Simbongile Princess Ntabeni: The Called (S2)

Chapter Eighty-Nine

-Sibongile-

Unfortunately, I played the VN via Bluetooth so Ovayo heard everything. She pulled her seat up, looking at me and I could feel the heat coming from within her bones. Sometimes, I think u Ovayo wishes we could trade places, because she just wants to attack kuqala and deal with the consequences later. Mna ndiyathetha kuqala, and then attack later which I have found that iyamcothela yena. Hence she believes I am too soft, or I have grown soft since my marriage with Bonga haike nda worse when I got involved no Masixole. She grabbed my phone and called Vuyo, the Bluetooth still connected...

Vuyo: Sbosh?

Ovayo: Ndim, uphi?

Vuyo: Ndisemsebenzini, umntana u safe endlini and I have amajita looking out for lamagqwirha wenu.

Ovayo: Tell amajita ukuba ndicela bandizamele umntu okuthiwa ngu Sis Thuli pha, ndimfuna eyedwa ecalweni angadityaniswa no Bakholiwe.

Vuyo: Thuli?

Ovayo: Ewe Vuyo, u Thuli. Andimazi ba ngu Thuli-ntoni, just tell them to get me u Thuli qha. Bonke oo Thuli ke if baninzi.

Vuyo: Sure, niphi nina

Ovayo: Sisandophuma e PE.

Vuyo: Sharp.

She hung up and then looked at me.

Ovayo: What are you thinking about? You're too quiet for umntu onomsindo.

Me: Ndizombulala ngezandla la Mam'Sonto.

Ovayo: Uhm... I know I was the one firing you up but I thought deep and hard about how we're doing this. Look, we can't get our hands dirty mntase. Vuyo has organized some guys who can handle the whole camagu squad for us. We just need u Thuli no Bakholiwe qha thina siphume ecaleni.

Me: Ovayo, ndithi kuwe I am going to kill la Nomasonto, ngezandla zam zombini.

Ovayo: You're just hungry, we should get food ngoku. Ohlutha kwakho you will be able to think logically.

I ignored her, she lowered her seat and played games kwi phone yakhe. When we eventually arrived in East London Vuyo was already in his house, food, new clothes and hot water waiting for us. We bathed changed into the new clothes and then went to eat. She must have texted him ba siphume ngee pajama endlini and he arranged clothes for us.

Vuyo: Abantu benu base-Bhashe street in Duncan Village, if you're interested.

Ovayo: Kukho ntoni?

Vuyo: Athi lamajita awekho sure noba yintlombe okanye yimfukamo na. But there's a whole lot of them, nabanye abasuke kwezinye iindawo.

Ovayo: Okay... uphi u Thuli?

Vuyo: Ukokwabo, eNtsenyerho. It's in the same vicinity...well, walking distance from the other.

Me: UBakholiwe yena?

Vuyo: Oko ethe nca kwela gqirha labo likhulu, asikayifumani ichance yakhe eyedwa. Inoba ke bamonasile because uswelekelwe ngu nina.

I frowned and looked at both of them.

Me: What?

Vuyo: Ta Skara called with ii details nge family ka Bakholiwe, he said he didn't want to constantly communicate with you uqhuba.

Ovayo: So Vuyo had amajita go to Bakholiwe's home and...

Vuyo: They didn't kill her, ubulewe kukothuka and maybe fear.

Me: Ebehlala nabani? Or bamfumene ehleli nabani?

Vuyo: With Bakholiwe's daughter... she's two. They had to take the child, called the ambulance for umakhulu and left the scene.

Me: Where's the child now?

Vuyo: She's safe.

Me: Safe phi Vuyo?

Vuyo: I am not showing you lamntana Sibongile, uzovukelwa yinimba apha and forget that the same Bakholiwe violated your own child. Again, the child is safe, now drop it.

My eyes almost popped out.

uVuyo was shouting, scolding me? Hayibo, ndaamatha elohlobo na? I chuckled, shaking my head as I headed to "my" room, I needed a nap, just an hour or two to recollect myself.

I had never driven for anything more than four hours in my life, but because my child's life was at stake I risked it all and drove all the way from Cape Town to East London. That was a twelve-hour drive. I shut my eyes and allowed my body to relax, shutting down the brain was difficult but I eventually fell asleep. It wasn't as peaceful as I would have wanted it to be, I had weird dreams right through. A couple of hours later I woke up, went to find food and found the two sitting and discussing so I joined them without even being invited. I had coffee in my hand.

Vuyo: So... uTa Skara thinks we should attack that gathering tonight. They are not expecting us to do anything, andithi they haven't reported that Sim has gone missing kuwe?

Me: No they haven't reported anything.

Vuyo: We can also use that as leverage should things not work in our favor.

Me: Yhima Vuyo, uyandishiya. What do you mean "attack" kanene?

Vuyo: In every sense of the word.

Me: Uzoshiyeka no Sim ke wena, Ovayo and I will handle it.

Vuyo: Not you too.

Ovayo: Mntase, we know you, you're a softie. Awuzolunga kwi attacks wena, in every sense of the word too. Let us handle this, please.

Me: Not to make you feel small or anything, but you are not for the streets mntasekhaya don't force matters ngenxa yomntanam. Mna ndiyakwazi ukuba u fitter ndawoni, and I appreciate you for that specific corner that you fit into. Ezinye nezinye ziyeke baby.

Vuyo: I appreciate your kind words Sbosh, but I am going to prove both of you wrong. I am kind ewe, but I am not a softie. Heck, I am not going to be a softie kula Bakholiwe when I get to her!

Ovayo: Oh Bawo!

Vuyo: You can stay behind if you want to, you look tired too. Ina nantsi ikofu.

I just laughed at her face, she wanted to swear at him but wazibamba.

Sim woke up and came to us... I saw her first, walked her out of the room so that we could talk nam ndimazi ba uziva kanjani. She looked fine, but I wanted to sass out her psychological state. We sat down, and had a conversation... most times, when dealing with them (all my children) I wonder how other parents coped with outspoken children. I made a conscious decision to allow them to fully express themselves without being rude, and throughout the years it had paid off, and strengthened our relationship. Sometimes I wished they would just keep quiet, and then I would remember that I taught them to speak up. I laid the ground rules. It wasn't going to help now to want them to shut up when their whole lives I had encouraged them to speak... sitting across, hearing how comfortable she was in telling me everything in detail, I didn't regret encouraging outspokenness. She was hurting, but she trusted me with such details. A little moment of patting my back for not being umzali owoyikwayo ngabantwana bakhe.