CHAPTER 59

CHAPTER 59

[KUKHOKONKE]

The crows lead him to the cemetery.
Konke drives around slowly, following them, his eyes moving from the sky to the dark ground ahead. The crows circle lower and lower until they stop near a small fire and an empty chair.
He parks the car roughly.
He is furious. No! he is boiling with rage.
Konke jumps out of the car, a shovel already in his hand. His whole body shakes with anger. He is ready to beat Cothoza with it. How dare he take Diamond and then hide? How dare he not face him like a man?
His eyes scan the area wildly.
Then he notices the crows circling something not far from the fire.
"Diamond…" he whispers.
Fear hits him instantly.
Konke runs toward them and drops the shovel the moment he sees her lying on the ground.
"No… no, no," he mutters as he falls to his knees beside her.
He gently lifts her head and places it on his lap. Her body feels heavy and cold against him.
"Diamond, wake up," Konke says softly, tapping her cheek with shaking fingers. "Please… wake up."
He places two fingers on her neck.
A pulse. It's weak, but it's there.
Relief washes over him so fast it almost knocks him over. He lets out a shaky breath he didn't realise he was holding.
"Thank God," he whispers, his voice breaking. "You're alive."
His hand moves to her face, brushing her hair away gently, carefully, as if she might break.
"I've got you," he says quietly. "I'm here now. You're not alone."
His eyes harden as he looks around the cemetery. Cothoza did this.
And Konke is not leaving without blood being paid.
He gently picks Diamond up, careful not to hurt her. She feels light in his arms, very light, and that makes his jaw tighten. He carries her to the car, every step heavy with fear and anger.
He can't leave Cothoza alive.
If he leaves him tonight and walks away, Cothoza will never stop. He will come back. He will try to destroy him, destroy Diamond, destroy everything. This ends tonight. Konke will make sure of it.
One of the crows sits on top of the car, watching quietly.
Konke opens the back door and gently places Diamond on the back seat. He arranges her carefully, making sure she is comfortable. Cothoza must have used something to keep her passed out. She hasn't woken up, and that worries him deeply.
He looks at her for a long moment, memorising her face, then leans down and places a soft kiss on her lips.
"I'll be back," he whispers. "I promise you, Thembalami."
He means it. No matter what happens tonight, he will come back for her.
The car is warm. It will keep her safe, keep her body warm after Cothoza left her in the cold. Konke closes the door gently.
He turns to the crows.
"Please keep her safe for me," he says quietly.
He knows they hear him. He has accepted it now, these birds are part of his life, part of his journey. He trusts them. They don't need to answer him. He knows they will protect her.
Konke turns slowly and stares at the fire.
Cothoza once told a story about how fire can be used to jump from one place to another, how it opens paths that should not exist. Konke steps closer to the fire and lets out a long, heavy sigh. His mind is clear now.
He knows where he wants to go.
He wants to go where Cothoza is.
He moves to the east of the fire and jumps to the west. The heat bites into his skin, and he groans, almost getting burned. He stumbles slightly but catches himself.
He turns around and walks to the north of the fire.
To go where Cothoza is, he has to jump south.
Konke takes a deep breath and steps back. His eyes never leave the flames. Then he runs straight toward the fire and jumps.
.
.
.
Konke hits the ground hard.
The fire disappears behind him, and all he hears are voices and wails echoing around him. His shoes sink into the dirt as he groans softly. When he lifts his head, his eyes scan the place only once.
He knows exactly where he is. This is Cothoza's place.
Konke slowly stands up. His hands curl into fists, and only then does he realise he left his shovel at the cemetery. It doesn't matter. He looks around, his jaw tightening when he sees MaMngadi on her knees, wailing loudly.
She is clutching a black plastic bag to her chest.
Konke rushes toward her. He doesn't care about her tears or her cries. He stands next to her, towering over her, his eyes cold.
"You knew Cothoza killed your nephew, but you still betrayed me," Konke says quietly, his voice sharp. "Where is that bastard? He took Diamond," he adds.
MaMngadi finally lifts her head. Tears stream down her face, but her eyes are filled with fury.
"This is all your fault!" MaMngadi shouts. "Ever since you arrived here, everything has been a mess!"
Her words don't move him at all.
Konke looks around slowly. Cothoza isn't here. He knows exactly where he would be.
At his ancestral hut.
Konke turns and marches away, ignoring MaMngadi's screams behind him.
He doesn't knock. The moment he reaches the door, he kicks it open and steps inside, ready to beat Cothoza senseless. But what he sees makes him freeze in place.
Cothoza is lying on the floor.
Blood pours from his mouth, his nose, and even his eyes. His body twitches weakly. When Cothoza notices Konke, he tries to lift his hand, but it drops back down.
Konke steps closer and bends down, staring at him.
He lets out a bitter laugh and shakes his head.
"Oh… they got to you first?" Konke hisses. He isn't happy about this at all. He wanted to be the one to make Cothoza bleed.
Then it clicks.
The monkey paw woman warned him. She said Cothoza would pay for stealing what wasn't his.
"So it was her," Konke mutters.
"You are paying for what you did," Konke says coldly. "You thought you could steal from people and walk away?" He leans closer. "You destroyed many families. Including mine."
Cothoza's only response is heavy breathing and blood spilling from his mouth.
"What did you do to Diamond?" Konke asks calmly, his tone deadly.
Cothoza only blinks, clearly in pain.
Konke smiles slowly. Darkly.
"How about I touch your wife?" Konke says softly. "Turn her into something that belongs to me… forever."
Cothoza tries to move, panic flashing in his eyes.
Konke laughs louder.
As Konke reaches for Cothoza's throat, something suddenly grabs him and throws him across the room. He crashes into bottles and bones scattered on the floor. He coughs softly and lifts his head.
One of the twins stands in front of him.
Her face is badly damaged, like she was stabbed. Her eyes are red, wild.
Konke chuckles bitterly as he pushes himself up.
"So… my friends paid you a visit," he says calmly.
Something tells him his crows had everything to do with this.
"I see you met them," Konke continues, mocking. "Where is your twin sister?"
The woman exhales sharply and looks at Cothoza.
"Lily is outside," she says. "MaMngadi is losing her mind."
Konke nods slowly to himself. This is Rose then.
"So you and your husband thought it was a good idea to take Diamond?" he asks. "What were you planning to do with her?"
He stands fully and grabs a spear resting in the corner. He is done talking.
Rose suddenly tries to blow something into his face.
Konke ducks quickly and slashes her hand. She screams in pain.
Before she can recover, Konke rushes forward and stabs the spear into her thigh, pinning her to the ground. He pushes it in deeper.
He smiles as he stares at her.
"You started this," Konke growls. "Watching me. Watching Diamond. Coming into my dreams. Playing with my life."
He yanks the spear out of her thigh.
Her scream fills the hut.
"It ends tonight," Konke says coldly.
Rose's eyes widen in fear, but Konke has made up his mind. He will face any punishment that comes from his ancestors. There is no turning back.
"Call your twin sister," Konke says coldly to Rose, his voice sharp and commanding.
The spear slashes across Rose's face, drawing a scream from her. Cothoza groans weakly, trying to move, but the sound only makes Konke laugh loudly. His laugh echoes off the walls as he moves closer to Cothoza.
"I'll make sure your death is painful, you bastard," Konke says softly, each word heavy with anger. "You will watch all these women die in front of you," he adds, turning his gaze back to Rose.
"You won't get away with this, Konke! Lily left, and she will avenge us!" Rose cries, her voice breaking.
Konke blinks, then bursts through the door in a sudden rush. He scans outside, there is no Lily. Only MaMngadi, still wailing, her arms shaking.
Rage burns hotter inside him. He marches straight to her, grabs her arm, and drags her toward Cothoza's hunt. She struggles, screaming and trying to break free, but Konke is blinded by rage. His vision narrows, these people must pay.
He forces MaMngadi inside, pushing her closer to Cothoza, who is weak and bleeding.
"You fucken demon," MaMngadi spits, breathing heavily. "You call my husband a bad man, practicing witchcraft. What about you?" she screams.
Konke frowns and tilts his head slightly, the corner of his lips twitching in a soft, dangerous chuckle.
"What about me? Are you mad, woman?" he asks calmly, but his tone drips with menace.
"You think you and Diamond are meant to be, huh?" Rose's voice cuts through the room. Konke spins to face her.
"What?" he growls. "What did you say?" He steps closer, eyes narrowing.
Rose shakes her head quickly, panic and pain in her movements.
"Come on… Ndleleni is only showing what he wants. You think all of your ancestors will accept Diamond? Do you even know what her…" Rose gasps loudly, blood spilling from her mouth, cutting her words short.
Konke steps forward, gripping her shoulders firmly.
"Talk!" he snaps, his voice commanding and cold. "What are you talking about?" he demands, his whole body tense, his eyes burning with fury.
Rose trembles, her mouth bleeding, her words barely audible. Konke shakes his head, his patience thin. He must know what she meant.
A hand suddenly rests on his shoulder. He turns sharply. The Monkey Paw Woman stands there, a calm, knowing smile on her face.
"I'll take care of this," she says softly and calmly.
Before Konke can respond, she blows something across his face.
.
.
.
Konke's eyes slowly open as he hears voices next to him. He looks around, he is at the cemetery. He groans softly and tries to sit up. He wants to go back to Cothoza's place and demand answers from Rose. Her words keep replaying in his mind. The fire is still there, and so is his car.
He stands and sees two figures standing near his car. The crows haven't left at all; they still perch on top of the vehicle, guarding it. Konke guesses these are spirits, because no living person can stand there with so many crows surrounding them.
He walks closer slowly and pauses. Something about these figures feels familiar, though he can't place it. The looks they give him are cold, hard, and stiff.
"Who are you?" Konke asks, his voice low but firm.
One of the men steps closer, and Konke feels the raw hostility radiating from him.
"Trying to stain our bloodline now? You would kill anyone who messes with her?" the man says.
Konke frowns, anger rising now.
"This gift you have… makes you think you can do as you please," the man adds.
"Who are you?" Konke asks again, confusion and disbelief creeping into his voice.
The man shakes his head slowly.
"You don't deserve this gift, just like Ndleleni didn't deserve it," the man says, ignoring Konke's question. "Just like him, you will be stuck outside," he adds. Then, in an instant, he disappears along with his companion.
Konke blinks, staring at the empty space where they stood. Disbelief, exhaustion, and frustration wash over him all at once. This night is one of the most confusing he has ever faced. He realises he knows nothing about Ndleleni, and the weight of that truth stings deeply. He feels like he is the only one left in the dark about the man who gave him this gift.
Rubbing his hands over his face, Konke knows he has to take Diamond home. As he steps closer to the car, he looks at the crows one last time and whispers a soft, grateful thanks. One by one, they leave, disappearing into the night.

•••

[MNOTHO]

I slowly remove my arms from around Nikky, careful not to wake her. She's fast asleep. When I got here, she was already out cold. The security team helped get us inside this house. I know she will have questions when she wakes and sees me here. The time says 5 a.m.
I hop off the bed, needing the bathroom quickly. Bangizwe has been calling non-stop. He got into a fight with Mtho because Mtho slashed his tires. Mtho sent me a text telling me that Bangizwe wanted to follow me and see where I'm heading. Bangizwe is starting to be nosy now, too old for this kind of behavior. I need to talk to him when I get to Joburg.
Nikky's friends aren't here. She's all alone. When she wakes, I need to start asking her questions. The guards told me they saw Diamond and Sno leaving, and they're not sure why. They probably got into a fight or something.
I open the tap to wash my hands and hear movement from the bedroom. My heart skips. I quickly turn off the tap and rush to the bedroom. I freeze. Nikky is no longer in the bed.
"Wait! Wait for me!" That's her. That's her voice.
I rush out of the bedroom, flying down the stairs. I see her at the front door, opening it.
"Nikky!" I call, my voice shaky. She ignores me and rushes out.
She's running. I chase her. She's heading to the beach. My heart pounds harder. No… is she going to throw herself into the water?
I run faster. She plunges into the waves, screaming. "Wait!" Who is she seeing?
I dive in after her, calling her name, my arms wrapping around her, trying to pull her from the water. She fights me, twisting, kicking.
"Please… don't go… wait!" she cries again, her voice breaking, full of pain.
"Let me go! I want to go fetch my babies," she says, sobbing. Babies? She scrambles to sit on the sand, trying to pull away from my grip. I hold her tighter. She turns her face to me, eyes wide, desperate.
"Please… let me go to my babies," she pleads, her voice cracking. I just stare at her, my mind blank. What babies?
I look at the ocean. There's no one there. No children.
"Please… take me to my babies! They will drown!" she screams, shaking uncontrollably. My heart breaks as her cries pierce me. I hold her tighter, wrapping her in my arms, trying to comfort her.
I don't know what to say. I don't even know which words could make her stop, which words could calm this storm inside her.
"My babies… my babies are gone," she wails again, collapsing into me.
"Shh… it's okay, love," I whisper, my voice soft, trembling with the same pain I see in her eyes.
I hold her tighter, rocking her slightly, trying to absorb, take some of her pain. Her body shakes violently, and I feel the weight of her grief pressing down on me too.
She gasps, her tears soaking my shirt. Her hands claw at my arms, as if she's trying to tear herself apart from the pain. "They're gone… my babies… Why did this happen?" Her voice barely reaches me through the sobs.
I shake my head, my own throat filled with emotion. "I don't know… I can't… I can't bring them back. But you're still here. You're alive. And I'll stay with you. Always," I whisper. I'm not even sure these are the right words for someone drowning in grief. I wonder what happened… what really happened to her babies. She keeps mumbling, whispering about them. I feel helpless. I want to take away all the pain she's carrying.
She shivers now, her teeth chattering. It's cold here, very cold, and she can't stay outside like this. I have to get her inside, somewhere warm.
"Peaches, let's go inside the house. You'll get sick," I say, my voice pleading. "You need to get warm, my love," I add, trying to keep calm, swallowing down the pain in my throat, trying to calm myself while she crumbles in my arms.
.
.
.
I walk into the bedroom with a cup of tea. It will keep her warm, and hopefully help her sleep too. I find her already wrapped up in the bed, covered in the blankets I gave her earlier. My heart sinks again. I already know I'll have to get her flu and cold medication later. After what happened outside, she will definitely get sick.
I hand her the cup.
"Thank you," she says softly as she takes it. Her hands are trembling. The sight hurts me more than I expected. I sit next to her on the bed, watching her carefully. I hope she opens up. I hope she stops shutting me out.
I already have everything ready about Sphephelo and his family. I'm ready to pull strings, ready to make their lives miserable now. Tomorrow, I also have to visit Zorro.
"I guess I'm not dreaming," she says quietly, her voice hoarse.
"How are you feeling?" I ask gently. "Do you need more blankets?" My voice is full of worry.
"I'm okay," she says. "I'll sleep after drinking this tea. It will help." Her eyes stay fixed on the cup in her hands.
I nod slowly. I don't even know how to ask. I don't know where to start without hurting her again. She cried so much earlier.
"So… what… what happened?" I ask as gently as I can.
She stays quiet, staring at the tea. Then she finally looks at me. Her eyes are filled with sadness and pain. The kind that doesn't leave easily.
She sighs deeply.
"I had two miscarriages… when I was dating that man," she says softly.
My heart drops. Two? That alone could break anyone.
"I'm so sorry," I say quietly.
"I'm not even sure if I had two miscarriages," she continues. "Because today… I saw three of them."
My breath catches. Lord.
"Did you… did you get cleansed?" I ask carefully. "Or did you do any checkups?" My words come out messy. I just hope she understands what I mean.
She nods.
"I did cleanses. I went to multiple checkups to see if there was something wrong with me," she says, her voice still low. "But they found nothing. No issues at all. They said I was under too much stress, and that's why I miscarried."
My poor baby. She has been through so much.
"I think them appearing now is just me struggling to let them go," she continues. "But this time… it felt different. It looked like they were saying their final goodbyes." Her voice shakes. "One of them was holding a small baby, wrapped in a blanket."
My heart breaks all over again.
"So that's why you think you might have had three mis…" I stop myself. Saying it out loud feels cruel.
"Yeah," she says softly. "That's the confusing part. Maybe they were twins. I don't know. The healer I went to would have seen another baby if there was one."
She sighs deeply.
I move closer, gently take the cup from her hands, and place it on the nightstand. Then I wrap my arm around her, pulling her into me.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to give you the kids you want, Mnotho," she says quietly.
I frown and pull back slightly, looking at her properly now. I blink.
"Nikky," I say softly, "I told you, I don't care about children. As long as I have you, that's enough for me." I mean every word.
She shakes her head slowly.
"I'm sure you're only saying that to make me feel better," she says. "Or because we're still in the honeymoon phase. Two years from now, you'll want kids too. Your family will start questioning my womanhood. They'll put words in your head, and you'll start questioning everything."
I gasp softly.
"My family won't poison my mind," I say firmly. "They won't question my decision. I don't want you to go through that hurt again." I pause. "I already have Bonga. I have Mtho too. I don't need to add another child. I'm really okay, Nikky. I am."
But her eyes don't change. She doesn't believe me at all. And that hurts more than I expect. I already know I will protect her from my family if they ever question her womb. No one will speak about her like that. Not on my watch.
"Mnotho," she says quietly, "I'll understand if you don't want to be with someone like me. With so much baggage. So many problems. Someone who can't even give you a family." Her voice shakes. "I'll understand."
I stare at her, blinking rapidly. I open my mouth, but no words come out.
"I don't want to drag you down with me," she adds.
I close my eyes for a moment. I don't even know why I feel this hurt. I know she's saying all this because she's broken right now. Because she just went through something traumatic. But her words still cut deep. She doesn't realise how much I love her. I don't care about her past. I don't care about her problems or what she calls a burden.
"Peaches," I say softly, "I love you."
"Is love enough, Mnotho?" she asks quietly.
I open my eyes.
"Yes," I say. "Love is enough. It is enough, Ni…" I stop myself and sigh deeply. I don't want to make things worse than they already are.
I slowly stand up from the bed.
"Sleep now," I say gently. "You'll be okay when you wake up." I help her lie down properly. "When you wake up, all this nonsense you're saying will be gone."
I pull the blankets over her. She just stares at me, saying nothing this time.
I turn around, walk out of the room, and quietly close the door behind me.
.
.
.
Nikky has been sleeping for a while now. The guards inform me that the man who came here earlier is named Ndu. They say he is friends with Snothando, one of Nikky's friends. Apparently, they had planned to meet here for some kind of meeting. The guards also think he was drunk. They add that they saw him with Nikky at a restaurant earlier.
I rub my face slowly. I need to ask Nikky what is really going on.
I cook while waiting, and I even take one of the biscuits Nikky baked. The house is quiet until I hear the sharp clicking sound of heels. I turn my head.
"We need to talk," she says the moment she sits down on the chair.
She looks stunning. Beautiful, as always. But her face is hard. Cold. Is she angry? I also remember the necklace and earrings I wanted to give her.
"About what?" I ask, my voice slightly nervous.
"How did you get in here? I am the only one who has a key," she asks, clearly confused.
Oh.
I grunt softly.
"Well… I asked the guards who were patrolling outside to open for me," I say quickly.
Her eyebrows shoot up.
"They let you in without my permission?" she asks, anger flashing in her eyes.
I just stare at her. I don't even know how to lie anymore.
"Is there something you are not telling me?" she demands.
Of course there is.
"Peaches, I told them who I am to you, and they believed me," I say smoothly, shrugging.
She stares at me for a long moment.
"You're lying, Mnotho. Did you get me followed? Are those patrolling guards your people? Are they here to watch me?" she asks sharply.
Damn. She caught me.
"Peaches, look… if I didn't ask those guards to watch over you, that Ndu guy would have gotten inside," I say softly.
"I was not going to let Ndu in," she snaps. "And he is friends with Sno, of course he was going to come." She exhales hard. "Ndu is the man who was going to hire me to cook for his private brunch. But since men think they can do whatever they want, I cancelled."
I frown. So Ndu is that guy.
"So this is my life now?" she asks bitterly. "You're getting me followed? I told you I won't tolerate you trying to control my life."
Jesus Christ. How do I tame this lioness now?
"After Paul kidnapped you, I got scared… anxious," I say honestly. "So I asked one of my associates who owns a security company to help…" She raises her hand, stopping me immediately.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asks, her voice shaking with anger. "Why are you always doing this? You should have informed me at least."
"I'm sorry," I say quickly. "I was wrong."
I think apologising will calm her down. It does the opposite.
She stands up abruptly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Whatever," she says coldly. "I'm going to continue enjoying my vacation. You can stay here, since I don't remember inviting you."
She turns and storms off.
I gasp softly… then chuckle under my breath.
What's with the attitude? I was trying to help here.

•••

Snothando switches off her phone. She is avoiding Ndumiso as much as she can. Every ring, every vibration, feels like danger.
She is still at Amanda's place. She has already booked a flight to Joburg. She needs to leave Durban. As soon as possible.
"You need to leave! You can't just barge into my place like this!" Amanda's voice cuts through loud and angry.
Snothando frowns and slowly stands up. She has been sitting on the patio, pretending to read a book, even though the words stopped making sense a long time ago.
As she turns, planning to go inside, heavy footsteps approach.
Ndumiso marches straight onto the patio.
Snothando freezes.
Her body goes cold. Her heart pounds hard against her chest. She cannot move. She cannot breathe properly. Ndumiso's face is twisted with fury.
"You are hiding here?" Ndumiso roars. "I've been trying to call you."
Snothando flinches. Fear grips her. Her mouth opens, but no sound comes out.
"Do you know how humiliated I felt when I went to see Nikky? Huh?" he snaps, stepping closer, invading her space.
She shakes her head slightly, her hands trembling at her hips.
"So you won't talk. I see." His voice drops, turning dark. "But we have a deal, Snothando."
He smirks.
"I pay you. You give me Nikky on a silver platter," he says slowly. "I want to make her my trophy."
Her stomach turns. Her eyes fill with tears she refuses to let fall.
Ndumiso reaches out and rubs her cheek, his touch making her skin crawl.
"I'm giving you two days," he continues calmly. "If I don't get what I want, I will destroy you."
Snothando's breathing turns shallow. Her legs feel weak.
Ndumiso leans in and presses a kiss onto her shaking cheek.
Then he straightens, clicks his tongue in irritation, and storms off.
Snothando remains standing there, frozen. Her body trembles violently, fear flooding through her. She feels sick. She feels small. She feels trapped and She almost wets herself.