CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 38

[DIAMOND]

Yibanathi opens the door for me. I came here as quickly as I could. Konke had called me, saying he wasn't feeling well, that something traumatic had happened to him.
The girl smiles brightly as she locks the door behind me. Konke had briefly told me about her before. She has a child too. It's quiet inside, the boy must be sleeping.
"Hi, you look beautiful," she says warmly.
I smile back, touched. Compliments from the younger sister-in-law.
"You are beautiful too," I reply. She really is and she has Konke's resemblance. The same gentle eyes.
"Bhuti is on the balcony," she says.
I nod.
I should have bought something. Maybe we'll just order food later.
I thank her softly and make my way to the balcony. I find him sitting on a mat, legs crossed in a meditation posture, staring quietly at the plants. Something about his stillness worries me.
I walk closer and sit beside him. He turns his head, looks at me, and smiles.
"Hey, love," he says softly, kissing my cheek.
"Are you okay?" I ask. I can feel it, he's sad and tired. Not himself.
He smiles faintly and looks back at the plants.
"How's your sister?" he asks gently.
My sister?
I frown slightly. I'm not close to my siblings. We never really tried to build a bond. Some of them live here in Gauteng, yet we barely talk, barely see each other.
"My sister?" I ask, confused.
He chuckles lightly.
"Nikky. Isn't she your sister?" he says.
Oh. Nikky. Oh my God!! How could I forget?
"She's okay," I say softly. "Taking it one step at a time."
She'll be back soon. I miss her.
He nods, smiling, then turns to look at me fully. He reaches for my hand.
"I've realised… or maybe I've seen… that you two are more than friends," he says gently. "You are sisters. You don't share the same blood or surname, but you are sisters."
That's true.
Nikky has been more of a sister to me than my real sisters ever were.
I blame my parents for that. They never encouraged a sister bond. Those girls see me as a reminder of their mother's pain. As proof of my father's betrayal. As evidence, but that was never my fault.
"Yes, we are," I say honestly. "I love her."
"Of course you do," he says, kissing my hand. "And that's why there's a woman… I'm not sure who exactly she is to Nikky but she also protects you."
I frown.
"A woman?" I ask, confused.
He nods.
"Yes. A spirit. One of Nikky's ancestors," he explains calmly.
I raise my eyebrows, letting him continue.
"You know," he says softly, "sometimes someone else's ancestors can protect you and even bring you luck, especially if you treated one of their children with kindness. If you loved them. If you were there for them."
I listen closely, my heart pounding.
"Some people don't believe it," he continues, smiling gently. "But it happens more often than you think. There's a woman who protects both you and Nikky. She loves you. And of course, your grandfather is also protecting you but that woman, she's the one I see the most."
Nikky's ancestor?
Really?
"I wonder who she is," I whisper, curiosity and awe mixing in my chest.
And a grandfather? From which side?
"Do you know which grandfather?" I ask, curiosity slipping into my voice.
Even though they were both terrible parents and never truly wanted me, they did do one thing right by me. My father paid my mother's family damages so I could be introduced properly to the sokhulu ancestors. But I remember hearing that my uncle wasn't happy. He said it wasn't enough, that two cows still needed to be paid so I could fully take my father's surname. In the end, my family paid everything that was required.
Now that I'm curious, I realise I'll have to ask Aunt Thembi. The last time she spoke about it, I wasn't interested at all. I didn't care back then.
"I'm not sure, love," he says softly. "It's still foggy. And the woman… she might be Nikky's mother, or her grandmother." He shrugs slightly.
I shake my head slowly.
"Her mother is alive," I say. "Her paternal grandmother and her paternal aunts are also alive. Maybe it's a female ancestor from her mother's side."
He blinks, thinking.
"Yeah… maybe," he says. "I don't know why she's appearing here, and with two children." He looks at the plant, then back at me.
Two children?
"Remember the day I was holding her bracelet?" he continues. "I had a vision. Here, in my apartment. I saw a child, a girl. She pointed toward this side of the balcony. When I came here, the plant Cothoza gave me had grown and bloomed. As you can see, it's still growing."
I stare at the plant again, my heart beating faster.
"And in the vision," he adds, "when I tried to talk to the child, she ran outside. When I followed her, the vision changed. I was in another place. Someone was sleeping in a bed, and a woman was standing over them, holding a container with liquid." He sighs softly.
My mind starts racing. Children?
That's confusing because, wait, Then something hits me. A memory of Nikky.
"You know… in her previous relationship," I say slowly, "Nikky had two miscarriages. It was bad. I think it really broke her. Even now, she's scared of having children."
I don't even know if I should be telling him this, but if it helps my sister, then it's worth it.
He blinks, shocked.
"That makes sense," he says quietly. "Those children looked very protective of her. Did she cleanse after the miscarriages?"
I nod.
"She did," I say truthfully.
The last miscarriage happened when she was alone with her sister, Ntobe. Her mother doesn't even know that Nikky had two miscarriages, she only knows about the first one. And still, Sylvia praises Sphephelo like he's a god.
He nods slowly, sadness crossing his face.
"Shame, that must have been very hard," he says. "Maybe she's still holding on to the babies she lost. That could be why they don't leave her side. At least they're not hostile. But to be safe, since I don't fully understand what's happening, I should meet her."
My precious Nikky.
"Maybe then I'll understand who this woman really is," he adds gently. "Or if there's a cleansing that needs to be done."
I will have to organise something so they can meet. I won't tell Nikky what it's really about, just that she's meeting her brother-in-law. I know how stubborn she is; she might refuse to come if I mention things connected to her past.
"I'm sorry for bothering you like this," he says, chuckling softly. "I'm not even sure we're supposed to be talking about her when she's not here."
I laugh lightly too. "I guess we'll see what punishment our ancestors give us," I joke.
He smiles briefly, then sighs.
"Yeah… but she will be fine. Everything will be fine. Before I meet her, though, there are a few tasks I still need to deal with. And gosh, they're draining and stressing me out. People believe in me too much. They see someone with a powerful gift, while I just…" He pauses and lowers his eyes.
My heart sinks. My poor thing. I reach for his hands and hold them gently.
"Don't doubt yourself," I say softly. "Your gift is powerful. Your visions are always spot on. Look at Nikky's situation, you saw her babies without ever meeting her. That's amazing. People see that. Their guides and ancestors send them to you because they know you'll help them, that you'll give them solutions."
His face softens.
"It's just that mine is so different," he says quietly. "My journey is nothing like everyone else's. When I was at Cothoza's place, some people told me how their journeys started with Cothoza guiding them, teaching them what to do, what to work with, their spiritual animals, the plants, everything. But for me… yes, Cothoza was there, but not fully. He didn't even know what my ancestors wanted. They showed him nothing, just the river I should cleanse in back home, and a white garment I should wear. Ndleleni was so secretive with him."
I hear the sadness in his voice, rough and painful. My heart breaks a little.
"Everyone has a different journey, babe," I say gently. "And yours is different too. Maybe they didn't show that teacher everything to protect your gift. Maybe they want to be the ones to guide you directly, through dreams and visions. They don't need anyone else for that. Just you. Their chosen one."
He looks at me for a long moment, then sighs.
"Maybe you're right. I know I shouldn't doubt them. I do receive a lot of messages through dreams and visions. I guess I'll have to wait for my initiation, when I go to the water and see what they have planned for me."
I nod, staying close.
"And I think it makes sense why most things about my gift were hard for Cothoza to see," he adds. "Maybe they already knew he would turn his back on me."
Cothoza. That bloody wizard. He's the real problem here.
"Everything will be fine, Konke," I say, moving closer and wrapping my arms around him. "You'll see."
He holds me tighter.
"I'm here for you," I whisper. "Every step of the way. No matter how confusing it gets, I'm here."
"I love you too," he says softly.
I smile. I know.
After a moment, he pulls back slightly.
"By the way…" he says hesitantly. "You're… you're preventing, right?"
I chuckle softly. Where is this coming from?
"No, don't be mad," he rushes on nervously. "I'm just asking because I've been getting visions and dreams about fruits. And fruits usually mean pregnancy. And that time we… we didn't use a condom."
I laugh, shaking my head.
"Oh no," I say amused. "A baby now? When I just got a promotion? Absolutely not."
"Yes, I'm preventing, love," I add gently. "No need to worry."
He exhales deeply, relief washing over his face.
"I know," he says with a small laugh. "Sometimes you have to tell these ancestors no. If you agree to everything they say, you'll end up depressed with seven children."
I laugh, shaking my head. We sit quietly after that, just holding each other's hands. I don't even know if I should sleep over tonight since Yibanathi and the child are here.
"By the way," I say after a moment, curiosity creeping in, "what happened at your friend's place?"
He sighs hard, then lets out a short laugh, full of disbelief.
"We're no longer friends," he says softly. "Something happened and I… I still can't believe it."
I stay quiet, giving him space to continue.
"We had a bit of an issue with his cousin, Mafika. It wasn't even an argument. He was just provoking me, as always. I got tired of it and decided to leave. Everyone was still outside enjoying the braai, so I went into the house to calm down. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, and that's when I heard screaming and bottles breaking."
My chest tenses.
"When I rushed outside," he continues, "I saw three crows attacking Mehluko and Mafika. Only them. That's when I knew they were Ndleleni's birds. Or mine."
He chuckles nervously and stands up, walking over to pick up the plant.
"When the crows saw me, they stopped and just stared at me. Mafika saw that and dragged Mehluko inside the house. I was standing in the doorway, and while I was distracted, Mafika pushed me outside, laughed, and slammed the door shut."
I gasp, blinking rapidly.
"What the hell?" I whisper. "Did the crows attack you too?"
He shakes his head, smiling faintly.
"No. They just stared at me. I knew they were mine. I begged them to leave, because if the township people saw me surrounded by crows, I was going to get killed. You know us, everything is witchcraft in our eyes."
My heart drops.
"So they listened," he says quietly. "They left. I heard people's voices, stood up, got into my car, and drove straight here. Safe."
Jesus. My poor boyfriend. I know exactly what people would have done to him if they had seen that.
"I'm so sorry you went through that," I say, my voice shaking with anger, I stand up immediately. "Why did your friend just stand there and let that fool push you out?"
"I don't know, love," he says, his voice low and tired. "I just have to let it go. I'm safe, nothing happened. He's no longer my friend. Keeping him around would be dangerous."
Nx. Bloody Mehluko. Bloody Mafika. My anger burns hot. I need to pay them a visit. No one, no one messes with my sweet man and gets away with it. I should contact Tumi now and arrange for those bastards to be dealt with. I just need a bit more information from Konke first.
I step closer and pull him into a hug.
"It's okay, love," I whisper. "I'm just grateful you're safe, that I can hold you like this." The thought of losing him makes my heart ache. "You should rest. You're tense and exhausted. We'll order food."
"Yeah," he says softly. "I was thinking of sleeping. I'm tired and I'm fasting tomorrow."
He pulls back slightly, his hands still on my waist, looking at me like I'm something precious.
"You'll sleep over, right?" he asks gently. "I know I might not be able to take care of your needs since…"
I place my finger on his lips, stopping him.
"It's okay, love," I say softly. "I understand. We'll just relax, get to know your sister better. You rest. You have big things to deal with."
I kiss him slowly and gently, reassuring him. I can't believe I just said no to sex and meant it. I actually love this new version of me.
We pull apart, breathing heavily. He smiles and brushes my jawline.
"I love you," he says softly. "Thank you for understanding. I promise I'll make it up to you."
He kisses my forehead and hugs me tightly. I melt into him, my heart full… already planning how to deal with those little bastards who dared to mess with my man.

_

I walk outside the gate and immediately spot Tumi's car. Konke is sleeping peacefully inside. I silently pray he doesn't get a vision of this. I told Yibanathi that I'm just going to the shops to buy a few things for Celo. She was happy to hear that, she's such a sweet girl, clearly adoring her son. I'll just tell Tumi to drive to the nearest shopping centre.
I get into the car and close the door.
"What are you doing on this side of town?" Tumi asks curiously.
"Drive, love," I say quickly.
She frowns and turns fully toward me.
"Not until you tell me what's going on," she demands softly.
I sigh heavily.
"Well… I have a boyfriend," I confess.
She squints, then her eyes widen.
"Are you serious?" she asks, shocked.
"Yes," I say calmly.
She gasps loudly and claps her hands.
"Attorney Sokhulu, you don't waste time, hey," she says sarcastically.
Mxm, This bitch.
"So… Can you drive now?" I ask.
She shakes her head like a stubborn child.
"I want details. Come on, Dee," she begs softly.
I sigh, annoyed.
"I'll tell you everything," I say, my voice dropping. "But I need your help first. There are two rats we need to deal with."
She blinks, then her eyes light up.
"What kind of deal?" she asks excitedly. "Are we stealing, beating them up, or.."
I chuckle softly, shaking my head.
"Yes, all of that," I say. "Just two weak men. We can handle it. Sika doesn't need to be involved."
There's no need for him. And Tk is still in hospital, recovering.
She smiles and nods slowly.
"Okay, baby girl," she says, finally starting the car. "Now tell me, how are we preparing for this party?"

•••

The guards nod at Zenzele as he walks into the yard. His pace is fast and restless. The moment he steps into the kitchen, he finds his family gathered together, everyone except his father. His mother notices him immediately and smiles warmly as she steps closer.
"Hey, boy, you're back," Bonakele says happily. "Come join us. We're planning your birthday with Ntombi," she adds.
Zenzele frowns. He steps closer, ignoring his brother's frown and the lingering gaze aimed at him.
"Cancel it. I don't want it," Zenzele says firmly.
Bonakele's smile fades. She blinks, surprised by his tone.
"Tell your daughters and daughters-in-law that I don't need any bash or party. I'm good," he adds coldly.
"Excuse me?" Bonakele asks, placing the iPad aside and crossing her arms. "We've been planning this for months. We can't cancel," she says, her voice controlled but firm.
"True," Ntombi adds cheerfully. "A lot of people are coming."
He loves his sister, but tonight he's not in the mood.
"I said no," he repeats. "I don't want a party." His eyes move between his mother and sister.
Bonakele raises an eyebrow.
"Well, unfortunately, you don't decide that. The party is happening," she replies firmly.
Zenzele knows that tone. But tonight, he's not backing down.
"I don't want your party, your throne, or anything to do with this fucked-up, cursed family," Zenzele snaps, the words spilling out without care.
Mxo laughs softly and stands up, walking out.
"Yoh, come on, Zenzele," Ntombi argues. "I worked hard planning this."
Zenzele does care but Bonakele's face has already gone cold and hard.
"Ntombi, leave us," Bonakele says calmly. "Let me talk to your brother."
Ntombi huffs but walks out.
Zenzele doesn't wait. He storms down the hallway toward his parents' bedroom.
"Zenzele," his mother calls after him.
He ignores her.
He barges into the bedroom without knocking. Inside, he finds his father sitting up in bed, a helper standing beside him, handing him a cup of tea. His father looks drained, thinner than before, weaker.
"Excuse us, Mama," Zenzele says politely to the helper.
She nods and walks out, nearly colliding with Bonakele at the door.
"I see you're back," his father says quietly.
The door slams shut as Bonakele steps inside, standing beside her husband.
"Yes," Zenzele says firmly. "I'm back and I'm leaving too. I'm leaving this royal place."
"What?" Bonakele snaps. "Phunyuka, what is wrong with this son of yours?" she adds angrily.
"Yes, Mother," Zenzele replies calmly. "I'm leaving. I'm done with all of this. You can keep your throne. I'll keep my son. I won't kill my child for it. I didn't send him to go steal some monkey's paw."
He points straight at his father.
Bonakele steps forward and slaps him.
The sting burns on his cheek, sharp and humiliating but Zenzele remains composed, his jaw tight, his eyes steady.
"Don't you ever disrespect your father like that," Bonakele hisses. "Can't you see he's fighting for his life?"
Her words don't move Zenzele at all.
"You'll make other children," she continues, her voice dripping with venom. "We've already found you a princess. Not a commoner. Someone who actually belongs to royalty."
Zenzele chuckles bitterly.
"I don't care," he says calmly. "I won't marry a princess chosen by you and the royal board. I will marry Yibanathi. And that's final. And there will be no other child I sacrifice for you and Dad. I'm done. I'm sorry."
Bonakele shakes her head slowly.
"You'd choose those people over your father?" she asks, shocked, almost offended.
Zenzele's eyes meet his father's. Phunyuka is staring at him quietly, sadness heavy in his eyes.
"You'll be fine, baba," Zenzele says softly. "But yes, I'm choosing them over you, Manzini."
That is the boundary he's willing to cross.
"Keep your throne," he adds, turning his eyes to his mother. "And don't call me when he's dead."
Bonakele gasps, her hands flying to her head, unable to believe what she's hearing.
As Zenzele reaches the door, Phunyuka clears his throat.
"You can't run away from this throne," his father says weakly. "It's yours."
Zenzele pauses, but he doesn't turn around.
"No matter where you run," Phunyuka continues, "you'll always find this throne waiting for you."
Zenzele clicks his tongue and walks out, slamming the door behind him.
It's late, but he wants to drive to Joburg now. Konke can't be carrying his family alone while he's still alive.
He walks past his siblings without looking at them and exits the house. Outside ,he stops for a moment, breathing heavily. Suddenly, the rain starts pouring, hard and fast, like the sky is angry. He flinches.
He rushes toward his car.
As he reaches it, a lightning strike crashes down right next to him. The ground trembles. Zenzele freezes, his breath catching in his throat. He blinks rapidly, his heart pounding violently in his chest.
His hand reaches for the car door.
Another lightning strike tears through the sky.
This one hits him.
A blinding white light, A thunderous crack.
His body jerks as pain explodes through him. He's thrown backward, crashing to the ground. The rain keeps falling, soaking him as his body lies still.
Everything goes blank.

••••

Kananelo wants nothing to do with the church conference that is approaching. He sits there poking at his food, bored and irritated. Siyabonga notices and laughs silently to himself. Teenagers can be dramatic as always.
Bonga was invited for dinner by his mother, and of course he agreed to come. Still, he feels bored. Mtho is not really the kind of person to hang out with, and tonight doesn't help at all. He is still angry at his friends and is giving them the silent treatment. What they said about Nikky and his father was completely out of line. Thinking about it now, Bonga feels he should have let Mtho beat them up. At least that would have shut them up, put them in line.
One thing he is grateful for is that Mtho lied for him to his father. He knows how protective he is when it comes to Nikky, and that loyalty means a lot to him.
Earlier, Bonga saw the news about Paul and Richard. Ever since then, his heart has felt heavy. Deep down, something tells him his father has something to do with it. But there is nothing he can do. All he can do is let the past stay buried and forget about Richard.
"So, how's your father?" Julia asks, breaking his thoughts. Her tone is curious. "He's been quiet lately."
Bonga sighs softly. Of course his father is quiet. He's in love.
"He's fine," Bonga says with a small smile. "Just busy with work. He went on a business trip."
Julia frowns slightly, then nods.
"Oh," she says. "Phila said she saw him." She pauses, then adds, "She also said something funny… that Mnotho is engaged. That he has a fiancée." She sips her water, watching Bonga carefully.
Bonga sighs inwardly. Another lie. He hates lying to his mother.
Before he can answer, Khutso jumps in.
"What's wrong if he's engaged?" Khutso says quickly. "He's been lonely. He needs someone." He glances at Bonga as if asking for support.
Bonga nods repeatedly.
"Yeah," he says, keeping it short, and shoves a spoonful of rice into his mouth. Mtho's words echo loudly in his head about his mother's behaviour.
"Well… if you say so," Julia says slowly. "I guess I'll add two people to our guest list for the conference."
Bonga frowns and looks at his mother. That won't work. Not at all. Is it too early for her to meet Nikky! And forcing her to attend church too?
"No," Bonga says quickly, stumbling over his words. "Don't add Dad. He'll be busy. And the woman isn't really a church person." He's lying, and he knows it. Truth is, he's not even sure if Nikky goes to church or not.
Julia frowns deeply.
"She's not what?" she asks, shocked. "Why not?"
Kananelo stands up and excuses himself, calling Dineo to join him.
"We can't force people to attend the conference," Khutso says calmly. "Mnotho doesn't even like church himself."
Bonga nods in agreement. His father and church? Water and oil.
Julia scoffs.
"That's the woman's job," she says, a little judgmental. "To take him to church. What kind of relationship do they have without God?"
Bonga's heart sinks. The conversation is making him uncomfortable. He wants to leave.
"Ma," he says softly, "can we not talk about Dad and his woman?" He pauses, then adds, "I'll come to the conference." He's lying again, but he just wants this topic to end.
Julia shrugs and pushes a plate of scones toward him.
"You need to try one," she says warmly. "I tried a new recipe with MaKhoza."
Bonga looks at the scones and smiles nervously.
"Tasteless scones," Mtho's voice echoes in his head.
He picks one up, takes a bite, and chews slowly. His face almost betrays him. They're not tasteless, they're hard and dry. He nearly spits it out but quickly places the scone back on the plate.
"How is it?" Julia asks, hopeful.
He can't tell her the truth. This is his mother. He loves her too much to hurt her feelings.
He swallows and forces a smile.
"They're good, Ma," he says, lying through his teeth.
Julia smiles proudly.
"Nazo ke," she says happily. "I'll tell MaKhoza we should bake these for the conference."
Bonga drops his eyes to his plate.
People are not going to enjoy these scones, he thinks silently.