Noni struggled to sleep that entire night. She tossed and turned in her bed and could not seem to shut out the images from her mind. Her grandfather had gone into more detail about how he hated the Venters, but Noni struggled to hear any of it. It was Gogo who ended the session because Khulu was re-living the old days and according to her “that is all in the past”. Gogo helped Khulu back into the house and they had left Noni standing alone in the garage. She was there for hours, combing through photographs, diaries and different stories about the apartheid era. She felt the anger and hurt swell up in her own spirit. The blacks were initially told these laws were going to help different races develop on their own but how is it that it was her people who were forced into poverty and hopelessness? She knew things were different now, and that South Africa was now a Rainbow Nation but…something still did not feel right.

Jacque left her a lot of WhatsApp messages which she ignored, and he tried to phone her for their usual goodnight call, but she did not pick up. She stared at his messages and cried, “Please pick up Nonx, Are you okay? I miss you. I won’t force you to tell your parents, I just want to be with you. Hello?” She now knew that his grandfather, a man she had met, and his family were directly responsible for harming her grandmother and exploiting her grandfather. Jacque's family money had never interested Noni, in fact, she always insisted that they go half and half when they paid foe things together, but now thinking about how his family had made their money made her feel sick. She knew what she had to do; she could not be with him anymore. This made her cry even more.

*

Noni met Jacque at their usual spot in front of the school. He parked his Jaguar and basically ran to her before he even stopped.

“Baby!” he swooped her up into her arms and held her close. “I was so worried, I thought…” and then he stopped talking. He noticed her red eyes, and how tired she looked. “Babe, are you okay?”

Noni tried to get the words out of her mouth but she struggled to say it. She honestly could not imagine not being his girlfriend anymore but knowing what she knew now, she had to be there for her family first.

“I have to break up with you.”

“What!? Nonx no, did your parents ask you to?”

“No, it's not my parents. It’s me, I want to break up.”

Other students pushed and shoved past them as they walked into school.

“It’s school time now. Gotta go to class.” Noni whispered and started walking away. Jacque panicked and gripped her arm while pulling her back to him. Noni squealed, “Ow, is this how they did it back then?”

Jacque’s mouth fell open and he shook his head in disbelief. “What are you talking about? Nonx I am so confused right now.”

“You always told me that the Venters were front in line to protest apartheid. That they used their economic influence to pressure the government and that they worked with international countries to help end apartheid.”

“Yes, my family did that. You know this. What’s this about?”

“Do you know what actually went on in those mines, what they did to their maids?”

“I mean…no, not directly, I…”

“Yes well. I found out about what your Grandfather Jack did to my grandmother. Our families can never be together. Sorry J, we’re done.” Noni pushed past him and this time, Jacque was too stunned to chase after her. Although Noni had spoken with confidence, she was not feeling brave at all. Her heart was breaking, she still loved him. Now they would never go to university together, or live in the same place, and travel the world together. All those dreams were now tossed down the drain. Was she being silly? Should she take him back and let the past be the past? Every time she thought about bringing him to the family, she could just imagine the pain she would cause, and Noni decided it was a good idea that she broke up with him. Jacque watched Noni leave and he knew that he could not let her go. He did not go to class, instead, he turned around and jumped into his car. The person he was going to see was his Grandfather Jack. Jacque was going to do everything he could to get his girlfriend back.

QUESTION: Would you have broken up with your boyfriend or girlfriend if you found out something like this?