He is back again, just like always I'm stealing glances at him, he notices and looks at me but I quickly look away. I smile to myself then clear my throat and then I continue with eating my ice cream. I try my best not to keep on looking at him because my uncle already said that he is off limits plus he is old enough to be my uncle too. He clears his throat and excuses himself to the bathroom, he knows uncle's house like his own because he is always here and I always avail myself too of course.
Uncle turned to look at me, "yeka ukumbuka nawe kanti what's wrong with you?" he said and smirked a little. "Hayi malume ngimbuke nini? (No uncle when did I stare at him?)", I know that he does not believe me because he just laughed. "He feels uncomfortable now and he has to use the bathroom as an excuse", he said still laughing, I laughed along with him. My phone rang, I checked the caller ID and huffed then looked at uncle sulking, "Now I have to leave", he gave me the 'it's her?' look, I nodded pouting. "Ungayenz lokho uba mubi (don't do that you look ugly)", I looked at him smiling. "I want to say goodbye to him and then I'll leave".
"Leave before your mother comes flying here to get you", he said pulling me to get up, Uncle Nkanyiso is no fun when he wants me to leave. I stood up reluctantly murmuring things to myself, "leave now I also have to chat with my friend in peace", he pushed me until I got to the door and that's when I saw him coming out of the bathroom. Owh! So he was hiding from me? It's fine though Uncle will tell me when he visits again. "Uncle I want to stay", I shouted but he did not give in, he pushed me until we were outside.
"Uncle I don't want to go now"
"Your mother will kill me, I promised to let you go back after an hour", yeah about that, I spent that hour looking at him as he was chatting with Uncle, but he dared not look at me. I looked over to him and he was leaning by the door looking at us, I waved goodbye while walking away, he just looked at me; hands in the pockets with no expression on his face. He looked at me, I thought to myself while walking away with a big grin on my face.
I was woken up by loud screams and glass breaking, they are at it again I threw the pillow over my head covering my ears. It's Saturday in the morning but my parents are already at each other's throats, I haven't even had breakfast yet but they are already fighting. Their fighting went on for some time until a loud bang was heard, one of them must have left the house already. It's always like this with them, they fight and they are always angry and filled with frustration even during happy times. A loud knock coming from my door disturbed me, "Kuhle awuvuke wen kusile (Kuhle wake up its morning)", I know that its morning but I do not want to wake up because I know that my breakfast wouldn't be enjoyable, I'll be eating her complains and anger not real breakfast. "Wake up", the banging got loud with every word she uttered, I stood up to open the door for her.
"I've been knocking for hours why did you not open the door", the exaggeration, "I'm sorry mama", I quickly said before she starts yelling. "iza uzodla (come eat)", I nodded and quickly went to brush my teeth.
The breakfast wasn't quite as expected she kept on yelling and complaining about the way I was chowing my food, I know that I'm not the problem but my father is. She did not even finish her breakfast, she just left for work without saying goodbye to me. I lost my appetite the moment I woke up, but because I didn't want to get beaten I ate but the moment she left I went to the bathroom to throw up. I rinsed my mouth and then I washed the dishes, I took a bath and cleaned my room. I wore my baggy clothes and went over to Uncle's house.
The door was locked, maybe he is not here. He went out with him maybe, I didn't go home because he is not here I just sat at the porch staring into nothingness. I know that he keeps the keys somewhere under the flower pots by the door but I do not want to go inside just as yet, I'm still getting fresh air. I sat by the door for some minutes, I did not want to go because home that house is filled with nothing but sorrows and bad luck if I may add. I decided to go inside the house because the weather was starting to slowly change, it was getting chilly every second that passed. I opened the door only to be met by silence, it's very quiet if uncle isn't here sometimes I find it very scary because I feel like there is someone watching me and I could even hear imaginary footsteps.
I locked the door behind me not wanting to keep on imagining scary stuff, not knowing what to do I opened the TV and watched teen titans. You are probably wondering why I'm always at my uncle's house not a friend's house, that's because my life is very sad and pitiful, and only I could see that because people don't see that, they think that my life is very much filled with nothing but joy and goodies. Sometimes at school I look at my classmates playing very far away from me and my heart ache at that sight, they do not want to associate themselves with a 'spoilt brat', that's how they call me. Once in 10th grade I had a friend but I guess that God did not want me to have her because after 3 months in our friendship she passed away. That is when my problems piled up, they started calling me a witch and they said that I was an angel of death because Anathi was healthy before she became friends with me.
I tried telling my parents but they did not pay any attention to it, I had to live with guilty that because of me Anathi died. My performance at school dropped, mama saw that my performance was dropping instead of asking the cause she assumed that I was dating and she beat the hell, sorrows and regrets out of me. That's when I realized that the only person I could rely on was nobody but my father and uncle Nkanyiso. I'm not painting my mother as the bad person but she only cares about the outcome not the process, she cares only about herself and how she does at work, and how people at the suburbs see her 'perfect' marriage.
I don't know when I fell asleep, I woke feeling like I'm being watched that eerie feeling shot up faster than I could imagine. I didn't want to open my eyes even though I was awake, what if I opened my eyes to be met by a pair of red eyes dripping blood staring at me. With that thought in my mind I slowly turned away from the TV that was playing, call me a coward I don't care I do not want to die young.
"hayi ke Okuhle kuyavela ukuthi uvukile awusukume sisi (No Okuhle, it's evident that you are awake stand up)"
"Hayi malume you almost gave me heart attack", I turned around and opened my eyes...my mind was not prepared for what I saw.