CHAPTER 49

CHAPTER 49

[MNOTHO]

She has removed my trousers, busy now massaging my thighs gently. I think I will fall asleep any minute now, my body is relaxed, and my eyelids are heavy.
"So, who found you and your mom?" she asks after a moment of silence, after the bomb I dropped on her.
"Some man who lives on the other side of the river. He was going back to his home and heard my cries. He helped me," I say softly. Jobe really helped me that night. I was cold, confused, holding my dead mother's body in my arms. None of my siblings were home, except for Gabisile, who came to bring Langa and sleep over.
"Jobe went to fetch his van and took my mother to the hospital mortuary," I say.
"At least you weren't alone. And knowing how hard it is to get an ambulance to the rural areas, it would have been really difficult on you," she says gently. I nod.
"Ambulances take forever to arrive in rural areas, and we didn't have a car, so it was going to be hard. I was alone that night. Tshengisile was here in Gauteng, chasing Alfred for Mtho's maintenance. Bangizwe… I'm not sure where he was, probably with his friends. Celiwe had gone to her baby daddy, who is her husband now," I explain. All three of my siblings had children, and that took a toll on my mother and themselves too.
Nikky pauses, and I feel a blanket being gently laid over me.
"Let me go wash my hands. I'll be back," she says softly, and I hear her footsteps leave. Her hands are magical, I feel my body relax even more, my pain easing. After a moment, she comes back and lays next to me. I want to open my eyes, but they are too heavy.
"I can't open my eyes. I'll fall asleep any time soon," I say with a small smile. She laughs softly.
"But I have to continue the story," I add. My arm feels heavy, too, and I want to rest it on her.
"So, your relatives? You had to go to the hospital with Jobe?" she asks, her hand resting gently on my cheek, caressing my beard.
"Yes. Jobe had to get hold of my dad, because I was crying, confused. I wasn't going to help much at the hospital, so Jobe had to step in. He explained everything to the hospital staff. Since I was a minor, crying my lungs out, they let us go and said they would wait for an adult to do all the necessary paperwork," I say. The night at the hospital is blurry, I don't remember much, the conversations, everything.
"Since Jobe knew my family, he took me home. Bangizwe was back too. I don't know how the conversation between them went. All I did was go to my mother's bedroom and sleep there. I told myself maybe it was a bad dream, a nightmare, so I went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, most of our neighbours and relatives were home, and it finally clicked, my mother was indeed gone," I whisper, my heart cracking with the weight of the memory.
Nikky's hand caresses me gently, like she's trying to comfort me, to ease the ache I can't stop feeling.
"I'm so sorry, Mnotho. You were too young to go through that alone, in the cold night," she says. I know, but I guess that's how life is, its lessons are cruel. Life doesn't care how old you are; it will rip you apart.
"Did you know what happened to her?" she asks.
I sigh low.
"Everyone has their theory. First, we blamed the white man's dogs. We thought maybe they saw her and attacked her, because we didn't find her bag with the vegetables, it was missing. We thought she ran and left it behind," I answer her. She flinches a little.
"Second theory, we thought maybe someone wanted to rob her, and she slipped and fell on those big river rocks. That's why she was stuck there and couldn't cross over to get home," I add.
"You said she usually went with a group of people from the area to steal. Where were they? Why weren't they with her?" she asks, her voice breaking too.
"Well, that was my final theory. She was probably attacked by them… maybe they wanted to steal that stone. When I picked it up at the farm, it was slightly larger than my palm, deep green. When I lit it up with my touch, it was rare, so rare that all of us were in awe of it. So I thought maybe they wanted it and attacked her," I reply.
She gasps softly.
"So… they saw you picking it up?" she asks.
"Yes, they did. And we laughed about it, saying it was useless. I remember some of them told me to throw it away. I said I would, but instead, I threw a potato and kept the stone. I felt it deep inside me that this wasn't just a random stone," I say softly.
"My mother was shocked when I brought it home and told her I lied to those people. But she wasn't angry, she was mesmerised too. We even said maybe it would bring us luck and protection," I add, a small smile crossing my face.
"However, the hospital told us she might have fallen on the river rocks, lost her balance, and broken her bones. She was bleeding from her head too. She hit those rocks hard," I add quietly, trying to hide the sadness in my voice.
"Oh, sthandwa sami," she whispers, still caressing me gently.
I never believed that story. I suspected the white man's dogs for a long time. Three years after my mother's death, I confronted him. He denied it. He told me he knew we were stealing, but he let us be because he understood we needed food. He said he was also the closest person we bought maize meal and sometimes meat from. Even though we stole from him, we also supported his business.
He told me his dogs were always kept inside his yard.
I believed him, because it made sense. My mother didn't have dog bite marks. I think I just needed someone to blame.
I went to the people, our neighbours, people around us, even those who lived across the river asking questions. None of them knew anything.
But one neighbour, who was also part of the stealing group, later came to me. She told me that night they were chased by a robber. She and her mother hid in the bushes. She said they didn't see my mother running. If they had, they would have run with her.
That was a dead end.

To this day, we never found that robber.
"So you never found out who did it?" she whispers quietly. I nod against the pillow.
"Yes. Our neighbour said she and her mother were also chased by a robber that night, and till this day, we don't know who it was," I say quietly. But I swear, if he's alive somewhere and I find him, he'll know me well.
"I hope you're not blaming yourself, baby. You were a child, and you didn't know your mother was going to get hurt," she whispers again, calm. I let out a small, bitter chuckle.
"Well, I did. I blamed myself. I thought if I had been there, I could have protected her. If I hadn't passed out and slept… maybe all of this would have been avoided," I admit. "I blamed myself for my siblings and my nephews and nieces. I felt like I took their breadwinner from them. Yes, Bangizwe was working at the furniture shop, but the money mostly went to his child. Tshengisile was working for some rich family, cleaning and doing their laundry. Celiwe left and went to stay with the father of her child," I add.
"Where was your dad? Your relatives?" she asks, voice full of disbelief.
I chuckle bitterly, again.
"Oh, Peaches… Dad had another family in the city. About three months after Mom's death, he came with his new woman and a son, and told us, 'This is your new mother. She will take care of you,'" I say.
"What?" she asks.
"Yes. Oh, there was a fight. Tshengisile and Bangizwe fought with Dad. We had to get my uncle to intervene, and he did help. He told his brother never to bring another woman into the house, that she should build her own home far away from here," I say. "My uncle was pissed, asking my dad, 'Where are the kids supposed to live if you bring another family here?' My dad was angry and didn't want to hear any of it. He said, 'This is my house too.' But my uncle fought for us," I add. He actually did. Even though he wasn't always present or helping us, he would come once in a while to see us. He was struggling, so I wasn't angry at him too much.
"Wow," she says softly.
"Yeah… that was the last time we saw him alive. Five years later, I got a job as a taxi driver here in Joburg, a job I got through Jobe. Then I got a call from Tshengisile. The woman called to tell us to come fetch our father, he was dead. And that year, Julia was already pregnant with Bonga," I say, my voice quiet.
"So… did you fetch him? Your father's body?" she asks curiously. Her hand hasn't left my cheek.
"Yes. Bangizwe and Tshengisile did. They both loved Dad or at least were closer to him, while Celiwe and I were closer to Mom. So Tshengisile and Bangizwe are the ones who planned everything, the funeral arrangements. I only got there Friday, when the funeral was the following day. Bangizwe was angry at me, pissed that I arrived late like a visitor, not like a son who had lost his father. I ignored him," I say, remembering how Bangizwe forced me to mourn that man.
"But… as much as you hated what he did, you did feel hurt, cried even," she says softly.
I stay quiet for a moment, digesting her words.
"Yes, I did cry. But not for him… not because he died. I cried for the father he couldn't be for me and my siblings," I add truthfully. "And when his coffin went down to the ground, I made a vow… my children will never have to question my love for them. I'll protect them, show up for them…" I say quietly, feeling myself drift. I can't sleep without seeing her face. I force my eyes open, just one eye, and there she is. Her face is calm. She's beautiful.
As much as I loved my mother and still do, I don't want Nikky to suffer like she did. Not the loneliness, the confusion, the pain, none of it. I don't want to paint my mother in a bad light, but I want Nikky to live fully, to be happy, to be safe.
I want to protect her. I want to make sure she never feels lost, never feels abandoned, never feels like she has to carry the weight of the world alone.

Her hand brushes my cheek again, soft and comforting. I know I'll do anything to keep her safe. Anything to make sure she never has to hurt like my mother did.
"Jobe really played a significant role in your life. Is he and your uncle still alive?" she asks.
"Jobe is still alive, strong as an ox," I say with a small smile. "The type of old man who refuses to get old."
I pause. "He did play a huge role in my life. I'll forever be grateful to him, a stranger who turned into a father figure."
He stays with his grandchildren now. His two sons worked at my company before leaving to start their own. Whenever I go home, I make sure to visit him.
"As for my uncle…" I add softly, "he's not alive. He died last year."
My eye wants to close, but I force it open.
"I see you're getting sleepy. I can hear it in your voice," she says gently. "You can sleep. You'll continue when you wake up."
I want to sleep but I also want to know about her. About her father. I need to smooth my way into it.
"You also had a father figure who really loved you," I say slowly. "I'm sure you miss him a lot."
Her face remains calm, but her smile turns sad.
"Yes… I do miss him," she whispers. "I also blame myself for his death. If I had never dated that man, if I had never, almost married into that family, he would still be alive."
My body betrays me again. I want to lift my arm, to pull her closer, but I can't.
"What really happened?" I ask carefully. I don't want to rush her.
"He found out what I had been through at the Zwane household," she says. "I think Ntobe told him everything. He didn't even know about the fake kidnapping I staged to escape."
My heart starts pounding. Kidnapping?
"I told Sphephelo and his father that I was leaving, that I was done with his son and breaking off the engagement," she continues. "They told me that would never happen. They said they would send lobola and give this family children."
Her voice low.
"It was just me and them in that house. I knew if I tried to fight back, they would overpower me. So I called Letsatsi. At the time, he was just my sister's boyfriend but he was the safest person I could reach. My uncle was in KZN. Letsatsi was my only option."

Now it makes sense why Letsatsi didn't want to say anything. I fight to keep my eye open, but it's struggling now.
"So you called him and told him you were kidnapped? Did he come alone, or with the police?" I ask.
She sighs heavily.
"Yes. He came with the police and my sister. After I made that call, Sphephelo's dad came into the kitchen. He told me how ungrateful I was, how after everything they had done for me, now I wanted to leave the family. He accused me of cheating on his son, which was never true. I never cheated on Sphephelo. He was the one gallivanting with women," she says, sounding annoyed.
I huff silently. That fucking fool will pay. I'll start with daddy dearest before I get to Sphephelo and the whole family.
"I'm really sorry, my love," I say softly. Now I understand why it's so hard for her to accept help.
"He was so rude," she continues. "He was more angry than the man I was dumping. He said a lot of hurtful things to me and I lost it. I don't know what came over me. I took a knife and wanted to stab him, but he kept ducking. All I managed were deep scratches on his chest. He was bleeding. Then I ran to one of the guest rooms and locked myself in there," she says, her voice still filled with anger.
I almost chuckle, her stabbing someone but her frown stops me.
"The knife was still in my hand," she adds quietly. "In case they broke the door, I was ready to stab them this time and not miss. They were banging on the door, trying to force their way in. Then we heard police sirens outside. That was Letsatsi and the police, they came to rescue me."
She pauses.
"They put Sphephelo and his dad in cuffs. And when they came into the room… they saw me holding the knife."
Her voice drops.
"I dropped it immediately."
My heart sinks. My body feels heavy now, sinking deeper into the mattress.
"You were just protecting yourself," I murmur, my voice weak but firm.
Her hand finds mine leaving my cheek, holding it gently.
"I know," she whispers. "But that night changed everything."
I know it did. Those people broke something in her, turned her into someone who had to survive by any means.
"And what happened?" I barely hear my own voice. My eye has finally closed.
"Well… nothing happened," she says quietly. "No one was arrested. But Sphephelo and his father wanted me to go to jail for 'stabbing' him."
She scoffs softly. "I told them if I got arrested, I was taking them with me for kidnapping.
"So… your father went to them?" I ask, sinking deeper into sleep.
Her hand returns to my cheek. I feel gentle kisses on my forehead.
"Sleep now, love. We'll continue when you wake up," she says, her voice drifting away.
I don't know if it's a dream or if it's really her, but I hear I love you at the end, just before sleep takes me away.

_

"Baba," a voice says desperately, shaking me awake.
I slowly open my eyes. It's Siyabonga standing next to the bed. Nikky is no longer here. I groan, annoyed. I could sleep more. I'm still very sleepy.
I ignore Bonga for a moment and stretch my hand to grab my phone. The time reads 6:00 pm.
"Yeah, you've been sleeping since 1 pm," Bonga says when he sees the shock on my face. "Step-mommy said I shouldn't disturb you because you're tired and need rest. But she said after I show you this and get your approval, I should let you go back to sleep," he adds, sounding desperate.
I wonder what he wants so badly. Slowly, I sit up, stretching my arms and yawning.
"Damn, what did she give you? It knocked you out," he teases.
I huff, bored. I really just want to sleep and where is Nikky?
"Where's your mother?" I ask.
"She's busy. But look at this, Dad. I think I know what I want to do," he says, sounding a little excited.
I keep quiet, letting him talk.
"Look here," he continues. "There's a construction company. The owner is selling it at a very reasonable price." He hands me the tablet.
I stare at the screen. 30% of the company has already been bought. 70% is still available.
I frown.
"MS Constructions? Why is the owner selling?" I ask curiously. This is a multi-million rand company. I'm shocked he's letting it go for such little money.
"He said personal reasons. I called him to ask if I could buy out the 30% owner. He told me that owner might sell too, because it's his brother who owns that 30%," Bonga explains. "So, Dad… you've been pestering me, asking what I want. This is what I want. I told him to give me a few hours so I could talk to you first," he says, sounding hopeful.
I look at him, then back at the screen. This is much better than him running after tenders, running around with illegal gambling, or getting himself into trouble, the risky choices that always kept me awake with worry.
I sigh softly and nod.
"Well, it looks legit. At least it's not any illegal nonsense," I say honestly. "But will you be able to handle all the huge responsibilities that come with a company like this?" I ask sincerely.
He smiles and nods.
"Yes. And I won't be alone. I have you, Dad, to help me out," he says.
That does something to my heart. Hearing him say that, trusting me to guide him fills me with quiet joy. I feel relieved. Like maybe I didn't fail him after all. Like maybe I'm doing something right as a father.
"Okay," I say after a moment. "Arrange a meeting with him and tell him you're buying. Also inform our lawyer and the CFO," I add, handing him back the tablet.
He smiles widely, excitement written all over his face.
"Maphisa, thank you so much. I promise you, I won't disappoint you," he says, then quickly walks off.
"Siyabonga," I call out.
He pauses and turns around, still smiling.
"I'm proud of you," I say.
And I mean it, not just for the business decision, but for the man he's becoming. For choosing a better path. For trusting me.
He nods. "Thank you. I'll call step-mommy for you," he says, and with that, he walks off.
I sit for a moment, the word step-mommy playing on my head.
I unlock my phone and open my messages. My fingers move quickly.
I type a short text to my PI.
"Sphephelo Zwane. Look for him. He owns a funeral parlour."

••••

[KUKHOKONKE]

I'm driving to Cothoza's place. Fuck that, I'm fasting, or Ndleleni will be mad I came here, but I have to. These little girls need to be put in their place. I'm not scared of anyone there, not even Cothoza himself.
After dealing with these witches, I need to go to that mystical shop, get all those things I saw in my dreams. Then buy takeaways for Diamond. I'll meet her there, at our new place. There's a caravan that Mr. Motha brought with his construction team, probably for me to sleep in it, or maybe for a guard who will be looking after the materials at night.
And I also need to show Diamond all the housing plans, so we can both decide which one will suit us best.
As my car nears Cothoza's gate, I see MaMngadi standing outside, staring into nothing. I stop the car, hop out, and lock it immediately. Anything is possible on this side of the township.
As I walk closer to her, I realise she's not looking at anything at all. She's just staring into space.
"Konke, I knew you would be here," she says softly, still not turning to look at me.
I frown slightly.
"I also see things, remember?" she continues. "I saw you coming here to attack my husband and the twins."
So what now? Is she guarding the gate to stop me from doing exactly that?
I sigh heavily.
"Ma, I have no problem with you," I say calmly. "My problem is with your husband and those girls. Can I come in?" I ask politely.
She finally turns to look at me, a tired smile on her face.
"You found her, didn't you?" she asks. "And you saw something in your dreams… about the twins wanting to sleep with you?"
So she knows.
"Did you see it too?" I ask.
She nods.
"I've known since the day you arrived here," she says. "You became their target. You will give them babies. And when those babies are born, they will sacrifice them for more power. They want to become powerful healers, using both their blood and yours."
My jaw tightens. I knew they wanted my blood. I saw that much when I spoke to one of them. But I didn't know they planned to sacrifice the babies.
"So let me guess," I say slowly, anger rising inside me. "They won't stop until they get what they want?"
She chuckles darkly.
There's something different about her this morning. She's not the bright, sparkling woman I know. She looks cold and empty.
"Lily and Rose are just small fish," she says coldly. "They won't win. Not after what both of them did with Cothoza."
I blink.
"What did they do?" I ask.
She gives me a cold smile.
"Cothoza left with them last night," she says. "He told me he was going to look for plants and herbs for their next clients. But no! Cothoza is sleeping with them."
My eyes widen in shock.
"Yes, Konke," she continues, clicking her tongue. "He's having sex with them. It started as some strange ritual where they all slept together. But now it's more than that. They do it often. With no shame."
I blink, stunned.
What kind of ritual is that?
"Ma," I ask carefully, "how did you find out? And why didn't your guides show you all this before?"
Her face hardens.
"That's what makes me angry," she hisses. "They are slow. Always slow to show me the truth when Cothoza is doing nonsense like this."
She pauses, then adds harshly, "And guess what? He plans to take them both as his wives."
My chest aches
"And he thinks he's powerful now," she continues bitterly, "because he got that monkey's paw and killed Papi."
Her eyes darken.
"I will show him this time," she says, her voice filled with determination.
What the hell is really going on in this yard?
"But Ma, I'm the one who should take that monkey's paw and return it to its rightful owner," I say firmly.
She nods repeatedly, her eyes burning.
"Yes. That woman with the long legs came to see me," she says. "She told me everything about you and her, about the monkey's paw." She pauses, then her voice turns dark. "So I will help you. Remove that thing so Cothoza and his little wives die!" She roars.
I blink rapidly, stunned.
What???
.
.
.
I wash my face with cold water, trying to calm myself down. Diamond is in the bedroom of the caravan, looking through the house plan files. I left Cothoza's place confused, pissed, sad, annoyed, too many emotions mixed together. I don't understand why Ndleleni sent me to that man if he was going to turn out dark and horrible like this. None of it makes sense. I will summon Ndleleni at midnight. He has to answer me.
I dry my face, take a long deep breath, and walk to the bedroom. I lie down next to Diamond. She is still focused on the file in her hands.
"I think I love number three. Five bedrooms? That's perfect. Even for visitors," she says happily.
"Visitors? No," I say, chuckling softly.
She turns to look at me and places the file aside.
"You don't want your family or friends to visit us? What about our children?" she asks, her eyes searching my face.
I stay quiet, just watching her, admiring everything about her. She doesn't know the danger around us. I need to protect her from Cothoza, Lily, and Rose. If they fail to reach me, they will come for her.
My hand slides to the back of her neck, my fingers tightening slightly, I lean closer. When our lips meet, the kiss is not gentle. It's heavy and consuming, like I'm trying to claim her, to pull her away from everything closing in on us. There is hunger in it, but also fear, possession, and I won't let them touch her.
She responds before I even move again, her fingers slipping under my shirt, palms warm against my skin. The simple touch sends a quiet shiver through me. It's been too long.
I pull back just enough to look at her. Her eyes are darker now, searching mine, asking without words. I don't answer with words. I answer by lifting her shirt slowly, giving her time to stop me if she wants to. She doesn't.
Fabric slides up, then away. I let it fall somewhere on the caravan floor.
My hands trace her sides, familiar curves calming me, reminding me why I fight, why I endure. She exhales softly as if she's been carrying the same weight I have.
She reaches for me next, unbuttoning, tugging, pushing fabric aside with impatience she doesn't bother hiding. I let her. I want to feel wanted again. Needed.
We move closer, skin meeting skin, foreheads touching. No words. Just the sound of our breathing.
"I love you, Konke," she whispers in my ear, nibbling on it, riding me slowly. My hands grip her waist tighter, guiding her, holding her close.
"I love you, Thembalami," I groan, my voice low, filled with need. I love her so much, every touch, every movement, being inside her feels intoxicating, like we were made to fit together.
My ancestors can punish me all they want for breaking the fast early but I needed her. I needed this more than anything.