It was 2pm, and I was reading one of my favourite books called “Sacrifice”, when I received a call from my boyfriend, Sipho Kunene.

“Hello babe,” I greeted.

“Babes, how are you my love?”

“Great! My love, how are you?”

“Ngikahle nam nkosikazi, I was just checking up on you. I miss you,” Sipho said.

“Ohh babe, I miss you too. When you get back, you’re getting something special.”

“Mhmmm, I can’t wait for that my love. Look babe, I have to go right now, I love you.”

“Okay babe, I love you too, bye,” I said and hung up.

It had been two years since we started dating, and we were still keeping our relationship strong by loving and trusting each other. Sipho was 20 years older than me, and he worked as a part-time taxi driver. He was the reason why I stayed alone in a one-roomed shack.

When I finished my matric at 17, my parents kicked me out of the house because of my relationship with Sipho. I knew he was not only a taxi driver because a lot of people had been telling me that he was married and he was a known criminal, but I always ignored those negative comments about my man.

He was a mature man. He knew how to take care of a woman and the one thing that drove me crazy was the fact that he knew how to please a woman, and he loved me a lot. He was the first boyfriend I ever had. I had only had sex with him, and he took care of me financially and he loved to spoil me and take me out to nice hotels. He promised to buy me a house and a car, and we made the best couple.

I had never confronted him about the rumours that I had been hearing about him from people in our community. I would tell myself each day that I would ask him about the rumours, but I always ended up changing my mind.

“He wouldn’t do that to me,” I would say to reassure myself. “If he is not at work, then he’s with me, when would he get the time to be with other women and do all the things they say he’s doing? Why would I think he would do that to me? He loves me more than anything in the world.”

Those were the words I had been fooling myself with, thinking that that man was a saint and he would never hurt a fly. That all changed when he started coming home late, though. He would not sleep at home some days, and he would say he was working nights. His behaviour changed, and he wouldn’t touch me the way he used to.

It was a Saturday afternoon when he came back home and I was making supper.

“Wow, you’re early today. Shocking!” I said out loud.

“What did you say?”

“I fucken said you’re home early today!” I yelled a little louder.

“Ungandijwayeli kabi wena mfazi”.

“You always come home late these days. You don’t talk to me, you don’t touch me, what do you want me to do? Hee? Ngijole?”

“You want me to touch you?” he asked.

“Yes, man! You’re my man, I feel like this relationship is not working anymore. If you’re tired of me, tell me, I’ll go back home”.

“I asked you, DO YOU WANT ME TO TOUCH YOU?” he asked a bit more forcefully.

He started getting angry and his voice changed. He came straight to me and pushed me towards the two plate cooking stove. His hands were on my neck, chocking me. All he said during that time was, “DO YOU WANT ME TO TOUCH YOU!”

He was not the Sipho I knew. I couldn’t say anything, so I cried. His hands were strong and I couldn’t fight him, and my back was burning with the heat coming from the two plate cooking stove.

“I asked you, woman! Do you want me to touch you? Answer me, damn you!”

“Yoooouuu areeee burrning me Sipho. Pleaseee, let go. I am sorry,” I pleaded.

Tell us: Why do you think Sipho has suddenly changed?