LANGELIHLE #27
LANGELIHLE
I open my eyes and realize that I am in an unfamiliar place. Shortly, a little girl comes in the room I’m at.
She greets me.
“Ugogo uyakucela(Gogo is asking for you)”
I get out of the bed and follow her. I wonder who is asking for me, but ngizobona khona.
I am still wearing the track pants from Ein. Yeses konje I ran away!
When we get outside, I realize that I am at Gende’s house.
I sigh and follow the girl, she leads me to a small, beautiful hut. I take off my shoes and enter.
Gende was sitting on the mat, the place was neat and clean,with her traditional stuff put accordingly.
I sat down on the mat.
Gende:Sewuvukile(You have woken up).
I stupidly clap my hands and say “Thokoza”. She laughs and I feel really stupid.
Gende:Let’s talk outside. We are not consulting.
We stand up and sit outside on the chairs.
Langelihle:How did I get here?
Gende:We found you outside the gate.
I nodded.
Gende:Uyabona ukuthi kuxoveke kanjani zonke izinto manje? (Do you see how messed up everything is now?)
Langelihle:I see.
Gende:When I said go home, why didn’t you listen to me? I have been telling you for weeks to go home. You can’t make an excuse that you don’t know where Elangeni is, because your mother directed you when she spoke to you, didn’t she?
Langelihle:She did. She told me where I will find Elangeni.
Gende:Pho bewuhlaleleni ungayi Langa? (So why haven’t you went there?)
I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat.
Langelihle:I wanted to wait until I give birth.
Gende:Giving birth to who? Let’s not fool each other Langelihle.
I was very uncomfortable.
Gende:Uyabona ukuthi inkani isikubekephi?(Do you see where being stubborn has landed you?) You have been getting to know your origin through your dreams, haven’t you?
Langelihle:Yes, but I don’t understand what the dreams mean.
Gende:What don’t you understand? What happened in those dreams?
Langelihle:I have been dreaming of two different little girls. One is the younger version of me and the other one looks different, like she’s Japanese or Chinese. Both of them have their homes destroyed, and their parents killed by a mystery man.
Gende:Isn’t that telling you something?
Langelihle:It is.
Gende:What is it telling you?
Langelihle:The girl who’s the younger version of me, I think it’s my mother, and the mystery man who destroyed her home and her parents is the mystery man, my father.
The other girl, I don’t know, but I know she’s related to everything happening because her daughter had the same eyes as mine.
Gende:Listening is a skill Langelihle. You are about to be Queen soon, people are going to be depending on you to make decisions. How will you make decisions when you can’t even listen to simple instructions? What was so hard about going home? Didn’t you see your son alive Elangeni through your dreams? Wasn’t that telling you that you should go home. Your father placed a curse on you, that you will never be able to carry a child until he has found you. But you going home, the curse would have been uplifted. The three children you’ve lost will come back, I’m not saying bazovuka kwabafileyo. But you will carry full term again, even if they would have lived before, your father would have killed them, since you had no idea who you were. But now you know who you are, you’ve seen how powerful you can be. You know what to do to defeat him, but you are still not doing anything. You are relaxing.
I wiped my tears. This is the bitter truth I needed to hear. Everything she is saying is the truth. I have been pushing it to the back of my head because I wanted to focus on the baby. A baby that I knew was gone. All the dreams I’ve been having, I’ve been ignoring them and pretending like they didn’t make sense. Only one dream is confusing, the one with Atura, the Japanese girl/woman.
Langelihle:Ngiyezwa Gogo, I agree I have been acting stubborn. I will go home soon.
Gende:What are you still waiting for? Go now.
Langelihle:Now now?
Gende:I told you he’s regaining strength wherever he is. Your ancestors have been preventing him from reaching to you all these years, it’s your turn to fight him now. You are the only one who can end this war, that has been going on for generations.
Langelihle:I don’t know if I can do it.
Gende:Don’t look down on yourself. You are more powerful than you think.
Langelihle:I will go. There’s nothing for me here anyway.
She smiled and I asked to borrow her phone.
She gave it to me and I went to stand far from her. I dialled Sondela’s numbers. Her answered after a while.
Sondela:Hello.
Langelihle:Sondela hi, it’s Langelihle.
Sondela:Langelihle?
I heard him shifting.
Sondela:Aren’t you supposed to be at Ein House?
Langelihle:I ran away.
Sondela:You ran away?
Langelihle:Yes. I don’t have much time, I just called to let you know that I’m leaving, I’m going home-Elangeni.
Sondela:Oh okay where are you? I will go with you.
Langelihle:No Sondela. This is something I have to do by myself. I have to start this new chapter alone.
Sondela:Langelihle why does this sound like a break up?
I pressed my lips together and took a deep breath.
Langelihle:I’m sorry, but I need to be with my people. So much has happened Sondela, so much. I have to do this.
Sondela:No Langa please don’t do this to me baby. Please tell me where you are, I will go with you.
Langelihle:No. Please don’t come. Our chapter is done Sondela, I’m sorry. You will always be my true love. Goodbye Mvelase.
I hung up and sobbed, that was painful and bitter to utter.
I wipe my tears and go back inside.
They give me fresh clothes to wear.
Gende shaves my head bald, and I take off the nails I had on.
I follow her to the backyard and she cleanse me, and ask my ancestors to protect me and be with me on this new journey.
After that, I bath in the basin and wear the clothes they gave me. Nothing fancy, just a dress, with plain sandals.
They give me a head wrap, and I wrap it in a style around my bald head.
Gende:It is time.
I follow her to the car.
Gende:I will drive you there and return tomorrow. You are no longer Langelihle Mthembu now, you are going to be Langelihle – Indlovukazi Yasemalangeni.
I sigh and hop in.
She drives, and I direct her where to go.
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ZIMTHELE
Mom and Virgin have left. I’m left alone. Sondela hasn’t come too. I sigh playing with the hospital gown I was wearing. I am so bored.
I hear screams followed by Sondela’s sisters voices. Oh my they came. Nokuthula and Lusanda. I smile warmly at them.
Nokuthula:Here is the new mommy.
Lusanda:Sorry we couldn’t come sooner.
Zimthele:It’s okay, you’re here now.
Lusanda:Where is he?
Zimthele:They took him to be with the other new borns, but we can go see him or ask them to bring him here.
Nokuthula:Yes please ask them to bring him here.
I call for the nurse and ask him to bring the baby. She comes back with him minutes later and gives us space. Lusanda takes him.
Lusanda:Ohh he’s so beautiful, and tiny.
Nokuthula:So what’s his name?
Zimthele:We haven’t named him yet.
They played with the baby, doing baby talk. It was beautiful to watch. I’m happy they came, even though the father of the baby hasn’t bothered himself but seeing Nokuthula and Lusanda makes me happy.
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To be continued..
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