Ugly girl

May God heaviest blessings come your way today! 🙏🏾

What made you like me 🥺🧸

Be sincere........ 🥰😔

Kkss or hug 🥺♡🧸🛐🫂

When we meet 😌

11 underrated sweet things in this life that are sweeter than s.ex:

📌 Sleeping naked, all alone in the room.

📌 Cleaning your ear with a feather

📌 Staying at home all day and pressing the phone

📌 Listening to a voice note from your partner

📌 F!ght!ng for burial rice

📌 Someone asking for your account number.

📌 Scratching your private parts when nobody is watching

📌 Drinking garri with rainwater

📌Smok!ng w**d in a cold night

📌 Coming back home from a long day as a lady and removing your wif

📌 Dating a kogi State guy

You can add the ones I forgot 👇 in

Text me now ooo
Coz if my yansh later big I go snub you😒😋

No one to love me 🙂

See as I just dey play 🌚

Beginnings are scary.
Endings are usually sad,
but its the middle
that counts the most.

❤️🔞😍I always knew that my parents despised me but today they proved me right. They know very well that I’m starting a new job tomorrow, actually not just a new job it’s my dream job but they decide to drop a bomb on me.

It’s 8 am I am taking a long bath after cleaning the yard and house for 3 hours. I always wake up at 5 am every Sunday so I can clean the house and yard. My parents are the most untidy people ever. They always host their stupid parties almost every Saturday with the food I bought, and I have to clean up when I wasn’t even part of their parties. Psssh as if I’d join them.

“Mandy hurry up, we have guests” my mom budges into my room without even knocking, I hate it when she does that.

“Give me 5 minutes,”

“You need to hurry up. They are very important people they can’t be kept waiting”

Gosh, this woman can be annoying. She can see that I’m still bathing after 3 hours of cleaning their mess.

“I said 5 minutes if they can’t wait that long they can leave,”

“You’re so annoying” she leaves slamming the door it rattles on its hinges. I bought that door you know.

I take my time, her guests can’t tell me what to do and what not to do. Why is she even dressed up? When was the last time I saw her dressed up? Gosh, I can’t even remember. Now I’m curious I hurry so I can see her guests. After 10 minutes I’m done. I walk into the lounge and the atmosphere changes. There’s something about the men in black suits. They are very powerful and very handsome I must say. Even my loud parents are very quiet. I walk into the room, all eyes on me. I sit next to my mom. I greet them. The old man smiles and greets me back but the young one just nods looking around the house with a disgusted look. So rude. We sit in uncomfortable silence.

“Mntanami (my child) we have something to tell you,” my dad tells me.

Okay, something huge is going on here. My dad has never called me that not even when I bought him the most expensive whiskey. Okay maybe not that expensive but it did cost me a lot you know and he finished it within 2 days my God was I hurt.

“Kanti didn’t you tell her?” the young man asks clearly annoyed.

“What’s going on here?” I ask when my parents go mute.

“Can you tell her already, we don’t have all day” the young man tells my parents.

“Ayanda relax. Will you?” says the old man.

So his name is Ayanda he’s really handsome even Trey Songz is not this handsome gosh. Pity he’s rude.

“This is not easy Mandy, the Nxumalo’s are here because your father…” that’s my mom she doesn’t finish the sentence. I just keep quiet I’ll wait for them.

“Your parents took a loan from me 15 years ago and when they couldn’t pay me back, they made a promise that when you turn 21 they will marry you off to my grandson,” Mr Nxumalo tells me.

I’m sitting here hoping it’s some kind of a sick joke. I mean my parents have been trying to hook me up with people for money. That’s why I kind of ran away after Grade 12. I decided to stay at res I always come home unannounced and leave the very same day. Besides, I had to work otherwise we’d live in a 2 room shack forever.

“Is this one of your annoying jokes mom?” I ask my mom. I see tears in her eyes.

Why is she crying? What kind of parents make promises like that? Are they even my real parents?

“I’m not marrying him,” I tell them pointing Ayanda. “And I’m not leaving,” I walk out with the plan to run away and never look back.

I can’t marry an arrogant HIP. I walk out the gate. But there are men in black carrying big guns. What have my stupid parents done? All the neighbours are p*eping through their curtains. I try to run but I can’t outrun these men. They stop me, I scream my lungs out with the hope that someone will call the police or be brave enough to help me but none of that happens. My parents run towards me with worried faces but I know they are not worried about me. Some parents we have. The guards take me back to the house. My head hurts from all the screaming and fighting. I’m still screaming when they put me on the couch.

Unwillingly relocating

Mr Nxumalo is still smiling at me, if I had a gun I’d shoot that mouth I don’t need his stupid smile right now. Ayanda is typing on his phone like nothing is happening.

“Mandy stop it” my mom screams at me. I see Ayanda flinch.

“Don’t you dare?” I scream back. I’m very respectful but right now I feel like slapping the S*T out of her. Never felt like that before. I need to come up with a plan. I need to get myself out of this mess right now.

I need to think and I can’t with my parents looking at me with pleading eyes like I’m suddenly God. They can’t do this to me. My heart feels heavy when I think about my dream job. I worked extremely hard to get that job and now this? I feel tears in my eyes and for the first time ever I can’t hold them back. Here I am weeping like someone just died and my parents are looking at me like I just popped another head. Mr Nxumalo walks towards me and gives me a warm hug, I can’t help it I need one. Ever noticed that when you are trying to console someone who’s crying they cry some more. This is what I’m doing right now.

“It’s okay. I know my grandson doesn’t seem like a good person but marrying him won’t be such a bad idea” he tells me. I just shake my head. I really don’t want to marry him. Oh, I have an idea.

“I think I can find a way of paying you guys back without marrying him,” I tell them with a smile wiping the tears using the back of my hand.

“You see I found a very good job, so we can work out instalments and how long I’ll be paying,” I tell them smiling feeling on top of the world I mean I came up with a solution 4 adults couldn’t come up with.

“I wish it was that easy.” Mr Nxumalo replies with a sigh.

“Mandy if it was that simple we wouldn’t have made this promise in the first place,” my mom tells me.

“How much does he owe?” I ask Mr Nxumalo

“Just listen to your parents will you?” that’s Ayanda.

“So he can talk. I don’t want to marry a bustard like you” I tell him.

“The feeling is mutual I don’t want to marry an undeveloped child like you,” he tells me typing on his phone. I’ve been called ugly and plain all my life but it hurts each time someone says that. But I don’t react anymore, I just keep quiet.

“How much do you owe them?” I ask my dad again.

“I’ll pack your stuff,” says my mom.

“I don’t want you near any of my stuff” I always tell her that I don’t want her filthy hands on my stuff.

“Dad, I asked you a question” I turn back to my dad.

“I owe them a million,” he says that like he owes them one hundred rands.

“What did you even do with the money?” I ask him. God why don’t I have a gun, I’d shoot him right now.

Stupid father.

I might as well marry Ayanda, how long is it going to take me to repay a loan with interest when it takes people 20 years to pay their bonds worth three hundred and fifty thousand. I’ve never been so angry in my life. I’ll find a way to get back here as soon as possible. I know Ayanda has more important things to do than to look after me so I’ll have to find a way because right now I don’t have a choice. I go to my room to pack. There isn’t much to pack really my things are stored in 4 boxes. I was planning to buy a wardrobe when I get paid. The first 2 medium boxes have my clothes and shoes the 3rd box has my novels, and then the 4th is a shoebox it has important documents like my ID, qualifications, and pictures. I won’t ask them for help, I’ll just take the boxes to the car they are not that heavy after all. I take the first 2 boxes to the car. There are 4 black Mercedes SUVs. One of the bodyguards comes forward with a sincere smile. He tries to take my boxes, I shake my head, he opens the boot of one of the cars. I walk back to the house to fetch the last 2 boxes. I take the book I’m currently reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The very same guard who showed me where to put my boxes shows me the car I should get in. I take the book and get in the car. After some time Ayanda gets in the car and sits next to me focusing entirely on his phone. I’m hungry. That’s what I find strange about myself. No matter how hurt, angry or stressed I am I get hungry while other people lose their appetites.

The hotel he calls home...

We’ve been travelling for 3 hours now and my stomach grumbles, but I can’t really ask Ayanda for food now, can I? So I continue reading, this book is too interesting.

“What are you going to eat?” Ayanda asks out of the blue.

“I don’t know” I answer him honestly.

“So you want me to beg you when you’re the one with a grumbling stomach?” he asks. I just ignore him. I’m just not in the mood to talk.

“Suit yourself,” he tells me when it’s clear that I’m not going to answer him.

My stomach grumbles again. Gosh.

“I’m going to buy you food because that sound is annoying me,” he tells me.

“Bova, can you buy my usual times two” he hands Bova a debit card. Sure he nods I’ve been focused on my book I didn’t see the guy sitting in the passenger seat in front of me.

We drive for like 10 minutes then we stop at some garage. Bova gets off. A few minutes later he comes with two burgers, chips and 2 cans of coke. He gives me one of the meals. I thank him he just nods. I love food I can’t help but sing and move my feet and head when I’m eating. After 2 minutes I’m done eating. Bova and Ayanda are staring at me and the driver is laughing. Okay, this is strange why are they looking at me like that? I’m not full and Ayanda hasn’t touched his food.

“Can I also have your food?” I ask him. You see I may hate him but right now I need food and from now on he’ll be the one feeding me.

“Sure” he replies and he gives me the food and again after 2 minutes I’m done they are all laughing at me.

~~

After 7 hours of travelling, the longest journey of my life we enter some hotel.

As soon as the car stops Ayanda gets off still typing on his phone not looking back. Bova and the driver help me with the boxes. We enter a very huge parlour.

OMG, this is not a hotel, it's his house. What does Ayanda do for a living? He looks very young, but then again looks can be deceiving.

I just follow Bova and the guy who was driving, I think Bova called him Siya. We go to the second floor we pass more than 5 doors. Bova asks me to open one of the many doors at the end of the long passage. I'm guessing it will be my room. I open the door Bova tells me to enter first. My God I’ve never seen such a beautiful room with expensive-looking furniture. This room is bigger than my house back home. At the centre there's a queen-size bed well I'm guessing, with pink covers, pink carpet, and a white 2 seater couch by the wall and a very big watch facing the bed. It's so beautiful, but I don't like pink I like black. I think the person who was preparing this room thought I'm a 10-year-old girl. Kanti I'm a grown-ass. I'm amazed by such a big and beautiful room, I don't see Bova and Siya leaving, they seem sweet pity I can't say much about their boss. I run across the room and jump at the bed, it's so soft no squeaky sound from the springs. At least my jail is better than home. There's a door across the room I walk to the door, it's an en-suite bathroom my God such beauty. There's a bathtub tub, toilet, and shower with transparent glass and another door. So many doors I walk across the room to the door it's a walk-in closet with so many pink clothes urg. I fetch my boxes and store them in the closet. I'm very tired, I've never travelled for more than 2 hours in my whole 21 years. I take a quick shower and I change into black skinny jeans and vest with socks. I walk to bed, I look at the time it's 4:45 pm. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I've been sleeping for like 5 seconds when someone barges into the room. What happened to knock? It's Bova.

"The maid came to tell you that supper will be served in 15 minutes but she knocked, there was no answer. So we thought you escaped after the stunt you pulled back at your house," he tells me smiling.

"No, I was just sleeping. I'm too tired, it's been a long day" Tears sting my eyes when I think about tomorrow and my graduation day in 3 months. The most important days of my life.

"I think you should accept your life here because you're not going anywhere. There are guards in every corner and there'll be guards everywhere you go. Don't try anything stupid you won't like the consequences. Between you and me, your husband-to-be is a very dangerous man and he has no mercy" he tells with a smile but the warning in his tone is loud and clear.

What have my parents done?

I just nod, I don't trust myself enough to hold back the stupid tears.

First supper at my new home...

"Come" he holds the door open for me. We walk down the stairs, the house is very quiet you'd hear a pin drop. We enter the dining room, there are about 20 people wearing black suits, they all look so buffy must be the guards Bova was talking about earlier. They are sitting around a big table with white tablecloth and plates with food. People are ready to dig in but they are waiting for someone. Maybe they are waiting for me. This is great, I take the closest empty chair but the guy sitting next to me points the chair next to Ayanda. I move to that seat, he's typing on his phone. I wonder what's so interesting. He has changed, he's also wearing a black jean and vest that shows off his muscles.

"I saw the room, it's beautiful thank you so much, it means a lot," I tell Ayanda.

He freezes for a moment then he nods. I wonder why he nods a lot.

I see everyone eating. I'm too hungry I dig in and when I raise my eyes everyone is staring at me.

This is strange are they seeing a female person for the first time?

I'm done and everyone else is still eating except for Ayanda, he's busy typing. I'm not full. I eat a lot, my dad always complained about that when I’m the one who buys food.

"If you won't eat again, can I have your food?" I whisper. I'm very loud but I don't know why people are so quiet. He nods and pushes his plate towards me still typing on his phone.

Who the HEL is he texting all day?

I thank him and eat when I'm done I stand up and I start tidying up. I’m a bit of a neat freak. I always clean after myself. I wish I could say my parents taught me that. I can't remember what they taught me. All eyes on me.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that? I'm tidying up not stealing the plates. Some of us know that we have to tidy up unlike you lazy asses" I tell them leaving the room. I return to find Ayanda laughing.

"Eeh guys where is the kitchen?" I ask them, but before they can tell me an old and short woman in a grey and white maid uniform appears out of nowhere to help me with the plates.

"You don't have to do that. We will take the dishes" she tells me.

"No, I can't expect you to cook and wash the dishes for me. I'll help" I tell her. And for the first time, Ayanda is looking at me, not his phone. She directs me to the kitchen. Okay if I said my room is beautiful it's because I didn't see the state of the art kitchen. All white wall units with gold handles, a long island, biggest fridge I've ever seen, dishwasher and microwave. This house is very elegant I hope I get to see the rest of it tomorrow. I put the plates by the sink and I return to the dining room to take more plates, there's no one. After taking everything I tell the maid to go sleep I'll wash the dishes, she doesn't want to even when I tell her that I'm not here to steal her job she won't leave until Ayanda tells her to. She quickly rushes out of the room. I look for the dishwashing liquid I find it in the cupboard under the sink, I can’t use the dishwasher and I doubt Ayanda knows how it works. I wash the dishes for 30 minutes after I finish everything I tidy up and go to my new room.

Finally, it is time to sleep but I can’t, all the events that took place today come rushing into my mind and I can’t push them at the back of my head any longer. My heart feels heavy but you know what I’m done crying over something I have no control over I tell myself. And now I feel like I didn’t fight enough to stay. I feel guilty. Forty minutes later I’m still tossing and turning, I’m tired but I can’t sleep, these thoughts are going to keep awake all night. How am I going to tell my boss that I won't be coming to work when I don't even have a phone, I was mugged a week ago after I got a call informing me that I got the job. I’ve been using my mom's phone for emails even though she complained endlessly but she's the one who borrowed the money I was going to buy a phone with. I always dreamed of being independent you know the kind of woman who changes her own car tire but because of my parents the dreams I worked so hard to achieve are just thrown away just like that, now I have to depend on Ayanda even for the smallest things like my underwear and live in this beautiful jail. I don't think I'll ever forgive my parents. Finally, I can't keep my eyes open, I look at the clock on the wall it's 23:57.

First morning at my new house

My God, I must have been very tired. I’ve never woken up so late in my life. It’s 10:15 am. I’m so embarrassed, I quickly make the bed and I take a quick shower. I look through my box, I wear a blue short and white vest with white pumps. I tie my hair into an untidy ponytail. I quickly rush down the stairs. Bova wasn’t lying there are guards in every corner of the house. I greet everyone I and see Ayanda looking at me, down the stairs. I don’t know what to say to this guy. He’s wearing all black again today. A black denim jean, vest, and black Nike sneakers. This guy is very tall. He’s 6’9 with pitch-black hair and beard. The most handsome guy I’ve ever seen pity I can’t say the same about his attitude it stinks.

“Good morning. How are you this morning?” I ask him.

“Morning. I’m good thanks and how are you?” he replies he’s not typing on his phone today I wonder what’s up.

“I’m still tired but okay thanks. How did you sleep?” I ask him.

“I didn’t sleep, but thanks for asking” he replies. “And how did you sleep,” he asks.

S*T, this guy is really handsome, he doesn’t look like he didn’t sleep.

“Very good thanks but I slept late,” I tell him. I turn to leave but I can’t remember where the kitchen is.

This house is very big, I’m going to get lost more often

“I know it’s late but have you eaten?” I ask him. He smiles showing his deep dimples, I’ll call him McDimples.

“No, I haven’t. I’m not hungry. But you can go ahead and eat the kitchen is right this way” he tells me like he heard my thoughts about getting lost.

I thank him and walk to the kitchen. There’s no one I don’t know where to find anything. I rummage in the cupboards until I find bread. I make an 8 slice cheese and butter sandwich. I sing throughout the meal, I take my plate to the sink and wash it. I pretend as if I don't see Ayanda and his guards looking at me through the window and laughing.

I can’t sit around and do nothing otherwise I’ll go mad. Maybe I can clean the yard or cook supper but it’s still very early. It’s at 11 am. I go upstairs I don’t know where and how Ayanda spends his day maybe he works from home. I continue reading the book, I wanted to buy clothes, a phone, and a laptop yesterday. I sold my old one when my mom borrowed money from a scary mashonisa (money lender) and he kept threatening to sell the fridge, microwave and TV for his R3 000 and those things cost over ten thousand rands and I bought them. I miss my music, I can’t concentrate on the book, thinking about the job I was supposed to start today. I feel tears in my eyes but like always I push them back. There’s a knock on the door. I tell whoever to come in. It’s Ayanda, he’s no longer wearing the clothes he was wearing 30 minutes ago. He’s now wearing black denim jeans and shirt, white vest and nike sneakers.

This guy sure knows how to dress. It’s like he’s tryna show off his wardrobe shem

I hear him laughing, he’s not typing I wonder why he’s laughing.

“I’m here to take you out for shopping,” he tells me.

“Oh yeah? I need a few things. Do you want me to change?” I ask him.

“No, if you don’t want to,” he tells me. I stand up and fix the bed cover put the book at the bedside table fix my hair. I tell him I’m ready to go. He leads the way, I follow him out. We walk out the door there are so many expensive cars in the parking area. This guy is loaded the garage is not big enough for the cars. He gets in the driver’s seat, I get in the back. He drives to some mall. I’ve never been to Durban before, it has always been my dream destination. This one time some girls from the class in Varsity asked my dream destination I said Durban they laughed at me so hard it hurt but I kept quiet. They are from rich families they’ve been abroad. He finds a parking spot we get off, we are walking towards the mall entrance when a very beautiful girl calls Ayanda’s name but he just ignores her. But still, she runs towards him, I walk slowly to give them space, I don’t want to hear what she has to say to him.

“Phangisa,” Ayanda tells me. (Hurry)

The girl is still talking I feel bad for her, I wonder what happened. If only she knew that he has a new girlfriend he has been texting all day yesterday, probably the whole night too since he said he didn’t sleep. Reminds me some love quote I read just last week.

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams”

First Date sort of...

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams”

I don’t know if it’s true or not, I never had a boyfriend, it used to hurt me so much but I learned to accept that I’m not beautiful and guys don’t care about my personality. I hurry towards him, but I still walk behind them, I don’t want to invade their privacy. The girl finally gives up. I walk beside him in uncomfortable silence, I’m really curious but I need to keep quiet.

“Can I go inside?” I ask him when I see a Capitec branch, I need help with my daily limit, I need money real quick so I can buy the stuff I want.

He just nods. I walk inside I hope he doesn’t move because I don’t have a phone how will I call him or how will I get home? Even though it’ll be my chance to run away I won’t run away. Bova’s words keep ringing in my mind, he will find me and I won’t like it. Luckily there’s no queue I get help immediately. I always wanted an iPhone but I can’t afford it so I’ll stick to Samsung. When I leave the bank, I find him standing by the door just looking around.

“I’m done. Thanks” I tell him.

“For what?” he asks really surprised.

“For waiting,” I tell him and he nods.

Nod one more time I’ll chop that head off.

I hear him laughing, why is he laughing? This is like the second time I said something in my head and he laughs unless I OMG. Unless I said that out loud.

“What do you wish to buy?” he asks out of the blue.

“Laptop and phone,” I tell him. He nods.

I see an MTN store, I ask to go inside, he nods he’s typing furiously on his phone.

I go inside I see an affordable Samsung phone and laptop. I talk to one of the consultant he tells me to wait for 5 minutes he goes through some door with the sign “staff only” I decide to stand in the queue, I look around for Ayanda he’s sitting in one of the couches, I’ve been concentrating so much on the stuff I needed didn’t even notice that the atmosphere changed as soon as Ayanda walked in. What’s with this guy? The guy returns and tells me that I’ll get the stuff when I get to the counter, I just nod absentmindedly. When I’m the third person in the queue Ayanda walks towards me and gives me a black card.

My God a black card what does this guy do for a living?

“Thanks but I’m sorted,” I tell him showing him my card. He looks a little surprised and he nods going back to where he was sitting. The girl behind me asks if I’m his girlfriend, I honestly don’t know how to answer that. I just shake my head. The queue is moving faster.

“Are you his sister then?” she asks again. I just ignore her. There’s an empty counter when I’m about to go to the counter the cashier stands up and goes through the staff only door. I stand in the queue. A new girl comes in and yells.

“Next” I walk to the counter, she tells me that I need proof of residence since I’m buying a new sim card. I call Ayanda when he looks up I wave him over. He stands up and walks towards me. I tell him what the cashier just told me, she’s busy checking him out the nerve. He tells me that he will use his ID and proof of residence. I nod. When we’re done we walkout.

“Do you need anything else? Clothes? Bags? Shoes?” he asks me.

“No thanks. The closet back at your house is full, it’s enough for me thanks” I tell him, he nods. My stomach grumbles.

“Where do you want to eat?” he asks me typing on his phone.

“I don’t know, what do you suggest?” I ask him.

“I can eat whatever you want,” he tells me.

“I’ve never eaten in a restaurant before,” I tell him, he looks up from his phone when he hears that. The look on his face, he looks shocked like I just told him that Vusi Kunene is not handsome and he can’t act.

“Did you like the meal I bought you yesterday?” he asks me.

“If it’s okay with you, we can eat at your place rather than wasting money on food when there’s so much food at your place,” I tell him. I don’t like eating out, not that I can’t afford to but I like saving plus I had to build a house from scratch at home so that R30 made a big difference, maybe I’m strange but that’s how it is for me. He tells me we can go.

“Aren’t you here to buy something?” I ask him.

“No” he replies.

“So you wasted your petrol on me?” I ask him surprised. My parents would never do that for me. He doesn’t say anything instead he walks towards the exit door pays for the parking ticket and leads me to the car. A few minutes later we’re at his place. Three maids and a bodyguard walk towards us, I take my stuff close the door greet them and walk towards the hotel he calls home, I really can’t wait to start using my phone. I have to think of something I can do to earn some money.

“You’re back so early, what’s up?” I hear Bova asking Ayanda, as I run up the stairs.

~~~

“She only bought a phone and laptop and paid for them,” Ayanda tells Bova.

“You’re lying” Bova replies really surprised. When Ayanda’s grandfather forced Ayanda to take her out for shopping they all thought she’s going to spend his money but nope not this girl.

“She’s not different alright but maybe she’s trying to act all independent and innocent in my eyes. You know how poor people act when they marry loaded guys” Ayanda tells Bova when he sees him smiling at this information.

Bova is done telling him that not all women are like his mom. This girl might be different the last time he took one of his casual girlfriends for shopping he spent almost R10 000. Maybe this one is different.

Cooking for the first time...

We came back after almost 1 hour 30 minutes. I’m hungry I hope everyone is. I look at the clock it’s 1 in the afternoon. I walk to the kitchen, I bump into Bova at the bottom of the stairs. There’s no one in the kitchen I make another cheese 6 slice sandwich, after eating I wash the plate. I look through the cupboards so I can prepare supper. I’m going to cook my favourite meal dumblings and beef stew with vegetables. I look for the dumbling ingredients, I enjoy working so I sing. I’m singing my favourite song by Sam Smith Lay Me Down as I mix the dumbling dough, while waiting for it raise I p*el and chop the vegetables and chop the meat after defrosting it in the microwave. Dumblings take longer so I cook for almost 5 hours. At 6:30pm I’m done, I don’t know how to set the table so I’ll just go with what I know. I plate the food into big dishes I go to the dining room to put the plates, later I put the food. People will have to dish for themselves. I tell one of the guards that supper is ready he looks surprised, I wonder why. I walk to the kitchen to tidy up, I hear chairs being pulled. I mix warm water into a big bowl and I take a clean and dry dish cloth so they can wash and dry their hands before eating. There are about 22 people around the table, I start with Ayanda, and he looks surprised.

And why is everything about me surprising?

I go to the kitchen to put away the bowl and dish cloth. When I walk back to the dining room Mr Nxumalo is also here. I greet him and go back to the kitchen to fetch water for him, he smiles at me and looks at the annoyed Ayanda. Maybe they had a fight. I pull a chair I was sitting on yesterday. Unlike yesterday today everyone around the table is talking and laughing, Ayanda is sitting here looking very angry, he still looks cute though. I join them dig in while singing and dancing with my head and feet. Today I’m full after eating I collect the dishes to go wash them. I notice that for the first time Ayanda has eaten, but he’s typing on his phone. I p*ek through the phone, he’s texting someone by the Sihle name.

“Who have you been texting all day?” I ask him curiously the room suddenly goes quiet like they want to hear the answer or something.

“None of your business” he replies annoyed.

“Is this the same person you’ve been texting yesterday and today all day?” I ask him even when he said it’s none of my business. I just don’t know when to shut up once I start talking and it annoyed the S*T out of my mom, my dad just ignored me.

He gives me a glare that could even kill a co**se.

What is he mad about?

I continue taking the dishes to the kitchen to wash them and today it doesn’t take longer. After 20 minutes I’m done I go to my room to set up the laptop and send an email to the editor. I feel guilty again for accepting this life, it’s like I’ve been waiting for such an opportunity, but Bova’s words keep ringing in my head. So I might as well as accept this life my parents chose for me 15 years ago. Some parents we have, you know I have read about such stories but never though it could happen to me. I set up everything, I don’t know what to say to my boss. I’m typing and deleting I don’t know who to ask for help. I’ll send the email tomorrow let me sleep.

Finally!!! The day I've been waiting for

It’s been a week since I sent my boss an email, I don’t know if I should call her that or call the email a resignation mail or what. But whatever it is, I sent it and she hasn’t replied. I’ve been cooking a lot lately, but I hardly wash the dishes because the old maid thinks I’m here to take their jobs, even though I tried to explain a million times. I haven’t seen Ayanda for the past 3 days and tomorrow is my birthday, I want to go out and buy myself something, but I don’t know what. I don’t need anything right now, maybe I can take myself out for the first time after all I’m turning 21. Oh yes I’ll also buy myself a book, I don’t really like eBooks they are tiring at least a hard copy will be good for me. I’ll need a book shelf by the couch, but I don’t know if I need Ayanda’s permission or not. I haven’t seen Bova either I’ve been eating with the guards and there’s always deafening noise no wonder Ayanda doesn’t want anyone talking. I think I’ll bake myself a cake, haven’t baked one for the past 3 months. I baked one for my ungrateful mom she told me that I should’ve given her money instead of baking a “stupid” cake. I was so hurt. I love birthdays, I’ll bake a cake later today then go out for shopping tomorrow. There’s a knock on the door, who might that be. I tell the person to come in. It’s Bova.

He hands me the phone and tells me it’s Ayanda. My God what does he want? We hardly talk what am I going to say to him?

“Hello” I answer.

“Hello to you too, I won’t be home tomorrow for your birthday but I asked Bova to take you out. Hope you’ll have a good one” he tells me in one go. By the way he’s talking it’s clear that it’s a revised sp*ech I wonder who told him to say all those things.

“Okay thank you, I will” I tell him. He hangs up. I give Bova the phone. I look at the time it’s 2 in the afternoon. I take my laptop with me downstairs I use it to play music when I cook, today I’ll be cooking and baking. I cook rice, grilled chicken and gravy. After 2 hours I’m done. Now it’s time to bake the cake. I’ve never baked a big cake before, so I use YouTube. I look for the ingredients I mix them then I bake, I take longer almost 5 hours. I forgot about supper until a guy called Bozza asks if it’s ready.

“OMG I’m so sorry, been concentrating so much on baking I forgot about food. I’m so sorry” I tell him while I’m running around the kitchen trying to find the plates and bowls. He helps me set up the table. They all gather around the table, I leave them I’ll eat when I’m done. When I’m done I’m too tired to do anything, so I go straight to bed.

I’m waken up by a vibrating phone. It’s a message from an unsaved number. Who might that be at 6am? I’ll read it when I wake up. I need 30 more minutes. I close my eyes and wake up an hour later, there’s an incoming call from an unsaved number.

“Hello” I answer sleepy.

“Mntanami unjani?” that’s my dad. I tell him I’m tired and ask why he’s calling where he got my digits. I’m so annoyed. I feel like hanging up, I hope he didn’t call to spoil my day.

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you

My parents sing over the phone, they sing so beautiful, they’ve never sang for me before. I thank them with a smile and tears. Such beautiful voices, I suddenly miss them so much. I’m still mad at them though, what they did to me is cruel but I guess I can’t stay mad at them forever. I thank them and hang up before they can say anything more. I read the text I received.

Happy Birthday enjoy

Ayanda

Okay this is so unexpected, but still it puts a smile on my face.

Thank you so much it means a lot, enjoy your day too *smiley face*

~~

He reads the text thinking there’s something about this annoying girl she thanks him for all the little or stupid things. No one has ever thanked him before even for a stupid birthday texts. Maybe she’s pretending. That’s how his mother was until she got married to his father and when she left he couldn’t bear the pain and committed su***de, such a coward.

Day ruined...

I always look forward to my birthday especially when I got the job 2 weeks back. I mean life was going the way I had planned it. I landed my dream job and I was going to find a flat. I usually take a long bath on my birthday but today I don’t feel like bathing, so I’ll just take a quick shower. I walk to the bathroom take a quick shower and I wear one of the white dresses I find in the closet. I tie my hair into an untidy ponytail. I make the bed, take a shawl and head to the couch, I’m so emotionally drained. I didn’t try harder to escape, I gave up and I feel guilty. I hope no one will call me today I don’t feel like talking. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I wake up when I’m roughly shaken by a very big and hairy hand. I rub my eyes before I open them it’s Bova. He wants to take me shopping. I tell him I’m too tired to do anything he can go out without me. But he won’t take no for an answer. I feel so emotional right now, I didn’t want to stay awake and think of the plans I made that were ruined the day before they all came true. I say no until he gives up and leaves the room muttering the word “stubborn” under his breath. I stand from the couch to lock the door I don’t want to be disturbed. I fall back asleep as soon as I lay back on the couch.

I wake 5 hours later, someone is banging at the door.

“The F.K are you staring at. Go tell Bova to give me the spare key to this room, and I swear if this kid escaped I’ll kill all of you” Ayanda barks.

I decide to go open the door and save the poor people’s job.

“The F.K is wrong with you?” he barks. I’m not in the mood and I’m too tired. I walk over to the couch and I fall asleep while he’s talking. I’m waken by a very hot slap. He slaps so hard I feel dizzy and see stars. I’m trying to push back the tears but I can’t. I try to stand but he pushes me down the sofa so rough. I’m scared never been a victim of violence before.

“What are you staring at? Don’t you have anything better to do with yourselves? Do I pay you to stand around like that?” he barks at the guards standing at the door.

I’m too sp*echless to say anything. When he asks why I hadn’t gone out Bova like he told me, I don’t answer him he smacks me again so hard I fall off the couch. I can’t take this anymore. But I can’t scream for help no one will come help me. So I just cry the whole time. I need to p*e so I don’t know what to do whether to go ahead or tell him. Being the stubborn person that I am, I just stand and walk towards the bathroom. I lock myself inside I p*e and sit on the toilet seat long enough for him to bang on the door. When I don’t answer he threatens to break the door but I don’t do anything I just sit. And then boom the door is on the floor. I’m being dragged by my hair. Bova runs towards us but Ayanda punches him so hard in the nose before he can say anything. He falls on the ground with a thud. Ayanda drags me towards the steps and out of the house, leaves me there crying. I don’t know what to do, the guards standing outside the door are staring at me with pity. I can’t believe this is happening to me.

It’s starting to get dark and chilly. I’m feeling cold so I have no choice but to ask for forgiveness even though I don’t know what I did wrong. When I approach the house, one of the guards blocks my way and shakes his head. So what now I’m not allowed inside the house? I’ll freeze to death. I try to beg the guards they just stare at me. I don’t know what to do anymore so I go to the nearest corner they won’t understand they are wearing jackets. The corner is okay but a little chilly. I want to fall asleep so hard so that I don’t have to feel cold anymore or feel the pain in my head and face. Even though I hated home so much, I miss it I miss my parents no matter how annoying I got they’d never treat me like this. Yes my mom used to slap me a lot but it wasn’t this bad actually it felt like she was tickling me compared to this.

I’m sitting with my knees up and my chin on my knees and hands around them. I’m starring into the space thinking about my dreams to escape the current situation. The door opens, Ayanda walks out with the girl he was ignoring at the mall the other day. She’s beautiful with a model like body. She’s wearing a pink dress, heel and she’s carrying a pink bag. Maybe she’s the one who chose my wardrobe she walks by like she doesn’t see anything wrong. If it was me I wouldn’t do this to her, even if it meant I was going to get punished I was still going to try and fight for her. Before I know it I’m asleep I’m waken up by a blowing wind looks like it’s going to rain. Ayanda walks by again and doesn’t look my way.

I fall asleep and wake up when the wind blows and fall asleep again. The pattern goes on until dawn. I’m still not allowed into the house and I’m so tired and hungry. It starts to rain and Ayanda appears and tell the guards to come inside but not me. I stay there the whole morning and afternoon until his grandfather arrives and tells me go inside the house. I don’t want to go first even when he opens the door for me, I tell him I’ll follow, I’m so scared that Ayanda will slap me as soon as I walk inside. My face still hurts. I walk right behind him when I don’t see Ayanda I run to my room, I take a quick bath and run to bed I fall asleep as soon as I get under the cover.

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