Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called

Chapter Fifty-Five

-Two days later

I sat across Junior with Undi on my lap and Musa just sitting quietly next to us. We were alone, umama was arrested, well, she handed herself over when she went to hear what the Lieutenant wanted to tell her. She was in the holding cells and we were just sitting there, waiting for her lawyers to fetch us and take us to a safe home.

Musa: Why can't we go to dad's house?
Siya: Because you will die there!
Me: Hayi Siya!
Siya: What? They almost ate poison phaya, how sure are we ukuba lamfazi katata wabo won't succeed this time around?

I sighed, he was upset, but he didn't have to tell Musa all those things. She was too young to understand what was going on, let alone figure out why anyone would want to feed her poison. I looked at her and smiled,
Me: Mom said we will be safer kulendawo sizosiwa kuyo, and no, we cannot go to dad's house. But I'm pretty sure he'll find a way to come and see us.
Musa: Okay.

And that was the end of it.
Two officers, mom's lawyer, and two ladies later rocked up at our front door. One of the ladies introduced herself as Larissa and, I caught the older one's name as they were talking as Simangele. They were both in their thirties, or Larissa could be in her late twenties, and they seemed like they were kind people.

Fred: We have organized your stay with Kungomusa Children's Home, owned by these two ladies. We specifically asked them to come here because we felt you guys would feel safer knowing the type of people who will be taking care of you in your mother's absence. I see your bags are packed already, your mother's lawyer has a few words to pass by your two so in the meantime, these cuties can come with me.

Musa held on tightly to my hand, Junior nodded at her and she slowly let go and went to take Fred's hand. Undi was fast asleep, so he was easy to carry to the car. The ladies carried our bags out while we sat down with mom's lawyer, Jerome Nkosiphendule Yahkhonja.

Siya: First things first, when is mom coming home?

I shot him a death stare, umntu wabantu handed even sat down and he was already firing him with questions. We didn't even know what he wanted us to talk about, haibo, chill!

Mr. Yahkhonja: We don't know as yet, we still have to wait for the judge to give us a date to appear in court, but don't worry yourself about that. What I want us to talk about are your options, see I have spoken to your mother and she doesn't want you and your siblings anywhere near your dad or granddad, hence we have organized the home for you guys. But, with that said, as I have also told her, these homes aren't necessarily safe-havens. It would be best if you guys stayed with family instead.
Siya: Well Mr. Yahkhonja, that means you have to do a remarkable job in getting mom out of that place because we are our own family, she is our family.
Mr. Yahkhonja: You can call me Jerome, it's fine.
Siya: Jerome.
Me: Can we have your number? It's getting late and I don't want Undi to wake up in a strangers' arms.
Mr. Yahkhonja: Of course, one other thing, please call me anytime you feel unsafe or threatened in whatever way. If anyone, whether at the home or your dad asks for the house keys, tell that person that I have them. They must contact me, make sure that you always have your phone with you, at all times, and do me this one favour, do your mom this one favour, look after your siblings.
Me: Why do you give me the vibes that you KNOW we will not be safe where you guys are taking us? What is it that you know Jerome?
Mr. Yahkhonja: Just... call me, or text.

With that, he walked us out and we locked the door and pretended to give him the key. We walked to his car, he was taking us to the home, our bags were in the other car and the younger ones were with Fred. We got to Kungomusa and the place looked like heaven!!!!!

Siya: Okay Undi is going to like it here.

I smiled, there was a very huge playground with every outdoor game set up you could think of. Even at night, the playground was popping, the colours were out there, in your face. We walked into the house, a very big one. We were walking to the lounge where almost everyone was sitting there watching TV, I could hear other kids playing in the empty room next to the massive lounge.

Sima: Molweeeeni!

The younger ones responded with excitement, but I noted a few teens our age that rolled their eyes at that and kept it moving as though she didn't say anything. That was actually weird.

Sima: Please welcome the Ntabeni siblings into the family, they will be sharing with the Khohlwa's upstairs. Sisanda???

Sisanda stepped forward, she was amongst the teens who had rolled their eyes. She extended her hand to me and faked a smile, I just shook her hand and didn't even return that smile, then she was asked to take us to our room. There were eight beds, they had obviously occupied four and we were going to occupy the other four. The room was big, comfortable, but not home.

Sisanda: Make yourselves at home, iingubo zikula wardrobe i-dark brown. Don't break anything, and don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you.

Siya looked at her ezomphendula and I just nudged his elbow, we couldn't afford to make enemies endaweni sifika. When she closed the door, I breathed and put Undi down, there was one more bag missing so I went to fetch it downstairs ndafika uku Fred, he asked to accompany me to our room because he wanted to make sure we were safe, so I led him. when he had checked whatever he needed to check, he gave us his business card so we could him whenever we needed to speak to him. thereafter, he left.

We sat down, umntu ebhedini yakhe but facing each other. He decided to take the first bed, then we left the two in the middle for Musa and Undi then I took the one against the door...

Me: Asizo last'a apha Siya.
Siya: Ingxaki yethu nguwe at this point.
Me: Mna? What have I done?
Siya: Work your voodoo Princess umama aphume phaya, surely u Ngconde ikhona into awakubonisa yona for such situations? I don't get how you can be able to heal people but ungakwazi ukhupha umama etrongweni and then send izulu to your dads house.
Me: Andithakathi mna Siya.
Siya: Well maybe you need to, just a few tricks to put people in their places. Singade sizobangathi sizinkedama Simbongile? Really?
Me: Kamnandi ke u Ngconde ngu Tamkhulu wakho nawe, uzuthi before ulale umkhwaze umxelele ba sidinga iplan yothumela izulu, neyokhupha umama pha.
Siya: Uva wena latata, khawenze Sim mfondini. Summon eza higher powers zakho...
Me: I'm not even sure we're allowed to use impepho apha, I will ask Sima when we go downstairs.

"You're not allowed to, especially not in this room,"

We looked up, that must have been Sisanda's brother.
The minute my eyes locked with his, I felt dizzy, so I closed my eyes for a second and then opened them. The left side of my face suddenly felt numb, with something cold just at the center of my skull, and then my nose started feeling hot as though I was going to have a nose bleed episode.

Siya: Noted chap, and you are?

He walked back out without answering Siya, Siya looked at me and shrugged.

Siya: Yintoni ngoku wa pale?
Me: Utya ii drugs lona Siya, and he doesn't have much time left.
Siya: Great Simbongile! Just great!

That wasn't excitement, he was fed up!