He stood on the balcony and watched the ocean’s calm waves under the bright starlit sky. It’s good to be back. Cape Town is even more beautiful than he remembered. But now a challenge faced him just when he thought he was on holiday. What were the odds that she would be this close? She did say that she had to put her footprint on this city before she left and she has done just that. Oh Lindy how will I get you back, how will I make you understand? She always said that he was afraid of his father and didn’t know how to stand up to him but he said that he respected him and he couldn’t speak out of turn. Lindy was always the wise one, but he couldn’t stand up to the old man, he was too weak.

“Your mother tells me you’re serious about this girl, how well do you know her?” his father asked. Even over the phone he had a command that made one stand to attention when he spoke.

“Well enough to know that I want to marry her.” Stand up for her, be a man. Stand up to him.

“You will do no such thing, William. You hardly know the girl. For all you know she looked you up and wormed her way into your life. I will not have a scandalous marriage attracting the tabloids, you are a brand name, and you can’t go around marrying trash. There will be no marriage, and that relationship had better come to an end right now if you know what’s good for you.” He barked down at him.

“Well… I love her dad. And, and I’m gonna marry her. She’s not trash and you don’t know her like I do. She’s smart and beautiful and…”

“Now you just sound pathetic! I won’t waste my energy on you so I’ll speak a language you understand. If you don’t put an end to that… that thing you call a relationship, then I’ll do it for you. I will cut you off, and you will never work in any good company ever, for the rest of your life! You hear me William? Dump that gold digger and get your head in the game. I won’t stand for it!” He dropped the phone on him and that was the end of it. His father didn’t listen to anybody except his wife. So Will called his mother and begged her to talk to him and change his mind, but it was futile. The man was Zeus.

He should’ve told Lindy what the old man said, if only he had the nerve. How wrong he was because look at what she’s achieved now, Lindy was on top of her game and she was going strong. They would’ve made it work, he should have trusted in their love and her strength. Lindy would have found a plan, she was smart like that. But now Will had to fight and make amends, win the love of his life back. God knows he was never able to get over her, the dating he did, if one could call it that was laughable. He’s only gone on two dates in five years, and his family was forcing him on Sasha because their fathers were business partners and it’s a great partnership, reckoned the old man. He felt nothing for her; she was cold and empty and talked too damn much.

He sighed and finished the last of the scotch and went to get himself a refill. He missed her, her infectious laugh, her smile, and her warm and kind caring eyes. He missed her soft skin; the nights and days they spent together, their endless talks about the future and their plans. She knew how to build a man and that fateful day she brought one down. He didn’t blame her, he deserved it and she deserved better…

Snap out of it, Will, get a grip. You need a game plan. Lu, she is the key to get Lindy back. I need to convince her that I need to see Lindy. I’ll tell her everything. And right there and then he made up his mind. He fished in his pocket for his phone, he had taken down the numbers at the coffee shop and was going to call her and ask to see her. The other number must be Lindy’s, they had to be business partners. But he couldn’t just call her out of the blue and say ‘Lindy I want you back, I was an idiot and a spineless jerk. Forgive me please I still love you, I’ve always loved you. Take me back; I’ll do whatever it takes!’ Or could he?

“Lindy hello.” Her voice was sweet and crisp, like music in his ears that rendered him speechless.

“Hello anybody there?” chills went down his spine, he was speechless and immobile. He just…froze.

“Can you hear me, hello?” Oh Lindy my sweet, how long have I wanted to hear your voice, how I miss you, long to touch you. My Lindy. Then the line went dead. She hung up and he realised that he wasn’t breathing.