19/07/2026
Chapter 1
He sat at Café Vida, waiting for his Peanut Forca, not quite ready to go home yet. The train ride from Cape Town Station to Retreat had been long. The once joyful house where Emma and little Keith waited for him had become a toxic place.
Too often he heard how he couldn't provide, how he wasn't man enough, and how he wasn't like his brother, Timothy, who owned his own business.
Emma had been at home for more than three years. After she gave birth to little Keith, she decided to quit her job and become a full-time mom without even discussing it with him.
His nine-to-five job wasn't enough. He had to hustle. He sold anything and everything that could generate money. He couldn't even remember the last time he bought himself a decent pair of shoes.
Emma had become selfish over the last few years. She only bought things for herself. They still had a joint account where he deposited both his salary and all the extra money he made.
He had several conversations with Emma about her spending, but nothing had changed. He was treated like a child. If they went out on weekends, he wasn't allowed to listen to music in the car, and even the sound on his phone had to be turned off while scrolling through TikTok.
The rules were different for Emma. She played TikTok videos at full volume, and her "For You" page was filled with loud music and people swearing every few seconds.
Is this really life? Is this what I imagined?
"Your Peanut Forca is ready, sir," the person behind the counter called.
He got up, collected his Peanut Forca, and went back to his seat to enjoy it. He wasn't really in a hurry to see Emma just yet.
Life had once been simple. There was no drama, and Emma had been happy during the first year of their marriage. After Keith was born, everything started changing. No more kisses. No more affection.
He even helped clean the house, did the chores, and went for counselling. The counsellor gave him advice on what he could do to work on their marriage, but Emma never went, and he was the only one trying.
He pushed the straw into the plastic cup and took a sip of the Forca. That irritated him too. Sometimes it tasted amazing, and other times it was watery. He had mentioned it before, but nobody seemed to take him seriously.
Is this it? Am I done with Emma? Is the love gone?
He was exhausted. He wasn't sleeping well and had picked up weight over the last few months. He had been living on takeaways because, by the time he got home—usually after 8 p.m.—there was no food waiting for him.
He couldn't remember the last time he had been to church. Neither the pastor nor any of the elders had called to check on him. It felt as though everyone had forgotten about him.
Lost in thought, he stared out the café window, quietly wondering if things would ever change.
"Jason... Jason Abrams, is that you?" a soft voice called out.
He looked up but couldn't immediately put a name to the face. She looked familiar, yet strikingly beautiful.
"Yes, I am Jason Abrams," he replied with a smile, trying to be funny as always. "I know you... but from which life?"
He had always had a dry sense of humour.😂😂
The lady, who looked to be in her early forties, smiled warmly.
"It's me... Tiffany. Tiffany Gallant."
He stared at her for a moment before it suddenly clicked.
"Tiffany? From Grade 10?"
She nodded.
They had gone to school together at Grassy Park High.
A flood of memories came rushing back. He used to carry her school bag as they walked home after class, and on Fridays they would share a chip roll from Fisherman's Lane. Back then, life had been simple. There had been laughter, dreams, and not a worry in the world.
Jason stood up so quickly that he almost forgot about his Peanut Forca. For the first time that evening, Emma wasn't on his mind. A genuine smile spread across his face as he walked towards Tiffany.
"Tiffany... I can't believe it's really you."
They embraced, both laughing at how many years had passed, yet how familiar everything suddenly felt.
Innie mind van Uncle Stan
(Ekt Baie lanklaas geskryf, moet ek chapter 2 klaa maak😂😂?)
