One Night In Her Mind

Numb

Sinenhlanhla's POV:

Does it always feel this way, this always happens to me every year and we never get a break. When I got back from camp Principal Collins called me to the office and I thought it was to talk about the event that occurred at camp but when he said I can stay for a week at home and he sends his condolences, was odd and what I heard at home that night- -

It was so much worse, Musa came to pick me up and he didn't look great at all, Sithelo was at the back crying and that's when I had the worst thoughts possible racing through my mind, the first thing that came to mind was my dad but he was back for good, he was like at least in his late 50s and he was back from deployment but then I was okay but that was before I noticed all my luggage at the back and we were going through the Midlands.

After I got home I ran upstairs while I was in my head about everything that happened and camp so I didn't see who was downstairs. Some cars were familiar in front of the closed blue garage and along the side of the lawn of grass in between the church and home and there was a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon like my dad's older brother who I call his twin and is the bishop of our church after my grandfather. After my shower, I came downstairs to my brothers, my dad and my uncle and some of my aunts. Ngabingelala nomakoti wabo which were my aunts. My cousin, I saw her and I do not like her. We were at Imbali, emakhaya and no one lived there, they renovated and polished my grandmother's home, only my father, his older brother and younger brother and youngest sister had the keys so they could check weekly for anything and clean.

My sister, who lives in Cape Town and came back this year after graduating was there and I ran to her and then hugged her. My niece I refuse to talk to was there. My dad called me and told me what happened and then both of them came in time, I saw my only favourite person who I call my twin and who I relate to, who I can go to and my other aunt

"Mbali?" Colonel Shezi said

"Yes sir," Sinenhlanhla said as he pulled her aside

"Ubabamkhulu wakho, ushonile namhla ekuseni kusuka kushukela kanye ne-HIV/AIDS." Colonel Shezi said

Her aunt who was in the kitchen, well she couldn't go because she didn't want her there or any child in there but then her aunt came through the front door. Without hesitation, Sinenhlanhla ran up to her and hugged her aunt.

"Auntie Nonhlanhla, oh my god I can't believe he's gone." Sinenhlanhla cried

"I know it's okay, I'm here and he will always be with you." Aunt Nonhlanhla said

"You're the only person I can talk to about everything that's happening and you never judge me," Sinenhlanhla said

"Well others think I judge and hold grudges, they think I'm the evil witch of the family so yeah and it's not like he left, he's still with us and he always will be." Aunt Nonhlanhla said

"Well I don't, Sithelo doesn't but I don't know about Lindani and Musa," Sinenhlanhla said

"It's okay, as long as I have your love for me and he was the oldest one out of all of us and he just wasn't doing well ever since your grandfather passed away." She whispered

"Can we talk later?" Sinenhlanhla asked

"Yeah and it will be okay, everything will work out okay and I don't mean the passing." Aunt Nonhlanhla replied

"How did you know?" Sinenhlanhla sniffled

"Oh trust me, girl I know everything about my twin and I could see blood stains on your sleeves and ankles." Aunt Nonhlanhla laughed

She wiped Sinenhlanhla's tears away and lifted her chin.

"Listen, what do I always say?" She said

"Ngaso sonke isikhathi phakamisa ikhanda lakho phezulu futhi ubazise lapho uvela khona nokuthi ume kuphi esixukwini." Aunt Nonhlanhla said