LOVE IN THE SHADOWS ❤️🩹Series One
Michael Beckham lived in Durban with her mother, Emily, and her baby sister, Lily, while her father, John Beckham, worked far away in the Free State on a long business project. At first, he used to call often, asking about school and reminding Michael to focus on her studies. But as time passed, the calls became shorter… then less frequent.
Michael noticed.
To her, it felt like her father no longer cared. She tried to hide the disappointment, but it showed in her silence. Whenever she came home with good marks or stories from school, there was no one on the other end of the phone to hear them. Emily did her best to fill that space, but she was overwhelmed—working, caring for Lily, and holding the family together alone. Small arguments began to appear in the house, usually late at night when Michael could hear her mother sighing behind closed doors.
School became Michael’s escape.
Now in Grade 10, she found comfort in routines—classrooms, textbooks, and the familiar laughter of her best friends, Jessica and Aesse, who had been with her since primary school. But even school began to feel different because of one person.
Jake.
Jake was in the class across from hers. Michael had liked him ever since that awkward but meaningful day when they were paired for a project and he spoke to her with genuine interest, not judgment. Unlike others, Jake listened. He asked questions. He remembered things she said. Sometimes, when Michael felt invisible at home, Jake made her feel seen.
On sports day, Michael stood on the soccer field with her friends, laughing about the sleepover planned for the weekend at her house. The sun was bright, and for a moment, everything felt normal—until Jordan began walking toward them.
“Don’t turn around,” Jessica whispered urgently
.
Michael turned anyway.
Her face turned tomato red.
Jake stood a few steps behind Jordan, smiling slightly, his eyes meeting hers for just a second longer than necessary. Later that day, he found an excuse to walk beside her, asking about the sleepover, joking about how terrible he was at soccer. Those small moments slowly pulled Michael deeper into her feelings.
But as her crush grew, so did the distance at home.
One evening, Michael finally broke down when her father missed yet another promised call. Angry words spilled out, accusing him of forgetting about her. What she didn’t know was that John was working extra hours, turning down rest just to provide for his family. He carried guilt every day, saving her voice messages and replaying them when he felt alone. He cared deeply—he just didn’t know how to show it from so far away.
The misunderstanding weighed heavily on Michael’s heart.
Caught between family pain and confusing emotions for Jake, Michael stood at the edge of a chapter in her life where love, disappointment, and truth would soon collide.
** Thanks to Pearl Mamoloko and her assistants and editor
