A Mother's Struggle

Chapter 10

Mmampho's POV

"We have to pack all our belongings and leave this place. We cannot live here anymore." I am saying this because Helen won. She won and the competition is over. I am accepting defeat and I cannot face her ever again. I do not want to see that woman ever again.

"But, why mommy?" Naledi asks.

"We can't live here because I am exposed. So because they know where we live Helen will rub it in my face, what I was avoiding just happened, it all backfired so that's why we have to go far away." I answer her.

"But where will we go?" Lesedi asks.

"Stop asking questions and pack up." I shout.

Their questions will make me go insane. That is a really good question actually. Where the heck will we go? I did not have time to think this through but we will make a plan. What I know is, we have to leave immediately at midnight. They went to pack and I was left in the kitchen to think. I am actually mad at Zandile for telling those women where I live. That was a cowardly move, honestly. I never thought she would stoop so low.
Our luggage is not that much. I do not even have cash.

We go straight to bed, I set an alarm for 23:30. Just so we can get a power nap.

...

The alarm goes off. I did not even sleep a wink. I wake the children up so that they can bath. They complain but it is not like they have a choice. They bath and dress up. I bathed after them. The clothes that I am dressed in will make it difficult for a person to recognize me from a distance. It is like I have been putting them away for this type of occasion.

When the clock struck 00:00, we left the shack. We did not lock it.

It is so dark and what makes it worse is that there is no moonlight and because it is cloudy, there are no star lights as well. You know what makes it worse? It starts to rain. Are you for real? Could this day get any worse, by any chance? My children are sobbing. What kind of an example am I setting to these children? The one where you never face your problems? Where you run away when things do not go your own way? I am never going to become a better mother to these children and it is time I faced that fact. While I am deep in my thoughts, a man dressed in black clothes and a black balaclava tries to rob us. Oh really! This day just got worse. I am fighting him, do we look like people you would rob? We are literally homeless, what would you take?

As I am fighting for the bag he is trying to take, a silver-grey BMW 320d stops and the man inside tells us to go in. At that time, I am not thinking that it could be dangerous, I just went in. I do not think that they could be working together. I immediately thank him when I get inside. I am trying to catch my breath. He assures me that it is okay, as long as my children are safe.

He is a man that looks my age and has a really deep voice. It is actually charming in a way. He has small dark brown eyes and he is light skinned. I can't tell his height but he looks tall and a little bit chubby. Big belly? He must be flourishing in life. He does not have any spots on his face but he has facial hair though, it is cute. He has pink lips, I guess that is because he is light skinned. He is bald. He looks like he is loaded. His car smells very nice and the heater is on. That really helps because I am so cold.

"Where are you guys headed to?" He asks me.
His voice sends shivers down my body. I just met him, what is wrong with me? I chuckle and scan the whole car.

"I actually do not know where I am off to."

"What? How is that possible?"

I sigh and start to tell him the whole story. He is the second person that will know my whole background.