“Let me tidy up this house before he arrives or maybe I should be planning the meals we will have. Breakfast, lunch and supper…I will have to prepare all three like I used to those days. Well, nothing should be that different, I am sure medium rare stake is still his favourite.”

With her barely rested eyes Sindi, after sitting in the car for some sometime staring at nothing started the car ignition and made the most anticipated drive of her life, even though this was a trip she made countless times before. “Let me play something! The energy is different today, let it be known that a new chapter has begun and truly no weapon formed against us shall prosper!”

She drove in through the very tall gate that she never wanted to see again. As she walked through the security gates she could see on the other side her husband in chains.

“He is still as handsome as day I met him,” she thought to herself as she eagerly waited for the guard to finally set him free.

“My beautify Sindisiwe,” Alistair said as he walked up to her and picked her up from the ground like she weighed close to nothing, going in for an embrace and a kiss.

“Alist…mm…Alistair. I had promised myself that I wasn’t going to cry but I can’t help it. Forgive me.”
After mastering the awkward conversations, excitement and nervousness they finally made their last trip from the prison.

“The house is a bit different as you might have noticed. I mean it is not even the same neighbourhood” Sindi said she struggled to unlock the door because of her shaking hand.

“Let me get that for you”, said Alistair. “There you go. After you. Wow I see, you really did something here. So, from the gutter to Sandton?”

“It was not the gutter love, don’t make me laugh and also ten years is a long time to remain the same you know?”
“Yes, I know.”

There was an awkward silence as they stood in the kitchen.

“Things are quite different here I see. Who has been taking care of you?” he remarked with a light chuckle but with quite a seriousness in his voice.

“Nobody” she replied. “You were not around to,” she hesitantly mumbled under her breath.

“Damn Sindi are we having this conversation already?” he said as he roughly pulled out a chair.

“We don’t have to. I mean we have had plenty of it during all those visits. I don’t see the reason why we cannot continue from where we left from.”

“Ask the questions you have been burning to ask. I want to get this done with and go rest.”

“What do you mean?”

“Stop acting dumb Sindi. I am not a child! I am a man that was locked away for all these years because of some floozy teenager’s false accusations and you want to tell me that after all this time you have nothing to ask about that?” he said with his voice gradually getting louder with each word.

“Baby there is no need for that. Let’s leave all of that in the past where it belongs. We have spoken about this already. I am preparing your favourite meal for dinner by the way. Fresh roast vegies, medium rare stake and you won’t believe that I, we can finally afford that expensive bottle of wine we have always wanted to try.”

“Where is she now? Does she still stay in the old town?”

She looked over at him with disbelief. “Did you just ask me that question? How would I know? Why should I even know?” she said with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t give me that nonsense. You mean to tell me you have never cared enough to find out?” he asked with an annoyed look on his face. “Why are you crying? You are full of drama and lies.”

“How are you talking to me like that when all I have been nothing is but supportive towards you?”

“You have been nothing but supportive to your image and delusional thoughts. I mean your husband cheats on you and all you think about is hanging around with him behind prison doors with nothing but a smile on your face? How stupid do you think I am to believe that you waited for me all these years?”

“What did you say? You cheated on me?”

She leaned her heavy body against the kitchen cabinet. She was suddenly awakened by the smashing of the glass of wine that her hand became too weak to hold.

“Alistair. D- did you rape her?”

He gave her a stern look, stood up from the chair and walked up the stairs to the bedroom.

She felt her tears on her cheeks as she looked at the shards of glass surrounding her.