OUR LOVE STORY

06

-Prince Ndlalifa Mhlongo

My uncle was now taking me to meet this 'someone' he had been pestering me about for the past few days. He was driving and I was in the passenger's seat. He finally parked outside some yard, we were in Soweto. We both get out of the car and walk inside. An old woman stands by the door waiting for us.

Me: "I hope this isn't your side dish."

Uncle: "Don't be crazy wena mfana! I love my wife, thank you!" she welcomes us into her house and we take seats on the black leather couches. She brings us some refreshments and a plate of biscuits.

Uncle: "MaKhoza, it's been a long sisi."

MaKhoza: "Ewe, it's good to see you. You have grown into a fine young man Ndlalifa." I smile.

Uncle: "I brought him here so he can be cleared on some things and also for you to help him."

Me: "Aybo."

MaKhoza: "Oh I will gladly help."

Uncle: "Son, this is MaKhoza. She was our previous healer back home when my father was still alive." I nod.

Me: "I'm glad to meet you mah."

Uncle: "Ndlalifa, has your father ever mentioned anything to you about the next king after him?" I shake my head.

Me: "Not really."

MaKhoza: "Your father has tainted that palace so much that the ancestors have turned their backs on him. That place has no ancestors because of your father's evil deeds."

Me: "Evil deeds?"

MaKhoza: "Yes. He has spilled a lot of blood all in the name of power but we will get to that. Have you ever wondered why you stopped looking for the girl you had promised your uncle to bring home?" I look at her shocked because no way that she was told by uncle.

Me: "No."

MaKhoza: "Tell me what happened the day you went to your uncle and told him that you found your one?" I sigh rubbing my face.

Me: "After leaving my uncle's house, I went home, and as usual Dad was arguing with Mom. He assigned a new helper for me and told me that I had to be home for the whole week because there was going to be some ceremony happening. As the week went by, I fell in love with my helper which was Mandisa. The following week, I married her and yeah..." they both share looks.

MaKhoza: "Do you think it is normal how you just fell for her in that short space of time and married her the next?!"

Me: "I didn't think much of it then and I also don't think it is a big deal. I mean the woman I was interested in first, we had only met that day."

MaKhoza: "But it's different.  Anyway, how is your mother?"

Me: "She is still sick and dad is persistent that she keeps hallucinating."

MaKhoza: "How is she with your wife?"

Me: "She hates her and is always attacking her." she looks at me shocked.

MaKhoza: "As far as I know, Thandile was very much sane. She had special powers that are beyond this world. She had the healing power and was known for her good work. She was like a young seer around the village."

Me: "Really?!"

MaKhoza: "Yes. I had already started training her but then your grandfather died and so your father had to step up. When your father stepped up, everything changed. I was thrown out of the palace and banished in the village. .."

Uncle: "And he shocked us when he married Thandile. He had another seer to serve in the palace, Gumede. Your mother had a few miscarriages for the first three to four years of their marriage until they had you and that was it."

Me: "What do you mean?"

Uncle: "Gumede brought forward a lot of things to the family, like the fact that our father was killed. He was poisoned by your father just because your father wanted to be king. He also revealed that your mother's miscarriages weren't natural but of someone's hand. Your mother's gift was blocked and we couldn't even save her or help her. Gumede unfortunately was also banished from the village and the rest of the family. That is how the whole family distanced themselves from him."

Me: "Wow."

Uncle: "My son was also bewitched and made a vegetable because he also had a gift. He used to have dreams containing ukuthwala kukababa wakho and so they muted him."

Me: "Kanti unjani loyamuntu!!"

Uncle: "Everything can still be fixed son, don't worry."

MaKhoza: "Yes, you are the one who now has the responsibility to fix your father's mistakes."

Me: "But how when he is still alive?"

MaKhoza: "Don't worry about that. First things first, come with me. You need to puke all that love potion that girl fed you and all your father's muthi's." I follow her outside, to the back of the house where there's a hut.

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Please bare with me, it's exam season and they have me on chokehold shame😭

Anyways, let me know your thoughts!