Chapter 2.

"They say time will heal when in reality healing takes time ".

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She forced herself to abandon the warmth of

her bed ,dragged her feet to the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. She adjusted the taps and the beads of water hit her back neither cold nor scalding but just at the right temperature.

She looked at the water droplets on her skin and grinned. Who knew that at some point in time she would get all this.  She remembered of all the cold mornings her mother wouldn't let her bathe with hot water.

Even on the coldest days of winter. She would have to wash herself with freezing water.  The those awkward days of the month were the worst she had been through. Her mother would just watch her, and not even for once and she was told to use cold water yet she had to wake up each and everyday to make hot water and breakfast. But wouldn't have that breakfast or the hot water either.

She would spend her mornings on an empty stomach. With no food till she had a meal during break at school but then all that came to an end when she was forced the leave school. She had to work for her meals. And those meals were just leftovers.

She moved her hand over her bodice, over her back then to her wrist and her gaze was fixed there longer than she wanted too as memories flooded in while she traced the razor scars. She was soon brought back to reality when she heard her name being called out.

She hurriedly scrubbed her body and drew little pattern on the foam that covered her whole body. She started at the glass walls that had fog on them. She drew heart patterns and wrote names. She smiled to herself while doing that.

'GABI ' she wrote and starred the glass. The one person who was behind all the sleepless nights she had.  Why she was suffering right now. The person she called a mother when she wasn't.  The reason why she wasn't going to University.

Khanyi was a bright and brilliant student in class and everyone knew that. But that was before the whole abuse thing which was when her life took twisted turn.

She quickly erased  the four letters on the shower glass walls and continued with her bath. That was past behind her now.  The sooner she accepted that the faster she could heal the therapist had said.

Therapists just talk without knowing the things that we go through everyday.  The sleeping tablets don't work. And that's the problem.  They think you can just sleep over it so easily while in reality they just haunt you day and night.

Life isn't fair and has never been fair anyone before. She had to accept what she went through and accept ur as a lesson.  But it was hard. Harder than what  people made it seem like. All they are good at is just judging. They shouldn't judge me without walking mile in my shoes.

"She's old enough she should have left".

"That's so unfortunate".

"Poor child".

"Kids nowadays are shameless they do nasty things and pin them on their parents ".

"Yingwadla".(she's a whore).

"She wanted this. I would have been gone a long time".

"Bekahleti leni yena ".(why did she stay).

She would here people say. And comments on the newspaper after her story appeared there.