CHAPTER FOUR A GIRL FROM EHOMBA MOUNTAIN WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING

 

A GIRL FROM EHOMBA MOUNTAIN WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING

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CHAPTER FOUR

A GIRL FROM EHOMBA MOUNTAIN WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING

From the Mountain to the City Lights

I had only been in Windhoek for 24 hours.

In just one day, I had already travelled with strangers, been drugged, and nearly lost myself. My head was still aching, my stomach was painful, and I could still feel the effects of whatever had been put into my drink. If the police had tested me, I am sure they would have found drugs in my blood.

And now, I was in my aunt’s house, or rather, her garage.

I had not eaten anything in her house. I had not even been offered water. Instead, I was cleaning her kitchen like a servant.

“Is my aunt turning me into her maid… or her slave?” I asked myself.

I went back to the garage and lay down on the thin mattress, covering myself with a small blanket. Then I remembered the food in my bag, otjisema and omaere.

(Otjisema means porridge, and omaere means sour milk.)

At least, I would not sleep hungry.

I only had two days left before I had to register at UNAM.

And already, I felt like I was living in hell.

As I lay there, trying to rest, something suddenly moved.

I jumped.

It was the vibration of the small phone, okasaru or okandotja, that my cousin had given me.

It was Ndjona-Top.

I answered.

She asked how I was coping.

When I told her I was sleeping on a mattress in the garage, she became quiet for a moment.

“Living with Aunty Ngarii will not be easy,” she said.

I told her the truth.

“If I do not get a place in the hostel, I will be stuck here. I cannot afford to rent a place in Windhoek. I will have to live in this house… and face your aunt every day.”

I also told her that my aunt had found out I was not with her the previous night.

“A security guard told her,” I said.

She felt sorry for me, but there was nothing she could do. She already shared a small flat with Kenaa. There was no space.

Suddenly, I heard my aunt’s car.

I looked through the small garage window.

She was leaving.

I quickly told Ndjona-Top.

She asked, “Has she gone to sleep?”

“No,” I said. “She just left.”

Then she said something that shocked me.

“Get up. I am coming to take you out.”

I was afraid.

After what had happened the previous night, I could not risk it again.

“No,” I said. “I will sleep.”

But Ndjona-Top is not someone who takes “no” for an answer.

As my mother says, “ngu hari ovikurya mbya rara.”

(It means she does not eat yesterday’s food, she always wants something new.)

She convinced me.

She said she had lived in this house before. She knew everything. She knew how to move without being seen.

I fell asleep for a short time.

Then suddenly, she woke me up.

“Get dressed,” she said. “Let me take you out of this pitiful garage.”

I was shocked.

“How did you get in?” I asked.

She smiled.

“I know this house,” she said. “When Aunty leaves, she does not check the garage. We will make it look like you are sleeping.”

She arranged pillows under the blanket.

Then she gave me a short dress and high heels.

“Wear this,” she said.

Before I could think twice, we had already left the house.

Outside, a black BMW was waiting.

Inside were two men.

They were older. Well dressed. Wearing gold chains and expensive watches.

“These are businessmen,” Ndjona-Top said. “They like to be entertained. They have money.”

I looked at them and felt uneasy.

“Come on, hurry,” one of them said. “We will be late.”

We got into the car.

As we drove, I started to get angry.

“What if my aunt comes back and checks the garage?” I asked. “What if she finds I am not there? I will be homeless.”

But then something happened that changed everything.

The driver handed Ndjona-Top a bag full of money.

N$200 notes.

So much money.

More than I had ever seen in my life.

Then he looked at me and said,

“Como estás, bonita?”

(How are you, beautiful?)

“My name is Vintolinio,” he continued. “But you can call me Ma-Cups. You look beautiful. We will have a good time tonight. This money is yours.”

At that moment, my fear changed.

Into excitement.

I forgot about the garage.

I forgot about my aunt.

The truth is, I had no money.

Only N$300 that my mother had saved for me.

And it was clear that my aunt was not going to support me.

So even though I knew it was wrong…

It felt good.

Ndjona-Top showed me how to sneak in and out of the house. She still had copies of the keys from when she lived there.

When we reached town, I asked where we were going.

“Avani Hotel,” she said. “One of the best places.”

And truly, it was beautiful.

The place looked better. It smelled better. It felt different.

Nothing like the bar I had seen the previous night.

When we entered, people greeted the man.

“Cota Vintolinio Ma-Cups! Como você está?”

“Tô bem,” he replied.

(I am fine.)

“Tá fixe,” someone said.

(It is good.)

He was clearly important.

I thought about my mother.

If she could see me now…

She would be heartbroken.

But I was also seeing another side of my cousin.

A side I had never known before.

The way she walked. The way she spoke. The way she smiled at the men.

She was confident.

Like a lioness.

I wondered about the man from the previous night, the one with the Golf 7 R. But I did not ask.

Ndjona-Top disappeared for a while.

I sat alone in the VIP section.

I did not drink alcohol. I did not behave like the others. My hair was simple. All the other girls had long Brazilian hair.

I felt out of place.

Around me, people were laughing loudly.

A girl was sitting on a man’s lap, kissing him.

I felt uncomfortable.

So, for the first time in my life, I tried alcohol.

Just to fit in.

After some time, I went outside to look for my cousin.

I found her with one of the men.

I returned inside.

Then Ma-Cups held my hand.

“We are leaving,” he said.

We drove to a place called Academia.

A rich neighbourhood.

There were many cars following us.

When we arrived, I was amazed.

The house was huge.

There was even an indoor swimming pool.

I had never seen such a place before.

For a moment, I forgot everything.

The music.

The drinks.

The money.

Everything made me feel like I belonged.

But deep inside, something did not feel right.

People were disappearing into rooms.

Coming back.

Laughing.

Touching.

I realised that the money we received… was not just for nothing.

Fear returned.

“I want to go home,” I told my cousin.

But no one opened the doors.

I felt trapped.

“What have I done?” I asked myself.

Then suddenly,

Police lights flashed outside.

My heart came back to life.

The police entered and told everyone to leave. The neighbours had complained about noise.

I begged them,

“Please take us home.”

One policewoman looked at us and said,

“You are drinking too much with those men, and you are dressed badly. You are bringing shame.”

Her words hurt me.

But another police officer agreed to take us home.

He knew my cousin.

But she was too drunk to recognise him.

He dropped her first.

Then he drove me to my aunt’s house.

“You know,” he said, “I know your aunt. She would not allow you to be out this late.”

I answered quietly,

“No… she would not.”

When we arrived, he took a picture of me at the gate.

I was shocked.

“Why?” I asked.

“It is procedure,” he said.

Then his voice changed.

“If you want me to keep quiet about tonight… you must be with me.”

My heart stopped.

He reminded me of the picture.

He gave me his number.

“You have until Wednesday,” he said.

Then he drove away.

I stood there in silence.

Life was becoming too heavy for me.

I had a choice to make.

My dignity.

Or my place to stay.

I entered the house quietly using Ndjona-Top’s method.

Everything was silent.

My aunt’s car was in the yard.

I went to the garage.

My body was tired.

My head was aching.

My legs were painful from the high heels.

But when I opened my bag and saw the money…

For a moment, I smiled.

Then my phone vibrated.

A message.

“You have until Wednesday :-)”

It was the police officer.

Even a smiley face.

He was serious.

I lay on the mattress.

Alone.

Confused.

Afraid.

What would you have done?

As I closed my eyes, I whispered again:

“Welcome to the city… A Girl from Ehomba Mountain.”

The End of Chapter Four

Wait for Part Five as A GIRL FROM EHOMBA MOUNTAIN WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING continues…