LANGELIHLE #25
The following days, at Ein House.
Langelihle is seated on the chair holding a jersey that is wrapped like a doll(baby). She is looking at one direction without blinking. She rocks the jersey back and forth, humming a lullaby. Her face is so pale, and her lips so dry. Other patients are seated around her and doing their own things.
The nurses on guard come to her..
“It’s time to go back inside. The doctor is here.”
She takes no mind to them and continues humming the lullaby softly.
Langelihle:Thula thula Nana…. Thula thula…
“Langelihle stand up”, they snatch the jersey away from her and she opens her eyes wide out. She stands up from the chair and tries to take back her baby.
Langelihle:Give me my baby.. He is almost asleep, give him to me..
“I will give him to you, but come with us. Your doctor is here.”
Langelihle:Okay…
They lead her to the doctor’s office and give her the “baby”. They leave, and she sits down holding the jersey close to her.
Sitting across her was the doctor, a middle aged woman who was wearing glasses, with beautiful short hair.
“Hi, it’s me again. Are you ready to talk today? ”
Langelihle ignored her and continued playing with her baby.
Malanga:What’s his name? The baby.
Langelihle:*Smiling* His name is Angel, he is an angel. He woke up when they thought he’s dead..
Malanga:He’s beautiful. Where’s the father?
Langelihle:He said something is wrong with me, and that I will be here to get help.
Malanga:Do you think there’s something wrong with you?
Langelihle:No. I am only bonding with my son.
Malanga:Can I take a picture of you two?
Langelihle:Okay..
She takes her phone and opens the camera. She takes pictures and shows it to her. Langelihle breath heightens and she blinks her eyes vigorously.
Langelihle:Whaa.. What is this? Where is my baby? Why isn’t he showing on this picture? What is this?
Malanga stands up from her seat and kneels in front of her.
Malanga:Sweetheart, you have gone through tremendous losses. It’s understandable that you would take comfort into thinking this is your baby. But your baby didn’t make it sthandwa sami, do you remember?
Langelihle:He didn’t make it?
She asks, sadness written all over her face.
Malanga:He didn’t make it.
Langelihle:But I have been feeding, and bathing him all these days. How could he not have been made it? You are lying to me. This is my baby.
Malanga:This is a jersey, your baby was buried last week and you were at the funeral. You are suffering from psychological losses, and as hard as it may be Langelihle, you will live through this. You will be okay again.
Langelihle:My baby didn’t make it…
She put her hand over her mouth.
Malanga:The first step is acceptance, it’s hard but you have to let him go. He needs to rest in peace. You have a whole life ahead of you. With today’s technology, you can find other options Langelihle to have a baby. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t carry to full term. How do you feel now?
Langelihle:Weak… stupid.. I knew that something was off. But a little voice kept whispering that this was my baby.
Malanga:Is that voice still whispering now?
She closed her eyes and listened.
Langelihle:No.
Malanga:It was your mind playing tricks with you, and wanting you to believe what you wanted to believe.
Langelihle:I feel so tired, I just want to sleep and never wake up. I can’t do this anymore…
She shakes her head crying.
Malanga takes he to her arms and assures her that everything will be okay.
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.
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At Sondela’s.
He is passed out on the couch, with bottles of alcohol laying around. He is stinking.
Mlamuli shakes him up and he yawns removing his hand.
Mlamuli:Sondela wake up.
Sondela:Mhh.. Come back later….
He mumbled in his sleep.
Mlamuli shook him up again until he woke up.
Sondela:What?
He asked angrily. His eyes were red and he had bags under them. He looked so out of life.
Mlamuli:This isn’t healthy. When was the last time you had food? Other than pumping yourself with alcohol?
Sondela:Leave me alone Mlamuli. I am not bothering anyone, I’m in my house, drinking my alcohol, that I bought with my own money.
Mlamuli:I don’t care about that, but this is not it. You have a life! And wives! And children! What about them? Zimthele gave birth yesterday but you weren’t there.
Sondela:She gave birth?
Mlamuli:Yeah, she tried calling you multiple times when her water broke but you didn’t answer. She ended up calling me. Fix yourself Bro. Being depressed like this, Langa is also at a mental asylum and we don’t know how she is doing because you’ve never been to visit her. You keep locking yourself in here and you are shutting everyone out!
Sondela:*Shouting* WELL THEN WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT ME TO DO MLAMULI HUH!? MY WIFE IS LOCKED UP WITH CRAZY PEOPLE, AND SHE KEEOS ON SAYING OUR SON IS ALIVE, AND SHE IS TALKING ABOUT A JERSEY. SO HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SMILE AND MOVE ON WITH LIFE!? HE WAS ALSO MY SON, YOU THINK I LIKE THAT I HAVE HAD TO BURY ALL MY FOUR CHILDREN!?
Mlamuli:I know, I’m sorry you are going through that. I don’t know what kind of pain you are feeling.
Sondela:So shut up and let me sleep.
He goes back to the couch and sleeps. Mlamuli sighs and cleans up the bottles.
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ZIMTHELE
My baby boy is finally here, I gave birth yesterday. He is so tiny. Sondela wasn’t here yesterday when I gave birth, he still isn’t here. These past few days have been hard, he is distant. Ever since Langelihle was admitted at Ein House, he has also been losing it. I hope she gets better, the pain of losing a child. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. How worse is it when you have lost four? I would also run mad.
Gladys:What are you going to name him?
Zimthele:I’m waiting for Sondela. I haven’t thought of any names.
Gladys:Where is he?
I shrugged my shoulders. I saw that she wanted to say something else, but she stopped herself and continued stroking the baby’s hair.
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Langelihle peeps to see if anyone is watching and runs all the way to the gate. There were guards who tried to stop her but she ran away from them all the way out.
When she was completely out of Ein House, she ran to the road. A car came speeding almost knocking her off but she quickly moved away.
She ran and ran, never looking back. Until she reached the place she saw in her dreams again(the one with the flowers).
She sat down and laid on the side, dreaming again.
…..
………
Ataru holds his hand.
Ataru:I love you Baba.
Saying “Baba” was a bit funny for her, she still wasn’t used to the Zulu language, even though she has been around them for so many years.
“You will get better, don’t worry”
She smiled happily, he looked into her eyes and fell even more in love. Their union was cursed by many, because of the race issue, but they loved each other. And love conquers all.
“I want to learn Japanese. How do I say, ‘I love you’?”
Ataru:Itoshi teru.
“Itoshi teru”
Ataru laughs.
Ataru:Yeah you will also get there.
They break into laughter. Their daughter comes running to them.
Ataru:Who why are you running?
“Look mom my eyes”
She showed them their eyes and they saw the reflection of the sun.
Ataru gasped in fear.
Ataru:Ōno (Oh no).
She touched her daughter’s face and the sun quickly disappeared.
She pulled her husband to the side.
Ataru:Not again. They will come here and slaughter everyone too, like they did with my family. They will find us again.
“They won’t. They won’t know. We will hide her powers, like we’ve hidden yours.”
Ataru bites her nails, she was nervous and scared.
…..
………..
Langelihle wakes up and looks at her surroundings confused. When did she get here?
She stands up and starts walking.
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To be continued….
