Isigodi

CHAPTER 39

Parking in the Mkhize yard, I climb off the car and find my grandmother already waiting for me with her hands on her waist. I already know that my parents have contacted her, otherwise she would have ululated and danced for everyone to see by now. That's how much she loves me.

"Yazi Azanda you are not that old for me to beat you up." she says and I chuckle.
"Hawu gogo, I drive all the way from Nongoma to see you and this is the welcome I get? Should I go back?" I ask as I step closer to her.

"You know this trip wasn't blessed by your parents. They have been worried about you. They even called me asking if I haven't heard anything from you. Whatever they did, it's not enough to stress your parents like this MaShenge. Anyways, how did you travel?" she asks as she wraps her arms around me. I melt and hug her back.

My grandmother has the warmest hands ever. Adlula awe Snake Park. She releases me and we walk inside her house. She lives with my two cousins, Zime and Niyanda. They are both my uncle's kids and they actually volunteered to stay with gogo. Mainly because she is not strict and she is very loving. Zime is a nurse at the local hospital and Niyanda is works at some factory. They are both not here by the way. Gogo starts by making juice for me and then puts some scones on a plate before she hands it to me. We go to the living room and sit down.

"Now tell me what those stupid love birds did to you so that I can go deal with them." I laugh at her seriousness. She could really go there and give them her piece of mind. I sigh.
"Gogo, while in Jozi I met a guy. Things went on too fast and we ended up sleeping together." I am not about to tell my grandmother that Siza and I are nothing but fuck buddies. "We agreed that he will come and pay inkomo yomqhoyiso gogo but he switched up on me and actually paid full lobola for me. I found out that mom actually knew about Siza's plans but she didn't bother telling me. They treated me like some price to pass around. They didn't consider my feelings or ask me what I needed. What they did is like some arranged marriage thing."

"But you know the boy, so it's not an arranged marriage."
"Gogo that's beside the point."
"Azanda you know how your father is. You honestly think if the boy's family came and proudly shouted 'we are here to pay for inkomo yomqhoyiso' he would've smiled? I am pretty sure he would've sent them away with bullets flying. He would've really killed that boy. Whatever your mother did, it was to save that boy's life. Now stop being stubborn. Call them and tell them you're here and you're safe."

"Give it two more hours gogo."
"Ngzokushaya ke mina." I laugh before taking my phone. I switch it on and notifications come in flooding. A call immediately comes in. It's from Mnyamane. I answer it.
"Ohh Nkosi yami. Sisi wami thank you for answering. Thank God you're okay. Where are you? Are you hurt? Tell us so that we can come fetch you. We were told not to return home without you." he says very fast. I chuckle and wait for him to calm down.

"I am fine bhuti. You don't need to worry about me. Just tell Sokalisa and MaNene that I am okay and I am safe where I am but I am not coming tonight."
"You are calling your mother MaNene, something must be wrong. What is going on? Please tell me." I smile. We don't even have a strong bond but it warms my heart to hear that he is worried about me.
"Just a small misunderstanding. I am fine bhuti. I have to go now." I hang up and then dial mom's number. She answers almost immediately.

"Kodwa zibulo lami, are you trying to kill me? How could you just take off like that without telling anyone where you were going? To top it all off, you switched off your phone. What if something bad happened to you? How would we have found you? I understand that you are angry, but you shouldn't have done what you did. It was really wrong Azanda and inconsiderate. Don't ever repeat what you did. You hear me?"

"Yes ma."
"Now where are you?"
"I am with the person who didn't betray me or decide for me what it is that I need." She sighs. "I am safe. I only wanted to say that. I will see you soon and please apologize to Veli for me. I didn't mean to abandon her. Sleep well ma." I hang up and send a message to Veli apologizing before switching off my phone.

"You kids of today. I would've gotten the beating of my life from my mother if I pulled a stunt like that." gogo says shaking her head and I laugh. We continue talking and then I go freshen up before she gives me a gown to put on. I put my phone in my mother's bedroom and then head to the living room. I find Zime and Niyanda sitting with gogo. I didn't even hear them come in.

"Hello batase." We exchange hugs before I sit next to gogo who hands me a plate of food. Whatever belief you have that after visiting gogo, you go back to your place having gained at least a few kilos. Gogo always wants to see me eating. She never wants to see umtanomtanakhe hungry.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming? We would've came back early just so we could welcome you home." Zime says with a smile.
"It was unplanned, mtase. But next time I will surely inform you prior." They nod.

After a while, gogo retires to her room leaving me with Zime and Niyanda. Well Niyanda doesn't stay long. He tells us that he is fetching his girlfriend who is pregnant by the way but still in her first trimester. He leaves and Zime and I tidy up and also wash the dishes before we chill in the living room.

"So what brought you here?" she asks.
"Mom and some stupid guy nje who pain lobola for me without my consent." Her eyes pop out.

"You are lying." I shake my head. "OMG! I should definitely move to Kwa Mahede. You guys have drama for days." I laugh at her and no we don't have drama. Just my mom wanting to dictate things and Sokalisa allowing her because he can't say no to her. "Do you know the guy? How well acquainted are you with him?"

"We have slept together a couple of times." She screams and gogo reprimands her from the bedroom. We laugh and lower our voices.
"That guy must be your boyfriend then. Why are you switching up on him and why are you being dramatic?" I roll my eyes.

"He was coming to pay for inkomo yomqhoyiso, not ilobola. He ambushed me and he was wrong to think that I would just go ahead with this plan or idea. It's too much for me mtase." It's easy to speak to Zime because she is only 24 years old.

"Is he cute?" she asks biting her lip and I laugh.
"You have Instagram, right?" she nods. "Search @siza_phumulo and tell if that's cute of not." She takes her phone and goes to her Instagram. She gasps when she discovers my 'future husband'.
"Girl, this dude is hot like a heato. Damn. And look he has posted a photo of you." I frown.

"What?" I sit next to her and take her phone. She is right. Siza posted a photo of me which I took the night we first met. He has captioned it with 'Phakade lami' and added a ring emoji. The comments are crazy. Some are congratulating him, some complimenting me and others are like bitter exes, pointing out the 'wrong things' about me. Siza is crazy yaz. "This guy needs to get checked out. He is insane. There he goes again doing something without consulting me. We are not even dating."

"But you are traditionally married. So you have to go and face the music mtase. There is no need for you to be all stubborn now. It's too late. You just have to find a common ground and move the fuck on. There is no time for playing now." I scoff.

"But he has to pay for this shit he did to me. He has to." she laughs before opening Siza's Instagram story. It contains three pictures of me and one video and a picture of his family in the Buthelezi household. Siza is going to be the death of me, I swear.