Zioh
I turned my head, scanning the surroundings, paying attention to every single detail as I finished getting ready and stepped out of my room. I had stayed one night in this residence under Zaeem’s orders, and that made the biting cold climb up my neck, driving me to keep moving, because remaining still felt impossible. I hadn’t been able to sleep—or, not properly. I’d only managed an hour before jerking awake, drenched in sweat.
I had to get out of this house.
Today.
The place was crawling with CCTV, and strange faces everywhere. I barely recognised this place anymore; it felt as though I’d never set foot here at all. Each step toward the front door felt heavier than the last, because I could sense the weight of stares on me—from housemaids, staff, even the two security guards stationed at the side gate. They dipped their head and offered me a polite greeting, while I could only return their gestures with an intense stare.
Something was off.
Did Dad tell them something?
What was Dad scheming this time? Ordered all his lackeys to keep their eyes fixed on me, breathing down my neck?
At the door, I quickly pushed open the heavy entrance and strode outside. Standing on the front terrace, I blew out a breath, closing my eyes to calm the surge raging inside me as I waited for Natasha and my chauffeur to bring the car from the parking area.
Looking left and right, I saw the same thing. Why were there so many fucking CCTV cameras inthis house? Ahead of me lay a garden with a fountain and a circular chauffeur driveway where our cars usually turned in and out.
Several metres further stood the towering iron gate, with a guard post beside it. From here, I could see two security men on duty, their eyes watching me.
I shook my head, letting out an exasperated breath.
A light pat on my shoulder startled me. I spun round and found a middle-aged man standing there, watching me with warmth in his eyes. A rush of relief swept through me.
Uncle Kuswan, one of Dad’s most trusted men, had been around since I was a child. He was Dad’s confidant, but he mostly handled matters within the household rather than business. Truth be told, he was more of Mum’s trusted person. The one Mum counted on to watch over us when we were little, together with his wife, Aunt Enda, whom I’d been searching for since earlier but hadn’t seen anywhere.
Seeing Uncle Kuswan’s face, I couldn’t help but smile. It had been far too long, and he looked older now, glasses perched on his nose, skin lined with wrinkles, hair completely white.
“Mr Zioh, it’s been a while,” Uncle Kuswan greeted me with tenderness in his eyes, pulling me into a hug. Normally, I would have shoved anyone away if they touched me with a sudden move. But instead, I found myself giving a slight bow, returning his embrace. The older man was shorter than I was.
“Uncle Kuswan, it has been a long time,” I said, resting a hand on his shoulder.
When we finally let go, I glanced behind him, hoping for another surprise—but disappointment sank in when I didn’t find her.
“Where’s Aunt Enda?” I asked.
Uncle Kuswan’s smile faded into a gentler one. “My wife fell ill some months ago and has gone back to our village, Mas Zioh.”
A sharp pang of worry hit me. “Is she alright?”
He nodded, squeezing my back. “She’s fine, Mas. Just the usual old-age ailments. I suggested she return home to the village and visit our grandchildren there.”
I nodded. A thread of calm pulsed through my veins.
“It’s good,” I murmured.
I turned my gaze towards the house right next to ours. That house had been no less grand than mine, though our home was substantial, expanded by Dad buying out plots of land left and right to extend it further. Still, the house next door was magnificent, about half the size of ours, standing tall in this elite neighbourhood.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The paint, the garden, even the gate, was still the same; everything looked familiar. There was a time when I went to that house every single day. I used to run there every morning, driven by the need to see someone. If I weren’t here, I would spend the whole day with my little brother and the two children living there.
Tshabina and Tsabinu.
I remembered how the gates between our houses were always open, as if we belonged equally to both homes. For over a decade, what I ate was what they ate, and what I did was what they did. There were always four voices echoing in the air, whether in laughter or in sorrow. I hadn’t lived a single year of my life without them there, from the very beginning until everything changed—especially not without Tshabina.
Being alone is the one thing that will never happen to you, Zioh! I’ll always stay by your side.Yellow. 8.
She and I had shared… something deeper. I’d always tried to take up less space, slipping into the corners, until she was all I could see.
