CHAPTER 29
DZUNISANI MABASA

Things might not be good between Maswabi
and I at the moment, but she’s still my friend
and I will always care about her. She’s going
through a lot right now, she’s taking the
whole thing with Nyeleti very hard. I think
this is the first time she’s realizing the
damage she did to her relationship with her
daughter. Now she has to deal with the past,
things she never wanted to talk about. A man
arrived here yesterday claiming to be her
brother, and as much as we have to wait for
the DNA results a part of me feels like he is
telling the truth. They resemble each other so
much, I didn’t see it when I opened the door
for him. But when he said it everything on his
face became clear.
He slept here last night, I couldn’t allow him
to go to a hotel. The man was tired and
hungry, he drove all the way from Bethlehem
in the Free State. That’s where Maswabi was
born, she hasn’t been there since the pastor
brought them to Soweto after their mission
house was destroyed, she was only three
years old.
“Good morning,” Mohale says, walking in the
kitchen. He is right on time, I just finished
making breakfast.
“Morning, I hope you slept well,” I say and he
smiles. He is such a handsome man. I don’t
remember the last time I noticed a man the
way I’m noticing him.
“I slept very well, the sheets were so soft.
Hotel standard, thank you,” he says and I
chuckle.
“Maswabi must hear this. She complains that I
buy expensive bedding but they are necessary
for a goodnights sleep,” I say and he nods,
pulling out a chair to sit.
“How long have you been working for her?” he
asks.
“I more than work for her. She’s my family,
even though we fight sometimes. I have been
with them for 23 years,” he gasps.
“That’s a long time. You said them?” he asks,
leaning in.
“Yes, she has a daughter, Naledi and a
granddaughter named Basetsana. They just
moved out, Nyeleti was ready to figure out
life all on her own,” I explain and he’s nodding
vigorously.
“I totally understand. All my children left for
varsity at 18 and they never came back, I’m
left all alone in the house,” he says with a
chuckle.
“How many do you have?” I ask and his smile
widens. I can tell that he adores his children.
“Three, it’s two boys and a girl, she’s my last,”
Nyeleti will be happy to know that she has
cousins. She has always wanted a big family. I
just hope Maswabi will be open to having a
relationship with him and his children. He had
nothing to do with their parents decision to
abandon her.
“How did you find out about Maswabi?” I
know I changed the convesation without
warning, but I’m really curious. I tossed and
turned last night thinking about it.
He heaves a sigh, “My daughter has been sick
for almost 5 years now. She goes in and out of
hospitals and the doctors still don’t know
what the problem is. They diagnose her with
this today and that tomorrow. A woman who
works for me asked me to take her to a
sangoma, I was skeptical at first but I’m glad
I went because I got answers,” he pauses and I
sit down, “My daughters sickness was caused
by my late parents, they needed to get a
massage across to me. They wanted to tell me
to find my sister and bring her home; They are
desperate for her forgiveness. Their souls are
wondering, they cannot be accepted by our
ancestors because they abandoned a child,
their own flesh and blood just because she
was different,” he explains and I cannot
believe my ears. “The sangoma said once
Maswabi says she forgives them with her
mouth and means it in her heart my daughter
will be okay and our parents will rest in
peace,” this is just insane. They are hurting
Mohale’s daughter to get what they want,
that’s manipulation. They didn’t want
Maswabi, they don’t deserve to rest in peace.
“Even in death they only think about
themselves, some parents they are,” Maswabi
says, entering the kitchen. She’s on her
motorized wheelchair, she hardly uses that
thing when she’s inside the house.
“You are not forced to forgive them Maswabi,”
he says and I gasp in shock.
“But your daughter will always be sick,” I say
and he heaves a sigh.
“I know but we cannot force her to let go. Our
parents hurt her a lot,”
“What are you talking about?” she asks, her
eyes darting between me and Mohale.
“Tell her and don’t down play the seriousness
of the situation at hand. This is literally a
matter of life and death,” he looks at Maswabi
nervously.

SHLOBOSENKOSI MAVIMBELA

I’m in Mahlabathini, I brought back my
mother. We didn’t come with Nhlangano, he
refused to come point blank. This boy hates
the village, I don’t know why because there’s
this tranquility that doesn’t exist in Durban. I
want to build a big double storey house here
and move into it when I retire, I’ll probably
find a partner then, in my old age. No one will
expect a child or marriage at that point in
time, that’s why I’m even considering it.
My mother’s mood has been down since
Mphikeleli came to my house unannounced.
He opened my mothers wounds and poured
salt on them with his disrespect and
entitlement. It won’t be easy for her to snap
out if it, Busisiwe was her princess. 18 years
have passed but the pain is still fresh in her
heart.
MaZikode tried warning Busi about Mphikeleli
and his temper but my sister loved him and
she thought that would be enough to change
him and show him the way.
Mama and I agreed to keep the identities of
the men that came to the house from
Nhlangano. Yes, he knows how his mother
died and what led to it but he doesn’t know
the face of the man that helped my sister
make him. He has never asked about him,
which makes me happy because Mphikeleli
doesn’t deserve to be a part of my sons life.
I have hired a private investigator, I want to
know everything there is to Mphikeleli. All his
short comings and skeletons in the closet. I
need something dirty I can use to get him to
stay away from me and Nhlangano. I have
never been one to play dirty but I’m willing to
go to hell in order to protect my son from a
man I know to be anything but a good person.
I lost Busisiwe because of him, I am not gonna
watch him try and take Nhlangano from me. I
dedicated my whole life to raising that boy,
working hard to ensure that he has
everything he wants. A low life like Mphikeleli
won’t ruin things for us now.
I’m with maZikode in the lounge, watching a
Nigerian movie we left playing in Durban. I
have never seen such a long movie, mama has
managed to figure out what happened in the
two hours we were on the road. She is even
filling me in and I’m honestly not interested;
I’d rather be taking a stroll around this place
but the sun is scorching hot.
We hear someone screaming outside and
another person is crying, we share a look and
get up from the couch. I love this place but
they never run out of drama.
We get outside and my heart drops into my
stomach, it’s Thalente and her mother.
Mam’Gasela has a long cane in her hand and
Thalente looks scared out of her mind. Was
she hitting her with that thing? Thalente is
an adult, how could her mother do this?
“Haibo! Haibo! What’s this noise in my yard?”
MaZikode asks with a flared nose.
“You people killed my Melamina and now you
have taught my sweet Thalente how to lie
and do your dirty job,” I close my eyes.
She definitely found out that I’m responsible
for Mela’s unveiling.
“What are you talking about now
Thembelihle?” my mom asks, but deep down
she knows that this woman found out about
the tombstone and everything else. What I
want to know is how.
“Don’t tell me that you didn’t know that your
stupid son has been paying for Thalente’s
school fees, her rent and food. He even went
as far as manipulating her into taking his
money to erect a tombstone for Mela. Didn’t I
tell you that I want nothing from you people?
Do you think all this will make you feel less
guilty for killing my daughter?” I have had
enough of this woman and her bullshit!
“With all due respect, ma. We don’t feel guilty
because we are not responsible for Mela’s
death. We also lost a loved one in that car
accident if you’re not aware. Hating and
blaming us won’t bring her back, you need to
let go of this anger in your heart. Mela
wouldn’t want us to be at odds with each
other,” I say calmly but I’m boiling inside, I’ve
reached my limit with her attitude.
“You taught your snob to disrespect his
elders?” she asks my mother with a raised
eyebrow.
“Mama, can we please just go. Bhut’Shlobo did
nothing wrong here, he just wanted to help.
Because of him I’m working towards my
dreams. Sis’Mela now has a tombstone and
you’ve been happy about it. He is a great man
and your late daughter adored him, can you
just stop this drama and accept that they had
nothing to do with my sister’s death,”
Thalente begs her mother.
“Hawu! Thalente, you’re also caught in their
web? I’ll tell you the very same thing I told
Melamina, nothing good comes from
Mavimbela men. They are liars and users,”
there’s that statement again.
“Mavimbela men? It’s only me you have dealt
with, so what is that supposed to mean?” I
ask and she smacks her lips.
There’s more to this woman’s hate than what
meets the eye.
“Why do you hate my family ma? Please don’t
say Mela’s death, that only gave you a reason
to make your feelings about us vocal,” she is
blinking rapidly, she never expected this
question.
“Tell them, Thembelihle. Tell the kids why you
really hate the Mavimbela’s,” my mom says
softly and I narrow my eyes.
“Tell them what? There’s nothing to tell,”
Mam’Gasela says defensively.
“Your father and Thembelihle had an affair,
Shlobo,” mama says and mam’Gasela gasps in
shock.
“Yes, I knew. I just didn’t come running to you
and threatening you to leave my husband
alone. I wasn’t married to you, you owed me
nothing. I spoke to the one that made a vow
to me and he listened to everything I said,”
wow, just wow.
I didn’t expect to hear about my father’s
infidelities on a Sunday afternoon.
“You’re the reason why he stopped coming to
me and talking to me? You made him leave
me?” Thalente’s mother asks with sadness
laced in her voice.
“You thought he’d leave me for you? He
whispered all the sweet nothings in your ear
to get what was under your dress,” my
mother is too calm for my liking and my
father’s imagine has been tainted forever. I
always thought he was a faithful man that
adored his wife, but he cheated on a woman
that gave so much to him.
“He promised to make me his second wife, he
was ready to take care of me and my children
and you took that away from us,” Mam’Gasela
says and a tear escapes her eye.
“Mama, are you listening to yourself?”
Thalente is shocked out of her mind.
“Yes, I am. He loved me and was ready to give
it all up if things didn’t go as planned,” she
believes her words, could they be true?
My father was going to leave us to raise
another man’s children?
“Oh, Thembelihle. If Mavimbela loved you as
you claim then he would have taken the
second option but he didn’t,” secrets are
coming out today.
“What second option?” – Mam’Gasela.
“I had his bags packed and placed by the
kitchen door. He was coming from you that
night. I told him that I’m not going to
continue living life with a man who is not
satisfied with me and what I offer him. I am
not an unreasonable woman, I wouldn’t want
to keep a man that wanted to be somewhere
else. Option one was for him to stop all
communication with you and give our
marriage and family the attention it deserves.
Then option two was for him to take his bags
and leave the home we built for our children. I
promised not to keep his children from him or
influence them negatively against him or the
life he chooses to live. You know what he
did?” when did all of this happen? I don’t have
a single memory of my parents being unhappy
or going through a difficult time.
“What?” Thalente and I are just quiet, listening
to these women talk. My mother is finally
coughing out and it looks like Mam’Gasela is
getting answers my father never gave her.
“He went down on his knees, tears streaming
down his face. He assured me that his heart
never left home even though his body laid
somewhere else. He told me to consider you
gone and that he will change the road he’s
using if he saw you approaching,” mama
explains and mam’Gasela looks broken.
“He never loved me?” she asks and my mother
nods.
“He never loved you sisi. I’m not going to ask
you to stop hating him, but stop hating us
and blaming us for Mela’s death. My son loved
your daughter, he still does to this day and
that’s why he cannot move on with his life.
She was a good girl, I adored her. I didn’t put
your mistakes on her shoulders or hated her
because her mother had an affair with my
husband. That had nothing to do with her or
the love she shared with my son. I cannot say
the same about you though,” mama hasn’t
even shed a single tear but mam’Gasela has
cried a river.
“Thalente, let’s go.” with that said she turns
and walks away.
“I’m really sorry Bhut’Shlobo,” poor girl says
and I just smile sweetly at her and watch her
run after her mother.
I look at maZikode and her eyes are still glued
to them, “Why didn’t you tell me about this
mama?” I ask and she chuckles then looks at
me.
“Because it wasn’t your business Shlobo.”
ouch!
She kisses my cheek and heads back inside
the house. Knowing my mother, we will not
talk about this matter any further.
I wouldn’t have known about all this if
mam’Gasela didn’t come here making noise.