1 HOUR LATER
LESEGO
EVERYONE WAS STILL DANCING AND HAVING FUN OUTSIDE. WELL, THE FAMILY WAS INDOORS AND IT WAS TENSE. I COULD FEEL MASEGO'S ABSENCE
DRUNK MAN: HAIBO. MANJE ?
WE ALL LOOK AT HIM
DRUNK MAN: UPHI USISI OMUHLE BEKA'PHAKA (WHERE IS THE PRETTY LADY WHO WAS DISHING UP FOR US)
SILENCE
DRUNK MAN: NGIFUNA UKUDLA.
I GET UP AND HELP HIM. I GRAB HIM SOME FOOD AND ACCOMPANY HIM OUTSIDE.
DRUNK MAN: HAMBA UYO’FUNA USISI WAKHO.
I NOD AND GO BACK INSIDE
CRYING
AUNT: ... SHE SLEPT OUTSIDE 4X A WEEK, SHE HARDLY ATE, I USED TO FEED HER, BATHE HER. IT GOT SO WORSE THAT YOU EVEN BEAT HER UP BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AFTER HER.
MOM: (WIPES TEARS)
MA: YOU KNEW OF THE PROPHECY. YOU KNEW AND YOU DID THAT. ARE YOU OKAY UPSTAIRS MARA WENA ?
I LOOK AT MY MOM AND DAD. THEY SAT ON THE FLOOR, LOOKING DOWN. IT WAS ONLY NOW THAT I REALISED THAT MY MOM WAS WAY EVIL. I NEVER KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING TO MASEGO.
ME: MARA MA WENZA KANJANI INTO E’SOH KUMNTWANA WAKHO ?
MOM: I’M SORRY NANA. I WAS IN PAIN AS WELL
ME: HOW... (TEARS FORMING IN EYES) SHE RESPECTED YOU EVEN AFTER ALL THAT. YOU ARE EVIL YAZI.
MOM: (WIPES TEARS)
MA: UKHALA NGOBA SHE FINALLY SPOKE UP.
ME: AND WHERE ARE MY BROTHERS ?
SHE LOOKS UP. SHE LOOKED SO MUCH LIKE MASEGO NOW. I MISSED HER.
MOM: THEY RAN AWAY
ME: WHY ?
MOM: I WAS TREATING ALL OF THEM LIKE THAT...
I GET UP AND WALK AWAY, I WAS BURNING INSIDE. SHE TOLD ME MY BROTHERS LEFT TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS. I GO TO THE VIANO AND FIND 2 OF THE TRIPLETS CHILLING
ME: (SIGH)
RIO COMES TO ME AND HUGS ME
BAE: IM SO SORRY BABY.
ME: (NODS)
I LOOK AT THE BACK AND NOTICE RAFAEL ON THE PHONE
ME: (SHAKES HEAD) YA’LL LOOK THE SAME. I CAN’T HATE HIM
BAE: HE’S BUSY TRACKUNG HER DOWN, DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE LIVES ?
ME: (SHAKES HEAD) I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE MY BROTHERS LIVE.
BAE: (SIGH)
HE HUGS ME, KISSING MY FOREHEAD.
RO: AYE, PDA AWAY FROM ME
WE BREAK INTO A LAUGH. RAFAEL APPEARS AND GRABS HIS KEYS. HE LOOKS AT ME
ME: (GIVES HIM A MEAN LOOK)(HUGS RIO)
RAF: (LOOKS DOWN)
HE SPEALS TO HIS BROTHERS AND LEAVES. REA APPEARS
REA: LOL, YOUR FATHER USED TO CHEAT ON YOUR MOTHER TO THIS EXTENT ?
ME: (SIGH)
REA: THEY NEED HELP. YOUR MOTHER, TOXIC KE SANNA. SHE NEEDS HELP.
SHE LOOKS AROUND AND LOOKS AT US. SHE PUSHES ROMEO
RO: ARGH.
REA: OH (CHUCKLES) SORRY, THOUGHT YOU ARE RAF
ME: HE JUST LEFT.
REA: WHERE ?
WE ALL SHRUG. WE HANG OUT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND I WANNA LEAVE NOW. I GO INSIDE AND GRAB MY STUFF. I SAY MY GOODBYES AND LEAVE.
2 WEEKS LATER
“STILL NO HOPE”
...
“FUCK”
...
“BUT TO DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT, IS INSANE”
...
“OKAY”. TA.
I STARE AT HIM. HE HAD SOME OBSESSION ON FINDING OUT WHERE SHE WAS AND IT WAS PATHETIC TO WATCH.
ME: ITS NOT LIKE YOU WERE DATING HER THOUGH
HE STOPS AND LOOKS AT ME
RAF: (SIGHS) LESEGO, I... I
HE LOOKS AT ME AND WALKS AWAY
ME: MHH, SHE LIVES AT GREENWOOD BTW, NOT GREENWICH.
RAF: MHH.
RIO LOOKS AT ME
RIO: LET HIM BE, HE’S ALREADY AN ASS.
ME: (SMILES) NOT MORE THAN YOU, UP MINE.
RIO: IS THAT SO (PLACES HAND ON MY THIGH)
RO: ARGH.
HE GETS UP AND WALKS AWAY.
RO: (IM DISTANCE) FUCK THE BOTH OF YOU
WE LAUGH AT HIM. HE WAS A HATER
RAF
I TRY TO CALL HER AGAIN. THIS WAS MY 17TH SIM CARD. SHE WAS MAKING ME SO MAD.
DIALING ×5
ME: (SIGH)
AS I AM ABOUT TO HANG UP.
SEGO: STOP CALLING ME
ME: PLEASE HEAR ME OUT
SEGO: I HAVE BETTER STUFF TO DO YAZI
ME: MASEGO I’M SORRY.
SEGO: FOR WHAT ? ITS NOT LIKE WE WERE DATING AND STUFF.
ME: WHAT I FELT FOR YOU THAT DAY IS WAY DIFFERENT, MASEGO AS YOU CRIED ON MY CHEST I FELT CONNECTED TO YOU. YOU MADE ME YEARN TO PROTECT YOU.
SEGO: SPARE ME THE BULLSHIT STORY. YOU FUCKED SOMEONE I CONSIDERED A FRIEND AND THEN BLAME COCAINE FOR YOU ACTIONS. SEEK HELP AND LEAVE ME ALONE
ME: ARE YOU DRUNK ?
SEGO: IS THAT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS?
ME: (RAISES) MASEGO, ANYTHING YOU DO IS MY BUSINESS. WHERE TF ARE YOU ?
SEGO: OH BOO-HOO. LETS STOP PRETENDING TUU.
ME: PLEASE...
SEGO: (LAUGHS) YOU...R LIFE IS PERFECT, FOCUS OM IT
ME: HOW... PLEASE LET ME IN PLEASE.
“ERH”
SEGO: YOU DONE ?
ME: LET ME IN.
SEGO: NO.
ME: I WILL FIND YOU.
SEGO: GOODLUCK.
ME: PLEASE DON’T DO THIS
SEGO: I LET YOU IN WHAT DO YOU DO ?? BALLS DEEP IN HER. AIGHT BET. THAT’S WHAT I GET FOR LETTING YOU IN RIGHT ?
ME: (VOICE BREAKING) NO. PLEASE.
SEGO: YOU ALSO GOT SHOT BY SOMEONE YOU CALLED “BEST FRIEND”, HEAL FROM THAT AND LEAVE ME ALONE
I DROP THE PHONE AS TEARS ROLL DOWN MY EYES.
ME: (WHISPERS) FUCK
***
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RAFAEL NGUBANE
NonfiksiMAIN CHARACTERS: • RAFAEL NGUBANE • MASEGO JALI KA NGUBANE • LESEGO JALI KA NGUBANE • RIOMERO NGUBANE • ROXXY JALI KA NGUBANE • ROMEO NGUBANE RAFAEL NGUBANE, A TRIPLET WHO HAS HAD A INSANE CRUSH ON MASEGO JALI, A SCARRED YOUNG LADY, MUST NAVIGATE TH...
