As soon as I laid my eyes on her I knew that she was the one, I mean like, she’s the one. Her sun kissed skin, big round brown eyes, one dimple on her left cheek, a small pointed nose and beautiful lips. And she’s curvaceous; a real African woman. Not forgetting her brackets, we’ll produce honey-toned babies, a perfect combination – me and her. Problem is, I can’t have her.

Her name is Lerato Magaye, notoriously known as Lee, the only child of the Magaye clan. A well respected family, both her parents are unemployed but they have everything. I guess God provides for His servants. A perfect couple that people like us look up to. Although people have spoken ill about them, insinuating illegal dealings, I’ve ignored them because they’re just jealous of them. I mean like, how can God-fearing people be involved in such things?

Today’s Sunday and I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait to see Lee. Oh, what a beauty. She’s already there, giggling with her family and walking to the alter as the service is about to start. She starts a hymn as the congregation joins her. An angelic voice she has, I’m in love with everything she has. She’s kind, respectful, gorgeous, and she can sing. I’m daydreaming as the sermon goes on, as I fantasize about Lee. If only she was mine. I wait for her near the gate. She smiles and shakes my hand, as she thanks me for coming, when she suddenly pulls her hand away and runs to the car outside the gate.

I can’t believe my eyes as I witness my future wife leaving me. Confused at seeing her leaving with Tero, a man we all respect because of fear, apparently he gets rid of everything in his way.

*****

After weeks without seeing Lee, she sought my help to run away from home, as she was no longer happy in her sinking relationship with Tero. We became close and I confessed my love for her. Guess what? She agreed, although we had to meet in secret. Things went on like that for months, until her mother came, swearing at my door.

She didn’t even greet me, her words were: “Do you want to die? Because I know people that kill in cold blood, in broad daylight, without blinking twice, so do me a favor and leave my daughter alone! You orphan! How do you think you’re going to look after her, without a job? You’ll die and leave Mmurianja.”

Those words really hurt me. We had to see each other at night, but as I was two streets away, I heard gun shots and a woman wailing.

I ran as fast as I could and found the kitchen door open. I found a gun near the door and grabbed it, thinking Tero was still there. I went into the other rooms to further investigate but I found nothing. I walked into the next room, I couldn’t believe it; my Lee was shot but still breathing.

I touched her hands, she said, “My love, Tero found out about us and that I was pregnant with your baby, that’s why he did this, I love you.”

And I lost her, just like that. My head was spinning as the police handcuffed me. I’m Thabo Nelo and this is my story. It’s been five years since the incident, I’m serving 30 years in jail for murdering the Magaye family because my fingerprints were found on the weapon that took the Magaye clan’s lives.

***

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