CHAPTER 74

CHAPTER 74

Kukhokonke looks at the flowing river, determined to get where he wants to go. He has already tried two times, but nothing happened. The first time, he almost drowned. The second time was not any better.
But he knows the third time is a charm. He has to try again. He takes a long, deep breath and throws himself into the cold water once more. The icy water surrounds his body as he sinks deeper, holding his breath and waiting.
Nothing.
Nothing is happening.
He is not travelling to wherever he wants to go.
Frustration rises inside him. For a second, he almost opens his mouth to curse, forgetting that he is still underwater. Realising his mistake, he quickly pushes himself up and rises to the surface, gasping for air.
Water drips down his face as he looks around, annoyed and confused.
Why is it not working?
He knows this river is the place, but no matter how many times he tries, the journey refuses to happen.
He sighs heavily and gets out of the river, then sits on the rock nearby. He is feeling cold now, shivering even. It is very cold, and it is night-time.
He wants to know how to save Nikky and Siyabonga. That is his mission now. The vision he got didn't sit right with him, and now he feels stuck, not knowing how to tackle this issue.
"What are you doing?" a voice asks.
He turns his head and sees Ndleleni.
Konke scoffs loudly. He hasn't seen Ndleleni for days now.
Ndleleni stands next to him as Konke quickly stands up, furious.
"Mkhulu, you left me alone. I needed you," Konke says.
"Who said I left you?" Ndleleni asks, confused.
That makes Konke blink.
"And why are you here? What are you trying to do?" Ndleleni asks, looking at the river.
This annoys Konke even more.
"I'm here because of Nikky. I want to find out how to help her," Konke says, trying not to raise his voice.
"Help her? Didn't her guardian give you a plant?" Ndleleni asks.
Konke stares at him, confused. Confused by Ndleleni's obliviousness. He frowns, even wondering if he might be talking to an imposter.
"Nikky is going to lose her life, and I need to find out how to stop that from happening," Konke starts softly.
"Who said you must save her?" Ndleleni asks calmly.
"Mkhulu, isn't that my job? I see these visions so I can help people. Isn't this gift about that? She is already going to lose her baby, and on that I can't help her… but at least I can save her life," Konke says, sounding frustrated.
He knows how hard this will be for Diamond if Nikky dies. Diamond only gave him brief information about Nikky and Siyabonga's relationship. Konke wasn't going to ask Siyabonga about Nikky when they had just met.
"Now you want to stop death? What are you, a god?" Ndleleni asks calmly again.
Konke screams loudly, annoyed.
"What's wrong with you, Mkhulu? You don't want to help me? If I go and tell Nikky, I know what will happen. You'll mute me like you did before," Konke says angrily. He hasn't forgotten how they muted him when he tried to help Nhlamulo.
Ndleleni just stares at Konke, saying nothing.
All Konke feels is calmness coming from Ndleleni's energy.
"Mkhulu… I'm suffering here. I'm tired. I feel useless. I have to help. At least let me warn her about the miscarriage," Konke says softly.
"You won't do that, Kukhokonke. You won't," Ndleleni says, his voice sounding cold. "Her guardian already told you. No one should know, including Nikky. And Nikky is supposed to go through that. It can't be prevented. It is already written," Ndleleni adds.
Konke scoffs.
"Why can't it be prevented? This will be her third miscarriage, Mkhulu," Konke says firmly.
"And it should happen. That is her destiny. Don't tamper with it. Just give her the plant that she will use after losing that baby. That baby can't be born. If she carries that baby to birth, it will be the end of her life," Ndleleni says.
Konke freezes, his heart pounding. He is more than confused now.
"What do you mean? Isn't she supposed to drown with her stepson?" Konke asks in disbelief.
Ndleleni steps closer.
"She can't have this baby. And of course you can help her. You can save the baby if you go and tell her now. But you won't be breaking the cycle. You will be continuing it. And that woman who took her placenta will take her child and torment it, just like she did to Nikky," Ndleleni says calmly.
"Placenta?" Konke whispers. He vividly remembers a vision of a woman stealing a placenta and throwing it into a river.
"You remember now? You remember what the woman who stole the placenta told the mother of the baby?" Ndleleni asks, reminding Konke.
Konke nods slowly.
"That she will end her legacy," Konke says in a low voice, feeling sad. "But if the baby gets born, the woman's legacy will still continue," Konke adds.
Ndleleni shakes his head.
"Let's go," Ndleleni says softly, before pushing Konke into the flowing river.
As Konke tries to figure out what is going on, he blinks and suddenly finds himself inside a hospital. He groans softly. He is tired of seeing hospitals now.
Suddenly, he hears a loud, painful cry behind him.
He turns around and sees Diamond crying and running across the hallway. Konke tries to follow him, but he suddenly feels a hand holding him back.
"We are not here for Diamond," Ndleleni says, pulling Konke toward one of the wards.
Konke gasps softly when he sees Nikky's lifeless body lying on the hospital bed. He also sees Siyabonga standing nearby, with some man.
"Is that the father?" Konke asks quietly, noticing how much the man resembles Siyabonga.
"Yes," Ndleleni answers.
Konke looks around the room and notices a baby bed nearby, wrapped with a pink blanket. His heart sinks.
"So if I save the baby, Nikky dies," Konke says with a shaky voice.
He turns and looks at Ndleleni.
"Can't the father of the baby break this cycle? If Nikky dies, he can protect his daughter from that woman," Konke adds.
Ndleleni slowly shakes his head.
"In this timeline, both Nikky and Mnotho die. He will die during Nikky's funeral from a heart attack. And of course, Nikky's stepmother will step in, take Nikky's child, and continue the vicious cycle," Ndleleni answers.
Konke sighs heavily, shaking his head as he looks around the ward again.
"The Mlambo family has to raise Nikky's child," Konke says.
"They won't. They don't like Nikky," Ndleleni answers calmly again.
Konke scoffs silently.
His stomach sinks as he finally realizes the gravity of the situation. If he interferes, there is no winning in this situation.
Now he understands.
It is either Nikky… or the baby.
.
.
.
Konke has more questions than answers. This Nikky situation is stressing him out.
"So, you saw for yourself. Give Nikky that plant and let fate take its course," Ndleleni says.
Konke stops walking and looks at him curiously.
"Nikky doesn't know the truth about her mother?" Konke asks, because all he knows is that Nikky calls that evil stepmother "mother."
"Yes, and you won't tell her. Her family is closer than she thinks, and they will reunite with her. She will know the truth when the time is right," Ndleleni says firmly, warning Konke.
Konke just shrugs slightly. Of course he was going to tell Nikky.
"As much as you see and receive these visions, you must work with Nikky's ancestors. They are the ones who will decide whether Nikky needs to know the whole truth now or later. The same goes for anyone you receive visions about. You don't need to rush and tell them everything immediately," Ndleleni continues.
Konke listens quietly, even though his mind is still racing with questions.
"You must first wait. Observe the situation. Connect with their ancestors before delivering the messages," Ndleleni explains calmly. "Because just like Diamond and her family, they want to know what happened to their missing family member. They are desperate for answers."
Ndleleni pauses for a moment before continuing.
"However, in the unseen world, things are not always the same. Sometimes their ancestors are not ready for the truth to be revealed. Sometimes they don't want that person to be found yet," Ndleleni says.
Konke frowns deeply, trying to understand everything. The more Ndleleni explains, the more complicated everything sounds.
Helping people suddenly doesn't feel simple anymore.
"Don't worry, it gets better. Once you get initiated, all of this will make sense. Right now you are just working through fear. That's why it is so hard for you to connect. You are scared… anxious… afraid of failing, afraid of the unknown," Ndleleni says calmly.
Konke listens quietly.
"Like when you get a vision," Ndleleni continues, "you must study everything carefully. Look at your surroundings. Where is this taking place? How are the people around you feeling? Even the smallest objects around them matter. Those tiny details are important. They help you break down the vision and understand it properly."
Konke nods slowly, listening carefully.
"You need to keep a book," Ndleleni adds. "Write down every dream and every vision you get. It will help you understand things better. Over time you will start connecting them. Because in the end, everything is connected."
Konke stays quiet, nodding slowly again.
He realises he really needs to get himself a dream journal now.
"So… about Sboniso's father," Konke says after a moment, sounding serious. "How should I handle that situation? I already told Diamond."
He sighs quietly. Right now, he wishes he had kept quiet. Telling Diamond only made things harder because he doesn't even know how to help.
"You will figure it out yourself," Ndleleni says calmly. "Because honestly, I still don't understand why you told her."
He pauses before adding softly, "And Konke… you cannot save everyone."
Konke grunts in frustration.
"I was stressed," he mutters, defending himself.
"You are always stressed," Ndleleni replies calmly.
Konke rolls his eyes slightly.
"Khulekani needs your help. You should go and look for him," Ndleleni says.
Before Konke can even respond, Ndleleni suddenly disappears.
Konke gasps softly, his eyes widening as he looks around.
"Mkhulu?" he calls out, but there is no answer.

••••

It is 4 a.m. as Sylvia looks at her phone. She has just woken up from a very bad dream. The dream leaves her feeling uneasy and unsettled.
She sighs and hops off the bed. She might as well wake up now because she still has to get ready for work, especially since she couldn't go yesterday.
As she walks into the kitchen, she notices the light is already on. Her eyes narrow when she sees Lunga standing by the counter, making herself a cup of tea.
Sylvia frowns hard.
"When are you leaving?" Sylvia asks directly.
Lunga slowly turns around, her eyebrows lifting in surprise.
"What? Are you already bored of me?" Lunga asks sarcastically.
Sylvia huffs softly.
"You said you would only be here for a week," Sylvia reminds her rudely. She wants her space again.
Lunga shrugs casually as she stirs her tea.
"No. I'm going to stay for a while," she says calmly. "You know I've been looking for Nike's family for years now. I need to start looking again."
Sylvia freezes.
"Since you never wanted to help, I saw it fit to continue searching for them myself. Nike deserves to know her mother's family," Lunga adds.
Sylvia's eyes burn with rage as she stares at her. She is truly pissed off.
"Why? So you can ask them to help you marry Nike off to that man?" Sylvia asks bitterly, twisting the situation.
Lunga chuckles softly.
"Oh, so you met your son-in-law?" Lunga says, still chuckling.
Sylvia's face hardens.
"I will never allow that. He will never be my son-in-law," Sylvia snaps. "Nike must marry someone her age, not some married old man."
Her voice drips with disgust.
But deep inside, Sylvia already knows what she needs to do next.
She should bring out the big guns.
She needs to meet with Genesis.
Maybe the two of them can arrange another marriage between Nike and Sphephelo again. The last time her plan failed because Ntobe and Letsatsi interfered and rescued Nike without even informing her.
This time, Sylvia plans to make sure nothing ruins her plans.
Lunga picks up her cup and walks toward Sylvia.
"That man is not married, and Nike will marry whoever she wants. You can't choose a man for her," Lunga says calmly.
Sylvia wants to laugh, but she holds it in.
Nike will marry Sphephelo, the man she chose for her. Sylvia doesn't care if Sphephelo is married. Nike will simply become the second wife.
And besides, Sylvia thinks bitterly, it is already in Nike's blood. She won't have any problem sleeping with a married man.
Her mother did the same.
"So, I want to make sure Nike has people to fall back on if anything happens to me. I can't trust you, or anyone for that matter, with Nike. Yes, she is grown, but she is fragile. She will need people who love her when I'm gone," Lunga says softly.
Sylvia's eyes widen slightly, but not in concern.
In mischief.
"Oh, Nokulunga… are you sick?" Sylvia asks curiously.
Inside, she almost smiles.
Maybe her prayers are finally being answered.
Lunga scoffs loudly.
"You wish. And please, Ntobe told me everything. Stop bothering Nike and that man," Lunga says firmly, her voice carrying a warning.
Then she turns and walks away.
Sylvia clicks her tongue softly.
She already knows that man will leave Nike once Sphephelo returns to the picture.
For now, she just needs to be patient.
And focus on the upcoming wedding.
All she needs to do is ask Snothando to help her ruin Nike's dress.

•••

[MNOTHO]

I got another contract.
This is a first for me. Getting two contracts in the space of two weeks is very rare. Usually, I get another contract after a month, sometimes even after a year.
It looks like luck is finally on our side.
I left work and came here to talk to Biyela. I really need his help, especially now that I have already met Nikky's mother.
I have a bad feeling Nikky is going to pull away because of that woman.
And I can't allow that.
I'm really stressed about this. Yes, Nikky assured me that nothing is going to happen to our relationship and that she is not pulling away… but I'm still skeptical.
Usually I don't even know how to deal with feelings like this.
All I know is that I can't lose her.
I can't.
"Why are you standing here? Aren't you getting cold?"
That's Biyela, standing in front of me with his beads and everything.
He once tried to refuse accepting the gift, but his ancestors dealt with him quickly. They got him into a car accident. Luckily he didn't get injured badly. Just a few scars on his arms and one on his leg as a reminder.
Some ancestors can be very devious when they want to be.
It's cold outside, but there is no one inside the hostel, the people I came to see are not around.
So I ended up standing here alone… thinking about my miserable life.
"I actually came to see you. I knew I was going to find you here," I say softly.
He narrows his eyes at me.
"There is a lot on your mind," he points out.
Of course there is a lot on my mind.
"Is this about that young woman you told me about? Did she dump you?" he asks, laughing a little.
I frown and gasp softly.
"Not you laughing at me. I'm depressed here," I say quietly.
He chuckles loudly.
"And no, she didn't dump me. I just met her mother… and it didn't go well," I add in a low voice.
He sighs softly and stands next to me, leaning against my car.
"What? She doesn't like you?" he asks.
Then he smirks a little.
"I'm sure she thinks you are going to… I don't know… fail to take care of her daughter since you are literally a grandpa," he says, half serious, half teasing.
I gasp again.
Lord, give me strength.
I sigh softly.
"It is not about her liking me. I already had a feeling that she wasn't going to accept me that easily, but her behaviour still shocked me," I say, remembering how she behaved.
"Okay, talk. I'll listen," Biyela says.
"She didn't even sit down and have lunch with me. The minute Nikky introduced us, she suddenly became rude and started leaving. She even called out her younger daughter to come with her because apparently Nikky will teach her immoral things since she's dating a 'grandpa,'" I say, a little annoyed.
"And I understand… Most mothers would be shocked when their daughter brings someone twice their age. I would be shocked too. However, that woman's behaviour was aimed at embarrassing Nikky, to make her feel small for bringing me to see them," I continue, remembering her wicked smile.
"What do you mean?" he asks, confused.
I sigh.
"When she was leaving, I saw her smiling. Not a sweet smile… but a vile smile. It was like she was thrilled for causing that commotion. She wasn't behaving like a concerned mother. She just wanted to embarrass Nikky, that's all. So that Nikky would start questioning her decisions… planting doubts in her mind," I say.
When she stepped into that elevator, she was smiling and even giggling softly.
That alarmed me so much.
"So you think she did all that to hurt her daughter's feelings?" Biyela asks softly.
I nod repeatedly.
"Exactly. And it worked. After that commotion, Nikky looked completely drained. It's like that woman feeds off Nikky's energy. She wants to keep her drained. I might be exaggerating, but that's how it felt. Nikky became distant after that, and… I'm stressed that she might start pulling away. I can see that woman has control and power over Nikky… over all her daughters," I say, feeling irritated.
Biyela nods thoughtfully.
"Well, some mothers do control their daughters in the name of protecting them. Some even go as far as choosing partners for them to marry," he says seriously.
"And I'm sure her daughters think it's normal, because that's how they grew up. That's how she manipulated them," he adds.
"That scares me too. What if she manipulates Nikky and Nikky ends up leaving me? Oh Jesus… what will happen to me?" I say, feeling my heart beat faster.
Biyela laughs out loud, shaking his head.
Oh my God. He's laughing while I'm in a serious dilemma here.
After a moment he composes himself.
"Wow… when am I meeting her? Are you sure she didn't put some love potion in your food? The guys here told me you didn't eat the meat they bought because you came with a lunchbox," he says before laughing again.
Mxm. These fools were gossiping about me.
"Look, I need to come and consult. I love this woman, Biyela. I really do. And Bangizwe came and told me about how much the ancestors love Khwezi, the lady that works for us at home. So I don't want anything to get between me and Nikky, even the people from the spiritual realm. Even though people in the physical world might not accept my relationship with Nikky, at least I need to know if my ancestors will protect this relationship," I say, sounding a little sad.
Biyela frowns and blinks.
"Bangizwe? Who sent Bangizwe to talk on your behalf with your ancestors? What's wrong with him?" he says, sounding a little annoyed.
"He must stop lying and stop interfering. And stop listening to Bangizwe. He cheated on his wife. I wouldn't listen to such a man," he adds, clearly irritated.
I sigh heavily.
I never told him about Bangizwe cheating on Gabisile. I guess since he is a healer, he can see everything.
"And to keep you out of your misery, I did see Nikky coming into your life," he says.
I blink and turn my full attention to him.
"Really? Why didn't you tell me?" I ask with the biggest smile.
He chuckles softly.
"Sometimes you let things reveal themselves in their own time. And I'm glad she finally came into your life. However, when I'm done here helping this family, you should come later and consult properly. Let's see what the bones say. If Bangizwe is going around saying the ancestors love some other woman, we need to look into that. Bangizwe is too forward. Who died and left him in charge of your ancestors' altar?" he says, annoyed.
He really doesn't like Bangizwe.
Bangizwe can be annoying sometimes. He also dislikes Biyela for whatever reason. But I'm not here about Bangizwe and his stunts. I just needed help regarding my relationship with Nikky and how to protect it from people like her mother with such vile energy.
"Go home, then come to my place later. Let me go check on that child. He's been attacked by strange animals at night. And I want to meet Nikky soon," he says, patting my shoulder before walking off.
Bonga once experienced something like that.
He would wake up crying, saying he was being attacked by strange animals.
Bonga even ended up in hospital once because, while having those terrible dreams, he tried to run and fell down the stairs. He passed out and I had to rush him to the hospital.
Of course hospitals don't help with cases like that.
Biyela was the one who helped him.
He was angry the whole time when we were at the hospital. I asked him what the problem was, and he brushed me off by saying he was angry at those animals that were attacking Bonga.

I hear a car pulling over next to mine. I don't bother checking at first. My mind is still busy. I need to go home… or maybe go check on Nikky.
"Are you sure we are in the right place?" I hear a man's voice from behind.
I take out my phone.
"Yes, that's my husband's car. Thank you, see you on Monday," I hear Nikky's voice say.
I turn around.
She is stepping out of the driver's seat of the car. Her eyes meet mine immediately and she smiles widely before walking toward me. The guy quickly jumps into the driver's seat and drives off.
"Hey baby, why is your phone off?" she asks softly as she stops in front of me.
I frown and look at my phone.
It's dead.
Oh.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't check," I say apologetically. Damn. I must have been really stressed. "How did you find me here?" I ask curiously.
She giggles softly.
"Let's go home. I'm feeling cold out here," she says as she walks toward the passenger seat.
I open the door for her and she gets in. I rush around the car and get into the driver's seat.
"How did you find me?" I ask again as I start the car.
"I can't tell you. That's a secret, baby," she replies playfully.
Mmh.
"By the way, can we pass by my flat? I want to meet Konke. He called earlier and said he wanted to give me something," she says.
Konke?
"Diamond's boyfriend?" I ask.
She nods.
"Why? What does he want to give you?" I ask with a frown.
She chuckles softly.
"Baby, enough about Konke. We need to talk about Pinky. The poor woman cried while telling me what you've been doing to her and her family," she says in disbelief.
Oh. Pinky broke my rules now.
"I know what she did was wrong, but beating her brothers and her ex-husband? Come on, Mnotho," she continues.
Pinky is full of nonsense, really.
.
.
.
It's my first time seeing this Konke guy. He is carrying a bag.
Nikky stands in front of him with a smile while I stand a few steps away from them, watching.
"Hey, thank you for coming," Konke says with a smile. "This is for you," he adds, placing the bag on the ground before opening it.
Nikky bends down too, looking curious.
"A plant? I've seen it before," Nikky says, holding it carefully and looking at it with amazement.
I see Konke frowning.
"Really? Where?" he asks.
"In my dreams," she replies, still looking at the plant.
Konke nods slowly.
"Yeah… I guess it's meant for you. It will help you when you feel sick," Konke says.
Nikky did tell me he was some kind of seer.
Nikky gently puts the plant back down and opens her bag. She takes out a ten rand and places it on the ground in front of Konke.
Konke looks at her, confused.
"There was a ten rand in my dream when I saw the plant," Nikky says as she stands up, picking up the bag again.
Konke's eyes widen in shock as he quickly bends down and picks up the money.
"For me?" Konke asks, confused.
Nikky nods.
"Let me take this to my flat," she says. "And this is Mnotho," she adds softly before heading toward her flat.
Konke turns and looks at me properly now.
"Nice finally meeting you. I met your son. His company is busy with my house," he says, offering me a handshake.
"Well, I've heard a lot about you," I say, shaking his hand back.
He nods and just stares at me for a moment.
"You have a lovely family," he says.
I frown, wondering what that is supposed to mean.
"I'd like to say everything will be okay. Just be there for your family," he adds, leaving me even more confused.
I quickly turn toward him.
"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.
He pauses and looks over his shoulder.
"Don't worry. You'll figure it out."
With that, he walks off.