For love & money
The tables turn when Israel switches loyalties, but does May really trust him and is Thuli willing to give up?
After Israel’s (Menzi Ngubane) confession to May (Tina Jaxa) on Tuesday 16 February, he’s worried about his future at the homestead and whether or not his newly acquired fiancée will give him up to the family, the police and walk away from what has become a genuine relationship. But after a long-winded explanation and promise that he’ll leave his current wife Thuli (Sonia Sedibe) – who’s been masquerading as her friend and confidante – May takes the high road and forgives Israel for swindling her and the family out of her late husband’s hard-earned cash. The catch? He needs to get the money back from Thuli by convincing her that he wants to fix things. But when Israel and his estranged wife get a little too close for comfort, May doubts her fiancé’s love for her and she’s tempted to blow open his entire operation.
LIE TO ME, BABY
May’s first reaction when Israel comes clean is to go into a fit of rage. “How dare he do that?” asks Tina. “Not only has he lied to her and watched her suffer without the money, but he also lied about being married, when all along she thought that he had an exwife and had no idea it was Thuli, her new BBF whom she was beginning to like.” As his web of lies comes crashing down, Israel promises things are over between him and Thuli and he wants to prove it by getting Thuli to return the money to the family. So on Wednesday 3 February, Israel demands Thuli return the money they stole but she refuses, especially now that he’s made it clear that he no longer wants to stay married to her. Even though his confrontation yields no fruit, May tells him on Thursday 4 February that she’s forgiven him and will help him find another way to reclaim the cash. “May has five different personalities,” says Tina. “One minute she’s mad and in the blink of an eye she’s changed her mind and another personality comes out.”
THE DOUBLE CROSS
May’s keen to restore her finances and she wastes no time in plotting with Israel on Monday 8 February. They decide to dupe Thuli into believing that a reconciliation is on the cards so she can trust Israel again. “Israel tells May that he knows that what Thuli wants more than anything is him and they try trick her,” says Tina. But Thuli’s already on to Israel and decides to play along and see how far it goes and, on Tuesday 9 February, they begin to believe that she fell for Israel’s act. But their plan appears to be working a little too well when May gets uncomfortable with the closeness between her man and Thuli on Wednesday 10 February. “She doesn’t know whether to trust him anymore because he’s broken her trust before,” says Tina.
TWO AGAINST ONE
Israel is in trouble when a scorned Thuli asks him to tell the family that his engagement to May is off on Thursday 11 February to prove that he wants to reconcile. Upon his announcement on Friday 12 February, May tries to assure herself that it’s all part of the plan… until she loses it again and decides that she doesn’t need Israel’s help to get the money back and makes him reveal his true intentions for coming to the homestead in October last year. On Tuesday 16 February, Israel reveals that he conned them of Patrick’s (Mbongeni Ngema) pension and he prepares for the aftermath. But as the fight for the inheritance money goes into overdrive, things are about to get physical.