SIMPHIWE: HER LAST

Chapter 13

RELEBOGILE

"Where's my mother?" I ask Kaone as she helps me get back up.

Martin stands up and comes towards me.

Martin: "That woman isn't you mother, Rele. Our mother is dead--"

Relebogile: "Your mother, not mine!" I snap.

He becomes tense.
I can tell with the way he puts his hands on his hips. It's never a good sign.

Martin: "Tell me then. When were you going to tell us all this? That you had a mother and sisters all along."

Relebogile: "I was never going to tell you."

I never was.
They don't deserve to know.

Martin: "Hoekom?"

Relebogile: "Want ek sê so. Dis my lewe, Gunman."

Kaone: "So tell us here--"

Relebogile: "There's nothing to tell here."

Their presence is pissing me off.

Relebogile: "I'm going to be fetched by my sister, Mmabatho. You both can go home."

Martin: "Jy's mal."

Relebogile: "Eng?"

Martin: "You're coming with us, Rele. We are your family."

Relebogile: "I've already found my family."

The whole week, I was here. They only came last week Monday, my mother had to take time off from school to attend to me while these people were doing who-knows-what.
And they want to call themselves my family?
Hell no!

Relebogile: "You can go."

Kaone: "Rele--"

Relebogile: "Nurse!"

Kaone: "Bathong, Relebogile!"

I look at them dead in the eye.
I want them gone.

Relebogile: "Out."

Kaone leaves, he still remains.

Martin: "Rele, wat gaan aan met djou? Now you're suddenly switching up? Keng? What did they feed you?"

I still look at him.

Relebogile: "I'm taking charge of my life. I want no part in this. My hands are full of blood and have been made dirty because you. I'm done with that life."

His expression changes. I can't really read what his face is saying.

Martin: "Lesego must be turning his grave."

Relebogile: "He's not. He never wanted me to be part of the dirty schemes you do! He saw me as the hope and future for this family. I was his hope. He would be happy to know that I'm done with this family."

His faces changed a few times before he buries his face and looks up to me again.
He sighs.
He comes closer to me and pats my shoulder.

Martin: "May God be with you."

He leaves.
I've just made the most difficult decision of my life.
I'm getting emotional.
But it was about time I did it.

KGOMOTSO

"Mantwa." I say feeling melancholy.

This week has been awful.
Those words I said on that phone call last week replayed in my head again and again and again.
Modiegi knows. She's shattered.
Tumelo and Tiyane are clueless.
Mahlodi hates Lesego. Dead or not dead. She hates him.
Matome is trying to be a good uncle.
Tlhalefo is trying too. I can see it.
Simphiwe has been on my mind. Since that phone call.
So yes, Mantwa is needed here. My therapist.