BURN for Better or Worse (COMPLETED)

Chapter 37

NEO…

“I think we should go back home Mzi, we’ll resume the search tomorrow.” I don’t like this, I don’t roam around the bushes in the darkness of the night. Thandiwe is nowhere to be seen and if we carry on the search we’ll get lost in this dark forest.
“You go, I’m not leaving without Thandiwe.” Stupid idiot, love is stupid actually, I mean look at us.
“We’re black mara Mzi and you know the devil targets us for some reason. Why do you think witchcraft is practised by black people? Makhooa are not afraid of that shit, that’s why ba na le bo Harry Potter, le bo Cinderella. That’s fancy witchcraft.”
“What?” He wouldn’t know, he doesn’t watch television.
“I’m just saying man, this is not worth it. There are so many women in South Africa, beautiful women. Ho feta sis Tee, you’ll survive Mzi, you’ll survive.”
“You’re not about to start your shit right now, I’m too worried about Thandiwe to entertain you, Neo.” Black person look at you, I’m trying to help a brother out and he rejects my hand.
“It’s not shit, ebile I’m offended. People like you are the cause of unemployment in this country, you…” Nqabayomzi cuts through my words like a knife, spinning to stab daggers at me.
“How about I tie you to a tree, go look for Thandiwe and maybe come back for you?” He growls, pushing me against a big tree. Due to darkness, his eyes are not that visible so I can’t decode, what’s written behind them. It could be murder, he’s capable of it because men who are in love are fools.

“How about we go and find Thandiwe together?” I articulate, stepping away from the angry beast.
“I thought as much.” He murmurs and the big bully walks past me. My phone vibrating in my pocket startles me that I jump to grab the sour man’s arm.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Sorry, I slipped.” The lies we tell… Zee is livid wherever she is. I’m pretty sure she’s standing on top of the bed cursing me and the brats in her stomach. 
“And screamed like a girl?” I didn’t scream.
“Just so you know Mzi, I’m going to be a father to triplets and I have a boy waiting for me at home. If anything happens to me, yoh ntwana. I will haunt you saan, I will haunt you until you ask God to raise me like he did Lazarus.” The threat is welcomed by a chortle, we’ll see if he’ll still be laughing when he’s face to face with a ghost.

“This is messed up Neo, how did I let her go? I should’ve insisted on fetching her.” He’s not about to cry on me, is he? Men don’t do pep talks.” 
“I trust MamSonto with my life, she’s been in this line of work almost her whole life. If she says sis Tee will be okay, then she will be okay.”
“Then where is she?” People like Nqabayomzi give in to anger so easily, surely he can keep his voice down. We’re in the woods for Christ’s sake, anything might be listening or watching us. I am not about to face creatures of the night, my heart won’t be able to take it.
“Lower your voice Mzi, we’re going to find sis Tee.” He frowns upon my remark, ducking a huge branch hanging from a big tree.
“Do you hear that?” My heart stops with his tracks, why did I agree to accompany him?
“What?” I’m perched up on him, eyes browsing the dark forest and that’s all I can see, nothing but darkness.
“Water, there’s a river close by. That means there must be life somewhere close.” He explains and without warning changes the course of our direction. I will die if I follow this man, I’m not good with rivers. I have tried to stay away from them since Bensen and his cult.

THANDIWE…

How do you define strength? Having been surrounded by evil and facing it eye ball to eye ball, I am dazed by how I’m still alive. My heart should have stopped by now. Those three creatures carried me to a hut and kept me locked up, it feels like it’s been hours since I’ve been kept in here.
The place reeks of urine, traditional medicine and some odour I can’t untangle. I’m struggling to breathe, there’s no air coming in my lungs. I prayed till I felt like I was talking to myself, faith and fear do not mix and at this moment they are entangled together. This has to be a nightmare, my father is silent. I expected him to come to me hours ago and get me out like he did back in that house.