A Mother's Struggle

Chapter 50

Another morning and I know for sure that means I am going to get bored again.

Well I am not going to just sit here and get bored so I better get to the jogging.
I promise myself that it is just for today, I hope I will find friends on my way.

I groan as I get up, dress in my most comfortable clothes and tekkies and go downstairs for a bottle of water. I hope I do not get lost in Redwoods.

I take the gate remote off the counter and put it in the pocket of my sweater. I lock the door, open the gate and start jogging.

By the time I get to the fifth yard from Thabo's, I am hyperventilating. I take a sip of my water and start speed-walking.

The houses in Redwoods are very beautiful, Thabo has the biggest house in Leon Street. The houses are built on a fair distance from the gates and everybody seems to be opening their gates with a remote. Their lifestyles are probably the same, they all seem to have a lot of money.

As I am walking and admiring the houses of this place, a man in a blue Fortuner slows down his driving pace.

"Hey beautiful." He says, I do not even look at him. I continue looking at the houses.

"Hi," I do not stop, in fact, I speed up a little.

"That outfit looks hot on you."

This moment seems very familiar.
But when?

Ah yes! Seventeen years ago as I was walking to the shops. I was fifteen. A man driving a Polo Vivo slowed down his driving pace so that he could talk to me. Except that time I wasn't trying to be so cheeky, I was blushing so much that my cheeks got a little sore. I liked it. I was naïve I guess.
It was Thabo.

This time, I am a thirty two year old woman who does not really care about compliments.

"Get lost." I tell him.

"Let me give you a lift, where are you off to?" He asks me.

Is he insane? Can't he see that I am working out, in a way? How is a lift going to help me?

"To Neptune, can you make it there?" I ask and actually start jogging and he follows.

"Sassy I see. I like my women like that. Look my name is Thulani, yours?"
I chuckle and put my hand on my waist as I gasp for air.

"And I like my men handsome and respectful. You are none of that, please leave." I instruct him.

"Whatever." He leaves, Thank goodness.

Men are all the same, these people lack some maturity. Anyway, let me go back home.

...

I got used to this jogging thing, it has been two weeks now and I have been jogging everyday. I have not told my kids or Thabo, they do not have to know everything that I do. I jog everyday, except on weekends, when they are here.

I am going to jog again today. It's half past six in the morning.

As I go back home from my jogging, I get tripped by a stone and fall. I fall on a very thick newspaper. I stand up and start limping.

"A teenager raped by her good-for-nothing uncle in Bluewoods, 04 November 2023."
I read the headline on the newspaper out loud. Thabo told me that Bluewoods and Redwoods are just divided by a factory. I decide to go home and read the newspaper. I have to know more about this good-for-nothing-uncle.
I limp until I get home, I open the gate and go in.

Blood? I got really hurt by the pavement, my knee is bleeding. I did not even realise it until now. Fortunately, Thabo has a first-AID kit in the bathroom. Zandile taught me how to use that ages ago.
I get into the house, put the newspaper on the counter, it is a little bit dirty so I will wipe the counter.

I go up to the bathroom to take the kit. I decide to bath too since I am all sweaty and gross.
I undress and get into the shower. I turn the lever which lets out lukewarm water. Ooh! It feels very relieving.
I flinch as the water gets in contact with my knee, it's very painful. I wash it out carefully and make sure that soap does not get in contact with my hurt knee. That would really hurt.

A few minutes later, I get out from the shower and put the elastoplast on my bruised knee. Then I go to my room to read the newspaper.

It says here that the teenager survived and is in hospital as we speak.

"I heard a person with stifled screams as I knocked on the door, I went to their house because I wanted something from the mother of the victim, the neighbour said."

Luckily she was there when the girl needed her.

"The victim said that he had tried to do this before, but failed and she did not know who to speak to since she lives with her uncle and his wife."

That is so sad. The things women have to go through. She is only sixteen. The uncle is such a monster, and men wonder why we call them trash. An eye roll follows that thought. I don't know what I would do if my daughter went through this. That would be a nightmare.

I feel sorry for that poor child. It says here that the uncle will be going for trial and that he will be going for a bail hearing in a week.

Bail hearing for what? It was seen that he did it, why do we need trial? The neighbour was there to witness it and the child certainly would not lie. Why are they prolonging this whole thing? What about justice for the poor child? Ugh man!

Who rapes their own relative? Actually why do we have to be afraid of being raped. These men feel entitled to our bodies and it hurts so many women. So we have to be so afraid of walking alone because we are afraid of being raped?
We as women, cannot wear what we want to, go wherever we want to go without fear. We are being kidnapped, raped and murdered. This world is becoming something else and the most targeted people are women.

"Dress properly, don't walk alone, don't walk alone at night, walk in groups, be assertive, carry pepper spray, and etcetera," we are told.

What about the people that rape people in their own homes? Take for example, this uncle with no remorse whatsoever. It has gone to an extent that even in our own households we are afraid. This world.

Children that disappear every week, that just makes my heart ache.
I hope she gets well and the uncle gets locked up for a very long time.

Thabo gets in a few hours later carrying a paper bag of Nando's in his hand. I am guessing we are eating take aways for lunch. He came back early from work today.

The kids should arrive soon.

"Hey Mmampho."

"Hi Thabo." That was too formal. The newspaper has all my attention. I'm not really a newspaper person but they have got some juice in here. It's interesting.

"How was your day?" He asks me.

"It was boring. Uh, please buy me a novel. I get bored here." I tell him.

"Cool, which one?"

"Really? Uh, I will tell you."
I will have to think about it, I have not read novels in years, I have to know what's trending. I will probably go with him.

My kids walk in with a lot of noise.

"Hey, what's going on?" I ask them.

"Lesedi is excited that he has a week of grade eight left and is teasing the fact that I will be in grade five."

"And I'm out." I say and rush upstairs.

"Mmampho, you are leaving me with these two, arguing?" Thabo asks.

"Duh! I have been dealing with that for ten years, it's your turn now."
He sighs in defeat. I will always bring that up, I know for sure he will not even argue with me. I am taking advantage of the guilt.

I rush upstairs to nap, before I even get caught up in any of their conversations.