LANGELIHLE #07
SONDELA
I was at Zenande’s school today for “Bring your father to school” day. It was great, it’s a good thing for schools to introduce programs like these. I even got to know that my daughter is one of the top students in her class. Zenande is in grade four.
Now I’m going to see Zimthele, things aren’t going good between the two of us and I don’t like that.
Zimthele doesn’t work, she never got the chance to further her studies. She said she doesn’t want to go back to school, but start her own businesses. I have been waiting for years to find out what her plans are but nothing.
“I’m telling you that I will come, no need for you to show your face here!”, I hear her shouting over the phone. I clear my throat and she gets scared, she almost drops her phone. She hangs up and laughs nervously.
Zimthele:Babe.. How long have you been standing there?
Sondela:Why? Is there something I didn’t need to hear?
Zimthele:Uhhh no.
Sondela:Okay… let’s sit down..
Zimthele:I’m happy you are here.
Sondela:I’m sorry for not coming sooner, but you have to understand babe. Langa needs to find her family and I am helping. The three of us are a family, we shouldn’t fight over petty things.
Zimthele:I hear you, I’m sorry for acting like a brat.
Sondela:It’s okay..
I touched her stomach.
Sondela:So what do they say is wrong with our son?
Zimthele:He is bottom down.
Sondela:Is that wrong?
Zimthele:Very, he’s supposed to be head down. But there is a procedure that is done to turn the baby.
Sondela:Won’t it harm the two of you?
Zimthele:No, the doctor said it’s a safe procedure.
Sondela:Okay, when can we do it then?
Zimthele:I don’t know, we didn’t discuss far..
I nodded..
Zimthele:Are you sleeping here tonight?
Sondela:Yes.
She squealed excited.
Zimthele:Let me make something for you to eat.
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LANGELIHLE
Sondela left, finally. I didn’t ask him about what I overheard him saying, I don’t even want to know. He’s now regretting marrying Zimthele? After so many years!? Men! They will embarrass you so badly.
I open for Nono and lead her to the living room. She doesn’t look like her usual self today, Nono is a chatty person. She keeps on looking around and scratching her neck. Please don’t tell me she’s doing drugs now.
Langelihle:Hey are you okay?
Nono:Yeah I’m okay. Where is your man?
Langelihle:Sister wife.
Nono:Oh… so what’s the latest with finding your family?
Langelihle:Ahh we have not reached anywhere. It’s like someone is blocking our paths, every time we come across a promising lead, it leads us nowhere.
Nono:*Clears throat* You mean someone is sabotaging you?
Langelihle:I think so, I don’t know.
Nono:How are you feeling today?
Langelihle:I’m fine. It’s just my body that is hot.
She laughs.
Nono:And you are always hot Langa!
Langelihle:I have gotten used to it.
Nono:What do you think could be the reason for that?
Langelihle:I don’t know Nono, growing up I used to think maybe I’m a witch because even my eyes they change into something I don’t know. Maybe that’s why the mystery man is looking for me, to steal my gift. The gift of being hot.
I laughed as I realized how stupid that sounded.
She stood up and came towards me.
Langelihle:Where are you going?
Nono:I’m sorry.
She was shaking.
She touched my arm and pinned me on the couch. She took an injection and stabbed me with it.
“I’m sorry, but he promised me something I have always wanted.”, I heard her speak but her voice was fading away.
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ZIMTHELE
I have cooked dinner and we are eating together as a family.
Zendande is telling us about the day they had today at school, sounds like it was fun.
Bayanda on the other hand looks bored. He is always quiet, him and Sondela aren’t that really close. It’s like they are not father and son. Well..
I clear my throat and tell him to pass the juice to his father. He does so without even looking at him.
Sondela looks at me and I shrug my shoulders.
Sondela:Is that how we behave around adults now!?
Bayanda:Sorry.
Sondela:Sorry nja!? (Sorry who?)
Bayanda:I’m sorry dad.
He said that and stood up running out. Sondela ran after him. I also stood up and followed them. Bayanda had locked himself inside his room and Sondela was banging the door, telling him to open.
Zimthele:Babe let him be.
I pulled him away.
Sondela:You are spoiling this boy.
Zimthele:I’m not, he’s just a kid.
Sondela:Zenande doesn’t behave like this, he is always angry and doesn’t respect anyone. We did an ancestral ceremony for him with the hopes that things would work out but it didn’t. If I didn’t know any better I would say he’s not mine, but you wouldn’t do that sthandwa sami.
I choked on my saliva.
Zimthele:No I wouldn’t do that.
Sondela:*Smiling* That’s why I trust you.
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LANGELIHLE
I wake up in an unfamiliar place. I remember Nono injecting me with something. The first thing my eyes travelled to, was my stomach. It was still there. I was tied on my hands and feet.
“Helppp… help…”, I shouted. It was pointless because this place was so quiet. I don’t know where I am. It clicks into me that I am KIDNAPPED!!!
I hear footsteps and I know it’s Nono, we’ve been friends for too long. I now her footsteps. Crazy I know.
She looked apologetic. I just wanted to know why.
Langelihle:Why Nono why?
Nono:I’m sorry.
Langelihle:Who are you working with? Because I know this is not like you.
Nono:He is on his way, he said I must keep you here until he arrives.
I thought we were friends, I thought we were a ride or die kind of thing. How can Nono betray me like this!? Sell me to the mystery man!? I trusted her with my life. I trusted her.
Nono:Langa please calm down, I don’t like this.
She said in a worried voice.
Langelihle:I trusted you Nono…
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#Narrated
Nono steps back and leans on the wall looking at Langelihle.
She was still tied up on the chair but there was a fire surrounding her. The rope she had tied her with melted and Langa was free. Her eyes were reflecting the sun.
“What kind of witchcraft is this?”, she asked in a horrified voice.
Langa stood up and looked at her. Nono couldn’t look back, the light coming from her was burning her. The whole rooms temperature was hot and she was sweating excessively.
“I trusted you Nono”, she said and her voice echoed throughout the whole room.
Langa marched towards Nono and strangled her against the wall. Nono tried to touch her to remove her, but she couldn’t. She felt like her neck was being placed against a hot stove.
“I… mm…sorry”, she managed to utter those words….
Langa let go of her and her eyes went back to normal. She looked around the whole room and ran out.
Nono recollected her breath and coughed terribly. She touched her neck and it was still hot and a little smoke was left in the room.
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Years ago….
Langa runs to her hut with her big belly, finding her two sisters ; Nomekezela and Ntombele.
Langa:I need to hide her. He knows that she also possesses the powers of the sun.. He will strip them off of her like he did to me, you and our whole family.
Ntombele:He will kill her too, like he did to our mother.
Ntombele:How will we run from him!? He is connected and the whole village worships him.
Langa:I am due to give birth any time my sisters, I know I won’t make it. Please look after my daughter, take her. Run away with her, do not allow him to find her. I beg you.. He is not a good man, I regret ever agreeing to be in a relationship with him. He is consumed by greed and power, that he cannot differentiate between good and bad.
Nomekezela:Sisi please don’t speak like this. Let us all run together, let’s go back home.
Langa:There isn’t much time Nomekezela. He destroyed our home. There’s nothing left. This is all my fault, our parents warned me about him but I didn’t listen. I didn’t listen to them and I jumped in bed with the devil. What have I done!?
She cries while her sisters hold her, trying to calm her down.
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To be continued…..
