Chapter Eleven

The boy started wolfing down his food as soon as it was set in front of him not waiting for his other family members. He was so into his meal that he was unaware of the stares on him, till it came to his awareness, the spoon he was using to shovel his food into his mouth paused midway with food still present which he let drop-down back into his plates when he recognized the familiar look in his family face.

On his parent's face is a disgusting and irritated look, that they no longer bother to hide from him these days. His parents disliked his weight gain, claiming is an embarrassment to them in front of their business friends it had gotten to the extent that they hide him away when their so-called friends come to visit, and most of their friends think they have only one son.

The boy's eyes moved to the other member of the family, his ten-year-old younger brother who was sporting a malicious mocking smile on his face while he imitated a pig, mouthing pig at his brother while his malicious smile grew wider as tears collected in the boy's eyes.

It wasn't his fault that he likes food, or that it made him fat. He had tried losing weight for his family's sake but their attitude always leaves him sad and when he sad or angry he eats and that seems to make his situation worse.

Losing his appetite after seeing the look on their face, he stood up pushing his seat back and dropping his napkin in an annoyed manner he matched off the dining room with no one bothering to call him back.

He made his way to his room, hot tears falling down his cheeks as he anger and hatred for his family feeling him with a bitter taste. He entered his room and flung his body across his bed, the bed dipping massively from his weight making him sigh before he got up and made his way to his window.

He drew the curtain aside and looked outside where their neighbor's building came into focus. A white family who packed into their neighborhood when he was five years old.

From his room, he could see into their front yard, their door beautifully decorated with Christmas light like every other house in the area. Though Christmas was two days ago people still left their decorations on for the coming new year.

A rattling sound from the room facing directly his own drew his attention as a blonde shadow came in. Bandile stared at the girl with puppy eyes, wishing that one day the girl will notice him, but he knows that it is unlikely.

putting their age difference into consideration as the girl is two years older than him, reduced his chance of ever talking to his crush to ten percent, then adding his fatness that chance became none existence. Girls as beautiful as the blonde whose smile always set his heart racing never glances in the direction of boys like him.

Staring at the blonde wishfully as she carried out her nightly routine not that he could see anything cause everything was cast in shadows, Bandile tried to daydream. In his fantasy world, he was walking down the school hall with the girl of his dream in his arms as his girlfriend, he was so lost in his daydream that he didn't react when someone badged into his room.

"Bandile! " a female voice screeched in a high irritated tone when her son ignored her calls.

The screeching sound penetrated the web of the boy's fantasy world bringing him back into his room. His mother's presence did not elicit a happy reaction from the boy who moved away from the window reluctantly to find out what his mum wants.

Not muttering any words he just waited for the woman to state the reason she was here, seeing she hardly speaks to him if she wasn't complaining or making a request. Bandile wondered at what it was this time.

The woman stared down at her son, irritated at the expressionless face he was wearing, she didn't know why her son's appearance rubbed her the wrong way, or she knew but didn't want to acknowledge it.

"I and your father will be having some business associates over for dinner tomorrow, please we beg you to restrict your glutton tendencies in front of the guest and try not to embarrass us, " the woman muttered in a warning voice.

"Oh, I am being let out this time around," Bandile muttered beneath his voice, staring down at the floor as his mother's words struck painful cords in his heart, he was almost forced to wince at the impact.

The woman who had heard her son muttering, ignored him and turned towards the door, "please don't embarrass I and your father," was the woman's last words before she disappeared out the door.

With tears streaming down his face the boy went back to window watching wishing in his heart that he was born into a different family and not one that dislikes him for his appearance.

The next morning Bandile reluctantly made his way downstairs, he had not wanted to come down yet as he was not ready to face his family yet but his growling stomach was not letting him rest in peace as he had not finished his meal last night is not surprising he was hungry this early in the morning.

He made his way into the kitchen to see his younger brother with the cook in there no sign of his parents, he released a sigh of relief not that his younger brother was any better as he was almost as bad as his parents but he learned to tune him out.

"Good morning," he greeted the cook, who smiled at him while responding to his greeting before turning back to what she was doing.

"Hey, fatty you finally made it down, "his younger brother taunted him taking a bite of his breakfast.

Bandile ignored him and took a seat far from where the younger boy was sitting as he waited for his own breakfast to be served.

The younger boy not happy at being ignored started singing a weight shaming song at his brother, earning a displeased look from the cook and a scolding, telling the boy to shut up.

"You can't tell me what to do! " the boy sassed at the cook, "you work for us," he yelled harshly at her while glaring at her for scolding him, something his parents has never done to him.

"Shut up junior before I make you, "Bandile threatened his brother with a pissed off look on his face that made his younger brother withdraw into himself with a scared look at his older brother as he has never seen him react like this.

Bandile knew his brother was a brat as his parents made sure of that by spoiling him rotten, and he could always tolerate his bratty ways when it is aimed at him, but he was not going to seat for him disrespecting the woman who has been kind to him more than his own family has ever been and had been the only one to love and care for him apart from his grandmother.

The cook shook her head at the younger child of the family she served, blaming his behavior on his parents who had let him get away with everything never scolding nor correcting him.

She placed a plate of food in front of the elder small, giving him a fond smile with a kiss on his head before going back to clean. Unlike the younger son, the elder boy was well behaved and respectful and she disliked how his family treated him and had tried as much as she can to provide the boy with the love so lacking in his life, but she wasn't blind to the cloud of sadness that follows the boy around, because no matter the amount of love she pours on him, nothing will replace the love of his family.

Bandile smiled his thanks at the cook before bending down to his food. With the absence of his parents, he was able to eat his food in peace without their disapproving looks destroying his appetite.

While he was eating the doorbell rang, and he heard the cooks husband, Mr. Khumalo, who handles every other thing concerning the house, get the door but his conversations with whoever was at the door were too far for him to hear so he removed his mind and concentrated on his food.

"Am not even going to get a hello from my grandsons, "a familiar voice muttered from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Ouma!!! " Bandile screamed at the sound of his grandmother's voice as he stood from his seat and flung himself into her arms weight and all almost sending the poor woman to the ground.

The older woman didn't mind at all as she clutched her grandson to her bosom, smiling wide at his enthusiasm. He looked in the direction of her other grandson to see him sitting down in his seat not reacting to her presence. "Are you not going to greet me?" Junior, she asked with a frown in the boy's direction.

Junior who was not happy at his grandmother presence as the woman always scold him a lot never pleased with anything he does, unlike his older brother whom she treats like he is a saint despite how ugly and fat he was, stood and muttered a flat hello in her direction and left the kitchen with an unhappy expression.

The older woman shook her head at her rude grandson before turning her attention to the one still holding on to her tightly.

"I have missed you Kleinseun, "the woman murmured putting the boy away to take a good look at him.

Bandile smiled through his grandmother's appraisal, so happy for her presence that he didn't mind her thorough look.

"You have grown bigger than the last time I saw you bokkie, "the older woman said, smiling fondly at her grandson.

Bandile flushed at his grandmother's words but he wasn't offended because he knew she didn't mean it maliciously. He smiled at her, "I am happy you are here Ouma, "he said pulling out of her arms and finally letting her off her feet.

Throughout the day, Bandile spent his time with his grandmother in her room enjoying stories from the days back. His younger brother refused to join them, claiming he had better things to do. When dinner came around and Bandile could hear the voices of guests arriving, he begged his grandmother to let him stay with her and have dinner with her instead.

Seeing the earnest and pleading look on her grandson's face, she nodded her head in agreement.

Bandile broke into a huge smile at having not to eat with his family and their pretentious business associates or whatever the hell they were.

His grandmother's decision had not pleased his parents, but none of them had objected, deferring to grandmother authority.

Bandile enjoyed himself eating with his grandmother, even though loud voices and laughter kept drifting up the stairs he didn't feel like he was missing anything.

When their dinner was cleared as he noticed his grandma eyes drooping he allowed her to go to sleep but not before wriggling out permission to join her, and for the first time in a while Bandile fell asleep in the arms of someone who loves him, going to bed with a smile on his face.

On new year eve, Bandile was coming back from the shop where he had gone to get something for his grandmother almost to his house when some group of boys in his street started taunting him, he tried to ignore the hurtful words and name-calling they were hurling at him and continue his way home but they weren't having any of it. The taunting grew worse and they started drawing his clothes, fatty talk to us they mocked while following him at his back.

Bandile couldn't take their taunting anymore he wheeled on them, "leave me alone! " he yelled in anger as his eyes filled with angry tears which he wiped away quickly when they started laughing at him and pointing while singing cry cry baby to him. He heard a peal of loud laughter coming from another direction, he looked in the direction only to see his crush laughing out loud with another white dude. Feeling like they were laughing at him he turned and ran towards his house his heart bleeding from the pain that his crush was no different from the others who laughed at him because of his weight.

Not in the mood to face his grandmother he ran into his room and locked the door, before allowing his tears to fall freely. Remembering the blonde face laughing his body filled with bitter rage, I am going to lose weight next year the boy yelled out loud in his room, his eyes determined, he didn't care what he has to do no one was going to mock him ever again because of his weight. He thought, his sadness disappearing to be replaced by a determined attitude.

Hours later a knock sounded at Bandile's door waking him from the sleep he couldn't remember slipping into, with a sleeping eye he staggered to the door and opened it to see the face of his grandmother staring at him.

"Ouma? "he said wondering what she was doing here.

"Are you not coming down for dinner? "the old woman questioned her grandson when he came to the door before she noticed his red shot eyes. "Are you alright? what happened?" she fired at him her eyes growing worried at the thought that something happened to her grandson.

Bandile looked away from the worried concern on his grandmother's face, "nothing is wrong ouma, I will be down for dinner, " he said waving for her to leave. Once his grandmother left he hurried to his bathroom to get himself presentable.

During dinner he couldn't mutter the appetite to eat, he kept pushing his food around till he was tired taking a few bites he stood from the table and walked back to his room.

Bandile's exit drew the attention of his grandmother who watched him leave with a worried look, while the others at the table didn't even notice his absence as they were all lost in themselves.

As Bandile lay on his bed he contemplated how he was going to achieve his mission of losing weight, but one thing he was sure of was he needed to do this far away from his family. Concluding that the best course of action will be to follow his grandmother back to her house, he fell asleep with a promise to table the offer to his grandma the next day.