"Tsk tsk tsk. It's quite obvious that you were adopted. There is no way that you have the Rutsate blood in you. You must have been switched at birth.. Ipai"
Those words, dripping with disdain, were like heat seeking missiles. Accurately finding their target and causing the intended harm. Tjatiwa's hands slightly trembled before she closed her book, raised her desolate charcoal eyes and glanced at her sister.
"What do you want?" She grumbled, rubbing her faintly throbbing temples as she unfurrowed her brow.
"Or maybe you were cursed" Tjawada mused ignoring her younger sister.
"Tjawa... Please" Tjatiwa pleaded, trying to summon as much patience as she could from the ether.
"Think about it, you are the short one in the family, the dark one... I mean everything about you is dark! Your skin, your lips.....and your eyes! They are black! Are you sure you are not a wit..."
"Tjawada!!! State your business or get out!" Tjatiwa hissed through gritted teeth, cutting off the very familiar, hurtful sentence her sister always tormented her with, while trying to keep the commotion as low as possible.
"I'm not in your room, zin'holo. I'm standing in the doorway. Anyway, Mme is calling you.. or what? Did you think I have time to waste coming to your shabby room?" Sneered Tjawada, seemingly enjoying the intense agony she knew she inflicted on her younger sister with that one sentence.
She couldn't have stepped a toe into Tjatiwa's bedroom even if she wanted to. Her eyes scanned the room mercilessly. She couldn't understand why there where piles, albeit neat piles, of books on the floor when their father had renovated the room next to Tjatiwa's and turned it into a library/study. It somehow irked her that this girl was always doted on by their father. It irritated her beyond reason how this girl could study so diligently across different subjects ever since she was a toddler. The various book piles bore testimony to this.
She absolutely hated that this witch had a higher IQ than anyone else in their family.
Hearing her sister's words, a shiver ran down Tjatiwa's spine, her faintly discernible pupils dilated and she froze. Tjawada noticed this and a faint smile played on her lips. She was going to enjoy this show.
"Get up! Stop pretending to be smart.. we all know you don't have our family genes to be smart!" Said Tjawada, her whisper sounding like anything but a whisper.
The tiredness Tjatiwa felt immediately dissipated, like mist in the sun.
"Mm-mme c-called me?" She stammered, hardly believing her ears. Confusion marred her tiny face as her brain seemed to malfunction. Her limbs seemed to have lost coordination, she struggled to get off her bed.
Tjawada stood in the doorway, lazily leaning on the door frame, arms folded across her ample chest and chin jutting out arrogantly. The sunlight streaming in from the tall windows fell upon her graceful figure, creating a full body halo. She looked like an angel that deigned to walk this earth. Her beautiful caramel eyes held nothing but an incongruous contempt for the mere mortal she cast them upon. She was, honestly, too beautiful to hold such malice within her.
Watching Tjatiwa struggle to get up from her bed, amped up her already high irritation levels.
"What is it? Asi wachikwegula (did you suddenly age)?!" She hissed impatiently. She was barely hanging on to her temper. She wanted to yank Tjatiwa up by her thick afro and deliver her to their mother... But 'patience' she told herself. An evil smirk danced on her lips but quickly vanished. 'The little rabbit is already scared'.
"I'm coming, just lead the way!" Tjatiwa whispered, hoping her mother wouldn't hear them. She had already taken too long because of her sister who loved to cause her trouble. Tjatiwa got up and started to walk while fixing her clothes, not watching where she was being led to.
"Why are you following me to my bedroom, amai is downstairs! Go there by yourself dhanda!" A harsh whisper sounded above Tjatiwa's head.
Tjatiwa had no idea why her sister hated her so much in private and yet pretended to be the perfect older sister in front of their parents. She raised her head and caught the malicious gaze Tjawada was giving her. Her skin crawled, not wanting to waste any more time, she spun on her heel and turned to walk towards the stairs.
As far as she could remember, her mother had never addressed her directly. It was the servants in their home who raised her and had always passed on any messages from Mrs Khupe, her mother. It was inconceivable for her to be summoned. In all her twenty years of existence, it had never happened. Even her punishment was handled by the head maid. A million and one thoughts swirled in her mind as she hurried down the stairs.
'Mme called... Mme called for me... She sent for me' she sung internally, wishing she could teleport to her mother's side instantly.
As she stepped on the last step, her body trembled involuntarily and her mind went blank. She was about to see her mother. She had longed for her mother to talk to her, call her gently by her name. She always wished her mother would look at her in the same loving manner as her siblings.
'Maybe today.' She clenched her fists and stepped forward, praying to her ancestors and whatever gods existed, for a miracle.
Mme- mother
Ipai- ugly one
Zin'holo - big head (demeaning)
Dhanda- dumb/unintelligent