A Mother's Struggle

Chapter 8

Mmampho's POV

Naledi, Lesedi and I were busy catching up and laughing when I heard a knock on the door.

"What could Zandile want at this hour?" It is seven o'clock and I never expect her at this time.

"I'll get it." Naledi stands up to get the door.
Lesedi and I continue with our conversation and I am enjoying listening to his stories.

Most of them are unbelievable but I just laugh. He said that one time, one learner came to write a mathematics examination while he was drunk and he was in grade ten so he would just say random words out of the blue and everybody laughed. He was spotted thirty minutes later when the teachers got tired of telling him to shut up. I could not stop laughing when he told us that one.

When Naledi gets to the door, she stands there in silence. She has her mouth wide open, she looks really shocked, frozen. I stop laughing and look at her.

"Why are you standing there like you just saw a ghost? Let Zandile in and stop being rude!" I raise my voice at her.

"It is not Zandile mom." She says.
If it's not Zandile, who could it be? No one else but her knows where I live. I start to think she is probably kidding.
"Child! If it's not Zandile, then who else can it be?" I roll my eyes as I stand up to approach the door.

"You should stop with your..." My speech is interrupted by the sight of the people in front of me. I was about to tell her to stop with her jokes. I hold the same position Naledi held when she first opened the door. Literally, no word is able to escape my mouth. How did Thembi and Helen find out where I live? Did Zandile snitch on me? How could she? I blink my eyes rapidly hoping that this is just a bad dream, or that I am hallucinating, the picture in front of me still doesn't go away. Right now I wish that a lightning could just strike me, it is way better than what is about to happen right now.

"Hello Mmampho. Nice place." Helen mocks, I am not really surprised. I have no punchline anymore, I have been lying to them this whole time and now I have just been exposed. My lips are moving but no sound is coming out. There is no lying myself out of this one, it's over.

"We came to get Thembi's money, we worked hard to find this place so you better have the money."

I still keep quiet. I have no idea what to do right now. My throat felt closed up.

"Anyway, when did you move out of that house?" Her lips form a smirk.

She is trying to get to me and it is working. I have never been embarrassed like this in my whole life. I thought this will never backfire. I thought there were no consequences for the plan I made. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I take it out way too fast because I need this interruption, unfortunately it is not a call. It is a message from Zandile.

Helen and that woman that lent you money were here and they might come to your house any day from now, we have to come up with a plan before they do. Oh really Zandile! I roll my eyes at how ironic her text is.

A little too late. I reply to her text.

I check my call log and I see twenty seven missed calls from her, yesterday's and today's missed calls. I guess she was trying to warn me but could not reach me. It still does not make up for what she did.

"Mmampho!" Thembi calls me and I put the phone back in my pocket.

"We just came to fetch my money. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow." She adds.

Without saying a word, I head to my room and get Thembi's money. I haven't said a word since they got here. I give her the money and close my door. I did not know what else to do, I did not even say goodbye. I was panicking on the inside the whole time. As soon as they left, I called Zandile. She picks up after the fourth ring.

"Hey, I'm so sorry. What did they say?" She asks.

"Helen kept mocking about my shack but I gave them the money and shut the door. I did not even say a word to them." I chuckle while saying that.

I am infuriated by her more than I am with Helen. She betrayed my trust, I would understand if she told somebody else but Helen? Helen is my all time enemy and she knows it.

"I'm so sorry I gave them the address. Sibusiso was here and I could not risk him finding out that I lend you his house for three to five Saturdays to host your meetings. It was way too cl..."