Amandla

Chapter1

{Thembi Mtshali}

I hear the sounds of a baby crying and a weak smile dances on my lip. I forcefully open my eyes and find the nurses rushing away to another room with the baby. My husband is now in tears as his head rests on my shoulder.

"You did it," he whispers in my ear with tears running down his cheeks.

The lights on the ceiling blind me and I quickly close them. Sighing with relief, I let my body rest.

"You read to hold this beautiful princess?" the nurse asks entering the room with the baby.

"Mhm,"I answer weakly, focusing my eyes on it.

"Here you go then."

She places the baby in my arms and I hold it gingerly as if it's a ticking bomb.

"My baby," I whisper leaning my nose against its soft pink cheeks.

"Our daughter," my husband says, running his hand on its face.

The baby smiles as it tries to open its eyes. Its mouth lets out a soft cooing sound and I smile.

"Oh my god, she's so beautiful," Clara says, coming into her room with little Sawyer in her arms.

"I know," I whisper.

"Look Saywer, your new friend."

"You think they'll get along?" I ask looking at my baby.

"Of course they will. I'm sure he'd like to be a brotherly image to her," she grins.

"So what should we call her?"my husband asks.

I give this a little thougt then smile.

"Thandiwe."

"What does it mean," they both ask in unison.

"It means, she is loved."

~~~~~~~~

It has been a full week since I've been discharged from hospital and I'm holding my little baby as if she's as fragile as a bomb. Her tender smile always warms my heart, and that same heart breaks knowing that I'm going to have to leave her alone in a world she doesn't understand. In a world where she has to discover things on her own and learning from her mistakes.

"You have passed on your gift to your child," Grace had said, "but her journey is not going to be a walk in the park. There's a lot coming her way."

Grace, a dear good friend of mine and my guardian angel, is the one of the most powerful sangomas in South Africa. She was chosen by her ancestors to guide light in my family that had a very special gift. She was with me during my childhood days and helped me control the powers I have.

A sangoma is a person who has the gift of healing people with plants and also has the power to see people's futures.

"Is there anything you can do to make sure that the road won't be filled with that much obstacles that could harm her?" I asked.

"Unfortunately no." she had replied.

"Well then, I have to make sure that I protect from the danger."

"Thembi,"she says softly.  "You can't do that, It's just not possible."

"Why not?"

"Your days on earth are numbered. Your time is about to be up."

"What no. You can't."

"It's not my will, it's the ancestors."

"When is this going to happen?"

Grace shivered from head to toe as she looked at the bones on the ground. She carefully moved them and glared at me.

"On her seventh birthday, as the sun sets, it will set with you."

"No," I gasped.

"Her present, will be your death Thembi. "

"No. No you can't. You can't do this. She'll be young. She won't understand anything. Please no."

"Her future has been set Thembi. Let's see how your child grows."

A soft sneeze interrupts me from my thoughts and I turn to see Thandi smiling at me. Her eyes wander about in the sky as she looks around then they come back to me and smile again, this time she let's out an adorable sound.

"Hello nana," I say placing my index finger on her cheek, "you awake?"

In reply, she smiles and her eyes twinkle.

I smile at myself as I look around. The atmosphere is unusually quiet as the tall brown grass moves in the rhythm of the wind. The breeze hits against my face and my short black hair. The sun was near to the point of setting but it knew that it couldn't unless it was done.

I turn to my baby that's still smiling at me, rubbing her curled hands and feet together in the air. I laugh as I lift her up, and place her legs on my lap, holding her body for her to have support.

"Aren't you the most cutest," I say placing soft kisses on her cheeks.

"My baby," I smile and she smiles back, putting her curled small hand in her mouth.

She was so fragile, so beautiful and I couldn't bear the pain in my heart to not see her grow. I knew that the ancestors and I would be watching over her but that was a different thing. She had to learn the ways of life and control her gift on her own.

I hug my baby, running my hands through her soft short hair. Our skin colours did not match, her skin tone is much lighter than the usual black skin tone. That is because her father is a white.

I stare into my baby's eyes. That twinkle so bright. They could light up anyone's day. I wish that I'd always be there. To watch her grow into a beautiful flower, but I have to obey the ancestors wishes. They knew why they gave her the gift and surely they will lead the way.

I smile as she lets out another sound. I would make sure I leave her something behind. One that will always be with her and one that will take good care of her. That is my promise. She'd never have to feel my absence. I wouldn't let it happen. She would forever know that I'm with her.  Till the end.

My baby isn't special but the gift makes her very valuable and rare.