“What is wrong, Ms Hanson?”“Nothing, I’m just… It brought back memories. My husband… He died long ago… He fell terribly sick, and he was gone.”“My dad is also dying,” the boy shared. “Cancer. He’s in hospital right now.”“No. I’m sorry, Dave.”“It’s okay. I’ll be fine. I made this song in his memory. I hope to play it at his funeral.”She spread her arms, “Come.” Dave went and covered in her. “So much suffering…”It was a pity that Dion did not show progress on the remaining of his days. Mpumi finally stopped working, and rather opted to be with Dion during his last days. She would sometimes not go back to the mention just to spend nights with him at the hospital.She would read him stories she loved as a child. She would buy him extra food. She would try and sing for him. All she

“I am going to ask Mpumi to give me a child.”Bowman was shocked at his son’s decision, “What did you just say, son?!”“She might just die.”“Might? She’s already dead.”That maddened Dion, “That is so insensitive, Dad!”“You’re right. It is. I’m sorry. I don’t know how that came out.”“I just…“Love her? You love her?”“That is not what I was going to say.”“Phew!” a sigh of relief from Bowman.“Dad, when mother died, she left you with a part of her. She left you with me.”“Dion…”“I cannot let her go, dad. It is too hard.”Bowman left his seat; he went and covered his son in him.None of Mpumi’s friends were allowed to visit her. She had asked Dion to ensure that. She did not feel that sh

Once again, Sphesihle heard the two sneaky boys talk again (Michael and Gift). She had learned to stalk them to hear more about Vincent.Gift: Ah, so he is adopted?Michael: His mother is sick! He doesn’t need this right now. She’s dying, Gift, of cancer.Gift: Ah, cancer, huh? Father has malnutrition—or what do they say? Kwashiorkor. And mother on the other hand goes head-hunted by the deadly cancer… Doesn’t that make a perfect headline?Michael: What? No. No, Gift, don’t do it.Gift: What a bunch of unhealthy misfits. And yet, people look at them and think they have it all. Flawless…Sphesihle thought that she had heard enough, she showed face, “Stay away from him!”“Ah, Sphe.” Gift smiled. Gift was a confident boy—it was no wonder he was the leader of the popular boy-group in the school. “Always lovely seeing you.”She went and stood at his

“Vincent’s mother.” Sphesihle said, “I hear she is battling cancer. You feel pain. In fact, it is the first thing I saw when you opened the door for me. Now, I may not know the extent to which your pain goes, but I do know what pain is. Pain is pain. One of the most brutal punishments to humans, it cannot be avoided, and it cannot be blocked.”Dion had nothing to say. He started walking up. Vincent appeared, immediately. He was standing with her, facing her. Not so welcoming of her.“I brought your scripts. Marked and moderated.” Sphesihle spoke, “I figured the teachers couldn’t email them, so I took them myself.” She stretched them out for his reach, but he only looked. Not responding. She saw the table near them, she went and put them there. “I will go now.”“They didn’t email the work or the notes either,” he said.She turned back to him, “I have notes!&rdqu

Dion had a long day out with Emilia. At the end of it all, he was tired. He needed a shower and to go to bed. He opened the door to his room. He met a whole mess. His room seemed turned upside down. Broken vas, torn sheets, ruptured curtains, thrown table. //--What on earth— --// He saw Mpumi at a corner, chucking down a bottle of alcohol in her hand. She too was a mess as the room. Case closed; she was the culprit. //--Alcohol? I thought the doctor told her not to have any of those. I thought she was working on herself. Who was I kidding? She will never change. --// Without saying a word, he turned back and walked out. Immediately, Mpumi felt like she messed up. She got up, empty handed and ran after him. She felt bad about what she did to his room. She was infuriated earlier, but now she was calmer and back to her senses. “Dion?” He did not stop for her. “Dion, please!” she chased after him in the passage. “Dion, I’m sorry!” she finally managed to grab his elbow. He did not ap