that Ben referred to. Did this mean Mina was ready to speak to him, or had she found a way to get him kicked off the program? The last couple of days had been pure torture knowing what he now knew and not being able to do one damn thing about it.

  He’d once again visited his regret, all the while battling the urge to simply give in. He’d found no answers except to keep his head down and carry on.

  Vestra had been a godsend. He had to find a way to convince Mina to allow him to complete the program. He’d not cope if he was sent back to prison. While the rules here were stern and Mr. Meintjies was a bully, people were generally kinder. No, he couldn’t let Mina send him back.