THE FUSE

South African reality television personality and Big Brother Mzansi Season 6 first runner-up Thandeka Tshabalala has opened up about the heartbreaking loss of her grandfather and the lasting memories she continues to carry with her.

Thandeka had an emotional sit-down conversation with Lungelo KM on Engineer Your Life with Lungelo KM, where she spoke candidly about losing someone she shared a close bond with.

The reality star revealed that she was not in the country when her grandfather passed away and was unable to attend his funeral. For Thandeka, one of the most painful parts was knowing she never got the opportunity to say goodbye.

“When he died I actually was not here. What made me cry is that I never was there for his funeral. I never got to see him for the last time. I remember the last conversation on the phone and when he said, ‘When are you coming?’ And I said, ‘I’ll be there around Spring.’ It’s like he knew that I wasn’t going to get the opportunity. There’s a lot that I would have loved to say to him.”

Thandeka admitted that the loss deeply affected her and that she struggled to process her grief.

“I couldn’t even come to his funeral. I was a mess. I would go to a store and I would just break down. I would have panic attacks. And I would think, ‘I’m never going to see him again.’ I was just not in a capacity to fly anywhere. It was hard.”

Although the loss was difficult, Thandeka said that time has helped her come to terms with what happened.

“It took getting used to. It’s a moment you can never have back, but time has done a lot. Knowing that I shouldn’t blame myself and the understanding of that’s the way it was supposed to be.”

Interestingly, one of the memories Thandeka holds close to her heart has now found its way into her latest business venture.

Thandeka recently partnered with Chillers Punch to launch Milano Spritz, an Italian-inspired alcoholic beverage flavour with hints and the taste of litchi.

The litchi flavour carries a special meaning for the reality star because it reminds her of her grandfather and a childhood road trip to Cape Town with her family.

“The first time I was ever introduced to litchi was on a road trip to Cape Town with my family members. My grandfather brought litchi for us to taste. My grandfather brings in the litchi juice, so the litchi is coming from that moment. That’s why it is there. This is a taste of my childhood.”

While Thandeka admitted that she did not enjoy the taste of the litchi fruit itself, she loved the litchi juice.

What began as a simple childhood memory has therefore become part of a new chapter in Thandeka’s life, allowing her to carry a piece of her grandfather’s memory with her in a completely unexpected way.

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