Amile The Queen

Chapter Sixty-Four

***Narrated***
13 YEARS AGO

Normally, she wakes up and prepares his clothes for the day, his bath, his food and everything else for work, but she didn’t sleep last night, because Amile had a fever and kept them up the whole night. So, he’s doing all the work for himself. He really doesn’t mind, it’s the least he can do for the woman who bore him his first child, probably his one and only.
She’s sleeping like a log, he’s already taken a bath and dressed up. She didn’t hear a sound. He hovers over Amile’s cot bed and see’s that she’s up. When she see’s her dad, she lifts her arms up and he carries her.
“Daddy is going to work, are you going to take care of mommy?” she nodded, putting her head on his shoulder.
He put his hand on her forehead to feel her temperature; it’s moderate.
“I love you princess.” he kissed her forehead.
“Love you too daddy.”
What he didn’t realize is that she was still very sleepy, so when she lay in his arms like that, she fell right back into the sleeping state. She dozed off quite immediately and he placed her back in her cot bed. She was starting to outgrow it, her long legs were beginning to be squashed when she slept and he knew that he had to work harder so they could actually leave, and give his little family the life and home they deserve.
He had come very close to doing that, he had already bought the land and erected a shack on it. Now his main priority is saving up enough money to purchase all the building material to get the project off the ground. It will definitely be his greatest achievements.
He can’t wait to leave this place. This may be his family, but they are not people he can be proud of. In fact, they are the main reason his plans have been delayed for this long. Ever since his father died, as the eldest he has been responsible for all of them, even grown ass men who are too lazy to get up and go find work of their own. Blood sucking mosquito's in his life.
He’s standing at the door of his hut, staring at the green pastures of land, the mountains, the hills. He’s taking in the smell of the fresh morning air, as cold as it is. He appreciates nature, he appreciates his surrounding whenever he can, and this moment, he’s doing just that.
His peace is disturbed when his mom walks out of the main house and stands in the middle of the yard with calamine all over her face, hands on her hips, staring at him like he’s committing a sin by standing there.
“Are you not going to work?” she shouts loud enough for the whole neighbourhood to hear.
“I am.” he answers in a calm voice.
She scans him from top to bottom before she shakes her head.
“Did you even eat? What are you wearing?” he cusses under his breath when she walks towards his hut.
“I’m going to eat at the palace ma.” he said trying to block the way for her to enter.
“Uphi lomfazana wakho?” she peered behind him and saw her wrapped up in the covers.
“Ma, please just leave. Makhosi had a long night.” he carefully pushed her out.
“I don’t know what you were thinking yazi Vumani. Out of so many girls in the village, you brought me this lazy girl.”
“Ma, it’s been four years, Makhosi isn’t going anywhere. It’s just one bad morning, don’t crucify her for that. I’m more than capable of doing things for myself.” he said as he walked out and closed the door behind him.
He knows just how much his mother’s words hurt Makhosi, he doesn’t want her waking up and hearing them.
“We used to wake up and prepare for our husbands even when we didn’t sleep the night before. She’s just lazy.”
“Well, she isn’t you. Please ma, it’s way too early in the day to be doing this with you. I’m leaving now, I’m already running late. I’ll see you when I come back.”
He said as he turned back to open the door of his hut. He walked in and found her sitting up.
“Vumani.” he walked up to her and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I overslept, why didn’t you wake me.” he rubbed her arm.
He’s just glad she didn’t hear the conversation with his mom.
“You were tired MaMchunu, I didn’t want to wake you. I’m done and I’m leaving.” he turned her face and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“When are we leaving this place?” she asked looking into his eyes.
He sighed. Maybe she did hear the conversation.
“Soon mama, we will leave soon.”
They have plans; once they leave, she will go back to school and he will find a better job because although working for the king is something, it isn’t ideal, especially now that there is a family feud happening within, and that resulted in a family member’s death. Things like these tend to get very ugly and if he sticks around longer, he might get caught up in the crossfire.
“Do you believe in me?” he asked and cupped her face with both his hands.
She closed her eyes and just indulged in the feeling of his hands on her skin.
“Look at me MaMchunu. We will leave, get our own house and Amile can have her own room, and we’ll be together. You can wake up whenever you want.” she laughed at his silliness and nodded.
Today it was harder for him to get up and leave. He sat with his forehead against hers and for a moment they just breathed the same air.
“You need to go. You are already late.” she said as he wrapped her arms around his torso.
Who is she kidding, she also didn’t want to let him leave.
“Do you want me to leave?” she breathed out and leaned forward kiss his lips.
She does love him, that can’t be denied, but so much has happened in the four years and loving him has been harder and harder by the day. She just appreciates moments like these, where it’s just the two of them and he makes promises to her, and she believes them, just when both of them are feeling hopeful. That is usually in the mornings just like these, or at night, in those bed sheets, making love.
“Okay go now Vumani.” she pushes him gently and he gets on his feet.
“I’ll come back early tonight. I want to spend time with my family.” she looked up at him with a smile, and nodded slowly.
“I’m sure Amile will appreciate that.” he kissed her cheek.
“Go back to sleep.” she didn’t fight him, there was no use.
She knew very well that her mother in-law was going to be a fire breathing dragon ready to make a clown of her in front of the neighbours.
She slipped under the covers and he when he was content with the sight, he got up and started on his journey to the palace.
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He works alongside uDlamini, the richest man after the king and his family descendants. He is the King’s right hand man slash bodyguard, slash driver, slash friend. His job occupation was any of the above done by Dlamini; just not the friend part of it. These men are too heartless for him to be fraternizing with them, and they don’t fit into the same bracket; age and finance wise. So when Dlamini doesn’t feel like it, he drives them around, takes orders from them and protects them. He’s doing it quite often than he used to, that’s why his salary was increased.
He’s just on time, breakfast has been served and they are surprisingly being waited upon by the youngest queen. He sits down and salutes his co-workers. They all live at the palace, they have their servants quarters and they prefer staying here because they are running away from their wives, and some just don’t know how to take care of themselves, so they decide to stay here for the benefits, they get their clothes washed for free, they have food and all the other things. He wasn’t going to leave his wife and child at home so he prefers to walk everyday to the palace.
“You are late Gumede.” she bends next to him and places the plate of food in front of him.
He doesn’t lift his eyes. He’s used to this by now. She loves picking on him for no reason at all.
“Thank you my queen.” she didn’t move.
He lifted his head to look at his co-worker sitting across him, he looked away stifling a laugh.
“Yazi Vumani I’m going to tell my husband that you are coming to work late.” he cleared his throat.
“It won’t happen again my queen.” she faked a chuckle.
“It better not. Now eat your breakfast.” she pat his shoulder and sauntered away.
Even a blind man can see that she’s flirting with him. He’s used to it by now, even his co-workers don’t make fun of it. It just irks him so much because what about decency? Why marry an old man if you can’t handle them?
“Gumede you should pass her here if you don’t want her.” Bhengu said clapping his hands with a loud cackle.
Vumani clicked his tongue and continued picking his food. It was just as jolly as it normally is in the servant quarters in the mornings, but he was drowning in thought. He couldn’t stop thinking about his little family, and just how much he loved his daughter. He was willing to do anything and everything for that little girl and that was his daily motivation. He doesn’t need distractions now, he’s come too far.
He’s done with breakfast. He gets up and goes to the bin to throw away the empty container. He stands there and lights a cigarette while at it and leans against the wall watching the scenery again, polluting the fresh air with puffs of smoke.
He felt hands sneaking up his shirt and he jerked up, throwing the cigarette on the floor. He groans in frustration, that was the last one he had, and he’s running low on cash.
“What’s the issue?” he looks down.
He sees her curly wig first and he is able to pin point exactly.
“My queen, please.” he begs.
She knows exactly what he is saying.
“I’ll get you another one, don’t worry.” she pushed him against the wall.
“You know Vumani, you can’t keep avoiding me.” he cleared his throat and looked away.
He’s naturally shy, speaking is not his strong point, and this woman is intimidating.
“I don’t want to get in trouble with the king.” she closed the gap between them.
“The king doesn’t have to find out.” she places her hands on his chest. He closes his eyes and winces.
“MaJili, please.” he pushed her away slightly, but she forced herself back into his personal space, making it less personal.
“I know you want me too.” this could cost him everything he’s ever worked for, and worst case scenario, his life.
She grabbed his t-shirt and kissed him passionately, in a hurried pace, so much that both of them were running out of breath. His hands were stiff on his sides while she tried to remove his leather jacket. A failed attempt, he succeeded in pushing her off.
“I can’t and won’t do this with you.”
He fixed himself and walked away, not forgetting to wipe his lips. He scanned the area to see if anyone might have seen anything before he walked away.
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His errand today was going with the king and Dlamini to a meeting. He’s just standing idle, pretending to not hear a word of anything being said. This man needs to retire, he thinks to himself as he steals glimpses of him.
“Langalethu is now old enough to take over the throne, why hasn’t he married yet?” one of the men on the council asked.
“Bhulubhulu hasn’t come forward with a surname.” Dlamini answered.
This man is knees deep in Zulu family affairs. Now he knows what is being said in the ancestral room?
“He needs to get one at the reed dance before he gets a girl pregnant out of wedlock.” another council member.
The king is mute.
“No, no reed dance. Those girls aren’t taught properly.” he spoke after a long shot of silence.
“What do you mean Bayede, you got MaJili there…” Vumani laughs internally.
The king does have a valid point. MaJili has proven herself loose.
“She needs to be young and she needs to grow up knowing she is to be queen one day.”
“And how sure are you of the time of ruling you have left my king?” Dlamini asked.
“Very sure. She will definitely be grown enough by the time Langalethu takes the throne. I don’t want anything to taint the royal image. These boys have proven to me that they can’t pick women. Look at that straatmate Zwelibanzi has married.” he had a pure face of disgust.
“And how are we just going to find a young girl?” Dlamini asked, feeling like they are just heading ten more steps backwards.
“Leave that to the ancestors.” he said and pushed his chair back.
That was the end of the meeting, once he’s finished talking, the meeting is adjourned. His face didn’t look like a face that was willing to let the ancestors deal with it.