When Morris got to school he went to see Ms Shabangu. But she pretended to be very busy and she came up with an excuse.

“I have to go to a meeting now. We will talk when I come to the class,”

“OK,” said Morris and went to his class, Ms Shabangu’s phone rang after Morris left, it was Torus.

“Hello Ma’am I just called to tell you that I am on my way to the school,” Ms Shabangu told him to go to the principal’s office when he got there.

Torus arrived at 9:00am and went to the principal’s office. All the learners were in their classes. Mr Magaela called Ms Shabangu because he was surprised to see Torus after a long time, and for the first time at the school. Ms Shabangu went to the office and explained why Torus was there. And then she went to fetch Morris in the classroom and she told him not to freak out.

“Morris relax I invited him to come and see you. Mr Mashiloane here is your son, you can talk to him,” said the teacher, then Torus started talking.

“Uhm, hello Morris, I came to talk to you,”

“Talk,” said Morris.

“I’m sorry for everything that I’ve put you through,” Torus continued. “I was very stubborn since your mother left us. I want to fix things between us. Can you please give me a chance to make things right please son?”

Morris looked at him for a while as he shook his head then he replied

“A chance?” he asked laughing. “What makes you think that you deserve a chance after everything you did to me huh? I don’t have time for this, I have to go to my class. Your girlfriend is waiting for you, don’t you have something to buy for her, a beautiful dress or something? And your son Akhah, does he have enough money for lunch?”

Torus felt hopeless and so sad, he wasn’t able to answer all those questions.

Morris continued with the questions.

“Since when do you care about me? You want to ruin my life again huh? Please man, leave because to me you are dead. I can look after myself, if you came here to buy me with your money you came to a wrong person.”

Torus cried when he heard those painful words coming from his son, but it did not help him.

“Ma’am, is this the surprise you were telling me about?” Morris asked his teacher. She nodded her yes. “Thanks ma’am but I don’t like it and I never will. So can I please go back to the class now?” said Morris calmly, like everything was perfect between him and his father.

Ms Shabangu refused.

“It’s fine by me you can let him go,” Torus said. “I understand his anger and I don’t blame him,”

Morris said goodbye to his father as he was living the office.

Ms Shabangu told Torus that the boy will be fine but Torus wasn’t sure. In class, Morris told his teacher that he needed fresh air alone so she told him to go and sit outside.

Morris went outside with a chair and he sat under a tree. He started crying when he thought of all the bad memories which came to his mind after talking to his father. The lunchtime bell rang and Morris took his chair back to the class. Everyone in his class was wondering what was going on with their classmate. Wonder tried to talk to him but he told him that he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, including him.

Wonder left him sitting in class. Morris sat there and did not eat his lunch because he felt like he was full. Ms Shabangu bought him lunch but he did not eat it.

Torus was on his was to work when he was involved in a car accident on the N11 from Hendrina to Pullenshope. He was trying to overtake two trucks at the same time and he was unfortunate, there was a bus coming in front of him which he did not see.

When he saw that there was a bus coming in front of him he turned the car and went to a tree. He was seriously injured because he had to be taken to Hospital at Middelburg. He was taken to an ICU where he had to sleep at for a month.

The Hospital called his family and the accident was published on a local newspaper. Ms Shabangu went to town and bought the paper as usual, and she saw the incident. She immediately called Morris.

“Morris I’m coming to your home now, can I find you there?” said Ms Shabangu. Morris was sleeping.

Ms Shabangu arrived and showed Morris the paper.

“Wow this should have happened a long time ago, I wish he had died,” said Morris but Ms Shabangu did not like that.

“Morris this is the man who brought you into this world, you can’t talk like that. You need to go and see him, please do it for me,” tears poured down her face but Morris did not agree with her.

“You know every time I see him I feel insecure. I remember what he did to my mom and me, do you remember?” asked Morris. Ms Shabangu begged him to agree because his father needed him.

He finally agreed to go to the hospital. Ms Shabangu, who was more like his mother because she took care of him, took him to the hospital. When they got there he was not awake. The nurse told them that Torus will no longer be able to walk because his knees were cut, they were damaged.

Morris pretended to be okay but he was not. He felt like he could wake his father and talk to him, he felt sorry for him for the first time. But Torus did not even see anything, Morris asked for privacy for few minutes.

“Father, I’m sorry I should have listened to you yesterday. Can you please wake up and forgive me for not giving you a chance? I really need you baba, if you hear me please try to forgive me,” the machines started to sound strong when Torus moved his thumb. Morris called the nurses and went outside the ward.

The nurses tried to help Torus but it was too late, they lost him while Morris thought he was better. He told Ms Shabangu that he moved his thumb so they waited for the nurse to hear that he’s better.

All the nurses came out of that room very sad. His nurse went to Morris and Ms Shabangu.

“How is he? Did he say anything? Is he awake?” asked Morris with hope.

“I am sorry, I have bad news,” Ms Shabangu knew what the nurse was talking about but Morris was confused.

“Nurse, can you get straight to the point, what’s going on?” Morris asking very worried the nurse told them the news.

“We lost him, I mean he is dead,” said the nurse.

Morris passed out because he did not believe what the nurse said to them. He woke up wearing patient’s clothes and found Ms Shabangu sitting next to him.

The End

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