The day her father disappeared, Sihle's mother set the dinner table for three, as if nothing had changed.
But Sihle knew something was wrong. Her father was always home by this time. He never missed dinner.
"Mama, where's Dad?" she asked, her voice small but urgent.
Nomhle, her mother, barely looked up as she placed a spoon beside his untouched plate. "I don't know, Sihle. Just eat your food."
That was the last time they ever set the table for three.
By the next night, there were only two plates.
Because her father never came back.
Ten Years Later…
Sihle's sixteenth birthday was a month away, but instead of excitement, all she felt was emptiness.
As she walked to school with her best friend Mandisa, she sighed, staring at the cracked pavement beneath her shoes.
"Sihle, what's wrong?" Mandisa asked, nudging her gently.
Sihle hesitated, then finally admitted, "I just… I miss my dad."
Before Mandisa could respond, their friend Bonga arrived, his usual bright energy filling the air. "Why do you both look so gloomy this early in the morning?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sihle and Mandisa exchanged glances before telling him the whole story—how Sihle's father left one night and never returned, how her mother refused to talk about it, and how ten years had passed with no answers.
Bonga listened carefully, then crossed his arms. "Well, there's only one thing to do."
"What?" Sihle asked, confused.
"You have to look for him."
Sihle blinked. Look for him? After all these years? Could she really do that?
Mandisa nodded thoughtfully. "It's not a bad idea," she said. "But where would you even start?"
Sihle hesitated. That was the problem—she had no clue where to begin.
"Maybe ask your mom again?" Mandisa suggested.
"She won't tell me anything," Sihle sighed. "She shuts down every time I bring it up."
Bonga tapped his chin, thinking. "Then we need another plan. Does she have anything of his? Old letters, documents, something that might give us a clue?"
Sihle's eyes widened slightly. "Actually… my mom still has some of his old belongings packed away. I've seen the boxes in her room."
Mandisa grinned. "Then that's where we start."
Bonga clapped his hands together. "Operation Find Sihle's Dad is officially on!"
The day went by, and soon school was out. Everyone headed home.
On their way back, Sihle's phone buzzed. It was a text from her mom:
"I'm working late tonight. I have to finish my project and submit it tomorrow. Don't wait up for me."
Sihle read the message aloud to her friends.
Mandisa and Bonga exchanged excited looks.
"That means you have the whole evening to check her stuff!" Bonga grinned.
Mandisa nodded. "This is the perfect chance, Sihle! You have to go through those boxes."
Sihle hesitated. "I don't know, guys… what if she finds out?"
"She won't," Bonga said confidently. "She's working late, remember? This is your only chance!"
Mandisa nudged her. "Come on, Sihle. You've been waiting for answers for ten years. If there's something in those boxes that can help, don't you want to know?"
Sihle took a deep breath. They were right. This might be her only chance.
When she got home, she dropped her bag and headed straight to her mother's room. The closet door creaked as she slowly pulled it open.
There, in the corner, were the old boxes. Dust had settled on top, proof that they hadn't been touched in years.
Her heart pounded as she lifted the lid off the first one.
Inside, she found old clothes, a few books, and some framed pictures. She carefully picked up one of them—it was a photo of her father, smiling with his arm around her mother.
Then, at the bottom of the box, something caught her eye.
A folded piece of paper.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.
It was a letter.
And it was addressed to her mother.
From her father.
Her breath hitched. This was it. A clue.
"Guys," she whispered into the group chat, snapping a picture of the letter. "I found something."
As soon as Sihle sent the photo of the letter to her friends, her phone buzzed with messages.
"What does it say?" Mandisa's message popped up first.
"Open it!" Bonga texted, excited.
Sihle carefully unfolded the letter, her heart racing. She began reading aloud to herself, her voice barely above a whisper:
"My dearest Nomhle,
If you're reading this, then you already know that I am leaving. I cannot explain everything now, but I need you to trust that this is the right choice—for me, for us. Please do not look for me. It's for your safety, and for Sihle's. I will always love you both, but this is something I must do alone.
Yours,
Lathitha."
Sihle's eyes widened. She could hardly believe what she was reading. The letter was addressed to her mother, but it was from her father.
Her hands shook as she typed back to her friends: "Guys… he's not just gone. He left on purpose. And he doesn't want us to find him."
Mandisa replied almost immediately. "That's crazy, Sihle. But why? Why would he leave like that?"
Bonga's message was quick to follow. "Maybe there's more to this story. You need to keep looking, Sihle. This letter is just the beginning."
Sihle felt a knot in her stomach. "But if he didn't want us to find him, why leave a letter? Why say to not look for him?"
Mandisa sent a voice message, her tone serious. "Maybe it's a warning. Maybe he's in danger. You have to find out, Sihle."
Sihle sat on the edge of her bed, the letter still in her hands. This was far from over. If her father didn't want them to find him, there had to be a reason.
And Sihle was determined to uncover it.
Sihle sat down on the bed, still holding the first letter. Her mind was spinning, but she knew she couldn't stop now. There had to be more.
She reached into the box again and carefully pulled out another piece of folded paper. This one was different—more worn, like it had been read and re-read a hundred times.
She unfolded it slowly, her hands trembling. It was another letter, but this time it was addressed to her mother from her father.
"Nomhle,
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to let you know that Lihle is doing very well. She's grown into a beautiful young girl. You would be proud of her. I hope one day you'll understand why I had to leave and why I couldn't come back. This is for the best, for all of us. Take care of Sihle.
Love, Lathitha."
Sihle's breath caught in her throat. Lihle? Who was she? Why had her father mentioned her in the letter, and why had he never mentioned her before?
She quickly snapped a picture of the letter and sent it to Mandisa and Bonga, her fingers shaking. "Guys, I found another letter. He's talking about someone named Lihle. Who is she?"
Mandisa responded right away. "Lihle? That's strange. Is it possible… your father had another family?"
Bonga's message followed. "Maybe. But why wouldn't he tell you about her? You have to figure this out."
Sihle closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed. The answers seemed further away than ever. Why had her father kept this secret for so long?
That night, Sihle barely slept. The letter about Lihle and the mysterious symbols from her father's notebook kept running through her mind.
Who was Lihle? And why had her father left behind strange notes that looked like they belonged in a mystery novel?
The next morning, the start of the school holidays, Sihle woke up to a text from Mandisa.
Mandisa: Morning, detective. Any more clues?
Sihle smiled slightly but then sighed. "Nothing new yet. But I need to know who Lihle is. I can't let this go."
Bonga: "So, what's the plan? You gonna ask your mom?"
Sihle hesitated. Talking to her mother about her father was tricky. Every time she brought him up, her mom would either change the subject or give her vague answers.
"I don't think she'll tell me anything," Sihle finally replied.
Mandisa texted back almost instantly. "Then we find out ourselves."
Sihle thought for a moment. The only place that might have more clues about her father was her house. If the old boxes had letters, there could be more hidden somewhere.
That afternoon, while her mom was out running errands, Sihle decided to check again.
She started with her mother's closet, pushing aside old clothes and boxes. Then, she checked under the bed.
Nothing.
Frustrated, she sat on the floor, staring at the half-open drawer of her mother's bedside table.
Her mother's personal drawer.
She hesitated. Should she?
Her heart pounded as she reached forward and gently pulled it open.
Inside, she found old receipts, some jewelry, and a small leather-bound journal.
Sihle carefully lifted the journal and flipped it open.
Her breath caught.
Her father's handwriting.
Page after page, he had written about his life, his thoughts, and—most importantly—his fears.
She turned the pages quickly until she saw a familiar name.
Lihle.
"She reminds me so much of Sihle. But I don't know how much longer I can keep this secret. If Nomhle ever finds out, I don't know what I'll do."
Sihle's stomach twisted. Keep this secret?
What secret?
She turned the page, searching for more answers, but the next entries were short and rushed.
Then, the last entry before the journal ended made her blood run cold.
"If anything happens to me, I just hope Sihle and Lihle find each other. They deserve the truth."
Sihle's hands shook as she reread the words.
What did her father mean? Had something happened to him?
And if Lihle was important enough to be in his final writings…
Who was she really?
Sihle took out her phone and sent a picture of the journal page to Mandisa and Bonga.
"Guys, my dad wrote about Lihle. He said she reminds him of me. And he said we deserve the truth."
Mandisa: "Sihle… what if she's your sister?"
Bonga: "There's only one way to find out. We need to look for her."
Sihle took a deep breath.
Her father had told her not to look for him.
But he had also said she deserved the truth.
And now, she was ready to find it.