•shining light| e.killmonger

16| K H A N Y I S W A

It was the fourth time today that Khanyiswa was staring over that toilet bowl, throwing up.

At first, she dubbed it down to be some kind of stomach bug. It would make sense, N'Jadaka has recently caught a bug from the Palace and it had recently just passed.

She sighed. Nakia was due to give birth any moment now and sh was meant to be helping her sister prepare for the birth of her nephew, instead she was curled up on her bathroom floor, clenching her stomach.

Reluctantly, she got up and brushed her teeth to get the vomit taste out of her mouth. She took a bath and ran downstairs in a hurry, ready to leave.

She paused in front of the fridge. She was hungry. But her last four breakfasts ended up in to toilet. She frowned and grabbed a nutrition bar, before running out the house to meet the blaze of the Wakandan sun.

She had rejected Nakia's offer of a ride to the Palace, she much preferred walking. She smiled at the on-lookers as she walked through the busy market. Khanyiswa has always loved the market, there was never a dull moment. The shouting, the beautiful art, jewellery and pottery sold. It was a true representation of Wakanda.

As she walked she paused by a vendor, whose store had caught her eye. On the store table, she saw a beautiful bangle and immediately thought of N'Jadaka.

"They come in a pair." Said the vendor, "It's like a father-son bangle. You give one to the father and the other to the newborn son, it builds a bond between the two, a connection."

Almost immediately, Khanyiswa felt a jump in her stomach and she flushed, "Can I get a pair, please?"

They exchanged pleasantries and Khanyiswa went off on her journey.

When she reached the palace, her head was throbbing and she was dehydrated from all the walking. Which was quite unusual to her. She always walked to the Palace, why has she all of a sudden gotten tired?

She was met by her sister, who came to give her a hug but as she closed in for one, Nakia recoiled as if she had been stung.

"What? What's wrong?" Khanyiswa asked.

Nakia rubbed her stomach and look at her sister from head to toe, "I should be asking you that?"

Khanyiswa rolled her eyes, "Stop being weird, Nakia. You always do this." She sucked her teeth, "Where's Amarachi?"

Nakia didn't meet her sister's eyes, "She's in the garden, you can go and join her."

Khanyiswa went off to find Amarachi, ignoring Nakia's behaviour.

In the garden, she was greeted by Queen Mother and Amarachi.

Khanyiswa bowed out of respect to the Queen but she dismissed it.

"You shouldn't be doing that." She stood her up quickly and before Khanyiswa could ask why, Nakia came hurrying back inside.

They all sat there and laughed for some time, eating and drinking before Khanyiswa picked up a glass of wine from the kitchens and Nakia slapped it out of her hand, shattering the glass.

"Oh! Nakia! Yintoni engalunganga ngawe?" What's wrong with you?

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?! You can't drink, you know that!"

Khanyiswa scoffed, "Excuse me, I can't drink because...? Everyone else in here is drinking, you're the only pregnant one here!"

Nakia's face changed as did the Queen Mother's.

"What?" Khanyiswa looked at them, "Oh no! I'm not pregnant, stop that."

"It runs in the family. A woman can tell when another woman has been impregnated by the family's seed." Queen Mother explained.

"I am not pregnant." Khanyiswa rolled her eyes.

"You told me on the phone that you weren't feeling well...." Amarachi furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh, not you too! N'Jadaka was sick! That's why, it was some stomach bug he caught, I'm completely fine!"

That's when her body failed her, everything she had recently eaten had threatened to escape her stomach, "Oh Bast, I'm going to be sick." She ran to the toilet and for the fifth time today, the contents of her stomach ended up in the toilet.

—

When she got home, she couldn't even look N'Jadaka in the eye. He didn't want kids. Like at all.

She played with the baby bangle she bought today at the market. She knew someone who would be wearing this sooner than later.

N'Jadaka came into the bedroom and she shoved it under her pillow.

"What was that?" N'Jadaka jerked his head towards her pillow.

"Uhhh...nothing. Just my beads." She trailed off.

He didn't enquire further. He took his work gear off and took a seat next to her, laying his head on her lap.

"Yo, Khanyiswa, you good?"

"I'm okay..." she played with his hair.

He scoffed, "Don't lie to me, ma. Normally all I get when I come home is an earful from you, so what's the issue?" He looked up at her, "Any asses I gotta beat?"

She chuckled softly and shook her head, "I got you something."

She took out the baby bangle from underneath her pillow. She handed it to him.

He looked confused for a second, "You know my hand isn't this big. Quit playing." He played with the bangle for a bit longer, "Aren't these the parent baby bangles or some shit? Swear they come in two's?" He laughed for a second and his laughter trailed off.

Khanyiswa's heartbeat was the only thing she could hear in her ears. As she watched realisation dawn of N'Jadaka's face, she suddenly became uncomfortable under his watch.

He stood up, with the bangle in his hand, "Where's the other one?" He said nonchalantly.

She handed it to him and she tried her best not to cry. Girls don't cry.

He looked at both of them, "So I got you knocked up, huh?"

She didn't know what knocked up meant, but she assumed it was American slang for pregnant. So she just nodded.

"I can understand if you don't wan—"

He cut her off, "I didn't say that."

He sat back down and wrapped his muscular arms around her, "Not a big deal, Sunshine. It happens. And just because it has happened, don't mean I'm gonna leave you. You got tha'?"

Khanyiswa nodded through her tears, they were going to make it.

hey guys, so idk whether to stop the book here before it gets too long and make a part 2 or just continue from here. help! I need suggestions.

- Vanilla