LANGELIHLE #11
At Ein House.
She goes inside to the person behind a desk. She assumes she’s the receptionist or something close to that.
“Hello, how may I help you?”
Langelihle:Hi, I am looking for Margaret.
“Are you related to her?”
Langelihle:No.
“Mmm okay. It’s only an hour before visiting hours are over. So you still have time. Please remove any metal jewellery and cell phones and put them on this box.
She does as she’s told.
The lady escorts her to Margaret’s room.
“Mem please do not get close to the patient, because we will not be held liable for what she may do.”
She nods and gets in.
Margaret was laying on the bed, facing the other side. She was humming a song softly and rocking herself back and forth.
Lange got closer, but not close enough.
Langelihle:Margaret….
She stopped singing and slowly turned back. She sat with her bums on the bed.
Langelihle:Do you remember me?
Margaret tilts her head to the side looking at Langelihle..
Langelihle:My name is Langelihle, the other day you spoke to me about someone who’s coming for me.
Margaret consistently bites her nails and looks around the room.
“Oh God”, Langelihle whispers to herself. What was she thinking? That she can get answers from someone who is in an asylum? Only the worst kind goes to Ein.
Langelihle:Is there anything you can tell me? About my family? About the mystery man? About where I come from? Anything at all?
Silence.
Langa takes a step closer and Margaret jumps to her and pins her on the wall, strangling her.
Langelihle coughs, running out of breath and holds on to Margaret.
Two guards barge into the room and they snatch Margaret away from Langelihle.
“Are you okay?”, they ask her.
She rubs her neck and nods.
They strap Margaret on the bed, with her shaking and laughing like a maniac.
Langelihle walks out. But she could still hear her shouting.
“You’re all gonna die. He’s going to find you.”
She sighed and walked away. That was pointless.
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SONDELA
Mthembu:What is going on with you Sondela?
Sondela:Iynkinga zomuzi wami ziyangixaka(I am troubled by my problems.)
Mthembu:Last time we talked, you told me something disturbing. You said you think you made a mistake by taking a second wife.
I lean back on the chair and rub my face. My shoulders are heavy, it’s like I’m carrying all the world’s problems.
Mthembu:Talk to me son, what’s happening?
Sondela:I think I made a mistake by taking a second wife.
Mthembu:Don’t you love Zimthele anymore?
Sondela:I don’t know… I just… at first when I wanted to take a second wife, I wanted someone who would be a surrogate but Langa crushed the idea. I then married Zimthele with the hopes that she will give me children, since we were still struggling with Langelihle. I didn’t love Zimthele, I only wanted children, but as time went by. I warmed up to her and developed feelings for her, not romantic feelings, just friendly feelings. Of course, she doesn’t know. And now it all feels too much baba, she’s constantly complaining about everything. I don’t know what to do, because I can’t break myself in two. Langa also needs me, she also needs me. Both of them are pregnant and are giving birth in the next few months to come. I don’t know how to divide my time equally between them. At the same time, I just want to be with Langelihle all the time. I love my wife baba so much; I rushed taking a second wife because I couldn’t hold on and be patient with her. I took such a drastic decision, that would benefit me only. It only brought her pain, no one can be happy knowing that they are sharing their husband.
Zimthele is a nice person, I believe there’s someone out there for her who will love her the way she deserves. Because I won’t lie baba, I don’t love Zimthele. My heart only beats for ilanga lami(my sun).
But I don’t know what to do, I can’t just drop her now when I was the one who came to her. She has given me three children; I can’t just turn my back on her after all these years. I’m conflicted and confused.
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ZIMTHELE
It was exactly five(5) years ago. Sondela had just left to Langelihle after we had a little argument. We were fighting over this matter of not spending quality time together. Frustrated, I called my old flame. His name is Sana. We met up and one thing led to another, we ended up in bed together. I took a morning after pill the following day because we didn’t use any protection. I was confident that nothing would give that I cheated. Sondela didn’t notice anything because I knew how to compose myself around him. I then found out that I was pregnant months later. I failed to do the maths, because I was also sleeping with Sondela.
I gave birth and Sondela was excited for the child. I had a bit of guilt because I wasn’t sure who the child belonged to. I was even scared to do a DNA test, because I was fearing I would be caught.
Bayanda turned one, and that’s when his father’s features fully showed. He looked exactly like him, I was so sure that Sana was Bayanda’s dad. How could I have broken the news to my husband? I couldn’t tell him that I cheated on him, and brought evidence home. I kept quiet and didn’t say anything.
As Bayanda grew, he showed some serious anger issues. One time I was called at his school because he had drowned a student on a toilet, luckily the student lived. He hates Sondela, and he’s got a grumpy face.
It got worse when they did the ceremony for him. I think the ancestors are upset, mom said you aren’t supposed to introduce a child to the wrong ancestors knowingly.
And now, I don’t know what to do. I have already called Sana and asked to talk to him. Mom says Bayanda will get worse if he isn’t united with his father.
Sondela wants to do a DNA test and he will know that Bayanda isn’t his. He will divorce me and run to Langelihle.
Judge me all you want, but I will tamper with those results. No ways can Sondela find out that Bayanda is not his son. I just can’t lose him.
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LANGELIHLE
I’m back home after wasting my time at Ein house. I knew I wouldn’t get anything positive. That lady was probably delusional that day.
Sondela brushes my arm. He doesn’t look okay. I look at him concerned.
Langelihle:What’s wrong baby?
Sondela:I’m just tired mama, nothing much.
Langelihle:You are lying babe, talk to me. What is it?
Sondela:*Sighs* Okay… I think Bayanda is not my son.
Langelihle:Whoa why would you think that?
Sondela:He doesn’t look like me Langa, and my mother noticed it too. Zimthele was also off when I asked her if she wouldn’t lie about him being mine.
Langelihle:Well I don’t know what to say. I never even noticed that Bayanda doesn’t look like you. But now that you say it, he’s got no resemblance of anyone who is a Mthembu. So what are you going to do?
Sondela:DNA test.
Langelihle:Will you tell her?
Sondela:No. She is hiding something, I can feel it. Even yesterday she lied and said Bayanda fell. I feel like I don’t know her anymore.
He sighed and mumbled something along the lines of what was he even thinking.
I held his hands. It will really be disappointing if Bayanda isn’t Sondela’s son. That would mean Zimthele lied, not only to Sondela, but all of us.
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>>>>
