‘Oh Lottie! Lottie, what a wonderful surprise!’ Sarah tried to hug them both at once. ‘Hannah never told me you were home!’

‘She was sworn to secrecy.’ Lottie was holding Sarah at arm’s length to have a good look at her.

‘Surprise, heh?’ Hannah was delighted with the success of her subterfuge.

‘Is Jan here too?’ Sarah saw the answer in Lottie’s face.

‘He’s still trying to get here for Christmas. For New Year at least,’ Hannah’s smile was too bright.

The verandah and the sitting room had been decorated with Christmas garlands and hung with lanterns. Everything looked festive and welcoming, and Sarah felt a great rush of love for this homely place that was so precious to her, and for the family whom she had regarded for so long as her own. The dogs were running circles around her, and as she bent down to acknowledge them, she felt two strong arms around her.

‘Piet!’ It was all she was able to say before he was crushing her ribs, kissing her on the mouth.

‘It’s good that Ma is home, heh? I nearly gave it away when you called to say what time you’d be here.’

‘I would have killed him!’ Hannah was laughing.

‘We bought champagne for Ma’s arrival, but she insisted on holding back till you could join us.’ Piet was pouring each one of them a glass. ‘But now we’re all going to drink to our future. To everyone here who has made the present what it is.’

‘And to Pa, who will be with us soon,’ Hannah raised her glass towards her mother.

‘Will the bwana be coming now?’ Mwangi had appeared from the kitchen.

‘He is getting ready right now, Mwangi,’ Lottie answered.

‘Eeeh!’ Mwangi made the Kikuyu sound of approval or astonishment. ‘It is good. I will tell everyone, so that we will be ready.’

‘This is my first Christmas at Langani,’ Sarah said. ‘In fact, this is the first Christmas I haven’t been at home. Wherever that is now.’

‘It’s wherever your family is. The ones you love best,’ Lottie said. ‘That’s where your home will always be. It doesn’t matter where it is geographically. So now your home is here with us, Sarah. We are your family.’

Discussion about the opening of the lodge, and the ngoma took up most of the conversation during lunch.

‘Piet plans to join the dancers. I think he should be with the Maasai and not the Kikuyu, because he’s so tall,’ Hannah said. ‘He’ll look well with the ochre and the cow dung in his hair, and all the beads and feathers, don’t you think, Ma? A regular warrior.’