iFAIRYTALE KaMAGEZA
𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 48
[NARRATIVE]
It has been almost a month since Nomeva departed. Things are slowly falling back to normal. Today is Thando's last therapy session. She's better than she was 2 weeks ago. She's talking and playing again. The nightmares are gone too. She understands what happened and that she will never see Nomeva again. That she's resting and in a better place.
Connie and Mahlathini were by her side on all the sessions. What affects her affects all of them. What happened was something they had no control over. If he had known it was going to happen, he was going to make sure she doesn't see it. Now she's going to live with that image of her grandmother for her life.
"Daddy, can we please have ice cream?" Thando says as they walk out to the car. He's carrying her like the baby that she is "...one for me and one for Miracle" she adds with a wide smile. Mahlathini laughs at his daughter's tricks.
"Let me guess, you're going to eat it for him"
"Yes, just like Mammi does, she eats food for her and Miracle" Connie is laughing.
"But that only applies to Mammi, Miracles is inside mammi's tummy"
"Dad. Miracle and I talked. I'm going to eat on his behalf until he arrives" Connie and Mahlathini are both laughing but Thando is keeping a straight face. She's very serious.
"Ok. We're getting ice cream for you and Miracle then"
"Thank you, Daddy"
They get in the car and drive to Spur. The queue isn't bad, they will wait. Connie picks a table and sits while Mahlathini and Thando joins the line. When he glances back at the table there's a white folk sitting there talking to Connie. He feels his palms sweating.
"Thando, stand here, don't let anyone move past you, I'll be back in a minute" he says and Thando nods.
He walks back to the table "Are you lost?" the white folk asks him when he sits down.
"Maybe" he says getting comfortable on the seat. Connie is holding her breath. The white guy should leave if he knows what's good for him.
"Move along man, can't you see we are busy here?" he says now looking irritated by Mahlathini's presence.
"Busy with my woman?" the white folk laughs.
"Ey boys! come hear this!" he calls the two buff guys standing in the queue. They look like they are rugby players "He's saying, this is his woman, isn't that funny?" they all laugh now catching attention from the rest of the customers. Connie stands to leave when one of them grabs her arm. Mahlathini loses it in that same second.
*
"He's not spending a nigth in a cell, that is not going to happen!" Connie is shouting at the police captain. She doesn't give a shit who he is. She wants her man out of the cell.
"The case was opened, there's nothing we can do"
"Bullshit!!! they provoked him! What was he supposed to do. Smile? If you don't get my man out of that cell I'm going to sue this station and the whole South African Police Service!! I am not bluffing! Now decide! my man or your job?" The captain sighs and looks around. His police mates are not helping him. If this goes out to the public he will lose his job. And for what? Over a spoilt brat who has no respect for other people or woman?
"I'm sorry mam" he says and calls one of the police. Connie is told to sit down, she's sweating. One police woman goes over to her and hands her a bottle of water "I'm a fan" she whispers with a smile before walking away. Connie is confused until she remembers she's a Facebook celebrity.
