Oceans apart.

Dineo Khumalo stood at the airport in Johannesburg with a smile on her small skinny face. She had just finished college in Eastern Cape.

"This is where it's all happening". She said to herself. She scanned through the airport in search of taxis going to Gauteng where she would be staying for a week. The thought of a luxurious room and hotel service reminded her why she had to come to Johannesburg in the first place and the smile disappeared from her face.

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Wayne Khumalo lived in the Dlane Villa and worked for Mr and Mrs Dlane. When the Dlane's first son Themba was born, a nanny was hired to take care of him.

Wayne fell in love with Mary and they got married four years later. Mary still worked as a nanny while Wayne worked as a messenger in Dlane investments. The Khumalos had their first child Ayanda Khumalo. Ayanda means increment in Zulu. Seven years later, Dineo Khumalo was born and Mrs Dlane insisted that she couldn't live with them because she hates the noise of a crying child. Dineo was sent to Eastern Cape to live with her grandmother when she was just four months old. The two sisters were oceans apart and so was their lives.

Ayanda Khumalo was a loving child and had an interesting childhood. She had a pretty skin and smile and was loved by all. Most times when Themba was in a bad mood, she would calm him down and make him smile again. Both of them grew up loving each other very deeply.

Mrs Dlane never liked that Themba gave more attention to Ayanda than anyone else. At nineteen, he was a strong and intelligent young man and girls flooded him. He never had a girlfriend and didn't show any sign of being interested in a relationship. Mrs Dlane made a plan to get rid of the Khumalos once and for all.

***************

"Where are you taking daddy". Ayanda asked the policemen putting her dad in handcuffs.

" To the police station". The policeman answered.

Of course, she knew that but she wanted a more definite answer. She held her dad and sobbed.

"Please don't take daddy away". Her pleas fell on deaf ears as her dad was taken away.

Later that night, she heard the Dlane's having a conversation.

" What effrontery! Ten million Rands". Mrs Dlane was very loudly.

"Mr Khumalo would never steal mom". Themba argued.

Ayanda exclaimed silently and covered her mouth. Tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't believe her dad was being accused of theft.

"Shut up your mouth. I do not understand why you always have to take sides with those low lives". Mrs Dlane shouted at her son, she looked very angry at her son's remark.

"We need to take our time to investigate before coming to sudden conclusions". Mr Dlane spoke for the first time.

The meeting was coming to an end so Ayanda had to leave before she got caught eavesdropping. She went to her room and cried. She was sad that her dad was arrested and her mom had lied to her that it was nothing serious.

Mrs Dlane arranged for some guys in the company to embezzle company funds and blame Wayne for it. It was very easy as Mr Dlane trusted Wayne so much even though he was only a junior staff. It wasn't long before the executives found out about the theft, Wayne's signatures were found on forge papers. Khumalo would lose his job and also the house he lived in with his family in the Dlane Villa. If found guilty by the court, he would face long term imprisonment.

_________________

Themba knocked on the door.

"Come in". Mr Dlane answered from within. "Themba, sit down".

"I don't think Mr Khumalo did what he was accused of". Themba began but his dad cut him off.

"Unless you have evidence to back up your claim, it's just an assumption. One that's needs to be ignored".

"But dad, there has got to be a way out of this".

"What do you have in mind?". Mr Dlane leaned in to listen to his son's suggestion.