Yibanathi

🧡Part 20🧡

Yibanathi

My gran left our bedroom and I heard her bedroom door close. I stood up and mind you I am wearing a thin strap dress that is loose and it stops just below the knee. I go to the living room and Sandile is still dancing where I left him.

I go to the kitchen and open the cupboard doors and there is only maize meal.

I sigh at what I am seeing. I look at the small white fridge and there is only a quarter of the 5kg of meat left. The meat should last us 3 days but now what will happen to the rest of the days remaining in the month.
This month is a heavy month honestly and now that Sfundo has shown me the door I don't know what will happen but I know that we will make it some how.

My life is such a boring life. I am forever alone. I have friends or should I say acquaintances because as much as I call Nokwanda (Nokwa) and Nosihle (Nosi) friends to be quite honest they are not really my friends because a friend is supposed to love and care for the other but in my case I seem to be the one running after them and that is sad to be honest. All this I have realized during my first month back here in Mbumbulu. I met Nosi in class while doing my first year and she introduced me to her friend which was Nokwa and we clicked just like that. I later discovered that the two had been friends since high school so they had a great friendship and trust between the two of them and I then joined in and we were a trio, a great one at that. Nokwa was the one who encouraged me to give Sfundo a chance because at that time I was the only one single between the 3 of us.

It is quite clear that I was only a just a little candle holder in their friendship. I used to laugh at a saying that 2 of the 3 friends are best friends and the other is just a tag along. So yeah I have no one to talk to just so I can not be bored.

Nokwa and Nosi have not even bothered to ask me how I am doing. An ordinary simple text could do but nothing. So I stopped to ask them as well because why bother when the other does not care. I then go and throw my lifeless body on the old battered couch and look at Sandile busy dancing. How I wish to be him just busy dancing with no stress about tomorrow and what his next meal will be.

"Sandi!"

I shout at him to get his attention. He immediately pauses his dancing and playing music.

"Sis'Anathi."

He responds.

"Come and sit here."

I tell him. He comes to sit while looking worried.

"Relax Sandi. I am not going to hit you or something. Listen in 2 days time it is your outing right?"

I ask him and he nods his head.

"Right Sandi if you still want to go to that outing my friend you will remove this uniform and fetch your books you must get your homework done."

He is gone in a flash after I said that to him. Sandile is one of those children who come back to school and refuse to change out of their uniform. So you must be harsh or even do little threats so he can change because if you simply talk to him he will ignore you.

I wonder who he took after because if only I knew his parents I could compare but I know nothing. My gran said no boys well it is already late seeing that I was already involved with boys recently.

Sandile comes back dressed in a vest and shorts with flip flops. He comes back with his school bag. We then get to work. I hate homework honestly but at least Sandile is a boy who is quick to understand so when I help him it is just a few questions here and there and to oversee him actually doing the work because with him dancing and play with the twins come first.

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2 Days later

"Sis'Anathi."

Sandile says to me it is the day of the trip and I fetched him from school because they came back late from the outing. He was happy all the way back home busy chatting non stop and now he is looking all serious.

I am currently in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to finish boil so he can take a bath.

"Sandi what's wrong?"

I ask him and he folds his arm and looks at me.

"Anathi where are your parents since gogo is your granny?"

What a question.

"Where is that question coming from?"

I ask him because it's unlike him to ask such questions.

"Haibo Sandile!"

My gosh!

"Baphi Anathi hmm, abanye abantwana balandwa abazali mina lutho!"
[Where are they Anathi hmm, other children are fetched by their parents and me nothing!]

"They are dead Sandile!"

I scream at him because I don't like the parents topic because it is painful.

"Okay...so where are mine?"

He asks with his mini eyebrows raised. He has naturally small eyebrows and when he is angry he moves his eyebrows up and down.

"I don't know Sandi."

I answer honestly because I don't know if he did not look like me I would have said he was adopted or better still sheltered after he was found somehere but I don't know.

"How can you not know when you are older than me?"

Haibo Sandile! What is this small boy saying to me.

"Granny!"

I call for her to come and help because it is getting a bit too much for me here.

"Granny!"

I scream again and I hear her footsteps approaching us while carrying a broomstick.

"Where is it?"

She says while looking around.

"Where is what?"

I ask her because I am also confused.

"Danger!"

I point at Sandile and she sighs before dropping the broomstick.

"Mxm! I thought something was happening but you were calling me about Sandile."

Granny says.

"He wants to know his parents."

I say and granny tenses a bit.

"Parents my foot don't I do enough for you mxm ungrateful clown!"

Granny shouts before stomping off to her room.

Haa what a day. I take the water from the kettle and pour it in mug so I can drink it when it is warm.

"Sandile get ready to go bath."

I tell him and he stomps out and goes to our bedroom and I look up since I hear our DB board is busy making beeping sounds this indicates that we have little electricity left.

I take my mug and go to the couch  and chill as I think deep about Sandile's situation.

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