Finally, my mind snaps as mommy and daddy are trying to pull and cut the flower. I run to my parents bedroom and grab the 2liter bottle full of holy water and rush back to our bedroom. 

Mom looks at me and takes the bottle from my hands, and she opens the lid and pours the holy water on the flower, while praying. The flower struggles, bleeds, then shrieks and shrinks back into its size. 

Daddy shakes Nqobile awake. Nqobile won’t budge. Her beautiful face is swollen, her two ponytails are messed up. Her Frozen pajamas are wet with sweat.

“Nqobile, daddy’s girl. Come on, baby. Open your eyes for daddy.” Daddy begs her.

Mom sobs beside him.

“Nqobile?” I whisper, walking closer to my family.

“Baby?” Mom says, tapping Nqobile on her cheeks.

She looks like she’s sleeping.

“Nqobile?” I croak again, my legs shaking.

Father quickly performs CPR on her little body, nothing seems to work. 

An hour passes, with us trying everything to wake Nqobile up. The ambulance had said it was on its way, nothing still.

“Stop. Just..stop..” mommy pulls daddy away from Nqobile’s body, as daddy keeps pumping her little chest.

“No..she’ll wake up. You’ll wake up for daddy, won’t you, princess?” Daddy cries.

“Its over, Lethokuhle.” Mom says to dad.

My father’s name is also, Lethokuhle. I’m Lethokuhle Junior. 

Daddy falls back on the floor, with Nqobile still in his broad arms. Mom falls next to him. I stand there, watching in disbelief, in my pink Barbie nightdress.