MELAMINA THE QUEEN

CHAPTER 32

JABULILE CELE

The whole cleansing part of the ceremony gets done and we finally step inside the yard. We are led to Uncle Thokozani’s hut where all my kids are laid out on grass mats. Seeing them in this situation brings tears to my eyes but I hold them back. I have cried enough. Right now, I just need to focus on them getting better and getting back to their daily lives. They have lost two whole days just sleeping and doing nothing, and knowing the kind of busy people they are, that is a lot. Thokozani burns the incense and introduces us to the ancestors. He then calls Ntombi and instructs her to apologize for our father’s sins.

One of the things that make me angry is people dying without solving problems with their families. They automatically transfer liability to their descendants and whether they like it or not, it is their duty to correct your past mistakes. It is just bullshit but we do their wishes because we don’t want to anger them, right?

“This is just the first step of the cleansing ceremony. Call it an emergency one because of your kids’ condition, but we have to do a huge one with all my brother’s descendants. It will also be a welcoming ceremony. You all are of royal blood and your ancestors are jealous. You must be introduced them and your people. That ceremony will be held in a month. Hopefully, that will give you time to gather everyone else.” He takes the incense and blows to every one of my kids except for Futhy. One by one, they cough before waking up.

“What the fuck just happened? Where am I?” Lele is the first one to ask and I am just so overwhelmed by the whole situation. I rush over and hug him before moving to his siblings. “Mom, what is happening? Where are we?”
“You are home, mzukulu.” Thokozani responds with a smile.

Thando looks at me with her eyes wide open. “Mommy, what am I doing here? Why am I not in Milan? What is going on? How did I end up here?” she asks all these questions so fast; she ends up hyperventilate. “This cannot be happening. I can’t sleep in Europe and wake up in some dodgy hut in South Africa. Can someone explain to me what is going on?” I hold her and bring her closer to me. That seems to calm her down a bit.

Thokozani takes this as an opportunity to explain everything. “I don’t know how much your mother told you about your past, but I am going to tell you what I know. Your mother’s father, Nqobimpi, was my older brother. We are a royal family. Abasembo. He was the eldest son, and he was supposed to take over the throne. But he somehow found God and that made him turn his back on his ancestors. When he finally confronted our father, it led to a huge argument that broke their relationship. Nqobimpi decided to leave home, turning his back on everyone and everything, including his birthright, which was the throne. After he left, my father had no choice but to make his second son, Siyakha, heir to the throne. Long story short, Nqobimpi’s actions really angered the ancestors. Our parents departed this earth without reconciling with their eldest son and that built resentment deep inside them. They couldn’t understand how religion could make you turn your back on your loved ones. Nqobimpi’s descendants were cursed because of his actions. That’s why his first wife buried five of her kids. That’s why Ntombi buried five of her kids. That’s why Jabu was also going to bury all five of her kids. If she had not come here, you all would have died.” That is a lot to handle, even for me. I cannot imagine how my children are feeling about this.

“But why is sis Futhy not waking up?” Gcino asks and Thokozani sighs.
“She has a strong connection with the ancestors. They are probably showing her the past, present and future. But she is in safe hands now, so she will wake up as soon as she is ready.” Ready? Is he for real?

“So, you are trying to tell me that your parents took my children because of some grudge they had against their son? Why didn’t they take out their frustrations on him and leave my children out of it? Why did I have to suffer for his transgressions?” Ntombi asks with a shaky voice, and I can’t begin to imagine the pain she is in right now. Finding out that you lost your kids just because your father left his home. Dad was very selfish, but I never thought his past mistakes would come back to impact us like this in the future.

Thokozani exhales loudly. “Ntombi, you of all people know how the ancestors’ work. They don’t negotiate. Plus, you are the first daughter. You had to pay for your father’s sins. Your gift also didn’t make things easy for you. He is also liable for that. Our ancestors sent a spiritually gifted woman to him just to remind him of home, but he threw away her sangoma bag and that was just the cherry on top of the icing. This is not the time to be angry about what has happened in the past. We just have to move on and make sure that things like this don’t occur again in the future.” This is just too much; I am not going to lie. She limps out of the hut, and I follow her.

“Sisi, wait.” She turns and looks at me with tears streaming down her face.
“It’s my kids that they decided to make an example with. My kids, Sgcino. Can you imagine the pain I had to go through burying my kids one after the other? I have this huge hole in my heart that no one can fill. No matter how many grandchildren my remaining son gives me, the void in my heart can’t be filled. And imagine learning that you suffered this much just because your stupid father chose Christianity over his family? I used to resent him for throwing away my mother’s bags but now I hate him, deeply hate him and I will never forgive him.”

“Sisi, I understand what you are going through, and I am sorry.” I hug her and she sobs. There is nothing more to say or do rather than offer comfort. Our father did screw us over and if I were her, I would also not forgive him. Dad was this selfish and self-centered individual who only thought about himself and did not care how his actions impacted the people around him. He knew very well that he was royalty and how powerful royal ancestors can be, but chose to forsake them and ended up cursing all of us in the process. Hhay bandla.