Fatherless
Episode Eight
I had never missed my father as much as I did when I was at my aunt’s house.
I thought about running away, but I didn’t know the way back home.
I had slept throughout the journey to Vanderbijlpark, and I didn’t even realize when we arrived there.
Aunt Nomvula continued to treat me poorly.
Perhaps because she didn’t have a child of her own and her husband left her on her wedding day.
However, that was not a sufficient reason to unleash her anger on me.
Sometimes, she would come back drunk and vomit all over the house.
And I would have to spend the night cleaning up, only for her to go out drinking again in the morning when she regained consciousness.
Aunt Nomvula never stopped reminding me that our family wasn’t in support of my mom marrying my dad.
She would say that my mom chose to marry someone who was destined to diē, leaving her a widow.
She even went as far as threātening to kiłł me herself if I didn’t die naturally.
And that there was no need of my living, that I was supposed to join my father where ever he was.
It was really serious. She wouldn’t let me play with the other kids in the compound and locked me inside the house like an ānimal.
She would say “you should be thanking me for helping you and feeding you with my money”.
One Sunday, she stopped me from going to church because she said I hadn’t finished my chores.
I asked her what else I needed to do, and she said there was nothing else.
So, I got ready for church, but she called me Nathan and asked where I thought I was going.
She said I hadn’t finished washing her clothes, but I had already done them all.
I looked everywhere and couldn’t find any more dirty clothes.
I said “Ma, all your clothes are clean”.
That was the name she wanted me to call her.
She didn’t like being an aunt to an “ūgly” child like me.
I was still recovering from the burns from the hot beans, and it really hurt my self-confidence.
She slāpped me for talking back to her and then came back outside with more clothes that didn’t even look dirty.
She told me to wash them and make sure to wash the armpits well, or else I’d have to wash them again.
I nodded, and she told me to wash them while wearing my Sunday outfit.
I did as she commanded, I had no choice.
Another incident that made me wish for dēath happened on a Friday.
Fridays in the house were always girls’ night, where she would invite her friends over to smōke, drink, and do all sorts of things.
I couldn’t sleep on Fridays because they would blast music, dance half-nakēd, and drink like there was no tomorrow.
The next day was always a day of cleaning up after they left, picking up all the mēss they left behind.
But this particular Friday was a different one, one of her friends was celebrating her birthday in our place.
The preparations was unusual including everything else that took place.
I spent almost the whole day running errands, getting the cakes, buying the things for decoration and the rest.
I received several knocks on the head while running this errands.
Although one of the ladies looked at me in a way I didn’t like.
I didn’t tell my aunt because there was no use telling her anything.
It was time for the party and seven of her friends came then three came later when they had gone far with the celebration.
I was outside because they all sent me to sit outside, I didn’t have a choice but to just sit out thinking about what had become of me.
Aunt Nomvula received a call and went outside, I waited for her to return as the music stopped and only three of her friends were around.
Unfortunately, She didn’t come back, she just disappeared throughout the night.
I had to go inside the house, hoping her friends would leave so I could lock the door and go to bed.
But they didn’t leave. It was 1 o’clock in the morning, and I didn’t know when I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I saw my clothes slowly being taken off, and I was extremely scared.
Her friends were biting their lips while looking at me.
I tried to run to the door, but they had locked it. Then one of them asked, “Are you looking for this?”
She flung the key in my face, and I heard the sound before I turned and fell to the ground.
I got down on my knees and pleaded with them, fear gripping all over me.
“What do you want from me? I’m just a small boy, and I have nothing to give you, please.”
But they dragged me anyway. I thrēatenēd to report them, but they responded by saying, “Who will believe you?
Who will you tell? Your aunt has left you in our hands, and there’s nowhere for you to run to.
Just give us what we want, and we’ll leave.”
Thessycute Ekene
