Echoes of Loneliness episode 11 – 12
Echoes of Loneliness
Part 11 – Saved
The guards told Rita that they didn’t find anything and the truth is Rita also did not find anything on us. So where’s the phone? How come the guards did not find it? I hid it in my bedroom and not only one person was searching for it so I am surprised that they didn’t find it.
Me: Can we now go?
Rita: Not so fast. Michaela also needs to be searched
Me: But she’s not here
Rita: She’ll soon be here so just shut up
Me: Fine
We all stood outside.
After approximately thirty minutes, I saw the client leaving. Michaela finally came out.
Rita: Michaela, where’s the phone?
Michaela: What phone?
Me: Rita says…
Rita: Shut up. I can speak
Me: Sorry
Rita: Michaela, bring the phone
Michaela: What are you talking about?
Rita: The phone you used to call the cops
Michaela: When did I call the cops?
Rita: You know
Michaela: Rita, I didn’t call the cops
Rita: Then who did?
Michaela: I don’t know
Rita: Where’s the money
Michaela: It’s in your office
Rita: Is it R250?
Michaela: Yes
Rita: Good. Guards, go search room R250
The guards left and came back. They told Rita that they didn’t find anything.
Me: Rita, we didn’t call the cops so how about you also search the guards? What if they are traitors?
Rita: Yes, you are right
Me: I know
Rita started searching the guards. She was even touching their private parts. I swear these men are foolish. How do you allow a woman to treat you like that? Isn’t it uncomfortable? Wow, they are foolish.
Rita: (scre-ms) THERE’S NOTHING. NO. NO. NO!!! WHAT IS GOING ON? WHO CALLED THE COPS?
Me: Rita, what if the cops lied to you?
Rita: My friend would never lie to me
Me: Why not?
Rita: Wame, keep quiet
Me: Fine
I kept quiet.
Rita: You are all not going to eat today until tomorrow at 18:00
Nina: But Rita, it’s only 14:00 now, how can you starve the children until tomorrow?
Rita: Nina, I made up my mind
Nina: But…
Rita: (Shouts) NINA, KEEP QUIET. THESE FOOLS ARE NOT GOING TO EAT UNTIL TOMORROW AT 18:00
Me: But why?
Rita: It’s your punishment
Me: You are wicked
Rita: (Yells) SHUT UP
Me: No need to yell at me
Rita: Everyone, get away from me
She went back in,side. I must say that she was really fuming.
Nina: Who called the cops, girls?
Me: We don’t know
Michaela: Rita lost her mind, nobody called the cops
Me: Exactly
Nina: Are you lying to me, girls?
Me: No
Nina: Fine. Everyone, please go back in,side
I carried Warona on my back and went in,side. Michaela and Kate came after us.
We all went to my bedroom.
Me: I’ll be right back
Michaela: Where are you going?
Me: I am going to Rita’s office
Michaela: Why?
Me: Someone needs to change her mind
Michaela: About what?
Me: The punishment
Michaela: She won’t listen to you. She doesn’t listen to anyone
Me: I’ll have to try
Michaela: All the best. You are wasting your time but all the best
Me: Thank you
I left Warona with Michaela and Kate.
When I got to Rita’s office, I just opened the door and went in,side.
Me: Hi
Rita: Why are you here?
Me: People will always take advantage of you because you are foolish
Rita: Are you insulting me?
Me: No
Rita: Then what are you saying?
Me: Nobody called the cops so how can you starve us until tomorrow?
Rita: Well my decision is final
Me: Think about it. You didn’t find the phone so what if your friend just told you lies so that you can punish us?
Rita: And why would he do that?
Me: I don’t know
Rita: Would he do that?
Me: Of course he would
Rita: So what exactly are you saying?
Me: Let us eat, we won’t trouble you. Let everyone eat. Don’t punish anyone
Rita: But someone called the cops
Me: I don’t believe that
Rita: Why?
Me: I think that your friend loves you that’s why he called you. He just wanted to hear your voice
Rita: Do you think so?
Me: Yes
Rita: I have a husband, how can he love me?
Me: Because you are beautiful
Rita: (Smiles) Am I?
Me: (Fake Smile) Yes, you are very beautiful
Rita: Thank you
Me: You are welcome
Rita: Okay fine, you can all eat
Me: Thank you. You are very kind
Rita: (Smiles) Thanks
She’s such a fool. I first told her that her friend told lies about us so that we can be punished. I then changed what I said to “I think that your friend loves you that’s why he called you. He just wanted to hear your voice” and I put some sauce by saying that she’s beautiful and kind. She’s a real fool.
Me: You are welcome. I’ll leave now
Rita: No problem
I left.
When I got to my bedroom, Michaela was playing with the children.
Me: Rita allowed us to eat
Michaela: How?
Me: I changed her mind
Michaela: But how?
Me: Let it go. I’ll tell everyone that we are allowed to eat
Michaela: Wait
Me: What?
Michaela: Before I went to room R250 I took the phone from your room and hid it somewhere else
Me: Where did you hide it?
Michaela: Waro’s hair
Me: Huh?
Michaela: (Smiles) Yes
Me: But how?
Michaela: Your sisters hair is curly and afro so hiding the phone was very easy
It’s true. Warona’s hair is very huge and curly that’s why I always tie it. Mother never in her life cut Warona’s hair.
Michaela started untying Warona’s hair and showed me the phone.
Me: Wow, you are smart
Michaela: (Smiles) Thanks. And please forgive me for touching your sister’s hair. I know that some people does not like it when you touch their loved ones hair
Me: Arg, come on. I am not like that
Michaela: Let’s call the social workers
Me: Thing is we can’t trust anyone after what happened today. What if Rita is also eating with the social workers?
Michaela: You are right but what do we do now?
Me: Let’s just go and eat before Rita changes her mind again
Michaela: (Laughs) I wanted to go take a shower but now that you are talking about Rita and changing her mind, I think I should go eat. I’ll take a shower after eating
Me: Yes. Let’s go and tell everyone that Rita said that we can eat
Michaela: Sure
We hid the phone and left my bedroom.
Today I got saved and I also saved everyone. I am so happy.
Part 12 – Pain
[Days Later]
Today I am being forced to lose my V-rginity to one of the clients. I’ve never been this heartbroken before. I’ve been here for only a week and I am now forced to lose my V-rginity, how bad is this?
I went to Rita’s office to try and change her mind.
Me: Rita, I am begging you, don’t do this to me
Rita: There’s nothing I can do. The client wants you
Me: Why me? He doesn’t even know me
Rita: You are wrong
Me: Who is he?
Rita: He’ll be here in one hour, don’t worry
Me: Rita, please. I’ll do anything you want. I don’t want to lose my V-rginity now
Rita: Sorry love, I can’t do anything
Tears streamed down my face.
Me: Why not?
Rita: He wants you
Me: Why me?
Rita: I don’t know
Me: Who is he? Is it Joshua?
Rita: Do you know Joshua?
Me: Yes I do
Rita: How?
Me: It doesn’t matter. Tell me, is it him?
Rita: No, it’s not him
Me: Then who is it?
Rita: You’ll meet him very soon, don’t be impatient
Me: Who said that I am impatient? I don’t want all of this
Rita: You don’t have a choice
Me: Rita, please
Rita: I control you, you don’t have any right to decide what you want. I make decisions for you and everyone else around here
Me: But why?
Rita: Because I rule this place
One day is one day, if I don’t destroy Rita, I’ll kill her.
Me: Rita please don’t…
Rita: Room R1000
Me: What?
Rita: You heard me
Me: Why is the client going to pay R1000?
Rita: Because you’ll be losing your V-rginity and he’s willing to pay. He’s the one who said that he’s going to pay R1000. You must be very special to him
Me: (Yells) WHO IS HE?
Rita: Don’t yell at me. Go freshen up. You must wait for the client, the client should not wait for you
Me: Rita, please don’t do this to me
Rita: It’s not me, it’s life
Me: Do you enjoy what you are doing to us?
Rita: Hey child, stop asking me many questions. Get up and leave my office
Me: Rita, you…
Rita: (Yells) GET UP AND GO. THE CLIENT WILL SOON BE HERE!!!
I ran out of her office crying and went straight to aunt Nina’s room.
Nina was there with Warona, Kate and the other three children.
She told them to go play outside but Warona refused and came closer to me. She hugged me and didn’t let go. Probably she could tell that I was hurting.
I knelt down just so I can give her a proper hug. She wiped off my tears and k-ssed me. She then told me that she loves me. I just looked at her and smiled. She also smiled and left.
I swear to God, Warona Daniels is my everything.
Nina: What’s wrong, honey?
Me: A client is willing to pay R1000 just to sleep with me today
Nina: You’ve been here for a week and two days so it was bound to happen
Me: What do you mean?
Nina: Not every orphan around here was not a V-rgin when they came here. If you are a V-rgin, you lose your V-rginity after a week. You’ve been here for a week and two days so it’s definitely after one week
Me: I see
Nina: Don’t cry, everything will be okay
Me: But why am I so expensive?
Nina: I also don’t understand. I really don’t
Me: Rita will make money using me. What if all the clients will always want to sleep with me?
Nina: Don’t think like that
Me: I don’t want to do it, please do something
Nina: Rita will never listen to me
Me: Please try
Nina: She’s in a bad mood today so she won’t listen to me
Me: Why is she in a bad mood?
Nina: Joseph’s phone is off
Me: Yeah I’ve realized
Nina: How?
Me: Uhm… Uhh… Okay, I have a phone
Nina: What? Where did you get it?
Me: From Joseph
Nina: But Wame, you…
Me: Can we not talk about this now? I am not okay and you can see that
Nina: I am sorry
Me: Please go talk to Rita, just try
Nina: Okay, I’ll try
Me: I’ll wait here for you
Nina: Okay
She left me in her bedroom and came back after approximately ten minutes. She was in tears.
Me: What’s wrong, what happened?
Nina: Because of my big mouth, everyone is not going to eat today until tomorrow
Me: Did Rita say that?
Nina: Yes, she did. I feel so bad now
Me: Don’t. It’s all my fault. I am really sorry
Nina: Don’t be sorry, everything will be fine
Me: Should I go talk to her?
Nina: You’ll only make things worse, just let it go. Rita is really in a bad mood today
Me: I am going to freshen up then
Nina: When Rita is not able to speak to her husband she goes crazy so please don’t do anything that will make Rita angry
Me: Is Joseph her weakness?
Nina: Yes. She can’t live without Joseph
Me: I won’t do anything stupid then
Nina: Okay baby
I left her bedroom.
I freshened up and wore the clothes that Rita told me to wear.
[One Hour, Twenty Minutes Later]
I just couldn’t do it. I locked myself in the bedroom with my little sister. The client is obviously waiting for me.
Rita was fuming, she was calling me from outside the bedroom.
All of a sudden the door hit the floor. Rita had asked the guards to break it.
When she came in,side she gave me a hot slap and took Warona away from me.
Me: Rita, please
Rita: (Shouts) IF YOU DON’T DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO, I AM GOING TO SEND YOUR SISTER AWAY AND BELIEVE ME, I MEAN IT
Me: Rita, I can’t do it
Rita: FINE THEN, I AM GOING AWAY WITH YOUR SISTER. I AM GOING TO SELL HER
She started walking away.
I ran after her, I was begging her. When she got in the car, I realized that she was serious so I stood before the car.
Me: Okay fine, I’ll do it
She got out of the car with Warona. She then gave Warona to Nina. I hate to see my sister crying so much so yes, I’ll do it.
Rita: What did you say?
Me: I’ll do it
Rita: Come with me then. You look ugly because you’ve been crying. I’ll quickly make you pretty again
Me: Okay
I went with her to her office. She did what she had to do.
Rita: Go now
Me: Room R1000?
Rita: Yes
Me: Okay
Rita: Make the client happy or else you’ll have me to deal with
Me: Okay
Rita: And don’t cry
Me: I won’t
Rita: Your sister is with Nina and she loves her so go do your thing
Me: Okay
Rita: You are already late, so go
Me: Sure
I left.
When I got to Room R1000, I was shocked to see Thabo.
Thabo is the very same guy who brought me to this place. Thabo is the very same guy who’ll be destroyed by me or killed by me one day.
He gave me a very big smile and came closer to me.
To be continued…