Makukhanye



“Are you going to go without saying bye? ” My father asked coming out of the house with my bags that I had left at the lounge.

I rolled my eyes and put on my earphones. I was still mad and I was not going to pretend to be okay with him. My mother came out following close behind and came to hand me a tupperware with my breakfast in it because I refused to eat, I was ready to leave this place.

“Video call me every night.” She promised not to cry but here she was bawling her eyes out as if I was going to the moon and never coming back.

“Are you crying?” I could see that she was crying, but she never wanted to admit that she was crying.

She gave me a damp smile and shook her head “It must be the change of season.” I half smiled “Right.” I was not mad with her, she was never involved in my father’s ways and I knew that she had nothing to do with the bodyguard being here. “But you know that Cape Town is not that far, you can always come and visit.”

She kissed my hair and nodded “I know.”

“You going already? ” I knew that voice right off the bat, making my lips widen a little bit more. Lizzie’s head showed up in the window where my mother was just at a few minutes ago. “Who is that hunk out there?”

“My bodyguard.” I sank on my seat and sighed. “Your father is something else.” She said shaking her head. “Is that why you are leaving early?”

I nodded. “This whole thing is just crazy, why do I get to have a bodyguard but Menzi who is younger than me, might I add, gets to roam around freely.”

“I’ll talk to him don’t worry.”

Lizzie had to move away from the window when the bodyguard stepped inside. The silence in the car was almost unbearable, the bodyguard only broke the silence once when he told me that his name was Sthembiso and that was the only conversation we both had.

I wouldn’t have called that a conversation because I didn’t respond, I only half nodded and put on my earphones.

The ride to the airport only took about an hour and I was glad when I found out that we wouldn’t be sitting together. He only sat at the seat behind me and I didn’t complain, I was glad that I wouldn’t be surrounded by silent awkwardness.