UNBREAKABLE Novel Chapter 2

2

RISUNA

I’ve been up since the first rooster cried. I didn’t sleep well last night. I kept on having bad dreams. I dreamt of that guy who was here last night trying to kill me. Whenever I closed my eyes I’d see his face. Even now i am sleepy but i cannot afford to fall asleep. I need to stay up so that i can find a way to get out of here.

“Good morning, princess.” The guy from last night says when he walks in. He has a bucket full of water and a big bathing dish with him. He puts them in front of me then puts down a bathing cloth and a soap.

“Please let me go. There is no need for all of this. I just want to go home.”

“Bath and come out for breakfast. I don’t want to repeat myself. Use any lotion you find here. “

I take off my clothes and bath when he walks out. I take my time. I didn’t bath last night and it was so hot. After bathing I get dressed in my dress and wash my underwear. I walk to the door and open it. Luckily they didn’t lock. I get rid of the water and go back inside the hut and sleep.

When I wake up I go and check on my underwear and it’s dry. I put it on and open the door. The sun is alright up and it’s hot. The guy who brought me water looks at me and clicks his tongue then shake his head.

“I told you to come out for breakfast but you went back to bed. Do you want my brother to shout at me? Isn’t it enough that you’re putting our lives in danger by being here?” I don’t know how i fell asleep. But now i feel better and not sleepy anymore.

He goes to another hut to get my breakfast and gives it to me. I start eating.

“Can i please go home?” I ask him.

“Look,my brother found you in the forest. He said you were attacked and had blood coming out of your head. He took you and came with you here. I don’t even know what he was doing in that village since we are not allowed there. Now you are here and this is your new home. Until we know where you’re from you’ll be staying here.” He knows where I’m from and is keeping me here so they can Kill me.

“I know where I’m from. I just need you to direct me to the stream and i will take it from there.”

“You want to die and i be blamed for that? Eat so that you can go back inside the hut before anyone sees you.”

I eat the breakfast,even though I’m forcing myself. It’s sorghum soft porridge and I’m not used to it. My parents love it but I hate it. At home I would have had bread and eggs for breakfast. But here I am,battling to finish this porridge. God,why did you forsake me? What did I do to deserve this?

After eating I go back to the hut. It’s hot but what can I say? This is my new home. I have to accept it. That guy could let me go before his brother comes back but he doesn’t want to hear any of it. He’s keeping me here without my consent. I swear the day i make it home I’m going straight to the police station to report these people. They can’t keep me here forever. They will have to let me leave at some point.

I should have stayed in the city with my sister and look for a job there. I wouldn’t be going through this. But my love for the village brought me here. I shouldn’t have come back. But it’s too late for regrets now.

Growing up my grandparents used to tell me a story about how life was back then. They were not allowed to cross to other villages. Their vilalges were enemies. What if this is one of the villages and these people have captured me as a way of revenge for whatever happened back then? If this is the village that they used to tell me about then I’m as good as dead. There’s nothing good that is going to come out of this. All I can do is pray for the person who brought me here to have mercy and let me go.

It’s lunch time. The guy walks in and gives me a shopping bag and puts my food down. I look inside and there’s clothes. Underwears and dresses. Are these people planning to keep me here for long? Why can’t they let me go and life goes on? What is their plan?

I eat the food and finish it. I’ve made peace with being here. I’ve been kidnapped and starving myself won’t help. So I should just eat and gain some strength. Maybe one day someone might show me the way home and i will be reunited with my family.

Whenever I think of my family I cry. I don’t want to think of what my young siblings might be going through. Especially Kuhlula. He must be crying asking where i am. I promised him that I will never leave again after coming back from university. And now he won’t see me again.

I know for a fact that dad is turning the village upside down looking for me. He will not rest until he finds me. That’s a fact. I just hope that he doesn’t get tired of looking for me. Why did i leave my phone behind when i was going to get water? I would have long called home and asked them to track me. But no. I just had to leave it and this happened exactly on the day I left my phone at home. what a coincidence.

The door opens and someone walks in. He looks like the guy who has been watching me. This one is a bit older than me. I look at him,feeling scared. I keep on hoping that they let me go. I don’t want to be here. What is the reason of keeping me here? “I see the sleeping princess is up. ” He says and takes the chair and sits down. His voice is deep and he has this smile plastered on his face. I try to think if I’ve seen him somewhere but my mind is blank.. it’s my first time seeing him. He is a bit light in complexion. I guess the sun in this village is not against him. He is tall,like really tall. If i were to stand next to him I’d be seen as a tiny person. I’m a big girl,but compared to how tall this guy is I’m small. Short too.

“You looked so peaceful when I found you. What happened? Did you run into criminals and they attacked you and left you to die? I saw a broken bucket next to you when I found you.”

“I was coming from getting water from the well that’s not far from the stream. I kept on hearing noises not far from me then someone threw a stone in front of me. The last one was when something hit me on the back of my head . After that I don’t know what happened. “

“I see. It’s a good thing that I arrived in time before you could bleed to death. How’s your head?” This one is nice. Nicer than his brother.

“The back is still painful.”

“You will be fine. I will keep you here until you have recovered. Where are you from?”he asks.

“You see where you found me at? That’s where I’m from.” He looks shocked. What’s wrong?

“I see. I will see you later.” With that he walks out without explaining further why he wants to keep me here.

MLUNGHISI

My father always warned me against going to the village that’s on the other side of the stream. I never set my foot there until the day i found that girl in the forest. The stories I’ve heard about that place are scary enough to make someone fear going there. But not me. I am brave and fear nothing.

My father told me that people from our village are not welcome in that village. This war comes from far. From our grandfathers. And now it moved to the offsprings. But not me. If I also held a grudge against those people I would have left that girl to be killed. I would have let our villagers kill her. But I protected her and brought her home. I am not evil. I couldn’t just stand there and watch them kill her. After she fell they ran to her and some were ready to stone her to death. I appeared and stopped them and took her home with me.

Right now I just arrived at her village and there’s a meeting held at the sports ground. After she confirmed my suspicions of her being from this side i decided to come here and see if they are looking for her or not. Dzunisani told me where she’s from but I didn’t want to believe him.

There’s a lot of people here. Even kids. It must be an important meeting. I stand next to some guy with intentions of getting information out of him.

“What’s the meeting about?” I ask.

“Are you from this village? How come you don’t know something so important?”

“I just came from the city and heard there’s a meeting here.”

“I see. A girl from here went missing. They suspect that she has been taken by our enemies but those who took her haven’t said anything. It’s so sad,man. Her family are so kind. They help a lot in this village. Whoever took her is so heartless.” So this meeting is about her. They are not going to find her unless i release her.

A man I think is her father climbs on the back of the Raptor that’s in the middle of the sports ground. Another one follows. He starts talking. I laugh. He really is looking sad. He must love that girl so much.

“You know, I feel sad like the girl missing is my sister. She should have stayed in the city after finishing with her studies. But she chose to come back and work alongside her father. Now look what happened to her. Such a nice girl.”

These people are really sad. I am afraid I don’t feel sorry for them. The most evil man comes from this village. That’s the one who was known for starting fights against other villages. That’s what he was known for. I remember how everyone in my village celebrated when they heard about his death. The chief invited everyone to his place and we had a feast.

“Do you know her name?”

“Risuna,that’s her name.” Mmh.

Well,Risuna now has a new home. She will never come back here. I will make sure of it. My family and I will shower her with kindness and love until she forgets about these people.

I will never let Risuna go. She will be fine where she is. No one will do anything to her when I’m with her. Not even my dad. He will have to pass through me first before he gets to her. I know my dad. He hates people from here. Even if he doesn’t know you the moment he finds out that you’re from here then you’re his enemy.

I watch as her family leaves. I feel for them. But what I cannot do is let Risuna go. They will have to forgive me. At least I am not going to kill her. I will protect her with everything I have. I will make sure that she’s safe and welll taken care of.

I get home and find Dzunisani sitting in front of my hut. His friends are with him. These are the same boys who wanted to kill Risuna. And I warned them and told them not to come here ever again. I wonder what they want.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come here again?” I ask the older one. He’s filled with anger. What’s his problem? It’s not like Risuna did something to him.

“I want the girl that you’re hiding in here.” He points at my hut.

“I told you to stay away. What do you even want with her? Do you even know what they do to people like you in jail?”

“What about what they do to people like you in jail,kidnappers?” He laughs after saying that.

“I’m not a kidnapper. I’m doing what you would never do, helping her. When she’s fine I will take her to her home. Now here’s what is going to happen. You will keep this to yourself. If the chief finds out I will know that he heard it from you. I’m not scared of you and your chief so you better keep your mouth shut because you won’t like what I will do. “

“Do you know the kind of person you’re defending? Does she even know that you were there when her grandfather died and the chief invited us to celebrate?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. She is not related to that man.”

“She is and that’s why we were after her.” He’s starting to annoy me. And soon I will be angry and do something I’ll regret.

“Then go to the grave and settle it with him. Your chief killed him. What more do you want? When I come out of this hut I betrer find you gone.”

“Leave,man! You won’t like what he will do to you when he’s like this.” Dzunisani says.

I click my tongue, open the hut and get in. I close the door and take the chair and sit next to the bed. She’s sleeping peacefully but sweating. I take her towel and wipe her face. She opens her eyes. They are red. She’s been crying. I walk out and find those boys gone. If they come back here again I will deal with them.

……….