#Sakubo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ketso · 1 year

Text

Episode 50

I’m at home this weekend. This is the weekend that the Mohales will be paying my lobola for me. Now that my dad is well again, stronger and able to see this through, we can finally do this. Wandisa can pretty much give birth any time. She won’t be coming this side for the Gauteng celebrations because she can no longer travel, but she will be present for the celebrations that will be happening at the royal house. Rena and Moloko stayed behind with her. Senzi is coming down with Reahile and his family. Khotso told me that he will be coming with quite a few people.

This house is full of people from my dad’s side of the family that I’ve never even met before. I wonder where they said they were going when they coming here because to be honest, they’ve never known me to say “we are going to Phuthi’s wedding.” I don’t know if they are close enough with my father to say “we are going to Tobias’ daughter’s wedding.”

Some names, I came across for the first time when my dad gave me a list of who should fly to the kingdom for the wedding. I honestly just felt like I was being sponged off here. But Khotso told me that we are doing this once then never again. I was feeling too petty to let them fly first class, so I put some of them in economy, and some on a bus. My dad said I was being stingy. At least I let him pick ten people who would fly. He’s flying first class with Mam’Celia.

I arrived here yesterday, on Thursday.

I did that intentionally because today, I want to go to my mother’s tomb.

As I head out, my dad stops me and asks, “Uyaphi, ntombi yami?”

He’s with Mam’Celia and someone from his side of his family.

“Ngisaya ethuneni likamama”, I say.

I see his energy drop a bit.

“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think you’d want to go. And I understand ukuthi that’s not something you want to do. Kodwa she was my mother, and I need to tell her about umsebenzi ozokwenzeka over this weekend. I also need to tell her why none of her family members will be there… why I don’t want them there.”

He nods his head then says, “I can go with you. If that’s okay.”

“You don’t have to, baba. I really understand.” I say.

“I want to.” He says.

“Okay. We leave in five minutes. I want to stop at a shop and get some flowers for her.” I say.

He nods his head then heads to the bedroom to change I suppose.

“Maphuthi, kungani ungafuni umndeni kamama wakho la?” Some random says. Apparently she’s family.

“And who are you konje?” I ask her.

She takes offence.

“Ngimangele nje ukuthi something I discussed and concluded with my father, you are now questioning me about with so much audacity. I mean really!”

“Yaze yadelela bo ingane kabhuti!” The lady. Oh, she’s an aunt.

“Banje vele when they get money”, another random says.

I just roll my eyes.

“Manje sisi awusho, thina sinjani that are not going to be travelling with an aeroplane to accompany you to Tholoana Kingdom? Why thina sihamba nge-bus?” The other random.

“Because I’m paying for it! And I don’t appreciate being told what to do with my money. So unless you are giving me money to make travel arrangements for you, don’t annoy me. I’m paying for your travel, your accommodation and everything that you’ll be eating when you are there. I’m expecting a thank you, not to be questioned. Nx!”

They all just keep quiet and scratch their heads.

“Mam’Celia, please tell ubaba that he will find me in the car. Ngizamulinda khona”, I say then head to the hired Jaguar F-Pace that I hired for while I’m this side.

My father and I are driving to my mom’s tomb now. I’m driving. He’s in the passenger seat.

“I don’t even know where she’s buried. I’ll be going for the first time.” He says.

I look at him. He looks sad. Why? Wasn’t she a cow towards him? Does he miss her or something?

“Is it something that you care about?” I ask him.

“She’s the only wife I’ve ever had. I never even got the opportunity to bury her. Ngahambisa izinkomo esibayeni sakubo. She’s the mother of the only child that I have. Despite our issues, I loved her. She’s played the biggest role in my life that any other woman has ever played in my life.” He just went all deep on me.

“Why didn’t you guys just divorce?” I ask him.

“I loved her. She never initiated the divorce. Neither did I. Maybe I had hope that we’d fix things again. Maybe that’s why I’ve also been struggling to commit to Celia. Maybe this visit to her tomb is something that I need.” He says.

Ja neh.

Heartbreak is actually sad on old people.

“Look at the beautiful daughter that she blessed me with. How can I not love her?” Now he’s getting emotional.

Let me change the subject.

“Baba, ngiyabonga ukuthi azange umeme abantu bakwaNyawose.” I say.

“I have nothing to say to them. They’ve genuinely hurt me with how they hurt you.”

I nod my head.

“Kodwa sengikhona. Akusena muntu that will still hurt you. Ngisho nomkhwenyana njalo.”

I laugh.

“Khotso won’t hurt me, baba. Ungakhululeka.” I say.

“Nawe don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him the way that your mother has hurt me.” He says.

Eish. Ja, what my mom did was not okay.

“Did she suffer when she died?” He asks me.

“I don’t know, baba. I was in jail. The officials came to tell me in my cell that she had passed. I applied to be allowed to go to her funeral. Fortunately, I was able to do that. UKhotso nomndeni wakhe paid for the funeral and the tombstone because you know ukuthi kwaNyawose nje they have nothing. I was in jail but they still expected me to finance everything.” I say. I can’t exactly say that the church helped me bury my mother.

“Lo Khotso lo, kudala niyazana?”

I nod my head and say, “Yebo. Before I even went to jail.”

“Kudala nithandana?” He asks me.

“At the time, ngangithandana noNkosinathi… ubaba kaWandisa. Kodwa ke, he broke my heart into pieces I never thought I’d ever stop picking up. Futhi he was married. He told me that his marriage was practically over, kodwa ubeqamb’ amanga. I learned at that time ukuthi unless a man has signed divorce papers, akahlukene nomkakhe. I paid a heavy price for that… the biggest price being the instability that my daughter had to grow up in because ubaba wakhe didn’t want her. He insisted that she represented his betrayal to his wife. Yena nomkakhe bamuhambisa uWandisa, bamuyisa kwaNyawose. Ingane yami was raped, just like me, under those people’s watch. Ngiyabazonda baba. All of them. I’m sure if I could see them, I’d kill them. I don’t think they’ve paid enough for what they’ve done to my daughter and I.”

I even feel my hand and body shaking.

“Ngiyaxolisa ngane yami. Ngempela Ngiyaxolisa.” He says.

“But to answer your question… mah came to my court appearances. I just pleaded guilty because I just couldn’t stand the media in my face every time I had to be in court. And mah suffered. She came to court with Wandisa and Wandisa was just a baby. I didn’t want to see my mother and child attacked like that by the media, so I made the stint as short as possible. I cooperated. I took a plea deal and that was the last time I saw mah. She didn’t have money to come see me all the time. I didn’t even know that she was sick. At her funeral, bachazile ukuthi she suffered a lot. The cancer really attacked her slowly but painfully. She eventually gave in. Kodwa mina I didn’t see her, and I don’t exactly trust her family to be honest about anything. So angazi. Nabo nje I don’t know how they knew that she suffered because they all stopped seeing each other when I was in university. Abantu nje that like to be seen kodwa bayenz’amanyala behind closed doors. So I guess I’ll just never know the answer to your question.”

We are both silent for a while until we get to the mall.

I quickly buy a bunch of flowers then let my father take a bunch too. From here, we leave then head to the graveyard.

We are now here. I thought I’d be the one to fall apart. But it’s my father who breaks down and falls onto the tombstone. Yoh! I did not see this one coming. I try to be rub his back and not be awkward about this, but shame, he falls onto the body of the tombstone and just falls apart - completely.

I just stand here and let him have this moment. He clearly needs it more than I do. He cries and cries - weeps actually. It’s tense!

But after a good thirty minutes, he pulls himself together.

I’m thinking that I’m the one who should talk, but nope… he’s the one who goes for it.

“MaNyawose sthandwa senhliziyo yami… maGasa, mama we ngane yami okuyiyo yodwa enginayo. MaPhingoshe nkosikazi wami… Ngempela ngempela awusekho? I never thought that a day would come where I’d speaking to you as idlozi. I know that we promised each other that only death could do us part… kodwa I didn’t think that death would knock on our door while life was still keeping you away from me. Phela life stole you away from me first, before death did its part.”

He starts crying again. Now I’m getting emotional.

“Ngiyaxolisa Mangamahle. Ngiyaxolisa Singila! Meyiwa omalala ngokulala bavuka bakhomba ilanga, Nina enehla ngomzungulu wasala wabola, Nina bakwa gcogcobala, Amakhosi amakhulu asezilozini ezibuka umuntu engathi ziyamjamela, Abakanyoni ezimnyama ezimaphik'abomvu! I didn’t know that ngelinye ilanga ngizokhuluma nawe uyidlozi. Had I known, I would have never allowed you to kick me out of our home. I would have spent a little bit more time with you and our daughter. Maybe we could’ve even prevented her from going to prison, ntombenhle.”

This is so sad.

He sniffs then continues, “khona manje kuthiwa umfowenu raped our daughter!”

Okay, I’m crying.

“I should’ve stayed and protected my family. Kodwa akusenani ntombenhle. Our daughter found me again. I’m trying again to be her father, to be our granddaughter’s grandfather and soon, I’ll be a great-grandfather. Ngizobavikela from things that I couldn’t protect you from. I’ll make it right with them.”

He finally signals to me that I can now talk to my mother.

I kneel down next to her tombstone.

“Mama, it’s me… uMaphuthi. Ngihamba nobaba la, umyeni wakho, uBab’Tobias Ngwenya. Mah, I’m here to tell you ukuthi ngiyashada. Kukhona indoda yakwaMohale that I’ve met and we’ve decided to spend the rest of our lives together. Igama lakhe uKhotso Mohale. Njengoba ushone uwazi, nginendodakazi, uWandisa. We had a ritual for her esemncane ukuthi abizwe ngowakwaButhelezi, abantu bakubo babakhe. She has since got married. Ushadele kwaMaphumulo and she’s about to have a child herself. UKhotso naye uletha izingan’ ezimbili. A daughter named Lefatselabarena and a son named Moloko. Umama wabo washona. I have now stepped up and have become their mother. Ngakho-ke, uwena ugogo wabo. UMaphuthi wakho has three children now, not just one. I also have umkhwenyana, uSenzangakhona wakwaMaphumulo… so that’s four children. Ngicela ube idlozi elihle kubo bonke abantwana bami.”

I take a deep breath. Then I continue, “mama, ukushona kwakho, you knew that I don’t wish for a relationship with your family, oNyawose. You are aware futhi ukuthi umalume raped me repeatedly. You also knew that the whole family protected him and I couldn’t even get the help that I needed. Mah, you are also aware that Wandisa was raped under the guardianship of those people. So mah, I can’t have them around me or my child. Ngiyabazonda with every fibre of my being. The only way that they can stay alive is if they stay far away from me. Ngakho-ke mah, they are not going to be part of the proceedings of my wedding. Wena as idlozi lami, you’ll be the only one from kwaNyawose who will be present in spirit. Please make sure that konke kuhamba kahle. I love that man, ngidinga ukuthi konke kuhambe kahle. Once everything has been concluded, my surname will be Mohale. Ingakulahli leyo nto ke when I’m called Maphuthi Mohale, kakhulu ebukhosini bakwaMohale eTholoana Kingdom.”

My dad and I spend another thirty minutes just cleaning her tombstone. After we are done, we tell her that we are leaving, then we leave.

As soon as we get to the house, it’s super full. I just find my way to my bedroom. I don’t know where my dad goes to, but he’s also just as emotional to be dealing with the chaos here.

Now, that I’m in my bedroom, I decide to FaceTime Khotso. I miss him a lot anyway.

“Yo!” It’s Ona who answers his phone.

Where’s my man?!

“Hey. How are you?”

There’s such a noise where they are. It looks like a party.

“I’m good.” He says.

“Are you guys having a bachelor party or something?” I ask.

I start seeing naked girls around them.

He’s now talking to someone. He’s forgotten that I’m on the line.

I hang up.

I phone Teboho.

“Hey girl”, she answers her phone.

“Hey girl. Are these guys having a bachelor party or something? I’m trying to reach Khotso, but Ona answered his phone and I saw a bunch of naked girls all around them.”

“What?!”

“I’ll actually call of this entire wedding if Khotso doesn’t act right. I’m not even joking.” I say.

“Phuthi, I’ll phone you back.” She says and hangs up.

Heh!

“Maphuthi!” Someone yells for me.

I have my own stress please. My husband-to-be could be cheating on me.

“Maphuthi!” This person though!

Now she barges into my room.

“Do you not hear me calling you?” She barks at me.

“What do you want?” I ask her.

“We have to go and advise you. The women who will be advising you are here.”

“Advise me to do what?”

“On how to be a wife!”

“I don’t need your advice. Ngiyabonga.”

She stands there in shock.

She walks out.

I text Khotso, “You are busy with naked sluts a day before you pay lobola for me? Seriously? Aren’t you too old for that shit?!”

He doesn’t reply. It just says the message is delivered, but it hasn’t been read.

I send another one, “You know what, the wedding is off!”

Now I switch off my phone.

There’s a knock on my door.

All of a sudden I’m just so angry.

“WHAT?!” I yell.

Mam’Celia opens the door and walks in.

“Are you okay?” She gently asks me.

Now I feel bad.

“I’m fine.” I say, just as gently.

She walks in and sits on my bed next to me.

“Lalela Phuthi, I know that I’m not your mother, ngane yami… but I appreciate everything that you do for your father and me. So nami I thought I’d take it upon myself to do something motherly for you. I invited my friends from the neighbourhood to come and advise you, sisi. I’m so happy for you, ngane yami enhle. I know ukuthi lapho uyakhona, they are so lucky to have you as umakoti wabo. Ngicela usivumele sthandwa sami ukuthi nathi we gift you, we advise you and we do our part to make sure ukuthi uhamba izindlela zonke zihambiwe.” She says.

She’s not like that rude fuck that came in here.

“Okay. Ngiyabonga mama. Let me cover my shoulders.” I say.

After this, I leave my phone on the bed then follow her to the outside room that has been set up for me to be advised.

To be honest, I’m old. I’m not a young thing getting married wet behind my ears. But shame, let me let her have her moment amongst her township friends.

…

“Ke masipa fela! Le di topile kai difebe tse?!” Tebza has been going at us for the past hour. Thabi and Moringa have been helping her. Sonia has been draining our alcohol while these ones have been shitting on us. They literally threw people out… the strippers… that they keep calling whores. They even called them whores to their faces.

“And wena Khotso, Phuthi is so angry that she wants to call off the wedding.” Moringa says.

Okay, now I’m worried.

“Why?” I ask.

She looks at me like I should know.

“She FaceTimed you while you guys were out getting ice. She saw the strippers”, Ona tells me. Like only now?! Really?!

“And she phoned me! So well done, makoti wahao is about to end the wedding before it even starts. I hope you are happy.” Teboho.

I take my phone from Ona and look through it.

I see fifteen missed calls from Phuthi and messages… threatening me even. There’s even one that says that she’s calling off the wedding.

I get up and leave this session of wives shitting on us, trying to call my woman. I did absolutely nothing wrong. Zero!

Her phone is off!

Fucken hell!

I keep trying her phone as if it will be switched on the more I try it. Nothing.

I send her a message, “Baby, please call me. We are boarding our flight in the next two hours. There will be a wedding! I love you and I didn’t cheat on you. I was out getting ice when Ona answered my phone. I didn’t even have one stripper dance on me! Please Phuthi, don’t do this to me. Call me, baby.”

I take a deep breath.

I dial Wandi. I know she didn’t go, but maybe she can give me Celia’s number. Celia is on my team. She will make Phuthi talk to me.

“Hi Bab’Khotso”, Wandi answers her phone.

“Hey baby girl. How are you?”

“I’m good. Wena?”

“I’m fine. I’m trying to reach your mother, but her phone is off.”

“Ja, the last time I spoke to her, she was preparing for the advising process by the old mamas in the township. Maybe they are still busy.” She says.

Okay, that means she hasn’t told anyone that the wedding is off.

“Okay baby girl. I just wanted to talk to her before I boarded my flight. But I’ll leave her a message.”

“Okay. Nami if I find her within the next hour or two, I’ll tell her to phone you.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

“Don’t stress. You’ll come back with your wife. Phela you promised me a wedding. If you break promises to a pregnant person, it’s bad luck.” She says.

I laugh. She laughs too.

“Travel safely, baba.”

“Thanks baby girl. I’ll see you as soon as we get back okay?”

“Shup.”

We hang up.

My people and I are now boarding our flight. I still haven’t spoken to Phuthi. Her phone is back on now, but she’s just not answering my calls. I didn’t even want to have this bachelor party. This was more for the guys that just wanted the entertainment. Now I’m in shit. I keep calling her and only now she finally answers her phone.

“Khotso”, she answers her phone.

“Baby, why are you scaring me like this?”

“Scaring you like what? You are out here partying with naked sluts a day before we start our marriage journey and that’s completely normal to you? Do you know how hard I’ve had to restrain myself? I’m from prison, Khotso! We don’t exercise restraint too well. Patience is too low for bullshit.”

“Baby, I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even want this party.”

“Did anyone dance on you naked?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me, Khotso!”

“I’m not lying. I’ve literally been going out and getting stuff. I haven’t even seen five minutes of the party.”

She takes a deep breath.

“Phuthi, ke rata wena. No one else. I’m boarding my flight now so that I can ensure that I spend the rest of my life with you. I’m sorry this shit ever happened.”

She’s still quiet.

“Baby, please… don’t do this. In a few hours, I’ll be landing there. Tomorrow, you’ll be my wife. Let’s not start this with a fight. I’m begging you.”

“So you’d rather we start it off with naked women dancing all over you?! I asked you, Khotso… I asked you if you still wanted other women. You told me I’m enough.”

“And I’m still saying that. Since you and I got serious, you are all I’ve ever had. I promise you, baby. And that won’t change. Ke batla wena fela, baby. I mean it.”

“Khotso, I’m not scared of jail. You can tell that to your sluts. I’ll murder them! Your penis better know where home is and stop eating in outside dustbins”, she says.

Yoh, these threats!

“I know baby. I’d never put you in that position. I love you.”

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Le nna kea o rata”, she says with the weirdest accent ever. I just laugh. But I feel less stressed.

“I’ll phone you when we land”, I tell her.

“No strippers in the plane?”

“None, I promise.”

“Okay. Travel safely. Kea o rata, Mohale.”

“Le nna kea o rata, Mme Mohale.”

We hang up.

“Are you good now?” Ona asks me.

“Ja. Yoh! Phela Phuthi wahlanya. She would call off the wedding.” I say.

We both laugh.

…

Saturday, 05:30am.

Ona and I are in the car, watching my poor team of negotiators yell Ngwenya clan names at the gate I actually paid for. Pope is leading them. He is with Senzi, Ntuthuko, and two of my Mohale elders. We got the Maphumulos involved because as far as Nguni venac is concerned, they are the champions.

Tamia stayed in the kingdom with Wandi. Well, the whole squad stayed behind. They are with Rena and Moloko. Rena is driving me crazy lately. So I’m glad she has Wandi. Wandi has her mother’s tolerance for masepa… it’s very low. But she has the gift of telling you to fuck off in the most gentle way possible. So she’s good for Rena right now.

My people are only let in at 6:15am. Ja neh.

Ona and I are chilling in this car with Maboko and Zithulele.

“You know… if there’s one thing I’m praying for it’s that I don’t bury her. I’m not going to survive another love of my life just dying on me”, I say.

They all look at me. They know what I mean.

“We are praying with you, bafo”, Zithulele says.

“So how did you end up with her? I mean, you fucked quite a lot of women. How did you decide that she’s the one?” Maboko asks me.

“Well, with Phuthi it was so much more than just sex.” I say.

“That’s what we say when the sex is not good”, Ona says.

We all laugh.

“No man. Phuthi is explosive in bed. There’s shit that she’s still teaching me. Like yoh! She shows me things in bed. In the beginning of our relationship, when I was still tapping other people, she made me find the others boring… others younger than her, bro. Yoh, she’s fit. That ass… it delivers.” I say.

“For real?” Maboko.

Zithulele is just laughing.

“Monna! Yerrrr!” I say.

They all think about it. It’s Zithulele’s laugh that makes us all laugh.

“What are you laughing at, monna?” I ask him.

“Because if my wife heard this conversation, I’d be a divorced man in the morning.”

We all laugh at him. Moringa is hectic! I actually believe him.

“Does she know about your son? Tsitsi’s kid?” Ona asks him.

“Ndoda, I don’t want to lose Tlali. If she finds out that I cheated on her and had a whole child on top of that… she’d leave me. So no, she doesn’t know. I can’t do that to my family.” He says.

“So what’s going to happen? I mean Tsitsi is dead now.” Me.

“She had to die. She was threatening to tell Letlali because I ended the affair. She’s not worth me losing my family over.”

“But now your son doesn’t have a mother… or you… I mean, Moringa will be mad, but it helps that Tsitsi is dead. Right? She will forgive you eventually.” Maboko.

“Do you know Letlali? That girl knows how to hold a grudge. Regodise went to the grave with Tlali being mad at her”, Ona.

“Remember that Nothile was pregnant?” Zithulele.

“Yeah?” We all say, looking at him because we are all interested with where he is going with this.

“Her child died at birth. I gave her my son. I buried her kid. She doesn’t know. No one knows. I just did what I had to. That way, when he visits, Letlali loves him and helps Nothile raise him. And because Nothile is a single mother, I play a father role. Nothile’s son, Phakathwayo, is my son.”

We are all blown away! The shock!

The lengths that he went through to make sure that his wife never finds out that he stepped out… and still kept his son around.

“Legoa, please tell us that you didn’t kill Nothile’s child at least.” Ona says. Actually, now I’m also… this is too convenient.

“Nah. Her child was a girl. She had a whole in her heart. She didn’t make it past the first night.” He says.

“But didn’t Nothile see that she gave birth to a girl, then suddenly she has a son?” Maboko.

“She went into a coma during birth. So she was out for two days. I just had Tsitsi pulled to the same hospital the same day that Nothile’s daughter passed away. Then I had her induced. They delivered the kid then killed her. I spoke to the doctor and nurses to make sure that Phakathwayo is Nothile’s son. It’s even easy to explain why he looks like Banathi and Mnqobi so much. I buried the daughter and pleaded with the ancestors to let Phakathwayo and Nothile be close… grow together… all of it.”

We are all honestly blown away.

He does look sad about it, not proud at all. Damn!

“So ja, Tlali can never find out about this.” He says.

“Well, I haven’t said a damn thing to Tebza.” Maboko.

“I also haven’t said anything to Phuthi.” I say.

“And I’ve said nothing to Thabi and Sonia.” Ona.

Legoa nods his head.

“How are things with Thabi now?” Maboko asks Ona, redirecting the conversation.

We all look at Ona.

“Yoh, it’s more difficult than I thought hey. She’s so… distant. Even when we have sex… her mind seems miles away - almost like how it was when she was having an affair with that stupid soccer player.” He says.

We all give him a look. Is he saying what we think he’s saying?

“I checked. She’s not cheating. Which kind of hurts a bit more. It means she’s really done with me emotionally. And now I’m also in shit with Sonia.”

“What the hell for?” Maboko.

“She says I’m prioritising Thabi over her and the kids”, Ona.

“Does Sonia understand that she’s vrou number two… that vrou number one takes preference? Or your dick is so good that it made her forget who she is in this marriage?” Legoa.

“She’s also mad that I kicked her out of the royal house.” Ona says.

“You what?!” We all say at the same time.

Then we laugh.

“Ja… I mean, if a wife has to live there, it should rightfully be Thabi. She’s my first wife and she’s the queen. But what she did by kicking Rena and Moloko out was just bullshit. So I decided to buy her a house too. The royal house will house the Mohale elders. None of my wives will live there. I’ll also go there for council meetings. Then any of our kids can go there. I told this to Thabi. She was happy, but it still wasn’t enough.” Ona.

“So what exactly does Thabi want?” I ask him.

“She says that I know what she wants. And she’s not going to tell me. If after all this time I still have no idea what to do to keep her, then we shouldn’t be married. Nna ke tsibela kai? Because I genuinely don’t know what she wants.”

“Yoh! Izinkinga zakho, bafo… zidlula ikhanda.” Legoa.

“So what are you going to do?” I ask him.

“A ke tsebe. Maybe I must just take on a third wife.” Ona.

We actually laugh.

He actually cannot be serious about this right now. He also laughs.

At about 8am, we hear ululating. My squad of negotiators come out, walking towards us.

“We are done, baba. Come get your wife.” Ntuthuko says to me.

We all climb out of the car. I just see the family coming out singing about. I also notice that some people are already headed for the tent to reserve their seats I suppose. I hope whatever will be happening in the tent is not going to take a long time.

Phuthi finally comes out of the house.

She has on a really nice dress. The dress is beaded, heavily beaded, then finished off with the brown and white animal skin that you’d find on Zulu male gear. She has a doek on then the look is completed with beaded sandals. She looks incredible. Absolutely breathtaking. We all also notice just how short she is. She lives in heels. Even her slippers have a heel nyana. Now she’s here in flats and she’s below my shoulder in height.

We meet each other halfway. She wants to take my hand and lead me to the tent. But I just attack her with a kiss. I’ve missed her so much.

She laughs.

Now we can walk and do whatever it is that she wants me to do.

The day is finished off at about 7pm. Now it’s just an after party.

I ask Phuthi to come with me to the hotel. She tells me that her dad and Celia gave her strict instructions to not do that.

But we fly to the kingdom tomorrow. The people taking the bus are leaving at 10pm tonight. Day after tomorrow is the actual wedding and it’s happening at the royal house.

“See you day after tomorrow, my love.” She says to me.

I kiss her.

“Dream about me”, I say.

“Always. Le wena dream about me. And no strippers.” She says.

I laugh then say, “I promise. Quickie nyana? I’m starving. It’s been three days.”

“I’ll make it worth your wait. I promise. I bought a new lingerie set.”

“Oh yea?”

“And in purple… the royal colour.”

I smile at her.

“I’ll send you some pictures tonight after you’ve confirmed that you guys are at the hotel and are safe.”

I kiss her.

“I love you.” I tell her.