EMIHLE
The colour drains from my face when I hear my father tell me I was kidnapped by a woman they all knew and she kept me until I was 2 years old?. My God, I must have called her mama at some point. The first important years of my life I spent with that woman and I got to bond with her?. My God, the pain my mother must have went through, the hurt they all experienced while I was away for years.
My brother's face is pale, they are shocked. I am too but it feels like I'm having an out of body experience. " 2 years baba? Why did it take you that long to find me?"
" Because we found that she had been planning for this since your mother was carrying you. She saved up money and wouldn't stay in town for long. After three or two months she would leave, she was ine step ahead of us and it was hard Emy."
My father explains. I can feel their pain as he's telling me. " It must have been hard for you, especially for you mama. How did you find me?"
" It was before your birthday on November. We had people everywhere looking for you. We know people a d we had to use every resource we had to find you. Then one day we got a call from an old friend of the family that was helping us find you. His people had spotted Gabisile in some small town. She was carrying a child on her back. They followed her until they saw where she lived then they called their boss who called me"
My grandfather explains. " we rushed there and arrived at this town named Vrede, in the middle of the night. uNtsele kaLinda Mkhoto was waiting for us then they took us where that witch was hiding. The people she was renting from were sleeping and they lived in the house. We woke them up and asked her landlord to ask her to open up for her. We went to the shack she was renting and we…."
My grandfather clears his throat fighting his tears from escaping, my cheeks get wet too. " the woman pretended to be looking for something so when she opened up for her, we forced our way inside and there you were, you were wide awake like you were expecting us. You looked at us then when your father picked you up, it was then that you cried. We brought you home while the police came and took her to jail.
Gabisile was charged with many charges. We gave you something to sleep so you wouldn't cry the whole way until we arrived here. When you women up Emy, you cried for a whole week wanting that woman you thought was your mother." He continues.
" It was on all of us but especially your parents. I blamed myself cause she took you right under my nose where you were supposed to be protected. I wanted to kill that woman for everything she did to you"
He stops and takes a deep breath. Soya gives him a glass of water. I wipe my cheeks while Aya walks in looking sad. My father stands up so he could sit. He lays his head on my lap. I put my hand on his shoulder and gently rub it. Comforting him because he clearly head what was being said.
" What did she do to me Mkhulu?"
" She did things that no child should ever experience. She starved you, didn't bath you and she used to hit you. That's what her landlord told us and she also testified that in court."
" You struggled to talk Emy for almost a year, you would always stutter when you wanted to say something. The psychologist said that it was caused by the trauma that woman put you through. You started seeing a therapist then you started to improve, you could talk and laugh. You started being happy and I was so thankful to God that you never remembered what you went through because you were still a baby. Everytime you would stutter, it would take me back to that time and…." My mother is in so much telling me this.
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INCLINATION
RomansaFor better or worse. Those are the vows I said in front of my family and God. in sickness and in health I shall stand by him and that's what I did. Still do but at what cost?. My happiness? My health and my life? is it worth it though. I used to hav...