Umfelokazi

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

We are back home. Back in South Africa. I had been told that Nomvula was admitted at the hospital and we first went to see her and then fetched Rethabile from her grandmother's house before we left with her to Durban.  We arrived late at night and I was very tired from the whole trip so I rested. 
I wake up and the sun is shining so brightly in the room.I push the covers off my bed and I wear my slippers and then I walk out of the bedroom and go to the bathroom to pee and also rinse my mouth before I made my way to the kitchen and I find Rethabile and Thulani making food while speaking. 
“Good morning Mvelo”,She says with a smile.
She has grown so much that she is so much taller than me now. 
“Good morning Nana”,I say and my husband makes his way to me and gives me a warm hug.
“Good morning Themba lami”,My heart warms.
“Good morning Ntaka”,We break the hug and I go around the counter and I reach Rethabile and kiss her cheek. 
“What are you making?”,I ask.
“We are making pancakes”, Rethabile shows me the sets she has made.
“Since when do you guys know how to make pancakes?”,I ask.
“Since there has been a pancake mix sold in stores Ausi Mvelo”,She says and giggles.
“We ordered online for it to be delivered”,I shake my head when Thulani mentions that.
They are just lazy to go to the stores. 
“I will make some breakfast for us then. What would you like?”,I ask Thulani.
“Eggs and a sausage. Not bacon”
“Okay and you young lady?”,I ask this one fiddling with the stove. 
“I would like eggs too with sausage. Is the toaster working?”,She asks.
“Yes, check it at the lower cupboard”,She nods and finishes what she is doing and takes her pan to the sink to wash it. 
“So tell me about school”,I say.
“I hope there are no boys you are interested in”,Thulani says and I give him a look. 
“Baby she is 16”,He shoots a look back at me. 
“Boys will impregnant you and leave you with a baby Rethabile. I don't want that for you atleast not until you are working so you can take care of your child”,I lightly hit his arm.
“Ntaka!”
Rethabile laughs as her back is facing us while she is washing her pan. 
“Don't worry Malume I am not interest in boys”,She says.
“Good”,I shake my head.
She gets done with the pan and she brings it to me all washed.
“Thank you, can you take out the eggs for me I will take our the rest”
“I am going to take a shower”,Thulani says and I nod my head. 
“Okay”,He walks off. 
Rethabile grabs some honey and chocolate syrup and sits on the high chair and faces me. 
“I heard you went to Paris without me”,She says.
“Yes I did. For a fashion show”,Her eyes glimmer in excitement.
“How was?”
“It was good, I was nervous but it was good”,I say.
“That is good. I want to see the pictures and eveeything”,She says.
“I will show it to you”,I open the stove and place the pan there and wait for it to get warm.
She decorates her pancakes and gets off the high chair and puts the honey and syrup away and takes out some ice cream and she puts some there too before she comes back and sits on the high chair.
I start with making the eggs as she carries on eating.
“I met up with mom”,I look at her.  I swallow as my heart is beating fast.
“Where?”,I ask.
“In town”
“How...how did that make you feel?”,I ask.
“Sad, I just don't understand why she just abounded me one day”,She says.
“She didnt”
“I know.”,She sighs.
“She told stuff and they were hurtful stuff Mvelo”,I feel bad for her.
I walk around the counter and go to her.
“I am sordy about that. Yes things aren't going as we plan them to go but look at you grown and looking beautiful. Koko loves you, your father loves you and we love you too”,She smiles and wipes her falling tears.
“I know.  I just didn't understand all these years. I was hopeful that she will come and take me as much as it is nice staying with Koko le papa mara my heart yearned for that”
“I know”,I hug her and she hugs me back.
“Thank you for loving me Mvelo. You are the closest thing to a mother that I have”,My heart bleeds for her. I let her sink into my arms for a moment before we break the hug and I wipe her tears and then kiss her cheek.
“How about we go to the mall today?”
“I would love that”,She smiles.
“Okay eat up then go and freshen up. 
She nods and I go back to making breakfast. I look at her for a moment. I don't know what I would have done if she died that day.
.
Thulani tagged along with us to the mall and we decided to go to Pavillion mall. Rethabile has always wanted to go there just to see how it is like there for her. We get to the mall and we go to wherever Rethabile wants us to go first. She chooses to go to a clothing store and we just follow after her.  She goes and gets what she loves and I just watch her with a smile. I had watched her grow these past 11 years and that I have been part of half of her life up to now makes me feel a certain way.
We wait for her as she gets the things that she needs. 
“Watching her grow has been a remarkable thing to see”, Thulani says.
“Yes”, Rethabile comes back to us carrying 3 tops only. 
“I am done”,She says.
“Okay let's go”,Thulani says already taking his wallet out. 
I watch them together bonding well. Thulani is a great father figure in Rethabile's life though she has her own father but he does play the Malume part well too.
“Thulani,long time”,We bump into his ex wife. 
“Angela”,We have now came into a stop. 
She has a basket in her hands and seems to be doing a shopping of her own too. 
“I see you are with your girlfriend and her child”,she says.
I do not get what her problem is and also I feel that Nqubeko's wife has been best buddies with this woman.
“You mean my wife?”
“Oh you upgraded”,She says.
“Rethabile go and wait in line”,I say and she nods moving away. 
“Angela I do not appreciate your sky comments. You are lucky we are in public and drop the childish act it is for children not a grown woman like you”,He says calmly and he pulls me to him and we walk away. 
I can tell that his mood has been ruined already.
“Don’t overthink about it”,I say.
“I just hate how she goes out her way just to ruin my mood”,He says.
“Don’t worry about her.”,He smiles and kisses the top of my head. 
We go and join Rethabile then we get to pay for her things and leave the store. As we are walking someone moves past us leaving their scent lingering around. I frown and close my nose as it is not a pleasant smell and it is too strong. 
“That person smells too funny”,I say covering my nose as I can still smell the scent off my nostrils even though he is gone.
“I like his perfume it smells nice”,Thulani looks at Rethabile as she comments.
“It’s an innocent comment Malome”,She defends herself and decides to shut her mouth. 
“Are you okay?”,Thulani asks and I nod my head. 
“Yes”,I say and remove my hands from my nose.
We go to the next store all thank to Rethabile too.

NOMVULA ZUNGU-MVELASE

I have been discharged from the hospital and I am not a person who lives in fear but ever since what happened with Senzo I don't know which move I should do next. Lange assured me that he will take care of it. As much as I would like to give my husband the benefit of a doubt but again Lange has no power in getting to Senzo like someone who knows how to get to him but I will give my husband a little benefit of a doubt. 
I have been given 2 days off work just so that I can recover from what I went through and I have opened a case too against Senzo and the police are working on it but Lange feels that they are useless and wouldn't be able to get their job done of which is true. Again I am going to give them a benefit of the doubt. 
The house is quiet and I know that they have already left when I woke up.  I am glad that I am alive and that my daughter didn't loose me.  I don't know what I would've done if she did losse me.  Well what Lange would've done and loosing a mother is something I wouldn't want my child going through that. 
I am at the living room drinking a smoothie I made while watching some TV when the door opens from the living room and I stand up from my couch in fear but Lange walks in and I calm down and rush up to him. He takes me into his arms. 
“Hey”,He says and I rest my head on his chest.
“Hi, I thought you wouldn't come back until later”,I say.
“I am taking a day off. I want to stay with you”,I smile.
“Thank you”
“Your heart is beating fast”,He says.
“I thought it was...”,he pulls me away from him and cups my face.
“Look baby don't worry about him or anything okay?I promise you will never see him again”
“I can't help but be scared. I never thought this would come back to choke me”,I say.
“Baby I know but trust me okay?”,I nod my head. 
“Okay”,He kisses my lips. 
“Can you make that sandwich for me?The one with Ham”,I say.
“Let's go to the kitchen together so you can learn how to do it”,I follow after him as we move to the kitchen.
We get there and he picks me up and places me on the counter and goes to take out the ingredients.  His phone rings and he takes it out and looks at it. 
“I have to answer this, I will be back”,I frown but let him be. 
He walks out through the kitchen door to the back. 

LANGELIHLE MVELASE

“Sho”,I say.
“We found him. SiseGomora mfanaka(We are in Alexandra)”,I sigh. 
“Thank you mfwethu I owe you one”
“You sure do and you will pay up”,He says.
I hate this but I have to protect my family. 
“Sure"
“What should we do with him?”,He asks.
A part of me.wants to go there and face Senzo as I take his breath but another part of me wants to keep my hands clean as I have been for years now.
“Do whatever you want with him but I want him dead”
“Sho sho nja yam”,He hangs up. 
I curse after that. I hate that I have a debt lingering over my head.
I used to be trouble some and joined a group of guys that were considered not to be too good. I lived the fast life since I was 19. Learnt how to hold a gun and how to wire a car when you are stealing it.  Learnt alot of stuff that are considered illegal but I left that life when I saw that as much as it was thrilling but I didn't want to have the life where I would constantly look over my shoulder so I left it and now I think I am going back there again and I don't want to put my family in jepordy because of my decisions.