Sindie



I walked inside the house, accompanied by Naledi. Lloyd follows closely behind, and to my relief, Shawn is already waiting for us, seated at the dining table. I guide Naledi to a seat and then turned to Lloyd, instructing him to go play in his room. “Sit down,” I say firmly to Naledi, my voice rising with authority. It’s rare for me to get angry, but when I do, even Naledi knows to adjust her attitude.

Naledi takes her seat but keeps glancing at her phone. Irritated, I raise my voice again, “And put that thing down!”

“We tried to shield you from the truth about your father, but we realised that we can no longer hide it,” I begin, taking a deep breath. Shawn reaches out and holds my hand, providing me with a sense of support. “Your father is Ndumiso Khoza, as you already know. My mother sold us to him for a meager amount of alcohol, but that no longer matters.” I continue, my voice steady. “We went to live with your father, and he treated me as nothing more than a doormat. He forced himself on me because he allowed us to stay in his house. But I endured it all because of you, Naledi. I never wanted him to take you away from me. Your father was a cruel man. The reason we are free now is because of this man right here.” I say, looking at Shawn with gratitude in my eyes.

“We fell in love, and when Ndumiso found out, we had to run. You want to know why? Because your father was unforgiving, and if he had found us, he would have killed Shawn and taken you away from my arms.” My voice cracks with emotion, I take a moment to compose myself. “Shawn didn’t allow that to happen. He fought with Ndumiso so that I could stay with you. So that we could stay together.” I emphasize, my gaze shifting between Naledi and Shawn.

“This man loves you with all his heart, Nale. You are his princess, and that will never change, do you hear me?” I say, my voice filled with conviction. “It doesn’t matter that he’s not your biological father. He is still your father.”

Tears stream down Naledi’s face as she rushes to embrace Shawn. “I’m sorry,” I hear her whisper, her words muffled against his shirt.

Shawn gently strokes her hair, comforting her. “It’s okay,” he assures her.

A smile spreads across my face as I witness their embrace. Finally, I think to myself, I can finally breathe.

“I love you,” Shawn declares, his words directed at Naledi as he kisses the top of her head.