INCLINATION

CHAPTER 37 | Liesel

HLANGA

 
Vino accelerates as he takes a differ route to the house. Emy looks at me alarmed when she notices that Vino is now speeding and Cleo is busy typing on her phone. I don't want then to freak out by saying anything because I know that's what's going to happen if I say something so I just play it cool.
 
" Gwabini?"
" Love?"
" Is everything okay? Why is Vino speeding?"
" Everything is fine, it's late and I just want us to get home"
" He took a different direction"
Aya looks at us and I sigh. " he did because sometimes that's what you need to do, for safety purposes"
" Safety…."
" Amore, leave it"
Our eyes lock until she looks away. She pulls Aya tonher then links their fingers. Fuck.
 
After an hour of Vino trying to lose the people who are following us, he takes us home. Aya goes straight to his bedroom and his mother too. Once we are alone, I call the guys in.
" Did you find out who they are?"
" No, their cars were not marked, it was three cars that were following us" Cleo explains
" But we will find out who they are boss"
" How did we not see we were being followed from here to Pamela's house?"
 
The guys look at each other. Will clears his throat. " we think that they were at Pamela's house, watching Aya"
" What? And you didn't see that?"
" No sir, everyone was on alert. I don't know how they did it without being seen. I thought it's only us who do that"
What the hell is going on here. I swipe my face. " Everyone who's working tonight better be on alert. I don't want mistakes and make sure you find out who the hell was following us. Get Nickel and Humudi here, first thing in the morning"
" Yes sir."
 
I leave them and head upstairs, I'm exhausted and things just get worse instead of better. I push open the door and it's dark. I close it then switch the lights on and she's sleeping. I switch them off again then take off my clothes and get in bed. I scoot closer to her then put my hand in her stomach.
" amore?"
" Who was following us?" Her head shifted so she could look at my face.
" I don't know amore but I'll find out before the sunsets"
" Is it Hazel, does she have people following us?"
" Anything is possible right now, if those were her people then I guess they suspected it was me who took her"
" If it was her people then Hazel is dangerous, Hlanga, you need to make sure she stays away from us."
" I will deal.with her, I promise" I peck her lips.
" Is there anything else you're keeping from me that I should know about?"
I take a deep breath. " No, there's nothing else"
 

EMIHLE

 
I'm happy that my son is right here next to us and away from that woman. I don't care what happens to Hazel, and ling and she's going to stay the hell away from us. I don't even know why she is stalking me. Something is not right about this woman, I know it and I hope my brother will find whatever that she is hiding or coming for if there is someone.
 
" Ok, I'm here. Why did you come to get me at Jake's house at midnight?"
" I was worried about you and I couldn't sleep so I asked your dad if we could go and get you"
He looks at us like he doesn't believe us.
" Why were you worried mom, I was safe?"
" Aya, there's something we need to talk to you about" his father says.
" About Miss Hazel?"
Hlanga and I look at each other.
" Yes, about her"
" lately she has been making me feel uncomfortable"
" How uncomfortable?"
 
" Like she would make these comments like if she had a son, he would look like me. She would ask questions about you mom."
" What kind of questions?" Hlanga asks him.
" What you do, what Mkhulu does and my uncles. If you have talked about any of your previous cases" What the hell? My previous cases? Why does she want to know about them and why would she think I would talk to them with my son?.
 
" Son, why did you never say anything?"
" I was scared, dad. I thought that maybe she wanted to hurt mom. I was going to tell you today."
" When did she start asking questions about your mother?"
" Last week, before that she was just giving me extra attention, only me in class and I thought that maybe she might be a peadophile or something because she was making me feel uncomfortable"
 
" I'm really sorry she did that. I wish you could have came to us and told us"
" I didn't want you to worry mom"
" Aya, I'm your mother, it's my job to always worry about you and not the other way around. Do you understand me?"
" Yes mom"
" And please baby, please. No matter how bad things are or seem to be, always come to us and talk with us. Tell us about your worries and anything that worries you or that you do not like. I don't want there to be secrets between us. Promise me that there won't be any secrets between us"
" I promise mom. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner"
 
" It's okay baby. Tomorrow, your dad and I we'll go to school and talk to them about Hazel"
" Is she going to get fired?"
" I don't know, I just want her to be away from you" he keeps quiet.
" Son, there's something you need to know about Hazel"
" Ohk, what is it dad?"
 
 
Vino walks in at that moment.
" Good morning family. Boss there's someone who's here for Miss Emy" for me?
" Who is it?"
" Her older brother"
" Let him in," Vino nods and walks out. " Were you expecting him?"
" I was" he cocks his head and frowns.
My brother walks in and he's looking more like my father. I haven't seen him in a while and he looks good.
Aya gets up and runs to him. They do this weird handshake
" Uncle, how are you?"
" I'm great, champ. You?"
" I'm good. Did you come alone?"
" Yes, I need to talk to your parents."
" We'll talk later, go to your room" his father tells him 
" Ohk" they fist bump then Aya goes to his room.
 
My brother and Hlanga shake hands as they greet each other. He looks at me not knowing what to do.
" Hey sis, you look amazing"
" Hey, you are looking more like our father everyday. Handsome like him"
He chuckles, " yeah I'm getting a lot of that these days"
He takes my hands to his and I can see that he wants to say something because he is nervous. Melusi is never nervous.
" I missed you…" I told him.
He embraces me, our hug last for a few minutes
" I missed you too. You're glowing, beautiful and you look happy"
" I am very happy. Gwabini is really taking good care of me."
" I can see." He looks at Hlanga. " Thank you for taking care of her."
" It's my job, to always love and protect her" 
 
Melusi sighs. He stares at Hlanga. " You failed Gwabini,  because you didn't  do your job correctly. She wouldn't have asked for my help if you did"
" What are you talking about?" He asks Melusi.
" Please, let's sit"
" Emy called me and asked me to investigate a woman named Hazel Ndamase"
" I'm not surprised she did, it's my fault she asked you to do that"
" Because she was worried about you and Aya, and she had every right to be worried because the woman who's claiming to be Aya's mother is not."
 
A cold shudder runs through me and I put my hand on my mouth gasping. Hlanga looks at my brother like he is crazy then he chuckles.
" Hazel Ndamase, is a woman I occasionally fucked. I was surprised when I got a call from her telling me about Aya. I couldn't meet her that day so I sent my aunt who came home with Aya. I searched for her after, she signed her parental rights to me and I never saw her again up until that day at Aya's school. It is her because I know her."
 
" Yes, you have a child with Hazel Ndamase but the woman who calls herself Hazel is not Aya's mother. Aya's mother died when Aya was almost a year old after she gave birth to him"
" Oh my God, then who the fuck is that woman?" I ask Melusi.
" Did you know that Hazel is a twin?"
" What?" Hlanga and I both ask him.
" That's not Hazel, bhuti. It's her twin sister Liesel Thwala. She took her sister's identity after she was released from prison. Mdamase is their mother's surname and Thwala is their father's surname."
" Oh my God" I stood up.
" Hazel was a twin but how?" He asks.
 
" You would have known had you kept taps on Hazel after she signed those papers but you didnt. I don't get why you never did that. You should have always known where she was and what she was doing"
" Fuck me" Hlanga swipes his face. " I did my investigation and there was never anything about Hazel having a twin sister! I did a thorough search on her and there was absolutely nothing Mel!"
" Liesel and Hazel were separated at birth. Hazel stayed with her maternal grandmother while her father took Liesel and raised her. Their parents were never married so they agreed to raise each child and they would visit each other. What their mother didn't know was that their father was never planning to let the girls have a relationship or for Liesel to know her mother."
 
" Then how did Liesel find out about her sister?"
" Liesel was a naughty child, always getting into trouble and mixing with the wrong crowd, she ended up in prison then while she was there, she got initiated into a gang. She got out, then moved to Joburg, got into more trouble and went to jail then that's where she discovered her talent. While she was there she met someone, another woman who took her under wing. When Liesel was released from prison, she went to live at this woman's house.
 
She made friends and one of them was a friend of Hazel's. That's when she found out that she had a twin sister who had died and gave up her child. That was five years ago and then Liesel disappeared from the face of the earth for 4 years then reappeared last year as Hazel then showed up at Aya's school"
 
Linda walks in and he looks like he didn't sleep. He greets us then sits down.
" So she is an imposter. She pretended to be Aya's mother? Why?" I ask them.
" That's all the information I got." Melusi  says.
" I know why" Linda says to us but is looking at Melusi.
" Hazel has been stalking Emy, not because she knew about her but because someone put her up to it."
" Who? Don't tell me it's those hooligans that were using the company for laundering?"
" Unfortunately it's not them. The woman who took Liesel under her wing, who had been like a mother figure to Liesel is Gabisile Mbebe"
 
" Gabisile Mbebe, I don't know anyone by that name. Who is she?"
I look at Hlanga, he's looking at my brother. My eyes shift to my brother and he looks freaked out.
" Do you know who Gabisile Mbebe is?" I ask him.
" Oh my God" he says. His hands go to his face then he stands up and begins to pace. " Who is she, Melusi?"
" We need to go to our grandparents right now"
" What's going on? Who is that woman?" I ask them and they are just staring at me.
 
My brother is freaked out, Hlabga keeps rubbing his temple and Linda is looking at me with pity.
" I think it's best if you listen to your brother and go to your grandparents house"
" Why must I go there? Why can't you tell me who the heck is that woman and why was that Liesel woman stalking me and asking my son questions about our family Melusi?"
" Emy, this is beyond me. It needs the elders to explain sis wam. I'm just a child in this family like you are. Some things I don't know about"
" Then why do you want us to go to our grandparents house?"
" Because I believe they might know who that woman is"
" Oh God, another family secret? Really?"
" I don't know Emy"
 
I look at Hlanga and he's worried. Does he know about this woman  and what she has to do with Liesel stalking me? He would have told me if he knew about it, I mean he asked me if I knew who Taylor Mbebe  was. So Liesel, Hazel's twin sister changed her name when she got out of prison and called herself Taylor Mbebe. She adopted the surname of the woman who took her under her wing when she was in jail. She comes out then months later she starts stalling me on the internet. Why me specifically because I don't know that woman. Never even heard of her so why did Liesel target me?.
 
" Do you know who this woman is?"
" Emy?"
" I'm not talking to you Melusi, Gwabini?"
" Listen to your brother and go with him"
" We'll talk to Aya together but I'm taking him with me."
" You might not come back tonight, Emy and Aya has to go to school tomorrow" Melusi says.
" I'm not leaving my son alone. You need to go and talk to Liesel and maybe she will tell you about this woman and why she was stalking me. Aya and I will stay at my grandparents farm today and maybe tomorrow. I don't know thought but I don't want to disturb him since he's writing his exams tomorrow"
" ok"
" I'll be back"
 
I head upstairs, he follows me. I knock on Aya's bedroom then walk in when he tells me to come in. His father and I walk, closing the door behind us. He closes his laptop then looks at us. I sit next to him, then take his hands.
" I want you to know that your father and I love you very much. We will always put you first, protect you and make sure that you have everything you need. Your happiness and safety is our number one priority. Do you hear me baby?"
" Yes mom and I know that you both love me very much. Is everything okay?"  I cup his cheek then look at his father. 
" We just found out that your mother died when you were almost a year old."
 
He shifts a little then looks down. " How did you find out?" His father and I look at each other. Hlanga sits down too then clears his throat.
" Son, I don't know how to say this and I wish I never had to but we don't have a choice right now and you deserve to know. Your mother's name was Hazel Ndamase" he takes a very pregnant pause. Aya pulls his hands off me then stands up.
" Miss Hazel is….my mother?"
" No," we both say. He looks at us confused.
" I don't understand ma." I get up and walk towards him.
" The woman you know as Hazel Ndamase is not your mother but your aunt Liesel Thwala."
 
I hold his hand as his father tells him the whole truth. He sniffs then begins to cry. I hold him in my arms as he cries. His tears make me cry too because I can feel his pain. He clings to me and cries hard and I realize that Hlanga was right. As much as I was in his life, Aya had dreamed  that maybe one day, he will meet his mother and now, that dream is gone. It hurts me to see him in so much pain. I wish Liesel had stayed where she was and never came here. I hate that she came here and pretended to be his mother. I could strangle her right now.
" I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry"
 
 
Hlanga is hurt to see his son like this. I am so sad for both of them because they never expected it. Hazel didn't know she had a twin sister and son did Hlanga. It was easy for Liesel to impersonate her sister because no one would suspect. It's only that friend of Hazel's who knew and told her about her sister and her son. If Hlanga had a deep and intimate relationship with Hazel. He would have known that this woman was not who she said she was.
 
" I'm sorry son. Liesel did not have to do all of that. She could have came as herself, your aunt and not pretend to be your mother"
" I do not want to ever see her again," Aua says.
" I'll talk to the principal at school tomorrow. Are you writing tomorrow?"
He shakes his head.
" I'm starting on Tuesday"
" Then you don't have to go to school tomorrow"
Aya keeps quiet. " Let's go to my grandparent's farm. We'll come back tomorrow, would you like that?"
He looks at his father then nods. Hlanga goes to his son and embraces him. Aya cries again and I wish I could take his pain away.
 
He finally calms down then goes to the bathroom. Hlanga pulls me to his arms and holds me as I let a few tears drop.
" He's hurting Hlanga. He's in so much pain"
He holds me tighter. " He has you, he has us. He'll be okay, Amore. We're there for him"
Aya walks out and his eyes are red like he was still crying in there. I leave him with his father while I go to pack a few things.
 
I find them in the living room and Linda is talking to him. He hugs him then Melusi takes his hand and walks out.
" Call me," Hlanga tells me.
" I will"
" I love you"
" I love you"
We kiss then he walks me to my brother's car where Aya is also waiting. I get in, we leave with Vino and Cleo following us. Humudi and Nickel drive in as we drive out. Aya lays his head on my lap shoulder and I hold him.
I hope Hlanga makes Liesel talk and get answers from her. There was no need to call herself his mother. She thought she would get away with deceiving Hlanga and Aya. I hope she regrets what she did.