Stars Aligned

Insert 27

Snakes' pov

We parked at Sanele's house. After our family outing today, we headed straight to bafo's house. David's arrival was sudden and I still don't like the old man, he still gets under my skin. There's no doubt that I still wanna punch him in the face, but he's a good man and I heard he finally left that wife of his a few years back. The old man grew some balls after all.

I unstraped my little princess from her chair as she slept peacefully. She played a lot today, everytime I look at this little girl, I feel a sense of pride in me. I held her in my arms as Lisa took out Ronnie's bag. I was about to open the door when Monalisa swatted my hand. I winced, looking at her with a raised brow.
Me: What was that for?
Lisa: There's a bell for a reason.
I heard her mumble "some things just don't change, he still thinks this is his house" if she wanted me to hear that she could've said it right in my face. Woman!

The door opened revealing a chirpy Lungi, this kid.
Lungi: Malume Zee! (uncle Zee)
Me: Sho poi (hey boy)
The kid hugged my legs, I chuckled. Lungi hugged Lisa, he was about to hug Ronnie when he saw she was sleeping. Looking bumped he pursed his lips and walked off as his mother called out for him.

***

David: I'm glad everyone is here, now I know that this was sudden but it needed to be done.
Mbali: You scaring me baba (father)
David sighed loudly rubbing his beard. The old man looked exhausted and worn out. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
David: I know you all wondering why I called everyone here today. To me, all of you are my children, so therefore this meeting is for family.

He looked over at Mbali, who seemed to be nervous about what was to come next, I'm sure everyone else was. I didn't want to say it but he looked sick, this old man wasn't about to tell us he's dying right now.
David: I'm dying.
The words that were at the tip of my tongue came across the table. Taking my gaze from my folded arms I settled it on the old man.

Mbali laughed lowly with furrowed brows. I kept my face stoic, this was not good. Somehow my chest tightened for this old man.
Mbali: B-baba, ukhuluma ngani? (Father, what are you talking about?)
Sanele put a hand on her shoulder but she didn't pay him attention. I saw Sino getting up to stand next to Mbali. Right, he was a father to her as well.

David: I want you to listen to me, there's a reason I'm here.
Mbali: Baba-
David: Mbali calm down ngane yam (my child)
He nodded to her, by now Mbali's tears were a waterfall. Everyone looked down out of respect or sorrow I wasn't sure but my focus was on this man. He looked over to me, he sighed painfully so. For some reason that made me nervous but I wasn't about to show it.

David: A while back, umawakho (your mother) she got sick, very sick to a point of not being able to move from her bed. After getting Drs who told me that there was nothing they could detect from her body that was making her sick, I contacted a sangoma (traditional healer) He told me that she held a secret. I tried everything to make her tell me, but she never admitted to anything. I got tired so I sent her to live with her family but I still made sure she was well taken care of. I wasn't about to live with a woman who lies and keeps me in the dark with family matters after all.

David sighed, this, whatever that was going on with him, it was weighing heavily on him.
David: Zanele got better with time, but then the ancestors hit her with another accident. She got paralyzed from neck to toe. She couldn't move nor do anything for herself. She did ask for no one to tell anyone of you kids. That is when I told her I was diagnosed with stage four cancer a few months back that she decided to tell me I had a son.

Why the hell was he looking at me. My stomach felt like a well had opened up inside.
David: At first she didn't know who you were. She knew who you were after she looked at old photos your mother used to send her when you were young. But your mother stopped sending pictures at the age of 12, hence she thought you looked familiar. So she found out your mother died, that was why she couldn't receive any pictures of you anymore. 

Who's this you he keeps talking about? This dying old man is looking at me with tears in his eyes. Now everyone was looking where David's gaze had fallen. But my eyes didn't waver from this old man as he continued;
David: She told me that on our wedding day, a woman came to stop the wedding because she was pregnant with my child. So she threatened her and her child that if she told me about you, she would be killed along with her child. That woman fled with you, that woman was a woman I slept with when me and Zanele took a break but we never saw each other again but I never knew she was pregnant or I swear-
I got up, pushing the chair I was sat on back so hard that it fell.

I knew that my face was no longer emotionless anymore, if anything I was livid. I was about to walk out when David spoke again.
David: Please, I want to know my son before I die. I only have a few months left, please.
His plea fell on deaf ears. I walked out hearing sobs. I don't even know where I was going but I got in the car and drove out.