The Joys of life

53

[53]

LETHOKUHLE

The whole drive to Richards Bay was filled with Sqalo and Fana's stories about the fun they had in durban until they both fell asleep. We made three stops along the way for the bathroom and some food.

Lizwi: "Baby, you haven't eaten anything since morning." he says as he parks the car in front of his outside room. He gets out then comes to my side and opens for since I'm now carrying his awake daughter.

Me: "I feel very nauseous right now, I don't want anything."

Lizwi: "Baby."

Me: "Okay, please buy me those chicken feet from the car wash?"

Lizwi: "Okay let me take the bags inside." I nod as his mother comes to us.

KaMajola: "Makoti wakwami." she hugs me and then takes her granddaughter from me. The boys are both asleep in the backseat and their father will carry them inside shame. We make our way inside the house while Lizwi takes the boys inside.

Lizwi: "Those two will probably wake up later at night. I'm going to buy those chicken feet for you baby, mah do you want anything?"

KaMajola: "Just bring enough braai'ed meat, we will eat that tonight. I will cook pap and chakalaka."

Lizwi: "Okay, I will be back now." he kisses my head and leaves.

KaMajola: "I want you to be careful of tomorrow's guests. Yabona those people! Nxx! If I could ngabe abezi la kwami but I don't have a say, it's their brother's house."

Me: "But he married you nje mah and built it for you and your kids."

KaMajola: "Oh yes honey but those people think this is Majola's father's house and so they come as they please."

Me: "Ohhh.."

KaMajola: "As I was saying, be careful of those people. They are a bunch of snakes but I know my son won't let anything happen to you. Don't even accept anything from them, especially food, and don't let them serve your man. Kuningi nje but be careful, they breathe witchcraft, ey angbazi abantu abanjeya mina."

Me: "Kodwa nje they family, why would they do that?"

KaMajola: "They don't care, they believe I fed uMajola some love potion and then killed him for inheritance hence he left everything to my kids including the taxi business. They mostly hate me because he left his then-wife for me. Well, uMajola was a polygamist, he had two wives mamkhulu then me. He and Mamkhulu had two daughters together. He then married me when I was already pregnant with Lizwi, well he said he didn't any of his kids being born out of wedlock so we got married. His family didn't like me at all because I was his mistress who fed him a love potion since he treated me like an egg. After all, I was carrying his son. Indlalifa. His family stood with Mamkhulu and ganged up on me with her and I don't blame them on that part, I was the home wrecker anyway. I drew the line when they tried to poison me while pregnant with Lizwi, I was six months pregnant when they poisoned me and I spent the rest of my pregnancy in the hospital until I gave birth. They didn't stop there, they came to me asking for my forgiveness and all that, I forgave them thinking they were genuine. One day Lizwi was 2 years old and uLihle was a year old. They asked that they visit and I allowed them, again, they poisoned my kids this time. Yazi I was so broken because they were kids and they had nothing to do with what me and Majola did but they didn't care. Majola disowned them and left Mamkhulu with his family and we moved this side. I got pregnant again when those two were almost in primary but my baby died before she could even be born, what was more weird was the fact that the doctors couldn't find anything that could've caused my miscarriage. I think I bled for months until we decided to consult because it wasn't normal to bleed that much. Majola took me to a traditional healer who then revealed everything to us. These are just the basic things they did, there is a lot they've done to me. When Majola died, I was blamed for it since he died of a heart attack. In actual fact, he had that heart attack because he found out that Mamkhulu had lied about the girls' paternity, they both weren't his kids but his brother's. Majola left everything to my kids and they have tried killing my kids but they never succeed. Even this drug addiction yaLihle nje, it made them happy because they thought she would die."

Me: "Yoh mah! That's hectic, you are a strong woman to go through such. I don't think I would have survived any of those things you went through."

KaMajola: "Ey! I'm just grateful that they both grown now and it's better that Lizwi found such a good woman like you. I'm just waiting for Lihle to find a good man that will take care of her and Mahle then I can rest and start travelling. Who knows? I might find myself a good old white man nami." I laugh.

Me: "And you still young mah, you don't even look like a grandmother."

KaMajola: "Yes baby, it's these kids nje making me old." I laugh.

Lizwi: "Aybo mah! ufuna ukujola?!" he asks walking in.