BooksBarbecue
Back If You Want to Make God Laugh Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY BIANCA MARAIS
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  64. CHAPTER SIXTY
  65. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  66. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  67. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  71. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  74. CHAPTER SEVENTY
  75. CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
  76. CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
  77. CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
  78. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
  79. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
  80. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
  81. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
  82. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
  83. CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
  84. CHAPTER EIGHTY
  85. CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
  86. CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO
  87. CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE
  88. CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
  89. CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE
  90. CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX
  91. CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
  92. CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
  93. CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
  94. CHAPTER NINETY
  95. CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
  96. CHAPTER NINETY-TWO
  97. CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
  98. CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR
  99. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  100. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
  101. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  103. What’s next onyour reading list?

I pat the couch to see if Mandla will pull himself up. “You can do it, my boy. You’re my own little Superman.”

He gives me a rare toothy grin before his face puckers into a frown. I’ve never seen a child with such expressive eyebrows. It cracks me up. He’s frustrated that he’s down there and I’m up here, and I know I should let that motivate him to stand but I hate seeing him upset. I can’t help it; I reach down and pick him up, putting him on the couch next to me.

Jez comes running over and hops up next to him. Zodwa may be the new cleaning maid but Jez continues to be Mandla’s nursemaid and most faithful companion.

“Okay, little man. Look at me.” I make eye contact with him to ensure that I have his full attention, then I point to myself and say, “I am Mama.”

Mandla blinks back at me.

I try it again. “Mama. Now you say it.”

He shakes his head.

“Mama,” I repeat, nodding and pointing to myself while smiling winningly. I feel like I’m in a beauty pageant and am trying to win over one of the harsher judges. “Mama.”

Mandla smiles. Yes, I’ve gotten through to him! He opens his mouth just as Zodwa thwacks something in the bathroom. His head snaps to the side and the moment is ruined.

“Zodwa,” I call. “All okay in there?”

“Yes, Madam Ruth.”

“Could you keep it down a bit? I’m trying to teach Mandla how to say my name.”

“Yes, Madam Ruth. Sorry.” Her voice sounds strangled but it’s probably because she’s bending over the toilet scrubbing it.

I get Mandla to focus again. “Okay, Mandla. Say it. Say ‘Mama.’”

“Kaka,” he says, and then smiles widely.

“What the f—” I manage to stop myself just in time, laughing at how proud Mandla looks. “You little rascal. You can’t even speak yet and you’re already making jokes.” I grab his chubby cheeks and squeeze them while leaning in for a nose bop. God, I love the smell of him. And now that Zodwa has shared the secret of her lovely skin—Vaseline instead of moisturizing body cream! Who would have thought it?—I love the silky soft texture of him too. “Come, let’s try again. Say it. ‘Mama.’”

“Kaka.”

“Mama.”

“Kaka.”

There’s another noise from the bathroom but this time it sounds like laughter. I must be mistaken, though, because when Zodwa comes out of the bathroom a minute later, her expression is solemn.

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Delilah

3 July 1995

Drimolen, Muldersdrift, South Africa