“You should leave.” said Thandeka, Thandi’s best friend, when Thandi told her what had been happening at home. “Then Nomsa will see how she can’t live without you. And that she must listen to you.”

“I swear I’m going to kill Themba the next time he touches me,” Thandi said. They were on their way to church.

“You need to get yourself a boyfriend.” said Thandeka, blowing a huge bubble of gum and then popping it with her tongue. “A cute, strong, handsome boyfriend who can beat up Themba if he tries to do anything.”

“And where will I find such a guy, when I’m stuck home with Avile all the time?”

Thandeka knew how to have a good time. “Maybe I can help you find one.” She winked at Thandi. “I’m not blind to the beautiful boys around the place. I’ve got eyes you know!” she laughed and then added naughtily, “and a good pair of boobs, and a good pair of lips and a good pair of legs and a good…”

“Shut up!” Thandi said then, clamping her hand over Thandeka’s mouth.

“Ja,” Thandeka had carried on, pushing her hand away, “It’s not like you’ve never had a boyfriend. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you and Simphiwe behind the church hall in the bushes back in Grade 8!”

“Of course not,” said Thandi, “you’re like an elephant. You never forget.’

The truth was Thandi hadn’t forgotten that either. She never would either, that she knew. People say you never forget your first time. It had been rough and painful and Simphiwe had pushed himself into her before she had even known it was coming. That’s what she’d told Thandeka, adding, “if you know what I mean.”

Thandi had gotten away with it that time. They had used no protection. She remembered Simphiwe fumbling with a condom because she’s asked about it. But she had found it later, left in the sand there under the bushes. Thandi remembered that she had wanted to cry, and had, later, in bed next to Nomsa in the dark.

“I managed to avoid Simphiwe after that. You know it, Thandeka,” Thandi had told her. “I was lucky that time. I’m not letting it happen again.”

In the dark, under the bushes, with Simphiwe, one thing had been clear to Thandi. Clear as a flash of lightening. “If I get away with this, I will never do it again.”

She had promised herself. And here was Thandeka trying to persuade her that she needed a boyfriend. No, she didn’t need a boyfriend. She just needed strength to get rid of Themba she thought. Until she did, she wouldn’t think about him. She wouldn’t!

She wouldn’t think about the way he had put his hand up her school dress the other day, when she was standing next to him, sitting there with Avile on his lap. She didn’t think about the way he had touched her panties with his finger. Thandi had felt his sharp fingernail scratch her as he tried to slip it under the elastic.

I have better things to think about, Thandi told herself. But it was getting hard not to think about Themba. The last time he had tried to feel her up she had reached for the heavy frying pan on the stove. But then Avile had started crying. And he had stopped.

She had slapped him once when he had tried to kiss her. Slapped him, and then when he had continued she had started screaming.

“I’ll tell Nomsa. I’ll tell Nomsa. You bloody bastard.” But Themba had held up Avile between them, so she couldn’t hit him without hitting her little nephew. He was such a coward at heart.

“Do that again,” said Thandi, “do that again and I’ll kill you!”

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