THE CLAN

"Dinner for two", came a pleasantly toned female, making Luckson to look up as he gobbled up the last morsels from his plate. As he looked up, his breath caught, as his eyes met with those of the gorgeous woman who had made the challenge. She bore a remarkable resemblance to the girl who had received them upon their arrival and had prepared the satisfactory meal they had just eaten with lip smacking gusto.

There was an resemblance there with the girl whom he had met earlier at the door. It was unmistakably like that of the tree from which the apple had been born. Apparently going by looks the latter had not fallen far from the tree.

Yet there was something much more about the way she carried herself that gave her dignified airs about her mannerisms. There was a refinement in the way she moved which in itself unmistakabley set her apart as the tree, not to be confused with the latter.

Luckson had not been consciously aware that he was staring. Turning to him in her dignified manner the new comer rewarded the boy with a smile. She knew there was much for him to appreciate and was quietly enjoying the attention. She simply wanted to acknowledge her appreciation with out making him feel strangely awkward. Yet the first instinct Luckson had upon realising that he had been caught was to quickly try to look away.

He had not realised that he was staring and would have felt oddly embarrassed but there was something in the warmth of her smile, in the confidence that it conveyed.

There was no hint of betrayal, it simply communicated an unmistakable message, that it was ok, that it was even to be expected. In that non verbal contact where a lot was said with the eyes and her warm facial expression, Luckson transited from wanting to quickly look away to gratefully accepting that he had been caught staring and not feel awkward

"Hardly my dear", uncle Thomas replied positively rewarding the newcomer with a smile which portrayed more than just a passing acquaintance, as she walked up to where he was seated at the the table. Leaning towards him, they briefly shared an intimate kiss. "Turning to Luckson, she suddenly remarked in that disarmingly pleasant manner of hers, "This must be Luckson", referring to him in the third person as though she could not have asked him directly but had to direct the question to uncle Thomas, all the while facing him with that enchanting smile of hers.

In another setting, Luckson might have felt offended but in this case it was different, he sensed that there was no offence intended. Only a respectful curiosity which he was only to glad to allow uncle Thomas to answer.

"Yes my dear", uncle Thomas replied pleasantly. "We have been looking forward to your arrival", the beautiful lady pursued addressing Luckson. Noticing his surprise, Uncle Thomas pursued, "I told them about you". "My beautiful wife, son and daughter, he hurriedly added in the way of an explanation, quickly realising that he had evoked more questions with the reference to his immediate family.

Just then the young man and the girl walked in and stood smiling on either side of their mother. She was their mother as Luckson had deduced from his uncle's reference to family.

"Everyone this is Luckson, my late brother, Tawanda's son".

"Pleased to meet you", they all sang pleasantly in chorus.

"Luckson, I want you to meet your aunt Mayble, my wife", uncle Thomas proceeded referring to the beautiful woman. Aunt Mayble smiled once again at Luckson.

"This is your cousin, Tonderai, Tonde for short, the young man smiled as he was introduced. Finally this charming young lady is my princess, Charmaine. There was an added intimacy in the way uncle Thomas introduced the third of his family which strongly hinted at his pride in his beloved daughter. It was not that had been any lack of affection in the he had introduced his wife and son, it was just that little extra, as that of the special bond between a father and a daughter.

It was not lost on Luckson, but he did not have much time to reflect on it as uncle Thomas,now that he had warmed up to the task was to quick to follow up on the introductions.

"Now that Luckson is here at last", uncle Thomas pursued, and the family smiled at Luckson, making Luckson to smile back at them in intimacy of the occasion.

"Our first priority is to help Luckson to fit in", sensing the stare from Luckson, he hurriedly went on to explain.

"We do things a bit differently here at the heights. Things are going to be different from what you were used to at the chapel".

"I understand", Luckson chipped in.

"That's the spirit", uncle Thomas remarked uncle Thomas as the rest of the family all smiles looked on in quiet approval.

"I have one concern though?", said Luckson.

"What is it?", pleasantly asked uncle Thomas.

"This place is far from my old neighbourhood, it's far from town or any other place", said Luckson with concern

"It's the heights", remarked Tawanda pleasantly.

"How I will get to school from here, is there a bus stop nearby or will you drive me?"

"Your aunt and I talked about this and decided to enroll you at the school with your cousin's attend".

Tawanda and Charmaine smiled at Luckson.

"We 'll have a blast you 'll see", beamed Tawanda.

"What about church, I 'm the head of the All Saints Boys choir...?"

"That's all very good but that church is simply too far. I won't be able to drop you off then drive everyone else back this side of town to attend church".

"It simply won't do dear", chipped in his aunt Mayble sympathetically.

Luckson's heart felt his heart sink as uncle Thomas exploded in his ears, "You will just have to join us our church".

As the words echoed in his head,it was as though he had been sucker punched. The words seemed to drive a final death knell to his hopes and expectations.

Luckson was dumbstruck. He had not imagined that agreeing to come and live with his uncle would such far reaching ramifications to his world.