Chapter 1: birthday...
As the scorching sun beat down on the small, rustic hospital, its rays creeping through the windows, casting a warm glow on the scene unfolding within. Amidst the gentle hum of machines and the murmur of encouraging voices, she lay on the bed, her body surrendering to the primal push of life. With one final, exhausted exhale, her child slipped into the world, greeted by the waiting hands of the doctor. The newborn's first cry pierced the air, a triumphant declaration of arrival. The mother's face, flushed and weary, softened as she gazed upon her child for the first time. Tears of joy welled up in her dark, almond-shaped eyes as she took in the baby's delicate features: the petite nose, the plump lips, and the tightly coiled black hair that mirrored her own. Her long, ebony tresses cascaded down her shoulders, framing a face etched with elation. As she cradled her child close, the warmth of their skin mingling, her happiness was palpable. Tears streamed down her cheeks, carving paths through the sweat-drenched skin. Her lips, curled into a radiant smile, trembled with emotion.
But as the initial euphoria began to wane, a subtle shift crept across her face. Her eyes, still shining with happiness, gradually clouded, like the sky before a storm. Her brow furrowed, and her lips lost their curve. Pain seeped into her expression, a slow, creeping tide. Her thoughts, previously lost in the bliss of new motherhood, began to confront the harsh realities of the world her child would inherit. The weight of her child's future pressed upon her, like the heavy sun beating down outside. Her gaze lingered on her child's serene face, and her heart ached with a mix of love and despair. The room, once filled with joy, grew quiet, the only sound the soft whimpering of her child. The mother's face, a canvas of conflicting emotions, reflected the turmoil within: the love, the fear, the hope, and the pain. "mam, do you have a name for her" the nurse with brown beautiful hair, tall as she stood asked with a smile that warmed the room."khanya, she is my light", the nurse's eyes filled with confusion as she took khanya from her mother to the other nurse, the tall nurse faced tired marly and asked quietly "what does the name mean", marly looked at the intrigued nurse. "it means light, she is my light" she said as her eyes brimmed with hope, the light of hope, her smile returning once again, "she is my light at the end of the tunnel" a tear escapes, too fast for her to hide. "that is beautiful, miss marly. your husband should be here shortly we have alerted him on the good news". Laughter in the Mbhele family is rare, but maybe this day will change everything, marly hoped, as she and her beautiful daughter waited for Nkosiyesizwe/ Charley to arrive, days passed without his arrival.
(9 years later)"happy birthday baby girl" she placed a soft kiss on khanya looking at her, then softly placing her forehead on her as if resting, a tear escapes dropping on khanya's cheek, silence linger in the air as if time were stopping as if this moment would never stop. "am sorry" marly says as she breaks the silence "it's okay mom" she moves from her mothers grip, marly stays put as if still holding khanya, tears stream down her face, she quickly wipes them but it's no use her years look red as an amarysllis flower, "take a rest today, its your bir...." she is interrupted while speaking her noble yet risky request "no, i don't want trouble it is my birthday" she say with pain, and walks slowly out the door leaving marly with a piercing pang of guilt strucking marly's heart, its seismic impact shuddering through her entire being. Her knees buckled, legs dissolving beneath her as the weight of her conscience crushed her. She crumpled to the ground, guilt washed over her and tear escape without permission.
Khanya trudged through the dusty farm path, the scorching sun lashing her back like a relentless whip. Each step felt like a test of endurance, the blistering heat sucking the moisture from her skin. She wore a worn straw hat, its brim frayed and tired, offering scant shade from the unforgiving sun. As she reached the fields, she grasped the sturdy handle of the weathered hoe, its wooden surface worn smooth by generations of calloused hands. The tool felt heavy, a solid extension of her weary body. With a resolute sigh, she began to till the parched earth, the hoe's blade biting into the dry soil with a dull thud. Sweat dripped from her brow, trickling down her face like rivulets of liquid gold. Her calloused hands gripped the hoe's handle, the rough wood abrasive against her palms. Each swing of the hoe was a battle, the earth resisting the blade's intrusion. Khanya's muscles protested, her back aching from the relentless bending and straightening. The air was heavy with the scent of dry earth and desiccated crops. The only sounds were the rhythmic chop of the hoe, the creaking of the old wooden tool, and Kanya's labored breathing. Her throat parched, she paused to wipe the sweat from her eyes with a dusty sleeve.
A figure from the heat wave emerged, closer it got the more clearer it was "do want water, you seem awfully tired" the boy said, showing his water bottle to khanya, seeing her at hard work and sweating all over. khanya's heart raced like a wild drumbeat, its furious pounding threatening to burst free from her chest. As she gazed at the boy, her thirst and exhaustion momentarily forgotten, sweat-drenched skin and parched lips seemed to fade into the background. Her weary body, now electrified, pulsed with a singular focus: him. The boy Austin opens the water bottle and looks straight into khanya's eyes, with a smile on his face he pours the water on the ground the water lands slowly on the dusty ground and disappears as slowly as it hits the ground within a seconds the water vanishes as if never hitting the ground, Austin looks at khanya's despair "oops, spilled it but here maybe this will help" With a callous flick of his wrist, the boy unleashed a glob of saliva, its trajectory arcing through the air with cruel precision. Time seemed to slow as Kanya's eyes widened in horror, her gaze frozen on the descending menace. The spittle landed with a wet splat on her cheek, its warmth seeping into her skin like a branding iron, searing her soul with humiliation. Austin laughs and smiles proud of what he has done he walks back leaving khanya in utter shame as if she has been found naked in someone's property. the day passes by and she returns to her cabin finding her father sitting in the diner table, her face is filled with disappointment as her mother hurried a plate her husband food. "khanya come and join us" her mother says with pleading eyes as she looks at khanya," no thanks, i just want to bathe and sleep" she exits the room but a loud bass of a voice shouts "your mother said come eat" she jumps at the voice, her father always had a powerful voice one that seemed to get the whole house shaking, she returned quickly to the dining table where a conversation about her being married at 19 emerged.