SHADOWS OF THE PAST

Chapter 8

The following morning Sash is woken by someone taping his arm, he opens his eyes and see Lizwe standing next to his bed. 'What are you doing here?' ask Sash looking at Lizwe. 'You were crying in your sleep, so I was waking you up' says Lizwe. 'Oh that, I was having a bad dream' says Sash sitting up. 'You should try to talk to your brother to come back home' says Lizwe. 'Why? Siviwe is an adult he will come when he wants to' says Sash. 'I just thought since we are a family you would like to have him here' says Lizwe. 'We are not a family; I only came here because of mom' says Sash getting up and getting in the bathroom. Lizwe go to the kitchen and find Sthandiwe making breakfast. 'You need to talk to your son; I won't be disrespected in my house' says Lizwe. 'What did he do?' ask Sthandiwe. 'Just talk to him' after he go out. 

In the Mhlongo mansion they are eating breakfast, there comes Krishi wearing her school uniform and find everyone eating breakfast. 'Good morning' says Krishi taking an apple. 'Are you not going to eat breakfast?' ask Thabelo. 'No, I am in a hurry' says Krishi. 'Wait for me Krishi, who was in that car you gave a box yesterday?' ask Ntando taking his school bag. 'Nobody important, let's go' says Krishi, they leave. In Mr Whitehouse's house Tonia is talking with Jess on a phone, 'Hey, were you able to find out who took the book?' ask Jess. 'Yes, his name is Lizwe Mbatha, Sthandiwe's ex-husband' says Tonia. 'Do you think the family is the one who send him to take it?' ask Jess. 'No, they don't get along with him anymore, apparently, he was arrested for abusing Sthandiwe' says Tonia. 'So how did he know about it?' ask Jess. 'I don't know Jess' says Tonia. 'Let me get back to work, let talk later' says Jess after he drop the call. In Mike's study he is talking with his wife, 'Who do you think it was?' ask Lizy. 'I think it was Tonia, I am sure she gave her those letters, how did she suddenly lose them after Tonia's release from jail' says Mike angry. 'I am going to teach that girl a lesson, how dare she play us' says Lizy pissed. 'Let deal with Krishi later, we have to find Tonia and get those letters they will ruin our lives if they get out' says Mike. 'You are right, I am sure she is staying with her uncle, we just have to find out where' says Lizy. Mike's phone ring, he answers it. 'Mike what is going? my patient is running out' says Lizwe. 'Lizwe, you said we have a month to get the money, now what is this?' says Mike. 'I changed my mind, I have a family now to take care of, so I need that money and there is this reporter who really want to get this book although he is offering less it better than nothing' says Lizwe. 'Lizwe, we agreed that you will get the money after four weeks, where am I supposed to get it now?' says Mike. 'I don't care Mike make a plan I am giving you 12 hours if I don't get the money in 12 hours, I am giving the book to the journalist' says Lizwe after he drop the call. 'We have a bigger problem than Tonia' says Mike looking at Lizy. 

The following day, in the morning in the Mhlongo house Mike and Lizy are really happy. 'Mom what going on? you look really happy today' says Thabelo. 'Nothing I am just in a good mood' says Lizy. There comes Gladys looking stressed, 'Mah what is going?' ask Mike looking at her mother worried. 'Sthandiwe was shot last night she is in a hospital' says Gladys. 'What? what happened?' ask Mike shocked. 'I don't know I will hear in the hospital' says Gladys. 'I will go with you' says Mike. They get in the hospital half an hour later; they go and meet the doctor in his office. 'Is she going to be alright doctor?' ask Gladys. 'It is too early to tell, the bullet hit her in the chest which caused damage to her lungs and the person who called an ambulance find her late, she is in a critical condition, but we will see as time went by' says the doctor. 'Thank you doctor' says Mike. 'This is all my fault I should never have told Sthandiwe to go back to that man look what happened to her' says Gladys crying. 'Mah this is not your fault, Sthandiwe decided herself to go back to Lizwe' says Mike. 'Mah, you think Lizwe is the one who did this?' ask Lizy. 'Who else could have done this if not him?' ask Gladys. 'The police are here; they would like to talk to you' says the doctor. Gladys, Lizy and Mike go and talk with the police in the reception. 'Mrs Mhlongo, we understand that you are worried about your daughter, but we have to know if there was someone who would want to hurt her?' ask the policeman. 'Her husband, Lizwe is the one who did this' says Gladys. 'What makes you say that? were they fighting?' ask the policeman. 'Stop asking stupid questions and look for him, if he did not do it, why is he not here? or was he also shot?' ask Mike looking at the policeman. 'No, the person who was found at the scene was Miss Mhlongo only' says the policeman. 'You see he shot my daughter now he is on the run; you need to find him' says Gladys. 'We will find him Mrs Mhlongo' says the policeman after they go. 'Mah you can go home; we will stay here and will tell you if anything changes' says Mike. 'No, I will stay' says Gladys. 'Mah you can't stay here all day; you heard what the doctor said there is nothing you can do for her, just go home and come back to tomorrow maybe it will be better' says Mike. 'Alright I am leaving' says Gladys after she leaves. Mike sits down and hold his head Lizy touch his shoulder comforting him. 'Don't touch me' says Mike standing up. 'What is wrong with you?' ask Lizy looking at Mike. 'You ruined my life, my sister is in that condition because of you' says Mike. 'It was your idea to hire someone to kill Lizwe' says Lizy. 'Yes, but who started all this? I wish I had never met you that day, I should have just left early that way I would never have saw you and taken your number, I should have left early' says Mike sitting down crying. 'Mike don't say that' says Lizy. 'You ruined my family' says Mike continuing to cry. 

In the Mhlongo mansion Gladys have just got home, Siviwe come to her, 'Grandma is mom alright?' ask Siviwe. 'She will be fine, but for now she is in a critical condition, your uncle and aunt are with her in the hospital' says Gladys. 'Do you know who did this?' ask Siviwe. 'That animal Lizwe, he is on the run, but the police will find him' says Gladys. 'What about Sash? where is he?' ask Siviwe. 'I don't know, and I don't care, he is probably in the run with your father, they both shot your mother if he did not then why is he running and not in the hospital with your mother' says Gladys. 'No, that is not true Sash would never hurt mom, that is not true' says Siviwe. 'Believe whatever you want to believe but I have given the press his picture along with your father's, they are wanted criminals right now if I were you, I would not want to associate myself with them' says Gladys after she go. 'Grandma Sash did not do anything' says Siviwe following her Thabelo stop her. 'Let her go, you know she will not change her mind no matter what you say' says Thabelo. 'I don't understand, why would Lizwe shot mom?' says Siviwe. 'Maybe you can go see her maybe that will make you feel better' says Thabelo. 'No, I have to find Sash first, maybe he is hiding because he thinks he is in trouble, let me call him' says Siviwe. Siviwe call him, the phone ring and no one answers it. 'Nobody is answering' says Siviwe. 'Maybe he left with your father' says Thabelo. 'No, he did not, he would never leave us for that man' says Siviwe. 'What are you going to do?' ask Thabelo. 'I am going to Lizwe's house, maybe he is there, the police did not see him, what if he is hurt?' says Siviwe going outside. 'Wait, I will go with you, let me take mom's car keys first' says Thabelo. He goes to get the car keys and find Siviwe with Ntando and Krishi wearing their school uniforms. 'Let's go' says Thabelo. 'Where are you going?' ask Krishi. 'We are going to look for Sash in Lizwe's house, he is missing along with Lizwe' says Thabelo. 'Oh, yah we saw the news, what makes the police think Sash is in involved in this?' ask Ntando. 'That because Granny told them that, let's go' says Siviwe. 'We will go with you' says Krishi, they all get in the car. 

At the hospital Mike and Lizy are sitting in the benches, nobody is saying anything to one another. Mike's phone ring, he answers it. 'Hey man, what happened? did you find someone else to do the job?' ask the man on the other side of the phone. 'What do you mean? are you not the one who shot my sister by mistake?' ask Mike confused. 'No, when I got there that woman was already shot, I thought you got someone else to do the job and shot everyone that was in the house' says the man. 'What about the man that you were going to kill did you find him there?' ask Mike. 'No, there was a woman laying there bleeding, I got the book though so you can tell me when you have my money so I can give it to you' says the man. 'You got the book? I can't believe this' says Mike. 'Yes, I got it, you will send me the details of where to drop it off' says the man after he drop the call. 'You won't believe this, it seems Lizwe is the one who shot Sthandiwe' says Mike. 'Why would Lizwe do that?' ask Lizy surprised. 'I don't know, they always had their problems maybe this was one of them, the good thing is the book will be in our possession very soon' says Mike. In Lizwe's house, Siviwe, Thabelo, Krishi and Ntando are looking around in the living room where there is blood on the floor, there couch have shifted from its original position, there are glass pieces of vase, water and flowers on the floor. 'I wonder what happened in here' says Ntando. 'It looks like they were fighting, look how everything is scattered around' says Thabelo. 'But why would they fight? it just does not make any sense' says Siviwe. 'How are we going to find Sash by looking at all this?' ask Krishi. 'Let me call him' says Siviwe calling Sash again. His phone ring from under the couch. 'His phone is in here, let me get it' says Krishi picking it up. 'What is it doing under there?' ask Ntando. 'Maybe he was holding it when the fight started' says Siviwe. 'This shows that Sash is in trouble wherever he is' says Thabelo. 'Hey guys look at this, Sash was recording it' says Krishi. They look at it. It shows Lizwe drinking tea, and then Sash's voice is heard, 'I remember it now, all those bad dreams they were not my imagination, they were real it did happen' says sash. 'Sash what are you talking about?' says Lizwe turning around facing the camera. 'Why are you recording me?' ask Lizwe. 'You killed my mom, I remember it now, you are the man who is always stabbing a woman in my dreams' says Sash. 'Sash stop talking nonsense and stop recording me' after the screen turns black. 'Oh my god, so that what Sash's nightmares have been about' ask Ntando.