Ugly Duckling: No One Wants Me by Hlengiwe Mathebula (best manga ereader TXT) 📕

me so much? But I know that’s not her talking it’s her jealousy. We eat and I drive them to Njabulo’s house. There isn’t much space for everyone, they ask to come to my apartment, I tell them NO but I take Smanga with. They can’t insult me and expect to spend a night at my apartment. We say our goodbyes and we leave. During the ride, we chat and we find out that we have so much in common. Chapter 10

Smanga is the 6th child, there's a 9 months gap between her and Njabulo. I like her, but I don't know I don't want to be friends with any of his siblings.  Don't get me wrong I like Smanga but I can't be friends with her. Okay she can call me when she needs help that's it. I think I like the small circle, I heard stories about girls having drama. I did some stupid research back when I was doing my first year. I was interested in what friends talk about. And 90% of the students I interviewed have guy friends. Girls can be dramatic look at my sisters for example.  We had a chit chat when we got to the apartment, but I'm so used to being alone, typing not going out and talking. So yeah I'm a boring person I don't know what to say at times. I just smile or nod. Smanga talks a lot though, the kind of person who doesn't have a full stop, if I don't say anything she doesn't push. After eating bread, butter and polony I show her the guest room and I go to my room and I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.  I even missed Njabulo's calls and texts, I feel so bad if it was me I would've cried the whole night. I call Njabulo he does not pick up, but one of his sisters does, the rude older sister I can't remember name. Joyce Joy urg whatever her name is.

"If someone doesn't pick up, they clearly don't wanna talk to you" she answers. I don't say anything I just hang up. "Sisi" that's Smanga knocking at my bedroom door. "Come in" I yell from my bedroom. It's 7am where is Njabulo, why did he leave his phone again? And now I had to talk to his rude sister.

"How did you sleep, you can come in" I tell her when she just pops her head. She comes in and stands by the door. This girl needs permission for everything she does in this apartment, I like that about her but she needs to be free I can't be giving her permission for everything it's tiring.

"I slept thanks, wena?" she asks.

"Good thanks" I know she wants to ask something but I can't keep pushing her to ask, it's frustrating. While I'm waiting for her to say something, her stomach grumbles she's hungry. Maybe she wanted to ask for food. I don't know if I have food around the house. I buy groceries every Saturday, I couldn't go yesterday because we had to go to the zoo. I tell her to take a bath, we'll go out because I doubt there's enough food for the both of us in the house. When she leaves, I make the bed and take a shower, I don't know what to wear. I search the closet, gosh that's why I hate going out. I take out a grey short, blue vest and all black all star.  She comes back to tell me she's done, but not without knocking and waiting for me to tell her to come in. Gosh I won't cope. "Smanga, you don't have to wait for me to tell you to get inside twice. When I say come in, just come in. If the door is open don't knock just come in" I tell her, she nods but I know that she won't just come in. She's wearing a long dress, it now looks brown, but you can see that it used to be black. Yesterday she was wearing something similar. I don't know should I ask her or should I just take her shopping, I don't know. I think I'll text Njabulo and ask him. I call him instead and this time he answers and tells me to buy her clothes he will tell me later about her. We walk out to the car, I feel tired I wanted her to drive but she can't. I wish Njabulo was here, but he doesn't drive my car until I beg him to. We drive to Campus Square because she wants to eat at Chicken Licken, Smanga talks a lot but right now she doesn't say much so we just sit there in silence. I don't know what to say about us going to buy her clothes, I hope she's not offended.

We go to Pick n Pay to buy groceries. When I ask her the brands she buys for her toiletries, she doesn't seem comfortable with me asking, she tells me that she buys any brand. If she feels uncomfortable with me buying her toiletries what about clothes then? I press her to tell me and she tells me she uses no name brands, she's lying there's no such and I won't let this go. So we test all the products so that she can choose the ones she likes. After 30 minutes of going over everything we find the right products. We move to the other sections, we buy all the stuff we need, I don't like ice cream but I think she might like it, but the problem is that she doesn't want to choose, this girl mara. Eventually she chooses her favourite, after 10 minutes of arguing.

I'm a coffee addict, I rarely eat ice cream, it's been almost 3 years since I last ate it. After we're done with the food, I take the plastics to the car, I bought groceries for the whole month, I don't really know how long they'll be staying and I think she'll be staying with me for that period of time. Because we had many plastics I decide to take them to the car. I tell Smanga to go to Mr. Price and look for clothes she might like for me, I tell her that I hate choosing my own clothes and I ask to take whatever she likes. I don’t take long. I find her at the underwear section, taking a set of matching pair of bra and underwear, she puts them back and stares so I just tell her to take them, she feels uncomfortable and she puts them. So we move to other sections she thinks she's helping me shop but nope she's buying stuff for herself. I didn't know how to tell her after the toiletries and ice cream arguments. So when she's not looking I take the underwears and put them in the basket. She finally hands me the basket. I pay for the clothes. We've been here for like 3 to 4 hours, we go to buy lunch at McDonalds. We eat my favourite McFeast and I buy her an ice cream I think she likes it. We leave.

When we get home, I tell her that the clothes are for her she cries, like sob. Okay I'm scared now. I mean I just bought her clothes why is she sobbing like I just bought her most expensive car. I don't know what to do. She jumps and hug me, okay I'm lately surrounded by huggers I hug her back she continues crying and thanking me. I just hug after 30 minutes she tells me the reason she’s unemployed and don’t have many clothes.

Chapter 11

While I'm staring at Smanga not knowing what to say, Njabulo calls me asking to bring his siblings over since his place is small for Sunday supper. I don't like his nasty siblings but I know he likes spending time with them so I agree. Two hours later the apartment is filled with so much noise. I'm helping Njabulo and Smanga cook. The rest are watching soccer, I hate soccer but I decide not to be nasty and let them watch. I'm grinning at Smanga tickling her little brother, when I see an incoming text. It's from my mom. Well that's a surprise. I'm praying it’s good news but like always God doesn't answer my prayers when it comes to this family.

 There's a family meeting. COME HOME NOW.

She can't text me demanding me to come to a family meeting when they didn't allow me to enter the last time I went there. Because I'm not going and I know they'll want to come here, I switch my phone off. Njabulo is watching me. I just mouth “later” and he goes on with frying the fish. I go to the bathroom and sit there. I want to be alone, I'm used to being alone. But I have to tolerate his family. So after 20 minutes I walk in and one of his brothers is arguing with Joyce about her being bossy because she's the first child. I just go to Njabulo I need a hug, as if reading my thoughts he asks Smanga to look after the pots, he takes my hand and leads me outside. When we get there he hugs me and asks what's wrong. How do I tell him that I want my space, I don't like his siblings? I just say I'm okay I'm just tired he goes mute. Maybe he knows I'm lying but he just hugs me and we stay silent for like 5 minutes. I love that about him, he knows when to go mute. After some time we go inside and Smanga is taking the plates out. I help them dish and we sit. I'm already digging in when Smanga nudges me, I look and I see everyone starring at me.

"What" I ask them.

"Can we pray?" Joyce asks.

"Okay sure" I reply and continue eating. They still don’t pray, these people and asking for permission for every little thing they will drive me mad.  When I look up Smanga and Njabulo are trying hard not to laugh.

"What's going on" I ask them confused.

"Baby, can we pray and you will eat after?" okay this is the first time Njabulo has called me that. Oh shit this is embarrassing. "Oh no problem" I tell them while I put the food on the table. After praying we all proceed