Disclaimer: Tonight’s episode is not for sensitive readers.

“Sindi!” George is yelling for me. 

I am lying in the same spot he left me in last night when he beat me up and left me lying in a pool of my own blood. 

I do not even have the energy to respond to his call. My entire body is in so much pain. I can barely move. There are places aching in my body that I never even knew existed. 

“Sindi!” He keeps yelling. I just lie here. The room even smells now. Blood smells really badly. 

He finally walks into the room. He stands and looks at me for a while. Then he lifts me up and as always, he baths me. My bathtub is already filled with hot water, a lot of oils and bubble bath that smells heavenly. There are candles lit everywhere. There are rose petals everywhere as well. 

George starts washing my body. He is gentle as he does this. I just hate him right now. I miss Mthunzi so much it is actually starting to hurt. 

George and I got into a huge fight that resulted in him beating me up like a dog. George ordered for me to have sex with a man who was coming in from another country. He never explains to me what the business deals are that are being sealed at the expense of my vagina, but I just lie there and take it. 

Little did I know that the client was coming with friends. What started out as consensual sex ended up being rape because I had six men having forced sex with me at the same time. I managed to grab an object and stab one of them to stop what was being done to my body. I then ran away to tell George what had happened. You will never believe this.

“It was a job, Sindi! It was a job!” He yelled. 

“Those men raped me, George!” I yelled back. 

“You are a sex worker, Sindi! Rape does not exist in your line of work. That’s like a specialist accusing its manager of a crime for expecting them to go above the call of duty – like participating in an extra company project that the specialist can assist with.” 

We went back and forth about it until he beat me up. He also beat me up because he lost a business deal and was requested to pay for medical bills of the stabbed rapist. 

Now, here I am, being bathed by him and he has not even said sorry. I need to get out of this life. I need to do better for my son. I know I am going to die one day, but I cannot die like this. I would rather die from some illness or a car accident. George is extremely capable of killing me or even allowing these men I sleep with to kill me as a part of their strange fetishes – just to seal a business deal. My mom, my son, my brother and his two kids – we all need to just disappear. I cannot live like this anymore. 

When George is done bathing and lotioning me, he leaves my apartment. I wear a tracksuit then leave my house. I need to start my escape plan. I phone my brother. We fight a lot, but if there is anyone who can help me, it’s him. 

“Sindiswa, ufunani?” He answers his phone. 

“I need your help, bhuti. Please.” I say. 

I have his attention. He has gone from being a bastard to sincerely hearing me out. 

“Can we meet somewhere? Please?” I ask him. 

“I’m at home.” He says. 

“Okay, I’ll come home. Let’s meet in your room. It’s outside anyway and I don’t want mom to hear our conversation”, I say. 

“Bring food. I’m starving”, he says. Yep, he had to be a leach. 

I bought meat, rolls and chips. My mom is at someone’s house probably gossiping about people in this township, so it’s just my brother and I. 

I tell my brother about everything. From where my journey with George started to how I got to a place where I honestly just want out. He is looking at me like I’m lying. He has told me twice that my entire life has been a movie. But he listened and he didn’t judge me. I was expecting him to call me every slut in the book, but he didn’t. He just thanked me for making sure that the family never starved. 

“How do I help you?” He asks me. 

“First of all, we need to leave. We need to disappear. I’ll sort out the escape car and the house we will hide out at until I have figured out our next move. But I need my money. I have a lot of money that I have put away. When Mthunzi and I divorced, we never really made a decision about what to do with the house. So I stored a shit load of money there that will sustain us for at least three years. I have more money in my safe in my apartment. It will help. I will pack it nayo. But I need you to organise a break in at two hotels. I know all the codes and I’ll tell you where to go and where the money is. You need to take as much as you can and not get caught.” 

“Khululeka sisi, you’ve come to the gabhadiya of all gabhadiyas. I’ll do it. But we will have to leave with the mother of my kids. If we leave her behind, she will accuse me of kidnapping my kids then have the cops on our back. She is one of those educated snobs that involve cops and lawyers in everything.” He tells me. 

“It’s fine. Manage her. I’ll keep her in our plans”, me. 

We chat some more until it’s time to get our kids from school. For the first time ever, we drive together to fetch our kids. It is actually fun. He knows too many people in this township though and he really likes looking good in my rather expensive car. 

I get a call from George as I drop the kids and my brother off at my mom’s house. My brother tells the kids to get out the car and go start homework. When they have left the car, I answer and put George on speaker. 

“Hey” me. 

“Where are you?” George asks me. But he is not upset, so it’s a good thing. 

“I’m at my mom’s house. I just wanted to spend time with the family and Siya”, I say. 

“Okay. Are you spending the night there? I’d like us to go away tonight, just do something nice because of what we have just been through, you know? I want us to get to a better place again.” He says. 

“Sure. Where are we going?” Me. 

“Bloemfontein. Somewhere nice and peaceful, you know.” Him. 

“Okay sure. I’ll leave now and get packing.” I say. 

“I’ll pick you up after my meeting. That will probably be around 7pm.” Him. 

“Okay. Thanks George. I’m looking forward to it. Later.” Me. 

“Really?” Sandile says to me. 

“I can’t show him that things have changed. I have to act like everything is okay else he will be onto me. But, you come with me. Bring a travelling bag. Let’s start emptying the safe. I’ll get you an uber to come back and you get back with the money. Uyibeke kahle. Then go to my old house and get the money I stashed there. You will need five travelling bags for that one. Some is in Siya’sbedroom, some is in Mbali’s bedroom, some is in the main bedroom, some is in Mthunzi’s study, and some is in my study. There is quite a chunk in the cottage outside.” Me. 

He smiles at me. 

We drive off. Indeed when we get to my flat, we empty the safe and my brother leaves with an uber and the money. I pack for my trip. 

…

Bloem – what a beautiful and peaceful place indeed. George and I drove here. It was awkward if I am being honest. He was on business meetings the whole way here. I was just chatting to my brother, instructing him on where to get the money in my old house. Now, we have arrived and we will be here for a week. 

“Sindi, I got some people to come and give you a massage. They are waiting for you in the TV area.” He says to me as I unpack our bags in the bedroom that we will be sleeping in together. 

I smile and nod at him. 

“You can leave that for now. I will unpack for us. You can come out here and let me spoil you. I am working for you this weekend.” He says. 

There is a catch to all of this. I just know it. George is never this nice for free. 

I leave the unpacking that I am doing and I make my way to the TV area where indeed, a mobile spa has been set up. Mine is to undress and allow the spoils to become me. I do just that. The massages are heavenly and the facials are incredible. We finish up after two hours and I definitely feel relaxed. There is even a glow on my face that I have not seen in the longest time. 

George presents me with a royal purple dress. It has one hell of a slit, but it is a beautiful dress. He even got me new shoes. There is someone here who is going to do my hair and someone else to do my make-up. Okay… 

“You are a very lucky woman”, the hair lady says. 

I just smile because what she is saying is untrue. 

“He must really love you. How long have you been married to him?” She asks me. 

This woman is going to be a problem in my life. I just ignore her and go about my chats with my brother on WhatsApp. He is telling me that he has found a perfect place that we can go to. 

“You look ravishing”, George tells me. 

He is dressed in a suit and he looks just as incredible. 

“You look great too”, I say. 

“Shall we?” Him. 

I nod my head. 

We leave and go to some nice fancy restaurant. It seems booked out because we are the only two people here. 

“How are you feeling?” He asks me as we indulge in our starters. 

“I’m alright.” I say. 

“No pain or anything?” Him. 

“Nope. I am good.” I say. 

“Okay. Sindi, I hope you understand why it is important for you to not disobey me or my instructions. I don’t discipline you for fun. You and I are a good team and we are great at making money – money for our son. All of this is for him.” He says. 

I know he’s speaking shit because this is more about him and his perfect family than it is about Siya and I. But I just nod my head and eat my food. 

“You do understand that, don’t you?” Him. 

“Yeah, I get it.” I say. 

“We started something great years ago, Sindi. And it has grown into one hell of a beast. Should we really ruin it because of your insolence?” Him. 

I shake my head. 

“So, how are you going to make it up to me?” He asks me. 

Huh? 

“I have made it up to you for hitting you. How are you going to make it up to me?” He says. 

He didn’t just hit me. He beat me up as if I’m some dog. Why would he make it seem as if he just slapped me on wrist for stealing sweets? 

“I have a way that you can make it up to me.” He says. Before I can even ask questions, he has left the seat he was sitting on. What’s happening? 

A few minutes later, one of the most powerful walking men in South Africa walks towards me. I am honestly blown away. This is the kind of man you take beatings from. This is the kind of man you lose your morals for. This is the man you become everything a woman is not supposed to be for. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Tshedza Netshithendze. If George wants me to sleep with Tshedzato make it up to him, he is making it up to me even better than I expected. 

“May I?” he says as he points at the chair that George was sitting on. 

I smile and nod my head at him. 

He sits down just as we are served the main course.

“George told me that you are beautiful, but he never told me that it was this extreme.” He says. 

I giggle. The most powerful man I know is telling me that I am a beautiful girl? He doesn’t need to work this hard. I will sleep with him for free. 

“So, how are you Sindi?” he asks me. 

“I’m alright, Tshedza. How are you?” 

He smiles at me, but does not answer me. 

“You know, I recently concluded a business deal with your ex-husband, Mthunzi Msomi, and his boss, Thomas Ramaru.” Why are we talking about Mthunzi? 

“He is a good lad – great actually. And very sharp. I got to meet his wife and two kids. You gave all of that up for what, exactly?” He asks me. 

Why is he here? 

“I’m just making conversation. Surely, we can talk before we have sex. We are on a date after all. And dates are for knowing each other better, right?” he says. 

“Well, in the spirit of getting to know each other better, why are you here on a date with me and preparing to have sex with me afterwards when you have one hell of a wife waiting for you at home?” I ask him. 

“Did she tell you that she was waiting for me at home?” He asks me. 

What the hell?

“Well?” Him. 

“No, of course she didn’t.” I say. 

“Thandi and I have an agreement. We show up for each other. We keep up the public appearance of being Mr and Mrs Netshithendze. But we lead our own lives afterwards. We don’t even live together anymore. She has her life and I have mine. But when it matters, we are a happy couple before the cameras.” He says. 

I nod my head. 

“So? Why give up on Mthunzi Msomi?” He says. 

“I wanted more. He couldn’t give me more. I prefer men such as yourself. He could never be that. And no matter how long I waited, he would never be a man like you.” I say. 

“And what is a man like me?” He asks. 

“Everything that excites my womanhood”, I seductively say. 

He smiles at me and says, “Just physically?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I say. 

He laughs. 

He leads me to the dancefloor now that our main meals are eaten up. We slow-dance to some Kenny G music on the dance floor. He is a smooth man, I will give him that. Maybe I need an exit plan from George’s authority and rather make my way into Tshedza’s books. Yes, that’s the exit plan! Definitely. 

“So, this is just for tonight?” I ask. I am fishing for information here. 

“You want more nights?” He asks me, smiling at me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that there is a genuine connection here. But this is business and I do know better. There are no emotional connections here – just business deals and business connections. 

“They would be nice. But I will let you know after we have baptised a bed.” I say. 

He laughs aloud. I giggle. 

Then… 

He unzips my dress, right here on the dance floor. He sees the shock on my face. The serving staff can walk in at any minute. 

He is kissing my neck already. I am stiff. 

“Relax.” He whispers in my ear and throws me onto one of the tables. I am still trying to understand what is happening and why I am pinned down to a table, not resisting whatever is happening, when he pushes himself inside of me. He moans in pleasure while I am still confused. My confusion is intensified when staff is still walking around us, cleaning up plates and setting up the venue for part two of this date I suppose. They seem extremely unfazed that two people are having sex right in front of them – that two people are naked and enjoying such things as they carry on with their duties. This is not real. It has to be a dream. 

His breathing intensifies and finally, he releases himself inside of me. 

I assume that we are done. But, more men come inside of the restaurant. A bag is thrown over my head, so I can neither see them nor smell them. I just know that there is more than one because two are holding my hands – rubbing my hands up and down their penises. Two are now holding my legs. Someone is inside my vagina and another is inside my bum-whole. Then there is also a penis inside of my mouth. 

When did I become this amount of nothing? When did my dignity get stripped off me to this extent? When did my body become nothing more than just a symbol for sex and sexual violence? Taken over by men just because they are paying me too? 

I feel someone urinate on my back. I am so embarrassed. I am so degraded. I am so hurt. I actually have a breakdown. 

My dress is torn and I can barely walk when I rise from the table that I was pinned to and had men – 

I take off my heels and start walking. I have never felt more violated in my life. I start walking and when I see the car that George and I arrived in, I turn around instantly before whoever is driving can see me. I try to find an alternative exit and I find one in the kitchen. If I don’t take this step now, I will never take it again. I take my first leap of faith to escape this life. I run into an unknown destiny, but away from George and all the he comes with. 

…

“Bhuti”, I yell between my tears. 

“Sindiswa, it’s 1am.” Sandile informs me. 

“Bhuti, I ran away. They raped me. I think they are looking for me. I have nothing with me. I have no money, no clothes… even the phone I’m using I borrowed.” 

“Where are you?” 

I start crying. I actually wail over the phone. He sounds like he is out of the house now. 

“Mta ka-mama, focus. I know it’s difficult, but I need to locate you so I can come and fetch you. Where are you?” 

“I’m in Bloemfontein. I’m going to try to find a hotel where I’ll phone you from. Please have money ready to send via EFT when I call you. I’ll sleep there and wait for you. Please hurry, bhuti. If they find me, they’ll kill me.” 

“I’m already on my way. Be strong sisi. Hang in there. I’m coming.”