CHAPTER 35
NALEDI MOLETSANE

I don’t want to be here but I have to be, I
believe that I’m the only person who can get
through to Maswabi regarding the situation
with her brother. I know that she’s hurting
but she needs to understand that this whole
thing is affecting innocent people. The time
has come for her to let go of this pain and
anger she has against the people that
abandoned her, and focus on being happy with
her sibling and his children. We have an
opportunity to be one big family, the ball is in
her court.
I also decided to come see my mother today
because my daughter has been expressing
how much she misses her. Maswabi is not my
favorite person but she’s Bassie’s grandmother
and I’ll never forbid a relationship between
them. Unless if I really have to. My first
priority is Basetsana’s happiness and well
being. I will keep her away from anyone who
threatens those two things.
I kill the engine in the driveway and we open
our doors at the same time. My daughter has
a wide smile on her face, she’s really happy to
be here, I can’t say the same about me. But,
I’ll try to be as civil as possible with Maswabi.
I didn’t come here to fight with her after all.
I opened the gate for myself but I won’t just
walk inside the house without asking for
permission, this is no longer my home. I
moved out so I’m only a guest here. I press
the bell at the door and my daughter gives me
a confused look. She doesn’t need to
understand this part so I simply ignore her.
The door opens and my mother gasps in shock
when she sees Basetsana and I on her door
step. We stare at each other for a few
seconds then she peels her eyes off me and
looks at my child. Maswabi’s eyes glisten with
tears as she opens her arms for a hug. She’s
on her wheelchair, which is unusual when
she’s indoors. I hope she wasn’t on her way
out.
I watch them fold each other in a warm
embrace for a minute or two and I instantly
feel bad. I shouldn’t have waited this long to
bring my daughter over. She shouldn’t be
caught in between my drama with her
grandmother, it’s not fair on her innocent
soul.
“I missed you so much my beautiful girl,” my
mother says to Basetsana, repeatedly kissing
her cheek. My daughter is giggling.
“I missed you too, granny. I have a lot to tell
you about school,” Basetsana and discussing
her teachers? 5 and 6 for sure.
“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” -Maswabi.
“Naledi, this is a lovely surprise. Thank you,”
she says and I just nod. Things are still
awkward between us, I don’t think we will
ever have a good mother and daughter
relationship. It has always been rocky from
the beginning, all we ever did was fight and
now we don’t know how to do anything else
besides being at each other’s throats.
“I figured that you two would love to spend
the day together,” I say and she takes a deep
breath.
“I appreciate it,” she moves her wheelchair to
the side and we walk in, headed to the
lounge.
“Would you like anything to drink or eat?
Dzuni made lunch before she left,” she asks
and I shake my head.
“I just want a snack grandma,” says my
daughter, the one that demanded a
McDonald’s burger on our way here.
“You can go help yourself with anything in the
pantry my love,” my mother says and
Basetsana leaves the room immediately.
Her appetite has picked up since we moved in
with her father. They are always chewing,
every minute of the day and they never gain a
single kilo.
“You both look well. How is work?” to say I’m
shocked would be an understatement.
This is the first time my mother asks about
my job. She has never been interested because
I chose to work for a private company and
not a government department of her choice.
“Work is good. My team and I work very well
together, I honestly don’t have any
complaints,” I answer and that’s a little lie.
I do have complaints here and there but I
won’t mention that to her. Knowing Maswabi,
she would try to convince me to take the Job
she once organized for me.
“That’s good to know,” She says and there’s
uncomfortable silence between us. I want to
discuss the situation at hand but I don’t know
how to start it, I’m very nervous. She might
take it the wrong way and blow up in my
face.
“Thanks for bringing her. The house hasn’t
been the same since you left, Naledi. I miss
the both of you very much and I’m sorry,
sorry about everything,” I hear her but her
apology is not heartfelt. My mother has done
the worst to me, I just cannot let it go
without talking about it all.
“I’ll bring her around frequently,” I say and her
smile slowly fades, she’s disappointed that I
didn’t touch on her apology.
“I hear that I have an uncle,” I might as well
just go straight to it.
She heaves a sigh, “Yes, but he is really just a
stranger that I share the same blood with,”
she says and it’s my turn to be disappointed.
“It doesn’t have to be like that, you know.
Give him a chance, everyone deserves a
family,” I say and she chuckles.
“He only came looking for me because he
needs help for his daughter. I’m sure Dzuni
told you everything,” I nod.
“That’s part of the reason, but I was told that
he said he wouldn’t hold it against you if you
refused forgiving your parents and saving his
daughters life in the process. He wanted help
for his daughter but he also wants a
relationship with his sister,” I put it to her
and she shrugs her shoulders.
“You wouldn’t understand, Naledi. Those
people don’t deserve my forgiveness,” she says
and I chuckle.
“And you do?” I ask and she narrows her eyes.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asks,
with a hand placed on her chest.
“You say your parents don’t deserve your
forgiveness so I’m asking if you deserve mine,
after all you did to me?” she cannot believe
her ears.
“I know I was hard on you, but you can’t
compare that to being abandoned by the
people who were meant to love and protect
you,” she says and anger consumes me whole.
How dare she downplays everything she has
done to me?
“Imagine how they would have treated you if
they kept you, it would have been hell on
earth. They would have done to you what you
have always done to me,” I say and her
eyeballs threaten to fall off. “They would have
constantly reminded you that you’re not the
child they hoped for. You would have been
reminded of the kind of disappointment you
are to them. They’d judge you for not being
the same as them, for not doing things the
way they do…”
She quickly interjects, “Naledi, please stop,”
she says with tears streaming down her face.
“You are no better than your parents. The
difference is that they gave you away and you
kept me only to say the words you didn’t get
to hear from them. Them abandoning you is
equal to all the painful things you have done
and said to me,” I say with a shaking voice.
I didn’t come here for this, I wanted us to
have a civil convesation but I got triggered
when she said I cannot compare my situation
to hers. She made it seem like the pain she
caused me is nothing and I shouldn’t even be
talking about it.
“Mommy, I made a milksha…” my daughter
stops talking when she notices the tears on
my mothers face.
“Why are you crying grandma?”
“It’s tears of joy baby, I’m happy that you and
your mom are here,” Maswabi says and Bassie
quickly places the glass on the coffee table
and rushes to hug my mother.
“I’ll ask Mommy to bring me often,” she says
and I take a deep breath and get up.
“I’ll come pick you up later baby,” I say.
I want to be gone from this house.
“Can I please sleepover?” I look at Maswabi
and she nods.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Come here,” we
hug and I kiss the top of her head, “I love you.”

AT THE KHAMBULE RESIDENCE

The family came from near and far to bury
Jimmy, everyone is still in disbelieve. How
could a rich, healthy man like Jimmy get
cancer and die just like that? They are all
struggling to wrap their heads around it,
especially his sister Khabonina. Jimmy was a
bull, he never got sick, not even flu, so cancer
is impossible. She suspects that someone has
a hand in her brothers death, yes, he died at
the hands of American doctors but someone
around him must have given him muti and it
came across as cancer to the western
doctors.
She has a suspect, someone who had every
reason to want her brother dead. That’s
Naledi, his sidechick. She wanted Jimmy all to
herself and when she realized she couldn’t
have him she striked him dead. She knows
girls like Naledi, they want what is not theirs,
what they did not build. She decided that if
she couldn’t have Jimmy then no one else
would, especially Thulisile. It makes sense in
her head and she’s going to go out of her way
to make Naledi pay.
Khabonina made sure that her brother was
buried with dignity, she is the one who made
sure that his body was brought back home in
time so he can be buried. She had to step up
because everyone else was in the world of
their own. Yes, she’s also hurting but she will
deal with her pain later on.
She has been walking around the yard making
sure that everyone is okay. This is the day
people are supposed to be checking on them,
and making sure they are okay but she
doesn’t want anyone speaking ill of their
hospitality. Yes, we can definitely say that
Khabo’s priorities are misplaced. Who cares
about what people say in a time like this?
She gets inside the house and goes straight to
the master bedroom to check on her sister
in-law. Thulisile is having a hard time with all
of this, she doesn’t want to believe that
Jimmy is gone. To this day she wants her
passport so she can go to the embassy to get
an emergency visa to go see Jimmy in the
USA. Everyone has tried talking to her but she
just doesn’t want to hear it. She couldn’t even
go to the cemetery today, they had to sedate
her because of how violent she was acting in
the morning. The family will take her when
she is ready to accept that her husband is no
more.
Khabo changes her shoes and heads out of the
bedroom, she is ready to eat and sit with her
relatives now. She starts in the kitchen and
dishes up for herself before heading outside.
People are sitting in groups, family, friends,
business associates. They are sharing drinks
and stories about Jimmy. Everyone has
something to say about him, whether its good
or bad.
“Ma’am,” someone taps her shoulder and she
quickly turns and finds her brothers lawyer.
“Can I please have a quick word,” he says and
Khabo nods.
“Is everything okay?” she asks panicked.
“Yes, everything is okay. I just need you to
help me find someone who is included in your
brothers will. He left me with contact details
but I haven’t been able to get through to her,”
he says and Khabo narrows her eyes. Who
could he be talking about?
“Give me a name and I’ll be able to help you,”
Khabo says and the lawyer takes a deep
breath. He is not supposed to be doing this
but what harm can it bring? He doesn’t have
the time or resources to use on finding the
woman Jimmy didn’t want to explain to him.
“Her name is Naledi Moletsane,” he said
what?! Khabo’s blood is boiling. How could
Jimmy leave anything for Naledi? She cannot
allow that gold digger to get anything from
her brother, she is the reason why he is dead.
“What did my brother leave for her?” she asks
and the lawyer shakes his head.
“I really can’t say ma’am, at least not until
next week infront of everyone,” over her dead
body.
“I don’t know a Naledi,” she says vehemently
and the lawyer heaves a sigh. He can tell that
the woman infront of him knows but doesn’t
want to share for some reason.
“Listen, ma’am. I really need to locate her or I
won’t be able to read the will. Everyone who
is included has to be present,” he explains,
hoping it will coax Khabo into telling him
what he needs to know.
“My brothers daughter won’t be present, what
are you going to do about that?” he just
wanted Naledi’s details not this back and
forth.
“Arrangements have been made for Sihle to
join us virtually,” the lawyer explains and that
leaves Khabo with no choice. If she wants to
know what her brother left her then she has
to give this man something about Naledi.
“I don’t remember the address, I just know she
lives with her mother and daughter in
Woodmead. I know where she works though…”
the lawyer is relieved to know where she
works, he will ring the office first thing
Monday morning.
Jimmy asked him to read his will exactly five
days after his funeral. He wanted everyone to
get answers and their inheritance and move
on with their lives.
“Thank you so much. You will hear from me
with the details of where and when the
reading of the will, will take place.” he walks
away, leaving the angry Khabo behind. She
still cannot believe the skank that ruined her
brother’s marriage is getting something.