Umfelokazi

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Today Thulani is leaving for the duration of these two weeks and a part of me wish that I could go with him mainly because I will miss him. I guess I have got used to the fact that we spend majority of our time together or in each other's presence and now I will be all alone. Well not until later when Rethabile arrives. Yes she is coming down to Kzn and her mother is bringing her here and I am happy that Ntaka allowed that to happen so I wouldn't be totally all alone during the time he is away but client are coming in during this time and I have alot of work to do as well. I am in the kitchen and I have a lunch box with the cupcakes I have baked. I made sure to see a tutorial on how to do icing on YouTube and it turned well.  The cupcakes are intended for Rethabile but there are alot so I think sharing some with him wouldn't hurt one bit. He comes through from the passage of the house rolling his little suitcase and I watch him place it near the couch and he comes towards me. 
“I am ready to leave”,He mentions and cones towards me and gives me a kiss.
“Don’t be sad”
“I am going to miss you”,I say honestly.
“I will too, I will try to come back as soon as I can”
“Be careful where you are going”
“I will be”,He mentions.
“Come so you can drive me to the airport”,He says.
“What if I crash the car. I haven't touched a car in years”,I say.
“You will be fine baby just trust yourself”,He mentions.
I have a driver's licence that I got right after high school with Nomvula. Our father wanted us to go into the world knowing how to drive and well one of us has driven longer than the other. I go to his suitcase and I give him the lunch box with cupcakes.
“Those are some left over cakes”
“Thank you baby”,We walk out of the house and we got to the car. He hops inside the driver's side and I get inside the passanger side after we loaded his things at the back.
He reverses the car out of the drive way as soon as the gate opens and he drives off soon. 
Through the drive it is not even long before we get to the airport and he parks the car and we look at each other. We get out of the car and just take his things before we make our way inside the airport When it was time for him to leave we hug and kiss for the last time before we departed from each other. I stand there for a moment watching him disappear from my eyes.
“Lord please protect him”,I softly say before I turn and leave the place. I go to the car and get inside. I am scared honestly but I tell myself that I can do this right? Yes I can.
I put on a seat belt before I start the car and start driving. What I love about this car it is the fact that it is automatic so I do not struggle as much as I thought I would. After some long minutes U get home safely and that is all I prayed for.
I go to prepare the room that Rethabile would be using when she arrives and so as the other bedroom that Mimi will be using. My phone rings and I quickly rush to take it and take it then answer it. 
“Hello”
“Hello Mvelo, I am on way I will be there at night!”,It is Rethabile.
“Okay Nana, where is your mother?”,I ask.
I hear some shuffling and then Mimi’s voice comes through.
“Hey Nomvelo”
“Are you okay?”,I ask.
“No I am not, I will tell you when I get there”,She says before she sighs.
“Okay, I hope everything is alright”,I mention and she sighs heavily.
It must be really heavy.
“I don't know but yeah”
“Thulani is not home he is gone away for work so you guys won't find him here”
“It is fine. How is marriage?”,She asks.
“It is good. I didn't know some things seems like I was missing out”
“You will tell me all the details when I get there. I am in a taxi now I don't want to traumatize people”,I giggle.
“That is okay, I love you guys"
“We love you too”,we hang up from the call.
I hope that they are okay and that Mimi is fine. It is unlike her to be down spirited so I am just worried.
I get back to what I was doing, I will cook near dinner time then since they will arrive here a little bit late. 
.
I have done everything and it is night, I am waiting on them to call me that they have arrived at the gate. They did call and mention that they are in the city now but I am just worried now. Thulani also called me hours ago telling me that he has landed and he is safe. I was quiet worried but now I am more worried about these two ladies that are supposed to be here.  I am watching some TV at the moment just to keep my mind busy so that I don't think much. 
I hear the buzz from the gate and I quickly go to attend to it. I take the gate keys and I open the front door.  I see a car parked infront of the drive way and the back door opens.
“Ausi Mvelo!”,relief washes over me when I see Rethabile and her mother hops out of the back.
“Hello!”,I wave my hand and press the remote to open the gate for them. She rushes inside leaving her mother by the car.
We quickly hug each other. I have missed her so very much.
“Oh my you have grown so big!”,I say.
“That is because you don't see me everyday anymore”,she says and I smile. 
Her mother comes in through the gate as the car reverses from the drive way with their bags in her hands. I close the gate and I go and hug Mimi.
“Hello,sisi”,She says as she hugs me. 
“Hello, I have missed you guys so much”,I say.
“Akere Wena you wanted to get married and leave us”,She teases. 
“Come inside, I am sure you guys are hungry”,I say leading them inside. 
We get inside and I close the door as they go to the living room.
“Wow Mvelo this house is beautiful! You live alone here?”,Rethabile says.
“No I live with Malume Thulani”
“Is he here?”,She asks.
“No he is at work away”
“You have grown Nomvelo”,Mimi mentions and I just giggle.
“Argh man we haven't seen each other in a short space of time Mimi,how is your mother doing now?”,I ask.
“She is okay.”
“That is good,let me show you guys your rooms”,we all go to the bedrooms and they put their things down before Rethabile goes to the living room and watches TV while Mimi and I get up with dishing up. 
“I want to move Rethabile away”,Mimi mentions.
“Away to where ?”,I ask.
“Boarding school but they are a bit pricey but I don't mind doing alot for my daughter”,She mentions and distress is all over her face.
I take the plates out and we dish up. 
“Why? What is wrong?”
“I cannot take care of Rethabile and I have tried for the past few years but I am a bad mother. I know that”,She says.
“You are not a bad mother.You love Rethabile so much”,I say to her. 
“I am an escourt Nomvelo”,She says. 
“What is an escourt?”,I ask.
She sighs and calls Rethabile to come and take her food and I pour some juice for her from the fridge. She thanks me and goes away. I turn back to her confused on what an escourt is. 
“I sleep with rich men. I prostitute myself to make money that is why you always see me being dropped of by different men that is because I sleep with them to have money”,my body goes into under utter shock. 
“Why?”,I just want to understand why she would do this to herself? Why would she resort to this kind of a life?
“I was raped by my father while growing up and my mother knew. Since I was 8 years up until I ran away from home with my boyfriend when I was 16 of which used to be Kabelo. He is Rethabile's father.”
“Did he rape you too?”,I ask feeling like my chest is closing in on me. 
I can see the pain all over her face. 
“No,I just used him to get out of my situation and still now I use him from time to time but that is not the point.”,She says.
“That is why you used to hate your mother?”,I ask.
“Yes, I hated her for years until my father got sick and departed from this earth. I felt like I should've been the one to take his life but I never had the guts to do so”,I lightly gasp.
“I am sorry for this. All of this”,I mention.
I could never imagine my father doing that to me. I feel the fear and pain in the pit of my stomach.
“It is okay,I can't leave prostitution because I am addicted to having sex. I love having sex and the only way I can feed all these sexual cravings is if I sleep with these men and what better way than to recieve money in the process of it. I love Rethabile so much Mvelo but I seem like I am failing her like my mother did with me. Yesterday she was at the twins home and this morning she told me that the twins uncle has been touching her inappropriately alot. I felt scared and I feel like I have failed her as a result exposed her to something that I don't want her to be exposed to, I cannot take care of her as much as I want to and I have no one to do so for me that is why I want to find a boarding school for her and move her away. That way I know that she is okay”,She mentions. 
I keep quiet. I am tongue tied and I don't know what to say or how to digest these news. She is in tears and I pull her into a hug and wrap my arms around her body.
“Everything will be okay Sisi. God know what he is doing and he will fix everything”,I don't know how to comfort her. 
I don't know how she may be feeling but I sympathize with her pain.
“Everything is just a mess”,She mentions.
“It is okay, we can solve this and everything will be okay”,I say. 
I don't know how we are going to try and Mendle these things but what I know is that I want to help her the best way I know how.
The heaviness in my heart and stomach is felt as I digest the news that she has told me about. I look at Rethabile who is seated infront of the TV on the couch eating innocently and happily. They do not deserve this. Certainly no one does.