Somewhere in the distance, dogs began to bark. Jacob saw them, stiffened, and became nervous but also quite alert.
They were huge and powerfully built Alsatians whose jaws hung loosely as they gaped at the new arrivals.
"Don't worry, Jacob." Mujaju remarked when he noticed Jacob was feeling rather uneasy.
"They can't attack us. They know and have smelt our odour. As you can see, they have already picked your scent," Lisa added.
Having been assured, Jacob became more relaxed, and he walked beside them as they headed to the house. Outside the door, they paused.
Lisa pressed the black button on the door, and the sound of a bell ringing was heard inside the house. Jacob was a bit confused by the sound of the bell.
Quite funny and interesting, thought Jacob. One did not have to knock, but only pressed that little thing on the wall, and some noise could be heard inside the house.
The door opened, and a fat woman stood there looking at them.
Lisa began to talk, "Mum, we've brought you someone to work for us as you asked. Here he is; his name is Jacob."
Chuza stared at her daughter, smiled, revealing clean and white teeth, "Good work, Lisa."
Then she sized up Jacob, taking note of the shabby clothes he wore and said, "Welcome home, Jacob. Feel free here as one of us."
Jacob looked at Chuza and saw she was quite a short and plain woman who was quite different from her daughter. Her black hair was plaited.
As he saw her, Jacob thought she was almost the same age as his dead mother. He guessed Chuza was about forty years, although he was not very sure.
She was light skinned, and her brown eyes were as welcoming as her words. She was in her sky blue silk dress and wore a pair of pumps.
Then Jacob followed Lisa and Mujaju as she led the way across the lobby. He stood watching them as they dropped themselves onto the coach.
"Sit down, Jacob," Lisa urged.
He obeyed and sat down on the coach next to Mujaju. Then he saw Lisa as she rose to her feet and followed her mother into the kitchen to help in the domestic chores.
Ten minutes later, tea was served.
"Let's have the evening tea. Then we can talk later," Chuza announced.
They took the tea in silence. Meanwhile, Jacob noticed Lisa kept looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. They smiled at each other as they sipped their tea.
Later, Chuza began talking. "Where are your parents, Jacob?"
"I have no parents," replied Jacob in a low and sad voice.
"But you told Lisa that you lived in Mubende and Kampala. Who were you living with?" Chuza's face seemed perplexed as she was genuinely shocked.
Then, a thought struck her. Suppose her children had picked up a street boy and homeless kid? Chuza was beginning to become uneasy when she heard Jacob speak.
"My parents are dead. I never saw my dad, but I lived with my mother in Mubende. She died only recently. I was then living with my stepfather." Jacob explained and sounded quite believable.
"Oh, that's so saddening! We are truly sorry about your dead parents," Chuza said. "But don't be sad or worry about your dead parents because when fate closes one door, faith opens another. Tell us any problems you encounter whenever necessary. My husband and I are kind, and we will help wherever we can."
"Thanks, mum," Jacob replied when he realised almost immediately Chuza appeared to be fond of advising the youths.
She stopped probing him and returned to the kitchen. Lisa followed her mother.
Jacob knew she was still going to help her mother in the kitchen and probably gossip about him.
Lisa's father came in the evening. Kabwegyre looked very tired as he dropped himself onto the couch, saying, "Oh, what a tiresome day it is!"
He was a tall and powerfully built man in his early fifties with a fair complexion. As he entered, Jacob had noticed Lisa's father had a bald head, and his eyes were black, perfectly kind, and loving.
Jacob thought he was an executive as he wore a brown business suit, white shirt, and red neck tie: the kind he had seen the city executives wearing.
As Kabwegyre relaxed on the couch and touched his pot belly, he noticed Jacob's presence at the far end of the lobby.
"Who's this young man with us here?" He wanted to know.
"He's called Jacob. Mujaju and Lisa found him and brought him to come and work for us," Chuza replied almost immediately.
Kabwegyre remained silent as his wife went on to explain about the deaths of Jacob's parents. Then he abruptly came alive, "Is that so? Sorry, young man. That's quite unfortunate."
"He needs our love, affection, and friendship. He has no one he can rely on."
"That's quite right," Kabwegyre agreed. Then he looked at Jacob and said, "Please stay with us. We'll take good care of you like our own child despite your being our servant."
Jacob looked up and again saw those magnetic kind eyes. He had no doubt in his mind that Kabwegyre was quite a generous and sympathetic man.
After they had supper that evening, Kabwegyre watched news on television for a while. He liked current affairs and business news; especially the stock market.
Satisfied, he and his wife rose to their feet, but Chuza was the first to speak: "Mujaju and Lisa, please show Jacob his sleeping quarters."
"Good night," kabwegyre said.
Then man and wife retreated to their bedroom. Lisa waited until her parents were gone and then said, "Come, Jacob. Let me take you to your room."
Mujaju watched quietly as they walked out of the house. Then he went on watching the TV they had been viewing that evening.
Outside, Lisa and Jacob walked across the compound. He carried his bag, which contained his belongings.
The servants' quarters were at the far end of the compound. Lisa pushed open the door and told him, "This is your room. No one is going to disturb you, not even the dogs. They have now gotten used to your scent."
It was a small, self-contained room with a bed, two chairs, and a table that stood near the wall. His room stood overlooking Kabwegyre's master bedroom.
Jacob had in that short time at Kabwegyre's home noted that Lisa's bedroom was next to her parents'.
"Good night, Jacob." Lisa said softly and walked out of the room.
"Good night."
Jacob closed the door after she left and sat on his new bed. For a long time after she was gone, Jacob sat thinking. So far, everything was going on very well.
He would relax for only three days, he told himself, and then try to trace Sonny's mother. The Kabwegyres were apparently good people.
He would work for them, he decided, and when need arose and things were okay, he would cross to Kenya.
He was now lying on the bed. Suddenly, he started believing he was always a lucky man. It was as if a large and powerful unseen hand was slowly but surely guiding him to his destiny.
Had his mother not told him that he would one day be great? And had she not said in her last words that no harm would befall him if he always wore the Marian silver medal on his gold necklace?
Fate had taken him into the home of a kind family. People, he reflected, who were even willing to treat him as one of their own children.
Jacob remembered his bag on the table and jumped out of his bed. Then he put it inside the wallbuilt wardrobe. Next, he undressed and got into bed.
As he relaxed on his bed waiting for sleep to beckon him, Jacob had no doubt he was going to enjoy his stay at Kabwegyre's home. He closed his eyes when he began feeling sleepy.
Then heavy rainfall escorted him into slumber land, and in its wake came lightning and thunder, which roared shattering the silence of the night.