Loving Masego

chapter 2

"Keletso, sit still . You said you wanted a perfect bun." I say, scolding my sister keletso as I was doing her hair for school . Keletso is two years younger than me. She's (17) doing a final school year, and she is finishing a year early . So I make sure I assist her as much as possible .

"HEY ! You Mpho, you are going to be late for school if you are still sleeping. " I shout at my little brother who has less than half an hour to get ready for school. Mpho was the last born he was in grade nine, and he was four years younger than me .

"Sister please I don't want to go to school " he said, the only reason he didn't want to go is because our father didn't give him pocket money, out of the three of us he is treated better by my dad just because he is a boy but he gets beaten some times .

"Look, you are not about to miss school. You know dad would go crazy " I say, knowing that the last time he missed school, I got the beatings of my life .

"Sister, where is the food you hid for me?" My sister keletso asks . My father locks all the kitchen cabinets and the frige the whole day ,taking out specific food he wants to eat for dinner and measuring the food .

"Keletso, I'm sorry it's finished," I said, looking down . I go to my bag and take a five rand coin and give it to her. She looks happy and takes it .

"Mpho, how much do you have on you?" I asked him .he hesitates to answer

"Well, it's not much." he says, looking the other way .

"How much is it?" I ask him .

"Father gave me a thousand when he was drunk, but now all I have is three hundred rands."

"You had all this money all along, and you ate it on sweets and food from school while your sister keletso is practically starving. " I said, really angry at his act of selfishness.

"Well, I don't have to give her nothing. Father gave it to me ." he says in a low voice .

"Shut up ! don't get me irritated bring the money you have left " i said , how could Mpho be complaining that he doesn't have money and doesn't want to go to school when he has this amount of money that I don't have .he gives it to me .

"Keletso, come here !" I take the five rand from keletso and give it to mpho and take out a hundred rand note and give it to keletso , mpho looks like he has a lot to say .

"You are going to school at the end of the discussion!" I said as he went to get ready for school . Keletso leaves him behind . Ten minutes later, he is fully dressed and ready to go .

"Mpho, come here," I say to him . He drags himself towards me and huffs .

"What !" He rudly says .

"Look I want you to stop being selfish and think for your sisters sometime , I'm not saying give me any money but atleast give keletso some even if its a fity rand , she will never complain " i say trying to get through to him .

"But father said I'm not allowed to ." he said, looking at the ground .

"Mpho I swear if you don't do as I say I will leave you with him all alone and take keletso with me because I'm suffering for the both of you , trying to protect you " I say looking at his eyes trying to get him to see my pain and do better by me . He looks scared because he knows if we all leave, our father will have no choice but to beat him .

"Madileng I'm very sorry I promise next time father gives me money I will bring it straight to your hand " I say looking at him about to cry , I stand up from the chair and hug him as a single tear goes down my cheek.

"Listen I will always protect you no matter what as long as you do good by me I will try to protect you as far as I can " I say letting go of him and wiping his tears ,I kiss his forehead and fix his tie .