ONYIYE THAT GIRL
CHAPTER 2
ONYIYE MAZIBUKO
Apparently, drinking is like sitting on the TV remote's volume up button, except drunk people are the TV and they can't find the remote. One friend not only starts to shout after a few, but he also won't stop talking and cursing. Normally she wouldn't mind—their conversations are littered with expletives.
They are so weirdly insecure.
Which, frankly, is a surprise. Take a person who's pleasing to the eye, intelligent, put together, and when sober, brazenly competent, and confident—but after a few whisky sours, that person turns into a paranoid mess of self-doubt. She knows what alcohol does to your blood stream. She’s the victim of it.
"Awu, mfazi kamfowethu," says Clive on of the guys he used to attend school with. She last saw him two months ago. People are busy with their lives.
"Clive," she smiles wiping the counter. "What brings you here?"
"I just miss home. Ngisazobamba ingudu ezimbalwa."
"It's good that you have never forgotten home. I'm glad that city life didn't change you."
Clive is doing his first year in DUT, studying mechanical engineering. He was her partner in their matric dance but nigger disappeared, it was understandable. Everyone was drunk - load shedding happened, one thing lead to another. She found herself kissing a total stranger.
"I just miss my rural home town. City life is not for me. But most importantly I miss my mother's cooking." He has his hands lean against the counter.
"Still a mama's boy I see."
He laughs shyly and sees a woman with a baby in her hands.
"Is that my Ndimu? Can I take him home mama will be so delighted to see him."
Onyiye looks at MaThusi who has her hands wrapped tightly around Ndimu.
"Errm,"
"He must be back within an hour." She hands Clive the baby who was smiling from ear to ear. "Make sure that the sun doesn't burn him. His skin is too sensitive." She puts him his hat and gives him an umbrella. "I want him back within an hour."
If only her mother was this over protective towards her it would have been….
"Mfazi ka mfowethu, we will be back. Keep those bottles safe for me." He walks out carrying Ndimu. She has never really asked him why he calls him that.
The day went pretty fast. She didn't even notice that it's knock off time. Lock at her sounding like a professional business woman.
How can she stand long hours with such pain? Hopefully she will become accustomed to standing by doing it every day.
"Nisale kahle mah," she's ready to leave and be home in her sponge reading through those documents.
"See you ngo8:00 am not by 5:00 am please tuuu." MaThusi tells her making Onyiye to laugh a bit.
"I promise to come around 8:00."
MaThusi hands her the money…R250! She was definitely not expecting it one bit.
"Hau mah, God bless you for me." She wants to kneel down an cry. This means so much to her. She knows that she will save this week and buy her baby more diapers and formula.
"Don't even think about it!" MaThusi sternly warns. She is half way through kneeling but was forbidden. "You've helped me alot and my customers loved you. Keep this heart of yours you will go far."
She feels confident and liberated. This feels like the first pay-check, a pay-check that will give her a taste of what's in store for her.
Earning that little money just gave her confidence because then she can be financially independent and does not have to be dependent on others. Not, especially her mother and sister.
It's funny how they live in one yard but they do not acknowledge each other's presence.
Today - she doesn't have to steal food from the house. She will sleep with a full stomach. Ndimu is tacked on her back as usual like every other day.
On her way back home she bought two fatkoeks, fried chips with yababa and a 2 litre coke. She's going back home humming in excitement.
Her mother is outside the yard with her favourite daughter ready for her already. That she knows and her instincts tell her.
"WeSfebe, woza la!" Okay what has she done now. She makes sure not to step on anyone's toes.
"Mah," she takes further steps towards them. She looks down on the ground because she knows that a slap could follow for looking at her. "What the hell is this?" She shoves the papers on her face.
Her heart drops immediately….
"You went through my stuff?" She's broken, hurt.
"Whose house is this? You intend to forget the this is my house and my late boyfriend built it for me. You thinking of going back to school? Who's going to take care of that thing you call a child? Wena! Go take matches endlin. I will teach you a lesson you will never forget!"
She's looking at the papers burning right infront of her eyes. The effort her friend made bringing her these only to be destroyed in this manner.
"Mah!" Her trembling lips and watery eyes.
"I don't give birth to skanks mina."
She's standing there still frozen, hurt.
She feels as if she has fallen into a cactus, and her heart has been punctured a million times over by tiny pins. It stung at first, but now it feels as if they've left her numb—not even slightly painful, just numb.
Looking at the ashes on the grass with tears running one after another.
"Mxm," her sister turns to walk back to the house.
She's sitting on her sponge lost in thoughts. She cannot even celebrate the victory of earning that R250.
She lays on her back with her aching feet facing the ceiling.
She sighs painfully as she burst into tears.
She only wanted to study agriculture and be a better Mom to her son. She only wanted to make her future better. But all of her plans just shattered right in front of her eyes.
Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be. A quote she once heard.
She lays flat awake at night aching for rest and relief from her racing mind.
One day running straight into the next, and the next, and the next. An endless horror-film loop. That’s how she could describe her life growing up.
She feels lost.
And alone.
It wasn’t a new feeling. She had felt that way for years.
She lies awake and wonder why she didn’t feel better, wish she could feel like everyone else seemed to—content, confident, happy. Why wasn’t that her life?
The harder she fights the way she's feeling, the harder it is to feel that way. The more she lets it be there, the easier it gets to feel that way. The feeling no longer feels scary, or like something she needs to try to avoid.
STHEMBISO JIYANE
"Sthembiso Maan, if you know what's best for you…."
"Mah, I'm coming!" He hisses getting off the bed cursing under his smelly morning breath.
The sun is burning his skin so painfully - he runs back to the house to wear his t-shirt and his hat. He has a two bedroom outside the main house.
Now his body is itchy - scratching will follow then blisters and redness will pop up.
"Here take. Go to the shops and by me this." His mother hands him the piece of paper filed with groceries.
"It's hot, can't I go this afternoon?" Maybe he will pull that card on her.
"Now Sthembiso!" She raws. What do they say about Black Parents!
His mouth is forever cursing - "ay, ay, ay," he is stomping his feet like a five year old.
"A 25 years old - what a disgrace." His mother add before turning to leave. She knows her son, he is forever complaining and that doesn’t bug her any longer.
He fixes his hat and sighs stepping out of the yard. His father has forbidden him from using his cars.
The old man doesn't understand that he was drunk, damn he even got laid that night. He was invited to a matric dance that turned out to be his personal matric dance.
Driving back home made him loose all of his senses, he found himself crashing someone's car. Whenever he thinks of that night he find himself smiling.
She was way too tight and very sweet.
Her pussy tasted like strawberry sweet aid. He would steal pictures of her without her noticing. His gallery is full of those moments.
His smiling looking at his feet counting his steps. He wishes he could spend just one more night with her. Her very dark soft skin…. He has been eyeing her since he spotted his yes on her that night. It's a pity because that was the first and last day since he saw her.
Her moans filling his ears under those blasting speakers spitting music.
He could still hear her voice, tiny. He took someone's purity! He needs to be rectified to receive this.
A honk makes him to freeze and stands still. He tilts his head finding himself in the middle of the road. How did he get here?
His heart pounding looking at the cars passing him - some swearing.
"What the fuck man! Watch wear you going you pussy!"
If this man is referring to the pussy his imagining - than by all means he is delighted to be compared with it.
"Her pussy was sweet." He shouts back sticking his middle finger out.
The driver steps out of his car marching towards him. "Ow shit!" Izinduku zesinukha are out of sight.
Imagine a skinny guy running for his life.
Sthembiso is hardly seen in the road. He is forever at home if he is not at work.
Finally he is in town, he doesn't like crowded places. He enjoys being alone and talking to himself.
People always look at him in the most weirdest way and it doesn't bother him any longer. His reddish hair is neatly cut. What is a man without a fade.
"Sthembiso!" He knows that voice. And it annoys him to the core!
He composes himself and turns to look at her. Her stomach is so fucken huge!
"Mazet!"
"Are you still denying this pregnancy?"
"How am unsure that the baby is mine since you slept with my brother Dumisani?"
"We didn't sleep together! We only kissed!" MaZet half shouts attracting eyes. "You know what you are useless. I don't even know what I saw in you because you cannot even perform in bed. Iyafhathuza nje."
"Say's someone who has a hole for the whole Eshowe to share!" Sthembiso spits back.
MaZet gasps in shock as her lips trembled. "You bastard!"
He sees stars after that handful smack on his right cheek. Silly pervert scenes- He saw her Juggling Assets and all during her effort to slap. But that was a short pain and insult.
All eyes on them, great just great. The devil has left leaving him to earn evil eyes. He is standing in the queue waiting impatiently.
Finally his turn comes, he looks at the lady chewing gum and shakes his head.
"I should tell my black ndoni to teach you how to chew."
"Sorry ukhuluma nami?" the till lady asks.
"Nyori, cha I'm talking to the chicken behind you." he mimics her voice. "Your eyebrows - long walk to freedom, long Halloween way DPD truck." He sides eye her. The girl just looks at him and sighs continuing to work. What’s the use of arguing with a fool.
"Plastic?" She asks, frustrated, mad.
"Cha, I don't want my plastic being turned into a zombie." He pulls out for a packet behind his pocket and smirks looking at her. He shoves the items inside the plastics and smiles widely.
There's nothing more than he hates like being in a taxi with these bunch of….
"Sibawu 4," ow no she didn't hit him with the money on his cheek.
He turns to look at her, "I'm not a passenger," he turns to face front and focuses on his phone.
"Haibo Buti! Dlulisa imali." Another shouts.
"I don't work here, angisosicabha mina." He hisses still focused on his phone.
The driver stops the taxi, "weButi uthi imali yenzeni?"
Sthembiso tilts his head to look at the scary driver. He swallows hard and chokes on his own saliva. If he was related to a marathonist sure he would have been out of this door, he is even suited next to it!
"Who's talking?" He asks looking at the driver.
"Yey wena botela, dlulisa imali Maan!"
"Read my lips certified driver - I do not work for the taxi association. I'm not your personal assistant."
Sthembiso locks his phone placing it back to his pocket.
"What did you say?"
"So the driver can speak English after all, hahahah how funny!"
The driver steps out and walks around his taxi - he opens the passengers door and pulls Sthembiso out by grabbing him with his shirt. "Repeat your words boy."
"Let go of me!" He tries wiggling himself but he is just way to thin for the buffy taxi driver. He has him pressed against his taxi.
"Uzonya saan" he lets go of him making sure to drop him on purpose. The driver take his plastic out and throws them on the road with food being scattered on the ground.
Just like that the cruel driver is driving away.
"Thank you, Solidariteit!" He stomps his feet cursing. "What now." He picks everything luckily the plastic is still fine.
Walking back home in this heat feels exhausting. Every part of him is painful - sore and itchy.
A hooter honks from behind. He jumps out of shock and screams in fear a bit.
"Shit!" He stands aside.
"Get in!" Instructs a scary man.
"Weee, sorry. I'd rather die in this heat."
The driver steps out and walks around his car towards him, he stands right infront of his yellow-white face.
"I said get in." A gun!
Sthembiso shoots his eyes wide open.
"Woahh!" He takes steps back. Now he wishes he didn't come home for the weekend. Durban is pretty full and annoying. Lots of cars going up and down making him go crazy. Now this!
The man points the gun right on his face.
Sthembiso quickly tries reach up and take hold of the barrel, trying to aim it away from his body.
The man leaves a manful punch on his face and he staggers back loosing balance.
"Don't try it!" The man hisses. Looking scarier then he is.
"Okay, okay!"
He touches his painful jaw and sighs defeatedly.
"Get in, you are wasting my time!"
"Where are you taking me. Atleast can I leave this at home before my mother kills me."
His tiny arse is in the backseat of this tiny red Tazz.
"Shut the fuck up! You are so annoying!." The man presses harshly on the breaks.
His body tends to keep moving forward almost hitting the windscreen. "Ouch! You almost killed me!"
"I wonder how you became a security guard because you are such a sissy."
"Mxm,"
Still carrying his mother's plastics with a painful jaw. "Why did you bring me here again?" The are somewhere around Eshowe. He has never been this side of town. "Where are we?" He asks with a confused frown on his face.
"Heaven." The man replies. Sthembiso is following the man around like a lost puppy.
They enter a heavenly house - "wow," he exclaims looking up. This side of town really does have beautiful houses.
Inside is definitely worse. "Who lives here?"
The man leads him to where the other men where.
"Finally, you are here." Says a huge an with a huge stomach.
"Is your stomach real?" Sthembiso slaps his mouth into a thin line.
"What did you say?"
"Ow shit!" He curses. Even his voice is deep and scary.
"Take him to the boss."
The driver comes up and pulls him roughly towards another passage. Another grabs the plastics.
"Hei, not my mother's grocery!"
"Relax sdididi."
Sthembiso finally let's go of the plastics reluctantly.
The door fully opens and the step in.
"WTF!" He's shocked. Who owns such credit cards.
"Have a sit."
"Who are you?" Sthembiso. He doesn't want to take chances. He was forcefully pulled here with a gun held at him and now this!.
The man finally turns around with a wide smile on his face. This cannot be his boss.
"I knew that you will come."
"Khoza." This doesn't make sense. This man is his boss, what the hell is he doing with so many bank cards?
"Yes, waxwaya. I'm your boss isn't?"
"Yes, but….but what's going on?"
"Sit down I'll brief you."
"What! So you trying to tell me that you guys scheme government with your evil deeds?"
"And with that money - that is how you get paid. Look I just need your skills in IT and that's it."
Sthembiso cringes to the sound of that. "And if I don't barge in? This thing is illegal."
The man smiles - you see this" he shows him a video of his mother watering her plants. "and this…." Another video of Onyiye standing besides the road with a huge stomach another picture of her carrying a baby boy that's a replica of him!
His heart pounds in fear, he slowly stands up and take baby steps towards the table.
"Where did you get these?" His voice is barely out. The man chucks puffing his cigarette.
"I've been following you for a while. I kept tabs on you. I now when you are sleeping, bathing or even looking at her pictures. It's a pity that you only saw her one night in that matric dance." The man's laughs a little. "You see if you do not do what I ask you to do you will loose your family. You will loose your child you even didn't get to meet."
"How do you know that the child is mine?" He tries to sound brave but deep inside fear has creeped in. Not his Ndoni.
“I have every little detail of you. I even know that you a product of an affair.”
His blood pressure and heart rate increase. He starts breathing faster. Even his blood flow changes — blood actually flows away his heart and into his limbs, making it easier for him to loose his sight and started throwing sissy punches.
A loud bang thunders at the back of his head. Immediately his sight becomes fuzzy, he feels light headed.
"Knock him out."
The last words he hears before closing his eyes.