Oyama: Her Story

CHAPTER 43

Its been a month since the whole shebang with Mazwi and Nandi. There has been some normalcy in my life, I still live at the Penthouse with Qhawe and Mogale, but Lwandle moved in even though for 3 weeks he’s been in Cape Town visiting Olwethu, but today we going to pick him and Olwethu up because tomorrow is Qhawe and Mogale’s birthday and then the next day its their father’s birthday.
2 days of drinking and partying with family.
Mxolisi also found out that found out that I’m getting married.
He called me one day telling me a man who looked like Qhawe came and delivered a letter saying that his family would like to meet with our family so they can know each other and discuss my hand. He was really angry, I didn’t tell him earlier when he first introduced me to Qhawe, he also pointed out me and Qhawe haven’t been dating for more than a year. He even asked am I doing this because I’m pregnant and I explain that I’m not, but this is the man I want to marry.
After that he was quiet for a while, but said he needed to talk to Qhawe before we all go to the Eastern Cape.
When Qhawe came back from the talk he said, he didn’t want to talk about it and said he took an oath to keep quiet about what they talked about. But what was important is that he’s still going through with the wedding. That’s all that’s important.

So the date they discussed to sit down is in July and then I’m officially a Mahlatji and before anyone asks am I taking his surname? Yes.
But I think I’ll still be referred too as Dr. Mtyhobile by the little kids because they gonna find it confusing, last week you were Dr. Mtyhobile, how are you Dr. Mahlatji now? There was a lot of discussion on what was gonna happen about Nandi and Mazwi’s child.
There was talks of going to meet with the Ndlovu’s but Nandi refused saying if her family can disown her for a carrying their grandchild they have no right to have a say in what happens to the child. This is one of the only times, I ever saw Qhawe’s father defeated in a discussion or decision.
I met his grandparents who own a Vineyard in Stellenbosch. Beautiful Vineyard, they have these tall and big wooden barrels in which they ferment their wines. It was refreshing to be in such an environment, his grandfather is White, even calls him Mkhulu and Tatamkhulu. His grandmothers. Yes. ‘Grandmothers’ plural were just as beautiful, one is Arabic and the other is Zulu, their names are Vunokuhle and Imani, I didn’t realize that it was the same Imani du-Toit who was the legal representation of Qhawe’s uncle, Lethabo Radebe.
Apparently the idea for the traditional pride, and dressing the way they did was Qhawe’s father idea, he figured if you can move the trial away from the murder and the belief that the suspect had so much pride that they’d come in traditional clothes to fight his case. It will move the trail away from the actual charges of Double Homicide.
Mam’Vuno was actually a Doctor but is retired, so is Imani they just live on their Vineyard and enjoy their peaceful life in their Cape Dutch House.

We also went to the Jeweler to see what he could do for our rings, I thought he was talking about a shop in a mall, but no the shop was more like one of those consulting firms where you come into a private office and theirs a sketch artist who designs it to your liking, Qhawe’s was easy to design because it’s a man’s wedding band they really don’t need much, mine took a bit more, because I didn’t really have a design in mind. It came out well the design, I can’t to see them when we actually get married.

We are at the airport at a hanger waiting for Olwethu and Lwandle to land. Standing outside, the Bentley Continental GT, he’s standing at the rear and me at the door.
“Where did Max come from?” I ask.
“What?” he asks.
“Max, where did you get him?” I ask.
“I didn’t get him” he says.
I swear talking to this man sometimes is like talking to wall, “Who got him for you?” I ask.
He looks back at the tarmac and then at me, “Uhm Tinyiko” he says.
“What?” I ask.
“Tinyiko got him for me” he says, “After we broke up, it was already set for me to get the puppy but we broke up before my birthday”
“When was this?” I ask.
“About 4 years ago” he says.
“And you kept him why?” I ask.
“She suggested that I keep him, because she said, ‘I needed to love something that wasn’t just my family’” he says.
“Huh” I say, “Well she isn’t wrong. Why’d yall break up?”
He looks at me and looks back at the tarmac, “Infidelity” he says.
“You or her?” I ask.
“Me” he answers.
I raise an eyebrow at him, “You cheated on her?”
He doesn’t flinch, his gaze still locked on the tarmac, “Yeah.”
“Why?” I ask, not out of judgment but curiosity. Qhawe doesn’t strike me as the type, but then again, people are layered.
He sighs, running a hand over his face before stuffing it into his pocket.
“Our relationship was done, we both knew it, it ended before me even stepping out” he says, “The cheating was just the last nail in the coffin”
I nod slowly, processing his words, “Well, at least you’re honest about it now.”
He looks at me then, his dark eyes serious, “I wouldn’t do that to you, Oyama. You’re it for me. If I ever hurt you like that, I’d... I wouldn’t forgive myself.”
I study him for a moment, his expression unreadable but his words laced with sincerity.
“You better not,” I say finally, and he smiles faintly, the tension breaking just a little, “Cause I know where your mother keeps all your family’s guns”.