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MELAMINA THE QUEEN by MINENHLE
NKOSI
CHAPTER 1
The year is 1837 and the ruling king is Dalamasu Ngwemabala
Zulu. His queen is Azibuye Zulu ka Xulu and the crowned prince
is Busizwe Zulu.
"Angeke sabuswa umntwana womuntukazana thina! Never!"
The woman wearing the biggest isicholo exclaims. Her legs are
stretched out on the grass mat. Her isidwaba is so long, it
reaches her ankles. She huffs at the girl serving her water. "I
don't want water, ntombazane. Bring me meat and ujeqe." She
demands and the girl quickly scurries away, scared to anger the
huge woman.
"But the has given us a lot of princes and princesses. Already
Prince Busizwe is being groomed to lead our beautiful nation
after his father has departed this earth. He also possesses great
qualities of being an honorable and humble king. What more do
you want from the young prince and the queen, queen
mother?" The royal advisor questions and the queen mother
scoffs. The earlier maiden brings her hot meat in a wooden tray.
She looks at the meat as if she is judging it and then finally
accepts it. The young maiden exhales and then heads out.
"So we should be thankful to the queen for doing her duty? She
came here to please my son and give me grandchildren, and she
has done that. There is no need for me or the whole kingdom to
thank her. Now my son needs a royal wife to bear him an heir to
the throne, a future king to rule and unite all kingdoms. No one
is going to take us seriously if our kingdom is ruled by a son of a
mere maiden. I have the perfect princess who is going to give
my son a healthy and strong boy. In fact, the maidens should be
here in any day, ukuzoqoma." The queen mother states proudly
before indulging on her hot food and downing it like it is not
boiling hot.
"You have had 17 years to raise this issue and you are choosing
now of all times? Why?" The king asks looking at his mother. He
does not seem pleased about this conversation. In fact he is fed
up.
"Don't act as if you don't know what is going on. You went to
war, Dali. You got injured and that wound was infected with
umuthi. It is not healing. Soon you are going to leave this world
and when that happens, I want everything to be in order. I want
my family to remain strong and steady and in order to succeed
in that, you should marry a princess and give her an heir." She
responds with so much confidence. She doesn't even care
about the tense atmosphere in the room. All she cares about is
her plans succeeding.
"Mother, that's enough!" The king shouts and she frowns. "You
are not going to divide my home and the entire kingdom over
some silly superstitions. Don't you realize that your actions and
words can be taken as a direct insults to my in-laws? Is all this
worth it?" She grunts but doesn't answer. "Busizwe is here. He
was born to be a king and he is going to lead the Zulu kingdom
to a better future after I depart from this earth. Stop
disrespecting my wife. She is the queen of this whole nation
and that makes her more powerful than you. She can banish
you if she wants and I wouldn't stop her because your actions
are downright insulting. We are not going to discuss this matter
any further." The king clicks his tongue before standing up and
storming off.
The queen mother grunts and turns her sights to the queen
who is seated across her. "You know very well what will happen
if your son ascends the throne. The whole nation will turn on
us. Our own ancestors will turn their backs on us. Do the right
thing and advise your husband on taking a royal wife. If it comes
from you, he will bend. The future of the whole kingdom lies in
your hands. Don't mess this up."
The queen sighs. "I hear you, queen mother, but the king is my
husband and I am not going to go against his decision just to
please you or anyone else for that matter. Busizwe has been
chosen by the Gods and our ancestors to rule this kingdom and
he will do so with grace and honor."
"You foolish girl. How dare you speak to me in that manner?
And are you that power hungry?" The queen mother responds
with so much venom.
"Let's ask the people and hear what they have to say about my
son ruling this kingdom, but we all know what the answers will
be. So stop wasting your time. If I were you, I would send a
messenger to tell those maidens travelling with the princess to
go back home. Their trip bears futile results." She gets up to
follow her husband, leaving the queen mother cursing behind.
***
"Is it the same dream?" Gogo Mnguni asks and I nod, sitting up.
My body aches from sleeping on a grass mat. One can never get
used to sleeping on the floor after sleeping on a comfortable
bed for 30+ years. I have been having this recurring dream for
months now. Every night it always go further but I seem to wake
up before seeing what actually occurs in the end and who wins.
"The message is loud and clear, Melamina. The ancestors
approve of your son as the future king but the living are always
looking for ways to change the narrative in order for it to
benefit or please them. A lot of trouble is coming your way. I
can even foresee bloodshed. You just need to toughen up and
fight for yourself and your family. If you don't, people will do as
they please with you. Strengthen yourself, Melamina, because
this is far from over. It's only just beginning."
2
"Let me guess, you have to go to Eswatini again?" My husband
asks with his hands on his waist. Is he looking for drama right
now? I sigh and stop packing.
"I am going to South America to see progress of the offices
there and meet up with some clients who want to see me face
to face. I thought I told you this last month. Or did you forget?"
In any case that's not my problem. He always gets moody when
I have to leave. The Eswatini trips piss him off the most because
I never pack or say my goodbyes. I just disappear in the middle
of the night.
"My mind is not functioning well, Futhi. You are constantly on
the move and it drives me insane. I never find a chance to
spend some quality time with you. When you are not in
Eswatini or abroad, you spend time with the kids. Not me. What
about me? Or have you forgotten about your husband?" See?
He is moody and is constantly complaining. I close my luggage
and put it next to the wall. I will ask one of the helpers to finish
packing it for me later. Right now I need to pay full attention to
my husband before he starts throwing things around like
computers and stuff. I hold his hands and place them on my
chest, or my boobs rather.
"I am sorry if you feel like I have neglected you. You know this is
all new to me. The spiritual gift and the corporate expansion.
Don't get me started on motherhood. Half of the time I don't
even know what I am doing." I sigh. "How about I cook dinner
for you? Maybe get the guards to drive the kids to the Cele
household and then we will get to spend some quality time
together and then I will leave tomorrow morning." He places his
hands on my waist and brings me closer to him.
"That sounds like a great temporary plan. Get your things in
order, Futhi. I love you and I will die loving you and continue to
love you even in my next life, but I need some love, affection
and your time." I smile. I understand where he is coming from
and I agree with him. Ever since I accepted my gift, I have been
so busy. Last month, I almost missed the quads' fourth birthday
and Milisuthando called me out on that. These kids are too
opinionated and that will surely land them in hot waters in the
future. It's funny how Milisuthando is the troublemaker but he
gets along like house on fire with Ndosi omkhulu. I guess he
sees himself in my trouble filled son.
"My love, there are a few months left till we launch the Peru
and Australian offices. After that, I hire CEOs and then continue
working in Durban office. I promise, I will make time for us and
our family. I don't want you to regret supporting my dreams."
He blushes. "I will never regret supporting your dreams and gift.
Yeah, being apart from you sucks, but your work makes you you
and I can never be unhappy about that. I am an old man. I will
suck it up. Phela I know I am royalty and I didn't have to work
hard for my dream to be a success. I know how hard you have
worked for this, so I will support you."
Men always say they are attracted to hard working and
independent women but when they are hit with them in the
face, they see how hard these women work and the amount of
time they put on their dreams. When they don't spend much
time at home, they start complaining. That's what you get for
going after a successful woman.
***
"I have a school project that I need you to help me with, mom,
so I can't go to grandpa's house." Mahle states after I tell her
about their impromptu visit to Morningside. I sigh inwardly and
look at my husband who is carrying Nomandla. She is such a
daddy's girl.
"I will start off on dinner while you help her." He walks away
and I sit down next to my first princess.
"So what is this project you want help on?" I ask and at that
very moment, Milisuthando walks into the lounge. He comes to
on my lap and cuddles me. Yes, the troublemaker is a sucker for
some loving. He is one of the reasons why I usually travel with
the quads when I go abroad. They don't handle separation from
me very well, even the daddy's girl.
Mahle just ignores him because she knows he won't get up.
"My teacher asked me to write about three influential women
in my life who inspire me and I decided to write about you, aunt
Noma and aunt Lee. I already know what you do in life, I just
need to know the role your career plays in the community and
how it impacts the young of this generation." Hebana. We
weren't given projects like these in Grade 5. Private schools and
their advanced education, yerr. I legit thought she was going to
ask about her family tree or something easy like that. "I also
need the same information on both my aunts so I will FaceTime
them after I am done talking to you or visit them in their
offices."
"Okay. Now let me tell you about my job."
Milisuthando interjects. "Mom draws these cool buildings and
her workers bring them to life." I giggle while Mahle rolls her
eyes. It's so adorable that my baby knows what mommy does.
It's even more perfect in his version. I must record him saying
this and make him my ringtone. I kiss his cheek and he grins
before climbing off my lap and runs to the kitchen.
"Architecture is one of the most paying jobs in the country and
the world. That is very important nowadays because the cost of
living is ridiculously high. So having an architecture qualification
and job is very beneficial. Also architecture has the ability of
turning mere words said by someone into a complete product.
Some of the biggest or tallest buildings in the world were mere
thoughts on people's heads which seemed bizarre but
architects brought them to life and engineers helped make a
fantasy a tangible reality. With regards to how this type of
career affect the youth of today, I will just touch on the positive.
Your generation is filled with unique and provocative creatives
who are always sitting on bright and brilliant ideas and designs.
In 10 or 20 years those creatives will have their signatures in
famous buildings and people won't ask who designed them,
they will know. So in a way, architecture is provoking the youth
of today to really think outside the box and work twice as hard
to have their work stand out and attract potential clients or
investors. Did you write that down?" She is just looking at me
with a smile. My own baby is blushing at my words. Your girl still
has it.
"I am recording it. I will write my notes and make my board
later. I am inspired just by you, mom. They said at the end of
the project we must figure out what we wanna be when we
grow up. If we wanna follow on the footsteps of the influential
women we wrote about or start our own path. But I wanna
become an engineer like you. Your job is so cool and a lot of
people respect the title. I wanna be called Amahle the
Engineering Princess and not just a spoilt, talentless and
entitled princess." Damn, this child is deep. She actually inspires
me to carry on working twice as hard.
***
"The house has never been this quiet before." My husband
mutters as we wash the dishes. "It's peaceful and creepy at the
same time." I chuckle. He is correct though. Sometimes the kids
are too noisy but a few hours away from them and we already
miss them. We dry the dishes and pack them away.
"Please go shower, I have a surprise for you." I drawl, looking at
Kuhle and he frowns. "Don't question me, just do it."
He rolls his eyes. "Fine." He kisses me before heading upstairs. I
quickly tidy up and head to one of the guest bedrooms. I place
towels on top of the bed and put some massaging oils on the
bedside table. I want to give my husband some loving. He
comes looking for me a few minutes later. He is basically
shouting all over the house as if I am lost.
"IN HERE!" I shout back as soon as I hear his footsteps in the
hallway. He steps inside the room and frowns when he looks
around. "Welcome to your personal spa, Mr. Ntombifuthi Zulu."
He laughs. I am always being called Mrs. Kuhle Zulu, so it's nice
to call him my name. "Please lie down and let me make you feel
better." He grins and drops the towel wrapped around his lower
body. My God, he still is as sexy as the day we first got intimate.
I lick my lips and he just rolls his eyes.
"Behave MaCele." He groans before climbing on the bed and
lying on it. "Get on with it wifey." He winks and closes his eyes. I
squeeze a few drops of the oils on his right leg and moisturizes
my hands before starting to rub him.
3
It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Zulu. You are more
stunning in person." Manuel Diaz compliments as we meet up
in the lobby of the Lima DCC offices. I chuckle. He is cute and
seems like a charmer but it ends there. I am not that kind of
woman anymore.

"The pleasure is all mine." I look around the building. People

are moving in furniture and placing it in the right places. There
is an old woman who is barking out orders in Spanish. I know
basics about the language because I hired a language tutor who
have taught me Spanish, German, Italian, French and other
international languages that most of my clients speak. Nothing
flatters a foreign client like you learning their language.

"The offices and lobby will be ready in two days and the
employees can start working. Together with HR, we have
employed a few individuals who we think are qualified and fit
for the company and the DCC brand." He explains and I nod.
Not that I don't trust him or the HR, but I would like to see
those they have chosen and re-interview them before
determining whether they are fit candidates for my company. I
am not saying everyone in the world is kind and open minded
as me, but I am not about to unknowingly hire rude people. I
need to see them first.
"If possible, call in those candidates. Tell them to come here this
evening. I need to see for myself if I can trust them with my
company and image." Manuel frowns but nods nonetheless.
"I will do so, boss. Do you want a tour?" I shake my head.
"You can lead me to my office though. I have a few calls to
return and a meeting to prepare for." We get into the elevator
and it ascends.

"Entonces, siempre viajas con guardaespaldas? (So, are you

always travelling with bodyguards?)" He asks as the elevator
opens and we enter the top floor.
"Soy una princesa, despues de todo, y una exitosa mujer de
negocios. (I am a princess, after all, and a successful business
woman.) One can never be too careful. So my safety is very
important."
He smiles. "You sound so sexy in Spanish. You should speak it
more often."
I chuckle. "Are you flirting with me, Manuel?"

He opens the door for me and grins. "I am just complimenting a

beautiful woman. Is that against South African law? That's not
an issue this side." He smirks. Damn, he is trouble but I will have
to set some boundaries because none of my employees ever
speak to me in this manner.
"I know my beauty and sexual appeal can shocking and too
much, after all, that's how I charmed a prince. But as my
employee, you are allowed to compliment it once and get over
it. So you get a free pass for this morning only. If you continue
doing it, I might think you are really into me and we might have
a problem because I don't work with people who probably
undress me with their eyes in the boardroom."

He chortles. "It's not that deep, boss. Anyways, if you need

anything, my office is right next to yours. Just shout and I will be
here. I will get to contacting the employees for you."

"Do that. And my PA will come to you in an hour. She had to

take care of some things first. Please close the door on your way
out." He nods and heads out. My guards set things up for me
around and I place my laptop bag on the desk. There are still a
few missing office equipment that hasn't been brought in but
this will do.

I sit down and start by calling my grumpy husband. After that, I

get some updates from my CEOs on all my branches and then I
start working and replying some personal emails that my PA
always highlight for me. I know I have to done here at the office
by 4. That's one of the disadvantages for bringing the quads to
my trips. I have to be back home to play and bond with them
for at least an hour before they bath, eat dinner and sleep. If
not, Nomandla will surely tell on me. That kid is a sell out.

***

"I know some of you are confused by this sudden meeting. You
all expected to start work in two days but I am a more hands on
director. As much as I won't have a personal relationship with
every employee working for Dubandlela Construction Company,
I have a way of reading people and that is one of the things that
have made working at all the branches effective and positive.
We have at least 10% disputes within the staff and none when it
comes to the employees and clients. I am not being
stereotypical but I know Peruvian people have temper. I just
need to know that you will keep your tempers in check, never
do something that will damage the reputation of the company
but in so doing, make sure to keep the relationship between
you and the client strictly professional and never something
more."

"But you married a client." One of the women remarks. Adriana

is her name. She seems feisty.
"Well, Adriana my dear, I never dated my husband. We had a
few encounters and when he cut ties with his ex wife, he came
straight to my house and proposed. So I am an exception. And
also we are not equals, so never compare yourself to the
founder of the company. Any more concerns about my
marriage?" I ask, looking around and nobody answers. If
Adriana behaves in this manner then I don't think she will have
a permanent position in my company. "I will now have a one-
on-one conversation with all of you, which basically determine
your future here at DCC. Thank you. Adriana, you are up first." I
head out of the boardroom and she follows me to my office.
"Sit down." I gesture at the visitors' chair and she quietly sits
down.

"I am not really a forward person, I just tend to put my foot in

my mouth at times. That's a bad habit, I know, but I promise I
will stop it. I don't want it jeopardizing my future." She starts off
and I sit down across her.

"Everyone who has worked for me knows that I am not a

judgmental person, but I don't take kindly to disrespect or
snarky comments. How sure are you that you won't respond to
a client in the same manner? I need someone who can think
before responding. I need someone who can think on their feet
but at the same time be proper and professional. Can you do
that, Adriana?"
She swallows hard. "You have nothing to worry about, boss. I
won't disappoint you or drag down the company name." I nod. I
hope so because I can see passion in her eyes.

***

A call from Gogo Mnguni comes in just as I close the door to the
quads' bedroom. I slip into my bedroom, close the door and
then answer it.

"Thokoza gogo."
"Thokoza nkosazana. Why haven't you prayed since you landed
that side? You have your own house that you are renting. You
should have called upon the Cele and Zulu ancestors to be with
you and surround you in that foreign environment. Why haven't
you done that?"

Gogo Mnguni is one tough gobela. I used to be shocked by her

powerful gift. She can see things from miles away and even
sense them. That's why her statement or question doesn't
surprise me. She did say I should turn one of the bedrooms
here into my prayer room, a place where I can connect with my
ancestors and God. My little sanctuary.

"I will do so, gogo. The moment I come back from work
tomorrow, I will prepare that room. I promise."
"You know how much I hate procrastination, nkosazana. Your
enemies are working overtime and here you are, postponing
important things. Do it now, Melamina, or else your enemies
will be one step ahead and you won't like that." I swallow hard.
That does not sound good.

"I will do so now, gogo. I promise."

"Pray before you sleep and don't forget the midnight prayer."
She hangs up. Having a gobela who is also a God fearing woman
can be a blessing.

I change into a white maxi dress and put on a white doek. Then
I cover my shoulders with a white shawl. I take my praying kit
and head to where my guards are at. They all stand when I
enter.

"I need you to move all the furniture in the first guestroom
downstairs. You can place it in the storeroom or the pool house
but I need that room empty." I order and they all nod. Then
they head out.

I place my kit in the kitchen counter and then take a bucket. I fill
it with cold water, light a candle and then pray for the water.
When I am done, I sprinkle it outside and inside the house. By
the time I place the bucket back to its place, my guards are
done clearing the room. I head inside and lay down a grass mat
on one corner. I kneel down and light a candle while burning
incense. I sing a song and start praying after that.
4
Launching corporate offices is never a big deal. Just announcing
to the city or locals that you are here now and state the services
you render. Dubandlela Construction Company is a big deal in
South Africa, but here in Peru or in South America rather, no
one knows me that much and we are about to change that. I
have invited most local business owners, rich people, the press
and the public. Well Nonkosi is the one who did all the research
and sent out the invites but who is counting?
I am a bit sad that Kuhle couldn't make it because he is usually
present for most of my launches, but he was invited to some
kingdom by a king for lunch, so I told him to go there and hear
why the king summoned him. Lee had to attend some Nzama
family function and Noma is busy with some high profile case,
so basically my favourite people won't make it to my launch but
life goes on, I guess. We are all adults and we have very busy
schedules, so sometimes we have to make it to our functions
because of work or other commitments.
"We have to leave now if you don't wanna be stuck in traffic,
sisi." Thando announces from the door and I turn to look at her.
Her eyes op out. "Why aren't you dressed?" She exclaims and I
chuckle.
She is the only one who came, mostly because she brought me
a tailor-made white bodycon one shoulder sleeveless ruched
midi dress. It is trimmed with rose gold diamonds on top and at
the bottom and there is a belt just below my boobs with the
same expensive diamonds. It's like no other and Thando really
outdid herself. She knew I needed something not too flashy but
still classy and unique. She added a white short cape which is
also trimmed with diamonds.
I help Nomandla with the other shoe and she jumps out of bed.
Sometimes toddlers can feel it when you're running late. They
just demand extra care from me and throw tantrums if I ignore
them.
"Do I look pretty mommy?" She asks twirling and showing off
her dress and I smile. I can never hold a grudge against such
cuteness, especially when that cuteness is my spitting image.
"You are the prettiest princess on earth, you know that, right?"
She nods with a wide smile before walking out but not without
bumping her fist with Thando. I get up and pack the other shoes
that she rejected.
"Joys of being a mother, little sis. They come first. Lima can wait
a little longer." She rolls her eyes.
"I will wait for you at the lounge." She walks away. I head to my
room and get dressed before doing some touch-ups on my
make-up. I pray for a successful and accident free day before
leaving to join my mini family that is gathered in the lounge.
***
"Thank you for making it here today. My name is Ntombifuthi
Melamina Zulu, uMaCele, and I am the founder and director of
Dubandlela Construction Company. This company started out
small in a tiny office in Durban, South Africa, and now it has
blossomed into a global empire. Of course the skills of the
workers, myself included, played a huge role in that, but our
hard work would still have been just a pipe dream if it weren't
for the clients we have obtained over the years. Now we are
bringing this legacy into your country, your city, and we hope
we can work together in making this empire even bigger than it
is. Thank you, once again."
My speech is followed by a round of applause. I turn around
and cut the ribbon at the entrance of the office building and
that action is followed by another round of applause. I take a
couple of pictures with my new staff, some of the politicians
and socialites. We then move to a marquee for some
refreshments as some of the media journalists head inside the
building to take a few snaps of the lobby. While I am engaged in
a conversation with one of the local business owners, Matias
Asistio who owns a pub and grill, Londisizwe comes running and
crashes into me. One of the guards rush to take him but the
little fucker clings to me like I am his last hope. I chuckle and lift
him up. He places his head on my shoulder. What did I say
about my kids wanting extra attention when they know I am
preoccupied?
"Such a cute fella." Matias compliments and I laugh. "I
commend you for having such a big company and still find time
for your family. Many people have failed to keep both and that
has led to the world having bitter and horrible bosses."
"All it takes is one supporting and loving partner. If your partner
understands you and what you are trying to build, then you can
survive almost anything."
He nods. "You are absolutely correct. You should swing by my
pub one of these days and maybe we will have a chat about my
long overdue renovations." My first local client, how awesome.
I smile widely. "Maybe I will swing by tomorrow." He laughs. "I
will try and make it this week because I have to head home
soon."
Nonkosi comes to me. "I am sorry Mr. Asistio, but I have to steal
our star for the day."
Matias grins. "She is all yours." He turns and heads to a group of
men not far from us.
"A journalist from Daily Times Lima wants to talk to you and the
mayor has arrived, so you have to take a few pictures with her
just for content and indulge her in a meaningless conversation."
Sometimes she acts more like my manager than my PA, but she
is the only person permitted to boss me around.
***
"So when are you coming back?" Manelisi asks, placing his hand
on the screen. He is still a mama's boy even at the age of 6. Yes,
he is fond of his old man but I am the love of his life.
"In a week, baby. There are a few meetings mommy has to
attend and I have to see how the staff is settling down before
rushing back." Imagine explaining yourself to a six year old? But
that's motherhood for you and it's also about teaching your
child communication at a young age.
"Next time I am coming with you. I will give the teacher a
doctor's note." He pouts and I laugh. My baby misses me and
that makes my heart bleed. I so wish I could travel with all of
them but apart from school, they are a headache and I could
never focus fully on work with all of them hanging around. They
do understand that their mother has to work but sometimes
things get lost in translation.
"You are very creative, my young king. Anyways what did you do
today after school?"
"Dad and I were supposed to go to the play date with the
Mchunus but he didn't show up." He makes a sad face and I
frown. Kuhle didn't contact me after his supposed lunch with
the king and he didn't even call to ask me how the launch was.
And now he didn't show up for Mane? Is he testing me? "But
Uncle Zenzo came and took both Bubu and I out for lunch." I am
grateful to Zenzo. Bubu is Zobuhle's nickname which Manelisi
came up with when he was too young and couldn't pronounce
it well.
"Relax, baby. Your dad is just stressed these days. I am sure he
will make it up to you. Maybe take you horse riding or even buy
you that beast you have been raving about." He wants a dog
but since Amahle is allergic to them, he can't have them around
the house, so we denied him that pet.
He rolls his eyes. My prince literally rolls his eyes at me. That's a
first. "I don't do bribery. Anyways, bye ma. I love you. Now can I
please talk to my siblings?"
"Bye baby. I love you more." I hand the iPad to Nomandla who
starts telling Manelisi about the launch in her own words.
His words trouble me though. Are all 6 year olds this attentive
and smart, or did I ruin my boy with my smart genes? Note to
mommies out there, don't take your kids to private schools.
These teachers teach them about bribery at pre-school.
Imagine. I take out my phone and send Kuhle a text.
'We Kuhlekonke, you know you married a lunatic, right?'
5
KUHLEKONKE ZULU

"I have a bad feeling about this." My brother, Nqaba, murmurs

as he fixes his tie for the thousand time. I chuckle. This is just
lunch with Inguga, the Mhlongo king. He is friends with dad, so I
doubt he would invite us to his home just so he could do harm
to us. That would spike up war which will affect everyone.

"Chill. I am sure this is just an informal lunch, nothing

important." I answer and he shakes his head.
"If he wanted an informal lunch, he would have invited his
buddy, dad, not you. And I don't understand the presence of
aunt Sethembele and Samkelisiwe. You know they aren't your
biggest fans, right?"
"Do I need to give you a chill pill or something?" I ask and he
rolls his eyes. "Fix your expression brother." I murmur as the
cars enter the royal gates. We climb off the cars in the driveway
and I immediately spot the Mhlongo prince descending the
stairs in a forest green three piece suit. He smiles widely as he
extends his arms.

"Nina bangasenhla. We are so honored that you accepted our

invitation on such a short notice. Welcome to our humble
home. We hope you feel welcome." We shake hands and he
moves to shake my brother's hand before leading us to the
terrace.
"We are pleased to be here also, Njomane. Your lands are so
beautiful and magical. When I saw the river on our way here, I
was so sure I was going to see Inkosazana yamanzi
(mermaid/water princess) swimming around. The water was so
clear and the lands were so green." Nqaba compliments and
Prince Dumakahle's smiles widens even more and he gestures
for us to sit.

"I am pleased to hear you say that, Ndabezitha." We sit down

and helpers bring fruits, water and juice to us. They place
everything on the table and quickly rush out after bowing.
"Please, help yourselves. I am sure you are thirsty after such a
long drive." Being on a car for 4 hours is no joke. I take bottled
water and grapes. I munch on them as I look around.

"My brother is correct. Your kingdom is very beautiful and rich

in nature." I add and before Dumakahle says anything, a young
girl walks in and sits next to him.
"Our lands are indeed beautiful. We are glad that you could
notice that, Your Royal Highnesses." This girl comments and I
try so hard not to frown.

"I don't know if you have met, but this is my sister, Zisanele. She
already knows who you are." Dumakahle comments and the girl
smiles, extending her hand to me first.
"Ndabezitha." She blushes as our eyes meet. Maybe she is
natural shy. Her eyes move to Nqaba who shakes her hand as
his eyes scan her body like a hungry vulture. My God. Does he
want Dumakahle to kill him?

"I think I saw her when she came with His Majesty, the king, to
my little sister's wedding." I quickly speak up, wanting to snap
Nqaba out of it. There is nothing wrong with admiring a
woman, but unless you have a death wish, never openly admire
her in front of her brother.
"Indeed. You were with your wife when you greeted me. How is
she doing by the way?" Her smile has flattened a bit.
"Great, amazing actually. She is launching her company offices
today in Peru. I was meant to be there but His Majesty invited
me and my wife insisted I come just to hear him out." I respond
and she nods.

"Your sister is very beautiful, Makhedama. Is she promised to

someone?" My brother asks. He sure does not beat around the
bush. I hope Duma doesn't get offended by this. But who am I
kidding? I was overprotective of Nompilo and Lisa up until the
day they got married.
The prince smiles. "She is not but that is going to be sorted
soon. Father had to rush out for an urgent meeting but he will
be back by the time they serve lunch." He looks at his sister
with a smile. I know they are trying to be friendly and stuff but
the level of smiling in this palace is starting to creep me out.
"Zisanele, how about you show Prince Kuhle around the palace?
I am sure he is dying for a tour."

Not necessarily dying, and I don't mean to be rude, but I have

much more important places to be than touring a royal palace.
And I don't know why he is being specific about his sister
showing me around. What is he hoping to achieve? This girl is
probably 19 or 20. I would have a more enjoyable conversation
with him and not his baby sister. But I don't voice all that out.
People are too fragile for straight-forwardness and easily
triggered nowadays. Instead, I smile at the princess as I pop a
few grapes into my mouth and down them with water.

"After you, my lady."

She stands up and leads the way to the gardens. I follow her.
Well the palace is really beautiful and the flowers are pretty,
giving you a warm and welcoming feeling. How I wish my wife
could see this. I am pretty sure it would give her some
inspiration and what other flowers to add in our garden.

"Your garden is beautiful. It reminds me of the one we have at

the main palace." I start off when it seems like she is content
with the silence.
She smiles as she looks up at me. I don't know if I am losing it
but I can see a bit of adoration in her eyes. Is it directed to me?
"It is. It has to be, with over 30 employees taking care of it daily.
And it is also my mother's pride and joy. To be honest, I don't
know the end of it but I know it's over 1 kilometer wide." The
king has three wives and a fiancé.

"Which one is your mother?" She frowns at me as if my

question offends her but she quickly fixes her expression with a
small smile.
"She is undlunkulu, the first wife." Her face lights up. I nod and
look ahead. "So are you thinking of getting a second wife any
time soon?" Woah. Okay. Where did that come from?
"Not if circumstances force me and the only said circumstance I
can think of is my wife's death. Other than that, I am content
with my wife and her multiple personalities. Also she has given
me enough children and that's just a bonus."

She smiles but it doesn't seem like the smiles she has been
giving me the whole time. "She is lucky to have you, but you
shouldn't close off the possibility of having a second wife or a
royal wife for that matter." Is that what this is all about? Getting
me a royal wife? Who is orchestrating all of this? "Let me show
you our stables. We actually have donkeys and horses there."
Her face lights up for real this time around, showing how
carefree and young she is. I can't help but smile. Whoever set
this up was nuts. I can't marry this girl who is young enough to
be my first born. Her beauty isn't even appealing to me. What
the fuck? I feel like a pedophile just walking next to her.

***

"Princess Zisanele is such a beautiful and humble girl. She

would fit right in here." Aunt Samke starts off as we arrive at
home and walk inside the lobby.
"Absolutely, sisi. Kuhle, what do you think of her?" Aunt Senzi
asks and I frown at her.

During the whole lunch, there were hints thrown around the
table about Zisanele's beauty, her innocence, her purity, her
education and royal status. The king straight out commented on
how nice it would be if we became family in matrimony. The
whole time he was looking at me and did not spare my brother
a glance. Zisanele sat there the whole time blushing. My
brother was pissed and kept on whispering in my ear his
annoyance. Of course after he realized the intention of the
lunch he started mocking me, but he couldn't hide his
annoyance and hurt pride because he was really taken by the
toddler bride's beauty.

"Here we go." Nqaba murmurs as he throws himself on the

couch.
"There is nothing I have to say about Princess Zisanele. She is
Nqaba's age mate. How about you ask him this question?
Maybe he might have a more positive response than me." I
reply, pointing at my brother as I start to walk out of the lounge.

Aunt Senzi scoffs. "I don't know if you notice this, but you are
getting old, Kuhle. Whether you like it or not, you need to get a
royal wife who will give birth to the future king after you. Yes,
Melamina gave you an hear but she is a commoner. Her
children don't count. Zisanele is the perfect bride for you. She is
young, a virgin, educated and most importantly, royal. What
more could you ask for?" The audacity of this woman.

I chuckle angrily as I shake my head and turn to face her. This

woman has some guts. How can spew garbage like that about
my wife? "I respect you, anti, and that is why I am choosing to
walk away from this conversation. But just so you know, I am
not going to marry that child or any royal woman out there. I
am content with my wife and our ancestors approved her. So
whether she is royal or not, it doesn't matter. Also, Manelisi will
be king after me whether you like it or not." I walk away from
them, bumping into my mother on the corridor.

"Konke." She calls out and I shake my head.

"Not now, salukazi sami."

***

I was supposed to sleep off my anger for a few hours, but when
I wake up, it is already 3 am. I spot my phone on the bedside
table and when I try powering it up, the blank screen stares
right back at me. Damn it. The battery must have died a while
ago. I put some light on and charge it. I wait for a few minutes
before opening it. I see lots of missed calls and messages. Fuck,
I am in trouble. I see my wife's message and I don't know
whether to laugh or cry and get on the next plane out to Lima.
Manelisi's video message stops me from doing that. Fuck. I can't
believe I missed our outing and I am sure he snitched on me to
my wife. The only way out of this is through, and that is telling
the truth. I don't know how my wife is going to take it. She is a
reasonable woman though, she doesn't act on anger. But who
am I kidding? She can go bananas when provoked. I try calling
her and her phone goes straight to voicemail. Shit. I need to go
to my house right now and maybe try and appeal to Manelisi.
Maybe bribe him with breakfast in bed when he wakes up.
6
Every married woman or a woman in a committed relationship
knows this. If you are not on good terms with your person,
amnesia will hit you hard. Which is why I find myself waking up
at 3:30 am just to check on my messages. Luckily I find one from
him, accompanied by a missed call. The text states: 'how can i
forget the character I married?' text message. It is followed by
'PS. This heart beats for you, and Zweli, And Amahle, and
Mane... you know what, you are my first love and that's all that
matters.' Okay, that makes me smile. But I am still angry at him
so I send him an actual 'please call me' because I am petty. He
video calls me after a few minutes and I turn on the lights. I
answer the call but remain silent. He smiles at the camera and
starts singing:

'You are my sunshine,

My little sunshine
You are my...'

"Stop." I interrupt and he laughs.

"I knew that would get you to start talking. I apologize for not
answering your call. I was so pissed after yesterday's lunch. I
just went to bed and woke up after midnight. Forgive me,
baby."
I frown. My husband is the kindest man I know. He rarely gets
pissed off. "What pissed you off?" he sighs.

"How about we discuss this after you come back? You still have
meetings to look forward to and to enjoy the post launch glory.
Don't worry about my drama." Okay. This is huge. Kuhle hardly
protects my feelings because he knows I can handle things
much better than him.

"Kuhle, you know very well that I won't be able to focus on all
those things you mentioned if I know something is bothering
you and I am kept in the dark. Is it about you? Me? The kids?
Our family?"

He exhales loudly and looks into my eyes. "I hoped we would

talk about this face to face but here goes nothing. My aunts are
looking for a royal wife for me. Yesterday's lunch was just a
formal way for me to meet Princess Zisanele who is 22 years
old. A kid if you ask me. So yeah, that's what's happening. I was
too angry to say anything last night, so I slept on it."

I swallow hard. This is it. The end is near. Not even near. It is
here. This is what all my dreams from the past have been about.
The elders will force my husband to take a royal wife who will
give him the heir to the throne. All my difficulties, giving these
people six children and mothering two of their offsprings and
this is how they thank me? By discarding me to the side like I
am yesterday's trash and bringing in young and fresh meat?
Really?

"Babe, listen, no one is going to force me to do anything. You

are my wife and you will remain the only one till the day I die.
Manelisi will be king after me and his wife will birth the next
king even if she is not royalty. So please, don't worry yourself
too much. I will handle this."

I sigh and shake my head. "You know how women are, Kuhle. If
your aunts are so adamant for you to marry this kid, they will
make sure it happens whether you like it or not." I respond
automatically. I can't put my actual thoughts into words right
now. All I know is that I need to cry and then pray. This is one of
those tribulations Gogo Mnguni said I will face, and I also saw
them coming but that doesn't make the blow less fatal. I just
wanna wail and lie in Kuhle's arms.

"Baby, please don't cry." He startles me and I quickly wipe my

tears. "What do you want me to do?" He asks in a low voice.
"Come here."

***
A call comes in from my mother just as I am preparing to head
to work. I take a deep breath and answer it.
"Hey ma."
"Good morning, baby. How are you? I saw the news about your
launch and how successful it was. You sure did look beautiful.
How do you feel?" Something about the tone of my mom's
voice makes me want to scream.

"I am fine, mom. Everything is going well." She goes silent for a
moment and then speaks up.
"What's wrong, Lwandle? And don't you dare tell me it's
nothing. Your voice is scratchy as if you have been crying all
night. What's going on?"

I pinch my temples to stop my tears from falling and ruining my

make up. I sit down on my bed and look at the door. "The Zulus
want Kuhle to take a second wife, a royal princess who will give
him an heir to the throne. Apparently Manelisi is not royal
enough for them." My voice shudders and I swallow hard.

"Say what now? Is that a done deal? They have concluded the
whole thing without involving us as your family? How dare
they? The king was here the day before yesterday. Why didn't
he tell us about this? Or is he a coward?"
"I don't think he knows about this. Kuhle's aunts are the ones
on the forefront of the negotiations. They were with him when
he visited the princess's home yesterday. He thought he was
meeting the Mhlongo king for a normal lunch, little did he know
that it was a set up. You know how royal women are. They will
even send cows on your behalf if they really want that wife for
you."

"The Zulus are crazy. All of them. No one is going to take

Manelisi's birth right away from him. I won't let it happen. Over
my dead body. I will march to the stupid royal house if I have to
in order to stop that from happening." I shouldn't have told her.
My father is a loose cannon, but compared to his wife when
provoked, he is a saint.
"Mom, you shouldn't do something to jeopardize the civil
relationship between the Cele family and the Zulu family. Kuhle
said he will sort this out and I trust him."

She scoffs. "No offense, mtanami, but your husband is too much
of a softie. He would even marry that princess out of pity just so
he can see everyone happy. And I am not going to let that
happen."
"What is going on, Jabu?" I hear my father's voice from the
background. God. Can she please keep this away from him.
"Those crazy Zulus want Kuhle to take a second wife, a royal
wife who will birth the future king. The nerve. I am going there
to that palace and beating the shit out of those spinster aunts
who can't even land husbands for themselves. The only thing
they know how to do is live off the royal funds like fuckin
paradise. They will not terrorize my daughter while I am alive.
Never. I refuse." Yoh. Now I regret telling her this. However, I
feel much better. If I had told one of my best friends, the
outcome would have been much worse, even the calm Lee
would have been like a tornado.

"Zulu didn't say anything about that to me yesterday. If we are

really friends, he wouldn't have kept that important thing away
from me." Dad responds.
"Apparently he had no idea. Well, he will know when I get there
and tell them off. I am not going to allow this. My daughter is
not going to be forced into polygamy just because royal blood
doesn't run in her veins. She is smart, loyal, fertile, a good
person and an amazing wife. There is absolutely no reason for
her to get a sister wife. I mean look at her taking care of eight
children like it's a walk in the park. These Zulus are ungrateful
and today they will know the consequences of their actions."

I hear some shuffling before my dad's voice comes on. "Sdudla

sami, how are you?" He asks in a polite voice and that just
triggers me. I break into sobs and I hear him cursing under his
breath. "Listen, baby. I will personally sort this out. By the time
you come back to South Africa, everything will be back in order
and no one will be on the quest to give you a sister wife. You
trust me, right?" I sniff and nod. "I know you just nodded but I
will need assurance from hearing your voice. You trust me,
angithi?"

"I do, baba."

"Then don't worry, about a thing, cause every little thing, is
gonna be all right." He sings in his deep voice and I chuckle. "Go
to work and take care of the four cousins. We will see you when
you get back. We love you, ntombi kababa."
"I love you too, dad, and mom." I hang up and take a deep
breath. My parents might fight the physical battle but I need to
conquer the spiritual one by myself and win.
7
My office in Lima does not have the same homely feeling as the
one in Durban, but at least it is peaceful and beautiful. The first
thing I do when I get there is order Nonkosi to schedule a
meeting with Mr. Asistio and the management team. There are
some things I want to make sure are in order before I continue
with preparing for the Australian offices launch. The drama in
my life right now is stressful but it will have to wait. I did not
work day and night to get Dubandlela Construction Company on
the map and only for my plans to be postponed because some
individuals don't want to see me happy.

I settle on my drawing desk and start this resort project a client

from Saipan. That island has a really huge and magnificent hotel
called Saipan Wanli International Resort Hotel and whatever I
come up with must exceed SWIRH's beauty. It's the biggest
project that we have ever received in DCC and if we nail it, it
will just bring more clients and a lot of exposure. Also, focusing
on a project like this will help me not dwell on my
overwhelming marriage problems. A knock startles me and I
scoff. Guards are there for a reason, to stop people from
interrupting me.

"Come in." I shout and put my pencil and ruler down, turning to
face the door.
Manuel comes in with a paper bag and a Pepsi buddy. "Your PA
told me that you have been locked up in here since morning. I
bought you lunch in case you are hungry." He lifts the paper
bag and then places it on my desk.

I sigh and get up. "That's so thoughtful of you. Thank you.

Usually my husband and PA make sure I eat when I am too busy
to take care of myself."
He smiles. "Well, you have yourself a knight in shining armor in
Peru. So, don't be afraid to shout whenever you need anything,
or don't shout but just know I am here for you." He gives me a
panty dropping smile and I chuckle. Such a handsome
temptation but that's all he will ever be, a temptation which I
need to be wary of.

"See you at the 3pm meeting and thanks for lunch, once again."
He winks before walking out.
***

My Peru offices don't have an underground parking lot. I think

many film makers have warned us with dangers that may arise
when you're alone at an underground parking lot. Also my
husband and best friend had an accident there, so I try to avoid
them at all costs. We head out through the main entrance,
bidding farewell to some of the staff members hanging around.
Nonkosi tells me about the important tasks I have to do
tomorrow. She always does this so even if I wish to work from
home the next day, I am aware of tomorrow's schedule.

"You were supposed to meet with Mr. Asistio during lunch but
time flew by, so you have a breakfast meeting at his pub
tomorrow morning. You will do well not to postpone this one.
We don't want you offending local business owners by not
showing up." She reprimands with a quiet voice and I roll my
eyes. As bosses we should just accept that our PA's are out
parents because they literally do everything for us.

A car hoot startles the both of us and I look up to see the

crowned Zulu prince standing outside a black SUV with a huge
bunch of red roses and an 'I missed you too' small board. I
scream, dropping everything, and run to my husband's arms. He
chuckles as he hands the flowers to his guard.

"If I knew this was the welcome I was going to get, I would have
come sooner." I giggle and get off him. I don't care if people
thought my behaviour was childish. This is my husband and I
will act however I want when I see him.
"You really came?" I ask breathlessly. That mini run was a bad
idea.
He smiles. "When your wife gives you puppy eyes and tells you
to come to her, you drop everything because we are one
person. If you are not okay, I am not okay." But guys. My
husband though. "How about I take you out for dinner and
enjoy the night life Lima has to offer us?" He asks, giving me a
charming smile. My cheeks heat up. Look at me blushing like a
teenager. Ladies, get yourself a man that makes you blush even
after years of marriage.

"The kids..." I start off and he shakes his head.

"We give those rascals enough time, attention and affection.
They can survive a few hours without us." I feel his hand
squeezing my butt and I squeal. "Do I need to do more to
convince you?" I shake my head and he grins before turning and
opening the back door for me. As I am about to slide in, I hear
someone calling my name. I turn to see Manuel running
towards us. He frowns when his eyes land on Kuhle.

"Miguel, this is my husband, Prince Kuhle Zulu. And baby, this is

Manuel Diaz, the man who will take over the reigns after I
return to SA." Both man shake their hands but there is no love
lost between them.
"Such big shoes to fill." My husband comments and Manuel
smirks, then looks at me.
"Escuche a tu asistente personal decir que iras al restaurente de
Asistio y pense que podriamos ir juntos, ya que manejare su
proyecto despues de que te vayas. (I heard your Pa say you will
go to Asistio's restaurant and I thought we could go together
since I will be handling the project after you leave.)" He states in
a seductive voice and Kuhle chuckles.

"Me encontraras en el auto, amor. Fue un placer conocerte,

Manuel. (You will find me in the car, love. It was nice to meet
you, Manuel)." He comments before climbing inside the car.
Kuhle is one sly son of a gun.

"I was thinking I should go ahead and see what Mr. Asistio has
to offer before bringing you guys in. And I think I should be the
one to handle this project. I need to leave my mark here in
Peru. See you tomorrow, Manuel." I smile at him and get inside
the car next to my husband. He holds my hand and exhales
loudly.

"Has he made a move on you yet?" He asks as the car takes off
and I chuckle at his jealousy.
“You’re cute when you’re jealous, and yes, he has made a minor
move but I turned him down and drew the line.”
He scoffs. “Clearly he didn’t get the message because the way
he was looking at you moments ago, it was like he was
undressing you with his eyes and not even caring about my
presence. I wanted to rip his head off, but I kept it cool.” I laugh.
My husband is not the violent type, but touch his wife and
you’re dead.

“Well it doesn’t matter what he wants. There are only two men
in this world that I am attracted to. You, by virtue of marriage,
and Don Massimo.”

He groans. “And you wonder why I cancelled your tickets for his
show. No wife of mine is going to droll over another man live.
Never.”
He can’t even hide is jealousy. “Babe, I love Massimo, the mafia
Don with plenty of tattoos, hardly smiles and can angry fuck you
all the time. Michelle on the other hand, looks a bit gay with
those baggy jeans and crop tops.”

“So you’re attracted to Massimo not Michelle?” I nod and he

snorts. “You are the smartest person in this car but that’s one of
the dumbest shit I have ever heard you utter. You do realize that
Massimo is just a fictional character that you will never lay your
hands on, and Michelle is real?”

I scoff. “Really? I had no idea.” I snap sarcastically and the

guards laugh.
“Where to, Mrs. Zulu?” the driver asks and I tell him the name
of Asistio’s place.
Kuhle scoots closer to me and whispers in my ear. “Maybe I
should angry fuck you tonight, punishment for rubbing Don
Massimo in my face.” My core clenches and I shudder. He
smirks before lacing our hands together and begins to tell me
about the kids as if he did not just threaten me. Marry your
type, that’s all I gotta say.
8
Getting to Mr. Asistio's restaurant, we order our meals and a
few drinks. It's been a while since I went out with my husband.
South Africa is like a prison. You can't drink freely unless you are
going to have the whole club cleared out for you and that costs
a lot, even for millionaires. We decide to try out Peruvian beers
since you know what they say, when you're in Rome, you do as
the Romans. In this case, when you're in Peru, you do as the
Peruvians.

Mr. Asistio joins us at our table. He is with a young lady that

looks like a painter. No. I am not judging but she is wearing
orange overalls and converse sneakers and her hair looks a little
dirty. Add mechanic in the mix.

"Your Royal Highnesses, this is mi pequena nina (my little girl),

Lucia. Luc, this is the woman who is going to remake my place,
and her husband, the prince. If she does splendid work, I might
let her renovate our home." I can feel the love Matios has for
his daughter. The warmth in his eyes. God, I am a sucker for
father-daughter healthy relations.

"It's good that you are letting a professional do it this time,

unlike the last time you let that mapache (raccoon) do it. Those
are the results by the way." She points at a wall behind us that
is painted in different colours that don't match, some of them
already peeling off. There are also holes in it. Kuhle snorts and I
pinch his thigh. He rolls his eyes at me.

"So, what do you do, Lucia?" I ask and she opens her mouth to
speak but her father interrupts her.
"She is an artist. She studied in France and has a joint gallery
there with 3 of her friends. She is a really talented painter,
which is why I put up some of her work on the walls." He points
at a giant painting hanging on the VIP section. It is truly
breathtaking. "She is also a mechanic, but that's a skill she got
from my father." Lucia scoffs.

"That's very impressive, Lucia. I already like that painting."

Kuhle comments with a smile and Lucia blushes. Ncoah.
I turn my attention to my potential client. "So, what exactly do
you want, Matias? For us to redecorate your pub or extend or
renovate it? And please don't worry about renovation periods.
My construction team have a lot of jobs lined up. So they work
fast and hard to get the job done correctly."
Matias smiles widely. "I am impressed. Can you show me some
of the bars you have renovated or built before?" I quickly take
out my phone, go to my gallery, head over to the bar projects'
folder and hand the phone over to him. Together with his
daughter, they look at the pictures. After a while, they hand the
phone back to me and Matias points at the photo on the
screen. "I want something like that but it should also highlight
our tradition and values. It must not lose the culture and be too
urban. Can you do that for me?"

I smile widely. "That's why my name is becoming more popular,

Matias. I always listen to the client and I always understand the
assignment. Now we have ourselves a deal." I extend a hand
and he shakes it.

***

As the night proceeds, my husband and I get to enjoy each

other’s company without carrying about trending the next day.
We get wasted and by the time we decide to leave the
restaurant, both of us are horny and so eager to get home so
that we can tear our clothes off each other and have some nice
drunk fucking. When we enter the house, we remove our shoes
and tiptoe upstairs. As we pass the kids’ room, the door opens
and both Kuhle and I freeze. What the fuck? It’s way past
midnight. Who is awake at this time? Nomandla steps out of
the room, dragging her baby bear stuffed animal.
“Mommy, can’t sleep.” She mumbles as she blinks a few times
before her eyes land on Kuhle behind me “Daddy?” she squints
her eyes and then a wide smile spreads on her face. “DADDY!”
She screams before rushing into her father’s arms. Hebana.
Wasn’t she coming to me for comfort? I look at my husband
who has the sell-out on his arms before rolling my eyes. Now
how the fuck am I going to fuck my husband with this cock
blocker awake? Was I also like this growing up? Disturbing my
parents from getting on with it? Damn, I should call and
apologize.

“¿Tienes algo de medicina para que se quede dormido

rápidamente? (Do you have some medicine to make her doze
off quickly?)” my husband asks and I laugh before nodding. I
head to my bedroom and he follows me. I dash to the bathroom
and come back with some panado. “Here you go, my little
princess. This will help you fall asleep quickly. Now drink and
when you wake up, you will find daddy right next to you.”
Nomandla looks at her father with so much trust and love. It
makes me want to give him more babies but I can’t. I am too
old for pushing a bump. Nomandla drinks the medicine and she
listens as her father sings her a lullaby in a terrible voice. Finally
she dozes off and he takes her back to the kids’ bedroom.
I quickly undress and lie on the bed with my legs wide open. I
begin pinching my nipple with my free hand while the other is
busy between my legs. I rub my clit faster while I finger myself
with my middle finger and just as I am panting, about to
explode, I hear a curse. I open my eyes to see my husband
standing at the door, lust filled in his eyes.

“Stop right there.” He orders, shedding off his clothes and I

whimper.
“I can’t, baby. I am too close.”
“Come here, Futhy.” He demands and I know better than to
disobey him. Kuhle doesn’t play when it comes to punishing me
sexually. Orgasm deprivation is a huge thing and I am not about
to tempt fate tonight.

I let my fingers slide off my soaked pussy and get up before

walking to him. I close the gap between us, kissing him and
taking his hands in mine. I lead him further into the bedroom.
Next to the bed, I kiss down his chest, my fingers working his
boxers over his hips as I finally kneel in front of him. I glance up
at him as I grasp his cock and hold it to my mouth. I kiss the
head, lick the first drop of precum, and then slowly press my
mouth over it, sucking, pulling back and pressing back over it.
He steps out of his boxers at his feet and lifts me up, pulling me
into him, his hardening cock pressing into my abdomen. Good
Lord. I can’t wait for him to be inside me.

He guides me back to the bed and with a gentle push, I fall on

my back. I settle into the center and hold my arms out to him.
He ignores them, moving between my legs and I gasp. His hand
slides up the inside of my thighs and the higher they go, the
more my sighs turn to gasps. His lips take the place of his hands
as my legs seem to open at the touch of his hands. His lips and
tongue touch each thigh and move higher each time he moves
back and forth. I can feel his breath on my pussy, which I
haven’t shaved since I left South Africa. His breath sends a
shiver through my body but the first touch of his lips on my
pussy lips sends a shock wave through me. Fuck, I have missed
his mouth on me.
He crawls up over my body and kisses me, his hard member
poking against my groin, bumping my clit and pussy lips. He
moved his lips to my breasts, sucking my nipples and I moan,
again. I feel his cock moving over my slit and look down
between our bodies. His hand is rubbing his hard cock along my
slit, the head of his cock slick with my juices. “Baby, please, stop
with the torture.” I beg and he smirks before impaling me with
his dick deep inside, I feel some screws falling from my brain. I
cry out, wrapping my legs around his hips, my arms around his
neck as he takes a deep breath before kissing my forehead and
smiling down at me.
“I love you, MaCele.” He starts sliding in and out of me and
every stroke hits harder than the last. All I can do is scream and
lie there like a full chicken as he does all the work, but a girl is
satisfied.
9
An annoying ring wakes me up from my deep slumber and I
groan, turning to take my phone from the bedside table. I
squint my eyes to get a better look at the screen and I frown
when I see Lee’s number. She doesn’t usually call me, especially
this early in the morning. Most of our conversations are video
chats or on our WhatsApp group. I sit up and cover my boobs
with the sheet. I look at my husband who opens his eyes and
frowns at me.

“Morning, my love. What’s up?” he asks and I shrug.

I answer the call. “Tase, hello. How are you?”
“I am doing well under the circumstances. Are you okay? I just
saw the posts and the things they are speculating are not
good.” I frown. Posts?
“Lee, what are you talking about?”

“Oww shit, you haven’t seen them? It is morning that side, isn’t
it? Well Kuhle is trending. A couple of pictures were posted on
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook of him with the Mhlongo
princess looking rather cosy. Some bloggers have already
written pieces on that story. Allegedly, this princess is going to
be Kuhle’s second wife. Tell me that is not true, tase.”

I sigh and get up from the bed. I take Kuhle’s shirt from the
floor and put it on. “He is not going to marry her but the family
is really set on that notion. I don’t know where it’s coming from
all of the sudden and I don’t really know how to deal with it.”
She scoffs. “Well they can’t force him to marry that little girl. He
is an adult and can make his own decision. But we all know how
sneaky and demanding royal women can be. Just watch out tase
and be careful.”

I walk into the bathroom and close the door behind me. “I will
do so. Thank you for checking up on me. How are you doing by
the way? How is the little one?”
She has a one year old son, Siphiwosethu, and he was born a
premature, so they have been in and out of the hospital a lot
this year. Noma also got a child. Well what really happened is
that she found a woman on one of the homes she usually
donate in. the young woman was pregnant and had an
incurable disease. She knew the risks of carrying the baby but
she went ahead with it, wanting to leave a part of her in the
world should she die. On her last days, she drew up a contract
with Noma, signing over all the parental rights of the kid to her.
The young lady died on the operating table and Zibusiso Carter
was born. She is three years old now and she is so
troublesome.

“He is okay. I left him at home. I am currently at Wales.”

I put the phone on loud speaker and place it on the phone
holder near the sink. “Wales? What are you doing there?”
“Mom suffered a haemorrhagic stroke three days ago and her
condition is not promising.” She sniffs and my heart breaks into
a million pieces.
“Aibo, Lindelwa. What happened?” I am legit shocked by this.
Lee’s mother is very healthy and likes taking care of herself. I
think she goes to the hospital at least once a month for just a
general check-up. This is not make sure.

“There was a bleeding in her brain and the blood supply to part
of her brain cut off, killing brain cells. She was taken to surgery
last night and the doctor hasn’t come out to update me. But I
have read the effects of the stroke and the operation. The
results are not giving me a positive energy. If she recovers, she
may never go back to normal. I don’t even wanna think about
the possibility of her not surviving.” She sobs and I sniff. She has
spent so many years apart from her mother and after the
reconciliation, their relationship took long to recover, but they
have been really close lately and she was there for Lee when
she gave birth to Siphiwo. She even took a three months leave
just so she can be around a lot. This breaks my heart. It’s true,
you may think your problems are huge but once you hear other
people’s problems, you realize that yours are nothing in
comparison.
“Why didn’t you tell me, tase?” I wipe my tears.
“You were still busy with your launch and now this princess
thing. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“But we are family. You know better than to keep something like
this from me. Does Noma know?”
“No. she is also busy these days, so I didn’t want to stress you
guys.”
I huff. Lee’s modesty will get her killed one day. This is no time
to be making excuses for us. “I will pray for your mother, tase.
Hang in there.”

“Thanks. You also hang in there and may this princess thing
blow over as soon as possible.” I hang up and sink to the floor.
My body shakes and I wheeze. Visions starts crowding my mind
and I scream, sinking down on the floor and holding my painful
head.

“Baby. Is everything okay? What are you…Futhy! Futhy! I feel

arms surrounding me before I am picked up from the floor.
“What happened?” I shake my head and mutter “prayer room”.

He rushes to my prayer room and places me on the mat before

lighting up incense and chanting Zulu clan names. I lie down on
the mat, breathing heavily and it takes a while for me to calm
down. By that time, the room is filled with smoke. The chaos
dies down in my head and I slowly sit up, leaning on the wall.
Kuhle looks at me as he leans on the wall opposite me.

“Care to tell me what happened?” he asks and I take a deep

breath.
“Lee’s mom is sick and she is not going to make it.” He frowns
and opens his mouth to speak but I shake my head. “You are
trending. A picture of you and the Mhlongo princess was posted
online. What are you going to do about it?”
He scoffs. “I don’t care about that and I know for a fact that
your episode wasn’t based on that. What are you going to do
about Lee?”
“I need to go to Wales as soon as possible.” I attempt to get up
but my body is so painful. My husband quickly comes to my aid.

“You are not going anywhere until you are fully recovered. Now,
go bath and go to sleep. I will tell Nonkosi that you are not
coming to work today.” He helps me stand up and I shake my
head.
“Bring me my shawl, I need to have a conversation with my
ancestors.” He nods and then walks out. I look at my alter and
shake my head. Why does my work have to be this hard? Can I
get a week free of drama for once?
×××

I dial Noma’s number on my way to the airport and it takes a

few moments before she answers.

“If what I have seen on the net is true, I swear to God I am

going to kill Kuhle and I won’t mind serving a few years in
prison.” She rants and I just chuckle. There is never a dull
moment with this one.
“Tase, I am calling to inform you that I need you in Wales as in
yesterday. Lee’s mom suffered from a fatal stroke and she is not
going to make it. We need to be there for her now more than
ever.” The line goes silent for a while and it has me thinking she
has hung up on me or something. But she speaks up after a
minute or so.

“I just found a flight out which will be leaving in three hours at

OR Tambo. I will meet you in England, tase. I can’t believe this is
happening. After everything Lee has been through with
Siphiwo, she doesn’t deserve to suffer like this.” She sighs and I
exhale loudly.
“You know how unfair life is, especially to kind hearted people.
Anyways, call me when you land. I will have a car ready to pick
you up.” I hang up and look outside the window.
Many people would want me to rush back to South Africa and
try to do something to make the Kuhle scandal die down but I
have to be there for my friend. Lee does not handle grief very
well. For a therapist, she does not practice what she preaches.
Which is why I need to be there for her during this tough time.
She is going to need a shoulder to cry on, now more than ever.
People like her tend to shut people out when they deal with
pain and trauma and I am not going to let her do that.
10
I wish I was here for a business venture or for pleasure instead
of a funeral. However, there is no way to avoid the inevitable.
As soon as my plane lands at the airport, I text Mabutho while
making my way to the car. He responds with the name of the
hospital where Lee’s mother is at and my guards quickly drive
me there. Upon my arrival at the hospital, I enquire Lee’s
whereabouts before heading to her. I find her sitting on one of
the chairs in the waiting room looking so lost. My heart breaks
for her. I don’t wanna be the bearer of bad news, so I am just
going to wait until the doctor tells her.

“Tase.” I call out and she looks up. Her eyes pop out and she
runs into my arms. Then she starts wailing.
“I need more time with her, Futhi. I need more time with her.
This is unfair. She has righted her wrongs. She has warmed her
way back into my heart. She can’t just leave when we are finally
on the best of terms. Like how is that even logical?” she asks in
between sobs and I wish I had an answer for her but I don’t.

“Babe, calm down. You need to think positively. All this

negativity is not right.”
She steps away from me and shakes her head. “There is no
reason to sugar coat things for me, Futhi. You know that she is
dying. Before you arrived, the doctors said she has a few hours
left to live. I should call my siblings and close family members so
that they can say their goodbyes before she departs this earth.
What am I going to do? What am I going to say to Thembelihle
and Thembisile? They need mom. I need mom. I am not ready
to live without her. It feels like yesterday when we just
reconciled. I can’t lose her tase.” She shakes her head multiple
times and I just bring her back into my arms and hug her tightly.
She breaks down and I sniff to keep my own tears at bay.

“No one is expecting you to be strong in this situation. Both

Thembelihle and Thembisile are adults. They have men in their
lives who can comfort them. You have two kids whom you need
to worry about their wellbeing, especially Sthuli. This is going to
break her heart but you just have to be there to comfort her. I
am here for you and I will be your pillar of strength. You are not
alone. Lean on me, tase.” I move us to the couch and we sit
down. She lays her head on my lap and I comfort her until I feel
her body getting heavy and her breath evening. I wonder when
the last time she slept or ate was. She looks like a shadow of the
woman I am used to.

I take my phone and text my husband, letting him know that I

got here safely and then update him on the situation. I then tell
my parents and our friends. If Lee’s mom dies today or
tomorrow, she might get buried in three or four days. People
overseas don’t wait that long to bury people. An hour later
Mbusowenkosi, Lee’s brother, and his wife Ethel, make their
way in. we exchange greetings and they sit down.

“How long has she been out?” Mbuso asks, pointing at Lee.
“An hour or two. I don’t think she has slept a wink ever since
her mother got admitted here.” I respond truthfully and she
nods.
“We were in Fiji when she told us about mom but she
downplayed it, thinking that it was a minor thing, until 2 days
ago when she called hysterical and told us what mom was
diagnosed with. Honestly, I never thought that she would be
the one to be by mom’s side in her last moments given how
they were a few years ago.” He mutters and sits back. “I am just
glad that they patched up their relationship before it was too
late.”

I nod. I am also glad that Lee reconciled with her mother. If they
hadn’t until her last breath, Lee might not have gotten the
apology or explanation she needed. “Did you inform your dad?”
Mbuso shakes his head. “Tina, his wife, is not a fan of mom. So
we didn’t inform him about her sickness. But now it seems like
we don’t have a choice.”

I look at Ethel. “How is the big guy doing?”

She smiles sadly. “He is growing. Such a curious pre-teen. I
don’t know how he is going to take the news of his
grandmother passing. He adores her.” I nod. I know my kids
would be shattered if mom or any of the remaining Zulu wives
were to pass on.

***
The rest of Lee’s siblings arrived and they got to see Lee’s
mother and spent her last hours on earth with her. She passed
on at 3:40 am and it came as a shock to her kids even though
they were expecting it. Thembelihle even fainted and that was
when she discovered that she is pregnant. She can’t even
celebrate the good news because of the circumstances
surrounding her.

Noma and I decided to help with the funeral preparations and

with Ethel’s assistance, we were able to plan everything
according to the procedure here in England. We informed her
colleagues, friends and neighbours. Turns out, there is no sitting
in the sponge here for a week and receiving prayers and
condolences from neighbours and members of different
congregations. They don’t even have a night vigil. Just a service
at the church, a short one at the cemetery and a wake at home
where people are served finger foods and sandwiches. Nothing
too heavy.
It has been a draining week and watching Lee deal with grief
has been weighing down on my spirituality. I haven’t been
sleeping well and I have been having nightmares from
Dalamasu’s reign. The Zulu ancestors are hell bent on showing
me each and every detail that occurred in that era. In a way, it is
relatable seeing the Princess Zisanele situation, but honestly, I
am tired of dreaming about this. Some events are too gruesome
and at times I wish it can just turn off my brain because it gets
too much.
“Mama, I can’t find my other shoe.” A voice startles me and I
turn to see Sthuli standing at the edge of the bed, staring at me
with those soul piercing eyes of hers. I swear, this kid’s eyes see
more than she lets on.
“Where did you last see them?” I ask, getting up and walking to
her. She holds my hand and leads me to her room. Lee’s mom’s
house is not a huge mansion but each and every one of her
grandchildren have their own rooms here. She points at the
closet and I look at the one shoe she is wearing. I head over to
the closet and search for the other missing pair. When I find it I
turn to her and she quickly climbs into the bed and indicates
that I should help her put it on. I do as she silently asks. “Have
you eaten?” I ask and she shakes my head. In a way, I have been
taking care of her while Noma has been taking care of Lee’s son
since Lee is kind of distracted. “Let’s go find something to eat.” I
take her hand and lead her to the kitchen.
“Is it true that they are going to throw grandma in the soil and
leave her alone there today?” she enquires in a small voice and
I swear my insides recoil. Who the fuck told a 6 year old
something like that? I clear my throat and turn to her.
“Baby, your grandma is going to be a guardian angel from today
onwards and in order for her to be a good one, she has to go via
the grave. She won’t even stay there for long. After we leave,
she will go to heaven where she will start watching over you
and your brothers and mommy. Okay?” she nods.
“Is mommy going to be okay? She was crying alone in the
bathroom this morning while holding grandma’s picture.” I
think I liked her better when she was shy and quiet.
“She is going to be fine, baby. I am here for her and I will make
sure she is okay. Now, let’s eat before we go to church.” She
gives me a small smile before nodding. These kids are too clever
for their own good.
My beautiful readers, I was missing y’all and I just decided to
pop by and drop this chapter. My working hours are terrible,
which is why I hardly find time to write anything. I don’t even
have a laptop but just know that I miss you all and we are still in
Princess Melamina’s reign.
11
KUHLEKONKE ZULU

Mrs. Nkosi was given a dignified send off and no one caused any
drama during the ceremonies. Her colleagues’ spoke highly of
her and her neighbours had only good things to say about their
fallen friend. But you never speak ill of the dead in their funeral
unless you are provoking karma. I had to attend the funeral to
show my support to Lee. I consider her and Noma my friends
since they are best friends with my wife. But I had to leave the
day after the funeral because my life and work is in South
Africa. My wife, however, said she was going to stay for a while
in England just to be there for Lee.

Seeing Lee and her siblings suffer because of their loss kind of
reminded me of the time when we lost KaMahlaba. I don’t think
I would ever recover from her death. She was the first woman I
ever called mother besides my own mother. There were times
where she had to take care of me in my mom’s absentia. She
never not once made me feel like I wasn’t her biological child. I
know her death did not go in vain but I truly wish I could’ve
traded my aunts’ lives for hers because my children deserved to
meet and be raised by a phenomenal woman like her. I once
walked in on my father sitting at their matrimonial bed and
weeping like a little girl. I still remember the exact words he said
to me.

“Son, people may think that my wife’s passing does not have
much effect on me since I have four other wives who still love
and care for me. But they all play different parts in my life and
in a way, they all kept me sane and functioning. MaDlomo is my
pillar. KaMahlaba was my peace. MaShezi is my chaos.
MaDubazane is my reasoning and MaMolefe is my light. I don’t
know how to move on with my life as if I hadn’t just lost my
peace and calm. How do I move on, son? How?”

Till today, I still don’t have an answer for him. If roles were
reversed, I probably would have followed my wife to the grave
and hoped that my parents would take care of our kids because
I simply can’t see myself living in a world without Futhi. I don’t
know how I survived before meeting her. It was probably my
ancestors’ will that kept me going.

When I finally arrive at the palace, I head over to the main

dining hall where I hope to find my mothers. Entering the dining
hall, I get the surprise of a lifetime. Princess Lusanele is chatting
with my aunts and mothers and they are sharing a joke. This has
got to be some kind of a misunderstanding. I clear my throat
and they all turn to me. Mom is the first one who gets up from
her sit and comes to hug me.
“My baby. It feels like ages since I last saw you. You look good.
Mela has been feeding you well, huh?” she wiggles her
eyebrows and I just laugh. She is being noisy.
“Ifutha lothando ma.” She breaks into laughter and my other
mothers come to hug me.
“Mamkhulu is right, Kgosi. It seems like you have gained a kilo
or two. And you are even glowing. If you were a woman, I
would say there is a bun in the oven.” MaMolefe teases and I
chuckle.

“Come on. You guys are the worst.” They laugh as they lead me
to the table. “Bo aunty, Princess Lusanele.” I shake her hand
and she smiles widely. “I didn’t know we were expecting a visit
from you. Your father never said anything.” I state as I take a
seat opposite her and next to MaShezi.

She blushes. “It was unplanned. I just had time on my plate and
I figured I should stop by for a visit since your aunts have been
begging me to come and see this beautiful palace. I hope it’s
not an inconvenience to you.” She blinks a few times, giving me
a not so innocent smile and I chuckle inwardly. This is going to
be a long day.

“Not at all. I just came home to see my parents and siblings.

After that I will return to Durban to my kids and work. I am sure
they miss me.”
“Where is your wife? Isn’t she supposed to be by your side or
taking care of your kids?” Hebana. MaShezi chuckles as she
takes a sip of her tea.

“She is in England and I think she will head back to South

America after she is done taking care of her friend. I married an
independent woman, not a nanny. She is free to do what she
pleases as long as she doesn’t humiliate me or our family.
Anything else you wanna know about my wife that you haven’t
read on the media?” I ask, raising my eyebrows and her cheeks
flush. That would have been cute if I were at least 18 years
younger.

“No, Your Royal Highness. I am sorry if I came off as offending or

too forward.”
“No. don’t stress about it. I like talking about my wife. As a
matter of fact, you just made me miss her more. Let me call her
and tell her I got home safe.” I get up from my chair.
“Are you spending the night?” MaDubazane asks and I nod.
“Then I will prepare your favourite.” She winks and I smile. I
adore all my mothers.

Stepping into the mini library inside our home that is filled with
books on Nguni history (almost all Nguni surnames and their
origins), I call my wife and she answers a few rings later.

“Zulu Ka Malandela.” She answers energetically and I blush. This

woman has the power to make a man in his late thirties blush.
Give her the flowers she deserves.
“The things you do to me, MaNdosi.” She giggles. “Anyways, I
called to tell you that I landed home safely and got the warmest
welcome from my mothers. MaDubazane is preparing my
favourite meal as we speak.”

She groans. “Now you make me want to come home. It’s been
so long since I was last pampered by them and drank Lubelihle
wines under the berry tree. Yoh, I should clear my schedule for
them.” I chuckle. Knowing how busy she is, she really have to
put them in her diary in order to spend time with them.
“I am sure they would love that. Anyhow, we have an
unexpected guest at the palace.” She goes silent for a whole
minute before clearing her throat.

“Why is she there?” somehow, I am not shocked that she

figured that out this quickly.
“She gave me some stupid reason and I didn’t believe it. I think
my aunts had a hand in this. I just don’t know how to handle
them without being too harsh. What should I do, mamakhe?” I
ask and she sighs.

“I need to go back to Peru and see how things are at the office
and if I am satisfied, I will leave Manuel in charge and come
back home. We need to sort this out as soon as possible
because I honestly don’t want it to drag until it becomes a big
issue which might potentially hurt our kids.”

I lean against the wall and take a deep breath. “You are right,
babe. I guess I will wait for you to come back and we will deal
with this together. But I am heading home tomorrow. I don’t
want the kids reporting me to you again.” She chuckles.
“Coward.” She murmurs and I just grin. She manages to put a
smile on my face even in tough situations.

We talk for a few more minutes before I leave the library and go
in search for my father. I saw his guards outside, so I know that
he is home. I find him in his study and he smiles widely when
our eyes meet. He wraps up the conversation with his PA before
she heads out, closing the door behind her.

“Mageba. I wasn’t expecting to see you here so soon.” We

share a hug and I smile.
“I missed mom’s breastmilk. That’s why I am here.” He cracks
up before pulling me to the couch so that we can sit.
“I am glad you are here. I saw the young princess downstairs
and I have never been so confused in my life. What is going on
Kuhle?”

I sigh. “Apparently my aunts feel like I need a royal wife and

they want me to marry Princess Lusanele. My wife knows and
she is not taking this well. Also, I don’t wanna marry her, dad.
Melamina is the only woman I want. Our ancestors approved of
her. She has given our family more children than any royal wife
in history. She is blessed beyond measure and I love her. I know
very well that if the family keeps on pushing this Lusanele issue,
she might walk and I can’t handle life without her.” My heart
feels heavy as I imagine the kind of pain my wife is in because of
this issue.

“Yoh. Son. This is difficult. But I trust you and your judgement. I
want you to know that I am hundred percent behind you on any
decision you might take. Do what you feel is right for you as an
individual because you will have to live with the results of your
decisions. What is your mind telling you?”

I look at him. “I don’t care of Manelisi is not fully royal. He is my

son and the heir to the throne. He is the only one who will take
my place after I leave this earth and his son after him. I hate
how people are saying my wife is ‘umuntukazana’ (commoner)
just because they want they will to be done.”

He nods. “If that is your decision, then I am going to support

you. After you deal with this drama, I need to have a meeting
with you, your wife and all your siblings. For now, show me the
kind of man I raised and handle this before it blows out of
proportion.”
12
THE ELANGENI PRINCESS WAS SPOTTED IN THE ZULU PALACE
YARD, ALLEGEDLY TO VISIT THE CROWNED PRINCE,
KUHLEKONKE ZULU. SOURCES CLOSE TO BOTH FAMILIES
CONFIRM THAT THERE MIGHT BE A RELATIONSHIP AND
POTENTIALLY A MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE YOUNG PRINCESS
AND THE ZULU PRINCE. THOUGH NONE OF THE PARTIES
INVOLVED HAVE COME OUT TO CONFIRM OR DENY THE
RUMOURS, ONE CAN ONLY HOPE FOR THE POSSIBLE UNION,
SEEING THAT THE ROYAL WIFE, PRINCESS MELAMINA
KAMACELE WOULD RATHER CLOSE INTERNATIONAL DEALS
THAN COME AND BE AT HER HUSBAND’S SIDE IN THIS HOUR.’

I nearly lose my shit over this article. Whoever that wrote this is
definitely not a huge fan. How dare they paint me as a bitch
who only cares about securing the bag? The articles goes on
about how the princess is a virgin and how the bond between
both families will strengthen then nation. Fuck me. I did not
sign up for this. Why do I have to go through this? Why did God
give me a prince out of 3 billion plus men in this world? He
could have given me a Greek one or American or Korean. But
no. he decided to give me a Zulu one whose family only cares
about a young girl’s hymen and blood. Creepy when I put it like
that.
“Your meeting starts in 10 minutes, boss. Are you heading to
the boardroom early? I still need to collect some documents for
you from the finance department.” Nonkosi murmurs as she
peeks her head through the door.
I wave her off. “I will head over to the boardroom. Meet you
there in 10.”

She nods and before she closes the door, she gives me a small
smile. “We will get over this, boss. As soon as we get back to
South Africa, everything will go back to normal and talk about
the little princess will be a thing of the past. Trust me.”

I love how positive she is. One of the reasons why I hired her. I
just nod and she walks away. Gathering my stuff, I stand up and
head to the boardroom. I place my things on the table before
walking over to the floor to ceiling window. I watch as life goes
on in Peru and how I wish I was one of the citizens, facing
minimum problems and not having my personal affairs hanged
all over the media for everyone to see.

“How are you holding up?” a voice startles me and I see Manuel
walking towards me.
I clear my throat. “Well actually. Thank you for asking.” I give
him a fake smile and glance at my watch. “You are here early.
The meeting starts in 7 minutes.”
He smiles. “I like being early, and it was the only way I could
check up on you.” He steps closer and I instinctively take a step
back. “But you are such an amazing woman, Mela. You don’t
deserve all the shit your husband is putting you through. You
can have any man in the world at your mercy. You can make any
man fall for you. You are phenomenal. Stop hanging around that
loser of a husband. Open your eyes and see that he is not all
that. There are people out there who want you, who would die
for you, who would sacrifice anything just so you can live in
peace.” He places both of his hands on my cheeks and my eyes
go wide. “I love you, Mela. I can treat you well and worship the
ground your feet touch. Just let me.”

I swallow hard and shake my head. “Manuel, let me go. Please

don’t do this. I am not short of love. And what you’re doing is
very unprofessional. Stop it.” My body shudders a bit. Being in a
room alone with a man that’s not my husband is not
comforting.

His hands lower to my arms before he squeezes them. “Fuck

that and fuck him. He is not here right now. Who knows what
he could be doing with the virgin pussy provided for him?
Forget him and think about me, about us. I adore you and you
need someone like me. Who will be by your side at all times
and never forsake you. Who is not afraid to defy his family or
nation. A brave man and that’s who I am.” I shake my head and
he forces me closer to him before smashing his lips on mine,
shocking me to a point where I freeze in place, unable to do
anything. “Love me, and I will carry your baggage for you.” He
bites my lower lip and I immediately unfreeze and try to push
him away.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” my voice comes
out shakier than I intended. “Leave now and don’t look back. I
will spare you.”
He grins. “But I can’t. Now that I have tasted you, I just want
more. Allow me in.” he slides his hands down my body and
grips my ass, making me squirm. “You are going to be mine,
Mela. Sooner or later.”

He squeezes my body and my mind screams at this violation. I

try to fight against his hold but that seems to excite him
because he continues grabbing me wherever his hands can
reach. Something breaks inside me and I hear a loud scream
emanating from my throat and soon it fills the entire
boardroom. Soon, Manuel’s hands are ripped from my body,
but not before his touch imprints deep in my skin and soul. I
stagger backwards till my back collides with a wall and lose my
footing as I slide down until my butt hits the floor.
“BOSS! BOSS! PRINCESS MELAMINA!” the voice sounds so close
yet to far. I can still feel his hands on me. Touching me.
Squeezing me. Grabbing me. Violating me. That’s all I can feel.
His touch. He touched me. He touched me. He touched me.
13
KUHLEKONKE ZULU

I look at the picture of another man kissing my wife for the

dozen time and my head threatens to explode. What the fuck is
happening? I know my wife loves me. She would never do this.
She is not the spiteful type and she also has no reason to spite
me because the issue with Zisanele isn’t even an issue at all.
And I promised her that we will fix it together once she is back.
Now why are pictures of her kissing another man trending
online instead of her being here next to me? And to make
matters worse, she is ignoring my calls. Her phone goes straight
to voicemail and she is not even answering the house phone.
Journalists are having a field day with her and I just wish I can
talk to her.

“Have you seen it?” I hear Zweli’s voice and quickly turn around
to look at him. He is still wearing his school uniform. “The stuff
they are saying about mom. Is it true?”
I shake my head and walk to him. “They are lying, my boy.
Mommy is not like that. That man forced her to do that and I
am going to make him pay.” Raising a teenager is hard. You
can’t hide anything from them.

“What about you and the Mhlongo princess? What is going on?
Is she the reason why mom won’t come back and took the
quads this time around? Did she leave us because of you and
that man?” Zweli is the silent type. I honestly expect these type
of questions from Mahle, not him. Nonetheless, I need to say
something to ease his mind and overflowing thoughts.

“Your mom and I are good. In fact, she is coming back before
the week ends. I know you are all grown and everything but
when she comes back, I will make sure she spends some quality
time with you.”
He shakes his head. “No. don’t force her to do something she
doesn’t wanna do.” He stares at me for a few moments before
heading out. Christ, Futhi. Where are you when I need you the
most? Your children are so demanding.

I sit on the couch and rub my temples. My business phone has

been ringing non-stop. People want my comment on the
pictures but I have nothing to say. Also I wouldn’t wanna say
anything before I get a chance to talk to my wife. There has to
be an explanation for this. Surely. Right? My personal phone
rings and I am a bit relieved to see that it’s Gcobani that’s
calling, one of Futhy’s close guards.

“Msweli, talk to me.”

He clears his throat. “Sir, something happened with your wife.”
Well, no shit Sherlock. The whole world knows. That’s the price
to pay for being royalty. Everyone is all up in your business.

“Tell me something I don’t already know.”

“This is too sensitive to say over the phone. It’s better if you
come here and see what’s happening for yourself.”
I scoff. “You do understand that it will take me 19 hours to get
there and that’s assuming I get clearance early? So why don’t
you just cut to the chase and tell me what the fuck is going on
with my wife? Or do me one better, put her on the damn
phone.” This chat is pissing me off really because it seems like I
am in the dark and Gcobani just wants me to drag the truth out
of him.

“That’s going to be difficult, sir. Getting her to the phone, I

mean. After we escorted her from the office, she got home and
locked herself in the basement. It’s been 6 hours and she hasn’t
come out. The kids kept on asking about her until they dozed
off. There is no getting through to her. She keeps mumbling
some things.”

My body goes into shock while my mind spirals out of control.

My gut feeling tells me that something happened to my wife,
something bad and I don’t wanna entertain it now. I can’t go
crazy. Not when I am thousands of miles away from her. “When
was the last time you checked her?” I ask and Gcobani sighs.
“I am sitting outside the door and waiting for her to come out
but it doesn’t seem like she is going to come out anytime soon.”
“Okay. Thank you for updating me. I will be there as soon as I
can. Look after my wife, Gcobani.”
“With my life, sir.”

Hanging up, I make arrangements for my urgent trip to Peru.

When I am done, I go and check on the kids. I spend a little time
with them but I don’t tell them about my sudden trip.
Somehow, I know they will wanna go with me and I don’t think I
want them to see the state their mother is in. I don’t even pack
a bag. I just head to the driveway and I frown when I see Noma
standing there.

“Hey, Noma. What brings you here?” I stop not far from her.
“Your jet got clearance and I thought I could catch a ride with
you.”
“How did you know I was on my way to Peru?”
She sighs. “I know my best friend. I have known her for years.
When I saw those pictures, the hairs at the back of my head
stood up and I knew something was wrong. She looked like a
caged animal with nowhere to go. That guy was clearly
assaulting her and I think the pictures were planned. So I need
to be there for my friend, because knowing her and the person
she has become, she is probably going through a lot right now.”

I never really studied the pictures carefully. I was too consumed

by my rage but I will look for signs of distress once I am on
board. I nod at her. “Let’s go then.”

***

It feels like ages before we finally touch down in Peru. My body

is exhausted and I could use a hot shower, a warm meal and
eight hours of sleep; but all that has to wait. I need to get to my
wife. During the flight, I studied the pictures carefully and taking
into consideration what Noma said, I actually saw the situation
for what it truly was, an assault. My wife looked like she was
moments away from bursting into tears. She looked really
uncomfortable and all I wished was to get to Manuel and rip his
head off. He touched what’s mine and I just wanna make him
suffer. I wanna make him pay.

When we get to the house, I climb off the car and jog to the
basement. I bump into Gcobani who is seated on a chair outside
the basement door. He looks up and sighs out of relief when he
sees me. He stands up.

“Sir.”
“Has she come out?”
“No, and we also couldn’t get in.” yeah.

The basement is locked with a biometric fingerprint and only

Futhi and I can access it. I press on the button near the door
and a small screen lights up. I place my hand on it and it grants
me access before the door is opened. I step inside and my
world comes down crumbling when I see my wife naked in a
corner with a haunted look on her face. I take my shoes off and
tiptoe to her so that I don’t scare her. I squat in front of her and
she doesn’t even react.

“Lwandle.” I call out and she blinks a few times before

scratching her body.
“He touched me. He touched me. He touched me.” She keeps
on mumbling the same words and I die a million times inside.
She is traumatized, just like the time she killed Lee’s ex. But it’s
worse this time around because it’s personal. I want nothing
more than to wrap my arms around her but I don’t know if it
will trigger something.

“Tase, look at me.” Noma crouches next to me and holds

Futhy’s hand. “It’s okay. I am here now. He is not going to harm
you ever again.” Futhi’s eyes flick from me to Noma and she lets
out a heart-breaking sob that brings tears to my eyes. “Pull it
together, Kuhle.” She speaks through her clenched teeth. I look
up to stop the tears from falling. “Futhi, I need you to calm
down and remember who you are.” I hear thunder rumbling
from outside and I frown. The sky was clear when we landed.

“He touched me. He… touched…”

“STOP NTOMBIFUTHI!” The thunder rumbles loudly and my
wife breaks down in front of my eyes. Noma wraps her arms
around her and I see her tense.

I am going to kill him. I am going to kill that son of a bitch.

14
MISS NONKOSI
She walked into the control room and the security sat up
straight upon seeing her. She gave her best smile as she lean on
the desk, facing him and not the monitors.
“Gael, you’re Gael, right? Am I pronouncing it correctly?” she
asked and the man nodded. “Every office or space in this
building has surveillance, excluding the big CEO’s office, right?”
“Yes, Miss N.” They failed to pronounce her name, so they
resorted to calling her Miss N.
“Can you pull up the footage of the top boardroom from
Monday? 10 am to be exact.” she requested and the man
nodded before typing away on the computer before him. He
frowned upon meeting a blank screen and turned to Nonkosi
with a nervous smile.
“It seems like the cameras were malfunctioning that day.”
Nonkosi chuckled. “That day or that particular time?” she asked
and Gael shrugged.
“But we were able to fix the issue. So I don’t think we will have
any malfunction soon.” Nonkosi scoffed.
“The building is new. The security system is new. Everything
here is new. There is no reason for a malfunction, that specific
one also. Listen here, Gael,” she stood up and pinned him down
with a death stare. “My employer was assaulted at the main
boardroom round about the exact time the cameras
malfunctioned. So I don’t know if it is some weird coincidence,
or you know what happened and you don’t wanna tell me.
Either way, I am going to investigate until I get to the bottom of
this. If I discover that you are somehow involved in any of this,
help me God, you don’t wanna see what happens when you
piss off a Zulu woman.” She walked out and as soon as she was
out of sight, Gael released a deep breath.
As soon as she was settled in her car, Nonkosi drove out while
dialling Queen Lisa’s number. She knew there was some kind of
foul play in her boss being violated. She just wanted to make
sure which individuals were involved and handle the matter in a
legal way. She believed that Manuel had an accomplice in this
but now she just needed to know who it was and if a security
had a hand in this. Lisa answered after a few rings, scowling at
someone to keep quiet on the other end of the line.
“Good morning, Nonkosi. How can I assist you this morning?
Make it quick though. My son is cranky.” She said all this in one
breath and Nonkosi chuckled.
“I am sure you have seen the headlines about Princess Mela.”
Lisa sighed. “Who hasn’t seen them? Anyways, what are you
guys doing to handle that situation? It’s not something I can
actually wipe out from the internet and everyone’s devices.
Even if I do that, they will continue to talk. It’s better to come
up with a more believable to cover this scandal.”
“She was violated. She looked so spooked when she left the
boardroom. Manuel touched her without her permission. And
somewhere out there, there is a footage of what happened. I
wouldn’t be talking to you if I had access to it. Somehow the
cameras went dark round about the same time of the assault.”
Lisa sighed. “That’s a lot to process. Sis Futhy had me plant
secondary cameras in all her offices across the globe that
operate without electricity. I will check them now and get back
to you in about half an hour or so.” A child wails in the
background and she grunts. “Duty calls. Piece of advice, don’t
have kids, Nonkosi.” She hung up and Nonkosi laughed. She
knew better than to pop up babies. Her boss had 4 toddlers
who thought the world revolved around them. So she was not
looking forward to having kids, at least not any time soon.
…
NQABAYOMUZI ZULU
Nqabayomuzi, aged 27, somehow knew from a younger age
that he was one of those kids who would expand their wings
but not far from the nest. He had to be around home for
whatever that might occur. He was supposed to be named
Bhekikhaya. He even persisted on studying at a college that is
not far from the palace just so he could travel everyday to
attend his classes. He had a whole life plan set out for him.
Study in his hometown, develop projects in his hometown, get
married in his hometown and build a house not far from the
palace, just to be close to his people and family. Marrying in
royalty was never an issue for him. He dated princesses for a
living. But none of those compared to Princess Zisanele.
The first time he met her, she was a mere teenager, a 17 year
old virgin attending the annual reed dance, but she managed to
take his breath away. He kept up with her life over the past
years, low-key stalking her. Not once did he imagine she would
be given to his brother like a sacrificial lamb. Kuhle was madly in
love with his wife and he knew that his brother would never see
Zisanele as an equal. Plus Kuhle was 17 years older than
Zisanele. Child abuse at its best.
“Bafo, where are you headed?” Asked Mkhululi who was seated
on the patio having drinks with Simingezwi and two of his
cousins.
Nqaba stopped and looked at them. “I just wanna grab
something inside the house and head out to clear my head.”
“You have been acting weird ever since the Elangeni princess
arrived. But I don’t blame you, bafo. That girl is breath-taking.
And relax, she is not my type. I am into baddies.” Simingezwi
drawled and Nqaba chuckled, shaking his head.
“Baddies will use you and throw you out like yesterday’s trash
after they are done with you.” Falakhe, one of his cousins,
commented.
“You guys are always talking about chicks. Isn’t there something
better to discuss?” Nqaba asked as he leaned on one of the
pillars in the patio.
“We are actually going to Pongola in an hour. There are some
things dad want us to take care of. He is sending us on many
errands these days. You would swear he is training us for his
early retirement or death.” Mkhululi answered and Nqaba
frowned.
“Why was I not informed about this?”
“You are busy planning KaMahlaba’s death anniversary with
Nokwethaba. So maybe he didn’t wanna divide your attention.”
Nokwethaba was their younger sister. She was 22 years old and
a planner at heart. She even went overseas just to study events
planning and started shadowing some of the best planners in
the states. She did some interning at a hotel for a year just to
observe and learn how events are planned, coordinated and
handled.
Well every year, the Zulu family hosted a 7 day event to
commemorate the death of KaMahlaba, King Zulu’s second
wife. The celebration usually started on a Monday where they
would visit different NPO organisations, public clinic and schools
just to give back to the community. That would happen from
Monday to Thursday and on Thursday night, they would host a
charity dinner where they would invite Mzansi’s richest to
donate just so they would give out the money to a greater
cause. Then on Friday, they would have a family gathering
where they would slaughter many cows. On Saturday and
Sunday they would celebrate with the whole Zulu nation. This
had been happening for three years since KaMahlaba passed
and in a way, it united the Zulu family. Nqaba was very
connected to KaMahlaba, so that’s why he dedicated his time to
planning this event.
“Safe travels, bafowethu. I will see you guys when you get
back.” He saluted his brothers before heading inside the palace.
Just as he was walking towards the stairs, one of his aunts
called his name. He turned and saw them sitting at the lounge
sipping tea with Zisanele and her personal maid. He sighed.
“Do you have any idea when your brother is coming back?”
Aunt Samke asked and Nqaba shook his head. “Yamdlisa
leyantombazane yakwa Cele. (The Cele girl fed him love
portion). How can he rush to her side after seeing that? She
cheated on him. She is out there emazweni cheating on her
husband thinking that no one will know. But now inhlanzi
ishelwe amanzi. There is no way to recover from this and the
perfect way to protect the family name is to push this wedding
forward. Everyone will ignore MaCele’s scandal and focus on
the royal wedding. Perfect.”
Nqaba scoffed and his eyes went to Zisanele who was staring at
her tea like she is begging for it to come alive. “Sis Melamina
would never cheat on my brother. And even if she did cheat,
what they have is real and strong. They don’t need an intruder
in their union. Bo anti, you should stop what you are planning
because it won’t succeed. Just let the poor girl go home with
her dignity still intact because each day that passes with her in
this household raises a lot of questions.” He turned and decided
against the stairs, instead, walked to the kitchen. What he
didn’t anticipate was Zisanele following him. He was startled
when someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned and
saw the angel.
“Can I help you with something?” he asked and Zisanele
grimaced.
“What have I done wrong? I am just following orders and being
the submissive daughter that everyone wants me to be. What is
wrong with that? Isn’t that what every royal princess is raised to
behave like?” she asked, her voice surprisingly firm.
Nqaba sighed and sat on one of the bar stools. He looked at her.
“I am not trying to rub it in your face, but I have seen bhut
Kuhle and sis Futhi together. They are a true definition of
unconditional love. You would be nauseated if you were to see
them together because only then you would understand what
he is trying to protect you from. You are beautiful, Khulamini,
but you are not worth him losing sis Futhi because if my aunts
keep on pushing for your union, sis Futhi will walk and she will
take away all eight of their kids. You wanna be responsible for
breaking up a happy family?” he said all this in a polite manner
but Zisanele could sense some hostility in him.
She swallowed hard. “I won’t disobey my father’s wishes. Not
for you, and I am a princess. I am worth everything.”
“Maybe you should set your sights on a more available prince.
You are too young to fight for a man’s attention. Not even your
curves will make him look at you twice.” He stood up and left
her standing there like a statue.
15
KUHLEKONKE ZULU

‘JUST IN
CEO of the newly opened branch of Dubandlela Construction
Company in Peru, Manuel Diaz, was admitted at Arzobispo
Loayza Hospital less than 24 hours ago. The young architect is
said to have suffered a stroke after being miraculously struck by
lightning. He was found by his helper last night at his home. The
young man is the supposed lover of Princess Melamina Zulu,
the founder of Dubandlela Construction Company and the wife
of Prince Kuhlekonke Zulu. We are still waiting for the doctor’s
feedback regarding the CEO’s condition. I am Angela Valdez,
reporting live from Symphony TV.’

“One would be glad for such news if it brought good publicity.

It’s funny how my supposed affair is trending more than
anything I have ever done in my life.” My wife’s voice startles
me and I turn to find her standing on the doorway looking a bit
better than the condition I found her in when I came here. I
quickly stand up and walk to her.

“How are you feeling?” I ask and she gives me a small smile.
“I have been through worse. This is nothing.” She shrugs and
walks to the couch. She sits down and I go sit next to her.
“That was not an answer, baby. How are you really feeling?”
She looks down and sighs. “I don’t know if I took it too far or
overreacted but I couldn’t handle the thought of being touched
by another man that is not my husband or my father. I can still
feel his hands on me and not in a good way.” She swallows
hard. “What are we doing to handle the press?”

I shake my head. “You are not doing anything. You deserve a

break from all this. We hired people to handle such matters for
a reason and we pay them handsomely. So don’t worry, in a day,
the media’s perspective will be changed.” She opens her mouth
to say something but I shake my head. “We are not going to talk
about this any further. You have been through the worst and as
I said, you need a break. Which is why I had Namuhla organise a
vacation for us. By us I mean you, me and all our kids. They
have been complaining about you being absent in their life. I
had a chat with Zweli and he thinks that you have abandoned
him.”

Her lower lip quivers and her eyes water. “My baby. But you did
tell him that it’s not like that. I have to complete the launches
before I can go home and be with them.”
I nod. “I did tell him but you know how kids are. Especially
teenagers. You don’t call or text them for a day and they already
think you have forgotten about them. But don’t worry, he will
come around.” A tear falls down her cheek and she quickly
wipes it.

“I can’t just up and leave for a spontaneous vacation. Now that

Manuel is in the hospital, I have to point an interim CEO and
handle some issues. I have to also assure all the clients that we
are still the best in the game and that nothing is going to
change.”
I smile. “When I tell you not to worry, I mean just that. Zah and
Mbuso are in town. She is your second in command, so she is
obliged to handle anything and you know very well that she has
your best interests at heart. She will hire a new CEO and handle
the handover smoothly. You have nothing to worry about. You
trust her, right?”

She pouts and nods. She hates not being in control of any
situations but this is for the best. I need to help my wife heal
and in order to do that, I need to keep her away from the office
for maybe a few weeks. There is still the issue of Princess
Zisanele to be handled. God. Why did my mother go for a king?
Kwase kuphele amadoda?

She rolls her eyes. “You know damn right that I trust her.” She
then takes a deep breath and look up. After a minute or so, she
looks at me. “So where are we going?”
I grin. “It’s a surprise.” She chuckles, shaking her head.
“I am the queen of vacation planning. I don’t know why, but I
don’t trust you.” I laugh.

MISS NONKOSI

It took 24 hours for Queen Lisa to get back to her with the
footage that she required. The video showed Manuel cornering
Melamina. There was even an up-close clip that showed
Melamina’s reaction to everything. Queen Lisa even managed
to get a clip with audio in it. It was enough proof to clear Queen
Melamina’s name. There was also a corridor clip that showed
the person who took the video that was trending.

After viewing and double-checking them, Nonkosi sent them to

the police department in Lima and then forwarded the clips to
different big media houses. Almost an hour later, the clips were
trending and the sides had been switched. They were now
behind Princess Melamina and #Justice4Futhi was the second
trending hashtag on Twitter. It’s funny how people are quick to
switch sides in these streets.

“Well this is nice.” A voice startled her and she looked up to see
Zanele, the Johannesburg CEO, walking in her office, looking
and smelling like a millionaire.
Nonkosi chuckled and stood up. She met her halfway and the
two women shared a hug. “I thought you were going to tell me
after you had landed so that I can get someone to fetch you.”
“There is nothing a navigator can’t fix, darling. These offices
make me jealous. Like why does Futhy want to outshine the last
office every time? How is she going to top this one off?” she
asked, sashaying around and Nonkosi laughed.
“You know our boss. She probably already have a couple of
ideas for the next three countries. She is that brilliant.”

Zah smiled. “Yeah, she is. I saw the trending clips. Should I
assume that you were the one who cleared Futhy’s name?”
Nonkosi nodded. In a way, she was standing before her role
model, Futhy’s very first personal assistant turned CEO turned
one of her closest friends. She didn’t see herself leaving
Melamina’s side though because being in the same space with
her, travelling with her, working with her, did a lot for her.
“Good job young lady. I don’t know if she will be able to replace
you. You are doing a way better job than me.”

Nonkosi chuckled nervously. “I don’t wanna be replaced. I am

content with where I am.”
Zah gave her an understanding smile. “I know but Futhy loves
seeing people prosper. She will push you to become who you
dreamed of becoming growing up and she won’t take no for an
answer.”
Nonkosi snorted. “Well she already tried but failed. Guess I am
that good at my job.”

Zah laughed. “You’re stubborn. Now seeing that I am already

here, how about I meet everyone and then get settled before I
meet up with the potential candidates for the CEO posts?”
“Sounds like a plan. Right this way.” Nonkosi led her out of the
office.

JABULILE CELE

Being a mother means you never stop worrying about your kids.
It means you worry about them from the moment you discover
about their existence in your womb, even when they are all
grown with their own families to worry about, and even after
they are dead, you worry if they have crossed over or they have
connected with your ancestors. Which is why I am worried sick
about my daughter’s marital problems even though I know they
don’t concern me. I know my daughter. Not once in her life has
she ever mentioned being okay with a polygamous marriage. I
remember this one time we were watching an episode of
Uthando Nesthembu and she said “I think I would die before I
am forced to share my husband. If ever I find myself agreeing to
that in the future, just know that I am not okay and that if I
settle there, I will be trading away a part of my soul.”

“What are you thinking about?” my husband’s voice draws me

out of my deep thoughts and I look at him.
“This issue of Kuhle and that little princess. It’s not sitting well
with me. You know how royal families can force you to do
something even if you don’t want to, and I feel like they will
force Kuhle to marry this girl and he might decide to do so just
for peace sake.”

“But then that would mean he doesn’t love my daughter as

much as he claimed to and I will be forced to bring her back
home kicking and screaming just to protect her worth and her
peace of mind. I don’t mind even taking the rascals in. handling
their noise is better than sacrificing my daughter’s soul.” He
answers honestly and I smile. He would do anything for
Lwandle, even if it means walking through fire and pissing off
the devil in the process. “How is she doing by the way? I have
been trying to call her to no avail.”

“Kuhle said he is taking her away for a vacation. They also took
the kids. She deserves some time out. After that, maybe she will
come back to SA to handle this royal wife issue once and for
all.” My phone beeps and I frown. Who has the nerve to send
me a text at 9pm?

My husband gives me a questioning look. “Should I be worried,

Jabu?”
I snort. “You know I would never cheat on your big stubborn
head. I value other people’s lives.” He laughs as I take my phone
to check the message. Hebana. “We have been summoned to
the royal house for a family meeting in two weeks. We are
expecting to bring gogo and mkhulu.”

“Haibo. And then?” I shrug. I hope this is not about the royal
wife because those people will know the real me if they keep on
pushing for this.
16
I never thought that my husband would be this calm during a
situation like this. I know he is in touch with his emotions, so I
expected him to break down half the time, but he proved me
wrong. Noma only stayed for a day with me before she had to
go back home. She is a queen and a business woman after all.
She can’t just up and disappear because of an old woman like
me but I was glad that she came for me. I know Lee would have
also come but she is taking grief harder than all of us expected.
She even said something about being in England longer than
anticipated. I just hope she doesn’t become a permanent
resident there.

My husband brought our family here in Philippines, on this

beautiful secluded island. The boat just dropped us off at the
pier which leads straight to the cottages of El Nido Garden
Resort. This place is magnificent and kind of therapeutic to look
at. The cottages are literally floating on water. This is something
I have only seen on Pinterest and not live. Getting here was a lot
of administration though. We had to board a plane at Manila
domestic airport, catch a car ride to the resorts jelly lounge
before we could ride a boat that led us here. Lot of work, I tell
you.

“This is really beautiful, ma.” Mahle swoons and I smile at her.

“Your father and sis Namuhla planned all this.” I respond.
“You mean sis Namuhla planned all this? Because I don’t see
dad coming up with a vacation destination this beautiful.” Zweli
comments and I laugh while Kuhle chuckles.

A young woman who is with three young men is already waiting

for us at the end of the pier. They give us that wide hospitality
smile that we see in brochures.

“Good day and welcome to El Nido Garden Resort. My name is

Dalisay and I am your hostess. If you need anything during your
stay, please don’t hesitate to shout or ask these men behind me
to assist you. Now how about we show you to your rooms? I am
sure you are tired after all that travelling.” I could use a power
nap.

“I am going to be sleeping with you and daddy, right ma?”

Nomandla asks and I quickly shake my head. Yes, we came with
them but I just wanna enjoy the bed alone with my husband.
“I am going to have to disappoint you, baby. But you are going
to share a room with Mahle and Zobuhle. How cool is that?” I
ask enthusiastically.
“I am with Zoh.” Manelisi quickly states, pulling his twin away
and I almost laugh. I wonder if they will be this close when they
are teenagers.
“Hawu, ndoda, kanti didn’t we agree that we will be sharing on
our way here?” Zweli asks, looking very disappointed at his sell-
out brother. Kuhle just laughs.

“For tonight only, I will be sleeping with the boys while mommy
will be with the girls. Then tomorrow I will have my wife back
and I don’t care how y’all will be sleeping, as long as it’s
indoors.” He resolves as he pulls his most troublesome son who
is grinning like a cashmere cat. Why is he even grinning?

My husband chose beachside rooms which are facing the

island’s pristine beach, so that we will all be in one space. As we
enter, the girls take in the room and then they shove their bags
in the closet before coming back out.

“So what do we do first?” The ever curious Mahle asks.

“I don’t know about you, but I am going to take a shower and
then sleep my jet lag off.” I answer, already taking my clothes
off. Zobuhle pouts and before she can say anything, I interrupt
her. “Don’t you wanna shower with mommy and then share a
bed with her?” I ask in a cute voice and she smiles before
nodding. She is quick to take her clothes off and rushes to the
bathroom. I follow her and soon after, we are joined by Mahle
and Nomandla. It’s not like they had a choice.
***

Well the nap took longer than we hoped and we woke up when
it was almost time for dinner. So here we are, wearing light
clothes because it is so hot here. We are escorted to the
beachside restaurants. We get settled and the kids start
ordering like crazy. I keep stealing glances at my husband who is
seated across me. He is looking so chilled in an actual vest and
summer shorts. He has Londisizwe in his arms, so he doesn’t
even notice that I keep staring at him.

“So, when are you coming back home, mom?” the question
comes from Zweli and I turn to look at him. Ow shit. He
currently resents me for abandoning him.
“After this, we are all headed home. I might stick around for
longer and postpone the launches. Maybe we can take a
mother-son vacation after this.” I wink at him and he chuckles.
“So, do you have a girlfriend yet?” his eyes pop out and he
blushes.

“Come on, mom. I am too young for that.” He answers, still

blushing.
“Then who is Blue?” Zobuhle asks, squinting her eyes at him.
“You said she is your girlfriend.”
“Aybo, Zoh. Can’t you just keep quiet for once?” he asks, with a
flabbergasted look on his face.
“Freedom of speech, brother.” Hebana. What does this six-year
old know about freedom of speech? How long have I been
away?

“Baby.” Zobuhle looks at me. “Rule number one for siblings, you
never tell on each other. Rule number two, you never lie to your
parents.”
“But what is more important between rule one and two?” she
asks innocently.
“Depends on the situation.” Mahle shrugs. “If it’s a matter of
life and death, sure you can tell the parents but if it’s not, then
shush.” I missed this. Being able to engage in light conversation
with my kids with no one hovering over us. Just us.

“Mom, since our birthday is coming soon, do we get to compile

a wish list?” Manelisi asks. He is the forever quiet one. I wonder
how he will be like as a king. All I know is my son is going to be
king one day. Our ancestors have shown me his older version
sitting on the throne and making us proud.

“What do you want, my love?”

“A scooter, seeing the latest Marvel movie in LA, a drone and…”
Kuhle laughs.
“A drone? Really Mane? What makes you think we would get
you something like that before your 18th birthday?” his father
asks him. Maybe he meant a toy drone. He couldn’t possibly ask
for a technologically advanced drone.

“Mahlobo Tech just released a smaller version of an MQ-9

reaper and Funokwakhe’s father is going to buy it for him. I also
with to have it on my birthday.” He pleads. What does my baby
know about military drones?

“I might get you a scooter and a German shepherd but the later
will stay at the Celes residence and you will only see it when
you go there because your brother is allergic.” My last born,
Kuhlesibonge, is allergic to cats and dogs. Manelisi smiles
widely.

“Thank you so much ma. And the…”

“The drone will be your eighteenth birthday present. We don’t
want you having tech in the house that might be dangerous to
your younger siblings, and you know how curious Milisuthando
is.” Kuhle responds.

“I heard that.” My troublesome son mutters in response, as he

nibbles on the snacks the waiters brought. I just laugh. I love
how crazy he is. It’s like a mixture of Gcinokuhle and Noma.
Unpredictable and crazy. He is just a breath of fresh air. And too
smart for his age.

“How much did you get on that school project, Mahle?” I

enquire and she looks at me.

“98%. I don’t know what went wrong and the teacher couldn’t
tell me why I got 98%. The project deserved 100% but it is what
it is.” She shrugs. My baby is so smart and she thrives for 100%
marks on all her subjects.
“Your teacher is just jealous that you’re royalty.” Zweli
comments.

Our food arrives and we start eating. Well, the quads know how
to feed themselves, so everyone is eating. They keep dissing
each other and listening to them is honestly the most fun I have
had in a long time. This, quality family time, beats everything.
And I am healing inside. Who knew I only needed to spend time
with my kids just so I could heal from that mini trauma? When
we are done eating, the kids go play at the beach and my
husband and I take a stroll.

“You are so beautiful.” He starts off and I giggle. That’s so

random.
“Thank you, Ndabezitha. You are also looking very handsome
and sexy in those shorts.”
“I know, right? The media would have a field day about this.
Naming me the nation’s bae.” I laugh and he chuckles before
placing his arm around my shoulder and bringing me closer to
him. He can’t handle the distance. “How about a night time
selfie?” he takes out his phone and snaps a few pictures. In all
of them, I am laughing like crazy. It is so unlike him to take
selfies. Mahle and Zobuhle must be rubbing off him. “I want a
daughter, mamakhe.” I stop walking and just look at him.
Hebana. Is Kuhle crazy? “Don’t look at me like that. We have so
many boys but only three girls. I want another one. I will buy
you a yacht if you say yes.”

I smile widely and he smiles back. “That would be a big fat NO

dear husband. I am not popping out babies anymore. I should
have taken out my womb after Kuhlesibonge. Hhaybo we Kuhle.
I am no concubine.”
“I really thought I had you on the yacht thing.”
“Even if you promised to buy me an island, I would say no.”
“Fine. Whatever. But should you get pregnant on your own
terms, I am not buying you a push out gift.”
“Then I shall give that princess to Ndosi omkhulu and Jabu.
They have too much time on their plates.”

He scoffs. “You are impossible, do you know that?” I know and

he chuckles. “How about some sex under the stars? I will be
quick and quiet. The kids won’t hear us.” I laugh. Oww, how I
love my husband. But in a way, I know he is serious about
having a daughter. I wish someone can come and erase that
idea in his head. We already have 8 crazies. We don’t need
more.
17
PRINCESS ZISANELE MHLONGO
She finally returned home after her impromptu visit to the Zulu
royal palace. As soon as she shut the door of her bedroom,
separating herself from the society even if it was for a few
hours, she felt like she could finally breathe in peace without
anybody judging everything she did, every step she took, even
her breathing patterns. She was a princess, blue blooded and
raised to be a submissive wife and a queen in her own kingdom
one day. Her opinions on life, even her own life, did not mater.
Her father’s word was the law and she was nurtured to always
obey him without question. Even her mother was the perfect
obedient and loyal wife to the king. Sometimes Zisanele
suspected that her mother loved the king more than her own
kids.
After freshening up, she sat on the bed and turned on her
phone. She wished she hadn’t done that because there were so
many texts and missed calls from people she really didn’t want
to talk to. Just as she was about to switch off the device, a call
from the Zulu prince’s aunt Siwenzele, came in. she clenched
her jaws before taking a deep breath and summoning the
courage and patience to talk to the old woman.
“Hey, auntie, how are you doing? I was just about to call you.
Network is so bad here.” She started off and the old woman
chuckled.
“Great. I just wanted to know how your journey was, makoti.”
The woman sounded jolly for some reason. She was a very
overly optimistic person. She wanted to say ‘uneventful’ but she
knew that was not the answer expected from her.
“It was pleasant and peaceful. Thank you once again for your
hospitality, aunty. You made me feel at home the whole time
and I wish I never had to leave.” A people pleaser was what she
would call herself.
The old woman laughed. “I am glad you felt that way, mtanami.
Don’t worry about your husband. He will come around sooner
than you think. Ow, I was actually calling to tell you that he is
back in South Africa.” Good for him.
“That’s great, anti. Maybe I might ask my brother to arrange
lunch for us in Durban.” She was definitely not going to do that
but she would say anything to get the woman off her back, even
lie.
“That’s perfect, exactly what our kingdoms need. For you both
to get along without being forced to. Anyways, talk soon
makoti. Bye-bye.” She hung up quickly and Zisanele was glad for
that.
She sighed and dropped the phone on the bed beside her. If
only she could travel the world in peace like Princess Melamina,
but she was like a caged animal who was going to be shipped
from one prison to another. She also couldn’t rebel, not against
Inguga. That would be signing her own death warrant. Her
ancestors would surely turn their backs on her.
After an hour or so of sitting and dwelling on her stressful
thoughts, she was pulled away from them abruptly by a knock
on the door. She quickly put on a summer dress and fixed her
hair.
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE YOURSELF PRESENTABLE FOR ME,
DOLL!” the intruder announced and Zisanele chuckled before
moving to open the door. Her best friend walked in and after
quickly shutting the door, they hugged each other for dear life.
“My Go, I was so worried about you. Did they treat you well?
Did they feed you? I nearly broke into the palace when I saw
pictures of you and the prince trending. Like what the fuck?”
she was talking so fast but Zisanele was used to her, so she
understood every word she said.
“I am fine, and the Zulu royals treat their guests with kindness
and respect, especially if they are royalty.” Her friend rolled her
eyes and Zisanele laughed. “Come on, Phumzile. They are thee
royals. They wouldn’t have mistreated me.”
“So, how was it? Did they parade you around? Check if your
hymen is still intact? What is it that they did? What was the aim
of the visit if Prince Kuhle left you and went on a vacation with
his wife?” Phumzile asked as she moved to the mini lounge
inside Zisanele’s room. Zisanele sighed as she followed her.
They settled on the couch near the window.
“You know my position regarding the whole Prince Kuhle
marriage. So I am not going to comment much on the whys and
hows. But if you must know, I saw him.” She made sure to look
into her friend’s eyes so she could see who she was really
referring to. Phumzile’s eyes popped out.
“OMG! What did you say to him? Did your vocabulary forsake
you? Did you make a fool of yourself? Talk. Now I wish I went
with you.” Zisanele laughed.
“It wasn’t like that. And he was not as nice as I thought he
would be. He thinks I am a home-wrecker there to destroy his
brother’s perfect marriage. All his siblings seem to think that.
His mothers couldn’t care less about my existence. They just
spoke to me out of courtesy.”
“I don’t care about old queens. Tell me more about Nqaba. My
God, is he hot as his pictures or worse in person? My coochie is
getting excited on your behalf.”
Zisanele cracked up. Having a friend like Phumzile made her
miserable life bearable. Which is why she couldn’t complain
much about life because, even though it was unfair, she was
blessed with a human like Phumzile and she wouldn’t take that
for granted.
“Well, he is hot as Venus.” Phumzile squealed and both girls
laughed.
…
QUEEN NOMALANGA BIYELA-CARTER
“ZAMA! STOP!” My husband’s shouts are followed by an
adorable giggling voice which seems breathless. What is the
troublesome Zama up to now? I walk into the house and my
husband’s head turn to my direction. He smiles at me before
rushing down the corridor after Zama. I just laugh. I don’t even
wanna know what they are fighting about.
This one particular day, three years ago, I met a young girl who
was heavily pregnant. She was a survivor, running from her
abusive psycho boyfriend. She seeked refuge in one of Lee’s
shelters. When I came by for a visit, I felt drawn to her. I started
visiting her regularly and one day, she told me her whole life
story. And then she asked me the most impossible request ever.
She asked if I could adopt her baby as soon as she was born. I
was puzzled by her request until I learned that she wasn’t going
to survive child birth. She died shortly after giving birth to a
beautiful healthy baby girl. I may not be able to conceive but
God and my ancestors blessed me with the one thing I never
knew I needed. At age 2 and a half, Princess Zamanjezi Carter is
a strong, healthy, bright, mischievous girl. She is best friends
with Futhy’s Milisuthando.
“MAMA!” I hear a screech before I am nearly knocked off my
feet. I feel her wrap her arms around my legs before I even see
her. She sneaks up on people. It’s one of her many talents. I
look down and see her giving me puppy eyes. I chuckle before
picking her up. She hugs me with her small arms and I melt. I
love her more than life itself. “Mama, ubuyile. (You’re back)”
“Yes, my baby. Have you been behaving?” she nods quickly and
Carter snorts.
“Don’t believe a word she says. I swear to God, half my hair is
turning grey now because of her.” He comes to us and Zama
hides her head in my neck. “Hey baby.” He kisses me and then
tickles Zama who laughs loudly before turning and extending
her arms to her daddy. Sell out. Why do these kids love their
daddies so much? “I haven’t forgiven you yet.” My husband
clarifies and Zama just laughs. “How did the meeting go?”
“Imagine going from prosecuting actual criminals to deciding
how to punish Ndaba’s son who stole Mzimela’s goat while
drink and slaughtered it with his friends?” He laughs. “Being
queen is not all rosy and tiaras.”
“Well, after tiring the evil princess, I will come and give you a
massage and you will tell me all about your day.” He winks and I
smile. He is still as handsome as the day I first saw him guarding
my best friend.
“Yeah. I need to respond to a few emails before resting for the
day.” He nods before walking away with his daughter. I am
blessed beyond measure and I count my blessing every now
and then.
18
Being back in the Zulu palace, even if it's for a short while,
brings some sense of calmness in me. But I can't ignore the
lingering presence of Princess Zisanele Mhlongo. I can literally
feel her aura in every common room I walk in. it feels like my
space has been invaded, even though this is not my house. I
don't like this feeling at all. This is how I know that I will never
allow my husband to bring in another woman for as long as I
am married to him. It would be a cold day in hell before I sit on
a grass mat and say "yes, I am giving my husband permission to
take a second wife." It could never be me.
The whole palace is preparing for KaMahlaba's death
anniversary week and that has me missing her more than I can
care to admit. Besides having lots of kids, her death is one of
the reason why I am scared to fall pregnant again. What if the
ancestors take another person very close to my heart? First they
took Zamokuhle, my first driver, while I was pregnant with the
twins. Then they took KaMahlaba in exchange for the quads.
What if they take my mom or dad this time around? I can't
survive that or anyone else's death on my conscious.
"Makoti, I hope you're planning of cooking something in there
and not just standing and day dreaming." Aunt Sethembele
mutters as she walks inside the kitchen. I drink the rest of the
water in my glass and rinse it before turning to face her.
"I was just thinking of preparing lunch for everyone since I am
home." I state, even though that was not my intention when I
came to the kitchen.
She snorts. "Let's hope all your traveling hasn't made you forget
your place in this family. You are a wife and a daughter in law.
Just because we are royalty and have helpers doesn't mean you
should relax and parade with men as you please. Respect the
family name and the kingdom. If you were raised in royalty, you
would know how to behave rather than going around and
kissing foreign men." Wow. I don't even know how to respond
to that.
I clear my throat and head to the fridge. Before opening it, I
turn to face her. "I know my place in this family, aunty. Just like I
know your place. I am wife to the crowned prince and mother
to the heir of the throne. In a few years, I will be one of the
most powerful women in this kingdom. So, choose sides wisely.
You don't wanna be fighting for the losing side."
She laughs sarcastically. "Wake up and smell the tea, dear
Melamina. Kuhle is going to get married soon to that beautiful
Mhlongo princess. She will be the mother of the heir to the
throne. And you will be just the king's concubine. You are not as
high and mighty as you might think. You are crushable, so watch
your tone with me." She starts to walk off and then turn her
head to look at me. "I like my juice with 5% juice and 95%
water, Your Royal Highness." She laughs before disappearing to
the corridor. Did she always hate me or this is just a new thing?
Not wanting to seem childish, I prepare lunch for my in-laws. I
cook various dishes including finger foods, kebabs, sticky wings
and ribs, a few salads and I actually find time to bake a cake in
the mist of all this. Don't ask me how. I can cook up a storm
when I am angry. Three hours later, my husband walks into the
kitchen and frowns when he sees me.
"I have literally searched the whole kingdom for you. How long
have you been in here? What are you doing and why haven't
you been answering your phone?" he asks, coming closer to
me.
"I was doing my wife duties, dear husband. Nothing too
dramatic."
"Wife duties, my left foot. We have servants for this. The whole
purpose of the vacation was just so you could relax and distress
and I did not intend on you coming back home just to be
enslaved in the royal kitchen. You can do that in your house, but
not here."
I chuckle. Yeah, I cooked because the evil aunt told me but it
became therapeutic along the way. I enjoyed it. It helped me
take my mind off a lot of things. I even turned away a lot of
servants who wanted to help me. "Babe, relax. Just help me
dish up and take the food to the main lounge. Is dad home?"
He sighs. "Yeah. He hasn't went out today. We were in his office
discussing a few things." The oven beeps and I quickly head
over and take out the pork chops. "How can I remain mad at
you when everything smells so good in here?" he asks, tasting
one of the sticky wings and I just giggle. "It tastes just as good
as you pussy juices." My eyes pop out and my cheeks turn pink.
"On second thoughts, I will ask the helpers to assist me."
"No. the pastor said you will be my helper and I will be yours.
That applies everywhere." That's corny but cute. He kisses my
cheek before dishing up some of the dishes in the casseroles.
...
"This is very delicious, makoti. I missed your cooking." The king
compliments and I blush. I always cook for them when they visit
us.
"She cooks, she cleans, and she is fertile and rich. What more
could people want from her?" MaMolefe mutters looking at
aunt Samke and I laugh inwardly. The king's last wife can be
unfiltered if she wants. She acts like a 2k and the king loves her
brattish persona more.
"Her soul. People are vultures, ma. They just take and take.
They are selfish and they rejoice in making other people
miserable." Nqaba responds. Okay, these two are a terrible
combo.
"Play nice, kids." MaDlomo reprimands and Kuhle laughs. "My
grandson told me that you are buying him a drone this year."
She directs that statement to me and I laugh.
"Ma, I had no problem with buying him a drone until I found
out that it is a weapon that can kill people and we can't keep
something like that in the house, especially if the said house
houses a very curious Milisuthando."
Milisuthando makes a sound from his seat and everyone looks
at him. "I am not curious. I am just open-minded." He shrugs.
What the fuck? We all break into laughter. This child. What does
he know about being open minded at age 4?
"My main man." Simingezwi extends his fist and Milisuthando
bumps it. They always entertain his craziness.
"You should teach your kids respect, Melamina. They shouldn't
just speak while adults are talking. That would teach them to be
unruly and undisciplined, and that's not how a prince is raised."
Aunt Samke comments and I frown. Hebana. You can come for
me all you want but not my kids.
"Leave the child alone, Skwiza. This is not juvie." MaShezi
comments and I am grateful for her because I would have
responded in another manner.
We continue eating lunch over light conversations but the aunts
keep throwing nasty remarks my way. These women never rest
shame. If I knew better, I would say u Zisanele bribed them or
something.
19
Three days in the palace was enough for me. I couldn’t handle
the shade anymore. Also, I had to go back to my life. Which is
why my family and I are back in Durban. In a way, I decided to
put this issue of the second wife at the back of my mind. I am
only going to entertain it and say my peace at the family
meeting in a week. But for now I am going to move on with life
and be there for my family. I am not ready to go back to work
yet, so I am just going to spend some quality time with my kids.
I got into contact with Gogo Mnguni before returning to Durban
and she told me that there is a dark cloud that hangs over our
family. She did not specify which one but she told me to fast
and pray. Some of the things that are going to happen, I can’t
stop them because they are inevitable and they are going to
reveal some truths that have been buried for a long time. I am
curious to know what’s going on but one thing I have learned in
my spiritual journey is that you can never rush ancestors. They
have their own timing.
I get dressed in a print one shoulder ruffle trim crop top with
knee length and some black heeled sandals. It takes me half an
hour to doll myself up and fix my hair. By the time I am done, I
look good, I smell good and I feel good. I make sure everything
is in my purse before heading to the lounge where my husband
is busy working on his laptop and Zweli is seated next to him
watching whatever programme that is playing on the TV.
“Zweli, do you want to accompany mommy on a little errand?” I
ask and both men turn to look at me. Kuhle frowns at me.
“And where are you headed, Mrs. Zulu?” he asks, placing his
laptop on the coffee table and taking off his reading glasses.
And then? Zweli jumps up from the couch and puts on his
sneakers.
“Ready whenever you are, mom.” He answers as he comes to
take my purse.
“I asked you a question, Mela.” My husband states. He is still
seated on the couch.
“To town or Umhlanga. Wherever the road leads us.” I shrug
and he stands up.
“Dressed like that?” Aibo u Kuhle. I roll my eyes.
“No one is going to steal your wife, grandpa.” I take a step
closer to him and perk his lips. “Now be a good boy and I might
just buy you some sweet treats.” I whisper to his ear and he
groans. “I love you boo, and don’t track me, I will know.” I hook
my arm on my son’s arm and then we head out. We climb into
one of the cars and the driver drives out.
“Where to, Mrs. Zulu?” he asks.
“Land Rover garage in Umhlanga.” He nods and then continues
driving. I turn to my son.
“Christmas just came early for you, dear son. Today, anything
you want that is reasonable, you are going to get it. As long as it
doesn’t break any rules.” He grins.
“Are you serious, ma?” I nod. “Wow. Let me think for a few
minutes and I will get back to you.” I laugh and nod. “Now why
are we driving to a garage? You have enough cars, ma.”
“I know. I just want to get your dad a little toy.” He frowns.
“That guy has a lot of cars and he hardly drives them around. I
think he has forgotten half of them.”
I chuckle. “Men never forget their cars, my love. Anyways, he
likes me, so even if I were to get him a pair of underwear, he
would treasure them as if Jesus himself had worn them.” He
laughs. It feels nice to be able to spend some time with him
away from everybody else.
During our ride to Umhlanga, he tells me about his friends from
school, his studies and what he wishes to be when he grows up.
He is a fascinating young man. He actually wants to be a
politician. Can you believe it? But his dreams are valid, just like
yours. We get to the garage and as soon as we enter the
reception area, a young lady comes our way with a smile.
“Good day and welcome to Land Rover dealership. I am Zoleka
Ngwenya and I will be assisting you with anything you need
today. If it’s to look around, test drive or make a purchase.
Anything you need, I am available.”
I smile at her. “Thank you. I am Melamina Zulu and I have
something very particular in mind. I would like to have a look at
the Defender range you have.”
Her eyes pop out. “Melamina as in Princess Melamina Zulu?” I
smile politely and nod. “Ow My God. I can’t believe it. You are
here. Wow.” She clears her throat and tries to compose herself.
Zweli chuckles besides me. He knows the kind of effect I have
on people. “Please follow me this way, Your Royal Highness.” I
am glad he didn’t say Majesty. We pass a lot of tempting and
beautiful cars until we reach the Defender family. Fuck. These
cars make me wet.
“As you can see here, Mrs. Zulu, we have a two door Defender
90 SE which has a body coloured standard roof…” she goes to
explain its features and specifications. She continues to the 110,
the 130 and the others. “All these range from R1 500 000 to R2
000 000.” I nod.
The ones that she has shown me are beautiful but not enough
to drive my husband insane. We walk further and I freeze when
I spot a black beast fit for a king. “That is the Defender 130 V8.
It has a body coloured standard roof, door handles, you can
actually choose the type of features you want in it and we will
make everything possible for you. That’s why we are here, to
cater to your needs. The recommended retail price is R3 015
700, but you can pay in instalments.” I nod and turn to her. I am
already sold and by the time I exit this garage, my account will
suffer a loss of 3 million but it will be worth it.
“I am taking this one, Miss Ngwenya. I want everything in my
husband’s name. You can sync his devices to it but discretely
because I want it to be a surprise. I am also paying cash. Where
do I sign?” I ask as I take out my silver pen and her eyes pop
out. I am a multi-millionaire. Spending a mere three million is
not going to put a dent on my account.
…
NQABAYOMUZI ZULU
He arrived at the Mkhwanazi palace in KwaDlangezwa and he
was immediately let in by the guards. They led him to the patio
where he found his sister feeding her infant daughter baby
food. He greeted both of them and kissed his sister on the
forehead.
“If I didn’t know better, I would say you have done something
wrong, Nqabayomuzi.” Lisa started off and Nqaba just laughed.
“What’s wrong with me visiting my sister in her marital home?
Or am I forbidden? Have I done something worth me being
forbidden? Enlighten me, sisi.” He sat back comfortably and Lisa
just rolled her eyes.
“You have that look in your eyes that I know all too well,
Nqaba.” One the servants brought them some muffins with
juice and Lisa thanked them. “Now spill before my husband
comes home.”
Nqaba huffed and looked at his sister. Lisa always knew how to
read them like the back of his hand. Which is why he came
here, to talk to the one person whom he knew would
understand him better than anyone. “You know about the
drama at the palace, right?”

“Who doesn’t? I feel bad for not having checked on sis Mela. I
hope she is doing well. What are the folks doing about any of
this? They can’t let my brother suffer. They all know he doesn’t
do polygamy.”
“They are very relaxed on this one. Dad said Kuhle must sort
this out as a man. He is the future king. So this is a test to see if
he is capable of keeping the kingdom in check.”
“Seems like he is failing.” Lisa commented as she stopped
feeding the little princess and then helped her burp.
“The princess, Zisanele. The one who is at the centre of it all. I
can’t allow her to marry my brother.”
Lisa tilted her head to the side and kept her eyes on her
brother. “Care to elaborate?”
“She is the one for me. Has been for a long time. I am in love
with her, sisi. And every second that passes with her as bhut
Kuhle’s supposed fiancé kills me. I don’t know what to do.”
Lisa sighed and sat back. “You are a Zulu prince. A warrior at
heart, Nqaba. You are strong, and that is why you were named
the pillar of the family. If she is it for you, fight for her, man.
Hear what she has to say first and if she is on board, tell dad
and then go ask for her hand in marriage from her father. He
won’t decline because Kuhle never came for her. I will back you
up in whatever you may need. But you need to be sure if she is
on the same page with you, or else all this will be for nothing.”
Nqaba swallowed hard and nodded at his sister. He knew Lisa
was right and in a way, he was glad he came here to talk to her.
Becoming queen nurtured her into becoming a wise and
fearless woman. There was only one thing left for him to do.
Fuck, this was going to be hard.
20

KUHLEKONKE ZULU
“Where are we with the new app? What is the feedback from
our betas?” I ask my employees and Ruvi clears her throat.
“They hate it. The feedback shows that it contains a lot of
bugs and it always crashes the second time you open it. The
ads are also not making things easier. There are some
features that they don’t like. I have compiled all the data you
need on their testing and I sent it to you yesterday.” I nod.
My interns were tasked to come up with a new music app
much like iTunes and Spotify. Where you can access new
music at a low price and the app must have a data saver
feature which is the primary feature that is ought to attract
many customers. This was just the first app. We still have
three more to go since we have four interns in the app
development this year. I am not mad about the glitches and
bad feedback from betas. As developers, we all started
somewhere before we could have apps with zero glitches
and that hardly crashes. Even WhatsApp crashes, so failure
is acceptable in our industry as long as we can learn from
our mistakes and try to minimize the faults.
I nod at Ruvi and my team. “Compile some notes on what
Evelyn needs in order to minimize the faults in her app. Try
helping her perfect it and don’t give up on her yet. Ruvi, she
is your pet project.” Ruvi groans and the others laugh. Evelyn
is such a lovely girl. She is just too enthusiastic and positive.
She is always bubbly and smiley. Sadly her kind nature
doesn’t rub off my team. They are quite the broody bunch.
“Fine, Mr. Zulu. But I am going to be best friends with the
girl.” She says, fixing her glasses and I just chuckle.
“What are the updates on the DCC app and website?” my
wife’s company had a website but it recently crashed, wiping
all data in it. So her tech team approached us for a new
website and also an app which will have the same features as
the website but more friendly and easily accessible. I don’t
wanna be involved in the project but it doesn’t kill to ask for
updates.
“We are almost done with everything, sir. All that’s left is to
finalise everything and send it to our betas before sending it
to the company for a trial run.” Funani responds and I nod.
That’s good to know.
They update me on a few other projects since I haven’t been
to the office for a while now due to family drama. By the time
we conclude the meeting, I am worn out and hungry. I head
to my office and ask Namuhla to order lunch for me. I wanna
call my wife and check up on her but I don’t want to seem
too clingy or seem as if I am being a nuisance. Truth is I am
still worried about the whole Manuel thing. The last time I
saw her that traumatized was after she killed Lee’s ex. So I
am worried and I have every reason to be. The door to my
office opens and Namuhla steps in looking nervous.
“Sir, your father in law is here to see you.” Ndosi omkhulu is
here? Fuck. I wasn’t expecting this but I shouldn’t be
surprised. In fact he came later than I expected. With all the
drama that’s been happening in our lives, I thought he was
going to corner me last month and strangle me.
“Let him in.” she nods and opens the door wide. Ndosi walks
in wearing an impeccable three piece beige suit and a white
shirt with his usual Fedora hat with a feather. I quickly stand
and move around the desk to shake his hand. “Dubandlela.”
He looks at my hand for a moment before shaking it. He
squeezes my hand a bit and then let go.
“Mageba. How is everything?” he asks as he makes himself
comfortable on the couch that his daughter has claimed as
hers. I sit on the one seater next to him and clear my throat.
“Good. I can’t complain since I was blessed with a beautiful
wife and a crazy bunch of kids.”
He chuckles. “How about you drop my grandkids off at my
house Saturday morning and fetch them later? I miss them
but I don’t want them sleeping at my house and disturbing
my quality time with my wife.” I laugh.
“Are you sure you want them all, Khumbuza? Last time
Milisa was at your house, he remodelled the kitchen. Or you
are looking forward to him renovating your whole house?”
He also laughs. God. Milisuthando is the problem child.
Junior has nothing on him. I just hope he doesn’t grow up to
be crazier than this. “I can handle that young man. He
reminds me so much of Gcino but on another level.” I
chuckle. Gcino is still troublesome even in his twenties. He
still asks for money from his sister even though he works a
decent job and has a girlfriend. “Now why are you and
Lwandle competing with the England royal family for fame
these days? I swear to God, every day you guys are trending
for a different reason. What is going on, Kuhle? And I am
asking nicely.” That’s a first. This man never asks nicely.
I sigh. “My family, my aunts to be precise, think that my life is
incomplete without a royal wife with a royal blood. So they
want me to take a second wife who will bear my heir. Of
course I don’t agree with any of the nonsense they are saying
but they are so adamant and they keep forcing things. What’s
worse is that my father said he is not going to intervene. As a
future king, I should be able to sort out this matter before it
gets out of hand. I just don’t know how to deal with my aunts
without coming off as disrespectful or rude.”
He looks at me for a few moments before speaking. “Even if
it’s considered treason, always protect your wife and
children. Put them above everything else all the time. Their
sanity and happiness should be of paramount importance at
all times. Kuhle, you had a pastor bless your wedding and
remember what he said before your vows?” I think I
remember but I don’t wanna say something wrong so I shake
my head. “He said, and this is from the bible, a man shall
leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and
they shall become one flesh. This means you are to stick with
your wife no matter what, even if it means being rude to
your family. Your wife and your kids are your family and
they come first. Screw what your spinster aunts want or
think. Banish them if you have to, but only you have the
power to end all this. No one else.”
I look down and take a deep breath. I hear him and I know
that he is telling the truth. I should solve this issue before it
gets out of hand or before we insult Inguga with our actions.
“You are right, baba, and thank you so much for your advice
and for just coming here to talk to me man to man.”
“You are old now, Kuhle. I can’t keep chasing you around
with punches.” I laugh and he smiles. Namuhla walks in at
that moment with my lunch. “Great. Food. It’s like you knew
how hungry I was.” He unbuttons his coat and takes it off.
Namuhla chuckles nervously before placing the food in the
coffee table and quickly dashing out. I dish up for myself and
Ndosi before pouring us some fine whiskey. “What was the
deal with that Mexican that assaulted my daughter?” I was
hoping he doesn’t ask this but Ndosi doesn’t beat around the
bush.
“Our ancestors took care of him. I wished I could kill him but
you can’t kick a man that’s already down. Should he wake up,
he will never be the same and that’s a great punishment in
my books.” He nods and shrugs.
“I still would have killed him if I were you.” Of course he
would have. I am pretty sure he would punch a man for
looking at Jabu a second longer than he is supposed to. I
wonder how he was in his youth. I hear some distant noise
and screams before a car hoot follows them. Okay. My offices
are always quiet. What’s happening? I stand up and head
over the window. I see the staff crowding the parking lot but
I can’t see a thing from up here.
“There is something happening out there. I need to go check
it out. I will be right back.” I say to Ndosi as I wipe my hands.
“You are noisy, Kuhle. But don’t worry. We can walk out
together.” I nod before we head to the lift that takes us to the
ground floor. We exit the lobby and head to the parking lot. I
stop dead in my tracks when I see my wife sitting on top of a
black Range Rover Defender with a red bow beneath her.
She smiles widely and jumps off the car. She is wearing a
very short dress and some sneakers. God, she looks sexy.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK?” she shouts excitedly, pointing at
the car. I have gone completely blank. I don’t know what to
say or how to react. I swallow hard and walk closer. My eyes
roam around the car and they land on the number plate
personalized ‘GEBAH’. It sinks in. my wife bought me a car.
She knows I have plenty of them but she bought me this one
after she heard me compliment it when we were in our
vacation.
“MaCele…” I start off and she laughs.
“I thought I should get you izinyawo ezilula.” She throws the
keys at me and I quickly catch them. This car is 3 million and
she just bought it like it’s a piece of cake.
“Baby.” I step closer to her and focus on her, not the stunning
beast she is standing next to. “I…” I have never been this
speechless in my life and she is loving it. She grins.
“Mamakhe.”
“Kyabongwa we Kuhle.” I hear my father in law’s voice
behind me and it is followed by Futhy’s enchanting laugh.
She has completely surprised me and I don’t think I will
recover from this any time soon.
21
“A car worth three million? Uyayibaxa mtase.” Danny whines
and I chuckle.
My husband decided to invite all our friends for an emergency
braai at our house to celebrate his new house. I have never
seen him this happy or excited. He was shocked when I got to
his workplace but when the shock wore out, he started jumping
around like a kid visiting Disney land for the first time. It was
good seeing him so carefree and happy. It’s been a long time
since I last saw him that way and I am glad that I can achieve
such emotion by doing something so small for him. He shipped
all our kids to my parents’ house because he said he wanted to
get drunk without Nomandla there to stop his fun. Being the
clingy princess, she would have rained on his parade.
“I feel like there are levels of being rich and then there is u
Futhy who is on another league of her own. Like who wakes up
and decides to buy their husband a car? Even if it’s worth 200k,
I wouldn’t mtase.” Lindsay comments and all the ladies laugh.
“You married a millionaire. 200k is just change.” Noma
responds and Lindsay rolls his eyes.
“He is a millionaire but I am not. I also know that he would
refund me if I bought him a gift that expensive. I remember
buying him a Hublot watch randomly and he wanted to refund
me. And then he went ahead and bought me a villa at an island
like it was nothing. Yuh. He gives me a headache all the time.”
We all laugh. He has nice life problems with a husband who
spoils him every chance he gets.
“We usually thank them with lingerie and new sex tricks when
they surprise us like this. Is Kuhle going to do the same?” Xoli
asks.
“Oww, he better.” I drawl and we break into laughter.
“The pap is burning.” Lisa states from the stove.
“Stir it, lovey.” Noma replies.
“If you wanna eat bread then fine.” She opens the pot and
jumps back when she sees the pap boiling. We just laugh. We
all know that she is still clueless about what goes on in the
kitchen as she was six years ago.
“Are you trying to kill my wife?” Zenzo asks walking inside the
kitchen and heading to his wife. He checks her hands and Lisa
looks up to him adorably. My God. They are so cute together.
Their love seems timeless. They are still the youngest couple in
our group, so we sometimes treat them like milk.
“WE SAID FETCH THE OIL, SHAMASE, AND NOT HAVE A QUICKIE
WITH YOUR WIFE!” Phila shouts from the backyard and the
guys laugh. He just chuckles and turns to stir the pap. He closes
the pot after that and walks out after taking the oil.
“It’s like watching a romcom with you two.” Thobeka swoons
and Lisa just giggles.
“He is dramatic.” She brushes the comment away. “How is Lee
doing?”
“Better. She is coming back to SA next week.” Noma responds
and Lisa nods.
We continue drinking and preparing the pap, salads and some
garlic loaves. I love this. Spending some time with my girls and
just bonding with them. Our careers are so demanding, so we
always treasure moments like these. When we are done, we
move to the backyard. Kuhle is playing music from his new car
and he is even dancing. Uyasazi ismanga? His friends are hyping
him and some are dancing with him. I don’t know when my
brothers in law got here but somehow they are now the ones
busy with meat. We sit in the cabana and lay out the food in the
table.
“Who do you think will get married first between your
brothers?” Danny asks, looking at Lisa and she shrugs.
“Probably Nqaba. He has his sights on some princess.” The
minute she says that, I am hit with a vision of him standing at
the aisle smiling with his brothers. A bride walks down the aisle
and the moment I am about to see her face, the vision vanishes.
Someone shakes me and I look up to see Noma with a worried
expression on her face.
“You zoned out. What is it?”
I smile. “Nothing tragic. I will be right back.” I stand up and as I
pass the guys, Kuhle pulls me to him and dances with me. I
giggle. He is so cute when he is this happy.
“You are honestly the best wife a man can wish for. I am glad
God saw that I am worthy of your love, attention and affection.”
His words warm my heart and I giggle. “I know I asked for a
daughter but that was selfish of me. You continue to show me
how much our life would be perfect even without the rascals.
Thank you mama wabantwana bam. No one has ever made me
this happy. Aibo. Ngiyajola, ngi happy.” Our friends and family
all laugh while hyping us. He wipes my cheeks and I laugh
because I didn’t even realise I was crying. “Uyathandwa
mkami.” He kisses me and that just seals the deal.
“Okay. That’s enough. Stop kissing my sister or I will call Ndosi.”
Gcino rains on our parade and we just laugh at him. I detach
myself from my husband and head to where my brothers are
standing. I slap the back of Gcino’s head and I am immediately
hit with a vision of him lying on the ground shaking
uncontrollably with white foam coming out of his mouth. “I was
just kidding. I won’t call dad.” His voice startles me and I take a
step back.
“Futhi.” Noma calls from behind and I turn to look at her. She
takes my hand and drags me to the nearest bathroom. “What’s
going on? You were weird when Lisa mentioned Nqaba and now
you just look like you have seen a ghost after touching Gcino.
What is happening? Are you having vision?”
I swallow hard and shake my head. “I need to talk to ogogo for a
few moments. Keep everyone occupied for me.”
I walk out of the bathroom and rush to my prayer room. I
immediately cover my head and shoulders with a shawl. I then
light a candle and burn and incense before taking a deep
breath. I kneel before my alter.
“I am here, bogogo. You have been trying to send me messages
and I am here to tell you that I am listening. Help me see clearly
so that I can stop the danger ahead.”
I feel my body growing heavy with every passing moment and I
lie down on the grass mat. The moment I close my eyes, the
visions come back crushing fast. I can’t decipher anything
because they are all coming at once, bombarding me and
overloading my brain. It doesn’t take long before it shuts down
and I have a black out.
…
“This boy was ordained by the ancestors. We need to remove
him from the equation if you want your will to prosper.” The
village witch, Mahlabela, explained to the Queen Mother who
nodded in understanding.
“So the boy must die. How are we going to kill him if he is
protected by the ancestors?” the Queen Mother enquired.
“We have to do something subtle that they won’t see
coming. A snake bite will suffice. If that doesn’t work, we will
lure him in the wild and set wild dogs on him.” The witch
answered and then laughed in joy. “I need your blood to
confuse the ancestors. Then I need the boy’s heart after his
death. It will make me powerful and unstoppable. Also, they
won’t be able to see where the attack came from.” The Queen
Mother grinned.
Finally her plan was coming along. She didn’t wish for the death
of her first grandson but his death was a sacrifice for the greater
good. She wasn’t going to let anything weaken her family’s
power. Princess Buhlebendalo was going to marry her son, King
Dalamasu and nobody was going to stand in the way of her
plans. The death of Busizwe was going to weaken her son and
the princess would step in at his lowest and comfort him. The
perfect seduction plan. She smiled widely and sat back.
22
NQABAYOMUZI ZULU
Approaching Zisanele as myself was never going to be an easy
task. I mean, the last time we talked, I basically put her in her
place in a rather harsh manner. Although what I said was the
truth, I feel like I should have handled things differently. I know I
sounded like a number one stan of my sister in law and I have
every right to be. The woman is amazing. She gave my brother 6
kids and raised two of his illegitimate children. She also loves
him unconditionally and just bought him a Defender. Who can
compete with that? I don’t see my brother’s head swaying for
anyone, even a virgin princess.
I asked my sister, Lisa, to send Zisanele a text asking her to
dinner. I knew Zisanele wasn’t going to deny an invite from a
whole queen who also happens to be the sister of the crowned
Zulu prince. I chose Lupa in Durban North Swapo Road for our
dinner. Luckily it isn’t that busy and people who dine here don’t
care about celebrities or socialites. They just live their rich lives
peacefully.
The moment Zisanele steps into the restaurant, it’s like the
world just stops. My God. What a creation. She is so petite but
very beautiful. She walks with grace and elegance. She has a
small smile on her face and she flashes her white teeth at the
hostess as they exchange words. She is wearing a red bodycon
dress with a matching lipstick. I think I have a boner from just
looking at her. I quickly stand as the hostess leads her to my
table. She stumbles a bit when she spots me and then stops
walking. The hostess smiles before walking away.
“Mageba. I am supposed to be meeting Queen Mkhwanazi not
you. Maybe I am in the wrong Lupa.” Her angelic voice states
and I chuckle.
“You are in the right place at the right time, mtwana we Nguga.
I am sorry for deceiving you. It’s just that I know you wouldn’t
have come if I asked you out.” She frowns but moves closer.
“Hear me out before you attempt to run out of here and break
your neck.” She rolls her eyes and I take that as a win. I open a
chair for her and she sits down. I also take my seat and signal
for the waiter to come. She comes with a smile.
“Good evening once again and welcome to Lupa. I am Thandiwe
and I will be your waiter for tonight. Can I get your drinks while
you decide on your meal?” she asks and I page my drinks menu.
“A Lupa Merlot for me.” I speak up and she nods while jotting it
down and then turns to Zisanele.
“Italian Job.” She responds effortlessly and gives the waiter the
menu. She then looks at me. “The floor is all yours, Mr. Zulu.” I
detect a bit of sarcasm from her tone but I deserve it.
“I will dive in head first. So don’t mind my directness. I am
interested in you, Zisanele. I have had feelings for you since you
were 17 and I never had the courage to come out and tell you
all about it. I know my timing sucks with you nearly marrying
my brother and all. But you know isiZulu sithi engakhali ifela
embelekweni. So ngiyazibika kuwe ntokazi.” She frowns at me
and then breaks into the most mesmerizing sound I have ever
heard. Her laughter makes her look even younger than she is. I
think I am falling for her all over again. She then stops when she
sees my serious facial expression.
“Wait, you’re not kidding?” I nod and she chuckles. “Your timing
is impeccable though. Judging from your words the last time we
spoke, it seems as if you are your brother’s keeper and you
would do anything to keep your brother happy. Even go to the
extreme lengths of marrying the girl who poses a threat in his
marriage.”
I sigh. Of course she would think that. Everyone will think that.
But I have started this and I have to see it through even if I get
rejected. I smile at the waiter when she brings our drinks. I take
some courage from a sip of my beverage then stare at the
princess. “On your seventeenth birthday, you attended the reed
dance at the Hlalankosi Palace. You looked like a goddess in
your colourful traditional wear. I even took a picture with my
then phone. Wanna see it?” she just looks at me with no
reaction. I take my phone out and show her the picture. She
was laughing at something my father said. She gasps.
“I have never seen this picture of me before.”
“That’s because I have never shared it with anyone before. It’s
too precious to me. Then I remember your 18th birthday gala
dinner. I arrived late because I was out of town but I got to see
you cut your cake. I overheard you talking to your friend and
you said you hated the cake design because your mom chose it
without your concern.” She chuckles. Okay. I am winning.
“You are sounding like a stalker in my books.” I laugh. I sound
like a stalker in my own head.
“I didn’t mean to come off that way. When we got to your
palace for lunch two months back, I was taken away by your
beauty. You are a humble person, Zisanele. You are so kind and
you treat people fairly. You are beautiful inside out and any man
would be lucky to have you as a wife. I would be the luckiest
man on earth if you were to become my wife. This is not me
diverting your attention from my brother. This is just me stating
my case. You don’t have to say anything now but if you think
you can reciprocate my feelings in the near future, tell me and I
will handle everything else.”
She takes a long sip of her cocktail before lifting her eyes to
mine. “How would you do that?” I smile widely. This means I am
winning her in a way and that’s a big win for me. She is
interested. That’s all that matters.
…
PRINCESS ZISANELE MHLONGO
She walked into her room feeling so relieved and over the
moon. She felt like nothing could dampen her mood. Not her
mother’s snarky remarks or her father’s overbearing behaviour.
Her crush had a crush on her. A dream come true. Who was
that lucky in life? Maybe 20% of the women population. She
couldn’t wait to tell Phumzile the wonderful news.
Nqabayomuzi said he would take care of everything, so she had
nothing to worry about. She freshened up and just as she was
getting ready for bed, the door to her room opened and her
mother walked in with their royal healer. She frowned and
stood up.
“Hey ma and MaMsomi. Is there something you need?” with
MaMsomi, nothing good was going to come out of this
encounter. She was going to try and deny whatever proposal
they had for her.
“MaMsomi figured we should up our game with regards to the
Zulu prince. We all know that he loves his wife. After the car
stunt she pulled, we should do something strong enough to
make the future king’s head sway. So MaMsomi here came with
a perfect portion. He will fall to his knees the next time he sees
you. All you have to do is bath with it twice and then apply it to
your lashes when you visit the palace again. Everything will fall
into place.” Her mom squealed like a little girl and Zisanele felt
so uncomfortable.
“Here you go, young princess. Use this as your mother has
instructed and all our plans will fall in motion.” MaMsomi
smiled at her as she handed her a small bottle with a brown
substance. Zisanele gave them a small smile and faked a yawn.
“Thank you for the help, ma. I hope it works. Can I rest now? I
had a long day.”
Her mom smiled. “Sure. I am sure being out with your future
sister in law tired you out. We will leave you be.” She walked
out with MaMsomi and Zisanele sighed when the door closed
behind the two older women. She rushed to lock it and
practically sprinted to the bathroom. She poured all of the
bottle’s contents into the toilet and flushed it. She then threw
the bottle in her sanitary bin and sat on the bathroom mat. This
was going to be hard. How was Nqaba going to pull this off?
23
“Fuck. My head.” My husband groans from my lap and I
chuckle.
“Serves you right for celebrating your gift for a whole weekend.
I mean, who does that, Kuhle?” he has been drinking with his
friends none stop since I bought him that car. They even drove
to Johannesburg for a boys’ night out. Yes, they still have a
‘boys’ night out’ in their late thirties. Men. Luckily their fun did
not involve topless women or we would be having a totally
different conversation right now.
“You are not helping, mkami.” He sits up and groans again. He
then lays his head on my shoulder. He got back home this
morning and we had to drive to Nongoma palace with him
hungover and sleeping the whole journey. The kids thought he
was sick and so they stayed out of his way.
The door opens and Nqaba walks in with a mug in his hand.
“Fakazi gave me this. Apparently someone is in need of a
hangover cure.” He grins and hands me the cup. I just chuckle
and pass it over to my husband. He sits up and drinks the cure
in one go. He burps and gags.
“God. Is Fakazi trying to kill me? That was awful.” He makes a
silly face that babies usually make when you feed then bitter
medication. “But I am already feeling the effects of this ugly
thing.” He looks at his brother. “You are too ugly to be one of
the helpers, so what do you want?”
Nqaba laughs and sits down on the couch opposite us. “It’s
good that I found you both here. There is something I would like
to discuss with you guys, or rather inform you.”
“Did you impregnate some girl?” Kuhle interrupts and I roll my
eyes. Nqaba wouldn’t look this chilled if he did something
stupid like that.
He smiles. “Not something like that, but I am likely to
impregnate her after we tie the knot.” I frown. He is in a
relationship? Since when? “I will just cut straight to the chase. I
am in love with Zisanele and I wanna pursue a relationship with
her. I just want your full support regarding her. I know you are
not going to marry her and I am not taking her just to avert a
crisis between you two. I genuinely have deep feelings for her.
Have had them for a long time. The timing is weird but I have
met with her and judging from our encounter, I know she feels
something for me.” Wow. That’s a lot.
My husband sits up straighter. “Ndabezitha, are you sure this is
what you want?”
Nqaba nods. “She is my better half and I want to marry her as
soon as possible before some other prince takes her from me. I
love her, bhuti. I really do.” This warms my heart. Nqaba is in
love and that’s so cute and heart-warming.
“You have my full support, bhut omncane. I haven’t met the
princess yet but after you make things official, I would like to
see her and get to know her better.” I state and he blushes. He
is a gone boy.
“Just as my wife said, you also have my full support. I will even
speak to Inguga on your behalf. Explain things so that it doesn’t
seem like we are disrespecting him and passing his daughter
around. If this is really your forever, bafo, then I am happy for
you and I wish you all the best. Finding your insignificant other
is the most amazing thing ever. You get to share your life with
someone who understands you, who loves you unconditionally
and sees you as a God. It’s a gift and I hope you find that in the
young princess.” Why does he always say things that makes my
heart all giddy and leaves me blushing? This guy.
“That means a lot. Thank you Mageba.” They both stand up and
share a cute brotherly hug. The door uprubtly opens and
Nompilo barges in. she exhales in relief.
“Thank God I didn’t find Mela riding my brother. That would
have traumatized me for the rest of my short life. Anyways the
Cele family has arrived and the meeting will be starting in five
minutes.” She announces and I chuckle. She once found me and
Kuhle in a rather compromising position. Kuhle was eating me
out in a counter at our palace. She ran out screaming and later
came to ask me for tips. Turns out her husband only muffs her
on special occasions. I would die. My husband turns and pulls
me up.
“How about you go great your family while I finish my
discussion with my brother?” Kuhle suggests and I nod before
walking out. I find my family in the second lounge and the
moment I spot my grandparents, I smile widely. I rush to hug
them and gogo chuckles.
“If you really missed us wengane ka Siya, you would have come
to visit us.” She jokes and I giggle.
“Gogo, I am hardly in SA. I don’t even know the last time I
visited my parents.” I turn to them and hug them. “How are you
guys doing?”
“You no longer love us wena.” My mom complains, pouting and
I laugh. She looks adorable. Like an older version of a sulking
Nomandla.
“Once all this has passed, I will take you both ladies out. I
promise.” I comment and my dad grins.
“That pout will get her anything.” He adds and they all laugh.
We catch up for a few minutes before we are summoned to the
conference room. At least I am not expected to sit on a grass
mat. Not that I have anything against that, I am after all a Zulu
wife. But whenever I put my butt on a grass mat, it’s like I am
summoning my ancestors. When my husband comes in, he
ignores every chair and comes to sit next to me. He holds my
hand and smiles at me.
The king clears his throat and we all look at him. “Thank you all
for making it to this short notice meeting. I would first like to
greet my in-laws first. As always, this is your home. I would also
like to greet everyone who is attending this meeting. I really
hope we can resolve the matter that we came here for as
quickly as possible and get back to our real problems.” He then
looks at his sisters. “Since you seem to be the driving force of
today’s topic, how about you go first?”
Aunt Senzi smiles. “Thank you, mtakababa. I would love to greet
everyone present here today. Thank you for coming. Now as we
all know, a king can take as many wives as he wishes, but only a
wife with royal blood can give the kingdom heir to the throne. It
has been like that since the beginning of time and we don’t see
why we should deviate from our traditions. Unless of course we
want to be struck down by ancestors.”
“Keep the ancestors name out of your mouth Senzi if you don’t
want something bad to happen to you.” MaShezi warns and
Senzi swallow hard.
“My sister is right. We are not saying our brother is going to die
soon and Kuhle is going to ascend the throne, but we just want
to be prepared for the inevitable. Kuhle need a royal wife and
we have picked out a perfect candidate for him. She is fertile,
young and beautiful. She is going to bless the kingdom with
beautiful royal babies and an heir to the throne.” Aunt Samke
comments and turns to my grandparents. “Bo Ndosi, you are
old and you know the rules. You have been around for a long
time. You know that royalty marries royalty. Marrying a
commoner is no problem but the heir must come from a royal
wife whether we like it or not.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, my elders, but can I be given
permission to speak?” Nqaba speaks up and the king nods. “I
love Princess Zisanele and I am going to marry her. So please
stop talking about her.”
All the aunts frown. Aunt Sethembele is the first one to speak.
“What are you saying, Nqabayomuzi? Princess Zisanele is your
brother’s intended. There are so many princess out there.
Choose another one.” She dismisses Nqaba and he just
chuckles.
“Well I have chosen her and I am not backing down. She is mine
and no one is going to take her away from me. I am not going to
fight my brother over her because he knows I love her and he
supports me.” He responds.
“Well, I guess we have to choose another princess for Kuhle
then. But bottom line is, he needs a royal wife and he should
marry before the year ends. You have had enough freedom in
your marriage. Now we need to think about the future of the
kingdom. Princess Mayibuye Hlatshwayo is perfect. She is of
marrying age and a virgin. She is also pretty and educated.
Someone in Mela’s league.” I don’t mean to, but her last
statement makes me chuckle. My league? Just because she has
a mere degree? Wow.
“Permission to speak, my king.” Mom requests and the king
nods. “Greetings, bantu basemzini. I have a few questions for
you before we proceed. If I remember correctly, Kuhle’s first
wife, Sthabile, was not a princess, yet she married Kuhle and
everyone was convinced that Zweli will be the future king. You
did nothing to bring a young, pretty, fertile princess in the mix.
My daughter has been with Kuhle for 7 years. Gave him 6 kids
and all of a sudden, you need a royal wife? Will the ancestors
really reject Manelisi sitting on the throne or you are just
pushing your own agendas and want someone whom you will
be able to control?”
“You are, after all, spinsters who should be in their marital
homes laying the law there. Instead here you are meddling in
youngsters’ marriages. Are you that jealous and desperate for
marriage? Why don’t you ask your brothers to arrange a
marriage with widowed kings? I am sure there is no shortage of
them.” My father adds and it’s like he is pouring fuel to flames.
“I respect you, Ndosi, but you have no right to disrespect me in
my father’s house.” Aunt Senzi responds and dad grins.
“This is the king’s palace that he built for him and his wives and
kids. Your father’s house is down the road. How about you go
there and be judge, jury and executioner?” God. Never get on a
debate with Ndosi.
My grandfather clears his throat and we all turn to look at him.
He is the oldest one in the room. “It has always been a norm for
a king to take a royal wife who will bear him an heir to the
throne. But if you want to bring up the past, almost all families
have a royal history so almost everyone is royalty. I, for one,
know that my great grandfather was a chief. So, we are
somehow royalty. Anyways, never force a man to marry
someone because he is the one who has to live with that
person for the rest of his life. Ever since this meeting started,
the future king hasn’t said a word and his word is actually the
most important one today. So I would like to hear what my
grandson in law has to say.”
Kuhle looks at me and I nod. He clears his throat. “I would like
to greet my in laws first and everyone who is here. When I was
still courting my wife, I was still with Zweli’s mom. She made it
pretty clear that she doesn’t like sharing. So when we got
married, I knew what I was signing up for. I knew I would never
marry someone else after her. I also know that she is enough
for me and she will be enough for the kingdom. She has already
done things that many queens before her failed to do and she is
not even a queen yet. She does not only spread her money to
the kingdom but also her love and kindness. Why is that not
enough for you? She was ordained by our ancestors and they
enhanced her gift. When have you ever seen the ancestors
kidnap and ordain a princess in this palace?”
“Listen Kuhle…” Aunt Senzi starts off but Kuhle cuts her off.
“Bo aunti, I love you all and you are my blood. But your actions
have consequences and a negative impact on my family. This
will affect the kids and Manelisi will think he is not enough just
because he is halfblooded. I hope this is the last time I address
this issue. If you continue with your pursuit for a royal wife, I
will have no choice but to banish you and disown you from the
family. You have been right about one thing. I am the future
king and I have the power to chase you away from this
kingdom. Don’t make me.”
24
Unedited
A CHRISTMAS EVE SPECIAL
“Well people aren’t happy about your recent escapades. They
know that Manuel assaulted you but some are still calling you a
whore.” Namuhla starts off and I huff. When are we going to
have peace? Can’t we have a normal Christmas week at home
with our loved ones? Why do we have to entertain annoying
people who do nothing but tweet shit day in day out?
“What do we have to do?” Kuhle asks and I stare at him. He
shrugs. “I don’t like this as much as you do, but our image is
important. You know that. If we have to do something to get
back to their good graces I don’t mind.” I roll my eyes.
Sometimes I hate his understanding nature.
“Outing with your family at a very public or busy mall anywhere
in Durban. It’s great that we are in the festive season. You will
get a lot of exposure there. Maybe Workshop for example.” She
suggest and Kuhle is the first to speak up.
“Absolutely not. My wife and kids are going nowhere near
Durban CBD. That place is too crowded and unsafe. Try another
place.” He states and I just chuckle. Not so long ago he was
game with this idea and now he is against it. He always
overreacts when someone mentions town.
“I think Workshop is a great idea. We should head there
tomorrow. Take the kids with. Do our Christmas shopping there.
We will buy them at Pick n Pay. Let me go decide on what to
wear.” I stand up and my husband pulls me down.
“Futhi…”
“You want to put this behind us, right? So we are going to town
tomorrow. Better get used to the idea, my love.” I kiss his cheek
and smile at Namuhla. “Don’t alert anyone about this. It will
just be a spontaneous family trip. Let me leave you to discuss
some work things.” I head to the children’s playroom and I find
Zobuhle playing scrabble with Londisizwe. My baby boy is very
intelligent and a bit quiet like Manelisi. “Hey guys.” They both
look up and Londisizwe pats on the cushion next to him.
“Come join us mommy.” I smile and sit next to them. They
continue playing quietly and I am just impressed by their clever
minds. I snap a few videos. Zobuhle looks so concentrated. She
eventually wins and instead of rejoicing, she hugs her brother in
a cute manner. My ovaries.
“Guys, we are going Christmas shopping tomorrow. We will buy
some clothes and toys. How do you feel about that?”
Londisizwe’s body tenses. On top of him being quiet, he is very
shy and doesn’t like going out in public places. He only tolerates
them when he is with his siblings. “Do we have to? We already
have enough clothes and toys.”
Zobuhle rolls her eyes. “We are kids, Sizwe. We can never have
enough clothes and toys. And remember, we are giving some of
our things next month. So the shopping is necessary little
brother.” Londisizwe sighs and then looks at me.
“How long are we going to be there?” Hebana. This child.
“Not long, my baby. Afterwards we will go eat at Suncoast,
alright?” he smiles. I just side hug him and stick my tongue out
at Zobuhle. She laughs. “We will also go to the salon.” She
screams.
“Daddy will let me do that grownup hairstyle now and a face
beat?” she asks inthusiastically and I chuckle. She is such a girly
girl. So obsessed with hair and make up at such a young age.
Kuhle doesn't like her doing make up.
“If you promise not to ask too many questions, you might get all
that you desire.” She smiles widely. "You wanna help me take
out my outfit for tomorrow?" she nods. We both stand up and
head to my room.
...
"Mama, did we have to come here?" Zweli asks as soon as the
cars park outside Workshop. My son is such a snob. I roll my
eyes and climb out of the car.
"Manana, can I please have that?" Nomandla pleads as she
pulls me towards a table that has beadwork laid out on it. The
saleslady stands up and her eyes pop out when she sees me.
"Your Royal Highness. OMG! You are at my stall. Anything you
want is yours. For free." she smiles widely. "as long as you take
a picture with me." I chuckle. She is so cute. Maybe 20 years
old. It's good to see young black women unafraid to push their
hustle in such a busy spot with no pride.
"I can never take anything for free, sisi. I am a businesswoman
myself, so I understand every customer counts." I turn to
Nomandla. "What do you want, baby?" she steps closer and
starts picking up different types of ubuhlalu. This girl. I don't
even know if I have cash. I look at Kuhle who is already taking
out his wallet.
"I knew you were broke. Kuzodliwa Mina Lana." he comments,
giving the saleslady money. I laugh.
"Buying a car worth millions does that to a person" He rolls his
eyes. The other kids also buy ubuhlalu and even izimbadada.
They do have some of these things at home but they are
royalty. You can never have enough beadwork. Kuhlesibonge
picks up a white and blue bracelet and hands it to me.
"Khulu said you should wear this, mother." I frown. Which
Khulu now? before I can ask, I notice people already crowding
us, wanting to take pictures. We pose a few for the saleslady
and also a few with the fans.
"What did you do to him?" Dad asks as we walk into his house.
Kuhle is carrying a sleeping Milisuthando in his arms.
That kid is so active. After sulking about wanting to go to
Oceans and Toti, he made himself comfortable at Workshop and
gave us a tough time. He was running around like a rat.
Uphunyuka bemphethe. Even at the barbershop, he didn't sit
until it was his time for a haircut. Then we bought a toy scooter
for him at Qualisave which he drove around the shopping mall,
hitting everyone in his way. Guys, when you find time, ABSTAIN
or USE CONTRACEPTIVES YOH.
"Baba that kid will be the death of me." I exhale loudly and drop
my heavy body on the couch.
"Sisi, ungangibulaleli osofa bami." He reprimands and my kids
laugh. Yoh, ubaba. Kuhle just laughs as he places the sleeping
troublemaker on the beanba. "What brings you here MA
celebrity amahle?" this man though.
"You were complaining about us not visiting you baba, so we
thought we should pop by and say hi." Kuhle responds.
"You just want to finish my wife's stokfel food." he pouts and I
hear mom laughing from the kitchen.
"I don't mind. Uyangbhora wena Uma uwedwa. (YOU bore me
when you're alone." she responds and we laugh
"After 40 years of marriage, I suddenly bore you? We sisi Jabu,
please tell whatever suitor that lied to you at work ukuthi I'm
not okay upstairs. Ngishaha indoda ngempama eyodwa ibone
izulu." My God. These two are hilarious.
25
KUHLEKONKE ZULU
Finding out that my brother wanted to take Zisanele for himself
worried me at first because I thought he was taking the heat off
me but he has convinced me otherwise. Which is why I find
myself outside the Elangeni Palace to negotiate with the king. I
am pretty sure he thinks I am here to speak on behalf of myself.
Mkhululi and Simingezwi decided to accompany me. I couldn’t
bring Nqaba because that would have been a bit disrespect to
the king. This time around, the queen, Nokwanda Mhlongo, is
the one who welcomes us at the door with the widest smile I
have ever seen. It also seems fake.
“Bo Ndabezitha. Welcome to our humble home. Please feel
free. Whatever you need, don’t be afraid to ask. Did you have a
safe journey?” her hands are moving too fast, like she is doing a
PowerPoint presentation. The moment we settle at the lounge,
helpers crowd us with drinks and finger foods. “My husband will
be with you in a second.” She smiles again before she dashes
off.
“That one is too much. I don’t know when the last time our
mothers behaved like that around visitors was. Even MaMolefe
doesn’t bow like that to anyone’s feet.” Simi murmurs as he
eats the cupcake before him. He is a foodie and never says no
when given food.
“Our mothers are too prideful to do this sucking up shit.”
Mkhululi sips the water before him and then sits back. My
brothers are savage. The king walks in after a few moments
followed by three of his brothers.
“Bo Mageba. It is such a pleasure to see you once again. I hope
our encounter ends with both families happy and possibly a
wedding date.” He cuts straight to the chase as he shakes our
hands. I guess we also won’t do any small talks. Just jump to the
topic that brought us here. “These are my brothers, Mandla,
Ntokozo and Malusi.” His brothers also shake hands with us.
“Makhedama, we know that you thought your little girl,
Princess Zisanele, was going to be my second wife, but there
has been a change of plans. We apologize for whoever that gave
you the impression that I was looking for a second wife, a royal
wife at that.” I start off and he frowns.
“Are you here to insult me, Nkosana?” he asks, leaning a bit
closer from his chair. I hope I will be able to extinguish this fire.
“That’s not the case, Bhebhe.” Mkhululi interjects. “Our
brother, Kuhle, is not looking for a royal wife. But our other
brother, Nqabayomuzi has taken a huge liking to the princess.
He might not be the crowned prince but he is still a Zulu prince
and he loves your daughter. If you give Zisanele to
Nqabayomuzi, he is going to love her, treat her with the utmost
respect and prioritize her above anything else. She is going to
be the able of his eye, his one and only love. He will give her
undivided love and as your daughter, don’t you think she
deserves that? Someone who will live her unconditionally than
someone who will treat her like a second best and never be
there for her when she needs him the most. Think about it,
Khulamini.” When did Mkhululi grow up to be this well-spoken
man?
“We know this may come as a shock, Njomane, but it is true.
Nqabayomuzi loves Zisanele and he is going to take care of her.
We came here to inform you this personally and hopefully ask
for a possible date when our family can come and start lobola
negotiations on behalf of our brother, Nqaba.” Simingezwi adds.
Hebana. Why am I even here when both these kids can handle
this matter? I guess accompanying dad to most meetings has
finally paid off.
“We are not asking you to make a decision right now. Just think
of it and get back to us when you can.” I state.
“Maybe you can step outside and give us a few moments to
discuss this revelation, Bo Mjokwane ka Ndaba.” Malusi is the
first to speak up and we get up immediately. We head over to
the patio, bumping into Zisanele on the way. She smiles and
bows her head a bit.
“Nina Bangasenhla.” She greets. “It is such a great pleasure to
meet you again.”
Mkhululi returns the smile. “We are happy to see you again,
Khulamini. If all goes well here, you might be Ndabezitha before
Good Friday.” Zisanele just blushes and clears her throat. She is
really young, shame. Her cuteness makes me think of Lisa or
Amahle. Someone I would love and protect like an older
brother or even daughter.
“Don’t hesitate to shout if you need anything. I will be at the
kitchen.” She announces before walking away.
“Yena umile.” Mkhululi comments as soon as she is out of our
sight and we just laugh.
“You guys could have handled the meeting without me. Why
did I have to leave my wife and kids for this?” I ask and they
chuckle.
“Ukhakhayi luqinile bafo. (We are matured). Dad is not getting
any younger. Soon you are going to be king and we are going to
rule by your side. We need to be able to handle matters without
you. This was just a demonstration of what we are capable of.”
Simingezwi states and I am just impressed. I always thought my
younger brothers only cared about booze, girls and fame, but
they have proved me wrong. Even though I hadn’t had to bail
them out of any shit, I didn’t think they were this matured.
“Well, I am proud of you guys. You should know that. I know
dad will also be proud.” I compliment and they just smile at me.
A few moments later, one of the helpers summon us back to the
lounge. We sit down and the king clears his throat.
“You were right. This came as a shock to us. Not so long ago, as
in an hour ago, we thought the crowned prince will marry
Zisanele. But we were never made aware that the crowned
prince was not in need of a second or royal wife. I love my
daughter and like any other father out there, I want her to be
loved and treated like the only girl in the world. I don’t know
Nqabayomuzi much but I would like to have dinner with him
before I can consider giving my daughter to him. After our
dinner, maybe we can come up with a conclusion that will
benefit everyone. I will also speak to my daughter since I hadn’t
consulted her and actually found out how she felt about all
this.” I thought as much. A king like Inguga only dictates and
commands. He doesn’t consult unless it is with his inyanga.
“We are grateful that you are willing to consider this, Wena ka
Mgabhi. We hope to be one united family soon.” I mutter and
he smiles. “We will be on our way. Thank you for your
hospitality.”
…
NARRATED
As soon as the Zulu princes left, Nokwanda and Zisanele rushed
to the lounge to hear what the men had discussed. Nokwanda
was too excited. She could finally see her daughter being the
Zulu Queen that everyone would bow to. A dream come true
for any royal mother out there. Wedding your daughter to the
only king that matters in the Nguni tribe.
“So, what did they say, Njomane? When can we start preparing
for the festivities?” she asked as she sat on the armchair next to
her husband.
He just ignored her and look at his daughter. “Zisanele, do you
know Nqabayomuzi Zulu?”
Zisanele nodded. “Yes baba, I do. He is one of the Zulu princes.”
“Apparently he is the only prince that is romantically interested
in you and wants to make you his wife as soon as possible. How
do you feel about that?” he asked and Nokwanda gasped.

“Aibo baba. What is happening? Zisanele is going to marry

Kuhle not this Nqabayomuzi you are referring to. She can’t
marry a second hand prince. Never. I won’t allow it.” Nokwanda
exclaimed and the king just looked at her with a bored
expression on his face.
“Nokwanda, this is our daughter, our baby girl. She deserves to
marry someone who is almost her age and who adores her.
According to his brothers, this Nqaba is head over heels in love
with our daughter and after I have met with him, I will decide
whether he is worthy of her or not. What I won’t do is force my
daughter to some man who doesn’t seem to care about her.
You want our daughter to suffer just because of a title and some
hidden agenda I don’t know about? She is going to marry a Zulu
prince. That should make you smile somehow.”
Nokwanda scoffed and turned to Zisanele. “Tell your father that
you don’t want this Nqabayomuzi that they wanna give you.
You don’t want some consolidation prize. But the real deal.”
Zisanele looked at her father and cleared her throat. “Prince
Kuhle is very old and he is obsessed with his wife. I wouldn’t
want to get myself entangled in that. Maybe give Prince Nqaba
a chance to court me and I will determine whether he is
suitable for me or not.” It was the first time she ever went
against her mother and it terrified her but at the same time, she
felt liberated. It felt good to stand up for herself. But also, it felt
great when her father was willing to consider her opinion.
Nokwanda scoffed and stood up. “This is all madness. Just utter
madness.” She walked away mumbling shit to herself.
26
JABU AND NDOSI APPRECIATION CHAPTER
JABULILE CELE
Sometimes I wondered what would have happened in my life
when I hadn’t fought to come to KwaDlangezwa and further my
studies. In a way, I know my husband and I would have crossed
paths in the future and end up together eventually. I still
remember the day like it was yesterday, when the cocky,
arrogant but good looking Cele young man approached me. He
was well known at varsity because he was friends with the Zulu
crowned prince who was a big deal. I was only doing my first
year and he was a senior while the king was a post graduate
student. I had seen him three times up close before he just
cornered me outside Bhekuzulu Hall and offered to carry my
books. I was a very prideful virgin back then, so I just ignored
him and continued walking. There were no earphones, so I
couldn’t just tune him out with loud music. My friends went
crazy upon seeing this and they basically attacked me with their
words when we got back to our dorms. There was something
about Siya that just intrigued me but I didn’t wanna seem like
all the girls who were interested in him. Or else I would have
found myself running after him after he had taken what he
wanted from me. What I didn’t anticipate was the guy being
persistent. When he first approached me, he had multiple
girlfriends all over campus but little by little they faded until I
was the only girl he was interested in. some even called him
‘isishimane’ but that phase never lasted. They called him u
Magaye back then and you couldn’t pick on him unless you
really wanted a fight.
One uneventful Saturday, he came to our dorm and basically
demanded that I accompany him to the beach. The nerve the
guy had. But I was slowly caving in, so I agreed. He didn’t try to
touch or kiss me. We just talked about ourselves, our families
and studies. He did Political Sciences while I did Marketing. It
was quite amusing how opinionative he was but chose to
remain neutral in Students Politics. Once, he even contested to
be an independent presidential candidate when he was doing
his Honours and he actually won. Anyways, the guy won my
heart few weeks later after our beach date. He was the type to
invite me over to his room just so he would cook for me and tell
me all about his cows and goats which had their own names.
His brother was getting married September that year and he
asked me to accompany him. Ndosi had guts, even back then. I
respected my culture too much to just arrive at his brother’s
wedding just like that. I wasn’t even his fiancé or anything. But
the guy was persuasive. He persuaded me until I agreed, but
took my best friend with. He said he was going to introduce us
as his friends from varsity when we got there but he changed
tunes on us. He started by telling his brothers that I am his wife
to be and that’s how I was introduced to everyone. The way I
was so livid at him, I couldn’t even speak. I ignored him until we
went back to varsity. Well our conflict was resolved and it
actually led to our first sexual encounter where Busi was
conceived.
Before we both knew about the pregnancy, he wanted to make
things right, so he sent his uncles and brothers to my family. I
hadn’t seen them all year and hardly wrote to them. So imagine
our surprise when I got home and discovered that my father
had negotiated lobola on my behalf to some pastor from
church. Our family was religious and my dad didn’t believe in
most Zulu ceremonies or practices. He was a well-known
Christian and prioritize the church above our culture. He
married me off to this pastor who had a huge family that he
brought to church with. They had agreed that the wedding
would take place as soon as I had completed my studies. I
wasn’t happy about that but Siya went nuts when he heard the
news. First, he paid the pastor back his cows and paid full lobola
for me to my father. Dad wasn’t happy because the pastor left
church, taking his family along, but he loved money more, so he
accepted it. But he made it clear that he was going to cut ties
with me as soon as I was Mrs Cele. Shit happened when my
mom saw that I was pregnant during December recess. She told
my father and they sent me to Ndwedwe with all my belongings
as soon as they could. When I gave birth to my hyper baby girl,
Siya’s mom ordered me to finish my degree and I was really
grateful for her. After the wedding, my family really cut me off
and as much as it pained me, I was still mad at dad for selling
me off because of the church.
“You better be thinking about me and not some other man who
is about to become an ancestor.” Siya’s voice startles me and I
turn to see him leaning on the doorway of my office. My
husband doesn’t mind coming to my workplace unannounced.
Noma’s mom said he thinks he will catch me cheating on him
one day but it doesn’t bother. He started doing this three
decades ago when we started dating, so it doesn’t surprise me
anymore.
I decide to tease him and just shrug. “If he dies, I will find
another one.”
He rolls his eyes. “You care about other people too much to let
them die for nothing.” I just laugh. He steps inside my office and
closes the door. “You have that worried look on your face,
though, and you know it also makes me worry. What is going
on?”
I shake my head. “Nothing, babe. I just took a trip down
memory lane. You know how hard it took for us to get here but
we did, eventually, and I am grateful that we are still together.”
He smiles and those killer dimples that Lele took from him
shows. He extends his hand and I head over to him. He hugs me
and perks my lips. “You know that I love you, right?” I nod. “You
are my number one lady. All the kids and their rascals come
second.” I laugh and nod. “I am the one who is more grateful in
this relationship. You have extended my bloodline and out of
you came 13 people. You are phenomenal and anyone who
doesn’t see that is really visually impaired.” Somehow he
manages to make me fall harder for him every day. He is
awesome, I won’t lie.
“So what are you doing here looking so handsome?” I ask,
assessing his dress code. He is wearing a golf t-shirt, some
chinos and sneakers. Yes, my strict husband wears sneakers.
Blame Lele. He always bring him limited edition when he comes
to visit.
“I am taking you out. There is this new restaurant in Ballito that
I want us to try out. This little girl from work tried it out and
said they serve very nice food. So, be my date.”
“As if you have anyone who can tolerate your during lunch
hour.” He laughs and spanks my butt when I turn to collect my
things. “For that, I am not going to give you some tonight.”
“Mkami, you will beg for it. Plus I shaved this morning.” He grins
and I laugh. Never a dull moment with this weirdo.
27
THE PAST

The Mkhize yard was filled with life. People moving up and
down. Preparing for the final return of King Gadlazephuke’s
third son, Thokozani. They had known of his ancestral gift from
a young age. That’s why he was named Thokozani because the
ancestors rejoiced over his birth. Their hero had been born.
King Gadlazephuke walked around the yard and smiled upon
seeing all his children eager for the ceremony. He searched with
his eyes once, twice and by the third time he was sure that his
first son wasn’t among the people busy with preparations.
Where was he? He called his one of his youngest daughter,
Zasembo and she ran to her father.

“Zasembo, where is your big brother.”

“He walked out of the gate and went down the snakes river.”
She answered and then ran away, not caring if her father was
done or not.

The king did not stop her because he knew that was all she had
to say. His son, his heir, went out, disregarding and
disrespecting Thokozani day. How could he? He spotted his
fourth son, Jahimpi, carrying a big pot while walking besides his
mother. The king had 6 wives and Jahimpi’s mother was the
fourth. He called out his son and both the mother and the son
came towards the king.

“Baba, is there anything you need?” MaNgobese asked and the

king shook his head with a smile.
“No, my wife. I just need to send Jahimpi on a small errand. He
will be back before Thokozani arrives.” MaNgobese nodded and
walked away. “Where is your brother, Jahimpi?” Jahimpi’s eyes
popped out and he looked everywhere but at the king.

“Baba.. I… I…”
“I did not give birth to a stutter, Jahimpi. Tell me the truth now
before you piss me off.” The king did not need to shout. His
voice already carried to much authority.

“A boy from his church came to fetch him. Apparently his pastor
said they were going to pray at this family’s home that has been
bewitched.”

The king frowned. “Pray? Pray? Since when does prayer help in
witchcraft? Is his Jesus going to dig out amabhodlela (vials filled
with black magic portions) from the ground or what? Is
Nqobimpi disrespecting me right now?”

“Baba, calm down. I will go fetch him and bring him back.”
Jahimpi knew that what he was saying was impossible but he
did not want to see his father angry, especially on an important
day like this.

The king shook his head. “No. Leave him be. He will face his
punishment when he comes back.” He walked away and
Jahimpi released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
Nqobimpi was in deep shit and this was bigger than any stunt
he had ever pulled.

×××

KUHLEKONKE ZULU

Getting up, I am shocked to see my wife still sleeping besides

me. She is usually up by this time. But she is a very busy person,
so she deserved to sleep in every once in a while. I kiss her head
before getting off the bed. She doesn’t even stir up. That means
she is dead tired. I brush my teeth before heading over to the
kids rooms to prepare them for school. Zobuhle is having a diva
moment, saying she wants to wear a princess dressing knowing
very well that she is in Grade 1 and she is obliged to wear
uniform all the time. She is comparing herself to Nomandla who
is still in Day Care. Hebana. These kids. They never do this when
their mother is overseas.
“Hlehle, I won’t bring you that candy if you continue giving dad
trouble.” Zweli says from the door and Zobuhle pouts before
allowing me to help her with her uniform. Manelisi is already at
the kitchen eating his cereal. That boy is a gift from God, I
swear. The rest of the rascals were probably conjured up by
Satan. Just kidding.

“Where is mom?” Milisuthando asks as I enter the kitchen. I

won’t hear the end of it.
“She is sleeping.”
“Why?”
“Because she is tired.”
“But why?” I groan inwardly. Can Futhy wake up and take away
her child?

“Eat your food, young prince.” One of their nannies, MaBlose,

comes to my rescue and I give her an appreciative smile. The
little troublemaker actually listens because he goes mute and
eats his breakfast. MaBlose though. A gogo after my own heart.

“I am staying in today.” Kuhlesibonge states when his siblings

start walking out and I frown, giving him a questioning look.
“My mom is not here. I can feel it. She is in the land of the
ancestors and I can’t function while she is there.” Come to think
of it, he only ate one spoon of his cereal and just played with
the rest. Land of the ancestors? What is this child saying?

“Son, your mother is just resting. Nothing to worry yourself

about.”
“I’m not worried but I am not okay. Only part of her, not
wholly.” What is this child saying? Do all 4 year Olds confuse
you like this?

“Sibonge, are you coming?” Nomandla asks.

“Your brother is sick, so he is staying home.” I respond and she
holds her stomach.
“Ouch. I’m also sick.”
“Yeah, nice try, but you’re going to school. See you later.” I help
them into the cars and go back to the house with Kuhlesibonge.
“Let me check on your mother. Maybe she is awake.”

“She is not, but you can try your luck.” He shrugs and head over
to the playroom.

I hope he is wrong and this is just another stunt to dodge

school. I rush to our bedroom and find Futhy still sleeping in the
same position I left her in. My heart skips a beat. I shake her a
few times but she doesn’t respond. I don’t panic much because
she is still breathing but I know something is wrong. Did she
faint? I take out my phone and call the family doctor. 30
minutes later, she is knocking at our door with her portable
equipment.

“Her vitals are normal. Her heartbeat is average. There is no

abnormality in her BP. She should be awake or maybe will wake
up soon. Maybe this might not be fixed with Western Medicine.
Try traditional ways, my prince.” She advises before packing up
and leaving.

I sigh and sit down next to Futhy. She looks so peaceful and
beautiful. I have to do something or call someone. The door
opens and I see Sibonge walking in. He glances at his mother
and shakes his head. “She is really gone. You should call gogo.”
He comes to my side and extends his arms. I pick him up and
put him on my lap. He lays his head on my chest and sucks on
his thumb. I take my phone and call MaShezi. She answers after
a few rings.

“Mtanami.”
“Ma, something is wrong with Zweli’s mother. She is not waking
up.”
28
KUHLEKONKE ZULU
It took my family less than 3 hours to get here. MaShezi burned
incense and did a lot of things but my wife did not wake up. We
had no choice but to inform her parents about this but I did not
tell them over the phone. I just told them to come over to my
place as soon as possible. Ndosi did not to come here clueless
about the situation, but I just downplayed it and said Futhy was
sick, nothing serious. They finally arrive after thirty minutes of
calling them. Futhy is lying on a grass at in her prayer room.
MaShezi believes that some miracle will occur if she is near to
her ancestors. I don’t know what to think at this point. Ndosi
walks in with Jabu hot on his heels. He comes straight to me
without greeting anyone.
“Where is she?” he asks in a low voice.
I swallow hard. I didn’t do anything this time around but Ndosi
can make you feel guilty even if you are not at fault. “Follow
me.” I lean them to the prayer room where we find MaShezi
busy running her hands through Futhy’s hair. Jabu rushed by
her daughter’s side while Ndosi stands on the door, seemingly
glued to the doorway.
“What happened to my daughter?” he manages to ask and
MaShezi looks up.
“She is in a spiritual coma. One of her ancestors, either her
maternal, paternal or marital has trapped her under. I don’t
know what to do to wake her up. I am powerless.”
“How can you be powerless at a time like this when my
daughter needs you the most? Are you for real? If roles were
reversed, she would be trying different ways to help you rather
than say she is powerless. Consult MaShezi. What kind of a
Sangoma are you if you can’t consult with abaphansi? Or should
we go to Ghost?”
“Mhlobo wami, I understand you are mad, but That’s not the
way you address my wife or anyone’s wife for that matter.” Dad
states from behind Ndosi who just scoffs and walks further into
the prayer room. His phone rings and he takes it out. Phones
are not allowed in my wife’s prayer room but I am not about to
reprimand Ndosi.
“MaNgwenya, how are you?... What’s going on?... Hold up.
Calm down and tell me what’s wrong… are you sure?... Okay. I
need you to take a deep breath and be emotionless for a
moment. Bring him to Futhy’s house here in Durban. Can you
do that for me? Will you be able to drive?... Okay. See you soon
mtanami.” He hangs up and literally slides down the wall until
his butt collides with the cold floor.
“Siya, what’s going on? What did Thobekah say?” Jabu asks in a
shaky voice.
“He didn’t wake up. You know how he is an early bird but for
some reason, he didn’t wake up today even though he had an
important TV interview. She took him to the hospital and the
doctors found nothing wrong with him.”
Jabu sobs and Ndosi extends his arms. She crawls into them and
let’s out a heart breaking cry. “What is going on with our kids,
Siya? This is related to us. This has something to do with us.
What if someone is bewitching us?” Ndosi doesn’t respond but
just continues hugging his wife. Her phone beeps and Ndosi
takes it out of her pocket.
“That’s Busi’s husband. He is on his way to Morningside.
Apparently Busi has been in a coma for three days and the
doctor decided to discharge her since there was nothing wrong
with her.”
What in the hell is happening with Futhy and her siblings? “I will
send someone to check on Gcino and also on Thando
overseas.” I offer and Ndosi nods at me. This is no time to be a
weakling. If my wife was in my position, she would burn the
world down just to get a solution that doesn’t involve losing
me. So I am going to do the same. “I think we should inform
Gogo Mnguni about this. She might give us some insight.”
“Call her, son.” Dad suggests and I nod before taking out my
phone and dialling her number.
“You are disrespecting Melamina’s prayer room by walking
around in shoes and using cell phones there.” That’s how she
answers the phone. It’s like she is present in the room. “You will
have to pay for that once she is okay, but that’s not why you
called me. You need to know why she and her siblings aren’t
waking up.”
“Yebo gogo. We need you help.”
“Put me on loudspeaker.” I do as she ordered. “Jabulile.”
Futhy’s mom looks up. “Your ancestors are not happy about
your father’s choices and now they are taking it out on you
seeing that you did not take the church route or the traditional
route. They know of your children but they don’t acknowledge
them, which is why they have kidnapped them. You have to dig
deep into your father’s past and go to where he grew up. They
might have answers to your problems. I don’t need to tell you
that if you don’t fix this before the week ends, all your children
will die, starting with your youngest.” She hangs up leaving me
confused as hell.
Why do ancestors always go this? Why do they always go hard
on the living? Can’t they convey their messages peacefully like
via a dream or something? Why does it have to be this drastic? I
don’t want my wife to die, so I will do anything and that means
tracking dead people to bring her back.
“Come, my love.” Ndosi states as he stands up and helps his
wife up. “We don’t have any time to waste. We need to leave.”
Jabu nods and they both head out. Poor woman. She looks
drained.
“Where are they going?” I ask no one in particular because I
know my parents know nothing about this.
“Jabu is originally from KwaNongoma in the Bhekumthetho
Village. That’s where she grew up. That’s where her family is at.
So I am guessing they are going there.” Dad answers and the
steps out.
“What do I say to the children? Already they were asking
questions this morning and I can’t deal with Sibonge’s weird
comments.” I say to MaShezi.
“Don’t worry about your kids. Focus on helping your in laws the
best way you possibly can and as soon s possible.”
29
JABULILE CELE

The drive back to my childhood home is quiet. I haven’t said a

word since we left Durban and my husband somehow
understand because he hasn’t tried to make small talk. We are
both worried about our kids. I am just fuming because my
ancestors are the ones who did this to my kids. It’s true. You can
never outrun your past, no matter how hard you try. When we
get to KwaHlabisa, my husband parks the car near the Centre
that has Spar and heads inside. He comes back a moment later
with a few plastics and cake. I am curious as to what’s in the
plastics but I know the cake is for me. He always buys me cake
when I’m feeling down or sad. He places the plastics in the back
seat and opens my door. He puts the cake in my lap and returns
to his seat. We then resume our drive.

“If you don’t want that, I will stop the car and feed it to you.”
He threatens and I chuckle.
“It doesn’t look fresh though.” I complain and he rolls his eyes.
“You are a long way from Durban to complain about the
freshness of the cakes, mkami.” I pout and he laughs. “Relax.
Our children are going to be fine. You might have neglected
your ancestors but they would never be this cruel to you. It’s
just a warning but it’s good because we are grabbing the bull by
the horns.” I nod and look outside the window. I feel so lost. I
don’t know what to do or how to react to this.

The remainder of our journey is filled with silence. When my

husband drives up the Kwa-Nanzi heel before reaching eTsheni,
I take a deep breath. This is it. I direct him on where to turn and
as we descend the mountain that leads to my childhood home, I
am bombarded with nostalgia. I am taken back to my
childhood. Running up and down the mountains. Fetching
water from the valley. Fetching wood from the fields. Attending
Sunday service. Assisting dad with his regular patients because
he was a prophet of God and many people came from different
places just to consult with him and they really got the help they
needed. I believe mom was more powerful than dad but she
had a traditional gift. Isangoma.

There are so many graves surrounding the chapel that’s outside

the yard. I only remember three of them. The ones that were
said to belong grandparents. I wonder if that was true or not.
My husband parks at where the gate is supposed to be. It takes
me a few minutes to recollect my emotions and put on my
shoes.

“I am giving you 5 minutes. If you don’t come back, I will go in

guns blazing.” I chuckle. Drama even at times like these.
I climb off the car and head to the first house near the gate. It’s
locked, so I don’t bother knocking. People in the rural always
have their doors open unless they are sleeping or out. I move to
the second one which belongs to my older brother’s first wife.
It’s open so I knock and soon, a young child comes to the door.
She smiles up at me.

“Hey, little girl. Is MaDuna in?” she nods and runs back to the
worn out 2 bedroomed house.
“Gogo! Gogo! There is a lady here to see you.” I take that as my
cue to let myself in. A women in her late thirties comes out of
the kitchen and frowns at me.

“Is there something we can help you with, sisi?”

“I am here to see MaDuna. She is not expecting me but I am
sure she would love to see me.” She gives me an assessive look
before heading to a bedroom. I don’t make myself comfortable
in the couches that look like have seen better days. I am not a
snob but I am a cautious person. The lady comes back with a
very old lady and I do a double take before I actually recognize
her as MaDuna. She looks so old and worn out. She squints her
eyes at me before she gasps.

“Sgcino. Is that really you?” that’s the name most people used
to call me, a nickname. We all have those from out past.
“MaDuna, how are you?” last time I checked, she was the
alleged witch in the family. Family drama and dynamics.

“Mtaka Sibongile. We never thought we will see you again.” She

limps until she reaches where I am standing. She holds my
hand. “You look good. Has life been treating you well?” we get
over the pleasantries and I find myself swallowing my pride and
sitting on one of the worn out couches.

“Where is my brother?”
She sighs. “He is currently at Benedictine Hospital. He was
diagnosed with bladder cancer. He went from Inyanga to
Inyanga looking for help but they never did figure out his
problem. When he finally decided to go to the hospital it was
too late. He doesn’t have very long time left.”

I sigh and look down. He inherited my father’s rage regarding

my issue but I don’t have him. “I’m so very sad to hear that. I
also have a problem of my own. My kids are sick and they are
saying I should take them back to where ubaba was born.” She
frowns.

“In Melmoth?” I didn’t even know we originated from Melmoth

but I nod. “I don’t know the whereabouts but your older sister
might know. She lives in KwaMahede, a big house that her son
built for him. It’s by the road. The biggest. You will see it.”

U Ntombikababa. I don’t know why I didn’t keep in touch with

her or any of my sisters. In a way, I just forgot all about my
family and focused on my little ones and my husband. I am sure
she is pissed at me and she won’t even want anything to do
with me. I bid farewell to MaDuna and she instructs one of the
boys in the yard to accompany us. When we get to MaHede,
Ntombikababa is sitting outside but stands up and limps her
way inside the house when her eyes land on me. Here we go.
30
So, you finally decided to swallow your pride and return
home?” Ntombikababa asks. She didn’t mind letting us sit
outside her gate for 2 hours before welcoming us in, with
hostility if I might add. She looks old and the resemblance
between her and mom is uncanny.
“I am sorry for not being in touch all these years. You know
what dad wanted from me and I couldn’t give him that. My
husband swore to protect me and he did just that. I know I
should have came back home to reconcile with everyone after
dad’s death but I just couldn’t. It doesn’t excuse my behaviour
but I’m sorry.”

“And you’re only here because something bad has happened

right?” how did she…? “I still know you like the back of my
hand, Sgcino. Plus your eyes are all red and puffy. It has
something to do with your kids, right? I figured they were the
only people who would make you go back to your roots.”

I nod. “Yeah. They are in an ancestral comma. The Mkhize

ancestors are mad and they are taking out their frustrations on
my children.”
“How many are they?”
“Five.”
“And is one of them spiritually gifted?” I nod. “No wonder.
Anyways, you have to go back to Melmoth. Dad’s family will
assist you with everything you need. I know you don’t know the
direction, so I will go with you.”

“Thank you so much, sisi. Now if you don’t mind me asking,

what happened to your leg?”
“Your kids’ health is much more important than my non-
existent leg, so don’t worry about it. Go sleep at the lodge in
Buxedene and we will leave tomorrow, 3am sharp.”
I stand up and smile at her. “Thank you, sisi. You have been very
helpful. I will see you tomorrow.” I wave and then walk out. She
didn’t even ask to see my husband, but I don’t blame her.

“How did that go?” Ndosi asks as soon as I join him in the car.
“She will help us. We are going to Melmoth tomorrow morning.
I don’t know how Thando will make it in time.”
“Don’t stress about it. She is already on a private jet and will be
landing in Joburg either tonight or tomorrow morning.” He
squeezes my hand and the focuses on the road. “So where to?”

×××

It took us a few hours to get to Melmoth. When we get there,

we park outside a petrol station, waiting for my children to
arrive. Kuhle and his entourage drive in about thirty minute
later. He comes out of his car and walks towards ours. He looks
all high and mighty with his head held up high but I know he is
slowly dying inside. He loves my daughter unconditionally, so if
something happens to her, he can't handle it.

He greets us and then moves to lean on the car next to my

husband. They are not best friends or anything but they do
tolerate each other and I think my husband likes him for the
way Kuhle treats our daughter.

"So your daughter married a prince? How did that happen?" My

sister asks and I sigh.
"He was a client wanting my daughter to build a house for him
and things just got heated. I guess they were meant to be." I
shrug and she chuckles.

"One child is a princess, another is a celebrity, another is a

designer. You have done an amazing job raising kids and letting
them choose their own paths." I did not expect her to
compliment my parenting skills.
"Wow, thank you."

She looks up as another car drives in and parks next to ours.

"Your kids did nothing wrong to me. You are the one who
abandoned us, so I have no ill feelings towards them. They are
also my kids and that's why I am here. Even though you were
never there when I buried mine one by one until only the last
born was left."

I swallow hard and turn to look at her. "What do you mean?"

My voice is a bit shaky and my eyes immediately fill with tears.
"God gifted me with 6 kids and I buried all 5 of them. Sthandwa
was run over by a car in Richards Bay. Sithunywa and Makhosi
suffered from a disease and as they came into the world shortly
after the other, they departed the world in that manner.
Melaphi drowned in the river and thieves robbed and killed my
little Thabile on her visit to Newcastle. My little sister wasn't
there to support me because of some silly grudge she had over
our long dead father. You are some real piece of work." She
climbs out of the car and slowly limps her way into the
convenient store.

It feels like someone has just shoved their hand into my chest
and plucked my heart out. I try to minimize my sobs but it's
futile because a moment later, my husband is by my side,
holding me and asking if there is something wrong. I just shake
my head. I can't even formulate words to express how selfish
and self-centered I have been. In my quest for a peaceful life
away from my father's claws, I abandoned my siblings and there
is no excuse for that.
"Mkami, you are worrying me. All your kids are here now and
they will get help, but you seem more hysterical about
something else. Please tell me what happened so that I can be
there for you and carry your burden." He wipes my tears as he
stares into my eyes. There is no keeping things from him,
especially when he's like this. So sincere and so present. I wish
every woman marries a man who will be this attentive and so
affectionate for as long as you both live. We all deserve it.

"My sister's kids passed. She had 6 but now she is left with one
and I wasn't there for her emotionally and physically. I lived
with this silly grudge over my father and forgot that I had
siblings who cared and mattered to me. I abandoned them.
Even though I wasn't going to bring back their kids to life, the
least I could have done is be there for them. I am such a selfish
person." I continue crying and he doesn't say anything. He
doesn't need to lie to me. He is the most honest man I know
and he isn't afraid to speak his mind.

"There is nothing you can do to change the past, Jabu. She

might be bitter about what went down while you weren't there,
but there is nothing stopping you from mending your
relationship right now. After all this is done, you can go back
home and fix your relationships with your remaining siblings.
It's good that they are still alive, right?" He tries to see the
positive in every situation. One of the reason why I will forever
love him. "Now, let's calm down and try to fix this situation with
our kids. After that is done, we will move on to another
problem."

He takes out his handkerchief and wipes my face before putting

it back to his pocket. My sister comes out of the store with a
guard walking beside her, carrying a plastic. She is talking,
making gestures with her hands and the guard is smiling, clearly
amused. He helps her climb back into the car and closes the
door after her.

"We are good to go, right?" She asks, drinking Maheu that she
bought from the store.
"Yeah." My husband responds before sliding in the driver's seat.

***

She tells the car to slow down and lowers the window before
calling a young boy who is kicking a ball on the gravel road. He
looks dirty but carefree. That's the thing about kids from the
rurals. They have close to nothing but they are carefree. I miss
that carefree attitude.
"Hey boy. We are looking for a Mkhize homestead. Do you mind
pointing us to the nearest one?" She asks politely and the boy
starts directing her. I think he mentioned two homesteads. One
over the hill and one 10 minutes away from where we are.
"That was very helpful. Thank you my boy." She takes out some
chips and hands them to the boy. He smiles widely before
waving as we drive off.

We get to the first homestead over the hill and it looks some
abandoned hut. I know a lot about rural homes to know that no
one has stayed in this house for years. My husband climbs out
of the car and walks towards the man who is walking past the
house we were told to go to. They chat for a few moments
before shaking hands. He comes back and starts the ignition.

"We will have better luck in the next homestead. They are a
prominent family, so if they are not the ones we are looking for,
they will know the exact place we wanna go to."

We continue driving and as we approach a really big homestead

which looks like Zuma's Inkandla, my sister starts groaning and
burping like a weird sangoma seeing things. The cars park
outside the gate and immediately there are strong winds that
blows all around us. Ntombikababa burps loudly and my
husband looks at me.
"From my experience with Nomalanga, we are definitely at the
right place."
31
JABULILE CELE

Due to the sudden weather change, we stay in the cars.

Everyone knows that once there are heavy winds in the rural
areas, you get dirty whether you like it or not. A security guard
opens the gate and comes out. He walks straight to our car
because it's the nearest one and knocks at my husband's
window. Ndosi opens the window.

"Is there something we can help you with?" The security asks.
He looks a bit old. Definitely not strong enough to guard such a
big homestead but maybe there are armed men guarding the
perimeter that we haven't seen yet. Before my husband
answers, I take over.
"We are on a quest lapha baba. Is this the home of Nqobimpi
Solomon Mkhize?" I ask and the man frowns.
"No one has heard that name around here in a long time. Why
are you looking for him?" There is so much hostility in his voice
and body language.
"Stop asking questions, young man, and let us in." My sister
groans from the back seat, almost sounding more like a man.
The security frowns and steps back a little.

My sister climbs out of the car and I have no choice but to

follow her. She limps to the gate and the security does nothing
to stop her. The gate opens but Ntombi doesn't step inside. She
remains rooted on the ground. Few moments later, a couple of
people come to the gate from inside the homestead. One of
them is an old man who resembles my father in such an
uncanny way. He is dressed in sangoma regalia.

"Ntombikababa, it took you long enough to find your way

home." The man who looks like my father starts off. He is just as
tall as him, same complexion, the only thing that differentiates
them is the pot belly. This one doesn't have it.
Ntombi clears her throat. "How do you know me?" The man
laughs and then turns to one of the people standing besides
him.
"Bring us water in a basin and a live chicken." He orders and a
young man quickly walks away. He then turns to us. "I knew
that one day my brother's actions will come back to haunt him.
How are your children?" That question is directed to me
because he is looking straight at me with a small smile on his
face. He is dad's brother. He should be way older and grey but I
guess he takes good care of himself. So weird.

"Not good. They are the reason why we are here." I start off and
he grins.
"I know why you are here. How is the one with a gift like mine?
U Lwandle?" This man must be powerful enough to know my
daughter's name. Lwandlelwethu is a name that my mother
used to say she would have named me with if the Home Affairs
people did not write English names on my birth certificate. It
was special and that's why I gave it to Futhi.

"She is unconscious." I respond and he shakes his head.

"That one is lost for now. The ancestors like her and they wanna
keep her." Say what now? The young man from earlier comes
back with a basin and another one is carrying a live chicken. My
father's brother steps out of the gate and instructs them to put
the basin in front of me. They also hand me the chicken. What
the hell am I supposed to do with it? "Your father left this place
in a bad way. He wasn't in speaking terms with our father and
that has stirred a lot of trouble. This is all part of his rage. Kill
that chicken and pour a bit of its blood in the basin. Then wash
your hands, all of you, including the children, and then you can
step inside the gates." Hebana. Kill a chicken? How? Last time I
did that was almost 45 years ago. Most of the time, my brothers
did it for me. Guys were there for a reason.

Ntombi scoffs. "Oww for god sake." She takes the chicken from
my arms and twists its neck, murdering it in the process, and
then spills a few drop of its blood in the basin. She then discards
it and washes her hands in the basin. That was so cruel. Animal
cruelty people, did you see this? No wonder some of y'all are
vegetarians. Aibo. This is scary. I also wash my hands in the
basin and order the guards to bring my children out of the cars.
They help them wash their hands in their unconscious state.
When it's Futhy's turn, my father's brother shakes his head.
What is it now?

"That one needs a goat and her father should purchase it

himself. The boys will accompany him where he will get it. Take
her back inside the car and the others, you can take them to my
hut." He instructs and I am so confused. The guards are
accompanied by the servants inside the gates and my sister
follows them. "I am Thokozani Mkhize, by the way. Your father's
younger brother." He smiles. "You can come in when you're
done." He turns and walks away. I head over to Ndosi who is
leaning on his car.

"You have to go and buy a goat as soon as possible." I inform

him and he nods. I guess he heard all that Uncle Thokozani said
seeing that he is not asking any questions. "One of the boys will
accompany you." He steps closer to me and cups my cheek.
"Are you going to be okay?" His voice is so soft. When he speaks
like this, all I wanna do is wrap myself around him and never let
go.
I nod. "Yeah, I will be fine. Go. We need to help Futhy as soon as
we can. Uncle Thokozani said some strange things that left me
confused and a bit scared." He frowns. "The sangoma. He is my
father's younger brother apparently. He should be using a
walking stick if not a wheelchair by now, but he is strong as a
horse."

He chuckles. "Okay. I will be back soon." He kisses my forehead

and walks away. I walk to the car where Futhy is sleeping and sit
next to her. I brush hair away from her forehead and sigh. Why
did life had to be so difficult on her? She is only a child. My
child. She doesn't deserve all this.
32
JABULILE CELE
The whole cleansing part of the ceremony gets done and we
finally step inside the yard. We are led to Uncle Thokozani’s hut
where all my kids are laid out on grass mats. Seeing them in this
situation brings tears to my eyes but I hold them back. I have
cried enough. Right now, I just need to focus on them getting
better and getting back to their daily lives. They have lost two
whole days just sleeping and doing nothing, and knowing the
kind of busy people they are, that is a lot. Thokozani burns the
incense and introduces us to the ancestors. He then calls
Ntombi and instructs her to apologize for our father’s sins.
One of the things that make me angry is people dying without
solving problems with their families. They automatically transfer
liability to their descendants and whether they like it or not, it is
their duty to correct your past mistakes. It is just bullshit but we
do their wishes because we don’t want to anger them, right?
“This is just the first step of the cleansing ceremony. Call it an
emergency one because of your kids’ condition, but we have to
do a huge one with all my brother’s descendants. It will also be
a welcoming ceremony. You all are of royal blood and your
ancestors are jealous. You must be introduced them and your
people. That ceremony will be held in a month. Hopefully, that
will give you time to gather everyone else.” He takes the
incense and blows to every one of my kids except for Futhy. One
by one, they cough before waking up.
“What the fuck just happened? Where am I?” Lele is the first
one to ask and I am just so overwhelmed by the whole
situation. I rush over and hug him before moving to his siblings.
“Mom, what is happening? Where are we?”
“You are home, mzukulu.” Thokozani responds with a smile.
Thando looks at me with her eyes wide open. “Mommy, what
am I doing here? Why am I not in Milan? What is going on?
How did I end up here?” she asks all these questions so fast; she
ends up hyperventilate. “This cannot be happening. I can’t sleep
in Europe and wake up in some dodgy hut in South Africa. Can
someone explain to me what is going on?” I hold her and bring
her closer to me. That seems to calm her down a bit.
Thokozani takes this as an opportunity to explain everything. “I
don’t know how much your mother told you about your past,
but I am going to tell you what I know. Your mother’s father,
Nqobimpi, was my older brother. We are a royal family.
Abasembo. He was the eldest son, and he was supposed to take
over the throne. But he somehow found God and that made
him turn his back on his ancestors. When he finally confronted
our father, it led to a huge argument that broke their
relationship. Nqobimpi decided to leave home, turning his back
on everyone and everything, including his birthright, which was
the throne. After he left, my father had no choice but to make
his second son, Siyakha, heir to the throne. Long story short,
Nqobimpi’s actions really angered the ancestors. Our parents
departed this earth without reconciling with their eldest son
and that built resentment deep inside them. They couldn’t
understand how religion could make you turn your back on your
loved ones. Nqobimpi’s descendants were cursed because of
his actions. That’s why his first wife buried five of her kids.
That’s why Ntombi buried five of her kids. That’s why Jabu was
also going to bury all five of her kids. If she had not come here,
you all would have died.” That is a lot to handle, even for me. I
cannot imagine how my children are feeling about this.
“But why is sis Futhy not waking up?” Gcino asks and Thokozani
sighs.
“She has a strong connection with the ancestors. They are
probably showing her the past, present and future. But she is in
safe hands now, so she will wake up as soon as she is ready.”
Ready? Is he for real?
“So, you are trying to tell me that your parents took my children
because of some grudge they had against their son? Why didn’t
they take out their frustrations on him and leave my children
out of it? Why did I have to suffer for his transgressions?”
Ntombi asks with a shaky voice, and I can’t begin to imagine the
pain she is in right now. Finding out that you lost your kids just
because your father left his home. Dad was very selfish, but I
never thought his past mistakes would come back to impact us
like this in the future.
Thokozani exhales loudly. “Ntombi, you of all people know how
the ancestors’ work. They don’t negotiate. Plus, you are the first
daughter. You had to pay for your father’s sins. Your gift also
didn’t make things easy for you. He is also liable for that. Our
ancestors sent a spiritually gifted woman to him just to remind
him of home, but he threw away her sangoma bag and that was
just the cherry on top of the icing. This is not the time to be
angry about what has happened in the past. We just have to
move on and make sure that things like this don’t occur again in
the future.” This is just too much; I am not going to lie. She
limps out of the hut, and I follow her.
“Sisi, wait.” She turns and looks at me with tears streaming
down her face.
“It’s my kids that they decided to make an example with. My
kids, Sgcino. Can you imagine the pain I had to go through
burying my kids one after the other? I have this huge hole in my
heart that no one can fill. No matter how many grandchildren
my remaining son gives me, the void in my heart can’t be filled.
And imagine learning that you suffered this much just because
your stupid father chose Christianity over his family? I used to
resent him for throwing away my mother’s bags but now I hate
him, deeply hate him and I will never forgive him.”
“Sisi, I understand what you are going through, and I am sorry.”
I hug her and she sobs. There is nothing more to say or do
rather than offer comfort. Our father did screw us over and if I
were her, I would also not forgive him. Dad was this selfish and
self-centered individual who only thought about himself and did
not care how his actions impacted the people around him. He
knew very well that he was royalty and how powerful royal
ancestors can be, but chose to forsake them and ended up
cursing all of us in the process. Hhay bandla.
33
I watch as the young girl sings a very peaceful melody that
cleanses the heart and soul. She is weaving the grass, staring
into space but her voice captures your attention even if you
don’t want to. She smiles, shaking her head at some thought
that’s in her head before continuing with the melody. I am
mesmerized by everything she is doing. Her voice, her beauty,
her kindness that you can feel from affair. She feels so pure and
genuine.
“At some point you are going to have to leave this place.” Gogo
comes to stand next to me and I chuckle, starring ahead at the
mesmerizing singer. I love it here. It is so peaceful and quiet.
You don’t have to worry about anything. There is no hunger, no
drowsiness, just peace. If this is what heaven feels like, then I
don’t wanna go.
“Why would I leave this place, gogo? There is so much peace
and tranquillity here. I don’t have to worry about anything. I
just have to enjoy the moment as if it’s my last one. I don’t
wanna leave.”
She scoffs. “You forget that you are not dead yet, Lwandle. You
have eight kids that need you. A husband that would move
mountains for you. Parents who will crumble into pieces if they
were to lose you. Friends who depend on you like you are the
last drop of water on earth. Do you really wanna take that away
from them prematurely? Your kids aren’t even old enough. They
have not experienced full mother’s love.”
I frown, turning to look at her. My kids. The twins. The quads.
They need me. But I am at peace here. I have never felt so calm
and alive before. Not even in my teens. This is a new feeling and
I somehow wanna treasure it. “Gogo, I…”
She shakes her head. “I understand what you feel, mzukulu.
Trust me I do. But this is the place you will come to after you
have walked your whole journey. This is where you will rest for
eternity. But for now, go back to your people. They need you.”
I sigh and stare at the girl with a peaceful melody. I don’t know
what happened but one minute I was cuddled with my husband
and the next, I woke up in the graves. I was so confused about
what was happening until this old woman showed up and
explained everything to me. She is my great-great grandmother.
My great grandfather’s mother who was actually the king.
Inkosi YaseMbo. They were originally from the Bhaca tribe, and
they still practice some Bhaca traditions but living in KwaZulu
Natal forced them to adopt more Zulu traditions.
What happened was that my grandfather, Nqobimpi, was the
eldest son of the late King Gadlazephuke Mkhize. He was the
crowned prince, and he was supposed to take over the throne
after his father’s death. But Nqobimpi found God and that
drove him crazy. He abandoned his family and threw away his
birthright. He relocated to Kwa Nongoma where he started his
own family. His first wife was a spiritually gifted sangoma and
he threw away izikhwama zakhe zobungoma. That angered the
Mkhize ancestors even further and they made sure that most of
his children inherit their mother’s spiritual gift. Not only did the
ancestor’s do that, but they also killed five of my aunts and
uncles. Yeah, the Mkhize ancestors are cruel. Anyways, my
grandfather never reconciled with his family till the day he died,
and his sins befell his descendants. That’s the explanation I got
from my great-great grandmother for being here. The ancestors
were protecting my spirit because it’s not safe for me to float in
between the land of the living and the dead. My spirit is
powerful and if someone were to get a hold of it, shit would go
sideways fast.
“All is going to be well, mzukulu. But your fight is not over yet.”
She holds my hand and squeezes it. “We are behind you
hundred percent. Us and your marital ancestors. We would
never let anything bad happen to you, but you have to show
your will to fight before we even show our support.”
I smile at her. “Thank you, gogo.” I look at the singing girl one
more time before closing my eyes.
“This is not right. It has been twenty-five hours, 34 minutes and
56 seconds since her siblings woke up, but she is just lying
there. Something is wrong. What if the ancestors decided to
change their minds and take her?” Kuhle’s voice is the first thing
that I hear when I gain consciousness. It feels like he is pacing
up and down.
“Calm down, Kuhle. She is going to be fine. The Mr. know it all
uncle said she is going to be fine. Just believe.” My father’s
voice utters and Kuhle scowls. I know he is about to say
something that he will never be able to take back, so I slowly
open my eyes and clear my throat. I look around and this room
is so unfamiliar. “Ntombifuthi.” My father is the one near to me,
so he rushes to squeeze my head and brushes off some hair in
my forehead. “Oww, mtanami.” He brings me up and squeezes
me into his arms. I hear sniffs after that and my heart breaks. I
have never seen my father cry before, but I guess the possibility
of me not waking up nearly broke him.
“Daddy, I am okay.” My voice is a bit hoarse, but I know he
needs to hear it. “I am back now.”
“I thought I lost you.” I can’t even recognize his voice. He stops
hugging me but keeps me at arms’ length. “What happened?
Where were you?” he caresses my cheek.
“Somewhere safe and far away from here.” He sighs and looks
at my husband who looks like he just wants to jump me at any
point. He hugs me again before kissing my forehead and
standing up. “I will let everyone know that you are awake.” He
walks out. Kuhle rushes to the bed and holds me tight to his
chest. He doesn’t say anything for a few minutes before he
takes a deep breath, probably gathering his thoughts. “I had to
make sure you’re the real deal before I said anything.” He starts
off and I snort. “If I had the power, I would kill ancestors
because this gift they gave you scares the shit out of me each
and every time. I can never take a breather because when I
think they are done, they just do something bizarre to throw
me off my game. How am I supposed to be prepared for this,
baby? How?”
I rub his back and sigh. “I can only imagine what you are going
through, myeni wami. I know this is hard, but I did not choose
this. They chose me, so they have the power to use me
however they want.” “But to what end?”
“Till the day I die.” He exhales loudly and looks at me. “You are
my everything, baby. I can’t do this life thing without you. If you
have a way, don’t put me through what just happened again. I
am too old to worry about something uncontrollable like this.
What if my heart fails me and I die while you’re unconscious?
Plead with your ancestors not to scare us like this again.
Please.”
Hearing him say that just breaks my heart. Tears fall down my
cheeks and he wipe them. If he knew that I didn’t want to come
back, he would be heartbroken. So, this is something I will keep
from him till the day I die. “I love you, Kuhlekonke.”
34
Being in this home feels so weird, yet so comforting. My
husband has been with me since I woke up and he doesn’t want
to leave my side. It’s like he is afraid I will fall into a spiritual
comma once again. I am tired of being locked up, so I decide to
go out and see my maternal family. The palace is not as big as
the Zulu one but it’s close. You can see that this family is well
off. We get to the lounge area which is filled with so many
unfamiliar faces. I head over to sit next to my siblings and Kuhle
sits next to me.
“How are you feeling, niece?” One older guy asks. I know he is
the king, not only by his regalia, but I have seen him before. In
my dreams.
“I am okay, my king. Can someone explain to me a few things
before I crack my head?”
“But why? You already know everything. You have seen
everything.” Mkhulu Thokozani chirps in with a smile. I know he
is my grandfather’s younger brother, and he is a powerful
sangoma.
“But some of us don’t have a gift of seeing into the past, so we
would like to know in detail what is going on. Personally, I
wanna hear the story once again. I didn’t get it right the first
time.” Gcino comments. There is no playfulness in his tone. You
know things are serious when the Cele family clown wants
answers.
An older woman clears her throat, and we all turn to look at
her. She looks like the gogo from my coma. These people look a
lot alike. Their noses are weirdly shaped in the same way, and
now that I am seeing mom with them, I can see the
resemblance. There is a woman seated next to her who looks
like an older version of some old woman who I once dreamt
about, she was in a wheelchair though, so I guess it was a
different person.
“My name is Zasembo Mkhonza, I am your grandfather’s
younger sister. Our father had 6 wives and they all gave him
children, but bhut Nqobimpi was the first born and the heir to
the throne. He was okay with it for a while, until some white
people passed our village, preaching about Christianity. They
left the word with some old man here and ordained him a
pastor. He continued to preach the word and our brother
became his disciple. He was obsessed with the religion that he
began forsaking his duties as the crowned prince. He even
missed some important occasions just because him and his
pastor were preaching the word of God around the village.
Then one day, he had a big argument with our father. The king
was upset that Nqobimpi was just doing as he pleases, all in the
name of religion. When it came down to choices, he chose his
religion over his family and decided there and then to pack up
his belongings and leave without making amends with father.
“That left the family in shambles and broke mom’s heart.
People knew that Siyakha, the second son, was going to be heir
to the throne. Even though he was born by the second wife, he
was the eldest son in the yard, so that made him the perfect
candidate. But somehow Khehla, the fifth son, thought he was
going to become the next king because he was the second son
of the eldest wife. There was a huge fight between the two
siblings that resulted in one of them attempting to kill the other.
Khehla was banished from the palace after that and that plus
Nqobimpi’s own drama, killed our mother, the first wife.
Knowing the modern diagnosis now, I know she died due to a
heart failure but back then, fingers were pointed. Basically
Nqobimpi’s departure caused a lot of troubles and turmoil.
“Anyways, Siyakha was crowned king after father died and he
had three wives. King Vulamasango was his eldest son and now
the ruler of Abasembo Kingdom. We know that we can’t wake
bhut Nqobimpi and our father just so they can bury the hatchet,
but your generation can appease on their behalf and hopefully
that will be enough to get rid of all the bad luck.” That was a
mouthful.
The woman seated next to my mother chuckles. I think it’s her
older sister or something. Wild how we never met anyone in my
mother’s side of the family until now. We never wanted to pry
into her past seeing that she didn’t want to share it with us, but
this is a lot. “You, of all people, know how stubborn my father
way. Even Sgcino left home because of his crazy life choices.
What makes you think that now he is ready for reconciliation?
He has nothing to lose. How will this benefit him? He hated
traditional ceremonies, so I don’t think we should do anything
about it. Somehow, my children have already been sacrificed for
his stupid mistakes, so I don’t want anything to do with him.” I
can feel her anger from where I am seated. She harbours a lot
of hate for her father and a black veil is covering her. It seems
like she is still in mourning, but she is wearing colourful clothes.
That can only mean she is still grieving at heart.
“I think the ceremonies are mainly for the living.” I start off and
she looks at me. “You are covered in a black veil and your heart
is full of hatred. You know very well that your gift and what you
feel right now don’t mix. That’s why you haven’t been seeing
visions a lot. That’s because of what is inside you. You should do
the ceremonies for your own good so that this generation curse
ends. You don’t want what happened to you to repeat itself
with your grandchildren now, do you?” she looks at me and her
eyes water, but her tears don’t fall. “Thabile has a beautiful
angelic voice.” Her eyes pop out. “I saw her when I was in their
world. Her voice set my heart at ease. She is at peace, and I am
sure she wants the same for her mother.” Her lower lip quivers
before she starts sobbing. Mom comforts her. “I didn’t mean to
bring you back painful memories, but we all need this. I have
eight children and I know I would die if I were to bury five of
them.”
“You are one powerful seer, Lwandle. But you haven’t unlocked
your full power. It was gifted to you by our ancestors, so your
final initiation process has to be done the night before the
welcoming ceremony for all Nqobimpi’s descendants. You will
lead the whole cleansing and reconciliation process. We need
two channelers who will be able to communicate with both
baba and Nqobimpi. They should have a conversation to but
everything in bed so that our brother can finally be reconciled
with his ancestors because right now he is just wondering
around like a headless chicken.” Mkhulu Thokozani explains,
and I nod. I know everything that he is talking about. The
ancestors already showed me.
“Your husband has to pay lobola for you and your children here
at the royal house. Same as your father. They are not
recognised by the ancestors and their presence is not
welcomed here.” He furthers and my father chuckles. I know he
is saying ‘that’s crazy’ in his head. That’s also what I think.
Ancestors and their crazy demands. “That also applies to you,
Busi.” My sister just nods. She looks so drained and a bit slimer
than I last saw her. I make note to chat to her after this informal
meeting.
“That means I can’t go back to the UK until these ceremonies
are carried out?” Thando asks and Mkhulu Thokozani nods. She
sighs. “Now I have to miss Milan Fashion Week. Yuh, ma
ancestors.” Everyone in here looks serious but her comment is
funny, so I laugh, and she joins me. I hope better days are
coming.
35
This near-death experience was a blessing in disguise. It
brought together our family and it has been so long since we
were all under the same roof. Busi hardly comes home because
she took this marriage thing seriously. She doesn’t visit home
unless it is really necessary. Like an event or a birthday
celebration. But never randomly like Kuhle and I. Thando lives
overseas, so I can’t exactly blame her for not coming home
every now and then, but she is better than Busi. My older sister
just isolates herself and I think it has more to do with personal
and marital problems.
“You lost weight. What’s going on?” I ask as soon as we are
alone with Thando. She sighs and looks outside the window.
“I know you think you are everyone’s rock, but you can’t fix
every problem that you come across. And I am on a special diet.
That’s why I lost weight. When was the last time you saw me?”
she challenges, and I chuckle.
“You do know that all I have to do is touch you and I will know
everything about what’s going on with you?”
She scoffs. “Have it your way.” She extends her hand and I look
at it before looking at her eyes that carry so much sadness and
grief. Her heart is so heavy, and I immediately feel a stab into
my own heart. Like someone is plugging a knife into it over and
over again.
I gasp and my eyes water. I suddenly feel like a weight has been
placed on my back and I can’t breathe. “Busi, please talk now
because this is weighing down on me. Literally. And that is not
good for me.”
She chuckles angrily. “Why does everything have to be about
you? Now I am forced to speak out just because you said so?
You are not the boss of me, Futhy. I just want to leave this
godforsaken place and go back to my house. You all are too
much.” Her words weigh heavily on my shoulder so much that I
slowly slide off the bed and my knees hit the floor before I
know it.
“Busi come on. Speak before something happens.” Thando
pleads in a frantic voice. My vision darkens until I see only
darkness swallowing my family little by little.
“Futhy, Futhy.” I hear Busi calling me, and I feel her coming
near. She touches my shoulders and I scurry away from her
touch. Slowly, my vision goes back to normal, and I can see her
sitting in front of me. “He is not the man I fell in love with and
married. He changed within the past two years. He started
having more business trips, late night meetings, incoming texts
and calls that made him smile like a lovesick teenager. At first, I
brushed off his behaviour. But then he started missing date
nights, not spending time with the kids or finding an excuse to
ditch family time. When I confronted him, he turned me into
some overthinking psycho and said all my facts were just in my
head. I had too much time on my plate. Then he gave me
money and said I should go on a vacation to clear my head.
“I dismissed my suspicious and planned my trip. I was supposed
to leave on a Thursday, but something came up and I had to
reschedule my flight. I didn’t tell him about the changes. I went
to surprise him on Thursday night at his workplace, but I am the
one who got the shock of a lifetime. He was fucking one of his
colleagues on his desk and he was screaming like never before. I
screamed and he turned. That was the first time he had the
decency to act shocked. He apologized and said the lady
seduced him and all that bullshit. That was just the start of the
whole drama. He continued cheating and when I told him that I
am going to leave and take my kids with me, he said ‘Futhy will
laugh in your face. She is still married but you are going to go
back home and become a laughingstock. You wanna teach
Thando to give up on love just because of a few hiccups?’ that’s
how the emotional abuse started. He would tell me I am
nothing without him. I even regrated resigning from my job
because that somehow gave him the right to shit on my head.”
She continues telling us all the things she has been through and
by the time she is done, instead of being sad and sympathizing
with her, I feel this intense anger emanating from deep within.
It’s like something or someone takes over my body that instant.
I stand up and open the door. I march downstairs where all the
men are seated and head straight to Busi’s husband.
NARRATED
Futhy walked into the lounge area where all the men were
seated. She headed straight for Busi’s husband, grabbed him by
the neck and gave him a mean right hook that shocked him to
death. He tried freeing himself from Futhy’s hold but she was
too strong. She gave him another punch and banged his head in
the table. The men were shocked by all this while the women,
who were now at the doorway, screamed.
“Futhy, what are you doing?” Busi shouted but Busi couldn’t
hear anything.
“HOW DARE YOU MISTREAT MY DESCENDANT?” Futhy asked
but the voice was not hers. It was a hoarse voice that no one
had heard before. “SHE SHED TEARS IN THE ROYAL GROUNDS
BECAUSE OF YOU! HOW DARE YOU ABUSE HER? WHO ARE YOU
TO TREAT MY OWN BLOOD LIKE THAT? A FUCKING COMMONER
WITH NO OUNCE OF ROYAL BLOOD? HURTING A PRINCESS? DO
YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU UNDERSTAND MY POWER? I
CAN END YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY NOW WITHOUT
BLINKING AN EYE! MAYBE I SHOULD DO IT!” She pulled him up
and punched him again so hard that he landed on the floor.
“Lwandle.” Thokozani called out and Futhy turned to look at
him, anger written all over her face.
“WENA THOKOZANI, HOW DARE YOU SIT THERE IN THAT HIGH
HORSE OF YOURS AND WATCH WHILE MY CHILDREN SUFFER?
WE GAVE YOU THIS GIFT JUST SO YOU COULD IGNORE ALL THE
SIGNS AND THE VISIONS SHOWN TO YOU?” She asked with her
head tilted to the side and turned to walk towards him. “WE
SHOULD TAKE THIS GIFT OF YOURS BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW
HOW TO UTILIZE IT.”
It took Thokozani a while for him to realize that this wasn’t
Futhy, but someone else had inhibited Futhy’s body. A spirit of a
great ancestor. His great-great-great aunt, one of the most
powerful healers the Mkhize royal family has ever had. She had
a temper, and she was known for being violent if something
angered her. She had never revealed herself to him, even by
dream or vision. This was a first and Thokozani felt so
overwhelmed. “Anti…”
Futhy scoffed. “ANTI MY FOOT. I DON’T WANT THIS BOY HERE
OR ANYWHERE NEAR MY GRANDCHILD. IF HE GOES AGAINST
MY WISHES, I WILL END HIM!” She stepped on Busi’s husband’s
ankle who cried out in pain. She then walked to Ndosi and
smirked at him. “HE IS YOURS TO DEAL WITH, NOW. DON’T
DISAPPOINT ME!” instead of going back to the bedroom
upstairs, she walked out of the palace and headed to the kraal.
Back inside the house, everyone was shocked by what had
happened. Busi’s husband groaned and sat up. “What the hell
just happened?” he murmured. Ndosi glanced at him for a few
moments before turning to his eldest daughter.
“Busisiwe, mind explaining what just happened?” he asked Busi
who was glued to the doorway like a statue. She couldn’t
believe what just happened. She got to witness firsthand just
how powerful her sister was and how intense her power can
get. She blinked a few moments before turning her focus to her
father. She swallowed hard. The time had come for Ndosi to
know everything and there was no way of dodging this.
36
BUSISIWE SEIPHUMA

Morena was once a loving and caring husband. He was

obsessed with me and gave me everything I asked for. He was
my pillar of strength in times of need and my best friend. Year
after year I was sure that I chose the right man to spend the rest
of my life with. But things changed when he suddenly came
home late, missed scheduled dates, missed the kids’ school
events and blame everything on his workload. I thought that it
was really work until I found out that he was cheating. At first
he was decent enough to try and hide it but as time went on, he
didn’t give a fuck about his hoe ways. He didn’t care to hide
them. He wanted me to find out. To know that he was cheating
on me but still stay in the relationship because I was too
ashamed to go back home and tell everyone that my marriage
failed simply because I couldn’t handle just mere infidelities.

My father is known for having a short temper when you mess

with his family. So it’s not a surprise that he has pulled me
outside and is prompting me to tell him everything about my
failed marriage. The look he gives me just makes me so
emotional. I find myself tearing up. He hugs me and I just break
down in his arms. I don’t know when was the last time I actually
received this kind of attention from my father. It’s not even his
fault. It’s just that I have been so distant with my family. I don’t
even come to visit them unless I am dropping off the kids if they
wanna visit for holidays.

“Talk to me, Sqalo SamaNdosi. What is it? You know I can’t help
if you don’t use your words.” His tone is so soft. It just triggers a
lot of emotions. I tell him every single detail while sobbing. I can
hardly hear what I am saying but it seems like he can hear me
because he is nodding. He slowly pushes me away from his
chest and clears his throat. “You know that I love you, right?”

“Yes baba.”
“You were proof of my fertility and you will forever be the apple
of my life and my first love. You are a part of me. You were
literally made by me. So you are mine. If anyone hurts you, it
means they hurt me. Sqalo, I will ask you a few questions. Have
I ever cheated on your mother?” I shake my head. My father is
so obsessed with Jabu. He doesn’t even look at other women
with longing or lust in his eyes. “Have I ever abused her
physically or emotionally?” I shake my head. “She and I have
been married for 39 years. Have you ever seen her cry because
of me?” I shake my head.

“You are an adult, Busi. You know that the only acceptable tears
from your partner are tears of pleasure or laughter. Nothing
else. I have treated your mother like a queen, not just because
of my unconditional love for her. Another reason is because I
am setting standards for you and your siblings. You girls need to
see how your men should treat you. It’s no rocket science. If
you choose to marry a woman, it means you are choosing her
out of the millions of women out there. She is special and she
should be cherished forever.

“Marriage doesn’t have an expiry date. Even if your partner

dies, you can choose to stay married to them and never move
on. What you must know mtanami is that not all men cheat.
That’s just an excuse women use when they want to stay in
toxic relationships. Destroying an already worn out house and
building a new one can be scary if you’re too comfortable in
that leaking house, but change can be good. You matter and
your feelings matter. But think about your baby girl. Would you
want her to endure the same fate as you in the future? Do you
want Thabang to treat women the same way his father is
treating you? The fact that you still stay even if you can see that
things are bad means you are enabling him. Is this a great
example you are setting for them?”

I shake my head. My father’s words hit hard because I know

they are true. I want my children to look up to me but there are
some things that I don’t want them to copy. Like how I had to
endure this crazy behavior from my husband. “How do I start
over, baba?” I ask because I don’t know where to go from here.

“You are my child, Busisiwe. Even when you’re old and grey, I
will never get tired of helping you. Right now you need me
more than ever. You can either come back home and stay there
until you get back on your feet or I can rent out an apartment
for you. Those are the only two options available for you. You
are my child. Feeding you is not a burden. It’s my responsibility
and I love it when I am able to provide for you guys.”

I take a deep breath and think about my options. As much as I

want my own space, I need the emotional and physical support
from my parents. I am not strong enough to stay alone with two
kids. I am still going through a lot. I need to heal without
appearing like a fuckin mess to my kids. “I don’t mind staying
with you guys.”

He smiles and hugs me. “I will tell Kuhle’s people to go to your

house and collect everything that belongs to you. I don’t want
you going back to that hell.” He stands up. “Now that’s out of
the way, I need to deal with that cockroach that thinks he can
mess with my child and get away with it.” He heads inside the
house and I quickly follow him. My brothers are already sitting
on either sides of Morena who looks like he is seconds away
from pissing on his pants.

“I don’t want to spill blood in my in-laws yard, so let’s go

outside.” He orders and Gcino and Lele drag Morena out of the
Mkhize yard. They continue dragging him down the road until
they are maybe 200 meters away from the gate. My father takes
off his coat and t-shirt. He places them on the ground and looks
at Morena in disgust. “When I am done with you, you will never
want to see a woman near you ever again.” He gives him one
mean punch that lands Morena on the ground. Ndosi kicks him
and Morena just wails like a pathetic spineless man. Why did I
allow myself to be hurt by this person again?
37
Getting all my grandfather’s descendants have been a lot of
work. Some of them live in Cape Town, others in Gauteng. They
are scattered all over the country and they live different lives. I
learned that he had twenty kids. Twelve from his first wife,
which is my mom’s mother, five from the second wife and three
from the third wife. He might have had other kids outside his
marriage but no one knows anything about them. His kids had
their own children so he has about two hundred plus
descendants. Him and his bloodline took God’s statement
literally when he said “Be fruitful and multiply”.

Everyone knows that every family has its problems. Especially a

big one like the Mkhize Family. The royal house had to book out
nearby lodges just to accommodate everyone because they are
just too many. I would have gladly given up my room for
someone else but Mkhulu Thokozani said I should be here at all
times just so the ceremony will go accordingly. I am sharing the
room with my kids. Yes, they are here, all eight of them. They
are so excited about connecting with new cousins, uncles and
aunts. You would think they have a shortage of that at the Royal
house but then kids are kids. Anything can excite them.

I head to the kids’ dining room and find most of the kids there
eating their breakfast. I count all my kids but I frown when I
notice that one of the quads is missing. Sibonge to be exact.
“Mahle.” I call out and Amahle looks up. “Where is your
brother?”

“With the cows, mama.” She responds.

What the hell is Kuhlesibonge doing with cows? I walk outside
and I actually spot him in the kraal sitting with the king and
some of the older men in the family. Hebana u Sibonge. I stand
outside the kraal and greet them. “Nina basembo.”

The king smiles. “Mshana. Your son is quite the character.” I

chuckle.
“Yeah. What was he saying?” I ask.
“Deep things a young one like him shouldn’t be saying. See you
soon, young prince.” Sibonge climbs off the king’s lap and
comes to me. I pick him up and head inside the house.

“Sibonge, why weren’t you eating with the kids?”

“I had a message for mkhulu from his mkhulu.” I frown.

This can’t be happening. The ancestors cannot be using my son

to do their work. There are so many people who would die to
have a gift. Even those who fake it for clout. Why did the
ancestors not pick them? Why my son? He is too young for this.
“Next time you receive a message, how about you come to me
first?”
“Ohh, okay. I will do so. Mommy?” I look at him. “I saw Mahle’s
other mom. She wants her children. She kept shouting “I want
my children” but the Zulu people kept them out of reach.” I
swallow hard. No. This has to stop. Now. No son of mine is
going to have visions of dead people until he is of age.

“How about you eat with your siblings and I will bake some
cookies for you later on? Deal?” He grins and nods. I leave him
at the kids’ dining area and head to Thokozani’s hut. I enter and
sit near the door. Real healers know you never get comfortable
inside another healer’s sanctuary. Especially when they use
different types of medicines and herbs that I don’t use. He is
busy mixing some concoction.

“Lwandle, how can I help you?” he asks without raising his

head.
“Mkhulu, my son, Sibonge, has a calling. It is making him see
very deep things. Things a child like him shouldn’t see. I want to
find a way to keep the gift dormant at least until he is 16 or 18.”

“Your last born? The one with white and blue beads?” I nod. He
is always wearing those beads. I don’t know where he got then
from. You can remove them from his wrist at night and he will
wake up the following morning wearing them. Very strange if
you ask me. “Lwandle, you do know that we can’t control these
things. There is a reason the ancestors revealed his gift at such
an age. Who are we to tempt with strong forces?”

I shake my head. “Mkhulu, you don’t understand. My son is

only 4. He doesn’t even remember what he had for dinner last
night. Why should he be bestowed with such gift? He deserves
freedom. A normal childhood. And he won’t get all that if this
gift is standing in his way. I got it at a later stage in life and I am
still not used to it, its intensity and the things I see that normal
people can’t see with their naked eyes. Sue me for caring about
my sons mental health. I am a mother.”

He sighs. “This has never been done before, but we can consult
with the Zulu ancestors and plead with them. We will do an
appeasing ceremony and if they accept it, we will proceed with
putting his idlozi to sleep. I should warn you, Lwandle. There
might be permanent consequences to this. If it succeeds, idlozi
might come back stronger and violently when he decides to
wake it up. I suggest you speak to your husband about this
before moving forward. You shouldn’t decide on this alone.”

I sigh. I know Kuhle will agree with me. Even my gift still scares
him. So I don’t think he is ready to deal with both the drama
from Sibonge and I. “I will talk to him, mkhulu. So when do you
think the ceremonies can be done?”
“After this event that we are preparing for.” I nod.
“Sibonge said something weird, mkhulu. He told me that
Kuhle’s ex wife wants her kids. She is dead by the way. So I think
she came in a dream and demanded the kids but according to
Sibonge, the Zulu ancestors fought back. But I’m worried about
this.”

“You can’t fight a ghost, Lwandle. Ithonga lakho is very pure. All
you have to do is pray, strengthen your house and family so that
no unwanted entity will get to them. Can you do that?”

I exhale loudly. “I think I can.”

×××

My husband is staying at the Mtonjaneni Lodge just so he can

be near his family. There is not much in this small town. So we
decide to meet up at Steers in Melmoth Mall. I don’t know
when was the last time I had a Steers burger. Maybe 8 years
ago.

“You okay, mkami?” he asks. Now that he is here, I don’t know

where to start.
“How are the lobola preparations going?”

He laughs. “You know I don’t have to prepare anything, baby.

Those 100 cows they wanted, I have them in my kraal. I can
even bring them tomorrow to your home, but I guess I will have
to wait for next week.” I chuckle. Last time he paid lobola, it
wasn’t this intense. They actually demanded cows for each and
every kid he gave me, for the king, for idlozi, for my mom, and a
whole bunch of others. I would say they are dramatic, but when
marrying into royalty, you should understand that royal blooded
women don’t come cheap. They charged Ndosi omkhulu 60
cows. When he was told the number, he just rolled his eyes.

“That’s good to hear. I don’t want you running away because of

the second lobola.”
He smiles. “I would rather go bankrupt than not have you in my
life.” God. Look at me blushing. “I should get a medal for
making you blush even after 7 years of marriage.”

I laugh. He deserves it. “How’s business going?” ever since I

came to the Mkhize palace, I haven’t done anything that
concerns work. I want to deal with this family issue and be done
with it because I know how distracting my work can be.

“All is well. You are gaining new clients every day but you will
deal with that after the whole Mkhize drama. Anyways, what’s
eating you?” I frown. “Come on, Futhy. You are my wife. I can
feel when you’re not okay, even when you are laughing as if
everything is okay.”

I swallow hard and push away my food. I start telling him about
everything I discussed with mkhulu Thokozani. He listens
attentively the whole time without interrupting me. When I am
done, he sips on his drink and plays with his watch. That’s a
habit of his when he is caught between a rock and a hard place.
“We don’t have to decide now, my love. Take your time.”

He shakes his head. “Putting Sibonge’s idlozi to sleep is a wise

choice. I remember how he scared me when you were in the
ancestral coma. He just said you were not there, you were in
the land of the ancestors. I don’t want him to be discriminated
or be viewed as weird because of his gift. Already he is going to
get extra attention because of his surname, but he deserves
some normalcy in a way.”

I nod. “It would be great to send them overseas just so they can
have a normal life. But of course we will go with them.”
“I don’t know about that, mkami. You do remember I am a
crowned prince, right? I can’t stay away from home.”.
“But ubaba isn’t going to die or retire any time soon. So,” I
shrug.

“Lets discuss this with the older kids first before deciding on
anything.” I nod. I love that he isn’t a pushover. If he doesn’t
agree with anything, he will speak out and not keep quiet just
because he wants to keep the peace in our marriage.
38
The welcoming and cleansing ceremony at the Mkhize
homestead was done and everything went well. I even had a
dream about my grandfather and my great grandfather seating
together and talking. I guess that means they reunited and
buried the hatchet. Mediating for dead people is never easy
because you never know if they really want to forgive each
other or they are content with how things were when they
died.

I got to meet a lot of family members from my mother’s side of

the family. Some of them asked for transport money when it
was time to go back home. There were a few that even went to
great lengths of getting money from me by telling me how
miserable their lives are. Some asked for jobs even though they
are not qualified to fit into my company. Like how do you turn
down a family member politely when it comes to that part?

Someone who I connected well with was my mother’s eldest

sister, Ntombikababa. That woman is very savage and proud but
she is very loving and welcoming when she wants to. We also
share the same gift so we had a lot to chat about. I also met my
mother’s older brother who asked if I could connect him with
the king so that they can discuss some tenders. Like come on,
he is a royal prince. All he has to do is ask his uncle for
connections and all will be well. But he looks like he is a few
months away from his grave, so maybe he should focus more on
his health and not tenders.

Dad and Kuhle paid lobola before we even left. I guess they did
not want to feel indebted to the Royal family. I think dad built a
some type of a connection with my grandfather, the current
king. They even exchanged numbers when we left. As soon as
we got back to Durban, everyone went back to their lives,
except for Busi. Her situation is a very tricky one. She came
home with the kids and her husband called her a lot until she
decided to block him. We have never been that close in life, but
she is my sister and I need to be there for her in times like
these. Which is why I cleared out my schedule and decided to
take her out. She doesn’t need to be locked up at home. She
will end up caving and taking back that bastard. I managed to
dodge my guards by taking my husband’s new car. He hasn’t
installed a tracker in there, so he won’t send them my way as
soon as he notices I’m not home.

I arrive at my parents’ house and head inside. I find Busi

watching those Zulu speaking Indian shows. Yeah, she is in the
deep end and needs some rescuing. She is even wearing dad’s
gown and sleepers. I’m pretty sure they let her use that because
of the state she is in.
“Hey big sister.” I greet and she finally notices that I’m in the
room. She frowns.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work? Or somewhere doing a
good deed?” if she wants to go there, I will go there.
“Well, you are on my agenda today. So take a shower. We are
going somewhere.” She waves me off.
“I am good here with Onesipho. You can go about with your
day.”

I huff. Why is she being difficult? “Busi, I don’t mind dragging

you to your room and bathing you. I did cancel a lot and maybe
did something to piss off my husband just so I can be here for
you. The least you can do is cooperate. You are not going to
forget about the man you left behind by becoming a couch
potato. Instead, that will make you miss him even more and you
will find yourself leaving in the middle of the night just so you
can go back to that asshole.”

She scoffs. “Whatever, sdudla.” She gets up after that and drags
her ass to the bedroom. Finally. I don’t even care that she called
me sdudla. If that means she will allow me to help her through
this painful process, then she can throw those insults my way all
she wants. As long as she finds the healing she needs.
In the meantime, I busy myself with making smoothies in the
kitchen. I’m pretty she hasn’t eaten anything today. She comes
back after 10 minutes wearing a dress that’s a bit loose. I’m not
judging, she has lost a lot of weight. We are going to have to
work overtime to get her back in that shape because it made
her confident in herself and all I want back is that confidence. I
hand her the smoothie. We walk out and she stops near the car.

“Where are your guards?” she asks.

“They took a day off.”
She gives me a look. “All of them?”
I shrug. “Maybe. Get in the car.” I climb into the driver’s seat
and she gets into the passenger.
“Is this the car you bought for your husband?” I nod. “I would
never buy that lying piece of garbage even a bicycle. He doesn’t
deserve it.”

“Well Kuhle did buy me a palace in Ireland for my 33rd birthday,

so a mere car means nothing.” She rolls her eyes. Yeah, I realize
I have nice life problems according to her. My marriage is at a
place where I want it to be and I am content. I want to get Busi
to a point where she doesn’t get angry, jealous or envious when
she hears about other people’s successful marriages. It’s a long
way from here but I will put in effort. I hope she sees that.
“So which part of town are we heading to without your
guards?” she asks.
“I was not born with guards, Busi. Anyways we are going to
Bluff. What we will do when we get there is a surprise but I
know it’s just the right thing to do in order to distress and take
your mind off things.” She sighs but nods nonetheless. That
means she will try and put some effort. “How is it like living
with the rents again?”

She chuckles. “Dad is still the same person. When it comes to

showing affection to his wife, he won’t shy away from that just
because I am going through a tough time. He is the best. Mom
is also great. I know they said I am not a burden, but at my age,
you can’t help but feel like one. You cant help yourself. My
peers are making their marriages work, even my younger
siblings are happy in their marriages. And then there is me, the
eldest, about to divorce because I wasn’t enough for my
husband.”

I wish I can stop the car on the side of the road and talk some
sense into her. But this is Durban. You can only stop near the
road when you’re in town or smaller roads, and not the
highway. “Busi, not everything is as it seems. We are not going
to tell you every shit that happens in our marriage, but a few
months ago I nearly left my husband. You remember those
news about him taking a second wife?” she nods.

“Sorry I didn’t reach out to check up on you after that.”

I smile. “It’s not a problem. You had your own shit to worry
about. I had not told him about my decision, but I knew that if
he chose to take a second wife, I would walk out of that
marriage with all of his assets because I made it pretty clear to
him when he was still courting me that I would never share
him.”

“But he is crazy about you. So I’m pretty sure he would have

even turned his back on the throne just to keep you.” I chuckle.
Yeah, my husband would do something like that. Speaking of
the devil, my phone rings and it connects to the car
automatically. I answer the call.

“Ndabezitha.” I say in the most polite and charming way.

“Don’t Ndabezitha me we Ntombifuthi. Where are you?” I keep
quiet because I don’t want him to track me. “Don’t make me
ask again and don’t make me send the SWAT after you.”

“I am out with my sister and I need some freedom and some

normalcy. You know I’m not a difficult person, but I need to be
here for my sister as Ntombifuthi Cele, not Princess Melamina
Zulu.”
He chuckles angrily. “I don’t know if both of you fell and hit your
head, but as of last week, you both became princesses of the
Abasembo Royal family. There is nothing normal about you.”

I pout. “If you are going to continue speaking to me in that

manner, I am going to hang up.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Watch me.” I hang up and Busi laughs.

“God. You guys are so cute. I wish I had problems like those in
my marriage.”
I chuckle. “I am glad that you find that amusing. Anyways, that
man is going to send a chopper after me. He won’t even try to
call again. I will just see his guards showing up where we are
going. Downside of being married to a crowned prince. Yoh,
fuck my life.”

She continues laughing. “You chose this path yourself, mtase.”

I don’t know when was the last time I saw her laugh in this
manner. It’s so good to see her let go and just be in the
moment. I continue telling her about the times when Kuhle and
I had squabbles and she is just laughing like I am Trevor Noah.
Well, I do add some spice to make the stories a bit interesting.
But the facts are legit. We get to Bluff and I drive us to the Bluff
Nature Reserve. We take a walk there and we start opening up
about our lives. We have never really had that sisterhood
moment, so I am actually getting to know the real Busi. After
that, we head to Bluff Towers.

“I don’t want you spending your husband’s money on me.” She

starts off as soon as we enter the mall.
I chuckle. “I am just not going to get offended by that Busi. I am
going to be using my card. This is where all my salary, dividends
and other incomes go to. But I never use it. So I am not Kuhle’s
wife. I am just your little sister, spoiling you with my hard
earned money.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”

We go from shop to shop getting clothes. Yes, I wear most

custom made clothes nowadays because of my status, but
shopping with my sister in regular stores feels nice. She even
helps me choose underwear. After that shopping, we go to John
Dory’s for late lunch. There isn’t much options for eateries here.
Just two restaurants. Just as we are munching on our desserts, I
see Mpendulo making his way inside the restaurant. Okay. That
marks the end of my freedom day. It was nice while it lasted.
39
I am not a difficult wife. I swear I’m not. I’m the sweetest. The
problem is I was gifted with a very brilliant mind, a spiritual gift
and a bit of an attitude to back that up. So after taking that well
deserved free day with Busi, my husband decided to ground
me. Yes, me, a 36 year old woman. He grounded me because I
disobeyed his orders and hung up on him. I think the last time I
was grounded was when I went to Cape Town for a concert and
got mugged. That was when dad brought in Omama
Bomthandazo to pray for me because he thought I was beyond
saving.

The husband of the year took away all my gadgets and even
locked my work office just so I can feel the effect of the
‘grounding’ and not touch anything work related. He took a day
off just to be with me. Shame on him because I am not playing
that game with him. He will sit by himself in the lounge and
watch that TV all alone. I am so mad at him. The nerve of this
man after I bought him a brand new car worth millions. It I was
crazy enough, I would burn it.

Like a dotting housewife, I prepare breakfast for him and go

place it on the coffee table along with his breakfast punch juice.

“Thank you, MaCele. Aren’t you joining me?” he asks as I walk

away and I don’t answer him. “Are you planning on giving me
the silent treatment all day?” the fact that he picked up on the
silent treatment early is the reason why I won’t let him off the
hook that easily. I just go place the tray in the kitchen and clean
up. I need to find a way to contact my friends or else I will go
insane.

My mean husband made sure that he informs all the guards not
to give me their phones. Yes he is mean and I stand by that. But
I know someone who doesn’t fear him. Our Gardner, Mamu
Mthiya. She is also very traditional and believes I should listen
to my husband all the time. I just need to find a way to trick her
into helping me. I put on a pinafore and garden boots and head
to the garden. I immediately spot her in the vegetables section.
She smiles when she sees me.

“KaMagaye. What a pleasant surprise. You are not working

today?”
I move closer to her. “Yes, MA. After what our family has been
through these days, I figured I need to take a few days off and
be home.”

She nods in understanding. “Yeah, you need the rest. I will

continue praying for you, my children.”
I smile. “Thank you for that, ma.”
“Let me grab tools for you so that we can work.” I nod and she
heads to the shed.

I spot her phone on bench with a jug a water. I know old people
don’t have passwords. So I quickly take it and send a “SOS
GROUNDED” text to Lee and Noma. I know they are busy, but
this is an emergency and they need to rescue me. I know I
would rescue them because that’s what we do for each other.
She comes back with some gloves, a watering can and a small
shovel.

“Let’s get to work.” She states.

“Before we begin, ma, can we pray? I know there is power in
numbers.”
She smiles widely. “You are a beautiful person inside out,
Nkosazane.” She holds my hand and sings a short song before
we start praying. She is that type that prays for long, even
involves tongues in there. But her prayer is very powerful. I find
myself connecting with God and seeing visions clearer. When
she is done, I just hug her.

“Mama, what your son is going through, he will overcome it.

We just need to go to the ocean and do a cleansing ceremony
and all will be solved in the end.”
Her eyes pop out. “How did you know about that?”
I smile. “You know about my gift, mama.”

She sighs and pulls me to the bench. We both sit down. “We
have consulted a number of healers but they haven’t been able
to assist him. They keep on saying he should buy this and that,
slaughter this or that but none of those things bring him even
closer to solving his problems and getting his life back.”

“The only reason I don’t do consultations is because I work a

lot, but I do know that when my husband becomes a king, I
need to be less at my work and be more present in the business
of assisting people with my gift. With that being said, your son
is being bewitched by your younger brother, the one who stays
in Mbumbulu. I am sorry to have to say this so upfront but
that’s the honest truth. He hasn’t been able to find help
because he is going with his uncle everywhere and that makes
healers not see that he is the root of all your son’s problems.”

She gasps and trembles. “A friend of mine told me that the

problem is much closer than we think. I just didn’t listen to her.
Oww, my son. What did I do to my brother for him to do this to
my only son? I uplifted his life and even took him to varsity. This
is his way of thanking me? Why are people so cruel and self
centered?”
I sigh. “Just call him and tell him to come here. Don’t tell him
about his uncle. That would break his heart. Just say the prince
wants to see him and he has a job offer for him that he can’t
refuse.”

She exhales loudly. “And what will happen after that?”

“On Saturday morning, I will take him to the ocean where I will
do a cleansing ritual for him. You also need to be there. You also
need to be cleansed. After that, I will have to go home with you
and cleanse your house and his house.”

“Oww Melamina.” She hugs me. “Thank you so much for this,
my child. How much is the cleansing going to be?”
“You both just need to bring R1 each and all will be well. You
know me, mama. I am a multi-millionaire. I can’t charge
someone for helping them with something I was given as a gift.
I have nothing against healers who need the money to survive
but if I take money from people, it will be like I am exploiting
them.”

“I understand, sisi. May God continue to bless you abundantly.”

I smile. “Thank you, mama. I just need to go inside and pray
about this.”

“Let me not stop you, Ndabezitha.” I squeeze her hand and

head back inside the house. The issue with her son was so
random, but it also helped me evade garden work. I’m
definitely not for nature. When I get inside the house, I hear
voices in the lounge.

“How did you get here without Futhy telling you her
whereabouts?” I hear Kuhle asking.
“Well, we had a manicure and pedicure appointment at 8 am
and she did not show up. She also did not answer her phone. So
I called the office and they said she wasn’t there. This is the
only place she can be in.” Lies just come easily to Noma shame.
But if I was in her shoes, I would also come up with a quick
story that would get her out of a situation like this.

“Well, she is not here. She went to pray in the mountains. I’m
not sure when she will be back.” Kuhle responds and Lee
chuckles.

“Well, we will wait for her then.” She replies. “When she comes
in, tell her that she will find us at the woman cave.” Since my
husband wanted a man cave, I also made half of the basement
a woman cave. It has a different entrance.

“Oww, for fuck sake, I will go call her.” I hear some shuffling
and I quickly head to my prayer room. I take off the boots and
head inside. I light a white candle and after a few moments, I
hear a knock. “Melamina.” He has the utmost respect for my
prayer room. So I know he won’t say shit while standing in front
of it.

“Yebo Ndabezitha.”
He opens the door slightly but does not come in. “You have
visitors.”
“What do they want?”
He sighs. “They are here to see Ntombifuthi.” I nod.

“Thokoza mkhulu.” He walks away and I get up from the grass

mat. I love my gift. He can’t even express his anger or thoughts
when I’m in my sanctuary. I step out of the room and I see my
friends coming down the corridor.

“Tase, you might have pushed your husband’s button to a point

of no return this time around.” Lee whispers when they are
nearer. I just chuckle and hug them.

“IF I don’t challenge him, then I’m not giving him the full ‘Futhy
experience.’ He needs to sweat and worry every once in a
while. I will spend my forever with this one. So we can’t be all
lovey dovey all the time.”

Noma laughs. “You women are the worst. You don’t want sad
times, you also don’t want too much happy times. You like
confusing yourself.” I roll my eyes.

“When I’m queen, I wont get the opportunity to dodge guards,

so allow me to enjoy my smallanyana freedom. This way
ladies.” I lead them to the woman cave and Noma immediately
goes to the fridge.

“I need a real cider. Not the wine nonsense I always drink on

royal dinners.” She takes out a cider in the fridge and opens it
with her teeth. She then drinks almost half of it in one go and
burps. “Now that’s what I call a beverage.” Both Lee and I
laugh. Noma will always be a savage, even with an actual crown
on her head. I am glad they came to my rescue. Now we will
spend all day chilling and drinking here. Abe right u husband
shame.
40
PRINCE KUHLEKONKE ZULU

KaMahlaba’s death anniversary celebration was postponed due

to a few family issues but we are finally home for the festivities.
It’s really hard to set a date and get everyone to gather. The
twins from overseas are always the hardest because, at their
age, their mother still hates it when they visit South Africa. I
don’t think that woman will ever heal from the relationship she
had with dad.

My wife somehow apologized for disobeying me. After she

threw a tantrum and invited her friends over, ignoring me all
day, she woke me up at 2 am, crying and begging for my
forgiveness. I think the tears were influenced by the alcohol.
She fell asleep after I said I forgive her and everything has been
perfect ever since. No matter how dramatic she can get, I love
all 50 shades of her. The good, the bad, the ugly and the petty.
Yes, she was petty for throwing that tantrum.

“I think Thembisile is pregnant.” Sbo states. We are catching up

with my brothers because we hardly ever do that. The overseas
twins are somewhere around the yard, probably doing vlogs or
something. They may be old but they are still cheese boys.
“That’s great, bafo. But why don’t you sound so excited?” I ask
and he sighs.
“She has been saying that she is not ready for kids ever since we
got married. Now I’m worried what she will do if she discovers
that she is pregnant. What if she wants to terminate? I can’t tell
her not to go through with it because that’s her body. My mind
is just all over the place.” He scratches his head.

“People may say they don’t want kids but react in a totally
different way when gifted with them. She might surprise you.
Also, you can’t kill Zulu blood. She has been in the family for
quite sometime. She knows the consequences.” Nqaba
responds and I agree with him. Yes, I’m all for women
empowerment but I can never understand a married woman
who would terminate her pregnancy unless there are serious
reasons for that. Maybe a medical condition, infidelity or other
deep reasons.

“All things will work out, bafo. Just have faith and trust that
your wife will be open and honest with you when she finds out
about the pregnancy.” I tell him and he nods. I turn to Nqaba.
“When is the wedding?”

He smiles widely. Ever since he showed his interest to Princess

Zisanele, he has been running around like a headless chicken.
He had to pay lobola for her before he can take her out freely
without her family wanting to intervene. I think they were in
Libya last week for a little romantic getaway. Young love.
“November. I wanted it to be in September but there is the
annual reed dance, so no. Umembeso and Umkhehlo is in July
and they are bringing umbondo in May.”

“Look at you getting married so quick. I thought you were still

going to fuck around maybe a few years before settling down.”
Mkhululi teases and we all laugh.

“True love only comes once. And when it comes, you just know
that time for playing is over. This is your future. Secure it and
live happily ever after.” Nqaba speaks like a love sick puppy. But
I have been there before. Hell, I’m still there. There is a reason
why I don’t even dream of cheating on or abusing my wife and
that’s because true love struck me and I have been a gone man
ever since.

“Mina, I’m happy for you, bafo. But I will live my life freely and
maybe settle down after I reach 30.” Simingezwi responds.

“There you guys are. I have been looking everywhere for you.”
Someone states and we all turn to see Lisa. She hugs each and
every one of us and sits on the vacant seat next to Simingezwi.
“Heard you were getting married, bafo. You want me to assist
your bride with anything?” she asks.

“Teach her how to cook.” Nqaba mumbles and we break into

laughter.
“You are so ungrateful. I’m the reason you guys are getting
married. Firstly you were too much of a coward to approach
her.”

“Explain.” Sbo probes.

“He invited her on a lunch date pretending to be me. I deserve
a gift for being a match maker.” She flaps her mini lashes and
we laugh because we are not used to her being this dramatic.

A loud scream breaks our fun moment. I know my wife’s voice

from anywhere, so I know that’s her scream and not a happy
one. I get up from the couch and sprint to our bedroom
because that’s where I last saw her. When I get there, I find her
standing far away from the bed and looking Like she has seen a
ghost. My eyes travel to where she is looking at and I see a
snake on the bed next to a sleeping Kuhlesibonge. It’s looking
straight at my wife like it wants to attack her but it's not getting
any closer. I take out my gun and cock it. The snake turns to look
at me and makes hissing sounds.
“Nkosana, don’t shoot.” I hear Mthembu’s voice behind me.
“Mvelase, that damn snake is near my child. What if it eats
him?” I ask. How can he be calm about this?
“That’s an ancestral snake.”

“And why does it look like it wants to attack my wife? Fuck

this.” I step closer and it hisses at me one more time before it
rolls out of the bed and leaves through the balcony. I run to
Kuhlesibonge and pick him up. He doesn’t even stir. I turn to
look at my wife who seems to be frozen in time. Fuck. Her
Ophidiophobia is kicking in. I give Kuhlesibonge to someone
else and walk towards my wife. I touch her and she doesn’t
respond.

“Step aside, Nkosana.” Mthembu states and I look at him before

I take a step back. He blows some white powder in my wife’s
face and she immediately faints. I catch her before she hits the
floor. “Take her to the hut.” He orders and I nod before carrying
her outside.

×××

MELAMINA ZULU

Somehow I find myself in the Zulu graveyard. It is so quiet and a

bit creepy. I never got that feeling before, but today it seems
like I am trespassing. I wonder around and I am a bit confused
because I can’t see all the queens and the other ancestors.
When I get to Queen Lubelihle’s tree. I see her looking at me
with disappointment all over her face. I swallow hard and step
closer. Instead of sitting next her, I sit down on the grass
because I don’t know what I did wrong. She huffs.

“Melamina, Zulu children are our children. What we do with

them is our decision, not yours. You don’t control what happens
in their lives. You don’t have the right to change or suppress
what we give them.” I can feel her anger from where I’m
seated. I have a slight idea of what she is on about but I won’t
make assumptions.

“Mama, what have I done?” I ask.

“Don’t act like you don’t know. We may be dead but we live
amongst you. We hear everything you say, especially you.
Thunjana is our child. We gave him that gift for a reason and
you wanting to put it to sleep really angered us. We would
never burden our child with more than he can handle. We are
not crazy. We can see that he is young but he is ours and we will
always protect him. You shouldn’t stick your nose where it
doesn’t belong.” I look down.
“I understand that you are disappointed in me, mama. Sibonge
is merely a child. I wished for him to have a normal childhood.
But if you are saying I should leave him be, then I will do so
because I respect you and the other elders.”

“Look at me.” I raise my head and look at her. “We love you,
Melamina. You are brave, courageous, kind and loving. We trust
that you will hold the kingdom tight and make sure it grows. We
trust that you will be enough for your husband and your
kingdom. Don’t break our trust by doing something like this
because we will lose our trust in you.”

I nod. “I understand, ma.”

“That’s all I wanted to say. Now your mother would like to
speak to you.” She stands up and KaMahlaba appears behind
her. I quickly get up from the ground and rush to her. I hug her
and she chuckles before hugging me back.

“How are you, my child?”

I step back and sniff. “We miss you, ma. We even gathered this
weekend just to celebrate your love.”
She smiles. “I am glad that you all are gathering and you are still
united. Melamina, please listen to the ancestors. They know
best and they would never deceive you.”
I sigh. “But I’m scared, mama.”
“Don’t be, we are here with you. Always. Now you need to go
before you get too comfortable.” I chuckle and sniff. “Tell my
husband I miss him and that he should clear out my room and
let me go. This thing of him being lonely while there are people
around him all the time is not on.” I didn’t even know that the
king was missing his wife, but I don’t blame him. Losing a
partner is never easy and it’s a wound that never heals.

“You want him to replace you?” I ask in a teasing tone and she
laughs.
“MaMolefe would kill him, and he also promised that she was
the last one, so no new mothers.” I laugh and she also laughs. I
just hug her once more. I miss her daily and I feel so privileged
to actually get a chance to see her in the spiritual realm.
41
There is no worse thing in this world than having a rude
awakening from ancestors. When I saw that snake, I screamed
because of my phobia of snakes but the way it protected and
stood between me and my son, I just knew that those were his
ancestors stopping me from doing whatever I had planned.
Nothing sucks as sharing your child with dead people. They
think they control the child. They think it’s their child, whereas I
carried that boy for 9 months and they were not there. As much
as they are mad at me, I am also pissed at them. I thought I was
in their good books, but I guess if you are not their blood, they
can do or say anything to you. Even turn their backs just
because you don’t see eye to eye. I had planned to do
something that was going to protect my child and give him a
normal childhood but I guess ancestors don’t give a damn
about that shit and it sucks.

I get up from the grass mat I was laid in and sit with my back on
the wall. My internal battle with the ancestors is weighing me
down and affecting idlozi lami. I keep burping and groaning. I
am not going to go ahead with that ceremony but that doesn’t
mean it doesn’t upset me. My noise attracts attention. One
moment I’m alone, the next I see MaShezi kneeling in front of
me, burning impepho.
“Gcwabe, Ngunezi, Mumbo omhlophe, Wena okhanyisa amasi
esiswini, yehlisa umoya. Calm down. We understand your anger.
We get it, but please calm down. You are affecting your child.”
She keeps on chanting that until I feel myself calming down and
all that’s left is tears but I know I can’t she’d tears in this yard. I
was told never to shed sad tears in these premises because
idlozi lami would avenge me on literally anyone.

I get up and leave everyone there. I make a beeline for the gate
and the moment I’m outside the Zulu yard, I sit down and let
out all my tears. I cry until I feel my husband’s arms hugging
me. He doesn’t say anything. He just let’s me be and moments
later I hear him sniffing. This is weighing us both down because
it’s our child. We are the ones who would have to watch him
have a rough upbringing because idlozi doesn’t care if you’re
young or old. It just shows you what it wants.

“You wanna go inside?” he asks after maybe half an hour and I

shake my head. “Come on. I know a place where we can go to.”
He helps me stand up and holds my hand as he leads me away
from the palace.

None of us say anything as we walk side by side holding hands. I

notice that we are both barefoot and I nearly chuckle. Pretty
sure he took off his shoes when he saw that I wasn’t wearing
any. We get to a flowing river and he turns to look at me.

“Scream. Swear at them. The ones that pissed off my beautiful

wife. Tell them to go to hell but don’t mention their names. We
don’t wanna be struck by lightning.” I chuckle, but do as he
says. I scream my lungs out until I can feel my voice getting
hoarse. Funny thing is, he also screams with me.

When that session is done, we sit on the rocks by the river and
just stare at the water flowing. Neither of us say anything. In a
way, I felt like we needed this moment. We are always bottling
in things and never saying our real feelings about certain
situations and we know how wrong that is. If you bottle up
many things, you are bound to explode.

“I don’t like how they act as if I was just an incubator of my

child. Like my opinion or feelings don’t matter on my own
child’s upbringing. Like what the fuck?” I start off and he sighs.

“At a young age, I accepted that as much as I lived for myself, I

lived according to the will of the ancestors. There are places I
couldn’t go to, people I couldn’t associate with and foods I
could not eat. I was basically given a manual to life. I didn’t like
some of the restrictions but I got to understand as I grew up,
that I was never normal. So I was never going to have an
upbringing of a normal commoner boy and do boyish things
without worrying about the consequences or what people
might say. Our children are going to have a hard life but we will
be there every step of the way to make it bearable. We will try
by all means, mama. I swear we will.” He takes my hands and
kisses them. I blush. He manages to be romantic even on
intense situations. He is the type of husband I actually prayed
for. I love him so much.

“I am glad that I chose you as my life partner. I don’t think

someone else would have been this patient and this loving to
me. And just supportive.”

He smiles. “IF you love your thing, you stick by it no matter

what. Even if people were to say you bewitched me, I would say
you should have made me your doormat because I don’t see
myself being with anyone other than you. I legit don’t know
how I got married to someone who is not you. It still puzzles me
even today.”

I laugh. Yeah, my husband is crazy but I love him. “Let’s go back

before they send a search party for us.”

We get up and walk side by side, holding each other’s hands. He

tells me the tales of his childhood. Some of the stories are so
hilarious, I am laughing like a hyena. He says they were once
chased by a group of dogs while out hunting. The group
belonged to some rival kingdom. He had to stay behind and
make sure his siblings were safe. That’s how he got the scar on
his leg. A dog bit him while he was making sure Simingezwi was
not left behind. True brotherhood there. I wish my kids will be
tight like that when they grow up.

×××

One of the topics I have dreaded is telling the kids about

Sibonge and making sure they understand. My kids are
understanding, as young as they are, but I don’t know how they
will receive this. Since I am not going back to the room I used to
share with Kuhle in this palace because of the snake incident, I
call all my kids to one of the guest bedrooms. Zobuhle is the
first to secure a spot on my lap and everyone knows never to
mess with the princess. Kuhle is not part of this small family
meeting because his father called him for some important one-
on-one meeting.

“So guys as you all know, mommy has a special gift, right?” I
start off and they all nod.

“The one that makes you growl like a lion, angithi?”

Milisuthando asks. This child can’t keep quiet, can he? So I
growl like a lion now? Hebana.

“Yes, that, my angel. Your dad and I recently found out that your
brother, Sibonge, has the same gift. He is unique and special.
But that doesn’t mean you should treat him any differently. It
just means that you will have some weird encounters with him
and if ever that happens and I’m around or your father is
around, just call us and we will deal with whatever situation
arises.”

“Does he also see the future?” Amahle asks.

“I only see what Mkhulu shows me.” The boy responds. My
God. I did not even think he understood what the meeting was.
He only states that and then keeps quiet.

“Don’t worry, ma. Sibonge is still our brother and we will

continue treating him with love. Nothing will change. It’s just
that we will now be aware of his gift and know what to do if he
gets one of his episodes while with us.” Zweli responds. Oww
my baby. Spoken like a true big brother.

“So that means no pulling Bonge’s hair while sleeping?”

Nomandla asks.
Hebana. “Why would you pull your brother’s hair, Nommy?”
she pouts and shrugs but her eyes travel to Milisuthando and
the puzzle fits. Bathong. What did I do to deserve such a
troublesome kid? Maybe I should send him to Emakhabeleni so
that he will cause trouble with Noma’s Zama and give me some
peace.

…………THE END OF PUBLISHING PARTS……..

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