Beckoned Through The Dark

15 // Lesego // Not So Sweet Home

We left the hospital without any sign of Cecilia, Lwandle, or Abigail. Not that I was complaining, it was just that I was used to having them around, especially Cecilia. Believe it or not, I was worried about her. I hadn't seen her since she told me about knowing my own mother. I was so caught up in my thoughts during the ride that I did not hear the car come to a stop. "Home sweet home." Betty said, satisfied.

I exited the car and slammed the door before I rushed into the house, hoping that my family was still sleeping. But the greeting that I got said something else. "Lesego!" Dineo screamed, and jumped on me, giving me a bone crushing hug.

"Hey, Brownie!" I hugged her back tightly, tears covering my face. "I missed you so much." I cried. Dineo pulled back and wiped my tears with her small hands. "I'm glad you are home." She said and I pulled her into another hug.

"Lesego, are you okay?" Jack asked, approaching Dineo and I. He seemed worried. I smiled and walked towards him. I put Dineo down, and pulled him into a hug, and he tensed before responding. I felt more tears prickling my face. "Sorry," I apologised, pulling away from him. "I'm just excited to be home, so what are we eating?" I asked, wiping away my tears, and gave a chuckle that was not so heartily. Dineo and Jack laughed as well, and I felt a bit better than I did before.

Duncan came out of the blue and pulled me into a hug. "Wow, at least I know you missed me." I say, but Duncan holds me even tighter, I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Duncan, do you want to send me back to hospital? I can't breathe." I laughed, and Duncan let go of me.

"Sorry?" He blushed, and we all laughed. Just then my stomach found it appealing to growl, "I'm hungry, I could eat an elephant."

"Dad was about to make some breakfast." Dineo said.

"Yeah, just relax. All I need is thirty minutes." Jack said and headed to the kitchen. I joined Dineo and Duncan in the sitting room where they were watching 'Regular Show.' I wondered what today's date was, and what day it was. "What's today's date?" I asked, and Dineo replied, "Wednesday, November 22." I nodded and continued watching the cartoons.

After what felt like an eternity, breakfast was finally ready, and we gathered at the table. I couldn't wait any longer, my body shook from the hunger; I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. Jack told Dineo to go and call Betty from outside, and they came back together a minute later. As usual, breakfast was quiet and filled with stares and glares between Betty and me. "The Dubes are coming over for dinner tomorrow," my mother said after everyone had finished eating, everyone except for me, which was why I choked on my food.

Dineo rubbed my back and gave me a glass of water; and I accepted it and gulped it down. "Since when are you friends with the Dubes?" Jack asked the same question I'd been meaning to ask her. "And what are we going to feed them? They are black people." Dineo said, earning a glare from me, and then she mouthed a sorry to me. "They are not different from us; they will eat what we eat, and in this case; 'Sunday Kos'," Betty said.

We had been living in this place for over twenty years, and not even once did she invite her neighbours for breakfast, lunch, or supper. What worried me more was that she was inviting the Dubes, a family that lived five houses away from us, when she could have invited our real neighbours: Claudia and her mom. The Dubes were an African family of seven; five children from her previous marriage, three girls about my age, and two boys; one a bit older than Duncan, and the other younger than him. Not to mention that Mrs Dube was expecting another baby with her new husband, her stomach was as big as a mountain.

"Mom, we don't have enough chairs." Duncan pointed out.

"And our chairs are too small for Mr Dube." Dineo commented; and I had to fight to keep in my laugher, instead I said to Dineo, "Dineo, don't be so rude." But this only seemed to fuel her as she continued, "and Mrs Dube is pregnant, her stomach is mountainous. What if she gives birth here?" Dineo asked, exasperated. We all kept quiet and watched my mother as we awaited her answer. She looked at each one of us, and shared the longest look with Jack, who was unimpressed by her decision; it was obvious that she hadn't consulted with him over this matter.

Jack broke the eye contact and looked away, and my mother sighed. "I hear what you are saying, but Mrs Dube is only coming with her youngest daughter and her sons; her husband took the other two to their father who is going to accompany them to their graduation." My mother said. "And don't call her Mrs Dube when they are here, her name is Nomalanga, so aunt Nomalanga will do, okay? Dube is her ex-husband’s name."

"And when did you discover all this?" I asked.

"I had a meeting with her a few minutes ago outside." She said which only pushed me. "What was the agenda of the meeting? Ex-husbands and their children?" I raised my voice.

"Lesego." Jack warned, and I just sighed and apologized to him; but that did not stop my mother from glaring at me. Just then, my phone rang from somewhere around the house; it was the only phone with a funny ringtone in this house, and the first person I looked at was Dineo, who muttered, "kitchen counter." I pushed my chair back and went to the kitchen, where my phone was vibrating on the counter. I sighed and answered it, "Hello?"

"Miss Medupe, how are you?" Mrs Martins greeted. I was surprised to hear her voice. I had not heard from her since she left the hospital yesterday. "Mrs V, it's so good to hear from you! I was worried about after what happened at the hospital." I hopped on the counter, and sat next to the kitchen window, staring outside. "I am fine, dear. Thanks for worrying about me." She sighed, "However, it's not me you should be worried about."

"Then who?"

"You."