Epilogue
Life has never been perfect with Ntsika. Seeing him get addicted in 2014, and now again, in 2016, it hurt. He almost bled to death that night. The reason for all that blood and pain still sickens Bathandwa to this day. Tik, that’s why Ntsika almost died. Those filthy drug dealers saw a chance of selling to someone who had a nice house they could come and clean out. But when Ntsika refused to let them come and rob the house, when he found something in him, some strength, they butchered him, stabbed him like he was just some piece of meat, not someone’s brother or partner.
Bathandwa still thinks back to that night. What would’ve happened if they’d stabbed Ntsika and buried him somewhere? What would’ve happened if he hadn’t rushed Ntsika to hospital? How would Ntombi have coped with losing her mother and brother, her only real family besides Bathandwa? He still struggles with those thoughts.
Justice is something they didn’t get. Ntsika told the police what happened. In exchange, they didn’t charge him for the tik they found in his pocket on that night. But when they went to where Ntsika said he’d got the tik, there was only one of the drug dealers there. The others escaped. They didn’t find the guy who almost killed him.
The last three months have just been about getting things back to normal again, visiting Ntsika in rehab, making sure Ntombi keeps going to school and to see her psychologist.
Ntsika looks good. He’s making promises about turning his life around, going back to UWC and finishing the six months he still has there. Bathandwa sometimes also struggles to believe all the promises Ntsika is making. He’s made some of them before, back in 2014. But there’s something, a feeling Bathandwa can’t shake – hope.
He and Ntsika have gone back to being friends – friends who will live together and raise a teenage girl once Ntsika is out of rehab. But Bathandwa feels hopeful about their future. He still sees himself building a life with Ntsika and raising Ntombi into a wonderful woman.
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Tell us: Do you think Bathandwa is right to feel hopeful? Is there hope for them?
The End
