Umakoti Ngo Wethu

18

Everyone in the room was frozen. "Baba, do something." Thembi said softly. After the initial shock, we tried everything, but the goat would not move. MaKhumalo realized that it must've been the goat for Jabu's ceremony. We phoned the Dlomo's immediately.

It was quite a spectacle. The whole village was at our doorstep because things like this don't just happen. At some point, Jabu and his uncles were pulling the goat. They got it to the door, and I grabbed my son from his crib. When I looked up, the three men fell, and the goat came running for me. I screamed, expecting to be bumped over, but nothing happened.

"Hello." Jabu said in his baby voice and giggled. I opened my eyes slowly. I had never been this terrified before. Of a goat no less!

The goat stood calmly beside me as if this was his room. "Mamakhe, take a few steps towards me." Jabulani said, but I shook my head. I was too scared. Jabu was in my arms laughing at the goat over my shoulder. Oh, to be a child. "Trust me. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise. Walk to me slowly." The goat huffed, and Jabu laughed his lungs out.

I took a deep breath and walked over to him slowly. The damn goat followed. Believe it or not, the neighbors were literally in our house watching from the passage. Some of them were even at my window. Gasps erupted when the goat followed. That's the first time I noticed them.

"The goat is following the boy." One of the old ladies by my door said. "Mamakhe, where are your shoes? We're going to have to walk the goat home. "I pointed at my shoe bag, and he helped me put on a pair of sneakers. MaKhumalo gave me a long gown to put on as if the whole village didn't already see me in my pink pajamas.

We walked all the way to the Dlomo homestead with the goat following behind. At some point, I stopped being scared. The goat was quite calm. We led the goat in the yard to be tied up again.

"Wait a minute. Look at this." I was so tired I didn't even care. The walk made me more tired, and I was still a little bit nauseous from the night before. What I didn't understand was the hunger. I was nauseous and hungry at the same time. Was that possible?

"It looks like it's been cut, right?" They all agreed. "And I think I know who did it. There's only one person in this whole entire village who doesn't want this ceremony to continue." I followed Jabulani's gaze and spotted MaShezi glaring at us. They got the goat tied up, and Jabu drove me home.

"I'm so tired. I just need to sleep for twenty more hours." He took my hand in his and kissed it. "You can go home, take a nice long bath, and go back to sleep." I scoffed. "Have you met my mother. MaKhumalo would never allow that. Baba, are you going into town today?" He nodded. "Yes, but just quickly. Do you need anything?" I nodded. "I need ribs." He looked at me confused. "Barbecue ribs from your restaurant and maybe some peri peri chicken. Oh, some spicy rice, potato salad, and a strawberry milkshake." He blinked rapidly. "Um, okay, sure. Why don't you just come with me. We need to get Jabu an outfit for his big day anyway."

The bacon smelled amazing when I walked into the house. I went straight to the kitchen where ma was setting the table. "Ma, I need some of that." I took a couple of pieces and stuffed my mouth. She looked at me as if I turned into an alien. "Is Baba around?" I asked with my mouth full. I reached for another piece, and she hit my hand so hard it burned. "Ouch!"
"Litha, what's gotten into you!?" I just sulked. "Your father went to visit Nthombifuti and the baby. Then he's going to fetch MaRadebe and your brothers."

"That's good news. Jabu's father wants me to go into town with him to buy Jabu's clothes for Saturday. Is that fine?" She nodded, and I stoled another piece of bacon and ran to my room. Jabu squeeled, thinking it was a game. "That's it! That was your breakfast! No more bacon for you!"