QUEEN OF DIAMONDS

CHAPTER 18

"Goodbye Ntombenhlelethukuthula," Ma said and I cringed. This was the name I was given when I got introduced to the ancestors and yho! "Goodbye ma, bye baba," I said as I hugged both of them. "And wena take care of my daughter in law, buka nje muhle kanjani,"ma said to Andile and I smirked as I looked down." Yebo ma, " Andile said as he packed the last of our bags in to the car. I said goodbye to Naye as she had decided that she will go with her grandparents later on today. I hugged Sethu and Sandile and said goodbye to Dumisani, Thingo and the kids. We got in to the car and left. "Do you mind if we pass by Spar and get an energy drink?" Andile asked and I agreed. I was in the snacks aisle alone because Andile forgot his wallet in the car and refused to let me pay. "Sawubona nkosazane," a voice said and I looked up to this man in his mid 30's with a whole ring on his finger.
"Yebo"
"Unjani kodwa ntombenhle"
"Ngiyaphila"
"Awu kombe ngizothi imbali enhle kangaka eyakaba?"
I'm a flower now?
"Ishade kaMkhize"
We have to set boundaries here.
"Oh, aii mina nginekati ekhaya"
Cats? What do they have to do with anything?
"I don't follow,"
"Bengithi sisho izinto ezingabalulekile"
Helang Basadi!
"Keabetswe you are still here?" I heard Andile ask from behind me then he saw the man in front of me and I swear his face hardened. "Singakusiza?" Andile asked. Ha! "Bengisazi khulumela nomam'Mkhize, ngaphezu kwalokhu angisoze ngadinga usizo lwakho," the man said. "Zibheke mfana kaNxumalo" says Andile ha! Yinkulu into ela. "Zigade mfoka Mkhize," the Nxumalo man said. Then this woman approached, and aii she looked gorgeous. She had that beauty that lay in simplicity, no makeup, no weave just a doek and a green maxi dress. "Sanibona, " she greeted and I greeted back Andile just smiled at her. Ha! "MaZondi, wagcina ushade lesisilima ngempela?" Andile asked. Zondi? MaZondi laughs, with whose husband? "Aibo Andile, awuyeke umyeni wami," Ma Zondi replies. "S'thandwa Sami, uBuhle wakwaZondi lo-" Andile started, oh that Buhle. "OwakaNxumalo manje" Nxumalo interjects and Andile ignores him. "This idiot here uKwanele the one who impregnated my friend. Ngisay'funa inkomo zami njalo Nxumalo. Aii umkami ke lo, " Andile finished the and gestured towards me and I shook their hands. "Aii cha ukhethe kahle Mkhize," Buhle says giving me the once over and I blush. "Mfoka Nxumalo isiyobonana usulethe inkomo zami," Andile says and gave Kwanele a bro hug, hawu I guess it's all good vibes here. We said our goodbyes and I took the chips I wanted. We paid and left. Andile was playing Maskandi and I refuse to be stuck in the car for 4 hours with this headache inducing music. I connected my phone to the car because I was too lazy to take out my air pods. I played my music on shuffle and U with Me by Drake came on. "Hawu? I was feeling the music nje," Andile complained. "Ngiyaxolisa Khabazela but your music was giving me a headache," I said sweetly and he shrugged as he carried on driving. "How did you end up being a national security what what?" I asked. I had meant to ask him a while ago but forgot. He chuckled. "I had this friend he was in the army and he injured so he was discharged. He came back and the government offered him and other soldiers a position, something to do to also help with their PTSD. So they started this off the books team but they needed funding and the government wasn't really going to be able to explain millions just disappearing so they gave them weapons and more agents. But they still needed private funding so he asked me. I was 19 at the time so of course this excited me. I was already quite well off at that point but I had to ask my dad for the rest. Don't ask me how I pulled that off, it's quite a long story. Anyways I told him i wanted in, if I was going to give them millions, I deserved to be part of it. Fast forward 3 years and they start needing civilians you know ordinary people to have their ears on the ground. I was one but they needed more so I then approached the guys, we were all friends at the time so it was easy getting them on board. Anyways they agreed and we have been doing it ever since,"Andile answered and I nodded. I feel I have more questions but for now I need to wrap my head around this new information. I leaned back in my chair and immersed myself in Jack Harlow. I must have dozed off because when I woke up we were at the Mooi River toll gate. I checked the time 16:30. My phone was still connected to the car and Now & Forver was playing, I yawned. Andile thanked the lady and drove off. "Good evening MaMoloi, how did you sleep," he asked. "My neck hurts," I complained and instead of being sympathetic towards me Andile just said ngiyalayeka. I gave him the stinky eye and he shrugged. "How's the LLB going?" Andile asked. I wonder how he knew that. But he did say he had been watching us. Going back to school felt empowering and all kodwa yho! LLB's are so demanding even though I'm doing it part time. And with Naye it was even more draining. I told Andile all this and he nodded. "When are you graduating kombe?" he asked. "In six months," I said and yawned again. Andile had a stubble now and while it added that raggedy look I loved in a man, I do not want my man to be looking like a hobo. I reached over and brushed his stubble. "You are going to cause an accident," he said his voice slightly hoarse. Men get turned on by the slightest things. "Gunda intshebe Khabazela. Umubi and I don't like it," I told him. "You are breaking my heart here," he said touching his chest. "Oh how my heart bleeds for you. But honestly yisuse," I replied. "Mhmm, okay," he said. "Our daughter is so grown now. I don't think I have thanked you enough for her. You raised her very well," he said and I wanted to cry. Ncooh. "Ngiyabonga," I said. "Your music sucks though," he said as Sleep Deprived by J Cole came on. "You are hurting me Khabazela. J Cole and sucks should never be used in the same sentence," I said. "J Cole is the guy with the dreads and cut right?" he asked and I said yes. "Since when are you in to hip hop?" he asked and I shrugged. "I don't know, Kwazi suggested one of the songs on Revenge of the Dreamers and I never stopped listening," I responded and Andile's jaw hardened. "Ubani uKwazi," he asked. Men also get jealous over the slightest thing. They hear a another man's name and their minds are already far away. "He is in my study group," I answered. I was not going to point out that Kwazi was gay, he must suffer with his hasty conclusions. We drove in silence for about 15 minutes when my phone rang. Mark. Andile's jaw hardened again. Yho. "Answer" he said when I froze. I did nothing and Andile answered. Why was my phone even connected to the car??? "Babe you promised to call," Mark started. This man is going to get me divorced. I wanted to disconnect my phone but Andile gave me an I dare you look. "Good evening to you too Mark, I'm having a splendid day with my husband thank you for asking," I answered.
"Sorry hi"
So he is going to ignore that i'm with my husband?
"What do you want Mark?"
"You promised you'd call"
"You said that already"
The briefer the replies the quicker this conversation ends.
"Uhm, we should do dinner one of these days"
"Sure where?"
The way Andile's head turned y'all I think his neck hurts. He does remember his driving right? He turned around and faced the road again. I don't want to die nna.
"Oh. Wow. Uhm, Steers maybe"
"Andile doesn't really like Steers, him and I like Spur though. We could meet you there"
Andile then laughed quietly.
"Uhm. No. Don't bring him"
"Why? Weren't you inviting us for dinner?"
"Just you"
"Uuhh, we are kind of a package. Where one goes the other follows"
"Like dogs then?"
"Whatever you want to call it"
"You weren't a package when you practically begging me to kiss you"
Silence. I wasn't going to say anything, just let him realise how stupid what he just said is. Andile's jaw was ticking at this point.
"Shit I'm sorry Keabetswe I shouldn't have said that"
"That was a low blow Mark"
I kept my voice as level as possible.
"Ngiyaxolisa"
"Is there anything else Doctor Thwala"
"It's Doctor Thwala now?"
"Yes"
"Okay, I'm sorry. Say hi to the husband for me"
"Hi Mark," Andile says. Open up earth and swallow me.
"Err uhmm. Hi?"
"Lovely weather we are having" - Andile.
I'm dead. I have been buried. Andile is a single parent and a widower now.
"Yes, okay I have to go now" Mark responded quickly.
"We should have that dinner soon" Andile says as if talking to an old acquaintance. Cremated.
"Uhm yeah, we should. Bye." Mark says and hangs up. I'm in tears now laughing. Please y'all my husband is a comedian. "Marry me," I say laughing and he laughs along with me. We have a light conversation as we continue to drive. We stop at McDonald's to buy some food. There is nothing harder than having to feed someone who is A: taller than you and B: driving. Trust me, I'm talking from experience. We 'ate' over a light conversation but when we got to the Marianhill Toll Plaza he started being more quiet. He was tapping his fingers against the steering wheel which was very annoying. "Please stop," I pleaded and he did. We drove home with him looking very nervous and greeted security as we went up the driveway. He parked the car in the garage and got out quickly to talk to security. I was about to get out of the car when Sethu called. She asked about the journey and other very unnecessary things like she was trying to stretch the conversation. When she started telling me about a sale on irons at Checkers I hung up. I got my handbag and the remaining snacks and walked in to the house. It was dark inside so I tried to switch on the lights but nothing happened. I was about to call Andile when the floor lit up. There were roses and candles on the floor leading out to the pool. Yho, oAndile have time. I followed the trail to the pool but there was no one there. The lights inside the pool weren't even on. I sighed, it was even cold outside. I know I should be excited but honestly I'm tired and cold and just want a hot bath and sleep. Then the lights came on. Well they were heart shaped lanterns but still, lights. I saw Andile approach he had changed in to a suit and Naye followed behind him in a white dress. When did she get here? They came closer and stood in front of me. Then Andile went down on one knee. Modimo! What is going on here? "Mommy daddy wants to ask you something," Naye said and I just melted. "MaMoloi. I know you are freezing but ngivumele ngisho okuncanyana. I love you and I just want to thank you for being umkami. Thank you for this beautiful creature, our child. Thank you for the love you give me unconditionally and unquestionably every day. I feel I don't thank you enough for everything you do for me so today I will. Ngiyabonga for making me a family man, a better man. I'm not going to lie and say before you my life was horrible because it wasn't. But you give me a reason to breathe, you gave me something to look forward to every day after a hard day at work. I know I haven't shown you how much I truly love and care for you for the past two years. But I do, anyways I'm down on one knee again because I want to ask you again. Will you marry me MaMoloi?" he said and at this point I am in tears. Guys how does one respond to such?" Yes! "I say and he smiles." Yes? " he asks kanti akezwa yini? I nod my head vigorously. He takes off my wedding ring and takes out another one from his pocket and slips it on. I'm not even 30 yet but I have been engaged three times and have had 4 different rings on my finger. I looked at the ring, ngizoxopha abantu la. "Close your eyes," Andile told Naye and she giggled and closed them. Andile stood up and kissed me. "Ew daddy!" Naye exclaims. Didn't we say she should close her eyes. "Aii ukuthi nawe awulaleli," Andile says picking her up. We go back inside and Naye proceeds to tell me how she flew on a helicopter to get here, and I was stuck in a car for 4 hours. The double standards. But this right here is what I live for. These little and big moments with my small family. "One down 11 more to go," Andile whispers in my ear as we all cuddle up on the couch. Sleep and the need for a bath forgotten. I smile and lean over Naye to kiss him earning another ewwww! from Naye. I love my family.