Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called

Chapter One

SIMBONGILE PRINCESS NTABENI

I grew up in a very loving home, my parents were high-school lovers, they got married and we lived the best of our lives in a very warm and loving home. My paternal grandfather was my favorite, he loved all of us equally but I knew I was his favorite just like Junior was our maternal grandfather's favorite. Sadly, he passed away and all I had was memories and dreams.

Yes, he would appear in my dreams, frequently so and most time I wouldn't share those dreams with anyone unless he had instructed me to. First of all, I was scared, who dreams of their deceased grandparents almost every day and then tells people about that? I was young, I didn't know anything about dreams, visions and gifts but I knew one thing: He wouldn't hurt me.

"Princess can you please hurry up? Yho ha.a man!" my twin brother sulked, we were now both in high school. Our parents had divorced, our father had moved to a different country altogether and our mother was engaged to another man: Masixole. He wasn't so bad, he loved us like we were his own kids. He loved Undiphile dearly, and that warmed my heart because he was my little angel, I would literally kill for him. Masixole loving him, protecting him and being a father to him was all we could have asked for.

"I'm coming, haibo!"

I grabbed an apple and my bag as I ran outside, leaving the door open because mom would soon follow up. Everyone was ready for school, our driver was actually early, because it was Monday and he wanted to beat the traffic.

"Did you take your assignment?" Junior asked as I closed the door, I looked around and realized that I didn't. He sighed and got out of the car, only to be met by mom at the door carrying the assignment. He kissed her cheek as he grabbed the assignment and ran back to the car, we waved and left for school leaving mom to clean up the house before leaving for work.

One of her biggest flexes was being an independent woman, she was self-employed and did things her way. She allowed us to dream but most times made us work for our money too. Dad was the spoiler, if he were to have his way, we would get a thousand rand pocket money every month. But unfortunately, mom would never allow that. Not by a chance.

"Bhuti, please pick me up at 3 pm today, I have sport from 1 pm to 3 pm" Mumu smiled at our driver.

"Okay Musa, Junior?"

"Uhm, I'll have to check my timetable bhuti, I'm not sure," Junior answered grabbing his bag, distracted because his friends were already waiting for him.

"I'll be ready by 3 bhuti, I have no activities today," I answered before he even asked.

"Alright then, I'm fetching everyone by 3 pm. Junior, you better be here."

My brother laughed as he walked away, I walked with Musa first, her classes were in the next yard. Once she saw her friends she said it was okay, I could leave. I walked back up the street to my own class and joined my friends that were sitting on the stairs gossiping. Early in the morning.

*****

SIYAMBONGA JUNIOR NTABENI

I guess growing up in a house full of other children and actually sharing a birthday with someone else taught me how to be selfless at a very young age. I wasn't the only boy child, there was Undiphile as well, but I was older and so it came naturally for me to want to protect him and Mumu at all times. Fortunately for Princess and me, Musa was our responsibility during school times and it was only because her school was next door to ours. We had the same driver, and sometimes we've had to pick her up from school and make her wait with us, in our school, and she enjoyed that. She never complained. Undiphile rode with mom, he was a bit young and so he was her full-time responsibility but most times when mom was working out of town maybe for a week or so, bhut'Masixole would take Undi to school and we would have a sleep-in helper for that duration. On bhut'Masixole, he was a cool guy. When mom introduced him to us we were all taken aback, because just like any other child, we hoped our parents would fix things and get back together. She had sat Princess and I down about where things stood between her and dad, so we knew, but we also hoped. We just hoped they'd get back together.

"Your dad and I have agreed that it would be better this way, I know it's not what any of you wants to hear right now but it's the reality of things. We are divorced and we are not going to fix things, we have both moved on with our lives, and we would like you as our children to get along with both our respective partners," she said, holding both our hands.

"There are respective partners already?" Princess asked.

"Ewe baby, your dad and I have been divorced for three years now."

"Oh, so when are we meeting your respective partner?" I asked smiling and mom chuckled.

"You've met him already," she responded smiling back.

"We have?" we both asked and she nodded, I looked at Princess and her lightbulb went on. We both looked at mom, jaws dropped.

"u Bhut'Masixole?" We asked at the same time.

"Yes, ubhut Masixole is my respective partner."

We all went silent, it wasn't the awkward type of silence, but it was as though all of us were allowing that to sink in. I cleared my throat,

"So, does dad know about him?" I asked.

"Yes he does, I had to tell him. Your dad and I do communicate from time to time."
"That's great, well mna mama I am happy when you're happy." Princess jumped in.

And from there, we acknowledged that we had another male figure in the house. He later got introduced to everyone, the little two loved him but Undiphile was like his own child. They had this inseparable bond and it was beautiful to witness. A year later, bhuti Masixole asked mom to marry him, well he asked our permission first. Princess and I made him wait for an entire three months before we gave him the go-ahead. Princess suggested that she said she wanted to see how resilient he could be and he proved himself to be worthy so we gave him permission.

We had just been dropped off by our driver at school, Princess had walked Musa to her school and I was with the boys when dad called. We spoke for a second,

"So, how are you guys? How are your siblings?" dad asked, he sounded chirpier than usual.

"We're okay dad, when are you coming back? We miss you."
"That's why I'm calling you so early, I'll be there in three days," he said, still excited.

"You're not pulling my leg now are you?"

He laughed, I knew he wasn't pulling my leg. I ran out of my class and went to look for Princess at the stairs leading to her class, which was their usual spot in the mornings. She saw me first and came to me, I pulled her arm to a quieter place and then put the phone on speaker for both of us to hear.

"Dad, come on," I said, trying to get him to talk without leading him.

"I'm not pulling your leg, my flight has just been confirmed, I'll see you guys in three days."

Princess looked at me and then we both screamed,

"Is that Princess? Hey baby?"
"Dad, yhu! Andisavuyi" she excitedly answered, hugging me.

"Kuvuya mna, I cannot wait to see Mumu and Undi."
"Be warned, Undi knows ubhut'Masixole as his dad," I said, and Princess nudged my ribs with an elbow.

"It's okay, he'll catch on. I don't really mind that," dad answered, Princess looked at me confused and I shrugged.

"You don't?" she asked dad, still looking at me.

"I don't, he's more present than I am. Undi calling him dad doesn't change the fact that I am his dad, and I'm pretty sure we can work around that, don't worry yourselves about it. Just don't tell Musa, I want to surprise her."
"Our lips are sealed, but wait, you did tell mom? Right?" I asked, looking at Princess.

"Yes I just spoke to her, she said you guys had left home already."

"Oh okay, see you in three days ke tata, the bell is ringing so we have to go."

"Okay bye, love you guys."
"We love you too."

We hung up and ran our separate ways, we might have been inseparable but when we got to high school the teachers put us in different classes because we were natural competitors. We were always number ones, or the top two, the difference being one point.