CH22

BURNING BLUE.
BY BELLA ROYALTY.
22

[DR. NDALWENHLE MIYA]
Zibuko passed on when he was 8 years old, I was 12 years old at the time, Thabiso was 4 years old and Sbonelo was a year old, I just remember him getting so sick, to a point where he couldn't even walk anymore and he had to stop going to school, the family performed traditional ceremonies for him, introduced him to the Miya ancestors, goats were slaughtered, he spent weeks in hospitals under specialists supervision but they couldn't find out what was wrong with him.

One day dad went to consult and that's when he found out that Zibuko needed to be introduced to his real ancestors, because he wasn't a Miya, dad automatically thought that mom had cheated on him and fell pregnant with someone else's child and passed it on as his, his paranoia led him to do a secret DNA test and that's how he confirmed that indeed Zibuko wasn't his.

Him and mom started fighting, mom kept maintaining that she hadn't cheated on dad and that Zibuko was his, dad literally begged mom to take Zibuko to his real father so that his life could be saved, but mom was adamant that Zibuko was a Miya, and due to her stubbornness, Zibuko died in his sleep.

Dad was so livid, he immediately filed for divorce and sought sole custody of my siblings and I, there was a point where we thought mom was dying and we begged her to tell the truth about who Zibuko's dad is, but she never told us, eventually she recovered and she's remarried now to some tycoon businessman.

Unfortunately for dad, he's never remarried, he really loved mom and he felt like he betrayed him so he's had trust issues since then, I've tried to set him up for dates, but the old man is determined to die alone and that hurts me, he's a wonderful man, a terrific father, any woman would be blessed to have him is her man.

I wouldn't say my siblings and I have a great relationship with our mother, for a while we felt like we were forcing ourselves in her life because she was now married and you know when a woman who has kids from a previous relationship, she has to leave her kids at home, so I think that also contributed to our relationship being strained, we talk and meet… sometimes.

Me: Dad!!
Dad: Garden!

This old man! Garden? In this heat? Is he trying to be fried to death or something?
Dad(smiles): Ma'Gcwanini.
Me: Baba, kuyashisa bakithi!
Dad: I was bored.
Me: That's why you need a woman.
Dad: Women are stressful Ndalo, anyway what are you doing here?
Me: I was hoping we could talk.
Dad: Sounds serious.
Me: It is, let me get us something to drink.

He nodded and took off his gloves while I went to pour us something to drink. He joined me on the table outside, I took out the printouts from my bag and handed them to him.
Dad: What's this Ndalo?
Me: Please read.

He went through the printouts and I saw a frown forming on his lips and forehead.
Dad(shocked): Ndalwenhle, what is this?
Mom: Mom never cheated, at least not on you baba, she switched the kids at the hospital.
Dad(shaking his head): I don't… I don't understand.
Me: She was sharing the ward with 4 other women who had just given birth, her and this woman named Mandisa Zwane had baby boys, so as they were resting in the ward, I think Mandisa was a bit limb because she gave birth via a C-section and the anesthetic usually wears off after 6 hours, so she was still resting, I think she only met her child once before she passed out, so he was sleeping next to her bed in his own little cot, so since mom gave birth naturally, she was well aware of her surroundings, she had even breastfed her child, so she then realised that he wasn't breathing, maybe his breathing was shallow I don't know, she panicked and instead of calling for help, she swapped the babies.

Dad shook his head shocked.
Dad: She thought my son was dead? And she left him there and came back with someone else's child?
Me: Yes.
Dad: That's why Zibuko was so sick! She knew this so why didn't she ever come clean? We could have tracked down this boy's biological parents and they could have done something, Zibuko would have been alive!
Me: She thought her biological child was dead and her taking back the child she had swapped would mean she faced jail time and Zibuko would be taken away from us.
Dad: Yey! That was selfish of her! This is even worse, Ndalwenhle! That poor woman and her family buried the wrong child in their soil!

I cleared my throat.
Me: The thing is, the child didn't die, he had breathing issues which the doctors helped him with, he's alive and very well.
Dad: You mean…
Me: Yes, and he's around Durban, my brother, your first son is alive dad.

He broke down and I went to hug him.
Dad: Ndalwenhle, are you sure it's him?
Me: This is him.

I showed him the pictures.
Dad: Ndalo, this is my son!
Me(smiling): I know, he's so handsome!
Dad: He looks like all of you!
Me: I know baba!
Dad: I don't even know what to say! How did you find him?
Me: We met through a mutual friend, there's this girl I helped through a panic attack a few days ago, she pointed out that I looked like her cousin, so as a way to thank me, she invited me fir lunch and she told me about this guy and at first we just thought she was talking about someone who might be your son, maybe from some fling from back I the day but when I saw his pictures and I started showing our pictures, the resemblance to mom and you was uncanny, and I asked Sakhile to start digging and here we are.

Dad: Yoh! And he doesn't know?
Me: He knows now, his cousin must have told him everything by now, the funny part is that he and her cousin had fallen for each other but they were forced to be apart because their mothers are sisters, so with this revelation, it means they can be together.

He wiped his tears.
Dad: I need to call the whole family and let them know, we need to meet him.
Me: Yes, the sooner the better, he's going through a lot right now, you know his father tried to assault his girlfriend and he was involved in an accident that left him without his legs and a hand, so he's going through it.
Dad: Ask for an address, I'll make the calls.
Me: And mom?
Dad: Your mom deserves to be punished for what she did. She stole someone's child and let him die. She robbed that family of their child, Zibuko could have been alive if it weren't for her selfishness.
Me: I know, we will gain a brother, a son but that poor woman will lose a child.
Dad: I have no intentions of taking him away, he's a grown ass man now, I don't think he can just abandon people who raised him and have been there for him his entire life, we just want to get to know him, he needs to know who he is and his family.

I nodded.
Dad: What's his name? What does he do?

I smiled.
Me: His name is Shaka, 23 years old, a final year student at DUT, studying Information Technology. He also works for the government at the agency under their cybersecurity division.
Dad(smiles): He sounds like a focused young man.
Me: From what I've gathered, he's also very overprotective, especially over the people that he loves. The way Ntando speaks of him, you can tell he's helped her get through a lot in her life.
Dad: I hope he will be able to give us a chance, your mother is the one who messed up, not us, we were in the dark as well otherwise I would have done anything to find him.

I nodded.

[SHAKA 'PRIME' ZWANE]
I was at my car wash, just checking things out with my manager. I decided to stay for a while and have some drinks and just be by myself, so that I could think.

I was busy looking at the Miya files, the father seemed like a great man, what stood out the most for me on him, is that when his wife refused to take Zibuko to his real father since he thought she had cheated on him, he didn't waste time, he divorced her, which means he's a man of integrity, I have no doubt that even now, he's going to do the right thing, and send his ex-wife to jail for the emotional trauma she's put us all through.

For some reason I cannot wait to meet all of them, the father, the older sister who's a psychologist, Thabiso who's doing his first year in varsity, at uKZN, Sbonelo who's still in high school.

The father has never remarried after his divorce, he and mom would make a great couple actually, I laughed a little at that.

Then Nonhlanhla, the woman who left me to die, the woman who didn't even give me a fighting chance, the woman who swapped me with another child like I was a pair of shoes that had a faulty issue.

She got remarried to this dodgy business tycoon, I say dodgy because he looks like a drug dealer, has chains of businesses which are probably used to clean his dirty money, he has 2 boys which Nonhlanhla is raising, apparently she's currently pregnant now for this man, hopefully she doesn't swap this one as well the second she sees him holding his breath for way too long.

Her? I have no interest in meeting, I want her sued for the trauma he's put us all through because I'm sure her husband won't let her be sent to jail, he looks like he has the police on his payroll, wouldn't be surprised if he tries to bribe us into not pressing charges, he looks like the type.

My phone rang, it was my baby.
Me: Baby.
Peach: Hey baby, where you at?
Me: At the car wash, Lindani needed my signature for some documents, so I decided to have some drinks, uyangikhumbula?
Peach: Always, are you okay?
Me(smiles): I'd be alright if we spent the night together.
Peach(laughs): Yey your mother just gave me an earful, she knows we slept together.
Me(chuckles): She abused me with a pan earlier on and called my machine a bazooka, the insult!

We laughed.
Peach: How did she even know?
Me: Your walk was funny baby.
Peach(screams): Oh my God!

I laughed.
Me: You just need to get used to me, that's all sthandwa sami.
Peach: I don't think I will, anytime soon.
Me: Oh you will, don't worry your juicy self about that, talking to you just made me hard actually.
Peach(laughs): Well let me not make it worse, I just wanted to tell you that the Miyas made contact, they want to meet, Mr Miya wants to meet his son.
Me(smiles): I might like the big fella.
Peach: Aw babe, that's nice, so mentally, are you ready? Should I give them the address?
Me: Yes, they need to come now while the Zwanes are still here, all of them.
Peach: Okay, they said they won't be coming with the child swapper.
Me: I don't want that woman near me.
Peach: They don't want her near you either.
Me: Do you think they will love me?

I could feel her smiling.
Peach: Why wouldn't they? And if they don't, I love you.
Me(smiles): I love you more, ay ngeke, I miss you.
Peach: I miss you too.
Me: Send me something so I know how much you miss me.
Peach: I will, are you coming back?
Me: Nope, I won't hold myself from sneaking into your room at night and I have a feeling mom is expecting that.

We laughed.
Peach: You're right, don't come.
Me: Get freaky for me and send me something.
Peach: Okay, I love you.
Me: I love you more sthandwa sami.
Peach: Bye.
Me: Bye.

I dropped the call and couldn't help the smile on my face, my divk needed to calm down.

I went through her tiktok profile, I watched the 'Is it a crime' video one more time, she looked so beautiful, so happy, I can see why people are obviously angry, my baby is beautiful and talented.

I tracked the picture of us that she posted and the comments were hilarious. People were offering to buy us the goat because we looked that good together.

'

@Ntandokazi

mfethu, I don't blame you, if that was my cousin as well, I'd risk it all, kuhlanye ama underground gang'
'Never seen people who look so good together, I can already imagine the babies! Ocream bodwa!'
'The cousin is giving chilled vibes, the kind of guy who is not even on social media, and if he is, he's not that active, yey yall owe us content ningasijwayeli kabi.'

I laughed while shaking my head.
'

@Ntandokazi_Ngema

you owe us a clap to that comment under that fake account, I know you always have a song for every occasion, pull up ntombazane don't Mize the bitvh.'

She had replied to this one.
'Tomorrow morning, si-On' it had 3k reactions, my girl is like big, big in these social media streets huh?
'I bet y'all first time together was so fire, I'm sure you had the perfect song to set the mood, one that he will be getting flashbacks whenever he hears it.'

She also replied to this one.
'Awu wena ungazi kahle, I get flashbacks as well whenever the song comes on, it's Mariah the Scientist's 'Sacrifice', ngiyabheja ke ngalelo.'

I went to search for the song and its lyrics, because cha nami, the song did the things to me, I couldn't help but smile, she has great taste in music.

[NTANDOKAZI NGEMA]
Even though I was in a deep sleep, I felt the bed move a little and I tried to move or open my eyes.

Shaka: Ssshhh go back to bed, it's me.
Me(smiles): I thought we agreed that we were scared of Aunty Mandisa.
Shaka: But I missed you, besides I got here after she had gone to bed so she doesn't know I'm home.
Me: Okay, my God my eyes are so heavy, I can't even open them.
Shaka: You don't have to baby.

I snuggled back to him, he was spooning me from behind, I felt his hand on my coochie and I laughed sleepily.
Me: I'm not playing this game with you, Shaka, I can't even open my eyes.

Nonetheless I laid on my back to give him easy access, I bit my lip and held on to the sheets.

Me(moans): Oh God, Baby! Please do that biting thing you did earlier, oh my God!

He didn't do it, instead he pushed his machine inside me and I didn't even feel his piercing, I always feel his piercing, it's the first thing I feel, I tried to open my eyes but they were so heavy, I suddenly couldn't move, I tried to press my thighs together but I couldn't, I tried to scream to whoever this was because this wasn't Shaka.

I couldn't scream, it took everything in me to move my legs.

Me(mumbling): No, no, please!

The thing was slippery and huge, it was trying to get inside me and it was so painful, tears wouldn't stop coming out of my eyes.

Me(inaudible): God, please, God I beg you to stop whatever this is, Nkulunkulu ngiyakucela, please!

I was gaining my mobility a little, which gave me a chance to wiggle my whole body to try and shake this thing out of me, it took everything in me to fight and it didn't help that I couldn't see, not that it was dark since the lights were turned off, but I really couldn't see anything.

This thing was painfully relentless, I finally found my voice and screamed.

Me(crying): Please let me go! Let me go!!

It slipped out and I sat up, my vision a little blurry now as the door opened and something yellow ish slipped out, I rubbed my eyes and looked at myself I was covered in blood and in uncomfortable pain.

I screamed louder, the lights went on and my vision became clear, I couldn't even speak.
Aunty Mandisa: Ntando what's wrong?
Aunty Khethiwe: Nkulunkulu wami! Yoh Jesu!
Gogo: Yini? Jesus!

Aunty Mandisa rushed to me and tried to wrap me up with a sheet, they all looked horrified.
Aunty Mandisa(crying): Yoh it got her!!!

I was in shock honestly, it took a while for the words to come out of my mouth, that's how shocked I was.

Me(crying): Snake! It… it was…. It was in me!! Aunty it was in me!
Gogo: Khethiwe, bring the powder, we need to knock her out! She doesn't need to remember this! The poor child!
Aunty Mandisa: It's okay baby, I'll give you something to calm you down, you'll forget all about this okay? Yoh, Mah uyabona kodwa ukuthi unyana wakho wenzani manje?
Gogo: Mandisa, you knew what your husband was into and yet you brought this girl here! This is your fault! Do you think it went far?
Aunty Mandisa: It didn't, can't you see she fought?
Gogo: Shuthi uyathandaza untombazane!

Aunt Khethiwe came back and Gogo splashed the powder on my face and I fell back on the pillow, eyes shut.