BROKEN

Gone too soon

We woke up only to find out we were locked inside the room. I couldn't believe it, I mean how evil can one be? Someone opened the door, it was dad.

"Good morning Ma." Grandma kept quiet. "Ma, I'm saying something!" He snapped.

"Why don't you just kill me? I curse the day I gave birth to you!" She cried.

"I may be a curse but I'm still your son." He smiled. Like, seriously? "I came to take you back to your house."

"What? What about these children?" Grandma asked.

"They are mine so I will decide what to do with them. Now, let's go before I change my mind." He said quietly, grandma remained seated.

"Granny, I think you should go this monster is capable of anything and I don't want you to die, not now." I said.

"I'm still your father ingrate!" He hissed.

"My father died the day you laid your hand on your wife! I don't have a father anymo-----"

"Akhona shut up!" Phiwe scolded.

"I'm not scared of him." How and why I had so much courage and audacity to say all those things to him is something I still don't have an answer to.

"I will be back for you." Granny promised and hugged us for a long time.

Grandma left. Aphiwe and I were told that we would never attend any day school, we were going to be home schooled instead. I couldn't believe my ears, home schooled? Why? Mr. Thwala the man I once called dad left the room locking the room on his way out. Aphiwe cried, I comforted her. She later realized she was raped and I convinced her that something was fishy. We had to find out why Mr. and Mrs. Thwala just turned animals all of a sudden.

We couldn't find the answers. Mr. Thwala continued assaulting his own daughter, he did this on a monthly basis. Every 30th of each month he would rape his once dear daughter. She cried, begged for mercy but to no avail. I couldn't do anything to help her yes, I could curse him all I wanted but I had no power to stop him. Grandma was not allowed to see us and to keep her mouth shut she was told if she ever breathed a word about it, one of us dies.

"Good morning Sir." I greeted my home teacher.

"Why are you being nice today?" He was surprised. Yeah, I was not only being nice I needed something from him.

"I have a deal for you. You teach me mathematics and science today, after that give me an exercise. If I get every answer right, you get a raise from Mr. Thwala----"

"Wait. What's in it for you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Help me and my sister escape."

"What? No! Sir will kill me if I do that." He was shocked.

"Then we have no business, here. Get out! Go!" I chased him out but he refused to leave.

"Okay. I will do it!" He finally gave in. Aphiwe and I were happy we were going to escape but Mr. Thwala had something in store for us. His wife heard everything we discussed in the room which had become our cell. Mr. Thwala stormed in the room amidst of the maths lesson and all I could see were splashes of blood. I was shocked! I recovered from the shock only to see my teacher's beheaded body on the floor.

"Nooo!" I screamed.

"Try something stupid again and someone dies. Remember, his blood is on your hands." Mr. Thwala smiled.

"You killed him! Why? You are a murderer!" A hot slap landed on my face and that was the last thing I remember.

I woke up with a serious headache, Aphiwe was sitting next to me on the bed, crying. I tried to wake up but I felt dizzy. I remembered my maths teacher's body and wondered what happened to it. I had never thought I would see a dead man in front of me and that too because of me. I blamed myself for his death, maybe if I had kept my mouth shut.... if I concentrated on my studies only, he would still be alive. What was going to happen to his family, maybe he had a daughter just like me or Asanda but because of me his children were going to grow up without a father.