Home is where the father is
Lerato gives Lungile a second chance at playing happy family with their unborn baby.
Weekdays e.tv (*194) 19:00
“As if being single and pregnant isn’t stressful enough, Lerato is having money issues days before her baby arrives,” says Samukelo Ndlovu about her frazzled character. Record executive Lerato is struggling to keep up with her rent payments and she is worried that she’ll be homeless by the time she goes into labour. To add to her stress, she has no one to turn to except for her married ex-boyfriend Lungile (Meshack Mavuso), who is the father of her unborn baby. He offers her a place to live on Thursday 15 February and Samukelo says that “he wants to be there for Lerato, but she is hesitant to accept his help”. Lerato doesn’t trust Lungile after he poisoned his estranged wife Bongi (Thembi Seete) and left her at a mental asylum to further lose her mind in July 2017. It was the sign that Lerato needed to see
that Lungile isn’t the type of man to be messed with, let alone be a responsible parent to her child. “He claims that he’s changed. Lungile wants to prove himself to Lerato and with her cash issues, she might be forced to go against her gut feeling and accept his cheques.”
TAKING BABY STEPS
Lungile doesn’t give Lerato time to think about his proposal and he hires a Lamaze coach on Friday 16 February to help his babymama with breathing techniques to cope with labour pains. “Lerato is shocked! It’s exactly what she needed during the stressful time. She agrees to do the classes but that doesn’t mean that they are fine,” explains Samukelo. While Lungile knows that the coach isn’t enough to get Lerato onto his side, it’s a start to get them on speaking terms again. “Although they were once in love, Lerato believes that her affair with Lungile brought more drama to her life than she needed or wanted,” says Samukelo. Bongi is still furious about Lerato and Lungile’s affair, which played out between May and September 2017. “Lerato tolerates Bongi’s treatment of her for the sake of the baby. Lerato is trying to keep her composure and avoid increasing her stress. She appreciates Lungile’s gesture and reconsiders giving him a chance to be a father [on Friday 16 February],” adds the actress.
WE ARE FAMILY
Lungile is the first person Lerato calls on Monday 19 February when she thinks that she’s going into labour. He rushes to her and uses his Lamaze knowledge to calm her. “The classes that they had come in handy as they do the breathing excises together,” jokes Samukelo. This act of kindness is enough for Lerato to let her guard down on Wednesday 21 February and she thinks she’s ready to love Lungile again. “Him being there for Lerato keeps her calm and she believes that he is a changed man,” says the actress. Lungile is excited to be Lerato’s man again and he goes the extra mile on Thursday 22 February when he offers to take over her lease and pay her rent while she gets rid of her debt. “Lerato is thrilled. She’s always wanted him to man up and fight for their relationship,” says Samukelo, but she’s got a warning too: “Just because Lerato has let him back into her life doesn’t mean that she fully trusts him.”