Apology

'I apologize for my actions that were offensive to you, Mr and Mrs Ngome, and Keith'.

Five pairs of eyes stared at the young lady who had knelt down and appeared contrite in astonishment. 3 pairs of eyes took time to register what was happening. The next few minutes revealed the emotional transition. From astonished to angry and finally helpless. When they saw the young girl at the door with their daughter they were cordial but distant. It was not in their place to discipline her; likewise, they had no obligation to punish her. The last thing that they had expected was for her to show up again.

The letter she had left after the destruction was what Mr. Ngome had termed as intolerable. The evening of one month ago had passed by in relief after they resolved the obstacles they faced. Mrs. Ngome had gone to the kitchen to whip up a light meal to be accompanied by the beer that had been stocked up in the fridge. It was a habit they acquired when dating in university. A habit they hid when Keith was borne and a habit they dared not hide any longer when a 15 year old Nasike caught them in the pantry, seated on the floor, drinking. It was a ritual when one or both of them engaged in after weathering a storm. As Mr. Ngome's lanky figure bent to arrange the beer on the table, his brown eyes landed on an envelope on the table. It was enlightening but not sorry.

'Mr and Mrs Ngome, by the time you read this, I will be gone. Home of course, not anywhere else. However, by the time you finish reading this, you might wish that I had sunk six feet under the ground. Well, if your magnanimous hearts could stomach it'.

The introduction of the letter resulted in Mr. Ngome raising his eyebrows in fascination. He skimmed through the latter to identify the sender while walking to the kitchen to show it to his wife.

'Babe, look at this', he said, holding the letter up. His wife ignored the light snacks in the microwave and moved to her husband's side to look at the paper he was holding up.

'It would sound insincere if I apologized. I admire your unity, the love and candidness you live in. You could say that I envy it. I hate to admit it though. Nasike is a wonderful daughter, candid like you. A great lady, though laid back. But that is not the main point. By now you are curious why you might want me to cease existing. I AM THE ONE WHO CAUSED THE MESS YOU ARE IN NOW. The videos, the mangas and the pawnbrokers are all my work. WHY? You might ask. No reason; it could be fun or it could be envy. It could be anything but not revenge. I have no defense but as conceited as it sounds, you will appreciate what happened today; may be not really. Don't you think that it is about time you spread your wings? You know, created your own empire. Well, that is for you to decide. Back to the main point; the main point is ALWAYS, ALWAYS TRUST YOUR DAUGHTER. Ciao. Khalayi.'

Each word in the letter chilled their hearts and the conclusion only made them anxious. The beer and supper was forgotten. They ran to Nasike's bedroom, a sense of foreboding buried in their hearts threatening to freeze them. Nasike was in bed tossing and turning, muttering incomprehensibly while apologizing for welcoming a monster in their home. Tears had dried on her eyelids, eyelashes and cheeks even as some streaked down occasionally. The couple's hearts shrunk in pain as they watched their daughter sleep through the torment. Mrs. Ngome went to the bathroom to take a wet face towel. She sat by the bedside, holding her head tenderly and wiping off her tears. Mr. Ngome watched on while holding his precious daughter's hand tenderly. He had been too busy to notice how much their distrust had hurt her. Their silent apologies and quiet words of comfort seemed to have reached her ears. She woke up to see them seated and looking at her so tenderly. One of them was holding her hand while the other was wiping her face. She smiled once she saw their faces. From their looks, she knew that they found out the truth. She could have shouted at them and thrown a tantrum but the pain in their eyes could not let her. She hugged both of them delicately yet lovingly, all of them silently understood that they were forgiven. All of them knew that as much as tomorrow would be different, they were strong as they had each other. Keith who had already discovered the truth got in as they were covering her with the duvet and ensuring she was comfortable before they could head off to sleep. He rubbed a fist lightly over her full head of hair fondly before going out.

Back to the present, they were made to recall the hurt they had gone through when they saw the young girl in front of them. Being calm people, they welcomed the three girls but kept a watchful eye on Khalayi. They were introduced to Binti whom they held a high opinion of by the manner she conducted herself. However, they kept a glaring distance from Khalayi. Mrs. Ngome had subtly pulled Nasike to their side and kept her away from the monster they once loved. Though they were good judges of character, they never expected that there was a person who could successfully hide her true nature from them for more than a week.

The apology came when Binti and Khalayi were heading out. It had further opened their scars and created a wound. After a long silence, Mr. Ngome spoke up.

'You are not expecting our forgiveness, are you? Do not confuse our cordiality with acceptance. Maintain a distance of 500 metres away from our home and daughter. Or else...' Mr Ngome spoke out as he called security to escort her out.

'Tsk, such a troublesome child!'. Binti exclaimed in her mind as she watched her being escorted out with sparked interest.