MATHONGA

Chapter 75

MATHONGA- 

“Mathonga drive faster.” 

Bongiwe should have stayed back, or taken her own car. I don’t mean to, but between her loud cries and her telling me how to drive, is sending me to the brink of insanity. 

“I’m trying to get us to the hospital, not the mortuary.” The frustration in my voice is palpable, our eyes clash in the rear-view mirror. She rolls her red rimmed eyes and looks away, sniffling. 

“Look, I understand your frustrations. No one here is calm but you don’t see us biting your head off.” That came out wrong, I was trying to pacify her. I hear a tongue click from behind, I won’t read much into that. She’s not thinking straight, none of us are. 

Well… I don’t know if I should speak for Ntaba, he’s too quiet for an extrovert. 

“Ndoda, are you okay?” I ask. 

He nods, not removing his gaze from out the window. 

“They are going to be okay,” I think they are. The ancestors can’t be so cruel, taking my brother and father after I have accepted whatever it is they want me to do. 

“I know,” a flat response which births shivers down my spine. I know this brother of mine, baba and Vukuzakhe are the last thing on his mind right now. 

Stealing a glance at Bongiwe, I come back to Ntaba after noting that she is far in thought. 

“Whose murder are you planning this time?” I ask. 

That smirk slowly forming on his mouth brings a sense of mischief. 

“I’m not telling you shit, you have more than two ears.” What’s that supposed to mean? 

“Should I be offended?” I’m not really offended, Ntaba is his own person. We figured this out when he was a teenage boy, he hates being told what to do and follows his own rules. God knows what’s going to happen when the ancestors start demanding things from him. 

People answer questions with shoulder shrugs lately, that’s alright.

An abrupt hazy feeling of exhaustion hits me, my eyes flicker into darkness. I force them open, and terribly fail. 

“Bhuti,” I can hardly recognise my voice, nor make out the word that just left my mouth. 

“Mathonga, drive carefully.” Bongiwe scolds, I don’t pay her any attention. My main goal is keeping my eyes open, the road ahead has become darkness clothed with heavy fog.  

“Stop the car,” my brother says, I can’t see him anymore. I can’t see a damn thing but this heavy mist before me. I feel hands lace over mine, the person is trying to control the steering wheel—to stop the car.

“Oh my God, I don’t want to die.” Bongiwe’s frantic. 

What is going on, can’t they see what I’m seeing?  

“Thonga stop the car,” I hear Ntaba’s voice again. 

Why am I not able to stop? In the midst of the fog, a figure of a woman emerges in front of the car. Time seems to slow down, everything around me ceases to exist. 

She’s looking straight at me, it takes a minute for me to recognise her.  

“MaCele?” I manage to voice out, shocked and afraid I might run her over. I grind my teeth, a soundless curse coming through them as I direct the car away from her. The wild steering causes tire squealing, a bounce or two that scares the shit out of me. At this point I’m thinking death, I can’t imagine myself in a coffin—buried six feet underground.