Chapter 1

IMBIZO..

The Vicious Curse

~~ONE~~

After making sure that the cattle is all inside he takes a long walk towards the five roomed house painted in white.

The Nzuza homestead has an enormous flat yard with a huge kraal situated in the middle made with thorn-bush branches.

Bhekumuzi Nzuza, the head of the Nzuza clan stands still as he reaches the porch of his house and stares at the beautiful homestead of his forefathers. Admiring his hard work and that of his beloved, hardworking children.

Eight modern rondavels surround the yard, beautifully built.

Suddenly he feels light headed and tense. He stumbles a bit and holds onto the wall for balance when his heart beats abnormally.

It is an indication of impending danger whenever his intuition kicks in, but out of his three sons only Nyanda triggers his sixth senses.

"Mshazi, is everything okay?"

MaNgema gently utters as she appears in front of him, she's carrying an old, worn out mat that MaKhumalo, her mother in law was seated on.

"Something is wrong mkami, Nyanda is in trouble" He says, brushing his chest, calming down his beating heart. Today it is different, the feeling is piercing and shortening his breath.

"Nyanda again, I'm sure it's nothing major Mshazi. Nyanda Is allowed to bleed when he falls down you know, stop overreacting" she adds, nonchalantly.

Her free hand waving in the air

Mshazi's face instantly deepens, his demeanour getting cold as he stands still staring at his wife who's never hidden the fact that she dislikes his first born.

"Maka Mzungezi"

His voice holds authority as he says, involuntarily she bows seeing that she suddenly is in trouble.

Bhekumuzi is a culturally grounded man, big boned and tall with striking melanin skin.

"Yobe Mshazi, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that you tend to worry about Nyanda a lot. Even when it is nothing"

She adds, politely so.

Her plan was to put in light why he worry about one child while there are other three more he seems not to care about

"When will this behavior stop maNgema? It's been years yet you can't stop hating my son"

His voice is deep as he adds, staring at her clearly angry

"I do not hate him baba. I hate the fact that you sideline your other children. Mshazi your two sons are also not in this yard yet the only one you are worried about is the precious Nyanda. He is a 32 year old man with full teeth, surely he can take care of himself"

His jaw tenses and juts forward slightly.

"Is this your way of telling me how to be a father to my children, my children maNgema?"

"It's not like that baba. All I ask is that you also give them the same attention as your older son"

"Leave my sight, you know very well I don't entertain nonsense yet here you are spitting utter nonsense!"

She doesn't move, instead she fishes out her Gold mobicel H1 on her pinafore and rings Nyanda.

He doesn't pick up, she feels his presence pressing on her but she calls again.

Kayise appears from the kitchen screaming and hysterical

" Mama! It's all over Facebook. Oh God, they will die, they will die"

Tears stream down her plumpy cheeks, her screams turning into loud cries

MaNgema is shaking her daughter, asking her to explain what she meant.

Already the wave of sadness is hovering around

"The Biyela's mama. They are attacking my brother's, What if they kill them? "

And just like that, the war has brewed once more in the Khoza village.

Mshazi suddenly feels weak, a wave of nervousness hits him and for once in his life he is afraid..

In the midst of it all Mshazi's eyes land on the brown smoke flying all around, a baby blue Cressida speeding towards the Nzuza homestead. Something worse is already at his gate and he knows.. Deep down.

His day has come

He is quick to push his wife and daughter inside the house and get his gun, cocking it in the process and getting ready for fight until his last breath..

Gunshots are fired in that instant, cries of a woman are heard.

…..