GOLD MASK

CHAPTER 36

I took a deep breath, and looked out the window. A lot of emotions were stirring up at me--emotions I thought would have cleared once I reached the soils of Newcastle, but I've been here almost a day, and the turmoil is still brewing inside me. I could help thinking about Nomnotho, how she refuses to renew our home. Mom would've loved for her children to get back their home, and preserve her memory, somehow. She would want her future grandchildren packed into the space that she had dedicated almost her whole life into making a home. Maybe its nothing. Maybe she's just overwhelmed and all she needs is time.

Time.

My phone vibrated on top of the vanity, and when I checked thinking it’s Andile, Melamina’s name was bright on my phone screen. I stared at it for some time, contemplating on whether or not to answer. It could be Mfihlo trying to get a hold of me through other means since he was blocked, but maybe it isn't.

"Hey. Are you good to talk?" Melamina's voice came, sounding panicked and out of breath.

"Sure. What's up?"

She took in a deep breath. "No one's home, and I can't find any of the family members. But I can feel the baby coming,” she ended it off with a small and nervous giggle.

My alarms shot up, and I looked around for my keys, but quickly remembered I wasn't around to help. Why would they even be unreachable when they have a person close to popping in their mist? What happened to Mfiliseni watching her like a hawk. Where was he when his wife needed him? She screamed, a loud and piecing one, and I heard a thud.

"Melamina! Melamina, are you there?” I screamed frantically, but she didn't answer, but a part of my heart had calmed down because I could still hear her screaming, and trying to get her breathing in check, but it was faint. I dropped the call, and immediately dialed Silas, pacing up and down while I listened for it to ring.

"Miss Azania, it's not a good time,” he whispered, and I heard another scream--this time it was one filled with pain and agony. Then I heard it--it was faint and slightly sounded away from normal--but I heard Mfihlo's voice in the background. I couldn't hear what he was saying, and quite frankly I didn't have the time to fuss about it.

"Melamina is in labour. I need you to drop everything, and go to her, cause if anything happens it will be on your heads,” I shouted, then dropped the call, to dial Melamina. I closed my eyes, praying she has the energy to pick up. "I can't come. I'm not around, but I found help."

"I am driving to the hospital or I will be delivering this child on the floors, because I can't wait...fuck...its coming Azania," she screamed again. God! Her contractions sounded too close together, she is really having the baby soon.

"Breath!" I ordered.

The call cut. I kept trying to call back, but it still went unanswered. My body limped on the bed and I exhaled all my worries. God please protect your children.


....

Driving home felt weird, not just because I haven't been around for a long time, but because it has been more then three hours and I still didn't know what was happening with Melamina. Silas wasn't answering, and I never got around to get Mfiliseni's number. Mfihlo was a no go. But I pushed it all to the back of my mind, as I parked my car across the street, and walked over to the large gate that read 'Dladla' on it. The house was even gated now? The nerve. I checked the gate, found that it was opened and I walked over the cemented floor. The house was no longer the bright green I remembered it to be. It was now painted in a light pink, with aluminum windows and a door.  The small pot plants that used to line the front windows were gone, and so was her little floor garden at the edge of the yard. Nomnotho was right, everything I remembered about our home was now just a distant memory. They had changed everything. The very essence that made this home a peace heaven.

I took in a deep breath, delivering two strikes on the door. A child opened, probably two years younger then Andile, her head tilted to the side as she looked at me with a nervous smile. "Sawbona," I greeted.

"Yebo, Sawbona."

"Are you parents home?" I asked, peeking over her shoulder.

"Mama, someone is here for you,” she screamed after walking into the house. I stood there in my heels, waiting for the mother to come. A few seconds later she appeared, dressed in a pink pinafore and her hair packed into untidy braids. Her face was so familiar. She looked at me, her head tilted just like her child's. I cleared my throat and held the brown envelope tighter against my chest. "Sawbona, could we please talk? I have come with a pressing message."

She nodded, welcoming me into the house. I sat down on the couch, and internally cried when I noticed that the picture of my mother that dominated the wall was gone. They had honestly removed everything about her. "Tea?" She offered.

"No thank you." She nodded, then sat down, silently urging me to speak. "I know it isn't your fault, and I won't bore you with all the logistics behind it, but this house was stolen from my mother, and the sale to your family was illegal, since the house still belongs to my mother. I know its too much to ask, but I would like to have it back,” I spoke.

She sighed. "What do you mean illegal? I can't just pack and leave, I didn't know that the house wasn't her house, nor do I have anywhere to go."

"I understand that. That's why I am willing to buy it and giving you at least two months to get your things sorted. Please. This home means so much to me to just let go. I hope you understand that,” I pleaded.

"Leave you number and we will see, because I hear you, but I can't lose my home over something I wasn't told about," she stated.

I frowned. This woman was practically besties with Snakho's mother. She probably knew that Snakho's mother stole the house from us and chased us out like rubbish. I smiled a little and sat up. It didn't look like she recognized me, but then I don't blame her. When I left Newcastle back then, I was just plain Jane and now I looked like a reality TV star.

“The request was just me simply being polite. You don't have legal papers that outlines you as the legal owners of the house. If there is any, they are fake and I would do anything to prove that in court. If I want, I can just call the cops on you because you're basically trespassing. You have no claim of this house and you know it, so don't act clueless. Instead of two months, I am giving you 28 days to vacate this house. I could compensate you for all the renovations even though I didn’t ask for them, but please move out of my house. Goodbye.” I stood up with a smile and gracefully walked out. I knew I just made another enemy in Newcastle but I would fight for my mother's house till the day I died.

....
I was back at the lodge by nightfall, showered and relaxed. I had called home, and everything was pretty much the same. Nomnotho was still a sour puss, and my brother was being forced to tip toe around her bad mood, to avoid getting an undeserved earful.  But at least he had the gym and practice to keep him away for a few hours each day. I settled on the bed, opened Netflix on my phone, and placed my wine bottle in between my thighs. I was watching Tinder Swindler, its some movie documentary I've seen multiple people rave about on Social media, so I needed to give it a try.

My phone rang while I was deep in the movie. I answered it in a rushed manner, downing some wine from the bottle. "Hello?"

No voice came, but I could hear the breathing. I pulled away the phone from my ear, and it was Mfihlo's other number. Shit. I placed the phone back onto my ear and waited. Waited for him to find his voice. "We got to her late. She had already given birth on the floor, but the doctor's checked up on them both, and they seem fine. But he is keeping them in for observations just to be sure."

I sighed. "Thank you. For telling me. I was really worried."

Silence reigned once more.

"When are you coming back from Newcastle?” I frowned and quickly looked around, suddenly feeling paranoid and uncomfortable.

“Are you having me followed?” a forced chuckle escaped his lips.

“You are the woman I love, so I have to make sure you are safe at all times. Please notify me once you're back. We need to talk.” He hung up leaving me gobsmacked.

Why was he having me followed? Where could I ever escape his drama? Fuck.