SHATTERED DREAMS

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It had been months since that difficult conversation with Sbanisethu’s family. Months of back-and-forth, of tense dinners, of hushed discussions behind closed doors. I knew it would take time for them to understand, but each day that passed felt like a boulder pressing down on my chest. Mthandeni still hadn’t been rehired, and the guilt gnawed at me constantly. But Sbanisethu—he never gave up. I could see the struggle in his eyes each time we spoke about it, but he kept pushing.

Today felt different though. Sbanisethu left the house early, and when he kissed me goodbye, there was a quiet resolve in him that I hadn’t seen before. He was going to try again. Maybe this time, it would work.

I tried to busy myself with chores around the house, but it was hard to focus. My thoughts kept drifting back to Mthandeni and how everything had spiraled since I left the house that day. He hadn’t deserved the fallout, and it hurt that he had paid the price for helping me when no one else had the courage to. My heart ached, thinking about how much we owed him, how much we still owed him.

As the afternoon dragged on, my anxiety mounted. I glanced at the clock repeatedly, waiting for Sbanisethu to come home and tell me how the latest conversation with his parents had gone. By the time the front door creaked open, I was on edge.

Sbanisethu walked in, and immediately, I could tell something had shifted. There was a calmness in him, but also a deep exhaustion. He dropped his bag by the door and walked straight toward me.

I didn’t wait for him to speak. “Did you talk to them?”

He nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting into a small, tired smile. “I did.”

“And?”

“I convinced them,” he said, his voice soft but full of relief. “Mthandeni is coming back.”

For a moment, I just stared at him, not sure if I had heard him right. “What? Are you serious?”

“I went to see my father this morning,” Sbanisethu explained, sitting down beside me. “We’ve been talking for months now, and after everything, he finally agreed. He’s going to let Mthandeni come back.”

I felt a wave of emotions hit me all at once—relief, joy, disbelief. “Sbanisethu… I can’t believe it. You really convinced him?”

He nodded, looking both proud and drained. “It wasn’t easy. You know how my father can be. But after everything, he realized that maybe… maybe he was too harsh. Mthandeni wasn’t acting against the family. He was just helping you. And that’s something I’ve been saying for months.”

I couldn’t hold back the tears that had been threatening to spill all day. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

He reached out and wiped away the tears with the back of his hand, his touch gentle. “I know exactly what it means, Hlelo. I know what Mthandeni means to you. And I also know that this is something I had to make right—for both of us.”

I leaned into him, feeling the weight of the past few months begin to lift off my shoulders. It felt like we had finally crossed a hurdle that had been holding us back for too long.

“When is he coming back?” I asked, my voice still shaky.

“Tomorrow,” Sbanisethu said, his smile widening. “I already called him. He’ll be back at work tomorrow morning.”

Hearing that felt like a balm to my soul. “I need to thank him. I need to apologize too… for everything he went through because of me.”

“We’ll go see him together,” Sbanisethu reassured me. “But trust me, when I spoke to him, he didn’t seem angry or resentful. He just sounded grateful.”

That sounded like Mthandeni. Always gracious, even when the world treated him unfairly.

“I still can’t believe your father changed his mind,” I said, wiping the last of my tears. “He’s always been so stubborn about things like this.”

“I know,” Sbanisethu said, sighing. “It took a lot of convincing. He’ll probably never admit it, but I think he respects the fact that I kept fighting for this. That I didn’t just give up.”

“You never do,” I said, looking up at him with admiration. “And I love you for that.”

He smiled down at me, the warmth of his gaze easing the remnants of my worry. “We’re building something together, Hlelo. And that means doing the hard work, even when it feels impossible.”

I nodded, feeling the truth of his words settle into my heart. “We’ll make this work. Together.”

The next morning, I woke up early, excitement buzzing through me. Today, Mthandeni was coming back, and I couldn’t wait to see him. I wanted to thank him, to let him know how much we appreciated everything he’d done, even when the odds had been against him.

Sbanisethu and I stood by the front door as the familiar sound of Mthandeni’s car pulling into the driveway filled the air. When he stepped out of the car, a wide smile broke across my face. He looked the same—strong, steady, and just as loyal as ever.

“Mthandeni!” I called, rushing toward him.

He smiled back, a little hesitant, but there was no mistaking the relief in his eyes. “Madam Hlelo,” he greeted, his voice warm.

“I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through,” I said, my voice trembling with sincerity. “You didn’t deserve it, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for helping me when I needed it the most.”

Mthandeni shook his head gently. “You don’t have to apologize, Madam. I was just doing what I thought was right.”

“And that’s exactly why we’re so grateful to have you back,” Sbanisethu added, stepping up beside me. “I should have done more to stop what happened, but I’m glad you’re here now.”

Mthandeni nodded, his usual calm demeanor returning. “It’s good to be back, Sir.”

As we stood there, the three of us, I felt a deep sense of peace settle over me. Things weren’t perfect—they probably never would be—but this felt like a step toward healing, toward rebuilding the trust that had been broken.

And with Mthandeni back where he belonged, it felt like we could finally start moving forward again. Together.

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