CHAPTER 67

CHAPTER 67

Sno has been brushing and cleansing her mouth with mouthwash over and over again. She has never in her life been this humiliated. The shame burns inside her. If she could, she would go and look for those boys and shoot them dead herself. The anger is boiling inside her.
Sylvia is sitting in the lounge, fanning herself slowly. It has been one long, horrible day. She just wants to erase everything that happened. The body was eventually found, there was a mix-up at the mortuary. The workers there claimed they knew nothing about the dead pig. In the end, Zacharia was buried properly, but many people left the funeral hungry. That alone is stressing Sylvia deeply. The embarrassment. The gossip that will follow. The questions.
"Ntombifuthi, bring me that wine," Sylvia says, breathing heavily.
Sno's frown deepens. She is shocked. Sylvia does not drink alcohol.
"Hah, Ma… you don't drink. What will…"
"Hey! Shut up. Give me that bottle of wine and a cup," Sylvia cuts her off harshly.
Futhi shrugs quietly. She doesn't even know where the wine came from. It probably belongs to Aunt Lunga. She quickly grabs the half bottle of wine and a cup and hands them to her mother.
"Ma, let me go visit Bonolo," Futhi says softly.
Sylvia frowns a little. It's already late. But she trusts Puleng to look after the little girls.
"It's okay. Make sure you call me when you arrive. I'll call Puleng to confirm that you're there," Sylvia says, her tone firm and warning.
Futhi nods and walks away happily.
Sno comes back into the lounge with an annoyed, dark expression on her face.
"Oh, my child, how are you? We need to find those boys and teach them a lesson," Sylvia says, already sipping the wine.
Sno sighs heavily. She can still taste those smelly, sour fingers in her mouth. The memory makes her stomach turn. Maybe getting drunk will help her forget, even though she doesn't drink cheap wine like this.
She stands up and goes to fetch herself a cup. As she walks past the window, she notices Futhi getting into a car outside. Sno frowns slightly. It's probably an Uber, she tells herself.
"I can't believe everything we planned was ruined," Sylvia says, clicking her tongue in frustration.
Sno sits next to her and pours herself some wine.
"This is just bad luck. I blame that drunk uncle of his," Sylvia continues bitterly.
Sno just shakes her head slowly. All she came here for was prayers to be cleansed from all the sins she has committed. Instead, more bad luck seems to be following her. Maybe she needs proper cleansing. Maybe her aunt should find her a traditional healer. Maybe this church is cursed.
"At least the pastor was buried," Sno says softly, trying to find something positive.
She doubts that catering company will ever work with her again after today's drama. She paid so much money, and it all went down the drain. Her reputation might be damaged.
"Yes, my child. At least he saw that we tried to give him a dignified send-off. May he rest in peace," Sylvia replies softly, taking another slow sip of wine.
The house falls into silence, It has been a day none of them will ever forget.
"The gate is not locked, Sylvia. Do you want us to get robbed?" Lunga says as she walks into the lounge.
She stops the moment she sees her wine being drunk. Her eyes widen in disbelief.
"And then? Who said you should drink my wine?" Lunga asks, shocked as she quickly grabs the bottle from the table.
Sylvia scoffs loudly, clearly irritated.
"You can't be crying over cheap wine," Sylvia says dismissively, waving her hand in the air.
Sno chuckles silently from the couch, enjoying the tension.
"Cheap? Did you even read the label? Nike got me this wine from Durban. It's very expensive," Lunga says, clearly displeased. Nike had personally wanted her to taste this wine.
That makes Sno jump up from the couch immediately. She quickly grabs the bottle from Lunga's hand.
"Nike got you this?" Sno asks in shock. She quickly pulls out her phone, wanting to take a picture of the label so she can check the price online.
Lunga snatches the bottle back quickly.
"Leave my wine alone! Go to the nearest bottle store and buy yourself something," Lunga says angrily.
She then turns to Sylvia.
"The gate? Or is Miss Independent here planning to leave later?" Lunga asks sarcastically.
Sno's eyebrows raise at the new nickname. She does not like it.
Sylvia huffs in annoyance as she finishes the last sip in her cup.
"Futhi went to see Puleng's sister. They will bring her back. And leave Sno alone, she's my guest," Sylvia says flatly. Lunga has been annoying her ever since she arrived. She truly wants her gone.
Lunga frowns deeply.
"Futhi went out this late? Where does this Puleng stay?" Lunga asks in disbelief, her tone now serious.
"Lunga, please stay out of it," Sylvia says coldly.
Lunga stares at her for a long moment, her face hard and suspicious, then she turns and walks away slowly.
Sno shakes her head.
"She really doesn't like me. Maybe I should just leave," Sno says, pretending to be hurt.
"No, don't mind her. She's just annoying," Sylvia says dismissively.
She pauses, then her face tightens with irritation.
"And why would Nike buy her expensive wine? After she failed to help at the funeral? She even baked for Lunga, went shopping for her, and bought her clothes too," Sylvia says bitterly. The jealousy is clear in her voice. She suddenly feels left out. She needs to call Nike.
Sno is also confused. Why is Nike spending money like that? She needs to meet up with Nikky and find out how much she is getting paid at that clinic.
Sylvia picks up her phone and calls Nike. It rings and rings… and then goes straight to voicemail.
She clicks her tongue in frustration, anger rising inside her. She looks down at her empty cup.
It's empty. She needs more wine.
.
.
.
Ntombifuthi quietly jumps out of Bonolo's window. Her heart is racing with excitement and fear at the same time. Ronald is waiting for her outside in his car. Puleng is busy with her children, so she won't notice that Futhi has left. Bonolo had promised to keep watch and make sure no one sees her leave.
Futhi walks out through the gate, leaving it slightly open. She rushes to Ronald's car, opens the door quickly, and hops inside, giggling happily. Her cheeks are warm, her eyes bright.
Ronald is two years older than her. He is already in varsity. They have kept this relationship as private as they possibly can. Futhi knows her mother will kill her if she finds out she is dating at the age of seventeen. Sylvia wants her to marry someone from church, someone educated, someone with money, someone respectable.
Ronald is educated. He is trying. But he is not rich, and he does not come from a wealthy family. Still, Futhi loves him deeply. And Ronald loves her just as much.
Both of them know that Sylvia will never allow this relationship to happen. Futhi sometimes wishes she was done with high school already, finished with everything, and free to leave home.
"Sweetheart, sorry for seeing you this late. I was helping my brother at the panel beater," Ronald says gently before leaning in to kiss her softly.
"It's okay. I understand. I had a long day too, helping at the pastor's funeral," Futhi says breathlessly.
Ronald chuckles softly. He reaches behind his seat and hands her a small plastic packet filled with goodies. Futhi's face lights up immediately. It's all her favorite chocolates and snacks.
"Thank you, Roro," she says gratefully before kissing him back.
"If you need money for data, please tell me," Ronald says seriously.
Futhi shakes her head slowly.
"It's fine. My sister is sorting me out with data," she says softly. Nike had given her money for data for the whole month. She is sorted. Nike even told her that if it finishes, she must call her again. Nike has quietly become her little support system.
Ronald clears his throat nervously.
"You know schools will be closing in two weeks. I was thinking… after exams, you can come visit me at home," Ronald says, his eyes sparkling with excitement and hope.
Futhi's heart drops slightly. She knew this conversation would come one day. She is scared. Very scared. But she loves Roro and does not want to disappoint him.
She wishes she had someone to talk to. She wants to talk to her sisters, but she fears their judgment. She feels alone in this decision.
Suddenly, Futhi freezes when she notices Sno's car slowly coming their way. Her eyes widen in panic.
"That's my sister's friend! She might see me. She will tell Ma!" Futhi whispers nervously as she quickly ducks down and rests her head on Ronald's lap.
She cannot deal with her mother's anger right now. Not tonight.
Ronald giggles softly and looks through the window.
"She didn't see you. Her car just passed us," Ronald says, trying to calm her down. "She drives a beautiful car," he adds with a low whistle.
Futhi slowly lifts her head again and peeks through the window.
"Yeah… her car is gorgeous. She'll be sleeping over tonight. I think I should go now," Futhi says softly.
She pauses, biting her lip.
"About visiting you… can we talk more about it when you call? I'm nervous, Roro. I don't want to disappoint my mother," she says honestly.
The thought of getting pregnant scares her deeply. It would ruin her mother's reputation. It would create problems for Ronald's family too. It would destroy everything. It might even send Sylvia to the hospital from shock.
Ronald nods with understanding.
"Okay, sweetheart. I promise you, I won't hurt you. We will use a condom. We won't get pregnant," Ronald says seriously before kissing her gently on the cheek.
Futhi nods slowly. That gives her a little peace of mind.
Now she just needs to figure out how she is going to get back home with this plastic bag full of snacks without anyone noticing.

••••

[DIAMOND]

TK is restless. He is angry and unpredictable. I honestly cannot deal with him right now. If he wants to go and shoot his cousin and Sika, he can go and do just that. I am tired of carrying everyone's anger on my shoulders.
Sboniso is already at Aunt Thembi's house for the family meeting. Aunt Thembi didn't just invite me, she begged me. She pleaded with me to come. Her voice was shaking on the phone. I could hear desperation in her tone.
I know Nomvula will be there.
And all I need to do is make sure I don't drink or eat anything. I don't trust her. Not even a little bit. If she wants my kidney so badly, who knows what she is capable of? She might even poison all of us back home. That woman is dangerous when she wants something.
Nikky doesn't know about this meeting. Today we were supposed to go shopping together. We were excited about it. But we can do that another time. Right now, I need to deal with this issue once and for all. I am tired of running. Tired of being afraid.
Konke… I sigh deeply at the thought of him.
I don't know if he will see in his visions that I am planning to go to that meeting. Sometimes it feels like nothing escapes him. If he finds out, he will be upset. He told me not to interfere. He told me to let things unfold. If he does find out, he will have to forgive me.
He hasn't mentioned anything strange today. All he said was that the meeting with Zenzele went well and that he gave him a piece of land too. He sounded calm and normal. That makes me nervous in a strange way.
I look at my watch. It's already 11 a.m.
The meeting is at one. I should start getting ready and leave soon.
I look around the kitchen carefully. The stove is turned off. The counters are clean. I am only a guest here. The last thing I need is to burn down the whole apartment because my mind is somewhere else.
I take a slow breath, trying to calm myself.
This is just a meeting.
I can handle this.
I have to. Nothing will happen to me.
.
.
.
As I park near my aunt's gate, I notice Sboniso outside, focused on his phone. I take a long, deep breath and hop out of the car, locking it and throwing the keys into my bag. Konke's car is so comfortable, I wish I could borrow it forever.
As I reach to open the gate, a big black bird sits on top, as if blocking me. I frown.
"Shush," I whisper, trying to shoo it away, but it just stares at me, unmoving.
What the hell is wrong with this bird?
I try to push the gate open, but another large black bird swoops down and hits my hand with its long, sharp mouth.
"Ouch! Move!!" I scream. "Sboniso! Move these birds!" I call out, but he doesn't hear me, still glued to his serious phone call. What is wrong with him?
Now the two birds are staring at me, unblinking. My heart races.
God, what kind of witchcraft is this?
I drop my eyes to the ground, searching for something to scare them away. But to my horror, thousands of black birds are circling me, flapping around my feet.
I scream loudly, trying to jump and dodge them. They screech back at me in an ear-splitting chorus.
Oh my god, what is going on here?
I look up. Sboniso is gone. How could he leave me alone with these birds?
I scream for my aunt, my voice breaking over the deafening noise of the birds. I try to shush them so I can move toward my car, but they swoop onto my face, pecking and clawing. I scream again.
"Help!" I cry, hitting them with my hands, but it only seems to make them more aggressive. I stumble backward, trying to escape, but instead I trip over something hard.
Everything goes black, the screams of the birds fade
.
.
.
I hear a voice. A familiar voice.
It's Nikky's voice.
I slowly open my eyes. My vision is blurry at first. I blink a few times and look around. My bag is on the coffee table.
I move slightly and wince. My arm hurts badly.
Wait a minute…
How did I get to Konke's apartment?
I close my eyes again, thinking maybe I'm confused. I open them once more.
I'm still in Konke's apartment.
I frown and try to sit up slowly. My head feels heavy.
How the hell did I arrive here? What happened?
I look down at my clothes. I'm still wearing the same clothes I wore when I went to Aunt Thembi's place.
Nikky is sitting on the other couch, talking on her phone.
I clear my throat softly.
She lifts her head and looks at me immediately.
"She's awake. Let me hang up now. I love you," she says softly before ending the call.
How did she get here?
She places her phone aside and glares at me.
"How are you feeling?" she asks. There is no warmth in her tone.
I sit up straight, trying to ignore the pain in my arm.
"How did I arrive here?" I ask, confused. Where is my family? The last thing I remember is being attacked by those birds.
"How did you arrive here?" she repeats my question and scoffs. "Sbo called me. He said he found you passed out near Aunt Thembi's gate. I had to explain to him that you were not even supposed to be there in the first place," she adds, clearly irritated and shocked.
I sigh deeply.
So I really did go to Aunt Thembi's place and I really got attacked by those angry birds.
"Nikky… I…"
"You what?" she cuts me off sharply. "Why did you go there? Didn't Konke warn you about your stepmother's plans? What is wrong with you, Diamond? Why are you putting your life in danger like this?" she asks seriously.
"You wouldn't understand. Aunt Thembi wanted me there. And I was going to be cautious. I'm not stupid, Nikky," I say, defending myself.
She shakes her head in frustration.
"Don't you see they are using her? They know you will go if Aunt Thembi is the one asking. Konke was right," she argues.
I narrow my eyes.
So she has been talking to Konke behind my back?
"Really? Konke was right? So you've been discussing me behind my back?" I ask, annoyed. They treat me like I'm an idiot.
"No one is talking about you behind your back," she says firmly. "We are just worried about you. We want you to be safe. What if Nomvula's plan worked? You would be in a hospital right now fighting for your life," she adds, her voice rising.
"I was going to be careful, Nikky. I wasn't even going to stay long," I say, already feeling irritated.
"At that meeting, they were going to force you to do those tests and give that man your kidney. They were going to guilt-trip you and talk about family and sacrifice and how important blood is. They were going to play with your emotions," she says firmly. She sighs and her tone softens a little. "I understand. You want to be part of the family. You want to belong. But risking your life for that?"
"I never said I wanted to belong!" I snap. "You don't understand anything, Nikky. You grew up with both parents. You grew up in a loving family!"
My voice shakes slightly, but I don't stop. "You don't know what it feels like to be unwanted. To be the extra one. To always feel like you're standing outside the door looking in."
Her face drops immediately.
"That's unfair, and you know it. This is not about me or my parents," she says, her voice low and calm.
"Well, Nikky, life is unfair, isn't it?" I reply coldly.
I don't even know why I'm pushing her like this. I don't want to argue with her because our arguments always end badly. We always say things we can't take back.
She looks at me for the longest time. Her eyes search my face, as if she is trying to understand who I am in this moment.
Then she slowly stands up and picks up her bag and phone.
"I'm not your enemy, Diamond," she says quietly. "The people you are desperately trying to get love from… they are. Do whatever you want. It's your life. Go to Aunt Thembi's house. I don't care if they slaughter you and take all your organs." Her words hit hard.
She turns and walks straight toward the door.
I gasp in shock.
"Oh, my family are my enemies?" I fire back recklessly. "Why don't you ask your mother why they lied about your father's company going bankrupt…" I freeze.
I slowly lift both my hands and cover my mouth.
Oh God. What did I just say?
Nikky stands by the door. She doesn't turn around. She doesn't say anything. For a second, I think maybe she didn't hear me.
But she did. She slowly opens the door.
And walks out. Without looking at me.
The silence she leaves behind is worse than shouting.
I groan softly and slap my forehead hard.
"Stupid. Idiot," I whisper to myself.
I messed up. I messed up so badly.

•••

[AUNT THEMBI'S HOUSE]

Nomvula angrily spills the juice she just made into the sink. Her hands are shaking with frustration. Her plan to get Diamond into this house did not work. Instead, Diamond fainted outside the gate, and unfortunately Sboniso was the one who found her first.
She curses under her breath.
"It should have been me who found her," she whispers bitterly.
They are not even sure if Diamond is a match, but something in her gut tells her that Diamond is the one. All her own children tested, even though she was against it at first. Fortunately, none of them were a match. She cannot risk her children's lives like this. Their father does not deserve a single piece of them. Not after the heartbreak. Not after the humiliation he caused with his cheating.
"You're here? Where's the juice? I'm thirsty," Thembi says as she walks into the kitchen and sits on the stool. Her blood pressure is already high. Now everyone seems to be falling sick. She had called Sboniso to check on Diamond, to make sure she was okay. But Sboniso did not give her a clear answer. That alone stresses her deeply.
Nomvula turns slowly.
"Oh, it spilled. I can make you another one," Nomvula says quickly, forcing calm into her voice.
Thembi frowns slightly and shakes her head.
"No need. Just bring me a glass of water," Thembi says with a tired sigh. She needs to rest. Maybe she will wake up feeling better.
Nomvula places a glass of water in front of Thembi.
"How's Diamond? Did you call her?" Nomvula asks. Not because she cares. She just needs to know if Diamond will come back here.
"I called Sboniso. But you know him. He gives you one-word answers and ends the call. I'll call him later. I need to rest," Thembi says before drinking her water slowly.
Nomvula is clearly not satisfied.
"But sisi, we don't have time. My husband doesn't have time. Diamond has to test immediately," Nomvula says, almost pleading now.
Thembi scoffs softly.
"If Diamond doesn't want to test, we cannot force her. Your husband abandoned her. He told her mother to abort her. And you also played your part," Thembi says irritably. Guilt creeps into her heart. Maybe she pushed Diamond too far. Maybe that is why Diamond fainted. She is stressed because of all this pressure.
Nomvula sighs in disbelief.
"But sisi, you wanted me to raise another woman's child? Your brother is the one who cheated. He is the one who wanted that woman to abort. Not me. You can't expect me to love Diamond. Every time I see her, I remember what he did to me. She is not just a child to me. She is the living reminder of my humiliation."
Her voice cracks slightly.
"I forgave my husband because he is the father of my children. Because I had no choice. But Diamond… Diamond carries the proof of his betrayal. I can forgive the man, but the child keeps the wound alive."
Thembi slowly stands up, anger rising in her.
"Your husband is the real problem, not Diamond. You found it in your heart to forgive the man who cheated on you but you choose to punish the innocent child who never asked to be born? Diamond is also a victim here," Thembi says firmly.
She steps closer.
"You gave your husband grace. You gave him another chance. But you refuse to give Diamond even basic kindness. Why? Because she reminds you of your pain? That is not her fault."
Nomvula looks away, her jaw tight.
"If Diamond says no again, you will leave her alone," Thembi continues, her voice firm and strong. "She does not owe you or your husband anything."
Nomvula's eyes flash.
"So you will be fine with your brother dying?" she asks in disbelief.
Thembi's expression hardens.
"He lived his life. Let Diamond live hers. She is my child, and I will support any decision she makes."
She pauses, then adds coldly,
"And I don't even understand why you are so stressed. Didn't you hire a hitman 28 years ago when Diamond was born? You wanted your husband dead for humiliating you. Now your wish might finally come true. Prepare yourself to be a widow."
Thembi turns and walks away, leaving Nomvula standing there, shaken and angry.