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Fifty Nine.

Chapter Fifty nine.

"If you see the fangs of the lion, don't think the lion is smiling." Congolese proverb

••

Ya neh...

You know when life just deals you the worst cards imaginable that leave you defeated to the core you just don't think it would be real. You don't think that this is what you'll go through. You don't think this is how much it will hurt you when in reality it's a dozen stab wounds bathed in salt, petrol and lemon juice and then lit up.

Seeing the Queen cry and breakdown like that was just as traumatic and reminded me nothing short of my mother. How I saw my King laying there, lifeless was just as painful and as sore as seeing my mother with no soul in her.

"Not my Senzo... Not my Senzo... He said he'd fight and he'd get better not die... Kings don't die! He was not supposed to die!" the Queen said rocking herself back and forth while in my hold. "He's not dead. My Senzo is still alive. That man in there is not him. No not my Senzo."

"We found the doctor," we look up as Bangi and two mannequins walk in. I frown and shoot up the moment I see blood on his shirt.
"What happened?"
"I'm fine. It's not mine." he says.
"Then whose is it?" I ask, calming down a little.
"It belongs to the doctor," Bangi says and my eyes go wide in shock.
"You hit the doctor?"
"What? No. We found him bleeding due to head trauma. Something hit him on the head... Or rather someone."
"Alakhe." the words leave my mouth in a whisper.

He nods agreeing with my suspect and I clap once before hugging myself. Is this why he came to see his father? To cause this much misery and pain on the same day we were supposed to be celebrating and rejoicing? He hates us that much.

"I'm going to kill to him with my own bare hands. I'm going to send him back to the hell he came from," Bangi's mother says.

••••••••••••••••••••

I've been tossing and turning the whole night unable to get even a wink of sleep in. The moment I closed my eyes all I'd see is the King's lifeless body in front of me. The coldness of his hand still felt fresh to me and nothing could make me forget that smell of death. And now my ears were ringing with the cries of my mother-in-law as they came to take the cold King.

'Senzo! Buya Senzo! Myekeni you can't take him from me! Please No! Senzo please wake up!'

He's seated by the couch, slouched forward and face buried in his hands. It's not even 02h00 in the morning. I get out of bed and make my way to him, sitting at the open space and put my hand behind his back. He heaves out a heavy sigh and manoeuvres his upper half onto my lap. I don't mind, in fact it brings me something that warms my heart.

"Can I cry?" he asks a while after we sit in the silence of the night.
"You're human Bangi."
"I don't even know how to feel."
"That's okay. Don't even put pressure on yourself. I'm here for you." I say.

I hear him sniff. "You know nothing pisses me of more than the fact that they can't find that shithead. It makes me even more pissed."
"Don't worry they'll find him." I say.

They better.

"I have to tell the Kingdom tomorrow... I don't think I can. I don't want to. I can't even sleep, how the hell will I even tell people about this?"
"Maybe ask someone else to do it."
"I wish I could. I..."
"It's okay my love. It's okay."

I'm trying here. I really am. He abruptly sits up and looks at me with bloodshot red eyes. "You have to sleep. Please sthandwa sam."
"I can't."
"Try. I have calls to make."