Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called (S2)

Chapter Sixty-Two

-Simbongile Princess Ntabeni-

"Uyabona lokhu, yilokhu abakubiza ngokuthi yiMfiva ubab'wami wangifundisa ukuthi lomuthi awulaphi inhloko kuphela, kodwa ulapha nezinye izifo ezifana nesifo samathambo, uma unenkinga nokuya es'khathini uyintombi, nokungabtholi izingane. Thatha, faka es'khwameni sakho ke ngan'yami. Sheshisa"

I quickly uprooted the feverfew plant, and chucked it into my bag with the soil and roots. She went further into the bushes, and with every step we took, she showed me more African traditional medicine and roots, explained each and every one of them and what they would be used for. We walked until I complained, I told her I was tired, she smiled and sat on a rock. I followed suit, and sat on a rock opposite hers...

"Awung'tshele ke ngan'yami, ngubani owathi kuwena uwumelaphi wendabuko?" she asked and I frowned, the question was a bit intrusive, taking into consideration that we didn't know each other. She chuckled, plucking out a thorn on her thumb with her teeth.
"Mus'ukumangala, ngibuza ngoba mina nginekhono lokubona umuntu ma kunesidingo sokuthi aye endumbeni, uma kunesidingo sokuthi asebenze as inyanga nani-nani. Kodwa meng'bheka wena angiboni ngisho nepeni yokuthi uwu gogo"

I swallowed, trying to gather the right words and not sound rude in my question.

"Ubona ngiyini ke mah uma ungaboni ngiw'melaphi wendabuko?" I asked and she smiled, nodding. She looked ahead, unto the high mountains... my eyes followed hers as if I was expecting to see whatever she was seeing.

"Ngibona ukuthi unesiphiwo ngan'yami. Yebo abantu bakini banokukhuluma nawe is'khathi nes'khathi futhi nawe unako ukulapha okuthize nokuthize kodwa lokho konke nje akusho ukuthi kumele uyothwasa. Yebo isiphiwo unaso ngiyavuma, kodwa lesi sakho akusona esokuthwaselwa"

I frowned, a bit confused.
What the hell did she mean by that? I have a gift, I know that. But to say isiphiwo sam asidingi kuba ndiyothwasa ndibeligqirha? What did that even mean?

"Umkhulu wakho, ubab'Ngconde, ubaba ozala ubaba wakho wayengesona isangoma mntanami, contrary to what you were made to believe all these years. He was in fact a great prophet, and he operated in great and high realms. uMam'Sonto lo okuthwasisayo uyakwazi naye lokho... futhi umkhulu wakho wamtshela u Mam'Sonto ukuthi wena awudingi zinsimbi for anything because your path is already lightened. Obekumele akwenze uNomasonto ukufundisa izindlela zokulalela nokuchaza amaphupho wakho ngoba most communication comes to you via dreams. Konke nje lokhu akwenzisa kona kuzobeka impilo yakho engozini ngan'yami. You are a prophetess, your realm is higher than where you are right now. Uma uzwa a stranger greeting you bethi "camagu Mangconde" noma bethi "Thokoza Mangconde" kungoba bebona lapho ebekumele ukuthi u operate'a khona. Inkanyezi yakho iyakhanya kakhulu futhi, most times, it can and it will threaten abantu who are around you. This will cause chaos in your life, because instead of the people letting you go, they will keep you around for their own benefit... because of your star. Kuzomele uqaphele ke ngan'yami."

Just as she said the last sentence, I felt someone walking closer to the bed but I was sooo confused because in my mind I was still sitting on a rock with the elderly woman on the opposite side. Someone shook me two times and I almost jumped off the bed...

Asa: Vuka uzovasa...

I nodded.
She walked away. I looked around... there was no way I was dreaming. That felt too damn real for it to be just a dream. I stretched, getting up. I had shared a bed with Qhamani's cousins the previous night, and didn't see much of him for the rest of the day. On the funeral day, we were woken up around 5am by a family aunt. Two of us shared the bath, three showered at the same time and some had grabbed bathing basins (iivaskom) because the aunt wanted us to bath before the elders because things were going to be hectic the minute the elders were done.
I slipped into a black bodycon dress, matched it up with black boots and then I went to comb my hair outside because the room was now overcrowded and I still needed to go over the dream, and maybe grasp something out of it. It was haunting me. I saw Qhamani walking in with two other guys, but I acted as though andimboni, because I didn't want it to look like I was forever drawing his attention to me e-busy. He unfortunately spotted me, said something to the guys and then walked towards where I was standing.

Qhamani: Aw'semhle.

Before I could respond, he kissed my lips and then stepped back as if not wanting to be caught.

Me: Thank you, and good morning.
Qhamani: Is it a good morning?

I smiled, and didn't respond.
I knew what he was referring to.

Qhamani: Did you sleep well?
Me: Yup.
Qhamani: I hate that I didn't see much of you last night, and we know today is not going to be better either.
Me: This is not a social visit though, I came to support you in your loss. I do not expect you to check up on me all the time. As long as you know I'm here, and I believe you know that I am here for you.

He nodded with a smile.
And then he was called by one of the elderly men, I tied my hair at the top and brushed the sides upwards, no baby hair needed. One of his cousins (Asa, the one who woke me up) joined me and I assisted her with tying her braids. When we were done, we went to another hut where she stole cereal for both of us and milk. The way I laughed as we quickly ran to the back of the hut with cereal in cups instead of bowls.

Asa: If sibhaqiwe sizoxoka ngo Mam'Mkhwanazi ke.
Me: And if they ask her?
Asa: She has a minor dementia wethu, everyone knows.

I laughed and ate up, hoping we don't get caught because I wouldn't want to lie about a mentally challenge elder. Fortunately, we didn't get caught. We quickly rinsed the cups and Asa returned them to the hut.

I thought the coffin would come inside the house, and the family would be given a chance to view the body... like, normal funerals. But as we waited for the coffin to come home, I realized that it wasn't coming. Instead, the immediate family got in the cars and went to view the body at the morgue while the rest of us were left behind to start the service. After about two hours, the family returned and joined the service. That was weird for me, because I usually saw that when the deceased passed nge ngozi, even then, the coffin would not come inside, it would go straight to the graveyard/burial site. But bekungekho sekhaya pha, I couldn't question anything.