Her Story:The Bush

Chapter 6

I was always keen on finding the truth about the person who had raped me, but I just kept trying to escape the reality of how I would find out, when I would and what the motive of the person was.
"Mbali don't just stare at me; give your baby father a nice hug. You look beautiful today but not as beautiful as that wonderful night I planted the seed when it was just the two of us." Baba Khumalo said to me recapturing my attention. I still couldn't believe what he was saying to me, I pinched myself and I realized that I was not dreaming. A tear dripped from my left eye, I tried to calm myself down as I tried to remind myself why I had kept this baby. The baby that was a product of rape. She is a product of a dirty deed but our parents took good care of us, well at least me so far because the day my child is born I will take good care of her. "Mbali come on say something!"
Ok baba khumalo you raped me, I got your infection, I kept the baby you gave me so what do you expect me to say? Thank you? No I don't think you deserve any of my words, you've taken so much from me what more do you want?
"I want my child hunny with no fights."
Your child? Don't you have a wife?
"Good question and so to answer that question I do have a wife but she can't give me babies so I thought I'd find myself a much more...*examines Mbali's body* younger lady with a very fit body."
Wow I really can't believe you. Either way I don't care about your wife I just want to know why? Why me? No wait why rape? Sex is cheap, buy sex. Why hurt someone when you can rather lay a person down, a person who is willing to be laid down.
"No my dear I rape because I want you to feel the pain I felt. I rape the most innocent souls, I steal the most precious gift one can have which is happiness. I will do what has been done to me and I will pass on my disease, and in the next 10 years please more than 100 people will be infected by me and will surely die. I really can't wait to see the success."

How can this man be so insensitive? Why did I have to find out? Well actually why did I have to find out this way? Baba Khumalo was a man who's been playing the fatherly role in my life, he's supported and has been there for my mother. I saw him as my father and he saw me as his own child, well at least that's what I thought.

I really did not have time for any of this, I did not want to have any worries or get stressed by anything at the moment because I knew unhealthy behavior was really not good for the baby I carried in my womb so I instructed Baba Khumalo to leave. I needed some time alone, I needed time and space to let the information I just found out sink but now I have to make one of the toughest decisions; do I report "my father" or not.

*

4:30 am

I had a very peaceful sleep until I was woken up by sharp shooting pains in my womb. I felt like the baby was jumping up and down I couldn't bare the pain. Though they say that beauty is pain that pain I felt that very moment was not close to any form of beauty. I saw my mother rushing into my bedroom, was my crying that loud? I asked myself, but then I did not care about her being there or not I just wanted this pain to end now! My heart started racing and then boom.
I woke up and a very bright light prevented me from opening my eyes wide. I tried to look around but my neck did not allow me to. "She's awake call the nurse," said someone on the left. Wait nurse? No I can't - "Mbali I am very sorry for your loss."
My loss? Wait what or who did I loose? Is it, No! Was I dreaming I can't lose my child, as I was about to process the 'news' I felt a needle prick my left arm and in the next few seconds I was out.

Later that day, I woke up and I felt really hungry but luckily there was a tray of food so I pulled the tray towards my bed and I ate. As I was heading to finish the meal a doctor walked in and holding a file, the moment I saw the file I remembered what happened earlier that day.
Doctor umm
"Hi there I am doctor Ndlovu." He said and I continued,
Yes doctor Ndlovu, earlier today a nurse told me that she was sorry for my loss, what did she mean? Is my baby alright?
"Your loss? Mbali calm down your baby is doing well. You see what happened was your baby was turning we still need to find out why she only turned at 8 months but either than that she is healthy. You will be discharged tomorrow at 8am we just need to run one last test at 10pm."
Okay thank you so much doctor, and that was the end of our conversation.

*

4am

Flash back
(You look beautiful today but not as beautiful as that wonderful night I planted the seed when it was just the two of us)

I really can't sleep. I keep hearing Baba Khumalo's voice. That man has to pay, in fact every woman that has raped and abused don't deserve any of this.
I got up to dim the lights so I could fall asleep, when I was walking back to my bed I heard a voice behind me , " So you thought you could run away from me?" When I turned around it was Kabelo. I couldn't believe it; I thought my eyes were playing games with me.
Kabelo I, I wasn't running away from you I was just waiting for the right time to tell you.
"Bull! You sleep with every man you see then you hide, I'm sure you were going to frame me and say that you are carrying my child. Anyways don't bother explaining wait till we see what your friends will have to say about this."
After he said that he left and I watched him leave. I didn't bother calling him because I would be wasting my time. So I let all of that go and turned to my bed, as I was about to get in the bed I felt someone hug me from behind.
That immediately make me remember the day I was raped. I was too scared to either say a word or turn around. I tried to think who it would be. Was it Baba Khumalo or just another lustful man?