.jpeg)
4
4LATER THAT DAY
THE HOLY GRAIL MINISTRIES
Itu: your shirt--- your buttons are mismatched.
Lesego: oh, thank you.
Itu: I thought you said you stained that. I can’t believe you made me bring another one for nothing.
Lesego: I did, but I went to the bathroom and managed to get the stain off. Hence the mismatching buttons.
Itu: okay--- let’s get today’s practice underway.
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Itu stands in front of the youth members delegating today’s tasks. Her attitude still has not changed making the room a little uncomfortable to be in.
Itu: Cindy, I did not think you’d be back.
Cindy: well, I am.
Itu: what are you doing here again?
Cindy: I have every right to be here just like everyone in this room right now. You are not the master of my life therefore you cannot tell me what to do and what not to.
Itu steps down from the podium and approaches Cindy slowly in her zone to start a fight but changes direction as she sees the bishop enter. She slowly walks towards the bishop to meet him halfway. Usually when he visits during practice, he has something to say to her and would hail her to meet him at the back but today he is not hailing but walking closer and closer to the podium. He also wears and unreadable expression on his face. He passes Itu without and word and proceeds to walk upfront.
The youth group members stand up and bow as the bishop stands in front of them. He orders them to sit down and calls Lesego up to stand next to him.
Bishop: glory be to God.
All: Amen.
Bishop: you guys must be surprised to see me here, I know. Your faces say it. I did not come to stay but I have a small message to pass to you all. I have sat down with the board members recently and we saw it fit to change the coordinator of the upcoming revival showcase. Seeing how the previous coordinator is swarmed with work on her occupation, we opted and chose to appoint Ms. Lesego Semenya as the new coordinators and leader of the youth. From today onwards, I would like to announce that she is now your new leader and will be taking care of you guys and any pleas you might have. Ms. Lesego, you can go ahead and say a few words.
Lesego: first and foremost, thank you bishop. I wouldn’t have thought that someday I’d be awarded with such precious and honorable work. I would like to thank everyone who put their faith and me, and to you guys--- I promise to be the best leader you guys have ever had. I pledge to be truthful, calm and to listen to your suggestions and requests without flaming out on you. I promise to give my best. I believe together we will take the youth of this ministry to another level. That’s all. Thank you so much.
The room breaks into cheers and loud whistles as the youth congratulates Lesego and chant her name. Itu who’s now at the back of the room runs out of the church and far away from the yard as her chest closes up. Images of Lesego and the bishop standing side by side haunt her. She thinks back to the day Lesego asked her suspicious questions about the bishop and it hits her just what happened. She has been hooked and there’s nothings he can do. The knife the bishop has lodged down her back is hard to pull out and might just end up killing her if she forces to pull it put. The bishop’s sacred smile fades in her mind as tears blind her. She feels foolish and played that she could not see another case of betrayal coming her way.
Bishop: my job here is done, you kids have fun. I can’t wait to see the full play on Saturday. All the best with preparation.
All: thank you bishop.
The bishop leaves and the youth gather around, some bashing the decision while some are for it because of their bad blood against Itu.
Cindy walks up to Lesego.
Cindy: girl, congratulations. I cannot begin to explain or express just how happy I ma for you. You deserve this more than that witch of your friend.
Lesego: thank you.
Cindy: so, does this mean it is finally over between you two? I can best friend replace her if you want to.
Lesego: I can’t say no too… I know I will need the help.
Cindy: well bestie, let’s get to work.
Lesego summons everyone to the center of the room and re-assigns the roles. For so long she has been under someone’s shoulder, she has never tasted power. Being here and within this role feels different and she likes the change, delegating seems to be in her blood and the people love her.
What could possibly go wrong?
THE MALEKA HOUSEHOLD
Itu runs into the house running over the cleaning bucket with water on the doorstep further infuriating her little sister. She runs into her room, slams the door and locks it and screams like no one’s watching.
Reitu: Itu!!
Reitu exclaims ad scrams from her sister’s room shock her. She runs through the slippery floor to check on her, but the door is locked. She knocks but there’s no answer. She tries many times but still, all she can observe from the outside is that her sister is angry and possibly crying as things crash nonstop inside the locked room. She gives up on ever getting the door open and goes to call her mother. Her phones rings once and is answered.
[on call]
Reitu: Mama, we have a problem. Its Itu again. She just bust in her and locked herself in her room. She’s crashing stuff in there and it is nosy. She locked the door and I do not know what to do. I’m scared.
Boipelo: what?! Wait I will try and do something. Calm down and wait for me.
Reitu: I don’t think we have that long. The spare key… where is it?
Boipelo: that’s with me. I will go ask for an earlier day off from the madam. I will call you soon. Just go to her door and try to get her to talk. I will be there soon.
[call ends]
Reitu does as ordered by her mother and goes to Itu’s now quiet door. She sits in front of the locked door and sings a lullaby, the one her sister used to sing her when she was a kid. Heer heart beats out of her chest as she sits imagining the worst while waiting for their mother.
THE MOHLALA HOUSEHOLD
Boipelo abruptly drops all her chores after talking to the madam and being granted the rest of the day off. She collects her stuff from the worker’s cottage in a hurry and leaves the Mohlala premises in a flash. Nomfundo watches her as she disappears put of sight. She calls for one of the servants not her presence.
Mfundo: go bring me the small cooler from the fridge in the garage.
Servant: yes, ma’am.
The worker runs to and back and comes back with the small blue cooler box. She looks somewhat nervous as if she opened it and saw what was inside. Her hand trembles as she passes the small box to Nomfundo. She sees her hand and uncomfortable stature.
Mfundo: thank you. Did you open the box?
Servant: n-no ma’am.
Mfundo: okay, you can be dismissed.
The girl disappears from her sight.
Mfundo: it's always the young ones. They never learn.
She goes down to the basement. After renovations the area looks anew. The dim lights to provide just enough life gives this place a certain eerie mood and feel. She places the small cooler box on the ground and opens it. She gets on her knees as slithering and hissing continues out of the cage coming closer and closer to her.
Mfundo: Master, I offer my greetings. It has been a couple of days I know. I hope you like the final look of the place. I also apologize for the noise it might’ve caused you. I brought along a gift.
The snake almost her size indulges on the contents of the box. Hearts and brains have always been its favourite. It eats up the contents and goes in circles around Nomfundo a couple of times before it covets into human for, a deadly handsome young man.
The Master: that was not as fresh as I’d thought it would be.
Mfundo: apologizes, it was in the fridge for long again.
The Master: you can stand up; you don’t have to stay bowed for that long. It is okay, you can look at my face. What do you think of my new look? I shed the last couple of days.
Mfundo: I would be fooled too. You look exquisite.
The Master: I know. So, about that Itu girl, what do you guys want me to do with her?
Mfundo: whatever the master sees as perfect punishment.
The Master: I liked her eggs better than any of the other girls before. What a shame. Well then, let me be on my way.
Mfundo: and master--- I have an extra gift. The maid currently in my kitchen, you can have her too. She saw something she shouldn’t have. She spied on your food.
The Master: this evening keeps on getting better. Way better than the hospital stuff I just had.
Mfundo: again, I apologize. We’ll try to do better.
The Master: don’t bother for now.
Mfundo watches as the young man walks out of there before her and smiles to herself. This is the best inheritance and gift her father left her. She boastfully walks out and watches as the master finesses the young lady, hypnotizing her with his eyes before he strikes her with his tongue, converts back to his original form and enters her body through her lady parts and moving further up to her ovaries and uterus, then heart and then the brain.
Please log in to submit a comment.