episode 3
They took Mbali and put her inside the Mazda and drove off. I ran to Palesa she was crying,and panicking.Palesa: Anathi get help i don’t wanna die, please don’t let me die.Me: You not gonna die.She was bleeding from her right thigh when i looked that’s where she got shot. I started screaming for help some woman came.Her: Thixo what happened?Me: Mama please call and ambulance.Her: i don’t have a phone my childShe looked around and people were starring she shouted at them.Her: Someone call an ambulance kutheni na kanti, nifuna umntu aze asweleke nijongile. (what’s wrong with you someone call an ambulance, you want this child to die while you starring).Some old man came with a car. It was an old Mercedes-Benz car. We quickly put Palesa inside and drove to the nearest hospital. When we got toThe hospital the nurses quickly attended us and took her to casualty, she tightly held on to my handPalesa: Anathi don’t leaveMeMe: I’ll be right here when they done with you pumpkin, I’ll be right here.My hands and t-shirt had Palesa’s blood i was even crying now, and pacing around. I took out my phone and sent Sma a call back she called me. I explained everything to her and she said she’s coming to the hospital. Palesa had been there for too long now i was starting to get worried. When one of the nurses came out i ran to her, she told me that they still busy with her. Sma came in after 2hours she was looking around as soon as i saw her i ran to her she hugged me and i cried.Her: Shhhh sthandwa sami don’t cry..Me: they took Mbali, we have to find mbali.Her: they took her where?Me: i don’t know i think that house.Her: Which house? Kazi you not making sense right now.Me: Kazi let’s go wet don’t have much time.Her: where we going?Me: to the house were they took her..Her: Kazi i think we need to go to the police station first we cannot go alone to that house wherever it is, it’s dangerous.We started walking out, we tried hiking no car stopped we just had to walk to the police station which was a bit far from the hospital. We got to The police station at 00:00am. I went up to the cop who was at the reception and explained everything, they didn’t waste my time she called 3cops and explained then they took me and Sma to the van and we was driving to the house with me directing them. When we got there they told us to stay in the van as it is not safe..Me: Kazi i pray they find her thereSma: they will kazi.After some time the two cops came out with the Mazda guy and his friends cuffed. I let out a big sigh this guys were not smart how can they go back to the Same house especially after kidnapping a 7 year old. The last cop came out with mbali on her hands, she was wrapped in a towel and crying, when i saw her i got out of the car and went to her. I took her and hugged her tight while crying. I noticed that she was naked and bleeding the towel had her blood and i also saw blood in her legs. Sma was already with us i just handed her mbali and went straight to the guys, sma was busy yelling my name before i made it to them one cop held me back.Me: What did you do to my sister you scumbagsOne replied ” we had a lot of fun with her and we don’t even regret, that will teach not to call the cops next time” another police van came while i was still held tight and they put them at the back. They were smiling and looking at me while going at the back i couldn’t believe this niggas, then we went to the van that we came with and it took us to the hospital, same hospital that Palesa was at. We got there and doctors ran tests on Mbali which was hard because she was crying and fighting not wanting them to touch her. I stayed with mbali at the hospital, the doctor said they gonna keep her there for a day. The nurses allowed me to stay with her in the ward because she was paranoid and crying. Sma was with us the whole time i was greatful to have her as a friend. We chilled in mbali’s ward till we passed out…. I woke up when the sun was out and the other kids in the ward were making noise it was apublic hospital, mbali was still sleeping and Sma was sleeping too with her head on her hands and leaning on Mbali’s bed for support. I decided to go and check on Palesa the receptionist told me where her ward is but said I should go later during visiting hours, i went and sneaked in she was still sleeping i gently shook her, she opened her eyes.Me: How you feeling?Her: like shit.Me: You’ll be fine.Her: i can’t stop thinking about mbali..Me: she’s safe we found her at that house with the cops, she’s also here..Her: did they hurt her?I looked down and nodded yes..She put her hands on her face covering her eyes..Me: at least she’s safe now that’s what we have to be greatful for.Her: She’s only 7 Anathi how is she gonna live with this.Me: we will make sure that this doesn’t happen again, I’m never gonna let nobody hurt yall again ipromise.When one of the nurses saw me they came and told me to leave it’s not visiting hours yet.I left and went to Sma and Mbali. Mbali’s test results came back and she was clean. Sma and i stayed with them at the hospital until they were discharged after 3 days. I was tired, smelling, andvery sleepy. At least sma had some money with her so we would buy biscuits and chips just to keep our stomachs full while we were at the hospital. When they were discharged Sma called sfiso to come fetch us, he showed up after some few hours driving a Volvo S60. We all went in, we were very tired, sma sat at the front seat and i satat the back,with my sisters.Sma: Thank you soo much sfiso for fetching usSfiso: It’s nothing I’m glad that i could help.He drove us home but dropped us at the corner.Me: Thank you sfisoHim: no problemWe walked to my shack. I still wondered why sfiso wanted to mix with us because he looks likehe has it all.Me: Is that his car?Sma: Parents.Me: where did you meet him?Sma: I’ll explain some other time.When we got to The shack i was shocked to see who was standing at the door it was my mother.Me: Sma please take Palesa and Mbali inside.Sma took Palesa and Mbali inside. My mom tried greeting them, Palesa just looked at her and clicked her tongue. When they were inside i went and pushed my mom so hard that she almost fell.Her: Anathi wenzani (Anathi what are you doing)I was already in tears.Me: do you know the pain and the trauma that you put us through? What kind of a mother are you? If you knew that you couldn’t take care of us you should’ve aborted us or gave us away.She was also in tears.Her: I’m sorry Anathi.Me: You sorry? That’s all you can say?Her: What do you want me to do?Me: i want you to go! And never come back, you can’t keep on doing this to us.Her: But Anathi.I picked up a brickMe: Hamba Mimmy(go mimmy) before i do something i will regret.She didn’t say anything anymore she left. I went back inside Palesa and Mbali were in bed sleeping.Sma: Kazi u right?(are you alright)Me: Ya I’m fine, uhm Kazi call Sfiso we need to start workingHer: Kazi are you sure? I mean don’t you want to spend more time with your sisters i mean you guys have been through a lot this past days..Me: i need to feed them kazi, when they wake up they need to find food on the table. So please callSfiso and meet me here at 8pm.Her: okay I’ll do that let me go and sleep nami I’m tired.Sma left and i locked the door, then joined my sister’s in bed. I woke up later they were still sleeping i went around borrowing cash to buy them food. I finally got R50 i went and bought them eggs and bread. I boiled water and bathe, after that i boiled water for them too. They woke up at 18:00 they bath and i made them food.Palesa: were did you get cash from?Me: I’m a hustler..They finished bathing and came to the table to eat. After eating we just chilled and talked. Sma and sfiso did show up at 8pm. I took my glasses and a cap and wore my orange overall that was written “not guilty” at the backMe: Palesa I’m going out for a while so please lock the doors.Palesa: No Anathi..Me: Palesa listen..Palesa didn’t wanna listen she came to hug me all crying, she even made mbali cry too who cameto hold on to my leg.Me: guys Please.Palesa: Anathi don’t go, what if something happens we can’t lose you please don’t go.Mbali: don’t leave us Ses’AnathiI don’t know why my sister’s where like this today,i mean they used to me going and they would justsay bye mara today aii.Me: Palesa listenHer: i don’t wanna hear itI wiped her tearsMe: Pali i don’t wanna do this but i have too, you know i have to do this for you and Mbali to have abetter life. You see us begging for food almost got us killed. I’ll be safe i promise, wena just lock the door and don’t open for anyone okay.Her: Okay, please be safeMe: i will.I kissed them and walked out with Mbali still crying. We got to The car.Sma: so what’s the plan?Me: we need guns.Sfiso: guns?Me: Yes we robbing a Chinese restaurant, Kazi doyou still keep in touch with that gangster?Sma had a lot of connections she been in this game more than me.Her: who? Zoro?Me: Yes that oneHer: Ya mara we haven’t spoken in a whileMe: well you have to contact him because we need guns.Her: Okay..We drove to Zorro’s place, Sma went it.Me : i hope he gives herSfiso: Can’t believe we gonna be holding real guns.Me: kanti what did you think we do? Don’t irritate me wena please.Sma came out of the house with zorro and a bag, zorro came to the car.Zorro: if you guys lose my guns I’m gonna catch acase, and my guns don’t come for free return them back with 2500Sma: sure Zorro we’ll do that.Zorro smiled and looked at usZorro: Good luck.He went back to the house and we drove off.Me: Sfiso drive to that Chinese restaurant in townthey open till lateSma: and now it’s not that busy they probably cashing up..Sfiso: Lord please i don’t wanna die, and i don’t wanna go to jail..Me: Kazi mara what did you bring us?Sma: relax Sfiso when you have a gun you have power.I looked at this dude he was scared as hell i hope he won’t blow this shit up i have 2 sister’s i can’t go to jail.**Part 4**Sfiso stopped the car halfway and got out all vomiting. Sma and i got out too.Sma: sfiso are you Okay?Sfiso: Yes I’m fine, just nerves.Me: we not gonna be able to pull this off with thisVagina!Him: Can you stop calling me names?Me: I’ll stop when you actually grow some balls.Sma: Kazi phola! (relax)this is the biggest heist we’ve ever done, I’m scared too.Me: i cannot believe i left home for this!Sma: let’s all calm down and go through the plan again, kazi what do you know about this place?Me: they make a lot of money they always busy.Sma: and what else?Me: that’s allSma: What about Cameras?Me: I’m not sure..Sma: What you mean you not sure?Me: i didn’t checkSma: Amen! *annoyed*Sfiso: How do you expect us to rob a place that we have Zero information about,you should’ve checked it out first.Me: i didn’t think that was important.Sfiso: so you finding out how the place runs is not important?Me: for now it’s not important.Sma: Kazi u dom yazi i don’t wanna lie to you! (you stupid i don’t wanna lie to you).Me: we have guns what could possibly go wrong?Sfiso: cops can go wrong!I looked at sfiso all irritated by his attitude.Sfiso: even a 3year old knows that you cannot roba place without checking it out first..Me: What was that sfiso?Him: I’m having a conversation with myself I’m not talking to you.Me: Why are you even here? Kazi we were fine just you and me.Sma: Kazi we needed a 3rd personMe: couldn’t you get someone else than this guy?Sma: No i couldn’tSfiso: i suggest we call it a night and go home this ain’t gonna work.Me: No we gonna make it work.Sma: so what’s your plan Anathi?Me: i don’t have any yet but it we…Sfiso: I’m going home.Me: guys Please this will be the last heist i plan, yall can take over on the next heist..Sma: that sounds fairSfiso: and you will stop calling me Names?Me: Uhm..what’s that got to do with the heist?He started walking to the car.Me: Okay fine no name calling.We went back to the car and drove to the Chineserestaurant. It was around 22:00Me: they closed i thinkSfiso: so what we gonna do? Just go up there and break the door then say hands up this is a sting operation?Me: Akere wabona Kazi? Then mina I’m not allowed to call him names.Sma: Ofcause not sfiso, we need a good plan.We sat there thinking about a plan until something hit my mind.Me: i have a plan.Sma: let’s hear itMe: You guys are gonna pretend like you a couple. You guys are gonna fight from down the street all the way to the restaurant then kazi you’llpretend you drunk keep throwing your shoes at their door until one opens then we go in..Sfiso: That’s the most ridiculous plan ever!Me: Well Einstein do you have a better plan?Him: No but..Sma: Thats a good plan might work.Sfiso: What!.Sma: follow my lead sfiso.Sma put on glasses and a wig, then Sfiso put on his hat.Me: You brought a hat to a heist that’s a brilliant way of saying “hey I’m a thug”Sfiso: This is the reason why I’m gonna go home.Sma looked at meMe: sorry.Sma: follow my lead sfiso and don’t forget your gun.They both went out, i went out too and stood a bitfar from the restaurant checking if there’s no cops around. They put on their act Sma acted drunk and out of control, sfiso acted like a responsible boyfriend trying to take her home. When they got to The door of the restaurant Sma started taking out her shoes and throwing them at the door busy screaming help she went as far as banging on their sliding door, no one opened. That went on for 10min i was losing hope and so where they. Sma kept on acting crazy until a Chinese man opened and told them to go he already called the cops. If we get a message like that we go were cops are involved we go. Sma backed away but sfiso took out his gun and pointed it at the Chinese man.Sfiso: open the door a bit wider and let us in..I was standing there thinking to myself what the hell is this guy doing! And we can’t bail out on him because if shit goes down with the police he knows were we live. So i just went close took out my gun and we all went in. There was no customers just 2 man and a woman and the man who opened the door,they were 4 In total 3men and 1woman. The woman screamed i pointed thegun at her.Me: there won’t be no screaming tonight mam.Sma got ontop of the table and was busy turning in circles trying to see if everything was fine.Sma: If anyone tries anything I’m gonna shoot, if someone alerts the cops I’m gonna shoot, if i hear any screaming I’m gonna shoot, make sure that you don’t even breath.Sfiso: Is there a way we can close the view because your sliding door is a see through.No1 answered.Me: guys let’s just take the cash and go. I took the woman and put the gun on her head,she was crying.Me: Sfiso get the cash.Sfiso took one of the man and said they should give us all their money. The man Kept on saying “no money”Sfiso: What we gonna do? This is gonna draw attention from people who are passing.Sma went and hit one of the men at the back of his head with the gun and the man fell.Sma: we are not here to play, where is the money?I knew Sma would never disappoint me, she was a pro at this.She pointed the gun at the man that she hit with the gun. The man was on the floor bleeding from were Sma had hit him.Sma: I’m gonna count to 3, if i get to 3 and there’sno money I’m gonna kill him.This people looked like they didn’t understand English. Sma counted when she got to 2 the man on the floor started speaking to the others in Chinese,one of them said “i get the money” Sfiso accompanied him next to the counter he took out a black small bag from the cabinet and gave it to him. Sfiso checked it then looked at him.Sfiso: Is it all in here?He answered “yes all there”Sfiso: guys let’s go.We went out slowly, i took the woman she was our ticket out but i put the gun on her back so people won’t see. We walked to the car sfiso unlocked they went in then i just pushed her and she fell then i went inside and we drove.Sfiso was all happy.Me: What you happy about? You almost got us arrested. When you hear the word cops you drop the plan.Him: i think they were bluffingMe: even so but next time don’t do that…Him: Yes mam.We drove to some ground to make sure we weren’t followed. We counted the money and it was 8000 we all took 2000 each, then 2000 was for zorroMe: tell him we’ll give him his 500 some other time.Sma: sure kazi.Sfiso drove us to our place, we said our goodbyesand he drove home. I got to my shack at around 01:00 I knocked Palesa asked who it is i said my name then she opened. She gave me a long hug.I locked the door behind me..Me: why ain’t you sleeping?Her: was worried about you.Me: told you I’ll be fine,come on let’s go to bed.I took off my overall and put the cash safe and we slept… I woke up the following day bathe then woke them up to bath, they bathe too.Palesa: Are we going somewhere?Me: why?Palesa: You woke us up early on a Saturday morning.Me: ya we going to town.I saw mbali smiling..Me: How’s your leg?Palesa: still the same, I’m just thankful i can walk.We walked to get a taxi at the high way Palesa was walking slow. We got a taxi and went. We arrived at town and went to shoprite i let them buy anything they wanted. Biscuits, chocolates, and all those sweet things. I felt some joy seeing them enjoying shopping smiling and all that. I even bought mbali shoes. After shopping we went to Romans pizza got some pizza and ate. We went back to the hood at around 14:00 with a lot of plastics.Palesa: wow we’ve never had this much grocery, thank you Anathi.She came to hug me and Mbali came to hug me too. Someone came and knocked i opened and it was our neighbour telling us that there’s a meeting it already started. I told Palesa to unpackI’m coming..Palesa: can we eat the chocolates?Me: You guys can eat anything you want…They smiled at me. I walked out and bumped into Sma at the gate.Her: I came to fetch you for the meetingMe: wonder what it’s about, Phela we’ve never had meetings before.We all gathered at some field all residence of zone 4 came to the meeting. Some guy told us that the guests are coming. After a few minutes of waiting a black chrysler 300 stopped near us. A white man came out of it he looked old probably in his late 50s. He was followed by some guy whom i assumed was his son. The sonlooked very hot, he had that David Beckham hair cut, facial hair but not a lot of it just a lil and nicely trimmed, he had pink lips i couldn’t see the colour of his eyes because he was a bit far. He was wearing a White shirt, black suite pants and black shoes. His shirt sleeves were rolled up a bitshowing his black classy watch.Sma: Who is Mr Man..Me: i don’t know.Yooh nigga was wow for a white person. They came close to us. Some elder of our hood introduced them as the Mullers. I kept my eyes on the son all the time..Sma: If i can only have him for one night only Godknows what I’ll do to him,look at him he has the looks, perfect body, they don’t make them like this anymore..Me: You and your dirty mind!The senior Mr Muller stepped closer to us and started talking, my attention was on his son, who was smiling at some comment, and ohh Lord thatsmile made my knees weak,he ran his hand on his hair, i was in a world of my own. After a while iheard people protesting..Sma: What the hell! did you that?Me: Hmmmm? Hear what?Sma: his evicting us, his saying he bought our land and going to start a mine! We have 2months to go!That brought me back to reality!
