Tears of the Damned (BEING EDITED!!!)

surprise, surprise

I got home after a long five hours of being squished between the window and an elephant to an eerie silence. The floorboards screeched as I went along in the dark to my room. I turned on the light and put my boulders down and sat on my bed. A note was stuck under my pillow that was written in mom's handwriting. I'm so happy you're back. Defrost the chicken in the deep-freezer and make curry. We should be back by dinner time.

I texted Zamo to ask where they were, and she said they were at the palace. I cooked dinner whilst listening to Ed Sheeran on my earphones. "Baby, I'm..." "Please someone save amawindow kamah." Zamo said as they came in. I laughed at her ever-so-sharp tongue. "Good day to you too Zamo. I had a great journey, thank you for asking. How has your day been?" I asked in the most sarcastic way known to mankind.
Father walked in after her, carrying a handful of documents. "Make yourself useful instead of staring at each other's ugly faces," he said as he shoved the documents in Zamo's face. She took them to his study with a face that replaced the once happy mood: sour. "Stop gawking at me. Dish up already I'm starving." He said as he sat on the dinner table. In between father's comments on how fat I've became, Zamo and I set the table. He dug in without even waiting for everyone to settle down.

After wiping down his food in five gulps father spoke up. "Nonkululeko are you still intact?" I looked at him with tears in my eyes. A surge of anger built up from the pits of my being. It tugged at my insides, begging for a release. I dramatically scraped my steel chair on his tiled floor, making a screeching sound. I stormed out the room, the memories rushing back with a flood of emotion.

October 28, 2015
Nonku came back home in a jubilant mood. All her friends had gotten her presents, which meant she was going to have a sugar rush for an entire month, but most of all, she had aced her history test. She ignored the darkness of the house, concluding that she was the first person home. She changed into her 'feeling good' outfit to fetch Zamo from school.

"MaZulu where are you going?" Her father's voice sounded from the dark corner of the living room. "Im going to fetch Zamo," she said. Her father didn't move an inch from where he was sitting, so she just decided to go. "Sit down Nonkululeko," her father said icily. She silently obliged, wondering what was going on.

"As far as I understand you turn sixteen today, right?" Her father asked. "Yes, that is correct,"she said as she remembered the episode of Teen Titans Go she watched in the morning. "Do you understand what happens to a girl when she turns 16?" "No dad." "When a girl is your age she starts developing feelings for boys. Boys see her as more of a woman than s young girl. Do you understand so far?" "Yes dad I understand." "Nonkululeko do you remember the beans you planted in grade seven?" She nodded her head slightly, wondering where the conversation was going. "Do you remember how devastated you felt when your mother cut them down and said she needed green beans for supper?" "I wanted to rip her apart," she said softly. "You see Nonku, you first-hand know how sad it is when someone ruins something precious to you. And that's what I have a problem with. I can't let any random boy from the streets savor the fruits of my hard labour. Is that fair? No, it isn't, and that's why I have to do what I will do." He stood up and took slow strides to the master bedroom. "Follow me," he said and she silently obliged.

He locked the room. He instructed her to sit on the bed. She did. He switched off the lights and started undressing. She felt very uneasy. "It wouldn't be fair if another boy enjoyed the fruits of my labour..." he said as he took her virginity.

I was shaking. Tears were falling down my face, something that never happened when I was in Durban. Zamo came in my room and sat next to me. Tears were also falling down her face and we cried on each others shoulders. "He said I must call you," she said. I stood up and went to the dining room.

"Wipe those goddamned tears," dad said. I looked at him with the most venom one could possibly fix into one stare. He continued. "Nonkululeko as you were gone there was a few improvements. As from tomorrow you will no longer live here. We will take you tomorrow to your in-laws, at the palace. Do you understand?" I looked at mom with pain all over my face. She mouthed an apology as tears formed in her eyes. Zamo never came back after calling me to my doom. I took one last glance at dad and stood up to leave. "Going to Durban has really made you rude. I don't think your husband will appreciate that." I stormed off to my room and cried myself to sleep.

"Nonku wake up, it's 9a.m. already," Zamo woke me up. "Imisebenzi yeTheku yonke le?" (Is this all Durban's doing) she asked. I got up and took a shower. Remembering last night's breaking news, I packed my toiletries and got ready to leave.

"Are you sure you packed all your things?" Mom asked for the umpteenth time. I nodded my head, still feeling betrayed that she accepted lobola on my behalf and didn't even tell me, but deep down I knew that whatever Mntungwa says goes. We packed my bags in the car in silence and left.

We got to the palace with my heart coming out of my mouth.
The doorman escorted us to the chief's chambers. The norm happened, don't look at the chief in the eye, men on chairs, woman on the floor, all that jazz. The chief and dad were speaking about a merger of sorts, but I wasn't really paying attention, not until they talked about my so-called "husband."

The chief was getting impatient. "Where is that boy? Sipho!?" He called out. He came into my line of view. "Khabazela?" He asked. "Your wife is here," he said as he ushered to me. Sipho took my hand and I looked up to him. "BlesserBae?" "Gogo (granma)?" We asked at the same time.

A/n
Sup beautiful people that I love very much?
I'm so sorry for the late update!!!
It's just that school's been a bitch and grade eleven the pimp and the parents the competition.
Once again, my apologies...

One thing that I must tell you though before I leave...
SHIT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!!!