Mpumi had left the kids and Dion on the bench. She wanted some privacy. When she finally felt comfortable with the distance she created from her friends, she led out a cry that shook the birds off the trees and rouse concern from the passers nearby. Dion was shocked to have heard the cry. That made him realise that his senses had strengthened. He realised how he had been paying close attention to every detail of noise in his surrounding lately. That must have heightened his auditory senses.
The journey continued shortly. “This is where we stop.” She said soon after she saw a piece of open land between houses. She could see a home for them already. She let the bags down. Vincent copied, and Dave did the same. Dion only held against his nose. He was not pleased with the smell of the area—he couldn’t see it but he could smell it. It was horrible. There was dump in the area. The air reeked of the dump, sewage and smoke. Dion felt like he would puke. Mpumi
Vincent had offered Dion some of the bread in the house, he attempted to put it in his hands but Dion only snapped, “Get your hands off me.”Vincent was so shocked that he even pounced back. It was strange to hear Dion speak. Vincent never expected Dion to ever speak again and that was because Dion had been quiet for days now. He only kept to himself. To make things worse, Dion had refused to eat—for many days now. He only accepted water, and that was it.…………………………………………………………………………………………….Bowman was not getting better, emotionally. He felt his heart harden by each day, but still, he would not allow his tears out.I cannot cry, because if I cry it means I give up. I can
Dion asked for food for the first time. He had already began losing weight and it was worrying everyone in the home. For Dion to finally speak up and ask for, was truly an improvement. -**He hasn’t eaten for many days. **- “Give me something. Anything, and I will eat. I will not throw it at your face. I will not yell at you. I will not trouble you. I just want to eat.” She got on it right away. He heard her bang the plates, and fiddle with the spoons. “Please and thank you,” he said. She did not know a Dion like that. She stared at him for a while. She saw nothing suspicious on his face. He was very genuine. -**Why is he like this? He must be sick. **- “You’re lucky, there’s rice left from lunch,” she went and gave him the dish. She helped him find the spoon. She started checking his temperature. “Mpumi! Mpumi, the water’s done!” she heard the boys cry out. She quickly run out. ………….. Someday Mpumi returned from campus,
Liam found Daphne at the balcony. She was weeping. She did not hide away from him. She was always honest with him. “He could be alive.”“Liam, nobody knows that. Don’t attempt to calm me down like that.”“You’re right. But you have to take it easy. You still have us. We’re all around, you know.”“You can’t ask me to move on so fast. Liam, you know I drove him away from his father. He left because of me!”Sudden noises interrupted; Liam knew he had to go check what was happening. There was an intrusion of new voices in the other room. It sounded like it was happening in the living room. But at the same time, Daphne needed his comfort. He was conflicted.“It’s okay, Liam.” Daphne sent him off, “Go.”Liam found Shannon and Kefentse having an argument with the new guard, Joseph. They had been branded as intruders because the new gu
Mpumi was still preparing to go out with Dion. It was yet another day to beg. She was packing the breakfast plates away.“I’m sorry,” she heard Dion say.“Dion?”“I never treated you right.”“I never held a grudge.”“I was bad.”“You didn’t know better.”He took a deep breath to start opening up, she saw the tear run down his eye, “All my life… Listen, I haven’t been a good person.”Mpumi knew that he wanted to talk. She knew that it was right to be an ear to someone who wanted to speak up about something. She learnt that it was trust. He had grown to trust her. She remained silent that while.“I made people suffer without thinking twice about it. Men and women with children, with responsibilities. I was horrible. I didn’t help anyone with all the resources I had; I also didn’t think that I would
“Dave calls you, his mother.”Vincent was outside, chilling with Mpumi. The night sky was so clear that the stairs shone even brighter than usual.“What?!!!”“Yeah! That’s what he told my teacher at school. Mrs Ndlovu. My teacher was telling him about me. She was encouraging him to follow in my foot-steps, because I am a good child.” He emphasised, “I am a good child.”“Of course, you are, Vincent.”Feeling validated, Vincent continued his story, “And then she started asking questions about our likes and dislikes, our talents and hobbies, our resident and parents. That’s when Dave said, Dion and Mpumi.”“What?”“Yeah. And he was very proud when he said it. She asked us if we were happy here.”“And you said?”By now Dion was standing behind them at the door. They did not see him because, of course, he wa
Good news finally hit home, Mpumi had found work. She had hustled tirelessly for the job. It was persistence and patience. The family knew then that they had to stop begging. It was only few days later that Mpumi found two more jobs. Luck seemed to had found way towards her.She worked in the clinic on the outbreak of day. She was a cleaner there. She was lucky to have gotten a morning shift. She knew that every morning she had to be there at five and get everything clean and in order. She would walk a two hour’s distance to compass and knock off at four p.m.—or even earlier, depending on her time table—she assisted in a Pakistan tuckshop in some area. The owner would only let her go at eight evening.The third job was at a garage not so far from her shack. She worked there depending her shifts. When she was in, she was to work the entire night and only depart the next morning around seven. She was struggling, but she knew she was serving the new fami
Liam had been having a conversation with Bowman Hill’s personal guard—Gibson. Liam was just puzzled at the little emotion Gibson showed towards Bowman’s ordeal. He couldn’t understand how Gibson insinuated that Dion might be coming back.“Mr. Gibson, it seems you have decided that Dion’s not coming back.”“Decided? Only God can decide. I’ve been on this journey before. It is one of the hardest. I did not prepare for the worst and it hit me bad.”“I heard you lost your niece. She ran on her own.”“So, she was bound to die?”“No. Ow, of course not. I did not mean it like that. I’m sorry.”“I have come to see how fond of Dion everyone around here is. I pray with you all that his road leads him back here. I wish no harm on him at all. The same I wish for Mr. Hill. It is my duty to take personal his interests. He has to be in best shape wit
She left the shack. After a short distance, she was already passing by the gang of young men. The man she found attractive was among the group. From the side of her eye, she could see the rest of them whisper pointing towards her. She loved that. She loved that they were talking about her in front of him. Mpumi kept her cool, and pretended not to see them at all. She made it to the shop. “Mpumi,” the man standing behind the counter said. It was a small shop in a container. She was inside. “My friend.” “Yes, what do you want?” “I want sweets.” “Okay.” There was a moment of pause. Mpumi did not seem informed of the pause—she was intensely focused on the man she was crushing on in just a short distance from the shop. The man behind the counter had to prompt her, “R1 for three, you know that, right?” “Of course,” she was still staring out to the gang afar. “The money, please.” “Ow,” she was back. She started searchi
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