He gave her a tight hug and she knew with this one she didn’t have to pretend. Blood rushed through her body and tears fell down her face. It had been long since she felt so much at home. Like a pen on a piece of paper…..words rushed and overlapped. Too much trauma was bottled in.
As she stumbled through her words trying to make sense, she sat down with her knees close to her chest. It was as though the pen fell down and she realized she could barely make up what she wrote in the first place. His shoulder resembled a paper so wet; as though it was kissed by raindrops. Even though she spent hours pouring her heart out and finally feeling understood…..she almost had nothing to show; for the ink was so messed up, she could barely read any word. It didn’t matter for the words were engraved on the paper.
She smiled and her smile turned into giggles which turned into laughter and uncontrollable tears. Something about this moment was beautiful. She could finally breathe. She felt like someone finally heard her cries and comforted her.
It had been 15 years since it happened; the incident that changed her being; forever. She was raped; isolated. Growing up; she knew she wasn’t supposed to air out her dirty laundry so she suffocated….without realising it.
A once small, beautiful, and innocent little girl turned rebellious and promiscuous. The world judged and no one realized that she was crying for help…..no one; not even herself.
She felt unloved until he held her and asked if she was okay.
They fell in love. Every time she suffocated; he would give her a tight hug. She would then express herself. She was the pen and he was her paper. In him she found her voice.
Jane Mpholo is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker from Botshabelo, South Africa. As CEO of Jane Mpholo Pty Ltd, she is pioneering work in theatre, film, and site-specific performance art. The first recipient of the CCIA’s “Outstanding Actor in Theatre” award, she has performed, written, and produced for national and international stages. Honored with two honorary awards from Onalerona Productions NPC and the Southern Region Women in Media Awards, she is a mentor, producer, and advocate for inclusivity. Through bold storytelling, she sparks important conversations, shaping the performing arts landscape and inspiring change worldwide.
