“Dion, what do you think?” asked Emilia.“Mpumi, I think that you should not carry a load alone.”“What?” Emilia was amazed.Dion was back, “What? Where? How? Um…” he got up. “I was in my thoughts, sorry.”“You’re always in your thoughts. You’re like a zombie around me. Do you even enjoy my company?”“Um, yes. I do.”“Um, no. You don’t!”“Emily—”“You don’t know my name anymore?!”“Emily… Emilia.”“Wow.” She took her bag and walked out. She was headed for Mpumi. She found her in the department office alone.She shut the door walking in, “Listen here, black barbie.” Emilia was firm, “I don’t know of your little history with Dion. But here’s the thing, h-i-s-t-o-r-y. That’s what it is. Now
Dave opened the evening with a piano. He gave a soft music to welcome the guests and calm them down. “Your son is great,” said Mr Jenner. “Thank you,” Dion. He was sitting at a table with a few more people, one being his father and right by his side was Emilia. Mrs Jones was there as well, at that table. She loved seeing her daughter on Dion like that. She was glad that Dion did not push her off. She thought there was progress. Applause went as soon as Dave gave a bow. He went and sat at a table with Vincent and a few of Vincent’s friends. Michael was happy to have been invited by Vincent. Sphesihle too felt privileged to be around. Gift was fortunate to have been brought by his father who held a contract with ITSU—his father had every right to be there. “You keep amazing me, Dave.” “Thanks, Vincent.” “That was amazing, kid,” Michael cheered. “I practise all the time.” Gift sat at that table too. He was grounded that night. His mind was a bit chaotic—a mix of family issues and
Finally, Dion was fed up, he shoved her off and marched away. She followed him, grabbed his wrist but he ripped it from her. Angrily, she pushed him off, and he tumbled over a fountain of glasses. Everything stopped in the room. People were curious. Bowman was disappointed. His suspicions of the woman were confirmed. He considered her ungrounded, and ill-mannered.“Dion?” Mpumi tried going down to him. He managed to manoeuvre out of her grip. Embarrassed, he walked out, leaving the party.Mpumi entered shortly the home of Dion Hill. She was hoping she would talk to Dion but Bowman would not let her go anywhere near Dion’s room, “My son is out of limits for you, little woman.”“I just want to talk to him.”“He is bleeding, you pushed him over glasses.”“Please…”Bowman stood still. Mpumi quickly gave up. She went back to her room only to pack out the next morning. Dion d
……………..in Dion’s office……………..“And Fortunate, please tell Philip Moore to send me the draft! God, how did I trust him with it?”“Yes, sir.”“Also, get my designer to prepare for me the best suit, I am going to wear it when I am meeting with Mrs Wong and her associates for the deal. She loves good things. Speaking of good things, get Liam to get me a present for her. I trust Liam’s taste. God, I’m so nervous.”“And there is nothing to be nervous about, sir.”“Are you kidding me? I am going in three days. This trip will either seal the deal or kill the deal. My life depends on it.”The PA laughed, “No, silly. Your life is well off either way.”“Oh, I guess so.”A silence.“Hey,” she was concerned. “What’s the matter
Kefentse was always glad to have Dion’s time. Dion was more sparing of his time when it came to Shannon, not so much with Kefentse. This did sting a little for Kefentse—it’d hurt him sometimes to find out that those two hang out without him.Kefentse was always happy to catch up on Dion’s love life, he quickly learned that Dion was stuck between women. He was starting to believe that Dion would be choosing Emilia. Kefentse would rather Dion chose none of those women. None of those women knew Dion longer that he had. Kefentse had been friends with Dion since they were children. None of those women deserved Dion, not as much as himself.“Brother, listen.” Dion said, gently, “I recognize all of you, and I am grateful. I will be fine, I promise.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”“Huh?”“It’s like you saying that you will be better off with her. Are you planning to
Thabo wanted to know what they’d all be having for breakfast. He loved making breakfast for his parents.“We can have anything you want, dear,” the mother decided to break the silence. “In fact, let us have anything Mpumi wants.”“Great idea,” said the father. “Mpumi, my child, go on to the kitchen. Tell him what you want. Show him how it is done.”However, Mpumi would not move, such that the mother had to get up and start shoving her towards Thabo, “Go on, my dear,” who would then led way to the kitchen.When both the youngsters were gone, the old man and woman were left alone. “She does not see him in the same light,” worriedly said the father.And the mother responded, “She will learn to.”Meanwhile, Thabo and Mpumi had begun with breakfast. Mpumi was showing him something she learnt from staying with Sam—boiling an egg, squeezing into it some
“Thing is: I have been calling you all day. I started to suspect that you might be avoiding me… But it turns out that you are just busy.” A short silence, a hope that she might say something. She did not and that nudged him to conclude the call.“I, um, happen to miss you. A lot. Good night, Mpumi.”That was the end of the call. A short while later, Cynthia decided to break the silence, “So,” she said—awkwardly, “that was business, huh?”Upset, Mpumi jumped up and stormed out.………………The next day in the afternoon, both Thabo’s parents stood knocking on Thabo’s door, “We just want to know if you’re alright, sweetie!” cried the mother. She looked very worried—both she and her husband.There appeared Mpumi walking in through the front door. The moment they saw her, t
The mention of Dion always made Thabo feel incompetent. It wasn’t always like this for Thabo until, of course, he found himself entangled with same woman Dion wanted.“Honestly, I don’t have time for this.” Thabo turned to walk back into his living room—leaving Mpumi still at the balcony. And he turned back to her, to question her, “Why did you walk away from his call? Isn’t that what you want? Him?”“Is that why you disappeared?”“You took my car!”“Call a taxi!” Mpumi could easily tell that Thabo was trying to push the blame onto her and she was not having it. “You have taxi numbers in your phone! But no. You had to vanish.”She continued to reprimand him, “Here you are, in some fancy hotel, topless and flirting with a staff. And a whole glass of wine in your hand. You had not only your mom and dad worried, but Sam too and a whole lot of your oth
Chapter 150“You… You’re alive?!” Mpumi couldn’t believe her own eyes.Ray was alive this whole. This was a man she had fallen in love with many years ago. Their relationship was a tumultuous one. It was on and it was off, it was good and it was toxic. Mpumi ended up getting so obsessed with this man. He was her first love after all.She had dated some guys before him but she never quite felt anything for any other man before Ray. She couldn’t understand her feelings, she was too young.They were both at Mpumi’s motel now. Mpumi was hesitant on letting him in but in the end she did. He sat at the small round table while she remained standing. She was still so frightened.“You stabbed me and then ran.” Ray continued, at the same time piercing a strict gaze into Mpumi’s eyes, “You left me there to die. I collapsed and laid on the pool of my own blood, I asked you to help me, but you r
Chapter 149Kefentse was the happiest man in his entire friend group. Things were working out for him and in his favour. He was taking over his father’s company. This was something he worked his entire life for. To be recognized by his father meant everything to him.“And now, you must bring us a wife.”“What?” Kefentse couldn’t believe the words of his father.“My son, you have just acquired a thrown. Now you must have an heir. With this much wealth and fortune, many vultures will come out of the woodworks to try to steal from you. Besides that, people are more likely to trust a man with a family. You are at an age to ground yourself.”Kefentse was still so struck with shock. He did not see that coming.His father went and on and on about his next plans for Kefentse’s life, “Ooh, I know a few girls around your age. All from respectable families. Say, we should set dates! ...”
Chapter148The kids were trying to find out who leaked a very private piece of information about Vincent’s father.“I don’t know.” Gift argued for himself, “The only reason I was beefing with Vincent back then was because I thought he would take you away from me. Other than that, I really have no problems with that kid. I was just jealous…”“You’re not jealous anymore?”“No. Ever since you claimed me, I really had no reason to be anymore.”Sphesihle was touched to hear that. In fact, she remembered the reasons why she liked him in the first place—he used to be so sweet. She could swoon over his sweet words but that was not the time, they had serious matters at their hands.Whoever leaked that news what in the school, because the first article to be released about the matter was published in that school’s news-site. They had to find out who did that.&
Chapter 147Bowman started weeping bitterly. Mpumi was only flustered, and at loss for words.“When he woke up, he wanted hurt himself again. The doctors had to strap him down and sedate him.”Bowman tumbled to his knees. “Please…”He crawled over to Mpumi’s feet.“Please, you have to help him. You have to watch over him—at least keep him alive for me!”Bowman was actually on his knees, grovelling for her help. Mpumi once thought that she wanted him to do that, but now that he was, she couldn’t stomach it. She saw the pain in that man’s eyes. He was a single father who was terrified of losing his son. His only child.She started trying to help him up but he was far too heavy to lift. He kept rubbing his palms together, and kept crawling to her as she was backing away from him.“Please. Please, little Miss. Please help my son.”He then grabbed and held on to her knees so that she wouldn’t back away anymore. All over his face were his tears and a very certain sadness.………A little whi
Chapter 146When morning came and Mpumi had to go home, since her shift was over, she remembered to go check on Dion first. She found him on the floor, unconscious and bleeding from his head.She called for help, and all the others rushed in and took him for an emergency care. Mpumi was worried, she couldn’t sit still as she waited for the results. Bowman and his family were at the hospital too, after receiving that early morning call. They too looked worried.Mpumi did find herself exchanging glances with Bowman. She wondered what that was about. She was able to go home when the doctors confirmed that Dion was okay. She could stay up and blame herself for what happened to Dion on her watch, but she was too tired and too sleepy.Mpumi quickly, slipped into her pyjamas (nightwear), and into her sheets—DING DONG!Came a doorbell at her door. She was tired. She simply scoffed, and then buried her head under her pillow. She was determined on ignoring that vividly loud doorbell.DING DONG
Chapter 145There was silence as Mpumi was thoroughly thinking about her decision. The Hill family had asked for her help to bring Dion back home. The ball was in Mpumi’s court.She then turned to Bowman, looked at him dead in the eye, “You fired me and then I left. I left your son and your darned company, so you can have all the control you wanted. As soon as I’m gone, your son goes missing? None of you knew where he was until I came along. I came back and I found him. You should be thanking me.”Mpumi continued, “In fact, you should be begging me to help you and your little precious son.”“I am begging you, Mpumi—”“Not you, Liam. I want Mr. Bowman Hill to beg me himself.”Bowman simply scoffed. He couldn’t believe the audacity of the girl. How dare she demand him to beg?“I see that proud smirk at the corner of your mouth, Mr. Bowman Hill.” Mpumi sa
Chapter 144At school, Gift was always happy to see Sphesihle. He would always beam and brightly so around her. He didn’t care if anyone saw him with her. Gift knew that he was the most admired kid in that school. His social value did not decrease on just being seen with Sphesihle—if anything, Sphesihle’s social value was more likely increase.“I get so excited to come to school nowadays,” he said smiling at Sphesihle.They were in class, first period. They spoke in low tones so that they wouldn’t make too much noise. That was allowed. This was their Life Orientation teacher, and she allowed socialization among pupils as long as they used their ‘inside voices’—as long as they were not too loud.“I get to hang out with you again.” Gift continued, “Remember how tight we used to be? And we were such a power couple.”Meanwhile, Sphesihle couldn’t shake off the uncomfort
Chapter 143Mpumi could see a clear view of his face. His front hairs were dangling at his forehead, overgrown and almost obscuring his sight. His beard was as long and tangled in what could soon turn into locks.As she looked closer, she saw his eyes sunken in and dark circles around them. She saw his cheeks all bones and protruding.Shocked! Mpumi’s throat was almost as dry as the sand in the Saharan Desert. Her tongue had never felt so heavy as she tried saying her first words upon seeing the man’s face. On her own face was the look of sheer terror!“DION??!!”He only looked into empty space and mimed what even he couldn’t make sense of. He seemed very far and lost. Mpumi got closer to have a closer look at his eyes.“Dion?”However, he looked lifeless almost as though there was no soul living in there. Mpumi could only wonder what happened to him. How he even got to that place, in the firs
Chapter 142The nurses did not succeed at collecting the patient’s DNA. The patient in room X1. He was aggressive and wouldn’t let any of them close to him. They couldn’t even take a photo of him. This would make it even harder to identify him. They needed to find his next of kin.They nurses were with the matron in her office. They were all brainstorming ideas on a way forward. The matron only went silent. She didn’t know what else to say. She was still thinking.“I think I can help him…” Mpumi had said.They turned to her, looked at her and wondered, “How do you think you can help? Not only is he mental but he’s also dangerous.”“I’ll take my own chances, but I think I have to try to get through to him.” Mpumi could clearly see that none of those people were convinced.She had to try harder. “Look, as you know that I’ve worked at a clinic before. I a