Cursed To Be A Stepdaughter

Chapter 14

Simamkele's pov:

She looks at me with tears trickling down her face. The tears are not normal,they're blood. She cries a loud piercing cry. I try to reach out my hand to her but I can't. She continues crying and it feels like my ears are being cut off

"Simamkele,are you having another bad dream?" I hear Mrs Mthembu say and I open my eyes slowly. I slowly nod "I'm sorry my baby,wake up so you'll get ready for the funeral" she stands up to leave and I fold the blankets I was sleeping with on the mattress. Another old woman walks in,this is Thami's grandmother

"Good,you're up. No wife should sleep till late,even on their husbands funeral. I don't even know if I should consider you as a wife,I don't recall you getting married" she says looking at me up and down before walking out. God damnit what did I do to deserve this? We're still at the Mthembu household. Sindi walks in as I get my phone to call her. She's carrying hot water in a tub. I'm really so grateful for her. I don't know who would've been in my corner as much as her

"Thank you" I say hugging her

"Let me get you some cold water then" she wiggles out of my hold chuckling

"Do I stink that bad?" I ask smelling myself. She laughs

"In case you haven't noticed" she jokingly says. I click my tongue and roll my eyes. She walks out to fetch my water. After making the water warm I lock the door and get ready to scrub my body. I can hear a piercing cry all the way from the lounge. The body must be here now. I'm supposed to be there,damn. I quickly wear the ankle length body hugging dress his mom bought me. I wrap a black scarf around my shoulders and wear a black doek. I comb my hair and tie it into a low bun. I wear my black red bottom heels and for a funeral,I sure look classy,all thanks to my mother in law. I sit on the mattress and wait to be fetched. Mrs Mthembu walks in with her eyes looking all puffy. She was the one crying. For some time we look at each other. She tells me it's time to go out. The lounge was full of women,all different types of ages. I sit on the couch along with my sister in law. A prayer is induced by all the ladies and Mr Mthembu along with other men,that I assume are the uncles take the coffin away. It's a beautiful wooden brown with golden linings on the ends. I enter the G-wagon with my in-laws and Sindi. The car was awfully quiet,not even the radio was playing

"When will it happen?" Mr Mthembu breaks the silence as I look at the convoy of cars on their way to the commune hall. Where everyone will get a chance to say goodbye to Thami.

"After the cleansing" Mrs Mthembu responds also looking out the window.

"Are you happy Simamkele?" he asks me

"About what baba?"

"That you've now ruined my legacy?" he responds to me

"Mvelase stop it. I will not tolerate this bickering" his wife reprimands. Bickering?while he's fighting alone? I can't stand this

"She couldn't even bare children so she thought it was better to kill him" he says again and I look at him. He has his eyes on the road and I feel like strangling him now more than ever. I really feel guilty for what I did to Thami and this man is making me want to kill myself too for it.

"Mvelase she's pregnant! If anything,she doesn't need all this stress if you want Thami's child to live" Mrs Mthembu voices out and there is utter silence after that. Sindi looks at me with nothing but pity in her eyes and that breaks my heart even further. I'm holding back tears as we reach the hall. Sindi helps me out of the car,nobody has said a word to the other. There were a lot of cars,most of which were BMW's the 325i models (gusheshe) and different types of taxis. We walked in besides each other,Sindi and I,behind her mother and father. The hall is full of different types of people. Some look like business men with their wife's,with suits and classy black dresses. Some look like taxi drivers with their Brentwood. After all he was a taxi driver. Some are girls in skimpy skirts and dresses. Then there are the women and men who are dressed respectfully and look like they are in the middle class. There were couches infront of all the other people in the hall,white,elegant couches. That is where we sat. I was face to face with Thami's portrait. I had never seen this photo of him but he looked fairly happy,smiling with his bald head shining in the sun.

MaNtombi makes her way to where we are seated as soft music is playing from somewhere,can't exactly point out where. I've been looking down the whole time,embarrassment flushing all over my body,it feels as if everyone knew it was me.

"Don't worry baby,he will be taken care of" I hear my mother in law say when I've walked out on my thoughts. I look at the boy,he looks really young,like he's 7-8 years old. What have I done?

"uSisanda uthe uzokubona emva komngwabo,akafuni ukuniphazamisa (said she'll see you after the funeral,she doesn't want to disturb you guys)" MaNtombi said

"Nonsense,tell her I'll see her back at the house and she must come with Nhlakanipho" that must be Thami's other baby mama?I guess. When everyone has settled down,the MC,a guy who is apparently a family friend,speaks. I notice Lukhanyo and his girlfriend getting seated at the far corner of my eye. As always they start with a prayer. Where was their God when Thami tried to kill me? Where was he? Most people get to speak about him at the front,from friends to colleagues and family members. It was all so saddening to realize that I didn't only take away a father and son but I took away a friend,a reliable person,a brother,a cousin and have impacted a wound that may never heal on some people,like his kids.

After the speeches were said,the family was asked to come and see him for the last time. His parents were first,and then the siblings,of which I went with because Sindi insisted on being by my side the whole time. There he lay,my hero,who turned into a monster when I least expected it. I held my little stomach in the thought of what could've been if he were alive right now. His face looked normal to me,like he didn't die the way he did. Sindi pushed me forward signaling that I had been standing there for too long. We went to the cemetery after that. The family sat under the tent and Thami's grandmother made me sit on the floor. The nerve of that woman. I had my head bowed as they sang and sang their voices away. I played with the sand and ended up writing random names. I sometimes wish my name was Siyamthanda. Maybe everyone would love me better. I was relieved when it was time to go home,the heels were killing me and they just reminded me of things I wanted to stay forgotten. Someone taps me in the shoulder as I'm waking and my heart skips a beat. I turn back to see Lukhanyo

"Hey,are you okay?I haven't seen you the whole day" he opens his arms for a hug but I take a side hug to avoid eyes from the elders. I really don't need any drama right now,I'm emotionally exhausted.

"Yes,thank you" I say walking away. He walks besides me

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asks "did I do something wrong?"

"You love her,don't you?"

"Define love" he challenges. What is love?

"I've never experienced love so how can I define it?"

"Simamkele we're leaving you behind" Sindi says in the car. The drama.I go back to the car and silence reigns over this metal vehicle. The only sound audible was Mrs Mthembu's sniffs now and again. I felt like an empty vessel. My inner self screaming at me to confess my sins,but I just couldn't afford to lose a part of me that I will carry for more or less nine months. I just cannot accept that,that is my fate.

I apologize for the late update boh love🥺❤️I promise I'll make it up to you guys. Don't forget to vote and share💕