Taken By a Mafia King

Unpleasant surprise

I’m walking home after a long day. I was writing my last paper today. Soon I’ll be working for a publication company, I can’t wait. I just need to sleep as soon as I get home. I know my dad did all the chores. He came back home 3 days ago. He’s been helping around the house since my mom left with his best friend 20 years ago. He raised me alone with help from his family and some of our neighbours, he didn’t want to remarry even after I told him to. I don’t want him staying all alone in this place. He was retrenched 6 years ago while I was doing matric so I had to take a gap year after matric and get a job before I could study for a BA Degree in Literature.

He didn’t want me to take a gap year but I did anyway. This other guy hired me to assist him with the paperwork or give him the tools when he couldn’t reach them. Few weeks into the job his assistant decided to quit and he was desperate for a new assistant I decided to step in. He was hesitant at first but I’m a fast learner. I worked on the workshop full time for 2 years. After 2 years, I went to Varsity and I worked at the workshop when I didn’t have classes and on weekends plus recess or study break. It hasn’t been easy but I had to and my dad has been very supportive.

Bra Simon the owner decided to retire last year leaving me with the workshop, every month I send him money.

When I get home I see an old car. I told my dad so many times that he shouldn’t bring clients inside the house. I didn’t sleep, I had to work and study. I was hoping I’d go straight to bed as soon as I got home. I open the door, the house is full. I greet everyone and I look at my dad, he looks very angry.

“How was the paper?”

“I nailed it. Just wait for the results. Have you eaten?” I ask him. He shakes his head.

“I’ll go make a quick meal” I tell him heading to the kitchen.

“She has grown” someone comments. I wonder where they know me from for them to make such a comment.

I cook rice, mincemeat with cabbage, my dad's favourite. I dish up as soon as I’m done. I walk to the lounge. I start serving my dad, then the rest of the visitors. I keep wondering who they are until I see my mom. I don’t know how to feel. I don’t know how I look but she smiles at me. I feel like going to my room but I don’t want them to think my dad didn’t raise me well. I was so hungry but now I have lost my appetite and I don’t want my dad to be worried so I force myself to eat. I think my dad can see that I lost my appetite because he mouths “are you okay” I just nod. I’m lying and I think he can see that by the way he’s looking at me.

“Mzukulu (grandchild), we’re here to talk to you and your dad. It’s about my daughter, your mother” says an old lady.

Funny how I don’t remember these people. It’s like they disappeared with her. But at least I had my dad and his family. At some point I kept looking at the door thinking she’ll come back apologise and things would go back to how they were. But when I turned 16 I realised she’s not coming back and I accepted that. And now that I did, she comes out from nowhere and smiles at me like everything is okay? The nerve.

I just continue eating, I’m not going to say anything. I have many things to say and questions to ask but I’m not going to waste my time. It’s pointless, it’s not going to change the past.

“You must have wondered who she is because she left when you were very young,” she continued talking. I look at the clock, it's 12 in the afternoon, I need to go to the workshop, and I need to work on a car. The owner will fetch it first thing tomorrow morning.

“It’s been a long day, I have something important to do later in the evening. I need to sleep” I tell them.

“You need to rest. Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll wash them. Rest then we’ll go to the workshop later” my dad tells me.

I walk to my room and I go straight to bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

*****

I woke up 5 hours later. I wash my face and brush my teeth then I go to look for my dad. I find him sitting at the lounge staring at the TV. I know he’s stressing about my mom. If he thinks I’d want to leave with her then he’s wrong, I’m not leaving him no matter what. I don’t want anything to do with my mom. She had 20 years to fix this and she didn’t. Just when I complete my studies she comes back? Some mothers we have. I’m still tired but I have bills to pay so my dad accompanies me. He tells me that he’s tired so I need to drive. My dad and I usually talk all the way to the workshop and today he’s quiet and I’m worried. But I don’t say anything. When we arrive at the workshop he decides to sit in the car which is strange. He’s been my assistant since I started running this place. If something happens to my dad, I’ll never forgive my mom and her family because clearly they’re the ones stressing him.