Misplaced Trust

Chapter Six

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the small living room, the tension between me and Mother had reached its breaking point. For six months now, we have held onto a secret so tightly, believing it would protect our fragile bond. But tonight, the silence was shattered, and the weight of our hidden truth threatened to tear us apart. My mind went miles trying to fetch who could have possibly alarmed her about the rumors at school.

The air in the room was heavy with unease as Lenganji mustered the courage to confront me "Sally, I need to know. Did you tell someone about our secret?"

My eyes darted nervously, avoiding my mother's gaze. I  inhaled deeply, considering my response carefully. "Mom I swear I haven't told a soul. Our secret is safe with me."

Her face twisted with frustration at my response, her voice trembling. "But how can I be sure, Sally? Lately, I've noticed strange looks from people, as if they know something. Have you slipped up? Have you betrayed me?"

My heart sank, realizing the impact of my mother's suspicions. I  desperately wanted to protect her, to preserve our bond, but the truth threatened to unravel everything we had built. "Mom, I love you more than anything. I would never intentionally jeopardize our secret. You have to believe me."

She paced back and forth, her mind racing with doubt and confusion. The secret we shared had been our anchor, a bond that had brought us closer. It was a secret that had shaped our lives, altering our paths in ways we couldn't have anticipated. Now, uncertainty loomed over our relationship, casting doubt upon the foundation we had built together.

"Sally, I can't shake this feeling. If you haven't told anyone, then who could it be?" her voice cracked, a mix of fear and vulnerability seeping through.

I reached out, gently grasping my mother's trembling hands.
The touch brought a moment of solace, a reminder of the love we share. "Mom, I promise you, I am just as perplexed as you are but I will be honest, I did tell Anna about it only that I told her it was I and not you, im sorry but we  must confront this together, lie to hide the truth and protect what we hold dear."

The flickering candle on the dinner table illuminated our sad faces, reflecting my mother's anger, I felt her hands slipping away from mine. she had no words for I had let her down, how could I honestly open up to a friend about such a huge secret? Her tear-stained face was all I could see in the dark for the candle had finally been put off, we had no money to buy electricity units and that's the last candle we had. She pulled me close and gave me a tight hug, whispering," Tell me how much of this, did you tell her about?"

With a renewed sense of purpose, we locked eyes, finding strength in each other. Our bond had weathered storms before, and we were determined to face this one head-on, I tipped her off exactly every word I had told Anna and unexpectedly she had the most amazing plan to not blow up our cover.