Collide

~ Present ~

Breathe

Calm down.

Wipe the tears away.

Get it together Lwandi

Although everything else is falling apart.

The cold air blown into the room from the ventilation system makes my body shiver back to reality. I wipe my sweaty palms on my woollen bodycon dress I wore and blink back tears, clearing my blurry vision of the person before me.

"Miss Mayeni, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

The man sitting across me in a formal black suit yet his tie is out of place and an awkward coffee stain showing just below his over worn coat. A youthful face with light stubble on his jaw line and a mop of dishevelled brown locks falling on his forehead.

"Uhm Mam, may I?"

I clear my throat to bring myself to focus

"Yeah sure," I say hesitantly "but before you ask anything, I want to make it clear that I have nothing to do with Mason's dealings or whatever it is he did."

A smirk tugs at his mouth "Well actually I want to know about the relationship with Mr Richelieu."

"Well, you're practically asking for a bedtime story, 'cause it's a long story," I chuckled half-heartedly.

"I think we have plenty of time, especially since it seems like he might not be found anytime soon; and I'm quite a sucker for romance."

An unforced smile shatters my frigid face "That's what I thought it was, but right now it feels like a dramatic horror movie."

"Come on now Nolwandle I'm sure it's more extraordinary than what you make it seem like." The officer, James he said he was, tries to coax the tale out of me like it was the latest gossip. For just this once I'll let him. I have a feeling that will probably be the only chance I'll ever get to tell our story. The truth: uncut, not glamoured in any way.

"Fine, but I don't want you to change my words to suit your ideas okay?"

"Agreed"

I let out a meaningful sigh, "Well let's go back 7 years to where it all began. In my beautiful birth country South Africa where the lives of Nolwandle Mayeni and Mason Richelieu collided.