Following tradition

Insert 4

Nciza home
" you know your daughter is so ungrateful!!!"
Me: Awkahle MaZwane, its a big thing finding out that your father has arranged marriage for you to a stranger "
Mazwane: You know we had to do it. We took a loan from the Gwala family and this is the only way we could pay it.
Me: I could have sold a few cows
Mazwane: You heard what he said? His son from Johannesburg is looking for a wife and he has his eye on your daughter so why not give her to them and have our loan forgotten and earn more money???
Me: she is just a child!!!
Mazwane: we babakhe!!! Ngithi we babakhe??? Please do not give me a headache so early in a day
Me: Am just saying bab Gwala is a reasonable man. If I talk to him...
Mazwane: Talk to him for what? No one will ever marry Amani babakhe!!! She is weird, faints all the time for no reason and the most annoying child iv ever seen my whole life
Me: Khabonina Zwane!!! She is your child!!
Mazwane: Ngathi uyakhohlwa... You made another woman pregnant while you were with me. A few months down the line you came back from work holding her in your hands and you begged me to take her as my own. My family kicked me out for having a baby out of wedlock and you took me away from Ladysmith and brought me here to this godforsaken place. We are in this debt because of her. We had to loan the money to start everything that we have right now. Yes we been paying for it the last 20 years but still its her fault that we are in this mess and we might as well use her to end this mess. She owes us that much. Heck she owes you that much. If you have left her at the park like how I told you so we wouldn't be here. Heck we don't even know if she is truly your child or that slut...
I don't know what happened but for the first time in my life I slapped my wife and she stood there looking at me with my five fingers imprinted on my cheeks.
Me: Don't nt you ever speak about Amani and Amandla like that. I do not want to hear you say anything about her. Amani is my child, will forever be my child. Am only agreeing to this not for the debt only but for her sake cause one day ill die and I want her to be taken care off. Do not confuse us or this as me seeing your point! And Khabonina do not act like I forced you to help me with Amani. You could have said "no!!!"
I left her in the room and took my walking stick and took the long walk to the river bank. If she was to go anywhere that big old oak tree is where Ill see my child.

Amani
I slowly got my senses and I took small breaths and looked at all of them. The room was silent and I know they waiting for me to talk. I swallowed making my throat a little wet and turned looking directly at Zweli.
Me: Please take me home
Zweli: Can we talk this through?
Me: No
The whole room was quiet. A heard a throat clear and I looked at the Queen.
Queen: Hi
Me: Hi
Focus on breathing girl. Just focus on breathing.
Queen: Would you like some tea. Just you and I.
She looked at everyone and I know  she was just making me feel better. I could speak but nodded.
Queen Kalechi: Ill make the tea. She got up and walked and the Queen helped me to my feet.
Queen: You okay?
Me: Yeah
We were walking together. She was silent for a while than looked at me with her kind eyes.
Queen: When I was a kid I used to faint a lot too
Me: Really?
Queen: yep. Until i mastered breathing.
Me: Breathing?
Queen: Whenever you feel it coming just close your eyes and think of the ocean and breath. I promise you that will help
Me: Ocean?
Queen: yeah they waves have a calming effects.
We were now in the kitchen. It was buzzing of chefs. I stood there for a second than she directed me to a small door and we got in and there was Queen Kalechi. Pour tea in the most beautiful tea cups.
Me: Iv never seen an ocean.
They both looked at me.
Me: Iv seen it on tv but not in real life.
Queen Kalechi: One day you will.
We sat down and enjoyed tea and cookies as the two ladies spoke about stupid things making me laugh alot

Zweli
I heard her laughter a few times as I was standing by the kitchen.
Dad taps my shoulder.
Dad: this reminds me of the first time i brought your mom home.
Me: were you nervous
Dad: beyond words
Me: what if she doesn't like me
Dad: She made to love you. In this whole world, god created her just for you.
Me: She doesn't know that.
Dad: eventually she will see it and know it
Me: I hope so
Zwakhe: What about me?
He popped up out of nowhere. My brother hates the doors so he teleports a lot.
Dad: What about you
Zwakhe: Did God create a person specifically for me?
Me: You a ladies man
He roared with laughter.
Zwakhe: That right my man. God loves me too much he did not create 1 or two people to love me. He made creatures called woman and blesses them with beautiful chest for me to burry myself in there. Fuck life is beautiful.
Dad: seriously son!!!
Zwakhe: what can I say dad. Am you in ...
Dad: ay ay ay you are your grandfather replica
He laughed.
Zwakhe: So when we going escourt?
Me: For?
Zwakhe: I swear they dropped you when you were a baby.
Me: you blocked me out from reading your mind.
Dad: You two are creepy.
Zwakhe: we your creepy kids. I mean to drop off the Moo moo's
He made the cow sound.
Me: Why?
Zwakhe: Ay ngeke baba. I give up sala naye ubone nawe. He vanished and dad looked at me.
Dad: I think what your brother talking about is lobola
I looked at him.
Me: Dad she barely even allows me near her. She wants to go home and you guys are already thinking of lobola? Seriously? And am the slow one? You guys are crazy!!
Dad: well she is your chosen one. Eventually that the step
I walked away from there and closes my eyes and teleported to the tree. I stood there for awhile.
" trust my family to say the worse things ever"
I turned to the left of the tree and an old man was sitting there playing with his stick. He looked up and smiled as he saw me greeting and I greeted back.
Me: Am sorry if am trespassing
Him: Oh no. Am just here to think
Me: Same here.
He looked at me head to toe and smiled.
Him: You not from here?
Me: What makes you say that.
Him: I can see it
I relaxed and sat on the stone next to him.
Me: Yes am not
Him: Where you from
Me: Kwantabazinhle
Him: so far. Visiting family here?
Me: You could say that.
Him: Donald Nciza
He extended his hand and I touched it and i heard his thoughts. I jumped from the rock.
Me: Baba ka Amani?
He looked at me
Him: You know my daughter?
I nodded lost for words
Him: How?
Me: Oh long story.
He took a deep breath and sigh
Him: Am messing up with her.
Me: How so?
He took a deep breath and looked at me with tears in his eyes.
Him: I have cancer.
So that emptiness what cancer that I felt?
Me: does she know?
Him: and kill her before hand. No. She doesn't.
Me: how long you have?
Him: Doctor says it will be a miracle if I make it to June
Me: that 5 months to go?
Him: I know. That why am arranging for her to get married to the son of the local business man so he takes care of her when am gone.
Me: And she agreed?
Him: Ran out of the house before I could finish telling her everything. The loan, my health and so forth.
Me: Me what loan.
He told me everything with the Gwala family and so forth.
Me: I can help
He looked at me skeptical.
Me: I can pay you debt from the Gwala family. Ill also pay for you to go see the best doctors in regards to this cancer and see if anything else can be done. And Ill take care of Amani for as long as she lives.
Him: How?
Me: Ill marry her, take her to kwantabazinhle as far away from your wife evilness and...
He raised his hand and looked at me from head to toe again and this time recognition came to his mind.
He bowed and for a second I looked at him confused than remembered.
Me: How you know?
Him: You look like your father. When I saw you, you looked familiar and been scratching my head as from where and I remembered Amani raving about your parents and it hit me you to young to be the king himself so you must be his son.
Me: I see
Him: You royalty, you cannot marry my daughter.
I looked at him thinking should I tell him that she my chosen on or just leave it.
Me: I promise I wont harm her in any way
He was skeptical and I saw the same eyes i looked into earlier on.
Me: Amani has your eyes
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
Him: You think.
I walked closer to him and knelt to his level.
Me: I know you don't know me but you can't marry her to the Gwala family and expect her to be happy. Ill be more than happy to help you with your loan and hospital bill even if you say no to my proposal. But Ill let for me to be the one that marries her
Him: Why? You don't know her.
Me: Because she is special.
There was silence for some time.
Him: okay
My ears were ringing.
Me: Ba?
Him: You have my blessings.
I got up and danced as he laughed and I sat down as I listened to everything he had to tell me about Amani. When the sun was setting he got up.
Him: Hopefully she home.
Me: Let me walk you home.
He agreed as I walked him to his house and stopped by the gate.
Me: let me get going.
Him: Thank you son. For everything.
Me: My pleasure. Ill see you tomorrow. He nodded and I turned going to the oak tree with my heart full and I closed my eyes teleported to my room. I got there to find her sleeping on my bed and I picked her up and teleported to her house by the gate. I made us invisible as I entered through the wall and saw her father and wife arguing. I opened the first door I thought was her room and to my luck it was. I placed her on bed. Kissed her cheek and placed a blanket on her than teleported to my room. Took a shower and went downstairs for dinner.
Zwakhe: Finally he blesses us with his presence
Mom: where were you?
Me: Out
Mom: You left?
Me: Yes
Dad: To where?
Me: To see Amani father.
Everyone was silent for a second.
Zwakhe: You did what?
Me: You heard me.
Mom: Start from the beginning
I looked at them and started talking....