Nandi | EDITING ✔

Twenty Three.

Narrative

"Mellow," Nina walked into Tumelo's room as he worked on his laptop.

Work was his coping mechanism. He hadn't seen his sister's face in two days and everyone but his parents and Jerome's were worried.

"Mellow, you need to break open Nandi's bedroom door or something. I'm worried." Nina frowned.

"I've tried that." Tumelo said.

"And that's it? That's as much as you're going to do, Tumelo? She's inside there, not eating... something has got to give, I need to go soon but I can't until I know that my best friend is okay."

"What do you want me to do, Nina?" Tumelo sighed and shut his laptop.

"Come with me and try to get her to open."

The pair left Tumelo's room. Nina leaned against Nandi's bedroom door and knocked.

"Nandi?" She called, looking at Tumelo for him to say something.

"Nandi, at least come out and tell us you're okay," Tumelo said, "are you hungry? I could bring you up some food."

"I'm fine." Nandi had ascended the stairs. Her black hoodie was on her head, casting a shadow over her troubled face.

She'd developed a new routine over the last 48 hours: leave the palace before sunrise, return after sunset.

"Oh my god!" Nina hugged Nandi tight and relief washed over her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." Nandi unlocked her bedroom and stepped inside.

Her brother and best friend walked in with her.

"Nandi?" Tumelo could tell that something had happened.

"I want to get some sleep now, could you two maybe just...?" Nandi waved off.

"You know that they're gonna come up here for you tomorrow, right? His family... For them to teach you about being a wife and all." Tumelo said.

"I won't be here tomorrow." Nandi said.

"Where are you going?" Nina questioned.

"It doesn't matter. Just let me--"

Tumelo pulled Nandi's hood off her head and revealed the bruises on her cheek and her neck. He and Nina gasped simultaneously but Nandi had become numb to what had happened. She didn't even react to the fact that she was exposed.

"Nandi, what did he do to you?" Nina's voice trembled.

"He hit me. And then he took me." Nandi responded nonchalantly.

"TOOK YOU? TOOK YOU WHERE?" Nina couldn't help but raise her voice as her emotions got heavy. She was angry, at Nandi for being so flat about what had happened, and at Jerome for thinking he had the right.

"He took me, Nina. I gave my soul to him for Mellow." Nandi looked at her brother.

Her eyes were hooded with exhaustion. Nandi couldn't sleep because when she did, the night replayed in her head with so much realness, it was as if it were happening again.