Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called (S2)

Chapter Thirty-Five

-Simbongile Princess Ntabeni-

uBhuti came in as I was about to excuse myself from umakhulu, he was fully dressed in a greyish blue suit and dark grey shoes paired up with a white shirt. He looked dapper...

Bhuti: Molweni makhulu.
Us: Eweke
Bhuti: I don't even have time for breakfast, I will be out for the day. I have three meetings this morning and just one after twelve.

I figured he was speaking to his mother so I got up and took the first five "steps of faith" away from them. He called after me so I stopped and turned to look at him.

Bhuti: Mntanam, ndicela uzulungise abantwana, we will visit your mother later on in the afternoon.
Me: Uhm, siya khona ngoku bhuti.
Bhuti: Oh.
Me: Yeah uhm, inoba sebegqiba nonxiba ngoku. Mandihambe nam ndiyovasa.
Bhuti: Uhm... Sim, can you walk me to my car please?
Me: Oh, okay.

I followed behind him.
He had this frown on his face, I couldn't read it, not that I wanted to but I would have loved to understand it. Or isukaphi. We got to his car, he chucked his bag inside and stood against the car looking at the ground, it was as if he was gathering the right words.

Bhuti: Is everything okay?
Me: Phi bhuti?
Bhuti: With you guys, apha endlini, is everything okay?
Me: I would like to believe so, unless I missed something ngoku bendingekho bhuti. Is there something going?
Bhuti: Yile ndizama ukuyiqonda apha kuwe kaloku mntanam.
Me: Hayi andiqondi mna bhuti ba ikhona into engekho okay.

He huffed, kicking a stone.

Bhuti: Is everything okay between you and Kamva, or your other siblings and Kamva?
Me: Last time I checked she had a problem with me, but as of recent I kind of feel like she has a problem with all of us. But, she is the only person who can give you a detailed answer on that.
Bhuti: Mh, but niyathetha? Like, converse or communicate ke at least?
Me: No sir.
Bhuti: So ingxaki ikhona.
Me: Hayiki bhuti mna andiyazi.

He nodded.

Bhuti: I am running late kwi meeting, I am still saying ndizonisa esibhedlele kumama wenu xandibuyile. Can you wait for me? Will you be able to do that?
Me: No bhuti asizokwazi, as I said pha endlini, siya ngoku ku mama. I have already promised the kids ba we will be spending the day with her. If uyafuna ke we can join you again late, but asizokwazi ujika ngoku and wait for you to come back in the afternoon.

He chuckled.

Bhuti: So, if I am hearing you correctly Simbongile not only are you undermining me as the man of this house, but you are back-chatting me as well, kwam. Mamela ke mntanam, I don't know what you know or what you think you know, but apha kwam ndim intloko yelikhaya, you and your siblings will be abantwana and do as I say. You can be the chosen one, and hear from higher powers but apha endlini ungumntwana and you hear ukuthetha kwabantu abadala. Ndinibukele Wednesday nisenza intlekisa ngam calling an Uber ndikhona, even ngoku sendimcela udriver anohlise ndimbhatale anohlika, I noted that. Nindidelele Simbongile, and that will stop today.

I just listened to him, I had a whole file of comebacks, but I didn't want to I saw his mother standing by the patio sliding door, listening to us, so I kept quiet. He got in his car, slammed the door and lowered the window.

Bhuti: When I get back, I better find you and the kids ready to visit umama wenu esibhedlele.

Then he drove off.
I took a moment and collected myself, then I walked back inside the house and went straight to my room. I showered, the shortest shower I had every taken, got into my ripped jeans, sandals and loose-fitting top that I wore over a sports bra. A little perfume and my handbag, I went to knock on Siya's room, he walked out with Undi and Musa. They apparently raided his room while he was getting dressed. When we reached the bottom of the staircase, I requested an Uber...

"Haibo niyaphi na bazukulwana nibahle nje" umama ka Bhuti Masi spoke to Undi and Musa, Undi just walked out and Musa had no choice but to respond. I was getting worried nyhani ngo Undi. He was acting out of character.

"Siya ku mama esibhedlele makhulu" Musa answered. The old woman looked at mefirst, and the asked Musa again "Niya kumama? Anifuni uhamba nathi late?" Aha, he was taking the whole family to the hospital and he wanted us to also feel like we were part of the family? We were already iload yemoto thina, how was he planning to pull that off? Or was he going to take two trips? Musa responded, "Akekho ngoku nje ubhuti makhulu, and you never know with him, angasebenza imini yonke alibale ba he should take us to the hospital. Andithi he forgot to take us to school iveki yonke?"

That was a bummer, even to the old woman, she had no comeback and Musa didn't even wait for her to have a comeback. She just followed Siya and Undi out. I was left with the old woman.

"Mntanam... I know there's some tension here, but I think you should listen to what he said to you. Mlindeni abuye, uzakunisa esibhedlele after his meetings"
"Andisenzeli nayena ubhuti yazi makhulu, futhi I understand nam there's tension so this is by no means us disrespecting him." I responded checking my phone for the car.
"Wenzani ke mntanam? It looks like disrespect from where I am standing. Naye he feels like you guys are disrespecting him. I am sure umamakho won't mind just a few missed hours?" she tried to twist me and I chuckled, unintentionally.
"I would never disrespect ubhuti yazi makhulu, and I believe he knows that. Apha ndizama nokubonisa intombi yakhe ukuba asixhomekekanga kutata wayo as much as she believes sixhomekeke kuye. Siyazazi asinaye utata, samngcwaba salibona ingcwaba lakhe so we are very much aware that ubhuti ngu tata wakhe and that will not change."

She had her hand covering her mouth...

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that u Kamva.... Oh Simbongile" that sounded like she was hurt, or maybe it was just compassion speaking.
"Thina makhulu siqhele ukuzihlalela, we can do anything we want to do, anytime we want to do it, eat whatever we want to eat, with or without her father. Especially without her father. Futhi ke makhulu if he thinks standing up for ourselves is being disrespectful to him, undicelele uxolo wethu pha kuye.... But I will not stop. Mna ndedwa I will continue standing up for myself, for my siblings, for my mother and for my dad's honor. Noba ke umzukulwana wakho uthi ndiyathakatha, andinaso kwa stress, because I know who I am. Andikho sho ngaye"

My phone beeped, I lifted it up so she could see that I wasn't walking out on her, our ride had arrived.
She stood there, with tears almost breaking down on her cheeks, I walked away. I had a hospitalized mother that I wanted to see man. Eka bhuti into besizobuya siyibone.