Three days later I went to Tebogo’s church. Everyone was happy to see me and they even gave me a chance to sing. I was happy to be there. I had fun until I saw the person who was to share the word of God. To my surprise it was my dad. I asked Tebogo about it and he told me he is their youth pastor.

“Bazalwane, you know as a person you have to erase certain people from your life,” he said. “As people we have different paths to take.

I could feel the anger inside me. I got angrier as he spoke.

“So you mean we must erase important people in our lives, just like you erased me and my mother?” I shouted. The congregation started mumbling.

“My boy, what are you talking about?” he said.

“Don’t you remember me?” I asked. “I am the boy you begged to forget you, the boy you told you have erased him form your life. And now my mother is dead because of you. And come here pretending to be a good person, when my mother told me about you I was happy to know that my father is still alive and that I could finally meet him. But when I met you and heard you saying all those things, I became heart broken. I was disappointed in you. You created this hatred in me. You know when I told my mother the news she fainted and was put in a life support machine because she had heart failure. And now she’s gone because of you,”

“I’m sorry my boy, it was the works of the devil,” he said.

“Sorry won’t bring my mother back,”

“I know, I’m sorry,”

“You know, I’ve been taken care of by my adaptive parents while you were here. My mom died when she had just given birth. Jason has been a father and a mother to me. I hate you. I feel relieved that I got to see you again. I hope I never see you again. And you know what, I had erased you from my life and I will forget you,”

I told Tebogo I was leaving and walked out.

“Kevin, you’re back so early,” my grandmother said when I walked at home. I didn’t answer, I just went to the sitting room and stared at the ceiling. “What’s wrong, Kevin?” she asked.

“Granny, this is the day I’ve been waiting for. God finally answered my prayers,”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I saw my father today. He was the one preaching. You know, he said the exact words he said about erasing people from your life. I stood up and told him what he deserved to hear,” I replied.

“This is what I dreamt about, Kevin. How do you feel now?”

“I feel relieved. Now I can be happy again,”

“I’m happy that you did what you always wanted to do. I wish I could tell him something too,”

Jason phone me later that day. I told him about what happened and he wasn’t happy. He told me he was coming the next day. I called the producers and managers at YOTV and asked for another interview and they agreed, but I had to do an interview with Shift.

I went with Natasha to the studio. The presenter asked me questions until we got asking about my father.

“Yesterday, you walked out of the interview with YOTV very angry. Please explain,” the presenter asked.

“Talking about my mother yesterday made me angry, but today I can talk about her. I am able to say that she was my rock, she was a good person who loved and feared God with all her heart. On Sundays we were always at church, she was a father and mother to me, we were very close. when she told me that my dad I was willing to meet him but my mother didn’t want me to. I begged her and she told me that dad was going to hurt me the way he did her.

“I didn’t listen to her, all I wanted was to meet my father. She finally agreed. When I met my father he denied me. He said he had erased me from his life, so I should go back to New York and forget about him and never search for him again,”

“How did you feel?” Karabo asked.

“I was very sad I cried. I took the first plane back to New York and I was crying all the way,” I told him all the events that happened after that.

We talked about Tessa and how her death affected me.

“I saw my father yesterday and told him what I always to. I have peace now,” I said. “I have Natasha, my grandmother and my dad, Jason. I will forget and erase him from my life like he requested.”

After the interview I went home. Jason was there with my grandmother, Tebogo too, and my dad and his wife.

“What’s going on here?” I asked.

“I tried telling them to leave but they insisted on staying,” my grandma said.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone. Please leave,” I said looking at my father.

“Please give them a chance,” Jason jumped in.

“No, I gave him a chance to be part of my life but he rejected me in my face. I’m not giving him any chances, he doesn’t deserve them,”

“You know what, Kevin is right. He is the reason my daughter is dead. I don’t even want to see him. Tebogo, take your visitors and leave my house,” my granny said sternly.
They got up and left my grannie’s house.

The following day we went to New York. Till this day I haven’t seen my father. I hope that one day I’ll be able to forgive him. He still tries to call me but I’m not ready to speak to him. I’m happy where I am now and I thank God for giving me a family like the one I have.

***

Help our first time writer: Have you ever held a grudge? How did you get over it?