IF ONLY.....

CHAPTER 39

Dineo: yho molapo o mo kana mara ( yho im tired)
Marang: im sorry you’re going through all this because of me Dee
Dineo: sorry ya eng Marang.....why is it like you’re forgetting gore we’re sisters
Marang: even at that Dineo did you see dichila tse di tswileng ka mo and magotlo a a leng kamo ( did you see the filth that came out of this house and the rats that are inside this house)
Dineo: let’s just hope those rats will behave tomorrow
Marang: let’s hope so...lets go and eat
They went to the sitting room and sat down then they ate their food.....after some time Marang’s mother walked inside the house and she looked at Dineo and Marang with a disgusted look on her face.
Sarah: you know I feel sorry for those men you strapped with those babies
Dineo: Sarah weeh assomblief not now
Sarah: o reng wena le go omella ekare o mogwapa wa tonki...this is my house wankutlwa( what are you saying with being so skinny like a donkey’s biltong....this is my house you hear me)....my house nx
Dineo: waitsi I’ll just keep quiet cause if I open my mouth and insult you o tlabe wa ngala biri kao botsa (you’ll even stop drinking beer)
She got up and went towards the kitchen and Marang looked at her mother.
Marang: can you just tolerate us until tomorrow please
Sarah: tolerate ya masepa nxa
The door opened and a tall older man walked in as Dineo was coming back from the kitchen.... he greeted and he sat down.
Sarah: papa o boile ( daddy you’re back)
Man: yah... eish nketsetse tee mo before o tlisa dijo ( yeah make me tea before you bring my food)
Sarah looked at Marang and Dineo.
Sarah: was shenama Marang...tsa mo etsetsa papa tee o futhumatse le dijo tsa gae!! ( why are you just sitting there Marang....go and make daddy tea and also warm his food!!)
Man: Marang?
Marang: pa
She said out of respect.
Man: ke wena Marang ( you are Marang)
Marang: eeh ( yes)
Man: mmmmh.....ke thabela go go itsi nna ke ntate Mogorosi  ( nice meeting you im Mr Mogorosi)
Marang: ke thabela go le itsi le nna.... o ke Dineo my best friend ( its nice meeting you too...this is Dineo my best friend)
Man: mmmmh....ke thabela go go itsi Dinny ( its nice meeting you Dinny)
Dineo gave him a fake smile.... she could sense something creepy about him.
Man: Sarah ke emetse tee ( Sarah im waiting for my tea)
Sarah: Marang!!
Man: Marang ke yena mosadi waka? ( is Marang my woman?)
Sarah kept quiet a bit.
Sarah: mxm
She said then got up and went towards the kitchen and the man shook his head.
Man: don’t mind her
The girls kept quiet.
Man: it smells good in here im sure you two cleaned this house cause Sarah yena ke fail pop ( is dirty)
Dineo cleared her throat.
Dineo: eya ( yes)
Man: mmmmh
He said smiling at Dineo who gave him a straight face in return.
Man: so are you ready for tomorrow my girl
He asked Marang.
Marang: eeh (yes)
She said not even smiling cause she didn’t like the way the man looked at Dineo.
Dineo: mntase lets go and sleep gape tomorrow we have to wake up vroeg (early)
Marang: mmmmh
Then she looked at the man.
Marang: le tla robala pila pa ( sleep well pa)
Man: le robale pila le lona ( sleep well too)
He then looked at Dineo.
Man: Dinny....o robale pila ( Dinny sleep well)
Dineo: eeh
They quickly walked away...they went to rinse the dishes and put them away with Sarah busy clicking her tongue as she waited for the water to boil.
Man: Sarah!! Nare wa e epolla tee eo!! ( are you digging out that tea!!)
He shouted and the girls went to the bedroom giggling.

AN HOUR LATER

Both Marang and Dineo’s phone rang at the same time and they answered.
Dineo: hi
Kgosi: hey...you good?
Dineo: Gauta is fine
Kgosi: that’s not what I asked Mmabontle
Dineo: the name is Dineo prince Kgosi and you have no business with caring about my well-being....your princess is fine
She said with an attitude.
Kgosi: you’re annoying Dineo and with that attitude you’ll forever remain a side dish for men cause no man want a disrespectful woman to wife!!
He snapped at her with an annoyed voice and then dropped the call and Dineo swallowed as she put the phone down slowly.

COLE AND MARANG’S PHONE CONVERSATION

Marang: im trying to grow a thick skin
He huffed feeling pissed off.
Cole: maybe we should come and pick you two up....i don’t want you two stressed Ntokazi
Marang: we will be fine baby don’t worry...it’s already night time
He sighed.
Cole: you sure you’re ok
Marang: yes baby im ok
Cole: ngiyakthanda yezwa
She smiled shyly....whenever he says it like that it melts her heart.
Marang: I love you too baby
Cole: ok get some sleep I’ll see you tomorrow
Marang: ok good night
Cole: night ntokazi wam omuhle
She blushed and they ended the call.
Dineo: im happy for you Mara....you deserve to be happy after everything you’ve been through
She said with a faint smile and Marang got closer to her and she rested her head on her shoulder.
Marang: your own happily ever and after will come too Dee....
Dineo: I doubt it Mara
She said feeling emotional.
Marang: believe me ....you will meet a guy that will sweep you of your feet like Richie did....it may not be now or next week or even next year but believe me when I say you will....
She then sighed.
Marang: you know I didn’t like the way mama’s boyfriend was looking at you
Dineo: why do you think I came with this knife in here
Marang raised her head and looked at her.
Marang: ummm I thought you brought that to eat the apple you brought with
Dineo: askere mmadichubaba was in the kitchen so I had to make it seem like that’s what im gonna with the knife
Marang laughed.
Marang: mmadichubaba Dee
Dineo laughed too.
Dineo: yah mmadichubaba.....mxm I can’t believe she said ke omelletse ekare mogwapa wa tonki ( im as skinny as a donkey’s biltong)
Marang busted out with laughter and soon Dineo joined.
Marang: eeh gape mola o phositse leswika ( she dealt with you)
They continued to laugh.
Sarah: hei aska mo taverneng kamo la rasa julle bleksem!! ( hey this is not a tavern you’re making noise you bastards)
The girls giggled.

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THE FOLLOWING MORNING

The girls woke up early in the morning they cleaned then they heard a voice chanting Marang’s clan names by the gate....Dineo went to peak through the window and found two older good looking men and Kgosi by the gate....she looked at Kgosi and he looked good in his three piece tight fit suit....she swallowed and closed the curtain and went to the kitchen where Marang was busy peeling vegetables.
Marang: ba fitlhile? ( are they here)
Dineo: yeah
Marang breathed in and out feeling nervous all of a sudden, Dineo went to tell Ntate Mogorosi and his friends in the backyard that the Zulu’s have arrived and they just said ok and Dineo went back inside..... The Zulu’s were left to stand outside the gate for a while and that made Marang freak out thinking they are trying to sabotage her lobola negotiation......after Dineo called Cole cause Marang was freaking her out by crying nonstop, he explained that that’s how things are done, she calmed down and after what felt like forever the Zulu’s were allowed in and the negotiations took place....everything went well and the Zulu’s paid all the dowry money including damages.....they asked to see their bride and when Dineo’s eyes landed on Kgosi’s she quickly looked down as she found him staring at her.....

The Zulu’s were given food and drinks and later on Cole joined them......Sarah felt jealous and angry to the fact that Marang was now a bride to a rich family more over to the fact that they didn’t even flinch or negotiate the bride price, they just paid in full.....they even paid extra which made Sarah angrier and Ntate Mogorosi happier.....after a while  they asked to leave and they left with their bride.
Sarah: mxm she thinks she’s better just because o jisitse some rich guy gore a mo nyale nxa ( he fed a rich guy love potion so he marries her nxa)
She said drinking her beer looking angry.
Sarah: nx... she thinks she’s better than me just because she managed to trap a man with a baby and I failed....o nagana gore o better nxa ( she thinks she’s better nxa)
Mogorosi: keng o balabala o le one ( why are you mumbling alone)
He said sitting next to her and he took the bottle and took a large gulp from it.
Sarah: mxm....why ne o le nice to those people...ne o le busy o ba tjenetse e kare ke bo father Christmas ( you were busy smiling at them as if they are father Christmas)
Mogorosi: o santhoma Sarah....a se nna ke itseng o tlhoye ngwana wa gao ( don’t start with me Sarah...im not the one who said you should hate your daughter) 
Sarah: o bolela masepa now ( you’re talking shit now)
Mogorosi: o reng? (what did you just say)
Sarah: hai voetsek nx
A hard slap landed on her face and she fell from the chair to the ground with her back.
Sarah: o etsang....o clapa nna Jonas...o clapa nna!! ( what are you doing....you slapped me Jonas....you slapped me)
Mogorosi clicked his tongue and went inside.
Sarah: o tla ka bakinyana ya go nkga moroto mo ntlung ya ka then wanclapa heh...o nagana gore o somang wena!!! ( you come into my house with a jacket that smells like pee then you slap me.... who the hell do you think you are)
She said following him inside the house.

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AT KGOSI’S HOUSE

Kgosi: im about to leave....im going back home for an important meeting but I’ll be back later tomorrow or Monday
Dineo: ok...drive safely
She took her bottled water and walked out of the kitchen then Kgosi sighed rubbing his eyes....he took out his phone and called Mr Kabongo.

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AT COLE’S HOUSE

They were lying in bed after having a steamy session....Cole couldn’t believe Marang was officially his and on top of it she was carrying his baby.....he was happy, genuinely happy.....he rubbed her belly and kissed her neck as she slept peacefully.
Cole: I love you ntokazi kakhulu futhi ( and a lot)
He kissed her neck again then his phone rang and he answered it.
Cole: King
Kgosi: I left so please you and Marang should check on Mmabontle until I get back
Cole: ofcourse.....uright?
Kgosi sighed.
Kgosi: I keep fucking things up with Mmabontle
Cole got off the bed naked and he grabbed his dick as it got hard when his eyes landed on Marang’s bare naked body....he cleared his throat trying to concentrate on Kgosi.
Cole: what happened?
Kgosi: I said things I can’t take back
Cole sighed.
Cole: you need to fix things man because if you keep pushing her away it will be almost impossible to win her over
Kgosi: I know but eish this girl keeps pressing my wrong buttons and I just lose it
Cole: that’s your chosen wife King....you need to accept the way she is but also find a way to mound her into the woman and queen you want her to be...there’s no Dineo without that loud mouth of hers wena you need to find the right way to deal with that part of her
Kgosi: eish with that loud mouth of hers it will take a miracle for me not to strangle her out of rage
Cole chuckled.
Cole: ke segafi sa gao  ( she’s you crazy person) so you need to learn to control her cause she’s bound to you for life man
Kgosi sighed.
Kgosi: eish
They talked some more then they ended the call.


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BAKWENENG KINGDOM THE FOLLOWING DAY

They were now sitting in the lounge as the meeting was about to start....Mmabatho was looking nervous and also angry that Scarface failed to stop Kgosi from making it to the meeting....her palms kept on sweating and her heart was beating fast.
TheKing: I called this meeting here with regards to your daughter Kgabo
Batho’s father frowned and Queen Bahumi raised her eyebrows looking at King Kwena.
Batho’s father: we are listening Kwena
Kgosi: father im sorry to interrupt you but I have something I would like to say before you start
He said respectfully and his father nodded and Mmabatho swallowed.
Kgosi: I want the King here to explain to us why he lied and said Mmabatho is sealed when her arranged marriage to Tirelo was planned while he knows she has an 8 year old daughter older with another man
Them: eng? ( what)
Mmabatho started shaking and Queen Bahumi looked down and she sighed.
Kgosi: and I have proof
He put a brown envelope on top of the table.
Kgosi: those are the DNA test result done and they show that that little girl your daughter here said she adopted is actually hers biologically
The room became quiet and Mmabatho’s father slowly took the brown envelop and he looked over at Mmabatho who looked frightened.
Batho’sfather: Mmabatho what is he talking about?
The king’s other wife Queen Seriti laughed clapping her hands once.
Kgosi: my question is how did you all pull it off....and why would you make a fool out of my father and our kingdom like this?
He said with a serious tone.
Batho’sfather: I don’t know what you’re talking about.....your son did confirm that she was sealed after he slept with her for the first time
Motlalepula: then why does she have an eight year old child or is he lying!!!
TheKing: Mmabatho!
She looked at the king with tears in her eyes.
Batho: my....my  King
TheKing: what is Kgosi talking about?
He asked sounding angry.
QueenBahumi: he’s lying against my daughter!!
Mmabatho: he...he’s lying
Kgosi: does Scarface or better yet Modiri rings a bell
Mmabatho’s eyes popped out.
Kgosi: your baby daddy
QueenBahumi: ooh Modimo.....look here I don’t know where this boy got all these lies about my daughter but he will pay for accusing my daughter like this !!
She shouted and Motlalepula got up.
Motlalepula: so you lied to me Mmabatho..... you and your mother lied to me
Mmabatho: i...i didn’t...he...he’s lying
Motlalepula: I let you marry my son you evil witch....i welcomed you into my house and you lied and betrayed me and my son!!
QueenBahumi: hei hei
She warned Queen Motlalepula.
Motlalepula: HEI YA ENG WENA YOU LYING AND CONNIVING BITCH!!!
TheKing: THAT’S ENOUGH!!
The room went quiet.
TheKing: Boitumelo call the seer!!
Then he looked at Mmabatho’s father.
TheKing: I hope you don’t mind...we can call your seer here too if you don’t feel comfortable with ours
Mmabatho and her mother were praying silently that the king refuses.
Batho’sfather: do what you have to do Kwena....i have always had my suspicions but now I want to hear the truth
He always wondered why the girl looked like Mmabatho so much but she said she adopted her.....he consulted with his royal seer and he told her the child is not Mmabatho’s but deep down he still had doubts.
Bahumi: I knew you wouldn’t protect your own daughter...i knew it!!
Batho’sfather: just call the seer Kwena
He said ignoring her.
Bahumi: I won’t stand for this nonsense
She got up and pulled Mmabatho up.
Bahumi: let’s go baby
They walked out and Mmabatho’s step mother clapped her hands twice dramatically.
Motlalepula: you gonna let them leave just like that!!
Batho’sfather: they know the truth but I don’t ....once I know the truth I’ll deal with them as I see fit
Motlalepula: but they....
The King: THAT’S ENOUGH MOTLALEPULA WHY IS IT ALWAYS YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE IN THIS KINGDOM!!
She kept quiet and King looked at Kgosi.
TheKing: you have some explaining to do
Kgosi: yes my King
He bowed a little showing respect.
TheKing: Medupi go and call the seer
Medupi: yes my King
The guard bowed and walked out.
Boitumelo: yho yah metlholo ga e fele ( wonders shall never end)
She clapped her hands once.
QueenSeriti: im not even shocked.....i always suspected gore those two are lying about nnana’s paternity....le ge bareng an adopted child a tshwane tlwi le her adopted mother....ba re tsere ekare re dimatla mxm ( it’s not possible for an adopted child to look like her adopted mother like that...they took us for fool mxm)
Motlalepula: no one lies to Motlalepula and also plays her son and gets away with it...no one!!
She said with an angry voice.
TheKing: Motlalepula ga o ke o iketle man ( Motlalepula clam down)....let’s wait for the seer and hear what he has to say
Mmabatho’s father just shook his head looking down...he was embarrassed by everything and more over hurt and angry for being lied to by his wife and daughter like that.

TO BE CONTINUED.....