Broken Promise

Episode 13

“How many songs do you have to sing?”
asked Olwethu.

Ntombi was not used to being the centre of
attention.“Three songs. I’ve chosen one R&B,
one gospel, and a ballad.”

“And which one is your mother’s favourite?”
asked the granny.

“Well, actually…” Ntombi could lie and pick
any one. But looking at the granny’s open
face she suddenly didn’t want to lie. “Well,
actually my mother’s been too busy to listen
to me…”

“Who could be too busy to listen to that?”
asked the granny. Before she knew it,
Ntombi found that she was telling them
about how their father had left, how her
mother had got a new boyfriend, and how
she didn’t have time for them anymore.

“That must be hard for you,” said Olwethu.

Ntombi suddenly felt bad. Here he was
listening to her and sympathising, when he
had lost both his parents.

“It is difficult when a new man comes into
your house,” said the granny.

“Especially someone like Zakes,” said
Ntombi. She saw the granny and Olwethu
exchange a look – a look of what? Fear,
anxiety?

“Not Zakes Gamadala? The one who is
driving that silver BMW?”
“That’s the one,” said Ntombi, suddenly
feeling a familiar uneasy dread in her
stomach. So there was something about
Zakes that her mother didn’t know? It
wasn’t just rumours. She had felt it all along.

But what?
“Tell me,” she said to them. “Please.”

The granny shook her head. “All I know is,
that man is a cheat, and maybe a thief. He
sold my friend a car and after she paid him,
she found out that the car was stolen. He
wouldn’t give her money back.”