Yibanathi

🧡Part 49🧡

Avuyile

I am drifting away slowly...day by day. I am feeling like we are close but yet it seems so far.

The investigation is still on going and we now have finished searching our side of the village  and nothing. The men who have been assigned are now conducting their searches in the open fields, the sugarcane fields as well as the forest. Sandile here has in someway figured out that Yibanathi has gone missing and he has been asking me questions like why did she run away?

Now am I supposed to give him an answer. I just told him to calm down and that Yibanathi will come back. Is she dead? The question rings in my mind daily when I sit here the whole day waiting for her to come back. Tsolo has been such a good neighbour to me. I on the other hand have not been attending church. I just can't go and attend church like everything is going well. I know this is the time I should be attending more but I just can't seem to go there when I know deep down that I am at fault here.

I still stand on the note of returning the child back to sender because how will we afford to raise one unless she was to give it up for adoption of which would have been a far greater idea than me having to raise a bastard. A fatherless child with an unemployed mother is a recipe for disaster.

Typical Yibanathi wanting to introduce a baby to poverty the minute they come to earth. What is that? How dare she? Is it fair to bring a baby into this world when the mother can't fend for herself. I can feel that she is alive but where is she? I still have to give her a huge round of applause when she comes back here for having the guts to run away. She deserves an award for making our family the community headlines. A young girl at her age has shaken the whole community. The chief has mentioned that by next week the police will also start their search for which I hope will yield good results.

She can run but she cannot hide.

"Kuzomqoqa ukuhlwa."
(Kuzomqoqa ukuhlwa ~ an isizulu idiom)
[Nightfall will make her come back]

I am currently cooking samp and beans. Sandile is not back from school yet because he is doing practice for this play that they will be performing at school. 

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Thembekile

"Thembi!"

Junior says as he walks past me.

"Excuse me young man!"

I say as I toss the cushion that was next to me aiming for his back but landed on his legs. Nonsense boy. 

"How are you Thembizo?"

He asks as he is carrying his briefcase busying whistling.

"Junior this is not your house so don't whistle in my house man."

I say to him.

"My father's house you mean."

I click my tongue and he laughs. He is so annoying honestly and I simply do not know why he is still in this house. An old man like him.

He goes upstairs and I am left downstairs by the couch where he saw me sitting and I am so annoyed right now because I was alone here enjoying a tv show when he just came back from work. It is not even 13h00 so what on earth is he doing here in this house. 

***********

It has been an hour and I am now sipping wine while texting my sister and she is telling me on how sad she is that her man has not returned as yet and she is here telling me about this girl of hers that she has kept in the house and how her son Cebo seems to have taken a liking in the girl and I tell her how much of a bad idea that is.

She must send that girl and it seems like she is bad news because she is even pregnant. I do not wish to raise a bastard so I would definitely send her packing but no Velile chooses to let her stay in house. I wonder how her husband Mandlakhe would feel having a girl in his house not just a girl but a pregnant girl of which ran away from home. 

"Thembi, Thembi I am going out okay."

I look up and it is Bafana's annoying last born.

"I am not your agemate Junior."

I tell him after taking a sip of my wine. You can never go wrong with red wine.

"Out where?!"

I continue to question him because since when does he report to me worse of all when he is going out because he normally tells his father and the words going out never come out of his words. He does not respect me at all.  

"I am going to Qhawe's house to go chill with him and I called Zweli to fetch the kids so don't worry about them."

Well I am happy about not going to fetch the kids I mean I can feel the wine starting to kick in either way. 

"Thank you Junior that is very thoughtful of you."

I thank him with a smile on my face. 

"I do have a heart Thembinator you know."

Only when he feels like it.

"Yes keep smiling Mrs Zondo, by the way your man called while I was at work he said I must tell you that he hates you so much besides he is the one who said I must come back and check on you but since you look fine to me, I am gone Thembinator."

Junior says to me while putting his earrings on. My man loves me but the car!!! I still want my car.

I know that hate is the opposite of what Junior was told. Junior is rude people, my name is Thembekile not Themba, Thembizo or even worse Thembinator.

"Alright thank you for delivering the message Junior Postman."

He laughs. I just shake my head.

"It is not a pleasure but you are definitely welcome though Thembinator."

He says looking at me, looking for my reaction I guess.

"It is Mamncane to you mister, I am your father's wife, your stepmother Junior Zondo."

I say to him. 

"Whatever Thembekile kaBafana!"

He shouts while he is out the door.

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