*My Gift*
01
I have been awake for a long time now but I can’t seem to bring myself to getting out of bed and starting with my weekend chores. I woke up feeling depressed today and as ha-rd as is it to believe I really don’t know why I’m feeling this way. I have been looking up the ceiling and counting the lines there and I have been getting a different number everytime I reach the far end and that is what has been motivating me to continue to count. I want to get the same number then I would know that I’m on the right track. I always count the lines on the ceiling everytime I’m depressed or I can’t sleep. Some way count sheep but it has never worked for me.
I finally get the correct number and I feel happy and my mouth moves involuntarily into a smile. I can see the sun is about to come out and I know that if I don’t get out of bed now and start with my day I will regret it and I will not be able to turn the hand of time. I move the blanket from my body and I’m out of bed.
I make sure not to make noise as I go out of our bedroom hut and go to the kitchen where we keep our water drums. I know that if I bath now I will be dirty when I’m done with my chores and it will need me to bath again so I take a water jug and pour the last of the water in the jug and walk out the kitchen. I walk back to the bedroom and take my toothbrush and go outside to brush my teeth.
“Lindiwe!”
I hear a person calling me from across the street and when I look its Nandipha-my childhood friend.
I still have toothpaste in our mouth so I wave at her and continue brushing my teeth as she walks inside the yard carrying a 20 litter bucket and I know that she has fetched me so we can go and fetch water .
“Give me a few minutes ”
I say to her after I’m done brushing my teeth and rush back to the bedroom without waiting for her to answer me. I find my mother still sleeping and I don’t make noise as I change from my pjs to proper clothes.
Ì go out the bedroom and make sure I close the door properly and go fetch my water bucket.
We are now on the road going to the river. Nandipha has been talking none stop about her new boyfriend she met a few weeks ago and I’m happy for my friend. She has been having bad luck in the love department and she had stopped dating till Langelihle came her way.
“Are you going?”
She says and stops walking looking at me like she has said the most important thing on this planet.
“Going where?”
I say standing in front of her and waiting for her to say what she is talking about.
“Kodwa wena you the welcoming ceremony of nkosazana uLangalibalele.”
She tells me and I give her a confused. I have no idea what she is talking about and I’m waiting for her to explain further.
“You always lost. Inkosazana iyabuya she went ukuyothwasa don’t you remember?”
She asks me and it now comes back to me what she is talking about. A few months a go the princess of the Bhenga Village-where I live became really sick and no one knew what was wrong even the palace sear did not know what was wrong. We faced hunger and drou-ght but it all got better like it never happened when one day the maids at the palace woke up and she was not there. It took a whole month of her missing before the sear could figure out the princess went to initiation school.
It came as a *shock to everyone else because the royal family believed that she was kidnapped by the rivalry village near by. Now she is back and a ceremony will be held for her which I forgot about.
*
“I’m not sure wena you know I don’t really like these ceremonies which a crowded.”
I tell her and start moving because I know if I dont start walking soon we won’t go anywhere.
“Wait.”
She says picking her bucket and upping her pace to catch up with me.
“But I’m going please go with me I will be bored with those skinny bit-ch es throwing them self’s at nkosana uSenzakonke”
She says and rolls her eyes. I can’t help but laugh at how she rolls her eyes and they look like they will fall out. That’s her talent-rolling her eyes is one of her talents she is good at after singing.
“They will fall out sisi Kodwa they not that bad nje.”
I tell her laughing because I know very well that she is not exaggerating anything. All the girls in the *village are in love with the prince. He is handsome with a chocolate dark skin tone and I think that it makes him more handsome. He is the only boy not married out of five boys and the princess is the last born. There is no girl that he has not sle* pt with except for me and a few but most of them he has tasted and it’s sad because he just lives them after using them.
“Then go with me please my friend”
She says placing her bucket down and putting her hands together like she is praying.
“I will think about it let’s go”
I say and she just gives out a loud sigh and walks next to me. I feel sorry for her because she is really loud and does not mind talking what’s on her mind which makes it ha-rd for other people to get along with her.
We because friends when we where eight years *and she had just moved to the village from the city. She was looking for the shops and looked lost so I helped her out and we have been friends since then. We chat the whole way to the river and when we ge* t *there not a lot of people are there and I think it has to do with the fact that it’s a weekend and it’s still early morning. I pull my dress up a little as I go inside the river and the water came below my knees. Using the bucket I take the water and walk out then wait for Nandipha. Within a few minutes she is done and* we are on our way back.
“Nandipha”
We hear a voice call behind us and when we look it’s her boyfriend. I can see the muscles of her jaw form a smile and I know they will be all lovey davy forgetting that I’m next to them.
“Let me go friend I will see you later.”
I say not waiting for her response because I know that her answer will be the same as always.
“I promise ngeke sikubambise ikhandlela.”
That’s what her answer would be and its always the opposite everytime. I don’t know why I always believe her but this time I won’t.
I’m now pa-ssing by the woods. It’s a face place and also not safe. The only reason *that most people in the village use it is because it’s the shortest way to the river so a lot of people pas-sby here but some times it gets really quiet like now. I’m already in the middle so going back and taking the long way home won’t make* any sense. I have no choice but to continue walking. The bucket in on my head and I’m using my hand to balance it. I hear a breaking branch and when I start looking around I don’t see anyone that alone makes me scared.
“Hello?”
I say trying to find out who is there but I don’t hear a thing so I up my pace and the water is now spilling a little on my shoulders. I keep walking fast and I can see a shadow moving in the woods.
My mother always says that my curiosity will be the end of me and I believe her because I’m not placing my water bucket down and walking towards the direction the shadow took. It leads me dee-per and dee-per into the woods till I see her.
She is facing the woods and when I try and look I don’t see what she is looking at.
“Hello.”
I say walking closer to her. She does not move and I’m starting to get scared but it does not stop me from walking closer to her.
“Are you okay sisi?”
I say and I’m not a meter away from her. I don’t expect it when she turns and looks at me. The sun rays are penetrating throu-ghthe tree and it has landed on her face giving me a better view of her. She has a flawless skin and her tied dreadlocks make it better to see her face.
“Yebo I’m okay.”
She says and her voice sounds weird. She has a dee-per voice than her normal girl but it sounds like its covered in chocolate making it sound de-ep but yet sweet.
“Ohh it’s not safe in the woods.”
I tell her and now my nerves have calm down since I can tell she is a normal person.
“Ngizohamba manje don’t worry about me.”
She says and she *turns and starts walking away from me. I want to follow her and make sure she is safe but something in me says I should not so I stand there watching her go till I can not see her. I turn and go back to where I was. When I get there I find Nandipha standing next to my water b* ucket.
“li-phi isoka lakho?”
I ask her and she looks up and when she sees me she comes to hug me.
“I was worried ubuphi?”
She asks me not answering what I said to her.
“In the woods I saw something but it was nothing.”
I say not telling her about the girl I saw in the woods and she just nods her head and we start walking. I’m glad she does not question me and I think it has to do with the fact that she knows how curious I am.
I’m now done bathing and done with my chores. I have nothing to do and I know that it will be a long day ahead and my mother is not home. She went to her friend and she has been there since morning and I know that she will come back later. Her and MaDlamini don’t get a lot of time to spend together during the week so when the weekend hits they make sure to cover up on the time they did not spend together.
Nandipha went out with her boyfriend that’s why I’m not with her and I’m starting to think having one friend is not god because now that she is busy with something else I get bored.
A thought hits me that taking a walk might not be a bad idea after all so I stand up and go to our bedroom and wear my shoes then lock the door.
I’m not sure where I’m going but I keep walking and I really think it’s better than just sitting at home. My feet lead me to the woods and I keep walking dee-per inside. I feel something sting me on my leg and I winch out in pain.
“Ouch.”
I say looking and my eyes are met by those of a snake. My mouth is frozen into position and I can not scream and after a few seconds of a stare challenge with it it goes away.
My leg is in pain that I can’t walk so I just drop to the ground and sit down.
.
.
Tbc