Hlelo
I held her until she was calmer, we both kept quiet for sometime and she looked at me.
Nyakallo: I don't know what to say
Me: am sorry my brother did all those things to you
Nyakallo: He wasn't always bad, there were days were we made progress than the lights switches and ....
Me: Am sorry
Nyakallo: Thank you
Me: You decide what you want to do, iv never forced anyone to be with me and ill never force you to be with me. We can stay married while i figure out the legal bullshit of sorting this out. And you can have your freedom do as you please with it and ill never hold it against you. You can ditch my crazy family and the throne and all and ill make sure no one follows you or threatens you about it. Or you can....
Nyakallo touched my hand and I kept quiet.
Nyakallo: Your father did to you with a good intention he trusted you with his family and with leading his people to greatness, he picked me thinking that ill be a good candidate to help you with his dream. Life happens sometimes, Phiwamandla was a lesson that I had to go through. My dad was a life long lesson that shows me that you can be family but when a person hates your actual being than there is nothing that could he done. Now breathe.
She held my hand in hers and I looked into her eyes she had kindness in them.
Nyakallo: That one year was hell but jt was worth it because i built amazing relationships. Your people became my people, they became my place to escape. I stayed so long in that relationship because I saw if I left so many would suffer. I sacrificed myself and my happiness to feed thousands of mouths and ill do it again if I have too. I see by the way your mother loves that you were not raised to hate. I know nothing about your relationship with your father and brothers but I know you nothing like them. No one and I repeat no one can fake caring for a person for this long. You picked me up on my worse, offered me your home and now offering me something that even my own father couldn't offer me. Only you and I would understand how exhausting it is to please a father that plans everything in our lives.
She was quiet gaining her strength.
Nyakallo: Am not offering friends first cause I saw how that turned but we two souls that have been put in quicksand and we now have to figure a way out of it.
Me: What you mean?
Nyakallo: I mean we got this, despite it all. You have my back and ill have yours your highness.
We were both quiet and my mind was going crazy.
Me: Just to be clear, you saying you sticking with me?
Nyakallo: Am saying as much as my people need me and you needing me. I need you too. We are not letting Phiwamandla win.
Me: its not going to be easy
Nyakallo: But I know its wont land with your fist on my body.
Me: How you know? What if the devil that consumed my brother consumes me too.
Nyakallo: How long have you been out of prison for something you didn't do?
Me: 1 year
Nyakallo: what the first thing you did when you got out?
Me: Get proper clothes and go see my mother.
Nyakallo; was your family poor while in prison?
Me: No
Nyakallo: If you were the same as your brother... you would have hired a hit man while you were in prison to kill your framer. If you were same as your brother the minute you were out a lot could have happened to me or him but a year later and all you have done is collect information giving him that benifit of a doubt even though he took 12 full years of your life. You not evil Hlelo, you are as kind as they come and that why your father wanted you to lead.
I kept quiet processing all she was saying as she placed her head on the pillow.
Me: tell me about your father.
She shifted uncomfortably.
Nyakallo: oh if satan had a brother than am pretty sure it my father. He loves money, fame and wealth more than us. But I think it worse with me because am my mother replica and he somehow hated it. For years my dad abused my mom emotionally to a point that my mom had to take pills to feel better and to cope. When I was old enough my mom would share bits about my father advising me never to marry a man like him. Hence I stayed away from man like your brother. Years went on and one day my father came home smelling like a woman, I innocently asked dad what that red thing on his cheek when he walked in and I saw mom touch it and smell it losing her mind. I was told to go to my room but I didn't i stayed by the passage and heard the fight. My mom was losing it about my dad stepping out on her and he struck her. The shock in her eyes was too much and he looked sorry. My mom looked at him and said : Lord knows i loved you lerumo, for years Iv kept quiet with your infidelities thinking one day you will grow up. You infected me with things I can't even pronounce and killed the inner child in me. And today you robbing my kids on having a mother " just like that she ran to the balcony and threw herself onto a pavement with my dad standing there as if nothing has happened. My brother was at school and here I was stuck with a man who is whistling after his wife throws herself out of the window because of him. As if that wasn't horror enough he he lied and said mom had a mental disorder and he found her like this from work
Me: why didn't you say anything?
Nyakallo: everyday my mom would say " my Joy, never speak back to your father, nod and smile even when you know you right and his wrong."
I never used to get it until I did one day and he strangled me onto the wall and since than I nod and smile.
Me: That just bullshit.
Nyakallo: Men like my father do exist and we just learn to co exist with them by giving them what they want in order to survive.
We were quiet as I absorbed what she was saying. And i heard her laugh abit.
Me: What is it?
Nyakallo: I shared a whole year with a man, sharing a life with him but not once has he ever asked me half of what you asking. Not once wasI ever comfortable enough to share what am sharing with you and not once did I feel as safe as I feel with you.
I don't know why but that gave me some sort of comfort so I snuggled her closer to me and she sighed.
Me: My dad loved my mom but his family chosen Phiwamandla mother for him because she was royal too. My mom says dad was devastated but his plan was he will marry Phiwamandla mom and marry my mom as a second wife but she must know that she was always his first choice. I was born first and life was amazing than Phiwamandla was born and I knew things would change since the prince was born. I never really cared that I would be an earl but my mom did. My dad loved me so much that he told me never to set foot in the kingdom cause they will kill me. So i grew up with my father visiting when he could, gave me the best education. Came to all my stupid programs and that made mom happy. The only rule we had was " never trust anything the media say about me" and I didn't. When I was old enough to understand things I learnt of all my other brothers and dad other wife and I just changed on him. My little brother was born and we just slowly drifted. He tried to put me in his wing but I guess pride won.
Nyakallo: how did Phiwamandla frame you?
Me: He invited me to a party and I went. Few days later one of the accountant died and he framed it on me saying I killed him after funds was deposited into my account. Yes funds were deposited in my account but my dad always sent money in it. No matter how many times i explained that but things got ugly by the time dad was trying to help I was made an example of by the court and charged with murder and fraud. 2 years later a rumour about my dad sleeping with his girlfriend came out and that they both died while having sex.
I saw the shock on her.
Me: Its a lie, dad came to me a week before told me that something is a miss with this girl and he will find out. Only for him to die a week later from a heart arrest.
Nyakallo; You think he might have hurt him?
Me: He did, i just don't have proof.
Nyakallo: Am so sorry
Me: Oh iv made peace with it.
We kept quiet for some time each of us in our world.
Me: Am thinking of demolishing the palace and building a new one as a sign of a fresh start.
Nyakallo: something small but big enough
Me: You have ideas?
Nyakallo: I think I might
Me: Than this will be our task for the next few weeks.
She closed her eyes again smiling and that made me happy too. I closed my eyes with my hands in hers and sleep overwhelmed me...
