Chapter 7

It feels like a lifetime has passed and I’ve been kept in this hellhole all by myself. I stopped trying to convince myself that this was all a dream what felt like an eternity ago. I had tried holding onto that belief for so long. For nights on end, I convinced myself that when I opened my eyes I would be back in the safety of my home. I was even convincing myself that I must have met up in an accident and I was now stuck in a coma and this was some bad dream that would ultimately lead me back to life but that wasn’t the case. 

When the ache in my nose just wouldn’t go away and when the excruciating pain I experienced whenever I tried to move an inch; was when I knew that this was my reality. I was 100% certain that my life was no longer the average boring life of any young adult trying to find their way. Instead, I was probably going to be kept here and killed. 

My stomach growled so angrily but I barely flinched because I’d grown accustomed to the pain. I almost felt like I was incapable of getting hurt any further because I was already going through so much. I was bleeding out on the old, worn mattress that I laid on; bleeding out from the wounds inflicted on me by baby face and my period. Yeah, just when I thought I had it bad, I got my period and things really have been low since then. 

There was no hope anymore and at this point, I was ready to accept whatever my fate was. I had no clean clothes, I was still wearing that bodycon dress and I had used the sheet as a way to deal with my blood flow.

At first I could feel the raw hate and pure need to survive coursing through my veins, so I would scream and shout as loud as I could. But when my restless nights grew more and more, I began to beg for mercy and plea for my life. 

I was sure that my life would end like this and there would be nothing that I could do and I’ll admit, some days I’ve looked around for things that would give me the power to just end my life on my own instead of letting that man do it. I knew that what he had in store for me would be far worse than suicide.

My neck snapped with lightning speed as the huge metal door swung open. My eyes were wide and crazed as I finally set my eyes on another human being for what felt like after years. A lady stood at the doorway, dressed in a cleaner's uniform as she looked at me for a little while before she ran towards me as though she had known me my entire life and I accepted her as though she was my mother. I crumbled in her arms and fell apart as I let out every bit of fear that I had been holding onto since I tried to accept my fate. She let me cry into her chest and rubbed her hands on my back in a motion that soothed me. It only made me cling onto her even more because it reminded me of my own mother whom I wasn’t sure I would even ever get a chance to see ever again. 

She held me like that for a little while before she stood up and easily threw my arm over her shoulder. I didn’t care about where she was taking me because I was so attached to her as it is, I would do as she did. 

I was expecting us to be walking through underground tunnels and secret doorways but with just a few steps we stood in front of another door. It wasn’t a steel door like mine instead it was white wood. She pushed the door open and it led us into a small bedroom with a little kitchen. I looked around the kitchen and I saw a two plate stove where there was a small pot on it and then besides the two plate stove was a navy blue bowl with a delicacy I missed; porridge. 

"Umdoko neRama(Porridge and butter), it'll give you strength," she just said and I didn't wait, I rushed to it. Stumbling and barely making it as I took the bowl into my hands, slid to floor and ate it like a mad woman.

I threw the spoon to the side and just used my fingers digging up the porridge as I stuffed it into my mouth and I shook even more now, realising how hungry I was. 

When I was done I looked at the lady and just cried, shaking my head as I put the bowl down and then stood up. Tears coming down my face as I stood with my legs close together, ashamed as I looked down at my white legs and saw the trail of dark red blood. 

She sighed, a heartbroken expression coming on her face as she took my hand and then made me walk behind her. She led me to a small bathroom, a shower and a toilet, "take your time, when you're done I'm right outside, step out and we'll talk." 

She closed the door behind her and I looked around the bathroom and quickly took off all of my clothes, gathering them into a ball, as I sat them in the corner of the bathroom and then stepped into the shower. I closed the curtain behind me as I opened the water, jumping when it met my skin because it was cold. So I quickly changed it to hot before I relaxed and stood still under the shower. 

I stood there and just watched the water be a mix of red, brown and yellow. 

I stood there and continued crying, regretting my decision to come to Jo’burg. 

After some time I felt I'd gained some strength and I lifted my hands and took hold of the scrub as I started to bath properly. I scrubbed myself from head to toe, not caring that I still had my weave on. 

When I was done I let out a long satisfied sigh as I closed the water and opened the curtain. When I did, my ball of dirty clothes was gone and there was now a brown towel folded neatly for me. On top of it was a pair of black panties and two pads. 

I quickly wiped myself and then put on the panties and pad, before I looked around and found a mirror. I froze at the sight of me and it didn’t even look like me. The weave I had on was wild, matted and wet. My nose and cheeks were swollen and I had two black eyes.

I looked horrific. 

I looked down and away at the sight and picked up the toothbrush and toothpaste and proceeded to brush my teeth. When I was done, I held the towel tight around me and the extra pad, toothbrush and toothpaste in my hand as I opened the door and I saw the lady sitting on the bed as she looked up at me.

~~~

I'm going home, I'm actually going home. That little bit of information that Mavis gave me when I came out of the shower, was what kept me going this entire ride where I was dumped into the boot of the car. That little of information had me thanking God for not abandoning me. 

When the boot opened and I blinked- several times- to get used to the lighting, I felt two hands grab me by my arms as they dragged me out of the boot and I quickly followed as I tried to catch my footing. 

I tripped several times as I looked around and was met with the sight of my brother's house. I nearly cried out in joy and relief as I was dragged into the house and I looked around. 

"Jabu!" I cried out as I entered the home. 

"Nyeleti! Nyeleti!" I heard him and I ran in the direction of his voice- he was in his dining room. 

I ran into his arms and he gripped me tightly to him as I buried my face in his chest. I cried like I've never cried before- hell, I didn't think I'd ever break down like I did, but I did. I don't even think it's possible for me to break down even further. 

My hands were gripping tightly onto his shirt, and my knees had weakened beneath me, my face was in his chest, and my eyes were shut tight. I felt so relieved, dammit I felt so relieved to have my brother's arms around me. 

They were like the light at the end of the tunnel and now I was feeling free, and now I felt I had escaped. The way he held me back, with as much desperation and fear, and joy and sadness, heartbreak and contentment, I don't know, but all emotions you can think of, I felt it all at that moment. 

So you can't imagine how I sobbed when I felt myself being ripped away from my brother like a toddler from their mother's breast. 

"Shut up!" Evil baby face snapped at me as one of his men held me in his arms, keeping me away from my brother who stood before me looking like he has been through hell.

"You remember our agreement," he spoke, his voice so powerful and causing my insides to tighten as I remembered how he'd sworn me as though I'd kicked his mother in her vagina, "do you have my money?" 

Jabu nodded so hard I thought his head was going to snap off his neck, "yes, yes, I do," he said quickly as he pointed at three navy blue suitcases which were just by the door, "please, give me back my sister..." He pleaded as he looked at this man. 

One of evil baby face's men went to the bags and simply lifted it into his hands and then shook it a bit before he nodded and looked at evil baby face again. 

"Seems you do have my money," he simply said as he took out a pair of black leather gloves and my heart began to race, "thanks a lot for that...uh...what's your name again?" He asked almost laughing, I bet he knew my brother's name but just didn't want to say it, "oh yes, Jabu," he said as though he was testing it on his foreign tongue. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said as he smirked, "thank you for the money, most importantly. R20 million is not child's play, you know that right?" 

Jabu nodded, "I'm sorry, Leonardo," he said with shaky words and a panicked voice. 

I knew that what was about to happen wasn't going to be good, judging from the way, now who I know as- Leonardo's hands went to the back of his pants and he pulled out a gun. 

"Don't apologise to me," he just said with a shrug as his face turned to look at me and I began to fight in this man's arms as I started to cry and beg, realising what was about to happen, "apologise to your sister." 

"You said if I paid you you'd bring her back!" Jabu shouted as he stood frozen in his spot but I didn't care about him. 

"Jabu!" I wailed as I tried to escape this big man's arms but he didn't budge and I started to panic even more. 

"And you said you'd take care of my restaurant...the right way," he paused as he cocked the gun I knew for sure was a pistol and raised a perfect eyebrow, "but we all break our promises." 

With that a gun shot was heard, loud and fast. I felt my entire body just freeze before I let out a scream, and my eyes met my brother's which were wide open in shock. A bullet lodged right in the middle of them as he fell to his knees and his body fell limp on the ground. 

~~~