LUBANZI

Chapter 38

LUBANZI

Chapter 38

𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐙𝐈𝐖𝐄

"The ring looks pretty on you." My sister commented.

"It's shining right?"

"It's dazzling. So I'm your maid of honour?"

"Ambe? You don't have to ask. You already know that you're my maid of honour. You and I are sharing a husband." We both laughed.

When we were young,we used to say that we are going to share a husband.

"Let me love and leave you. I have a gig to attend and oh by the way,next week I'm going to Cape Town."

"Really? What for?"

"There's an event and lots of celebrities will be there. I'm going as a DJ since I've been booked."

"I'm so happy for you." I really am.

"Fez, it's not the first time I bump shoulders with celebrities."

"True but soon you'll be best friends with celebrities. We will see you on the TV. You'll be going to interviews."

"I know. It's exciting. Bye." She took her handbag and ran out of the coffee shop. We were doing lunch and now I have a client to meet.

I paid the bill and drove to Anathi's home. She's the girl who was sexually assaulted. When I reached there her mother welcomed me and we headed to the lounge.

"I'm here pertaining the case of your daughter. I'm her legal representative and I would like to ask her some questions."

"Please go easy on her. She's traumatized and hate herself for what happened."

"I'll go easy on her ma'am." I assured her. She stood up and went to one of the rooms. She came back with a young girl who looked Kaya's age. She was wearing a shawl. She sat down on the couch.

"Hi." She said.

"Hey,Anathi right?" She nodded.

"I'll give you space." Her mom excused herself.

"I'm Afeziwe Jali. I'll be your legal representative on this case."

"Why bother? Nobody believes me." She said bitterly while looking the other way.

"I believe you." She stared at me.

"How? You were not there. I could be lying."

"But you're not. I know when a person is lying and when they are telling the truth."

"Lucky you." She said sarcastically but I'm not taking any offence.

"Tell me about that day,Anathi. I will fight for you." She sighed.

"I hate going over this. I hope you're the last person I tell." She wiped a tear.

"It was last year on the 31st of December. I was out with my friends. They are both experienced when it comes to sex but I was a virgin and he took my virginity." She wiped her tears again.

"We were sitting down and having cocktails. This man approached us. He conversed with Cindy and Hlelo while I wasn't interested. I was busy on my phone and the next thing Cindy is shaking me and when I look at her she shows me the gun the man was holding. He hid it inside his suit but it was visible to us. He said that we shouldn't make any noise because he's going to shoot us. I know it sounds stupid and we should have screamed for help but we were sitting outside the pub, away from people. We followed him to his car and he had a driver. They drove us and I tried calling my brother in discreet but the man took the phone away from me and hit me with the gun on my head and I fell unconscious. I was woken up with water and he was on top of me. I was naked and he was having his way with me." She stopped talking.

"So you still remember his face?"

"How can I not when it's the only thing I see when I close my eyes?" She chuckled bitterly.

"Where were the other girls?"

"They made it seem like it's our fault and that we are not going to tell anyone. They convinced me not to. I thought I could keep the secret but it started killing me and I told my mom. Unfortunately they couldn't take any evidence because a week had passed and I had washed it all away."

"Where are the other girls? How do they feel about this incident?"

"Cindy continued with her life. She's busy sleeping around and Hlelo went to Cape Town." Cape Town?

"Are you perhaps talking about Hlelolwenkosi Dalindyebo?"

"You know her?" She was shocked.

"She's my sister-in-law. This case just got complicated Anathi. Why would Hlelo not say anything about being sexually assaulted?"

"I don't know."

"Do you perhaps know where the guy stays?" She shook her head.

"Name?"

"Richard Radebe. He's a business man. Take this." She gave me a drawing. The paper had a drop of blood.

"Nathi? Is this your blood?"

"Please don't tell Mom." She stood up and ran back to her room.

I bid farewell to her mom before I went to my car. I took out my phone and called Hlelo.

"Mommy!" She answered.

"Hlelo what happened on 31st December?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to know."

"We went to a party and that's it. Bye sister-in-law." She hanged up.

𝐇𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐥𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐨𝐬𝐢

How did Afeziwe know about what happened on the 31st of December? I wanted to forget the trauma of that day. I took the scissor and cut my hair. It wasn't well cut so I took a bath then wore my all black clothes and a cap.

I drove to a nearby salon and asked them to make my hair short and dye it black.

"Did someone die in your family?" The girl who was doing my hair asked.

"What do you think?" I rolled my eyes.

"What do you expect me to think? You applied a black lipstick. Your eyeliner is black and you're wearing black clothes and shoes. It's screaming creepy vibes."

"Good. Now finish with my hair,I have people to meet."

"Done." The hairstylist was finally done. I looked at myself in the mirror and I couldn't recognise the person I was seeing. I looked different and broken. Well that's what Richard Radebe wanted. Now all that's left is to send him back to his maker.