My world becomes silent. I was struggling to make ends meet for a funeral,
and now I’m here. If my dad was such a big shot, why didn’t anyone show up to
say goodbye? My mother, why would she do such a thing? The more we talked, the
more questions popped up. I then realised that I needed to think, so I left the
house in a hurry. Nicholas tags along. My sister, wise enough and knowing me
very well, stays behind.
I paced around our small yard and eventually found a spot. I sat down on the ground and hurdled myself together. Nicholas, at a safe distance, breaks the silence and clearly can’t sense the mixed emotions within me.
“Your father resolved his legal battles and cleared racketeering after almost 3 decades. He secured indemnity insurance, and the board issued him a new share certificate. My mother, his lawyer, saw to that.”
Is he bragging right now?
“Mr. Steenkamp, I need some space,” I said, trying to keep my cool. But I could see he was getting upset, his eyes darkening.
“Thembi, I know the parvenu life unnerves you,” he says, the unfamiliar term hanging between us.
He steps closer, his presence overwhelming. “Our futures hinge on your belief—belief in the father who raised you.”
His words become a burden, and a storm of my own comes rushing.
“Mr. Steenkamp...“ I started, but he cut me off.
“I think our parents were murdered. I need to find out what happened, so your cooperation will be appreciated.”
His eyes start getting teary.
“My mother passed on too, two days after your father.”
Our parents? My dad was murdered. His mom, too?
My heart suddenly echoes a silent symphony. I always lived in my bubble, but now I realise Nicholas is hurting too. At this point, we didn’t need words; our shared silence said it all.
***
After an eternity of reflection, I re-entered the house, and Nicholas followed.
My sister had put together a simple meal for us—bread, eggs, and sausages with tea.
Nicholas signed ‘thank you’ to her and began jotting something down in the book on the table.
“Without a will, half your father’s estate defaults on his spouse. The rest follows a strict succession order.”
Nicholas omits a crucial detail, one he shared with me alone—our dad's and his mom’s possible murder. He’s not telling my sister the whole truth.
I lock eyes with him, silently urging him to disclose the truth. Yet he stays silent.
“Mr. Steenkamp, what's in it for you, if you don’t mind me asking? Why are you helping us?” I inquire.
“Duty. Entrusted by my late mother,” he replies.
Thenjiwe, genuinely concerned, asked about his mom, and he said she died from an illness. But something felt off. Why wasn’t he being straight with us? Why is Nicholas not telling my sister the truth?
“Join me at my office at nine tomorrow so we can start the legal process,” he instructs.
“Your office?” I blurted out, but this time I also signed. I should have done this earlier.
“Yes, in Sandton. Please let me know if there’s anything you need." He hands me a business card.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. My father’s passing and the supposed inheritance were so sudden. And Nicholas, why wasn’t he being honest with my sister?
**
The next morning, my sister is up first, and she shakes me up so that I can wake up.
“So, have you informed your manager?”
“Yes, told my supervisor that something with my dad has come up, and I need a leave. It wasn’t easy, you know... “
“Have you?” I ask my sister, knowing that she probably did something more dramatic.
“I quit”
“What do you mean you quit Thenjiwe?”
“You need to as well. We have to understand the world of mining and honour our father’s legacy.”
“I think this is rushed; until I see those share certificates, then I’ll be convinced.”
"Well, then act like you are convinced. We owe our dad that much. I thought he had forgotten about Thelo Minerals and everything it took to build it.” My sister handed me two dresses I had never seen before— navy and black formal dresses.
The company also led to his demise. I think to myself.
“Black or navy?" My sister snaps me back to reality.
“How did you...“
“Saved it for a special occasion, so navy or black?
“Thenjiwe before Thembi,” I gave my sister first choice because I was not sure which colour. My emotions were all over the place. She picks black immediately.
As soon as we got dressed, we shuffled around the house as normal. I was anxious. Thenjiwe, on the other hand, was well prepared; it was like she was waiting for this moment.
We hear a knock as we are about to leave. I open the door, and it’s Sthembiso.
“Did Thenjiwe quit her job? Is she off to marry some rich guy?!” he asked, angry and pointing at another luxury car that stood outside our house. At the very same spot where Nicholas’s car stood.
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