Chapter 509 Big Girls Don't Cry:>40

• The trip was once again uneventful, almost routine, although Allie and Marcus were unaware of what was driving it; I'd had a whispered conversation with Lizzie about it and she confessed she too had developed the certainty that time was getting short; something was nagging her about dad, something was wrong, or was going to happen, but the last time she'd spoken to mum and dad, they'd both been fine, dad was roaming around with his old friends, mum was working, everything seemed normal. If not for that same nagging unease I was also feeling I would have dismissed it all out of hand, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming, and we needed to go to dad, and soon.
• Both the parents were waiting at the airport this time, eager to fawn over their grandchild, mum a ball of smiling, crying, motherly concern and grandmotherly pride, and dad proudly holding his new grandson while Lena and Lizzie hugged him, then pictures of all the kids together with mum and dad, Allie holding David like he was a precious Ming vase while beaming at the camera.
• Dad had the driver of the minibus take the longer route back to Kolossi so as not to jumble the baby around too much, mum hovering over David in his baby-carrier like she never meant to let go while Lena cuddled up against me. When we finally arrived back at the house, Marcus helped me with the luggage while Lena and Lizzie sat with dad, arms around him as they bantered, but the humour in their conversation wasn't reflected in their eyes; they both looked worried, and yet there seemed to be no cause for concern; Dad was looking far fitter than at any time over the last few years, now that I cast my mind back; he'd put some weight back on, and seemed to be using his inhaler much less frequently. His chest certainly wasn't wheezing so distressingly any more, although it hadn't stopped; he had COPD, and it wasn't going away, perhaps the hot dry air was doing what his doctors had hoped for and slowing the advance, giving him more time with mum, with us, the only thing he'd ever really wanted.