Chapter 4 — A Daughter's Quest for Trutb

As they bid each other farewell at the bus stop, Qhawekazii's heart felt heavy, as if it had been struck by a ton of bricks. She longed to turn back time and relive the moments they shared by the river, laughing and talking for hours on end. It seemed like just yesterday that they had first met, and now she was leaving him behind, her love for him blossoming too late.

"Promise me you'll come back to visit me," Luthando asked, his arms wrapped around her waist as the taxi approached.

"I promise," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She pressed a tender kiss against his lips before he signaled the taxi to stop.

"I love you, S'momondiya sami," she said, using the affectionate term he had taught her.

"I love you too, Qhawe lami," he replied, his eyes shining with love and adoration.

As the taxi drove away, Qhawekazii gazed out the window, watching Luthando grow smaller in the distance. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she thought about the love that had grown in her heart, a love she never knew she had.

The journey to Durban was a long one, and Qhawekazii's mind was filled with thoughts of her mother and the questions she had for her. Why had she chosen a man over her daughter? Why had she never visited her, not even once? The letter her mother had written had softened her heart, but it had also raised more questions than answers.

As she thought about her father and the letter he had hidden from her, a spark of anger ignited in her heart. She had every right to that letter, and she couldn't help but wonder if her father's jealousy had kept them apart.

Despite her gratitude towards her father for raising her alone, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he had stood in the way of her relationship with her mother. She planned to reunite with her mother and make up for lost time, and she hoped that they could put the past behind them and start anew.

As the taxi approached Durban, Qhawekazii's thoughts were interrupted by a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned to face an elderly man with a white beard, a follower of the Shembe religion. She took her change from him, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of her mother and the future that lay ahead.