KHUMBULANI

#12

KHUMBULANI

Unedited
# 12

KHUMBULANI
Nakia is going to be kept admitted for another week, home is going to be lonely without her. But at least there is Chege to keep me company.
Khumbulani:Have you went for an xray to check your leg?
Chege:No. I just clean it.
Khumbulani:It could be infected, you should see a doctor, before the infection spreads throughout the entire body.
Chege:You are scaring me now.
Khumbulani:Come on, let's go see my doctor. Isn't it painful?
Chege:It is..
I stand up, my keys were in my pockets. We got inside the car and I drove us to the doctor. Chege is a quiet person, that's what I've found out about him. He only talks when you make conversation.
Khumbulani:How is Kenya like? Nakia always say it's a beautiful place.
Chege:It is a beautiful place, people are nice and kind. We embrace our culture and respect people. But like any other country it also has its bad reputations.
Khumbulani:I would love to visit some day.
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MANDLENKOSI
Nqaba went to his house, and to see his family.
Mandla:Nandi did you find the letter?
Nandi:Did you get a chance to read it?
Mandla:No, I lost it before I could read it.
Nandi:I found a letter under your bed, but I'm not sure whether it's the one you were looking for.
She gives me one with a white envelope. That one had a brown envelope. I take it and tear it open. I read it and chuckle, I may be stupid but this is not my father's handwriting. Aunt Jumaima was a person who snoops around everywhere, maybe she took it and replaced it with this one. I leave Nandi and go to my dad's study. I call Maqhinga.
Maqhinga:Hello.
Mandla:Hello, I was asking if you don't have a copy of the letter that father left for me?
Maqhinga:No that was the only one, he said he don't want to make copies because what was written there was confidential.
Mandla:Eish, did you know perhaps what he wrote in it?
Maqhinga:You lost it?
Mandla:It was  in my room, I had placed it to read it later during the weeks. But now I find a different letter. I think my aunt swapped them somehow, she thinks maybe dad left something more for me on that letter.
Maqhinga:Your aunt is troublesome.
Mandla:I will go and confront her. I need to know what was on that letter.
Maqhinga:Be careful, greedy people tend to do gruesome things to get what they want.
Mandla:I will, thanks.
I hung up and placed the phone on the table. I laid back on the chair and spun around. What was my father hiding so much? He left too soon without explaining some things. That woman, she doesn't look anything from this century. Nqaba said someone who looked a bit identical to her was rumored to be a ghost in the 1600s. But that was a long time ago, where would have dad gotten this picture. Because if I remember correctly, his words were, "No one has seen her. I was lucky  to get her picture but I don't remember where I saw her". That's what he said. I hope this is not a case of rituals and snakes, because arrgh! My skin will just crawl.
I open the laptop and punch in keywords
"mystery woman in the 1600s, ghost"
I referenced the picture and waited for the results.
I found one article that caught my attention. I clicked on it and read the title, "THE SECRETS OF THE WOMAN GHOST"
I read the first paragraph , "In the small town of Nehalem, there has been reports of people claiming that they saw a ghost. They reported that there are closed doors in their homes , that they do not remember closing and they are unable to open them. One neighbor claim that he was able to open the door, but he cannot put in words what he saw inside, he became blind instantly. He claimed that he saw something, something unexplainable. No one believed him that there is a ghost in his closed room in his house, everyone went on with their lives, but the man mysteriously died. There are rumors that he did not stop searching and wanting to find out more about what he saw inside that room. They claim that he was killed by this ghost woman. But was he really? Or was he just an old man who thought he saw something!?

Police department went to the man's house and searched every room. They did not find any locked door, every door was open.
So what really is the secret behind the rumors of closed doors? Who is behind that door? And if there is someone behind the doors, then is she/he really a ghost?"

I stopped reading and exited the web, I looked at another search results but they were telling me nothing. I have never been confused like this in my life. Nehalem was destroyed centuries ago, and this article is very old. I don't know how it relates to what I'm looking for.
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NAKIA
I'm here for an ultrasound scan, I don't know what for, because I thought those were for pregnant women. They look for what they are searching and take me back to my ward room.
Nakia:What is going on?
I ask the doctor.
"There are new discoveries. Somehow, when were operating on you, we didn't notice that you are pregnant."
Nakia:I'm pregnant?
"Not anymore... I'm sorry..."
Nakia:What..
"The bullet reached the blastocyst and... I'm sorry the baby is gone... It wasn't an embryo yet.."
Nakia:My baby is gone...?
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KHUMBULANI
Chege was still busy with the doctor so I went outside to call Mphathi.
Mphathi:Khumbulani.
I looked around to see if anyone was nearby.
Khumbulani:Hi, Nakia is at the hospital.
Mphathi:Hospital? What happened?
Khumbulani:She was shot, but she's okay now.
Mphathi:Thank God.
Khumbulani:I saw Mandlenkosi yesterday.
Mphathi:The one and only Mandlenkosi?
Mphathi:Yes.. I had to pretend like I don't know him. He's the one who called an ambulance for Nakia.
Mphathi:Shit! I hope you kept your cool Bro.
Khumbulani:I did, but seeing him again brought back that guilt!
Mphathi:Listen to me Khumbulani, it was a mistake okay!? You didn't mean to do it. So relax and keep your head high. He doesn't know anything, and he shouldn't start now to know something.
I nodded as if he could see me.
Khumbulani:I hear you.. I will try. I thought I had buried this, but some things will always find you. Hold on I'm receiving another call.
I put him on hold and answered the incoming call.
Khumbulani:Hello.
"Lani it's Nakia. Please come to the hospital"
Khumbulani:Is everything okay?
"Just come here!"
She hung up. I also hung up on Mphathi and went back inside to get Chege, so that we can pass by the hospital.
Luckily he was done and just waiting for me.
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KAYISE
I need to make plans to have sex with Mphathi, I can't tell him thay this child is Khumbulani's. Not after the way Khumbulani laughed at me like, he doesn’t deserve to be in this baby's life. And Mphathi deserves to be called a dad, he has wanted this his entire life. Lani still has his whole life ahead of him with Nakia, so they can make their babies.
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KHUMBULANI
I first dropped Chege home and returned back to the hospital. I wonder what is wrong now. I enter inside her ward room and she was crying. I rush to her.
Khumbulani:What's wrong baby?
Nakia:The doctors told me today that we lost our baby. They say he was not developed yet so he did not survive the bullet.
I felt my knees getting weak, and lost balance for a bit. I balanced with the bed.
Khumbulani:Is this a joke?
Nakia:It's not..I'm sorry.. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have went to Aasir's club, our baby would still be alive.
Khumbulani:Shhh it's not your fault baby...