MELAMINA THE QUEEN

CHAPTER 41

There is no worse thing in this world than having a rude awakening from ancestors. When I saw that snake, I screamed because of my phobia of snakes but the way it protected and stood between me and my son, I just knew that those were his ancestors stopping me from doing whatever I had planned. Nothing sucks as sharing your child with dead people. They think they control the child. They think it’s their child, whereas I carried that boy for 9 months and they were not there. As much as they are mad at me, I am also pissed at them. I thought I was in their good books, but I guess if you are not their blood, they can do or say anything to you. Even turn their backs just because you don’t see eye to eye. I had planned to do something that was going to protect my child and give him a normal childhood but I guess ancestors don’t give a damn about that shit and it sucks.

I get up from the grass mat I was laid in and sit with my back on the wall. My internal battle with the ancestors is weighing me down and affecting idlozi lami. I keep burping and groaning. I am not going to go ahead with that ceremony but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t upset me. My noise attracts attention. One moment I’m alone, the next I see MaShezi kneeling in front of me, burning impepho.

“Gcwabe, Ngunezi, Mumbo omhlophe, Wena okhanyisa amasi esiswini, yehlisa umoya. Calm down. We understand your anger. We get it, but please calm down. You are affecting your child.” She keeps on chanting that until I feel myself calming down and all that’s left is tears but I know I can’t she’d tears in this yard. I was told never to shed sad tears in these premises because idlozi lami would avenge me on literally anyone.

I get up and leave everyone there. I make a beeline for the gate and the moment I’m outside the Zulu yard, I sit down and let out all my tears. I cry until I feel my husband’s arms hugging me. He doesn’t say anything. He just let’s me be and moments later I hear him sniffing. This is weighing us both down because it’s our child. We are the ones who would have to watch him have a rough upbringing because idlozi doesn’t care if you’re young or old. It just shows you what it wants.

“You wanna go inside?” he asks after maybe half an hour and I shake my head. “Come on. I know a place where we can go to.” He helps me stand up and holds my hand as he leads me away from the palace.

None of us say anything as we walk side by side holding hands. I notice that we are both barefoot and I nearly chuckle. Pretty sure he took off his shoes when he saw that I wasn’t wearing any. We get to a flowing river and he turns to look at me.

“Scream. Swear at them. The ones that pissed off my beautiful wife. Tell them to go to hell but don’t mention their names. We don’t wanna be struck by lightning.” I chuckle, but do as he says. I scream my lungs out until I can feel my voice getting hoarse. Funny thing is, he also screams with me.

When that session is done, we sit on the rocks by the river and just stare at the water flowing. Neither of us say anything. In a way, I felt like we needed this moment. We are always bottling in things and never saying our real feelings about certain situations and we know how wrong that is. If you bottle up many things, you are bound to explode.

“I don’t like how they act as if I was just an incubator of my child. Like my opinion or feelings don’t matter on my own child’s upbringing. Like what the fuck?” I start off and he sighs.

“At a young age, I accepted that as much as I lived for myself, I lived according to the will of the ancestors. There are places I couldn’t go to, people I couldn’t associate with and foods I could not eat. I was basically given a manual to life. I didn’t like some of the restrictions but I got to understand as I grew up, that I was never normal. So I was never going to have an upbringing of a normal commoner boy and do boyish things without worrying about the consequences or what people might say. Our children are going to have a hard life but we will be there every step of the way to make it bearable. We will try by all means, mama. I swear we will.” He takes my hands and kisses them. I blush. He manages to be romantic even on intense situations. He is the type of husband I actually prayed for. I love him so much.

“I am glad that I chose you as my life partner. I don’t think someone else would have been this patient and this loving to me. And just supportive.”
He smiles. “IF you love your thing, you stick by it no matter what. Even if people were to say you bewitched me, I would say you should have made me your doormat because I don’t see myself being with anyone other than you. I legit don’t know how I got married to someone who is not you. It still puzzles me even today.”

I laugh. Yeah, my husband is crazy but I love him. “Let’s go back before they send a search party for us.”

We get up and walk side by side, holding each other’s hands. He tells me the tales of his childhood. Some of the stories are so hilarious, I am laughing like a hyena. He says they were once chased by a group of dogs while out hunting. The group belonged to some rival kingdom. He had to stay behind and make sure his siblings were safe. That’s how he got the scar on his leg. A dog bit him while he was making sure Simingezwi was not left behind. True brotherhood there. I wish my kids will be tight like that when they grow up.

×××

One of the topics I have dreaded is telling the kids about Sibonge and making sure they understand. My kids are understanding, as young as they are, but I don’t know how they will receive this. Since I am not going back to the room I used to share with Kuhle in this palace because of the snake incident, I call all my kids to one of the guest bedrooms. Zobuhle is the first to secure a spot on my lap and everyone knows never to mess with the princess. Kuhle is not part of this small family meeting because his father called him for some important one-on-one meeting.

“So guys as you all know, mommy has a special gift, right?” I start off and they all nod.
“The one that makes you growl like a lion, angithi?” Milisuthando asks. This child can’t keep quiet, can he? So I growl like a lion now? Hebana.

“Yes, that, my angel. Your dad and I recently found out that your brother, Sibonge, has the same gift. He is unique and special. But that doesn’t mean you should treat him any differently. It just means that you will have some weird encounters with him and if ever that happens and I’m around or your father is around, just call us and we will deal with whatever situation arises.”

“Does he also see the future?” Amahle asks.
“I only see what Mkhulu shows me.” The boy responds. My God. I did not even think he understood what the meeting was. He only states that and then keeps quiet.

“Don’t worry, ma. Sibonge is still our brother and we will continue treating him with love. Nothing will change. It’s just that we will now be aware of his gift and know what to do if he gets one of his episodes while with us.” Zweli responds. Oww my baby. Spoken like a true big brother.

“So that means no pulling Bonge’s hair while sleeping?” Nomandla asks.
Hebana. “Why would you pull your brother’s hair, Nommy?” she pouts and shrugs but her eyes travel to Milisuthando and the puzzle fits. Bathong. What did I do to deserve such a troublesome kid? Maybe I should send him to Emakhabeleni so that he will cause trouble with Noma’s Zama and give me some peace.