Chapter 5 ‘the widow’

The first thing she asked for when she woke up was her daughter. ‘She is safe; I managed to take her into my home’ said a lady who seemed to have been standing there for some time. ‘What happened to me’ asked Selina. ‘You were bumped by a car three days ago, you have been unconscious but the doctors said there is no bad injury. I am sorry to announce this to you but my name is Anele and I am the one that bumped into you’. ‘That is very kind of you a few people would have done such a, thank thing you for keeping my daughter safe’ said Selina in a grateful tone.

‘I have been speaking to the doctors they said that you will not be able to work for at least three months. They said you need rest and to be with someone who will look after you. I was wondering, if you do not mind I could bring you into my home and make sure you are fully recovered’. Selina did not have much of an option, she accepted the offer. ‘Well then the doctors said if you wake up you will be discharged after two days but for now you will have to lay there’ she said jokingly.

She seemed to be a very good woman one could tell by the look in her eyes, the tone of her speech and the colour of her skin that most of her life she had never lacked anything. Helping someone was not much of a good deed but just a means of building her resume as a philanthropist. She spoke very good English and wore a watch, carried a diary and she diaries every event of the day.  When lunch was served she took a long look at the food as if she would see germs and viruses. Maybe she forgot that this was a hospital, no it was not just a hospital it was a private clinic, all expense to be paid by her. After Selina had eaten and rested Anele broke the silence again.

‘So tell me about yourself what do you do’ Anele asked. She was never shy of what she was but in all her life she never told her daughter that she was a prostitute. All she wanted was her daughter to grow up and have a decent life. Be an accountant, a doctor of even a tennis player. She kept her profession at work and at home she was a mother. She cleared her throat then spoke ‘I work at a night club as a waiter, last night you bumped on me I was doing overtime, a girl has to eat right’ she said with a little smile on her face good enough to cover her guilty. ‘Yes I will not judge as long as you pay the bills’ said Anele.

‘So what do you do?' Asked Selina quick enough to divert attention away from her.  ‘I am business woman I was a teacher, so when my husband died I was left to run his business. I have a load of work in my hands but I can manage. We were married for thirty two years, he was a good man. It still hurts that he had to leave soon.  He never kept a secret from me and he loved me dearly’. ‘What was the cause of his passing’ spoke Selina. ‘It is suspected that he had an overdose of his medication, he was found dead in his office’.  ‘Am really sorry Anele, who did you say your husband’s name was by the way?’ ‘His name was Raymond, Raymond Dladla’. Selina’s world stopped for a while was this a dream or a night mare.

Chapter 6 to follow soon #keep reading

written by Hawulethu Patrice Dube

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