Life With Kelly Khumalo S2: Ntombi opens up about her childhood trauma

If you’ve watched the series from Season 1, you will be familiar with the complicated relationship between Kelly and her mother.

However, in the new season, mother and daughter are working towards figuring out the many underlying issues of their turbulent relationship. And this may involve digging into the past.

Let’s go for therapy

At the end of Season 1, Ntombi abruptly left Kelly’s home for KwaZulu-Natal without notifying anyone. In Season 2 she has since come back, and Kelly proposes that they attend therapy together in the hopes that the sessions will help heal the many scars both carry.

Ntombi’s childhood trauma

At therapy, we soon learn that Ntombi had a difficult upbringing with little to no love from her mother. “I sometimes feel like killing myself when I think of my childhood,” says Ntombi. She then shares how cold-hearted her mother was towards her as a child and young adult.

“She didn’t treat me fairly like my other siblings. Even when I came of age and began doing things for her, she did not appreciate anything I did for her. She would rather hand over all of my accomplishments to my siblings,” says Ntombi.

Her mother’s lack of love traumatised Ntombi so deeply that only now does she realise that her past trauma has trickled down to her kids.

Kelly’s fear of abandonment

Due to her childhood trauma, Ntombi adopted a habit of leaving when certain things didn’t go her way. This is evident in her relationship with Kelly – whenever the two disagree on something, Ntombi leaves.

“She runs away all the time and I feel like… her leaving creates a fear of abandonment. I’m always waiting for someone to abandon me, and this fear has even affected my relationships,” says Kelly.

Her connection with Christian

The birth of Christian not only changed Kelly’s life but Ntombi’s as well. Ntombi admits that the thought of her childhood overwhelms her with sadness to such an extent that she even considers committing suicide.

However, it is because of Christian that she has not committed suicide. Ever since Christian was born, Ntombi felt a strong connection with her grandson and cannot bear the thought of leaving him.

“There’s no one like Christian – he is my world,” says Ntombi.

To learn more about Kelly and Ntombi’s therapy sessions, watch Life With Kelly Khumalo S2, now streaming on Showmax.