Red Lace

Chapter 54

NTANDOYETHU BANDILE MNGUNI

The minute I leave the mansions, I make my way to my ex's place because I need something that is going to make me forget, something that will take my mind off this intense headache I am having right now. What Adelola did to me was wrong in all ways possible. She had no right taking away my options the way she did. She is not God, she doesn't get to choose when I am allowed to remember her or when I am allowed to forget her. I don't care what her reasoning was, she had no right to do that to me. Manipulation is a bxtch, manipulation will have you trying to find pieces to a puzzle that is none existent. When I woke up that morning I had no memories of her and I, I knew something was missing but I had no idea what it was, I knew there was something wrong but I didn't know what it was. It is frustrating knowing that you know something but you have no recollection of it and knowing how she did things breaks my heart, it hurts physically and emotionally because she had no right making that choice for me. She was wrong. I knock on my ex's door and she opens the door wearing bumshorts and a sports bruh.
"Yethu," she says in shock.
"May I come in?"

KHAYALETHU MNGUNI

I've just landed in joburg, its been two days since I woke up and two days since the twins have been missing. My doctor claimed there were delays with getting my results and he did his level best to keep me in the hospital until today. The very first thing I do is check into a hotel and then make my way to the mansion for my family and my best friend. I need to know that Shadow is okay. The guard escorts me to the room Shadow is being treated in and I am happy when I walk in to find him sitting up pressing his phone. I stop by the door taking in the moment of seeing my good friend alive and awake.
"You always said that if you died it would be because I was not around to save you or I was the one trying to kill you," I say and he raises his head looking at me with a chuckle.
"Well, I didn't lie because I almost died because were too busy stuck in a coma to come to my aid, how are you here?" he asks as I walk over to him. We share our secret handshake and I lean in to hug him tightly. I don't appreciate Shadow enough for the things he does for me. I know I'm being bitchy and sentimental but lord knows where I would be without this man in my life.
"Clearly. I'm glad you're okay my friend," I say breaking our embrace. "When are they letting you out? You don't look like someone who took an immortal blade to his liver two days ago," I remind him.
He chortles, "Yeah, I don't. I'm ready whenever the doc is," he says looking at his doctor who chuckles and shakes his head no.
"We still need to run a couple more tests just to make sure that everything checks out. We need to be sure that your body is not rejecting the new organ," doc explains.
"I thought only the heart was capable of being rejected by the body," I retort with worry and concern.
"That is true Mr Mnguni but Shadow is a special case. His body has to welcome a liver from an immortal being in his mortal body," doc explains and my eyes grow wide. I knew they were performing an operation on him but I was not aware of the details until now.
"What?" I respond in shock.
"Apparently if they didn't do the transplant, I would be dead. They needed to get me an immortal's liver in order to heal the rest of my body or something along those lines. It's a lot of shit honestly but I'm assuming it worked because here I am and alive," Shadow responds. I decide to sit on the chair beside his bed trying to process everything. "Doc, give us a minute together," he says and the doctor excuses himself.
"What the hell happened that night?" I ask him and he laughs.
"I went against your warnings and slept with the girl" he says proudly with the widest smile, "Best fxck I have ever had, yeses! That girl knows how to move in bed, she knows how to suck your soul out of your body bruh leaves you having some outta body experience like fxck!" he explains and I can't help laugh at his excitement. "Couldn't even use a condom with her bruh, I know it was stupid and reckless," he adds.
I nod, "Yeah it was because look at where you are today, all of this for pussy?" I remind him and he shrugs.
"Not just any pussy, great pussy man. Iyazi is different man. Crazy if my liver has anything to show for it but she is different. The way she grew up and her father is fxcking her mind up. She just needs someone to love her that's all," Shadow explains and I am in shock.
"So you not mad that she almost killed you?" I ask just for certainty.
Shadow shakes his head no, "I'm not mad, I think she reacted reasonably like anyone in her situation would have. She was hurt and angry that I betrayed her, her father shaming her in front of everyone at that gathering didn't help the situation," I cannot begin to describe my shock right now. Shadow has feelings for Adaego.
"You are using her second name, you have this unmissable glow in your eyes when you speak about her, is this the part where you tell me that you're in love with this girl?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow. Shadow shrugs his shoulders with a side smile.
"I think so man. What I feel for her, I can't explain it bruh. Its new to me too, the last time I ever felt like this is never. I've never had a woman have me feel like this and the fact that she almost killed me makes her ten times sexier," Shadow describes making me laugh.
"Niphila isiMr and Mrs Smith Shadow. Women need to almost kill you for you to have feelings for them? Yah now, you stupid my friend." I tell him and he shrugs with his most conniving side smile.
"I can't help it. You of all people know what its like falling for the enemy considering all things,"

ADEYEMI PRINCE IBRAHIM

The conversation with Nichume did not go the way I would have hoped but she raised good points. Maybe my father was wrong for pitting us against each other, he should have been a better father but here we are today because he wasn't. Maybe, just maybe, Adae wouldn't have lashed out on the wrong people if he had done a better job. Thanks to my conversation with Nichume, its given me a lot to think about especially where my relationship with my father stands right now together with my relationship with Adae. I need to speak to both of them and try and fix that before her and I can fix what is between us. She assured me that the only way she can allow herself to be part of my family is if I mend it myself first, even went as far as saying that maybe the twins going missing is a blessing in disguise because now I get enough time to fix the bond between my family before their return. I walk into my father's office here in the mansion. Everyone has been up in arms trying to find the twins including my father. He gestures I sit down opposite him.
"What can I do for you?" dad asks after I have settled on the chair.
"I just spoke to Nichume and she made me realize something," I start off and he closes his laptop to look at me.
"Oh?" he responds.
"Father, ever since mother died you have made decisions based off your emotions and not with a clear sane mind. I mean you are grieving and nobody expects you to be perfect but what you did was wrong. All my life you have raised me to run the mansions," I say.
"-And you are running the mansions, are you not?" Dad retorts disturbing my speech.
"Not like this, no. I was supposed to take over when you retired but instead you gave the title to Adae for lord knows what reason. You were wrong for that because that was you pitting us against each other. I was angry at my sister for accepting the role with both hands and I was mad at you for giving her my legacy and that of my children and in so doing you made Adae the monster that she is." I say and her raises and eyebrow at my accusation. "You not perfect, nobody is expecting you to be but father that was a terrible move. You groomed Adae to lead and when she finally has the hang of everything, you do to her what you did to me, you snatched it away last minute and took the role from her handing it back to me. The way Adae reacted is how any sane person would have reacted. You brought this upon us. You made her the monster she became and I think in retaliation she wanted to hurt you the same way you had hurt her by wanting to take the twins. Which is equivalent to the same betrayal you did to her and to myself. Adae is my sister, she is a good person. She didn't deserve what you did to her," I explain and he raises and eyebrow at me shocked by what I've just said to him.
"So I am to blame for her going behind my back and plotting to make the mansions how she wants them?" dad asks.
"Yes, As the person who is meant to run the mansions. She was allowed to run them however she sees fit. If you are retiring and leaving something in someone else's hands then retire and leave it in their hands. It is not your job to decide how she decides to run the mansions or use them. Its not up to you. You don't get to micromanage how the mansions are run else don't retire then and just stay leading the mansions once," I say and just then there's a knock on the door.
"Come in," I shout and the guard opens and walks in.
"I'm sorry to disturb but Mr Adeyemi, your sister would like to see you in the dungeon,"

ADAEGO IYAZINKOSI IBRAHIM – ABIOLA

Every second I spend in this dungeon is spent reflecting on my life choices. I don't blame anyone for the way I turned out either than myself. I am responsible for the decisions I make after all. Had I been a good person, I wouldn't be stuck here today but what Nichume said earlier also made sense. Had my father not cast my brother aside the way he did and promised the throne we wouldn't be here today. I'm all for taking responsibility for my actions but my father also needs to take responsibility for his actions too. I wanted to hurt my father because I knew how much the twins meant to him, I didn't care that I would be going against my brother let alone hurting him the way I did, I allowed myself to be fuelled by anger, the thought of everything I have been through under my father's hand all came back, how I had to give up my first child ever just to strengthen whatever bonds we have with the ancestors, how he took the throne from me at a young age and now this, teaching me and allowing me to take over only for him to snatch it away from me at the last minute. It's no excuse but it all hurts and it all lead me to the person I became. It was always my mother's love that kept me in check, it was always her motherly love that made sure I did not go astray and act out in a way I normally wouldn't and that is why the conversation with her touched me so deeply, the thought of me disappointing her the way I have has been hurtful and heart breaking. I walk over to the door and bang on it until the guard opens.
"I'd like to see my brother please," I plead. He looks annoyed but he nods anyway and closes the door in front of my face. How the mighty have fallen. I sit on the mattress and wait for Adeyemi, it feels like hours by the time the door finally opens and he walks into the dungeon.
"You wanted to see me," Adeyemi says coldly. We not the best of friends but we've always respected and loved each other as brother and sister.
"I want to apologise," I start off and he looks at me with shock but he nods anyway and listens. "Upon my time here, I have had enough time to reflect on my life and the choices I have made. Adeyemi I am sorry, I am sorry that I allowed our father come between us," He raises an eyebrow, "The throne was yours, you've been trained for it from since you were a child. I was wrong to just accept it like that and allow the power to go to my head the way it did. Brother I am so sorry that I retaliated on your children, I should have never allowed my anger to get the best of me. I know I can't bring the twins back but Adeyemi I am sorry that they are missing because of me. I am their aunty, I am your sister, I should have protected them and you the best way possible. I just... I'm sorry little brother,"

To Be Continued