HOLLOW HEARTS
Chapter 26
JANE`
By the time I finished talking
on the phone Muneiwa was already in the car. I went to him and got in
Me:” I don’t know but he
seemed to have believed me” I said looking at him
Mune:” he had to, you’re good”
he said that looking away. Something was bothering him
Me:” I am not a psychic and
time is not on our side so what is it?”
Mune:” lying is soo easy for
you…it took you seconds to change and act like you are in real danger….it’s
like you can do this s*** in your sleep” I looked at him and couldn’t help but
feel like my worst fear was about to come to life. I really didn’t want Muneiwa
to hate who I really was
Me:” but Muneiwa I had to”
Mune:” it’s not really about
you doing it, it’s about how good you are” I sat back on the seat
Me:” you don’t trust me? After
everything you’ve done to me…removing my teeth and I took you back but you don’t
believe me?” the fact that he was doubting my love for him hurt
Mune:” I am sorry….it’s just
that I know that Duke will be waiting for me when I arrive Jane…I am walking
into a death trap here”
Me:” you and me both…we don’t
even know if Terry believes me yet and even if he does…I am sure your people
are also looking for me so we are in this together…I will make sure that I join
you immediately after making sure that things are balanced on my side…we will
give my family a safe escape and then make a plan from there. I won’t change my
mind Muneiwa, I will never betray you….never” he looked at me and smiled
Mune:” now you are giving me
something to stay alive for”
Me:” can you be able to
survive it though? Loosing you will take me back to square one…you can’t die
now so I wanna know if you’ll be able to survive” he smiled
Mune:” I know how Duke think
and I know what he is up to now…he is probably searching for my car to see
where I am so I will have to disguise him”
Me:” you’re gonna get a new
car?”
Mune:” steal one”
Me:”and we also need cellphones…we
should at least keep in contact and update each other on what’s going on”
Mune:” we can buy those R100
phones right?” I smiled
Me:” we don’t have cash for a
smartphones so I guess yeah” I looked at him and smiled and he smiled back at
me
Mune:” those gaps” he said
shaking his head with a smile…I immediately hide my smile
Me:”you created them
remember?”
Mune:” I love you”
Me:” I love you too…for the
first time in my life I actually have something to live for Muneiwa…don’t die
on me because I will hate myself”
Mune:” you need to trust that
I will make this happen okay?”
Me:” okay” he pulled me to him
and gave me a long sweet kiss that left me breathless and not wanting to let
him go. After the kiss I held onto his t shirt and knew that I didn’t want to
lose him
Me:” I don’t want to lose you
Muneiwa…I don’t even think I want to let you go” I said that feeling all
emotional
Mune:” it’s okay babe”
Me:” no…it’s not okay, none of
this is okay” I don’t know where the tears came from but they started falling.
Muneiwa started laughing and I couldn’t understand why…I looked at him and
waited for him to explain
Mune:” you are too emotional
its soo funny and it feels good to have someone cry for me like this but I am
good at this sweety love…I really am”
Me:” so you promise that we
will make it?”
Mune:” yes” he said that while
wiping off my tears
Mune:” you are not the only
one who is eager to make this work Jane…it’s both of us. I gave up everything
for us…do you have any idea how stressless my life used to be before I met you?
But I chose all this because you are worth it so I will fight to the end love…I
will make sure that I come back for you” she smiled
Me;” I wish life could just
cut us some slack and give us a normal fairytale without all this drama”
Mune:” one day is one day…give
it time” I gave him another kiss and after the kiss he cupped my face
Mune:”we need to go get the
cellphones and then take it from there”
Me:” and Terry said they will
make a plan to get me from here to Gauteng so I think they will send a chopper
or something like that so let’s get the cellphone and then separate”
We drove to town in George and
went to one of these Indian shops and got ourselves two cheap cellphones. We
exchanged cellphone numbers and then Muneiwa went to drop me at the garage and
then left. He planned on getting a car and then leave his car somewhere around
here just to confuse his boss.
…
DUKE
He sat in his office and
drowning his sorrows with a whiskey bottle on his hand. Losing Norman was a big
loss for the team. The boy was good and as much as Duke hated to admit
it…Muneiwa was the best assassin they had ever trained and the fact that he was
that good could only mean that he could outplay them. Duke was feeling uneasy and
kept on checking for his phone as he waited for JT’s call. After about an hour
of waiting JT called him. Duke immediately took the call
Duke:” did you find him?”
JT:” yeah, he is in George…he
was spotted there so that’s his location”
Duke:” send the team down
there but be on the lookout for any movement from him”
JT:” we are”
Duke:” are you sure it was him
in the car though? Not someone else?”
JT:” it was him…we saw him
driving down with the bitch so it’s him Duke…don’t worry we got him”
Duke:” just make sure that
everyone is on the lookout anywhere JT…if he can be spotted anywhere else then
we need to know…Muneiwa knows about our ability to track cars so how do we know
that he didn’t drive there just to throw us off? I am sure he drove there only
to leave the car in that side of the world to confuse us so run his photograph
against any camera you can find”
JT:” I never thought of that”
Duke:” and that’s why I am the
Manager of this organisation because it’s my job to think about the things you
can’t think of…so find him”
JT:” okay boss…I am requesting
a military chopper to take 5 of our guys down there”
Duke:” I will request it so
that they may know the urgency of the matter…and no…you are only sending 2
people…everyone is well trained to take down someone like Norman…we can’t send
everyone there”
JT:” okay that’s cool”
…
TERRY
After the call with Jane Terry
paced in his room asking himself if Jane was telling the truth. She really
sounded like she was stressed out. But even so, Terry felt that he needed Zach
to decide on what’s happening next just in case Jane might be lying. He walked
back to Abigail’s room
Abigail:” I will be there in a
second Terry, did you get the guns ready?”
Terry:” I just received a call
from Ayanda” Abigail looked at Terry in shock
Abigail:”and?”
Terry:” she said that after
she notified us about Pablo, the target became suspicious and did thorough
background check on her and learned the truth so he put her in a suitcase and
left the hotel. He tortured her to talk but she said nothing and she managed to
runaway…apparently they flew her off to Western Cape so I told her to stay put
and that we will come pick her up but I am not really sure whether to believe
her”
Abigail:” there is a way to
find out the truth”
Terry:” spit it out”
Abigail:” let’s ask Piet to
run her photograph against the traffic cameras around the country…if she is
telling the truth then she won’t appear anywhere around here because they flew
her to Western Cape but if she appear somewhere then she lied to us”
Terry:” you are a genius”
Abigail smiled. Terry took out his phone and called Piet immediately. Piet’s
phone rang twice and he picked up
Piet:” Terry”
Terry:” we need your hand”
Piet:” spell it out”
Terry:” you heard about Ayanda
right?”
Piet:” what happened with
her?”
Terry:” okay she might have
abandoned the assignment but we are not sure anymore so I want you to do
something that will give us the truth we are looking for”
Piet:” my computer is good and
ready”
Terry:” how long can it take
for you to run Ayanda’s picture against the traffic cameras in the whole of
South Africa”
Piet:” give me about 30 minutes…I
will also run it against any cctv I have access to in the country…in 30 minutes
you’ll know where she was spotted”
Terry:” okay let me not hold
you then…I will hear from you shortly”
Piet:”sure” Terry dropped the
call and looked at Abigail
Aby:” I think you should call Zach
and tell him”
Terry:” he said I should call
him with solutions not problems…he knows that Ayanda has gone stray and there
is no need to give him hope when there is none…we need to know for sure if she
is telling the truth and then we can give him a call”
Aby:” I hope she is telling
the truth”
Terry:” me too…so are you hungry?
I wanna make something to eat while we wait”
Aby:” the fact that you are
even thinking about food in this situation is shocking”
Terry:” we don’t know anything
yet…for all we know she might be telling the truth”
Aby:” but even if she is….The
target knows about us now and that means that Ayanda still failed and her failing
has cost the organisation big time”
Terry:” I still need some
food” he said that and went to the kitchen. He prepared something to eat for
himself and then sat down and relaxed. His phone rang while he was busy eating.
He picked up the call
Terry:”Piet”
Piet:” I spotted Ayanda in a
garage in Kimberly at 02:33 in the morning yesterday…she went to the garage to
buy some food”
Terry:” so she didn’t look
like someone who was kidnapped?”
Piet:” nahh…she was driving in
a GTI with a registration numb-“
Terry:” nahh that’s enough…was
she with a man?”
Piet:” yeah….she was with the
target”
Terry:”s***”
Piet:” what is it?”
Terry:” you’ll obviously know
soon enough but right now I have to go” he dropped the call and walked to
Abigail’s room
Terry:” she lied” he said as
soon as he walked in
Abigail:” she did?”
Terry:” yeah she drove down to
Western Cape with him”
Abigail:” so what do we do?”
Terry:” we let her believe
that we bought her story and wait for her to make it back here and then deliver
her to Zach”
Abigail:” sounds like a plan”
Terry:” but first we get rid
of her family”
Abigail:” yeah…that’s our
first stop”
HOLLOW HEARTS
Chapter 27
MUNEIWA
I was having a bad feeling
about all this. Somehow I felt as though the plan was going to fail. I only had
one hand gun with me with 5 bullets inside and that’s about it. I didn’t get a
chance to stage a perfect run so I had nothing useful so this was going to turn
out ugly. I thought of calling that Mudau guy but then his previous reception
when I pitched at his house wasn’t so good so contacting him again was not
really a good idea. I was more worried about Jane than I was about myself. Even
though I knew that her real name was Ayanda, my tongue couldn’t adjust to that
change. I was worried about her safety; I mean what if her people see through
her lies and then end her? The thought of losing her was agonizing; I really
couldn’t picture a life without Jane. It’s funny how just two months ago I was
living my life and sleeping with different bitches every day. I never thought
in a million years that I would fall in love so this was all shocking. Even
though I was convinced that it wasn’t a dream, sometimes it felt like an adventurous
dream.
…
I had already managed to get
hold of a car. It wasn’t just a car…I specifically looked for something that
was fast and Mercedes Benz s63 was the way to go. I removed the tracker and
then hit the road. I knew that it was a big car and therefore it could get me
arrested very fast so I planned on abandoning it as soon as we were done with
all this. There was a USB connected on the radio. I started playing the music
to try and stop my mind from going wild and the playlist on the USB wasn’t that
bad. The first song to play was Jay Z: Bam. My phone rang at that moment. I
knew that it could only be Jane so I picked up without even looking at the
caller ID. I can’t even explain the kind of excitement I felt when my phone
started ringing. Even though we were in a life threatening situation, I felt
that it was all worth it. Being loved and loving Jane was worth every trouble
Me:”My Jane” she giggled and
the sound of her voice giggling did unspeakable things to me
Jane:” My Norman” I giggled
involuntarily. There was just something about her that made everything sane,
she made me feel complete and like I just recently started living
Me:” you’re still good?”
Jane:” yeah and I am worried
about you” I shook my head smiling
Me:” I will be fine”
Jane:” okay apart from being
worried about you I am also scared…I feel like we won’t see each other again”
Me:” we will, I will make sure
of it…have you talked to your people again?”
Jane:” yeah…they are sending a
chopper down here for me….i don’t even know where they got it but I guess they
know the right people”
Me:” it’s working out then”
she breathed
Jane:” I don’t know Mune,
there was something about how Terry was speaking, his tone had changed and it
wasn’t like when I was talking to him the first time I gave him a call. I know
Terry and I sense it when he is worried that something will go wrong…he is
worried about something and it could only be that he knows the truth and he is
worried if I will buy his story and come back” I breathed
Me:” do you trust your
instincts?”
Jane:” I don’t know”
Me:” keep your eyes and ears
open Jane, for now your first goal is to get back to Gauteng and we can take it
from there…we are doing this for us love…we need to see each other again”
Jane:” yeah you are right”
Me:” you owe me more love
making Jane so we will do more of that when we are on the run” she giggled
Jane:” thank you”
me:”for?”
Jane:” for loving me and for
giving me a chance to finally live…I feel like I have just started living Mune and
that’s why I am terrified. Not much terrified me before I met you because I
used to believe that nothing could ever be worse than going through the things
I went through but then now I know that there is something worse….losing you is
worse than anything I have been through and I really don’t want to experience what
it could be like to live without you” I stopped the car on the side of the road
because her little speech gave me serious goose bumps and I feared that my
whole body was in shock so there was no telling if I was still in a good state
to drive
Me:” we will make it Jane,
we’ve only just started living so this won’t be the end”
Jane:” okay…I have to hide the
phone…talk letter”
Me:” I love you” it still felt
strange to say the words
Jane:” love you too” we hung
up and I sat in the car and catch a bit of breath and then went back to the
road
…
JANE
I waited for the chopper which
was coming to fetch me. I was standing at the Wilderness estuary which was
closed so there was a little bit of an open beach there. I sat on the sand and
waited. I think I waited for about three hours if not more and then the chopper
came for me. I breathed and braced myself for the worst. The phone was already
off and was safely placed inside my underwear. I was sitting on the sand with
my thigh that was obviously injured and my two absent teeth….that was supposed
to be proof that I was being tortured. As soon as the chopper landed I walked
towards it. One guy got out of the chopper and it was none other than Mondi.
Mondi was one of the guys I worked with. He ran to me and helped me walk
Mondi:” you’re okay?”
Me:” you know me…always the strongest” the guys
knew me to be strong and they also knew that I was hard to crack and rarely
ever cried so I wasn’t about to overdo everything and start crying like a
little bitch baby because they were obviously going to see through me. We got
inside the chopper and settled. The chopper took off and I started looking around
for something I could use as a weapon should things turn ugly
Me:” so it’s only you?”
Mondi:” only me and the pilot”
the fact that they only brought one person for me should mean that they trusted
me then. Even though this was a good sign, I wasn’t going to trust them
completely…at least not yet
Me:” thanks” he handed me the
bottle of water and I shook my head because I didn’t want to risk being drugged
Me:” nahh thank you….i managed
to clean myself up in the sea and asked for drinking water from one of the
houses so I am better” I made sure to make myself a bit wet and messed up in order to look convincing
Mondi:” what the f*** did they
do to your teeth?” he said as soon as he realised that I had no front teeth, he
opened my mouth and I let him
Mondi:” still hurt?”
Me:” a little”
Mondi:” I am sorry” I shook my
head
Me:” it’s okay…I am here now”
…
I felt as though the chopper
was taking too long. I wanted to meet Terry and finally find out what was going
on. After what seemed like forever we finally arrived in Gauteng. The chopper
landed in some private farm and we got out. Abigail and Terry were waiting for
me. My heart started beating fast and I realised that I was scared. For the
first time in my young pathetic life I was scared. I’d never been to a point
where I would have so much to lose so this was all new. I had too much to lose
and the idea of losing my family or Muneiwa was tormenting enough….its reality
would just kill me. I walked to them while limping a bit.
Me:”hey” I said as soon as I
got to them
Abigail:” what happened out
there?” she gave me her serious glare. I opened my mouth and showed them the
gaps and then looked at my injured thigh
Me:”they wanted to know who I
was working for but I said nothing” Terry and Abigail looked at each other and
smiled.
Terry:” follow me” okay
something was really up.
I followed them to the huge
building in the middle of the farm. We walked in and it was a big hall. At the
far corner of the hall I spotted three people tied down with their mouths
taped. It was my mother and the teenager I saw at home the other day and a
toddler. Could these be my siblings? I looked at them and my heart tore up. I
wanted to breakdown and cry or run towards my mom and help her but I had to
keep my straight face and play this well or else I was going to lose her before
I could give her a hug at least
Me:” what’s that?” I said pointing
at my mom with my head
Terry:” you really thought you
could play us huh?” I sat on the bench that was there as if I wasn’t bothered
at all. Acting was my thing and even at my weakest moment I could still do it
Me:” play you? Are you two
still hanging on to the illusion that I care about her? Seriously? Go ahead and
kill her” no one in the history of this life has ever been told to kill leverage
and do it so I was betting on the fact that they won’t do it. Mondi and two
more guys walked to my mom holding guns. All it could take was one bullet and
my mom could die
Abigail” stop the shity
madness Ayanda we know you ran off with him” my first instinct was to defend
myself but I didn’t
Me:” I really need a first aid
kit guys…I don’t have time for your lack of faith in me” Terry came to me and
held me by my neck and before I could try and fight him Abby came and
handcuffed me
Abigail:” we saw you driving
down with that boy…you were never in the bag and you didn’t fly down….you drove”
Okay they did the traffic camera shit that I hated…I had to come up with a plan
real quick. Panicking was not going to help me so I kept my cool
Me:” you really don’t trust
me? Had I told you that I drove down with that boy and ended up in Western Cape
would you have believed me? Terry…he put me in the bag and took me to some
house where he tortured and questioned me along with his colleague…I had to
play him…I had to make him believe that I am choosing him over my job and like
a bloody fool he believed me so yeah he betrayed his organisation and ran away
with me…when we got there he told me everything I needed to know about the
organisation and we planned on running away tomorrow but I ran from him okay? I
had to tell you the story that will make you come fetch me. If I told you the
actual truth you were not going to believe me” they looked at me and then at
each other…they were obviously confused
Terry:” we know you are a good
liar Ayanda” Terry said that and signalled with his head to Mondi and Mondi
took out a knife
Abby:” you thought we were
just going to shoot them? We are going to have him torture them and leave them
here to bleed to death with you watching” blood drained out of my body and I
started fighting trying to get away but I couldn’t….Terry held me so tight plus
my hands were handcuffed. I looked at Mondi as he got to my mom and held her neck
and then smiled at me. I was capable of suppressing pain but I couldn’t
suppress this…I couldn’t pretend like it wasn’t happening, I couldn’t even
handle it…my heart hurt so bad and I knew I had to do something to save her.
Me:”Stop stop stop” Abigail
laughed
Abby:” I told you that you
will fail” as much as the idea of it was going to haunt me for the rest of my
life, I had to play the only card I had on my sleeve even though it was going
to cost me big time
Me:” I didn’t fail…please
wait” I screamed
Terry:” remove her ears Mondi”
Me:”No no no no I can give him
to you…I can give you Norman” I said that trying my best not to let the tears
fall but I couldn’t stop them. Mondi stopped and looked at Terry waiting for a
go ahead
Terry:” we are not playing
Ayanda”
Me:” I told you that I played
him. I arranged for him to come back and meet me here knowing that we can be
able to catch him…just in case the info he gave me is not enough....we can take
him and question him more…he doesn’t have his team’s back-up so he is an easy
target now, he doesn’t have their protection”
Abby:” why should we believe
you?”
Me:” because I know where my
bread is buttered, I know where I belong and it’s here. Norman is coming back
to Gauteng and all you have to do is wait for him at her house” I said and pointed
at my mom
Terry:” that’s where he is
going?”
Me:” yes…I asked him to go and
protect them knowing full well that we can corner him there” my heart ached so much
I felt like it was going to burst. I knew they were going to find him and kill
him but what choice did I have? I couldn’t stand here and watch my mother die.
Abby:” until your story checks
out then you aint going anywhere”
Me:” that’s okay….we will talk
further after you’ve found him” the pain in my heart couldn’t be compared to
anything I know.
HOLLOW
HEARTS
Chapter
28
JANE
I
have always had a plan in my life and somehow I had always known what to do if
something was to happen but at this point the only thing that my whole self
knew was pain. The thought of surviving in the world where Muneiwa didn't exist
stung to the core and the fact that I was going to be responsible was enough to
send me to an early grave
Abigail:”
do we leave her here? Protected?” Terry looked at Abigail and shook his head
Terry:”
she wants to prove herself to us so let her do it. We are taking her with us
and she is going to be the bait….how do we know that she is not sending us into
a trap? Abigail why does it look like you are losing that thing” Abigail looked
at him and shook her head
Abigail:”
you heard the man Ayanda, we are taking you with us”
Me:”
fine by me….so don't you think you should at least let the poor people go?”
Abigail smiled
Aby:”
we are keeping them for now”
Terry:”
keeping them for now? I don't even think that releasing them is still an
option“
I
wanted to say something but I remembered that I was handcuffed and a bit
powerless so I was in no position to fight for myself or my mom so I couldn't
possibly make them see that I was afraid to lose my family. I had to pretend
like I didn't have a care in the world even though I had every care in the
world and was actually frightened at the idea of losing my family.
Me:”
suit yourself then” they pushed me out of the door and they followed me
outside.
I
wondered if my mom could tell that I was her long lost daughter. I wondered if
underneath my filthy body there was still something that gave her a hint that I
was her little Ayanda. The thirst and the eagerness to be in my mother's arms
overtook me and I wanted to cry so badly. I felt like I was never going to see
her again and the thought of it killed me inside. Even with all this
excruciating pain I still managed to put on the face that was required for the
game and walked outside with Abigail and Terry. I’ve never been the one to pray
because I wasn't even sure if God really existed. I mean if he did then why did
he let me go through such an ordeal? But then at that moment I found myself
silently praying
“God
protect her….please protect her enough for me to be able to feel her touch
again” I silently prayed
I was
not sure if God really existed but all the fuss around the world couldn’t have
been for nothing so he had to at least exist and if he did then I was hoping
that he would listen to me. I just wanted to hug my mom once and then maybe i
can be okay with her dying. I just wanted to look at her as the realization
dawned on her that her lost Ayanda was still alive. We got to the car
that was parked out of the building and Terry pushed me inside.
Me:”
it’s funny how you are all treating me like a damn traitor “
Terry
:” right now you are a traitor in our eyes” we all got inside the car and
Abigail drove.
They
already knew where my house was so there was no need for me to give them
directions. My hands were still tied and even though I knew that I could try
and use my phone to warn Muneiwa I didn't want to warn him because warning him
would mean the end of my family. My mom's death was just a phonecall away
so I had to really be careful. My team was not trusting me at all so I couldn’t
risk them losing the little trust left in me.
…
We
drove to Thembisa until we got to my house. They drove inside the gate and
parked the car at the driveway. They got out of the car and Terry pulled me to
him. Abigail took two guns and put them on her waistband and hide them with the
jacket. Terry also had one gun. I looked at the house and felt my body going
weak. I was setting my feet at home for the first time in 18 years. Even though
few things had changed but the house still looked the same. I travelled back to
my 5 years old self and I could see myself playing outside. I was my mother’s
only child then but judging from the two kids I saw her with I was left to
conclude that she had two more kids after I was taken.
Terry:”having
some memories huh?” I couldn’t answer
him…as strong as I was I really couldn’t think of anything to say.
They
walked to the house and I followed with my hands behind me. We got to the
living room and they opened the door and I walked in. it looked totally
different inside. It was nothing like how I remembered it. I looked around for
something I could use to free myself or to fight. I don’t know how I was going
to do it but then I knew that somehow I had to find a way to fight these two
and take their phones and drive back to the farm. The whole thing wasn’t going
to be easy because the two people who were with me were as well trained as me
and maybe a little bit more than me.
Abigail:”
we will sit here and wait for this boy to finally show himself”
Terry:”
he better show up Ayanda” I threw myself on the sofa
Me:”
these things are so uncomfortable, I still don’t qualify for them to get
removed?” I was talking about the
handcuffs
Aby:”
not yet”
Me:”
once all of this is over then I will have a good time avenging you guys for
this sick treatment”
I said that not even looking at them.
Something took my attention. There was a picture of a little girl in the room
divider. I tried to zoom it but then I couldn’t see it clearly. I couldn’t get
up and go check the picture out because I didn’t want to give Aby and Terry the
wrong idea. The living room was a normal black household lounge. There were
four couches, a table in the middle of the room and a room divider that had all
the crap that people keep in their houses. It was much more than what we had in
the past though.
…
Sitting
there was starting to feel uncomfortable, I was wondering if Muneiwa loved me
enough to follow me or if he would change his mind. The thought that I was
going to get him killed was terrifying as f***. Aby was looking out the window
the whole time checking out if someone was coming in. Terry went to the kitchen
and came back with an apple
Aby:”really?”
Terry:”
a man got to eat” he said that and sat close to me and gave me a smile
Terry:”
if you are really playing us then we will drive back with you to the farm and
we will rape your mom and your little siblings while you watch and then
slaughter them in front of you. We will then give you one last scene of rape
and then torture you some more and then hand you over to Zach…he said he will
want to deal with you himself” of all the crap he said….what was really spine
chilling was the thought of watching my family being raped and then being
brutally murdered in front of my eyes….that was one film I didn’t want to watch
Me:”okay”
I said that and looked away
Terry:”
shame you are scared….you are not sure if your boy will show up….wow this is a
first…you really are scared” I couldn’t be sarcastic; I couldn’t come up with
anything to say.
Terry:”
let’s wait some more”
We
waited for three hours
Terry:”
is this really going to happen?”
Me:”
need I remind you that he is driving from Western Cape?”
Terry:”
I am losing my cool” and finally Abigail turned to Terry and said
Abigail:”
here he is” she said that and looked from me to Terry
Abigail:”it’s
time to prove yourself one last time Ayanda, prove to us where your bread is
buttered or else your family dies….Mondi knows that if 30 minutes passes
without anything from us then he should end them so mess up with us and they
die. We’ve been giving him an update since we got here but if we go quiet for
30 minutes then they die”
Me:”
you think I am dumb?” at that moment I was actually feeling really dumb
Terry:”
untie her” he said to Abigail who quickly untied me
Terry:”
make him feel welcome to come inside the house and then we will take it from
there”
Me:”
let’s do this”
Terry
stood behind the door and Abigail hid behind the sofa and I sat where I was and
waited for him. My blood got drained out of my body in fear. My body was
literally shaking and I got up and starting pacing with my hands on my hips as
I quickly tried to think of a solution that could save both my family and
Muneiwa but nothing came up. Muneiwa came and knocked on the door and I stopped
on my tracks and looked over to the door
Me:”
come in” I said with a tired voice. He slowly opened the door and stood outside
and didn’t come in. He was shocked to see me…he frowned a little and stared
straight into my eyes. I had stopped pacing and was looking at him with my one
hand on my hips. I started tapping my one foot on the floor to try and get rid
of the nerves
Mune:”
you’re here?” there was something about the way he looked at me…I couldn’t even
make out what it was
Me:”
I am here…you can come in” I said with my weak smile on my face. He laughed weakly
and then looked away and back at me.
Mune:”
you sold me again and you have people in there” f*** how did he know? He said
that and took a quick turn and ran to his car. He got in and like a lightning
he started the car faster than I could bother try to stop him and by the time
Terry and Abigail walked out Muneiwa was already driving out of the gate. They
ran to the car and I did the same. We both got into the car and drove after
him. I was sitting at the back seat and that’s when I took out a phone and
texted him without Aby and Terry noticing. My phone was on silence
“They
have my family; please you need to help me”
“And
who will be helping me?” that was his reply.
I
know it was stupid and coward of me but I wasn’t ready to watch him die and
decided that it could all be better if I die and save everyone the trouble. If
I die then my family can walk free because there wouldn’t be the need to punish
the corpse and Muneiwa could have enough time to run away from all this. As
scary as the whole s*** was, I got up from the seat and strangled Terry who was
driving.
Aby:”
Ayanda what the f*** are you doing?” she screamed. Abigail tried to stop me but
I held on to him tight and he struggled to control the car. That’s when the car
started losing control and then swerved to the right where it hit something and
then went back on the road where it went straight for the bus. It collided with
the bus and my body was pushed to the front and I felt my head hitting the roof
so hard I felt like it was going to break and just when I thought I had
survived, another car collided with us at the back and then chaos.
HOLLOW HEARTS
Chapter 29
MUNEIWA
For the 1000th time
I regretted falling for her and I regretted all the decisions that I recently
took because they were the reasons why I was where I was. I was battling to
believe that Jane played me again. At least this time around I managed to get
away. I can’t explain how my heart was burning up. I felt as if my chest would
explode. Had I knew that love could do this to me then I wouldn’t have risked
everything that meant something to me for her. But then again, the few happy
moments I had spent with her were kind of worth it at the time. She said
something about her family being captured on the sms but Jane was such a good
liar and I couldn’t possibly trust her. I made sure that I stepped on the
accelerator and even though I saw their car following me, after taking the left
turn I never saw them again. Even so, I couldn’t stop driving because I wasn’t
sure if they had other people who would try to catch up with me. I drove out of
Pretoria and to Johannesburg and then after passing Johannesburg I parked my
car on the side of the road and decided to rest a little bit.
…
I got out of the car and
started pacing with my hands on my hips. I was trying to make sense of
everything to decide if I should believe her. I thought of how she was when I
opened the door. She was scared and looked like she wanted to cry and her
facial expression told me that she was about to do something she hated. Isn’t
that enough? Isn’t that enough to prove that maybe they really had her family
and she did what she did to save them? Even though there was a possibility of
that s*** being true, I didn’t know how I was going to help her.
…
I was still pacing when a car
stopped in front of me. My first instinct was to run to my car and start
driving and I did just that. I ran to the car and started it but then the
people on the other car shot the tires of my stolen car. F*** I started it and
stepped on the accelerator but nothing happened…the tires were already damaged.
I took out my one gun and aimed at the car. I didn’t want to start shooting
immediately because I didn’t have enough fire on me so I had to wait and see
what was going to happen. I bent down and hide so that they don’t fire at me.
The road we were in was quiet and no cars were passing. It was the reason why I
stopped here because I knew the road wasn’t really busy
“It’s over Norman” someone
said and I knew that it was someone from my organisation…I was battling to
recognise the voice though. I didn’t care how many people were in that car and
how armed they were but I wasn’t going to allow them to take me back to Duke. I
sat in the car and said nothing
“Just get out of the car
already” the guy shouted.
I stayed in the car knowing
that they were not going to do anything to me because Duke obviously wanted me
alive. I was sitting there with my head bent down but looking outside every
three seconds to see if anyone was coming towards my car. I was still on the
lookout when immediately their car drove into mine and before I could get out
of the car they collided with my car. My head hit the roof and then I fell back
on the seat. It was because of the collision that my hand let go of the gun. My
head immediately started pounding and I held it with both my hands trying to
get myself to focus and before I could make sense of what was going on someone
dragged me out of the car
“The all powerful Norman” i
looked up and the guy who dragged me out of the car was none other than Steve
Me:” Steve” I said with my
hoarse voice….my head was still pounding
Steve:” the one and only…never
thought I would see the day” Steve said that and gave his gun to Timtim….Timtim
was my senior and even though he didn’t personally trained me but he was always
one of the guys that I looked up to
Tim:” Norman Norman Norman”
Steve:” the mighty has fallen”
Steve was still young and he was even younger than me and I guess that’s why he
was trying to gloat. The two men helped me stand up
Me:” my leg” I said that
sounding more like I was crying. They helped me stand up and were about to take
me to their car when I banged Steve’s head with my own head…just when they were
all still surprised…I quickly took the gun from his waist and pointed at both
of them.
Tim:”Norman” he was shaking
his head. I respected and liked the old man but at this point I didn’t have a
choice. This was a matter of survival and now that I was found….i wasn’t even
sure if there weren’t more people coming for me. I shot Steve on the leg and he
screamed. Tim also took out a gun and pointed at me
Tim:” it’s over Norman”
Me:” it can’t be” I said that
and shot him on the head and he fell. I felt bad knowing that I killed the old
man but I had no choice
I looked at Steve and thought
of killing him as well
Steve:” please don’t” he put
his hands in the air looking at me
Me:” Tell Duke that I don’t
want to fight him…I only want out but if he wants a fight then tell him its
game on…I am his copy anyway”
I said that and ran to my car
and took my gun and my phone and then ran to their car and removed the tracker
quickly. I took all the cellphones I found in the car and threw them outside
and got inside the car and drove off. There were two more guns in the car and I
smiled knowing that I was now back on the game. I didn’t know where I was
going…with my team knowing that I was still around Gauteng I was never going to
be safe. I started to play the radio and switched to Radio2000. I switched it
on right on time when they were announcing the accident that occurred at Thembisa
close to Oakmor. I listened carefully when they described the white Audi that
was in the accident and the fact that two females and one males were inside the
car. F***
…
JANE
I opened my eyes and my head
was pounding. F*** I wasn’t dead. I looked around my surrounding and spotted a
young man wearing white clothes, I looked around some more and there was a
beeping machine on my left. I was in a hospital bed. F*** this can’t be
happening. I sat up immediately and attempted to get out of bed but the nurse
immediately ran to me
Nurse: ”ma’am you can’t get
out of bed please relax” relax? How can I relax? My whole family could be dead
for all I know
Me:” how long have I been
here?” I said looking at the guy with nothing but worry
Nurse:” you’ve been here for
about two hours or so….you had a concussion on your brain and now that you’ve
woken up the Doctor will come and check out the activities in your brain” ow
no…my mom…ow my God no
Me:” I don’t want to be checked
up I want to be out of here…that’s all I need” I said trying to stand up but
the guy tried to stop me again. I held him by his neck
Nurse:” your father is
outside” he said while he battled to breathe. I immediately let him go and
looked at him carefully
Me:” what did you just say?” I
felt like I didn’t hear him right
Nurse: “yes your father is
waiting for you outside…he was here few minutes ago but we just asked him to
wait outside” my heart started beating faster than normal. My dad? I didn’t
have a f*****g dad so this could either be Duke or Zac or anyone from one of
the two teams. I sat on the bed and tried to think of a way out. It was
difficult to think of anything because I was worried about Muneiwa and my mom
Me;” uhm…don’t tell him
anything yet please…I want some time alone”
Nurse:” it’s okay ma’am…he won’t
come see you until the Doctor has come and check you up”
Me:” don’t even tell him that
I am awake…I am sure he is very worried and that will just make me feel worse”
Nurse:” it’s okay” he said
that putting me back to bed
Me:” and the people I was with
in the car? Did they make it?” I was hoping that they had died
Nurse:” I am so sorry…the
gentleman didn’t make it” f*** Abigail survived
Me:” thank you…now you can
leave me be”
Nurse:” I hope you won’t try
anything stupid”
Me: “never” it was already
late at night and I wondered what time it was. The nurse walked to the door
Me:”uhm sorry, what time is
it?” he took out the phone from his pocket and check the time
Nurse:” 16 past 8”
Me:” thank you”
He walked out of the door and
I immediately tried to get out of bed but damn my legs were in pain. I felt
nothing at first but now it was as if I triggered something because my legs
were very painful…in fact my whole body was in pain. I also had bandages all
over my head and my face. I walked to the door and slightly opened the door and
peeped outside. I spotted a man I didn’t know. I guessed that he was the father
I was told about. Well, at this moment I didn’t know which team the man
belonged to but then I also didn’t want to find out or be caught by him. So, I
walked back to the room and started looking at the window to see if I could be
able to find my way out. I was standing close to the window when the door of my
ward opened and someone wearing a white coat walked in and I guessed it was a
Doctor. I relaxed a bit because I was worried when the door opened
…
Doc:” hello ma’am”
Me:” hey” I limped going back
to the bed
Doc:”do you think it’s wise
for you to be walking around?” I smiled
Me:” you are the Doctor so you
tell me” he shook his head looking at his files
Doc:” so how are you feeling?”
Me:” much better” I just
wanted him to release me so telling him I was in pain wasn’t really going to
help with anything
Doc:” mhm that’s good news…Uhm
your father told us your name is Jane Sokhulu”
Me:”yep that’s my name” he
wrote something on the file
Doc:” okay Jane Sokhulu…you
were very lucky to have come out of the accident with just a mild traumatic
brain injury…you didn’t surfer any serious injuries except for some bruises
here and there but the concussion on your brain didn’t cause any serious
damage. Are you feeling okay? Your memory is back and you can remember
everything?” I could remember everything including the fact that I had no idea
what was going on with my family or Muneiwa
Me:” everything is fine…I just
want to get out of here”
Doc:” I think we should keep
you here for a while to monitor the baby…the good news is that the baby is also
okay but then sometimes traumatic experiences can cause unexpected stress to
the baby and sometimes miscarriage so I suggest you stay overnight and see how
you look like tomorrow morning” okay I blacked out for few seconds with my eyes
wide open and looking straight at the Doctor without blinking
Me;” baby? Doctor…” I said
with my fake laugh on
Doc:” ow you didn’t know? You
are 3 weeks pregnant” f***
Me:” can we get it out?” the
Doctor frowned
Me:” the baby? Can you be able
to remove it today? In fact now?”
HOLLOW HEARTS
Chapter 30
JANE
Doc:” but you just found out
that you are pregnant and you haven’t even thought about it”
Thought about it? There was
nothing for me to think about. A baby was a liability I knew I didn’t need at
that moment plus I had done this abortion s*** a couple of times before and I
knew every ounce of pain associated with having part of you being ripped out of
your body…I knew how it works and I also knew that I wanted that procedure done
again. There are certain things that are not for certain people and having a baby
was not for people like me. For that moment I didn’t think about what Muneiwa
would think about the baby, I felt like it didn’t matter and that maybe he
would share the same opinion as me.
Me:” yes I just found out but
I do know that I don’t need a baby and will never need one” I wasn’t going back
on my word regarding that. The Doctor looked at me and blinked several times,
he looked rather disappointed
Doc:” so you are sure you want
to have an abortion?”
Jane:” you can use fancy words
such as abortion but the bottom line is I want this thing to be removed”
There were no feelings
attached to the baby. I had never thought about pregnancy as a living human
being and as such it was up to me to save the poor thing before it turn into a
human. I had to save it from being born into the world where life was just
unfair and painful as f***. Why would a person like me want to bring another
human being into this messed up world? I hardly survived so why bring someone
into all this? It wasn’t worth it. Even though I might come across as heartless
but this is how I chose to save my babies from the cruelty of the world.
Previously I was never given a choice to decide if I wanted a baby or not...abortion
was just a procedure required whenever you were found to be pregnant. I never
objected though, I wanted to get rid of the pregnancy as much as the
organisation wanted it. Pregnancy wasn’t a common thing because we used condoms
and were on contraceptives but sometimes things do happen and they happened
twice to me and I did what all the other girls did…terminate
Doc:” okay you have just been
in a car accident and even though you didn’t sustain any major injury, your
body is still under a lot of stress so we will make an appointment to do the
abortion”
Me:” so it won’t be today?”
Doc:” I am afraid not”
Me:”okay”
Doc:” after I have discharged
you I will give you a date for your next appointment for a check-up and
depending on your progress then we can make an appointment for the abortion”
I wasn’t going to wait around
for all that crap so I was going to have to do an abortion in another hospital.
One more thing about abortion…that s*** is painful so maybe it wasn’t a good
idea for me to do it now because there was someone posing as my father out
there and I didn’t know if that person could be trusted so I had to make a plan
to run.
Me:” sounds okay”
I said that while feeling
impatient. I just wanted the Doctor to leave me alone so that I can start
making a plan for an escape. The Doctor looked at the machine and started
writing some things down on the documents he had on his clipboard.
Doc:” I will give you another
brain scan tomorrow morning but everything seems fine so far”
Me:” thank you” the Doctor walked to the door and was about
to walk out when the door opened and the man I saw outside walked in
Man:” sorry Doctor but I just
want to see my daughter for few seconds before I leave…a man has to rest” the
Doctor smiled at him. F*** now I was finished
Doc;” it’s okay she is awake
now and yes I understand , you’ve been here since she arrived”
Man:” thank you Doctor”
I don’t know who this man was
but he was definitely not my father because I never had a father so he was from
one of the two teams and that could only mean that my life was as good as over.
The Doctor walked out and the man closed the door and slowly walked over to me.
I was scared but I didn’t want to show my fear
Man:” Jane Sokhulu…aka Ayanda Xulu” I looked at the man carefully but I
couldn’t place him…in fact I was positive that I have never seen him before
Me:” you are obviously not my
father so which side are you from? And who are you?”
Man:” just out of
curiosity…who is your father? You just mentioned that you don’t have a father”
Me:” I am sure your boss
didn’t pay you so that you can come and ask me that...how about we get down to
business? You are here to take me and deliver me to your boss so how about we
do that?” the man smiled
Man:” I am your father Ayanda”
I wanted to laugh but then it wasn’t funny so I just looked at him
expecting…well I don’t know what I was expecting
Me:” nice try…quit playing
games and take me out of here and deliver me to wherever already”
Man:”I understand why you
don’t believe me but my name is Clifford Nkosi….you used your mother’s surname
that’s why you never used mine” okay I was getting irritated with this man
Me:” okay Clifford or whatever
the hell your name is…quit playing the f*****g game because it’s not funny” I
was now angry
Man:” where is your mom? Where
is the whole family Ayanda? What happened to her?”
He looked like he was
panicking. I shook my head and got out of bed. At this point I didn’t care
about my pounding head and the pains in my body. This man was pissing me off
and one word from him then I was definitely going to die trying to kill him. He
took out a piece of paper and handed it over to me. It was an old photograph. I
looked at it and almost fainted…it was my mom holding a baby and a man by her
side who looked like the one standing with me in this room. I looked at the man
and then at the photograph and realised that it was really him. I turned the
photograph around and it was written ‘Ayanda’ the ink looked really old…like it’s
been there for a long time. The picture was dirty at the back and looked really
old. I looked at the photograph and shook my head
Man:” you were only a month
old and then I disappeared after that”
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