Tanya woke up to find herself sitting awkwardly in a chair, hands tied behind her back. Slowly she assessed the situation. She had a ball of damp material stuffed in her mouth, and what she suspected to be a sock, covering her mouth, tied behind her head. Glancing down she realized that her ankles were tied together with shoe laces. Hmm, the ball in my mouth must be his other sock then. Trying to figure a way out of her abduction, Tanya raised her eyes and stared into the barrel of a gun.
Feeling strangely calm, Vezo pressed his gun into his wife’s forehead. He smiled at the hitch in her breathing.
“You thought I wouldn’t find you didn’t you? Hmm? You thought you could just cheat me and I wouldn’t track you down baby?” He caressed her temple, then her cheek, with his gun. Satisfaction thrummed through him at the tears that welled in her eyes. He wiped a tear that spilled with the gun. “Tell me Tanya baby, is that even your real name? What’s your real name baby?”
Tanya shuddered and shook her head slightly. “Tell me your name you lying little bitch!” Enraged Vezo swung his arm and backhanded Tanya clear across the face. Her muffled scream gave him very little satisfaction this time. “What’s your name?” he screamed again. The helpless woman sobbed and shook her head frantically. She couldn’t talk, she had a sock stuffed in her mouth, and another one wrapped around her jaw.
About to smack her again, Vezo realized the problem…but he couldn’t remover her muffle, she’d scream. “If you make a single sound without my permission, I’m going to shoot.” He removed both socks, and pointed his gun at her crotch. Tanya surmised that being shot in the vagina was an especially bad thing. She nodded.
“Now, you and me are going to play a little game…it’s called a lash for every cent,” he proclaimed softly, reaching his empty hand to his belt. Tanya watched in apprehension as he unbuckled and pulled it off. “In our little game wife dearest, you need to do a little math okay. I know it’s not your strongest suit but we can work this out. What’s the name of our game again?” This time he was whirling the belt in the air. She stared, unsure whether to answer or if it was rhetorical.
“I said, what’s the name of our game wife?” he growled.
“A lash for every cent…” she answered, her voice hoarse from fear.
“Do you know what it’s about? Can you guess baby?” Tanya had a niggling suspicion what this would involve. She was going to carry lots of scars if she survived this. “Well, let me tell you baby…I’m going to give you a single lash for every cent you stole from me, and you’re going to count out loud whilst I do…understood? One cent equals one lash, so a dollar would equal 100 lashes. Now how much did you still from me Tanya? Hmm?”
If Tanya had been frightened before, now she was petrified. Terror crawled through her belly, up her chest and began to choke her. This man is insane. “How much did you steal Tanya?” he laughed; a sinister, gut curling laugh. “Thousands, that’s how much. Thousands of US dollars that your greedy ass stole from me. Now do the math Tanya…and get ready to count.”
11 months ago
“Vezo my son, when are you marrying? When? You’re too old to be living this bachelor life that you’re living, it’s disgraceful!” his mother proclaimed good-naturedly across the phone. She may be laughing whenever she said this, but Vezo knew she wasn’t joking. “Haah don’t worry mum, soon, I promise,” he placated.
“When is this soon? You’ve been saying this for the last two years, and still I haven’t met a girl!” His mother was clearly not to be deceived again. “Mum, okay, let me call you later, I really have to go…” and he quickly hung up. He was going to be late for his meeting if he didn’t hurry. As uncomfortable as that conversation was, he knew his mother had a point. Even fellow church members called him a senior bachelor now! He really should settle down, and he was ready; he’d been thinking about it for a while now. He even had the lobola (bride prize) money and funds for the wedding all saved up! The only problem was finding a suitable wife. Good women were so difficult to find these days.
The church girls wouldn’t do, at least not the ones at his church. They acted like vultures circling prey whenever he was around. He could feel their desperation, their eagerness. They were on the hunt for a good husband, and he was prime material. Who didn’t want a handsome, church going and well established man? No, these women scared him off. He wanted to be the hunter, not the hunted. He wasn’t interested in women in their 30s, he wanted someone much younger, in her 20s. Of course not too young, college girls were not his style, he didn’t want to end up paying someone’s tuition. Also, he’d be footing her entire maintenance, so no; he wanted a slightly more independent woman. Maybe he should join Tinder.
Sighing, he entered the reception area of his law firm, and threw a greeting in the direction of the receptionist. She seemed to be arguing with another woman. He hoped this wasn’t personal drama that she was bringing to his office.
“Excuse me, excuse me sir!” an unfamiliar voice called him from behind. Slightly irritated Vezo turned, he didn’t have time for this, he had a meeting to prepare for.
“Hi, Mr. Moyo, I’m Tanya.” And Vezo froze, enthralled by the smile of an angel.
That’s it for today guys! See you again tomorrow 🙂
