Beckoned Through The Dark

80 // Lesego // Lenses

Abigail agreed to meet up with Sihle to hear what he had to say, because it wasn't safe for me to be far from home.

I had to stay indoors and keep a close eye on Karabelo and my mother.

Abigail also volunteered to practice fully in order to find a way to get rid of Karabelo and get her sister back.

I left her and went back home, and upon my return, I found a new face in the sitting room.

It was a woman probably my mother's age, she was dark in complexion and had dreadlocks.

She had the brightest smile on her face and the kindest eyes I'd ever seen.

But what caught my attention was how close and cosy she was with my uncle, while on the other hand, my mother looked anything but welcoming.

I walked into the room, and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

"Lesego, you are back!" Uncle Vincent said cheerfully and got up from the couch. He approached me and placed an arm over my shoulder before pulling me farther into the room. "There's someone I want you to meet. Honey, this is my niece Lesego; Lesego, this is my wife, Nthabiseng."

The lady got up with a heart-warming smile. "It's good to finally put a face to the name, I've heard so much about you," she said in a soft voice.

Wow...

I chuckled nervously. "Well, good things I hope."

"Only good things, I promise."

We stood there awkwardly and just stared at each other, there was something in her eyes that drew me to her.

Her spirit reminded me so much of Cecilia, so calm and peaceful, and yet valiant.

Uncle Vincent cleared his throat, and we both snapped out of it.

"It's nice to meet you," I said.

She pulled me into a hug. "Nice to finally meet you."

I pulled away just as Duncan came downstairs. "Lesego, any news on Dineo?"

I shook my head shamefully. "No, nothing yet." I turned to him with pleading eyes. "I don't know where she is." He did not move a muscle. The fact that he did not even bother to look at me hurt.

I mean, we'd always been each other's sidekicks; whenever I wanted something, I would go to him, he always defended me even if I was in the wrong and he had always been by my side.

But now, he couldn't even stand the sight of me.

I went to the kitchen and stayed there to gather my thoughts.

I thought I could do with some noodles, but then I lost my appetite. I don't know if anyone noticed that I haven't been eating since this whole saga started. Well, I haven't had such a luxury called appetite, it came and went as it pleased.

Normally, when it came to my favourite foods, I didn't give a care what was happening around me, I just dug in, but right I did.

Karabelo's presence did nothing to soothe my nerves, I couldn't even have a peaceful sleep, more especially now that we shared a bed.

I wish she could disappear for a day so that I could nap with no nightmares at all.

I'm taken out of my reverie by the sound of someone clearing their throat, and my heart took a leap when I saw who it was. "Jack?"

"Lesego–"

"Stay away from me," I warned, and he stopped a few meters away from me.

"I'm sorry, okay? I was just worried about my daughter," He said, running a hand over his head, "I didn't mean to hurt you, I was angry and worried about Dineo." I remained in silence as I tried to absorb what he was saying. "I thought that my daughter would be safe with you. You know that you are the only person I trust now," he said quietly as if he did not want anyone else to hear. "All I want is to know where my daughter is."

He walked out, and I was left in my silence again.

The ring glowed a dark green, and the voice from earlier came back. 'The ring will glow green when you are safe, and it will lead you to answers and people you can trust. The ring turns blood red when you are in danger, when there are dark forces and all.' Suddenly it shut, and the ring went back to normal.

I almost jumped out of my seat when Uncle Vincent spoke up. "Is that your grandmother's emerald ring?" I nodded. He smiled and joined me. "Did you know that it changes colours?" He asked.

"Yes," I stated. "Uncle, how long have you been married to Nthabiseng?"

His eyes sparkled as he smiled from ear to ear, and I sighed in relief. Finally, a change of mood.

He chuckled. "Well, your aunt and I met way long before you were even born, but I was with my late wife."

"No!" I laughed. "Wait...so, were you in love with her then?"

He shook his head in amusement. "No, Rorisang was my first love, the woman I considered the love of my life. I still think of her and I love her more even though she's more," he said softly, a sad glint in his eyes. "Even Nthabiseng knows that and she has accepted it. I love her, but not the way I loved Rorisang."

Wow, she must have been quite the woman if no one could ever take her place.

"Could you please tell me more about her?" I asked.

"Who, Rorisang?" I nodded.

It felt strange sitting there and talking to my father about my late mother when he didn't even know I was his daughter.

I wanted to come out and just say it, but I had to keep it to myself, because I had no idea how he would react. It was too risky at this moment.

"We met in college, she was an international student from Lesotho, but had a family in North West. She was the smartest person I'd ever met, moreover she was beautiful. She was like an angel, and I fell head over heels in love with her. She looked like you." He frowned as he burned me with his eyes. "Just a bit darker, she had bronze skin with the most beautiful hazel eyes. She turned out to be just as beautiful on the inside, she was kind, thoughtful, and loving. She made me want to be the better version of myself, she made me want to do something with my life instead of dwelling in my mother's riches. Ironically, she also came from a rich family, but she wanted nothing to do with them." He sighed softly; his eyes cast on the table. "We were in love and dated, and then when she was 21, we found out she was pregnant. The pregnancy resulted in her losing her bursary, it took a toll on her because unlike me, she was not funded by her family. She was doing her third year at university but was forced to drop out. It was an unplanned pregnancy, and her mother disowned her when she found out. Luckily for her, her father left her a mansion, so we moved in together, along with my mother. Our mother loved Rorisang, they were very close." He smiled sadly. "Sometimes I believe that's the reason your mother hated them."

That was a very bold statement to make.

From what I've learned so far, my mother didn't want any woman in her brother's life.

"What happened next?"

He shrugged. "Life," he muttered, "life happened."