CHAPTER 71

CHAPTER 71

[SBONISO]

His mind had been all over the place these past few days. He could not focus. Everything felt heavy.
First, there was TK slowly losing control. That situation alone was stressful. Then there was the Sokhulu family drama, secrets, tension, anger brewing under the surface. He had been mentally exhausted.
After Nikky told him about what Nomvula had planned, something inside him shifted. He did not even hesitate. He went straight to Nomvula and told her to stay away from Diamond. His voice was cold and direct. He even told her that his uncle could die and no one would care. The words came out harsh, but he meant every single one of them. He was tired of people hurting Diamond. Tired of people pretending. Tired of playing nice.
All of this chaos had made him forget about his other mission, exposing Snothando to Nikky. He had already prepared everything.
He had stolen all the house keys without Snothando knowing. One by one. Slowly and carefully. He made copies of every single key. She never suspected a thing. That alone made him feel powerful, but also strangely restless. He was walking a dangerous line, and he knew it.
He had already installed cameras and listening devices in the house. Everything was connected to his phone. He could see. He could hear. He had control.
But he had been too busy to check everything properly.
Until something caught his eye.
On the screen, he saw Snothando at the patio.
She was digging. Not planting flowers. Not cleaning. Burying something.
He watched the clip again, and again. What was she hiding? What was so important that she needed to bury it secretly?
He could not ignore it.
He needed to dig that thing up and find out for himself.
Now, he unlocks the door and walks inside quietly. The house feels very quiet. The silence makes him alert.
He presses the alarm button and switches it off. The soft beep fills the room.
He looks around slowly. When he leaves this place, it must look like a robbery gone wrong.
He has already planned it in his head. Drawers will be left open. Cupboards messy. A few items missing. Just enough to make the story believable.
But money is not what he is here for.
He wants the truth.
And whatever Snothando buries outside… he is going to dig it up tonight.
No matter what it is.

He switches on the lounge lights and places his phone carefully on the couch. The screen is still on, the camera app open, just in case he needs to check something quickly. He is wearing gloves. Black ones. He does not want to leave any fingerprints behind. He thinks about every step carefully.
He knows he will have to dig with his own hands.
There is no time to look for tools. No time to make noise. No time to risk being seen.
He walks toward the patio door and opens it slowly. The outside lights are already on, bright enough to show every corner of the yard. Nothing is hidden in darkness. Everything is exposed.
He steps outside, his eyes scanning the space. The patio looks normal.
His gaze moves to the new pots of flowers that were not there before. Fresh soil. Recently watered. The arrangement looks forced, almost rushed. His jaw sets.
He walks toward them slowly.
His heart is beating hard, but his face stays calm. He lowers himself onto his knees. He pushes the pots aside without caring if they break or fall. One of them tips over and cracks slightly when it hits the floor, but he does not even react. His focus is sharp. His breathing is low but heavy.
The soil underneath looks disturbed.
Loose, not settled properly.
"I found it," he whispers to himself with a small smile forming on his lips.
Snothando did not hide this well. Not at all.
In fact, it almost feels like she planned to come back for it. Like she wanted to dig it up later. Like this was temporary.
That thought makes his stomach twist.
What is she hiding that cannot stay buried for long?
Sbo sighs slowly. The sound is low and calm, but inside he feels restless. Angry and curious, determined.
He leans forward and pushes his gloved fingers into the soil and starts digging.
.
.
.
After what feels like forever, his fingers finally hit something solid.
He freezes for a second.
Then he digs around it carefully and pulls out a black plastic bag from the hole. It is slightly heavy in his hands. Not too heavy, but heavy enough to mean something important is inside. He frowns as he shifts back and sits on his bum on the grass. The soil is all over his gloves now. His breathing is shaky. Slowly, he opens the bag.
His heart skips a beat. Inside, he sees a gun.
A phone. And a set of car keys.
He blinks, staring at the items like they might disappear if he looks away.
Then he chuckles softly, but there is no humor in it.
"What the fuck…" he whispers under his breath, disbelief all over his face.
He just sits there for a moment, staring. His mind is racing fast. Questions collide in his head.
Why does she have a gun? Whose phone is this? Whose car keys are these?
This is not something small.
This is serious. He suddenly remembers the cameras and listening devices.
He needs to check everything. Immediately.
He quickly grabs the gun, the phone, and the car keys and puts them aside carefully. His movements become faster now. Focused. He stuffs the empty plastic bag back into the hole, pushes the soil back in, and smooths it down with his gloved hands. He presses the dirt flat, trying to make it look untouched.
Then he lifts the flower pots and places them back on top, arranging them the way they were. Even the cracked one. He makes sure it looks natural.
All of this he does swiftly, his heart beating loudly in his ears.
He stands up quickly and brushes the dirt off his knees. Without wasting another second, he walks fast toward the patio door and goes back inside the lounge.
He closes the door behind him and walks straight to the couch.
He sits down heavily.
For a moment, he just stares at the gun, the phone, and the car keys on the table in front of him.
Then he grabs his phone.
His fingers move fast on the screen as he opens the camera app and starts watching the recordings. He rewinds.
He sees Snothando walking back to the patio in the middle of the night. She looks tired. Dragging her feet. Her shoulders are low. Her face exhausted.
He leans closer to the screen.
"What were you up to, Sno?" he whispers quietly.
He fast-forward from that day, watching every movement carefully until he reaches the day she buries the bag.
He pauses.
Snothando looks calm while burying everything. Her hands calm too. Her face blank.
But then, Her expression changes when Nikky catches her burying those things.
Her eyes shift. Her body stiffens slightly.
Sbo notices everything.
He frowns.
There are no listening devices outside, so he cannot hear what they are saying. That frustrates him. He hates missing information.
He fast-forwards until they all go back inside.
Now he can listen.
He turns up the volume slightly.
They are talking about the funeral.
Then about her stolen car.
He listens carefully to every word, his jaw tight.
Nikky eventually stands up and says something about an appointment.
Sbo scoffs bitterly when Snothando mentions him, saying he is going to propose.
His eyes darken.
"Over my dead body," he whispers, annoyed and angry.
He keeps listening.
Snothando starts complaining about her mother complimenting Nikky.
Sbo rolls his eyes slowly.
He is not shocked. Not even a little.
He notices Snothando's mother standing up and heading toward the kitchen.
Sbo watches quietly.
He fast-forwards a little until both Snothando and her mother are in the kitchen together. The camera angle shows them clearly. He can see their faces. Their expressions. The way they stand close to each other like they are sharing secrets.
Of course. They start talking about him.
And Nikky.
Sbo shakes his head, annoyed. His jaw tightens as he listens to them say his name again and again. He hates the tone in their voices. The mocking, the assumptions. The disrespect.
He feels irritation rising inside him.
He is about to fast-forward again because he is tired of hearing nonsense about him and Nikky.
But then, he hears Snothando's mother mention something that makes him pause.
"Cleansing." He frowns.
Then she says something about a "bad cloud."
Sbo slowly lowers his hand from the screen.
What? He brings the phone closer to his face and increases the volume. His eyes narrow as he focuses on every single word now.
Snothando's mother is speaking calmly, like what she is saying is normal. Like it makes sense.
Sbo's heartbeat becomes louder in his ears.
He freezes, completely still.
Snothando's mother clearly mentions planting a gun in Nikky's bag.
For a second, he thinks he heard wrong.
He rewinds. He listens again.
Planting a gun in Nikky's bag.
.
.
.
What Sbo knows for sure now is this: this gun has been used by Snothando to kill someone. He feels it in his gut. And everything in that bag belongs to that man. The phone, the car keys. All of it.
What he also knows is worse.
They want to frame Nikky for this fucking crime.
He has been sitting on this couch, pissed and boiling with anger. His hands are shaking slightly, but his mind is focused. Nothing… nothing will happen to the woman he loves. Not while he is breathing.
He looks at the gun again.
They were really going to put this in Nikky's bag. Destroy her life, send her to prison.
Ruin her name.
His jaw tightens.
He is street smart. He does not panic. He thinks. All he needs to do is ask TK to check who this phone belongs to. TK has connections. He can trace it. Once they know who the owner is, everything will start making sense.
He does not want to stay here much longer.
The anger inside him is dangerous. He feels like he could burn this whole house down. He imagines flames swallowing the walls, destroying every secret hidden inside.
But he cannot do that.
Not yet. He needs to see everything.
He needs to hear everything.
Every interaction between Snothando and her mother. Every plan and every lie.
He exhales slowly and looks around the lounge.
He needs a plastic bag to put the phone, the gun, and the car keys. And of course, he needs to steal some jewellery so that this really looks like a robbery. It must make sense. It must look real.
He checks his gloves.
Good. He did not bring any dirt inside from outside.
Thank God.
He walks toward the drawers and opens them carefully. He searches quickly but neatly. He finds a fancy gift bag inside one of them. It looks expensive. Perfect.
He grabs it and places the gun, the phone, and the car keys inside. He closes it carefully.
Now he needs to go to the bedroom.
Swiftly, he makes his way down the passage. His steps are quick but controlled. The bedroom door is not locked.
Thankfully.
He switches on the lights.
The room looks normal. Clean. Calm for someone hiding murder evidence.
Now he has to be careful.
He cannot steal or move anything where he installed his devices. He remembers exactly where he placed them. He avoids those spots completely.
He removes the bed covers and throws them on the floor. He pulls off the pillowcases and tosses them aside. He lifts the mattress and throws it down roughly, making it look like someone searched in a hurry.
He grabs the bed base and shifts it aggressively.
And He freezes.
There is something underneath.
He steps closer and squints.
It looks like a small hidden door.
"What the…" he whispers, shocked.
He bends down slowly.
It looks like a door leading to a basement.
His heart starts beating faster again.
He reaches for the doorknob carefully.
For a second, he thinks it might be locked.
But luckily, it opens.
He steps back slightly and pulls the door open wider.
There is a ladder going down into darkness.
He stares at it for a moment.
So there is more. Of course there is more.
Sbo places the fancy bag with the evidence safely on the side and moves toward the ladder. He grips it firmly and starts climbing down carefully, one step at a time. He descends slowly into the basement.
As soon as his feet touch the ground, he quickly takes out his phone and switches on the flashlight. The beam cuts through the darkness, revealing shapes and shadows.
He looks around, searching for a light switch on the wall. He finally finds it.
Without hesitating, he flips the switch.
The basement lights flicker once, then turn on. Sbo stands still for a moment, staring at what is in front of him. His eyes move slowly around the space. His face hardens.
Then he lets out a bitter laugh.
He shakes his head in disbelief.
"Wow… Snothando," he mutters under his breath.
Her craziness is on another level. This is not normal jealousy. This is not simple manipulation. This is something darker. Something very dangerous.
He walks a few steps forward, scanning everything carefully. His mind is trying to process it all. This woman has been planning things. Serious things.
He feels anger rising again, but this time it is mixed with shock. He thought he knew how far she could go. He was wrong.
He quickly pulls out his phone. His fingers move fast across the screen as he opens his contacts. For a second, he hesitates. He scrolls past a few names.
Then he stops at Diamond's number.
He presses call.
The phone rings.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Each ring makes him more impatient. He starts pacing slightly, running his free hand over his head.
"Come on… come on…" he mutters quietly.
It keeps ringing.
Finally, she answers.
"Hello?" Diamond's voice comes through, calm but slightly sleepy.
Sbo does not waste time.
"You need to get your ass here," he says firmly, his voice low but urgent. "We are dealing with a psycho here."
.
.
.
Diamond chuckles bitterly.
"She was planning to poison me," she says in disgust.
Sbo slowly lifts his head and looks around the basement walls.
His eyes widen.
Every wall has Nikky's photos.
Big ones. Small ones. Printed pictures. Cut-outs.
Nikky smiling, Nikky with Diamond.
Nikky with her family. Nikky alone.
It feels wrong. Obsessive and disturbing.
"She's crazy, Dee!!" Sbo says, shaking his head slowly. "Her obsession with Nikky runs deep. This is not normal jealousy. This is something else."
Diamond clicks her tongue as she flips through Snothando's diary. The pages move quickly under her fingers. Her face grows darker with every line she reads.
"She wants to be Nikky," Diamond says firmly. "That's why. She doesn't just hate her. She wants her life."
Her voice becomes colder.
"I'm going to kill her."
Sbo quickly turns and walks toward Diamond, who is now standing near a small table in the basement, the diary open in her hands.
"Relax," he says, though his own anger is burning. "What's the plan? We know she killed someone, and she's trying to frame Nikky. We need to think."
Diamond suddenly frowns deeply at something she reads.
Her eyes widen.
"This bitch!!!" she hisses angrily.
She hands the diary to Sbo roughly.
"Read there," she says, pointing at the page with her finger.
Sbo squints and leans closer to the page. He reads slowly, his voice low.
"Paul came up with a good idea. Kidnapping Nike. If all goes wrong, I'll just blame it on him or Diamond. I'll come up with a story that Nike was sleeping with Paul. Diamond found out and got jealous, kidnapped her friend, and poured acid on her face for revenge…"
Sbo gasps softly.
He shakes his head in disbelief.
"This is sick…" he mutters.
"Sboniso," Diamond says through her teeth, anger all over her face, "I'm going to make her pay. She knew Paul kidnapped Nikky and kept quiet!"
Her hands are shaking now, not from fear, but from rage.
"You know what?" she continues. "We are not going to the police with this. Not yet. We need to find out who she killed first. Then we play games with her."
Her voice becomes dangerously calm.
"I want to ruin her psychologically. Slowly. I want her mind to turn against her. I want her so broken that she ends up destroying herself."
Sbo sighs slowly and sits down on an old chair in the basement.
He looks around again.
Nikky's face everywhere.
Smiling, happy and innocent.
"She's been studying her," he says quietly. "Watching her. Planning."
Diamond walks around the basement, picking up journals. There are many of them. Some stacked neatly. Some hidden in boxes.
"Konke is sleeping," Diamond says firmly. "And I don't want him to wake up and not find me in bed. I'll take all these journals. Every single one."
She starts packing Snothando's journals into a bag quickly.
"And make sure you install a camera here," she adds. "And listening devices too. I want to hear everything she says down here."
Sbo nods slowly.
He knows he will have to remove one camera and listening device from the bedroom and bring it here. The basement is more important now.
Diamond takes another journal from Sbo's hands and looks at him seriously.
"We are going to turn her into our little puppet," she says coldly. "But don't tell Nikky. Not yet."
Sbo looks at her carefully.
"Her world is about to turn upside down," Diamond continues. "But she will know when the time is right."
Her eyes harden.
"And when I'm done with this gremlin, she will regret ever messing with Nikky."
With that, Diamond makes her way toward the ladder.
Sbo stays seated for a moment longer, staring at the walls covered with Nikky's pictures.

••••

[MNOTHO]

I think Nikky misses going to work.
This is the third day in a row that she wakes up early. Earlier than me. I always open my eyes and find my clothes already prepared. Shirt ironed. Trousers laid out properly. My belt placed on top like she is arranging a display in a store.
Breakfast is ready too.
I'm not complaining, not even a little.
It feels good to be taken care of like this. It feels peaceful waking up to everything done. But at the same time, I don't want her pushing herself like this. She does not have to wake up before sunrise just to prove something to me. I can do these things for myself without any issue. I have been doing them for years. Making my own tea. Ironing my own shirts. She needs to rest.
Especially because next month is going to be very busy for her. I know how demanding that month will be. Long days. Studying and planning. Running around. She will barely have time to breathe. So right now, she should be resting, sleeping in, enjoying the quiet mornings.
As I walk down the stairs, heading to the kitchen, I already smell the peppermint tea boiling.
I reach the bottom step and glance toward the counter.
There it is. My lunch bag.
Packed and ready.
Yes, she packs me lunch too.
I shake my head softly to myself. This woman…
I step fully into the kitchen.
There is my morning tea brewing slowly on the stove.
On the table there are eggs, toast, sausages… tomatoes and all the works. She did not just make something small. She made a full breakfast.
She stands by the counter, focused, like this is her duty. And I just stand there for a moment, watching her.
Feeling grateful.
But also worried that she is trying too hard.
"Baby… Mtho said he'll eat this side," she says, raising her head and looking at me.
I sit on the stool and scoff lightly.
She is spoiling these boys too much. At this rate, Mtho might end up moving in here permanently.
"You know you need to rest," I complain softly. "You've been waking up early every day."
She giggles softly as she switches off the stove and pours my tea into a cup.
"I've been trying to meet up with that manager for a whole two days, and he's been avoiding me," she says in a lower voice.
I frown.
"Manager?" I ask, confused.
"Yes. From the company my dad worked at," she replies. "I have serious questions for him. I told Diamond to drop the investigation. I'll deal with it myself."
I blink, shocked.
Why didn't Diamond tell me about this?
I paid for that investigation. I wanted answers for her. I thought Diamond was handling it.
"I had a chat with my aunt," she continues. "She has her own version of the story my dad told her. So now I can see something big is being hidden from me."
Her voice is calm, but I can hear the hurt underneath. I look at her sadly.
My poor baby.
I wish I could protect her from whatever truth is waiting for her. I wish I could stand in front of it and block it from touching her.
But I can't.
She deserves to know what is going on.
Even if it hurts.
"You know… I can help," I say gently.
She shakes her head slowly before I even finish.
"No, it's fine," she says. "He will talk eventually. I won't stop going there until he tells me what's going on."
She leans forward, kisses my cheek softly, and walks away like everything is under control.
I sigh quietly.
This is going to break her heart.
If the man who raised her is not her biological father… she will be heartbroken, completely.
And I won't know how to fix that kind of pain for her.
Friday, I'll be meeting her sister.
I also want to meet that woman she calls her mother. I need to see her with my own eyes.
A woman who allowed a man to try and harm her own daughter.
I shake my head slowly.
Nx. Some people don't deserve the title of parent.
"Hello, Dad," Bonga greets as he walks in slowly.
He looks unsure.
"Mnh… my prodigal son," I say while sipping my tea.
His shoulders immediately drop at my tone.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to cause drama," he says as he sits opposite me.
"But you did," I reply with a small shrug.
He sighs heavily and looks down at the table.
"Why did you tell her?" I ask seriously. My voice is calm, but firm. This kind of thing cannot keep happening.
"It slipped, Dad," he says quickly. "We were just having a conversation. I didn't send Ma to attack Nikky. I already feel bad."
His voice is soft now. Regretful.
I shake my head slowly.
"You can't let things slip, Bonga," I tell him. "Not when it involves adults and sensitive matters."
He nods slightly but does not look at me.
"And whatever is happening in this house is none of your mother's business," I continue. "The same goes for me. Whatever is happening at the Lebese household is none of my business too. Unless it involves me personally."
I pause to let that sink in.
"There must be boundaries," I add.
He listens quietly.
"You and your mother can have the launch party," I say after a moment. "It's clear that you wanted it too."
His eyes widen in surprise.
"Really?" he asks, shocked.
I nod slowly.
"Yes. Really."
His face relaxes a little. I can see relief on him.
"But listen carefully," I continue, leaning slightly forward. "I hope in the future we won't have to deal with issues like this again."
He nods again.
"If both your mothers give you advice and you are not sure what to do, or who to tell, you can come to me," I say firmly but gently. "I won't be biased. I will listen. I will guide you fairly."
I hold his gaze so he understands me clearly.
"I just don't want Nikky to be disrespected by your mother. Or by anyone, for that matter."
He swallows and nods slowly.
"I understand, Dad," he says quietly.
I study his face for a moment.
He is still young, still learning. Still trying to balance two worlds without hurting either side.
And that is not easy.
I sigh softly and take another sip of my tea.
Being a father means correcting him. But it also means protecting the peace in this house.
So… will Mamncane be involved in organising the launch party?" Bonga asks softly.
I shrug slightly.
"She's going to be quite busy since she's starting culinary school," I say calmly. "I don't know. You'll have to discuss that with her. Or you can hire someone to plan it."
I pause for a second before adding, "Sometimes getting a professional is better."
Deep down, I already know Julia will stubbornly try to involve herself. That is just how she is. She likes control. She likes being seen as the one in charge.
But I think hiring a stranger would be better.
Less drama.
And our last conversation did not end well. Not at all.
She tried to manipulate the situation, as usual. Twisting words. Playing victim and testing boundaries.
I meant what I said.
She will not bully Nikky. Not on my watch.
And that includes Bangizwe too.
I don't care who feels offended. There must be respect.
I lean back slightly in my chair, my mind drifting.
I also need to go to the hostel soon.
This thing of Bangizwe saying Khwezi is loved by my ancestors does not sit well with me at all. It sounds innocent, but it feels like something else. Like he is planting ideas.
I don't like it. I don't ignore things like that.
Some words carry weight. And I need to address it before it grows into something bigger.