Ntobeko



I would have been perfectly okay with being in the room instead of being here with Siza’s friends and having to listen to them talk about things I didn’t know and laugh at old jokes, it was safe to say that I was shy and awkward, all I could do was just smile and Siza was not helping either as he laid his hand on my thigh underneath the table, getting dangerously close to where he was not supposed to be, especially not when we were surrounded by people, shame took over me when I felt myself get wet at his touch.

We were at a table that was filled with Siza’s friends and their partners who looked like they were truly in love. I always dreamed about finding my one true love, someone who would love me wholeheartedly like how it was shown in the movies but all the guys I had met wanted to either sleep with me and when I refused they left or used me to get over their exes so my hope in finding love weighed down, the spark of hope I had was begin to die, I can’t possibly think that I would find love in this place.

The table was full, it was filled with laughter and conversation, Siza was often quiet and talked here and there, he barely said any words other than those 2 or three words he would throw in when he was asked a question and all I did was smile politely to everyone.

I looked at Siza and excused myself. I was getting tired of hearing about the days they went to Paris or that time they visited North West and who slipped on the mud and and and.

My cheeks were starting to grow numb from all the smiling that I had been doing. It had been a whole month of me being in this warehouse and this was the first time meeting Siza’s friends who he didn’t even bother introducing me to, the only person I knew was Ntando other than that I knew no one here.

Siza reluctantly removed his hand, I pushed my chair back and smiled one more time before slipping away and headed into the bathroom and finally took a deep breath, the smile I had on for almost an hour finally slipped.

I washed my face with some water trying to release the tension but it didn’t even help. A month of me being here has granted me a bit of freedom, I could now walk around a little bit but I was not welcome in other parts of the warehouse.

I was shocked to realise that the warehouse was split into two parts, the first half was all of the sinful things that were happening in this place and the other half was just the other side of the warehouse. In the direction of Siza’s room was the place that was not sinful at all, there was a library full of books, a kitchen just down the hall, a gym, a sitting room, bathroom that was separated from the other part of the warehouse and another bedroom which I found out Siza was sleeping at.

I thought by now he would have wanted to sleep with me but I was still a virgin, the only thing he would do was the foreplay that had been leaving me wanting for more.

During the day I didn’t think about the life outside this place but at night when I was all alone I would think about my mother, the pain she was feeling of not knowing where I was.

I wiped my face and took another deep breath before opening the door and found the guy who had been drinking like he had a spare liver standing outside the door wobbling a little bit.

He smiled showcasing his two rotting teeth “Hey,” he said with a bit of a slur in his voice and touched my breast. I let out a small cry pushing him away from me but he came back stronger trying to grab my butt.

When I looked up, I saw Siza standing at the end of the hallway, his eyes dark with anger brewing inside them, bubbling up and waiting to explode, his whole body went stiff as he eyed the guy like he had committed the worst crime in all humanity.

He walked slowly towards my direction, his eyes not on me but on the guy who looked like he had just sobered up in just 60 seconds. Siza’s hand rested on my waist. “Did he touch you?” His voice was cold as steel, not once did he look in my direction. “It’s okay.”

“Did he touch you?” This time he asked slowly, danger pouring out of his voice. I looked at that guy briefly looking scared and nodded slightly.

“He touched my breast and was about to touch my butt when you came.” If it were possible to see someone turn red in a split second I just did by looking at Siza, he was fuming, his hands forming a tight fist, he brushed the side of my cheek and looked at me a little, his eyes calmed when they turned in my direction “Go and finish up your dinner.” He spoke gently.

“He was drunk, I am sure he didn’t mean anything.”

He smiled a little, but his smile was not genuine it did not even reach his eyes as he looked at me “Even when the guy had violated you, you still stand by him you truly are an angel, Nkosazana.” He kissed my forehead “I will not do anything he doesn’t deserve, now go.”

Danger like that in his eyes only spelt out trouble in big letters, he looked like he would murder the guy if I dared turn the corner, I could have protested but Siza did not look like a guy who would take no for an answer. I did not spare that guy another look as I left and went to the dinner table which was just around the corner.