MELAMINA THE QUEEN

CHAPTER 37

Getting all my grandfather’s descendants have been a lot of work. Some of them live in Cape Town, others in Gauteng. They are scattered all over the country and they live different lives. I learned that he had twenty kids. Twelve from his first wife, which is my mom’s mother, five from the second wife and three from the third wife. He might have had other kids outside his marriage but no one knows anything about them. His kids had their own children so he has about two hundred plus descendants. Him and his bloodline took God’s statement literally when he said “Be fruitful and multiply”.

Everyone knows that every family has its problems. Especially a big one like the Mkhize Family. The royal house had to book out nearby lodges just to accommodate everyone because they are just too many. I would have gladly given up my room for someone else but Mkhulu Thokozani said I should be here at all times just so the ceremony will go accordingly. I am sharing the room with my kids. Yes, they are here, all eight of them. They are so excited about connecting with new cousins, uncles and aunts. You would think they have a shortage of that at the Royal house but then kids are kids. Anything can excite them.

I head to the kids’ dining room and find most of the kids there eating their breakfast. I count all my kids but I frown when I notice that one of the quads is missing. Sibonge to be exact. “Mahle.” I call out and Amahle looks up. “Where is your brother?”

“With the cows, mama.” She responds.
What the hell is Kuhlesibonge doing with cows? I walk outside and I actually spot him in the kraal sitting with the king and some of the older men in the family. Hebana u Sibonge. I stand outside the kraal and greet them. “Nina basembo.”

The king smiles. “Mshana. Your son is quite the character.” I chuckle.
“Yeah. What was he saying?” I ask.
“Deep things a young one like him shouldn’t be saying. See you soon, young prince.” Sibonge climbs off the king’s lap and comes to me. I pick him up and head inside the house.

“Sibonge, why weren’t you eating with the kids?”
“I had a message for mkhulu from his mkhulu.” I frown.

This can’t be happening. The ancestors cannot be using my son to do their work. There are so many people who would die to have a gift. Even those who fake it for clout. Why did the ancestors not pick them? Why my son? He is too young for this.

“Next time you receive a message, how about you come to me first?”
“Ohh, okay. I will do so. Mommy?” I look at him. “I saw Mahle’s other mom. She wants her children. She kept shouting “I want my children” but the Zulu people kept them out of reach.” I swallow hard. No. This has to stop. Now. No son of mine is going to have visions of dead people until he is of age.

“How about you eat with your siblings and I will bake some cookies for you later on? Deal?” He grins and nods. I leave him at the kids’ dining area and head to Thokozani’s hut. I enter and sit near the door. Real healers know you never get comfortable inside another healer’s sanctuary. Especially when they use different types of medicines and herbs that I don’t use. He is busy mixing some concoction.

“Lwandle, how can I help you?” he asks without raising his head.
“Mkhulu, my son, Sibonge, has a calling. It is making him see very deep things. Things a child like him shouldn’t see. I want to find a way to keep the gift dormant at least until he is 16 or 18.”

“Your last born? The one with white and blue beads?” I nod. He is always wearing those beads. I don’t know where he got then from. You can remove them from his wrist at night and he will wake up the following morning wearing them. Very strange if you ask me. “Lwandle, you do know that we can’t control these things. There is a reason the ancestors revealed his gift at such an age. Who are we to tempt with strong forces?”

I shake my head. “Mkhulu, you don’t understand. My son is only 4. He doesn’t even remember what he had for dinner last night. Why should he be bestowed with such gift? He deserves freedom. A normal childhood. And he won’t get all that if this gift is standing in his way. I got it at a later stage in life and I am still not used to it, its intensity and the things I see that normal people can’t see with their naked eyes. Sue me for caring about my sons mental health. I am a mother.”

He sighs. “This has never been done before, but we can consult with the Zulu ancestors and plead with them. We will do an appeasing ceremony and if they accept it, we will proceed with putting his idlozi to sleep. I should warn you, Lwandle. There might be permanent consequences to this. If it succeeds, idlozi might come back stronger and violently when he decides to wake it up. I suggest you speak to your husband about this before moving forward. You shouldn’t decide on this alone.”

I sigh. I know Kuhle will agree with me. Even my gift still scares him. So I don’t think he is ready to deal with both the drama from Sibonge and I. “I will talk to him, mkhulu. So when do you think the ceremonies can be done?”
“After this event that we are preparing for.” I nod.
“Sibonge said something weird, mkhulu. He told me that Kuhle’s ex wife wants her kids. She is dead by the way. So I think she came in a dream and demanded the kids but according to Sibonge, the Zulu ancestors fought back. But I’m worried about this.”

“You can’t fight a ghost, Lwandle. Ithonga lakho is very pure. All you have to do is pray, strengthen your house and family so that no unwanted entity will get to them. Can you do that?”

I exhale loudly. “I think I can.”

×××

My husband is staying at the Mtonjaneni Lodge just so he can be near his family. There is not much in this small town. So we decide to meet up at Steers in Melmoth Mall. I don’t know when was the last time I had a Steers burger. Maybe 8 years ago.

“You okay, mkami?” he asks. Now that he is here, I don’t know where to start.
“How are the lobola preparations going?”

He laughs. “You know I don’t have to prepare anything, baby. Those 100 cows they wanted, I have them in my kraal. I can even bring them tomorrow to your home, but I guess I will have to wait for next week.” I chuckle. Last time he paid lobola, it wasn’t this intense. They actually demanded cows for each and every kid he gave me, for the king, for idlozi, for my mom, and a whole bunch of others. I would say they are dramatic, but when marrying into royalty, you should understand that royal blooded women don’t come cheap. They charged Ndosi omkhulu 60 cows. When he was told the number, he just rolled his eyes.

“That’s good to hear. I don’t want you running away because of the second lobola.”
He smiles. “I would rather go bankrupt than not have you in my life.” God. Look at me blushing. “I should get a medal for making you blush even after 7 years of marriage.”

I laugh. He deserves it. “How’s business going?” ever since I came to the Mkhize palace, I haven’t done anything that concerns work. I want to deal with this family issue and be done with it because I know how distracting my work can be.

“All is well. You are gaining new clients every day but you will deal with that after the whole Mkhize drama. Anyways, what’s eating you?” I frown. “Come on, Futhy. You are my wife. I can feel when you’re not okay, even when you are laughing as if everything is okay.”

I swallow hard and push away my food. I start telling him about everything I discussed with mkhulu Thokozani. He listens attentively the whole time without interrupting me. When I am done, he sips on his drink and plays with his watch. That’s a habit of his when he is caught between a rock and a hard place. “We don’t have to decide now, my love. Take your time.”

He shakes his head. “Putting Sibonge’s idlozi to sleep is a wise choice. I remember how he scared me when you were in the ancestral coma. He just said you were not there, you were in the land of the ancestors. I don’t want him to be discriminated or be viewed as weird because of his gift. Already he is going to get extra attention because of his surname, but he deserves some normalcy in a way.”

I nod. “It would be great to send them overseas just so they can have a normal life. But of course we will go with them.”
“I don’t know about that, mkami. You do remember I am a crowned prince, right? I can’t stay away from home.”.
“But ubaba isn’t going to die or retire any time soon. So,” I shrug.

“Lets discuss this with the older kids first before deciding on anything.” I nod. I love that he isn’t a pushover. If he doesn’t agree with anything, he will speak out and not keep quiet just because he wants to keep the peace in our marriage.