The Open Book

Chapter 4 Scene 5

5.

Tea sat in front of Aphiwe, steam floating up, a silver spoon popping out. Just... there. Next to it, the book. The first and second page open. It hurt, but she'd opened it. The rest of the pages were tied by metal clips. For now. She read, the promise, the emergency desperation. Her mother declared that she, her blood, wasn't ready. It'd have to do.

"To gain strength you must gain an understanding. You understand the flow of water by entering it. It should be easy to feel the flow of energy in the body. As a finger in the wind is a spec in an endless sky. The same applies to the river, but the body is you. You can breathe, absorb and listen to your body. You can hear it. So shut it all down and listen to the silence."

At that moment, a score of stark-naked adult women ran past, screaming, onyx bodies, of starry lights, streaking upon soaked bodies, one would have thought they were children.

Aphiwe barely looked up.

Her mother slammed right into Aunty Babalwa as they turned the corner, parts that weren't lined with muscle trembled, she slammed into the door frame and laughed. Aunty Babalwa reached out, slapping an ankle on both feet of Chuma's mom, Aunty Sindiswa crashed to the ground, leaving Aphiwe alone.

She took a breath committing to a count in her mind.

One breath, two breaths, three breathes.

There was a crash and a screech.

There were four different bodies upfront, they were running only other bodies were locked in a pull and shove, a headlock, a hair pull, an ear pull, a neck grab and...

Thwap!

Ironically, the largest woman there, Esihle's mother, a hulking beast in red fur was slammed down on her back.

She laughed.

There were three left, two were extremely tall and thin. One milk white skin, thin with four arms and pale white hair reaching down to the ribs. Another was black and blue, with a long neck and dark eyes. They squealed when out of nowhere Thato grabbed both their waists and with a roar lifted them. Hips by her shoulders.

Up they went.

They spun and landed on the table which shuddered but didn't break.

"Winner!" Thato yelled, gasping for air, panting like a maniac, full chest heaving.

Aphiwe blinked, someday she'd be that woman.

That giggly.

That happy.

That thrilled.

Oh...

Pain put Aphiwe in her place. She might never come close, becoming small shrivelled scrawny, normal! Just like everyone else. Not the hulking beast that was her mother. Childish, free but the head of a lot of other women. Holding large secr-

Hands slapped and smooshed her cheeks, hair ruffled and shoulder patted all at once. It was absurd, four hands acting individually? Aunty Shele Thato's Cabucabu sister could do it. Before, it would have been cute but annoying, right then, it was murder.

Thato grabbed the back of Shele's head and slammed it into the table. She bounced back into a waiting headlock.

"Hey, hey what the hell are you doing? She's still recovering from the Jokai attack. You trying to kill my only child? When did you become loyal to the Ndlovu House?"

"We're under the Ndlovu House, this God Tree is theirs, we follow. We should always follow." Shele said pulling free.

Both women glared before Shele grinned and slammed into Thato and they disappeared under the table. Aphiwe started the count. A moment later a laughing Shele flopped up into sight and dropped back down. A wide body of long red fur jumped and slammed right into them. There was more laughter.

They were immortal, gods.

There was a knock on the door, a dozen faces popped into the study.