PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

70

                              

     

Kgomotso woke up with a heavy heart and it finally sank in after viewing the body that Kamo was no more. Lwazi couldn’t do it, he was still in the first stage of grief and didn’t want to engage in anything that challenged his denial. Sello aged 10 years in the past week and nothing could console him because it was tragic for a parent to bury a child.
     
She looked unusual laying in that coffin and her face had a blue tinge that make-up couldn’t cover, words were meaningless to describe how Kgomotso felt in that moment except that death was a thief by denying Khanya the chance to grow up with a mother. Caroline gave her a taste of that and she was prepared to do everything in her power to protect Khanya from that sense of yearning.
     
There was a light tap on the door and Anesu walked in. “Are you ready?”
     
She wasn’t but there was no turning back.
     
“Yeah, I just put Khanya to sleep.” She grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes.
     
“Okay. We need to get downstairs the hearse has arrived and I’ve asked Mam’khulu to look after Khanya in your absence.”
     
She sat down and Anesu helped her put on the sling back kitten heels, Jabu thought they’d look better than pumps since her dress was so simple. The fascinator hat with a veil didn’t look as bad as she thought it would but she wasn’t ready to admit that Jabu was right.
     
She cupped his face and their eyes locked in a rather intense stare. “Thank you, for supporting me during this difficult time.” She declared, overcome with emotion.
     
“That’s what people who love each other do.”
     
They bumped into Prudence coming out of the bedroom and she clung to Anesu to keep from falling, her hat was ridiculously big with over the top feathers and the sunglasses were not necessary.
     
“Oops! You’re a strong one, aren’t you?” She squeezed his arms.
     
Anesu stepped back and was not at all pleased to be fondled by Sello’s girlfriend.
     
“Where you eavesdropping,” asked Kgomotso.
     
“No.” Prudence staggered backwards. “I wanted to ask you if I could ride in the family car with you.”
     
“You’re going to the funeral, wearing that miniskirt?”
     
“The media is going to be there, I can’t show up looking up anyhow.” She lowered her sunglasses to rest on the tip of her nose and let her eyes travel the length of Kgomotso’s body from head to toe, obviously judging her plain dress.
     
“And you want your five minutes of fame?”
     
“It’s not even like that, I just want to look good that’s all.” Prudence chuckled, nervously.
     
Look good for what because they weren’t attending Paris Fashion Week.
     
“That car is for family and you’re not.” 
     
Anesu cleared his throat and stretched out his hand. “We should get going.”
                                                                ********

     

It was done. Kamo was buried, tears were shed and now came the hard part of picking up the pieces and moving on. She was anticipating to struggle with that because there was no manual on navigating grief and Kgomotso’s biggest worry was slipping into a dark place because she couldn’t run away from confronting it forever. 
     
She wasn’t allowed to go to the cemetery after the church service because she was pregnant, something she didn’t know until the culture experts pointed it out. It was the same story when they had to go to the mortuary on Thursday so she only got to choose a dress for Kamo. The church was packed and the pastor gave an uplifting sermon backed by Ayanda Ntanzi and Prudence didn’t miss her chance in the limelight, but Kgomotso wasn’t happy to see Nomusa and Churchill.
     
Her colleagues were also in attendance including Yolisa, who took pleasure in being the unofficial back-up singer and for someone who partied as hard as she did, and spent Sundays nursing a hangover instead of going to church, Kgomotso was surprised she knew gospel songs. She was no Rebecca Malope but was still good enough to hold a note, Hazel couldn’t make it but her constant messages brought Kgomotso some comfort. 
     
While everyone left for the burial Kgomotso returned home with her father and ausi Daphne, and she used that time to pack Khanya’s clothes because she was not willing to spend another night under one roof with Sthembile.
     
Khanya’s nursery was short of nothing, Kamo made sure it had the best of everything to provide comfort for both mom and baby, and Kgomotso felt guilty about taking Khanya because all they had was a bedside bassinet she bought online a few days ago.
     
She was done packing by the time everyone returned home for repass but she didn’t go down to join them or indulge in the food, a moment to herself would do her more good than unwanted company. Lwazi quickly sought refuge in one of the many bedrooms because he couldn’t stand the pity. With Lwazi hiding Sello became the subject of their attention and Prudence was right by his side to give the performance of her life, playing the supportive partner.
     
“Kgomotso!” Jabu burst into the nursery, eyes wide like she’d seen a ghost and didn’t move past the threshold.
     
“What’s wrong?”
     
“You need to come downstairs before your mother kills the poor man.”
     
She frowned but made no attempt to move from the rocking chair. “Poor man?”
     
“Yes, Sello. Get up, you need to stop her.”
     
At first she thought Jabu was talking about ausi Daphne but she has no reason to want Sello dead, so it had to be Caroline. The wind finally blew her out from the hole she vanished into.
     
“They can kill each other for all I care.”
     
“Haibo.” Shock registered on Jabu’s face. “On the day we buried your sister it would be bad luck.”
     
It’s not like she was swimming in a river of good fortune lately, if that was meant to scare her it didn’t work because no curse would be worse than losing her sister.
     
“I don’t care, I’m sure the world would be a better place without them.” She shrugged.
     
But her indifference didn’t stop Jabu from nagging and Kgomotso relented and followed her downstairs into the chaos.
     
Caroline lurched forward when she saw Kgomotso come down the stairs but Luckyboy had a tight grip on her, and the same aunt who wanted nothing to do with Caroline when they were in Rockville stood beside her with a glass of something in her hand. Caroline was livid and had she been a cartoon character smoke would be coming out of her ears.
     
Anesu was by her side in an instant to be her shield in case Caroline decided to throw hands, her knight in shining armour. 
     
“Oh, so you’re also here plotting behind my back with this Judas!” She spat out, unbothered by the people watching the spectacle unfold while others recorded for their enjoyment later.
     
The nerve! Caroline’s audacity was infinite, it had to be for her to stand there and accuse Kgomotso of nonsense. 
     
“What are you talking about, Caroline, nobody is plotting against you,” said Sello with his voice raised.
     
“Hey, wena, do I look like a fool!” Caroline screamed. “What are all these people doing here? I had to find out on the news, watching this bitch talk about my daughter like she’s the one who carried her for nine months. What the hell to do take me for, huh, Sello? Did you think you’d get away with burying Kamo in my absence?”
     
“Don’t call me a bitch.” Prudence was brave enough to chime in.
     
“Stay out of grown folks business, wena, I was already married to this man by the time you were old enough to buy alcohol.”
     
“May I have everyone’s attention, please?” Aunty Sthembile stepped forward. “Thank you all for coming and supporting us during our trying times, but as you can see this is a family matter so I’m going to ask that you all excuse us, please.”
     
At least she did something right for once thought Kgomotso.
     
“Haibo.” The audience muttered.
     
“Please, people your co-operation will be greatly appreciated.” Bab’Senzo pointed to the door, only then did they start moving towards the nearest exits.
     
After the last group made it out the door, grumbling with dissatisfaction, Bab’Senzo turned his stern gaze back on Caroline but she remained firm and unshaken.
     
“I have a good mind to fine you for coming here and disrespecting my son’s household, my family and my guests like a woman with no sense.”
     
“How are you going to fine me when I’m the one who was wronged by my own daughter?”
     
Bathong! What planet was Caroline living on? Kgomotso wasn’t going to take the bait and entertain her madness by giving her mother the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her. She’d soon have to jump off a cliff before that happened.  
     
“Deal with this because I’ll shock my ancestors if she speaks to me like that again.” Bab’Senzo warned, pointing at Sello. He wasn’t a man to be ignored something Sello knew very well from their previously intense encounters. 
      
An awkward silence settled across the room, their emotions were still running high after the funeral and The Caroline Show was salt on a bleeding wound.
     
“Why would you come here and cause a scene on the day I buried my daughter,” asked Sello, barely able to contain his anger.
     
“She was my child too, Sello. Mine and I deserved to know she was dead. But I know you kept me in the dark on purpose so that I wouldn’t get the money and I will get what’s owed to me come hell or high water” Caroline’s rage was still at boiling point and nothing they did or said was going placate her.
     
“Oh, kodwa Nkosi yam.” Sthembile clapped once.
     
Kgomotso wasn’t surprised, she was just embarrassed that Anesu’s mother had to witness Caroline act a fool.
     
“So you came here to profit from Kamo’s death when you couldn’t even bother to come to the funeral?” He was judging her, it was obvious from the look in his eyes.
     
Caroline sighed, impatiently. “I would’ve been here if I knew and you know that.”
     
“And you think we didn’t try to find you? Kgomotso went to Rockville and your sister knows that.”
     
“Don’t listen to him, ausi, they don’t want to give you the money. Kamo was a smart girl I’m sure she had a will and we’re intending to sue if you make this difficult for us.”
     
Kgomotso was forever grateful she didn’t inherit the poison, which was embedded deep in her mother’s DNA therefore infecting the family tree because Caroline’s sister was no better. 
     
“So now you have nothing to say?” said Caroline, looking at Kgomotso. 
     
“No. I don’t because you didn’t come here with good intentions.” Kgomotso held her ground, her mother’s days of bullying her around were over.
     
She sighed and Luckyboy loosened his grip on her, if she did something he wouldn’t be fast enough to stop her. “I want to see my granddaughter.”
     
“No. Kamo didn’t want you anywhere near Khanya and I intend to honour her wish.”
     
“Bathong, I’m her grandmother and you know I loved Kamo.” Caroline exclaimed.
     
“I find that hard to believe, we haven’t forgotten that you weren’t on speaking terms with Kamo you stayed away on purpose because you only care for yourself and what you stand to gain, that’s why you’re here now making all of these demands.” Prudence threw in her unwarranted two cents.
     
“Wena you must shut up because you know nothing and I doubt you’ll be with him long enough for your opinion to even matter.”
     
“Tell her, ausi, because she’s gotten too big for her boots this one,” said Caroline’s minion, pointing a finger at Prudence. Whatever was in that tumbler made her lips loose.
     
“Ha!” Prudence stood up from the sofa, folding her arms across her full bosom. “Nothing you say or do will make me leave, I know how to keep a man unlike you.”
     
“Enjoy your time with him because he will kick the bucket soon enough.”
     
Gasps resounded through the living room and Sello’s family shot daggers at Caroline, she was never a favourite and this didn’t win her any favours.
     
“At least I won’t end up miserable like you.” Her hand was too close to Caroline’s face.
     
Sello pulled Prudence back, giving her a reprimanding look but she was not fazed.
      
“If you’re counting on living off his life insurance money then let me be the one to tell you that you won’t see a single cent, because his family will fight you for it. They didn’t like me and I was married to him, how do you think they feel about you?”
     
Sello didn’t look happy even though Caroline was telling no lies. “Don’t talk about my family like that, please.”
     
“Mxm.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “We are not going anywhere until I’m taken to my daughter’s grave. I want Kamo to know I didn’t abandon her.”
     
“It’s too late to act like the caring mother now.”
     
Prudence and her big mouth earned a punch across the face and instantly saw double as she stumbled back, sending her hat to the floor and her scream echoed through the room.
     
Kgomotso would’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so dire, the men rushed to keep the two women apart but Anesu was more concerned about getting her away from the flying kicks.
     
“She’s bleeding!” Someone said, and Luckyboy fainted at the sight of blood.
     
“You’re going to pay for this!” Prudence screamed, angrily.
     
“It’s coming out fast.” Jabu jumped back so it didn’t get on her red bottoms. “Tilt her head up and pinch the bridge of her nose, it will slow it down.”
     
How did Sello not know that because he’s a doctor?
     
“I’ll get some ice.” Ausi Daphne rushed into the kitchen.
     
“Is my nose broken?” Prudence cried.
     
“Sello shook his head. “You’ll be fine.”
     
Caroline was enjoying the moment until Bab’Senzo dragged her out, wiping the smirk on her face in an instant and her sister followed, pleading with him to let her go but his ominous stare shut her up quickly.

“My child!” Caroline wailed, hands flailing in the air. “I want to see my child.”

The Caroline Show didn’t disappoint because it was drama galore and left them speechless.