I always knew that my parents despised me but today they proved me right. They know very well that I’m starting a new job tomorrow, actually not just a new job it’s my dream job but they decide to drop a bomb on me.

　　It’s 8 am I am taking a long bath after cleaning the yard and house for 3 hours. I always wake up at 5 am every Sunday so I can clean the house and yard. My parents are the most untidy people ever. They always host their stupid parties almost every Saturday with the food I bought, and I have to clean up when I wasn’t even part of their parties. Psssh as if I’d join them.

　　“Mandy hurry up, we have guests” my mom budges into my room without even knocking, I hate it when she does that.

　　“Give me 5 minutes,” I tell her.

　　“You need to hurry up. They are very important people they can’t be kept waiting” she tells me.

　　Gosh, this woman can be annoying. She can see that I’m still bathing after 3 hours of cleaning their mess.

　　“I said 5 minutes if they can’t wait that long they can leave,” I tell her.

　　“You’re so annoying” she leaves slamming the door it rattles on its hinges. I bought that door you know.

　　I take my time, her guests can’t tell me what to do and what not to do. Why is she even dressed up? When was the last time I saw her dressed up? Gosh, I can’t even remember. Now I’m curious I hurry so I can see her guests. After 10 minutes I’m done. I walk into the lounge and the atmosphere changes. There’s something about the men in black suits. They are very powerful and very handsome I must say. Even my loud parents are very quiet. I walk into the room, all eyes on me. I sit next to my mom. I greet them. The old man smiles and greets me back but the young one just nods looking around the house with a disgusted look. So rude. We sit in uncomfortable silence.

　　“Mntanami

my child

we have something to tell you,” my dad tells me.

　　Okay, something huge is going on here. My dad has never called me that not even when I bought him the most expensive whiskey. Okay maybe not that expensive but it did cost me a lot you know and he finished it within 2 days my God was I hurt.

　　“Kanti didn’t you tell her?” the young man asks clearly annoyed.

　　“What’s going on here?” I ask when my parents go mute.

　　“Can you tell her already, we don’t have all day” the young man tells my parents.

　　“Ayanda relax. Will you?” says the old man.

　　So his name is Ayanda he’s really handsome even Trey Songz is not this handsome gosh. Pity he’s rude.

　　“This is not easy Mandy, the Nxumalo’s are here because your father…” that’s my mom she doesn’t finish the sentence. I just keep quiet I’ll wait for them.

　　“Your parents took a loan from me 15 years ago and when they couldn’t pay me back, they made a promise that when you turn 21 they will marry you off to my grandson,” Mr Nxumalo tells me.

　　I’m sitting here hoping it’s some kind of a sick joke. I mean my parents have been trying to hook me up with people for money. That’s why I kind of ran away after Grade 12. I decided to stay at res I always come home unannounced and leave the very same day. Besides, I had to work otherwise we’d live in a 2 room shack forever.

　　“Is this one of your annoying jokes mom?” I ask my mom. I see tears in her eyes.

　　Why is she crying? What kind of parents make promises like that? Are they even my real parents?

　　“I’m not marrying him,” I tell them pointing Ayanda. “And I’m not leaving,” I walk out with the plan to run away and never look back.

　　I can’t marry an arrogant ass. I walk out the gate. But there are men in black carrying big guns. What have my stupid parents done? All the neighbours are peeping through their curtains. I try to run but I can’t outrun these men. They stop me, I scream my lungs out with the hope that someone will call the police or be brave enough to help me but none of that happens. My parents run towards me with worried faces but I know they are not worried about me. Some parents we have. The guards take me back to the house. My head hurts from all the screaming and fighting. I’m still screaming when they put me on the couch.

　　Mr Nxumalo is still smiling at me, if I had a gun I’d shoot that mouth I don’t need his stupid smile right now. Ayanda is typing on his phone like nothing is happening.

　　“Mandy stop it” my mom screams at me. I see Ayanda flinch.

　　“Don’t you dare?” I scream back. I’m very respectful but right now I feel like slapping the shit out of her. Never felt like that before. I need to come up with a plan. I need to get myself out of this mess right now.

　　I need to think and I can’t with my parents looking at me with pleading eyes like I’m suddenly God. They can’t do this to me. My heart feels heavy when I think about my dream job. I worked extremely hard to get that job and now this? I feel tears in my eyes and for the first time ever I can’t hold them back. Here I am weeping like someone just died and my parents are looking at me like I just popped another head. Mr Nxumalo walks towards me and gives me a warm hug, I can’t help it I need one. Ever noticed that when you are trying to console someone who’s crying they cry some more. This is what I’m doing right now.

　　“It’s okay. I know my grandson doesn’t seem like a good person but marrying him won’t be such a bad idea” he tells me. I just shake my head. I really don’t want to marry him. Oh, I have an idea.

　　“I think I can find a way of paying you guys back without marrying him,” I tell them with a smile wiping the tears using the back of my hand.

　　“You see I found a very good job, so we can work out instalments and how long I’ll be paying,” I tell them smiling feeling on top of the world I mean I came up with a solution 4 adults couldn’t come up with.

　　“I wish it was that easy.” Mr Nxumalo replies with a sigh.

　　“Mandy if it was that simple we wouldn’t have made this promise in the first place,” my mom tells me.

　　“How much does he owe?” I ask Mr Nxumalo

　　“Just listen to your parents will you?” that’s Ayanda.

　　“So he can talk. I don’t want to marry a bustard like you” I tell him.

　　“The feeling is mutual I don’t want to marry an undeveloped child like you,” he tells me typing on his phone. I’ve been called ugly and plain all my life but it hurts each time someone says that. But I don’t react anymore, I just keep quiet.

　　“How much do you owe them?” I ask my dad again.

　　“I’ll pack your stuff,” says my mom.

　　“I don’t want you near any of my stuff” I always tell her that I don’t want her filthy hands on my stuff.

　　“Dad, I asked you a question” I turn back to my dad.

　　“I owe them a million,” he says that like he owes them one hundred rands.

　　“What did you even do with the money?” I ask him. God why don’t I have a gun, I’d shoot him right now.

　　Stupid father.

　　I might as well marry Ayanda, how long is it going to take me to repay a loan with interest when it takes people 20 years to pay their bonds worth three hundred and fifty thousand. I’ve never been so angry in my life. I’ll find a way to get back here as soon as possible. I know Ayanda has more important things to do than to look after me so I’ll have to find a way because right now I don’t have a choice. I go to my room to pack. There isn’t much to pack really my things are stored in 4 boxes. I was planning to buy a wardrobe when I get paid. The first 2 medium boxes have my clothes and shoes the 3rd box has my novels, and then the 4th is a shoebox it has important documents like my ID, qualifications, and pictures. I won’t ask them for help, I’ll just take the boxes to the car they are not that heavy after all. I take the first 2 boxes to the car. There are 4 black Mercedes SUVs. One of the bodyguards comes forward with a sincere smile. He tries to take my boxes, I shake my head, he opens the boot of one of the cars. I walk back to the house to fetch the last 2 boxes. I take the book I’m currently reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The very same guard who showed me where to put my boxes shows me the car I should get in. I take the book and get in the car.