Hlelolwenkosi

Chapter 23

3 months later

Hlelolwenkosi pov

Finally I am writing my last paper for the second term and I can't really explain my excitement especially because I didn't think that I would ever be able to even get through the exams , the way my life is. The past three months have been nothing but a nightmare. I am currently living with my grandmother, changed my school and friendless.

My life changed rapidly, my friend turned her back on me and Nkosi and Siphosihle went AWOL on me. I have become ithwasa lasekhaya , my grandmother is my gobela and yoh kunzima. You know if someone had came to me last year and told me that I would have to go through initiation of being undlunkulu , I was going to laugh at them  but life has a way of proving you wrong.

My alarm rang at 3 am and gogo was already at my door step waking me up. Yoh God knows how much  I hate this. So I woke up and took my basin by the way I am no longer allowed to use the bathroom or shower , I have to bath outside using cold water facing east then I have to eat ibhudlu lam which is a mixture of herbs mixed in a calabash but before I actually eat it, I have to be whisk it, talk to it before I swallow the foam because ibhudlu is not exactly food according to ugobela / gogo ibhudlu ukudla kwamadlozi and since I am not the only one living inside me , I have to eat ibhudlu but ugobela/ gogo said that there are different types of ama bhudlu , there is ibhudlu Le sambulo which is the one that I am currently eating that helps the ancestors to communicate with you and that helps you to create a bond with them , then there is ibhudlu lamandau , ibhudlu lesthunwa, etc.

After bathing , I went to emsamo, and ugogo was already waiting for me which means there is something new that is about to happen. Ngiyazi because ugogo only wakes me up then goes back to sleep but when she is awake, there is always a message or  instructions that I have to follow.

" Baba " I said. That's another rule. As I am ithwasa, I must always call my grandmother or gobela  baba but it depends because sometimes when she is her trance she is called by her ancestral name .

" Makhosi Dumezweni ( my ancestral name) " gogo said

" Kwezenjani baba " I asked while kneeling down and looking down.

" Abaphansi sebevumile , isikhathi sokuthi uphethule umsebenzi wabo sifikile. Njengoba uyo bhala iphepha lakho lokugcina , when you done, come straight home and please mntanami don't talk to anyone when you get out of your school gate siyezwana angithi ? "

" Yebo baba kodwa gogo what do you mean when you say bavumile ?"

" Abogogo nambomkhulu bazokutshela maduzane ungakhathazeki. "

This is one of the things that I hate in this journey. Everything is a puzzle that you have to put together and right now I am lost. I just hope njengoba bathi bavumile I will finally have my life back. I miss it a lot.

Immediately when I got out of the hut where I usually pray and stuff , I almost got hit by a lighting. At that moment everything was blur and I could hear my grandmother's voice from afar. Soon enough I felt waters beneath my legs and when I opened my eyes I saw my great grandmother sitting besides me.

" Mzukulu wam. " She said.

You would swear that my great grandmother is my grandmother , her smile, her looks nje everything about my great grandmother screams my grandmother.

" Khokho ngikuphi futhi ngifunani la ?"

" Ngilandele oNdabezitha basilindile. "

" Obani oNdabezitha gogo ?"

" Ngikhuluma ngabo gogo no mkhulu oMthethwa, Nyambose, Dingiswayo ngisho bona abaphansi "

" Gogo am I dead?" .

" Ncaa kodwa if you keep on asking a lot of questions and not following me , you will die. "

Immediately when she said that I kept my mouth shut. We were walking on green pastures, the plants were blooming beautifully, the sun was out and there was a fresh air. Everything screamed nature and I felt at ease. Ugogo was telling me about her childhood and reminding me about how special I am and to always keep an open mind on everything. It was a long walk but I was not tired, something in me gave the drive to keep me going. We walked till we arrived at a place that looked like a cave. Surprisingly it was not dark, the sun was still shining inside the cave.

When we got inside, we found a group of men and women sitting around a circle but they all seemed old. My heart started beating fast like it was about to jump out of my chest and in that moment, my great grandmother held my hand.

" Uyazi ukuthi uphakathi kwamakhosi yingakho inhliziyo idudumela " my grandmother said.

" Siyakwamukela Ndlunkulu. " One of the elders said

I thought that they were going to call me Dumezweni but they called me queen.

" Ndlunkulu oNdabezitha sebakulindile. Ungasiphoxi mzukulu. Siyazi ukuthi uzokwazi ukumelana nakhokonke uzobekana nakho. Ngengama nginguNcane ukhokho ka gogo wakho. " An elderly woman said

" Ngiyajabula ukukwazi gogo. " I said

" Ngizohlala nginawe njalo. "

" Yebo gogo "

" Mzukulu wam woza ku Mkhulu wakho. " An elderly men said well opening his arms.

I don't know why but being around these people made me feel complete. I ran straight to his hands and he hugged me and made me sit on his thigh. I felt like a child and that was good since it had been a while I felt like a child that I am. And guess what umkhulu that I was sitting on top of is umkhulu uDumezweni. I was astonished to hear that and umkhulu uDumezweni told me the reason why he chose me. Apparently my destiny was written in the stars way before my mom even thought of having me. I was told a lot things but mostly importantly I was told to be careful of who I befriend another thing, I was given advice on how to treat my mysterious husband.

I had limited time so they had to rush over everything but they made sure that I heard their instructions clearly. Well firstly I have to plan umhlonyane( sweet sixteen)in a week's time where I am supposingly going to meet my future husband. When I meet my husband, I must take him to the river to cleanse him then everything will happen in it's due course even though I asked that me and my so called fiance be given a chance to know each other and to finish school that's if the guy is in hospital.

What I experienced was wonderful even though I didn't want to go back but they showed me a picture of my mom crying for me and that made me rethink my decision. After exchanging goodbyes with the elders I was struck by another lighting and I fell asleep.

When I woke up I found my gobela burning the incense and I was covered in ibhayi that was red and white and had a snake printed on. Ugobela explained everything to me and fortunately I don't have to plan umhlonyane wam, my mom and my grandmother will do so , I must just focus on feeling the connection between my fiance and I. I still can't believe it like in my life I won't get to choose who I want as my husband I have to marry someone that I don't know. My grandmother was very happy for me even though I don't get what's there to be happy about. Unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to write my exam because I was very late but I was promised an extra opportunity to write my exam.

A day that was supposed to be about me ended up being about me and the underground gang.