Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Toma waits outside when I pull up at the house. What in the name of the gods happened here? I cut the engine and get out of the car.
Not a single plank remains where the coop and shed were situated in the distance. The garden—or what’s left of it—is one big slush pile of mud and junk. The flowers are chomped down to stalks, probably by the goats. The grass is trampled, and the terracotta pots in which herbs and succulents were planted are broken. A mattress that’s more brown than white with a hole burned in the center lies in a corner. Pieces of crockery stick out from the wet soil. A fork shines among the dirt in the winter sun.
Toma stands on the seat of a chair that’s missing all four feet to keep his pants from dragging in the muck.
“What the fuck?” I say, raking my fingers through my hair.
“Wait until you see the inside.”
I climb the steps to the porch. Goat manure covers the veranda. The front door stands open. A few pigeons moved in. They fly to the ceiling, flapping their wings in a flurry when we enter.
The place inside is no better than outside. It stinks of rot and mold. Everywhere I look, there’s chaos. A curtain that’s been torn off the rail is spanned between the two living room pillars to form a hammock. The drawers are turned over on the floor. The silver and cutlery are gone. Only the plastic picnic eating utensils are left.
“They emptied out the place,” Toma says behind me.
“When?”
“Must’ve been recently. They were still here last week when the delivery guy dropped off the food.” He waves an arm through the space. “I brought the water fountain refill to find this.”
“What about upstairs?”
“The same. They left the heavy mattress in the main bedroom. Most of everything else is missing.”
I turn in a circle, taking in the destruction. “Where have they gone?”
“Back to the valley. Kids, goats, chickens, and all.”
“Motherfucker,” I say under my breath.
He makes a face. “You tried.”
Stomping back outside, I say from over my shoulder, “Get this fucking mess cleaned up.”
“Do you want us to bring them back?” he calls after me.
“No.” I climb down the steps. “Let them rot in that damn valley.”
He runs to keep up with me, sidestepping a pile of goat shit. “What about the house?”
“Lock it up.”
I get into the car and slam the door.
So much for trying to turn dirt into gold. Some families are born to be scum. I’m the perfect living proof.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Sabella
* * *
Christmas comes and goes. My family and Colin’s spend a quiet New Year’s evening in Great Brak River. I go to the beach and swim every day, but the cave brings back memories, so I return to my comfortable villa in Cape Town before the year is one week old.
Mom wanted me to stay until after my birthday. She suggested organizing a cocktail party. Disappointment was etched on her features when I declined. I made up an excuse of going out with my university friends in the city. The truth is that I’m scared. I’m scared Angelo will return. If he does, it’s best I don’t lure him to my family.
The closer the day of my nineteenth birthday gets, the more anxious I grow. Healing takes time, but I haven’t healed much since my dad’s murder. I started getting nightmares. As my birthday draws nearer, those horrific dreams become more frequent.
Guilt eats me alive. The lies and secrets are killing me. Keeping up a front is becoming more difficult with each passing day. The acting is exhausting.
For the world, I’m happy and carefree. For anyone looking in from the outside, I’m just another spoiled rich girl who lives in a fancy villa in Camps Bay and who drives a brand-new electric car every year. They’re not sports cars. However, the brands are reliable and on the upper end of the scale. Ryan insists it’s for my safety. He won’t let me buy a smaller, second-hand car, and I’m too worn-out to fight him on this.
I don’t want for anything. Ryan makes sure of that. He covers all my expenses, including my grocery and clothing bills. The allowance he gives me for entertainment goes straight into a savings account. Next year, my lecture hours will decrease. Having more time available will allow me to get a part-time job. There are many restaurants in Camps Bay, and the staff turnover is high. They’re always looking for waitresses. I’ll save every penny until I can afford plastic surgery to remove the brand on my skin.
Colin calls and offers to take me out for my birthday, knowing how much I dread the day, but I don’t have the energy to sit through a dinner in a fancy restaurant and pretend to be okay. I don’t want to cry on his shoulder either. I’d rather be alone. It takes a lot of convincing before he backs down, but he buys my lie of needing some pampering me-time and going out for a girls’ night on the town.