MEND MY SOUL #11
At Siya's Home.
Zola:You have a beautiful house.
Siya:Thank you, I built it from scratch.
Zola:Really? How long did it take?
Siya:A year. I didn't want to buy a house.
Zola:*Laughing* Let me guess, you fear buying haunted houses.
Siya:Exactly, you understand me.
Zola:You live alone?
Siya:Yes.
Zola:Don't you ever get bored?
Siya:Nop, I'm mostly working. I always wake up tired, like I was busy the whole night.
Zola:Maybe you are sleep walking at night.
Siya:I doubt, I'm not a heavy sleeper. I would feel myself waking up.... Anyway do you want us to cook or order in?
Zola:Let's order in please.
Siya:Okay.
He took his phone and ordered food for them.
Siya:It will be here in an hour.
She nodded and looked at her phone frowning.
Siya:What is it?
Zola:Someone keeps on sending me messages but I don't know what he/she is saying because they delete them before they I can read.
Siya:Let me see.
She gave him her phone and he copied the number on his phone.
An hour later, their food arrived and he paid the delivery person.
They ate together and cleaned up after they were done.
Zola:That was amazing, thanks.
Siya:It's a pleasure, though I would love to eat food cooked by you.
Zola:Next time I will cook for you don't worry... So tell me about yourself.
Siya:What do you want to know?
Zola:Everything, I want to know what type of person you are before I involve myself with you.
Siya:Mina ngithi siyajola nje(I thought we were dating)
She smiled and chuckled.
Zola:You know what I mean.
Siya:Come here.
He pulled her to him and made lie sidely by him on the couch. He brushed her arm up and down.
Siya:You already know my name, Siyamthanda Nyathi, my origin is at Bergville. I'm a quiet person, I mind my business, that's why people label me as a "cold devil";they always see me quiet and I'm very sharp when it comes to the workplace so that's why... I never had a lovely childhood.
Zola:You were abused?
Siya:Yeah, by my parents.
Zola:It will never end.
Siya:It won't, people are always quick to say"oh abuse, we've heard enough of it", "Say something else, we've heard about child abuse so many times" or "Everyone always want to tell a sob story about how they were abused, it's annoying", "Anything but child abuse please". Truth is, no matter how many times YOU have heard about it doesn't mean it will STOP, parents are still abusing their children up to this day and most of the times their reasons are silly and don't make any sense.
So like most of those people who were abused, I'm one of them. Both physically and emotionally, but mostly emotionally and you know what they say about how hurtful WORDS can be. I even started to doubt that they were my real parents, but when I got older I did a DNA test behind their backs and they are my biological parents. They caused a division between me and my older brother, Sikho. They treated me differently from how they treated him. They would go to Town and bring him goodies and give it to him only, and he would enjoy them in front of me. Whenever I would ask why they are treating me like that, I knew that it meant I would not eat that day.
I was smart in school, and I was lucky to get a scholarship to study abroad. But then...
He paused in between, fighting his tears so hard. He can't cry in front of her. Zola brushed his arm and told him to continue.
Siya:I was excited that finally I had something that would make my parents to be proud of me, when I got home I ran to my mother and showed her the papers.
I thought she would be happy and embrace me in her arms, tell me how much she is proud of me. But she did the opposite, she teared the forms and told me that I won't go there, she told me how I would never amount to anything in life. But my teacher didn't give up, she helped me apply to local universities and helped me apply for NSFAS and other bursaries. Mother did not even want me to go to University, when I finished Matric I passed with flying colors. Everything was set, I just had to go and register at school but she locked me in the house for days until the registration period was over. I lost my chances of bettering my life, she only let me out weeks later. I.. I... After that it just got worse, the abuse came back multiplied. I have a very bad scar on my back, she burnt me with an iron once.
Zola gasped, she was hurt by what she was hearing. She thought she had it rough with her childhood.
Siya:She found me ironing my clothes and told me that I'm wasting electricity, I tried to explain to her that I had a bursary interview the following day, but she didn't listen. She took my shirt and threw it on the dirty water she was bathing with. That's when she took the iron and placed it on my back, and I was not wearing a shirt that day so it did me bad. I felt so much pain, I begged them to take me to the clinic but they refused. I had to crawl myself to the clinic and get help.
Zola:*Crying*Gosh Siya...
Siya:They patched me up and gave me medication to help with the burn. Till this day, I don't know what was their reason for treating me like that. I hate them, they made my childhood a horror movie. They did many things babe, some that I still don't want to talk about till today.
Zola:So how did you end up moving to Durban?
Siya:I gotta thank my teacher for that, that woman became a mother figure Zola. People are always bashing teachers but she had such an impact on the person I am today. She took me to school with her own money, she used her life' savings to help me study. Not even once did she complain, I will never forget what she did for me. Time to time I visit her, I built her a house and told her to retire. I'm the one who's taking care of her, even though she has children but I just want to do everything to show my gratitude to her. When I graduated she was the only one who showed up. My parents never bothered themselves, they are only keeping in touch now that I'm financially stable. So, even after all that I came out on top. I didn't allow my past to determine my future, I focused on my goals and knew what I want. I have my own company now, and I'm planning on launching a second one next year. I forgave my parents, even though they never apologized but I forgave them; but me forgiving them doesn't mean we will play happy families. I still hate them. Believe it or not, I attended therapy to help me deal with my demons.
Zola:You? Therapy?
Siya:Yes, I attended therapy. I had to find a way to move on from my childhood. I do have flashbacks now and then but it doesn't hurt like it did those years ago.
.
.
To be continued...
