even if i could go back, i don't belong there anymore
Her legs ached and her lungs burned with each breath she breathed, but Saartjie wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop. The girl had no idea where she was or where she was running to, but she knew that she had to keep moving. Somewhere behind her was the man that had snatched her away from her home and had dragged her into the wilds. His shouts were faint, but they were still there, still echoing in her ears, making her blood run cold. What scared her the most, though, was that her captor knew his name. Shaju.
Bruises littered her body from the rough treatment she had endured. Honestly if she hadn't known better she would have sworn she was back in Korofi where it wasn't uncommon for husbands to beat their wives. Where it wasn't uncommon for men to expect women to be meek, speak only when spoken to, and accept command without any argument. Saartjie was no longer some meek little housewife who did what she was expected to do. She was free. Free to choose her own path. Free to choose the life she wanted to live. Free to choose who she wanted to love. Free to speak whenever she wanted and say whatever she wanted. He had not expected it and when she told him to go fuck himself he had smacked her hard. The split lip and the bruised jaw was the result of his temper, but she would do it again. She had already made up her mind that if he caught up to her and captured her again she would taunt and goad him into killing her, even if she really didn't want to die. She had barely even gotten to experience her newfound freedom.
"Ahh!" The surprised shout slipped past her lips as the ground gave way beneath her feet and she slid down into the stream she was running next to. Cold water rushed over her, but she forced herself back up and onto the bank then took off running again. There was no time to let surprises slow her down or stop her. A shout sounded behind her and her heart felt like it leapt into her throat. He was close and she was getting tired. It was only a matter of time before he caught up to her again.
"Follow the stream. Running water usually lead to villages or towns." Saar could practically hear her brother's voice. The night they had tried to escape he had told her that, just in case they got separated. So she did exactly that. She followed the stream, only it didn't lead to a village or a town. Not even a shack. Instead a beach stretched before her and the ocean glittered in the sunlight. She slowed down and stopped, staring at the water as a sense of dread and helplessness followed by anger washed over her.
"Fok." She whispered. "Fok! Fok! Fok!" Her voice rose until she was shouting while she paced back and forth. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
"Such language." A voice sounded behind her and she froze. He had been closer than she had thought and she had no way to escape. Saartjie turned to face him, her expression blank because she would rather him think she felt nothing at all than know how she really felt -- angry and scared.
"Fok af." She said and he smiled, though she swore she saw his eye twitch. He stepped closer to her and she stepped back, maintaining the distance between them. "There's nowhere you can go." He said, his voice unnervingly pleasant. "There's only water behind you."
A look of defiance spread across Saartjie's face. "I'll drown myself in the ocean before I let you touch me again." She growled.
"No you won't." He said and he started toward her. She turned to run into the water, but he tackled her before she could reach her destination. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back. "Ek gaan dit geniet om jou dood te maak." he whispered into her ear. "Ek sal dit lekker en stadig maak"
She struggled under the weight of him, but it only made him shift to press his knee into the middle of her back. This was it, there was no way she could escape this time. "HELP!" she screamed even though they were alone on the beach. Even though she already knew what her fate was.
Translation:
Fok - fuck
fok af - fuck off
ek gaan dit geniet om jou dood te maak - i'm going to enjoy killing you
Ek sal dit lekker en stadig maak - i will make it nice and slow
Bruises littered her body from the rough treatment she had endured. Honestly if she hadn't known better she would have sworn she was back in Korofi where it wasn't uncommon for husbands to beat their wives. Where it wasn't uncommon for men to expect women to be meek, speak only when spoken to, and accept command without any argument. Saartjie was no longer some meek little housewife who did what she was expected to do. She was free. Free to choose her own path. Free to choose the life she wanted to live. Free to choose who she wanted to love. Free to speak whenever she wanted and say whatever she wanted. He had not expected it and when she told him to go fuck himself he had smacked her hard. The split lip and the bruised jaw was the result of his temper, but she would do it again. She had already made up her mind that if he caught up to her and captured her again she would taunt and goad him into killing her, even if she really didn't want to die. She had barely even gotten to experience her newfound freedom.
"Ahh!" The surprised shout slipped past her lips as the ground gave way beneath her feet and she slid down into the stream she was running next to. Cold water rushed over her, but she forced herself back up and onto the bank then took off running again. There was no time to let surprises slow her down or stop her. A shout sounded behind her and her heart felt like it leapt into her throat. He was close and she was getting tired. It was only a matter of time before he caught up to her again.
"Follow the stream. Running water usually lead to villages or towns." Saar could practically hear her brother's voice. The night they had tried to escape he had told her that, just in case they got separated. So she did exactly that. She followed the stream, only it didn't lead to a village or a town. Not even a shack. Instead a beach stretched before her and the ocean glittered in the sunlight. She slowed down and stopped, staring at the water as a sense of dread and helplessness followed by anger washed over her.
"Fok." She whispered. "Fok! Fok! Fok!" Her voice rose until she was shouting while she paced back and forth. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
"Such language." A voice sounded behind her and she froze. He had been closer than she had thought and she had no way to escape. Saartjie turned to face him, her expression blank because she would rather him think she felt nothing at all than know how she really felt -- angry and scared.
"Fok af." She said and he smiled, though she swore she saw his eye twitch. He stepped closer to her and she stepped back, maintaining the distance between them. "There's nowhere you can go." He said, his voice unnervingly pleasant. "There's only water behind you."
A look of defiance spread across Saartjie's face. "I'll drown myself in the ocean before I let you touch me again." She growled.
"No you won't." He said and he started toward her. She turned to run into the water, but he tackled her before she could reach her destination. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back. "Ek gaan dit geniet om jou dood te maak." he whispered into her ear. "Ek sal dit lekker en stadig maak"
She struggled under the weight of him, but it only made him shift to press his knee into the middle of her back. This was it, there was no way she could escape this time. "HELP!" she screamed even though they were alone on the beach. Even though she already knew what her fate was.
Translation:
Fok - fuck
fok af - fuck off
ek gaan dit geniet om jou dood te maak - i'm going to enjoy killing you
Ek sal dit lekker en stadig maak - i will make it nice and slow
Saartjie
