It was past 6:00 p.m. when Amina pulled her farm truck inside Sophia Park. Maggie was wearing a Cinderella costume complete with glass slippers. Packed behind their seat was a full nine-years old wardrobe. Maggie had talked non-stop all afternoon and couldn’t wait to show her Mom her new clothes.
It was Amina who first noticed the two police cars surrounded by a group of men, women and children from the camp.
– “Clark?” she said softly.
– “Why are there policemen and people around my house?” Maggie asked.
– “Amina, pulled over here and keep Maggie with you.”
Clark got out of the car and made his way through the crowd to Mara Smit’s shack. A policeman at the door stopped him.
– “Sorry meneer, you can’t go further, this is a crime scene.”
– “Mom! No, Mom!” Maggie was running, pushing her way through the crowd with Amina behind.
Clark turned around and took Maggie in his arms.
Maggie was now crying, sensing that something terrible had happened to her mother. “Mom! What happened to my Mom? Mom!”
Amina took Maggie back in her arms. “Clark, what happened?”
Clark looked into her eyes and she knew that Maggie’s Mom was no more. Maggie was still calling at her Mom and crying inconsolably in Amina’s arms.
– “Do you know the victim, meneer?” the policeman asked.
Clark nodded towards Maggie. “That’s her daughter. Maggie.”
– “I’m sorry for the little girl. A neighbor saw two masked men, that’s all we know.”
The policeman added, “Do you know if they have any families?”
– “No. It was only her and her daughter.”
Clark stayed with Maggie while Amina talked to the policemen on how to proceed about the funeral in case of a homicide. She gave them her name and address for Child Welfare Service to contact and agreed to go the next day to the Police Station for their depositions.
Maggie who was now clutching Clark’s shirt in her tiny hands wanted to see her Mom a last time but Clark had been able to persuade her not to. At long last, Maggie fell asleep through sheer exhaustion.
Amina was also crying, her head lying on Clark’s shoulder.
– “Clark, why bad things keep happening to Maggie? What have she done to deserve all this? Child Welfare Service will put her in a foster home.”
– “No, Amina. I have to take care of her. It is my fault. If I had not met Maggie, none of this would have happened. It is my fault if Maggie lost her mother.”
Amina straightened herself up. “Clark, no! How can you say that? You’re the best thing that had happened to her. Don’t do this to yourself. You didn’t cause this.”
– “I did, Amina. I am the cause of Maggie’s sorrows and I will never be able to forgive myself. Amina, if I am no longer here, will you look after Maggie?.”
– “Of course, Clark. You know I will look after her.”
– “Thank you. Could you please take Maggie to Ma Gugu and explain to her the situation? There’s something I must do.”
