Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called (S2)

Chapter Eleven

-Siyambonga Junior Ntabeni-

Sunday morning, we drove back to dad's home because we had to fetch Sim and mom wanted all of us to know dad's grave. Bhut and Kamva stayed behind. We joked around, laughed and ate on the way, when we got there, mam'khulu was already waiting by the gate for us. Mom parked ngaphandle and then we followed Mam'Khulu to the burial site. I long 30km walk in the scorching sun... when we got there, Sim was ahead. She had impepho already lit and she was doing her thing. We waited for her to finish up and when she was done, she looked up and smiled. The tombstone was beautiful... well written too.

Mam'khulu spoke first, and then allowed each of us to say something. I didn't have anything to say, when everyone was done we went back to the car and waited for Sim to go and fetch her bags. Mom and Mam'Khulu stood outside bazincokolela but I could hear everything they were saying though Musa and Undi were watching cartoons on YouTube kwi phone yam. My ears were concentrating pha kulancoko iphandle.

Mam'Khulu: They are determined to contest the will if Bonga left you with any money.
Mama: Bangenaphi emalini ka Bonga abantu balapha mam'khulu?
Mam'khulu: Kukunyoluka mntanam, banyolukile.

And then she started telling mom about the ultimatum they suggested that if dad left money for umama then she would have to marry u Melikhaya in order to access that money, and how the same Melikhaya wanted to kill Sim in the middle of the night because she was supposedly a threat and a stumbling block on their path. Mom chuckled once, and then she chuckled again. I felt the second chuckle... she was mad.

Mam'Khulu: Has the lawyer contacted you yet?
Mama: They sent an email izolo saying they would like to talk to me xandise Kapa.
Mam'Khulu: uMelikhaya ke ingathi ungumntu ozolinda iWill before icace into yakhe ba ibheka ngaphi. Andimazi ke udad'wabo ba ithini into yakhe.
Mama: Andikhathalele kwa mali yabo kemanke, one thing I know about u Bonga is that he will make sure that his kids are protected qha. That ke nam I will fight for, enye nenye hay bangayithatha akho stress.

Sim arrived...

Sim: Mama uyabuza u Dophakathi ba awusangeni na ubuze nempilo?
Mama: Get in the car wethu sigoduke sim sizoshiywa yi flight.

Mam'khulu laughed.
Sim got inside, mom and her protégé hugged and then we hit the road. I wanted to ask her questions, but I could tell ingqondo yakhe was not even there with us. We got to the airport and found u bhuti no Kamva waiting for us at the departures. We boarded, nalo ebenetshamba lokuba she's going to drive to the Eastern Cape no tata, she was very keen on flying ngoku. We shared seats, Kamva sat with Musa while mom sat with a stranger because ubhuti sat with Undi.

Sim: So, did you get to see your girlfriend while you were in East London?
Me: Girlfriend?
Sim: Lisa. Isn't she your girlfriend kanti?
Me: Oh... I didn't see her. My mind is still all over the place. When last did you speak to your other brother?
Sim: He's not my brother.
Me: Whatever.
Sim: Besithetha izolo, akazobuya ngo June.
Me: Inoba une cherry entsha.

She gave me a glare and I just smiled and closed my eyes.
She leaned and rested her head on my shoulder naye wacimela.

****

A week later...

Melikhaya, Dophakathi and two other males from dad's family rocked up on our front door. We only found out later in the afternoon that the lawyers were coming to our house, I'm sure they contacted mom and she probably forgot to mention it to us. They asked that everyone be involved, everyone being all of us dad's kids and mom ke...

Lawyer: We are gathered here for the reading of Mr. Ntabeni Bonga's Will. It is understandable that the wound is still fresh, but this is one of those things that need to be done. Should anyone wish to contest the Will, please follow the right procedure.

Everyone nodded...
I was just watching Melikhaya.

Dophakathi: As long as uSibongile engazofumana mali ka Bonga I don't think anyone will want to contest the Will.
Mama: Please continue Andrew.
Dophakathi: Sukuthi continue ndithetha, ndithi and ndifuna undive kakuhle nontombi. Awuzochola ne cent kwi mali ka Bonga. Soze imali yonyana womntakwethu uyityise amadoda waseKapa sikhona. Ukuba ufuna lemali, uzotshata no Melikhaya, imali yakwa Ngconde yenze iimfanelo zakwa Ngconde.
Me: Awuziva.
Mama: Siyambonga!

I didn't respond.
Melikhaya frowned at me, I just stared at him without flinching.

Lawyer: Okay... I think we can proceed.

He took a deep breath.

"The late Mr. Bonga Ntabeni has left his car, a Mercedes Benz C-Class sixth edition and his Ford Ranger worth R323 900 to his business partner and friend, Sakhisizwe Skara Ngobese. Unfortunately Mr. Ngobese couldn't join us today because he had to take his wife to the hospital."

No one contested those.
Everyone was just quiet.

"His houses in the Waterfront Cape Town he left for his eldest son Siyambonga Ntabeni, his house in Zimbali he has left for his eldest daughter Simbongile Ntabeni, his house in Bonny Doon East London he left for his daughter Sibongumusa Ntabeni and his house and business in Mdantsane NU 5 he had left for his son Undiphile Ntabeni."

One of the elders coughed and I sat up, very attentive.
I could see Melikhaya was about to burst.

"Mrs. Sibongile Ngqotyana is to take care of these properties until each child reaches the age of twenty five, thereafter, each child will see what to do with the property" the lawyer continued.

Dophakathi: Unotshe!
Melikhaya: There should be a clause somewhere there, my brother was too smart. He wouldn't just leave his property ezandleni zomntu amaziyo is with someone else and doesn't have the interest of his family and business at hear.

The lawyer cleared his throat and continued...

"Should anything happen to the mentioned children, all properties will fall under the Trust and the lawyers will manage them."

Dophakathi: Trust? Bonga had a trust? Yi Trust ibithengi lena kuthethwa ngayo apha ngoku?
Lawyer: A Trust is a f-
Dophakathi: Ubuyazi wena lonto Melikhaya?

He shook his head angry and disappointed.

"Everything Mr. Ntabeni owned is under the Trust, all his children including those who are not present here have a share of two million rands that will cover their education now, until varsity and beyond. Should anything to happen to those children, the money will go back to the trust and be shared amongst the rest of his successors."

Dophakathi: What has he left for his siblings? Family?

"When Mr. Ntabeni returned from the UK, he presented to me this letter that he wrote with his own handwriting. I will read it to you: If you're reading this letter then I am probably dead because I know Andrew would never let anyone access it unless I am dead. I write this with a heavy heart, in my grown age I thought I was happy because I had finally found a brother, a sibling, someone I could share my life experiences with. Only to find out that I was scammed. Melikhaya, I did a DNA test on both of us, and I have the results with this letter."

Andrew gave all of us copies of the test results and then continued to read.

"You probably just wanted the money, I just wanted a brother. I don't blame you though, I am just sad that u Dophakathi angakufundisa ukungcola okunjena. The test results prove that you are not my father's son, but his brother's. I would rest in peace knowing that my legacy is left in good hands, but after this, I would rather trust a stranger than family."

My jaw was on the flaw.
Mom was just smiling.

"You can keep the house in the UK, you need it. But that's all you will ever get from me. Danko bafo... you are proof that family can indeed be evil."

Andrew folded the letter in silence.