𝖥𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖣𝖾𝗉𝗍𝗁 𝖮𝖿 𝖬𝗒 𝖧𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍

022| Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

It has been five days since Mr Nkosi left the land of the living and, Tshegofatso hadn't muttered a single word since. Everytime someone tries to talk to her she just simply stares, shrugs or nod in response. Nqabayomzi has attempted getting through to her but even with his number of qualifications to help his patients, he just couldn't get through Vuyolwethu's wife. She was holding in the pain and if she was to carry on like that, it would have been highly unlikely for her to carry her baby full term. Her aunts and uncles also tried speaking to her but it was like speaking to a wall. As though her silence was not enough, she also started ignoring and avoiding the children making them ask a lot of questions, to which Vuyolwethu didn't have answers to.

It was late in the afternoon and church along with community members had started arriving for the memorial service so MaShandu and the aunts prepared something for them to eat, just cookies and juice. At four ‘o’ clock, the hearse brought the body of deceased and Vuyolwethu wished he wouldn't be here but, he had to support his wife. Tshegofatso's behaviour was starting to creep him out, I mean you also would be creeped out if your wife was so cool about everything while the other family members were crying their hearts out.

A small service was held in commemoration of the man and it was beautiful. Everyone spoke about him so well and everything just went accordingly. A while later, the people started leaving after having something to eat and Tshegofatso went to her bedroom with Vuyolwethu following behind her. She looked at her man and smiled politely before heading to the bathroom to freshen up while Vuyolwethu headed back downstairs to get something for her to eat. He headed back to the bedroom and found her busy with her drawings, he gave her her good and started browsing through her drawings. “ This is mesmerizing, you are good at this ”, the woman just smiled and carried on eating.She finished eating and headed to the kitchen to put away her dish and then headed back to the bedroom, she snuggled up in Vuyolwethu's arms and he just cuddled her to sleep. 

Day of the funeral.

Vuyolwethu and Tshegofatso woke up at half past four in the morning and got ready for the funeral, within an hour they were both done and they woke up Nosibusiso and Olonathando and got the both of them ready. It was a full house with everyone preparing and it was really hard to walk around so Tshegofatso headed to the kitchen to make cereal for her daughters and fiancée.

By eight ‘o’ clock people started arriving for them funeral and the service started thirty minutes later. The home service only took an hour and a half and then, they went to the cemetery.  The pastor opened a short Bible verse, and shortly after that the church choir sang a hymn as the casket was being lowered and right then, it finally hit Tshegofatso that her father was no more. Seeing the coffin being lowered brought back flashbacks of what happened when her mother died, the last words she said to her in her deathbed were " Uthandaze ungaphezi mtanam', umama uyakuthanda ”( Pray with no ceasing my child, I love you ).

Reminiscing about that moment and having to relive it again, burying her own father, she wailed profusely and Vuyolwethu just pulled her into a hug, wrapped his arms around him and, “ H- h- he is really gone Vuyo, he left me all alone... ”

“ He didn't leave you alone MaNkosi, I am here. I promised I wouldn't leave you alone and I plan to keep that promise, okay? ”

“ Don't ever leave me ”

“ I won't ”, MaShandu walked over to where they were and she comforted her and Vuyolwethu joined his crew. He turned to look at Nqabayomzi and he nodded before, “ She was in denial ”, he said.

“ I guess. ”

“ She is going to be okay now, don't worry. ”

“ Mzi, I can't help but think this is my fault. I should have allowed Tshegofatso to stay here and look after her father instead of having him move in, maybe  he would still be alive. ”