Novels by Zethembiso Hlongwane

MY ARTThe smoke slowl skid out my lips which were pressed into a thin line. Their eyes seemed to move with me as they passed by. “Hi pretty,” a black haired man said passing by.After that sentence I felt my stomach hurt. It was just disgusting for someone as old as Plot to make that remark, especially to someone who was young enough to be his daughter. Something about his eyes seemed shady.The footsteps approaching caught my attention as the cigarette on my hand dropped on the ground. It had to be him, Jack.A familiar face appeared instead of Jack. “shit,” I mumbled pulling my hoodie up.“Siren, what are you doing out here so late?” she asked, almost pulling out her pistol from her coat.Shit April had just saw me. What was I going to tell her about being out at night.“Hi,” I nervously said.“You almost scared me you death,” she said with her with

FAMILY I walked up the stairs, feeling tired. A woman walked pass we me almost knocking me down. “Aah,”“I sorry,” she said picking up one of my crutches that had fell on the floor.“I am fin,” I replied that us when I recognized her.Long nevy black hair, eyeshadow and a red lipstick. She wore a shirt red dress, revealing her tiny thighs. “lola,”Her eyes widen. “Sister Siren,”“You okay,” I asked reaching my hand to her small face, which I recognized had a few bruises.The broken lip was what caught my eye. She jerked back with tears gathered in her eyes.“I am sorry?” before running up the stairs.I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I was sure she was also in the same trouble as I was, having to have sex with every men in order to get a place to stay.I needed to help her, help her get out of that li

LET ME SAVE YOUWe stared at the view of the Mino city. “it’s been long since we sat here,” I began.“Yeah,”I turned to face her. “Are you really getting married?” I asked in a more serious tone.I noticed her face turning pale. “You don’t want to, do you?”“I have to go,”I held her hand. “please get me down,”“Apple, I can help you,”Tears gathered her eyes. “How? How can you help me Siren?”Her voice sounded sad and hurt at the same time.“How can you help me if my grandfather has already arranged a marriage for me? A marriage with a man don’t even know?”My eyes widen. “Let run away,” my voice came out unclear.“Run away?” she asked.“Yeah, let run away from Mino city let go far away,”“How abo

CLOSURE I stared at my mother who was folding the few clothes in their baskets.“Can I take a break?” I asked.“You can eat here,” she replied handing me my lunch box.“I mean outside,”She rose an eyebrow.“I won’t be long. Please.”She let out a sigh. “One of the girls will go with you,”“No, I will be fine on my own. You don’t have to worry about me, plus I am healing,”“Fine, but two minutes,”I smiled shortly as I got up.“Two minutes,”“Yes mother,”I walked out the crowded shop. I leaned against the wall as I slid my hand in my jacket’s pocket. I came out with a cigarette and lighter.Slowly I burnt it but as I slipped it inside my mouth. The scent of smoke filled my nose. I rested my head on the wall as I stared at the blue sky.I

NEW PATH?Hendrik’s body hands strangled me.“Now die bitch,”His grip got tighter and tighter, as I tried pulling his huge hand off my neck. “St…”My eyes rapidly opened as the sound of railing sirens filled my ears.I gently moved the blanket off my body, while I stepped on the floor. I slowly forced myself up. Crazy enough my body didn’t feel that aching anymore.I took baby steps heading to the door. I pulled the door open and walked inside the dark sitting room. The memories of Jin running around the sitting room while pulling my long skirt flashed in my mind.I quickly shook that memory off my head as I walked to the balcony.Cold wind blew my hair as I stared at the k-building which was a few meters from the L-building I was in.My eyes rushed at every corner of the flat window visible to my eyes, but there was no sign of her.“Sh

HUNT MESMICK’S KILLERSI stared at the wrecked up door before me. I took one last breath before slowly moving my hand to it. I knocked twice then waited. The laughter inside caught my ear. as I knocked again.I heard footstep approaching the door as my body started sweating. What was I doing? Why was I here? What was I going to say to him?He pulled the door open as his face appeared. “Siren,” he said in pure shock.“Hi,” I nervously said forcing out a smile. “Can I come in?”“Sure, yeah please,” opening the door for me.I walked pass him as the cigarette smoke entered my nose. The sight of most in the room created by the smoke caught my attention not that I minded. “The bandages, they are gone,”“I got them removed yesterday,” I replied walking toward the couches which I recognized were occupied.Three familiar faces caught my attent

Miho ran in between the old buildings as she tripped from her long skirt and fell down as tears ran down her face.“What do we have here?” said a gruff voice.That was when Miho’s nose caught the choking smell of marijuana. That smell was enough to take her back to when their father had caught Tarou smoking it.It was one afternoon when her father had surprisingly picked her up from school. The weather was cold and raining. The car had suddenly stopped and Miho’s father had stepped out of the car.Miho had peeped through the window and saw Tarou sitting with a crowd of tanned boys on the pavements while smoking.As soon as his friends caught sight of Mr. Wen they had scattered leaving Tarou to face his father.Miho couldn’t hear what they were saying but she had seen her father violently beating up Tarou before dragging him inside the car and that was when she had caught the choking smell of marijuana.Miho moved her head up and that w

“Hey! Miho!” shouted a familiar voice as she turned.She wanted to run but she couldn’t.“You’ll be okay” said Veliou hugging her as Miho held on her tightly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”Miho nodded her head as she watched Veliou crossing the road and walking down the Mint Street with a crowd of tanned boys who had suddenly emerged from Lilly’s flower shop.She looked happy and relaxed something Miho had long forgotten existed and on top of that she was really beautiful.Was this what Lee meant when he said mother was perfection? Miho thought to herself.Miho found herself digging on the memories of her rehearsing for her play in front of Lee. By then she was ten years old.“Go on” Lee had said while lying on the couch horizontal with a piece of paper which had all Miho’s lines on his hands.“Let the princess goat...” Miho had said.“It’s go not goat” Lee had said looking at the piece of paper.“I’m never going to get all thes

“Hi, is this the law class?” asked a girl with earrings on her face standing near the door.Miho moved her head up and starred at the beautiful woman near the door.“Ye...Yes” she finally replied shyly.“Thank god it is” she said with a relief on her face.She moved inside the huge classroom looking around as she tripped and fall causing her text books to scatter in the room.Miho rushed to her and helped her up.“You okay?” asked Miho looking worried.“These shoes” she said looking embarrassed. “It’s the third time they are letting me down as in literally down.”Her cherry perfume went through Miho’s nose almost drugging her.“You cannot believe how many time I got lost” she said while picking the pieces of papers which had fall out of her textbooks.“Didn’t they give you a map?” asked Miho while picking her textbooks.“You will not believe what I’m going to tell you but I’m not really good with map

“Miho!” yelled Mr. Wen as he wore his black suit top as he took a glimpse at his expensive hand watch. “Is this kid trying to be late or what?”“I’ll go get her” said Rosa.Suddenly Miho appeared walking down the stairs.“Let’s go, I’ll personally drop you at your college” said Mr. Wen.“Redic will take me there” said Miho.“You mean that useless shit that left you in the car allowing you to pull out those go missing schemes?” asked Mr. Wen. “No. I’m the one driving you there like it or not, now let’s go.”Miho followed him dragging her feet.“And stop that, it’s really annoying” said Wen entering his white car as Miho also went inside.The white sport car drove down the driveway surrounded by two black SUVs.Mr. Wen’s phone suddenly trilled as he pressed the receive button on th

Miho ran inside the house crying.“Miss Wen!” shouted Rosa running after her up the stairs.Miho went inside her room and lock the door as she slept on her bed crying.“Miss Wen please open up” begged Rosa while knocking on the door.“Leave me alone!” yelled Miho holding her pillow close to her chest.Suddenly she caught sight of the pair of scissors on top of her drawer next to the lamp.“If you want to talk I’m here” said Rosa from the other side of the door.Miho reached her slim hand on the drawer and pulled the pair of scissors near her. She slowly got off her queen size bed and moved closely to the huge mirror in front of her with the pair of scissors on her hand.More tears ran down her cheeks as she moved her eyes on the thousand pictures stuck on the mirror.She placed her hand on one of the pictures which had her, her brother, a man who was in his early forties and a red haired boy who had his huge hand on Miho’s

Miho stared at the fired chips on the table before her.“They’ve got no poison” said the strange man while moving his chair backwards and forward. “Do you want me to eat first?”Miho didn’t say a word as she kept her eyes on the strange man. The strange man picked one of the chips and ate it.“You see?” he asked.Miho slowly started eating.“Nice right?” asked the strange man staring at the young woman before him who had her eyes close when biting on the chips.She didn’t say anything only her face turned red out of embarrassment. The people around the small restaurant kept looking at them.“Who is she?” asked a man drinking beer.“I don’t know but the dude seems to know her” said a man with smoking a cigarette.“The first time I also ate them I danced as I took a bite” said the strange man finally stopping his chair from moving.Miho let out a small laughter which she tried to hide.“Sound funny but it is the t