I stood behind the door very terrified. I thought my eyes were deceiving me; it just couldn’t be. That wasn’t him.
Another knock.
Silence.
I stood and froze like the other day, with my eyes swollen from all the crying. Maybe I’m dreaming, I mean I’m half asleep, I thought to myself shivering.
Another knock.
I managed to come back to earth and opened the door, there he was, with a ‘rehearsed smile’. Fool.
Tears flowed down my cheeks, they were actually flooding. I was tearing because he had the nerve to show up his nasty face when I was down, why kick a dog while it’s down? Why add fuel to fire? I was suffering already.
The hate I had for him grew even much stronger.
“Is that the way to greet your George?” he asked with his rehearsed smile.
“George? Whose George? My George is dead, buried and forgotten,” I said wiping the smile off his face.
Behind him stood a girl of about my age, with a luggage bag. “Where the hell is that bag going?” I asked, giving the girl a nasty look.
“Mihloti, I can’t let you live here alone,” he said boldly.
“So, what now?” I asked with cheek, holding my waist with one hand and wiping my tears with the other.
“So we’ll move in…”
“Move in? Kwini? Kwala? Where? Here?” I cut in.
“Yes,” he responded.
“Over my dead body,” I started. “Did you build a house here? No!” I answered for him. “Now you want to move in? Where were you when my mother built this house on her own, from sweat, huh?” I was getting really angry.
“Mihloti, you don’t understand,” he said and that fool behind him nodded.
“Yeah right I don’t understand, u pfumela yin wena, and what you nodding to?” I asked her bitterly.
“Your mom asked me to move in with you till she gets better,” he explained still standing at the doorway.
“Do you see her anywhere?” I asked him looking around in the house, “No!” I answered for him. “Now, out of my face!” I said pushing the door closed.
“Mihloti, stop being so stubborn,” he said pushing the door open.
“It’s not like you care anyway, so |los my uit!| leave me alone!” I shouted.
“But I do care,”
“Oh please, you only here because mom asked you to,” I rolled my eyes.
“How can I not care about my own flesh and blood?” he asked with a killer smile, “please let me in.” I couldn’t resist it so I finally gave in and let them in.
He cared? I wanted to ask what the crap he meant by that. Where was he I was giving mommy sleepless nights as an infant? When I graduated in pre-school? On my first day to school? When I got my first academic certificate? Actually, where has he been all my life?
I so badly wished Ntiyiso were here to say I would get through it. But no, instead George, aka George was here, I thought to myself looking at them both.
“This is my daughter Tinyiko,” he held her close with his face lighting up.
“Mhm,” I said looking at her from head to toe, trying to figure out what was so special about her that he was part of her life and not mine. “Loko yena ku ri nyiko, mina ni yin? If she’s a gift, then what am I, a curse?” I asked looking at him straight in the eye.
“Of course not, you too are a blessing, Mihloti,” I knew that was a raw lie.
“So then why do you care so less about me?” I asked filling my face with tears.
Tinyiko came toward me to console me. “You-you leave me the hell alone!” I shouted pushing her away from me. “Just because you stay in my mother’s house doesn’t mean we’re besties,” I said rushing to my room.
“Be patient Nyiko, she’ll come around,” I heard George say.
“I understand,” she replied.
She sounded like a good person, but she took my opportunity of having a George. I hated her with a passion.
She came to my room and sat on my bed. “Mihloti, your mom will recover. Just have hope,” she said with a smile.
“Did I ask you?” I said rudely. “Let’s get one thing straight: we’re not friends and we’ll never be, so save your breath,” I clicked my tongue.
“But…”
“And careful girly, the only way you’ll walk out of this house is in a wooden box,” I promised her and covered myself with the pillow.
***
Tell us: What do you think of Mihloti’s behaviour?