THE OTHER BROTHER
CHAPTER 10
KHANYISILE
My ear buzzes to the sound of the gun. I freeze on the spot when I hear loud thunder falling on the ground. With the shock in me. I turn already waiting to mess myself. I shiver to the sight of the man holding a gun my direction. Was he also going to shoot me.? He lowers his gun when our eyes meet. He tucks it at the back of his jeans. I tremble in fear ready to lose my life. I can't move for some reason and my legs seem to be stuck in the same spot. There is a dead body in front of my eyes and an unknown man with a gun. He hurries towards me and drags me by my arm. I winch in pain with the cast reaped off – my arm hurts double of the pain.
“You are hurting me.” My voice is audible enough for him to hear. He lets go of me and looks down on me. Mt tears have dried out from crying. I have no tears left in me. My mind has traveled and left my body.
“Get in the car” He instructs. I can't be handing myself to the lions in broad daylight. This is defiantly human trafficking. I look around and it's so damn quiet. I want to scream so bad and my voice is stuck for some weird reason. I shake head no. He yelps my broken arm and drags me towards the car.
“Help! Help!” I trying screaming.
“Shut the hell up.” The way he is so calm scars the shit out of me. He opens the door and pushes me in like some piece of paper. I try opening the door but it seems to be locked. I bang the window...
“Please, let me go. I won't tell anyone sir.” I say with tears running down my face. Should I give in and let fate do it’s course? My life has already been ruined and a lot is going on. I have come to the conclusion that there is a black cloud following me everywhere I go.
“I swear. I didn’t hear anything.” I repeat. My hands are clasped together with fear taking over. I am in panic-struck. The man turns back to look at me.
“What did you hear?”
“Nothing. I swear I heard nothing.” I try opening the door again, no luck. I hear the man deeply sigh.
“Look here. I saved you from those guys. Lord knows what would have happened if I had not come to rescue. Tell me what they said. If I wanted to kill you – trust me. I would have long done so. Wouldn't betray my boss even if I wanted to.”
My chest rises up and down. “You work for my father?” I ask with a little bit of relief. He smiles and starts the car driving off.
“It’s not my place to tell you. We must start by the hospital and have that arm checked out first.” He speaks. I don’t know why I am so relaxed with this man in the car. Or is it the fact my father is behind the protection? As much am I am mad at him – I am grateful that he keeps us under his wings. I don’t know what my spirit would have done if I were to departure from this earth. My whole body starts to relax completely when I truly see him taking a route to the hospital. The doctor was surprised to see me without a cast. After explaining to him he immediately had an x-ray done. The results were shocking. I had to come up with a clean lie. I was running. I tripped and fell. I still don’t know how my hand slipped off. The only thing that is left are the straps around my neck. After some time, the doctor comes back with a brown envelope. A broad smile on his face.
“Looks like the fall was your healer. The bone is back in position.” I remember when I was told that it’s just the bone that shifted a bit.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you are fine. There is no need for me to keep you here.” The doctor adds. The unknown man comes in ruining with my ringing phone in his hands. I fell a lump on my throat noticing the name on the screen. He hands me the phone and stands aside. The doctor is already out, he will be back with the medication – they want to prevent any infections that might occur in the future. My father's name flashing on the screen gives me flashbacks of what happened earlier on. I let it ring until he decided to drop, I decided to switch my phone off. Seeing his face now will bring back all the hurt. Making it worse, I wouldn’t be here - I wouldn't have been in this situation, if he had not lashed out on me! I feel my anger rising. The man’s phone rings, he excuses himself. I don’t even know where he is from and what he does for a leaving. But all in all, I am grateful for him saving my life after that crazy scene.
“Here, drink these once a day. Make sure you drink it at night – it makes one drowsy a lot.” I take the medication and get off the bed. I bump onto the man right at the door.
“You done?” He asks.
“Can you take me home?” He just nodded his head and I got to follow him behind. My mind is all over the place. When I get to think about the dead body, the shooting and me possibly dying. This is totally too much for one person. The tears roll down. I have no strength to wipe them. The car was left outside the gate of the hospital. I hop in and I am glad no words are being exchanged. I direct the man to my home. But it seems like he knows the way around so I let him be while I cry the pain out...
My home is invaded by the cops. I wonder who was being followed unknowingly now. I step out of the car – I don’t even bother bidding farewell to the unknown man, All I wasn’t is to be alone and have a good sleep. My day has been traumatizing enough. I walk past everyone, and I hear my mother sob. Maybe previously I would have been moved. Right now – I actually do not give a damn zero. One glance at my father – he shamefully looks down, He truly disappointed me. I head straight to my bedroom leaving my family behind...
“Khanyisile open this door!” The woman can shout all she wants but I am never opening this door no matter what. Can't they get it that I just want to be alone and cry myself to sleep. Footsteps fading – I sigh in relief.
“Ntombami.” That is my old father. I will not open it for anyone! He can knock until his finger drops down. I don’t care honestly. The knocking had stopped. It's now quiet. Hope he got the message. If he thinks bribing me with money would solve things – then he has another thing coming. I lean against the headboard and hang my head in-between my knees. I don’t know why I am feeling lonely. Today is the day that I just Skhosane,. He knew how to make me feel better. Can't call him – don't know how many times I have tempered to call him, and I have held myself countless times. I wipe my tears. I need Amanda. I grab my phone from the pedestal and scroll through the contact list.
“Vula wena.” Thabi.” Banging my bedroom door like some stupid cop. For this one I have no other option but to stand up and go open. Here she is with all smiles. I hold the door and stick my head out.
“What?”
She pushes the door aside pushing me along the process. Does she want to break my other arm!
“Thabi!” I am irritated. Can’t this annoying family leave me alone!
“Yin? So, tell me. Who is that guy that dropped you off this afternoon.” She has got to be kidding me. All this energy just for this. Scope.
“I don’t know him.” I responded with a shrug. I throw myself on the bed. My head is spinning a bit.
“Relax, I will not judge you. If you have decided to move on that is not a crime at all. I’m just glad you are no longer holding on to him.” She tells me.
“What can I say. When life gives you lemon...”
“Make lemonade. The man’s family is coming in January. I am so sad cause you will not be here. I don’t know they have decided to do it with you away.” She sighs sadly. I sit up straight not believing. “So, your parents don’t want me to be there?”
“They said something about protecting you. Ay I don't know. What they said did not make any sense at all.”
Wow, I can bet that this was my fathers doing. He wanted me not to be there. Why is he separating us like this?
“What’s next? I will be declined to attend your wedding to.” I am hurt, I don’t want to lie. Part of me believes that I was adopted. The things my father does at times when he is mad scares me. Shouldn’t I be there as a younger sister? Why is he...
“We will plan. I’ll just book you a flight ticket without them knowing. This will be our secret. No need for you tell mum about this.”
“I promise.” I say. Somehow, I am excited. Her phone pings. She reads through the text with a slight frown on her face.
“Look, cover up for me. Thabo wants us to talk.” Already she is out of sight. Thabi is something else.
THABISILE
I look at my parents sitting conformably in the sitting room area. Looking at them I feel my heart being disgusted by their sight. Everything about them just irks me. Most of all – I am angry with my mother. How did she allow such stupid abomination? I trusted her with everything, and she goes around and does this. You know when you have a feeling that something is not right somewhere., This is the feeling that I have. No parent will just seal a marriage deal because one will be gaining. Yes, one will be gaining but what is the actual deal behind it. Everything doesn’t add up at all. I will find out even if it means I lose everything in the end. I pretend to drink water – they haven't looked in my direction. My footsteps are not that loud. I slowly open the door then sneak out. Will have to climb the back gate – we disable the cameras there. My thinking since I sneaked out all the time.
“I have been waiting for almost an hour.” Thabo sounding like a broken record. I don’t even know why I agreed to meet up with him. The love I thought I had for him just vanished into thin air.
“Awu.”
“Mxm. Just get in the car.” I don't know why he is mad. I am practically making him a favor by being here.
“If you are going to be this moody then I suggest I go back home.” We talked about this. And we agreed to it. He is also moving to Swaziland in a few days' time. He accepted an offer behind my back and never bothered to tell me. How I found out - I was going through his emails and it happened that I bumped into it. I was broken no lies. I was helping this man to apply for every opportunity that comes. I was there for him when life gave him spin kicks. But with me facing this tsunami – he decides to pull away easily like I didn’t matter.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that everything that has been happening is stressing me. Loosing you – me relocating.”
“But doesn’t seem like it., It's like you are with me just to be with me to pass time. I can tell that my sight doesn’t exit you,. Maybe I was blined by the fact that I loved you more when you never did - I don’t know which one is it.” I say. Honestly, the signs were there. I just bluntly ignored them thinking that it will get better in time. He holds my hand.
“I love you.”
“Okay.” I don’t know where all of this is going. That ‘I love you’ was just cold and shallow. Maybe if I was still the naive Thabi - I would have melted. But right now...
“Look babe. The main reason that I called you out for here is because I need your help.”
“Hmm” I fold my arms across my chest and lean against his car. I want to know what help brings him my way. “I’m listening.”
“Look I need some cash. I don’t know anyone in Swaziland. You are my last hope. You know how the situation is at home.”
“Just because I am you bank teller, right?” I ask infuriated.
“No babe. You are the only one that can help me with this. I promise to pay you once I have settled down. I promise.”
I sigh. I will just give him what he wants and we will never cross paths again. “Okay.”
“Huh?”
“I said I will give you. Send me your banking details. Can I go back home now?” I am just bored by his sight. Everything just bores me.
“At least ungigaye ngekiss ke.” Kiss my foot. This is the last time he will ever get to see me again. I am done with him. It has been confirmed. I was there because I was his jackpot. He gained a lot from me and at some point, I didn’t mind, honestly because I thought that his love was there for me. I left him standing. I am going back home and will use the same way I sneaked out of. Opening the door, I find my mother in the kitchen.
“Where are you coming from at this time of the night?” She looks at her wristwatch.
“Went out for a walk.” I respond by shutting the door. I expected them to be in bed by now.
“Where is your sister?”
“In her room.” I look at her.
“Have you ever wondered if I am doing okay or not?”
“Where does that come from?”
“Just asking. Seems like I am the daughter that is made out of steel. Has to take all the bullets to survive. You never really cared about me. You can see that I am not okay, but you do not bring yourself to ask me what's wrong. Are you even really my mother or you guys adopted me.”
“Thabi...”
“Just forget I said anything. Vele you never cared about me since back then.” I walk past her. I blame her that my life falling apart. Has she been the mother I wanted. None of this would have happened. I wouldn’t have a Thabo in my life that milks me all the time. I wouldn’t be subjected to an arranged marriage! I huff going upset with my heart fuming in anger. I pass by Khnayi’s room without even glancing at it. On reaching my bedroom I close the door shut and slid down against the door. Everything hurts and I need my mother now more than anything. Life is not favoring me at all.
***
Morning came. I am not in my best mood. I have prepared myself for the day and I am not ready to be in the office and face people. My eyes are puffy from all the crying I had all last night. I look at myself in the mirror – no amount of make-up will hide the baggy eyes.
My parents are in the kitchen, both making breakfast. It must be nice to be them. To not care about the kids that they fruited to earth. Everything is just about money, power and success.
“Where are your manners?” My father asks. I am literally almost on the outside stoop when I am being stopped. My mother saw me, and she didn’t even bother to greet me, so why would I greet someone who doesn’t want to be greeted.
“Sawubona baba.” I greet.
“If this is about yesterday. Then I am truly sorry. I should have told you guys.” He says. I don’t buy his apology. There is something big going on right under our nose and we are so stupid not to even know. But I bet his wife knows.
“Give me money, I will forgive you.” I say. The laughter in him is genuine. Guess I believe he thinks am stupid enough.
“Name your price.”
“15K will do.. Give me this money and I will be off your back.”
“Your kids and money blackmail. You even earn triple and double this amount. But you want to milk my pockets dry.” He is still laughing.
“I will uppen the price then.” I warn him. He shakes his head to prevent himself from continuing laughing. “Okay, okay. I will go to the bank and will ask them to transfer the funds into your account.” That is all I needed. Thabo yena, he should shove himself where the sone doesn’t shine. I am purposely giving him the money not out of a good heart but because I am angry at him. I want him to see that I am not bitter at all. It’s time to start afresh and get to focus on myself while I snoop around my father's deadly sins!