Zenande Okhethiweyo 2

Chapter 16

I don't know for how long I have been walking but I finally see a gravel road. I feel pain on my knees,I have been tripping over everything in  this forest. I decide to take right. After miles of walking the road finally joins a main road. At this point I even start running,what kind of place is this there are no cars here. After a few minutes I see lights appearing. I have never hitch hiked for a day in my life but here I am using my hands to beg. The car stops a distance from me and I run.
"Hello bhuti can you please drop me in the nearest town" I say.
He nods and I jump in. He must be thinking I'm running away from an abusive husband from the way I look.
""Do you have an iPhone charger?" I ask.
He shakes his head.

After a while of contemplating with himself I guess,he gives me his phone. I dial his numbers. I hope he didn't change them.
"Hello" he answers after one ring.
"Zano-..." The tears cut me off.
"Baby where are you? Don't cry not now I need to know where you are" he says gently but urgently.
"I don't know where I am" i say looking around.
"Give the owner of the phone" he says.
I pass the phone to the driver. They talk about places and I don't even listen. The shock registers only now.
"She doesn't look good" the man says.
He passes the phone to me again.
"Baby I need you to stay on the line for me okay?" He asks.
"Where... Where are the boys?" I ask.
"They are with Nokuzotha they are safe. Those boys are a problem they were hitting everybody in this house looking for their mommy" he says and I laugh.
"Zano I'm tired" I say.
"No no no sleeping" he says.
"I'm tired of this back and forth between us" I say.
"You are the one who is creating it baby,I am still your man and I will forever be your man" he says.
"But you don't love me anymore I can see it" I say.
"That is what is in your head,I will never stop loving you Zenande. Even when I didn't remember who you were,I still loved you,if my love for you has changed in anyway it's because it only multiplied" he says.
"I was lying I wanted to hurt you the way you hurt me" I say.
"I know" he says.
"How?" I ask.
"I spoke to your dad yesterday and he told me that everytime you fell asleep my name is the only thing you would call,for five years. Now you don't call somebody you hate in your sleep" he says chuckling lightly.
"I'm sorry for everything " I say.
"You once told me that when two people love each other they hurt each other a lot unknowingly but what matters the most is that they are able to talk it through and reconcile. Zenande you can leave again and come back after five years and I will still forgive you" he says.
Tears break free. The phone notifies me that it's at one percent.
"Zano the battery is about to die" I say.
"Give him the phone" he says.
I pass it immediately. This is an old car there is no charging here. He tells Zano that we are thirty minutes away and it switches off. He drives in silence and I end up dozing off,my body really hurts. I'm safe now,he won't let anything happen to me.

Somebody is lifting me from my seat and I wince from the pain causing me to jump.
"Shhhh you are safe now" he says as he lifts me out the car.
I hug him and cry on his chest. He walks with me until he stops and he places me on a seat. It's his car.
"I will be right back,I need to thank that guy for bringing me my woman" he says.
"No please don't. Please don't leave me alone" I beg.
He nods and gets in the car. He switches on the light and looks at me. He inspects my hands,my face,my clothes and my legs. With every part of me that's covered in a bruise I see him angrily clench his teeth.
"Did they try...." He can't even finish the question.
I shake my head. It must be because the dress is torn badly.
"I killed them" I say as Siphephelo gets in the car.
They both look at each other. I take out the gun from my bag and give it to him.
"I hit them right on the head" i say and tears fall down my face.
"After that I took their bodies and put them in the car and set it on fire" i say crying even louder.
Zano carries me over to his lap and holds me as gently as he can without hurting me.
""How many were they?" Siphephelo asks from the front seat.
"Two" I say.
"Did they say anything?" Zano asks.
I shake my head. They don't need to know at least not now.
"Bafo stop by a hospital I need her checked out" Zano says.
"No I need to be home,I need to see the boys" I say.
"You can buy antiseptic and I will tend to myself" I add.
"Okay stop by a hotel" he says and his face says no arguing.
After a few minutes Siphephelo drives in to a guest house and gets out quickly. He comes back and gives Zano keys. I look at him and he smiles.
"I will be right back,you can't go home looking like that" he says and I give him a weak smile.
Me and Zano walk to the room we were booked into. Zano switches on the lights and leads me to sit on the bed. He goes to the bathroom and I hear the shower running.
"Come take a shower" he says.
I follow him to the bathroom and he closes the door. I remove my torn dress and the rest of my clothes. He helps me step in the shower. I close my eyes and let the hot water cascade on me. I start washing the dirt from my hair and then my entire body. When I'm done I wrap a towel around me. I look in to the mirror and see a person that isn't even me. My lip is busted,my eye is swollen,my forehead has a huge bump it must be from the fall and I'm covered in bruises.