LANGELIHLE #33
After yesterday’s events I ended up sleeping over here. We were still attending the trial, today was a bit better. The prosecutor gave valid points. Zachary’s lawyer was fumbling. I have hope that he will get what he deserves, Zachary that is.
I have a quick meeting today with one of the potential investors, I hope it goes well. I’m still rocking my bald head, my hair takes long to grow so it will be a while until I can braid or do whatever. I’ll never forget Zimthele slapping my head yesterday!
The meeting took less than two hours, and it seemed promising. They said they will get back to me within a week to let me know if they are interested in investing. Right now, we are working on rebuilding the school. That’s the one thing that I think is important. Enyangeni village is very far for children to travel to everyday.
I also have to re-register it to the Department of Education, and get to hiring teachers and all that. We already have one investor, who helped us buy infrastructure, cement, bricks, paint, the basics. If all goes well, it can take about 3-4 months to rebuild it, it wasn’t completely destroyed. It’s just in a bad condition, that no one can do any studying in.
After that, it will be the clinic, then we can rebuild the people’s houses.
A hospital? Maybe in future.
I spoke with my old boss and let him know what was happening in my life currently, and he understood luckily. My job is still safe, he granted me a paid leave. I don’t know if I’ll even go back to working there, my life is at Elangeni now. But let’s take it one day at a time, shall we? Yes.
Sondela… Mmm… I don’t know. The sight I saw yesterday made me want to gauge my eyes out. He looked so deformed. How is he even still alive? His bones were sticking out and there were lots of IV drips connected to him. He also had a collar on his neck. It’s really bad. One accident can do this to another person? But they said two cars were squeezing him in between, and another one rolled over on top of him. I don’t even want to imagine how bad that was. I can’t help but blame myself. He walked out yesterday because he was upset with what I, well what we did actually.
Zimthele is also another case! Haybo, so much lies! So she slept with the doctor at the lab? I won’t be surprised if she was the one who gave us that infection a month ago.
I walk inside the hospital, I’m here to see him. I know it doesn’t make any difference because the doctors said he’s unresponsive but I just need to see him.
I’m scared of this word, ‘coma’. Not everyone wakes up from a coma. I wish he can wake up. I still love him. I know I broke up with him, but I still love him. Even though we can’t be together but I don’t wish death upon him.
I passed by the paediatrics(children) ward, and there was a child placed on some sort of container. Looks like she/he just got born. I looked around and went inside.
There wasn’t anyone in, I heard water running on the bathroom.
With my trembling hands, I picked the baby up. It was a boy.
I brushed his face softly with my finger. I felt my eyes watering and my tears fell on top of him.
I quickly wiped them off.
.
.
.
NONGCEBO
We were at the school overseeing how everything was going. With Sis Langa not here, she trusts us to hold the fort for her. She is so amazing. I can’t believe she’s rebuilding the school. The children will be very happy, it was very exhausting for them to travel elsewhere to go to school, every day. And the bell rings at 8am,so by 6am they should be walking to school by foot. It is very far. With our school fixed, it will make things easier for them.
Mlando looked so stressed. His mind wasn’t here at all.
I held his hand, Mlando is a gorgeous young man. He’s two years younger than me but I have been crushing on him forever. Too bad he doesn’t notice me. He sees me as a “sister”.
Nongcebo:What is wrong?
Mlando:Uhm nothing, I’m just tired.
Nongcebo:You’re not okay, I can see it. Talk to me what’s wrong.
He sighs and looks around.
Mlando:Okay but please don’t tell anyone.
Nongcebo:I won’t.
Mlando:Gobi says I have to marry Sis Langa.
Nongcebo:Whoa what!?
Mlando:She says it’s what the ancestors want. To keep the family name, since it’s the two of us who are left behind. I don’t want to do it, she’s my cousin. How can I be intimate with my cousin? This is wrong on so many levels.
I didn’t know what to say. Sometimes I feel like, the way of the ancestors can be a bit unfair sometimes. But they know best, they know more than we know. But this, I don’t know what to make of it. Cousins marrying each other is common these days, but I don’t think I personally can do it.
Nongcebo:So what are you going to do? Do you see her that way?
He stuttered, I raised my eyebrow at him.
Mlando:No I don’t. She’s older than me.
Nongcebo:And she’s your cousin.
Mlando:And she’s my cousin.
One worker came to us to tell us they are short of cement.
Mlando went back to the palace to fetch the ones Sis Langa had bought.
He came back minutes later wheeling them on a wheelbarrow.
.
.
.
LANGELIHLE
I wonder how it would be like to have my own baby. This feeling feels so out of this world. This is the first alive baby I’m holding. I’ve never touched Zimthele’s newborns, I didn’t want to offend her or anything.
This is amazing, I heard the bond gets stronger when you cuddle with and breastfeed your new-born.
The water stops, and I quickly put him back. I blow a kiss to him and walk out before anyone could find me and accuse me of attempting to steal him. I’ve learnt my lesson.
I enter in Sondela’s ward and my blood boils instantly. My heart drops when I see him like this. This is my man, father of my gone children, my husband. I hate to see him like this. His lips are so dry. The machine is the only thing making noise, beeping at its pace.
I sit down on the chair next to him.
I wanted to hold his hands but with his bones dislocated like that I held back , we were advised to not touch him as we may cause further injury.
I swallow and start talking to him.
Langelihle:I know you can’t hear me because well you are in a coma and they said you are unresponsive. But I hope you get better, please wake up. I need you, everyone needs you. This can’t be it Sondela, you can’t leave us now. You can’t.. Please wake up…
.
.
.
VIRGIN
My new job was going very well. I am getting paid tomorrow and as my first salary, I want to spoil myself.
Today I was packing the groceries for customers after the cashier has tilled them.
I pack the lady’s groceries and it was mostly junk food here, lucky them who can still buy junk food. Yazi Mina even if I have R50 I just think of grabbing a few vegetables. You know those R10 onions and tomatoes that are sold by street vendors? Exactly that.
“Whoa isn’t that the ministers wife?”, I ignore them thinking they are speaking to someone else.
“And Uyena mngani, utshitshi! (It’s her friend, it’s Virgin)”
I ignore them again. I have been coming across people mocking me whenever they are here to buy something. I do my best to ignore them and do my job. I don’t want to get fired because I fought with the customers.
“Hebana from a whole minister’s wife to a packer! Life is humbling”
They burst into laughter, and other customers shook their heads disappointed at the two women making fun of me.
“If you are not paying for anything, please move. You are delaying other customers”, Nambita(the cashier) says to them.
“We are leaving. But Yooo Virgin, life really did an example with you. You used to drive the fanciest cars and flex your husband’s money to everyone”
“Haybo mkhozi don’t forget phela ukuthi ubechoma ngemali entshontshiwe(Don’t forget she was flexing with stolen money)”
Nambita:I will call security.
Virgin:No Nambita leave it. I don’t want to put your job in jeopardy.
“The customer is always right” policy is very scary, I don’t want her to lose her job because she was standing up for me.
“And she’s even respectful now!”
“That’s life for you.. Ithatha ongaphezulu imubeke phansi(It takes you from high to low)let’s leave friend.”
They walk away. I sigh and continue packing.
Nambita:Please don’t mind them. They have no right poking their noses to your business.
Virgin:Nah it’s okay.
It was almost lunch time, so when I was done I went to my locker to take out my lunch. But my phone beeped. It was a message from Phil.
I smiled reading it.
‘Let me take you out for lunch. I’m around here.’-Phil.
I put the lunch back and hurried out, it’s the little things that make me happy.
.
.
To be continued…
