My parents died in a hijacking accident on the N1 road of Polokwane. I was less than three days old and I was in the car when it happened. I witnessed it. All I did was cry in the back seat of the car. My granny took me in and raised me like her own. I called her mama. Even now I still do.

At the age of thirteen I found out that she was not my mom. This almost caused tension between us. I wanted to know my parents and she took me to the graveyard, to show me, my parents. I couldn’t see their faces. I wouldn’t even if I tried to. They are six-feet underground.

At night, I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about the pain that I have caused for my granny. She was all that I had. We were struggling to find food and she was not receiving the elderly social grand, only grant for me. And here I was being difficult.

It turned out that mom and dad were major shareholders of some local company but I had no idea about it. Granny had papers, but she couldn’t read. I once tried to read them and this was how I found out. I couldn’t understand the big terms that were used in the contracts. I only knew that a contract is a bond between two or more people. I needed help.

My uncle was working in that same company. He was married but his wife was not approved to be part of the family. For what reasons, I don’t know. So Uncle hated granny but he was nice to me. So I decided to ask for his help. I made copies of the documents and gave him. He was furious and asked me where I got them from. It was terrible, I never saw him that angry before. I told him the truth. He asked me where the originals were and I had to lie and I told him that there were no other papers. He gave me R100. I was surprised and happy at the same time.

One day I was surprised to see a beautiful and expensive car at the gate. I found a lady and gentleman busy discussing me with my granny. It felt terrible, I wanted to run away. I thought they were the police, but I hadn’t done any crime. I went to them, I greeted them. It turns out they were family lawyers. They gave me papers to sign. I asked what they were about and they explained that they are about my parents’ assets. Uncle had taken my parents’ cars and townhouse.

He gave me and Gogo the village house. It wasn’t bad. The lawyers gave me full information about my parents’ company. I had inherited all the property and I had to let someone act on my behalf till I was eighteen.

Gogo called a family meeting a day after. Uncle didn’t show up. It was on Sunday, just after the New Year. I was about to be fourteen years old. Uncle sent his lawyer instead, they told us to move out of the house in less that forty-eight hours or we would be arrested. On Monday, I went to school. It was a good day at school. I then started to pay attention to economics. I became an addict in a day.

After school, I took an extra economics class. I was the only one; the others were busy practicing math. In three hours’ time I went home. I was very hungry. When I got home it took me by surprise that the pots were empty. It was a sign that Gogo didn’t cook. I went outside to ask her why but she was not there. I went to her room to find her in a pool of blood. That’s the only thing that I remember from that day. I woke up in my friend’s place. I was told that I had fainted next to my granny. She was taken to the funeral service provider. Uncle came home for the first time in many years. He managed to set up a funeral in the same week and Gogo was buried on same weekend after her dead.

The police wanted someone who had information that could lead them to the suspects. Uncle took me to his townhouse. He didn’t even show and emotions of grief during his mother’s funeral. One night my uncle’s wife came over to my room. She was just looking at me, like a piece of good. I got up and looked her in the eyes. She said to go to sleep; there was nothing to worry about.

I couldn’t sleep but I pretended to be asleep. I wasn’t comfortable to be in that house. I was missing home, a real home with grandma. After three months, Uncle got arrested for murder. No one told me the whole story but apparently his hitman got arrested and gave the police all information they needed. The lawyers came again. They wanted me to delegate someone to look after my assets. They were the ones who told me the whole truth about my parents’ death.

I found out who murdered my parent and why they did it. The same person who killed grandma was the one who murdered my parents. His wife was not charged, but I thought she was the mastermind behind the whole situation.

Everything Uncle had stolen from my late parents was transferred to me; the rightful owner. As the lawyers were sharing this with me, someone was overhearing, purposefully.
Before 7 p.m. one night, the police took me to the station to see if I had any other information they could use to prevent Uncle’s parole. When I was done the police captain ordered one of his men take me back home. The policeman insisted on taking me inside the house. He knocked at the door. There was no response. He went to the other side of the house. While he was looking around he noticed that back door was open. He called for backup. He went inside to see if Aunt was OK. But he found that she was no more.

That night at 8 p.m. three men broke in. Aunty tried to fight back. They raped her. She must’ve been so furious because she took a knife and stabbed one of the men to death. They killed her. They took a few things with them and vanished.

This was terrible. First, it was my parents, then granny and now Aunty. It gave me a fright. I could be next or maybe Uncle was wrongfully arrested. I also feared for him in prison. He could easily get killed behind bars.

The following day was his bail hearing. I wanted to support him; he had just lost his wife, I thought to myself. After he was told about his wife’s death he had a change of heart. He changed his statement and confessed that his was responsible. He also told the police that he wanted control over my parents’ company. He confessed that he made plans to get rid of me, that he arranged the house robbery and the plan was to kill me and hurt her, so it didn’t look planned. He hadn’t expected that I wasn’t going to be home. He had no contact with the hired men and I was saved by his mistake.

He pleaded guilty. He didn’t want bail anymore. He did this in exchange for being let out to pay his respects to his beloved. He didn’t bother apologizing to me. Now I’ve got no one because of him. He has a child who is 8 years old; a girl. She likes me and I like her. She is in a private school overseas. I asked the lawyers to let the company pay her fees for the whole year.

It is about time she comes home. I want her near me. We could be better than our parents. I don’t understand why she doesn’t blame me for what happened to her parents. I have faith that she is better than her parents. Her father got fifteen years in jail and now it is my duty to raise my cousin.

Maybe one day she will turn her true colours on and try to take over the company like her parents. All I want to do is to see my parents and granny to apologise. They are dead because of their love for me.

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