One
Annabelle's last daysChapter 1
Annabelle Jones is a beautiful blond with rosy cheeks and a smile that lights up more than just a room but people's hearts as well, born with a silver spoon in her mouth Annabelle is an heiress to her late father's multimillion Dollar nicotine company. She has never worked a day in her life, at the age of 21 her life is all about shopping, travelling and more shopping.
Life has always been blissful for our Annabelle, she always woke up with joy in her heart and why wouldn't she? She had it all; the looks, the wealth, the charisma and the perfect boyfriend. Jonathan Shelby a smooth talking sly fox with a devilish smile oh but she adored him, even though her mother didn't approve of their relationship her daughter's contagious smile was enough to let them be.
They say mother's intuition is never wrong and as charming as Jonathan was Annabelle's mother saw right through him however, her daughter was for this slick man and when Annabelle asked for her blessing to wed the love of her life, Annabel's mother had no choice but to cave.
Their engagement was the talk of the town, every newspaper publication, gossip site and every blog was hooked on Annabelle and Johnathan's relationship. They became the "it" couple since Brangelina.
The problem about being rich and famous is that you never know who is genuine and who is fake, while Annabelle was already envisioning their perfect life together Jonathan was pulling a love heist of the decade, he was in deep gambling debt and the underground gambling bookie was after him so he had no choice but to con the very beautiful unsuspecting Annabelle.
One fateful evening at an engagement party organised by Annabelle's one and only friend Emily, Annabelle was shot in the head and on her back by the men Jonathan owed and just like that her life changed in an instant.
A year later....
MTHOKOZISI NGWENYA
Mthokozisi is a 24 year old from Bergville, haunted by a painful past he packed his small bag and bid farewell to his gloomy home heading to the city of gold in hopes of changing his narrative. He is not all about the big pipe dreams, all he wants is a home away from home where he can live a simple little. With no education other than his failed grade 11 he is not expecting a corner office, even a spaid and fork under the scorching sun would do just fine as long as he is not in the Ngwenya household doomed to failure and death like his siblings but that's a story for another day.
He looks at the flyer in his hand, yes! This is the address. He thinks to himself, his eyes grow wide as he marvels over the gigantic mansion before him. He presses the intercom and a voice speaks asking him what he is doing there, realising that the voice on the speaker belongs to a white woman he prays to the English gods to shine on him because he really needs this job, he has been in Joburg for a month now with no luck, he is homeless living on the streets and this is just a do a die moment because God knows he doesn't want to go back to the streets.
"Where did you hear about this job?" A voice speaks through the speaker after he stated the reason he is there.
"A flyer madam," he says after clearing his husky deep voice. The gate opens like magic and he walks in enchanted by the beauty before his eyes. He has never seen such a house before, not even in his dreams. Two males greet him as he makes his way to the door, he wonders if he will be joining the men working in the garden or maybe he will be a driver, he smiles at the thought of being a driver. He obtained his driver's license two years ago in hopes of becoming a taxi driver but nobody wanted to hire a Ngwenya in his neighborhood because no one had good things to say about his family.
"Hello, this way please." A short chubby middle aged woman says opening the door for him. He smiles awkwardly and follows the woman still gawking at splendor of the mansion especially the interior design. This is not a house but this is a mall, he thinks to himself.
The woman leads him to the lounge where a white middle aged woman is sitting drinking tea with her legs crossed and her pinky standing up straight against the tea cup. The woman takes a good look at him making him uncomfortable.
"Turn around," the woman says after putting down the cup. He frowns but obliges none the less and turns around.
"Take a seat. My name is Mrs Jones," she says with a smile.
"I need someone who will be my daughter's friend," she says before heaving a loud sigh.
"A year ago my daughter was shot in the head and on her back, due to the injuries she is unable to walk, she is paralysed from the waist down, her left hand is also paralyzed and her speech is a bit impaired. She was also diagnosed with severe depression and is on a 24 hour suicide watch. I have tried everything in my power to get her out of the depressed state she's in with no luck and when her fiancé dumped her and married her best friend that was the last nail to the coffin," she says wiping her tears.
"All I'm asking is for you to give her a new lease on life and just maybe I'll have my daughter back, all she does is sit by the window and stares outside. She has given up all hope," Mthokozisi sits there awkwardly watching the white woman shedding tears, her voice is breaking as she speaks and he can't miss the pain in her eyes. He always thought that money can buy anything but here's a typical example right in front of his eyes that sometimes money can't buy you happiness," he clears his throat before popping his knuckles, a habit he can't help especially when he is in deep thought.
"Do I have to take her to the toilet and stuff?" He asks after sometime.
"No she has a nurse for that who also bathes her and makes sure she takes all her medication. As I mentioned, you will just be her companion, you will work six days a week. You will stay in the maid's quarters and will be paid weekly, you are allowed to take her out of the yard provided the doctor gives you permission to go out because due to her injuries Annabelle's immune system has deteriorated making her vulnerable to different bacteria," Mthokozisi doesn't hesitate to agree to work for Mrs Jones solely because he will be getting a place to stay which means he will be off the streets. After a lengthy discussion about what this job entails, Mrs Jones takes him to Annabel's room.
"Hello sweetie. I have someone here for you," Annabelle doesn't bother to react to her mother's voice nor the so called someone," her mother sighs.
"Please turn around so you can meet uhm...." She tries to remember his name but she's blank, embarrassed she turns to him and Mtho let's out a slight chuckle.
"It's Mtho mam," the husky bold voice of Mtho evokes curiosity in Annabelle and she turns her automatic wheelchair to face him, she looks at him for a while studying his manly fracture, he is tall and a bit easy on the eye. She can't say she has seen anyone like him before in her circle but he definitely has that thug look with his worn out converse sneakers and a dickies trousers with a fake polo golf shirt. His sense of clothing is something out of this world she thinks. She chuckles at her mother's desperation.
"You had to bring me a black criminal," Annabelle says slowly, although she speaks slow and with a bit of difficulty her mother's eyes glitter with tears hearing her daughter's sweet voice, those are the most words she has spoken in more than three months.
"So you would rather I was a white criminal?" Mthokozisi asks surprising even himself with that question. Annabelle blinks a couple of times tongue tied. Her mother amused by her reaction, she smiles excitedly thinking to herself that this might just work after all.
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