“Come here!” Khonzani dragged Milå into the corridor.

“Daddy, please!” Milå begged as nthiko landed with a smash on her great bums, further made five more harsh sounds that only made Upendø enjoy a satisfied smile in the kitchen.

Milå’s bums appeared to be on fire. She would think she would never be able to sit on them again forever.

“Daddy, why—why don’t you believe me?” Milå stammered on the tiles, her voice getting weaker with each word.

“You think your mom was stupid to say your boyfriend came here in the afternoon!?” Khonzani shouted, his nthiko taking a break in mid-air: “How dare you to invite him here!?”

“He’s just a friend of mine from school. He came to borrow a book, that’s all,” Milå said, coughing and sobbing; her face bore a faint resemblance of a wet mop. “Daddy, please, don’t stick me again…I can’t breathe.”

Khonzani simply marched away from her. Milå barely saw him leave as her vision was temporarily blurred. She lay on her stomach and listened to the pain in her bums travel to her head. She snorted and snorted as she sobbed.

“I want her iPhone and laptop,” Khonzani demanded, talking to his good wife; “she doesn’t deserve them.”

“Okay, dear, hold on a minute,” Upendø said, pouring the hot beef soup into a steel container. Her food tray was ready. “Stop sobbing! Come here and carry the tray to the table!” she yelled, loud enough for Milå’s ringing ears to grasp.

To avoid further punishment, Milå forced herself to stand barefoot, wiped the tears from her face, and limped to the kitchen. Her own heart seemed heavy, too the pink hoodie on her body. She stood at the kitchen door and tried to gain her mother’s sympathy, but Upendø avoided looking at her, instead washed her hands at the sink faucet.

“Don’t just stand there. Your dad is waiting for food in the dining room,” Upendø said as she took a glass jar of pineapple juice from the two-door refrigerator, thereafter she slammed the doors.

Milå went to the cupboard and carried the tray of food. “Mommy, but why?” she asked her mother in a low tone.

“What?” Upendø probed, placing the jar on the same tray.

“Kevîn isn’t my boyfriend. Why did you lie to daddy?” Milå spoke quizzically, giving her mother a cold look.

However, Upendø took off her powdered apron and entered the dining room. Milå snorted and followed her.