Siza



I sat behind my desk and let out a heavy sigh. Everywhere I turned I could smell Ntobeko making it hard for me to focus on anything else but her.

I stupidly thought that she would choose to stay with me right here, how foolish could I have been but I had a hope that maybe, just maybe she felt the same way about me.

I was not supposed to like her, it was never part of my plan but it just happened. Every day I noticed something about her, how she would want to chew slightly on her thumb when she was nervous. I don’t think she even noticed herself doing it, it was something that happened involuntarily like how one would breathe or blink their eyes.

Or how the top of her cheek would crease when she would dare to laugh, or how her brow would crease just a little when she was deep in thought or reading a book.

When I went to the library last night, I could not sit on my favourite chair because that was where Ntobeko was last sitting wrapped with a blanket around her legs, the blanket was still there I even told the cleaner not to touch it and that she must leave everything as it was, with the glass of juice and the book that was still open on the small round table.

My laptop pinged with the email notification pulling me out of my thoughts, grateful for the distraction. I clicked on the video and my heart sank.

It was Ntobeko on the floor with that bastard Rolly on top of her. I could see her tears, her fear and pain. I shut the laptop not wanting to see more.

I stood up and punched the wall behind me and screamed in rage. I should have never let her go, what did I think would happen when I set her free? I yanked the door open and my eyes searched for Ntando as I took the steps with 3 long strides.

I went to the bar where he was and pulled him out of the conversation he was having. He didn’t complain seeing the look on my face.

“I want you to find Rolly.” I instructed him, my voice cold “Bring him alive, I have somewhere to be.” I got inside the Porsche car that I rarely use and sped away to Ntobeko’s house.

I got there in 28 minutes on the dot, I parked the car outside on the side of the pavement and took a deep breath calming the rage that had been eating me.

The door was still open when I walked inside, the bucket of water was left laying on the floor, the floor was still wet with water that was spilt during the process of Rolly assaulting Ntobeko.

The name of that good for nothing bastard sounded bitter on my tongue, I looked at Ntobeko craddled in the corner hugging her legs. I ignored the now wet skirt took the blanket on the couch and wrapped her in it.

She looked like she was far away from here, she was still in shock which was obvious. “Ntobeko,” I said softly careful not to scare her.

“Ntobeko.” Her eyes snapped back into reality when her eyes looked at me. She tried to scramble away even though there was no more place for her to go.

“It’s me, Siza.”

She looked at me again and calmed down a little and held on to the blanket as a protective shield. “You are cold.”

She was shivering and her skin was cold to touch, “You need to go and bath, are you okay with me lifting you?”

She took a minute to let out a nod. “I’m coming.” I ran over to the bathroom and ran some water and poured a foam bath and went to pick her up from the floor in the lounge.

I turned around for her to undress and I heard the dip of the water when she got inside the water “Don’t go.” I heard her soft voice when I was about to open the door.

I turned around seeing her eyes pleading with me with her eyes, I nodded and took the sponge and washed her back as she silently cried.