Mr Rumming And The Teacher ✔️

•60

When I got back home everything was different, I was scared, I felt alone but I quickly came out of it because Pali was a newborn mother who needed me.

My house is still there and so that is where I am staying. My bodyguards stay in the house opposite mine, Israel is respecting my space while also doing all he can to keep me safe, it is endearing.

I went back to the building where I was held captive, for a moment I was disgusted until grief washed over me as I saw the chair.

Pali's mom suggested that I get a traditional healer to see what the problem is and what should be done because issues like this are spiritual, not physical ones. I have never been one to believe in ancestors but I will try anything.

There is a healer that everyone keeps talking about, I have been told she is the best and so I called everyone I knew and all the people who could help me find her and most of them could not find her like she is a ghost.

One morning, I was looking at my emails and trying to find a building for Mrs Hudson's expansion into South Africa and I got an email from her, Gogo Sambuka. She told me where and when to see her and that she heard I was looking for her.

"Come in, I heard you open the gate." I leave my shoes outside and we get inside her house. She asked that we do it here.

"Good day, Gogo Sambuka."

"Hey, let us sit down and see what we can find." We sit on opposite ends and she lights a white candle after cleansing me and the space with sage. She has water in a glass next to three candles, a red one, a white one and a blue one. She sprinkles sniff into the water and around the candle. We wait a moment.

"Your mother is with us, she wants to talk first." I nod. "She asks that you open your hands and not ball them up into fists." She smiles and I release the tension. "You have lost two babies, am I correct?" I nod, "You need to cleanse yourself of their deaths and bury them."

"Okay."

"Your Father asks that you, not worry so much about how other people view you."

"Oh, okay."

"You have been thinking about doing a wedding, here, your parents are both behind the decision.
They would like you to visit their graves."

"I don't, I do not know where they are."

"Norfolk Cemetry by the pine tree, they were buried next to each other, romantic. Your family all wish happiness for you, they know how hard your life has been and they know how hard you tend to be on yourself but they all wish to tell you that they love you." I nod unable to say anything else. "Call your husband, He will agree to the wedding ceremony, just call him but first go to the cemetery to visit your family." The flame burns out.

A weight moves off my shoulders and tears fall from my eyes. Gogo hands me a tissue and walks into the other room.

I pull my phone out of my bag and dial his number.

"Mia bambolotta?" He sounds busy, as though I interrupted a thought process.

"Amore Mio, how soon can you come to South Africa?"

"I can be on my plane in a few hours, why?"

"I will explain when you get here, I love you."

"I love you." I hang up and make my way to uGogo.

"Gogo Sambuka?" She appears from the kitchen. "You gave me a scare, I need your help in organizing the wedding ceremony, I don't even know how it would be done." Traditional African weddings have certain customs that are important, while I wanted it purely because I feel like myself and I would love to get married again in my own country, I know that doing these rites will not hurt.

"I usually do not do this but sure, you have my number, you will call me." I nod and head out. Pali is still in the car waiting for me.

She gave birth while I was in Ethiopia. She tied the knot in a small ceremony five months ago, a month after I got back to South Africa. She had a son named Tumisang, Tumi for short. He is a chubby baby and is the cutest little human.

Kevin has been taking good care of them and they are looking for a house right around where mine is right now.

"That went well?"

"It did, I was terrified but it went well. I need to go to the cemetery." She nods "and I get to have another wedding, well, Israel and I's traditional wedding."

"Is he going to agree? What if he has a thing against killing animals?"

"Gogo says he will so I hope she is right, anyway, he will be here either tomorrow or the day after."

"You ready to be around him?"

"More than anything, I miss him but let's leave that and go shopping."

For the last year, I have been searching for healing when in fact I was searching for belonging, I was fighting for a place, fighting to be seen, heard and known. I was fighting to know, know something other than all I have ever been taught.

I learnt about where I came from and who I am in community. I learnt to be alone and be at peace in times of trouble. I learnt that my path is ahead of me and I may try to plan it but only the path knows where it is headed, I am here to enjoy the ride, to cry, to laugh, to rejoice, to enjoy, to love, to hope, to die and to watch as the things I love grow and die. That is but life and the journey we are on.

I am ready for what life has in store for me next, I know I am because I know who I am.

Losing my children hurt, physically, emotionally, it hurt but without that hurt, I would have never gotten to a place where I can let go of the hurt of losing my family, losing out on having support like that.

I know I was wrong for leaving him but what a blessing that has been.

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