UNTIL THE FIRE FADES

It is true that,"all that glitters isn't gold."Looking at Dinny and Lebo's relationship from the distance,one would think of it as a perfect one.Dinny,was a second born in her family.Her father had been a troublesome one,a man that never helped their mom in the upbringing of their children.He was only devoted to women outside his marriage while his family suffered. Having such a father had opened Dinny's eyes.She was never going to marry a man that looked like a younger version of her father.Lebo had added nothing but misery to her life.He wasn't the same muscular man she had fallen in love with some years back.He had promised her heaven and earth in the first years of their relationship.Dinny,love smitten,had believed all his lies not knowing that he was just a sweet talker. It was only after many heartbreaks that Dinny thought she had to make him pay for wasting her time.She was never going to let him go without letting him get a taste of his own medicine.Lebo on the other hand,

Back at Lebo's home,he was busy making preparations with his mother's help here and there.The money he was loaned covered for most of the important things.What was now left was for Dinny to find a wedding gown,make-up artist,hairdresser and a nail technician.Lebo thought by now,she will have found the right person or people for her special day.Lebo wasn't bothered about Dinny's recent silence,he just assumed she was as busy with preparations as he was. It's funny that at this point,he thought of her as his wife,so he had nothing to worry about.He was overdosed with confidence,thinking no man could be a threat in their relationship.It was only a matter of signing on a piece of paper to make her his official girl.The truth is,he loved Dinny but deep down he knew she was his way out of poverty.An independent beautiful woman with a beautiful face and body.Oh,what a combination! Lately,women are named gold-diggers but with him,it was the other way round.He was going to be the one diggi

Early in the morning the following day, 'Malebo made a mixture of local herbs for Dinny as promised.She instructed Lebo on how Dinny should use them and sent him to deliver them.Lebo wasn't pleased with his mother waking him up so early but on the other hand, he was happy that his mother was helping in Dinny's recovery.Lebo slipped into his comfy sweatpant, sneakers and a sweater because the weather was a bit chilly.He arrived at Dinny's home slightly before sunrise.He knocked upon arriving but it seemed people were still asleep.He opted to call Dinny, she answered after a few seconds and she went to let him inside.She smiled and gave him a hug, letting him come inside.He stretched his hands and gave her the herbs he had brought to her.Dinny reached out for them and thanked him for delivering them.She put her phone on the counter on purpose and told Lebo that she wants to freshen up so she could prepare him tea before he left.As soon as she left, Lebo's eyes were fixed at her phone.

The following day it was Friday. The day of an event where local musicians entertained their fans. It was also the day of Dinny and Max's date. As usual she did her chores and prepared herself for the date. This time she went all out. She wanted a sexy look that will leave Max breathless. She went to a local hair salon for a new hairstyle. As she waited on the queue for her turn she kept herself busy by scrolling through her phone gallery for older photos. An old of Lebo appeared on the screen and something caught her attention. It was a photo of him wearing an orange golfer with a flat cap. He sat on the edge of the bed. On the far left behind him, there was a handbag next to the bedside lamp. Memories of this day came flashing to her mind. Even though she couldn't remember the exact date, she remembered that this photo was taken when Lebo had claimed to visit one of his cousins in Bloemfontein two months back. She could recall that he had come to see her when he came back from Blo

Yesterday had been quite a day on Dinny's side. She woke up feeling like yesterday's events were just from her dreams. She pinched herself still in disbelief that a man had hired a whole musical band just for her entertainment. He brought back her confidence. On the other side, she thought about Lebo and how much of a disappointment he was. It was now six weeks before their wedding date. Instead of hurting over what she overheard through his last phone call to her, she pitied him because he never knew what was in store for him. Yesterday's video was just a tip of an iceberg. Currently, Max thought of looking deeper into his so called mother. He had to find ways he could run tests that could prove she was indeed his long lost mother. Even though he hadn't thought about his parents throughout his childhood, her sudden appearance made him wonder why she abandoned him. He recalled something from his childhood. He had overheard his grandparents discussing about his parents. His grand fat