Oh God, I passed. I seriously passed! I'm really leaving, for Durban. Ah, I'm so happy I can't believe it. After so many years of pain and hurt, I am finally getting out of the clutches of that monster that is my father. I'm finally free of his hold. I honestly feel really sorry for my sister Zamo because I know that what happened to me will now befall her, and I just know that this will break her. She is not as strong as I was when all this started, leaving her here will shatter her.
"Aww shame, umtana wami is leaving the nest," mom said as Zamokuhle and her accompanied me to the bus station. The monster she married was not here, and he didn't leave us any taxi fare, so we had to walk to the station. "Ma please, we've gone over this. I'll be back in one piece. I promise." She looked at me with pride in her eyes. I knew that she saw a way of escape for me, she knew that leaving was the only way I could escape this lifestyle, but I couldn't help being smug about all of this.
"Buka Zamo, this look on ma's face, it says she's proud of me. I've never seen her give one to you." "Well how would you see beyond your all-impending ego?" I'll miss my sister's wit more than her presence. The amount of times we have fought ever since she has been born could not be counted even by all the sand in the oceans, but I love this child to bits. I just pray that some sort of divine intervention stops her from seeing the world for what it truly is.
"Nonkululeko please don't disappoint me where you are going. You must make sure that at all times you put God first, and don't forget to remain humble" I caught a glimpse of Zamo humming Kendrick's Humble under her breath and chuckled a little. It's the little things I'll miss the most. "You laugh when I'm talking but you'll know what I mean one day. life is not roses mtanami, it's more like walking through a park that is neighboured by a cemetery. Darkness is always close by," mom said, distantly.
"I'm sorry ma, eish." Zamo and I shared a look over mom's shoulder like we had done countless times before, and she had the nerve to smirk. Bitch.
After an hour at the bus station the bus to Durban finally approached. Tears started filling up ma's eyes as the bus came closer and closer. People spilled out of the door, dragging their huge bags. Ma engulfed me in a huge bear hug, and I could feel a wet patch forming on my shoulder. Tears escaped my eyes as I thought of all the hardships we have gone through together. I got out of the hug and looked over to Zamo. "Yini? Don't look at me like that, I'm not gonna miss you" she said.
"Eh sisi, ngeke silinde wena usatetema lapho, syakushiya thina" the bus driver hollered, clearly pissed.
I laughed as I got on the bus. As soon as I sat down and the bus took off, I received a message. Zamo: good luck sis, ube strong. I smiled at the text, totally imagining the way she'd say this. I sat squashed between metal and an old lady who was carrying a box of rotting bananas. I took out my copy of Hlomu The Wife and started reading it for the umpteenth time.
The bus came to a halt for a pit stop. Done with my business, I bought a packet of Doritos and a bottle of Fanta Orange. I got on the bus and got back to reading.
Hey, its me, Sunshine.
I hope you liked the chapter
Translations follow
"Aww shame umtana wami- my child
Buka- look
Yini- what
Ube- be
Eh sisi, ngeke silinde wena usatetema lapho, syakushiya thina- sister, we wont wait for you while you are being a crybaby, we're leaving you
Oh,Hlomu the wife is an actual book that I absolutely adore.
My favorite author is still James Patterson. Love him. Too much.
That's who I imagine as Nonku in the picture btw
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Tears of the Damned (BEING EDITED!!!)
FantasiaTroubled by her past, Nonkululeko Zulu leaves her small town for the big city to go to university. But university is a place where, for one with her luck, danger lurks around every corner. Disclaimer: this book has a lot of Zulu (the language I spea...
