Azalea The Queen

Azalea

The weekend passed. Monday came about, I woke up as usual, did my routine, and headed to work. Something felt strange though when I got to work. Laila seemed to be more annoyed by me than usual, she was definitely giving me the stink eye. Michael was oblivious to the world as usual as he played games on his phone, cursing once in a while, so that was not new.

Mrs. Rivers had a look of pity and anger at the same time. What the hell was going on!?
I kept my head low for the rest of the day not wanting to step on anyone's toes. It seemed that my mere existence pissed Laila off. By the end of the day, I was so tired and grateful and just ready to head home. I felt suffocated.

"Madam, I'm done for the day, I'll take my leave now." I bowed my head at my boss as I took my bag and swung it over my shoulder ready to leave.

"Here, take this, and don't bother coming to work tomorrow, you're fired." I gaped at her as she gave me an envelope. I blinked. Then blinked again. She was serious.

"Did I do something wrong madam?" I panicked, feeling my hands sweat from the nerves. I was getting fired, why? "Why are you firing me, but-" I felt my face burn, it was probably turning red. One of the reasons why I hated my complexion.

"That's your day's worth of salary for these past days. Please don't make this difficult Azalea, just take the money and go." It all made sense.
Why my boss and her daughter were acting weird the whole day, it all made sense now.

I nodded. I took the envelope and put it in my bag. I left without another word. I wanted to cry as soon as I made my way to the road that led me to the taxis. I sniffled as I felt the hot tears slide down my face. I was jobless. I couldn't afford to be jobless. My family...

___

When I got home, I went straight to my room, Azola was there, scrolling lazily on her phone.
"Hi," I threw my bag in some corner and slumped on the bed next to her. My older sister didn't even bother to acknowledge my presence. I turned away from her and took out my phone and earphones.

I put on my most depressing playlist and drifted to sleep.

The time I woke up was by Azo telling me it was supper time. I was now sitting with my family, my spoon kept moving the food around, not really putting any of it in my mouth. How did I tell my family that the only source of income was now no more?

"That is annoying Azalea, eat your food or give someone else who is hungry," My mother scolded. I gave my plate to Abongile.
"Ungraful child," she sucked her teeth. Yeah, I probably was ungrateful and that's why I lost my job.

"Azola," my mother narrowed her eyes at my older sister who hummed in return. "Lift your shirt, I want to see something," my mother's tone was non-negotiable. I cast my eye to look at Azola. She was irritated. She sighed, but she lifted her shirt and I gasped.

"I want you to pack your bags and leave my house this instant. Do you hear me!? Angeke ngihlale nengane engana mthetho, engakwazi ukuzibamba la endlini!? Ngithi uyangizwa!?"
By the time she finished her sentence, she was yelling and fuming, her whole face was red.

My sister was the opposite of me when it came to our bodies. Her body was thin compared to mine. So her whole e belly was showing and even if you tried, you couldn't miss the prominent black line from her lower waist going up her stomach.

I looked at my mother in horror. Was she really kicking her daughter out because she was pregnant? "Ma! Where do you want her to go at this hour?" I glared at her. I wasn't about to let her kick my sister out in the wild in the middle of the night.

"I don't care! She's grown angithi yena? She can make her own decisions and get pregnant then she will see where she goes." she got up and took her plate. "I don't want to see a single hair of yours in this house by the time I come back from my room, do you hear me?" she pointed her finger at Azola.

She sauntered to her room. I gaped at her retreating form. What kind of mother was she?
I turned to my older sister and she was crying.
I went and hugged her tightly, trying to console her. Everything was just going wrong today.
Azola got up uprightly, wiping away the tears on her face.

She went to our room, and I followed her. I saw she was packing and shoving everything she owned in her suitcase. "What are you doing Azola?" I grabbed her suitcase and yanked it away, spilling what was already inside all over.
"Why are you packing!?" I glared at her.

Azola glared back at me. "Don't meddle in my business Azalea, stay there like the perfect child you are!" she pointed at me with a heated gaze. Perfect child? Did she honestly believe that crap?

"Azola where are you gonna go at this hour? I'll talk to uma okay? Just stop fucking packing dammit!" I tried to take her bag again but she pushed me away. I stumbled back.

"Shut up! Just shut up!!" she bellowed at me, her face red from the fuming. I tell you, it seemed like everyone was fuming today and I knew I wasn't any different from her. She went back to her packing and when she was done she dragged her back outside.

"Good, leave and don't come back to this house, I don't want a whore in my house." My mother shoved her child to the door. "Hamba!" she pushed her away.

"You'll regret this, I'll make sure of it!" Azola wiped her tears and started to drag her bag in the middle of the night in the dark.

"Ma!!!" I called out to my mother as she closed and locked the door. "You can't do this! She's your child, what if something happens to her?"
I was now crying and trying to make my mother understand.

"Yey fokof wena man, ungangiciki nawe," she clicked her tongue and disappeared into her room.

Alungile and Abongile were sitting next to each other just looked horrified. I went and pulled them closer to my body. "It'll be alright, she'll be fine." I don't know who between the kids and myself was I trying to convince, but I was hoping that it was true.

Everything was spiraling.