Ugly Duckling: No One Wants Me by Hlengiwe Mathebula (best manga ereader TXT) 📕

I am used to such comments so I just ignore them. I'm about to dig in when the plate is rudely taken away by my mother. They may treat me like this every time I see them which is becoming less and less but a person can take things to a certain point and right now I can't stand this. So I stand walk out the door, and leave the Mabuza premises. I wait for the taxi for almost 20 minutes. After 2 hours I am back at my flat. I take off my shoes and go straight to bed. I must have been sleeping for more than 5 hours cause I woken by someone banging in the front door and it’s already dark outside. It's summer the sun sets after 7pm. I walk to the kitchen and peep through the peeping hole and I see my parents and sisters standing on my door. I open the door and walk in looking very mad.

"Why do you always cause a scene. It's not like all the stuff that was said today is new. I mean you don't have the looks and eat so much like a boy" Nobuhle sneers looking at me.

"I'm surprised she's not eating" says my mom.

"She was sleeping, I hope you're not pregnant..." Nobuhle doesn't even finish the sentence when my parents burst out laughing.

"Mbali preg? Who'd impregnate her, she doesn't even have a boyfriend" that's my mom.

They are busy talking they don't even hear me calling the security. As soon as they knock they all stop talking and turn to me, with a smile on my face, I open the door and move aside. The security takes them out, but not without a fight. My mom and Nobuhle are very dramatic. Nonjabulo was always sweet and we were kinda close but that's before she got married she changed, she started looking down on me. When they are in the hallway I wave them goodbye and close the door. I don't have the energy to do anything. I take a quick shower change to my pjs and I take my laptop to watch the new medical detectives episode that are recently uploaded. I must have fallen asleep because I am waken by my alarm. I switch it off and I go back to sleep, I wake up 3 hours later. I make breakfast after eating I take a quick shower, gosh I am so lazy to comb my hair so I wear a doek, make my bed, wash the dishes and I go to my closet to look for an outfit. I buy food every week, I hate going out but I go out at least once a week. I usually go out to buy groceries on a Saturday but yesterday I wasn't home. I take a taxi to Campus Square. The queues at the stores are crazy but it's the festive season, parents are already spending their bonuses on stupid things. I decide to buy  food that will  last me for a month from now, because during the festive I won't find anything.

As soon as I am done I take a taxi back to the flat. I check my personal email account. I have 2 email accounts one is for my personal stuff and the other is for work. I last checked my personal email in May, gosh. When I refresh my inbox, I get 540 new emails. This is shocking given that I do not have friends and stuff like that. I got through the first 50 when I'm about to give up I see an email from the University of Johannesburg for my Master's application gosh I even forgot that I applied for Master's degree and they accepted my qualification months ago and I am only seeing it now wow. I should check out my personal email account more often. I hate cooking so I eat a jam and butter 8 slices sandwich and I go to sleep I need to work tomorrow.

It's been a month and I haven't heard from my family. Nobuhle and Nonjabulo left the whatsapp group that night. Not that I care. I am registering for my Masters in Communication Studies. It will take me 2 years to finish this programme. I won't stop studying until I am Dr. Mbal'enhle Nxumalo. I have been reading lots of romance novels a lot lately and for some stupid reason I think I want to get married some day. Well I secretly envy my sisters. The look they have in their eyes when they are looking at their husbands and visa verse, you know the idea of waking up next to the person you love so much. Okay I am done with the registration and I am doing research for one of the company I work for. I have 2 weeks before the deadline. See why I want to be a part time writer well except for the self esteem part. But I didn't study so hard to work for someone else, to create wealth for someone else soon I want to start my own free lance company. Where I'll be creating websites or writing content for companies and individuals.

As much as I like the peace and quiet in my life right now. I'm scared my parents are up to something. They don't go mute on me for more than 12 hours. I was actually expecting them to come back the following day, I must say I'm shocked and scared that they didn't. I stand up to make food, I'm hungry. I open the fridge and I find it empty oh God the food is finished. I'm going to faint. I take my keys and bag and I walk out to catch a taxi as soon as I walk out from the complex there's a taxi that is short with 1 person. Oh lucky day I rush in before someone takes the seat. I get in all eyes on me. And this cute guy sitting next to me, turns to me with a smile.

"Beautiful eyes" he says and turns away I'm waiting for him to say but, but he doesn't. I thank him. Well it may sound stupid but I am happy this is actually the first a person especially a guy has ever complimented me without referring to my looks. He gets off before me before closing the door he looks at me and smiles then closes the door, the taxi takes off. I am the back seat all eyes on me AGAIN. I'm sure, I'm grinning like an idiot.

I get off by McDonalds and walk in. All eyes on me AGAIN. I order my food I wait and when I get the food I walk to the booth at the corner away from these people. I’m too hungry to take the food to my flat. The place is fully packed and it's January the 16th so I guess all the people here got paid yesterday hehehe. When I'm about to take a bite, uhm I mean a big bite, I see a guy standing infront of me. Well I'm assuming it's a guy judging from the shoes I’m seeing. I don't look up.

"Hello, sorry to disturb you, but can I sit I mean there's no place seems like people got paid this morning" okay I look up cause this person has a strange voice he sounds gayish but I see a guy wearing a 3 piece suit looking super hot. I must've been drooling over him, because I hear him laugh.

"Honey close your mouth and stop drooling, I’m gay, but if I wasn't I'd definitely date you" I close my mouth and I wipe the corners with the back of my hand. I should've guessed that made him laugh even more and people are now staring.

"Oh I'm sorry love, I'm Bongani but you can call me Bobo" he introduces himself.

"Oh yeah you can sit, I am Mbali" I answer not looking at him, I don't want to embarrass myself even more.

"Hmm your name suits you, you look like a flower, I love your dress" he says smiling at me. "Oh thank you" I reply staring at him. I have so many questions but I'm scared to ask him. He must've seen something in my eyes or he's a mind reader. He answered all the questions I wanted to ask. "Yes love I'm gay. I'm wearing this suit because I have to wear one to work. I'm a lawyer, I work at the law firm by the SABC. I'm 28 years, been working there for 2 years. I studied LLB at the University of Johannesburg. And right now I'm taking a break, I lost a case"

"Are you a mind reader or something" I mumble under my breath.

"No I'm not, but I always wished I was" he says laughing.

Now I am super embarrassed. We talk, and laugh a lot, he's very funny and positive. We have been chatting for a very long time we don't even realize  until one of the waitresses asks us to leave. When I checked the time it's been almost 2 hours. For the first time in my life I enjoyed talking to a person. Bobo is a very nice person, I always avoided having friends but now I think I can have him as my friend. We talked about a lot of things. I told him about my family and he told me about his. Never been complimented so much before. So for the first time ever I'm glad I went out. I decide to accompany him to his work place since we were kicked out. From McDonalds to the firm it takes plus or minus 20 minutes but it takes us almost an hour. Bobo is so dramatic, sometimes we have to stand at the center of the road so he can emphasize his point. I've never laughed so much in my life. After leaving him at the firm I'm walking towards  the taxi route to catch a taxi when I hear someone calling out my name. Well I've never heard this voice before. The person was waving and running towards me.

"Hello, I'm Luthando you were my Journalism tutor 3 years ago, I just wanted to say hi" she says shyly.

Am I going to die today why is everyone nice? "Oh wow this is great. Thanks it means a lot, how have you been?" I ask.

"Been very good thanks, well I should rush my boyfriend is waiting for me" she tells and start walking towards a tall guy, well that must be the boyfriend.

I catch a taxi back to Campus Square to buy groceries. When I’m done  I walk towards the taxi, my phone starts ringing I can't answer it it's not safe I'll get back to the person when I get home. 20 minutes I'm home. I pack all the groceries and search for my phone. Well there's a message from my mom okay I didn't hear any incoming message maybe it came in when I was packing the groceries. Today has been a great day so maybe my mom wants to deliver good news. Well it's okay to be positive