In The Walls

Chapter 2

As much as yesterday was a hustle for both Dineo and her son, at least today things looked a little bit brighter. They had gotten up early to prepare to move to their new home, not that they had much to prepare, just their suitcases that they didn't even unpack and a few items that Zimi landed her for her new home since she left everything back at Sizwe's. 

"Finish up little prince we've got to go." Said Dineo to Jews, washing her bowl of cereal as Zimi got her son ready for his morning classes. The one thing that saves Dineo from all of the school struggles is that she and Sizwe decided to home school Jews until he turn seven, by then Dineo will definitely would have had everything under control and can pay for the school fees without having to ask for any help. 

They finished up and rushed to the car, first dropping Zimi's son off at school and rushing to fetch Zimi's friend since she doesn't have transport and she also doesn't have time on her hands, so she puts it. They found her tapping her foot on the ground impatiently with her arms crossed on her chest, checking the time every few seconds, "God she is so dramatic." Scoffed Zimi, parking the car infront of the entrance. 

She rushed to the car and got in the back seat with Jews, "Do you know how long I've been standing here?" The attitude in her voice got Zimi to roll her eyes to the back of her head. 

"It has only been ten minutes Amanda, stop being a drama queen." She drove off. Amanda grunted, "Did you just grunt?" Asked Zimi, "Did she just grunt?" She asked again directing the question to Dineo who just chuckled and was back to her deep thinking. 

After four hours of driving they finally entered the farm's small town, being greeted by the aroma of fresh flowers and freshly cut grass. Jews has never seen so much greenness in one place. Old buildings surrounded the town as though it was a cowboy town, every building made of plank and having unique sculptures caved on the doors and edges. It was as though they just walked into a 1980s movie scene, "Can you stop somewhere I need to freshen up." Said Amanda. 

Zimi pulled up next to what appeared to be a grocery store, "Ten minutes guys, ten minutes." Stated Zimi and unlocked the doors walking out. Amanda rolled her eyes following her to the store. Dineo and Jews soon followed after them. A soft yet aggressive bell sound startled Dineo and Jews as they entered, alerting the whole store that about their presence, to her surprise nobody turned their heads or paid any mind to them. She browsed the store for Zimi and Amanda but couldn't find them, she released a sigh, "Guess it's just you and me buddy, come on." She held Jews' hand and made her way through the store, gaining a few friendly and questioning stares. She took some cereal, meat, soft drinks, milk, bread, butter, coffee, sugar, salt, spices, cleaning supplies and a few bottled water. She dropped the items on the counter, but nobody was there to attend her. Zimi and Amanda were also not in sight, the store was suddenly too empty and quiet.  

"Mommy where is everybody?" Whispered Jews to which Dineo shrugged. 

"Hello?" She uttered, but received no response. "We're in a hurry you kn-" She screamed jumping back... A six foot, buff, pale skinned man, with a horrific scare starting from the right eyelid down to the left side of his cheek, with a bold head appeared in a haste from under the counter, his face so stoic that you'd think he is a corpse. "WHAT THE F*CK!" She yelled her heart beating out of her chest, with her hand over it as though she was trying to stop it from popping out, "You scared the hell out of me my friend." She nervously laughed. 

The man didn't say a word, he proceeded with calculating the amount of the groceries with no till, just a small calculator with an old dirty dark tape around the buttons trying to keep it together, beating it a few times to make it behave. 

Amanda and Zimi appeared from the very pocket of the store, with Zimi carrying a hammer and a packet of chips and Amanda carrying a bottle of still water and four chocolate bars. They dropped the items on the counter, "Pedro's sister is just a total as* that is it." Argued Zimi paying no attention to anyone but Amanda. 

Amanda frowned, "No, no, no. Pedro's sister is just trying to protect her brother that's all." 

"Oh, by ruining his marriage? That's just straight up bull." She scoffed crossing her arms over her chest. 

Finally the man was done with Dineo's items, "That will be R300." The roughness in his voice sent chills down her spine, she took out the money and handed it over. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to the counter, his eyes piercing through her filled with fear and horror, she uttered a yelp as her hip met with the counter making a loud bang sound, but he didn't care, "She doesn't like visitors." He hissed in her ear, just when Zimi and Amanda noticed what was happening he let go of her. 

"WHAT THE HECK?!" Yelled Zimi pulling Dineo away from him, "ARE YOU CRAZY OR ARE YOU F*CKING CRAZY?!"  Even though she was intimidated by him, she wasn't gonna let her friend be treated like that, "Infact you know what, we are taking these stuff unpaid for your bad customer service!" She snatched the money from his hands. He ignored her, his focus was on Dineo. With his jaw tensed, his eyes wide open, his body shaking a bit, he said in a steady and low voice, "Run as far and as fast as you can." With that Zimi pulled her along with Jews, Amanda followed behind them with the groceries happy that they didn't pay a cent for it, but a bit shaken by what just happened. 

Nobody dared to utter a word since the grocery store incident… Well, Amanda tried breaking the tense silence with a few uncle jokes that not even Jews found funny, but her effort fell straight back to the hole it came from. Zimi couldn’t bare it anymore, as much as she knew her friend didn’t want to talk about it, she wanted to know. She hit the breaks sending everyone flying to the front being saved by their seatbelts, the dust of the gravel road raged, hovering around the car for a few seconds before deciding to settle on it.

“What in the world is wrong with you?!” Yelled Amanda, angrily taking her seatbelt off as though it did wrong by saving her, “You wanna kill us?! HUH?!”

Jews mourned next to her, having no idea of what just happened. He seemed to have bumped his head on the back of the driver’s seat. Dineo slowly focused her gaze on Zimi raising a brow, “Seriously?” She asked in a board voice.

“I’m sorry. This silence is really killing me now.” Whined Zimi.

“Oh, and you decided to kill us.” Said Amanda sucking on her teeth and scoffing there after, waiting for a reasonable explanation.

Zimi released a sigh turning her head to Dineo who still kept her sharp gaze, “What happened back there?” She asked, her voice soft and calm, her eyebrows brought close together and raised, her lips in a thin line ready to listen to whatever her friend has to say.

Amanda threw her arms to the sky, “Are you kidding me?! This is what we were BRUTALLY stopped for?” Zimi has sucked up Amanda’s whining, rudeness and stupid attitude for too long. She felt a switch flip, she shot her head to her, her eyes piercing through her soul ripping it apart, “Get out.” She stated. Not wanting to see what will happen if she doesn’t, Amanda did as told. Next, she focused her eyes on little Jews who still had no clue what was going on, “Follow.” She spat.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t talk to my son like that.” Said Dineo looking back at Jews and gently pulling Zimi back to her seat. “Baby do you mind stepping out a bit, me and sisi need to talk.” She gave him a soft smile. The boy nodded unbuckling his seatbelt, “Mommy…”

“OUT YOU LITTLE PEST!” Yelled Zimi cutting him short, causing the boy to obey her immediately with great fear. Her voice deep than usual and dark with a silent echo following after her words.

“What the heck?!” Questioned Dineo with her eyes wide open, her back against the door moving away from Zimi.

Zimi squashed her own head with both her hands trying to suppress the unknown pain that took over, a loud mourn escaped her lips with her eyes squeezed shut. The mourning soon turned to a scream. Dineo started freaking out, “Zimi?! What’s going on?!” Her voice threatening to break, but Zimi was too caught up in the pain that she didn’t even hear the question.

Hesitantly… Dineo slowly reached her shaking hand out towards her friend who was rocking back and forth, bumping her head on the steering wheel but not hard enough for it to honk, trembling in pain. She took in a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever happens…. She placed her hand on her back…. Zimi froze… It seemed as though the car was getting smaller, making it difficult for Dineo to breathe, “Are you okay?”