39

BURNING BLUE.
BY BELLA ROYALTY.
39.

[SNETHEMBA NGWAZI]
Lusanele was here at 6:45am sharp, I lied to my mother and told her I was taking Snakho to the clinic for her monthly checkup, she didn't ask too many questions, with Mam' Nonhlanhla's arrest, the family is pretty much divided, we discussed her arrest at the dinner table and majority of us believed she should be held accountable for her actions, dad is hell bent on getting her out of jail, he said he felt blindsided, apparently when the Miya family was here, he asked to meet Prime's father and mother for a meeting to discuss Mam' Nonhlanhla's dilemma, according to dad he was hoping they could talk and avoid the legal route but then they sent police to his wife, he was very livid.

My sudden status was discussed and apparently I was still trending, people ripping me to shreds, I was criticized a lot, nobody in my family was on my side because they believed I shouldn't have attacked Ntando publicly.

We finally arrived at our destination. I can't believe I'm going to the same dodgy place I accused Ntando of going to yesterday online. I kept looking around as we approached the yard, the yard was filled with huts, goats, chickens, cows.

An old woman, probably in her late 50's welcomed us.
Woman: Mkhulu will only see one person.
Lusanele: Go Sneh I will hold Snakhokonke.
Me: Okay.

I followed the woman and she led me to a hut, I left my shoes at the door and walked inside. The hut was spooky, there were animal skulls everywhere, including animal skins, it smelled horrible as well, the Mkhulu in question was even scarier.

Mkhulu: Thokoza.
Me: Thokoza Mkhulu.
Mkhulu: Khanyisa.

I took out two R200 notes and placed them forward.
Mkhulu: Obani laba ohamba nabo?(Who are the people that you're with?)
Me(confused): Mkhulu?
Mkhulu: Awuhambi wedwa, uhamba nobani?(You are not alone, who are you with?)
Me: My daughter and my friend.
Mkhulu(groans): I sense a powerful presence around you.
Me: Oh, my father is uNgwazi, he is known as Mkhulu waseNgwazini.
Mkhulu(groans): You left your father's hut to come to mine, why is that?
Me: Well my father is currently preoccupied.
Mkhulu(groans): Lies! You knew he would not approve of what you intend on doing here! That's not the kind of work he does, am I correct?
Me: Yes.

Well my father really isn't the kind that would help you bewitch someone or cast a spell, he is a healer and not a witch, he heals people, helps them connect with their ancestors that sort of stuff.

Mkhulu: Ubekwa yini lana? Ufuna ngikwenzeleni?(What brings you here? What do you want me to do for you?)
Me: I want the father of my child to marry me, he is not with me right now, he has a girlfriend, I want them to break up, so that he can come back to me and we will be a family.
Mkhulu(groans): I see, from what I see here, it won't be easy, he has been strengthened, he was warned you'd seek help to get him back so they have strengthened him.
Me: But you can do it Mkhulu?
Mkhulu: Whoever strengthened him was under the impression that your father would help you, so they strengthen him against your father but not from me.
Me: So you will be able to help me?
Mkhulu: We will first have to get rid of this girl that I see here, she holds his heart.
Me: I knew umdlisile!(she bewitched him)

Mkhulu: She holds his heart, I didn't say she's cast a spell on him, what they share is pure love, pure love that has been approved by the ancestors, from what I see here, she was always going to be your doom, had you given him a chance back then, her arrival would have messed things up for you because they were meant for each other.

I huffed.
Mkhulu: We need to break their bond, whatever it is that binds them we need to break it, that will leave his heart bleeding and you will be right there to stitch his heart back into shape.
Me(smiles): That sounds like a plan.
Mkhulu: We don't need to attack all at once, we need to be calculative, attentive and patient, if sigadla ngamandla(we attack with everything we've got) whoever is protecting their union will be on high alert, the advantage we have here is that the girl seems to be far…
Me: She's in Joburg at the moment.
Mkhulu: Yes, they are much stronger close, but we have an advantage since she's far away, what do you want me to do to her?
Me: Usebenza ngabantu(she's a social media person) I want her to lose her people, I want her to lose deals, she's known as the most beautiful girl, I want ubuhle bakhe bushabalale(I want her to lose her beauty)

He nodded.
Me: Ngifuna abenesdina, ahambe odokotela bobuso angasizakali(I want to ruin her face in a way that even the doctors can't help her fix it) and when the father of my child sees her, I want him to be disgusted, I want her to smell bad that he can't even get close to her, which will lead to him breaking things off with her.
Mkhulu: I need something that belongs to her, something that has her scent, her sweat, her DNA and I will work with it.
Me: I will get it.
Mkhulu: For this to work, they both need to believe you are sincere, therefore you need to humble yourself and apologise.
Me: I understand.
Mkhulu: Bring me what I've requested so that I will start working.
Me: Thokoza Mkhulu.

_______
Lusanele: How are we going to get Ntando's clothing?
Me: I will have to go to Prime and apologise, while in his apartment, I can ask to use the bathroom and steal something of hers.
Lusanele: That could work, or we could stage a robbery?
Me: That could work as well, but who can we trust that they won't make any mistakes or get caught?
Lusanele: What about Ma'thausand?
Me: Isn't he always high on something?
Lusanele: He will get the job done.
Me: Okay, I can't believe I have to apologise to this b****
Lusanele: They have to believe you're not on their case anymore so that they won't see you coming.

I nodded.
Me: There's Ma'thausand.

Lusanele hooted, getting his attention.
Lusanele: Get in.

He got in the back.
Ma'thausand: Ladies!
Me: Ma'thausand how are you?
Him: Ng'grand, what's up?
Lusanele: We have a job for you and your buddies.
Him(smiles): For real?
Me: Yes, I want you to break into this apartment and steal a girl's clothing, it could be underwear, dress, jacket, pants, but it has to be a girl's clothing, do not touch it with your hands, wear gloves and put it inside the plastic.
Him: Seriously?
Lusanele: How does R5k sound?
Him: Tell me more about this place? Where is it? And how tight is the security?
Me: This is the address, one of your guys will have to find a way to get in and scout the place, I need this done before the end of this week.
Him: Alright no problem, I'll have the place checked out.
Me: Good, don't tell anyone else about this, do you hear me?
Him: Relax ngane yenyanga(Healer's daughter)

He got out of the car and we drove off.

[TUMELO MORAKE]
The lengths some people are willing to go through to get what they want will shock you!

For a while, the gents and I sat in silence, processing what we've just heard. I honestly believe that once love requires you to go and kneel in front of a scary person who believes they can see the future by throwing bones, then you have to accept that it's no longer about love.

Prime: I cannot believe this, and the scary part is that things like these do happen.
Lungelo: They really do happen, you'd hear a girl sharing her story about ischitho(spell) she will show her before and after pictures and your whole skin will crawl, and these people always go for the faces or private parts.
Me: Imagine such a fine shit like Ntando with a face that's…
Prime: Don't even say it, Tumelo all because of some girl I used to like but she didn't like me back now she feels entitled to me? I cannot let this happen to Peach.
Sean: Didn't Ndalo's friend say that nothing will happen to the both of you? Which means whatever they'll try on Ntando useless?
Me: We can't solely rely on that, we also have to use what we have against Snethemba in order to teach her a lesson.
Prime: I don't give a shit about what happens to Snethemba, the skin on her face could fall off for all I care, I wouldn't be fazed, how are you a woman but want to do this to an innocent woman?
Me: It's really messed up. Women don't like each other bro.
Prime: I said the same thing when Nandi was attacking Peach on social media, women need to realise that they are not each other's enemies but men are, Snethemba is willing to destroy Peach for a man, mind you Peach is innocent in all of this but she doesn't care.

I nodded.
Sean: You know what I think?
Lungelo(laughs): Oh no, let's hear it whiteboy.

We laughed.
Sean: Let's either get this Ma'thausand on our side or make things easy for him and his crew.
Me: I don't understand?
Sean: Scenario one, we give him 3 times the amount they promised him, we find a way to steal Snethemba's clothing and have him bring it to her as Ntando's, that way whatever that Mkhulu will do will happen to Snethemba, or scenario two, we could find a way to get Snethemba's clothing and then make things easy for this guy and his crew at the apartment, have them think they broke in and stole the clothing.
Prime(smiles): There's a reason why you're my friends, you're dark and twisted and I like that!
Me: I like the first scenario, he seems like he'd do anything for cash.
Lungelo: Oh he could just find us waiting for them at the apartment and we could give them a reason to do this for us.
Prime: The goal is for whatever they are brewing for Peach to happen to Snethemba.
Me: Exactly.

Prime: I am down, I will talk to the securities at the gate, I'll tell them to allow the guy to bribe them into coming inside the complex, luckily the cameras aren't visible so they won't see them, I'll make it easy for them to break in, I will have to remove Peach's clothes in the room.
Lungelo: We have to figure out a way to get Snethemba's clothes that have her DNA since you're not allowed inside the premises.
Prime: I'll have to ask Ndalo to intervene.
Me: Okay cool.

He texted her.
Me: So, what do we tell Peach?
Prime: I will handle Peach, this means she can't use the pictures and audios until we've done this because we can't alert Snethemba that she was being followed.
Sean: You're right.
Prime: Ndalo wants me to come to her, Tumelo please keep those audios safe, don't disconnect from her phone yet, we need to know everything that she does and be a step ahead of her.
Me: Don't worry.
Prime: I will update you guys.
Lungelo: Sharp.

He walked out.

[NDALWENHLE MIYA]
I couldn't believe a word that Shaka just told me, honestly had he not made me listen to the audios, I would have never believed it.

Me: Do these things really happen?
Shaka: They do happen, if you believe in them.
Me: All of this trouble to ruin another young woman's life because of a man? A man that was never yours in the beginning?
Shaka: Yep.
Me: If Lethokuhle was that kind of healer, she was going to assist with a reversal, you know hit her with whatever she's throwing at Ntando.
Shaka: Gogo Lethokuhle is a healer who works with water and prayer, she doesn't deal with dark entities.
Me: Exactly, so what's the plan? We have to do something about this.
Shaka: We were thinking we become Karma, do unto her as she wanted to do to Peach.
Me: Okay, okay I see, how will we get her clothing?

Shaka: That's where you get in, you're Snakhokonke's aunt, we will go to the mall and get her a few things, you will take them there on my orders, you'll ask to spend some time with Snakho, with everything that they are currently going through in that yard, I hope she will take you to her bedroom.

Me: Where I can steal her clothes.
Shaka: Exactly.
Me: I can do that, if I can't I'll create a way to get in her bedroom Shaka I won't let you or Ntando down.
Shaka: I trust you.

_____
Snethemba(smiles): Ndalo right?
Me(smiles): Yes, Shaka's elder sister.
Snethemba: Please come in.
Me: I have brought my niece a few things as well.
Snethemba: Oh my God, thank you so much.
Me: It's a pleasure.

I took out the bags in the boot and she helped me with them. We entered one of the many houses in this yard.
Snethemba: Please don't be alarmed since I'm taking you to my bedroom, it's a bit busy in this yard, with dad's clients.
Me(smiles): Oh no, that's fine, it'll give me some time to bond with my beautiful niece.

She smiled as I sat on the couch, Snakho was on her little cot, trying to play with her toy, she took her and brought her to me and I smiled.
Me: I don't want to lie, you and Shaka created a masterpiece here.
Snethemba(laughs): Hopefully she doesn't change, kids will disappoint you.

We laughed.
Snethemba: I won't lie, when I got your text I was a little scared.
Me: And why is that?
Snethemba: I thought you were going to talk about what's been happening online.
Me: Oh yes that, I was hoping we'd touch base on that as well.
Snethemba: Look I know I was out of line, I was consumed by anger and jealousy, Prime and I sort of had a disagreement and I took it out on Ntando which wasn't fair.
Me: What happened?

Snethemba: So my boyfriend Zolani confronted him about boundaries and stuff and Prime was obviously angry, he felt disrespected and rightfully so, if there was anyone who should have been talking about boundaries it was meant to be him or me since we aren't in a relationship, we had to have a talk about respecting our current partners.

Me: Exactly, usually it's the girlfriend who pushes that conversation simply because they feel insecure you're the mother of his child and she's not.
Her: Exactly.

Her sister Ntombenhle I think, brought us something to drink.
Snethemba: Thank you sis.

She walked out.
Her: But in this case my boyfriend saw it fit that he talks to Prime himself, so Prime told me just how much he didn't like that, he also told me that he didn't want Zolani near Snakho because he doesn't trust men around girl children, which was a valid point, we've been hearing scary stories of stepfathers assaulting their stepdaughters.

Me: Even their own fathers Snethemba.
Her: He also brought that up, he said that whenever he takes Snakho with, you'd have to be there or his mother or Ntando because as a man he doesn't want to change his own daughter's diaper or even bathe her.
Me: That's fair I think.
Her: I was fine with you or his mother. I told him I didn't want Ntando around my child as well because she was nothing but a girlfriend. What if they break up, will he introduce another girlfriend to Snakho?

I nodded.
Her: He got angry, basically refusing to see reason, he said Ntando will be a part of Snakho's life but Zolani isn't allowed to be around Snakho, he was behaving weird, that's not the Prime that I know and remember, I was angry Ndalo, I didn't think she'd figure it out that it was me behind that fake account.
Me: Shaka and his friends are hackers Snethemba, they are studying I.T, they are nerds, those guys you see in movies wearing glasses, busy on their computers, that's them, they tracked that account to you.

She looked shocked.
Me: You didn't know what they were studying?
Her: Oh my God no!
Me: That's how she was able to figure it out that it was you.

She couldn't believe it you could tell.
Me: Do you want some advice? Make amends with Ntando, issue a public apology and also apologize to Shaka for coming at his girlfriend like that, I don't think you want to have an unhealthy co-parenting relationship with him and the last thing you want is for Ntando to hate you because she has power over him, you could end up depriving your own child of a relationship with her father.

Her: Do you see what I mean when I say that she's bewitched him? What kind of relationship is it that they have?
Me: You've never been inlove have you?

We laughed.
Me: Like genuinely in love where a guy just loves you and puts you and your feelings first?
Her(sighs): Can't say I have I'm afraid.

Me: Shaka has been strengthened, Ntando doesn't know that, and if she had bewitched him, whatever it is that she had done, during the cleansing and strengthening process, it would have came out, so Shaka just genuinely loves her, one thing about men?

She nodded.
Me: When a guy is in love with you, he will change his whole life for you, Shaka is not the same guy you know, he promised Ntando he'd change for her, that he'd leave it all behind and focus on her and that's what he's done ever since then.
Her: He would have done the same for me?
Me: I believe so.
Her: I was just scared back then Ndalo.
Me: Just say you weren't ready to be in a serious committed relationship, Snethemba, I mean you were also seeing Thalente and that other guy she mentioned yesterday.

She exhaled.
Her: I guess so, I will apologise to the both of them, I promise for the sake of my daughter, I want her to have a relationship with her father.

Me: That's the mature thing to do, listen you'll find your person one day, someone who will love you the way you deserve to be loved, and if you and Shaka are meant to be, you'll find a way back to each other again but you have to let nature takes its course, don't try to assist it because that will backfire on you.

Her(smiles): Thank you, I needed to hear that.
Me: We are family, I mean my mother is married to your father, you have a daughter with my brother as well so yeah.
Her(smiles): Thank you.

We shared a hug.
Her: Let me go and prepare something for you to eat, will you be okay here?
Me: Yes I promised Shaka I'd videocall him when I'm with Snakho.
Her: Okay I'll be right back.

Snethemba walked out, I saw her through the window getting inside the main house, I closed the bedroom door and placed uSnakho down, I took out some gloves and wore them and went to the laundry basket and took out a PJ top, I went to open her drawer and took out one of her underwear, I placed them inside the plastic and sealed it off and shoved it inside my bag.

Me(smiles): Let's call daddy princess.