Beckoned Through The Dark

63 // Lesego // The Last Laugh

"Wakey-wakey!" I heard Dineo making noise in my room.

I groaned in annoyance. I was still sleepy, and she was just so loud. "Go away!" I snapped.

She'd become so annoying since she confirmed that I was indeed Lesego and not an imposter.

She started jumping on my bed, forcing me to wake up.

"It's 7a.m!" She screamed.

"Go back to your room, Augustus." I teased her.

"I'm sure Christian –" I grabbed her by her feet, causing her to fall on the bed while screaming.

"Shut up!" I started tickling her and stopped when I heard that she couldn't control her laughter any longer.

She sighed and laid by my side. "What are we gonna do? Everyone is still asleep."

I rolled my eyes and sat up straight. "Well, Duncan and Jack will be awake soon. Hey, guess what?" A devious idea popped up.

"Dad and Duncan also have a hangover?"

Her sarcastic tiny butt!

"Obviously not. Your mom is sleeping in the guestroom."

Dineo gave me that evil laugh again, causing me to chuckle. The guestroom was opposite my room, I'd discovered that Jack and mom had been sleeping in separate rooms for months now.

From what Dineo told me, they had a disagreement after the dinner with the Dube's, and even worse after Karabelo's arrival.

"Is she drunk again?" She asked sadly, and my heart swelled for her.

I hated that she had to witness that side of my mother, to her it had become a norm to see her mother drunk every day.

"Want to teach her a lesson?"

She looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Mom would go crazy if she thought the house was on fire." She giggled.

Yup. One of the rules my mother obsessed over was making sure that we prevented fire hazards.

Plugs had to be off whenever not in use, and we had to double-check to make sure that heaters and other appliances were off when we left the house or went to sleep.

I didn't even bother arguing with the idea, I just started screaming, and Dineo joined in.

"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" 

Within seconds, we heard doors opening, and footsteps.

Without warning my door sprung open, and Jack poured a mouthful bucket of water on us.

I sat there flabbergasted as the cold water dripped down my clothes.

"Is that enough to stop the fire?" Jack asked with an evil smirk on his face.

At every party there's always that one guest that arrives late.

"Fire?!" My mother ran into the room looking a mess while massaging her head.

I could just imagine how her head must have been pounding.

"Fire!" Dineo screamed, and we all laughed.

"What the...? What are you doing in here? This was Lesego's idea, am I right?" She asked, obviously pissed off.

She groaned and stormed out of the room like a mad woman.

Now that was done...

"Jack, my bed!" I whined.

He rolled his eyes and pulled the door. "You asked for it," He said before closing the door behind him.

"Dineo, this is your fault, get out! If it was not for you and your stupid idea–"

I might as well have been speaking to myself, because she turned her back against me and climbed off the bed.

"Shut up!" She snarled and left.

I complained and cussed to myself knowing that I had to spend my day cleaning up my room.

I removed all the blankets and duvets on my bed and took them to the laundry room, and then I cleaned up.

After that I brushed my teeth and took a shower.

When I came out of the bathroom, I found the plastic bag my mother gave me at the hospital with my new clothes.

I changed into one of the new Nike women's track pants.

It was so comfy.

I smiled to myself and happily joined my family downstairs.

I'm met with Jack's eyes, and I smiled at him. "I knew those would suit you, you are on fire," he teased, and I laughed.

I could not believe Jack and I never really used to communicate until the little accident.

Well, they say everything happens for a reason, and I believed them because the accident has brought me closer to my family.

I felt at ease even though I knew this would blow over soon, because the past was quickly catching up to us.

"That was a great stunt you pulled for the drunken master."

I plopped down on the couch and changed the TV channel.

"You bought this for me?" He nodded.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. "Uhm...Jack, I don't mean to meddle in your marriage, but then I have to ask... why are you and my mother sleeping in separate rooms?"

He cleared his throat and quickly sat up straight. "Well, I knew you were going to ask that sooner or later," He stated breathlessly. "Lesego, I am only telling you this because you are old enough to understand these things."

I shrugged. "Well?"

"Your mother has a very dark past. There are a lot of things you don't know about her. She confessed to a few things about her life and started drinking thereafter. Which is why I decided to give her some space."

Damn! It was the dark past that bugged me. I wondered if he would tell me if I persisted.

"Oh." That is all I say.

"I also have one question for you," Jack said just as I was about to leave for the kitchen.

Before he could ask, my phone beeped, and I picked it to view the message.

My blood ran cold as soon as I noticed the unknown number.

The message itself made me want to run for the hills.

'Laugh while you still can, just don't get too comfortable, because things are about to get shitty out here. There won't even be time for smiles.'

I quickly forwarded the message to Abigail and then erased it from my phone.

"Lesego, are you okay?" Jack asked worriedly, but I ignored him and dashed off to my room.