SKUMBUZO

I was at home with Siya, and I received a call from Naledi asking me to fetch her. So I got a transfer, and I moved to North-West, with Siya along. I mean I can't be far from Naledi. I spotted the royal family's car parked outside Naledi's house, its polished chrome gleaming like a warning. My hand froze on the door handle. Entering would mean facing the Zulu family, and we were far from being on good terms. Instead, I called Naledi, my knuckles white around the phone. When she slid into the passenger seat three minutes later, her posture was rigid, her eyes avoiding mine. "What's wrong?" I asked. She took a sharp breath. "It turns out I'm from royalty." The words hung between us like shattered glass. I instinctively locked the doors.