Mandume left the hospital, and soon after, the nurse arrived. Star received her medications and stepped outside to wait for Mandume.
Back at home, Mandume's mother, Maria, was overjoyed to hear the news.
"Mandume, is it true? Star is fully recovered, and my daughter is free?" Maria asked, her voice trembling with relief.
"Yes, Mom. It's over," Mandume reassured her.
Maria turned to Bonita with a sharp gaze. "Bonita, you better behave this time. Next time, it won't be Star you send to the hospital—it'll be Mr. Merciless himself."
Mandume chuckled at his mother's warning before speaking up. "Mom, Star doesn't have taxi money to get home. Can I take the car and drive her? She's desperate to see her mother."
Maria didn't hesitate. "Of course, my son. I trust you. Here, take the keys."
Mandume accepted them gratefully. "Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it."
He drove back to the hospital, where Star stood waiting outside.
"Finally! Were you eating or what?" Star teased the moment she saw him.
Mandume smirked. "Why? Did I take too long?"
"Yes! I want to see my mother. You went to see yours and forgot about me," she pouted.
"Come on, let's go see Mom," Mandume replied playfully.
Star raised an eyebrow. "Mom?"
"Are you jealous she's my mom too?" he teased.
They laughed as they got into the car.
"Oh, before we go, let's stop by the college. I need to get my phone," Star said. "Speaking of which, where is it? You never told me."
Mandume shrugged. "It's somewhere safe. Don't worry."
At the college, Star rushed to the storeroom, retrieved her phone and a spare house key, then hurried back. They drove to her mother's house, but something felt off the moment they arrived.
The house was locked.
Star frowned. "Maybe Tomas keeps locking my mom inside when he leaves." She used her spare key and stepped inside, calling out. "Mom? It's me… Mom?"
Silence.
The house was eerily empty. Not just empty—cleared out. Her room, the furniture, everything was gone. It was as if no one had lived there.
Panic tightened her chest. She ran outside and called for Mandume. "Mendu! Mom isn't here! It's like she vanished. What do I do?"
A neighbor approached hesitantly. "Star! Finally, you visited."
"Yeah, where's my mom? The house is empty!"
The neighbor sighed. "I don't know, but Tomas left this envelope for you. He said to give it to you if you ever came back."
"Tomas?" Star's stomach twisted. "That man is really daring me."
She ripped open the envelope. Inside was a single photograph of her mother and a folded piece of paper. Dread pooled in her chest as she read the message:
Hey Star, did you know that you're smart? And that little gift God gave you, you want to use it against me. I politely asked you to leave and never come back, but you didn't listen. Now I promise you—you will never see your mother again. That's her photo. Look at it whenever you miss her. And just so you know, I sold the house. You might as well throw that spare key away. I will make sure you suffer.
Lots of hate, your stepfather.
Star's hands trembled. The paper slipped from her fingers as tears welled in her eyes.
"Mom…" she whispered, her voice barely audible before it cracked into a full-blown wail. "Mom!!"
She clutched her mother's photograph to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
Mandume picked up the letter, his eyes scanning the words in shock. Without hesitation, he rushed to Star and pulled her into his arms.
"No, Star… don't cry," she muttered to herself, wiping her tears. Then, with renewed determination, she clutched the photo and whispered, "Mom, I'm not giving up. The promise isn't fulfilled yet. I'm coming for you."
Mandume guided her back to the car. Once inside, he finally spoke. "I know you have a million questions in your head right now," she said, letting out a sorrowful chuckle. "So let me make it brief. Tomas is my stepfather—I only found out a few days ago. He's been abusing us since I was ten when I first came to Windhoek. My mom never took it seriously, so it became normal. She fought back sometimes, but when Tomas found out I was pregnant, he forced me out at gunpoint."
Mandume's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
"I've been sleeping at school since the semester started," Star continued. "I was fine with it. My plan was to find a job, get a place, and bring my mom with me. But now… she's gone."
Mandume exhaled sharply, struggling to process everything. "And your family? Have they tried to help?"
Star scoffed. "They turned their backs on her. They warned her about Tomas, and she didn't listen. Now, they don't care. I'm the only one left to save her. I have to be strong for my mom."
Mandume stared at her, his eyes glistening. "Star… you've been through all of this, and you still act like everything is normal?"
She looked away. "No one cares what others are going through. Everyone carries their own yoke, and only they know how heavy it is."
Mandume shook his head. "No, Star. I will carry your yoke with you—until you find your mother."
Star's breath hitched. "What?"
"I mean it. If Bonita hadn't pushed you, you would've seen your mother before she disappeared. I'm sorry this happened to you, Star. I won't leave you to face this alone."
Their eyes met in a deep, unspoken understanding. Star held his gaze, a flicker of something unguarded and raw passing between them. And in that moment, for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone.