Lean on me
581 Words
Radebe Mansion – Nomafu’s Room
Nomafu sat stiffly on the edge of her bed, her legs pulled up, the phone still in her hand. She could still hear her mother’s voice echoing through the walls from earlier — the raw scream that had chased Nomadlozi out of the house like a curse.
She had never seen Lily like that.
Not even the day her father had nearly left them.
She stared blankly at the carpet.
If Ma could do that to Nomadlozi... what would she do to me if I failed to secure Adam?
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
The pressure was on, and she knew it. And for the first time, Nomafu felt fear.
Real fear.
---
Capital Hotel – Late Evening
Nomadlozi leaned back against the cool white headboard of her hotel bed, her suitcase still half-unpacked beside her.
The city lights flickered outside the window, but they felt far away — like another world.
She held her phone to her ear, voice small.
“Hey... Adam?”
He didn’t even let her finish. “Where are you?”
She dropped the hotel’s name, and within ten minutes, she heard a knock on her door.
When she opened, Adam stood there — hair slightly messy, hoodie half-zipped, worry etched across his handsome face.
He didn’t say anything.
He just stepped forward and held her. Tight.
Like she’d collapse if he didn’t.
She melted into his chest, the tears she’d held all day finally sliding down.
“She chased me out, Adam. My own mother.”
Adam pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. “You’re never going back there. Ever again unless you want to.”
She nodded against him, shaky. “I just feel like everything is slipping…”
Adam kissed her forehead. “Then we grab what’s ours and build something better.”
They sat on the bed, her head on his shoulder, the city humming below them.
After a long pause, he said:
“We should get a place together.”
She lifted her head slowly. “What?”
Adam looked at her seriously. “You’re going to be my wife anyway. Why not start now? A soft, quiet place just for us. No noise. No drama.”
She hesitated. “Adam, I was raised to believe in marriage before…”
He gently took her hand, laced his fingers with hers.
“I know, sisi. But look where tradition got you today. Chased out like a stranger. You deserve a home where you’re loved every day, not just when it suits them.”
Nomadlozi stared at him. Her heart still bruised — but beating steady in his presence.
“…You’d really do that for me?” she whispered.
Adam smiled. “I’d do anything for you.”
Finally, she nodded. Slowly. “Okay.”
Adam pulled out his phone and called his friend — a guy in property management.
“Hey. I need something clean, secure, peaceful. For me and my fiancée.”
The friend chuckled on the other end. “Just say the word. I’ll send you options in the morning.”
Adam hung up and turned back to Nomadlozi, gently brushing her hair behind her ear.
“We're not hiding anymore. Not from family. Not from the past. This... is our beginning.”
Nomadlozi gave a soft smile through her puffy eyes, laying her head on his chest again.
And for the first time in years… she felt safe.
- Writer
