Banathi is driving the black Fortuner that we are in. Him and I are travelling together, and we have the ‘luxury’ of traveling with the Mohale bitches that have decided to carry the beef of their wives. No one wanted to travel with them. No one. Not even people who are below our rank. Now we had to take them. I’m cool with Rea. He just gets the job done. Mohato is a little bitch, man. He’s lucky he’s father is the king and close to pope. If it wasn’t for that, he would be bait and we’d push him into the line of fire first. 

We are in our black overalls and our black hats. Our shoes are covered with plastic bags so they don’t leave footprints that can be traced back to us. 

We park our car outside the building we’ve come to. Our vehicle is the third to arrive. 

Uncle Zee, Banathi’s dad, walks to our car. 

“Ni-grand?” He asks us. 

We nod our heads. 

“Good. Our men are inside. They’ll jam the signal for cameras and fuck up the main switch. The minute it goes dark, the juniors will crash into the building with the truck. Banathi and Khabane, you run to the twelfth floor. You have ten minutes to grab the files, the money and the dockets. Reahile, you are letting the team loose inside. These are their cells. It’s just three cells and they are next to each other. Mohato, you cover them. Anyone who seems like they are about to bust them, you kill. We have ten minutes to do this, gentlemen. Ten. Not a second more. Khabane, behind the office in the twelfth floor, there is the general we need to let loose. You free him, you get him to the getaway car. It will be waiting for you. Banathi, be in that vehicle.” 

We are clear on the instructions. 

“You’ll find us at the airstrip. The general has to go to Mexico with us. The plane takes off in thirty minutes.” He says. 

We nod our heads. 

“Maboko and I will see the heist through with Khotso and Ona. It’s five cars. If you finish and we haven’t pinged you, find us. We need you. Especially you, Mohato.” He says. 

“Sho“, we all say. 

He taps the car. 

It’s time. 

We pull down our beanies and they now become balaclavas. Let’s do this!

Lights off! 

Crash into building! 

We run in! We see our car move. Uncle Z is driving off. 

I sprint up the stairs all the way up the twelve flights of stairs. 

I kick the door down and the first person I see, I shoot. 

I put the dockets, files, money and drugs that I find in here in my bag. It’s all evidence. 

I notice cameras and I see Reahile unlocking the cells. But he’s face is covered. I find a jug of water and I spill it over every exposed wire in here. 

I open the hidden door in here and I find general sleeping. I wake him up. He’s an old man. How the fuck am I getting him down twelve flights of stairs?

He gets up when he sees me and he’s actually an active man. He actually runs ahead of me and climbs down the stairs. Suddenly, I see Mohato. His gun is aimed at Reahile. The mentally ill fuck! 

“REA! MOVE!” I yell. 

He moves on time, but Mohato fires his shot. I react and push the general in front of the bullet. It hits him and he’s on the ground bleeding in no time. 

The team we’ve just rescued from jail splits themselves. Six carry general out and two carry shocked Mohato out.

What is wrong with this piece of shit?! 

We get into the getaway car. 

Someone drives off. 

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, MOHATO?!” I burst out. 

He’s in his freak zone… there where only Zari can help him snap out of it. 

Reahile is spooked! 

“Let’s leave the general at a hospital doorstep”, I say. 

The driver takes us to King Tau hospital. 

Reahile and I carry him to the sliding door. People see us! Good! They sprint to the door. Reahile and I sprint away, get into the car and ride away. 

We get to the airstrip and our fathers are here. Good! They have bags of money with them. Good. 

“Khabane, where’s the general?” My dad asks me.

“In hospital. Mohato shot him.” I say. 

The look that Uncle Ona gives him! 

Good!

“He was aiming for Reahile! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” I say and I punch Mohale. 

I’m pulled away. 

“I’M NEVER GOING ON A MISSION WITH THIS PIECE OF SHIT EVER AGAIN! YOU WANTED TO TAKE OUT YOUR BROTHER?! THE FUCK?!” I’m really angry. Yoh.

And he’s crying! Why is he crying?! Why?!

“Calm down, get in the plane.” My dad says. 

I get into the plane. I’m so angry. I find Reahile seated and scared. Shaking!

“What the fuck was I going to say to Rofhiwa? To Khanyi? Mohato is a liability! He needs to fuck off!” I say. 

“Thank you so much for the look out, brother”, he says. 

People get on the plane, including Mohato. He doesn’t sit with us. Pope walks in. He’s not happy. 

“General is still breathing. We are traveling with him and doctors. We have to deliver him. He’s stable”, pope says. 

“Ntuthuko, nice job with the heist”, Uncle Z says. Yes, Ntuthuko went to the heist. 

Ntuthuko is just as shocked about what Mohato did. 

“They are going to make us pay for this. Someone is going to have to go down for this. The prison will want to make an example out of someone because what just happened will make headlines”, Ntuthuko says. 

He’s very knowledgeable about prisons and how prison staff thinks. I like him because he knows how to strategise. 

“That’s bad”, pope. 

“We could have got away with it. But someone got shot and a critical prisoner escaped. That’s bad”, Ntuthuko. 

We all stare at Mohato. 

“We will regroup when we land in Mexico, gentlemen. Let’s just all calm down for now”, Uncle Khotso says. 

No one responds. 

We wait about two hours before the general arrives with the medical staff. We finally take off! 

…

This morning, I’m in lectures. I have a full day today. Bane is away. He did tell me that he’s away on church work in Mexico. Apparently, their Miami spot has been spotted, so they’ve found a new one. He gave me a number I can reach him on using a new number on a burner phone if he doesn’t contact me within two days. 

At 3pm, I’m in a tutorial. I get a phone call from Ruri. 

I step out of my tutorial and go answer it. 

“Hey Ru.”

“Khanyi, no one has fetched us from school.” She says. 

“What?”

“Me, Rena, Nyakallo, Mndeni, Tholoana, Atang, Akwande, Mulalo, Mohau and Moloko. No one has fetched us. We are at school still.” 

“I’m coming.” 

I run to my car, get in and speed to fetch them. Something is wrong. Where is their driver? Where are their mothers? Where’s Fifi? This is unlike her. 

As soon as they see my car, they run to my car. Ruri gets in the front. I help Rena, Moloko, Nyakallo, Atang and Akwande in the back. Mndeni and Tholoana are old. They find their way in my small A45. I make them carry Mulalo and Mohau. I put the child lock on. I get back in the car and I drive off. 

They are all quiet. They can sense that something is wrong. I have no idea what is happening. I’m not sure if my apartment is safe right now. I’m nervous. I don’t know what to do. 

I drive towards my apartment anyway. I see police cars surrounding my apartment. Ruri and I look at each other. 

I drive off. They don’t see me. But I don’t want to go too far. I may need to leave this car here. I’ll be easily tracked. 

We camp in a bush for some time. 

“Khanyi, do you know what’s happening?” Mndeni asks me. 

“No Mndeni, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Bane. I just panicked when Ru called me, and I came for you guys as fast as I could.” I say.

“My dads said they’d be away for a week. Does this mean that we will be on the run for a week?” Tholoana. 

I really don’t know. And these questions are so difficult.

I want to phone papa and kazi with all my heart. They’d know what to do. But I’d have to explain that my boyfriend is a criminal and I’m a Bonnie in the Bonnie&Clyde story right now. Papa would be so disappointed. Kazi will probably never look at me the same again. Is this really my life now? 

“Khanyi, are you going to break up with Khabane for this?” Mndeni’s questions! 

“Why would you ask her something like that? What’s there to break up for? These things happen!” Ru defends her brother. 

“Our parents are used to it. This is nothing to them now. But Khanyi is rich without Khabane. She has no motivation to stay and keep going through this. She could actually leave, and we’d understand.” Tholoana. 

“She’s not leaving Khabane”, Ru says. 

“I would.” Rena. 

Ru looks at her best friend like she’d about to kill her. 

“Why go through this when you have the option not to?” Rena. 

“Khanyi –

“Ru, please. I’m trying to think.” I cut her right there. 

There is silence again. 

When it goes dark, the police leave. I wait until the last one leaves. Then I go to my place. 

“Come on”, I say to them. 

I take both twins and these ones run up the stairs. 

I lock my door. I give them food and as they eat, I pack what I can in one travel bag. 

“Can we help you with anything?” Mndeni. Tholoana is next to him. 

“Have you eaten? Make sure bags are topped up with as much food as possible.” I say. 

They nod their heads and leave my room.

I hear them ordering the little ones around.

I order a taxi. 

Luckily, I have nappies here for the twins.

I take a carry-on bag and put essentials, including a burner phone that Bane gave me some time ago. I make sure that each kid puts food in their bags. They listened to the two older boys and they’ve listened to me. 

Our taxi arrives. 

I lock up the house. 

I have the twins with me. These eight make their way to the taxi. Mndeni and Tholoana are carrying the bags. The taxi is an H1. 

The guy leaves the H1 and leaves in another car. Yes, in Tholoana Kingdom we have services where you can rent the whole taxi. I’ve rented this one for a month. The guy leaves. 

I put these kids inside of the H1 – the back. 

I sit by myself in the front. Well, I think. Tholoana hops into the passenger seat in the front and Mndeni is right behind us. Ruri and Rena have split themselves between the smaller kids. They’ve buckled them in, and we are about to leave. I see Moloko going to sit next to Mndeni. 

“Please make sure he’s buckled in”, I ask Mndeni. 

He does exactly that.

I drive off. 

I drive all the way to some mechanics workshop that is owned by the church. When one of the guys see me, he runs to me. 

“Check this car for devices and trackers.” I say to him.

He doesn’t argue. It takes him an hour to do this.

The kids and I stand outside the vehicle as this is being done. I have Mulalo in my arms, rocking her from side to side. Mohau is in Rena’s arms and she is also rocking him from side to side.  This guy takes out every weird device in here. When he’s done, we get back into the car.

I like these kids because they don’t ask a lot of questions – except for the older ones. 

“Tholoana, sit at the back with Mndeni and Moloko. You need to sleep.” I say. 

“Someone must stay up with you.” He says. 

“Tholoana, get in here and sleep. You guys have been through enough for one day. Grab a blanket and rest. Sizokhuluma ekuseni.” I demand. 

My tone scares him a bit, so he does as I say.

Now, they sleep. I tell them to sleep. There are some blankets that I took for them. They each find a spot and a blanket then sleep. 

I drive through the night then leave Tholoana Kingdom. It’s at night, so the people at the boarder are lazy. I see one of the people that Bane has once introduced me to. I don’t know if he’s part of the church as well or what, but he lets me through without even stamping my passport. 

Just like that, I’m in South Africa. 

I just drive. 

I drive until I see the sun starting to come up. By now, I’m well on my way to Swaziland. I’m nervous though. Where are Rofhi and the mothers of these kids? 

I pour petrol because I’m out. 

Mulalo is awake. 

She smiles at me. I smile at her. The others are sleeping. 

When the petrol is full, I get on the road again. 

I stop in Nelspruit. I find a lodge that I can stay at for the day and when I find one where I can stay with all these kids in one place, I book it and drive to it. 

We arrive and I wake them up. 

They get up and walk into the chalet we will be staying at. 

As soon as we are in, they all go and bath. 

I dial Bane on THAT number. 

It rings twice. 

“Baby”.

“I have the kids. Akwande, Moloko, Rena, Mndeni, Tholoana, Nyakallo, Atisa, Ruri, Mulalo and Mohau. We are fine.” I say. 

“Thank God.” 

“We are on the run. I don’t know where we are safe.” 

“Are you out of the kingdom?” He asks me. 

“Yeah. We are in Nelspruit.” 

“Stay there. I’ll tell you when to move. My mom, Bane’s mom, Rofhiwa, Aunt Fifi, koko Kea, Zari, Aunt Remo, and all of Uncle Ona’s wives are arrested.” 

“WHAT?!”

“You got away because we are not married. They only got a hint of you because Rofhiwa mentioned that you are my girl. That’s why they are looking for you now.” 

Yoh!

I’m so scared. 

“The ladies will be out by tonight. We are organizing. Now that we know the kids are good, we can risk it. Stay alert, baby. I’m going to make it up to you. I love you.”

He hangs up. 

Yoh!

“What’s going on?” Ru asks me. 

“I don’t know, Ru. But we are going to be good, okay?” 

She nods her head. 

…

We are all in one cell. No one is saying a damn thing and I’m pissed off because I feel like my husband is the only person who didn’t tell his wife what this is all about. I’m worried about my children!

Some cop appears at our cell gate. 

“Letlali”, he says. 

Banathi’s mom stands up. 

“Five seconds”, the cop says.

Banathi’s mom takes a phone from her. She puts it on speaker. 

“Hello?” Mme Tlali. 

“Love.”

“Zithulele. What the hell?! Where are our kids?!” 

“They are fine. Khanyi has them. All of them. They are safe.” 

Khanyi knows too and she hasn’t even said a damn thing to me.

“Thank God!” Each woman says in here. 

“You’ll be out tonight. Now that we know that Khanyi has all the kids, we have given her instructions on what to do. So, we can fly back knowing there’s no risk. We will get you out.” 

The line goes dead. 

Banathi’s mom returns the phone to the cop. 

“Thank God for Khanyi” someone says. 

I’m very angry. But I do feel better knowing that Khanyisa has my kids. She loves them. She’d never let anything happen to them. She’d risk the other kids to save my children. I’m comforted.

After about an hour of silence in this cell – I don’t know why, we just all decided to not speak in case someone is listening. I’m not speaking because I genuinely don’t know anything and it’s embarrassing! – a different cop opens our cell. 

He charges straight to me. 

“Where’s your sister?!” He asks me. 

I know nothing! 

I KNOW NOTHING! 

I KNOW ZERO! 

I shrug my shoulders. 

“She is defeating the ends of justice. And if she doesn’t show up soon, she will actually eat charges.” The cop. 

“Don’t say anything, Rofhiwa”, someone says.

“SHUT UP!” The cop.

He stares at me. He laughs. He walks out.

“Khanyi is smart. They are safe.” Bane’s mom keeps saying. 

We fall asleep. We are woken up by commotion.

“What do you mean they’ve landed back in the kingdom?” Someone yells.

“They are back. They want their wives or they start bombing buildings”, someone says.

What animals are these?!

“Where’s that Khanyisa girl?! No one can find her or those kids?! Without her, we have nothing!” 

“FUCK! A MALL JUST BOMBED AND PEOPLE ARE DYING!!” 

We all get up now. 

What’s wrong with these people? Bombing a mall? Really?

“GET THOSE WOMEN OUT! IT’S A DIRECTIVE FROM THE COMMISSIONER!” 

“FUCK! A HOSPITAL JUST WENT UP IN FLAMES!” 

“RELEASE THE WOMEN! RELEASE THEM! WE HAVE NO PROOF ANYWAY! RELEASE THEM!” 

Our door opens. 

We follow each other out. 

A V300 is here to pick us up. We just get inside of it and it drives off. 

I actually cry. Everyone looks at me as if I’m crazy. How is this normal? How is this real life? How?! 

I cry until I fall asleep somehow. 

I wake up deep in the evening. I am not sure where we are. I am not as clued up on the kingdom as I should be. Some ladies are asleep. Bane’s mom and Banathi’s mom are watching something on the news. It’s breaking news that people have been arrested for a break in into a prison, killing of fifty prison warders and an unconfirmed number of prisoners. They show these people, but none of them are our men. The only one we all recognize is Mohato. 

“Why him?! Why?!” Zari has an outburst, waking everyone up. 

“Why Mohato?!” Zari yells. 

“Zari, warasa!” Mme Thabi. 

“Why Mohato?! Why not everyone else?! He’s not doing time for them! He’s not! Never! They’ve treated him like a dog for the last time! The last fucken time!” Zari. 

The women look at each other as if saying that Zari is going to be an issue. 

We take a break as the sun rises. 

Where the hell are we going?

Our car is being filled up with petrol. I go buy something to drink and sweets. I see Zari making a call. Who is she calling?

I go to Bane’s mom. 

“Zari is phoning someone”, I say. I don’t even know what I’m snitching, but I need to get home to my kids and Zari is not ruining that for me. 

Bane’s mom finds Zari on the public phone. 

Zari hangs up. 

“Who was that?!” Bane’s mom asks her. 

She doesn’t say anything.

“Who was that?” She repeats herself. 

Mme Thabi slaps her. 

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Zari yells. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Mme Thabi. 

“I DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU ANYTHING. JUST KNOW THAT MOHATO IS NOT GOING TO JAIL WHILE ALL YOUR HUSBANDS AND CHILDREN WALK! IT’S NOT HAPPENING!” Zari.

“Setlayela se!” Mme Thabi. 

We all get back on the V300. 

We drive for about an hour, then we are stopped by cops. 

Zari laughs. 

What did she do?! I’ll honestly kill her myself. 

“Seniboshiwe“, the cop says. 

“For what?!” Banathi’s mother.

No! Please! Not again!

We all leave with the cops again! 

This van is so uncomfortable! And Taung is so far from here! Oh my God! 

“You! Where were you taking them?!” Our driver is asked. 

“Tell them where Khanyisa is”, Zari.

What’s wrong with her? 

“Tell them where Khanyisa is or tell them why you were sent to fetch us and take us to Khanyisa and explain who sent you”, Yoh Zari. 

Mme Thabi literally kicks her, and she flies into the road where she is almost hit by a car. 

We are all in shock! 

“STUPID SHIT!” Mme Thabi. 

Zari is not cuffed yet. So, she grabs a gun from one of the cops and starts shooting. She doesn’t even know how to use a gun. One of her bullets land on kgosi Ona’s third wife.

We are all in shock!

Zari!

The police are scared. They know people are going to pay for this. They know! 

The police let us go. 

But our driver is also shot! 

…

We are all locked up now. Zari tipped people off on where to find stash in the royal house. Now we are all locked up. We’ve also received news that my dad’s third wife is dead. Zari killed her. Mohato is out. And I have no idea where he or Zari are. My dad is mad. Mohato has informed journalists that the king is arrested, so people are in a frenzy. Fortunately, mme Thabi has stepped in as the queen and she’s managing things. 

I’m in here with all the others who are locked up. Mohato is apparently singing like a bird, putting us in the bombings of the mall and the hospital. We are in shit.

Khabane pulls out a cellphone.

He dials Khanyisa. She’s honestly our hope right now. 

“Hey”, she sounds so tired.

“Are you still okay?” Khabane. 

“No. I’m scared. I haven’t slept. I don’t know what to do.” 

“Where are you?” 

“In KZN. The homelands. We live in a rondavel for now. There’s no TV here, so people don’t know us. I’ll be able to sleep peacefully tonight with all the kids”, she says. 

Bless her soul.

“I’m so sorry about this, Khanyi.” 

“I saw what happened on my iPad. I have it to keep the twins and toddlers entertained.” 

“We don’t know where Mohato is. He’s fucking shit up. Him and Zari.” 

She cries. 

“Khanyi, I need you to be strong. Please.” Uncle Maboko says. 

“Okay”, she says. Then she says, “I need to get hold of kazi. She will see the news and she will worry.” 

“I’ll get Tebza to phone her”, Uncle Maboko. 

“We don’t know how long we will be in here. But we have faith that our wives will do something. We appear in court tomorrow. After tomorrow, we will have a way forward. Okay?” Uncle Maboko. 

“Okay.” Khanyi is not okay. 

“Sleep, baby. You might need to hit the road tomorrow”, Bane. 

“Okay. Stay safe, okay?” Her.

“I love you”, Bane. 

“I love you”, Khanyi. 

They hang up. 

“I’m going to put Mohato down”, my dad says. 

Only now he realises that Mohato is a dog that needed to be put down ages ago? 

Pope just looks at him. 

“It’s time”, my dad says. 

We are all just quiet. 

Had he done this years ago, we wouldn’t be in this position. We wouldn’t have been in half the positions we’ve found ourselves in. 

“You need to be careful of Zari. That girl knows how to stay three steps ahead. She’s the one who’s dangerous and is in Mohato’s ear”, Uncle Maboko says. 

He has a point. She has a weird influence over him that I don’t understand. 

“We need to tame her”, pope.

“She’s not tameable. She thinks she’s protecting Mohato’s honour.” Uncle Z. 

“Then I’ll put them both down.” My dad. 

We all look at him. 

“Just make sure they are not a bunch of Regodises who will die to only leave us with a mess and a half to deal with”, pope. 

We just all sit here. This cell is so small. I miss my twins. I miss my wife. She might even divorce me after this. I don’t know how I’m going to make it up to her… to her parents. I’m fucked! 

Around midnight, an officer opens our gate.

“Quickly!” He whispers. 

I wake the sleeping people up. Fazed as they are, we follow each other out. A bunch of new people are put in that cell. We all change clothes. They take our clothes, and we take theirs. We jog out of prison side, then out the building, then outside. There’s a V300 waiting for us. We jump in. Our wives are in here. 

We’ve never been more relived to see these women in our lives. We are all hugging one another, squashed in this car. They drive off. Mme Letlali is driving. 

We get to our airstrip and we board our flight. Rofhiwa is stuck next to me. She’s angry but scared. That’s what’s saving me. 

We fly out. 

In about an hour, we are landing. As the door opens, Khanyi and the kids sprint in. 

Yoh!

Khanyi sprints straight to Bane and they hug each other tightly! We all look at them! We understand. We really do. Khanyi starts crying. 

“You did great.” Bane keeps saying. 

Khanyi is still shaking. 

“Ruri did great. She made the call”, Khanyi says. 

Uncle Maboko hugs Ruri. 

I have my twins on me and my wife next to me, cuddled. 

The flight takes off and we are in the air for a while. We all even sleep cuddled into each other. We have no idea where Mohato or Zari are.

…

I AM TIRED OF HOW MY HUSBAND IS TREATED! I AM EXHAUSTED! 

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! 

ENOUGH!

The minute I heard that Mohato is the one who is going to prison to do time for the ungrateful bunch that he tirelessly tries to prove himself to, I snapped! I lost it! I protected my man!

I called the police and informed them where we could be found. Then I told them about the prison escape plan. I told them I’d give them details if they let Mohato go. I told them he was coerced into it and I’ll give them the big guns! I’ll give them pope, but Mohato and I walk. 

So now, all the men are arrested. I don’t know where the women are. I don’t know where Khanyisa is. They wanted her too. If they could get her and the kids, the men would be forced to take years and charges just to have their kids released. We all know they love their kids more than the church itself. Mohato and I don’t have kids. We’ve got nothing to lose in all of this. 

“They wanted me to do twenty years. Twenty years!” Mohato says to me as we walk into the royal house. 

Yes! We dare walk in here because we have every right to be here. No one is here though. 

“Don’t worry, babe. We are done being second best to all of them. We can go and start our own life. We will live on our own terms. Period.” I say.

“Ey lona!” We hear a voice. 

Oh, it’s Mme-Thabi. 

“You have some nerve; do you know that?” She says. 

I look at her with the attitude she gives me. 

“Wena Zari, you are going to jail. You murdered a royal wife. You are doing thirty years behind bars. You know how it works in Tholoana Kingdom. You killed a royal wife.” Mme-Thabi says. 

I start shaking. 

“She’s not going anywhere.” Mohato says. 

“How delusional are you? After what she did, jail is an easy way out. She should be dead for what she did. This stupid little girl”, Mme-Thabi. 

“Mme, don’t do this.” Mohato. 

“How could you?! Keng ka lona?!” She says. 

“Mme, we can fix this.” I say. 

“The only thing you are doing is turning yourselves into prison. Mohato, you shot the general. You pay for that! You know the rules! Zarinah, you were stupid. You would’ve been protected and taken care of. But you opened your mouth, you got powerful men arrested and you killed a royal wife. What exactly makes you believe that you deserve to walk?” She yells at us.

Mohato and I look at each other. We know it’s time to run. 

We start to run… 

BANG!

–

And my wife is lying in a pool of her own blood in no time. My family hates me. I’m convinced. 

“What did you do?” I ask Mofomahadi. 

“She’s not dead yet. I just shot her shoulder. The both of you will now have a permanent reminder to never be stupid again.” She says. 

I just sob over my wife. 

“You can still take her to the hospital before she bleeds out. But here’s what you are going to do first”, Mofomahadi says. 

I thought she was the one who actually loved me… who was on my side. 

I look at her. 

“You stop this shit! Do you understand me?!” She says. 

“How could you still protect him? After everything he has ever done to you… your marriage… how do you still take his side and do this to me… FOR HIM?!” I say. 

“My marriage to Ona is none of your business! And how dare you use the challenges in my marriage to justify your bullshit!” She says. 

“But that’s why you cheated, right? That’s why you found love with Yaya and not him. He’s an asswhole. He wanted me to do twenty years! Twenty years! Now my wife is shot because she was protecting me?” 

“Why the fuck were you trying to kill Reahile?! For what?!” 

“I don’t even remember doing that. I literally just zoned out in that moment. The noise of the alarm had me in a frenzy. I panicked. I just wanted to be useful. Before I knew it, Khabane was punching me in front of the plane. I don’t remember anything that happened before that.” I say. And I’m being honest. Reahile and I are not best friends, but I wouldn’t want to kill my own brother. 

“Make this go away, Mohato. Phone whoever you need you to phone and make this go away! The minute I know a plan of how my husband will be home by tonight as opposed to out of this country because he’s wanted, I’ll let your wife live.” She says. 

“The same husband who will get out and run into Sonia’s arms… not yours. You know that’s who he loves.” 

“That’s fine by me. I know why I married Ona. It wasn’t for love. The contract we entered onto upon getting married is still intact. I want him alive and back in his kingdom – I don’t want him on the run. If I don’t get that, I let Zari die and I ship you to a looney bin so you can be with your kind.” 

Something happens in my head instantly. I will never be caught dead in a place like that. Never! 

She has a gun pointed at me. 

I literally blacked out. 

She coughing and holding onto her neck. 

I think I’ve just strangled her. 

Oh fuck! 

There’s blood. 

My blood. 

It’s coming from my thigh.

She shot me.

“Fine”, I say. 

“Fine what?” She asks me. 

“I’ll turn myself in. I’ll take the hit for it. For all of it.” 

She nods her head. 

“Zari –

“Will be protected. And I’ll make sure you are out in a year. Take the heat off the church!” She says. 

Just like that, a woman I considered my mother trades me in for the church. 

…

My thigh is wrapped up in a bandage. My skin was just shaved off by the bullet. I’m not really injured. I’m sitting next to Zarinah’s hospital bed. My ride or die. 

She’s crying. 

“Mohato, why did you agree?” She asks me. 

“It’s the only way we can both live and I don’t get sent to the looney bin”, I explain.

“What?!”

“It’s okay, baby. I’ll only do a year. Mme-Thabi said she’d make sure that I’m out in a year.” I tell her. 

“You won’t lose me. I promise you. As soon as I’m better, I’m going to visit you every chance I get. And I’m going to set up a new life for us. I promise. When you come out, you’ll come out into something I’ve planned for us.” 

I nod my head. 

“I’d love that”, I tell her. 

“We are going to be okay. I promise. For better or for worse. Until death do us part. Just do me one favour, Mo.” 

“Yeah?”

“Don’t die on me. Whatever you do, don’t die on me. I’m begging you.” 

I kiss her. 

She kisses me back. 

Now our foreheads are touching. Our eyes are closed. She won’t stop crying. 

“I love you”, I tell her. 

“I love you”, she tells me. 

“It’s time to go, monna!” The policeman who’s here to fetch me says. 

“I’m going to phone you as soon as I can”, I tell Zari. 

She kisses me one more time. 

I’m finally pulled out the ward. 

I’m cuffed and I am taken through the hospital. Everyone is obviously watching. The media is here. There are camera flashes everywhere. Mofomahadi is here at reception. She gets up and stands next to me. 

“Uncuff him! He’s not resisting arrest!” She tells the cop. 

I’m uncuffed. 

“We will follow you in my car.” She says. 

“One of us has to ride with you, ma’am”, the cop says. 

“Suit yourself”, she says. 

We don’t answer any questions by the media. We walk past them. We get into Mofomahadi’s car. She deliberately brought her two-door Porsche. I actually laugh. The cops are confused. 

“You can sit in the boot”, she says. 

They are a bit…

“I’m the queen. We are not running away. We’ll meet you at the station”, Mofomahadi says. 

We get into her Porsche and we drive off. The police vans follow us.

We get to the police station and my dad is here. Both my dads. I see Reahile as well. He’s angry, but he’s here. I owe him an apology. I guess him being here counts for something. My parents kiss each other. Then they walk either side of me. It’s cameras everywhere. Every fucken where! 

We are finally inside the prison. My parents are with me: my two dads and the one wife that I consider my mother. 

They come in with me. 

The police let them. 

I’m treated with respect, not like some thug. It must be my parents and their presence. 

My mom looks away when I change out of this suit and get into the green prison pants and green prison top. I leave my sneakers behind and wear loafers. No laces allowed. 

My dad takes my things. I don’t trust the people here to keep my shit. 

Now I’m being walked to my cell. It’s far. It’s isolated. I notice a few people from the church in these single cells. Okay, I feel slightly better. And their cells are nice. Damn! Isn’t this prison? This section looks like a hotel. 

I walk into my cell. 

Pope, Uncle Maboko and Uncle Zithulele are here. There is a big ass double bed here. It’s not a king-sized bed or anything, but it’s nice. The linen is black and Grey Egyptian cotton. 

I have a fridge in here stocked up with my medication, fruit and snacks. Okay, I can live with this. 

“We take care of our own… no matter how we feel about them”, pope says.

I nod my head then say, “Thank you.”

“You keep your rank in here. Deacon. You will be protected and respected. This section of the prison is the church prison. You have your own chef who will cook for all of you. You have your own courtyards and areas to hang out. The other prisoners don’t come this side. You fuck up, you join the other prisoners, and you have no protection”, pope says. 

“Yes sir”, I say. 

“As soon as Zari leaves the hospital, she will be brought here to see you… maybe even spend the night and take care of you. But you need to talk to her. She’s a walking time bomb. She fucks up outside, it affects you in here. Control your wife!” Uncle Maboko says. 

I nod my head. 

“We don’t want issues. We will stick to our side of the deal – Zari will be protected and well-taken care of. You will be safe and comfortable in here. You will be out in eleven months and the nineteen years will go away. The murder charge for Setati will disappear and Zari won’t do time. But if you or Zari fuck up, it falls away. You do your twenty inside the main prison. Zari takes thirty for murdering Setati and she goes into a main female prison with no protection.” Uncle Zithulele says. 

“We won’t have any problems.” I say. 

“Take care. Your common area here has a phone and a TV that you can use anytime. You behave and you’ll get a personal cellphone. But all calls are monitored. I’m sure you know why”, pope. 

I nod my head. 

They all look at each other. 

My mom is the one who hugs me. 

“I love you, my boy. I’ll take turns with Zari to come here and see you. You know I’d never just leave you.” She says while in the hug. 

“Thank you, mah. I love you. And I’m sorry about everything.” I say. I’m holding her tightly. 

“I’ll have a nurse in here to make sure you take your meds properly and you are on the right diet, okay? I’m sure Zari will appreciate it if it’s a male nurse”, she says. We are still in the hug. 

They laugh. 

“Here’s a book. Read up a bit. You might just enjoy it. It’s titled “Last Wife Standing”, she says as she hands me the novel. 

“For nna? Last Wife Standing?” I ask. 

They laugh. 

“Yes. Happy reading. Phone me every day. I love you.” 

I kiss her cheek. 

She steps out. 

All these men haven’t forgiven me. You can just see it. If mah wasn’t here, they’d have killed me – even my dads. 

They just walk out. No love. No goodbye. Nothing. 

My dad and mom lock hands, leading everyone else out the prison. I just throw myself on this bed, lie on it facing upwards. My cell is locked. I hope this will not be a long eleven months.