THE HEIRESS

CHAPTER XXXII

I am woken up by a call from dad. Apparently my brother, Thobani, is at home and has an urgent matter he wants to discuss with me. He crossed provinces this early in the morning and didn't even bother calling my phone? Whatever that's bothering him must be very urgent. I get up, put on my tracksuits and ride a bike home. I will deal with Will later on.

When I get home, I find mom waiting at the door with an unimpressed facial expression. I know it's because of the bike. She considers it a very unsafe mode of travel because of the danger one can be put under because of it, but it's faster and more convenient if you are rushing to get to your destination.

"Hey ma. Where is Thobani?" I side hug her, already rushing inside. I come to a halt on the lounge doorway when my eyes land on Thobani. But he is not alone. He is with a cute woman in her late twenties and two pretty kids. "Mtakababa, what's going on?" I ask from the doorway, afraid to walk in. I'm no coward but this feels all too weird.

Thobani smiles, but it's fake. Yeah, something is definitely going on. "Hey. Sorry for dropping in unannounced like this. I had nowhere else to go." Yeah, it's serious. "This is my wife, Gouta; my son, Lamula and my daughter, Landile. There is an urgent matter that brought us here. Can we talk somewhere privately?" He states getting up.
"Is this my aunt?" The little girl asks, getting up from the couch and coming to stand before me. "So are you my new aunt?" I chuckle and nod. "I am pleased to finally meet you." She extends her hand and I shake it. Such impeccable manners.
"I would like a hug though." I bend down and hug her. She hugs me back with her tiny arms. She is so adorable. "How was your trip here? Was it fun?" She shrugs.

"It was my first time riding a plane. It wasn't that much fun as I hoped it would be, but..." She shrugs. She seems like quiet the character. I would love to spend some time with her. I go over to Lamula and also hug him.
"How are you doing, my knight?"
"My legs don't work but other than that, I am okay." My whole spine freezes. Is he disabled? But Thobani never mentioned that before.

"That's what brought us here. Can we talk now?" Thobani startles me and I squeeze Lamula's hand before following Thobani out. I lead him to a small dining area and close the door once we are inside. I sit down and he remains standing.
"What is going on, bhuti? What was that all about?"
"Two weeks back my wife woke me up, weeping. She complained about Lamula's legs. When I got to him, I discovered that suddenly they were not working. I took him to the hospital and they did not find anything wrong with him. I had to force them to do three x-rays and they all came out the same, with no sign of damages. I seeked second opinion and the result was the same. Then I remembered what you said about me introducing the kids to the Ntombela ancestors and I think this has something to do with it. I mean Amos has joined their ranks and he trying to fuck me over from his grave." I swallow hard and try to process what he just told me.

Ancestors have a way of communicating with the living and sometimes it involves drastic actions. It's just that they never go for their actual target. They always go for the weak link. It's true what they say, sins of the fathers fall upon the kids. In this instant, sins of Amos have come back for his grandkids. There is only person who I know that can assist us with a way forward and that's Ncane but last time I checked she was on a vacation with deputy minister Muzi. I hope they are back now.

I stand up and head over to the house phone on the table near the window. I dial her number and it rings a few times before she decides to answer it.

"Who is dying?" She asks and I chuckle.
"No one but someone might die if you extend that vacation of yours. We need you back, ma."
She scoffs and I hear some shuffling in the background before a door closes on her end. "Shoot. What's up? And this had better be worth it."
"Thobani, my older brother, is here. He came with his family. His son has somehow been crippled over night and the western medication has not helped with anything. What can we do?"

"Ohh, that. You need to go to the Ntombela household in KZN, have one of those useless uncles of yours hold a ceremony for you all. It has to be one big ceremony with you, your other illegitimate siblings and their kids. You uncle should introduce you all to the Ntombela ancestors and after that, he has to pay damages to each and every one of you with the cows that Amos left in their custody. If he doesn't want to, all the cows will die one by one until no cow is left in the kraal. Anyways the ceremony has to be done next Saturday, so get to work my beloved daughter and good luck. The kid will be fine even before the ceremony is over." She hangs up, leaving me shocked. This woman just delivered these news with such a chilled voice, not caring how they were going to make me feel. She is really turning on a new leaf and not in a good way if I may add.

"What's going on?" Thobani asks as soon as I place the phone down. 
I go back to my seat. "Come sit." He sighs but eventually comes to sit next to me. "That was ncane on the call. She said we should head to the Ntombela household and ask one of Amos's brothers to hold a ceremony for us. He should introduce all of us to the Ntombela ancestors and after that, pay damages to our families with Amos's cows."

He scoffs. "Let's just forget about that damages thing. Everyone in that family is unhinged, greedy and they only care about themselves. You know how much actual damages cost?" I shake my head. "You have to bring one cow for the mother, one cow for the father and a goat to cleanse the yard. You think these Ntombela bastards are going to agree to something that doesn't benefit them? That's what? 12 cows and 4 goats? Seems like a pipe dream to me."

"Ncane did say that if they refuse us, the cows will die one by one until there is nothing left."
He rolls his eyes. "You think they will believe that?"
"Well one of the clauses in the will did say they should do ceremonies for us whether they like it or not, so it seems like they don't have a choice in the matter. And the ceremony is in Saturday. My only ally in the Ntombela household is lying in a hospital bed because of me. Everything is going sideways."
"How is Nozizwe doing, by the way?"
"I think she woke up last night. She said some inaudible things and then went back to sleep. I hope she will be fine before the ceremony arrives. I think Aneliswa can help me."

"She is only a kid. I have Mpande's number and I think he can assist us as soon as possible. I will contact him and we can get on with the planning as soon as possible."
I nod. "Have you visited Lamula Security ever since you took over the reigns?"
He shakes his head. "Sethulo has been helping me with that. With everything that's going on and the transition, I don't have time to take care of Amos's businesses."
"That's not the attitude you should have towards Lamula Security. If I acted like that towards MT, then Simo would've turned it into his play ground. None of these changes are easy, believe me. But Amos is dead now. You need to stop thinking about him and start thinking about the living people. Your staff members, your clients and your kids. Nothing you do can spite Amos right now, well maybe except for shitting on his grave. But I think that's illegal, right?"

He chuckles. "Am I getting life advice from someone 11 years younger than me?"
"Hey, I am wiser than my age and I think I am the only one with balls enough to tell you to man up. Life has been unkind towards us for quite sometime but now all that is about to change. Think about your kids. You want them to have a life where they can have anything they want, right? That R100m won't be there in twenty years but Lamula Security will be there and it can be their legacy. Be wise, brother."

***

When we get to the hospital later that day, we find Nozizwe in a much better condition. For starters, she is sitting up and Aneliswa is feeding her some soup. She still looks like death, but lesser now. Sizwele, Mthobisi and Ntombi are also here. Nozizwe looks up and she smiles when she sees us. I am with Thobani and Amahle. Sne couldn't come. He said he doesn't do hospitals and I thought he was joking but turns out he wasn't. He said he would rather play puzzles with the kids.

"How are you doing, imposter?" I ask and she chuckles but ends up coughing. "Maybe lay off on the laughing for a few weeks." She rolls her eyes but smiles nonetheless.
"I'm fine." Her voice comes out scratchy and Aneliswa shooshes her.
"No talking. You heard what the doctor said. You need to keep your energy. She only does sign languages for now." Aneliswa seems to be the new spokesperson.

"I am glad that you are doing okay now. I was worried sick about you. I even left the party early last night because I couldn't do fake smiles anymore." She pouts and I snort. "Anyways, now that you are awake, we have a family emergency." And so it begins.