Snake Whisperer

CHAPTER 3

We went to the mall and Ellen was shopping like crazy. One thing I noted about her is that she is a shopaholic. While we were shopping many people came and asked to take photos with her. She never declined and she was smiling all the way. She had asked me to bring my ID so we went to the bank to open an account there. She also said I must get a license so that when I wanna take Mabel out, I would use one of her cars. She also bought me a phone. It was a contract one, a Huawei P40.

Life became better and bearable for me. A part of me doesn’t wish to go back home because of the way I was chased out. But I decided that I will go there maybe after 6 months so that I will have a tombstone installed in my dad’s grave and renew the one in my mom’s grave because it is in bad condition. I know unveiling needs many things and a huge ceremony. So I am just going to talk to one of my uncles about it.

You must be wondering why I didn’t go to them when MaLuthuli chased me out. Well firstly, they live in Bhisho. Secondly, my uncle is the only working so I didn’t want to burden them. Plus his wife and kids don’t really like me. Whenever they came to visit father, they would call me farm girl and send me around to do everything they desire like I am their maid.

It had been two months since I started working for Ellen. With my first pay cheque this is what I did. I invested R10000. With R1000 I bought cosmetics and a few clothes and underwear. You can never have enough underwear. I figured that I might have to leave R1000 in my account. With R3000 I registered at a driving school. I got my license a few weeks back and Azihlanze said we should go and celebrate when he is back.

I had just finished every chore in the house. After cleaning, I usually woke up Mabel because she needed to stay on routine so that she can get used to it. Mabel was now taking her midday nap. I went outside with a throw and laid it on the grass, not too far from the tree. I was just minding my own business when I heard hissing sounds. OMG! They found me. I turned and looked at the tree and there was Jaxon and Kori.

I had accustomed myself and accepted my gift. I researched different kinds of snakes, how they survive, how they reproduce. Basically everything there is to know about snakes. Apparently you won’t find different species in the same place like with people (blacks, whites, coloureds or Indians living in the same suburb). I guess they came to me that day because of my gift.

Jaxon: “and we found you.” he made his way down the tree and rolled himself next to it but made sure to stay in the shade. He then raised his head like the way cobras did. Kori also followed suit.
Kori: “how are you settling in?”
Me: “life is good. Thank you for advising me to go to the city. Life is better here and my boss is very kind. So how is everyone?” they laughed.

Jaxon: “you only saw them once, yet you are asking about their wellbeing.”
Me: “I may be scared of your kind, but I care.”
Kori: “they are well. You should visit the jungle.”
Me: “I will when I go back home.”
Jaxon: “you are willing to go back there after they chased you out?”

Me: “I am not going to stay. I am going to do a ceremony for parents and install tombstones on their graves. My stepmother made it clear that she doesn’t want me back there, so I wouldn’t go back to stay. I mean why would I leave Mabel and Ellen? They have been so kind to me and they treat me like family.”

Kori: “so have you accepted your gift?”
Me: “it was hard at first but I finally did. I even researched about your kind. When I am finally not scared of you, maybe I would take a lampropeltis and live with it as my pet.”
Jaxon: “you don’t want a cobra for a pet?” I laughed out loud and Kori also laughed.

Me: “maybe Ellen wouldn’t mind because she is white and white people love animals. But her visitors would, especially her baby daddy. Plus you can’t keep and contain a cobra in a house. You guys belong to the jungle, where you are free and you can do whatever you want.”
Kori: “true that.”

Me: “so how do humans use you for their dirt? I really don’t understand that. How do they contain you or make you comply or even order you to do things?”
Jaxon: “some of us are born evil. That evilness is what attracts most witches. They also have things that they inject or make our kind drink after drugging them.”

Kori: “some are under a spell and those spells make them do anything their master tells them to do.”
Me: “is there a way to break such spells?”
Jaxon: “no. death is the only way to free yourself from witches spell.”
Me: “that’s bad.”