Thandolwami (on hold)

Chapter 11

I got up to face her.

"Rubbish behavior?" I chuckled humorlessly, "do you want to know what rubbish is mother? Rubbish is setting me up for marriage with a man l barely know and most definitely do not love.That's rubbish."

Bam!

Dad hit the wooden dining table with his hand, "Ntando you will not talk to your mother like that" he roared, "apologize immediately"

I stood akimbo and l narrowed my eyes at her, "l apologize for raising my voice at you, but l do not apologize for what l said. I mean it. I'm not marrying Thuso Mokoena"

"It's not up for negotiation" mama spat.

"Oh? So what's your plan? You will force me at gun point to sign a marriage certificate with him or you will just forge my signature? Because l do not see any other way l in my sane mind would willingly get married to him"

"That Shona boy has corrupted you" dad said.

"That Shona boy? That Shona boy dad has a name, his name is Gilbert Rufaro Chitsikwapasi and l love him! You were all kind and polite just the other day when he was here and on my graduation, today you say he is corrupting me? Why didn't you say so then? Huh? Why are you saying so now?"

Mama looked so angry she was shaking, "no. child. of. mine. is. getting. married. to. A. Shona. do you hear me Ntando?" She said her finger poking my chest with each word.

"And l am not getting married to Thuso either!"

"Are you not the one who said you want to get married 'soon' what's the difference? Here is a man that we have found, whom we approve of, he will marry you soon enough as well!" Mama yelled back at me.

I looked at her and l was sure she had gone crazy, surely she had lost it, "l did not say l just want to get married soon, l said l want to get married to Gilbert, the man l love! Why is it so hard for you to understand that? You are my parents and l respect you, but you have no right whatsoever to choose a spouse for me"

"Ntando don't forget who you are talking to" dad said and l flinched, "this is your mother and she carried you for 9 months, without her you would be nothing, you would be none existent. You will listen to what she says and obey it."

"I never asked to be born" l retorted.

Dad moved closer towards me, his eyes flashing danger, anger, l honestly thought he was going to beat the living daylights out of me.
I stepped back.

"You will do as you are told" he said.

"And you can forget and smile!" l replied as l turned and grabbed the two thirds of my cake that remained uncut, a fork and a bottle of water. I sure as hell was having my chocolate cake and eating it. I wasn't about to let them ruin the only good thing that was left of my birthday - the cake. I started making my way out of the room.

"Where do you think you are going, we are not done here" dad said.

Maybe he wasn't done, but l was. I had my back to him as l walked out of the room and l think he was about to come and pull me back before l left the room but aunt Sara jumped from her chair and blocked him, "brother no! Let's sit down and reason together"

I exited the room and banged the door behind me. I made my way to my bedroom and when l got in l locked myself inside.

I was feeling very frustrated. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I thought of calling Gilbert and telling him what had happened but l was so angry l decided not to, lest l ended up saying something in anger.

I grabbed my laptop, switched it on as l sat on my bed and l went through my videos folders. I wanted to watch something that would make me laugh and distract me and hopefully improve my foul mood.

I found a comedy series l had been stalling to watch "outsourced". You better be good, l muttered to myself as l clicked play. A few minutes l was giggling to myself as l enjoyed the comedy and munching on my birthday cake. Happy birthday to myself!

The comedy was so good l watched the full season episodes none stop and for that time l forgot about all my worries. By the time l finished the season my cake was gone too, l rubbed my stomach, l was probably going to be sick the next day. I checked if l had season 2 of outsourced and l realized l hadn't. What a bummer.

It was now 9pm and l felt sleepy anyway, l changed into my jumpsuit socks and tee shirt for bed and l got a wet wipe to remove makeup from my face. There was no way l was going to risk going outside my room to the bathroom lest l bumped into my treacherous parents.

As l got in bed l checked my phone and found some messages from Gilbert and some friends, l responded to them, we chatted for a bit and finally around 10pm l dozed off to sleep.

A couple of hours later l woke up startled from my sleep. There was a loud banging on my door.

"Ntando! Ntando wake up!" Sis Mavy was panic knocking and shouting.

I scurried from my bed, barely awake, wondering what the noise was for at such an odd hour. I opened my door, sis Mavy was crying, panicking, she was jogging on spot as if she didn't know wether to stand or run.

I rubbed my eyes trying to stifle a yawn, "what is I-"

"It's your mother" l stopped mid yawn. "She has collapsed."