Unbreakable

Chapter 3

" Where the hell have you been? It's eight Thato." Out of all the words he could use to welcome me back home, he uses hell,  yup, my life is shit. I shimmy out of his grasp and drag my sorry ass to my room. Of course many voices are shouting after me. Just as I'm about to close the door to my room, Xolani stands with his foot blocking me from closing the door.

" Where have you been Thato?"
" I heard you the first time X, and just like then, I don't want to answer you."

He growled,  closed the door and sat on my bed with a huff.  I grabbed a comb from my dresser and pointed it at him.

" If you growl at me again I will end you."

What the hell is it with these testosterone filled idiots  growling at me.

" Thato I'm trying here, we have people in here for Christ's sake, can't you at least think of what they will say with you gallivanting while mom's body isnt even cold yet"

Okay my brother is pissing me off, if these people cared, they wouldn't say anything.  Who cares if I go out to grief alone.

" Thato, mntase, you have to understand that we are alone in this, we are the ones left. At twenty six I also didn't think about being my seventeen year old sister's guardian, please make things easy for me."

" X, I didn't think I'd be taking care of you, you know I'm the responsible one between the both of us. I went out to clear my head, please get these people out of here."

I'm honestly on the verge of crying and Xolani pulls me in for a hug. I know I can't cry though,  my brother isn't really the best emotional thing and I'll be damned if I let other people plan my mother's funeral other than him.  Xolani finally leaves my room after I beg him. To take my mind off everything, I start studying. After some time, Thandeka enters my room loudly.   "You know the fact that I'm locking myself in my room means that I don't want anyone near me."
" Thato don't be like that man, also ma is looking for you." She throws herself on my bed which I put my school books on, this thing put her skinny ass on my books.
" Thandeka get the hell off my books right now."

" Stop being sour, they are just books."

Another pause, if everyone hasn't noticed, I value tidy,  and what she is doing right now is far from tidy. I resist the urge to kick her off my bed as I say these next words.

" Thandeka get the hell off my schoolbooks, just because your education failed you dismally doesn't mean you should impose your stupidity on me, now would you please get the hell off my bed."
It seemed to affect her cause she got out of my room. I started repacking my books my order of difficulty per subject.  Five minutes into packing, Sipho barges into my room and starts yelling.
" Why would you kick my daughter out of this room? Don't you know how to share you stinking brat, also people are here in your matchbox you call a home and you decide to lock yourself in this trash you sleep in, what's wrong with you?"
God bless my mother for teaching me not to talk back, I looked at her and resumed on the task of packing my books. She suddenly grabbed me so i could turn and look at her. With that gesture, I put my books in my bag and put it away quickly.
" Aunty, please stop doing all this shouting in my mother's matchbox of a house, we are grieving and shouting at me makes nothing better."

I left my room and went out to our  visitors  and greeted them, they roughly said the same thing to me.
" Oh, I'm so sorry little girl for your loss."
" Condolences honey."
I mean what the fuck is it with these messages, it isn't like it's gonna bring my mother back. Anyway, I said these subtle thank yous like I actually heard half of the words said to console me. I wasn't consoled and I still had a week before these people vanished. I finally slipped away and went to my mother's locked room, everyone else can have my room, I want my mom near me. I wore her pyjamas and headscarf, tucked myself into her bed all after making sure the door was locked. Here's lies problems, firstly I can't sleep cause my mom died, secondly there is an overpowering thought of a certain stranger begging for me to close my eyes.

I suddenly hear banging and when I wake up, I find out that it's the door. The banging keeps going,  mind you, it's dark outside and whoever it is is making too much noise.
" Thato open this damn door!"
I drag myself to the door and find Sipho with her hands on her hips.
" Aunty, what's going on? It's so early."

" Don't it's so early me, what is this thing of yours locking yourself in your mother's room?"

" Hau aunty, I was sleeping."

" Okay girl, while you were sleeping, we have been taking care of your stupid mother's funeral. Vuka girl, wake up and plan this stupid thing."

" Aunty where do I even start? I know nothing about funerals. Can't you tell Xolani?"

" Xolani is a boy baby girl, now please get off your ass and do something."

I changed my clothes with her watching me, I wore a maxi pencil skirt with a long sleeve bodysuit.  You know how people dress up ridiculously during funerals and blame it on sadness, yeah we aren't doing that, I inherited this dead woman's OCD and I am going to use it to my advantage,  please don't come for my tight thing from yesterday.  Right then, my skirt is navy blue and the bodysuit is pink, I know dear aunt Sipho is gonna go crazy but I do not care. I leave the room and go to the lounge only to find it full of women who hated my mom, again, respect for adults and all the shit so I head to the kitchen and find soft porridge,  I dish up and head to my mom's room.

I was so right, Sipho went nuts for the pink "shirt for whores", I apparently was showing too much chest, well still am, in fact I always do. My boobs are gigantic bruh, I actually lost track of my bra size. Okay enough about my tits now, in the eight hours which I have been in here, my mom's bed has been de-assembled and now this little shit is sitting on a mattress, sad, I know, and according to our bizarre tradition,  I'm not really  entitled to much movement.  Now then, I started by getting my mom's phone from my aunt who doesn't even know the password.  Of course I cracked it in the first hour that my mom set it on. She accepted after changing it fifteen times to basically the same thing, anything affecting me or Xolani or even both of us. Eyeroll. I bought a helluva lot of airtime then transferred half of the money into her savings account and the other half to my everyday account so i could be able to buy anything we need. I then called the bank to freeze the account for the time being, until I'm able to finish the proceedings. Of course they insisted that I'm too young cause they think they slick and can scam the shit out of an accounting learner. I sent Xolani to sign for it after a gruesome hour of forcing him to get back to his senses and get off his ass.  When all that was done, I was finally able to bath, I then called my grandmother to come help me, only to find out this bitch aunt of mine never told her, she promised she did. I told Xolani to get her, even though she lives four hours away. When I realised that we were alone in this shit, I decided that mom's funeral would be on Thursday,  I'll see to that later though.

I tried calling Nosi but she said I'm disturbing her grieving. This is honestly bullshit, traditionally Siviwe should be buried by my family as damages were paid for him but that will catch up to them, I am going to boy's funeral though,  whether they want me to or not. My useless boyfriend messaged to tell me that he is almost at his weight lifting goal, " to cheer you up babe, it's sad you are going through this my love." Yeah, I'm breaking up with him after this. I was able to study a little bit,  I feel proud honestly. I really think I was productive today, when I called my grandmother,  she really agreed with me.