Amile The Queen

Chapter Fifty-Seven

***Langalethu Zulu***

“This is the exact reason why I didn’t want to come back Shlobo. Now I’m forced to do things that are out of my belief system.” He’s pacing up and down the tiny space.
“You are making me dizzy. Sit down and tell me what you said to her. Don’t tell me you scared her off with your intimidating look.” He stopped and looked at her before laughing.
“If I did scare her, it wasn’t my intention. But I just can’t wrap my head around it.” He lowered himself on the stool next to the bed.
He pulling the strands of white hair on his chin. He only does that when he’s frustrated. He keeps quiet and stares into space.
“She’s young shlobo.” He says with worry in his voice.
She shrugs her shoulders.
“I don’t understand how Zwelibanzi can agree to marry such a young girl. She’s still a minor, not even 18 years old yet.”
“I know it sounds taboo shlobo because of the values and respect you have for women but that’s your culture, it’s been that way for decades in your bloodline. One of your fathers wives was 15 when she got married.” He slams his hand on this thigh.
“But not Zweli. I’m repulsed.” She shakes her head.
“Talking doesn’t help, now you need to take over otherwise things will crumble.”
The sad part is that she has been telling him that he needs to go home and fix things, repair things in the palace, but he’s been postponing it to the last minute. Now that it is a life and death situation, he’s forced to go.
“She denied having any dreams.”
“That’s what she’s been told to do. She can’t trust you enough yet to tell you. But she’s definitely having them.”
“Why won’t she trust me with her dreams?”
“You ancestors are over her, they walk with her and protect her. She’s a part of the Zulu’s, her place was set in stone on the day she was born. It was bound for her to get to the palace, whether you were there or not. And if you bow out, she is the only one that can take the throne, unless if she bears a son.” His heart is racing.
He holds onto his chest and draws in a sharp breath.
“UNkulunkulu akavele angithathe.” The stabbing pain in his chest starts to get unbearable.
He hates this, the pain and suffering he has to endure for people who couldn’t fulfil their duties while they were still alive. He’s dealt with it many times before, so he knows how to handle it, that doesn’t make the pain any better.
Thuli passes him a glass of water and he downs it before exercising breaths and regulating his heart beat. He’s okay again.
“Don’t say that shlobo. You have a lot to live for.”
“Yeah right. Nontuthuzelo is not breathing because I’m alive.” She laughs.
“The higher power will deal with her accordingly. You should focus on dealing with what you came back here, and that is rebuilding the palace.” He sighs and finishes the contents of his glass.
“And what about Zweli. I can’t just take his wife, I can’t hit the in the same kraal as my brother.” Thuli chuckled.
“Technically, he hit in your kraal.” He shook his head.
“Its not funny shlobo.” She laughed even harder.
“I know it’s not. He will have to cleanse you and the palace. Unfortunately.” She ceased her laughter.
“So how much damage has been done?”
“There was a soul involved.” He shrivelled up in his seat.
“She got cleansed though, she’s pure.”
It still freaks him out how she just knows these things, even after so many years of them being friends, he can’t get used to it. He appreciates her though, he wouldn’t have made it out of that horrid accident and survived for the past three years if it wasn’t for her.
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They are back at the palace. Thuli is standing at the gate waiting for him to climb out of the car but he’s hesitant. Coming back to this place still gives him anxiety. Why couldn’t the ancestors just be satisfied with Zwelibanzi being the king, he’s doing an amazing job, they are only a few months apart, and Mhlabawesizwe did raise them both to be kings, its only fair that he continues.
He climbs out and stretches his long limbs. He forgets that he is technically a ghost where he is, everyone walking past is stopping and staring in horror. He strides towards the gate and leads Thuli towards the house.
Zwelibanzi’s car is parked in the yard, he’s home, but it’s awfully quiet, like there is no life at all. Today is a day for family, it shouldn’t be this dead in the Zulu yard. The ancestors are probably turning in their Graves, he thinks to himself.
“Why are we here shlobo?” he asked as they walked through the foyer.
“You are here to talk to your brother and tell him everything that happened.”
“What? That his wife that I wanted to marry tried to kill me so he could get the throne? Or that now I have to marry his wife, take away the throne and everything else he has worked hard for?”
“Yeah, basically all of that.”
The first person they ran into as soon as they walked in was the man in question. He still hasn’t come to terms with his brother being alive, they didn’t even talk last night when he walked into him almost stabbing a man to death. He’s still curious what that was about. They stood there staring at each other once again not knowing what to say to each other. Three years is a long time, they are no different from strangers.
“Mntakababa.” He spoke first. Banzi stared at him with a blank expression.
“I was hoping we could sit down and talk.” His eyes shift from him to Thuli who is standing idle behind him.
There is a lot of confusion dwelling on his face.
“This is Thulisile.” He’s not going to bother explaining who she is, they have a complicated relation.
He nods and leads them to the lounge. A lot of things have changed around here, he thinks to himself as he scans the surroundings. It’s much more homely than it was when they were growing up, the only difference is that it’s empty, so there is no warmth, it lacks warmth, but it’s very homely.
They both sat down, and Thulisile asked for a mat. She doesn’t sit on a couch or chairs in other people’s houses where her ancestors don’t dwell. Banzi gave that look before he called out to MaGumede to the lounge.
That’s when she emerged. She was wearing a green and white maxi dress that was just below her knee and had a white head wrap on her head. Her braids were floating on her shoulders but she looked pale. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, she’s exactly how she was in his dreams, nothing missing.
“Bayede.” She crouched down next to him.
She was so poised and elegant. Thulisile looked at him and saw that he was staring at her.
She got up and went to fetch the mat, came back and laid it before Thuli to sit. She excused herself and left the room in complete silence.
“Bafo I feel it is my duty to explain myself to you, I owe you and the whole family an explanation.” He began.
Banzi stared at him. He hasn’t spoken a word since he walked in. He only shouted for MaGumede, whispered whatever it was that he whispered in her ear and kept quiet again.
“When I got into that accident, I was glad that it happened, I thought I had found the easy way out to escape the throne, that being death, but the ancestors had a different plan and got me out of it alive. It just wasn’t my time yet, but that accident wasn’t just an accident, it was planned.” He drew in a deep breath.
“Do you know who it was?” Banzi asked.
“Will you believe me if I told you.”
“The last thing I need right now is for you to be beating around the bush, you clearly know more than I do.” You can cut the tension with a knife in this room.
“Nontuthuzelo. She paid someone to mess with the car brakes. It was unfortunate that the driver was also intoxicated, but none of us were drunk enough to crash a car.” There was no shock on Banzi’s face.
That worried him. Is this something he knew all along, or is he hiding something.
“Why would my wife do something like that?” there it is.
“When she told me she was in love with you, and rejected my marriage proposal, she knew she wouldn’t be queen.” He saw his brothers adam’s apple up and down.
“Proposal?” his face is losing colour.
This is the truth that was bound to come out at any time, it’s been postponed for too long. He hates that he had to come back and ruin the peace.


***Mathapelo Moeketsi***

I’m running late. The only reason why I agreed to this lunch is because I have no Christmas plans. All my friends are married, I have no family, orphan things chile!
This is why I never understand why children who had siblings always complained and said that being an only child is fun, I hate it.
I was shocked by Mr Zulu arriving at my place at 5 in the morning confessing his apparent feeling to me, the psychologist in me flew out the window. He looked a little drunk too, his eyes were red and maybe that is why he was spewing all the nonsense he was spewing.
I would never date him. I made a deal with myself never to make a mistake of dating my patients. I can’t being knowing all your dirt and having a relationship with you. Plus my mental state doesn’t allow me to be in a relationship. I’m carrying the burden of so many people, plus my own.
He has shit of his own that he hasn’t healed from. His situation is fucked up, he’s sleeping with his brothers wife, the same one that happens to be his ex girlfriend. It’s a whole lot of things going on that I don’t think I would want to associate myself with. He’s also not my type.
I’m almost two hours late, I had to do my make up. I always have to have some sort of face beat because I’m not the prettiest of girls. I’ve been told quite a few times that I’m not pretty, that I look like a man and that my dark skin doesn’t look appealing.
I think I’m going to his place, the location is sending me to a gated community. Scratch that, it’s an apartment.
I called him when I got to the gate and the security wouldn’t let me in.
“Thandazo.” I still wonder why he calls me that. It makes no sense to me 
“I’m at the gate, your security won’t let me in.” I looked at the man. He was wearing a very unfriendly face.
“Give him the phone.”
I handed the man my phone. Now his filthy hands were touching it. They were having a conversation in isiZulu, I didn’t understand a single word, but I’m guessing that worked because he open the gate for me and brought back my phone.
There almost two blocks in each building, I can see him standing outside the building with keys in his hand. I park next to his Mercedes. It’s no secret that he’s rich, he lives in a gated community, has the latest expensive phone, wear brands and wears expensive wrist watches. Oh, he’s a scientist.
“Stufuza.” He stretched his hands out for me and I just looked at him.
Another reason why I wouldn’t date him is the language barrier. I don’t understand IsiZulu to save my life. I’ve only been in KZN for 7 months plus.
“No hug?” he gave me those eyes. I’m not falling for it.
“No Mr Zulu.”
“Can you start addressing me by my name please.” He held my waist, my folds and pulled me closer.
I want to tell him to let go of me, I’m uncomfortable.
“You look absolutely gorgeous.” He looked into my eyes.
“Thank you. Can we go inside?”
He lets go of me and leads me inside his not so humble abode. This is a fucking loft. How did he get a loft in South Africa? This man really is rich then!
“Its not much, my chef was off I had to pull everything together.” There’s a table set up and everything.
He said chef. Oh wow, nice life problems.
“Its okay.” I only said that because the aroma is inviting.
One thing about me, I love food, and I love eating. He opened the chair for me and I sat down. He went to his kitchen and came back with some dish. It smells amazing.
“It smells amazing.” I said looking at him.
He has found the way to my heart, my stomach.
“I tried. Hopefully the smell and the taste align.” I chucked.
I’m still uncomfortable around him. He sat down and told me I could dish up. He kept looking at me.
“What?” he’s probably judging me for the amount of food I’m dishing up for myself.
One thing about me, I’m unapologetic about the amount of food I eat, as well as my weight. I don’t care what people think about me.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
I started stuffing my face. The food was exceptional. He outdid.
“Thandazo.” I looked up.
I’ve finally acknowledged that name.
“Uzongiqoma nini?” I gave him a blank expression.
“I don’t understand isiZulu.” He chuckled.
“I want you, and I’m not playing games.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship, especially with you.”
“What’s wrong with me?” he asked holding his chest.
“You are my patient, it’s in my code of conduct not to engage with my patients. It’s called decency.”
“Outside of those office walls you don’t abide by those code of conduct rules.”
“I take my profession very seriously so I will abide by the rules by all means.”
“Ngiyakufuna nje mina. Ngenzenjani?” I looked at him confused again.
“I want you, and I’m going to get you, one way or another.”
“I’m not a prize.” He seduced me with his eyes.
“And if you think I’m going to be a quick fuck then you are mistaken.”
“Okay, what do you want me to do to prove to you that I actually am serious about pursuing a relationship with you?” he’s not giving up.
I’m dealing with a typical Zulu man, I’ve been told they are stubborn and persistent.
“Nothing. I don’t want you.”
He stood up and strutted towards me and took my hands. He helped me stand up, held my waist and pulled me close. He always puts his hands there, it’s weird.
He captured my lips and I could taste the sweet and sour sauce of the wings we are eating. His lips are soft, he’s making me feeling a foreign feeling. I haven’t been touched by a man in a long time. He’s a good kisser.
But I’m pushing him away. I don’t want to give in.
“Please MaMoeketsi.” I rolled my eyes.
“How will I know you won’t just hut and run?” I asked looking up at him. “I’m not that kind of man baby.” I pushed him off me.
“Then you will practice the 90 day rule. If you want to date me, let it purely be about getting to know each other.”
He frowned.
“These white people things?”
“Yes, that is the only way you will date me. If you can’t, say so now. I’m not obligated to dating you. You aren’t even my type.” He laughed.
“Fine. I’ll prove to you that it’s not just about sex.” He’s adamant.
I don’t know where that came from. This 90 day rule thingy. I’ve never done it with any man, but there is a first time for everything. I’ve had a terrible experience with men who just get with me to get in between my thighs.