Still

Chapter 4

Khanyisile's POV:

Khanyisile was getting ready for her date with Philasande, trying on different outfits and doing her hair. Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang. She answered, hoping it wasn't a last-minute cancellation from Philasande.

"Hello," Khanyisile greeted over the phone.

"Hey sis, you need to come home immediately," Mbali replied, her voice urgent.

"Haibo for ini manje?" Khanyisile asked, confusion etched on her face.

"It's Uma no baba futhi," Mbali said, her tone serious.

Khanyisile rolled her eyes at the mention of her father. She and her father never had a good relationship due to his selfish and abusive nature. She couldn't understand why her mom was still with him.

"Uh, hello? You still there?" Mbali asked, breaking Khanyisile's train of thought.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Khanyisile replied, disappointment washing over her. She had to cancel her plans with Philasande because of her parents.

She quickly sent Philasande a text: "Hey Phila, I'm so sorry for this, but I have to cancel the meet up."

Philasande replied quickly: "Oh okay, no problem. There's always a next time."

Khanyisile was grateful for his understanding and sighed loudly. She grabbed her car keys and bag and headed out the door, dreading what awaited her at home.

As she drove, she couldn't help but think about how her parents' drama always seemed to ruin her plans. She was an adult now, and it was frustrating that she still had to deal with their issues.

When she arrived home, she was met with a tense atmosphere. Her mom was pacing in the living room, and her dad was slumped on the couch, a beer in hand.

"What's going on?" Khanyisile asked, her voice firm.

"It's your father," her mom said, her eyes welling up with tears. "He's been drinking again, and I can't take it anymore."

Khanyisile's heart sank. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. She knew she had to be strong for her mom, but it was hard to see her like this.

"Let's talk about this later," Khanyisile said, trying to calm the situation. "I need to go and clear my head."

Khanyisile took a deep breath and walked out of the house, needing some fresh air to clear her head. She couldn't believe she had to cancel her plans with Philasande for this.

As she walked, she thought about how much she wanted to talk to someone about what was going on. But she struggled with opening up about her feelings, especially when it came to her parents.

She received a text from Philasande: "Hey, hope everything is okay. Let me know if you need anything."

Khanyisile hesitated, wanting to respond but unsure of how to express herself. She didn't want to burden Philasande with her family drama, but she also didn't want to brush him off.

"Hey Phila, thanks for checking in. I'm just dealing with some stuff. I'll talk to you soon," she replied, trying to sound casual despite her turmoil.

Philasande responded with a supportive message: "No worries, take care of yourself. We can catch up soon."

Khanyisile felt a pang of gratitude for his understanding but still struggled to articulate her emotions. She knew she needed to work on opening up, but it was harder than she thought.

Khanyisile's mom had always threatened to leave her dad, but she never did. And Khanyisile's dad had always promised to stop drinking, but he never did. It was a cycle of broken promises and enabling behavior that Khanyisile had grown accustomed to.

"Mtanami, I promise this time I will leave this good for nothing man, just talk to him." her mom said pleading.

"Mom, you always say that, but you never do," Khanyisile said, her voice laced with frustration.

Her mom looked at her with tears in her eyes. "I know, baby, but this time is different. I can't take it anymore."

Khanyisile sighed and rubbed her temples. She had heard it all before.

"Mom, you need to take care of yourself. You deserve better than this," Khanyisile said, trying to reason with her.

But her mom just shook her head. "I can't leave him, Khanyisile. He needs me."

Khanyisile felt a surge of anger. "He needs you? Mom, he's the one who's always hurting you!"

Her mom flinched at Khanyisile's words, but she didn't respond. Khanyisile knew that her mom was trapped in a cycle of codependency, and it was hard to escape.

Khanyisile's dad, sensing the tension, stumbled into the kitchen, his eyes bloodshot from drinking. "What's going on?" he slurred, his voice aggressive.

Khanyisile's mom hesitated, not wanting to confront him. "Just leave me alone, Themba," she said quietly.

But Khanyisile's dad wouldn't let up. "No, I want to know what's going on," he demanded, his voice rising.

Khanyisile stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "Dad, please. Just go back to the couch and sleep it off."

But her dad was having none of it. "You think you're so smart, don't you, Khanyisile?" he sneered. "Always trying to tell me what to do."

Khanyisile felt a surge of anger, but she bit her tongue, not wanting to escalate the situation. "Dad, I'm just trying to help," she said calmly.

But her dad wouldn't listen. "Help? You think you can help me? I don't need your help!" he shouted, his face red with rage.

Khanyisile's mom tried to intervene, but her dad was too far gone. He stumbled out of the kitchen, leaving Khanyisile and her mom in an uncomfortable silence.

Khanyisile and her mom sat in the kitchen, the tension between them palpable. Khanyisile couldn't believe her dad's behavior, and she was frustrated that her mom wouldn't stand up for herself.

"Mom, why do you let him talk to you like that?" Khanyisile asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

Her mom sighed and rubbed her temples. "I don't know, baby. I just feel trapped. I don't know what to do."

Khanyisile felt a surge of anger and helplessness. She wanted to protect her mom, but she didn't know how.

As they sat there in silence, Khanyisile's mind wandered back to Philasande. She wished she could talk to him, but she had already cancelled their plans and didn't want to bother him again.

Just then, Khanyisile's mom got up and started cleaning the kitchen, her eyes fixed on the floor. Khanyisile knew that her mom was trying to escape the tension, and she didn't blame her.

Khanyisile got up and started helping her mom clean, their movements in silence. As they worked, Khanyisile couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She knew that the drama with her parents was far from over.

~~~
This time I tried writing a longer chapter hopefully I can keep this up😅.