Mango

Chapter Thirteen.

"Why?"

"Just tell me and I'll explain later." He pleaded. Okay? I took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Khaya and faced the direction he was facing. I couldn't look him in the eye even if I tried.

I cleared my throat to rid myself of the bitter taste building in the back of my throat. "Okay. So you left me at the hospital and Johan came around to fetch me. I'm not going to say I was happy when I first met him, because that would be a tremendous lie. He acted all sweet and innocent when the nurses were around so no one would be suspicious. And I guess it worked for him." I shrugged, letting my shoulders slump in defeat.

Khaya gave a slow nod as if processing what I had said, then he gestured for me to carry on when his head nodded a little faster. "His men blindfolded me and manhandled me like some criminal until we got to the brothel in Pretoria. To say I was scared would be an understatement, really. When Johan told me I'd be his best-selling whore, honestly, I nearly fainted right there and then. It was so unbelievable how a father could be so cruel to his daughter." A dry, meaningless cackle sounded from me. "I thought I'd be able to sleep my thoughts away that first night, but I couldn't have thought any wrong. Then came Bafana, one of Johan's accomplices, if I may call him that."

Thinking of Bafana made my stomach turn vigorously and the need to vomit worsened. I forcibly swallowed the bile and continued, "Yoh, haike." I sighed, "I was scared shitless. He pulled my pants off, forcibly opened my legs, and plunged his disgusting self into me. I was raped before, but that was by far the worst I've been through. Yaz, he was at it the whole fucking night and there was nothing I could do about it. At some point I had reached the final level of my panic attack, then I passed out while being mercilessly banged. What happened thereafter was beyond me."

I kept quiet as the image replayed in my head for the first time since that day. It was terribly unforgivable. It was a heartbreaking matter. I could literally feel my heart explode into a gazillion pieces if not more. The pain wasn't just emotional, because I felt my chest heave and I couldn't breathe properly any longer. My chest hurt. It really did. I began hyperventilating again and I couldn't bear to open my eyes any longer. Before I knew it, I felt a warm liquid fall onto my right hand. I looked down and realized it was my own tears. I was crying and I didn't even notice.

I felt the tears roll down, one after the other, with no sign of stopping. I looked at Khaya and he seemed as out of it as I was, but when our eyes connected he was immediately comforting me. I quietly sobbed as he embraced me. "Don't," Khaya whispered in my ear. I gave a nod as I tried to retrace the last scene I shared with Khaya, determined to get the weight off my chest.

"Then I was sold to Jason, only to come back and to see you and Narelle here too. I'm not gonna lie and say I was happy to see you, but I was relieved and I don't know why." I knew why, but I wasn't going to tell him.

Khaya began rubbing circles on my back before he spoke, "To be honest Mango when I saw you I was extremely happy. I really thought I wouldn't see you again and I didn't want that to happen. Having you back made me realize that there's so much the world has to offer. Not to me though, but to you. And I want to be with you all the while, as I regret not being there recently. But that's going to change. That I promise." I closed my eyes and let more tears flow out at the thought of Khaya's words.

He soothingly rubbed my back and we stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity, but I knew better. My throat was so dry, so I thoroughly cleared it so I was able to talk properly. "I think you should go." I voiced hoarsely, which made me cringe tremendously. Khaya seemed surprised at my words.

"Wait." He took a deep breath before looking at me for quite some time. "You need to come with me to Clicks."

Clicks? Why the heavens would I go to Clicks?

"Why?"

"I really think you pregnant and there's only one way to find out. You have been glowing tremendously, and you sick from what I see so I really think you should come with me. Plus if you are pregnant you can come to stay with me and you can take proper care of the child. We can take proper care of the child." He genuinely meant that and I could see by the smile on his face. That kind of smile would make me happy on any other day, but today was another story. He was happy about a child I wasn't even sure about. Happy about a child that is definitely not his. Happy that I can move in with him.

But, I'm not pregnant. I'm just overwhelmed by all these sudden events, but I'm definitely not pregnant. I'm only 17 and I can't be a mother just yet. That would be the most depressing thing on this earth. I'll be 18 in two weeks and I refuse to be a teen mom. And I thought of this thoroughly, only to have one option in the end. I have to go with Khaya. Funny enough, I'm just like my mother. She got raped and unfortunately produced me, and if I'm unfortunate enough I'd have a little me too. At the thought of that, I had a pang in my chest. If I go with Khaya my mind can be put to rest, whether I have a kid or not.

I closed my eyes because I just couldn't look at Khaya's pleading expression. "Okay, I'll do it." And after that everything happened so fast. One second I was in that bland room by Jason's then the next thing I was at Clicks holding the pregnancy test in hand. The lady at the teller commented with a click of her tongue, "Yoh, abantwana ba namhlanje..." (Children of today.) I fought the urge to heavily roll my eyes at her, while Khaya just flashed her an award-winning smile.

Now I stood in Khaya's bathroom with him next to me, and we've been staring at the stick for at least 10 minutes. I could practically hear my heart pump vigorously in my head. "Okay, I think it's time," Khaya said as he finally grabbed the hell sent stick. He shoved it in my chest and I refused to look at it, let alone touch it. "Come on, Mango. Just do it!" He said frustrated. I should be the one frustrated for food's sake! I shook my head no and he finally gave up. He looked at the stick while I stared at his blank face for any sign of other expressions.

He put the stick down ever so slowly, before looking at me. "What?" I pressed for more information, for my heart couldn't take the suspense. He blankly looked at me. "Khaya man, talk!" I hit him on the shoulder, causing him to smile. I cast a confused look and I felt like crying, because not knowing actually killed me. I wasn't sure if he smiled because I was pregnant or not. Maybe me having a child made him happy, or me not having a child made him a relieved man. I wouldn't know.

"You're going to have a child." He smiled widely at me and my heart jumped. "We're going to raise this little devil together." He advanced towards me with a lip-cracking smile and I could feel my eyes burn. I tried fighting back the tears, but I wasn't strong enough. I let them roll down endlessly as Khaya enveloped me in his arms. "It's okay. It's something to be happy about. I'll help you through this." He tilted my chin up to look at him. He wiped the remainder of the tears and kissed my forehead.

Yoh, guys... I felt like Mr. and Mrs. Gateway at that moment and I've never had internal jubilation in my entire life. And this time, I was sure to make it last.