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P R O L O G U E :
Previously...
"Oh and Mandisa... Toodles.” Brandon said dropping the call, it had seemed that Mandisa was all alone, with a child that wasn’t hers and over thousands of police officials looking for her. Was this her end?
Her phone blipped and she looked down to see a message from an unknown number, the message read.
’Vengeance is mine and Renée will be back in my arms... you will be dead, wishing you never messed up my life. Trust.′
Timidly running towards her neighbors door Mandisa hurriedly put down her luggage and held on tightly to a sleeping Zoleka in her arms. She prayed that her neighbor would at least help her with the plan she had in mind seeing as she had no one, she couldn’t even reach Hector adding onto her frustrations. Her rushed knocking on the door might’ve woken up the dead with the way she banged on it.
“What! What! Whaaaat?” Mandisa heard from the other side of the door, if she didn’t need Daphnes help she would’ve broken character and broken her bones with the way she was annoying. “Oh, Sisanda...” Daphne said with an enthusiastic yet exhausted tone, Daphnes’ eyes slowly nestled on the sleeping toddler in Mandisa’s arms and followed to the luggage on the floor. Her expression changing from enthusiastic to worried. “What’s the matter Sanda? It’s... Jesus Sanda it’s 2 am what are you doing with Zole at this hour and the luggage -”
“- Daphne please, May I please come inside?”
“Of course, my apologies, allow me to help you with Zole.” Mandisas gaze narrowed as she followed Daphnes hands move towards Zole, she moved her arms away to indicate that she did not need to touch Zoleka. “You can get my luggage thank you, Zoleka is okay with me.” Disappointment registered in Daphnes face as she slowly nod her head and bent down to pick up the two carrier bags that belonged to her ‘dotting’ neighbor.
Within the room that Daphne occupied the tiny amount of light that bounced off the walls gave the room a relaxing feel along with the faint beats of classical music that played in the background. Mandisa listened to its soothing sound thinking over her story she wouldn’t blunder and get caught up in her lie.
“Daphne I’m sorry, I just -”
“- I just, I’m just so scared. His coming for me.” Mandisa frantically spoke in a sped up tone and made sure she placed Zoleka gently on the beige couch in the living room. Daphne stood near the door shut shocked at Sisanda’s sudden outburst, with the years that she has lived there Mandisa has never been open about her history and why she came to England or where the childs father was, although that didn’t matter in that moment. What mattered was why she was in Daphnes room at 2 am with a toddler and luggage in hand and ready to have a nervous breakdown.
“I need your help Daphne, I need your help. I can’t stay here! He’ll find me and - and his going to kill me and my baby please! Help me leave, Help me escape. He’s found my location he told me this himself his coming for me please-” finally riveted to comfort her crying neighbor Daphne wrapped her arms around her and cooed her to calm down. “Talk to me Sanda, who is this man and why would he want to kill you?” Mandisa discreetly rolled her eyes and thought about how dumb Daphne was, how utterly foolish she was to ask such a question what other reason did she need to understand that someone's life was in grave danger. “Zolekas father! He is the reason why I came here Daph he wants to kill me , he promised that he would kill me and I was able to hide from him for a clean two years...two years Daph and he still- I don’t know where to go, I don’t know what to do. I don’t have family Daph he has killed them all and Zoleka is all I have. Please! Help me escape.”
“Why haven’t you told the police?” slightly pushing herself away from Daphnes grasp Mandisa laughed maniacally, briefly reminding herself not to break character and continue crying. “What don’t you get Daphne? What don’t you understand? Do you not think I thought of that? That I considered it? Daphne he has everyone eating out of his hands, he’s powerful like that! I go to the police...I’m dead!”
Oblivious to the real problem, Daphne Meyers would soon understand that the real reason why Sisanda wouldn’t report this to the officials was because she was a fugitive that had international and local police looking for her let alone that her own allied friend was helping Brandon look for her.
The wheels in her head churning Daphne sat down next to where Zoleka slept, in fact she sat a little to close to her that Mandisa nearly pounced on her for even considering sitting next to her child but she held back her violent urges like she had been doing for two years. “What can I help you with Sanda? I really wanna help you and Zoleka escape that monsters clutches.”
Discreetly smirking in victory, Mandisas expression remained stoic as she calmly demanded what she needed. All signs of hysterics gone as quick as they had appeared.
”I want two tickets to South Africa."
