Red Lace

Chapter 42

NTANDOYENKOSI ATHINI MNGUNI

I'm all for Nichume trying to look out for me and all but she needs to stop now. When Nichume went missing, I learned to take care of myself. Yethu and I learned to have each other's backs without her and even now that she is here it's difficult having to depend on her and just going back to the relationship we had because she is not the same person she used to be. I love my sister and I respect her but my love life is mine. She made her mistakes so that she could learn from them, I'm all for her trying to protect me and all but I am not self-destructive. I know how to take care of myself and I can only learn from making my own mistakes and growing from them. I appreciate her concern but I am good, our parents have been very forthcoming about their lives more especially in her absence so really, I believe I am equipped to handle what life throws at me. Let me take you back to three months ago when I actually met Akintoye Samuel Daniels. I met him when he was leaving our parents' house after dropping off my sister, I recognized him from taking care of Nichume when she was at our place we just never really met then. As he was leaving our parents' house and I was going in, we bumped into each other literally, I fell on my ass and he offered his hand. Kind of cliche if you think about it but he was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. Khanya was cute and all but Akin had this manly look and his scent was just breathtaking. Something caught me in a trance just sitting there on my ass admiring him as he held his hand out to me so that he could help me stand. I took it and he pulled me up swiftly like I was a piece of paper. He introduced himself by his full name, I knew I shouldn't have gotten close to him but there was something interesting about him. His mere presence screamed dominant, he commanded some form of respect I had never experienced from a man before him and it was intriguing and so I gave him my name and number. From there on it's been a fairytale. Akin has been treating me right, he has been honest about who he is and the job he does. I knew Nichume would be judgey and try to be protective over me and hence I lied about me knowing him as well as I do. The only thing we haven't done is sleep together because for one I was not ready and secondly, he's been very respectful of my boundaries. I really like Akin and I think I might just be falling for him, I do hope that he feels the same way about me.

"What?" Dad says startling us, we both turn to look at him. "You too?" Dad asks. I don't know how much he heard of this conversation. I've been telling Chume about Akin and how we met obviously omitting the details of me knowing he was a DM. I think it's not fair that she is judging him for the things he has done to survive while she is dating the same man that raped her.

"Dad," Nichume says trying to ease up on the situation.

"So Ntando you also dating one of those rapists from that place? What is wrong with you girls, huh?"

"Wow, dad!" Nichume says clearly offended.

"Akin is not a rapist dad," I defend, and he chuckles.

"Oh really? That's what you think? I don't know where the hell your mother and I went wrong. One is dating the man that raped her and now the other wants to experience that life for herself because her sister going through it was just not enough for her. You know what, I can't with you both. I am leaving!" Dad says with so much conviction and disappointment in his voice. We have really done it this time. My sister and I look at each other with clearly nothing to say to the other, we didn't think he would react the way he did.

"Your father just stormed off saying I should talk to you both. What's going on?" Mom asks walking out back to us.

"He's angry because I am dating Akin, and Nichume is dating Adeyemi" I say because mom knows about my relationship with him and I asked her not to tell him.

"But do you blame him? I mean after everything that happened because of that place and those men. Expecting him to accept everything and move on like you two clearly have is honestly asking a lot of him. Khaya has tried to be supportive, he's been nothing but loving to you guys despite you three not being his, I, personally, do not blame him for his outburst. Eventually, things have to be normal and we have to stop treating you guys like children. Nibadala (you are grown), you know what's right and what's wrong. You know the kind of men these people are and yet you still go on and mess with them, you know we love and support you as best as we can but this is too much," Mom says storming off and going into the house. My sister and I are left looking at each other dumbstruck.