Divergent

Prologue

"Mama please speak to him" I pout. "Mhmmhm, don't involve me. The last time I tried to 'speak to him' about it, we fought and I don't want to fight with my husband"

"Mara that's just an excuse." I sigh. "Mihlali, this is something that he wants you to ask for. If I ask him then he'll know that you aren't ready to face the outside world"

"But I am nje, Mama. Papa is just too overprotective and he's overdoing it at this point. It's my last year, can't I just enjoy it without him interfering?" I huff.

"Save that speech for him" She takes a sip of her tea before averting her gaze towards the door. "What speech?" My eyes widen and I slowly tursn around.

"Your daughter has something to tell you, right Nana?" She nudges my shoulder. "I do? No- Not at all" I rush out. "Yes she does" She walks over to him and I take it as my cue to leave.

"Uyaphi? The table won't set itself" I sigh and head over to the dining room. I set the table with a heavy heart and rush up to my room to get ready for dinner. I walk back down to find them already seated.

I take my seat and silently eat, listening as they talk about work and business, as usual. "Makhanani" I freeze. "Papa?" I clear my throat. "How are things going with your new tutor?"

"Fine" I inwardly sigh. "You missed your class yesterday, why?" He demands. "I wasn't feeling well" You'd know if you cared enough. "I'm fine now" I add on ans he slightly nods.

We continue eating as he boasts about the new deal he signed today. I excuse myself and wash the plate before walking back up to my room. I kick off my slippers and slump into hed, wrapping the blanket over my body.

I pull my phone out from behind the pillow and scroll on it, going through social media. There's a knock on the door so I quickly hide my phone and sit up. "Come in"

"Your father wants to speak with you" I hurry out of bed and rush down to his office, almost tripping over my own feet. I gently knock before stepping in. "You called for me?"

"Yes, sit" Mxm. I sit down and he looks up from his laptop. "Your mother said something about you not wanting to be homeschooled anymore, may I ask why?"

"I'm lonely in here, I have no friends and no connection to the outside world" I'm barley allowed to even leave the house. "Friends are the last thing you should be worried about. Your only worry is your academics and shooting them through the roof".

"But I'm already excelling in my academics." I defend. "You're not excelling well enough-" I cut him off. "That's because I'm always locked up in this house and the only thing I have to think about is books! You won't even let me have a phone!"

"A phone is out of the equation and so is you going to school" He states. "Yet you let Mahlori have a phone and go to school and he's younger than me..." I trail off.

"That's because your brother is responsible" He hisses out. "And I'm not?!... Right?" I get up. "Makhanani sit down, I'm not done talking to you" He warns.

"No. Get your responsible son to talk to you" I sarcasticly say. "Makhanani!" He shouts. "You're been treating me like an outsider ever since I was born, you act as if I'm not even your child!"

"Yes, I don't want to be homeschooled anymore! I want to be normal, like other teenagers! I don't want to be locked up in this house and wait for everyone to return... I don't want to live like this anymore"

I walk out and run up to my room, slamming the door shut. I heave out a breath as I sit down on my bed. Tears blur my vision but I push them away. I take in a deep breath.

There's a knock on the door. "Makhanani" Mxm. "Come in" I mutter and he steps in with his pride following behind him. "Are you here to confiscate my books?"

Whenever I don't do things his way, he takes away my books and sometimes even my sketch books. "No" He clears his throat. "I'm sorry". "Are you really sorry or are you apologizing because Mama's making you do it?"

"Both?" I try not to roll my eyes. "I blink my tears away. "Makhanani, you're my only daughter and the last thing I want is you getting caught up with the things of this world."

"So you chose to lock me up in this house and isolate me because you're scared of the world? Papa, I have no friends. I know no one other than my family- yet you let Mahlori do as he pleases"

"He didn't even come home in time for dinner and when I come down later I get scolded at... You aren't protecting me from the world, you're making me go crazy"

"I'm almost eighteen and your won't even let me leave the house unless I have to go to church or to visit my grandparents" I sniffle. "I haven't left this yard in almost six months now"

"So you and your mother are working together to paint me out to be the bad guy? I'm just trying to protect you" He tries to justify himself. "I don't need you to protect me, Papa!"

"It's my duty to protect you. You're my daughter-" I cut him off. "Stop trying to protect me, it's not working. You're only pushing me away from you and Mama is afraid to tell you because you're selfish!"

"Don't raise your voice at me" I remain silent. "If you want to stop homeschooling so bad, I expect a presentation from you by Tommorow morning before I leave for work". "What?"

"You don't want to be homeschooled? I want to know why"