Maid For Marriage

17

"Here she is!" This girl wouldn't leave me alone. I was about to go in my house when I heard her. "Your grandfather, the one who cursed us is dead now. There's nobody stopping us now. You better watch you back." I knew she was serious. In my first year in highschool she maid her friends beat me so badly my aunt had to take me to hospital.

I went to my room immediately. "Thandi! Is that you!?" Before I could answer she came into my room. "Here, I made you a smoothy." Was everyone just going to keep giving me smoothies? "I hear screaming coming from next door. What was going on?" I sighed. "Senzo's wife came in and caused drama and then left again. Those poor kids are so scared of her. They were helping me in the kitchen when she came in and acted as if I was using them as slaves." I drank my smoothy so she would stop worrying about me.

The next couple of days I tried getting back into my routine of getting Ma her breakfast and making sure she got the proper medication. I didn't have to do much cleaning because off all the family that was helping out but I spent most of my time with the kids. I introduced them to my nephew's and they all played together. They even became more tolerant of their little sister because I let them help me take care of her.

The day of the funeral came and I was all cried out. There was nothing left. I refused to go next door and we just waited until the church time and went to church. I was sitting with my aunt and the kids when MaRadebe came to fetch us. The usual church goers snarled and glared at me as usual but I went to the front for ma. The service went on for what felt like the whole day. People who never even came to visit spoke about Bab'Dlamini as if they were the closest of friends.

We made our way to the graveyard and it was almost like an elephant sat on my chest when I saw them lower the coffin. My legs felt wobbly but luckily I could sit down. I didn't join the family to eat. I just went home and slept. I slept until my aunt came to wake me.

"Thandi, get up please. Ma and the family have been asking for you the whole day. Don't lock yourself up in here baby. Come. Be with everyone else." She walked me out the house and we went next door. Ma made me sit with her again and I stayed there for most of the night.

I was about to leave when Senzo pulled me outside. "I missed you today." He put his arms around me and I looked around to see if anyone could see us. "Stop, your family is right here." He sighed. "I don't care. Why can't we just be a normal couple where we get to hold hands and kiss in public?" The guy with a wife asked. "Because you have a crazy wife and I have a crazy father." He chuckled.

"I wish we could sleep in the same room, in the same bed and just cuddle the whole night. And when I wake up in the morning you would still be there sleeping in my arms. Is that too much to ask for?" He complained and I just sighed. He held my waist tighter. "Hug me back. I need a hug right now." I rose to my toes and threw my hands around his neck.

We heard a sharp gasp. We caught a glimpse of one if the aunts when she ran back inside. "Senzo." I said panicked and before we could go inside they came outside.

"Senzo, this is wrong. This girl is literally a baby. She just got out of school the other day." One of the aunt's said softly. "Aunty please. We don't need to hear this speech. We're well aware of our age difference." He tried to stop them but it was like they did hear him. "And you, little girl, you claim this man's father was like a father to you. You should consider him your brother. You come into this house to work but you seduce your boss. Is it his money you're after?"

"Stop it! Stop! That's enough! All of you leave us alone please." They still carried on. "And what about Mbali. He has a wife. A fact that you know all too well. I thought you were trying to be nice to those children because you work for their father but no! You're trying to replace their mother. Or is it because you want Senzo to see you as wife material and marry you? One golddigger is enough in this family. Please, leave this man alone. You're a child."

"What is happening out here?!" It was ma. "Your son is sleeping with a teenager." My eyes went big. What the hell. They thought I was sleeping with him. "Get inside. All of you." Ma said calmly. When they left I turned to ma. "Ma we didn't..." I couldn't finish the sentence. "I know, let's just go inside and talk this out." I didn't want to. I really didn't want to. "I would prefer to go home." I said softly. She just nodded and left us.

"Um, Ma's medication is sorted properly in a  container. Tomorrow morning make sure she takes all the medication in the Sunday slot after breakfast okay." He held onto my hand. "Why does it sound like you're not coming back?" I let out a breath. "I am. Sunday is my off day remember. I'll come by on Monday." He sighed and appologised for his family before walking me home.

"Okay, but why does it sound like the two of us are not going to be the same when Monday comes around?" He was kind of right. I didn't know whether or not we should continue with this whole thing. "Thandi, please." He begged. I didn't even know what he was begging for.

"Nobody wants us together. Your mother and your family reacted the exact same way. Our age difference is always going to create this sort of reaction. I don't even want to know what's going to happen when your wife finds out. The last time she just suspected us and tried to kill me. What do you think she'll do if she finds out her suspicions were true and we lied to her?"

I could tell he was hurt. "Thandi don't do this.  Especially, not now." A tear fell from his eyes. The first tear I've see since his father passed away. "I don't want to break up. I don't but everyone is against us and they're accusing me of horrendous things." I wiped his tear away and he held me closer.

"Please baby. I'll talk to them. Please." I didn't know what to do so I just held him.