My Coloured Zulu Man

Chapter 36

Menzi

Right after Langa gave birth, her mother insisted that she comes with. I didn't even have the chance to talk to her properly, they just left without a goodbye, and just like that they left.
For a minute i thought I had a good thing going on with her, or maybe it is still going its just a temporal pause, but whatever it is she has to explain.

For the past three months we've been good, talking more, but without seeing each other, i had stopped myself so many times from going to get her, my coward self i guess would stop me. Asemahle has been good, been asking about Langa's child since they had promised each other the world, i was left to explain their whereabouts to a 6 year old kid. My favourite goat she calls him, already i see a naughty boy, he's always crying and disturbing our calls with his mother, and not that am complaining but i wish he'd do that less, a whole wrong timing baby. Already calls are not enough, imagine having to have three months without seeing the woman of your dreams, its been really hell, really bad.
So I've made up my mind am going to see her or say get her this weekend, i'll  get a babysitter for Asemahle or send her to her grandma's "daddy where are you going" she screams from afar seeing me with an overnight bag "to get baby Mbuso princess" i reply to her, she opens her arms for me to scoop her "really daddy" she giggles. Its not her baby "yes really so lets choose,get aunty Veronica or a sleep over at your gran gran" i give her an alternative "gran gran's house" she excitedly runs to her room, i follow her to get her toys.
The drive is as always filled with her blabbering and silly comments on the radio, she so sissy and has an girly attitude, definitely got it from her mom "daddy is gran gran my mother?" my mind stops functioning, i stop the car in shock, i waited for this moment and now that it has come i don't think am ready "do you want ice-cream sweetie" i ask her hoping she forgets what she just said. Instead she just stares at me with her googly eyes "okay I'll tell...gran gran is my mother, but she's can be yours too" myself says giving up my mother to my daughter "so where's my mother" she questions me "your mother went somewhere safe, but she's watching us, remember i always say don't do bad because someone's always watching you, well your mother is always watching you" a moment of silence "so you'll have to do good so you can see her again" i add, she just stares at me. To me what i just said sounded scary, she looks away and continues playing with her doll, i was expecting a different reaction "why wont you say anything sweetie" i ask her "mkhulu told me she's in heaven" my father "yes she's in heaven in a safe place" i tell her. She looks convinced, we'll definitely have this conversation after sometime, as for now i don't think she fully understands. Probably when she's older.

Durban here i come. Its getting late I'll sleep at a hotel then see Langa in the morning. I don't even know where she stays, but I'll get someone to track her, it should be a suprise. Now her mother.

Roadtrip with a baby, never again a whole defination of 'ngaze ngay'sola'. From Durban to Johannesburg, got me wondering why he isn't dead, or something that was totally unhealthy.
That thing that tells you welcome home without saying anything, splashes my face, "welcome back, want something to eat?" i ask the exhausted mother. Mbuso seems calm now "just get me home Menzi, ungiyeke mina(and leave me alone)" she angrily replies "sengenzeni mina manje?(what did i do)" i ask in awe. Is she pregnant again or she's just tired "Langa are you pregnant" my mouth blurts out "usuyasangana yini Menzi, ngampela ngampela ungibuza loyo mbedo(Are you mad, Menzi, are you really really asking me that nonsense)" opps! "I guess i need to get you pregnant really soon then" the thought of it pleases me. She slaps the back of my head "but really think of it, you'll be a pretty hippopotamus" i laugh "udleni le engaka ekuhlanyisayo Menzi Vilakazi(what is it that you ate that made you this happy)" she shakes her head "being in Durban has made you a raw Zulu, where's the skrr skrr Langa, i mean the English speaking Langa" i ask. She's been talking isiZulu the whole ride "i don't know, i guess i realised the importance of my roots and understanding them properly, and also English is just a thing efike nabelungu esingayazi nemvelaphi yabo( it came with the white people, we don't even know it's origin)" she replies "and being a mother has surely made you this old, you even talk lile a 96 year old on a radio interview on heritage day" what happened with my baby "Menzi shut up, you're old to be blabbering sh*t" she replies. Now this is the Langa am talking about, "we are going to my house" i tell her "no drive me to my house" she talks sofly "okay just a night, i'll drive you home tomorrow" i beg of her, it's been long since we spent some time together "you look tired who'll take care of you" i convince her "am a big girl i can take care of myself" she confidently says "don't big girls deserve to be taken care of" i say. Self-Coffee-Dance "what will you do then" she asks, i don't know "watch Mbuso for you while you cook, it's been long since i had samp and beef you know" i tease her, she dramatically laughs "uyangilinga(you're testing me)" she says. It's not that bad, don't know why she's complaining.