Turn of events pt1

***

Mmakwena Nkwana

CAPE TOWN, POLICE STATION

"Yes sir. " said the Constable

"We'll release her immediately." he said after a few minutes.

"Release her." the Constable said as he walked up to me.

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused." the constable apologized.

"It's okay, you were just doing your jobs." I said, caressing my wrist.

"Is there anything we could help you with? " he asked me as I signed the discharge papers.

"No." I answered.

"Okay." He replied.

It suddenly clicked to me…

"You can help me with something." I answered.

"What's that?" He asked, curiously.

"I need you to find me, everyone named Nkosinathi in Cape Town, even those who go by the nickname Nkosi or Nkosinathi." I responded.

The constable looked completely shocked at this information. He nodded and called one of the officers to tell the search team to find everyone named Nkosinathi in Cape Town.

Satisfied, I walked out as I had to get back to the hospital. I suddenly received a phone call from an unknown number.

"Hello, Mmakwena Nkwana speaking." I spoke.

"Lay-rat-o is dead. " the voice said.

"What?" I asked, stunned.

I have processed that the phone call was from Thomas, Detective Wilson.

"You have to come to the hospital." Detective Wilson replied.

"I'm on my way." I said going back into the police station.

"Constable, give me your car." I ordered, impatiently.

"Excuse me?" He questioned, flabbergasted.

"Your car, I need it right now." I said walking to his desk to grab his keys.

"I…I…"

Before he could finish I interrupted him.

"Pick your car up at the hospital you found me at." I added walking out.

The constable stared at me as I left with his car keys. He wanted to say no but I was his superior and he had to do whatever I said he should do. I got in his car and drove to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I went around searching for Thomas and found him looking at the little video footage the hospital has.

"Your hospital's security is pathetic." He said looking at the security guy.

"We're sorry, but we haven't been able to replace it." Said the head chief of the hospital .

"Don't apologize to me." He said, glaring at the Head chief of the hospital.

"Did you find anything?" I asked, interrupting them.

"No, this footage is useless." Detective Wilson answered, annoyed

"Welcome to my country." I whispered, sighing.

I wanted to tell him it was useless. I wanted to tell him that this was the reality of South Africa, that it is a corrupted place where money is the only way you can get things done.

"Did you say something?" Detective Wilson asked, turning towards me.

"No, let's go, I need to show you something." I answered walking out.

I had to show him the sketch. We walked out and Detective Wilson took out the sketch.

"Did you want to show me this?" He asked.

"Woah, I mean yes, but I didn't expect this." I said, confused and impressed.

"But how did you know that there were two drawings together?" He asked me.

"It's a technique used by artists." I answered.

Detective Wilson looked at me puzzled. It makes me aware and reminds me that he has probably never heard of this, ever.

"It's called DIE TWEE KANTIGE STORIE." I explained, sighing as I emphasized the words Die twee kantige storie.

"What?" He asked, completely shocked.

"It's called the two-sided story in English." I explained again, rolling my eyes.

He was becoming annoying to some extent and this case just became messier than it was supposed to be. We also just found some shocking news. Lerato was dead.

"Oh." he said.

"Yeah, I am quickly going to make a phone call." I replied.

I walked to the corner and called Thato.

"Hey, could you please send someone to come pick up a body at Cape Town City Hospital?" I asked the moment he picked up.

"Sure, will do" Thato responded before I hung up the call.

I walked to the front desk and I told them that someone would come and pick Lerato's body up. I then walked back to Thomas.

"Let's go, I know someone who will be able to depict the sketch better than us." I called, walking towards him.

"Hey, I can depict this sketch." He said feeling offended.

"And what is this sketch about, depicter?" I asked in a mocking tone.

"Uh…it's about…it's about a…Secret Passage Hidden behind a mountain." He said, after thinking and stuttering.

I rolled my eyes and walked away..

"Let's go Detective." I said, snorting.

It reminded her of back then…

***

Eleven years ago...

We were in an art museum and I was admiring all the art pieces in front of me.

"Hey! Why don't you also stare at me like that?" He whined.

I looked at him and laughed.

"Tommy, you are different from art, I stare at art with appreciation and I stare at you with love and affection," I explained grinning.

He smiled and pulled me close by the waist.

"Ana, sweetheart,You are someone I adore, appreciate and love," he said, kissing my forehead.

***

"When did you get a car ready?" He asked, completely impressed.

I snapped out of my thoughts and stared at the car.

"I have my ways." I answered getting into the driver's seat.

We then left the hospital to our next stop.

"Where are we?" Detective Wilson asked.

"You'll find out soon." I answered, knocking on the door.

"Ms Nkwana, what a delightful surprise." she said when she opened the door.

Detective Wilson stared in shock at the lady. After all, he use to see her a lot when we were...

"It's nice to see you again Mrs Ndlovu." I said fake smiling as I hugged her.

I dreaded the fact the lady I was standing Infront of was where I got my...

Detective Wilson stared shocked at me.

"Oh, this is Detective Wilson." I introduced him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Ndlovu." He said, shaking her hand.

I snorted as Detective Wilson spoke to Mrs Ndlovu. He looked like a boy meeting his girlfriend's family for the first time.

"It has been so long since I last saw you, Mrs Ndlovu," Detective Wilson added.

"No way! Are you…"

"Detective, we are still busy with an investigation," I stated as I interrupted her.

He stared frowning at me and I scrunched my nose annoyed. He scrunched his nose as stared at me. He looked sorry.

"Mmakwena, Stop bothering the lovely lad." said Mrs Ndlovu.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop." I said, rolling my eyes.

Mrs Ndlovu lightly slapped me on the shoulder and I whined. 'How could she hit her child?' I thought to myself.

For a stranger, that too.

Detective Wilson snorted and Mrs Ndlovu invited us into her house. Her house is still filled with a variety of portraits.

"Sorry about the mess, I was working on my art for my upcoming event." She said, covering all her unfinished art.

It's the same thing with her. Event after event.

"How can I help you guys today?" She asked, sitting down.

I took out the sketch and placed it on the table.

"We're working on a paranormal case, two people completely vanished from the face of the Earth." I answered.

"Okay, and how can I assist you?" Mrs Ndlovu asked, confused.

"We found a sketch but we don't know what the meaning of the portrait is. " Detective Wilson answered.

"Let me see?" she said.

I handed the drawing to Mrs Ndlovu. Mrs Ndlovu looked at the sketch fascinated by the drawing.

"Who drew this?" she asked.

"A girl named Lerato." I answered.

Mrs Ndlovu looked amused at the painting. It was as though she was looking at her daughter's art proudly.

"She has talent." Mrs Ndlovu said, using her smallest palette knife to separate the sketches.

"She's dead. " Detective Wilson told her absent-mindedly as he looked at the paintings hanging on her walls.

She stopped for a brief moment before she continued. 'Weird.' Nkwana thought.

It made me wonder why Mrs Ndlovu stopped when she heard that. She couldn't be involved with any of this, right? Shaking my head I brushed it off as maybe just a coincidence, maybe Mrs Ndlovu was just shocked that a talented person died.

Although, It is funny how someone else's death mattered to her.

"What happened to her? " Mrs Ndlovu asked, once she was done separating the sketches.

"We suspect someone killed her." I answered.

"That's sad, she would have been a great artist," Mrs Ndlovu said, sighing.

I nodded my head as I felt my heart ache a bit. I never thought my mother caring for someone would hurt me. After all, my mother never thought that I could be a great artist.

***

Seven years ago...

"Mom, what do you think about this?" I asked my mother nervously..

"You drew this?" my mother asked.

I nodded my head shyly. My mother looked shocked but she quickly changed her expression to a stoic expression.

"It needs a lot of work." she stated.

"It looks like you just get worse every time." she added, throwing my sketch to the floor.

***

"Mrs Ndlovu, can you tell us what this sketch is about?" Detective Wilson asked, snapping me out of my thoughts with his voice.