Heir to the Khalil Throne✔️

05: All Pretty Symptoms

Two Months After Chapter 04
Four Months After St Tropez Trip.
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My bags are nearly packed, I am going home for the weekend. I am a bit sick and I know being around my mom will make me better.

For a few days I have been a moody mess, fatigue is kicking me, I am always hungry for food and sex, and I can barely think straight.

"Mmata, can you hand me the slice of cake I left in the fridge yesterday?"

"You ate it."

"No, I didn't," tears pool into my eyes

"You ate it in front of me."

"I just want some chocolate." a few tears fall off and I wipe them off.

"You on your period?"

"No, I must be ovulating."

"You will be okay, let's go get some ice cream." we head down to the Ice Cream Parlour next to our apartment complex.

The next day, I got into the car and drove nearly four hours to Bloemfontein. While I grew up here, I am not crazy about this absolutely dusty city.

"Ma, I am like at the corner..."

"Let me come out," she interjects

"Ma, stay inside the house, please?"

"No, they must know that my child loves me." she comes out of the house yard and opens the gate for the car, I get in and she starts singing. "Mama please, let us not," I say as I turn the car off.

"You look different."

"Are you calling me ugly?"

"Never, tsoa, come and hug your mother." she opens the door for me and as I wrap my arms around her a few tears escape my eyes, I wipe them as she pulls away from me "Molato ke eng?"

"I'm just happy to see you."

"I am happy to see you too, come on, go and greet your father." I nod and we head inside, my father is watching soccer as he always is

"Dumela, Pa," I say before sitting next to him

"Helang, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"I'm always going to look the same, you should be out there, creating code and programming computers."

"The week is long enough for me to do that and visit, my favourite Dad."

"Eh, favourite? How many fathers do you have?"

"It's just you, Papa."

"Better. Tell me how was the vacation, your mother can not stop looking at those photos of yours."

"It was amazing, I will take you two there sometime."

"Yeah, I would like to go overseas before I die."

"Which will be a few decades from now."

"God-willing."

"Are you still friends with Thato?"

"Yes, Ma."

"Good, that girl always knew how to get you in line." if only she knew that it was the other way around, we continue catching up well into the night.

The door opens as Mama and I are dishing up.

"Boka!" my little brother screams as he comes in, we share a hug.

"You are so tall now." why do the younger siblings grow to be string beans?

"You are so short now, how is my wife doing?"

"Her and Sindi are going strong, she might even propose."

"I always knew Sindi was bad news, look now what she did."

"You are taking forever to make her Mama's ngoetsi."

"Rings are not cheap, but you would not know that because no one likes you." my jaw falls off my body

"You are mean, are you going to eat?"

"No, I already ate the mercy of God."

"Hlompo, are you eating or not?" he nods before walking out of the kitchen, probably going to his room.

Being home definitely made me feel better, the food is also amazing, and nothing can rival my mother's cooking.

I missed being around people who love me when I am flawed and when I am perfect. It was also great to eat at a table and not on my bed like an animal.

I woke up to breakfast already prepared and it is things like these that make me miss home. My mother made me tea before sitting next to me. I assume Hlompo is already at work, it is nine am. My father is in the living room watching tv.

"Mama, I have to go back today, I have some work that came up." she nods

"Do you know that you are pregnant?"

"What?"

"You are pregnant."

"I'm not."

"I had a dream..."

"But I have been getting my period, how am I pregnant?"

"Book an appointment for Monday, and ask them to do a blood test, nna, ke tseba nnete."

"Ma, tell me this is just a morning joke." she lets out a strong chuckle

"When was the last time you did the deed?"

"Two months ago."

"Do you know the guy?"

"Yeah, he is my friend."

"Are you dating?"

"No, we just don't get along that well."

"It is going to be okay, I am here, your dad is here, and your siblings are here."

"A child? I'm not ready for that responsibility."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Confirm that I am pregnant because your dream is not enough, ma."

"My dreams are no jokes, wena."

"I know but this one time, you are wrong."

"Okay, Bohlokoa." I focus on the toast, me pregnant? No. It's not that I do not want a child, my God, I do but I want to have a house, a partner I intend to spend forever with, a job that has nothing to do with criminals.

After a while, I got ready to leave but I waited for Hlompo to get back from work. My older sister, Amo, is in cape town so she rarely comes home.

I want to believe my mother but I also do not want to have the expectation that I am pregnant, in case I am not. In case, it is all just smoke and mirrors.

Have my mother's dreams been premonitions? Yes but what if this one time she is wrong? What if they get blurry with time? What if she thought it was me but it was my older sister and we look alike?

Nothing is set in stone, I say to calm my raging heart.

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Chapter Word Count: 1040 words❤️

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A rather short chapter but it gets better

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CONTEXT+TRANSLATIONS.

"wena" - You
"tsoa" - leave
"Molato ke eng"- What's wrong/ What's the matter
"Dumela" - Greetings/ Hello
"Helang" - Hey
"Ngoetsi" - Daughter-in-law
"nna, ke tseba nnete" - I know the truth