Not Your Typical Fairytale (Complete)

Chapter 10

"Father," I answered his call, my voice tinged with a hint of apprehension.

He was my dad, but man, did he have a way of making me nervous. We didn't exactly have the warmest relationship, except when I needed cash. Sometimes, I even doubted if he was really my old man.

"Ayola, how are you?" he spoke, his voice dripping with authority.

"I'm alright, Father. And yourself?" I replied cautiously.

He was the OG of making me shake in my boots, and then there's Lwando... Mr. Majola didn't play games. He was partly the reason I aced all my exams. If you got anything below 80%, it was like committing treason. The old man would go off about how much he's splashing on your education; my bro warned me about him from the jump, knowing him too well.

"I'm holding up," he replied. Unsure of what to say next, I waited.

"So, when are you getting your driver's license?" he asked, cutting through the silence.

"I don't know yet," I mumbled, feeling the heat rise.

"Ayola, you're hitting 20 soon. If you had your own wheels, you wouldn't have to beg your bro for lifts or rely on drivers," he scolded, his voice steady.

Well, that escalated quickly.

"I'm sorry, Father. I'll sort it when I'm back in Durban," I stammered, feeling small.

He sighed. "Don't they have driving schools in East London?"

"Sure they do. I'll check it out tomorrow," I promised, my voice trembling. This guy could humble you with a 'hello,' I swear.

"Enjoy your day and don't be a handful for your grandparents," he added before hanging up.

"Are you guys still coming back this week?" I tried to sneak in.

"Doesn't seem like it. We've got work to do to keep you and your bro living the high life," he replied.

"Alright then. Bye, Father," I said, ending the call. But deep down, I wasn't surprised. For some reason, he never seemed to enjoy being around me and my bro. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but I'm not. Everything I did was to impress him and his wife, but it seemed like they were never satisfied. Well, at least his wife made a tiny effort, but the old man? That was a whole other story.

Just when I thought I could chill, Lwando called. "I won't be able to make it," I told him.

"What? Ayola! Why you gotta do this now?" he sounded disappointed.

"I'm just not in the mood for company, Lwando," I said before hanging up and switching off my phone.

I stripped down, slipped into my PJs, and crawled under the covers, drifting off into a deep sleep. Granny's wake-up call was a rude awakening, quite literally.

"Majola, ntombi," she greeted, her voice warm as she entered my room.

"Khulu," I replied, pulling the covers off my face.

"Have you been crying?" she asked, her gentle touch grazing my cheek.

"It's just period pains, Granny. Nothing serious," I muttered, avoiding her gaze.

"I'm not foolish. What's troubling you?" she probed, concern evident in her tone.

"It's really nothing, Gran," I insisted, trying to brush it off.

She studied me for a moment. "Ayola, your mother called me," she began, her voice softening. "She asked me to check up on you. What's going on?"

I sighed. "It's nothing, Gran. Just had a chat with my dad, that's all."