29/05/2026
I Fell In Love With My Father 📚⚖
Part 176
Ukudla ku Zasembo kwaku ngehli kahle, ne appetite ingekho.
Waphakamisela uwaiter wabo isandla wabiza, wayazi yini ayeyidinga—selokhe kusile engakaze abuthi mbibi.
"Can I please have two shots of Tequila Silver."
The waiter nodded and walked off to place the order.
Kwaba ukuflathela, uLeleti wabuka umawakhe ngelinye ihlo.
"Tequila Silver?"
Wayengamazi ephuza oTequila omawakhe.
"Mom, it's Sunday," wahleka.
Wadonsa iglass ye orange juice uZasembo wayigalela emphinjeni yonke engathi uphuza amanzi.
Watshela uLeleti ukuthi akamumele, zaziningi kabi izinto ezazisekhanda lakhe.
Waqhubeka nokudla uLeleti kodwa engawasusile amehlo ku mawakhe. She could feel something was wrong. Ebazi abazali bakhe, ebonile ngisho efika kubo ukuthi khona okwenzekayo phakathi kwabo.
Kanti before bazodla badlula eHotela bathatha isuitcase la mawakhe, okwathi uma emubuza lalifike kanjani lapha wathi bebezikhiphile no aunty bakhe.
But Leleti didn't buy it, she knew her mother too well. She didn't lie well when she was breaking inside.
Wabuya uwaiter nama tequila shot, kwaba ukuwabeka phambi kwa Zasembo wawaphakamisa womabili and downed them one after the other.
Wanikina ikhanda kancane uLeleti, waqala no Zasembo wazizwa ephaphama umzimba wakhe usuthole ukudla kwawo, wathola noku stronger kulokhu.
Kodwa kwabuya nezinkinga zakhe ngokushesha zaphithizela ekhanda.
Wayengeke athuke ngisho ethola ukuthi lendoda ayazi ukuthi uyishiye endlini, kwaba ukuphuma kwabo yalandela.
Ucabanga umyeni wakhe nje uZasembo, no Nkosiyabo wayecabanga lezinkinga ayesezilethe emzini wakhe.
Kodwa kwaku ngasilo icala ukushintsha umqondo wakhe—engasoze wayeka ukum'thanda uZasembo.
Umuzi ka yise umkhulu ubanele bonke.
Ngabo 3pm base besendleleni ebheke emlazi.
Kwathi uma ebonga uOmnene nge weekend ababebe nayo, washawa amahloni uNkosiyabo.
Waxolisa naye ngokuthi iweekend ingahambi ngendlela aye plane ngayo.
Kodwa kunokuthi adinwe uOmnene, wavele wa smile. Wabeka isandla ethangeni la Nkosiyabo wali squeeza kancane.
"It's okay, love," she said. "And honestly... it wasn't your fault. Kodwa iweekend engingasoze ngayikhohlwa."
Wamamatheka uOmnene, ne smile sakhe softened him ngokushesha.
Wabamba isandla sakhe wasiqabula.
Kwisona nesizathu esasimenza am'thande kangaka lomuntu wesifazane.
She didn't make things complicated.
Wayemu undertstanda.
Emunika ipeace.
Wam'thembisa ukuthi next time angeke yenzeke into efana nale, eseshiswa nawukuthi vele umkakhe wayesazi ngabo.
Okwase kusele ukuthi benze izinto zibe sem'thethweni, ukuze babeyohamba ngokukhululeka nanoma ikuphi.
Okwamanje kwaku nezindawo uNkosiyabo ayengeke aze ahambe no Omnene ngenxa yegama lakhe, hayi ngoba ayem'fihla kodwa ebazi abantu bamaphepha babenganqeni ukubhala umathanda wabo, bengathi bayavuka ngelinye ilanga bagcwele emaphepheni kuthiwa uzibamba ngenkani izingane ezincane, kungabe kusaba ukuthi bayaqala ukumbona nayo.
Kwiyona yonke leyonto eyayenza afuna ukum'thatha ngokuphelele, engasiye umuntu ayefuna ukum'cashisa or emubona engu makhwapheni wakhe.
Eceleni uOmnene wayeseze wacamela engalweni yakhe uNkosiyabo.
Wayengasekho lapho ngokomcabango, ecabanga lescefe ayosifica endlini emazi umfundisi wayengeke angathethi.
Kodwa kakhulukazi wayecabanga ngabo no Nkosiyabo.
Ngo mkakhe.
Nange future yabo.
"Wasuthula kangaka?"
Wamqabula esiphongweni uNkosiyabo wabuya nomqondo ka Omnene.
"Ngisazela..."
Wam'phakamisa ikhanda uNkosiyabo wamubukisisa ebe ehleka ebuza nokuthi ubenzani ebusuku ngoba balala ngisho emncishile ikhekhe.
She laughed, wathi vele kwasekuqaleni kwakumele amncishe kuze kube umfaka iring.
Sagijima phezu kwe jean ka Omnene ngaphambili isandla sa Nkosiyabo, wabuza ukuthi lokho kwakusho ukuthi ngoba iring isikhona—noma inini, noma ikuphi uyalisika ikhekhe?
Waphela insini uOmnene, bahleka bobabili like teenagers in love.
Lwathi maluphela uhleko, zehla neziqhomo ku Omnene wa serious nasebusweni.
"I think..." wagwinya amathe. "I think kuzomele siqale sisebenzise iprotection, Tshabalala."
The moment those words left her mouth kwashintsha nomoya emotweni.
Ismile sasingakasuki emlomeni ku Nkosiyabo, kodwa amehlo akhe esekhuluma okunye.
"You don't trust me?" wehlisa nezwi wasusa nesandla ethangeni la Omnene.
Wanikina ikhanda ngokushesha Omnene wabamba nesandla sa Nkosiyabo.
"Cha, baby... akusikho lokho."
"Then why manje?"
She took a deep breath because the truth was complicated.
Wayem'thanda, kodwa engazazi izindlela ayezihamba uNkosiyabo uma enaye, esaba izifo, emubona nokuthi wayeyisoka.
But she couldn't say all that.
So she chose the safest answer.
"I'm just not ready for umntwana okwamanje... ziningi nezinto engisafisa ukuzenza empilweni yami, Mavuso."
Waphendula ikhanda kancane uNkosiyabo babukana. Kwake kwathi akahleke kancane.
Kodwa wanqekuzisa ikhanda, kodwa ngaphakathi esho ukuthi uyadlala lomfaza... manje ucabanga ukuthi kuyolindwa aqede lezozinto zakhe kuqala ukuze kwande umndeni?
Wahluleka ukuzibamba uNkosiyabo wagcina ehleka kancane, ecabanga ukuthi wayedlala lomuntu phela yena kwakufana nokuthi akazele kulezingane ayenazo.
Waze wabuza uOmnene ukuthi uhlekani manje—waqhubeka nokumoyizela uNkosiyabo kodwa wathi akwilutho.
"Hayi angeke phela sithi sikhuluma into ebaluleke kangaka uhleke, kodwa ungasho uhlekani?"
"Hawu bakwethu, sekwicala manje ukuhleka?"
Kwathi uma emubuka nge smile uNkosiyabo, wagcina emoyizela naye uOmnene.
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