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Chapter Seventeen.

Chapter Seventeen.

"People will quit on you. You gotta get up everyday and  make sure you never quit on yourself."

••

I breathed out before wiping away my tears with the back of my hand.

What the hell did my ears just hear?

How...I mean No.

I gather the last bit of my working mind and body before dragging myself to her room. Once in front of the door, I knock. She doesn't say anything at all even when I knock again. I gently open the unlocked door and search for her inside. She stood by the window as almost inaudible sniffs fill this space.

I clear my throat, but she barely even moves.

"Zonke...can we talk."
"Get out of this room."
"Please...we can't continue like this."
"We can't continue like this? I said get out." She finally turns to look my way, wiping a few more tears that manages to free themselves from her eyes.

I'm not used seeing her cry like this.

"I'm sorry..." Goodness. I'm tearing up again as well. "...I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't know, you don't know anything." She says. "always so naïve."
"Was I supposed to just know that that's what you had to for us without you even telling me? I thought mama left us with some money."
"What money? The money baba buried her with and then what? She left us with nothing!"

I breathe out, swallowing the words I wanted to say.

What ever happened to the all the money I've seen mama saving up?

"You know I wished so many times that I could've been you. I wished so many days and nights that God could reverse the terrible things I went through for this house. They would've taken you guys away, we would've starved to death."

"Zonke..."
She puts a hand up.

" I sometimes wonder if I was the one with your job and car and stuff, then maybe I would've met the Prince. I would be the one he loves and cares for. Do you know how much it hurts to just see your life falling behind while your younger siblings are doing more than you are. And I'm here, stuck."

I don't even want to think of that because it would hurt me so much.

"I'm done." She wipes away her tears.

"You can still start over, you can't just give up. I believe you can do that and I'll help you do that. I don't want you to go through this alone anymore when I can help you now. I know I cant take away the pain you've gone through, but I want to at least make it better."

It's a moment of quietness as I stood there waiting for her to say something...but she doesn't. I nod and with a tail between my legs I turn to leave.

"Wait..." She says before coming to stand in front of me, before taking me into her arms. I hug her back.

•••

We're having a quiet supper. Everyone is just focussing on their food right now...or maybe it's just me who won't start a conversation either.

I look up. Zonke has her eyes on my hands, and something tells me she's looking at the beads on my hand. I clear my throat.

"They're... They were given to me." I explain for no good reason at all.
"By who? The Prince?"
"No." I shake my head. "Some old man, I don't even know."
"And you're wearing something a stranger gave to you?" She says and reaches for my hand before trying to touch them. She flinches instantly out of pain sitting back. Her hand shaking back and forth.