Back Then…

Aubuti R had raped Lerato several times and what’s worse was that MaDlamini did not believe her when she opened up to her. She accused Lerato of jealousy and that she wanted Aubuti R’s money because his family was rich.

She didn’t go to school the whole third term. She was too traumatised to meet Aubuti R. Her mother had noticed a behavioural change and confronted her.

“What is it, Lily? Talk to me. Is MaDlamini or any other person hurting you while I am at work?” she was concerned about her daughter.

“Nothing, Ma. I just want to be left alone,” she lied to her mother. She knew that no one would believe her if she opened a case against Aubuti R. His family was too famous and they did philanthropic efforts to help the disadvantaged families within the community.

She finally found the courage and strength to go back to school. Aubuti R was not working as a bus driver anymore. She was accompanied by her mother to school to plead for her to be allowed back to school. She was allowed but was told that her chance of her repeating the grade was high. She took ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’ book everywhere she went. She didn’t want to lose it, it was her strength and a plan on how to avenge herself.

Lerato continued with her studies until her mother passed away on her matric year. She was stabbed to death by robbers who took away her bag that had her monthly salary in it. She then worked as a library manager at the nearest town after completing her Grade 12 with distinctions. She then didn’t have anyone in this world for her. Her mother was the only family she had.

Lerato went through with her vengeance plan. First on her list was the one and only MaDlamini. She wanted her to pay for not believing her and not doing anything to help. Murdering her had no hassles. She still ran a shebeen at her place so with a good plan like hers there would be no bite-backs to her.

She paid one of the drunkards to start a fight at the shebeen. By 6 p.m. everything went according to plan. There was a fight at a shebeen and MaDlamini called two of his bouncers to disperse the commotion taking place outside. She then sneaked in the house through the unguarded back door.

“Mandla! Escort them outside. Let them kill each other outside of my property,” shouted MaDlamini who got in the house. The voice hadn’t changed, thought Lerato who was sitting on the bed in MaDlamini’s room.

MaDlamini got a shock of her life when she was standing by the threshold. A gun was pointing at her. A balaclava face and all black-clothed person was holding the gun with the right hand, he left one was on the lips, signalling silence. Even if she screamed, no one would hear her, thought Lerato.

“Please don’t kill me. Take the money. I promise I won’t tell anyone. It’s in the safe, behind that wall picture. The key is in this drawer of the wardrobe,” she pointed towards the huge maroon wardrobe that filled the bedroom. Lerato was not here about the money. “It’s over ten thousand. Take it please.”

She tied up MaDlamini on a chair. Took the money and stuffed all of it in her backpack. She lifted the twenty-five kilogramme gas container from the kitchen to the bedroom. She took out the torn out page out of her back pocket and buried it in MaDlamini’s pocket. She then took the knob of the gas container off.

“Mmmm,” MaDlamini begged for her life.

“Shut up. No one is going to save you. Do you think all those drinkers are coming to rescue you?”

She took the lighter out of her pocket and lit the corner of the duvet. She then ran to MaDlamini and lifted a balaclava up to her forehead.

“Remember me?”

“Mmmmm,” tears rained down from MaDlamini’s eyes.

Heavy explosion was heard in MaDlamini’s house. Monster flames swallowed the curtains and some sneaked out of the window to bite whoever tried to play a hero and attempt to save the burning MaDlamini inside. Water seemed to be paraffin to the fire, instead of minimising and killing the fire, it revived it further.

There was chaos and confusion at MaDlamini’s that night. Everyone was stiff still when MaDlamini’s body was put in a van of the government morgue.

“One down, two more to go,” with a smirk on her face, Lerato turned to leave. Leaving the crowd shocked and speculating.

***

Tell us: Do you think Lerato will feel better after taking her revenge?