CHAPTER 08
MASWABI MOLETSANE

Mongezi left early in the morning, we didn’t
want him to bump into Dzunisani and make
her more mad at me. I just hope she has
calmed down and is willing to sit down with
me and have a convesation. I am going to
sincerely apologize but also make her
understand that what I’m doing with Mongezi
is not causing harm to anyone.
I don’t like it when there’s tension between
us, I might not say it as much as I need to but
Dzunisani is the backbone of this family;
without her this family would have collapsed
a long time ago.
I walk out of my bedroom to go and find her,
the kitchen is the first place I’ll check. Dzuni
loves to cook so the kitchen is her favorite
place in the whole house. She’s not in the
kitchen and there are no pots on the stove,
that’s strange. She’s normally up and busy
preparing Sunday lunch at this time. Maybe
she’s still sleeping, I’ll go check her bedroom.
Dzunisani has lived with us ever since she
came into our lives, wherever me and Naledi
are you’ll find her there too.
I knock on the door but a response doesn’t
come, she’s ignoring me on purpose. I know
she has a right to privacy but I need to make
things right with my friend. I push the door
open and walk inside, she looks down on me
with an annoyed expression on her face. She’s
busy packing her clothes in a suitcase, I just
hope and pray she’s not leaving us because of
what I said yesterday. I promise I didn’t mean
it, she’s more than just an employee.
“Dzunisani, where are you going?” I ask
panicked.
“I’m moving out. Employees don’t live with
their bosses in the same house, there are
boundries minister,” I close my eyes, my
words really hurt her.
“Dzuni, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of the
things I said yesterday. Please find it in your
heart to forgive me,” she nods.
“It’s okay, Maswabi,” oh thank God.
“Stop packing then,”
“I’m still moving out. I cannot stay here
anymore,” I walk towards her and take her
hand when I’m close.
“You cannot leave your home, your family.
Please don’t do this,” she gently pulls her
hand.
“I raised Naledi and Basetsana, I will always
love them and be available when they need
me. But it is time I went to live my life too
Maswabi,” she’s breaking my heart.
“I’m sorry. I promise to change just don’t go,
please. The girls and I need you. We have been
together for 23 years, don’t let a comment I
said without thinking tear us apart,” I cannot
contain my tears.
“I’m not going to change my mind, Maswabi. I
will call Naledi and explain the situation,” she
says and I swallow hard, “Don’t worry, I won’t
tell her anything about you and her best
friend,” I wipe my tears.
“Go away for a couple of days to clear your
head, but please come back home to your
family,” she shakes her head.
“Thank you for all you have ever done for me,”
I would go on my knees if I could.
“Dzuni, you’re my sister. Please don’t leave me
like this,” she grabs the car keys from on top
of the bed and hands them to me.
“What should I do with your car keys?”
“It’s your car. You only bought it for me
because I was working here,” that’s not true.
“No, I bought you this car because I wanted
to. It wasn’t attached to anything, please
take it,” at least I’ll know where she is
because of the tracker. I’ll be able to show up
everyday to beg her.
“I don’t want it, you can sell it or something,”
she’s really done with me.
.
.
.
I cannot believe that she’s gone and never
coming back. Naledi is going to hate me when
she finds out that I’m the reason why
Dzunisani left. The bond they share is
something I am envious of, my daughter and I
have never been that close. A part of me feels
guilty because I’m doing to her what my
parents did to me. They gave me to the priest
to be his problem and I left my daughter in
Dzunisani’s care while working on my political
career. The only difference is I’m in Naledi’s
life and they were never in mine, I don’t even
know if they are alive or dead.
If they are alive I wonder how they feel when
they see me on the TV or hear my voice on
the radio. There’s no way they don’t know
that it’s me, they gave me the name Maswabi
Moletsane.
I have been sitting in the lounge since
Dzunisani left, I’ve drank a couple of glasses
of scotch. I know it’s early but my heart is
aching, I never though I would loose her this
way. I’m not going to give up on her though,
I’ll give her some space then do everything in
my power to make sure she comes back home
where she belongs.
The door opens and I close my eyes, Naledi
and Basetsana are back and the first thing
they’ll ask for is Dzuni.
“Dumela ma,” Naledi greets me, going straight
to her bedroom.
“Dumala Naledi,” I don’t like how my
relationship with Naledi is, but at the same
time I cannot just stand back and watch her
mess up her life. I’d rather be a bad cop if it
means she will live in the straight and
narrow.
“Grandma, how are you?” I was mad when I
found out that my 15 year old was pregnant
but now I look at Basetsana and feel all the
love in the world.
“I’m great my love,” she sits down next to me
and I drape an arm over her shoulder.
“Did you have fun at your dads?” I ask and she
nods vigorously.
“Yes, the four of us played monopoly. Aunty
Karabo loves it as much as me, she continued
playing with me when mommy and daddy
took a break,” that’s a new name.
“Who is Aunty Karabo?”
“Daddy’s girlfriend,” she shrugs her shoulders.
“Ma, where is Manana? I can’t find her
anywhere,” I heave a deep sigh.
“Dzuni left, Naledi,” she narrows her eyes.
“Left?”
“Yes, she packed her things and left. She didn’t
tell me where she was going,” she tilts her
head to the side.
“I don’t understand, what happened?”
“I said something I shouldn’t have said and it
really hurt her,” she scoffs, shaking her head.
“What is wrong with you?” she sounds
defeated and I cannot say anything for myself
right now, I was in the wrong.
She takes out her phone and puts it against
her ear, I’m sure she’s calling Dzuni.
“Fuck,” she cusses before storming out of the
room.

SHLOBOSENKOSI MAVIMBELA

“You can really cook bhut’Shlobo. That was
delicious,” Thalente says and I smile at her. I
invited her over for dinner because I want to
establish a brother sister relationship with
her. It’s the right thing to do, I know Mela
would be proud of me.
Plus, I want to discuss something really
important with her.
“Yeah baba, you really outdid yourself on this
one. You should visit often Thalente coz he
shows off his culinary skills for you,” we all
laugh.
“You’re a clown, Nhlagano. I always cook good
food for you,” he adds some more on his plate
and I roll my eyes.
My son would be the first to die if the whole
world ran out of food or clothes.
“I think I’m also going to have seconds,” haibo!
Was it that good?
Where is my mother? She needs to hear the
compliments coming to me and stop thinking
I feed her grandson fast food only.
I’m a beast in the kitchen and board room, oh
and that other room too.
Nhlagano went to his bedroom to finish his
homework then revise for tomorrow’s test.
Thalente is busy washing the dishes, I told her
to leave them but she insisted. I’m in the
lounge watching current affairs, I’m relaxing
on the recliner couch with a glass of wine in
my hand.
Thalente walks in and settles down on the
single couch, she will be sleeping over because
it’s raining cats and dogs outside. We don’t
want to risk driving in that condition.
“Thank you for inviting me. I had a great meal
and company. I normally just eat phuthu and
oven cooked meat because cooking just takes
time,” we should do this more often.
It must get lonely at the flat.
“You’re welcome here anytime. This is your
home,”
“Thank you bhut’Shlobo,” I remember
something and maybe Thalente might have an
idea of what her mother meant.
“I was in the village this past weekend,”
sadness flashes across her eyes.
“I miss home so much. I need to find the time
to go see my family. How is MaZikode?” she
asks.
“She’s still a drama queen that’s trying to find
me a wife,” she laughs.
“Don’t take her to heart, every mother wants
a daughter in law. My mother even threatens
to starve my brothers if they don’t bring her
wives to help cook for them,” I take a sip of
my drink.
“Speaking of Mamu’Gasela, I bumped into her
at the shop on Saturday. I tried helping with
her plastics but she obviously turned me
down, then she made a comment about
telling Melamina to leave me alone because I
was going to be her doom, she said all
Mavimbela men are the same. Do you have
any idea what she meant by that?” I ask and
she shakes her head.
“No, nothing. I’m sorry,” she shouldn’t be.
“It’s okay sisi” I clear my throat, “I’m gonna
propose something to you and you can say no
if you’re not comfortable doing it okay?” she
furrows her forehead.
“Okay,”
“Thalente, I don’t sleep well at night knowing
that Melamina doesn’t have a tombstone. I
want to do that for her but your mother
would never agree to it,” she shifts
uncomfortably on the couch.
“I know, hell would freeze over before she
accepts anything from you or your family,”
things shouldn’t be this way, we both loved
Melamina.
“Even so, your sister deserves a tombstone. I
just need your help in making it happen.”