Melanie

la

the sheets as soon as

gs you are clinging on. Otherwise, that's the bedroom you'll sleep in. I don't know if it's safe to say, that that is your room, but whatever that is, clean it up and take care of it just like you would yourself, if you know what I'm talking about. The rules of this house, just like every other house that has its own rules, are very simple. Clean this house, wash the dishes,

the new housekeeper and baby m

other's toes, please. Ge

it was. Remember, I lived in the rural villages. Back there, our yards are really big, to accommodate all our livestock and gardens. You can just imagine how big this house was. Big as it was, it was empty, and lacked of a mother's love, a m

was beautiful. White, glassy, with a touch of turquoise in the bedroom, red in the dining room, and black in the kitchen. I felt that was beautiful. These were things we only saw in the maga

Who's

anie

once. I switched off my

grass, close to the pool. A cottage, painted in blue lay all alone behind a

on

sy with Pops in the garage for the rest of the evening. Kiki was sleeping in the back seat. I saw figures moving around there when l looked a

e garage door. Did l not

it was no longer bloody, it's blood had dried up on it's skin below, laid nicely on the floor. So Abigail slaugh

osed the gate nicely, and locked it. I carried my baby on m

'Sbon

little. The lights were turned on. I

i... When did

was

st seen her, her eyes with big eye bags that seemed to escape to her chin. Her teeth, yellow with a tint of brown. I looked at her. She was in a night dress, that traced h

h.

ack with her right hand, and turned to

d ni

for that long. This world! I walked to my baby

where she

odd

said we should

as a tiny being r

e you

Her eyes looked strained. They had veins, that white, elastic sclera

. Her name

id you even get pregnant?!" I e

realized when l was told t

s sh

u l

when my water broke. I thought l had peed on myself. Little did l know, the baby was coming. The doctors saw the head coming o

when the doctors saw the baby's

laug

start pushing. I was shocked. I wa

r voice. "A baby! Are you crazy, you

aug

d her across the face

"I started pushing. It clicked to me when l heard her cry for

ow

arted sniffing. She beg

... a

ara sleep.

about to

s stepmother, l can see it coming, and she's supp

nya tomorrow. W

s bugg

.

er l placed Kiki in the room next to mine. I spen

ngako

light, trying to spot someone in the room. I saw something like red eyes glowing at the

you to not tak

supposed to

nswering b

lt humbled. It was hard for me to even look in her eyes. She and l were now sharing the same breath. That was how close she was. She held my neck with her right hand. It was the grip

hat ou

ueen. I have

he had tightened her

't hear

r. I do what you

e, and sa

that. I was overwhelmed by a sense of respect. Respect of auth

en. All hail, q

with us. You are fine with that. Yo

are moving in with us

oo

und myself laying on the floor. My genitals hurt. My head was spinning. My head hurt. I balanced m

ith that," was what kept ringing in my head. I was okay with that.

la

chicken stew in the kit

k kno

n and l turned to lo

l com

halfway in, yo

ww

ent

ant to be led in, not

Afternoon,

aug

... just

sually no one in the kitchen, and because this house is lar

ople cook

interfering in p

ked a

e woul

towards the fridge. There was a small corridor

your shift

d and begun mi

. It made me sneeze so bad. I excused myself. He looked at me as l exited.

your shift

so no

other grou

hem to

returning h

're getting too comfortable

he air. Small gasps o

polog

and walked out. Ndumis

zw

oors. It was quite busy tonight. Not my type of pla

that othe

e, b

s proud. The other entryway was empty. No one uses this entrance. The guards opened the door a

scalators and stopped

H

hings down. I cl

secon

th mine, she struggled to speak, her eyes bugged out. The

.. s.

f jobless, sweeth

es wer

s. People turned to look in

rough. He got my signal. He whispered to the

a ghost. She quickly fixed herself. She star

headed towards

rat

suit, exactly like the one Sizwe's guard had on. He tr

is that man

dy was

e came here knowing whic

the law. Withholding information from the police is a criminal

I'm not withholdin

began to walk fast towards the other door. As the guard made his way hastily inside, the man began to run. He disappeared in the crowds. He was in his car

as tha

fficer. He showed me his