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23
23THE MOHLALA HOUSEHOLD
Isa shuffles in bed next to the bishop feeling much better about herself and more elated and freer this morning that usual. She looks at him as he sleeps and thinks to herself just how lucky she is that she was blessed with such a man. She caresses his face and kisses his forehead before trying to sneak out of the bed careful not to wake him up but fails.
Bishop: running away, I wouldn’t blame you.
Isa: no… I just didn’t want to wake you up; I was going to the bathroom.
Bishop: ohh… it’s the second door on your right from here.
Isa: thank you.
Bishop: school?
Isa: I’m cutting school today; I feel I won’t need it anymore.
Bishop: can’t dispute that.
She gets up and leaves the room while taking peeks back at the man who looks like he’s being tormented and in pain. She worries about him, a lot more than she thought she’d ever--- maybe after last night something changed in her. She feels way different about him now—it might just be… love?
Mealy 2 minutes she comes back to the room running, screaming and crying for her life. She gets in the room with a flash looking a mess and throws herself in bed covering herself with the bed sheets. The bishop looks at her confused but she’s too alarmed to say anything. She keeps stuttering while crying and heaving for ait to breath. He takes the covers off her head and tries to get her to talk, also getting angry now.
Bishop: what is?! Talk to me?!
Isa: she--- she--- she... i- she’s dead! There’s a dead… someone is dead!!
Bishop: what?!
Isa: someone is dead in the other room!!!
Bishop: hell!!!
The bishop slides out of bed and goes to the master bedroom he shared with Mfundo just a few nights ago. The door is wide open, and someone is standing in front of the door looking to be contemplating on their next action. He rushes towards the person in full force and anger and grabs them by their neck.
Bishop: is this your work?! Is this your fucking work?
Ntando: no!! hell no!! why would I?
Bishop: then who? Who did this?
Ntando: let me go… let me go first! Or this won’t end well.
Ntando forcefully removes the bishop’s hands from his neck.
Bishop: I made sure to lock this room…. then besides you—who the hell opened the room?
Ntando: maybe you didn’t lock it.
Bishop: are you fucking with me right now??!!
Ntando: well… it’s open now. Your little visitor decided to snoop around without permission. I’d like to put his one you, but I won’t… I guess I have some damage control to do then.
Bishop: really? now is the time? What the hell is wrong with you?
Ntando: I told you not to use that language with me?!!
His emotions get the better of him as he knocks the bishop down unconscious and leaves him lying on the floor going to the room with the guest. He enters the room finding the girl shivering in the corner covered with the bed sheets.
Ntando: you were right… you weren’t meant for school. You were right by cutting school too today. I guess I’ll be going to the office after all.
He removes the blanket over her head and looks into her eyes which shiny and glow with tears. She still shivers but is too mentally disturbed to even make sense of what is happening. He places her on the floor and reverts to his natural form followed by a lot of hissing. He enters her from beneath going up inside her body while blood oozes from her nose, eyes, ears and other parts of her body.
THE HOLY GRAIL MINISTRIES
REITU’S OFFICE
Reitu sits anxiously on her chair looking all anxious and nervous while she whispers talking on the phone.
[on call]
Kwanele: it would’ve been if you called alter if this is how this call is going to go.
Reitu: it can’t wait, I’m sorry. I can’t work with so much in my mind.
Kwanele: okay, fair… so—the text, what did you mean by that?
Reitu: yesterday, I met someone who knows someone who might know something about the Holy Grail murders and other bad deeds.
Kwanele: what?
Reitu: yeah… some young girl.
Kwanele: how did you meet her? Can we even trust her? isn’t she on their side or something?
Reitu: no! She’s not with them, I bet my life on it.
Kwanele: err... I don’t know Ree.
Reitu: come on… this is on me; you can trust me and not her then! This is something I tell you.
Kwanele: ok, okay… I hear you, so how is this going to go?
Reitu: she agreed to talk to her aunt… meaning the other person who knows something. We might just be invited to their home this weekend if things go well.
Kwanele: I have work.
Reitu: this is work… plus this will be your chance to let any doubts you have subside, we might really be on something. My gut tells me so!
Kwanele: I hear you; I’ll get ready then.
Reitu: I’ll keep you updated on how things go.
Kwanele: right…things are moving faster than I had anticipated.
Reitu: yeah…but I don’t want to be too excited, she may change her mind. I don’t want to come off as negative, but I just can’t help it.
Kwanele: I fully understand. But let’s have hope.
Reitu: it’s going to be a little hard though, the girl told me her aunt doesn’t talk, she can’t talk ever since what happened to her 10 years ago.
Kwanele: we’ll try our best, we have to. For all those that place has harmed in any way.
Reitu: agreed, bet we’ll need prayers too.
Kwanele: very agreeing on that part.
Reitu: I have to go; I’ll check on you later.
Kwanele: totes!
[call ends]
Reitu sighs heavily as she puts her phone face down. She stands up from her table aiming for the outside to get some fresh air. She pulls the door handle opening the door only to be met by someone she did not expect to be here—Ntando. She anxiously and awkwardly smiles at him trying to read his emotions and expression to see whether he heard the call or not.
Reitu: Ntando…? I thought you asked for the day of… why are you doing here?
Ntando: my other plans were cancelled so I decided to come in. hope I’m not getting in the way of anything.
Reitu: oh—nothing… nothing at all. I was just getting some fresh air.
Ntando: this early? the work must be driving you insane.
Reitu: right… uhm—let me get that fresh air then.
Ntando: yeah…
She passes him and leaves the office taking a few looks back here and there only to be met by his eyes gawking at her as she strolls down to the corridor. She wonders as she walks just what the hell did he hear?!
LATER THAT DAY
THE MALEKA HOUSEHOLD
Seipati looks at Boipelo with pity in her eyes. She has been following her around and monitoring her every move since the morning. She even took it into her hands to message her work and make a plea and pardon on her behalf asking for a day off. Of course, Boipelo refused since she did not want to be babied just because of her condition but Seipati was too eager to be stopped so Boipelo finally caved in and stayed home for today.
Boipelo: stop looking at me like that. You’re making me feel bad about his.
Seipati: but aunty… she has to know. She must know. You must tell her. She deserves that much from you.
Boipelo: but how—we just lost Itu. I can’t do this to her too. I just can’t.
Boipelo stands up and leaves Seipati who’s all tear eyed. She goes to her room feeling tears sting and locks the door. She gets on her knees and cries hard, letting all her anger out, praying in the process too. Meanwhile Seipati wipes her tears and focuses back on peeling the carrots in front of her as she sees Reitu in a distance approaching the house. She gets inside the house in seconds, greets her and goes straight to her room looking all jolly. She comes back with the same atmosphere looking all ready to help, Boipelo comes out of her room the same time too.
Reitu: Ma? How come you’re here already? I came home very early today… are you supposed to be here?
Seipati: she--- uhh… she—
Boipelo: I took a day off, the cold was trying to get me down, but I shook it of… I’m going in tomorrow.
Reitu: are you okay though?
Boipelo: fine. I am okay baby.
Boipelo eyes Seipati with pleading eyes, she nods and gets back to what she’s doing trying hard to keep it together and be her usual self but it’s just too hard and not the same anymore.
Reitu: cuz... you’re oddly quiet today…sick too?
Seipati: my throat is a little patchy, I might just be coming down with something too.
Reitu: what’s wrong with the people of this house? Sick… could never be me.
Boipelo: I’ll go season the meat.
Reitu: I’ll start with the rice.
Everyone gets hands-on preparing dinner, each of them in their thoughts and their own world.
THAT WEEKEND
THE NCUME HOUSEHOLD
Reitu sits nervously next to Kwanele who looks a bit too nervous that she is. The same elderly woman who welcomed them in just a few minutes ago puts a tray with drinks in front of them as per courtesy of any black household. She smiles at them and goes back to the kitchen. Another lady looking to be in her late 30s- early 40s is wheeled out by Emi who’s too elated to even make sense of how serious the situation they’ve visited her house for is. She introduces the woman as her aunt, Namisa, the woman they’ve been dying to meet and excuses herself.
Reitu: we’re honoured and happy to meet you. Thank you for aggreging to see us.
The lady smiles back but her smile becomes stern as she retrieves her tablet from under the small throw she has over her legs. She unlocks it and types something looking a little different from how she did a few seconds ago.
Namisa: Akhona Dikana?
She puts her hand over her mouth and tears slowly fall down her cheeks as she looks intensely at someone in the room. Reitu reads the words but looks confused until she looks at the man sitting next to him who looks like he’s about to lose it all.
Reitu: you--- your s-sister?
Kwanele nods and lets them fall. After so many years, never ever had he thought he’d run across someone who knew her late sister. He feels relieved, grateful and somewhat sad. A whole load of different emotions
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