Ndlovukazi - Queen

Chapter 5

As I wake up I can hear the rooster crow, earlier this morning Ma told me that we would be visiting uKhulu noMkhulu (GranMa and GranPa). I am not sure whether to be happy that I still have grandparents or weary of this visit. My granparents are not the nicest people in the village, uMkhulu is Baba's father, he used to be the chief and he is very strict.

I wake Sindiswa and my brothers and take iphangela to the river. Once I have bathed I collect water and begin the walk back to the hut. On my way back, I see Baba enter our hut, I haven't talked to him since the "incident" and I am not ready to speak to him yet. So I take iphangela off my head and sit down under a tree, waiting for him to leave.

I decide to climb up the tree since he seems to be taking forever. It's a Mulberry tree, so pick the berries and eat them as I wait. When he finally exits the hut, he stands outside looking around. He spots me in the tree as I continue eating my berries, he shakes his head and then walks away.

I get down from the tree, take iphangela and walk back to the hut. As I put it down, I hear Ma ask, " what took you so long?", I reply telling her that I saw Baba and did not want to speak to him. "Thandiwe!", Ma huffs looking at me, " you cannot avoid your problems forever", since I don't feel like arguing first thing in the morning, I let her have the last word.

We sit down and eat breakfast and then leave for Mkhulu and Khulu's hut. The walk is not long and we as we get there the boys run towards uMkhulu, I see them jump away laughing as the go inside. 'Sawbona Mkhulu'(Hello, Grandfather), we say all at once as we get closer I feel stinging around my ankles, and I jump away and I see Sindiswa do the same. Mhulu has this tendency of using his whip on any young person's legs that walk past him. I don't know why he does it but it has become a fact of life.

"Ninjani, hawu senikhule kangaka siphi isizukulwane?" (How are you, you have grown up so much, where are my great grandchildren?), he asks, before we can reply uKhulu comes out of the hut and grabs my wrist, "Leave my grandchildren alone, they have plenty of years to have children", as she drags me inside, she says "ngenani, ngenani"( come in, come in). 

As we enter the hut Mkhulu responds, "They may have time but we don't, we're not getting any younger!" Khulu huffs at this but doesn't reply. Khulu is his second wife, his first wife died after a long illness, having given birth to Baba eight years prior. His first wife actually picked Khulu to marry Mkhulu before she died.

Khulu tells us that she needs the garden tended, water collected, clothes washed and evening meal cooked. Since we only visit when the servants are off, we are basically free labour. I wanted to collect water and cook but Khulu said she didn't trust Sindiswa with her garden so I had no choice but to plow the vegetable garden in the summer heat.

When Ma was heavily pregnant with the boys, she couldn't look after us, so Sindiswa and I had to live with our grandparents for a few months. It was not a pretty sight, although Ma makes sure we do chores around the village, plowing is left to the servants. I had to learn how to plow and water the vegetable garden, release the cattle, carry water for both huts, all before midday. Then my training would begin, it was a long few months, but at least we didn't have to live with the witches.

I leave the house skipping my grandfather's whip as I go, the sun is high and there isn't a cloud in the sky. As I plow, I'm weeding and I can feel the sun burn my skin and I am sweating everywhere. While I am plowing I can hear Mkhulu tell the boys stories about when his great grandfather first settled here.

I have only heard bits and pieces of the story, it always seemed like I was too busy finishing chores to listen to the entire story. I hear his voice rise as he explains how the chief who owned the land at the time, made his great grandfather, fight against the his best warrior and kill a wild boar to see if he could protect the lands. His great grandfather had to pay tribute to that chief until he passed away, and then the land would belong to our tribe.

I finish plowing the garden and sit down under the shade of the guava tree. I never thought I would miss training, but my hands have blisters and I am sure Khulu will not care. I walk back to the hut as Mkhulu finishes his story. "Wamnyama njengamalahle manje, ilanga alikuthandi"(You look black as coal now, the sun really doesn't like you", Khulu says as soon as I enter. I bite my tongue as I feel my mother's hand on my shoulder, I take a deep breath and take my food from Sindiswa and start eating.

"When do you finish healing school?", khulu asks me, " the week after next, nyanga is taking me to the hut where all the sick people are. Nyanga and her apprentice will oversee me throughout the day, but I will have to diagonse and treat eveyone inside by myself."

"Well, I know you will do well, after all you are the daughter of the chief, the first Nkosazana to become Inyanga, and when does your combat training finish?"

"Next week, I will fight one of the warriors in training", "Hawu that is not fair, those boys have been training since they were five and most of them are twenty-five years and older", "My instructor said I don't have to beat him, I just have to pin him down three times before he pins me down three times." " That is still going to be difficult ngane yami (my child), don't get hurt too badly.

"THIS is why girls her age should be married, not learning how to fight! I hope that boy knocks some sense into her head", I hear Mkhulu comment from outside.

"THULA WENA!", (QUIET YOU) Khulu shouts. "Lalela la(listen here), when you finish and graduate from your combat and healing lessons I will throw a feast in your honour, we will sacrifice a goat and sheep and feast in your name!", Khulu says.

To say I'm shocked is an understatement, not even my father has ever thrown a feast for me. "Mxm, Sizobona ngawe uma usaphila" (We shall see, if you survive), Mkhulu says.

We only eat meat on special occasions so them offering to spill blood in my name! I smile widely and say, "ngicela amakhanda ezilwane" ( May I have the heads of the animals), "NGEKE!"(Never), I hear Mkhulu outside. In our family, certain parts of the animals can only be eaten by certain people and the heads of the animals are customarily given to the person who the animal was sacrificed for, that has always been the males in the family.

Ma is looking at me like I'm crazy, Khulu holds her stomach and laughs. "When you graduate you can have both the heads, as is tradition". Mkhulu is livid, "this is why these girls should be married by now, they have no respect when they stay unmarried for this long..." he keeps ranting as we clean up inside and prepare to leave. Khulu looks at me, she is sitting on her chair as usual but this time, I see concern in her eyes "ungalimali"( don't get hurt). I am grateful she cares enough to tell me, I reply, "Ngeke"( I won't). We leave their hut and walk back to our hut the sun is already setting and I can feel the cool breeze blow.

Sindiswa grabs my arm and smiles at me, " I knew you were going to ask for the heads", I laugh and ask how she knew, "because that's what I would have asked for", this makes laugh even harder. I kiss the top of her head and hug her tightly, "after I graduate it is your turn", she should be betrothed already but she seems hesitant, " tell that boy you will give him as many babies as he wants, if he waits and marries you after you graduate". She pushes me away blushing and I laugh and shrug, "it's just a suggestion."

As we approach the hut, I see a figure sitting outside looking at us. I know it's Baba and that he wants to talk to me, I begin to walk slowly. Ma sees this and takes my hand into her hand, pulling me with her. " I told you, you cannot avoid your problems forever".