RAFAEL NGUBANE

15. I DON'T KNOW YOU

SAME DAY
[AFTER REA WALKED UPSTAIRS]

REA

ME: (CRIES)

I PACK MY BAGS. I COUDLNT STAY HERE. I COULDN’T PRETEND THAT I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED AND DISGUSTED BY THEM. I REALLY LOVED THE JALI’S LIKE MY OWN SISTERS. THEY NEVER MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WASN’T ONE OF THEM AND IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HOW THEY WERE RAISED

[DIALS PHONE]
[PLACES PHONE ON EAR]
DIALING...
DIALING...

...: HEY BOO, YOU OKAY. DID YOU GET HOME SAFE ?
ME: (SOBBING) NO. SEGO... (SNIFFS) I SNAPPED AT THEM. I COUDLNT KEEP IT IN. I COULDN’T PRETEND TO BE BLIND AND DUMB. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
SEGO: I’M SORRY BOO. ARE YOU SAFE RIGHT NOW ?
ME: (WIPES TEARS) IM PACKING MY BAGS. CAN I COME OVER ?
SEGO: SURE. YOU CAN. I’LL TALK TO MY PARENTS AND YOU CAN SHARE A BED WITH ME. I’M GOING BACK TO MY PLACE SOON SO WE CAN STAY OVER UNTIL I LEAVE.
ME: (NODS) OKAY. I’M COMING NOW.
SEGO: SHARP

SHE HANGS UP

KNOCK

I LOOK UP AND ITS MY DAD

ME: IM STILL LEAVING DAD

HE WALKS TOWARDS ME AND SITS DOWN WITH ME

POPS: ITS OKAY. AS LONG AS YOU’LL BE HAPPY WITH THE JALI’S, I’M NOT GONNA STOP YOU SWEETIE.
ME: BABA UYI’NKOSI. YOU CANT KEEP LETTING THEM TARNISH OUR NAME LIKE THIS. THEY KEEP DOING THIS AND YOU LET THEM. THEY CANT EVEN FIND GOOD WOMEN WITHOUT FUCKING UP. AND I HAVE TO BE THE ONE WHO STEPS IN AND HELPS THEM. AMAHLONU KIMI BABA ? I CANT EVEN WALK OUTSIDE ANYMORE. THE NUMBER PLATE ITSELF RATS ON ME THAT’S I’M RELATED TO THE SERIAL CHEATERS. FIRST IT WAS THEM KILLING PEOPLE, NOW THIS, HAI BABA. YOU NEED TO STEP UP.
POPS: ITS FREE WILL BABY.

I LOOK AT HIM

POPS: I CAN’T FORCE THEM TO ACT RIGHT. HOW OLD ARE THEY AGAIN ?
ME: IN THEIR 30s
POPS: SEE. GROWN UPS.
...: KNOCK KNOCK

WE LOOK AMD ITS MY MOM

MOM: YOU OKAY BABY ?
ME: YEAH (SIGHS) I’M GOING TO THE JALI’S. I NEED TO CLEAR MY MIND.
MOM: THAT’S FINE BABY. I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM. THEY ARE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE SO YOU CAN GO.
ME: THANKS MA.
MOM: ANYTHING FOR YOUR MENTAL BABY

SHE HUGS ME AND MY DAD JOINS IN

ME: AHHH !! YOU’RE SQUISHING ME

WE START LAUGHING. THEY BREAK THE HUG AND MY DAD KISSES MY FORHEAD.

POPS: LET ME GO CHECK ON THE 3.
ME: (ROLLS EYES) OKAY.

HE LEAVES.

MOM: PLEASE GIVE THEM THESE

SHE HANDS ME 3 ENVELOPES.

ME: WHATS THIS.
MOM: YOUR DAD IS GIVING THEM 200K EACH FOR THE BOYS DEFAMING THEIR CHARACTER. HE SAID HE’LL ADDRESS THE COUNCIL TO TELL THE PEOPLE THAT IF THEY CONTINUE MEDDLING IN THINGS THAT DON’T INVOLVE THEM, HE WILL FINE THEM BECAUSE THE JALI’S ARE GETTING BAD ATTENTION. 
ME: WOW.
MOM: MHH. THEY SAW THE COWS COMING BACK AND ALL THAT SO THEY THINK...
ME: THE GIRLS CHEATED ON THE TRIPLETS.
MOM: SOME ARE SAYING THAT BUT THEY ARE SAYING THEY ARE INFERTILE AND THAT THEY ARE NOT... YOU KNOW
ME: WHAT. THAT’S BULLSHIT.
MOM: THEY WILL NEVER SPEAK DOWN ON US BUT THEM... YHO. ITS BAD.
ME: SPEAKING ON SOMEONE’S FERTILITY ISSUES AND WOMB HAS TO BE THE LOWEST OF THE LOW, AND THEIR PRIVATE MATTERS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THEM
MOM: YOU GOING THERE WILL SHUT THEM UP.
ME: AND THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT THEM. OH MY GOSH MOM. THEY FUCKED UP.
MOM: REA... PLEASE DON’T.

I COVER MY EYES AND CRY. THEY PRETENDED TO BE OKAY. THIS WAS SOO BAD. I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. MY MOM HUGS ME. I GATHER MYSELF AND WE CHAT WHILE SHE HELPS ME PACK.

BACK DOWNSTAIRS
RIO

MY DAD APPEARS AND RAF GET UP

RAF: IS SHE OKAY ?
POPS: NO.

HE SITS DOWN WITH US.

POPS: IF ITS AFFECTING REA AS WELL, YOU REALLY FUCKED UP.

HE LOOKS DOWN

RAF: (SIGH) I’LL FIX THIS

HE LOOKS AT ME

POPS: YOU SHOUL...
RAF: DAD... I WANT TO GO TO REHAB

RO PAUSES THE GAME

ME: HUH ?

MY DAD GETS UP.

RAF: I WANT TO CHANGE... IM SOBER NOW AND... (SIGH) I WANT TO BE BETTER. FEEL BETTER. IM NOT OKAY DAD. (SIGH) BETRAYAL HAS MADE ME DO SOME CRAZY THINGS AND I TOOK OUT MY ANGER FOR MO SHOOTING ME ON HIS SISTER. I (TEARY EYED) IVE BEEN CHEATING.
POPS: WOW
RAF: FROM THE DAY I SAW HER, FROM THE DAY SHE CAUGHT ME ON HER BED WITH ORA, I KEPT DOING IT. I WANTED TO HURT HER SO BAD TO MAKE HIM COME BACK. I KNEW DATING SEGO WOULD BRING MO BACK, I WANTED TO GET CAUGHT
...: (YELLS) YOURE SUCH A SHITTY PERSON
ME: WHOAH

SHE THROWS HER STANLEY CUP TOWARDS ME SINCE I WAS NEXT TO RAFAEL

REA: HOW COULD YOU EVEN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT (SOBBING).
RAF: WAIT, REA
REA: FUCK YOU (MIDDLE FINGER) I AM DISOWNING ALL OF YOU. FROM TODAY, I DON’T HAVE (YELLS) FUCKING BROTHERS
ME: WHAT DID WE DO
REA: FUCK YOU

SHE WALKS OUT AND MY MOM JUST SITS ON THE STAIRS, WITH HER HANDS RUBBING HER HEAD.

RAF: (TEARS ROLLING DOWN EYES) IVE CHANGED.
MOM: HAVE YOU THOUGH ? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ? YOU USED HER ? WAS IT ALL OF YOU ?
ME: NO, I LOVED HER. I DIDN’T KNEW SHIT
RO: ME TOO, I WOULDN’T MARRY A WOMAN I DON’T LOVE. COME ON MA
MOM: I DON’T KNOW YOU ANYMORE. DO YOU KNOW YHE DAMAGE YOU HAVE DONE
RAF: (CRYING) MA, LISTEN...
MOM: (TEARS ROLLING DOWN EYES) GET OUT. ALL OF YOU OUT.
ME: HAA.

SHE GETS UP AND MY DAD GOES TO HER

MOM: (CRYING) I DIDN’T RAISE THESE BOYS. I DIDN’T BABA
POPS: I KNOW (RUBS HER BACK)
RAF: MOM, PLEASE.

HE WALKS TOWARDS MY MOM AND SHE LETS GO OF MY DAD AND SLAPS HIM

RAF: (CRYING)(HOLDING CHEEK) MOM.
MOM: SHE ACCEPTED YOU, (YELLS) FLAWS AND ALL AND YOU STILL DID THIS SHIT ? YOU TOOK HER TO THERAPY AND BOUGHT HER ALL THIS SHIT FOR WHAT ? HUH ? (MOVES TOWARDS RAFAEL)

RAFAEL MOVES BACKWARDS, WITH HIS WHOLE FACE TURNING RED.

MOM: GET THE FUCK OUT. YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE. YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE KIDS HAVE BEEN THROUGH. YOU KNOW. WE ALL KNOW, DON’T ACT LIKE YOU DON’T KNOW. HER !!!  SHE HAD IT WORSE BUT STILL RESPECTS AND HONORS HER FAMILY LIKE IT DIDN’T BREAK HER WHILE SHE WAS YOUNG. HER CHILDHOOD
RAF: I WANT TO CHANGE. I WANT TO GO TO REHAB. I TEXTED...
MOM: LEAVE. (LOOKS AT MY DAD) GIVE THEM THEIR MONEY BACK. HE MUST BE OUT OF HERE BEFORE HE LEAVE IN A BODY BAG.
RAF: (SNIFFS) PLEASE
MOM: I WAS GONNA UNDERSTAND IF YOU DID YOUR BIG ONE ON MOGOMOTSI BUT TO LURE THAT INNOCENT, BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN YOUR BULLSHIT ?? IM SORRY. YOU ARE NOT A GOOD PERSON. GET THE FUCK OUT. COME BACK AS A MAN.

RAFAEL LEAVES AND GOES UPSTAIRS

RO: MOM...

WE LOOK AT HIM

RO: SO LIKE, ARE WE ALSO KICKED OUT OR WE CAN STAY
POPS: (ROLLS EYES)
MOM: ARGHH

SHE WALKS AWAY WITH MY DAD FOLLOWING HER

ME: REALLY NIGGA ?
RO: I WAS JUST ASKING (SHRUGS)

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