ILLECEBROUS

3

✓ILLECEBROUS 3

NOLUKHANYO NGONDO
Ray: Hey honey.
Me:"I am going to be late honey". Where were you?
Ray:I-
Me: Meeting with your other pregnant wife right?
Ray:I thought we agreed on this.
Me: Because I had no choice plus I can't have kids.
A knock echoed.
Me:Come in.
Sesethu walked in.
Sesethu:Good morning rakgadi.,Uncle Ray. Uhm Grandma is looking for everyone.
Me: I'll be right there sweetheart.
She walked out.
Me:Get dressed, we're going to a convention.
Ray: You didn't tell me that.
Me: If you had arrived on time you would have known,not when everyone was sleeping. Who was going to tell you?The sleep?
Ray: You have really lost all your respect for me-
Me:Ohh I did the moment I realised how fast you wanted to replace me dear. Chop chop,Mom hates late comers.
I grabbed my hat and walked out of the room. Smanga walked out at the same time,we looked at each other and grinned. Denise stood there watching us but this time it was different,she looked curious. Smanga walked down the stairs as I stood waiting for Ray,Denise walked to me.
Denise: Would you tell me if Smanga was cheating on me?
Me:Where is that coming from?
Denise:Or you would protect him because he's your brother?
Me: I am definitely sure he wouldn't tell me.
Denise:Yet every time he disappears he's been with you, I have come to notice that. I don't know why you would help your brother to cheat on his family.
Me:Well you should start asking yourself not me, you keep saying my brother,my brother yet somehow somewhere you think I owe you loyalty. Honey you married him or me?I owe you nothing,if he's not happy with you anymore then I will support his decision. Til then don't ever think I am some skwiza,move slender.
I walked past,at least she thought I was helping him whereas I wasn't. Everyone sat on their chairs.
Mom:Thimna?
Thimna:Nice to meet you Granny. You do not look a day over 30 though. Are you sure you didn't adopt all these old people calling you Mom?
Everyone laughed.
Mom:I don't know what to say about that but they are my kids.
Thimna:Highly doubt it.
Mom: You are just like your mother.
Thimna:Why did she leave?
Mom:Why don't you ask her?
Thimna:She refuses to tell me anything including my father.
Vuyo:How old are you?
Thimna:My father must be one of the reasons she left.
Me:He was old,looks like a grandfather right now. You look just like him.
Silence.
Mom: Let's eat.
Me:Honey find Mzi Mhlekwa, that's your father.
Everyone gasped.
Mom: Nolukhanyo a moment!
Me:If you sleep with married men as a teenager then dear you are just like her.
I got up and walked to my mother,Dolly sat with her eyes looking down.
Me:I am not done yet dear Dolly.
As I turned,a hand connected with my face,I jumped as I looked at my mother.
Mom: You will never do that at my table or I will hit you again.
Me:The truth that your favourite child disappointed you and I must be hit?
Mom:I have a favourite child too?
Me: Everyone knows that Dolly had always been your favourite child, you are not even talking about how she stood in front of our church and called you a witch. How she poisoned me and my baby because I threatened to tell you the truth about the fact she was sleeping with her own principal. That is your little angel,I lost my baby by the way Dolly. You will find me at church.
I walked out.
__________________________________
PASTOR BOKAMOSO
I took deep breaths and turned, everyone looked astonished and Dolly looked like she was going to faint.
Me: Finish up so we can leave.
Thimna: You are evil!
She ran out of the house,I sighed.
Me:I expect everyone at church!Smanga push your father.
I was frustrated as I walked to the car.
Elijah: Pastor Mothibakgomo.
Me:Tell your son that I want everyone in church, willing or not.
Elijah:Yes Mme.
Me:Argh.
I got in the car and sat down.
Me:I am not letting these kids get to me ever.
I started the car,as I was about to drive the passenger door opened and Dolly got in. I drove. There were times,I asked myself how is it possible for my own child to do what she did?Was I suppose to stand by and watch her ruin her life with an older man?Was I suppose to pretend that she wasn't capable of murder?The youngest child ,per culture is always the little angel but mine proved otherwise. Dating an older man could have been forgiven but she went and told the whole church that I was a witch,a vile and evil woman. Last straw was when she poisoned Khanyo for telling the truth who was expecting her first child. I lost all the forgiveness I had in my heart,it was true I didn't know my own child as much as I thought. I looked at her as she stared into space,I wanted to hug but as more I looked at her, I remembered everything she's done. It's like it played over and over again.
Me: Running is not going to change anything, pretending that you didn't do what you did isn't going to change anything.
Dolly:Now everyone knows what I did.
Me:How long were you planning to hide the truth Dolly?
Dolly:Til I die.
Me: You are just like your father, always thinking that running away is the solution. You think that you can hurt people and get away with it,look at him. He thought he could just take everything from and look at where he landed.
I gripped the steering.
Dolly:Mom?
Me: It's so full,I can feel it.
Dolly: Feel what?
I parked the car and grabbed my purse,walked out.
Me: Your duty is to make sure that the kids and your siblings are here.
Dolly: What?!
Me:You heard me. Ohh Sister Lumka!
I followed her.
Sister Lumka: Pastor Bokamoso I almost thought you were going to be late.
Me: Everyone is here?
Sister Lumka:All branches along with their pastors are here, your chair is rea-is that Dolly?
Me: Hopefully you put my chair in the middle?
Sister Lumka:Ohh yes yes.
Me: Archbishop Pele?
Sister Lumka: He'll be right next to you.
Me:Mhm.
I walked past her and walked inside the hall,I greeted few of my church members and walked to my chair. Archbishop Pele shifted uncomfortable as I walked past him and sat on my chair.
Me: Don't be so uncomfortable Archbishop,I won't bite.
_________________________________
DENISE
We sat in the car in silence.
Lihle:Very awkward day.
Anele:Tell me about it.
Lihle:At least now we know why this tension.
Anele:Dolly still looks like a saint besides Khanyo,well Khanyo is a whole angel.
Me:As if.
Anele:What is that suppose to mean?
Me:Our dear sister in-law is covering up for Smanga's dating.
Anele:Or she's the one sleeping with him.
Lihle:Heh?!
Anele: That's why they fought last night,Themba told me exactly what Vuyo and Smanga were talking about.
Me: You are joking right.
Lihle: She's not.
Me: That's impossible, there's no way she's sleeping with my husband.
Lihle:I did tell you stupid woman that she's so dense,she wouldn't believe that.
Me:I am the one who is dense?The hell?
Lihle:Are you trying to tell me that you never noticed that your husband sleeps with his half sister? It's either you are slow or just plain stupid.
Me: You are not calling me stupid.
Lihle:I am calling the wind stupid dear.
Anele:Guys now you know the truth,why are you fighting?
Lihle: She's in a wrong zone,thinks we're making things up.
Me:No,it can't be. Maybe he's just sharing a bed with her not that. It's his sister.
Lihle:The sky is yellow!incest is the name you stu-
Anele:Thembelihle stop it!
Me:No,no,it can't be happening to me.
It all started making sense as I realised that all the signs were there and I didn't know. I sat shaking on the chair.
Me:No marn. It's impossible.
Lihle: They just shared sex girl.
Anele:Lihle slow down.
Lihle:I am not running.
Anele: You are something else uyezwa?
Lihle: Fabulous I know.