UNTIL THE FIRE FADES

It was an extremely hot day in December.It hadn't rained in a long time.Sitting under the tree,seeking protection from the scorching sun,Dinny looked down at the once hydrated land.It had lost its usual beauty,lifeless and showing all signs of dehydration."Nothing lasts forever.Not life,not hardships,not seasons,nothing at all" Dinny said to herself,in a low voice.

Dinny was a beautiful woman in her early thirties.She had a flawless brown skin with eyes that looked as sharp as a sword once you angered her.Her lips played a part in decorating her face.Whenever she smiled,you would be forced to smile back at her.She was well built,with tender breasts,a small waist and curves that made you see she was an early bird when curves were offered in heaven.

She came from a village in Maseru,the capital city of Lesotho.It was in this village where she found love,or so she thought.For some people,finding love at an early age felt like one had worn a lottery.For some,it wasn't.Dinny had become a fool in love without even noticing.She had vowed to love her partner until the fire fades,the flame of their love.

She was still so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice her lover,Relebohile,admiring her from the distance.Lebo,as his friends called him was a well built man.He had the physique of an athlete.His chest was Dinny's resting place whenever she felt down.They had their ups and downs just like any other couple.

As he came closer to where she sat,Dinny saw him and welcomed him with a genuinely loving smile."Oh Lebo!I never saw you from the distance,"she said.He didn't respond with words,he just smiled and gave her a warm hug.

"Dinny,we should talk.You always avoid me everytime I bring up this topic.It has been five years of our romance,how long should we wait?"Lebo's smile had faded,he now wore a serious face.He desperately wanted to take their love affair to the next level.

Upon hearing the seriousness in her partner's voice,Dinny looked down without answering.She thought of how people from the outside always thought she was loved right yet she wasn't.The first two years were beautiful,she felt loved and seen.The three years weren't as good as the past two,she had dealt with her partner's infidelity and insecurities.You may wonder why she never left,but tell me,why would she leave without making him pay?

Dinny's heart began beating faster as though she had just participated in a marathon.Tears filled her eyes but she successfully hid them.She didn't want him to notice how emotional she became.How dare he ask for her hand in marriage when he had eyes on other women?For the first two years,he had deceived her into believing he was a loyal God fearing man.As the saying goes,"a leopard never changes its spots"Lebo later revealed his true colours.

She wiped the tears streaming on her blown ballon like cheeks."Are you crying?" Lebo asked."Who?myself?I'm not a cry baby,"Dinny responded.They both laughed.Deep down she was mad at herself,she had promised herself that she would stop shedding tears in his presence."Lebo,I wanted to achieve somethings before we could tie the knot but now I feel like i'll lose you if I keep postponing",Dinny said.

She held his hands and looked him straight it the eyes."Send your uncles home,once things are finalised,we can start making preparations for the white wedding."

Lebo looked at her confused.He wanted to get married but wasn't ready for a white wedding,he never wanted to overspend.He wanted to send his uncles,after both families agreed,he would marry Dinny their traditional way.He would just have to buy her a seana-marena blanket,a shwal and a sheep to welcome her into his home."Wedding?"Lebo finally managed to ask.

"You always told me you want a small wedding."It was true,Dinny had always said she preferred a traditional wedding.That wasn't true though,she was a thoughtful lover.She knew her partner couldn't afford a white wedding so she was just ready to compromise.She knew that once they were married,they would build and grow together.

"The ball is in your court now honey.Its a white wedding or we can wait until you are ready for a white wedding"

Dinny said in a silly tone.Lebo knew that as a man,he had to make a plan.If she wanted wedding,she will get it.He quickly thought to himself that he had to borrow money from loan sharks for the wedding to be a success.For someone who wanted to get married,he hadn't saved much.The funny part is,Dinny was aware of his financial status,she just wanted to frustrate him.

Lebo knew that Dinny was a strong willed lady.She lived a debt free life,debts drain people.He knew that after their wedding she would want to help him pay off his debts.Imagine the head of your family without a brain.A man looking forward to marrying a woman who will pay off his debts.Well,some said its okay but to Dinny it was never her cup of coffee.

Lebo on the other hand,thought otherwise.He always debated with his friends that it's high time women started supporting man financially.He would always be the only man in their group boasting about how women have been chowing their great grand dads' money and that now it was their turn as men to chow women's money.Luckily,he was only this silly when he was with his friends.To his partner,he would always pretend to be a saint.

"Alright then!We will make wedding preparations after our families' agreement.I have to check on my mother,she wasn't feeling well earlier so I'll call you later".Lebo gave her a hug and kissed her lips."Eew!your lips are chapped,you should stop using this lipsticks of yours,look what they have done to your lips...and they don't look good on you."He said with an annoyed look on his face.

Dinny pulled away from his hug.She was now used to him belittling her.Whenever she looked or felt pretty,he will make degrading comments.He didn't want her to look attractive in anyone else's eyes except his.That was sick of him!Dinny licked her lips attempting to give them moist.She was furious at him for what he just said but she pretended not to care.She pulled a silly face and directly at him,"you should go.What I use on my lips shouldn't be any of your concern"

She turned and walked away from him,heading back to where was seating earlier.Lebo stood there standing tall,frozen like someone who had just seen a ghost.He had no option but to back and walk away.He walked with shame,feeling less of a man because lately,Dinny always talked back at him.Deep down,he knew he was to be blamed.He had turned her into someone she was not.A woman who talked back at her soon to be husband.

Lebo had no choice but to go home.He lived with his mother and two of his sisters.Upon arriving home,he swung the kitchen door open,without even knocking."Mom!Mom!I have some good news for you".He walked passed his sister,who sat on the floor facing the kitchen door."You don't even greet us,you just come in here like you are the man of this house",said Lorraine,his younger sister.He ignored her and went to sit next to his mother,who sat watching television.

Lorrain shifted and now sat facing her mother and brother."Let's hope you landed yourself a job",she said."Mom,Dinny has finally agreed to be my wife,make preparations for a white wedding,"he said."Whaat?"She quickly reached for the television's remote control and switched it off."Now this is melody to my ears."She was so overjoyed that she didn't think of how her son will afford a white wedding.

Lorraine was quiet for a moment.This was not because she wasn't fond of Dinny but because she because she wondered why she had agreed to marry her lazy cheating brother."Yoh!Dinny is a strong woman",she laughed.Their mother stood up and limped to her bedroom ignoring her."There's a tailor nearby.I should get my phone to send him pictures of the two dresses I have always saved for your wedding."

"Mom,you are unbelievable.What if Dinny changes her mind?It's too soon for you to be sending designs to your tailor.I don't believe him."Lebo wanted to ignore her but this time her words cut deep.He quickly reached for the television's remote and threw it at Lorraine.Unfortunately for him,the remote landed at the wrong spot.It landed on his mother's favorite glass set that was displayed on their kitchen cupboard.

Lorraine stood up laughing and ran to her bedroom."She is gonna kill you for breaking her glass set."Lebo rushed to the kitchen to clean up the broken glasses before his mother could notice."If it's not Lorraine disrespectful towards me,it Dinny.Why do they treat me like this?"He spoke in a loud voice,unaware that Lorraine heard him."Respect is earned",Lorraine shouted from her bedroom.

Lorraine loved her brother but she didn't like how he mistreated Dinny.Dinny was the only well mannered lady she had seen her brother fall inlove.He always claimed to love Dinny but his younger sister always asked how could he say he loved him yet he wasn't loyal to her.She had hoped her brother will change after she confronted him about the girls who sent him naughty messages on his f******k wall for the world to see.Sadly,he unashamedly entertained them,making excuses that those were his ex classmates.

Dinny was also aware of his behavior but she chose to ignore them.One evening,after seeing a message from one of the girls to Lebo,she took a screenshot and sent it to his mother hoping she will talk some sense to Lebo.Lebo's mother sympathized with Dinny but only told her that with time,Lebo will change.She believed it was how all men behaved.Seeing that his mother wasn't going to help her,she decided to teach him a lesson he will never forget.

Still at her mother's house,Dinny had now moved to her bedroom.She was feeling bored so she decided to call her closest friend who lived nearby.Her friend's phone was off so she thought maybe the battery had died.The never thought much about the call until her elder sister gave her a w******p call."Hey Dee!I'm calling to check on you,have you seen your friends' leaked video circulating on f******k?I have always known she was a snake."Surprised,Dinny couldn't even give a reply,her sister continued talking.

"She has always envied you!That girl wants whatever you have.What kind of person betrays their friend like that."Dinny guessing what video her sister is referring to,finally responded."Maki,I'm so lost.my f******k account was hacked so I haven't got time to create a new f******k account.What video are you talking about?"

"Yoh sis!So you don't know?Even though the man seen on the video isn't facing the camera,I can tell it's your boyfriend on that video.Remember I helped you pick that navy shirt and khaki pants.I even saw him wearing them earlier before this video was leaked."Dinny wasn't surprised by this news."Relax sis!il call you later."Afterwards,she ended the call.

She knew exactly what video her sister was talking about.It was a video of her boyfriend with her best friend.She had seen the video hidden somewhere in her boyfriend's phone but never asked him about it.She imagined the embarrassment on her friend as soon as she noticed her trending video.

On the other hand,Dinny thought about her boyfriend and how he would react upon hearing about the video.Lebo had also seen the video but acted fast on it.He always thought or saw himself as a smart guy.He made a direct call to Dinny attempting to be the one break the ice to her.The first call wasn't picked.Fortunately for him,she picked the second call was answered.

"Hey Lebo!Missing me already?"She asked,teasing him."Hey Dinny,I actually called to tell you something about that girl,your friend."He pretended to have forgotten her name."Which girl are you talking about?" Dinny asked in a bored tone."Your friend!The one who lives opposite your aunt's house.There's a video of her naked circulating on f******k.Ah and she's with some dude hiding his face",he chuckled.

"Hmm!That's really sad.I should check on her sooner,please end the call."That wasn't what Lebo had expected but he was relieved that Dinny showed no interest in watching the video.Her concern was her friend.

In reality,Dinny was just fooling him."Oh Lebo,if only you knew that this is just the begging."She said in a low voice,smiling.

The video was leaked by her.Upon finding it hidden in her boyfriend's phone,she sent it to her phone without him noticing.It wasn't the only video,there were countless videos from different women.They sent him videos and in exchange,he paid them for entertaining him.Dinny never knew of his behavior at first.She was still blinded by love.With time,she saw his true colours.Her sister had never loved Lebo from the beginning of their relationship.With him,she had made peace that Dinny loved Lebo.

At a local cafe,almost everyone was glued to their phone.Repeatedly watching the trending video.Some mocked the girl in the video.Some asked why she agreed to being recorded while some only felt pity for her.At her home,the girl in the video looked herself in her bedroom.She wasn't worried about the video being leaked because she earned money through making such videos and selling them to interested people.Her only concern was that,she had messed up this time.Lebo was the man in the video.

She was ashamed that she had fallen for friend's partner.It was a once off thing and she forced into participating because Lebo had threatened her that he will reveal her family's secret.Even though she lived a life of her choice,her intention was never to hurt others.She did all she could to make ends meet.Life was never easy,jobs were scarce.

She thought of sending messages to Dinny,to apologize for what she did."Hey Dee!You must have seen the video by now.When you have time,il explain to you why it happened.Please know that Lebo forced me into doing it.I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me."The text message was delivered to Dinny's phone.She read it and said to herself "Lebo is yet to pay."

The text message was well received by Dinny.She never cared to respond.She wasn't after her friend after all,it was Lebo that she was after.It was only unfortunate that her friend was caught up in all this mess."Lebo!this is just the beginning of your nightmares",Dinny said to herself.