LUXOLO

Being splashed with cold water is what wakes me up from my peaceful sleep, damn it maarn. I’m soaking wet, and so is my bed. I take a look around the room and all the girls are up, and ready to start the day looking all freshened up. Jaguar chuckles beside me, nxa.

“Do you have any fucking idea what time is it?” I ask Jaguar as I take off my pyjama top.

“03:10am in the morning. You are lucky that I’m the one who woke you up, because if it was Nikolai who did I doubt he would be this gentle. Take a look around you diamond, all the girls have long woken up, all ready to start with the training.”

Me: “What training?”

Her: “You will see. Everyone out, and as for you- you have 5 minutes to get ready then meet us outside.” They all walk out, well, except for Milan who opted to stay behind, and guard me. Hahaha, funny. So, after what she told me about this place last I was star struck some of the things she said sounded surreal, but they are true. The torture these girls go through every day is not healthy. They are training them to be terrorists, killers, and all the things that take place during war, they are training them for the upcoming war in Afghanistan. Afghanistan bafwethu, a country where wars happen every now & then I’m sure you guys know what takes place in that country kuyanyiwa shame. I don’t understand why Nikolai decided to recruit these women instead of men. Afghanistan needs men, military professionally trained men not some random abducted women. We are doing a man’s job, RHA! And they sell the fragile ones for sex slavery to these old disgusting men, old enough to be their grandpa’s.

Nikolai sleeps with these girls as part of the initiation, once done sleeping with them, he passes them to his associates, and they too sleep with these girls no protection used, so, you can imagine what kind of sickness they all have, and if Nikolai didn’t enjoy you during sex he kills you, and throws you in some room. According to Milan that room is full of dead people both genders, and it smells horrible as fresh bodies keep on being added. Oh, and Nikolai locks you there for 2 days with no food or water given as part of punishment, thinking about it nje makes me nausea. Milan told me a lot last night hence we slept very late. Yena shame she is one strong woman, and her stepfather is the one who brought her here. He brought her  here to teach her a lesson, and that was 5 years ago, and not once did he come, and visit her together with her mother. I don’t even know why her mother agreed to this shit, but what was she to do ke when Milan’s stepfather used to rape Milan whilst her mother is watching, and she would do nothing about it, but mind her own business. Milan started developing hatred for her mother & stepfather as the abuse proceeded until she’s had enough of it, she attempted stabbing her stepfather, but her mother bashed her head with a vase that had small used items, and when she woke from her consciousness she found herself here in this  place.

So, Milan tried escaping with 5 other girls a year later with the help of one of the guards of course, but they caught them before they can even get past the first gate, there are 4 gates here I wonder why so many gates, and the walls are very high they have spikes on top. They caught them, and tortured them, they’ve chopped their thumbs off, and grazed their ears. Once they’ve tortured them enough they threw them in that room full of dead bodies for 2 days with no food & water. Milan said that the smell was unbearable, and the bodies were piling up. The guard was taken into a different room, yuck. So, 2 days of staying with the dead bodies they were finally released, and she was thankful yhey, they’ve prepared food for them, and they told them to go, and bath then come back and eat. Wuuuh shame they were so excited that finally they’ll be getting some food, the food was delicious, and the juice was nice too it tasted different from the one they are used too she said only to find that they are actually eating the guard’s flesh, and drinking his blood Sies, Cannibal type of shit. Yoh, they were so disgusted, and tried vomiting but nothing helped, and one of the girls decided to commit suicide she couldn’t fanthom the fact that she ate human flesh and drank the blood. Milan said she never ate for 2 full weeks thinking about it, of which makes me wonder how many more people have they eaten unknowingly because I know that, that the guard was not the first person to be eaten, and as for me, I ain’t going to eat shame, ah never wuuh. I’d rather die of hunger than to eat a human being like me.

“Hurry up diamond we are 2 minutes late.” She complains.

“All done. Let’s go.” We walk out of the dom, and go, and join the others. They are already running in this huge stadium of some sort, but this one looks weird, and too vast. Some of the girls are already tired. “How many laps do we do here?” We are already on the field running.

Her: “50 laps,” shrugging.

Me: “Askies? Do you see how vast this field is? I ain’t going to do 50 laps!”

Her: “Then be prepared to get punished by Nikolai.”

Me: “After here we are doing what?”

Her: “Mud training.”

Me: “Mud training?”

Her: “Yes, one of the brutal trainings. Let me not tell you, you will see for yourself.”

Me: “But the other girls look tired already, and I’m quite sure that this is the first lap,” she laughs.

Her: “Of course they are, but they will run once Nikolai gets here.”

Me: “It seems like this Nikolai is some kind of God around here.”

Her: “He is. Everyone fears him.”

Me: “Is the something going on between him & Jaguar.”

Her: “They are fucking each other every now & then.”

Me: “How did Jaguar end up here?”

Her: “I have no idea, but I think it was after her father’s passing. Her father was brutally killed while having a mini celebration with his associate, some assassin invited herself, and killed him, in fact it is said that the killer killed him with razor blades, and she walked out as if nothing happened.”

Me: “Wawu. Was her father a gangster?”

Her: “He was a mobster my stepfather was working for him. Adriago was a very heartless man.”

Me: “I see, but what happened to your real father because I keep on hearing you mentioning your stepfather.” She sighs.

Her: “He was killed back in your country.”

Me: “Yoh. By whom & why?”

Her: “I don’t know who killed him, and his killing had something to do with stolen diamonds.” I swallow at absolutely nothing. Could the diamonds that Bella gave me belonged to his father? If yes, then how did Bella get hold of them? Wait.

Me: “When did your father die?”

Her: “20 years ago.” Phewww, at least. This means that the ones I have doesn’t belong to her father.

Me: “Damn, I’m sorry for your loss.”

Her: “No he deserved it, he was a monster too.” I nod.

“Stop talking, and start running!” Jaguar yells at us, mxm yaphapha lo. We do as told. From a distance I see Nikolai smoking his cigar looking at us, and the girls start running fast. Yazi, I need to stop fighting this, and do as told, find out exactly what is it that they actually want from me. Maybe if I can acquire that information I might find a way out of here, and who knows maybe the training will come in handy one of these days plus with the upcoming war I might put my skills into good use. Not bad, not bad at all. And I can also use these very same skills to kill them.

Me: “Do they teach how to use guns too?”

Milan: “Everything. They teach you everything. How to throw a knife, how to protect yourself from explosives, how to shoot with different guns, self-defense, and more. We have different tutors for all those things. Jaguar just helps us with training, and she is working with 5 more people.” Okay.

10th lap, and I’m already tired. Some of the girls are crawling, some are passing out. Jaguar kicks them, some get up, and continue running, but some don’t even bother getting up. I understand why they are fainting though, they haven’t had breakfast

and their last meal was around 20:00pm yesterday, they had 3 slices of rye bread with tea, yet they expect them to do 50 laps what kind of nonsense is that? This is abuse nina. I wonder how long have they been here, I look at Milan, and she too is breathing heavily sweat forming on her forehead. 

Her: “I’m tired, hopefully Jaguar will blow the whistle seeing that everyone is almost passing out.” A whistle blows immediately as she finishes saying that. “Thanks God!” She throws herself on the grass facing up.

Jaguar: “Go, and eat then we will continue where we left off!” Milan laughs.

Her: “I take it you will not be joining us.”

Me: “Duhhh, of course. I don’t want to eat human flesh.” She continues laughing

Her: “We don’t eat that, they cook proper food you only eat flesh meat as part of the punishment, nothing more.”

Me: “I’ll pass thank you.” I help her up from the grass, and we follow behind the others. Nikolai is still looking at us, his stare is unsettling, but let me not think about it. I wonder how far is the hunt going there is South Africa, gosh. Where are they even going to start? God, please intervene. I’m sure my mother have been calling me without success, and she is worried sick about me, shit. I wonder if TK found my phone, enhlek my belongings. Sighs, I miss him. I miss the gents.

★»★«

NOMALANGA

I’m so stressed Luxolo’s phone ain’t going through it’s been days now, I hope everything is fine, and she is okay, we also can’t get hold of Tsakani & Lee or maybe the war have started? But even it has started I’m sure we would’ve seen it in the news by now. God. I’m losing my mind here, not knowing what’s going on, I’m so in the dark. Mmangwane is also worried about Lee, in fact everyone here is worried about them, Bulelwa too even though she pretends as if she doesn’t care, but deep down she does, and she’s worried. Sabelo have been calling his South African friends pleading with them to go, and check on Tsakani, but they will all come back with the same answer that Tsakani ain’t at his house, and the neighbors don’t know where he is, I’m losing my mind here. Food doesn’t even go down well.

“Still nothing?” Mmangwane asks Sabelo who just stepped inside the lounge looking defeated. He shakes his head, and breathes out. “Oh, Jehova. Why are these kids not taking our calls? Where the hell are they?” She put her hands on top of her head.

“I’m sure they’ve run out batteries.” Okuhle says.

Sabelo: “For 3 days? It’s been 3 fucking days Okuhle without reaching these people! 3!” He shows the number 3 with his fingers.

Hlulani: “This is not good. I’m going back to South Africa. I must find out what’s going on.”

Bulelwa: “You are not going there Hlulani! Tsakani made the choice to stay behind, he is a grown man he knows how to take care of himself. I don’t understand as to why are you fucking stressing yourself about a grown man like him!” This woman is pure nonsense of a person, she fits it perfectly.

Him: “You don’t get to tell me what to do Bulelwa, you fucking don’t. This is my brother we are talking about, your son! I don’t understand why are you not worried about him, I really don’t understand what kind of a mother you are!”

Mmangwane: “She’s a witch! That’s why she doesn’t care, she’s devil’s favorite daughter, been telling you that she’s an evil woman look at her. Hear what rubbish comes out of her mouth!”

Her: “Don’t you dare call me a witch Mmangwane don’t. I’m not your age mate, and most definitely not your friend!”

Mmangwane: “Who would want to be friends with you? No one wants to be friends with a witch like you, a control freak! A woman who controls her sons. Why don’t you get yourself a boyfriend that you will control just like you are doing with your sons? Oh, I almost forgot. You can’t keep a man, no wonder your sons have different fathers! You are evil no wonder all those men decided to leave you with fatherless kids!” A backhand slap lands on Mmngwane’s cheek. Everyone gasps.

Her: “Don’t you dare Mmangwane! Don’t you fucking dare spew such nonsense you know fucking nothing about my life! You don’t know anything, and don’t you utter things you have no proof of, don’t you fucking dare!” She is pointing her.

Mmangwane: “Truth hurts! Just tell your sons the truth they deserve to…” another slap lands on her cheek, haibo. Mmangwane laughs.

Her: “Stop talking rubbish you barren! You are talking about this because you have no kids of your own! You are barren, you are useless, and not woman enough no wonder Sipho divorced you, he saw how useless you are, you’ve failed to give him a child!”

Mmangwane: “And that’s why he found himself in bed with you, and gave you a fatherless son. A son with no fucking origin!” She attempts to slap her again, but Mmangwane gets hold of her hand twisting it, then she slaps her. She yelps, then looks at Mmangwane then at everyone present looking at her hell-shocked not believing all that was said. They really need to process this, emotions died down, and yeah. Ishhhu, she walks away tears filling her eyes… Emotions are running high here, secrets have been revealed, and the sons want answers. This is messed up. Now this explains the hate they have towards each other, it’s not because of Bulelwa hating Lee, it’s because of them sharing a man, argh what am I saying? Yes, they hate each other because of a man. I’m too stressed to entertain all of this, I need to know if my daughter is fine or what wherever she is. Its problems after problems here, they are piling up, and I’m afraid of what’s coming I don’t know what it will be, but it will sure come.

Mmathabo: “Wawu. What a shocker.” She heaves out a sigh, and the boys get up from their seats, and walk out. I guess they need to process all of this, I don’t blame them though this is one shocking explosive that’s just been dropped. Mmangwane also leaves us, uhhhh.

“I’ve just spoken to Batista, and they are all well just having network issues apparently there’s some heavy storm,” Thembeka tells us stepping inside the lounge, and relief washes over me, but it seems as if like the others did not get that, or they did, but they are still shocked about what was said earlier on. “And nou? Why is everyone looking so somber?” She asks moving her eyes around.

Me: “Shocking exchanging of words took place, ku tense. Please excuse me, I also need to process this too.” I walk away leaving her standing there like a statue. I get outside, and I can spot the guys from a distance they are looking out of it, everyone minding his own, but they are standing closely next to each other facing the beach. This is shocking honestly, the betrayal is too much. Ishuuu, I wonder how are they going to fix this up, but its not that deep. They can fix it, like the adults they are.

★»★«

TSAKANI

Batista settles next to us after attending his phone. Lindiwe canceled coming because her boss or whoever he is that she’s working for refused her coming here, but she promised to do some research of her own too, she too is complaining about working with a name only. She said it’s impossible, giving up is the only option now we’ve reached a dead end. It’s all just useless, and futile. But for bubbles I can’t give up for her even with no leads, but I will find her. I don’t know how, but I will.

“That was Thembeka she was asking if everything is okay because they’ve been trying to call you guys, but your phones weren’t going through.”

“What did you tell them?” Leon asks.

Him: “I told them that network coverage is bad this side there’s a very heavy storm.”

Leon: “Good answer.”

Lee: “So, we are giving up?” He takes a sip of his beer.

Me: “It see… Wait a minute.” They all turn their attention to me.

Batista: “What? Have some idea?”

Me: “Does any of you here know the best sketcher around here?”

Talon: “Ngazi ababili abathathu zishani?” (I know 2 or 3, what’s up)

Me: “Find me one. The one that you trust Talon, we will have to go back, and ask those girls to describe Antony for us, I’m sure his picture will come out clear.”

Lee: “That’s it. You can be clever at times man. Talon get the guy for us, we have work to do gents. I’m tired of seeing TK sulking.”

Batista: “Even with the tattoo of her face covering his back he’s still sulking, but don’t worry skhokho once we get the picture of Antony in a paper everything will be fine.”

Talon: “Yohhh, muntu sekazojola kam’nandi bafwethu.” (I will now date in peace gents) we all laugh.

Leon: “So, bowufa nge marshmallows?” (You were craving sex) he chuckles.

Him: “Blind Ek’se. Batista asivaye sobheka lomjita fast masinyane.” (Too much. Batista let’s go, and check out that man fast)

Me: “Nibuye nimphethe bafwethu.” (Come back with him)

Batista: “We will drag him by the balls if it needs too.” I chuckle shaking my head. They get up taking their guns on top of the table, and walk out. I hope those bastards didn’t get their filthy hands on bubbles, this Antony guy will tell me exactly who told him to poke me, and take what doesn’t belong to him. He will tell me exactly who told him because I’m sure as hell I’m going to make them pay.

Lee: “Kuyalunga ntwana amadlozi avumile.” (It is getting well man, the ancestors have agreed)

Leon: “Ayijiki skhokho.” (Its like that) I nod.