Fatherless
Episode Eleven
As I got closer to where Mom was standing, looking at me, I realized Aunt Nomvula was dragging her legs.
She wasn’t keeping up with me anymore.
Before we entered the compound, she stopped somewhere and called my name. I responded.
She said, ‘Nathan, don’t tell your mom about anything that happened to you while at my place.
I don’t want anything that will create problems between me and your mom.
You can tell her anything else, like you accidentally poured hot water on yourself and I rushed to help you.”
I just nodded, but I knew I was home and there was nothing she could do to me with my mom around.
I can tell my mom everything that happens and still sleep in the house.
I just smiled and nodded, knowing her time was up.
She was just dragging her legs and refusing to walk fast.
I had to call her name for the first time: ‘Aunt Nomvula,’ I called.
Please come, let’s go and meet my mom together.
I knew what I was doing, and I wanted her to be there when my mom starts yelling, so she’ll realize she did something wrong.
She walked a bit faster, and I waited for her as she got closer.
We walked like that to meet Mom. It was like my mom had seen my body from afar because she didn’t seem excited to see me.
She didn’t move from where she stood; she just stayed there in one spot until we finally reached her.
Aunt Nomvula was the first person to greet her.
“Good morning, sis,” she greeted, shivering.
My mom was boiling inside, and her frown was visible even from afar.
I had noticed it before I reached her.
She ignored my aunt and took a thorough look at my body as she removed the school bag hanging from my back.
Mom looked pale and was still wearing black, like when dad left us.
It reminded me of the day she took me to the cēmetery.
She touched my body, turning me until I started seeing stars.
Then, all of a sudden, she screamed, just as I predicted.
“What happened to you, Nathan?” She asked, tears already dripping from her eyes.
Aunt didn’t even let her finish. She jumped in and said, “He plays too much, he poured hot water on himself,” smiling at my mom.
Mom didn’t even let her finish. She said, “Nomvula, you are not Nathan. I’m not asking you that question. Please stay quiet.
I will ask you your own question,” mom said angrily, stamping her feet on the ground.
When mom was in that kind of mood, trouble was always brewing.
Even dad didn’t talk to her until she calmed down.
A stare from her made me start saying everything.
I said, “Aunt Nomvula poured hot beans on me when she asked me to cook.”
She interrupted me, saying, “Nomvula, you poured hot beans on my son?
Are you this bītter that you can’t take care of my own child?”
Aunt Nomvula was frozen, unable to speak or move.
It was really strange because she usually talks a lot.
Mom asked the question again, but Aunt Nomvula still didn’t respond.
Then, mom gave her a hard slāp that even woke up grandma.
Grandma came out and saw us, and her first question was, “Nathan, what happened to you?”
Mom explained everything, and another slāp landed on Aunt Nomvula. Grandma said, “I didn’t raise you to be wicked and bītter.
How could you do this to your sister’s child?”
I wasn’t satisfied with what mom and grandma did to her, I felt like she deserved more than what was done to her.
I believed that if mom and grandma didn’t punish her enough, karma would take care of it.
Mom and grandma left her outside while taking me inside.
Mom assured me that I’ll never leave her sight or stay anywhere else.
She also apologized for not coming to see me because she was too busy with work and didn’t realize I needed her.
I had planned to tell her everything one by one, especially that I was rāped so that she will take me to the hospital for a test.
Mom even said when ever she called to check up on me Aunt Nomvula would say I’m playing outside or she sent me on an errand which wasn’t true.
We all went inside and mom kept apologizing to me, she wasn’t at fault, she just trusted someone like that.
Aunt Nomvula left back home with no one talking to her, i knew my mom will never forgive her for what she did and I couldn’t forgive her either.
The next week was the week I was supposed to start school in Parys.
Although I missed my friend back home, I knew it was for the best.
I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about my new school. I was going to be enrolled the next day, and I wondered how it would be.
I even rehearsed how I would greet my fellow students when I met them.
The day finally came, and I couldn’t contain my excitement. I woke up early and got ready before anyone else.
Mom was surprised, but that was one thing I learned at Aunt Nomvula’s place.
We had breakfast and then went to school. I noticed that I stopped jumping on the road because, well, I was a big boy now.
We finally arrived at the school, and the principal asked me to take some tests to see how fit I was and if there were any challenges that could hinder my learning.
The tests were conducted, and early the next morning, the principal called my mom.
She went to the school, and I was anxious to know what happened.
She came back a few hours later with the test results.
It seemed like she had been crying all the way from school, because her eyes had swōllen.
When she saw me, she let it out again and then she said, “The test result here says you are HĪV positive.”
I asked her, “What does that mean?” I didn’t know what it meant.
Thessycute Ekene
What the f**k, HIV?