Luyando🖤

30

I stare at the charging newly bought phone that Liam gave me in the morning.

I would never have dreamt of having such an expensive phone in my life.

Not only is it expensive,the Samsung Galaxy Z foldflip 8 is not even officially out on the market, making it's price range to be arguably the salary of a civil servant for a whole years worth.

Liam has restored everything after I gave him my details but I have made new social media accounts because such luxuries are moot compared to what I want. He tried to make me laugh but excuses himself after he couldn't even make me smile. My mood became foul again after the whole Cassie issue so I'm just in bed thinking about all the things I want and I'm no where near knowing how to get them. Some are possible but others are practically impossible.

I want to avenge my mom.

I don't want any allegations about my mom and dad to be true.

I want to know who Azrael Chali really is, not just fragments of what he's willing to show.

Most importantly I want my mom to just be here , alive , at my side like every Christmas holiday.

But two out of the things I want can't be possible. My mom isn't coming back and no matter how much I try to overlook it , both my parents did something terrible I can feel it in my bones especially when I remember the hatred in Ryan's eyes.

A soft knock makes me wipe the tears I don't know were falling down my face.

"Come in", I say my voice steady.

Amelia comes in quietly. "There's someone looking for you ma'am Luyando."

My heart speeds up but I nod and follow Amelia down the stairs.

Who would want to see me? I don't know who knows where I am and it's like all the people I know are either trying to kill or has a hidden agenda or keeping a secret from me.

Liam is at the top of the stairs, spotting a look of concern on his face all traces of earlier humor gone which means whoever it is , I may just not want to see them.

He walks towards me and puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Even though Aze allowed her to come and see you, he told me that the choice is entirely up to you if you don't want to see her after what her husband did to you."

I know who it is there and then.

It's aunt Dali.

My heart is now beating fast for a whole different reason, it no longer beats because of fear but the hurt , so much hurt that I'm afraid I may scream but I just nod trying to be rational.

He pats my shoulder one more time. "I'll be here if you need anything."

I find her in the middle of the living room looking as beautiful as always in a midnight blue suit and black heels.

Our eyes collide and I wait for the warmth I used to feel whenever I looked at her but nothing comes, I just feel betrayal.

But her... She quickly melts and runs towards me, hugging, kissing and checking me from head to toe as if to see if I have any wounds.

She hugs me once more but I keep my hands limply by my side.

It takes a moment for her to notice that I am not embracing her.

"Luyando, honey, are you okay? I was so worried about you!"

I peel her hands off me and leaving her looking confused.

The anger starts boiling inside of me. "Really? You were worried about me? "

She nods. "I tried all my contacts but I couldn't find you." She shakes her head. "I was afraid you had been kidnapped again."

I just shake my head. "You are either very good at pretending or you really don't know do you?"

She moves closer to me her face drowning in sorrow. "Know what honey?"

I snap. "That your gambling husband tossed me out like some unwanted piece of trash!"

She pales looking down no scratch that, she looks ashamed of what her twisted bastard of a husband did to me which means she knew.

It all feels too much seeing her again, everything becomes vividly real, every little thing that I have gone through during the last month. Her knowing what her husband was up to and not stopping it makes me sick to the core!

It's only now that I realize I was hoping she had nothing to do with this! Who else do I have left?

I feel so alone that it shatters yet another thing inside of me but there among the ruins of whatever has shattered I feel a spark of something when my mind drifts to the kitchen.

I swallow hard. "What do you want?" She looks up at me as if she has forgotten where she is. "Tell me whatever it is that you wanted to tell me and leave me alone."

She takes a deep breath nods behind her where there's a burgundy box on the coffee table. "I brought some things that your mother had me keeping safe all these years but there's one thing missing and she had told me it was important that you have it, remember that bracelet she would never take off?"

I don't even answer her because she looks at my right hand where the bracelet is.

She frowns. "How did you find-"

I cut her mid sentence. "That's not important, I had asked you , pleaded with you when uncle Chris was saying all sorts of things about my mom but you didn't say anything, what made you think I'd listen to you now that he almost sold me out? Did you think I'd ever trust any of you again?"

Sh opens her mouth to speak again but I still cut her off.

"Don't even bother, I will find out about it for myself, I don't need your help anymore just go back to your sick bastard of a husband" I say with a calm face.

I would never say anything like this to her but I'm so raw right now.

"Luyando honey , I'm sure we can work this out , just come back-"

I move slowly towards her and say lowly in her face. " I'd rather die than live under the same roof with that sick bastard" I close my eyes and inhale slowly," you tell him that if he had anything to do with my mother's death,tell him that is rotten days are numbered, he'll die a death worse than my mom did."

When I cock my head to the side slowly, she looks taken aback, like Cassie did this morning, as though seeing me, really seeing me for the first time... Good, I am getting tired of everyone underestimating me and the results of their actions.

I move past her, pick up the medium size box and I ask her with a raised eyebrow. "If that will be all, I trust you know where the door is or do you need someone to show you ?"

She lets out a sigh and looks defeated but I turn my back on her and head for the stairs.

One foot on the stair landing, I stop when she speaks her wary tone making me pose.

"She loved you, even after everything that had happened, she loved you and raised you, whatever you find in that box and the information in the bracelet on your hand , just know that she was young and helpless but she loved and had always hoped you'd forgive her some day."

I don't look back as I hear her heels clicking against the mahogany tiles on her way out. Sadly it feels like goodbye but whatever her involvement in whatever all this is , my threats to her husband aside, the love I have for her can't go away so easily, she was a second mother and I don't want any harm to come to her or my cousins but I can't rely on her because I have closed that door today.

So I  continue up the stairs until I find Liam looking at me his face still pinched with concern.... Concern for me.

I feel confused, hurt and all my emotions are raw but I now understand that little spark I felt. I may not trust Azrael Chali and his people but they are all I have, infact they are all I can rely on.

As if he can read the agony on my face, in two strides Liam hugs  me softly even though I'm still holding the box to my chest.

And I lean in all my earlier bravado gone because I know that whatever it is I am about to find out , I will need all the support I can get.