Two days interval, Thandeka was reading in the sitting room, when suddenly the butler came in to inform her that someone was at the door to see her.
"Who is it?" She sat up on the sofa.
"He didn't care to mention his identity, Ms." The butler answered.
She closed the book halfway with her fingers inside. "Okay, let him in." But as the butler turn to leave, she stopped him, "Wait, didn't he mention if he's from school or something?"
The butler shook his head, "No, ma'am. He only said he wants to see Ms. Thandeka Dlamini. He brought nothing else other than a flower."
Thandeka's brows scrunched together in confusion. "Flowers?"
Who on earth is related to her that will get her flowers?
Of course she has friends but they are not the too-sweet type or romantic one anyway.
So, who is this anonymous person?
She cut off with the thought and said, "Anyway, let him in."
The butler nodded obediently and left.
Not up to five seconds, a young man dressed in plaid sleeves–whichnwas rolled up to his arm, paired with black pants, walked in.
Unknowing to Thandeka that he was already standing in her presence –because, she was back facing him. She stood up, wearing her flipflops slippers–only to turn around and see–
"Jesus Christ!" She lost her balance and almost fell on the sofa but he was so quick to hold her up–causing the both of them to crash on the sofa together.
Silence and nothing but silence greeted the moment between them–as they kept staring into each other's eyes.
He broke the silence between them after sometime that seems like forever.
"You must be the generous woman that's behind the reason am alive today." His deep voice caused cool chills to run down her spine and backbone.
She shivered a bit and he felt that–as his hand still held her right arm, making him see the goosebumps on her flesh.
It's not as if Thandeka was too scared or scared to say a word but his handsomeness…..shut her mouth up.
All she could do was stare into his eyes as if he was one of God's creations that was never r made known to her before now.
The both of them kept staring into each others eyes and if one saw them, they'd think that these two would kiss each other in a very short moment soon.
"Wow, Thandeka. You didn't tell me that your boyfriend would be coming over to have dinner with us." Zanele broke in, causing a distraction between the two.
In an instant, she slightly pushed him away and stood up to make a defense but before she could say a thing, her elder brother Katlego who just walked in, absentminded about the whole situation, jumped into conclusion. "Deka," his eyes went from his sister to the guy. "We are very close and you never mentioned your boyfriend to me?"
She wanted to stand up for herself, "Tlego, he is–"
"Oh forget it, you don't have to start explaining now, sis. You know you have a bad habit giving long explanations." He chuckled as he made his way to give the young man an handshake.
The both of them shook their hands like they've known each other for decades.
"Katlego Dlamini. Thandeka's elder brother." He introduced himself, grinning from ear to ear.
"Darin Kunle Coker Ayomide." The guy smiled, "It's a pleasure meeting you."
"The pleasure is mine, bro." Katlego's grin widened.
"Your accent......it tells you are not from here." Sipho walked down the stairs, holding a newspaper, the other hand in his pocket.
Maintaining his composure and dignity, Darin agreed, proudly. "Of course, I'm not from here. Am a Nigerian."
Immediately he said that, Katlego poke Thandeka, grinning from ear to ear. "Uh huh, I knew my sister is such a smart little bitch. Come on see how she bull shit all the men here and crossed the border all the way to Nigeria. Damn, how did you do that?"
Thandeka was trying to defend herself but she kept hating it when she's not given the opportunity and privilege to. Especially when her brother keeps coming up with crazy childish information that are not real.
Darin made used of the opportunity by presenting her the bouquet of roses he got.
"I hope you don't mind accepting this little present."
Zanele held her hands on her chest as she beamed, "Awwn, this is so sweet."
"Wow!" Katlego gasp. Seeing the romantic view in front of him. He has never seen a guy head over heels for his sister, talk much of getting her gifts or flowers.
"Deka dear?" Sipho called when his daughter just stood there muted, not accepting the flower, other than just stand there staring at it–along side the young man."
"Um…..thanks." she forced a smile, accepting the gift but inwardly, she felt like setting it ablaze.
All she could do was stare at it like it was a sculpture–a mysterious art.
"You must be the reason while she's been coming home late these few days." Sipho adjusted his glasses, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Do you mind joining us for dinner?"
"I really um, I really appreciate, sir. But I have to g–"
"We insist," Zanele grinned.
Darin scratched the back of his head, he didn't try hard to escape this enough.
*****************
At dinner,
"So, what brought a gorgeous looking young man to our motherland?" Zanele never stopped oogling over Darin since his arrival.
"Well," Darin shrugged. "Am here for my master degree programs."
"Wow, that's good." Sipho nodded. "My son, Katlego is also running his master degree programs too."
"So bro, what did you study?" Katlego is over joyed to meet with a Nigerian guy for the first time.
"Nah, nah," Zanele shook her head, "As if he asked you about your course of study? You are nosy, you know that?"
"But mom,"
"No, it's fine." Darin simply said, sitting upright. "I studied chemical and polymer engineering in USA. Actually, I was born in Norway, didn't grow up much in Nigeria except staying with my grandma for a year holiday in Nigeria when I was four. I don't know how the educational system is held in Nigeria because since my birth, I only schooled in overseas. I finished my nursery and primary certs in London, then I did my highschool in Budapest, Hungary before proceeding for my BS.c in US." He explained.
"Wow," Sipho is surprised and impressed. "In all these, your parents must have taken a lot of care, giving you so many attentions as the only child, I guess. Wow!"
Darin chuckled, shaking his head. "That's the same thing people always say but the truth is am not the only child."
Sipho's brows rose in wonders.
It seems like Katlego is finding this interesting as he sat up properly, wanting to know more.
He crossed his arms on the table, "Really? I thought only single kids gets the best treatment."
"Actually, I have two brothers and they are seniors to me." He shocked them. "They also got the same treatment as I did. They were born and raised in different countries. Take for instance, my eldest brother, he was born in Greece while my elder brother–the one directly senior to me, he was born and raised in Denmark." He explained, detailedly.
"So you are the least of them?" Zanele assumed. "No sisters?"
"Sis–" he chuckled softly, relaxing his back on the dining chair. "If I had one, I would have protected her with all my life."
Awwwnnn
Zanele almost melted, sweetly. "That's so sweet of you to say and I wish you had." Her eyes moved towards her daughter who haven't said anything for what seems like years. "Deka, my love. It's seems to me that your net has caught a very big fish, right?"
Thandeka almost chocked, spitting out the juice in her mouth.
"Hey, oh my," Darin rubbed her back softly–though they were sitting next to each other. "Are you okay?" He passed her a glass of water.
Zanele squealed softly, watching her daughter drink from his hand. "This is so beautiful."
*****************
After dinner,
"It's okay, you've thanked me enough." She chuckled when they got outside, just the both of them standing next to his black Bentley. "Am really sorry for the pressuring questions my family threw at you earlier. They can be really nosy sometimes."
"No, it's fine. I love them, they are very caring and simple, especially your dad."
She gasped, "Are you kidding me?" She laughed, my dad has never–as in I've never thought of him this generous before."
He giggled, "Really?"
"Am telling you. It's surprising, just wait till next week Tuesday for my 20th birthday, you'll see his true colours."
After a while, he said something that made her mute for long. "You are really beautiful."
"........"
Before she could say something, he kissed her lips. Exploring her first kiss with him.
......
He stopped as if realising he has just done something wrong. He thinks he over crossed his limits.
What the hell is wrong with him? "Am….sorry…." He felt guilty, pulling away. "I um, over crossed my..."
"It's fine." She cupped her cheeks, her chin turns reddish as she wiped her lips. But Darin couldn't stop thinking about her soft lips.
Before he lose his dignity, he quietly turn to leave but she grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "Wait," she bit her lower lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "What really happened that night? And how did you find my residence? Because I remember telling the doctor not to reveal my address to anyone."
He chuckled, "Your place was easy after bribing the doctor."
"Thandeka's eyes open wide, "You bribed him?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "Who doesn't like money? Perhaps, he refused to give me the address of the kindhearted woman that saved my life. So, I gat to do what I gat to do." He answered grumpily.
Thandeka pushed him slightly on the chest, "You're such a bad guy." She crossed her arms, "Okay, joke apart. Do you mind telling me how you got shot that night?"
He exhaled and after a while, he explained. "I was ambushed by a group of gunmen."
Thandeka's heart bleed in the thought of the scene and position she met him that night. "Am sorry but I think it's a kind of set up or something."
"Yes, it is." Darin deeply agreed.
***********
Author's Note
Now, why was Darin ambushed?
Could it be?
Political Ties:
Objective: Darin's family is deeply entrenched in Nigerian politics, and he's unwittingly been drawn into a political conspiracy.
Suspense: The ambush was an attempt by a political rival to eliminate him as a threat or gain leverage against his family.
Or
Family Secrets:
Objective: Darin's family holds a dark secret that could destabilize their legacy, and the ambush was a move by someone who wants to exploit this secret.
Suspense: Darin is digging into his family history, uncovering hidden truths that others would kill to keep buried.