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32THE LUVELA HOUSEHOLD
After throwing a tantrum and almost suffering a panic attack Nomhle returned to the house after a trip to cool herself off. Gloria who was sitting on the lounge jumped up as she heard footsteps trailing in her house. She tried to talk to her daughter, but Nomhle was too far angry and still in her thoughts, so she ignored her. She left her mother to talk by herself and went to her room where she found Mina sleeping. She found her sleeping with traces of tears in her eyes. She snuck in bed with her hugged her close.
SANDILE’S HOUSE
Rage finally consumed Thando and he and his intentions know to Sandile as the man was too stubborn to persuade or trick with games.
Thando: all I am saying is that I do not understand why you are so triggered and do not want to talk about the past!!! How do you expect me to move on and have a stable relationship with you when you have so many issues and afraid of sharing your life and thoughts with me. What are we even doing? What the hell is this clownery?!!
Sandile: I too don’t get why you are so obsessed with the past!! The college Sandile you want is gone, long dead, gone and buried. Why can’t you embrace the new me and stop trying to fight me every chance you get. Just bury the hatchet already man!! Jesus!!
Thando: so, you think my obsession is with the past you and not the present you?!! You really are foolish and very stubborn to even listen to me and understand what I am trying to say!! I am even out of words and don’t know what to sat you to you anymore!! What we had—what we have—or whatever is going on here, I am done!! **** this!!
Sandile: where do you think you are going? I am not done with you!? How do you want to talk then bail when things do not favor you?!! Just what the hell do you want from me?
Thando: the truth. I want the truth goddamnit!! I have given you one too many chances to come clean, but you keep getting a way to revert everything to avoid the truth! You keep making me feel like---
Standing a distance part Sandile jumped Thando and shoved his face on his. He was not about to let an evening that started out so good turn out like this. The look on Thando’s was unreadable, one he has never seen before which scared him a little. Maybe kissing him would make him calm down and possibly forget about everything and stop asking for the truth he could not tell, because every time he uttered the word ‘truth’ he felt like he was burning inside. Truth was his purgatory. Unfortunately, Thando broke the kiss livider this time.
Thando: what are you doing? You think a mere kiss will make me forget all this?! If you don’t want to talk then let me leave Mr. because I can not spend another minute with you here.
Sandile: okay… okay… I’m sorry don’t leave.
Thando: then tell me the goddamm truth.
Sandile: here we go again. I thought we were over this.
Thando: then why should I stay? I am leaving.
Sandile: ok, what truth? What do you want to know so bad that you do not want to reason with me?
Thando: what the hell have you been up to the past 7 years?!! Tell me!! Say it to me that I misunderstood, tell me I heard wrong. This is a chance to redeem yourself. You can live if you want to! Just give me the right answer and I’ll forgive and forget all this!! Tell me you don’t have a hidden wife and child somewhere!! Tell me I heard wrong on that phone call goddamnit!!!
Sandile: call? wife? Thando… I can---
Thando: what?!! So, it is true. How could you!!?
The half empty glass in his hand broke as anger consumed him. Sandile tried to talk to him, pleading and trying to get him to calm down but it was too late. Before he knew it, a sharp piece of glass was lodged deep down on his left neck followed by unsteady multiple stabs all over the neck and his chest. Overpowered and losing consciousness slowly Sandile lay on the floor with blood oozing from his neck vigorously. In this sad moment too, he still loved Thando to pieces and wished things would’ve turned out differently. He wished him no harm, he just wanted to love him freely and keep him from being judged by the society and mostly being judged by anyone around him.
Feeling his souls separate from his body, he said a few words with struggle before he departed.
Sandile: I forgi---ve you. I under---stand you. I lo--ve ev—en more no—w. I am sor—ry.
He then closed his eyes letting the last bits of pain he felt consume him and therefore let his soul free. Even in that moment no words could explain the deep love and affection that ran in his blood for Thando. He did not blame him nor held him responsible for his cations. He wished him the best. The last drop of tears running down his lifeless and cold body were not of regret but of joy that he met such a person sealing things of with prayer that they cross paths on his next.
It took a few minutes for Thando to register what he had done. After seeing the lifeless Sandile on the floor, his mind went awry, and he ran out of the house into the cold night welcoming a new day.
THE EARLY MORNING
Nomhle woke up early and packed her stuff and Mina’s. she woke her kid up prepped her with an idea to leave her parent’s house without reporting that she’s leaving. Unfortunately, her plans were ruined as her father caught and insisted, he and Gloria drive them to her house as he was uncomfortable with her heavily pregnant daughter being so angry and driving this early in the morning.
Nomhle: I did say I am fine dad. Mini and I can manage, my home is not that far from here.
Gloria: you are not fine, and we are coming with.
With those words said, she could not refuse them anymore. To be truthful, her parents did give her a little bit of peace. They may have been the reason she’s living like this and in such a mess but--- they are her haven.
Arriving at the house took longer than she had expected. She took one long nap and they still had not made it. It was Sunday morning and people were busy on the roads. She never knew Sundays could be this busy. Getting parked proved to be a task for the old man that Gloria offered to help, and they finally got out of the car after long suffering.
Gloria: sometimes asking for help is better, pride won’t take you anywhere.
Nomhle: it’s Sunday morning. Can we have peace? Please…
Gloria: you and always standing up for your father. Daddy’s little girl.
They entered the house following Nomhle. She unlocked and headed straight to the bathroom surprised the house was quiet. She had no suspicions though as she figured her husband was still asleep or somewhere out there cheating.
Gloria: I’ll get some water, I am parched. Mini go to your grandfather.
Gloria dismissed the child following as she went to the kitchen to drink some water, little did she know she was doing the baby a favor. Just a minute in, she screamed her lungs out as she found a lifeless Sandile on the floor sleeping on a pool of blood with scary stabs all over his neck and left chest that were all to hard to look at.
It took less than a minute for Nomhle and her father to attend to the cry. They too were too shocked to talk or do anything. Gloria rushed and removed Mini from the scene as she stared thoughtless at her father but later cried as she saw her mother sink to the floor shaking her dead father violently. Her father held the phone shakily as he dialed the police who arrived a little early than expected. The forensics team evaluated the scene as the police questioned the family.
LATER THE SAME DAY
Later the news of Sandile’s passing were shared and all relatives and friends were notified. Of course, dragon Bantu and Sazi made their presence known as they pointed fingers at Nomhle accusing her of killing their son even though she was not even there when the incident took place.
Even in death, Sandile still caused Nomhle countless problems.
SUNNYSIDE APARTMENTS
THANDO’S PLACE
Clouds upon clouds of smoke engulfed the atmosphere of this dark room as the owner sat in the living room with a pile of half smoked cigarettes and cigarette buds in front of him. On he hands he held a glass of whiskey and a cigarette with fading light on the other hand. The scenery of what happened in the early hours of the morning haunted him. He was going crazy, and guilt burned him. He was highly intoxicated, but he could not forget what he did. He was still in the black hoodie he asked for. It made sense that Sandile died because he did plan to kill him but the reality of it was graver and depressing than he had thought.
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