"Squlat, squlat", went the Mr.Chikondi's hands on Aisha's face as he slapped her twice consecutively once on each cheek after which he started muttering a bunch of unheard words while staggering and falling with every two steps he took to the entrance door in an attempt to go to his room as he was drunk to the absolute stupor. His other children were playing as they were used to having such a scene in their household while Masego, their mother was smiling. A huge grin of satisfaction on her face. The grin of satisfaction soon disappeared as she further went to shout at the already abused Aisha calling her names that a fifteen year old shouldn't even know the meaning of but alas those are the names Aisha had been bearing for a very long time and she should at least know the meaning of those names which Masego had given her. To think that everything had been okay for Aisha just a few years ago.
"Sniff, sniff" went Aisha continuously as her pupils were dilating rapidly. She couldn't think of a possible reason for deserving this kind of treatment from Mr.Chikondi ,his wife or even any other person. "What..... What... What did I do today's the class to deser..... Is it because of.....no no no.... It must be ... What did I do.....", Was what was going on in Aisha's head. Trying to think of what she could have possibly done to these people with each sentence incomplete before she thought of another. She lay on the floor in an unorganized and uncomfortable position for about one hour before the racket died down i.e Masego finally tending to her husband who struggled with her while she tried to help him get to his room after raining insults on the poor girl and she finally went into the kitchen to make something for her family to eat that night. Of course it was the usual 'papand Vleis' for the rest of her children while she took out special time to prepare just 'morogo' for Aisha as a form of punishment as those were the only food she could prepare properly and on time. Aisha got up and left to her room slowly still deep in thought. As she walked up the stairs, the smell from the kitchen made her nostalgic, she knew what she was having for dinner that night so she walked quicker to get as far away as possible from the smell. She just crawled on her bed after she got into her room. She thought about the eventful evening continuously till she fell asleep. Did I say her room? I meant the girl's room, all of her female siblings together with her lived in the same room. Almost all the rooms in upstairs part of the house was filled with unpacked load since about five years they've moved into the house. "childran, cam, food is ready" was the last thing she heard from her mother's mouth as she called her children to eat with her south African accent from downstairs before she heard the five o'clock alarm from the old alarm clock close to the side of the matress that Aisha shared with two of her other siblings. She sluggishly turned off the alarm half asleep and closed her eyes to sleep a little bit more the next thing she felt was water all over her body and several whips of the cane. She quickly jumped up and ran out of the room, she ran downstairs to the kitchen to boil hot water as she was supposed to have done 20 minutes ago while sulking severely and numbing the pains on her body. She looked around the kitchen and saw the already insect infested morogo and almost vomited. She now hated the food as she ate it almost every night lately. Aisha wanted to run away from this house. She couldn't even think of it as home because the treatment she was getting from here was unbearable. Today was Friday and she was going to stay at school for extra lessons. She stood at the door with her hand on the door handle should in case her mum comes downstairs to further assault her she would make a run for it. She giggled a little as she remembered some weeks ago when her mum actually did that and the both prepare just 'morogo' for Aisha as a form of punishment as those were the only food she could prepare properly and on time. Aisha got up and left to her room slowly still deep in thought. As she walked up the stairs, the smell from the kitchen made her nostalgic, she knew what she was having for dinner that night so she walked quicker to get as far away as possible from the smell. She just crawled on her bed after she got into her room. She thought about the eventful evening continuously till she fell asleep. Did I say her room? I meant the girl's room, all of her female siblings together with her lived in the same room. Almost all the rooms in upstairs part of the
house was filled with unpacked load since about five years they've moved into the house. "childran, cam, food is ready" was the last thing she heardfrom her mother's mouth as she called her children to eat with her south African accent from downstairs before she heard the five o'clock alarm from the old alarm clock close to the side of the matress that Aisha shared with two of her other siblings. She sluggishly turned off the alarm half asleep and closed her eyes to sleep a little bit more the next thing she felt was water all over her body and several whips of the cane. She quickly jumped up and ran out of the room, she ran downstairs to the kitchen to boil hot water as she was supposed to have done 20 minutes ago while sulking severely and numbing the pains on her body. She looked around the kitchen and saw the already insect infested morogo and almost vomited. She now hated the food as she ate it almost every night lately. Aisha wanted to run away from
this house. She couldn't even think of it as home because the treatment she was getting from here was unbearable. Today was Friday and she was going to stay at school for extra lessons. She stood at the door with her hand on the door handle should in case her mum comes downstairs to further assault her she would make a run for it. She giggled a little as she remembered some weeks ago when her mum actually did that and the both of them ran around the compound like goats that just newly ran mad. The only thing that made her mum stop was that the sky was getting brighter and the whole essence of the beating was so Aisha could get herself and her siblings ready for school on time. "Is thet giggling I hear from thet kitchen?, get upstairs and wake up your siblings now, the cane that I cane you was nat enough right?", said Waarheidsalwys Masego with her South African accent and an angry look on her face expecting Aisha to run upstairs to wake her siblings up for school which she did though she would have loved a recap of a few weeks ago. Aisha got upstairs and started to wake her siblings up. Of course she first went into her elder brother's room which was basically a store as some unpacked loads was still inside the room that he stayed in with his junior brother, Gelifde. "Why did you have to wake me
up when, Geskenk I've told you not to disturb me and you keep coming to wake me up every morning?" Said Gugulethu, Aisha's senior brother in a sleepy morning voice after opening the door to his room. Aisha first looked at him and smiled then she retorted, "first of all hasn't I and mamma told you not to call me Geskenk any more?...", she paused and waited for him to digest it and when he was ready to give an answer, she cut him short,"plus I came to wake Gelifde up not you, if you like sleep until 8:30 I don't care, then she gently stepped into the room to wake up Gelifde and carry him to have his bath and generally just prepare him for school while Gugulethu kept on rambling about how he would keep calling her Geskenk and how he was already used to it. "I have heard you but if mamma hears you calling me that and scolds you don't say I didn't warn you ", she replied him while her hands held on to little Gelifde's who was sucking away at his other thumb. Gugulethu didn't say any more as he signified for Aisha to get out as he wanted to start preparing for school. He started pulling off his shirt as Aisha quickly scuffled away with disgust on her face. She hurried into her room to wake her sisters up for school. "Tap, tap, tap" went Aisha's hands on both her sisters backs gently after which she called out their names, "Vreugde .....Skoonheid", she called with a short pause before calling the other. She did this up to three times before she got moans as responses from the both of them. She turned on the lantern in her hand and placed it on the table just beside the bed. "Just ten more minutes please", said Skoonheid with a sleepy tiny voice. One look at her face and Aisha replied, "ok, but after ten you have get ap, reg?", Skoonheid replied with a yawn and a "mm", after which she shut her eyes and continued sleeping. "Hey you wake up from there .... Wake up sleepy head!", Aisha turned to Vreugde with a serious face. "Gaan weg please I'm still sleepy.... Can't you geve me ten minutes also like Skoonheid?" Replied Vreugde with a sleepy angry tone. "No, I cannot... You are the elder one ; get up from there and go into the bathroom..... Common now, I'm talking to someone ", replied Aisha with a tone of finality. Vreugde stood up like a Zombie as she was still sleepy, stepped into the bathroom and took off her clothes. Aisha made sure she heard the sound of the shower before she took Gelfide down stairs to get his hot water so she could bath him. He had almost sucked his whole thumb away, half asleep.
Skoonheid's name means beauty because .... You know she was really
beautiful. Oddly you would think that because her name meant laughter
that she would laugh, smile or be happy alot but it was quite the opposite for Vreugde , she was always grumpy and had alot to complain about. Whenever she complained about her mother's cooking, Aisha would suffer the consequence. Geliefde lived like a prince he had no problems and his name meant Beloved and he was loved and oh he was the last born. Gugulethu's name meant our pride, he was the first born and he was a son and so he was their pride. He is very mature and responsible. Aisha's role and behavior in the house should be clear they named her Geskenk which means gift, she was the only mother. Mrs waarheid was just a cook and not so good a wife to her husband but that was by the ways.This is how every week day(apart from holidays) go in Mr and Mrs.Chikondi waarheid's house.