Broken Promise

Episode 14

Olwethu walked Ntombi home. It was
starting to get dark as they turned past the
spaza shop into her street. She was grateful
to him. She didn’t like to be out on the
streets when it was dark, and she was
feeling bad for leaving Zinzi alone in the
house. “So it’s true, what they say about
Zakes?” she asked Olwethu.

“My gogo doesn’t gossip. If she told you it’s because she wants you to know, and she
wants to protect your mother,” Olwethu
said.

“I knew that he was up to no good,” said
Ntombi, “and I know I have to make my
mother see sense … but she won’t listen to
me anymore. She’s like a stranger.”

“That’s tough,” said Olwethu, and he looked like he really cared.

“It’s okay, really. Compared to what your
family has been through.” She looked down,
embarrassed. Olwethu fell quiet as they
drew close to her house. Ntombi saw a
familiar but worrying sight. There was
Zakes’ BMW parked outside.

“I tell you what else I know about Zakes,”
said Olwethu as they approached the
pimped-up car. “In the school holiday I work
at my uncle’s panel beating shop in Site C.

One day this guy comes in with a black BMW,
says he wants them to re-spray it silver. But
there’s nothing wrong with the car – not a
dent or a scratch. And when I asked my
uncle, he told me to be quiet and keep
working. It was like he was scared or
something.”

“Zakes?”
“Yes. He had an Orlando Pirates sticker on
the bumper.” There was the sticker now, on
the bumper of Zakes’ car, staring them in
the face.

“You’ll be alright?” Olwethu asked.

“Yes,” said Ntombi, “and thanks for
everything.”

“It’s a pleasure,” he said. “See you at school sometime.” He seemed to hover, like he wanted to say something more, but then he
turned and walked away down the street
just as Zinzi came across from the spaza
shop carrying a big bottle of cooldrink.

“Zakes said I could buy this, because I’ve
been such a good girl,” she said smiling.

“And you bought it?” asked Ntombi,
disgusted. “Don’t let him buy you off so
easily, Zinzi. You’re worth far more than a
bottle of cooldrink.”

“So you won’t be having any?” teased Zinzi.

“No way,” said Ntombi, although the ice-cold
bottle looked so good. And she was so
thirsty. I’m stronger than that, she thought. I
have to be.

Zakes was taking up the whole couch when
she got inside. The smell of his aftershave
filled the small house.

“Aren’t you going to greet Zakes?” Zinzi
asked, taking a gulp of cooldrink. Ntombi
mumbled a greeting, dumped her shopping,
and walked quickly past him to go to the
bedroom. But he grabbed her arm and
pulled her close. She could smell the beer
reeking from his whole body.

“How’s SA’s next Teen Voice singing
queen?” he said mockingly. “I hope you
gave what I said some thought.” He smiled
at her, and she wanted to slap his hand
away and run. He made her sick. “Because
you know, when I move in here with your
gorgeous mother, I don’t want anything to
ruin it.”

It was a threat, she could tell. And for the
first time, besides feeling sickened by him,
she felt fear. How could she tell her mother
the truth about him? Just then her mother
came swanning in from the bedroom in a
pair of new shoes. “What do you think?” she
asked Ntombi and Zinzi. Ntombi pushed past
her.

“What’s got into her?” her mother asked
Zinzi.

“She’s just jealous,” said Zakes loudly, so that Ntombi could hear. “That’s really sad – when a daughter’s jealous of her own mother.”

---

Ntombi stayed in the bedroom. She got out
her photo album and started to page
through it. There was a picture of her dad
holding her in his arms when she was a
little girl. They looked so happy. What had
gone wrong? There was one of her mother
and father looking so proud as they held
their two daughters up to the camera.

Would those days ever come back? Were
they gone forever?