SHADOWS OF THE PAST

chapter 2

After a week at the Mhlongo household everyone is downstairs. 'Lizy Where were you in the morning?' ask Mike. 'I had a thing with a girlfriend' says Lizy looking down. Gladys phone ring and she answers it, 'hello', 'what happened', she listens for a minute. 'Why would he do that after so many years?' then she brings the phone down. Mike come close to his mother, 'Mah what happened?' ask mike. Gladys gets up and start walking away. Sthandiwe get up and start following her, 'Is Thabang out of jail?' ask Sthandiwe confused. Gladys continues to walk away. 'Mah speak' shouts Mike. 'He is dead' says Gladys calm and stopping. Sthandiwe and Lizy says in unison, 'what?'. Mike is still shocked, he sits down. 'What do you mean dead? what happened to him?' ask Sthandiwe crying. Gladys angrily says, 'he killed himself, stop crying we will not mourn a rapist in my house and that is final'. 'Rapist? what is going on in this house?' ask Thabelo confused. Sash asks looking at his mother, 'I thought I heard you say Thabang is Krishi's father so what is he doing in prison?' confused. Gladys looks at Sthandiwe angry, 'do you see what you have caused? Thabang is not Krishi's father, she is adopted whoever have a different story will give you answers to your questions, Iam going to sleep' she goes toward the stairs. 'Wait Mah, what are we going to do about the funeral arrangements?' ask Mike stopping his mother from going up the stairs. 'I am going to handle the arrangements, Mah when do you think is the right day for it to be held?' asks Sthandiwe. 'There will be no funeral held in my house' says Gladys. 'Mah what do you mean?' says Sthandiwe looking at her mother confused. 'I am saying Thabang's funeral will not be held in my house, I don't care what they will do with the body, and I am tired of talking about this' says Gladys going up the stairs. 'Mah you can't do this, Thabang is still family' says Sthandiwe crying. Gladys continues going up. 'Mike talk to her, she will listen to you, Thabang is still our brother, right?' says Sthandiwe holding Mike's arm crying. 'I think we should respect Mah's decision; she would not have taken it if she did not think it the right thing to do, Lizy let's go' Mike go upstairs with his wife. Sthandiwe follow them crying. 'Ohk what is going on in this family? since we have arrived strange things have been happening, first mom chased that girl out of the house, now someone died in prison that everyone seems to hate except aunt Sthandiwe, what next? are they going to kill each other?' says Thabelo looking at Sash and Siviwe confused. 'You forgot to mention that Gladys does not like aunt Sthandiwe' says Ntando. 'Really?' says Thabelo turning to look at him. 'What? I am just saying what I have noticed since I got here, maybe you can tell us what going on, I mean you have been staying here' says Ntando looking at Siviwe and Sash. 'We also don't know what is happening, we know granny did not like Krishi, but we don't know how your mom knows her' says Siviwe. 'You forgot to mention that the first time we heard about the guy that died in prison was at the dinner table the day you guys got here' says Sash.

During the week Krishi got lucky and was taken in by a lady who owns a tavern called Light. She has been cleaning tables in exchange for food and shelter. Later at night the tavern has closed since it the middle of the month and business is slow, Krishi is cleaning a table when the lady gets in angry and crying. 'Fuck, fuck' says the lady kicking a chair. 'Are you crying? ask Krishi laughing. she is surprised to see the tough and independent lady crying. 'Shut up, I am going to kill them, I am going to kill them' says the young lady screaming and going upstairs. 'Hey, tell me what is going on, let me help you kill them' shout Krishi. Enter Sthandiwe, Sash and Siviwe. 'Aunt what is going on? why are you here? who told you I am here?' ask Krishi surprised to see her aunt. Sthandiwe hug Krishi and cry. 'Aunt what happened? why are you crying?' ask Krishi confused. Sthandiwe let go of her, 'I am fine, I was just worried about you, nothing happened to you right?' says Sthandiwe wiping her tears. 'I am fine I met a very generous lady who let me stay here so don't worry about me I am fine' says Krishi. 'I am here to take you home Krishi, Lizy changed her mind you reminded her of someone that why she acted that way' says Sthandiwe holding her tears. 'Really? she can go to hell, I am not coming back, I am happy here at least I do not have to hide when someone is coming over or sleep on an empty stomach' says Krishi putting down the cloth she was using and about to go. Sthandiwe just cry louder. Sash and Siviwe comfort her, 'Krishi please, mom have been through a lot today just come back home' says Sash. Krishi stop and look at them with tears in her eyes, 'That is the problem Sash it does not feel like home'. Sthandiwe continue to cry asking someone to forgive her. The lady come down holding a glass of whiskey, 'And then who are you? and why are you crying in my tavern this is not a mortuary' says the lady annoyed. Sthandiwe continue to cry. 'She is my aunt, they are my cousins, they are here to take me home' says Krishi looking at the lady. 'Is it really your home? why did they throw you out if they are going to want you back?' ask the lady angry. 'My mom did not throw Krishi out, Krishi please come back with us, do it for us we care about you, please Krishi' says Siviwe. 'What is this? do you think this is a family reunion show? she belongs to me now; you are not just going to take her away you have to talk to me first' says the lady as she sits in one of the chairs. 'I have seen you before' says Sthandiwe looking at the lady. 'Well, it is a small township, people are bound to see each other now let get back to the matter at hand' says the lady unbothered. 'Please let her come back with us' says Sthandiwe to the lady. 'She is not leaving unless the person who threw her out comes to get her herself' says the lady. 'You don't understand that person will never come here just let me take her home' says Sthandiwe begging. 'Do you want to leave?' ask the lady looking at Krishi. 'No' says Krishi. Sthandiwe starts to cry again. 'You heard her, you can leave now' says the lady. 'Krishi please do it for mom' says Siviwe pleading. Krishi kneel down in front of her aunt and hold her arms, 'You know aunt I can do anything for you, but you also know how they treat me in that house, and you do not do anything about it. I do not blame you about that because I have seen how granny treat you also, but this is my chance to get out of that place and this lady here does not have a problem with me staying here. I only have to clean a few tables for ten minutes a day and I can go to school and get time to do my homework in return I can ask for anything I want. What more could I ask for?'. Sthandiwe hug Krishi tight while crying, 'Iam so sorry that you have to go through this, Iam sorry that a stranger treats you better than your own family who is supposed to care, protect and love you' says Sthandiwe. Krishi wipes her aunt's tears and they both get up, 'aunt I do not blame you for anything, I promise you I will be fine here, do not worry' says Krishi. Sthandiwe take her bag and take out some money and look at the lady, 'please take care of her, here is the little I have, I know it is not much, but it can help you here and there' says Sthandiwe giving the lady money. The lady takes the money and give it to Krishi, 'don't worry, I will take care of her. I was once in her shoes, and I was helped by a generous couple, so I have made it my life mission to help young girls like her and myself' says the lady holding Sthandiwe's hand. Sthandiwe thank the lady and go with her boys with a promise that they will come back to visit Krishi soon. Sthandiwe get inside the house with her boys fins Gladys sitting in the lounge with Lizy, 'where is she?' ask Lizy. 'She refused to come back' says Sthandiwe. 'Really? or you did not try hard enough?' says Gladys. 'Mah, I tried my best, but she refused to come back, I can't say I blame her with the way you treat her' says Sthandiwe. 'What do you mean by that? are you accusing me of not loving my granddaughter?' says Gladys angry. Lizy start crying, 'Mah, don't blame her this is my fault, I should have dealt with this in a better way, look now she does not want to come back' says Lizy crying louder. Gladys console her, 'look at what you have done, you have made her cry, you had only one job to bring Krishi home but...', Gladys is interrupted by Mike getting inside with a police officer. 'Sash and Siviwe go to your room, we have to talk as elders' says Mike, Sash and Siviwe go their room. 'You can sit down sir' says Mike to the police officer as he sits down. Sthandiwe also sit down. 'Iam Mr Mbuyazi, a warden at Westville prison where Mr Thabang Mhlongo was placed to serve his sentence, Iam here to deliver a letter that Mr Thabang left, it is directed to his mother' says the police officer taking out a letter from his pocket. 'He left a letter, what does he want to say? he wants to apologise for the mess he created?' ask Mike angry. Lizy continues to sob quietly. 'I don't want that letter in my house, I will not read it' says Gladys angry. 'Mah, please just listen to what he has to say' says Sthandiwe wiping her tears. 'Mah, said she will not read the letter, so please officer leave with it' says Mike standing up and pointing the door. The officer stands up, 'there is another letter, this one does not have a name it is just written my daughter' says the officer taking it out of his pocket. 'Give me both those letters, I will burn them' says Gladys taking both letters from the police officer. The police officer leave. 'Mah, you can't burn Krishi's letter, she deserves to know the truth' says Sthandiwe looking at her mother. 'What truth are you talking about? what do you think that truth will do to this family? my grandsons will not find out about this, you hear me?' says Gladys angry. 'Really? is Krishi not your granddaughter? why does everything have to be about Mike or his children? Krishi is the only one who will be affected by this not your grandsons' says Sthandiwe angry. Gladys looks at Sthandiwe,'As I said this will not come out, If I ever hear you talk about this again, I won't hesitate to tell your sons the secret you have been hiding from them all these years, you will not only lose them but you will also lose this family' says Gladys leaving. Sthandiwe look at her shocked. Mike take his wife upstairs.