SHADOWS OF THE PAST

Chapter 5

After two days at Westville prison Mr Whitehouse is in prison visiting Tonia. Tonia is sitting opposite him wearing orange overalls, with dark circles under her eyes, looking like she has not slept in days. 'Tonia how are you feeling?' ask Mr Whitehouse worried. 'Uncle I am fine, have you found a way to get me out of here?' says Tonia. 'Miss Smith is trying to get bail, so you will be out of here soon' says Mr Whitehouse. 'Did you tell my parents?' ask Tonia. 'Yes, they want you to come and stay with them when all this is over' says Mr Whitehouse. 'What? uncle I am not leaving, I am an adult they can't just decide that like I am a child' says Tonia. 'You are leaving whether you like it or not, if you acted like an adult, you would not be here' says Mr Whitehouse. 'I was helping that girl uncle she had nowhere to go, I did not shoot her' says Tonia. 'She said you shoot her, the police have taken her statement, Tonia with her testimony it will not be easy to get you out of here, how did you get involved in this mess?' says Mr Whitehouse. 'She said that I... someone must have told her to say that I am sure that man who tried to kill us is the one who threatened her to say that' says Tonia. 'Tonia stay away from that girl and her family, if we manage to get you out of here, I don't want you close to that girl or that place you will sell your house and move to Europe to start afresh with your parents and that is final' says Mr Whitehouse. 

In the Mhlongo mansion Mike is talking with his wife in their room. 'Do you think Tonia told her?' ask Lizy. 'I don't know, she does not look like someone who knows about this' says Mike. 'How do you know? she has been mute since she came back from the hospital, she has not said anything to anyone' says Lizy worried. 'Lizy you are being paranoid; I don't think Tonia told Krishi anything about what happened 15 years ago' says Mike. They hear people shouting downstairs they go to look, the children also hear noise downstairs, they also rush to see what is happening. 'Lizwe leave this place' says Sthandiwe angry. 'I am here for my boys' says Lizwe. 'What boys? Lizwe, you have come to disrespect me in my house if you wanted to see your sons what stopped you from calling and want a meeting so we can talk as elders, but you have come with men carrying guns' says Gladys. 'Old lady we can have that meeting after I have seen my boys, Siviwe and Sash come and meet your father' says Lizwe looking at all the boys because he cannot recognise his children. 'I don't understand mom what is this man doing here?' ask Siviwe. 'I see your mother have told you lies about me, what did she say? that I am an evil man?' ask Lizwe laughing. 'Lizwe why are you doing this?' ask Sthandiwe. 'I want my children; you have kept them away from me for so long I want to be a part of their lives' says Lizwe sitting on the couch. 'We both know you do not care about them so why are you really doing this? is it to get back at me?' ask Sthandiwe. 'Get back at you? you must really think you are special I am here for my sons not you, have you told them what happened back then?' ask Lizwe. 'We know, you can leave now you are upsetting mom' says Sash. 'Sash keep quiet I will talk to him' says Sthandiwe. 'Mom?' says Lizwe laughing, getting up and leaving with his men. 'I told you Sthandiwe, look now this man will keep coming to my house with these men with guns' says Gladys. 'Mom is right, you must try to sort things out with him' says Mike. 'What? uncle how can you say that?' ask Siviwe shocked. 'He is right, we cannot wait for Lizwe to shoot us, let him take his sons if he wants' says Gladys. 'I am not surprised you are saying that, you have never liked us anyway, so you are using this situation as an opportunity to chase us out of your house' says Sash. 'You have no right to say that to me, only Siviwe can complain not you' says Gladys angry. 'Mah, stop it' says Sthandiwe. 'No, I will not stop, how can this boy disrespect me like this, he is not even related to us, so how dare he complain in terms of Mhlongo's properties' says Gladys angry. Everyone was shocked and keep quiet. 'Mom what is granny talking about?' ask Siviwe. 'Mah what have you done?' ask Sthandiwe crying. 'Mom is this true? am I not related to all of you?' ask Sash confused. Sthandiwe continue crying. Gladys leave. 

Later that day, at Mike's study, Krishi get in. 'You called me' says Krishi standing. 'Sit down' says Mike. Krishi sit down. 'I called you because I am worried, you seem down since you came back, are you still angry about how my wife behaved with you?' ask Mike. 'No Iam not' says Krishi. 'That is great because she is sorry, she did not know what she was doing' says Mike. 'Really?' ask Krishi. 'Yes, she has a mental condition so what you saw that day was one of her episodes' says Mike. Krishi just look at Mike, she can see that he is lying but she does not know why. 'You know the police do not believe what you told them about Tonia' says Mike. Krishi was so shocked. 'Why?' ask Krishi. 'They think Tonia said something to you' says Mike looking at her. 'Like what?' ask Krishi. 'I do not know; they think what she said must be a reason she shot you' ask Mike looking at her. 'She did not say anything to me' says Krishi. 'Are you sure? because if they found out you are lying you could also go to jail' says Mike. 'I am sure' says Krishi. 'Alright, you can go but if you think of anything she said, come and tell me so that I can be able to help you if it gets in the hands of the police' says Mike. 'Alright' says Krishi going out. Lizy gets in. 'How did it go?' ask Lizy. 'She does not know anything' says Mike. Lizy sigh. Mike' s phone ring. 'Hello' says Mike. 'Mike, how are you?' says the other person. 'Lizwe' says Mike shocked. 'What do you want?' ask Mike putting the phone on loudspeaker. 'I have been thinking what I should do with the information that I got from Thabang while we were in jail' says Lizwe. They are so shocked. 'What are you talking about?' ask Mike. 'You know, I considered selling this information to a few journalists but because I am a family member I thought of you first' says Lizwe. 'What information? you are confusing me' ask Mike pretending to be confused. 'Do not act confused, you think I don't know it was you who tried to kill that girl?' ask Lizwe. Mike keeps quiet. 'You can keep quiet all you want, but time is running out in a few weeks the book will be published and all will come to light' says Lizwe laughing. 'What book?' ask Mike confused. Lizwe continue to laugh. ' You did not know?' ask Lizwe. ' Speak, what book?' ask Mike. 'Thabang was writing a book in prison, and it was supposed to be published in a few weeks but since you got the girl arrested it was delayed so I saw an opportunity and went and fetch it from the editor and made sure there is no other copy'. 'What do you want?' ask Mike. 'I want 50 million' says Lizwe calm. 'What?' ask Mike. 'You heard me, it either that or nothing' says Lizwe. 'Where will I get so much money?' ask Mike. 'That is not my problem, you have one day to decide if you want my deal, or I should take the book somewhere else' says Lizwe. 'Alright, let talk in one day but please do not take that book anywhere' says Mike. 'Listen, I have been hearing stories that my sons are not being treated well in that house, for your sake I hope you see where I am going with this' says Lizwe. 'Yes, I will take care of it' says Mike. 'Good' says Lizwe and drop the call. 

Krishi is in her room confused about what Mike was asking her, 'I don't understand, what does all this have to do with him? I mean his wife kicked me out so how come all of sudden they care about me? she did not tell me anything, wait the box, maybe that why they wanted to kill her, they wanted that box, I have to go and get it' says Krishi going. In Siviwe and Sash's room they are talking with Sthandiwe. 'Sash I am sorry that you had to found out like that, I got married to your father after your mother died, after your father got arrested, I took you and came back with you both' says Sthandiwe. 'Mom this does not make sense, me and Sash were born in the same year, but different months does that mean Lizwe is not my father?' ask Siviwe confused. 'No, I was dating your father while he was married to Sash's mom, I did not know he was married, I found out after I was pregnant with you Siviwe, after two years both of you were born your mother died' says Sthandiwe crying. 'And you married Lizwe after my mom died?' ask Sash. 'Yes, I did not want to tell you all this because I knew it would upset you' says Sthandiwe crying. 'Mom I am not upset with you; you took care of me and loved me all these years I was just surprised when granny said that' says Sash. 'What about your father? do you want to get to know him?' ask Sthandiwe. 'No, you told us he is not a good person, so I do not want anything to do with him' says Siviwe. 'I do not want to get to know him too, I don't think he cares about us' says Sash. 

Krishi has just come back from Tonia's house, she is carrying a box that Tonia gave her to keep for her, she gets inside her room and hide it under the bed. Sash, Siviwe and Thabelo get inside Krishi's room, 'Where are you coming from?' ask Sash. 'To get fresh air' says Krishi. 'How are you feeling?' ask Thabelo. 'I am fine' says Krishi. 'So did that girl really shoot you?' ask Siviwe. 'I don't want to talk about that, how are you guys after what happened this morning' ask Krishi. 'Mom explained everything to us, yes, it is true I am not related to you guys, apparently, I am Lizwe's first wife's son' says Sash. 'Wow I did not expect that, you are still my favourite cousin though' says Krishi. 'Hey what do you mean? what about us?' ask Thabelo laughing, enter Ntando running carrying two envelopes, he closes the door and lock it. 'Hey why are you running?' ask Siviwe. 'I found these envelopes in dad's wardrobe, they are from Thabang the one who was arrested' says Ntando. 'So why did you bring them here?' ask Thabelo. 'Here read this one, it is directed to grandma' says Ntando. They all read the letter, after they have read it, they all look at each other confused by what they have just read. 'Wait, so Thabang was arrested for raping mom?' ask Thabelo. 'The letter explains that your mom is the one who raped Thabang, and when the family found them in bed the next morning, she said she was raped by Thabang' says Siviwe. 'No, mom would never do that, she did not do that, there has to be an explanation' says Thabelo. 'What can be the explanation? Thabang was intoxicated, and an intoxicated person cannot consent, so it is reasonable to say she raped him' says Krishi. They all keep quiet. 'This family and secrets' say Ntando. 'Wait, they said Thabang is Krishi's father' says Sash. 'What?' ask Krishi. 'Who said that?' ask Krishi. 'All of them' says Thabelo. 'Why did your mother throw me out when she saw me?' ask Krishi. 'Let not jump to conclusions, let read the second letter' says Sash. Sash opens the second letter and a picture drop and fall down. Ntando pick it up, 'Who is this?' ask Ntando. 'This is Krishi, when she was young, what is her picture doing here?' ask Siviwe.