Ntsumi ka Moreetsi

These Zulu's

As we walk back to the house ,  a man stops us and he greets, Pheko hold my hand stopping me from walking away. “Moreetsi, I wanted to thank you earlier for what you did for me and my brother, I lost my phone with your numbers. This envelope is to say thank you.” The man.
“No bro, it’s nothing really.”Pheko.
“Please, get your son something, I know it’s not much but please accept our token.” The man pleads.
Pheko takes the envelope and the man thanks him, they fistbump then he takes steps to me. Handing me the envelope. I ask to buy ghetto snacks. “You know these are bird food?” Pheko laughs as I eat my coloured popcorn.
“Sir, please go away.” He laughs and shows me his search. Bird food looks like my snack.
“You are back. Rego please call your mother. Oh speak of the devil.” Aunt Koki says answering her phone, which she passes to me.
“Hello.”
“Rego, how are you feeling now? I hope you are not eating red meat.” Mrs Moreetsi.
“I am good mama, we had chicken.” I laugh.
“Okay ausi. I will see you tomorrow.” She hangs up. Pheko and I laugh.
“You really stressed my sister out yesterday.” Aunt Koki. Pheko laughs, his laughter is contagious his cousin and I join him.
“She thought you were joking about the beef, she called me saying you threw a fit.” Aunt Koki.
“She doesn’t take me seriously.” Pheko. We have dinner while chatting, I baby watch the baby while his mother goes outside. The father says his afraid of Pheko, he refuses to come inside. I call babe, I miss him.
“Should I come fetch you?” Babe asks and I laugh.
“Cha Babe, ngsaseright. How are you?”
“I’m good, missing my princess. When are you coming back?”
“I’m good, Sebenzele and her mother are still texting me.”
“When you get back we will humour them with an appearance. I heard you were sick.” I laugh because I know Mrs M told him.
“it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Your boyfriend was crying, colonel Chauke l, I didn’t mean it.” Babe laughs, and I laugh. I missed that part.
“When was that?”
“I think after you slept shem, gone was the overzealous chap.” Babe continues to laugh.
“I was checking up on my favourite man. I will see you soon.”
“I miss you more my angel. I love you.” Babe.
“I love you more than the border.” We laugh and hang up.
We have dinner later in the evening and I wash the dishes with Pheko. His aunt is watching a movie, I sit next to her and she hold my hand then smiles at me.
“I haven’t seen him so happy since your matric dance, oh wait the day you were on tv for passing.” Aunt koki.
“Huh?” I frown.
“We celebrated your pass right here. Come with me.” I follow her to her bedroom Pheko and Dipou are chatting up a storm.
“You can sit.” Aunt Koki.
“Mama said in laws and beds, ai something.” She laughs and exolains that, she can’t sit on my bed but I can sit on hers. She takes out a photo album and there’s photos of my matric dance night. A new paper article of the result announcement, a photo of me smiling at one of the Moreetsi debriefing sessions.
“I didn’t know he liked me this much.”
“I think it’s more than llike I also know about your Swaziland issues, but don’t stress, Pheko will help you.” She says and my heart skips a beat at her knowledge.
“Does this mean you know that all this is fake?” I ask panicked.
“You can’t fake the chemistry between you two. Besides what is fake about involving ancestors? You are a Moreetsi fully.” She lightly laughs.
“No, we are separating after a year.”
“Oh my poor child, do you know that you would have to slaughter a cow and divorce the ancestors as well?” she pats my shoulders, I guess seeing my expression. I am really married to my crush. I look up to ask her who are tge other people in the album and realize that I am alone. I place the album on her dress and fix the bed then I join them in the dinning room. Pheko frowns and I smile reassuring him that all is well.
At 10 pm we retire to  Dipuo’s bedroom. I notice Pheko’s military bag on the bed. He take out our sleepwear from it. I take out my toiletry bag and go freshen up in the bathroom, I find him in bed on his phone.
“Is everything okay?” He asks.
“Yes, thank you.” I sleep with my head on the bottom and I him sigh. The baby crying at 5am wakes us both. I brush my teeth and then take out the broom to start sweeping outside. I reflect on the fact that I am really married to a man I don’t know, his aunt knows more than I thought. He may have a girlfriend and I will have to suck it up.
“Dumelang.” An elderly lady from the front house greets me.
“Yebo saubona gogo.” I wave.
“Koketso okae?”
“Mohatsake, why are you abusing my wife?” Pheko asks before I can answer the lady. She walks to the gate to greet Pheko.
“Pheko, how are you? I was just asking the young lady where your aunt is. When did they get a helper, these Zulu people steal” She says in Setswana.
“Hai Koko, this is my wife Regomoditswe. “ she looks down embarrassed.