I sat in the dark waiting for her. I heard the door opening and I jumped up and hurried to the door.

“He did it again. Come in, I’ll bring some things to clean up here,” I said quickly.

I went and called the ambulance.

My name is Omphile, I live with my sister Tshepiso. Our parents separated because dad always complained that mom is a workaholic and we hardly see him. As far I’m concerned about mom she’s always at work so it’s just my sister and me.

“Ouch!” Tshepiso screeched.

“I’m sorry… Why are you always going back to him sis?”

“Leave it Omphile.”

“That must be the ambulance.”

“You called an ambulance?”

“Yes, the last thing I want is for you to die here.”

I opened the door and they took her to the hospital. I’m 16 years old and Tshepiso is 19. She is dating Tebogo who is four years older than her. She says that he is the love of her life even though he beats her. It started last year when she came home with bruises then it became a regular thing.

I called an Uber and went to the hospital. The receptionist told me to go through and I went to her room and found two nurses, a male and female.

“You must be her sister?” the male nurse asked.

“Yes, is everything fine with her?”

“Yes, she’ll maybe stay here for two or three days.”

“Ohk when will she wake up?”

“After a few hours.”

“Ok I guess I’ll be back tomorrow,” I said.

I went back home and slept. Tshepiso got discharged after three days and she went back to school.

One day when I came from school I heard her crying again.

“Hi sis, o go biditse gape? (He beat you again?)” I asked. “Keng o sa motlogele kante? (Why don’t you leave him?) Do you enjoy being his punching bag?”

“I love him Omphile, you’ll never understand.”

“Well I understand… What happened to Tshepi who used to say ‘Don’t let a man control you and beat you?’”

“It’s different.”

“Yang? (How?) This guy otlo go bolaya. (This guy is going to kill you.) Well know that if he does, that it’ll be on you.”

“I know if something happens you’ll say ‘I told you so’.”

“Yes… I’ll say that.”

The next day mom was available but sadly I had to go to school.

Days and weeks went by and one day when mom fetched me from school we found neighbours outside our house.

“She’s in danger! He is going to kill her!” Mrs Radebe said frantically.

We heard Tshepi screaming but all of a sudden she went silent.

I quickly opened the door, went to the kitchen to get a knife and headed to her room.

“What have you done Tebogo? You killed her,” I said seeing my sister’s lifeless body.

I went to him and stabbed him several times and when I realised he was dead mom came running into the room.

“What have you done Omphile?? Ohh Tshepi… Tshepiso, my child, wake up dear,” my mom cried.

Other neighbours came in and also the police.

“Miss, give me that knife,” a police officer said.

In that moment I came back to my senses and he took the knife. They took my sister’s dead body.

“Omphile… come here,” my mom said.

I cried so much in my mom’s arms. I woke up with a headache and I heard arguments; dad had arrived.

“You are the reason my daughter is gone,” my dad said.

“What? You are blaming me?” my mom questioned.

“Where were you?”

“It’s no one’s fault. I knew we would be here.”

“What are you talking about Omphile?”

“Don’t blame mom and mom don’t blame dad; you are both at fault. You chose to leave us dad and you mom, chose work over us so don’t blame anyone but yourselves. If you all had remembered that you have daughters we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.”

Tell us: Do you think Omphile should have stabbed Tebogo like she did?