Tandia Read Online Free Page A

inside out, turned Mrs Patel into an ignorant but honest and jealous woman who had been cheated by her husband. Deep in thought, Tandia was unaware of the two men creeping up behind her in the cemetery. She sensed their presence too late. Her left arm was grabbed from behind and twisted painfully behind her back.'Don't struggle, kaffir, or I break your bladdy arm, you hear?'
    She felt the cold metal of the handcuff as it snapped around her wrist. Her free arm was pulled behind her and the second metal bracelet snapped onto it. She didn't scream at first, her shock was too great. But then it came, the pitch so high its beginning was silent, a rasp of cold air pulled into her epiglottis. The scream cut across the misty, dewsoaked cemetery; it may even have reached half a mile away to where the cement-block houses of the new Indian township began. But it had no second breath, no second pull of fright. A hard hand slammed across her mouth, the signet ring striking her front teeth. Her head pushed downwards, they raced towards the headstone, the force of the man propelling her impossible to resist. Instinctively she brought her shoulder around to take the brunt of the crash as her slim body slammed into the cold marble cross.
    The grip on her mouth and neck loosened and then her attacker released her altogether. Her knees buckled and she started to fall. A hand grabbed the chain connecting her handcuffs and broke her fall, allowing her to sink to her knees. She didn't feel the metal band being loosened from her left wrist and was barely conscious of her arms being brought around the base of the cross and of the handcuff snapping around her wrist again. Her attacker stood directly behind her, working purposefully.
    'That's right, kaffir, in the doggy position, you people like that, hey?' He gave two sharp barks, 'Woof woof!' Tandia heard a short laugh and for the first time became aware that a second man was present. The cotton shift she was wearing was bunched and a hand pulled at her bloomers. It was the feeling of the elastic pulling over her thighs that brought her back to her senses. She kicked out with her left foot and connected with the squatting policeman's thigh, knocking him over.
    'Fok! The black bitch has dirtied my uniform!' He reached out and, grabbing her ankle, jerked her leg straight. With her knees no longer supporting her, Tandia crashed onto her stomach. Straddling her the policeman pulled her bloomers down. Then he brought his hands under her hips and jerked her back to her former kneeling position. He was a strong man, but now he panted slightly from the effort and- he spoke in short, sharp bursts. 'You dirty my nice clean uniform, hey. I got to teach you some manners, man. Kicking with your dirty kaffir feet. That's not nice, you hear!'
    Tandia heard the click of his belt buckle. 'Don't move.
    You hear? Stay jus' like that.' His voice was steadier now, more confident. She heard the second man laugh. 'Take your boots off, man, your trousers won't go over your boots, domkop!' The man behind her gave a grunt, then another as the second boot came away; then came his voice again, light, almost flippant. 'First you got. to learn not to kick your betters!' She felt the sting of the leather belt even before her mind registered its sound on her buttocks. The belt came down twice more, each lash followed by a grunt from the policeman. Tandia screamed; the pain was terrible. 'Coming, ready or not!' She felt his hands on either side of her thighs pull her back up, then a brutal thrust and a sharp pain. She gasped and let out another scream. The policeman slipped one hand around her waist holding her hard against him and clamped the other over her mouth. His grip was too tight for her to bite his fleshy, nicotine-smelling palm.
    'Jesus, a virgin! The-black-bitch-is-a-fucking-virgin!' The repeated force of the body slamming into her was synchronised with his voice. She fought for breath, snorting through her nostrils.