Female students abandoning their studies for a lavish lifestyle promised by rich sugar daddies (older men) could take a novel written by Nompilo Khayelihle Gumede as a word of caution.
The Demon’s Wife warns fellow female students against the temptation of a luxury life and offerings by sugar daddies, also called blessers.
Gumede (21) is enrolled at the University of the Free State (UFS) and is a second-year bachelor of Social Sciences student majoring in Psychology.
She said the book had been inspired by the experience of seeing her peers dropping out of college and universities in pursuit of a lavish life that “blessers dangle like carrots in front of their eyes”.
“Most of these men are wealthy, but their money is not earned through hard work. Without knowing, these young women are sacrificed, in order for these men to have more money,” said Gumede.
“Some young women never return to tertiary education because after these secret rituals, they become hollowed-out shell candidates. They are made insane so that they do not reveal to the world what they have seen.”
In her pursuit to convey a strong message about the dangers of sugar daddies, Gumede portrays Mahlori Mathebula (fictional name) as the character who becomes a victim.
The character leaves her home in Limpopo and goes to Durban to further her studies with the aim of rescuing her family from the grip of poverty.
“But she soon discovers the finer things in life, which only money can buy. With newly-found friends who have been in the ‘soft life’ game for years, it isn’t long before she too is bedding rich, older men and ‘securing the bag’.”
The character soon becomes a second wife to a wealthy older man.
“The ink is not even dry on her marriage certificate when she discovers that living in the lap of luxury comes at a price, and that all that glitters is not gold.”
The man and his wife have already pledged Mahlori’s soul to the demon Arazyal, who is the source of his wealth.
“Mahlori is now trapped by a blood covenant she made with her husband and sister wife, a union that can only be broken by death.”
Gumede said she started writing the book in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.
They are made insane so that they do not reveal to the world what they have seen. – Nompilo Gumede
