The next morning, they woke up in the same bed, his bare chest on her cold back and his arm over her waist. “What you, um,” he pulled the blanket over her neck, “said last night...” He continued, “Did you meant it?”
A silence.
“Do you remember what it was that you said?”
She turned to him, “You and I are official now, if that’s okay with you.”
“Are you kidding me?” he chuckled. He was happy, “I’ve been rooting for us since day one!”
Her phone rang. She reached into her jeans on the floor and pulled it out. It was Sam calling, “Where are you?” She seemed heated.
“What? Why?”
“I’m out here. We’re all out here!”
Mpumi immediately jumped, “Ow shucks!” She rolled all the blanket to herself as she stood from the bed, “I wil
Mpumi approached Dion standing alone, he was neatly tucking his band into his chest pocket, making sure it was visible. “Ah, yellow band,” she said catching his attention.“Oh,” he smiled, “you too?”“Brenda, just loved me in her team,” said she.“Too full of yourself?”“Nope. She told me so.”Dion was so happy that himself and Mpumi were in the same team—he was happy but he would not show it.It was after the designation of teams and the crowd cued by the tables getting their meals. Vincent, in the line, found himself conversing with one of the children his age, “Yeah, I’m adopted. Not long ago, actually.”“Cool.” The girl said, “Me too. How are they? Your foster....”“Oh, no. It’s adoption.” Vincent emphasised, “Permanent. I call him dad.”“Oh, lucky you then. Well, mine
It was a world-wide spread news that Dion was a now changed man. Even so, there were other people who doubted him. Karabo being one of them. Karabo was a long-term member of the GREEN organisation and she had been working side by side to Brenda—sourcing investors to buy seeds and fertilizers so that they could plant more trees around the city.They have had many doors shut in their faces and even escorted out of buildings by security guards. They’ve had the most wealth businessmen and businesswomen look down on them with disdain almost as though they were ‘lazy’ beggars.“No. Look,” Karabo was adamant on voicing out her opinions on Dion. “I just think that he is arrogant. I don’t care about what you all are saying about him being a changed man, but really... Do people change? This is probably some PR for him.”Mpumi was so angered by that, such that she shoved Karabo’s shoulder as she was heading to the bus. That was on purpose and Karabo knew it. Karabo would not back down from such
FELICIA!Felicia…That woman…“I didn’t think things would ever get better with you. I’ve been watching the news, and reading the papers... It’s no longer the ‘scandalous Dion’ I used to know. Instead, a very generous and happy kind of Dion.”“You think I’m happy?” he laughed.“Ah, and he laughs now. I also, saw that you didn’t mention my name, you didn’t trash me all over the press.”“Not my style.”“You know, I felt bad all the time. I still feel bad. What I did to you... Dion, I am really sorry. It has been eating away at me. That’s why I’m finally here today. Maybe, if I apologise to you and the kids, I’d be okay. You know? I’d be fine. So, I apologise.” She started walking out.She said what she wanted to say—it was time to leave. She didn’t see a reason to stick arou
Dion finally, managed to get Dave to the kiddies' playground, at the swings. He went back to Vincent, who would not touch his meal or his ice-cream, “Hey,” he sat beside him. “Are you alright?”“Yes.”“Lying. Here's the nice thing about you, you can’t tell a lie anymore.”“Okay, dad.”“This is about that girlfriend of yours?”“She’s not my girlfriend.”“She’s going through some problems, isn’t she? And you want to know what is going. You know, how you always tell me what to do? It’s my turn now, but unlike you, I will be sympathetic. Don’t wait, because she won’t say anything. Find a way to make her trust you and comfortable around you. Find a way make her talk to you.”“Like you did with Mpumi?”“Well, we all know that Mpumi was different. Truth is, she opened up to me once
As the days went by, Mpumi was slowly shutting down. Looking into her eye, Thabo could see lifelessness. Very often he would find her in the garden standing still (almost frozen in time), her eyes staring into empty space and her arms folded. Thabo knew not what to do for her. He often tiptoed back into hiding, each time he found her like that. He learned that he found solace from his family—being around them would always pump-up his strength. Thabo knew what he had to do but he would not bring himself to do it. ……………………………………………………………………………………… It was finally, the next day at school. Vincent had his swim-coach yelling at him for his lacking progress. “You don’t practise enough! I told you, crawl, crawl! What is wrong with you?” “I’m sorry, coach.” “You’re sorry? You’re gonna cost us a medal,” Coach finally left the boy, Vincent, alone. The other boys and girls threw Vincent pitiful eyes. Chrisy and Jonat
Bowman had fired Mpumi for a mistake that Dion did not believe she made. He remained back in the office with Mpumi. Very concerned, he asked her, “Why did you lie?”But woman was silent.………………At the dining hall, Thabo found Mpumi looking very drained as always. She looked especially sad and confused in that moment. She looked depressed and tired.“Hey,” he said and he saw her do it all over again—she straightened up and gave a bright smile. She immediately went from sad to extremely joyful.“Can I just say that shirt on you...my favourite,” said she.“So, did you buy anything?”“No. I was waiting for you. I just can't decide what I want for lunch today.”“You always can’t decide and I’m always there taking decisions for you. It’s like you’ve turned into a wheelbarrow that I ha
Mpumi had brought such devastating to Dion. Dion never really expected Mpumi to ever leave him. His heart was already pulsating and his stomach turning with so much anxiety. He went and held Mpumi into his arms, he tried convincing her to stay and not leave.Mpumi took her hands back from Dion’s grip, “I took a gamble and I came to this city. It hasn’t been easy ever since. If I’m not trying to find you, I’m dying. If I’m not dying, I’m fighting for you. There is nothing left for me here.”He reached for her shoulders, “The kids...”“They have you.”“The homeless-people project...”“It’s in good hands.”“Your job...”“I resigned.”A bit hesitant, Dion was doubting himself but finally he summoned the courage to say, “Me...”“I fought for you, and you tore me down. I tried persisti
Benson Hill, the son to Gertrude and a cousin to Dion was in town. He was out with two of his goons on lunch. They sat at their table and discussed way forward.“I thought you'd have forgiven him by now.” Ted said, “Considering that he’s changed and all.”“Allegedly,” said Benson, a fit and handsome young man. “And I don’t care if he’s changed or not. He treated me so badly when we were kids. He bullied me and made fun of me. He humiliated me. I want him to pay. Oh, I’ve waited so long for this day. Dion must pay!”The second friend, Henry, “What do you plan on doing then? We didn’t come here to talk about your past with him all over again. Do you have any ideas on a way forward? Anything at all?”As they gathered at the table, they made sure to keep their voices down. Only they could hear one another. There were occasional pauses here and there. And there an intensi
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