kagablog

A short story by Neo Mvubu

I can still remember the day I was swept away by my love and lust for splendor and life. It was 1993, November 31st and the schools had just closed. I can still recall my mother going through financial troubles. Well that’s an incredible woman I tell you, she raised me and my 5 brothers and sisters in a 4 roomed house while my father disappeared in the mines in Johannesburg . My mother, she took in even the poorest of them all into our home, considered the mother of the streets, she practically raised every struggling being she could get hold of. Well, I for one did not understand how she could do that out of her meager domestic earnings, but she did. She said to me that it is through the love of Jesus that she does what she does; now I understand. My mother worked as a domestic worker, a profession I was ashamed of, I wanted the life, she used to talk about it, I did not understand and so did what I had to do.

When I was 18 years old, yes that was the year that I finished my schooling in, the best and somewhat the year that would change my life forever. The day we fetched our results was the day two white men approached me. They told me of an opportunity they were offering to young girls from underprivileged schools and homes. During the whole process, they said they would pay for me to study further and offer me a job while I’m there. (I shall not mention the name of the country here). They called my destination “the best place in the whole world,” They gave me money right there, I had never held so much money in my life and I knew my mother would disapprove so I had to make a plan.

I did not even have a passport, it took a month for me to get it, the week before the departure I decided to write a letter to my mom and here it goes:

To mama
I am a grown woman with responsibilities, I want the best for you mama, that’s why I left. By the time you read this letter I will be on a plane to London , I hope you understand the reason why I decided to leave. I want to get you pounds mama, so that you and my siblings could live a better life, it’s because of my love for you that I did this. I will write to you as much as I can and send money also. They said I could work as a nanny and earn more in a week than there in a month. Hope you understand and send my love to all my brothers and sisters and remember that I will always love you.
Yours in trust
Karabo

Here I am now, holding 2 plane tickets, I didn’t mention this - but they asked me to bring along a friend and so I did, her name is Thuto. She is struggling and has no parents at all, I had to bring her along, I wanted to give her the best experience of her life. We were so excited, the first time on a plane and out of the country for that matter! We were rather excited as we knew we were traveling to the land of milk and honey!

On our arrival, a van came and took us to this beautiful house, a mansion; it had a pool, beautiful gardens and the number of rooms I had ever seen. We were convinced we would be living the life, the life my mother always dreamed about. When we were very young, she would make up stories for us and say how wonderful she would feel if one of her children could reach that dream. They fed us more than we could chew, I had never seen so much food for one family in my life, and they laid it all on a big table and for us. When I saw it I thought of my mother and how I wished she was there with me enjoying the luxuries. Little did I know of what was to come that very night?
We were firstly introduced to “Mr. and Mrs. Dane”; they moved us from where we were and took us to another place not as tasteful as the first but better than my mother’s house. We slept for the night but heard strange men talking; it was as if a plot was made but my friend Thuto told me to relax. Mrs Dane came in and gave us clothes to wear, a lot of them, they were beautiful and stylish. I felt like a queen and changed them over and over to see how they would fit me. Thuto also did the same and further declared that there was nothing to worry about so I agreed and we ended up falling asleep right there with those clothes on.

11 o’clock on the dot, they woke us up, shoved us and told us it was time for work, I thought what type of work we would be doing at that time of day. I was surprised and kept asking questions, telling me to shut up, they hit me hard, harder than I have ever been hit, it was the first time I realized that these people really meant business. Thuto and me were taken into separate rooms but she came out bruised and depressed, I did not understand why she was the way she was. With me the clients I had to serve drinks did not pitch, they said that they did not make it and sent me back, no problem at all. With Thuto it was an absolutely different scenario, she walked in quiet and depressed as if isolated from her body, as if no life in her. I asked her what had happened but she would not talk. I could not understand how a vibrant person like her could fall like that, I even shouted at her for being ungrateful.

The following day, the same thing happened but this time they only took me in, they asked me to get dressed but I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t let them do to me what they had done to Thuto. So they took me as I was and there he was; a fat old white middle aged man, he was waiting for me. From that very moment I knew what my life would be like, I fought him, I really tried, he was too strong, and he ripped off my clothes. I didn’t want to but he pressed me down. I can still remember his sweat and how he pressed down my face onto the bed. I couldn’t move, I was just in so much pain, to a point where all my energy was depleted. The whole night I tell you shoving and pushing and tossing me, I felt dead inside. Even when he saw the blood he continued, he didn’t even try to stop, he felt nothing for me another human being. He just smiled at my misery.

I was then carried to the door of my room and they left me there locking the door behind me. Thuto saw me lying on the ground and carried me up, took me into the shower and washed me clean, she understood, no judgment at all, how could I have been so foolish. I was a virgin when I got there, he broke it, my virginity, I was only 18 but he didn’t see a human being all he saw was a…a receptacle for lust? That’s how I felt, hideous. Continually they raped us 92 days to be specific, I became so numb to the sex that I couldn’t breath, they took away my womanhood. I could not understand why they hated us so much.

I would think of my brother when they called me and how me and my brothers would laugh and play around our neighborhood, I would actually smile at how wonderful it was back home when I was with my family. I guess that gave me hope, hope that someone would find us but it took 3 months. For you it may seem few but for me it felt like years. The police finally waded in but it was 3 months too late for other girls, I never even knew there were other girls until right at the end. Some passed away from diseases, others from pain and others from heartache, it was a painful experience.
To think I had come all the way from South Africa from my family and friends is unbearable and the worst part, the fact that I brought along my friend hurt me even more. I felt horrible because she has gone through so much and I had to make it worse. She had no parents and got raped over and over, that was even worse.
We were finally taken to our homes after a lot of counseling and police interrogation, they took all those girls who also survived back home but we were still hurting and the money and job they promised us, never existed, and as for Mr. and Mrs. Dane, they were the pivots of that operation and got life imprisonment.

We got home finally and when I thought my mother would be upset she held me tight into her arms, took in Thuto also and made us a home cooked meal. I cried and apologized for putting her through that, I also apologized to my friend; they forgave me, that even made me cry more. Their love and understanding overwhelmed me and the worst thing of all is I could not forgive myself, it took some time but I was able to do it.

Now I am 25 years old and I have dealt with the demons of my past, I couldn’t be stronger and more resilient today. Our experiences are what shape us. Today we are heading an organization right here in South Africa for Human Trafficking especially to empower women and men in disadvantaged communities. It is through the Love of God that I live this day courageously.