Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called

Chapter Forty-Three

We waited, and waited hay utata akabuyi and he doesn't call.
Mom ordered food, we had late lunch and then the kids fell asleep, it was way past their napping time. Siya suggested we go and clean our basement amphitheater and leave the kids there just in case dad returned and found them in their rooms. We did just that, and didn't forget to add a spoon of Allergex and panado in their drinks just so their sleep is longer...
About thirty minutes after we had "transferred" oo Undi to the basement, granddad popped in and we could tell that uthunyiwe. He wasn't himself, he was jumpy and his eyes were wandering all over the place. In as much as he said he just wanted to see how I was and check if Junior came home safe, he was restless and mom wasn't even helping. She just kept quiet and watched him until he said his goodbyes and left. At exactly half-past six in the evening dad came back, with makazi. As they drove in, Junior went to the basement to check if the other two were still sleeping, and they were. Dad walked in, followed by his fiancé and they sat on one couch. Mom was on her regular favorite and Siya and I were sharing.
Dad: Uhm, asibaboni abantwana.
That was his first sentence and mom just kept quiet, looking at them. Judging from her looks, I'd have died on the spot if I were them.
Dad: u Imi left them for a few minutes, her dad called and because she couldn't take them along, she thought they'd be safer endlini and she made sure that she had locked the gate. I know I called her nikhona, wathi kum usendlini with them, she lied. She was with her dad... as you had already told me.
I would have loved for mom to actually make an indication that she was at least listening to him. she didn't, she just stared at them, in silence.
Dad: We have looked everywhere, and I am afraid to say that we might have lost them. But uhm, we have reported to the cops, they went to the house and found imbobo at the back, and it saddens me, even more, to say that whoever took the kids managed to kill my dog too. The police suspect food poisoning. After that speech, we all sat in silence.Dad looked at mom, she didn't flinch nor make any sort of movement.
Dad: Sibongile?Mom: Mh?Dad: Uyandiva?Mom: Ewe. Dad: I know you're mad at me right now, I am sorry. I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure that our kids come back home safe. Mom: Is that it?Dad: What do you mean is that it?
She chuckled and looked at him, then her eyes rested on her sister.
Mo: So, you mean to tell me that loh ubumshiye nabantwana bam doesn't know where they are? Oh wait, kanene you didn't necessarily leave them with her, ubumke nabo, right Imi? uBonga left with the kids, andithi?Imi: Sisi...Mom: Fokof Iminathi! Fokof!Kwathi cwaka...Mom: Ndisisibhanxa senu mna, ndibuza abantwana bam uthi wena abantwana baku Bonga, u Bonga uthi abantwana ubashiye nawe. Next thing abantwana bam anibazi ukuba baphi, nithe nakundijonga nandibona ndibhalwe isibhanxa esphongweni mos? Imi: I'm sorry sisi, I kno-Mom: Shut the hell up wena, awungeni ndawo. For all we know you could have killed my kids. Why would you lie uthi awushiywanga nabantwana when you fully know that ubashiye endlini waya kutatakho? How long is a few minutes khona? Because uthe kum you were having lunch with your dad, kuBonga uthi it was just a few minutes? Kutheni ulimenemene nje Imi? Kutheni ulixoki?Imi: I didn't say I went for lunch with dad, I just said I'm downtown with him. Bendifika that time, we were not even going to have lunch...
That speech was disturbed by the phone call recording playing on mom's phone. She had nowhere to hide her tail, it wasn't her word against moms but her word against her voice in the recording. Dad got up and walked around the lounge, I could feel his frustration and it was pleasing to see.
Dad: So you left my kids alone, and went to have lunch with your dad? How dumb can you be? How stupid and irresponsible can you be Imi?Imi: Did you just call me stupid?Me: And he called you dumb. Imi: Mind your business wena gqirhazana kuthetha abantu abadala ngoku. Me: This is me minding my business ekhaya makazi, a house that my mom paid for. You have no business to mind, other than uthakatha, gqwirhazana.
She flew from her couch, with her big belly and her hands went for my hair. Siya slapped her as dad tried to get between us. At the sound of that hard slap, everyone stood still. I was shocked, I didn't expect that from him. He was on their side since the relationship was announced, I would have thought he would respect his new stepmother.
Siya: This is my mom's house, and in my mom's house I am the man of the house. You may be dad's girlfriend or whatever he calls you, but that doesn't give you any right to lay your hands on any of us, that includes oo Undiphile. Imi: So you're just going to stand there Bonga? You're going to stand there and watch your children insult me?Siya: What do you want him to do? Hit us? He cannot, and he will not. Lento umgubela yona will not work on us makazi, andingo tata mna. Ndakukhaba uphunyelwe seso sisu ngoku yithi pe????She sniffed, gathering her bag and phone that was on the coffee table...Mom: Now that nigqibile u actor, nithi abantwana bam baphi Imi no Bonga?Bonga: Uhm, sizobakhangela Sibongile. Andizolala bengabuyanga.Mom: Heh!Bonga: Imi masambe, Siya... I will have a word with you obuya kwam.Siya: We are not having a word tata, whatever you want to say to me yithethe ngoku.Dad: Siyambonga?Siya: Tata, ndithi whatever you want to say to me yithethe ngoku apha phambi kwabantu. Nam nditshilo mos apha phambi kwabantu that I am the man of this house, yintoni lena wena ufuna ukuyithetha abantu bengekho?
Dad chuckled, but it was a shame that he really had no ground to stand on. Siya had always been in his corner, always. Now for the first time, Siya was standing his ground against dad? That was a shocker, even for me.
Dad: Okay, you want us to do it now? Mamela ke mntanam, awukabiyo ndoda so I will not address you as one. Make this your first and last time uphakamisa isandla ku Imi, as a woman, and as your stepmother. I will not tolerate that now, and I will not tolerate that tomorrow. You will show respect-Siya: Tata, with all due respect neh, I have no respect for u Imi mna. I will not have it na ngomso so don't even waste your time. If it's respect that she wants, she wouldn't be sitting here as your fiancé. Ndinguye mna bendizakuba neentloni for sleeping with my sister's ex-husband, utata wabatshana bam.Me: Yabangathi ndiphambene mna xandisitsho, maybe uzokuva utata kuba kusitsho wena Nkulu yakhe!Siya: You can try e next door tata, not here.
Then he walked out of the lounge, opened the door and the gate gqiba wakhwaza "sicela niyokhangela abantwana baka mama torhwana, kuhlwile" I wanted to laugh so bad, but mom's straight face kept me in check. Dad didn't need Siya to shout again, he walked out and his fiancé followed behind him. I followed, just to watch them drive out, and when they disappeared behind the tall trees up the road, we all burst into laughter.
Mom: Yazi u Musa ndifike esithi u Undi utyisa inja pha.
We stopped and looked at her...
Mom: u Imi ubashiye on purpose aba bantwana kulandlu, ubashiye with poisoned food hoping they will eat and die. I mean, it makes sense elohlobo. But the twist in this is that abantwana bam instead of eating the food, they gave it to the dog. How clever?!
Now that made sense!How evil could one person really be? What did the kids do to her? Yes, I understood why she hated me, but come on, u Undi? U Mumu?