LANGELIHLE #28
SONDELA
After that phone call I just lost all strength and energy. She’s breaking up with me? After everything we have been through together? She’s leaving me just like that? I stumble on the empty cans and stand up. My phone rings and I ignore it, the person doesn’t stop calling.
I answer it, it was my sister, Lusanda.
Sondela:Hello?
Lusanda:Bro we just got back from visiting Zimthele ohh your baby is c.. Wait Sondela are you crying?
I sniff and shake my head.
Sondela:No I’m not.
Lusanda:Aybo I can hear you sniffing. What’s wrong?
Sondela:Langelihle left me.
Lusanda:She left you?
Sondela:She said our chapter is closed.
Lusanda:Oh wow I’m sorry to hear that. I thought the two of you were okay.
Sondela:Yeah I thought so too.
I hung up and picked up the cans, I threw them out. I was mad drunk and seeing double.
A knock disturbs me. I walk towards the door and it was my father. He looked at me in pity.
I followed him to the living room and sat down.
Mthembu:Why haven’t you went to check on Zimthele? She gave birth.
Sondela:I will go.
Mthembu:When?
Sondela:Langelihle left me.
Mthembu:What?
Sondela:She is going to her home, and she said we are done
Like forever.
Mthembu:Uhhh.. Isn’t Langelihle at Ein House?
Sondela:She escaped, she called me with Gende’s phone. I lost my wife baba, I can’t bare the pain of losing her. I love her so much. What will I do without her?
The pain in my heart was getting worse.
Mthembu:I’m sure she was just saying Sondela, she loves you. Don’t give up on her yet. Now take a bath and go see your son.
Sondela:Have you went to see him?
Mthembu:No, I will go with you.
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#Narrated
After driving for hours, they have finally arrived – Elangeni.
Langelihle steps out of the car and looks at the place. It looks like it was once beautiful, the trees were withered, grass wasn’t there and the few houses were in a bad shape.
Langelihle:This is the place.
Gende:I can’t go in with you. But the best of luck. This is where you came from.
She smiles and Gende gets in her car and drives off.
She takes a deep breath and starts walking, she doesn’t know where she’s going but she is walking. She feels at home, her heart is at easy and her shoulders aren’t feeling heavy. That sense of belonging she has been feeling was filled.
“Uyena ngampela(It is really her)”, people whisper within themselves.
Others kneel down and sing praise.
“Ndlovukazi. Wena WaseLangeni. Bayede”, they chant still kneeling.
Langelihle looks around amazed, the welcome she’s receiving is what she didn’t expect.
Little children throw in leaves in front of her as she takes steps forward. She laughs a little at that.
An elderly woman, holds her hands and cries.
“Siyabonga, kudala sikulindile. (Thank you, we have been waiting), she says.
She hugs the woman back, giving her the warm smile.
They hold her hand and sing happy song, leading her to her palace.
They arrive.
“This is your royal palace. No one is in there, it has been like that for years. As you can see how bad things are around here, since that man destroyed everything 35 years ago. But we stayed in hope, knowing that Langelihle – daughter of Langa, great great granddaughter of Ataru will return and rebirth Elangeni Kingdom. We knew she would come back and lead us, grace us with her powerful might.”
Langelihle:Whoa… Ataru? She was my great grandmother?
“Let’s go inside. We’ll tell you everything”
They head inside. Langelihle smiled and joined them on the singing, she felt at home. The anxiety she had was gone.
“We came here every day to clean, because we knew you were coming back.”, the woman tells her.
Even though inside, it wasn’t furnished, it was still a big palace and it was beautiful. She’ll fix it.
The other people were outside, and she was with 3 people inside. They sit on the chairs. The throne chair was in the middle, with a beautiful sceptre on top of it. There was a sun symbol on the backrest of the chair.
“We are really glad you are here. I’ve never happy like this. Let me introduce myself, I am Nongcebo, my mother used to work here back then. This is my grandmother, Maggie and that’s your cousin, Mlando.”
Langelihle:My cousin?
She asked in awe.
Nongcebo:Yes. He was your uncle’s son. All your family members unfortunately died at the hands of Mdabuli, he managed to live because his mother had hid him.
Langelihle:So no one else from the royal family is alive?
You could feel the sadness in her voice.
Nongcebo:Sadly no. It’s only you and Mlando. Your mother’s sisters, Nomekezela and Ntombele left to talk to her but never came back. We then heard later that your father got to them.
Langelihle:Ntombele survived, I recently met with her. But my father killed her before she could tell me anything. Please just start from the start and tell me everything.
Nongcebo:Grandma knows the story better.
Maggie:During the 1800s, there were Japanese camps, where Japanese refuges would camp there. It was during the times of war. Akira had a daughter, named Ataru , the Japanese refugees were in hiding from the government, because they were occupying the place illegally. Akira came from a long line of supernatural descendants. She had the powers of the sun, extraordinary powers that even herself never understood. She tried her best to teach her daughter how to conceal and use her powers, Ataru was a child full of adventure and she wanted to go everywhere. One day she was at the forest, and she saw a bird. She liked it and wanted to pet it. But the bird wouldn’t fly to her, she then closed her eyes lifted up her left hand. The bird flew in her direction and she caught it. She opened her eyes, and you could see the reflection of the sun on her eyes.
She looked around if no one saw her and hopped back home(camp). But, someone had seen her, and saw what she could do. His name was Ngozi, he searched for Ataru high and low with his men. He saw the power Ataru had and wanted it for himself, he wanted to be able to do that. He finally found her and killed every Japanese, including her mother. But Akira was able to tell Ataru to run before the man could see her.
Ataru ran and never looked back. Years later, she grew up into a woman and she met a man. But, he was royalty. And their union was cursed by many, because of their races being different. But their love conquered everything, and Ataru became the Queen to the King. They had a girl child, and she took the King’s features more. But what they didn’t know was that the girl also had the powers like Ataru.
When the girl came home one day, she showed her parents her eyes and that’s when they realized she’s also gifted.
Ataru became worried about her daughter, she had been able to hide her powers all the years, making it hard for Ngozi to find her. The King assured her that Ngozi wouldn’t find them, that maybe he has forgotten about them. But they were wrong, a ruthless man like Ngozi never gave up. He looked for Ataru everywhere, he wanted what she had. Taking Akira’s powers wasn’t enough. He wanted more and more. Same thing that happened to Akira happened to Ataru, leaving their child alone. This war has went on for generations, every descendant of Ngozi is taught from a young age to eliminate any lineage of Ataru. This palace belonged to Ataru and the King, many lives have been lost here. Many souls are crying, to be set free.
Your mother’s generation, she threw herself to Mdabuli. Her mother tried to warn her multiple times about him, but she wouldn’t hear a thing. She wanted to be with him, she fell pregnant with you. And when Mdabuli found out that you too had the powers, he wanted to be rid of you. Like he got rid of Langa’s parents and everyone. Luckily, your aunts ran away with you when you were born, but your mother didn’t make it.
Langelihle:Whoa okay back up. So technically I’m Japanese?
Maggie:Mostly.
Langelihle:But I don’t look Japanese, I’m pure black.
Maggie:Ataru’s genes weren’t that strong, even her daughter looked like the King and nothing like her . The next generations showed no physical appearances of being Japanese, but Ataru is your ancestor.
Langelihle:So Mdabuli’s ancestors started the war of killing my ancestors and generation?
Maggie:Yes.
Langelihle:These powers? How they do they work actually?
Maggie:No one knows. It’s up to the wielder to learn by themselves. It doesn’t have a manual, you will learn as time go.
Langelihle:So, I have been struggling with having children. I have lost four of them and I just found out that my father placed a curse on me to not carry to full term.
Maggie:Yes, the curse will be uplifted now that you are here. Mdabuli never thought you will find you home, because he thought he would kill you before you find it. The ways of the ancestors my child are tricky, but they know best and they wouldn’t put you through harm for nothing. If you’d had those children, Mdabuli would have gotten to them easily, since you are the only one who had the protection of Elangeni. But now that you are here, all will be well.
Nongcebo stood up and came back with some pictures.
She gave them to Langelihle.
Nongcebo:This is Ataru, and that’s the King, Mqapi.
Langelihle:Wow, she was beautiful indeed.
Nongcebo:These are your grandparents, this is your mother and her sisters.
She shows her all pictures.
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Later on, Langelihle and Mlando are walking outside the palace.
Mlando:Can I hug you?
Langelihle:Sure.
They hug tightly.
Mlando:You are really beautiful.
He blurts out.
Langelihle:Mmm?
Mlando:I… sorry, I was just saying that you are beautiful. You look like your mom.
Langelihle:Yeah, too bad I’ve never physically seen her. This place is really beautiful.
Mlando:They say it used to be more beautiful than this.
Langelihle:I hate my father.
Mlando:Are you ready to face him?
Langelihle:I don’t know, but I know I am a bit scared.
Mlando holds her hands and she smiles. His touch did things to her.
Mlando:Don’t worry, you have us. We will be behind you through everything.
They continued taking a walk.
Mlando:I thought they were lying.
Langelihle:About what?
Mlando:When they said you brighten the day, your presence alone is intimidating.
She laughs closing her eyes. Mlando smiles at her.
Langelihle:Oh please.
Mlando:I’m serious. Even me, I was in a bad mood before you got here but now I’m happy.
Langelihle:Well I’ve been told before that I have a welcoming and peaceful aura, but I didn’t pay attention. Now that you say it, I believe you.
Mlando:I would never lie to you.
He smiles like a retard. He lowers his smile when his inner self reprimands him.
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To be continued….
