MELAMINA THE QUEEN

CHAPTER 30

“So, you finally decided to swallow your pride and return home?” Ntombikababa asks. She didn’t mind letting us sit outside her gate for 2 hours before welcoming us in, with hostility if I might add. She looks old and the resemblance between her and mom is uncanny.
“I am sorry for not being in touch all these years. You know what dad wanted from me and I couldn’t give him that. My husband swore to protect me and he did just that. I know I should have came back home to reconcile with everyone after dad’s death but I just couldn’t. It doesn’t excuse my behaviour but I’m sorry.”

“And you’re only here because something bad has happened right?” how did she…? “I still know you like the back of my hand, Sgcino. Plus your eyes are all red and puffy. It has something to do with your kids, right? I figured they were the only people who would make you go back to your roots.”

I nod. “Yeah. They are in an ancestral comma. The Mkhize ancestors are mad and they are taking out their frustrations on my children.”
“How many are they?”
“Five.”
“And is one of them spiritually gifted?” I nod. “No wonder. Anyways, you have to go back to Melmoth. Dad’s family will assist you with everything you need. I know you don’t know the direction, so I will go with you.”

“Thank you so much, sisi. Now if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your leg?”
“Your kids’ health is much more important than my non-existent leg, so don’t worry about it. Go sleep at the lodge in Buxedene and we will leave tomorrow, 3am sharp.”
I stand up and smile at her. “Thank you, sisi. You have been very helpful. I will see you tomorrow.” I wave and then walk out. She didn’t even ask to see my husband, but I don’t blame her.

“How did that go?” Ndosi asks as soon as I join him in the car.
“She will help us. We are going to Melmoth tomorrow morning. I don’t know how Thando will make it in time.”
“Don’t stress about it. She is already on a private jet and will be landing in Joburg either tonight or tomorrow morning.” He squeezes my hand and the focuses on the road. “So where to?”

×××

It took us a few hours to get to Melmoth. When we get there, we park outside a petrol station, waiting for my children to arrive. Kuhle and his entourage drive in about thirty minute later. He comes out of his car and walks towards ours. He looks all high and mighty with his head held up high but I know he is slowly dying inside. He loves my daughter unconditionally, so if something happens to her, he can't handle it.

He greets us and then moves to lean on the car next to my husband. They are not best friends or anything but they do tolerate each other and I think my husband likes him for the way Kuhle treats our daughter.

"So your daughter married a prince? How did that happen?" My sister asks and I sigh.
"He was a client wanting my daughter to build a house for him and things just got heated. I guess they were meant to be." I shrug and she chuckles.

"One child is a princess, another is a celebrity, another is a designer. You have done an amazing job raising kids and letting them choose their own paths." I did not expect her to compliment my parenting skills.
"Wow, thank you."

She looks up as another car drives in and parks next to ours. "Your kids did nothing wrong to me. You are the one who abandoned us, so I have no ill feelings towards them. They are also my kids and that's why I am here. Even though you were never there when I buried mine one by one until only the last born was left."

I swallow hard and turn to look at her. "What do you mean?" My voice is a bit shaky and my eyes immediately fill with tears.
"God gifted me with 6 kids and I buried all 5 of them. Sthandwa was run over by a car in Richards Bay. Sithunywa and Makhosi suffered from a disease and as they came into the world shortly after the other, they departed the world in that manner. Melaphi drowned in the river and thieves robbed and killed my little Thabile on her visit to Newcastle. My little sister wasn't there to support me because of some silly grudge she had over our long dead father. You are some real piece of work." She climbs out of the car and slowly limps her way into the convenient store.

It feels like someone has just shoved their hand into my chest and plucked my heart out. I try to minimize my sobs but it's futile because a moment later, my husband is by my side, holding me and asking if there is something wrong. I just shake my head. I can't even formulate words to express how selfish and self-centered I have been. In my quest for a peaceful life away from my father's claws, I abandoned my siblings and there is no excuse for that.

"Mkami, you are worrying me. All your kids are here now and they will get help, but you seem more hysterical about something else. Please tell me what happened so that I can be there for you and carry your burden." He wipes my tears as he stares into my eyes. There is no keeping things from him, especially when he's like this. So sincere and so present. I wish every woman marries a man who will be this attentive and so affectionate for as long as you both live. We all deserve it.

"My sister's kids passed. She had 6 but now she is left with one and I wasn't there for her emotionally and physically. I lived with this silly grudge over my father and forgot that I had siblings who cared and mattered to me. I abandoned them. Even though I wasn't going to bring back their kids to life, the least I could have done is be there for them. I am such a selfish person." I continue crying and he doesn't say anything. He doesn't need to lie to me. He is the most honest man I know and he isn't afraid to speak his mind.

"There is nothing you can do to change the past, Jabu. She might be bitter about what went down while you weren't there, but there is nothing stopping you from mending your relationship right now. After all this is done, you can go back home and fix your relationships with your remaining siblings. It's good that they are still alive, right?" He tries to see the positive in every situation. One of the reason why I will forever love him. "Now, let's calm down and try to fix this situation with our kids. After that is done, we will move on to another problem."

He takes out his handkerchief and wipes my face before putting it back to his pocket. My sister comes out of the store with a guard walking beside her, carrying a plastic. She is talking, making gestures with her hands and the guard is smiling, clearly amused. He helps her climb back into the car and closes the door after her.

"We are good to go, right?" She asks, drinking Maheu that she bought from the store.
"Yeah." My husband responds before sliding in the driver's seat.

***

She tells the car to slow down and lowers the window before calling a young boy who is kicking a ball on the gravel road. He looks dirty but carefree. That's the thing about kids from the rurals. They have close to nothing but they are carefree. I miss that carefree attitude.

"Hey boy. We are looking for a Mkhize homestead. Do you mind pointing us to the nearest one?" She asks politely and the boy starts directing her. I think he mentioned two homesteads. One over the hill and one 10 minutes away from where we are. "That was very helpful. Thank you my boy." She takes out some chips and hands them to the boy. He smiles widely before waving as we drive off.

We get to the first homestead over the hill and it looks some abandoned hut. I know a lot about rural homes to know that no one has stayed in this house for years. My husband climbs out of the car and walks towards the man who is walking past the house we were told to go to. They chat for a few moments before shaking hands. He comes back and starts the ignition.

"We will have better luck in the next homestead. They are a prominent family, so if they are not the ones we are looking for, they will know the exact place we wanna go to."

We continue driving and as we approach a really big homestead which looks like Zuma's Inkandla, my sister starts groaning and burping like a weird sangoma seeing things. The cars park outside the gate and immediately there are strong winds that blows all around us. Ntombikababa burps loudly and my husband looks at me.

"From my experience with Nomalanga, we are definitely at the right place."