UNBREAKABLE Novel Chapter 1

1

RISUNA

It’s now in the afternoon and I’m going to fetch water. I’m not scared of walking alone to the well. This village is safe. I’ve lived here all my life. I know this village from where it starts to where it ends. I can even walk on the street at night and nothing will happen to me. That’s how safe it is. The only thing I’m scared of is seeing ghoosts,which mostly happens at night.

Growing up in this village I never lacked anything. I have had everything I ever wanted. My parents never failed to provide for my siblings and I. I can say that they are the best parents one can ever wish for. I am the second girl in my family. I have five siblings. The first born is 33,my brother who has his own place,staying with his wife. Then my sister who is furthering her studies in the city. She’s 27. After her it’s my other brother,the one that I come after,who is 25. I am 21. After me comes another girl who’s 17 and in grade 12 but she’s turning 18 soon. The last born,our parents’ egg. They love that boy with their all. They don’t want anything happening to him. He’s like an egg that no one wants to drop in fear of it breaking.

My family is somehow rich,if I can call it that. We have a lot of cattle and farms. It can fill the yard and more. Dad says my grandfather passed it to him and his siblings. But people talk in this village. They say my grandfather was troublesome and loved starting fights. He had enemies all over. Even this cattle that we have they say he stole it. I don’t believe that. People are just jealous of him. Actually, they are jealous of our family.

After finishing my studies at university I decided to come back home. I never looked for a job. I knew that after studying I had a job waiting for me. Helping my father with the business. I enjoy doing it. And I get paid while at it. My father knows that that thing of “helping the family” doesn’t work with me. I don’t work for free.

I stop walking when I hear a sound when I’ve just gotten to the river. It’s not a big river. It’s actually a stream separating two villages. There’s a well just close to it. We have a tap at home but everyday I have to come here to get one bucket of water. I would have gone to the borehole but there’s no water there at the moment. My grandmother prefers water from this well or the borehole to drink. She says that water from the tap doesn’t taste good. It’s like there’s salt in it. She’s right though. But we are used to it.

After that sound has died down I continue walking to the well. I get there and start filling my bucket with water. After I’m done i put it on my head and walk back home. If it was during the day i would take a swim. But now it’s getting late. I don’t want to get home when it’s dark.

As I’m walking I hear that sound again. I don’t know what to think of it. We’ve never had wild animals here. We do hear of them passing by sometimes but not all the time. I stop walking, waiting for whatever it is to pass. After it’s quiet I hear voices. It must be boys coming from fetching cattle. I can even hear the sounds of the cow bells from here.

I start walking again. I can’t wait to get home and take a bath,eat and go to bed. I had a long day at work. Working with my father is not easy. That’s why I requested payment. I can’t go through so much for free whille I could be working somewhere in the city. No. I refuse to slave around for nothing.

I stop walking, almost dropping my bucket when a stone is thrown and falls in front of me. I put the bucket down and start running back home. Something hard huts me on the back of my head and i fall.

……..

I open my eyes and rub them. I find myself in a strange room. When I look up I realize that it’s a hut. How did I get here? I get up from the bed and walk to the little window that’s on this hut. There’s no window frame or glasses. It’s just a bare whole that counts as a window…

I look outside and it’s dark. I can’t see anything out there. I walk to the door and it’s locked. No way out! How will I get out of this damn hut? Am I expected to sleep here? Who does it even belong to? Am I kidnapped?

Everything that happened comes back. I remember how i felt something hit me on the back of my head and quickly put my hand there. I have a badage on my head! It wasn’t a dream. Someone hit me and i think it’s the person who brought me here. Why did they do that? I wasn’t doing anything wrong! I just went to get water and nothing else.

Now I’m starting to think that my village is not as safe as i thought. All my life I’ve never experienced something like that. I’ve walked to that river for years and nothing happened to me. It’s really a surprise. A shock actually. Or did I think i was safe because there were always people whenever i went there?

I start thinking of how my parents must be worried about me. My grandmother! I wonder how they are now. I’m in danger but all I’m thinking about is how my family is. What if this person kills me? What if he or she knows my family and has been following me and waiting for the right time to capture me?

Tears start falling. No matter how I wipe them they can’t stop coming out. I’m more than scared now. How will I get home? I don’t even know where I am! The first thing to do is figure out how to get out of this hut!

After trying everything I could to open the door i give up and sit down on the floor with my back against the bed. I close my eyes and release a breath. I’ve tried everything. Now I don’t know what to do. Where to from here? Where’s that person who locked me in here? Am i going to die in here?

I’m starting to feel hungry. I last ate in the morning. I didn’t have anything to eat at work because I was too busy. When I got home my mother was busy with dinner. Then I went to the well and ended up here. I can’t sleep without eating!

If I was home I would be helping my sister with her schoolwork or watching tv. I know that I always complain when my 8 years old brother asks me to watch tv with him but I’d do anything to watch tv with him now. I’d do anything to see my annoying sister right now. I’d do anything to listen to my grandmother’s tales. I’d rather be somewhere and not here.

The way this person is so evil he or she did not even leave water for me. How is a person supposed to survive without water? My throat is dry! I need at least a glass of water. I get up from the floor when i hear footsteps. I walk to the door and stand behind it. The door opens and someone walks in. They light a candle and now there’s light. I’ve been walking around here in darkness. That’s how evil this guy is.

“Sit down and eat.” I sit on the bed and he stares at me.

“Do you eat while sitting on top of the bed where you come from?” I look around the hut and see a wood chair and go and take it. He takes it from my hand and sits on it.

“Women don’t sit on chairs.” I laugh. As scared as i am,I laugh. The door is no longer locked. I could run out of here and leave this place but where will I go? It’s dark outside and I don’t know where i will go.

I sit on the floor and wash my hands. At least this floor is not cold. He puts two plates in front of me. I pray and when i open my eyes he’s staring at me.

“Even evil people pray?” What is he talking about?! I am not evil!

“Why did you kidnap me?” I really need to know the reason I am here.

“Eat and stop asking questions. Who kidnapped you? Nxla.”

“My family must be worried now. I need to go back home. Please. I will not report you to the police,I promise.”

“Eat so you can sleep. ” I open the plates and it’s pap and meat. I wait for him to start eating. Only after he starts eating I do the same. I wanted to confirm that he didn’t poison me.

“Finish up and go to bed. This is your new home. ” He gets up and goes to the door. I run after him but he locks from the outside before i can get out. I let out a loud scream and slide down the door,crying.

……….

NARRATED

Dzunisani arrives at his friend’s home and greets. All his friends are around the fire and talking about their day. He can’t help but stare at his best friend’s brother go on and on about what happened during the day. The mention of his brother’s name catches his attention. He’s now more interested in this conversation.

“Where is your brother?”

“I don’t know where he is. He’s not home.” Dzunisani answers.

“If someone didn’t interrupt us we would have finished that girl off!” One of them turns and looks at Dzunisani.

“Did your brother tell you why he saved that girl?” They ask him.

“I told you that my brother is not home. “

“Then he’s working for our enemies. He knows he’s feared around here. That’s why he chased us away from that girl. You should find out where he took her. It’s important to finish her off. That girl is what we need to send a strong message to her family.”

Dzunisani clicks his tongue. They all turn to him.

“Strong message for what? Something that happened in the past? Why don’t you go and dig her grandfather out of his grave and deal with him? He’s the one responsible for all of this. When you do your things you should keep me out of it. I don’t want to go to jail.”

“He’s a coward!” His friend shouts.

“I am not. What will I gain from killing someone? Unlike you,I have a heart. I’m not evil. You attacked someone in their village. The rule is that you only attack when people from that village cross to this side. And what did you do? Followed her there. You should be the ones in her position. Why didn’t you go after a man? You went after a vulnerable woman because you knew you wouldn’t handle a man. “

“We have been watching her for days. She always went to the well with other girls but today? She was alone and that was our chance! Your brother messed it! Now here’s what is going to happen. Tell your brother to watch his back because he has chosen the other side. We will deal with him.”

“That girl didn’t go home. She must be at your home.”

“We will be ready for you. If it’s about killing people, count me out. Don’t ever invite me to these stupid meetings. In fact,just stay away from me.”

“You’ve just made yourself enemies. We won’t rest until we find that girl. And if she’s here and hiding at your home there will be hell to pay.”

Dzunisani gets up,looks at them and leaves.

“He’s angry and that’s not good! We need him on our side. “

“Let him be. We don’t need him. He’s not to be trusted because anyone can see that he’s hiding something. We need to kepp our eyes on him and his family. We will find something there.”

………