Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called

Chapter Seventy-Seven

I hated the fact that he had every snack that was my favorite available, there were dunked wings too, and two chocolate milkshakes from Steers. Like, he planned the whole thing to the T! A dog barked outside so he quickly went to check that out, came back saying the puppy from next door apparently snuck into the yard and his dog was barking at that.

He got next to me, kicking my feet off his bed. I laughed, kicking my shoes off. I had forgotten about them. Everything, a lot of things were just happening at once. I looked at his cheesy smile asked...

Me: So, how's Durban?

Qhamani: Kumnandi, I won't lie, the whole place is just refreshing.

Me: Met any cute girls?

Qhamani: Are we jealous?

Me: Are we not allowed to be curious?

Qhamani: Mh, I can smell jealousy. And I understand, don't worry baby, I understand.

Me: Answer the question Qhamani, haibo!

Qhamani: I have, I met a lot of girls to be honest, but I only like two of them. Not sure how that's going to work out because I recently found out that they are best friends, but go to different schools.

Me: Hah, Qhamani!

He laughed, and I just smiled at him.

Qhamani: I missed you, so much.

Me: I miss you ngoku, it feels like it's been a year already.

He lowered his head and kissed my lips, I closed my eyes, feeling the emotional heaviness within my chest. The chips slipped off my hands, my hands finding his almost muscular face. They kept him in one place. We breathed the same air... his tongue slipped between my lips. Plunged like some writhing sea-shape into my gaping maw, it all but overpowered my senses as it sought some unreachable terminus near my uvula; it wiggled, it pulsated, and made contortive sweeps of my mouth's vault: I'm certain that at least once, it turned upside down. Again, he stopped and just gazed deep into my eyes, as though I was the best thing he had ever seen...

Qhamani: I love you Simbongile...

Me: I know that, and the most painful thing is to love you back. I hate this, Qhamani. I hate this...

He got off me, and sat on his heels.

Qhamani: I hate it too, but we both know it's not our fault and it's not true. We are not siblings.

Me: You sound so sure, Qhamani what do you know that I don't? What are you not telling me?

He sighed, getting off the bed and walking around his room in silence. I watched him, he was nervous, he was... Triggered?

Me: Qhamani?

Qhamani: I grew up knowing him as my dad, he was always my dad. I looked up to him. Even though I knew that we couldn't really be a real family, like, have dinners together, I knew that he was my father and that he loved me. And that with him in the picture, I will never lack anything. To be quite honest, I have never lacked anything. He has always provided, and he still provides.

He was upset, almost crying. The crack in his voice killed me, knocked me off my senses. I couldn't even look at him anymore. I feared he might cry, even though I hadn't heard the whole story.

Qhamani: He's never loved me like he loved Siya, I've heard how fond you guys are of him and even before I knew we could share the same father, I envied you guys. I envied the relationship you had with your father because he was a present father and I just had a father who was just good at providing and making sure that I don't lack. He wasn't an emotional dad to me, but a provider. He took the role of God.

Me: God isn't just a provider though, He loves u-

Qhamani: Everything changed the second he became MY father. I started resenting him, I started searching for reasons to hate him. Not disputing the fact that he was a great father before, but because he broke us up, I resented him. I needed something against him, something to hold him accountable for.

I got off the bed and walked up to him, touching his arm.

He wasn't just upset, Qhamani was turning to a stranger right before my eyes.

Me: If its makes you feel any better, I resent him too, but that doesn't change the fact that he's my father. There's nowhere to wash him off.

Qhamani: Sim you don't get it... In the short space that I spent in KZN, I dug up everything I thought I didn't have to know about him and today I can tell you boldly and confidently that he's not my father. I am not Bonga's son, and I feel sorry for him, to some extent, I mean... he wasted thousands and thousands of rands on me.

I took a step back and looked at him, he walked over to his bag and pulled out a brown envelope that had documents in it. He handed them to me, and walked back to the other end of the room running his hands over his face. I opened the envelope and found pictures, dad was in most of them, but there was another guy there. He looked like dad, but not too much. Just the complexion and eyes.

Qhamani: My grandmother knew that I wasn't Bonga's child, I got those from her.

Me: Why did your mother lie?

Qhamani: She wanted to secure my future, and your dad was a good bait.

I went through the DNA results, he really wasn't my brother.

The relief, and confusion...

Me: When I kissed you earlier, you stopped me and said this is wrong. But now uthi we're not siblings, so why is it wrong?

Qhamani: That dude could be your father's cousin brother. Apparently umama was dating him, and had a "thing" with your dad while dating lomjita.

Me: If he's my dad's cousin brother ndingenaphi mna? Ungenaphi wena?

Qhamani: That means we are related. Look Sim, I haven't spoken to her ngayo yonke lento, I am still confused and kind of angry at her. I mean, she could have just told me the truth instead of making me skip the town ngento ayaziyo ba ayikho.

Me: Yey Qhamani, if what I've just read here is true then I'm not related to you. Haibo! Singenaphi thina kwi cousins zabazali? How do we even know if this cousin is your real dad? Iphi proof?

He just looked at me and smiled, I was fuming!

How could they lie to us like that?

Me: Talk to your mother, she must just come out with the truth ngoku. Umdala and she's working, surely she can provide you with a future even if dad would cut you off.

Qhamani: I will talk to her after I've gotten hold of Luyolo. I need to see him first.

Me: Is that your other dad's name?

Qhamani: Yes. Oh and while searching for answers I met your dad's other child, Bonga Junior. Spitting image of your brother, they live in Durban too.

Wow!

I just stood there, feeling like a zombie. I knew Junior existed, but we had never spoken about him ekhaya, not even dad spoke about him. Maybe he didn't go to Qhamani ke e Durban, he went to see his other child.