The Reneeissance

January 8, 2021

I’m Pregnant

A phone call. That’s all it took to transform my life from that of a carefree youth to a reluctant adult with a basketful of responsibilities. The ringing phone threatened to disrupt the engaging show I was watching on TV. For a moment, I considered ignoring the call. A glance informed me the caller was someone I enjoyed talking to. […]

Renatta Perfectly WOMAN 3 4 min read

December 11, 2020

Break My Heart Again

We both know the drill. You text me. You ask to see me. I say yes. The answer is always yes for you. It’s always the same place, some hotel, and the same time, lunch hour. You always want the same thing. So just like the venue and the time, the price never changes. We just settle on the day […]

Renatta Renatta The Narrator 1 5 min read

December 4, 2020

It’s Okay, Babe

I was ready with the excuses. You don’t give me sex on demand anymore. You don’t do that thing you used to do to me in bed. You don’t shave your legs anymore. You don’t smile and perform happiness when you come home from work. The list of don’ts was long. And I was ready to unleash it as soon […]

Renatta Perfectly WOMAN 2 4 min read

November 27, 2020

Grow Up And Kiss Someone Else

I see how you look at him. Lustful you. I see how you want Philip to look at you. How you’re dying for eye contact so that he can finally see all those feelings you carry for him. Feelings that are wearing you down and that you don’t want to carry around anymore. Feelings that you are aching to pass […]

Renatta Renatta The Narrator 1 4 min read

November 20, 2020

I’ll Cry For You Tonight

I wake up ready to face the day. My eyes are a little bit swollen, but a splash of ice-cold water will fix that. After my face bravely takes the freezing water on the chin, I’ll go in for a shower. I’ll sing in the shower even. I’ll have my breakfast, pack my lunch, and head out to work. In […]

Renatta Renatta The Narrator 3 5 min read

November 13, 2020

I Can’t Leave My Husband

They say that the script goes like this. Stage one, you get married. Stage two, you are happy and even believe that marriage is the best thing you could ever have done with your life. Stage three, you have babies. Those adorable cute angels. Stage four, love fizzles out and your husband starts cheating on you. Or you start cheating […]

Renatta Perfectly WOMAN 4 6 min read

November 6, 2020

Ten Minutes of Incorrect

I need to be stopped. Because it could happen. I could be minding my own business. Wearing my mask, sanitizing, and washing my hands as frequently as possible, you know, keeping COVID at bay? I could be going the extra mile to social distance, and then it could happen. One of these days, I could fall in love with you. […]

Renatta Perfectly WOMAN 2 3 min read

October 29, 2020

And Then You Died

I had promised to cook you a nice meal when you got out of hospital. But the next time I saw you, you were in a casket. All life having left you. All promises having gone with it. No more words. No more laughter. Nothing left.

Renatta Perfectly WOMAN 4 5 min read

March 6, 2020

Love For Fools

You warned me. And I’ve been thinking about you. You said, this is not the man you want to love. This is not the man you want to announce to the world loves you. This is not the man you want to take home to mum and dad. This is not the man you want to have a child with. […]

Renatta Renatta The Narrator 2 5 min read

February 7, 2020

Lose Me

You should pay attention more. Because if you did, you’d notice what’s happening here. You’d see how my skin crawls when you touch me. I bet you haven’t noticed my mm-hmm’s when you’re busy fabricating a lie. I’m agreeing with you. Right. I get insulted that your lies are so blatant. You don’t lie well. You don’t give me your […]

Renatta Perfectly WOMAN 3 4 min read

January 24, 2020

The Letter That Stayed In My Purse

Dear Me, Can you hear the music playing? That’s good music right there, won’t you agree? The band is called Mafikizolo. The song playing at this moment is called Love Potion. The song that will play after this one is Ndihamba Nawe by the same band. When this song starts to play, the crowd will stand up and look towards […]

Renatta Renatta The Narrator 3 6 min read

January 17, 2020

Tell Them How Much You Love Me

I’ve wondered sometimes. That if I left you, wouldn’t my life be better, much better than it is right now? That today, this very day, if I looked at my image in the mirror and told myself, “Woman, you’ve had it. You deserve better. Enough, woman, is enough,” if I convinced myself to leave you and get myself a better […]

Renatta Renatta The Narrator 1 5 min read