In The Walls

The heavy rain beating against the window made it even harder for Dineo to stop crying. She crawled to the darkest corner of the bedroom she has been sleeping in for the past seven years. Not only her marriage is falling apart- better yet, fallen, her career as a chartered accountant also made it's way to the ground with no warning. Her arms wrapped tight around her legs, her head buried in her knees. Who would have thought this is how her life would turn out. Not so long ago she was living her best life, beautiful husband, successful career, new member added to the family... Now all of that is ancient history.  "Why? why? why? why me? what did I do?" She sobbed. She snapped her head to the door as it opened slowly. I thought I locked it. His broad shoulders with a head too tiny for his body peaked in, his eyes wondering around the room, "Didi? are you in here?" He asked. Dineo kept her mouth shut, she sure as hell was not in the mood or state of mind to speak to him about anything, not after what he did.  He released a sigh getting fully into the room and closing the door behind him. He made his way to the corner that Dineo hid herself in. He kneeled in front of her, his face painted with worry, he sighed once more his shoulders dropping this time, "Didi can you come to the light, please. I need to speak to you about something." The softness in his rusty voice made her forget everything he ever did to her for a split second. "Okay fine, suite yourself. I will speak my piece though." He went over to the bed and made himself comfortable, he released a sharp breath, "Didi you are aware that we are divorced, and that I have a new girlfriend. Don't take this the wrong way or personal but... I need you to leave." She still kept quiet as the words he uttered stabbed through her chest and came out the back leaving a huge hole that she has no idea if it will ever be filled again, "And Jews is staying with me." It was as though he woke a dragon from it's deepest sleep. She leaped from the corner and stood in front of him ready to chew his head off.  "I didn't quite get that." The calmness of her voice indicated to him willingness to understand. Boy was he wrong.  He cleared his throat, "I said Jews..." A sharp shock on the side of his face cut him short, with his light brown eyes wide open he gave her a glare, his hand rubbing his sore cheek, "WHA-" Another sharp intense slap kissed his cheek.She turned on her heels and matched to the closet and started dragging her clothes out.  "What is wrong with you?! You're crazy woman." He shouted with an angry voice but Dineo paid no mind to his nonsense, she dragged a suitcase from under the bed and shoved her clothes in along with the hangers and her shoes.  Sizwe watched her with a hint of joy that she was leaving and a hint of anger that she beat him and a hint of worry that she wouldn't allow him to keep Jews. She shot her black eyes that she inherited from her mother to him, "You won't take my son away from me you piece of dirty sh*t." She spat and matched out of the room to their son's room. Sizwe followed behind her, "You are in no state of taking care of a child Dineo."  She chuckled, "As if you are." She barged in the room finding Jews playing with his cars on the floor, "Get your stuff we're leaving." She stated taking a small blue suitcase from under the bed.  "Look at yourself DINEO, look at yourself!" Shouted Sizwe standing by the door. The small boy tossed his eyes from his mother to his father, and back to his mother, "Mom what's going on?" She didn't answer she just continued dragging his clothes from the closet and shoving them in the suitcase. Jews has always been shielded from the reality of his parent's marriage, "I don't want my child to grow up in a toxic environment and believing fighting with your lover is a normal thing." Dineo would say whenever an argument was about to occur infront of him, but now... It was too much to bottle. "Look at what you're doing, you're confusing the child Dineo." He said in a more calm voice. She snapped her head to him, "OH... I am the one confusing the child?" She asked pointing a finger at herself, "Ain't you the one sleeping around, huh?" She directed the finger to Sizwe slowly walking towards him as she spoke, "Ain't you the one bringing in h*es in the house and having s*x with them INFRONT OF OUR SON SIZWE! And I am the one confusing him?" She gave a chortle taking one more step towards him. Oh how much she wishes to give him another slap, and maybe a kick in the testicles, but decided against it and went back to packing.  "I didn't have s*x with them infront of our son as you put it, I made sure he was outside with friends." "Oohh... So you did bring them here? Congratu-f**king-lations to you!' She went over to her son, took hold of his hand on one hand along with his suitcase on the other hand, "Move." She demanded, for a second Sizwe hesitated but decided it wasn't worth it. Dineo wasn't gonna leave this house without her son. He moved to the side and Dineo matched to her car. "I'm coming for my son Dineo!" He yelled behind her. She buckled Jews in his car-seat, slammed the door and shot her eyes to Sizwe, "Bring it on moron!" She yelled back, shoving the suitcases in the boot of the car. Her son is the only thing that keeps her from giving up, and she would protect him with her life. He was the only thing that made sense in this mayhem. She drove over to her best friend Zimi, who has been there for her since the day her mother died. It was a very depressing time for her, she even tried committing suicide three times but Zimi would always come to her rescue. She tried telling her family to take Dineo to therapy but they always shut her down, eventually they grew sick of both of them and kicked Dineo out of her mother's house at the age of eighteen. She had to fend for herself ever since, with Zimi's help she climbed the ladder of success only to be pulled down brutally with no remorse.  She parked the car in the runway behind Zimi's, tears threatening to come out. But she wasn't about to look weak infront of her son. She sucked it in, put on her big girl pants and went to unbuckle Jews, her heart sank to the ground when she saw tears in his eyes. There's one thing any mother hates, seeing their child cry and hurt, it's even worse when you're the reason for their sadness.  She picked him up and gave him a tight hug, suppressing her tears as much as she can, "It's okay baby, don't cry. Mommy is here." She whispered in a gentle voice.  Jews sniffed pulling his head back to look at his mother, "Mommy? Why are you fighting with dad?" He asked his tiny voice shaking.  For a second she beat herself up mentally for letting her son see all of that, "No baby, mommy and daddy are not fighting. It was just a misunderstanding, okay? Adults have misunderstandings sometimes." She forced a smile placing a kiss on his forehead, "Now wipe those tears and be a big boy, okay?" She watched him wipe them, "You're a big boy." She smiled once more, gave him one more kiss and put him down, "We will be staying at aunt Zimi's for a while, okay baby?" He nodded in response, having no idea that his life changed for the worst.  After a minute or two of knocking, the door sprung open revealing Zimi in a pink gown and purple sleepers. Dineo leaped over her and wrapped her arms tight around her shoulders, Zimi returned the gesture asking no questions, it was bound to happen sooner or later. She brought them in the house, sent Jews to play with her son in his room as she sat down on the kitchen table to have a chat with his mother.  She passed a glass of cold water over to Dineo who was soaked in tears, "So he finally did it." Whispered Zimi. Dineo nodded in response. "That nasty as* piece of dirty sh*t." She banged the table startling Dineo, her shoulders dropped at the sight of her best friend like this, she went over to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders patting her back in a circular motion. Dineo couldn't hold her tears, she sobbed in her friend's belly soaking the shirt she was wearing, holding on tight around her body. "Don't worry Didi. He's ugly anyway, he doesn't deserve you."  After a few minutes of comforting, they were both decided to go to sleep as it was night already. Dineo was to sleep with Zimi and Jews with Zimi's son, "Let's go to bed, it's a bit late now, okay?" Dineo nodded, sniffing and wiping her tears, "But first I'll go check up on Jews."  Zimi nodded, "I'll be preparing the bed." She walked off to the main bedroom. Dineo found her way to the kid's room, as much as she has been here multiple time she got a bit confused of which room to enter. She found her son sleeping comfortably on the extra bed that was next to the window. She walked over to him and tucked him in tight, she wouldn't want him falling on the sides, after all he is a six year old. She placed a kiss on his forehead, "I love you little prince." She whispered, just when she was about to leave, Jews mumbled an I love you too mommy. Her insides warmed, there was no way she was going to let Sizwe and that witch he calls a girlfriend get their hands on such an amazing blessing. She switched off the lights, gently closed the door and found her way to the main bedroom. She found Zimi sitting on the edge of the bed with a smile covering her face, "Guess what..." She said excitedly.  "What?" Asked Dineo going to sit next to her.  "I found you a house!" She blurted, "And you can move in tomorrow!" Dineo's eyes widened, her blood rushing through her body, "Wait, wait... Back up a bit here... What?!"  Zimi giggled, "You heard me. A friend of mine was gonna use the house but decided against it for some spiritual what what reason, so she said you can move in and stay for as long as you want."  She couldn't help but cry and throw her arms around her friend squeezing her into a hug. She always knew Zimi was a good friend but she never thought she was this good. Zimi pulled out and stared in her eyes smiling, "This is the beginning of new better things."