Marriage Or Exile

Family Ties

"Thank you for respecting your father my son" Fundi gestured for Ncwala to follow her leading him to the group of woman sitting in the shade.

"Don't mention it" he sounded bored to the core. They got closer to the group and everybody was staring at him, either because of the police uniform or because it was their first time meeting the prodigal son.

He did not feel even a tinge of embarrassment, he just wanted to do this fast and get over with. He searched the group with his eyes looking for his supposedly wife and the moment their eyes met he instantly knew it was her. 

Then all of a sudden his heart was galloping in his chest and he did not understand why.

She had red puffy eyes, probably from crying and she looked so young, so innocent. They both quickly looked away from each other unable to hold the stare for too long 

"Mother that is a child" he whispered to his mother.

"Stop worrying, she is old enough to bear you healthy children. Now be quiet" she whispered back as they got to the group where he quickly spotted his favorite old woman, his grandmother Gogo Mamba and went and knelt before her greeting her while holding out his hand. 

He received a very proud smile that made the old woman's face seem more wrinkled as she blinked her brown misty eyes trying to make out his face. Gogo Mamba was partially blind because of old age.

"We are glad you have decided to join us in this auspicious occasion" Gogo Mamba said as she held his hand in her wrinkled one and kissed the back of it leaving it wet with saliva and making everyone fight the urge to laugh. 

She always does that and everyone knows it is a bit nasty but it is also always amusing watching the victims get disgusted.

Ncwala took back his hand quickly and wiped it on his lap making a disgusted face. 

"Glad to be here too grandma, very glad", the first time he said it sounded genuine but when he repeated it, it was clear that he was being sarcastic.

He stood up and lifted his hand to his nose smelling the spot where he was kissed which earned him a few giggles from the onlookers. 

"Arghhh grandma" he growled in disgust

"Now, sit over there next to your wife" Gogo Mamba pointed to a woman sitting so far away from Sindile even Ncwala was confused for a second. 

"Gogo, can you see at all?" he was concerned about the old woman. 

"I can see as clear as day" she sounded so confident and proud making everyone laugh.

The old woman couldn't see much especially when an object was too close, it became shadows. She had sharp ears though, even though for the past few years she have been pretending to have a hearing problem just to avoid visitors. 

She is quite sassy that way, making everyone shout at the top of their voices when speaking her so they can give up and leave her alone.

Ncwala took a spot next to Sindile. With his heart beating too fast in his chest he could swear Sindile could hear the galloping right next to her. 

He turned to take a peek at her face again but she was now bowing down her head clearly trying to hide from him. 

A ghost of a smile crossed his face and he signed with disbelief as he thought about how he just woke up and became a husband.

That thought was followed by panic as he remembered his lover, Khabo. He felt his body quickly getting heated up and his head feeling faint. He left her in his house at the police camp after receiving the missive from home talking about his father being critically ill.

He had requested his friends Djemba and Ngadla to accompany him in case he might need help taking his father to the Mbabane government Hospital in the capital city, only to be ambushed into taking a wife. 

For some reasons he regretted taking his friends with him, especially Ngadla because he is Khabo's cousin and no matter how much he would want to keep his sudden marriage a secret from Khabo Ngadla will not keep such news from her.

This visit home was proving to be a catastrophe. Ncwala was so deep in his mushy thoughts he missed the instructions that were given to him. 

He felt the burning stare of eyes and lifted his head only to find all pairs of eyes staring at him obviously waiting for an answer and he was lost.

"You didn't hear a thing did you" his mother shook her head In disbelief trying to contemplate how possible it can be that they would hold such a deep discussion with the hope that he was following only to realize that he did not capture a thing. 

Ncwala shook his head in agreement earning a few grunts from the elder women.

"One of the twins has to act as your wife's child until she have children of her own, so who should it be" Zuzu was back next to his mother, his brown eyes bright with excitement. 

He really wanted to be the brides' child but Zuzi was nowhere to be found. He was not a very huge fan of crowds.

Ncwala remembered his father's words, choose the quiet one and he smiled. Old man's a cheat, he loves his daughter in-law so much he wants to even dictate who gets close to her , he thought to himself. 

"Very well then, who is the quiet one among the two, father chose him for..." he turned and looked at Sindile who looked way as soon as she saw him turn.

 "LaBanda" his mother helped. "Is that everything I have to do here" he was getting ready to stand up suddenly not wanting to be anywhere near Sindile. He needed some time to think.

"You can excuse us for now but we will need you later for the symbol of oneness. Be sure not to wonder too far" his mother warned.

"Somebody call Zuzi, where did this child go. I think I mentioned that the two of you should be close by incase you are needed. Zuzu go get your brother right now, we are running out of time. By the time the sun sets today makoti should have made a meal for the family" Fundi rambled on as Zuzu ran off with a straight disappointed face not liking his father's decision one bit.

Zuzi showed up alone after a few minutes and was made to sit by Sindile's side. 

She welcomed him with a smile. In the few moments where she had a one on one with the twins she really did not mind either of them to be her helping child. She liked both of them and she wouldn't have minded being given the whole pair.

She was a little shuttered too to see Zuzu walk away with his head down with disappointment and at that moment she took a decision to treat them both like her children. 

She understood that it was only a formality that one child is given out to the bride but if they both want to serve her then she would gladly let them.

Gogo Mamba passed a small hand sized calabash filled with a paste of red mud from the red African soil to another gogo sitting by her side. 

 She would have loved to do this special activity herself but her eyesight was limiting her so she gave the task to her close friend. 

The gogo painted Sindile on the temple with this paste of red ochre. The paste was also applied on both of her cheeks, nose, chin, each shoulder and the top of her feet.

The gogo then passed the calabash to Sindile to do the same to Zuzi. 

"This painting with this sacred red mud is a symbol that families are shared as we share the same ground and today the Banda's and Mamba's become one family. From today the two families are related and bound by the power of the sacred red ochre" the gogo carried out her incantations as Sindile Painted Zuzi the same way as she had been painted.

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