Between White Lines

Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?

It was a day like any other in the average 7 year old's life .
Mum woke me up for school and we went through our usual morning routine. She wakes me up 3-4 times and I plead for just 5 more minutes each time . "Wake the hell up Aliyah , you're going to be late going  school!" , "Ja Ja" I replied in the sleepest of voices.
Dad leaves for work and after my extremely long , lost adventure in the shower , it's time to get dressed and from the corner of my eye , I see her reaching out for the hair brush. "Come Aliyah let me brush your hair" . I quickly look for an escape, questioning god as to why he wants me to die again this morning . I swear she transforms into Satan's wife with red skin , sharp horns and the evilest smile that even Satan himself would pee his pants for , with that hair brush in her hands .
Caught in a corner with nowhere to run or hide , I spend the next 10 minutes in crucial pain as she does what feels like yanking the hair out from my roots.

Now it's off to school . Grade 1B , Mrs Van Helsingh's class . Oh how much of a potent  hatred I had for that old woman and her wooden stick  'Piet' .
And let me just you that 'Piet' and I weren't the best of friends as he had a nack for leaving bright red , throbbing marks on my thighs when my math homework was incorrect . Even back then I never got this math thing quite right.

Its already half way through my day and as i sit there sulking about the burning sensation on both my thighs , knock knock "Excuse me Mevrou VanHelsingh" , filled with curiosity by the sound of this  familiar voice , I glace towards the door . Oh look it's mum! . oh God , please tell me you sent mum here to save me from this torturous place .
" Aliyah , pack up your mum is here to pick you up"  says Mrs VanHelsingh in the sweetest voice that I've never heard before .

Overflowing with joy , I excitedly shove my fancy crayons and pretty coloured class activity, incompleted into my backpack and rush out before anyone changes their minds . "Bye Aliyah , we're going to miss you and don't forget to complete your class work" so ecstatic about leaving I blankly ignore her , when mum's shocked and disappointed self taps my shoulder " Aliyah! Mrs VanHelsingh is talking to you "  with a facial expression that reads  'im going to moer you when we get home you ombeskof kind' .
"Yes mam" I forcibly reply.  "bye mam" "bye mam"  I anxiously repeat after mum , wondering what good possible reason she had for pulling me out of school like that, "oh well , who cares . As long as I won't have to see Piet or VanHelsingh .Now I want McDonald's " I thought to myself.

So caught up in my own thoughts and personal issues with VanHelsingh, I hardly took note of mum's puffy, blood shot red eyes and blank facial expression .
Tooo afraid to ask further questions , even on the way home , I sat quietly hoping she'd eventually confide in me but all she did was cry continuously. My heart ached and feeling completely crushed I started to cry as well.
Still massively lost and left in the dark we reached uncle Rahfiq's house ; secretly he was always my favorite uncle , even though he'd call me weird names , and everytime I'd walk in he'd say " jaa your bastard " which between us two was a cute positive thing like :  hayy Im delighted to see you.  But this time we had not shared the pleasure of that greeting.

Outside Uncle Rahfiq's house was filled with cars and in the living room sat the rest of my family, all of them in a complete state of shock and agony. 
I took a good look around the room and I even saw dad there amongst the sad , mopping faces.
He picked me up "Hello my baby , how was school ?" With a gentle kiss to my forehead. Completely ignoring his question I thought to myself 'finally! Here's someone who could tell me what in bonkers name is going here '.
So I asked innocently " daddy , why are we all here? and why is mum and uncle Rahfiq crying like that?" .
But he , completely shook by my question did not peep a single word.

Being in such a curious state of mind, I point blank did not notice the gathering around the centre of the living room and as we moved closer, I saw Zayn , my older brother thrashed on the floor as if he had lost all feeling in his legs and fell to the ground, tears ran down his face as the orange river runs through the Free State .

I was confused, I thought to myself " Zayn never cries and thee only person he'd cry for is ..."  I looked around the room impatiently yet carefully " dada! " I called out aloud , and heads turned yet others burst into tears. 'Noo is it really him ? Is he really laying there ?'
" daddy I want to see , I want to see "  I cried out but dad just hushed me ,
"No my baby you're not allowed to see" .