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Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY BIANCA MARAIS
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  64. CHAPTER SIXTY
  65. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  66. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  67. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  71. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  74. CHAPTER SEVENTY
  75. CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
  76. CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
  77. CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
  78. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
  79. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
  80. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
  81. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
  82. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
  83. CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
  84. CHAPTER EIGHTY
  85. CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
  86. CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO
  87. CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE
  88. CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
  89. CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE
  90. CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX
  91. CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
  92. CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
  93. CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
  94. CHAPTER NINETY
  95. CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
  96. CHAPTER NINETY-TWO
  97. CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
  98. CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR
  99. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  100. GLOSSARY OF TERMS
  101. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  103. What’s next onyour reading list?

I don’t know why but I suddenly don’t want her to go, which is just silly. I want to ask her to stay but instead I say, “There’s something I never told you. About Da.”

“About Da?”

“Yes. Before he died, he made me promise never to sell the farm.”

“Really? How strange. He hated the farm and the whole farming life. I’m surprised that what Ma wanted even factored in to his thinking.”

“He didn’t want it kept for her. She actually wanted to sell it and retire to the coast.”

“So, why then? Just to torment her and force her to stay somewhere she didn’t want to be?”

“No, because of you.”

“Me?”

“He promised you on the day you left that the key would always be waiting for you if you decided to come back. He wanted to keep that promise.”

“Huh.”

“I’m sorry that I almost broke it. I’m glad you forced us to keep the farm and that we’re here together.”

“Me too. Now, try and get a good night’s rest.”

“I will.” She just gets to the door when I call her back. “Dee?”

“Yes?”

“I love you, you know. I’m not sure when I last told you but it’s true. It’s important that you know that.”

She comes back to the bed and grasps my hand. “You’re not dying, you silly goose. You just have pneumonia. And you’re going to be very embarrassed when you’re feeling better and remember this moment.”

“Probably, so don’t remind me.”

“I won’t.” She smiles and kisses my knuckles. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

Dee doesn’t say she loves me back but she doesn’t need to. That’s the thing about family: the truest things we say to each other are never in words.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE

Zodwa

3 August 1996

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Zodwa stands next to the graves, one freshly filled and the other properly settled with a gravestone at its head.

Mother and son finally rest together, and Zodwa is overcome with emotion that this is something she’s been able to do for Leleti. In a life of wrong choices and wrong turns, it feels good to have achieved something that would bring her mother peace. For despite whatever the truth of Dumisa’s life is, Zodwa knows her mother’s love would transcend the mistakes her child made. She can’t imagine Mandla ever doing anything that could make her stop loving him.

“Come, my child,” Zodwa’s gogo says to her. “Let us go now.”