CHAPTER 1

INSERT 1:

“ Leboooo! Hewenaaaaa Lebo!”

“Maaaaaaa!”

“ My room! Now!”

Lebo stood from the couch barefooted

running to her mother's room.she stood
beside the door and came across a sight
of her mom turning her room upside
down! She looked frustrated! More like
angry! A vein was bulging right above
her left ear and her face was pale! For a
light skinned woman she looked like
splinting hot coal.
“Maaa!”

“Ekae?”(where is it?)

“Ekae eng ma?” (Where's what, mom?)

“Chelete! Ke bua ka chelete! Chelete eaka

e kae?”(money! I'm talking about my
money! Where's it?)

“I know nothing about money. You

should probably ask Lindy! She's the
trouble maker around here!”

“Okae Ena Lindy!(where the hell is

Lindy), I swear this girl wants to send me
to an early grave!”

“I don't know! I last saw her about 2 hrs

ago heading to the well”
“2 hrs ago? With one bucket?”

“ That's Lindy for you! She's probably

with her friends chatting up a storm”

“Worry not, I'll deal with her!”

Lindy:
This water issue has been a barrier for
the whole village this week! Taps are dry
,tanks are empty so everyone has no
choice but to resort to using the well. The
queue was so long that we had to sit
down or else we would have encountered
health problems. However this has been
a blessing in disguise for me because I
was able to get some fresh air from that
toxic environment I call my home. I
don't know man but I'm pretty sure that
my mom hates me! It's always “lebo this
lebo that” and nothing about poor me.
Not that I'm complaining though, Lebo
is 2 years younger than me so I guess she
has “lastborn privileges” but I just wish
a little attention was paid to me too.
Lately everything I do is wrong, chores
are only done by me and that means I've
got less time for school, I'm still
surprised as to how I manage to keep
good grades.

By the way , my name is Lindiwe

Mphohla aged 19, of course I'm
matriculating this year! Great, right? I
know! If I were any other kid then I
would be over the moon with this
milestone but hey I'm just Lindy so it's
just a grade.
It's getting dark and there’s 3 more
water buckets before me. To say I'm
scared would be an understatement, I'm
not scared of the fact that it's dark but
the fate that awaits me at home. I'm
pretty sure a whip has been placed in salt
water for me, but it's not like I was
controlling the well queue. Finally it's
my turn! I scooped water like my life
depended on it, yes it does but eish you
know what I mean! Bucket's full so I put
it on my head and headed back home. I
was sweating profusely, my heart
vigorously beating, my legs were even
aching. I think I might need to check
them for corn. Have you entered a room
and suddenly felt tiny? That's how I felt
when I waltzed into the house. My
mother's eyes were practically boring a
hole through me, the smirk on my little
sister's face gave everything away! I'm
definitely in deep shit! I slowly
descended the bucket from my head to
the table then made my way to the living
room where everyone was seated. My
mom stood up and slowly made her way
towards me. I could see the rage in her
eyes and clenching fists. I then stood still
because hey it's not like there was
anything to possibly do at that moment.
Before I could raise my lips to talk a hot
pinching slap had landed on my face and
dragged me to the floor, kicks followed
alongside tummy and chest stomps.at
that moment I felt air escape my body,
she hit me until I was numb and couldn't
feel the pain anymore so I just layed
there motionless. All this was done with
the perpetrator silent, not even a single
word was uttered. To what seemed like
forever she left me and returned to her
seat. I could literally smell my blood, my
whole body was aching so I just
continued to lay there because moving
was like walking into blazing fire. Tears
rolled down my swollen face, the pain on
my body didn't compare to the one in my
heart! I couldn't even pray about it
because what use is praying if no
solution comes about! My mind began
wandering off to a different world of
what ifs. “If my dad was around I'm
pretty sure I would have had the best life
, if my granny was still alive then all of
this chaos would be a myth, if…”
“Take this and clean your mess then tell
me where the hell my money is!.” Those
are the words that filled my ears and
snapped me out of my thoughts as the
mop made its way to my face. I held and
leaned against it to make my way up,I
was confused! What money was she
talking about? Nonetheless I continued
cleaning the blood , rinsed the mop and
my face then made my way back to the
living room. So this wasn't about me
being late! It was about money? But…. I
know nothing about money!

“Will you tell me where my money is or

would you prefer me to finish what I
have already started?”
“ I…I ..I know nothi…nothing about
missing money, I have never set foot into
your room as of today.”

“Okay so my money miraculously grew

legs and escaped the room huh?”

“I swear….I swear to God I know

nothing, have you asked lebo?”

“Heeei heeei heeei don't you dare pin

this on me wena Lindy I was not raised to
steal!”

“ Ohh and I was?”

“If the shoe fits Cinderella!”

“I will not take blame for something I

didn't do missy! You probably took it to
make me look like the bad guy”
“And why would I do that?”

“ Because you are a spoilt brat”

“ Me? Spoiled brat! Don't you dare ,

don't you dare start with me wena Lindy
because you'll regret it”

“Okay!okay!okay! Listen here you two,I

will not stand here and listen to your
shenanigans, I need my money now! Or
all hell will break loose wena Lindy!”

“But ma I…”

“ Shut up! Do we share a title deed you

and I? So you are able to speak over me
now huh? If you feel you are superior
then out of my house missy! Two bulls
cannot share a kraal!”
“I swear I don't know where your money
is ma, I don't even know how much is
missing, for once in your life mama
please believe me, I swear I did not take
your money!”

“Then You leave me no choice. Unless

my money resurfaces I don't want to see
your stinky self in my house! You are of
no value to me anyways it's not like
there's anything significant you can do
for me! Get out and never return. I don't
shelter thieves.”(She uttered those
words dragging Lindy by her dress.)

“Mama please don't do this I did not take

your money, Lebo please talk to mama
please mama don't do this ! Lebo do
something please!”
“Whuu child leave me out of your and
Mama's business! I did not send you to
steal, and as for me …I'm going to bed.
I've got a long day ahead of me
tomorrow!”

“ Mama please!”

“Ooout” (she then shut the door in

Lindy's face).

“Mama! Maaaaamaaa!(sobbing) Mama

please!”

Lebo:
Damn Mama's resentment towards
Lindy is serious. I'm not a great fan of
Lindy but she should have never gone
through that especially for something
she didn't do. Yes! You got that right, she
didn't do it. I thought I should borrow a
few bucks from my mom's wallet.Don't
get me wrong I was gonna return it, it
just happened that she checked her
wallet before I could so I couldn't let
myself burn. My mom takes everything I
say seriously so I knew that blaming
Lindy will eventually shift the blame to
her. To say I feel guilty would be pure
blue lies! If anything I feel relieved, now
sharing will be a thing of the past. I'm
the only kid around so why not enjoy it?
As much as Lindy always looked out for
me and made sure I was okay she always
got all the glory at school even from
most if not all of our relatives. She has
always been the smartest, wiser, politer,
most mannered one between the two and
I was just plain old “Lindy's little
sister”. I was always in her shadows and
now that she's gone I can finally get my
shine back. This is a magnificent day
indeed I'm pretty sure sweet dreams
await me.

“Hey baby, are you asleep yet?”

“No ma but I'm in bed already.”

“Alright my angel have a great night”

“ Goodnight Ma”

Slindile:
 Thinking about what unfolded between
Lindy and I has got me sleepless,
somewhere in my heart there's a little
feeling that maybe she isn't responsible
for it , but the resentment I have for her
does not allow it to conquer. As a mother
I didn't mean to hate my own child but
somehow Lindy has been the reason
everything went wrong for me. I was not
able to complete my final year In tertiary
because I got pregnant and failed! I used
to work as a waitress just so she can be
fed, I couldn't spoil myself because I had
a brat depending on me! But Lebo's
father came to the rescue when he
decided to marry me! Still my life in
marriage was hell because of Lindy. My
mother in law hated me, she called me a
parasite and all names in the history of
insults . Lebo's father died and they
blamed me for his death. If I had no child
out of marriage ,my life would have
probably been the fairytale I had
imagined. Okay back to the present, I
finally got rid of the thorn in my pants.
Before my mother died she had taken
Lindy in to live with her while I dealt
with “marriage drama” and now that
she's gone I had to harbor her in and ever
since her passing I have tried ways to get
rid of Lindy because I was used to just
one daughter. Cliché right? I know! Some
weight has been lifted off my shoulders,
now I can focus on my remaining
daughter,it's not like Lindy was ever
going to do anything for me anyways.

Lindy:
I have been leaning against the door for
approximately an hour crying my eyes
out. Towards 2hrs I decided to stand and
make my way towards the gate. Okay!
Where to from here! Taking the tar road
would be exposing myself to motorists
especially because I'm wearing a short
dress and going through the village I risk
being bitten by dogs. I'm caught between
a rock and a hard place right now! And
it's not nice at all!
Slindile: I can't sleep and it's not
insomnia. I had a very bad dream which
unsettled me! Lindy was standing beside
me with a huge ax trying to cut my head
off, my screams were low and limited so
I woke up sweating and panting! Above
everything scared for my life because I
was bred with the incentive that every
dream you remember is a vision. God! I
need to check on my baby! And yes I'm
talking about Lebo not Lindy! That one is
officially disowned.

“Lebo! You're also awake?”

“I had a bad dream mama, Lindy was

basically cutting my head off with a giant
saw!”
“Wait what?! I had a dream close to that
one too! This can't be a coincidence baby
we need to be vigilant”

“ Mommy can I sleep in your room? I'm

scared!”

“It's okay baby you can, come let's go!”

Insert 2

Lindy:
I've been walking by the tar road for over
an hour now! I am soooo tired but I can't
afford to slack off right now. Do you
know how your sisters and aunties have
gone to the Republic of South Africa for a
better life? I've come to a decision too to
seek greener pastures there, however my
decision comes with a lot of problems
too…one being the fact that I have no
passport or any form of identification on
me,no money to travel, no change of
clothing the most challenging of all is
where do I begin to look for greener
pastures? I kept going until I heard a
large honk behind me! I thought I was
hallucinating from the fatigue and
hunger but it was literally a honk, I
continued forth without turning to
attend the honker! Talk about putting
myself in harm's way.i later turn my
head as the heavy sound got closer. It
was a truck! A giant loading truck to be
specific! The writing on its side is
“checkers” so I guess it's the store-stock
truck. The giant Machine came to a halt
and a hulky man got off , walked towards
me and started interrogating me.
Somehow I didn't mind telling this
stranger what had unfolded and my
future plans of sneaking into RSA from
Lesotho. The dude had a smirk on his
face..you know the “I think I've got a
plan” smirk.

“Do you trust me?”

“I don't even know you!”

“Just answer my question,oh by the way
I'm simon now answer my question.”

“It's not like I have a choice”

“Okay if you trust me come with me to

the back of the truck”

“Aaaa why?”

“You want to sneak into RSA don't you?”

“Yeah but..”

“No buts come!”

The truck driver opened the back of the
giant vehicle, there were crates and
boxes everywhere, mosquitoes too from
the decaying fruits. They were
considered damages I guess. He lifted me
into the truck and followed me ,then
opened a crate that had a sealable lit for
me to enter. i then Squatted into it and
guess what? I fitted like a glove. The
fruits’ smell was horrible but bearable,I
suppose that's what I need to go through
to get to where I want with that done I
still had no plan of what I'll do next. The
truck is shaking so I guess it's in motion,
my feet are cramping so much right now
but I can't be choosy so shifting and
changing positions will do! I'm also
suffocating because wow! The holes on
this thing are very tiny and I've got a
giant nostril! Okay back to serious stuff
the truck has stopped and I can hear
voices of two males,

“Okay may you open the back so we can

search”
That must be the boarder patrol, oh God!
I'm officially going to jail! This was a
dumb idea to begin with. My heart is
pounding and beating out of my chest,I
swear one can hear the heartbeat sound
from afar! Did I mention that I'm
suffocating? Yup, now's worse. For what
seemed like forever the officer then
closed the door after a lot of searching
was done. I was pretty sure he was about
to find me but somehow Simon managed
to switch the focus from the crate I was
squatting in,Thank God for him! A true
Godsend this one. Okay back to the dark
we goo! The truck started moving once
more and somehow I managed to catch
some sleep regardless of the position I
was in. I wonder what time it is!
Simon

If I was able to bypass the boader gate

security then this means I can smuggle
tons of illicit products in and out of
Lesotho without being caught! I'll give it
a deep thought some time later, as for
now my worry is on that girl behind the
truck, I wonder if she's still alive! We've
been driving for 6 whole hours from
Lesotho and we have almost reached
Johannesburg. It's early hours of the
morning so there are no police patrols
available,I guess it's safe to let her out of
the crate into the front seat.

Narrated:
Simon stopped the truck and opened the
back, it was so dark to an extent of him
using a torch! Climbing on and off the
truck trailer was pretty good exercise for
the chubby Simon! And by chubby I mean
all things meaty! Buffy arms, a huge
tummy and ofcourse a round face with
chubby cheeks alongside a few trimmed
beards. He then upacked the stacked
crates soon after climbing causing a
racket that woke Lindy up.

“Out! We're here”

“Finally!”

“So? Where to from here?”

“Uuuhhhm is that a rhetorical question?I
don't know this place but I'll figure
something out”

“So aren't you going to thank me?”

“Ohh thank you so much mr Simon, I

don't know where I would be without
your help”

“Just like that?”

“What do you mean just like that?

“I mean I get nothing in return?”

“What?”

“Look missy, in this world there's

nothing for mahala!(free) you either pay
with money or yourself!”
“My …. myself?Mr sii …mr Simon what
do you mean by myself?”

“You know what! Let me just show you”

Simon pulled Lindy's skirt aggressively
which led it to tear!its in this moment
where Lindy figured what Simon meant
by “yourself” so she started kicking,
screaming and wailing as Simon kept on
pulling her undies down, slapping her
across the face and slamming her against
the plank crates. The sound of something
breaking inside her body caused her to
stay still and stop the hesitation, he
looked for a nearby rope and tied Lindy's
arms! Not even the scratching, kicking
and biting got Lindy out of that
situation,she was basically stranded!.

“Mr Simon please don't do this, please

Mr Simon please let me go! Please let me
go, you're hurting me please!”
“Shh screaming will only derail the
process,just close your eyes and take it in
like the big girl you are.”

“Nooo please noooooo”

“close your eyes and relax I'm almost

done”

“Dear God, if this is how you take my life

then I would have preferred to be killed
by my mother's vulgar insults and
painful beatings,not like this please
God!”

Narrated
After the short prayer Lindy decided that
she'll not let her fate be determined like
that so she started kicking, this time
aiming her legs on Simon's abdomen,to
Simon’s surprise who was busy thrusting
his way into Lindy's genitals. He tried
holding her in place but Lindy wouldn't
budge she kept on kicking, screaming
and spitting on his face! So Simon opted
for the only way out! Violence! He
consecutively punched Lindy's whole
body with fists! Remember how WWE
wrestlers use chairs on their opponents
to keep then down? Yup that's how
Simon kept on hitting Lindy with crates,
he went on and on until Lindy was
motionless,so he leaned forth to feel her
pulse.it was low,very low! She was also
not breathing.only then did Simon come
to his senses and realized what he had
done.

Simon

“ Nononononono Lindy?Lindy? Wake

up!, Oh no what have I done? My job! My
family! Dammit my reputation!, I can't
go to jail for murder! I literally won't
survive a day in jail. Wait! She's not a
South African citizen, so no
identification means no missing
person's case or even my conviction.
Arghh! I will just dump her in this velt
for dogs to feast on her!”

Narrated;
Thereafter Simon rolled Lindy's body out
of the truck dumping it onto the floor, he
then continued to pull her into a nearby
velt! Mind you it was already lighter
outside. He left her there, went into the
truck and drove off!”

Grandma & Lindy

“Grandma what is this place”

“It's a place of peace

ngoanangoanaka”(my granddaughter)

“A place of peace?”

“Yes a place where there's no worry in

the world, a care free world where you
are able to rest”
“ And how did I get here gogo?

“You don't belong here baby,you've not

fulfilled your purpose now go back Lindy
and conquer the world”

“ But grandma I want to stay with you

here, I want peace, grandma I'm tired of
pain, I'm tired of the sorrows, I want to
stay here,with you!”

“Go on Lindy you have not fulfilled your

purpose”

“ But grandma, grandma?

Graaaandmaa?”

Chapter 2

Insert 1
“Hunny she's awake, ohhh thank
goodness”

“ Ohhh God's mercy is indeed great”

“Wh..whe..where am I?”(coughs)

“Shhhh mntanam ungakh'ulumi”(hush

my child don't talk)

“Huh?”

Lindy:
Grandma disappearing on me really hit
me hard emotionally, it was real! she was
real! Well until a bright light flinged and
hid her from me! Now all I can hear is the
sound of beeping machines and two
people rejoicing in a foreign language,
the last thing I remember is…oh no
Simon! He … noo noo noo I have to get
out of here I need to hide from Simon!
But…who are these two people and where
am I? Suddenly entered a tall gent with a
lab coat and stethoscope hanged around
his neck! That's when it clicked that I'm
in a hospital, but how? I was kicking off
Simon from me and he…ouch my face!
My body! My…oh nooo!
Doctor will she be okay?( Exclaimed the
lady sitting beside me holding my hand
firmly, she looked happy…but why?along
her side was a gent, I'm guessing he is
her husband because earlier when I
opened my eyes she called him
“hunny”.but why are they here? I was
snapped from my thoughts by the doctor
flashing his hand passed my eyes!
Looking at him triggered emotions! I've
always aspired to be a doctor! Now I
can't! My dreams are shattered I've been
raped and….(I started wailing for the
whole world to hear) the lady comforted
me and wiped me with a tissue, she was
so nurturing. I felt safe in her arms! I've
never felt an embrace like that ever since
my Granny's passing,! I could stay here
forever!”
I then stopped crying and attended to the
doctor's questions,later another gent
accompanied by a lady in giant stilleto
heels walked in. The two strangers
addressed him as detective and the lady
as ma'am.okay weird! I still don't know
what is going on.

“Hey miss , my name is detective Zuma

alongside me is Mrs ntobeko mahlathini
and she's a social worker! Before we
proceed shall I get your name please?”
My eyes started wandering around the
room,I was terrified! I felt air escape my
lungs!

“Don't worry this is a safe space

mntanam”(my child)

I then narrated everything for everyone

in the room, talking about the whole
incident actually helped reduce the
weight on my shoulders, I felt lighter
probably because I was crying.

Pastor Ben:
How cruel can people of this world be? I
mean who leaves a child in the middle of
a velt like that to die? My wife and I were
on our way home from a 3 day
conference. The fatigue had me yawning
and taking 2 seconds naps along the way
so my wife suggested I park the car aside
to rest, she was also pressed so she used
me as her excuse! Cliche’ right?.

“Beeeen! Beeeeen!”

“Yinii? U right?”(what? are you okay?)

“Ben shesisa tuu!”( Ben please hurry)

“Okay okay I know you are terrified of

wild animals but you don't have to
scream like that! What's wrong?”
“Help me pick her up! There's still a
pulse babakhe. she's injured and she's
bleeding!okay wait let me cover her with
my scarf before we proceed.”

“ Okay I'll open the doors so long”

“On three we lift! One! Two!

Three!....okay okay be careful! Make sure
she's comfortable”.

Mama Easter
I decided to take a pee while my husband
took some rest! I swear this world is
coming to an end! In times like this
where gender based violence is strictly
prohibited one has the nerve to do this to
someone's child!I was truly pained by
what I saw! She was dumped like garbage
for dogs to feast! This is clearly a sign
from God we must help this injured girl!

It has been 5 days since she came back

from ICU into an induced comma, my
husband and I have been regulars here at
the hospital! Somehow I feel a deep
connection for this girl!
Seeing her wake up was a delight and
after listening to what happened to her!
I'll make sure to have authorities follow
up on her case and nail the perpetrator!
It's amazing what you can do with
superiority and power!

2 days later

Lindy:
I have finally been discharged from
hospital! Arghh the food here sucks and
the nurse wouldn't let me eat my goodies
from mama and baba before eating her
own! Yup you heard right! We have build
a strong relationship in this 2 days with
my newly found parents. Aww such
kinded people I surely want to hear their
love story some day. Baba will be
fetching me in a few minutes and how do
I know that? Weeeeelllll….I've got a new
phone!!! I've never owned one so this is a
great milestone for me. I've always
envied my friends back in Lesotho
because their parents got them anything
they wanted. Back to positivity! The
doctor came in with my file and what I
suppose is my medication.
“Is that huge sack of medication for
me?” (I said in awe)

“(Scoffs) what if I told it's only half of

it?”

“There's more?!”

“Doctor! That doesn't sound like a happy

patient!”

“Babaaaaaa!”

The doctor must be grateful that baba

entered the room I would have grilled
him and fed his meat to the wolves! Okay
I'm joking! But why do I have to take all
this pills.
“Lindy you've broken a few bones and I
suggest you take it easy! No wilding lil
missy! Oh and I've written some of the
left prescriptions, the hospital is out of
medication so you'll have to buy it
yourself. Your check up date is written on
the second page of your booklet! Speedy
recovery my dear. Just show them this
card and all will be sorted. Bab’ Ben !
Take care of my patient.”

“Worry not mfowethu (my brother) I

will”

“Lindy shall I recommend a therapist for

you? What you went through is
traumatizing”

“No thanks doctor I feel good”

“ Alright out of my ward then”

We laughed our way towards the door, I

swear baba never gets tired of hand
shakes! Now I'm waiting for him at
reception because he had to have his last
handshake.

Mama Easter
My baby is coming home today and I
want everything to be perfect, I prepared
her room to be comfortable and I invited
a few of our relatives both from my side
and Ben's. Just for introductions, I'm
surprised as to how everyone is excited
for her arrival, I just hope the same
enthusiasm is shown once she arrives.

So far everything is good, I just got a text

from Ben telling me they'll be a little late
because they have to buy Lindy's meds
from Discherm. This just gives me
enough time to make sure everything is
in place.
My eldest daughter is such a
perfectionist I swear, my presence
wasn't necessary at all. Her name is
Fundiswa, She's only 3 years older than
Lindy and is doing her second year at the
University of South Africa pursuing LLM
in international law! And yes she argues
over small things.

Pastor Ben
“I can't even describe the way I'm
feeling right now, mostly because Lindy
and I have got the same music taste.
usually I would be listening to Gospel all
the way if it was Fundiswa and her mom
but Lindy jams to jazz too so I guess I
finally acquainted a partner in crime
*wink* . We enjoyed our jazz all the way
from the hospital, to the mall,from the
mall now on our way home, when we
were 2 blocks away from our apartment I
texted Easter to alert her of our
whereabouts but also told her to just
keep the surprise neutral and not jump
out scaring Lindy. Mntan’abantu has
been traumatized enough”. I remotely
opened the gate and got in, I could see
Lindy's jaw dropping as she gazed upon
the apartment.
“Wait until you see the interior”

“Huh?”

“The house? Wait until you see it's

interior!”

“Ohhh yeaaah right!”

We got off and into the house we went!

Her face turned gloomy, so I held her
hand for comfort.

“Thanks baba”
“WELCOME HOME LINDYY”

“ aww my poor baby welcome home

mntanam”

“Thanks Mama”

“Okay this is Fundiswa, your sister!”

“Hi fufu”

“Ohhhh nickname already! I like !I like!,

Hi Lily, come give me a hug!”

Lindy:
I've never seen people so excited to see
me in a very long time.i feel like this is
where I belong,I wish this moment never
ends. It was fun, fufu and I bonded and
she showed me my room! Very forward
this one! In a lovely way though! By the
time mama showed me to my room, I
had already had a “ tour deluxe” of the
very same room and the house at large!
But I couldn't tell her that *wink*. It was
a great party and I'm pretty sure I'll
enjoy it here.

10 years later
It's Sunday and off to church we go! The
past 10 years have been on and off! At
night I would usually have nightmares of
the incident until mama decided that it's
wiser to leave the lamp on while I sleep,
baba has organized a therapist for me
and so far sessions are going great! Fufu
has been a very great sister, friend and
support system for the years!I really
adore her. I'm dressed in my maxi red
dress and heels with braids tied in a bow!
I look dapper than I usually do! Oh I'm a
PHD graduate now! I managed to
matriculate and study medicine at the
University of kwazulu Natal, the reason
was so I can learn some Zulu and I must
say it helped a lot.
“Fufu, Lily! Asambeniii” (let's go)

“Coming ma!”

“siyeza ma!”

“Hawuuu hawuuu ever since you went to

kwazulu Natal you've been strangling us
with your Zulu”

“Hawuu fufu ihaba?”(exaggerating

much?)

“Listen to yourself!”

We bust out of the room laughing!

“Let's just hope you two are not

discussing about us”
“Haiibo ma we can never do that”

“I was actually complementing her 2

minutes Zulu vocabulary”

Everyone laughed at me and we

continued the journey speaking of how
insanely obsessed with isizulu I am. It
was a fun ride.

Today's sermon was about forgiveness!

Baba's word was powerful, and I
reflected a lot on my past. He said
something about forgiveness being
something we do for ourselves so we can
move on! Am I ready to forgive my
biological mother and half sister? I don't
know!
Lebo
My mother was diagnosed with breast
cancer 2 years back, we used all our
funds including our savings so she can
go for chemotherapy and have one of her
breasts amputated. My mom being the
MRS that she is decided she can not
function with one boob so she opted for
plastic surgery which caused an infection
to the amputation,she has been in and
out of hospitals ever since.doctors have
been sending us back and forth to
different hospitals until Queen
‘Mamohato memorial transferred her to
netcare linksfield hospital in
Johannesburg. Our journey was a long
one, we've been on the road for
approximately 8 hrs ,our main target is
to be there by dawn.
Lindy

This is so unlike me to be late for work!

Aaarh I'm so angry at fufu right now for
not waking me, who does that!

I spilled cereal on my coat, misplaced my

car keys and broke my heel, this is sooo
not a good day! At Least I'm still at home
so I quickly changed and made my way to
work damn I'm so late! I couldn't even
make it to the parking lot so I just asked
Mr Sam to park it for me, he's the
parking lot supervisor there. Remember
when I said this is not my day? I was
rushing to an extent where I knocked over
a patient's stuff,
“Ohh my gosh I am sooo sorry please
forgive me ohh I'm so clumsy.”

“ It's okay doc….Lindy?”

No! This cannot be! My eyes are deceiving

me ! No! No! No!

“Lebo!”

“Lindy you? You are? A? Doc..you?

“Please excuse me!”

“Lindy please wa…”

Lindy
I'm clearly loosing my mind or God is just
playing tricks on me. I've worked so hard
to try and forget my past.

I've been cooped up in my office pinching

myself over and over to check if I'm not
dreaming. To my disappointment, all of
this is real. I did see Lebo! I did see her!
There and then my trauma was re-lived,
memories kept lingering and flashing back
to a point of break down. I'm really not
okay!

I then decided to pack my bags and head

home, I can't concentrate! Atleast not
right now! I then picked the phone to call
Simz.
“Simz! Please come over to my office”

“Alright ma'am I'll be right there”

Simz is the hospital receptionist. Her full

name is actually Simphiwe Ndlovu, simz is
just a nickname I gave to her when we
became friends. She was very welcoming
when I first started working here hence we
formed a strong alignment and bond.

“Hey! You called”

“Yeah..uhhm I need you to transfer all my

scheduled surgeries to Doctor Mbongeni. I
don't feel okay so I'm heading home to get
some rest.”
“You do know you're in a place where
healing is done right!?”

“No silly I'm not okay emotionally, I'm

not sick”

“What! Is something wrong”

“Let's talk about it tomorrow, I really am

not okay”

“Ohhhh! But you have a cancer patient you

have to see urgently! She was transferred
from Lesotho and has been here since
morning”

“Assign her to Mbongeni and tell him I'll

owe him one! Byeeeee”

“Kodwa Lindy!.......bye”
Mama Easter

My baby has been locked in her room since

she came back from work. Quite surprising
is the fact that she came back earlier than
usual. She sometimes has morning shifts
but never returns home at these times. The
look on her face screamed “misery!”. She
can't be sick because she's from the
hospital, she can't be experiencing boy
drama either because I never heard her tell
me of any guy…she and I talk about
everything!

“Lindy my baby are you okay? Please open

the door! Lindyyyy!”
I wonder what is wrong…I can hear her
sniffing from the other side! I just hope
she's not pregnant! Kids these days are
unpredictable.

[Back at the hospital]

Lebo:

I've been stuck in statue mode for quite

some time now. I'm still in awe of what I
just saw! Shocked even!
“Lindy? A doctor? South Africa? How did
she …when did she… wait is it even
possible” I said to myself clapping once!
And only then did I realize that I was
drawing attention to myself. Other
patients sitting on the bench were looking
at me like I just escaped from the
psychiatric ward.

I then headed back to where my mother

was sitting still practicing what I was
going to say to her about my encounter
with her daughter.
“Pardon me miss! I'm so sorry.” Those
are the words that escaped from the nurse
who bumped into me. Is it me or am I
getting bumped a lot today?

“ Watch where you are going wena man!

You can't be bumping into patients like
that”

“ I'm so sorry ma'am I didn't mean to!”

“Next time watch where you are going!

You won't be so lucky I tell you! Another
person would have just slapped you across
your cracked face and dealt with you
instantly!”

“ Excuse me?”

“ What I'm practically saying is fix your..”

“Is something wrong here ladies?” Ohhh
lalaaa! What do we have here! This fine
doctor here looks yummy! His height is
average.dark chocolate skinned and ohhh
his face? Gorgeous!

“Doctor ma'am here ..”

“Oh no doctor! Everything is fine. I was

just telling the kind nurse here to fix her
dress it's a bit wringled behind. Right
nurse?” I said with a faint smile.

“Uhhm yeah! Right!” She replied with a

faint smile too.
“Ohhh! Okay next time please keep the
noise low. We have patients here.nurse
please get me Mrs Mphohla's file from
reception.”

“Alright sir”

I was then left alone with this prince

charming. Where do I start?

“You know, Mrs Mphohla is my mom.”

“Ohhh?”

“Yeah”
“Okay! if you don't mind please excuse me
I need to head somewhere” he said leaving
me there smiling like a lunatic. How rude!!
Which took me back to my reality! I still
need to tell Mom about my encounter with
Lindy.

Slindile

Aii man! Lebo has been gone for quite a

while now, I'm starting to feel lonely! Oh
there she is. I wonder why she looks so
distraught. I never realized how heavily my
illness was weighing on my baby until a
few days back. She's probably drained by
all the back and forth we have been doing,
in and out of hospitals.
“You look like you have just seen a ghost” I
said sarcastically.

“ I might just have seen one”

“I was actually joking about the ghost!

What did you see?”

“Lindy!”

Wait! Lindy? Here? Lebo and her pranks

are not funny anymore! For crying out loud
why would Lindy be here?

“You do know that April fool's was last

month right?”

“Mama I'm not joking, Ke bone Lindy

kannete!(I did see Lindy!) She's a doctor.”
I laughed so hard to a point of tears.

“It's not funny anymore Lebo man!”

“I'm not lying mama Lindy is a doctor and

she works here”

“That's not possible wena, to begin

with,Lindy doesn't have the right
documentation to have been able to attend
school to a point of actually being
employed here! Lindy is probably
somewhere in Lesotho selling her soul to
God knows who for survival! That girl is
nothing without me I tell you!”

“Mama!”.

“Hey! Shut up you are frustrating me!”

Lindy:

Narrated:

Lindy has been coiled up in her bed since

she came back from work! Flashbacks of
her past clashed with her dad's sermon
about forgiveness! A knock on the door
returned her back to reality.she quickly
wiped her tears and attended to it. As soon
as she did, fufu embraced her tightly as
Lindy held on her like her life depended on
it. The hug was all she needed. Atleast for
now!

“Shhhh don't cry, I'm here for you so we

can share whatever pain you are going
through together.”
I think Fundiswa needs some career
change. She is more therapeutic than a
lawyer. Even her clients, she treats this
way. That's just how she is, assurance first
then questions later. I love her Soo much!

I felt a bit better so I broke the hug,sat

down and indicated with a hand for Fufu to
sit beside me.

“So…uhm, I saw Lebo today at the

hospital”

“ Whaaat? Lebo as in Lebo your vile

stepsis?”
“Yup the one and only, the worst part is
that I knocked over her stuff. Fufu I was
more scared than embarrassed!”

“ Do you think they have moved to RSA?”

“ That I'm not certain of!”

“Ohh mntase I'm so sorry!”

“That was probably a once off encounter,

I'm probably never gonna see her again.”

“The world is a weird place Lilly we can

never be sure! Anyways wanna come down
for dinner?”

“Sure! I can never say no to food! But I

need to call Mbongeni first so he can
offload some of my patients back to me.”

“Alright mntase we'll be waiting.”

Mbongeni:

I got out of the shower and noticed 2

missed calls and a voice not from Dr
Ndlovu. I don't know why the thought of
her always gives me tingles, the shivers
down my spine when I hear her voice?
Priceless!

I've been listening to her voice note over

and over again just to hear her soothing
voice! I really need to ask her out before
someone beats me to it. But where do I
start?
I'll practice on my way to give her the
patients’ files but for now, I have to listen
to her voice just one last time before I
sleep! ANGELIC!

Insert 3

Lebo:

I honestly did not sign up for this nursing

shit! Now I have to take care of Mom , help
her bathe, prepare food for her. Haai this is
too much. I should be out there doing what
young people my age do! But here I am
babysitting an old hag!

“Mama I packed everything let's go!”

“Yoh Lebo are we going on foot again?”

“Eya! Harena chelete akere!( Yes! We have
no money)”

“Isn't there another alternative?”

“What alternative in a foreign country? the

hospital is only a few meters far let's go”

Slindile:
The passed two days have been draining,
Lebo Leena o teneile Kenna(even Lebo is
annoyed with me), every inch of my body
hurts. I don't think I can do this anymore! I
had a dream about Lindy yesterday, I was
laying in a dark ditch asking for her
forgiveness but she disappeared without
uttering a single word! Not gonna lie the
dream hurt me. I did some self
introspection afterwards and noticed how
wicked I was. Not even Cinderella's step
mother was this vile! The worst part is the
fact that I am her mother and should have
been her safety haven.

“What alternative in a foreign country?the

hospital is only a few meters far let's go.”
The way Lebo is dragging my hand I can
fill every pin prickle the inside of my body!
I can tell I'm her burden! Oh Lord! Take me
now! But not before I apologise to Lindy. If
it was her that Lebo saw then this is my
perfect moment to search for her. I'll turn
the whole hospital upside down until I find
her if I have to.

Finally we made it to the hospital! Damn!

My feet are swollen!

Lindy:
I began my day with a very powerful prayer
alongside my family so I'm feeling a whole
lot better! It's amazing what can be
achieved if shared amongst more than 1
person. My mom told me to allow myself
cry so as to not block the pain, and my dad
well….he preached mostly about
forgiveness oh baba though! Fufu told me
to just do what I feel is best for me! She
told me to introspect on the positivity that
my painful past has brought and quite
frankly I am more than grateful of how my
life has turned out.

I'm in my office right now going through

patients’ files when I hear a knock on my
door.
“Ohh doctor Mbongeni, come in”

“It's funny how every doctor in this

hospital is called by surname and I by
name”

We both laughed

“That's because Hlatshwayo is a bit unfit

for you, it sounds like an old man's name”

“Haha very funny doctor Ndlovu! Are you

okay though?”

“I am okay doctor, it was just that time of

the month so I didn't want my mood
swings to alter my duties”
“Ohhhh! Haawu! women and things they
go through, anyways I decided to give you
a few of your files I'll take over the rest
because I had already began examining
them so all you'll be left with is the cancer
patient and the diabetes one.”

“ Thank you so much doctor Hlatshwayo”

“Doctor Mbongeni will do thanks”

We both laughed

“Alright catch you later doctor Ndlovu”

“Later Doctor Hlatshwayo”

“I'll get you for that!”

Alright duty calls girl’s gotta work. I took
the two files and headed to the waiting
area, I didn't read the files because I want
to hear from the patients before I can read
what is in the file! That's just how I work. I
stood where everyone can hear me and
called Mrs Zinhle Ndaba (the diabetes
patient) then into my office we went!
Today's job will be a walk in the park I tell
you! All thanks to doctor Mbongeni.

Slindile:

“Mrs Zinhle Ndaba please follow me”

I know that voice! It is her! My baby girl is
a doctor. Ohh she's so pretty! She's so
grown and sooo…..my girl is a doctor.

I let out a silent cry with only tears rolling

on my cheeks. Lebo shoved a serviette into
my hand.

“I told you Lindy was a doctor!”

I wiped my tears and waited in anticipation

for her to come back to the waiting area so
I can see her once more! Regret filled my
heart! I hated myself for what I put her
through! She didn't deserve it!
Lebo;

Haaik I'm suffocating in here! Hospitals

smell so weird! They smell like death! I
hate being around sick people! I need a
break from this place! I swear if the doctor
doesn't see us today! Mama is on her own!
Now she's busy crying her balls out just
because she saw Lindy! So I just shoved a
serviette in her hand. I'm more than
pissed!!I want to go home, live my life and
stop being a babysitter! More like an old
hag sitter.
Lindy does look pretty I'm not gonna lie.
I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself
and thinking of all the possibilities and
how events would have unfolded if she
didn't leave! I wasn't a nice person and it's
all coming back to haunt me!

Lindy:

I told you today was going to be a walk in

the park. I have got one remaining patient
then I'm officially done for the day. Perks
of having great colleagues such as doctor
Mbongeni.
“Alright ma'am remember to always keep
the insulin closer to you in case you run
short on sugar. You can choose to inject
yourself or have someone else assist you,
it's your preference.if anything goes
wrong, I'm only a phone call away”

“Thank you doctor will do”

My first patient has left the room and on to

my second I go. I don't know why I decided
to go through this file but I did. It was
there in black and white! Oh God could this
be another Slindile Mphohla? Ohhhhh
that's why Lebo was here! But mama?
Cancer? Infection? Woah! I quickly
remembered what fufu said then kept my
cool again! I think I'm ready to face them.
I made my way confidently to the waiting
area and called out her name. She stood in
slow motion assisted by Lebo. I'm
definitely not going to let my past win this
time.I walked to my office as they followed
me and as soon as they entered the room
suddenly became smaller.

Slindile:
The way Lindy waltzed in the waiting area
and called out my name buffles me! It was
like she's calling an ordinary patient that
she's not familiar with, she was confident!
Very confident! I can't believe she's my
doctor. I never took to heart what “small
world” means until now.i suddenly feel
hot.

“Good morning Doctor” Lebo and I

greeted in shame.

“Good morning ma'am! Good morning

Miss! Please take a sit so we can proceed. I
have taken some time to evaluate your file
and medical history. I also have your test
results from pathology are you
comfortable discussing them now?”
Honestly I didn't hear what Lindy was
saying. My mind was in a place of its own.
A place of what ifs and what nots.

“Ma'am? Ma'am? Shall we continue?

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Lebo

shaking my shoulder.

“Mama?”

“Ohh I'm so sorry uhhm yes! Yes you

may!”
I'm surprised as to how Lindy is keeping
her cool, perhaps she doesn't recognize me
or Lebo I mean it has been 11 years of
which we didn't separate on good terms. I
have so many questions for her but how do
I even begin?

“So the results indicate that the cancer is

not just on your breasts but has spread
throughout the whole body, I suggest
urgent chemotherapy along this week. It is
a very costly procedure so I suggest you
keep your finances in order…we will be
doing radiation treatments 3 times a week
that way we are able to remove the dead
cells quicker.”

“So doctor does that mean I'm going to

die?”
“Chances of survival and death when
undergoing treatment are 50/50 Mrs
Mphohla so we can't guarantee anything,
but without treatment you'll surely die.”

The thought of dying just prickled my

heart. I'm not ready to die, I still got a lot
to live for. Grandchildren to meet,most of
all bonds to fix. I can't die yet.
“Worry not Mrs Mphohla you'll get
through this,I have dealt with a few
patients like you who regained their lives
perfectly after treatment. Here's my
business card to call me if any other
symptoms such as vomiting occur before
your next session on Monday but for now
go home and rest. I'll see you after 2 days.”
My eyes instantly teared up, not because
I'm at risk of dying or because I'm in pain
but because I resent myself for my past
progressions, Lindy is not also making it
easy for me by being so professional as for
lebo ,well she has been fiddling her fingers
since we sat down. We stood up reluctantly
and made our way towards the door. I
stood Midway and turned to face Lindy. My
tears suddenly rolled down my cheeks and
I let out a gentle sob, I couldn't keep it in!
It was too much for me to handle, the
straight face Lindy kept did not ease
anything, I cried even more louder this
time.
“Lindy ngoanaka ke kopa u ntshoarele!” (
Lindy my child please forgive me). I knelt
and held her hand tightly. She omitted it
and stood then walked towards the door,
she locked it and stood right there leaning
on it. My vision was blurry but I could see
Lebo wiping her tears too.

Lindy:

The audacity of Slindile and Lebo to cause

a scene in my office.

“Lindy ngoanaka ke kopa u ntshoarele!”

As soon as she said this I felt my heart
suddenly harden. It was though all the pain
I went through was shoved into my heart
once more. But one thing I told my self was
that Slindile and her daughter will never
see me cry again, the weak Lindy is gone
and they must face the fruits of their
labour.

“words cannot change the pain I went

through in your care,they can not change
how brutally my virginity was snatched
away from me! Your words cannot change
the days I spent in hospital recovering
from rape and assault injuries, moreover
they cannot change the sleepless
nightmare filled nights I incurred. If it's
forgiveness you are looking for then you're
at the wrong place.”
“Lindy auswaka..”

“Shut up! Shut up! And you? Framing me

for all those things hoping to be the Golden
child! Look where that got you! This goes
for the both of you when I say, I have tried
so hard to move past what you did to me! I
am not willing to re-open old wounds,and
I am certainly not willing to re-live the
trauma you put me through. I am your
doctor and nothing more. With that said,
please take your belongings and exit my
office. Thanks!”

Slindile:
The walk back to the hotel was a silent one.
I feel so dirty, I feel numb, I'm filled with
regret. It's my fault that she got raped,! I
have never seen Lindy so Livid before. She
has always been the most soft spoken kid
amongst the two. When I get home, I just
wanna have a bubble bath and sleep.

“Mama did you leave your clothes

unpegged again on the clothing line?

“No why? I didn't even wash any

clothing!”

“ Then why are our clothes scattered

outside?”
Lebo rushed to check what was going on, a
note was placed on the door that read: “I
hate late payments! To be able to stay here
further,pay the due amount or Fotshek!”

I saw her head towards the floor in slow

motion! Okay it's official! We are homeless
in a foreign country. Can this day get any
worse?!

Lebo:

It's getting late and we still don't know

where to go. I have thoughts of calling
Lindy but I'm out of airtime! Roaming
charges are steep as hell.
“Mama it's getting late, I'm thinking of
looking for a place where we can sleep for
the night. Maybe a church.

“Lebo ulo batlana le kereke bosiu tje?” (

Lebo you're going to look for a church so
late,?)

“Ketla etsa joang 'm'e haona rekase robale

kantle!( What will I do mom? We can't
sleep outside)

“Letsetsa Lindy( call Lindy)”

“Ka eng ma?( With what mom?) And I

doubt Lindy would want to see us after
today.”

“Eish, you're right. So what do we do

now?”
“I'll go look for a church then come back
for you when I did!”

“I hope you'll be safe my baby”

“I'll try to be, as for you, sit under the

staircase until I'm back.”

I quickly ran towards what I think is a

rank, a bunch of guys were standing over
the fire so I went towards them to enquire.

“Lumelang bo abuty”(good evening

brothers)

“Sawubona mabebenza unjani?”(hey

babygirl how are you doing?)they all said
in sync.
“I'm sorry for disturbing if I may ask do
you know any nearby churches around
here?

They all stared at each other then back at

me! I don't think these bloody fools even
understand what I'm saying.

One then replied.

“Church? Yah man ! Me know church! Can

take you!”.

“Ohh thank you so much”

There sure are a lot of passages here! Some
are even darker.

“Abuty do you even know where you are

taking me?”

“Yes! You follow me!”

“Ohhh!”

For what seemed like a very long time,we

finally made it and I could see the church
entrance.

“Thank you so much abuty”

“2 Rand”

“Excuse me?”

“I want 2 Rand”
“I'm so sorry I've got no money on me,
that's why I need a church”

“Haaawu ntombenhle ungaze ulahlekelwe

iPhone nje ngob'aufuni ngo 2 Rand?( Aww
cute lady would you rather lose your phone
all because you don't want to give me 2
Rand?”

“Excuse me?”

The dirty junkie immediately snatched my

bag and took a run for it.

“Heeeeelp! Heeelp my baaag! My phone!

Myyy…ohh my passport!”
Just immediately a lady ran out of church
and held me up as I rolled on the floor.

“Is something wrong Missy?”

“No ma'am , my passport! My everything

is in that bag! And he took it! He took my
whole life with him!”

I wailed so loud and drew attention to

myself. At that point I didn't care! I just
wanted my stuff.
The lady held me up and took me into the
church, we talked and I told her about my
situation. She immediately called one of
the church chauffeurs to accompany me to
get my mom. This is probably karma
dealing with us for the things mama and I
did to Lindy!

As soon as we arrived with mama, we were

taken to a backroom where the homeless
sleep, there were mattresses and pillows
with light blankets. This should be enough
to boost us for now.

At the Ndlovu household

Narrated:
The family is eating dinner and Lindy is
telling them about what unfolded today at
the hospital.

“If you are not ready to forgive them

mntanam’ then don't rush it. But
eventually you'll have to!” Baba Ben
exclaimed.

“I know baba I know!”

“As for me mntase I'm very proud that you

stood your ground.”

“Thanks fufu , I'm proud of myself too”

“No Noww we have been talking about
depressing stuff a lot lately, tell me girls
when am I meeting my son's in law?”
Mama Easter uttered causing Fufu to
choke on her food.

“Haii mama we are not ready for that yet,”

they both exclaimed then laughed.

“That's right bant’abam’ boys are

not…ouch!”

“Baba! Baba ! Baba are you okay!”

“Ben u right!?”

Everyone asked in surprise

“Yes I'm okay it's just that the side of

my…ooooouuuuuuch!”
“Lindy! Do something”

“Uuuhhhm ohhh let me ohhhhmy God!

Baba can I have a look”

“Here mntanam’ it's sore!”

“Fufu please take my phone and call the

numbers I saved as “Mbongeni
Hlatshwayo”.

“ohh ohkay..uhhhm ohhh found them”

(On the other side of the line):

“Dr Ndlovu”

“Ohh I'm sorry this is Fufu please help us

my dad is…well I don't what he's doing or
what's happening but he needs your help”
“i’ll be there in a jiffy”

All the ladies surrounded baba Ben as

Lindy tried by all means to calm the
situation. Within 5 minutes Mbongeni
made his way to Ben's apartment. They
loaded him in the back seat and followed
using Fufu's Car.

Mbongeni had already alerted paramedics

to be on standby so as soon as they arrived
baba Ben was lifted onto a stretcher and
into the emergency room.
For approximately 3hrs seated on the
hospital benches Lindy decided to go in
and check what was going on. She ran into
Mbongeni on her way into the ward.

“Mbongeni what's happening? Should I

come in and assist?”

“No! You are too close to the case so I

recommend you stay with your family and
keep them sane.”

“Okay can you atleast tell me what's going

on?”

“Come I'll tell you over there with the rest

of your family”

“Ohh doctor is my husband going to be

okay?”
“Uhmm ma'am we don't know for sure
what is wrong with him but we have taken
some blood and urine samples to
pathology, we will get the results
tomorrow but we have sedated him and
given him some antibiotics and painkillers
for now. He's asleep as we speak. So I
suggest you go home and rest”

“I don't think I'll be able to rest doctor I'll

just stay here”

“Mama you can stay in my office there's a

stretcher in there.”

“Ngiyabonga mntanam’ are you coming

too?” I'll be there I just need to sign some
things over there at reception, you can go
with fufu so long”
Fufu and mama Easter made their way to
Lily's office while she went to reception.
Doctor Mbongeni followed Lily.

“Doctor Ndlovu”

“Hawu, formalities even at times like this”

“Ngiyaxolisa it's just a norm”

“I understand”

“ Lindy I noticed some signs of kidney

failure when examining your dad's eyes,
they were yellowish.”

“Nooo!, When did you say the results will

be available again?”
“ Tomorrow morning, I just hope my
hypothesis is wrong, because if it's not
then the worst is yet to come”

“ I know Mbongeni, I know! Oh God this

will kill Ma”.

At the church

Slindile:

I have been trying to call the number on

Lindy's business card with no luck. I guess
I will see her tomorrow. Chemotherapy is
not a delight, the lazers! The cold and body
shivers after radiation. TRAUMATIZING!
The church has assisted Lebo and I with a
lot of basic needs. The pompous Slindile is
now God fearing and down to earth. Who
would have thought? I have been praying a
lot lately and I must say, this feels good! I
am willing to ask Lindy to forgive me until
she actually does.

Lebo

My mother will be undergoing treatment

starting from tomorrow. I just hope that
everything goes well. The ladies here have
helped us a lot, they even promised to help
us get back to Lesotho after mama
completed her treatment. Oh! I also found
my passport and cards stashed in a bin
nearby. Filthy Junkies!
I have also been taking part in youth
related serminars, I learned how to treat
people and the likes. I honestly owe Lindy
an apology. Not because she's my mother's
doctor but because it's the right thing to
do.

(Back at the hospital)

Fundiswa:
My mother has been bawling her eyes out
with tears, telling her that everything is
going to be okay is like pouring salt into an
open wound. She just stares into space and
let out a heavy load of water. I am not into
science but I'm pretty sure she's short of
water in her body. She has even developed
eye bags.

“Mama don't you want to go home,take a

bath then return when the doctor is ready
to see us.”

“No fufu what if doctor mbo what's his

name? Yes that one comes and I'm gone?
Haii angeke!”(never)

“But mama..” yoh the look she gave me.

Silence is the best option for now.
Immediately Lilly opened the door to my
rescue.

“Aww mama!” She embraced her so tight

but mama just kept on crying.

“Lindy mntanam’ have I been a bad wife?

Huh? Have I been a bad mother to you all
to deserve such punishment? Have I
descended my faith to an extent where God
decided to use my husband? Mntamam’
my whole life is orientated around than
man! Please do something Lily please!”

“It's not my ca..”

“I don't care! I don't care Lindiwe go in
there and save your father! You owe him
that much!”

Lindy's eyes filled with tears. I felt my

heart become heavy because now I'm
drawn between consoling my sister or my
mother. God why did you pick this test for
us?

Lindy:

I feel so helpless right now. I don't know

the right words to use to uplift Mama's
mood, here sucks.
“I don't care! I don't care Lindiwe go in
there and save your father! You owe him
that much.”

Mama's words pierced a hole in my heart.

It is indeed because of baba that I am who I
am today. I took my phone to call
Mbongeni but luckily enough he texted me
as I dialed his number.

“I've got your dad's test results, want me

to come to your office?” The text read!

“Sure you can bring them”.

Not long after the text Mbongeni knocked

and entered.
“Good morning everyone”

“There's nothing good about this morning

unless you come bearing good news!”
Mama exclaimed.
“ I actually have both, the bad news is that
baba Ben has kidney failure as I suspected,
traces of amino acids were found in his
urine and the severity of the damage is a
bit higher. The good news is that he may be
able to acquire treatment where you as his
family will chose whether he'll undergo
dialysis or transplant. Bearing in mind that
a transplant is a permanent solution but
organ donors are hard to find, the list is
long for people looking for donors! Unless
one of you will be willing to donate! After
blood tests that is. Dialysis on the other
hand is expensive and is not a permanent
solution, he'll have to come for dialysis
once or twice a week. With this said i'll
leave you to discuss and call me once
decided. Please don't take too long his life
depends on your decision.”
“Which solution would be best fit doctor?”
Fufu asked.

“ I would recommend a transplant ma'am

it's sustainable and a long term solution to
the problem at hand because both his
kidneys are failing.”

“ That's not gonna happen! It's not

happening! My husband will not gallivant
with another person's organ in his body! It
goes against everything we believe in, it
goes against our religion! That is not
happening!”

“Maaam we..”
“Young man! Are you deaf?Go in there and
do what you must to save my husband! We
are not transplanting anything or
whatever you said inside my husband's
body!”

“Mama please calm down! Dr Mbongeni

please excuse us!” Lilly exclaimed.

Mama Easter was fuming with rage, the

thought of another organ in her husband's
body was just shameful, she's a bit old
fashioned after all.

“Mama please calm down and listen to me!

This transplant needs to happen or you'll
lose baba.”
“Don't tell me about losing your father
Lily, you're a doctor man try another
solution”

“I'm a doctor mama I'm not God! I don't

get to decide who lives or who dies. I
mainly work with the power that God has
granted me and the rest is up to him. I
would advise we get tested to save baba
and put religion aside! Your Bible and
screaming will not help your husband from
kidney failure. Give it some thought!”

I left the room fuming! How selfish can

mama be!?

(3 weeks later)
Narrated:
3 weeks ago Lindy managed to convince
mama Easter to let the doctors perform a
kidney transplant surgery on baba Ben. It
took a lot of emotional blackmail, tears
and insults to get mama Easter to agree to
the whole thing. Fufu donated one of her
kidneys to her father and he's currently at
home recovering. This test made them
realize how strong they are United and
strengthened their alliance. On the other
hand Lebo and sindiswa were not able to
pay for the treatment fees further into
week three so they have moved back to
Lesotho. Doctors told her that she has a
month to live so she vowed that she'll
spend the whole of it trying to get into
Lindy's good books. She forgave them by
words but didn't actually allow them to be
a part of her life, they still call each other
now and again to check symptoms of the
cancer and how far it has spread.

Lindy

My car seat has a tendency of swallowing

my phone. I can hear it ring but cannot
actually point out it's exact location so I let
I ring until it stopped. I've been feeling
melancholic since morning,this last
happened to me the day I lost my
grandmother.

“Damn this phone is ringing again! It's

probably an emergency from work.”

I pushed my hand further into my car seat

and boom! My phone!
“Oh it's Lebo! Hello?”

“I thought you guys said one month Lindy!

One month is not three weeks. Lindy she's
……you said one month”

I could hear her sobbing and wailing and

couldn't exactly hear what Lebo was
saying.

“Lebo take a deep breath in and tell me

what's happening.”
“ (Sniffs) it's mama Lindy, mama has
passed on.You know what the worst part
is? She had no life policy! All the money
and lavish lifestyle,fake boobs and poof!
No life cover! Lindy how could mama do
this to me? What am I going to bury her
with? Lindy please auswaka help me!”

“Lebo..I aww I'm so sorry but one month

was the maximum time so I guess the
minimum was 3 weeks! I'll fly there by
noon and help you prepare for the
funeral.”

“Thank you so much Lindy!”

Okay slindile is late and I don't know how I
feel. You know when one's mother dies
they are normally sad or hurt but with me
it's different. It's like a complete stranger
has passed on. I'm not saddened by
anything. I went into the house , told the
family about it and how I felt.

“I'll come with you mntase!”

“Ohh fufu you don't have to it's just 2

days”

“2 days are enough for me to explore a

little bit of Lesotho! I've never been there
so I'm coming with you!”
Oh well! That's fufu for you! Always wild
and adventurous! I guess it's a girls trip!

We packed our weekend bags as mama and

baba accompanied us to the airport.the old
man is slowly healing if he's able to drive
in his condition. I don't know what we
would do without him.

“Bye bantabam’ take care of yourselves”

“Bye baba! We will”

“Bye my little munchkins”

Aww mama though! She's crying!

“Bye maaa!”

“Haii Lindy your mother is such a cry baby

girlfriend”

“Leave mama alone! The day you get

married I'm sure she'll fill a whole river!”

“Me? Married? Dream on! You'll get

married before me! I've seen the way you
and doctor something look at each other.”

“Who Mbongeni? Get out of here!”

Our journey was short with Mbongeni as

the main topic.Fufu and her overhyped
mind though!
We made it to Moshoeshoe I international
airport then made it to what I think I
remember as my home. Nothing has
changed. The weekend went by and service
went smoothly. Not a lot of people
attended! I guess it was because of the way
Slindile carried herself. Not gonna
lie,almost everyone hated her.

“Hey! You're going already?”

“Oh Lebo, Hi uhhm yes.. yes we are! Duty

calls”

“I understand! Mama left this letter on her

bedside. It is addressed to you.”

“Ohh thank you!”

Okay this is weird! Do I hug her or shake
her hand or…argh scratch that!

“Aww Lebo! Come here”

I embraced her and reached into my purse

“ Take this, it's not much but you'll buy a

few things while everyone is gone! Don't
be afraid to call me if you need anything”

“Thank you so much Lindy!”

At this moment she started crying. Only

then did my emotions surface. I felt bad for
leaving her but I also have my life to live
“Lindy I am so sorry! Life is very short and
I know that you said you forgave me but
still…I'm so sorry!”

“Don't beat yourself up Lebo it's okay!”

“Have a safe journey”

“ Thank you! Take care of yourself okay?”

“Okay!”

“Care for another hug?”

“Sure!”

We hugged each other then Fufu and I left,

this Biach and I still got some exploring to
do.
On our way back to Johannesburg I opened
the letter:

“Dear Lindy “
If you're reading this letter then it means I
actually passed on before seeing you for
the last time before I perish! I know you
forgave me but I can't seem to forgive
myself, how do I forgive or even forget the
things you went through because of me?
The blood you shed , the tears you cried,
the pain you felt! Most of all how do I
forgive myself for being the reason you got
raped! I know that words don't justify any
actions but I want you to know that I am
very proud of the woman you have
become, I'm proud of the strength you've
acquired. Please thank your newly found
parents for me! I wish all the best in your
future endeavors

Sincerely

Slindile
Aww mama! I was silent throughout the
journey. I'm proud of the woman I've
become too.

The way we treat other people will be

reciprocated back to us! The saying
“Karma is a bitch” simply states that you
can't treat others like they are inhumane
and expect the universe to treat you
humane! Treat others with kindness and
watch the universe be kind to you! It might
not be now! Not next year or next week but
you'll definitely reap what you sow! Dread
carefully.

Karma is a bitch
By Lisemelo Mopeli!❤️
Thank you for reading!❤️