RAFAEL NGUBANE

16. BE A MAN ABOUT IT

RAFAEL

ME: (SNIFFING)

I PACK MY BAGS. MY REASONS ALONE MADE THINGS WORSE AND NOW IM KICKED OUT. I WAS 10 MINUTES INTO PACKING AND I WAS NOW DONE.

(DOOR CREAKING)

I DON'T EVEN LOOK TO SEE WHO IT WAS, I JUST WANTED TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY.

...: SON?

I CONTINUE PACKING

ME: I'LL BE OUT IN A SECOND.

POPS: JUST TAKE A BREAK AND THEN COME BACK

I STOP AND TURN AROUND, LOOKING AT HIM.

ME: I WON'T BE COMING BACK ANYTIME SOON.

I TURN BACK AROUND AND ZIP UP MY BAG.

POPS: RAFAE...

ME: DAD ? PLEASE STOP.

HE GOES SILENT.

I TAKE MY BAG AND WALK OUT THE ROOM. I NOTICE MY MOM STANDING OUTSIDE THE DOOR.

ME: MAYBE IF YOU HEARD WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HERE (POINTS AT HEART) YOU'D UNDERSTAND WHY I AM LIKE THIS. YOU WERE NEVER THERE FOR ME. THIS STORY YOU HAVE MADE UP ABOUT THE KIND OF PERSON I AM, I AM NOT THAT MAN. SHE CHANGED ME BUT I WAS NOT READY TO GIVE MYSELF TO HER FULLY BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS DISAPPOINTED ME.

MOM: WHY DID...

ME: I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE. SHE LEFT ME WHEN I NEVER EXPECTED IT. YES, I WANTED TO HURT HER THE SAME WAY HER BROTHER HURT ME BUT I GENUINELY CARED FOR HER, I WAS JUST NOT READY. I WAS NOT READY THEN. I AM READY NOW. TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AND NOW... SHES GONE. YOU PROGRAMMED US LIKE THIS BECAUSE YOU GAVE US, THE BOYS TOUGH LOVE BUT YOU KEPT GIVING REA THAT SOFT SIDE. DAD IS THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN GET THAT SIDE OUT OF ME AND FOR SOME REASON, SEGO ALSO GOT THAT SIDE. I'M NOT BLAMING YOU FOR CUTTING ME OFF OR ANYTHING, INSTEAD I APPLAUD YOU, BECAUSE AS MUCH AS YOU THINK YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, YOU DID.

SHE LOOKS AT ME, TEARY EYED.

ME: WE WERE PROGRAMMED TO BE FUCK UPS BY YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU FOR YOU TO TREAT US LIKE THIS BUT HEY, ITS FINE. NOW I'M CUT OFF. I'LL BE FINE

RIO

SHE ATTEMPTS TO HUG RAFAEL AND HE SHRUGS HER OFF AND WALKS AWAY. HE WINKS AT US AND WALKS OUT. WE LOOK AT MY MOM, AS SHE LOOKS AT US.

ME: I ALSO THINK ITS TIME TO CUT THE UMBILCAL CORD, DON'T YOU THINK ?

I LOOK AT ROMEO

RO: MHH.

...

2 WEEKS LATER

MASEGO

REA SETTLED IN WELL BUT DUE TO PRIVACY REASONS, WE WERE MOVING OUT TO A HOUSE MO BOUGHT A FEW YEARS AGO. HE SAID THERE WAS NOBODY SETTLING THERE SO WE CAN MOVE IN PERMANENTLY, CRAZY RIGHT. WE LEFT 3 DAYS AGO AND IT IS, NICE. SURPRISINGLY. THESE 3 ARE A BIT OF A HANDFUL BUT I LOVED HOW THEY HELD IT DOWN. HEALING TOGETHER NEVER FELT SO, PEACEFUL, SO CALMING. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE BUT ITS GOING WELL.

MO: WELL WELL WELL...

ME: YOU LIKE IT ? (SMILES)

MO: IT LOOKS LIKE A SORORITY HOUSE.

ROXXY: WHAT ? BECAUSE OF THE SHADES OF PINK ?

MO: NO (LAUGHS) YOU GUYS ARE WEARING OUTFITS THAT ARE SIMILAR, WELL EXCEPT YOU (LOOKS AT ME) MISS OLD MONEY.