CHAPTER 76

CHAPTER 76

[KUKHOKONKE]

I think this is the building I saw in my vision, but I'm confused. It is abandoned, with homeless people outside. They are busy with whatever they are doing. It is a busy street here, and I just hope no one steals the car while I go inside to check.
Khulekani's phone is off, so I cannot get hold of him to tell him that I am here. Even my phone battery is dead. I have been cycling around this town for hours now.
I lock the car and start looking around again.
Is this his next project?
He is a civil engineer. Maybe he is here for work or something. Maybe I am just overthinking things.
I walk inside the building and immediately notice more homeless people. They have created small camps for themselves. Some are using plastic sheets to build tiny shelters. Others are using cardboard boxes.
They are all minding their own business, not caring about the strange man who just walked in. I keep walking slowly, looking around carefully.
Then I pause. My eyes fall on a familiar face.
My heart drops as my eyes start burning.
No. No… this can't be.
I refuse to believe it.
I close my eyes tightly, then open them again, hoping that I am wrong.
But I'm not. It is Khulekani.
He is sitting on the ground, smashing empty cans with a rock before throwing them into a big dirty bag next to him.
I gasp softly.
Tears roll down my face before I can stop them. What is he doing here?
How did things get this bad?
This man worked hard his whole life. He built bridges, roads, buildings. He was respected. People looked up to him. I looked up to him.
And now… Now he is here.
Among strangers.
Living like this.
I feel something heavy inside me as I stare at him, unable to move for a few seconds.
Khulekani looks tired. His clothes are dirty. His hair is messy. His hands move slowly as he continues smashing the cans, not even noticing that someone is watching him.
It feels like someone is breaking my heart piece by piece.
I wipe my face quickly, but the tears keep coming. I cannot stand here and just watch him like this.
I take a deep breath and start walking towards him.
Slowly.
My legs shake with every step.
"Khulekani…" I whisper, my voice shaking.
He doesn't pause. He continues smashing the empty cans like he did not hear me at all.
I sigh heavily.
"Khulekani," I say again, a little firmer this time.
He finally pauses.
Slowly, he raises his head.
His eyes widen the moment our eyes meet.
"Konke?" he whispers, sounding shocked and confused.
I nod slowly, trying to control my emotions.
He has his own small cardboard and plastic camp. It is barely a shelter. Just pieces of cardboard and plastic put together to protect him from the cold night air.
He looks drained and exhausted. His face is dull, his eyes tired.
No, I can't leave him here. He is coming with me.
I bend down and look inside his small camp. There is a bag there. I notice his phone connected to a power bank, charging slowly. Next to it, I see those small R5 food packets from Shoprite. It looks like that was going to be his lunch and supper for today.
My throat burns as I look at them.
I sigh softly, letting my tears roll down freely.
I crawl inside the little shelter and open the bag carefully. Inside I find his clean clothes and a few toiletries. Just a bar of soap, a roll-on, and some Vaseline.
That's all he has.
I take his phone and power bank and throw them gently inside the bag as well. Then I quickly look around for anything important.
"Where are your important documents?" I ask, my voice shaking.
"Are they inside your bag?" I ask again.
"Inside the bag," he replies quietly, his voice low and tired.
I empty the bag slowly, my hands trembling as I search through it. Soon I notice his file.
Relief washes over me.
I open it quickly to check everything. I need to make sure nothing important is left behind here.
Fortunately, everything is there.
Even his ID card.
I let out a soft breath and start putting all his clothes and belongings back into the bag.
After making sure nothing is left behind, I crawl outside again.
I stand up slowly and stretch my hand out to him.
He looks at my hand nervously, then looks up at me.
"Don't take me home, please Konke," he begs softly.
I sniff quietly, trying to control my tears.
"Dad can't see me like this… please," he begs again, his eyes glossy with shame and pain.
I nod slowly.
"I'm taking you to my place in Joburg," I say softly. "Come… let's go."
"I can't leave you here," I add quietly.
He looks at me for a moment before finally putting the rock down. Slowly, he stands up.
I let him walk in front of me. I keep my eyes on him the whole time. I'm not letting him out of my sight again.
We finally walk out of the building together.
"There's the car," I say softly, pointing at it.
His body is shaking badly.
It is winter after all. Of course he is freezing.
I quickly unlock the car and open the door for him.
He hesitates for a second before slowly getting inside.
I walk around to the driver's seat, hop inside, and quickly lock the doors.
I throw his bag onto the back seat.
For a moment, neither of us says anything.
Then I hear him sniff softly. I sniff too.
We both sit there in silence, crying quietly together.
.
.
.
I only brought a jersey and a pair of trousers with me, because I thought that when I got here, I was going to use some of his things, like I always do. I just didn't expect to find him in such a situation.
He finally walks out of the water. We are standing near a waterfall. There are other people here too, people who came to cleanse themselves spiritually. Some are praying quietly, some are standing under the falling water.
But for Khulekani, this is just to get cleaned up.
To wash away the dirt, the sweat, and maybe even some of the bad energy that has been surrounding him for months.
When we get to Joburg, I will get proper things for him to cleanse himself properly.
He is still shaking a bit.
He is wearing my white garment, and it is still dripping with water. The cloth sticks to his body as the water runs down slowly.
He stands next to me quietly.
The sun is higher in the sky, it will dry him up a little. When we get to the car, he will change into warm clothes.
At least he looks a little better now.
"I'm sorry for this. I'm sure you expected a hot shower in a hotel," I say softly.
He nods slowly.
"I'm really sorry. Maybe you thought I still had a place to stay," he says apologetically.
I sigh quietly.
I guess none of that matters now.
"It's okay. You are here… alive and well," I say softly.
That is what matters now.
Material things can always be bought again.
But life cannot be bought back.
We keep quiet, both of us staring at the flowing water.
"I've been homeless for months now," he says softly.
His words fall heavily into the silence between us.
"After the bridge we built collapsed and people got injured, I lost my job. I didn't want to go back home. I just didn't want to disappoint Dad… and everyone back home," he continues.
I gasp softly and turn to look at him.
"You know Babomncane would have accepted you back home with no issue," I say quickly. "He would never have let you suffer like this."
I pause, feeling pain rising inside me.
"I myself would never have let you suffer like this. I would have helped you. Why didn't you tell me?" I ask, my voice filled with hurt.
He should have come to me.
No matter what. I was never going to laugh at him or judge him.
Things like this happen all the time.
"I was afraid, Konke," he says quietly. "I'm supposed to be the eldest here. I'm supposed to be the one looking after you, not the other way around."
He looks down at the ground.
"After losing my job, I tried looking for other jobs, but nothing worked out. I failed to pay rent, and I lost my place. I lost so many things, Konke."
His voice becomes softer.
"And I ended up in that building."
He sighs tiredly.
"With the little money I had left, I tried to go to interviews, buy something to eat… and I even sent my last savings to Dad so he would think everything was fine."
My eyes fill with tears again as I listen to him.
"From there, I started recycling," he continues. "Cans, bottles… anything I could find."
He pauses and wipes his face slowly.
"They kept me afloat. Some days I would sleep hungry."
My heart breaks even more hearing those words.
Why didn't Ndleleni show me all this?
Why did the ancestors keep quiet while one of their own was suffering like this?
"You were all alone, Khulekani," I say softly. "And I was just one call away."
My voice begins to shake.
"Even if you didn't have airtime or data, you should have told me when I called you that you were suffering."
Tears roll down my face again.
"I would have come. I would have come and helped you. You needed us."
I shake my head slowly, feeling pain and sadness inside me.
"I was scared," he says quietly again.
He looks at the flowing water in front of us.
"Scared to disappoint all of you."
I sigh softly and nod a little.
I can't make this about me and my feelings. He is the one who went through all that humiliation alone.
"Don't worry," I say gently. "No one will know about this. I won't tell the family."
He looks at me with a grateful expression in his eyes.
For a moment, neither of us says anything.
"Come, let's go," I say after a moment. "You will dry up in the car."
I start walking, and he walks beside me quietly.
"Is that your car?" he asks curiously as we walk.
"No, I rented it," I reply. "My flight got cancelled for some unknown reason, so I decided maybe I should just drive from Jozi to here."
I shrug slightly.
"Let's get going. We don't want to arrive too late in Jozi. We will buy food for you on the way," I add.
I also need to check up on Diamond.
My phone battery should be full by now. I wasn't able to tell her that I had arrived or that I found Khulekani. I'm sure she has been worried about where I am.
We reach the car.
Khulekani slowly gets inside the back seat while I jump into the driver's seat. I take my phone off the charger and switch it on.
The first thing I will do when we get to my place is make sure this guy is sorted out.
My phone lights up immediately with a flood of notifications.
I frown.
There are so many messages and alerts.
Then something catches my eye. Seven missed calls from Nikky.
My heart starts beating faster.
That's a lot… and it is alarming.
Something must be wrong.
I quickly press on her number and call her.
It rings twice before she answers.
"Konke," she greets tiredly.
"Hey… I'm seeing your missed calls. Is everything okay?" I ask quickly, hoping nothing is seriously wrong.
She sighs softly on the other side.
"No… it's Diamond," she says.
My hand freeze on the phone.
"She's at the hospital. She got shot by her sister… but don't worry, she's fine. She's still sedated."
My heart starts pounding even faster.
What?
"Are you sure she's okay? When did it happen? How?" I ask quickly, throwing out a thousand questions at once.
My mind starts racing.
No… driving will take too long.
I need to get on a flight.
"You will know everything when you get here," Nikky says gently. "And please don't stress too much. She is okay. She was shot in the shoulder and the bullet was removed."
She pauses for a moment before continuing.
"The security guard at your complex told me you went to Bloem. If you are driving, please don't speed. We can't have both of you ending up in a hospital," she says softly.
I close my eyes for a second and breathe out slowly. Oh my God.
This universe is really testing me.
.
.
.
I did make it alive to Johannesburg, ending up driving here instead of taking a flight. The road felt long, but I pushed through it.
I left Khulekani at my apartment so he could properly clean up and finally get some sleep. He needed that more than anything.
Tomorrow morning I will cut his hair.
Tomorrow we will start his life again.
A new beginning.
In a new city.
Right now, I am standing at the reception desk. They are looking for a list. Nikky made a list of people who are allowed to come and see Diamond.
"Just call Miss Nkabinde and verify," I say. My voice sounds calm, but inside I feel anxious and exhausted.
I need to see Diamond.
"Okay, wait a minute," the lady says.
I nod and walk to one of the chairs and sit down. I sigh heavily and rub my face slowly.
Nomvula really wants to see Diamond gone.
That thought alone makes my stomach twist with anger.
After a few minutes, the lady calls me back and gives me the go-ahead. She says another list will have to be made as well, in case they cannot find the original one again.
I thank her quickly.
My steps are fast as I walk down the hallway toward Diamond's ward. My heart is beating hard as I get closer.
When I walk inside, I find Sbo sleeping on the chair beside the bed.
He looks exhausted.
I walk toward him and gently shake his shoulder.
He wakes up quickly, opening his eyes and looking around before sighing.
"It's you," he says, his voice tired and heavy.
Diamond is still sleeping.
Machines beep softly beside her.
I walk closer and stand next to the bed, looking down at her. Seeing her lying there like this hurts me more than I expected.
"You should go home. It's late now, Sbo," I tell him gently.
He slowly shakes his head.
"I can't leave her alone," he says quietly.
I understand him.
I doubt anyone will be able to walk into her ward anyway, since the hospital is not allowing just anyone to get close to her.
Still, I don't argue with him.
I sit down beside the bed and carefully take Diamond's hand into mine. Her hand feels warm but weak in my palm.
"Is this because of a damn kidney?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.
Sbo sighs and leans back in the chair.
"Yes," he says.
"Nomvula says she didn't send Minenhle to attack or shoot Dee," he adds, clicking his tongue in frustration.
I shake my head slowly.
"Minenhle got arrested," Sbo continues. "If Nikky didn't get there in time…"
He pauses, his voice lowering.
"I don't even want to think about it."
That Minenhle should rot in jail for doing this.
I see Sbo finally standing up.
"I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want some?" he asks.
I quickly shake my head.
"No, I'm good, thanks," I say.
He just nods and quietly walks out of the ward.
I turn my attention back to Diamond, gently squeezing her hand in mine. She looks so peaceful, but seeing her like this still hurts.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," I say softly.
I know this is not the time to say that I warned her about going back to her flat, but I really wish she hadn't gone there. If she didn't go there, she wouldn't be lying here in this hospital bed.
But at least the damage was not worse.
She is okay. She is alive.
That is all that matters right now.
As I lean back on the chair, trying to calm my thoughts, I suddenly feel a heavy presence behind me. The air in the room feels different, colder.
Slowly, I turn my head.
My eyes widen when I see a spirit standing there. I recognize him.
I saw him at the grave that night when I went to save Diamond.
He is just standing there, staring at me with cold, hard eyes.
I keep quiet, staring back at him.
Then he slowly moves and walks toward the bed. He stands over Diamond, looking down at her silently.
"Who are you?" I ask softly.
Surprisingly, I am not afraid.
He slowly lifts his head and looks at me.
"Ndleleni's descendants are no different from him," he says in a cold voice. "So once again, you are bringing another woman with a tainted bloodline."
I blink, confused by his words.
"She is here because her own sister wanted her dead," he adds.
"And?" I ask calmly.
He turns his full attention to me.
"And you want to take her to our land?" he asks coldly. "A woman from a family where they do not even like each other. A family that bewitched each other, kills each other. You want to bring that into our sacred place?"
I stare at him, completely confused.
What is he even talking about?
"Her uncle went to that cave and died because of a family member," he continues. "Her aunt cannot have children because of a family member. She… her own father hates her. That hatred is in their blood."
His eyes fall on Diamond again.
I gasp quietly in disbelief.
"And now you want us to accept her?" he continues. "Just like that? You want her to finish what her family started and destroy all of you?"
I slowly stand up.
"That's enough," I say firmly.
"You cannot just come here and talk badly about her. Do not insult my wife."
"Wife?" he asks, raising his eyebrow. He slowly walks closer to me.
"So that is what she is now?"
He stops in front of me.
"Her family is cursed," he says coldly. "Her bloodline is rotten. We cannot associate with such people. She cannot carry one of us."
He sounds like he is giving an order.
I stare at him in disbelief. He has to be kidding me.
"And who are you to tell me that?" I ask, my voice firm.
He gives me a cold look.
"You will find out soon enough," he says quietly.
He looks at Diamond again, then back at me.
"You do not even know what she does behind your back," he says.
And then he disappears. Just like that.
My shoulders slowly drop as the room becomes quiet again.
I feel confused, completely confused.
What just happened?
What is going on?
I look at Diamond again, my heart beating hard as so many questions fill my mind.
I love Diamond. I really do.
But now this spirit comes here saying all these things.
I stare at her sleeping face.
Who is the witch in her family?
Who is destroying their lives?
And… What is she doing behind my back?

••••

[NIKEZINKOSI]

I made Diamond some chicken vegetable soup earlier this morning. I also packed her some fresh salads and a bottle of squeezed orange juice.
The doctor here is very strict about the food I bring for her, but he allowed it after checking everything.
She is alive, and that alone makes me grateful, but she is still a little weak. The doctor said she will have to stay here for at least two more days. He also mentioned that she is very exhausted, and staying here will help her rest and relax properly.
I already contacted her law firm and informed them about what happened.
"I don't think anyone from work will come," Diamond says quietly.
"Lawyers are not good people."
I look at her while slowly feeding her the soup.
"I guess that means you are not a good person either," I say, teasing her a little, hoping to lighten the mood.
But instead of smiling, I see her face slowly drop.
Her eyes soften with guilt.
"Nikky, I'm really sorry," she says quietly.
"It wasn't my intention to break your heart. I was angry… and unfortunately it just slipped out."
Her voice sounds heavy with regret.
I stay quiet and continue feeding her. I carefully give her two more spoons of the soup before placing the bowl aside on the small table next to the bed.
"So, every time you are angry, or when we argue, you will try to hurt my feelings when your points don't get received well?" I ask softly.
She sighs shakily, her eyes dropping to the blanket covering her.
"You broke my heart, Dee," I continue quietly. "And I trusted you with that investigation so you could find out what really happened. And what did you do once you got the information? You threw it in my face."
My voice is calm, but the pain is still there.
"I'm sorry, Nikky," she says weakly. "I will try to do better next time. I will attend therapy too."
I sigh slowly.
"I don't want you to attend therapy because you want me to forgive you," I say gently.
"You have to attend therapy because you need it. Because you deserve peace in your mind. Because you carry too much anger inside you sometimes, and when it comes out, it hurts the people who love you."
She listens quietly.
"I love you, Dee," I continue. "But loving someone does not mean we should accept everything that hurts us. Words can stay inside a person for a very long time. Even when you apologise, the words are still remembered."
Her eyes slowly fill with tears.
"I know," she whispers.
"I was angry and scared that day. Everything about my family, the secrets… It was all too much. But that does not excuse what I said to you."
I nod slowly.
"No, it doesn't," I reply honestly.
Silence fills the room for a second.
Diamond wipes her eyes carefully.
"I really am sorry," she says again, her voice breaking slightly. "You didn't deserve that. You trusted me, and I betrayed that trust in a moment of anger."
I lean back in the chair, looking at her.
"You hurt me," I say softly. "But that doesn't mean I stopped loving you."
Her eyes widen slightly when she hears that.
"It just means we need to be honest with each other," I continue. "No secrets. No using painful things as weapons when we fight."
She nods slowly.
"I understand," she says.
"I will do better."
I look at her for a long moment, then gently pick up the bowl of soup.
"Right now," I say quietly, "your job is to rest and get stronger."
She gives me a small, tired smile.
"Yes, ma'am."
I nod and start feeding her again.
"As for the investigation, it didn't go well," I say honestly. "That manager told me about my dad's key. Now I need to find that key, and I really don't know where to begin."
And I can't ask my mother.
Especially now.
She is already mad that I'm dating an older man.
"Why don't you ask Konke?" Diamond says after swallowing the soup. "He will know what to do."
I frown slightly.
"Really?" I ask.
She nods slowly.
I guess I will have to ask Konke then, because I need to find the truth and finally get this whole thing over with.
"By the way," I say, placing the bowl aside again, "I was able to get into driving school. I need to get that licence and start driving myself."
Her eyes immediately light up.
"Oh, that's nice," she says happily. "Mnotho should get you that Porsche you want."
She giggles softly.
I laugh a little at that.
Before I can even answer her, the door opens. The guard walks in, and behind him is Snothando, carrying a basket of fruits.
"Ma'am, this lady said you know her," the guard says, looking at me.
"Y…"
"Yes, she's my sister-in-law. It's fine," Diamond says softly, cutting me off.
The guard nods and walks out of the room.
Oh.
So Diamond has accepted this relationship?
Snothando walks toward me and stops beside the bed, placing the basket of fruits on the bedside table.
"Nikky told me what happened," Sno says gently. "I'm really happy you're okay."
Diamond gives her a small smile.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Diamond says.
I hand Diamond her juice. She is strong enough to hold it now and slowly drink from it.
"I see there are guards in the hallway," Sno says, looking around.
I nod.
"Please thank Mnotho for me," Diamond says with a warm smile. "I feel much safer knowing there are guards outside. He is such a lovely brother-in-law."
I chuckle softly.
Mnotho will definitely be happy to hear that.
"Nike, why didn't you tell me about the new man?" Sno asks curiously.
I sigh and lean back in the chair again.
"I just wanted to see how serious things would get before introducing him to everyone," I explain. "And knowing my mother, she would have been very judgmental."
Sno scoffs softly.
"But I was the first person who should have known," she complains. "I'm your best friend."
I roll my eyes.
"I'm sorry. Everything happened fast," I say. "You will meet him when you are free. Your mom actually saw us on Saturday."
Her mother acted a little strange that day. I'm sure she was rushing somewhere.
"Well… your mother told me he's an old man," Sno says. "She thinks he's your sugar daddy."
I burst out laughing.
My mother is definitely going to run with that story now.
"Well, I can say he is," I say sarcastically. "He is taking care of me. I'm in driving school because of him. I even left that job because he is a boss."
Diamond giggles.
"He even hired guards for me," Diamond says happily.
"I think these are the same guards he was working with when they were looking for you after Paul did that stunt," Diamond continues.
"Yes, they are good at what they do," I say. "They were able to get Paul into prison very quickly."
I notice Diamond smirking a little.
"I'm sure they will do even worse once they find out who Paul was working with," she says.
"Mnotho once came demanding answers about the seafood boil he found at the crime scene. There was even acid there too," Diamond adds, shaking her head.
Then she looks at Sno.
"I feel like someone close to Nikky was working with Paul," Diamond continues thoughtfully. "It could honestly be anyone."
She shrugs lightly.
Knowing Mnotho, I'm sure he is still looking for answers.
"Really?" Sno says with a heavy sigh. "That's bad."
She pauses and then shakes her head slowly.
"Wow… this man of yours is really… influential," Sno adds.
Diamond nods happily.
Just then, the nurse walks in with Diamond's medication. She checks the chart quickly, gives Diamond the pills with some water, and then quietly walks out of the room.
I slowly stand up from the chair.
"Well, my sister," I say with a small smile, "I have a date with my stepson. I also got you a tablet so you can watch all your favourite movies. At least you won't get bored here."
Diamond smiles warmly and nods.
"Stepson?" Sno asks suddenly, her eyes widening in shock. "He has a son?"
I nod calmly.
"So… you are dating a man who already has a child?" she continues, clearly surprised.
See why I didn't tell her?
Very judgmental.
I pick up my bag from the chair.
"You dated Hlumelo before," I remind her calmly. "And he had a daughter before you jumped to Sbo."
I lean down and kiss Diamond gently on the cheek.
Sno gasps loudly.
"Yes," I continue firmly. "I'm happy, and I love him and his son. We are a happy family."
She gasps again, staring at me like she cannot believe what she is hearing.
Diamond giggles softly from the bed, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Wow," Sno finally says, still looking shocked.
Yes! Wow.
"Dee, I'll see you later," I say warmly. "Let's go, Sno."
I adjust my bag on my shoulder and start walking toward the door.