Unbreakable

Chapter 4

" I just don't get why you don't want a normal funeral, it's not even yours. Mthunzi made a bad job with this family."Thato Thato

" Aunty Mthunzi wasn't even in this family, he left when I was seven."

" Stop talking back you fat brat!"

It has been a day and can I just say, I wanna shove a knife up Sipho's ass.
" Who the hell are you calling fat you skinny bitch, it better not be any child of mine."  Once you hear someone using vulgar language,  just know that it's my grandmother, maMahlangu. My gran is old, like way old but she curses even worse than a sailor. In her defence, she is Ndebele and that tribe has cursing DNA in each individual, otherwise, she is great.  I feel like she used to have my body at my age but taller, I'm guessing mine and my mother's height came from my late grandfather,  pity I took my useless father's stupid face. I rushed to hug my grandmother.
" Sipho, I asked you a question girl. Also what is this I hear that you didn't inform me about the death of someone who came out of my vagina, be ashamed."
I am pretty sure everyone is as suprised Sipho right now. Gran continues to tell everyone off for my sake, and orders that I give every responsibility I had for the in, saying something in the lines of, " I brought her into this world, I'll send her out."

" MaMahlangu,  Thato says the funeral will be on Thursday,  please tell her that it needs to be on Saturday." Sipho tried to plead with MaMahlangu.

" Thato, pray tell, child,  why Thursday?"

" Gogo, mama died with boy and I want to go to his funeral. " MaMahlangu

" Why isn't the baby's funeral in this house? We paid damages for him therefore he is ours,  you know I always knew that that ugly maMcunu was a fucken snake." Me

" Ma, you hear this sweetheart of yours, she wants to cause drama."

" Quiet snake, you are probably on her side." MaMahlangu continued to ignore Sipho and went on about Xolani fetching the car and that " that stupid slut who broke six families apart is talking shit and we are burying our child,  along with the one she gave birth to on Saturday and anyone who tries to stop her will feel her wrath."
That's MaMahlangu for you, this woman takes charge and doesn't even make it look hard.

We continued with the funeral preparations and when I tell you that MaMahlangu wasn't kidding about the Siviwe issue, you will never believe. She walked straight into their house and practically dragged Lwazi here to sit on the mattress for Siviwe.
" Hey wena MaMcunu, ungazonginyela la, don't you dare fuck with me. You will meat your ancestors faster than you can destroy a marriage. Wena Nolwazi, what the hell is this shit you and your gmfamily are trying to pull or else this slut you call your mother will be seating on a mattress for you next week."
I know what she said was wrong, I also told her, " You called me to fix things. I did."
MaMahlangu is a character on her own.

The Siviwe issue was sorted out and my their funeral almost fully planned. The day before my mom's memorial service, Wednesday, MaMahlangu came to sit with me on the mattress.  The mattress thing was non negotiable really,  I'm her first daughter and in her words old enough to  sit there so I took my duty.
" You know child,  I'm very proud of you and how you handle everything. " She laid my head on her thighs and played with my very short hair, I have no idea how but she did.
" Gogo you did all the planning. "
" I know child, but had you not have taken your mother's money,  wrong people would have probably wasted it." We stayed illl comfortable silence, with her singing to me like she used to when I was still young. MaMahlangu,  much like my mother, cannot sing to save her life but there is just something about a maternal voice singing to you, even if they sound like a dying chicken, that just soothes one's soul. Thats exactly how I felt when my grandmother sang to me, and I swore at that moment that I would forever sing to my future children if they are sad or hurting.
Later  on the prayer ladies arrived and there was a hell of a lot of singing,  and I'm nit talking about hillsong, I'm talking amahubo, icilongo, difela. There is tiis thing hymns have man that brings one into the spirit.

Quick pause, so hymns are basically the word, like hymns of psalms. They are a compilation of prayers and or scriptures from the Bible, they make everything better like the one the church ladies are singing right now, Thato ya Hao. It basically means let your will be done, it kind of usually make one accept a tough situation like mine. Okay pause is over.

So the church ladies did their thing and are the first people to actually make me feel better with their words. They finally wrap up at about half past five in the evening and minutes after they leave, my brother finally shows up into the room, after disappearing for the entire week. He looks like shit.
" You look like shit." Yes, MaMahlangu beat me to it. " Gogo,  I'm sorry." Okay, Xolani is full of shit. " Child you are full of crap." How the hell is she voicing my thoughts.

" Mntase, where have you been and where is Nolwazi?"
" We just got here, Gogo I'm so sorry, I should have called. I just wanted her to get a breather."

I have no idea when that slap landed but it did. MaMahlangu just slapped the sotho off his ass. " Don't test me wena ngane ka Sithokozile. Where is the child's mother right now?" Xolani went to fetch Nolwazi who looked like someone who has lost her mind. Nolwazi is that on point person, she looked like the opposite of her. The lace she had on, that was always melted looked like she was attacked by Timone's cousin and her always made up face was not so made up. She also looked a little anorexic,  like she lost weight big time. I stood up to hug her and when I touched her she literally screamed. She broke down and was on her knees. Here's one thing about me, I kind of knew that boy's parents would behave like this. Nolwazi is worse and I'm not going to tell her that thing are going to be okay because I know that like will never be the same after those coffins are lowered into the ground.
" Sipho ungazobheka kuphela Lana. Don't just look and make yourself useful.  Bring this child sugar water. Wena Xolani, get her a blanket from Thato's room and you are staying in here." Immediately after Gogo ordered everyone started moving and soon we had managed to calm Nolwazi down and she was sleeping,  not peacefully though, she shivered every two minutes.  My poor brother was shivering without sleep. I beckoned him to sit next to me when MaMahlangu went out of the room. He laid his head on my shoulder like in my room and I let him cry. Cry he did, my brother broke down for the loss of his mother and his son and that was okay.

" Is everyone ready to leave Aunty?"

She looked at me dirty before answering yes. She was mad yet again because MaMahlangu demanded she stay with her and the guests to look after them. For a seventy six year old, this woman was honestly unbelievable.