A Mother's Struggle

Chapter 12

Helen ruined my day. Now everyone will think I tried to skip the country, yes I wanted to run away but not out of the country. What does she take me for? I do not even have a passport, or let alone afford to leave the country. I know that this will be out to the whole town in no time.

"Be car..." I scream to Naledi who tried to go through the door but stepped on the glass Helen broke.
I was too late. I did not warn her in time.

"Ouch. What happened here?" She starts to whine but you can see she's more angry than in pain.
Her foot starts bleeding, Lesedi fetches tissue, I fetch a mop and a broom to mop and sweep away the glass.
Helen is so annoying. Unfortunately I do not have a bandage, I do not know how I am going to help her. She cleans her foot with cold running water and I take her old t-shirt and wrap it around her wound. The glass seems to have done more damage than I thought.

"Mom, Zandile used to give you bandages, where are they?" I seriously forgot about those.

"Uhm, check under the mattress." He quickly runs there and I use the bandage to wrap her foot this time.

"Did Helen drop the glass by--"

"No, it was deliberate." I tell her before she finishes her sentence.

"I should have known. That woman is very evil."

Naledi keeps complaining that she is in pain and I have no idea how to help her. Normally I would call Zandile for pain killers because she is a nurse but she betrayed me so I will not even swallow my pride to ask her. I tell Naledi to drink water and go to bed.

"But mom, you have not finished the story, I mean your dream."

"Are you crazy?" Lesedi asks her.

"Thank you." I thank Lesedi for saying my thoughts out loud.

"You need to go to bed child, you are in pain." She sighs and I can tell that an eye-roll accompanied that sigh.

Lesedi and I leave the room. I decide to make food for them. As I am cooking, Helen's words echo in my mind over and over.
You are nothing Mmampho and you have failed your kids. She said.
I am just thinking that, in a way she is right. I have failed my children. This whole situation is my fault.

"Gosh!" I spilled hot water on my self.
Lesedi comes running to me. "What happened mom?"

"I, I spilled boiling water on my self."

"How did that happen though?" Is he for real asking me this question.

"How can you ask me such a stupid question?" I shout at the poor child trying to help me. He stares at me as though he is waiting for me to apologize but instead I click my tongue. He throws everything he was holding in his hands to the floor including the cloths he was using to dry the floor and runs outside.

This water burnt me too much, I do not know whether to run after him or try to dry myself. Because this is painful, I'll first damp a cold cloth against my skin to calm the pain then go after him. Hopefully he will not go far.

I start to smell something burnt, oh no! I try to stand up as fast as I can so that I can switch off the stove but as I do, I slip on the water that spilled on me a few minutes ago and I fall again. Ouch! My butt!

Could this day get any worse? I am in pain right now. I give up and I do not try to stand up again. I guess the noise from when I fell was too loud because Naledi comes running from the room. The first thing she did was switch off the stove. I guess she smelt the burning food from the room and the noise was not that loud.

"What happened here mother?"

"I am okay Naledi. It's okay."

"No, it is not and for the last time, do not pretend like it is when it is not. Where is my brother?"