Phakade Lami (My Forever)

Chapter 26 "Misplaced Glory"

“Something nice never comes easy, you have to fight for it, forcefully...If you want it to become yours”. ~ George Osumba (D)

Chapter 26.

Zimele and his brothers who are now in their changed clothes along with their Aunt and Malume, are seated on the patio of this very beautiful section in the lodge.

“It’s because we have no father or mother to actually fight for us or make decisions for us, that’s why that old witch from that house will dare to pour on me... me, a whole Nkosi dirty water.... Hai shame... I’ve gone soft, he says as he claps his heads in anger.

“Actually they is no need for that Nkosi, we have to come up with a way forward, if they don’t want with their son, then it’s fine but our daughter comes back, we can pay damages and have our daughter right within her father’s house,” Aunt Nokubonga says as she folds her arms.

“I will do no such a thing and you know it Aunt, I love him and God above knows that I care for him and treat him more than just a person, I mean if we look at it well... he has been a blessing to me and us, he has set a good example to the entire family, so if we lose him, what will happen to us,” Zimele says looking at everyone that is surrounding him.

“Well I have come to a decision as the eldest son of the family, we will proceed with the negotiations and have both Ma and Buhle back in our family, where they rightfully belong,” Mabutho says bringing a smile to Zimele’s face.

“But the problem lies with the grandmother, I mean what’s her problem... she knows how to make a person very... very angry,” Nganono says.

“Well, that my boys is nothing but a small price that you have to pay to get what you want, I suggest that we wait a bit until her anger cools down then we will discuss, because at this rate she clearly has some entitlement in her and people like that... are very hard to live or work with,” Malume says as he looks at them, making Zimele to stand up and leave the place slowly, whilst whistling.

Meanwhile Hector is slowly moving up and down with Buhle in his arms, when he gets a visitor that slowly knocks on the door, with the sound of keys as if someone is trying to open the door, that his grandmother had locked him in, since the arrival of Zimele’s family in the morning as it is now in the afternoon.
He tells the person to come in as he slowly puts Buhle on the bed, and slowly Kedibone and Morena enter, and quickly shut the door behind them in a slow manner, to avoid creating noise for their grandmother.
He smiles as he sees them playing around with Buhle and slowly tears start to stream out his eyes, as he remembers the embarrassment that his grandmother caused him earlier on with Zimele and his family.

“Why are you crying,” Kedibone asks.
“Well because of my misfortune, every time when I want to get near my happiness and success, it gets taken away from me... why... why,” he says with tears.

“Don’t cry... everything will be fine... grandmother has been like this since we came here and when Mama joined us... It was just that... Hell but not at us, we are actually along the lines of ‘being’ okay,” Morena says as he slowly moves next to Hector and talk about how tall he is becoming, well he is not the only one on a marathon run, even Prince who is now 9 years old, he is super tall but not Sudan tall.

“I know and I can see that but shouldn’t you guys be somewhere else, like doing something with yourselves, it’s a one week holiday before schools open for the last and final term,” he says as he wipes his tears away.

“Well we came here to inform you that someone is outside and they would like to speak to you, you could have gone with Buhle but like your mother said, we can’t be taking her outside every single time, it’s not good for her health,” Kedibone says, making Hector confused.

“What do you mean someone is outside,” he says.

“Uncle Zimele is outside,” she says as she carries Buhle from the bed and places her on her laps and as for Hector, he quickly sneaks out with the help of Morena, who escorts him through the small gate, that is connected between them and the neighbours house, and from there he ends up on the dusty streets of their neighbourhood, with Zimele’s car packed a few houses from their main house.

Zimele immediately smiles as he sees Hector approaching the car and as he enters the car, before Hector can say, Zimele immediately cuts in with a kiss, after all he hasn’t seen him in almost two days.

“How’s my daughter, the first female child of the family,” he says with a smile showing those dimples, making Hector to smile, I mean this is his man and the man that he loves, despite the dozens flaws that accompanies him, it’s his man.
“She’s fine but I don’t have all day, so talk, what do you want... I don’t want my grandmother to find me outside here,” he says with his eyes fixed outside through the window.
“I just wanted to see you and feel the smile off you again and brush my self in your comfort,” he says with a smile, oh my gosh those dimples again.
“Well you have seen me... can I go now... I can’t take anymore time, I left Buhle with Kedibone, it could get messy when she starts crying,” he says.
“I know but I also know that...” he stops when he sees someone familiar approaching their car and it’s not Hector’s grandmother, thank God, only the Almighty knows what she was going to come out with this time, maybe a knife or metal stick but anyways it’s Hector’s notorious cousin, his father is the traditional mediator that is always at conflict with his mother, Uncle Lucas.
He knocks on the window of the car and Hector slowly brings it down, and like I said he is notorious and well-known for having 5 children with 3 young women, from where he came from and that is Polokwane, his father came with him because he knows the type of person he would be, if he left him behind and don’t ask about his mother, we don’t know where she is, and by we, I mean you and me.
Hector last saw him many years ago, and by then he was much better but now he looks different, like very different.

“So Zimele, you finally decided to marry in my family and marry my own cousin, what were you thinking and what’s worse you have made me an uncle... at such young age,” he says.

“Wait... just wait... you guys know each other,” he says with his mind clearly in confusion.

“Know each other, Hector my baby brother... this man sitting next to you, was my best friend in school, have you forgotten that I studied in Johannesburg and I even stayed with you guys before coming back to Limpopo,” he says.

“How are you doing, it’s been years and you now look different,” Zimele says with a smile.

“I know that I look different and it’s been years, if not decades,” he says as he reaches out his hand to greet Zimele.

“Well that’s my cue, I have to leave before my grandmother comes,” Hector says as he is about to leave, making Zimele to quickly stop him.

“Fine, you can go but please make sure that you call me... I want to speak to my daughter,” and with that Hector slowly leaves the car, leaving behind his cousin with Zimele.

--------------------------------------------------

It’s a Friday night, a weekend before schools open for Kedibone and Morena.
The Masilo household is quiet as usual with almost everyone trying to avoid MmeMaputla’s tantrums and I usually feel sorry for Uncle Daniel’s wife, she always gets to face the bad side of her mother in law, who hates her with passion, I rather remain single than have a parent in law that will hate me for absolutely no reason.
I mean what’s up with some Mother in laws and the obsession to make their daughter in law’s suffer for something that is beyond their control, like is she a baby making machine.

“I can see that all of my children have decided to remain angry at me, for not accepting devilish acts in my home, just image how much more can I take, I have a sangoma for a son, a weakling for a son and a daughter that angers me,” she says as she looks at her entire family, when I tell you entire, everyone is squashed up in this living room except for Hector, whom she clearly stated that she doesn’t want to see or hear, and it has been days since she last heard from the Dlaminis.

“I hate it, when you try and act all holier than thou... you act as if we are the reason why you hated your own children... you are nothing but a bothered soul,” Uncle Lucas says with anger clearly sounding in his tone, yes the traditional mediator.

“How dare you insult me like that, have you forgotten that I am your mother, I carried you in my womb for 9 months and a half!!!,” she says with a loud voice, immediately everyone including the tough cousin, the one who’s father is talking, also remains silent.

“You call yourself a mother but you failed to attend your own son’s burial, Jerry died in a foreign province away from family... away from his own blood... that boy buried his father and took care of his siblings... yes problems raised up amongst them but they were never going to get to this point, if you never banned us from attending the funeral, you are not bothered by the fact that Hector wants to get married to a man despite the fact that you know the reason behind his condition as an Intersex person, you are bothered by one thing and that is guilty, you feel bad for dumping your own son, you feel bad for not communicating with him for over many years until his death.
I regret everyday of my life, that I didn’t bury my brother, all because of you,” he says with tears slowly gearing up.

MmeMaputla quickly stands up and looks around at the faces that are starring at her, and before she can leave, Uncle Daniel, the one with a wife that can’t give birth, clears his throat bringing all attention to face him.
“I have only one request from you and that is tomorrow Zimele’s family will be here, and according to tradition, you have no absolute right to be around and lastly our distance uncles and aunts will be here in the morning, so don’t cause drama that will have you landing on the front page of the country’s newspapers, God knows how much Hector has suffered, so if you won’t comply with the conditions given, you are free to take your leave, after all our father never paid your dowry, but he did pay damages before he died because your family refused to collect your bride price, so this is our home and not yours, Home Affairs shouldn’t lie to you,” and with that he slowly takes his leave, leaving everyone shocked as Daniel has never disrespected her in a such way.

Aunt Gloria, her daughter stands up with a smile and moves closer to her, and looks at her from head to toe, before letting out an exhausted sigh.
“They didn’t tell you but they told you, enough is enough Mme, you forced Jerry to marry someone that he didn’t want, robbing my older brother of a chance at true love, now you want to repeat the same mistake with Hector, may our ancestors and the God that lives above forbid it,” she slowly takes her leave with her mug that she has secretly poured for herself, some alcohol.

Meanwhile Uncle Daniel is outside and is on the phone with Aunt Nokubonga, who is with Malume.
“You can come tomorrow and will we see what we can do,” he says.
“No problem, my dear brother... tomorrow they will be there first thing in the morning,” she says quickly cutting the call and turning to Malume, who in turn is shouting with happiness as if one that has watched the World Cup and his team that he has been rooting for, has just won.
Zimele and the others join them, asking them that what is the reason behind their happiness and that’s when they’re get told that tomorrow is the negotiations day for the Lobola.
Immediately they all start screaming and shouting with joy as if they have just won the lotto and as for Lerato, who has been staying at the lodge with Mukuna by Hector’s order, sees that they is something off about Nkosi, who is only smiling but looks like he is hiding something and the next question that comes to her head, is that where is Ziyanda.

Well Ziyanda is in the bathroom of their bedroom, sitting down in the shower with blood everywhere and I tell you based on what I have seen, they is blood on the floor, they is blood on the walls of this bathroom and they is blood coming out of her nose.
Well the fight started like this, Nkosi wanted to have his usual way with her but she refused to do what he had asked of her and with that she moved to the bathroom and slammed the door in anger, as she rained curses on him.
She removed her clothes and let the warm water flow upon her body that has a lot of marks and let’s not forget again, how decoloured she has become.
She had recently done her braids with the help of Harriet, as to how they got the braids in the middle of nowhere, whilst at the lodge, well that is by the special grace of God.
A cold hand entered in the shower and it landed on her arm and immediately she was pulled out of the shower and as she was about to fall, he grabbed her by her upper body, making her shower cap to fall out and he placed her on the cold floor after which he began to hit her and kick her in the belly with Ziyanda placing her hands on her face, I mean he can hit the already battered body but not the face, she won’t allow that, so she closed her face throughout the numerous punches and slaps that some kept on landing on her face as she tried to hide her face, and he kept on pulling out, her braids.
She could have screamed but no she wanted to serve her punishment and they was no use, as she could scream but the noise from the television in the room and the shower that was still running, would have done absolutely nothing but add more beatings to her body.

He walked out of the bathroom after washing his hands, when he heard Aunt Nokubonga and Malume screaming as if they had won the lotto, and if you were to see his face then you see that he is satisfied with himself in a way.
Ziyanda sits in the shower 🚿 and she is shaking with fear, when the bathroom door slowly opens and Nkosi comes back in, and turns off the shower as his foot steps in the pool of blood that is on the floor, and speaking of blood, this blood can’t be from the nose 👃, I mean it more than just tiny blood, it’s a lot but anyways he is sits on the toilet sits and looks at Ziyanda, who has buried her face into her wet braids that are going over her face.

“I hate beating you up but because you wanted to behave like a young child, failing to serve your punishment, for killing people that were close to me... the people that I loved... If you ever try this again... I will personally bury you in the same spot, where you buried my fiancé and kill you with the gas that killed Hector’s younger brother and no one will ever find you... trust me,” and with that he takes one of the towels, and moves to the room, and slowly places it on the bed, after which he comes back and carries her, and places her on the bed, where he placed the towel.

He fetches another towel, and wipes the water away from her braids and after which covers her the blanket, and then moves to clean the bathroom, after forcing her to drink some painkillers with some very cold water, that I swear that maybe it came out of the freeze.
She sleeps there with tears in her eyes, that keep on streaming like a river, I mean should she kill herself and get the peace that she wants because wow, like wow this is not supposed to be happening to her, a once feared and smart woman, being reduced to this, where is her power and her voice, the street smart Ziyanda.
She tries to fall asleep but the pain is getting worse, and it’s her belly that is giving her the unnecessary pains and slowly pushing an unwanted headache that she feels like she won’t be able to fall asleep anytime soon, so she just lies there and waits for sleep to come.

It’s the Saturday of the Lobola negotiations and to say that MmeMaputla is not in it, would be an understatement to the fact that she has locked herself in her room, with the pictures of her children surrounding her.
Well as for the entire yard, it’s busy for my absolute liking and they is everyone, absolutely everywhere and let’s not talk about the drama that Hector’s cousin caused, when he was asked to open the gate for his potential in-laws, he brought with him a mat and placed it right in front of the gate and he made them fork out 😣 R5000, which Zimele told them to just pay, so that they can gain access to the house, I always said that Hector’s cousin was a thief dressed in causal clothes.
Hector’s uncles along with some of his granduncles, who came as others refused to come, have been in the living room for over 3 Hours and it’s making Hector nervous as he is afraid that his grandmother might do something to ruin his life and that of his child, who hasn’t seen her father in days.

“I have no absolute problem with your lekau taking my son, it’s what they both want... Isn’t it... to be together and to love one another,” Uncle Lucas says as he looks around in his modern sangoma outfit.

“But,” asks Nganono.

He looks at Zimele’s family members who are seated in the living room with Nkosi, slowly becoming impatient, I mean they came to pay the dowry and not to be questioned, this isn’t the interrogation room.
“As the first son of this family, I will not send my son to a house that is misplaced,” he says.
“What are you talking about, can you at least get to the point,” Nkosi says, already irritated.

“Don’t rush me... do you want to get physical now, I am not her and besides this for your benefit and that of my son, you can pay the dowry but according to my culture... since you are the one that is marrying Hector and not the other way around, he will have to be taken to your home and your home is not in Johannesburg but in Nqamakwe,” he says looking at them as they all remain silent, and this is not the first time they’re hearing this and over the period of time, they had chosen not to pay attention to it, especially since they saw no use of going there as their father, the one with the tiniest knowledge of the place’s whereabouts, is dead.
They completely pay the Lobola and it’s not more than R90K but Hector’s family says that until they go back to Nqamakwe, they will be no way on earth, that he will accept or take his husband’s surname and as for their daughter, she won’t be regarded as Zimele’s daughter, until they go back to Nqamakwe.
Hector is beyond happy about the fact that his Lobola has been paid and though with conditions that are going against his culture, he is happy that he will be with the person that he loves to death.

Zimele is told to come inside and finally he sees the insides of the house that is harbouring the love of his life and his daughter.
MmeMoichela even noticed that Hector is busy stealing glances at Zimele, who is sitting at the same table with his uncles and Aunt Gloria, who has made herself the receiver of whatever gifts that were given to Hector’s mother.
Shame my boy 😂 Hector is so in love with this Zulu man that has some hidden Xhosa blood in him and I’m personally happy for him because he is going to be part of a very weird family that lives in a world of crime and kills people that mess with him and anyone for that matter.
Hector brings to them Buhle, who was crying but suddenly remind quiet when her father carried her, with all of the brothers including Mukuna and Aunt Nokubonga joining to see the beauty that this small young girl carries, that is somehow similar to that of their mother.
“Thank you for bringing Nomashenge back, you are truly a blessing,” Mabutho says as he takes Buhle from Zimele’s arms, if only they knew, ‘misplaced glory’.
Before they all leave, Hector hands to them two huge pots that have food.
“I know the Lodge won’t do justice to you and the people that you left behind... after all being hungry runs in the family, most especially for Harriet who is breastfeeding,” he says with a smile, making them to chant his name as if they’re in a stadium.
As they pack the pots in the car that they came with, Hector looks at the way Zimele is looking at his daughter and the love that they have for each other.
“So what are we going to do about the conditions that my family gave you, I mean you have paid for everything but you still can’t have me or our daughter,” Hector’s says.
He doesn’t answer, instead he does the opposite, he continues to look at his daughter and the smiles, oh my gosh, this girl even Inherited the weird dimples that the father has, shame she looks like their mother.

Hector remains quiet but not for long.

“If you want me to be called your “Husband/wife” then you are going to have to go and make things right in Nqamakwe or else I will be like my grandmother... damages paid but no recognition and as for your daughter, she will grow up as a Masilo,” he says as if with an intend for his words to physically punch him.
He continues to look at the baby with his face a bit sadder and without blinking he let’s out s sigh that comes with a tiny tear, Hector is hurt but he knows that this is the only way for him to be formally recognised in the family that  wants to marry him.

Now they is another dark side to Limpopo and many fear it with passion as this dark side carries a lot of dangerous acts, and when I mean ‘acts’, man they is witchcraft of the highest order and that’s from a person that has been to Limpopo, now what about the people that stays there, they live in the lion’s  den.
At a back yard of a very beautiful house lies a small hut that for me, looks out of place considering the fact that this house right in front of it, is magnificent in it’s own right.
In this small hut, we can see MmeMaputla moving up and down, as if she is waiting for someone to come and when the door slowly opens, it reveals a very old woman that tells her to sit down and as she sits down, the old woman looks at her, with an examining eye.

“What do you want here again, I thought you chose the Christian side of life, you wanted the light right, now what the heck do you want from me,” she says with anger clearly written on her face.
“We have been friends for many years and you have assisted me, in many ways but as I tell you now, I am at crossroads... my own children want to throw me away, all because of my grandson... I’m about to lose a position that I have fought for,” she says with a sad face, making me ‘not’ to feel sorry for her.
“Unfortunately I can’t assist, the spirits had already revealed to me of your problems but since their centred around a person that is protected with powerful magic as old as the times of Khama, Sebele and Bathoen... and it doesn’t end there, anyone that dares to tamper with his destiny faces a lot of calamities,” she says with her eyes wide open, and with the way her face is structured, I swear that this woman could have been related to Lucifer or was there when he was being beaten by the son of the most high.

“Don’t act like that, I have been loyal to you and despite the fact that I changed... I was still loyal to you, and think about the sacrifices that I have done for you, I gave you my son’s sperms on a sliver plate... I have been generous... now help me this time,” she says as she looks straight into the woman’s eyes.

“Fine, I will help you but I must warn you... when this backfires, it’s on your head... and I mean it... it’s on your head,” she says as she fetches the clay pot near the wall, bringing it right in front of her and her small statues.
“As you can see, I wash my hands... whatever that will happen to you, is not my business... it will and must affect you alone,” she says as she takes her hands out of the pot and from there, MmeMaputla only smiles as she clears her throat.
“I have accepted your conditions, now do you job of which I will gladly pay for as I, will not be dethroned, I refuse that,” she says with her eyes glued to the old woman.

©All Rights Reserved By George Osumba.
2022.