Broken Promise

Episode 34

“You’re hurting me,” she said,
trying to push him off, hoping she
could beat him to the car and lock
herself in. But in response he just
grabbed her arm and pinned it
above her head. His face was
angry, there was no love there.

With her other arm, Ntombi felt for
the pepper spray in her pocket,
next to the keys. She clutched it in
her hand, not even sure which way
the nozzle was facing. It was her
only chance, now before it was too
late. She pushed it between them
and sprayed the pepper spray in
his eyes. He cried out and rolled off
her, tearing at his eyes. She got up,
her own eyes burning, and started
running to the car.

“S–t! You b—h!” He got up and
lunged towards her, but she was
faster as he stumbled blindly,
trying to wipe his eyes, shouting
out at her. She reached the car,
jumped in and locked the doors,
just as he came across the grass in
the dark. She had never driven
before, but she would have to
now. She turned the key and the
engine sprang to life. The gears
ground as the car jerked forward,
nearly hitting Mzi, who was still
coming towards her. The car
lurched forward over the bumps. It
was out of control. She had only
gone a hundred metres when she
slammed on the brake by mistake
and the car stalled. There were
tears in her eyes. She reached for
her phone and pressed the button:
“The person you are trying to
contact is unavailable please try
again later.”

• *

Ntombi looked in the rear view
mirror. She couldn’t see anything.
It was pitch black outside. Just
then her phone rang. It was
Olwethu. “Where are you?” he said.
“What’s happened?”
“I’m at the river,” she choked.
“Where’s Mzi?”
“He’s here. I sprayed him with the
pepper spray. I’m in his car, but it’s
stalled.”

“Just lock the doors. We’re coming
now,” said Olwethu.
They were the longest minutes of
Ntombi’s life as she waited. By
now the spray might be wearing
off, and Mzi was probably nearby,
coming towards her. Her heart
pounded as she kept peering
anxiously around, expecting to see
Mzi emerge from the gloom. She
felt for the spray, but she must
have dropped it after she had
sprayed him, because she couldn’t
find it.

Then, terrified, she saw a figure
looming out of the dark and she
could make out it was Mzi. He had
a rock in his hand – he was going
to smash the window. His face was
ugly now, his eyes red and mad.
Suddenly a car’s headlights blinded
him. There was a skidding sound
and a cloud of dust as a police van
came to halt right next to him. Mzi
turned, dazed, to see Olwethu and
a policeman coming towards him
fast. He started to run and the
policeman chased after him.
Olwethu rushed to the car. She
couldn’t move. “Open the door,”
Olwethu was saying. She managed
to pull the doorknob up and he
wrenched the door open and then
she was in his arms, sobbing. The
police put Mzi in the back of the
van.

Ntombi told Olwethu that she
couldn’t drive in the police van, not
with Mzi in the back. Olwethu said
he would drive them in Mzi’s car
back to her house. He needed to
warn her mother that the police
were about to intercept Zakes in
the Checker’s car park. They would
catch him red-handed. It was time
to tell Ntombi’s mother the truth.