“Mama! Mama!” I yell for my mother as I barge into the house. 

“Uyarasa Mandisa. What is your issue?” She says, meeting me in the kitchen. 

“UNobukhosi uyajola!” I say. 

“So?”

“You know?” 

I’m shocked!

Am I the only person who is bothered by this?

“Yes, I’m aware. What I’m not aware of is why it is a problem.” She says. 

“Do I have to remind you ukuthi where this family found itself the last time uNobukhosi made reckless decisions nalamadoda wakhe?” 

She chuckles.

I’m not joking.

“Mandisa, Nobukhosi deserves a second chance. Yes, she’s made mistakes in the past, but she needs to leave that behind and give herself another chance. UMsizi is a nice boy. He’s good for Nobukhosi. Yaz, uKhosi was an empty version of herself for close to three years. UMsizi ubuyisa my baby girl. That beautiful baby girl that everyone couldn’t help but love. She’s back, Mandisa. And I’m so happy to see her happy and beautiful again.” 

“Oh okay, I understand now. Khosi gets to mess up and turn our lives upside down because she’s your beautiful baby girl? She gets to turn our lives upside down and we all have to clean up after her just because she’s your beautiful baby girl. Angisho I’m the ugly daughter? The one whose father you hate. Angisho every time you fought with dad, you’d tell him to take his ugly daughter with him? And Khosi’s dad is the one who took us out of our shack and bought us this house… gave you your beautiful daughter… and left you all his pension money when he died. I’m paying for the fact that I’m the one who was born from the wrong father.” 

“Yaz Mandisa usheshe ukhohlwe. Uyamangaza shame. Yes, Khosi made mistakes. Are you forgetting all the times she had to console you and raise your children for you – feeding them, nursing them when they were sick, putting them to sleep when you couldn’t – because you were too scared to have them around your house in case lo porky wakho would chase you down the street with a knife or a belt because he wanted his mistress to sleep in your bed?”

Wow! She’s taking it there! 

“Are you forgetting how Khosi would take your kids to school with her because no one would look after them – including you – because of that porky of yours? Khosi has made terrible mistakes when it came to men, but she never forgot about us. She made sure we were okay. She took care of us. And she was at home with me every Sunday, just to have lunch with me – even though she was bringing me that horrible rabbit food of hers. Mandisa, Nobukhosi almost went to jail for you! Are you forgetting that you phoned her first when you accidentally killed that porky of yours? And she helped you clean the house after all of that, then move the body to a shebeen so that you are not suspected of murdering him? Today, wena ubalela thina ukuthi wenzeni for uNobukhosi and Nobukhosi must leave her life alone just to listen to you and you feel owed for helping her? Kanti unjani wena?!”

I find myself crying. 

Yes, Khosi has helped me a lot. From my children and right out of my first marriage. But she still makes stupid choices. 

“Okay, let’s talk about when the world was attacking you for lesthembu okuso… Khosi was fighting in your corner, even though she herself came home on Sundays and said to me, “Mama, is Mandi sure about this?”

My mom really loves Khosi shame. 

Khosi does no wrong in her eyes. 

“You leave Nobukhosi alone! Do you understand me? If you can’t be happy for her, hlukana naye!” 

“Mama!” Khosi comes into the house.

She sees us. 

“Ay, I’ll go to my room and wait for your daughter to leave”, Khosi says when she sees me. 

I’ll slap her! 

“Nobukhosi, hlala phansi!” My mom.

Khosi stares at me. I stare at her.

“Sit!” My mom. 

She sits next to my mom. 

“Nilwelani?” My mom asks Khosi. 

“She disrespected me and Msizi. In front of Msizi, mama. She said hurtful things to me – without even meeting uMsizi. You don’t know the first thing about him.”

“He’s attracted to you. That tells me more than I need to know”, I say. 

“This coming from wife number five of Tholoana Kingdom’s busiest penis? Really?” Khosi says. 

I stand up immediately and I charge towards her. She instantly kicks me and I fall onto my mom’s room divider, hurting my back. 

“Bitch!” I yell. 

“Uyahlanya wena?! You hit me now, Mandisa?! Wena?! You hit me?!” Khosi. 

My mom is crying. 

I don’t understand why she’s crying. 

She must discipline her brat! 

…

I’m sitting in the kitchen drinking some pain meds. Khosi stepped out. I saw that boyfriend of hers with glasses hugging her. She probably told him we fought. 

My mom is watching TV in her bedroom. 

Khosi walks in with takeaway boxes. 

“Msizi got us grilled skinless chicken breasts and Greek salads with extra avo. We have sparkling water and lemon to drink.” She says. 

I just look at her. 

“Pheelo is four now. You need to shred off some weight. It’s not baby fat anymore.” She says, dishing up on a plate for us. 

I just chuckle to myself. It’s funny, but I’m not ready to not be mad at her anymore. 

She serves me a plate and a glass of sparkling water with slice of lemon. She squeezes juice out of lemon and sprinkles it over my salad. Ay! Khosi! 

“I’m taking a plate to mama.” She says, leaving with a tray that has an exact plate like ours and a glass of sparkling water with a slice of lemon.

She’s now back and we are having our salad. I guess she’s extended the olive branch with this lunch and drink. Let me also do my bit.

“Pheelo loves Siya. He calls her his best friend and asked me if they are cousins.” I say. 

“Siya asked me the same thing. They must really like each other.” She says, but not exactly excited. 

“A step-mother Khosi, vele? This is where you are?” I ask her.

“Yes, Mandisa. I love Msizi. I love Siyamthanda.” 

I nod my head. 

“Are you sure about him?” I ask her.

“Can you ever be sure about anyone? I’m taking a risk and I’m going all in with him. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. It’s okay.” She says. 

I nod my head. 

“I’m sorry about what I said. I’m sorry about how I treated him.” I say. 

“Mandisa, I know you are an insecure bitch who has to go through drama just to be seen before you accept that you can’t do anything about the decisions that mama and I make. Facts! Msizi doesn’t know that. And you really hurt his feelings. I don’t care for your apology, but he does. And I’d appreciate it if you apologized to him.”

Khosi is very disrespectful. 

“What did you say to me?” 

“I’m done talking. Next time you speak to me, you better be apologizing to my man for being yourself”, she says, then continues to eat her salad. 

I just leave the house. I might as well just leave Khosi and her mother in a house that Khosi’s father bought. I know when I’m not wanted!

…

Of all the things that I thought Rofhiwa would do to sabotage our marriage, I never thought cheating would be one of them. As hurt as I am, I’m not surprised. And maybe that’s why I’m not falling apart. At the back of my mind, I always knew our marriage wasn’t forever. That’s why I’ve been dating someone myself. But I’ve been respectful about it. The only people who know her are Khabane and Tee-le. And I actually love her. But if Rofhiwa and I never got to a point where we separated, I’d have left her for Rofhiwa. Because that’s who I vowed to spend the rest of my life with. Plus, she turned on her family for me. That’s loyalty. I respect loyalty more than I respect love. But now with this shit, I’m disappointed, I won’t lie. And I’m determined to make her pay.

So, Bane, Ntuthuko and I are in her boyfriend’s apartment. Khanyi has my twins. My family is right. I should’ve married her instead. But that’s my baby sister. Even if I divorce Rofhiwa, Khanyi stays my sister. Me, Khabane and her will raise these twins. Rofhiwa will never see them again. 

We broke into this apartment. 

Ntuthuko is busy eating. He found gourmet food in the fridge. We’ve already set up the torture unit. We are just waiting for them to arrive now. It’s a nice apartment shame. It’s a penthouse almost. There’s even a photograph of him and Rofhiwa in this house. Rofhiwa can live. But he’s dying. 

Bane is smoking. This guy and cigarette. I don’t know how Khanyi hasn’t made him stop yet. She doesn’t look like the type that could live with this guy and his smoking. But clearly, she loves the smell of tobacco on him.

We hear giggling then the door unlocking. We all stay right where we are: Ntuthuko in the kitchen, Bane and I are in the TV room. 

I hear Rofhiwa’s laughter. 

“Why does it smell like smoke in here? Cigarette actually?” The guy.

“It smells like the cigarette that my sister’s boyfriend smokes”, Rofhiwa says. 

Oh wow! 

She’s that attentive? 

They turn on the lights. 

They see us. 

Rofhiwa looks like she’s about to faint.

The guy looks like he wants to run away. 

He turns around to run away, but Uncle Maboko and both my dads push him in and shut the door. 

“Rea, baby, please –

I stare at her.

I actually want to hear what she has to say for herself.

She stops talking…

She’s crying…

“Where are my kids?” I ask her. She doesn’t know that Bane told me that Khanyi has the kids. 

“Khanyi is babysitting.” She says through her sobs. 

She’s on her knees now, begging for mercy. 

I nod my head. 

Bane is tying this guy down on the torture table. 

“What are you doing? Rea, you don’t have to do this. Please. I’ll break up with him. Please, just leave him alone.”

I just look at her.

For someone who will get upset at someone for just looking at her the wrong way, she’s not as innocent as she believes she is. Rofhiwa kaofela? Capable of this? I’m honestly in shock. 

Her guy is attached now. 

We have attached machines to his heart. 

“He’s naked. Get naked and climb on top of him.” I say.

“Rea, please.” 

“Rofhiwa, climb on top of him naked. I want you to have sex with him in front of me. Show me how he handled you in a way that I didn’t.” 

She’s crying. 

“Rea, please.”

“If you don’t do it. I kill him. Your choice.” I say. 

The guy is already crying.

Rofhiwa is crying as she undresses herself.

“You must really love him, neh?” My dad says. Ona. 

She just cries. 

She climbs on top of him.

We all sit and watch. 

As soon as they start having sex, the guy’s heartbeat goes up and he cannot control it. Then the machines he’s attached to shocks his heart and system. Cause of death will go down as ‘heart attack’. Just like how we did it with Yaya Mbatha. 

Within minutes, he’s dead. 

Rofhiwa is crying while on top of him.

She’s shaking.

I’m not even moved. I don’t care. 

“Malome Maboko, do you have the papers?” I ask. 

Uncle Maboko pulls out the papers. 

“Sign!” I say. 

She looks at me. 

“These are divorce papers. You and I are done, and you’ll never see the twins again.” I say. 

“My kids, Rea?” 

“Do you think you are a good mother?” I ask her. 

She cries. 

“Rea please!”

“Sign Rofhiwa! Or you die with your man!” 

“What will you tell them?” She asks me. 

“That you are dead to us. But it won’t be a harsh blow. They’ll have Khanyi. They’ll have me. They’ll have everyone but you. Try to fight me, Rofhiwa. I dare you!” 

She shakes. 

She wipes her tears – mind you, she’s sitting on her dead boyfriend still and she’s naked – then she signs the papers. 

I take the papers and we leave the apartment… leaving her with her dead man. 

One of our deacons are waiting for further instructions. 

I nod my head at him.

He, and other deacons, go in to clean up, get Rofhiwa on a plane and make sure she’s in another continent all together. She sets foot on this African continent ever again, she’s dead. I’ve given her twenty million rands as a settlement. I will pay for whatever house she chooses to live in and buy her two cars. She should be fine to buy herself another life and never be heard of in my life or my children’s lives ever again. I believe I’ve been more than generous.

I’ve paid her for sex – just like the prostitute she is.

…

We arrive at Khabane’s place just after midnight. It is quiet in here. 

“Are Khanyi and the twins here?” Uncle Maboko asks. 

“Yeah. But they are probably sleeping.” Khabane says. 

“You sure?” Uncle Maboko. 

“Khanyi is loyal. I’m not stressed.” I say. 

“Rofhiwa is her sister.” Uncle Maboko says. 

“Trust me, she’s more than shown us that she’d pick Khabane over Rofhiwa any day. If it were the other way around, she wouldn’t have given Khabane this information about Rofhiwa”, my dad, Khotso, says. 

We all sit down. 

I open the fridge and grab something to drink. Khabane looks at me. 

Please man. I come here so often. I’m right at home. 

“Oh, it’s you. I thought someone had broken in”, Khanyi comes out with a baseball bat in hand. 

We all freeze…

Look at her…

Then burn into laughter!

What was she going to do with that bat?

She greets us then tells us she’s going to bed. She tells us that she cooked and we can help ourselves. 

Trust me, we are happy! 

Khabane walks her back to the bedroom. 

“Reahile! Ntuthuko! Dish up!” My dad, Ona, says.

Ntuthuko and I look at each other then start dishing up. 

She made samp, oxtail, chakalaka salad, pumpkin and moroho! Like proper traditional spinach. The way that only seSotho people eat it. I swear she knows her way to a Sotho man’s heart.

“Don’t finish my plate!” Khabane walks back in and says.

We all just laugh. 

Our dads are proper dishing this moroho hey. 

“Aowa! My girl cooked this. I eat the most!” Khabane must just stop it. He’s not going to get the biggest plate here. He must just forget it.

We are now eating and drinking this beer that Bane had in here. 

“Any news yet?” My dad, Khotso, asks.

I phone the deacon that was in charge. 

After two rings… 

“Sho?” 

“Sho? Update?” Me.

“Plane to Chicago. Her house and cars are already bought and ready for her.” He says. I’m actually the best person to get a divorce with.

“Did she give you any problems?” I ask. 

“Just cried the whole way. But she obliged to everything else. She understands the terms and conditions that will keep her alive. I don’t think we will have any problems. But we have a team that will be making sure that is based in Chicago.”

“And the family?” 

“Text messages sent.” 

“Good work!” 

The line goes dead. 

Khanyi comes running in, dressed up in a tracksuit and all. 

“And now?” Khabane.

“Rofhiwa is gone! Just gone! She asked me to look after the twins and make sure they are okay. But we will never see her again. And that she and Rea are divorced?” Khanyi is in panic.

“So wena uya kai?” My dad, Ona, says. 

“Home. Kazi and papa will know how to bring her back.” 

We all look at Khabane.

“Khanyi, baby –

“What did you do with the information that I gave you?” Khanyi asks Bane.

Silence.

“I told you that Rofhiwa is cheating on Rea. What did you do with that information, Khabane?!” Khanyi. 

“I … uhm…”

“Khabane, I need to know if I have to lie to my parents or help them bring my sister back.”

She starts crying…

“I need to know if I’m protecting the man that I love over looking out for my sister, Khabane. So, you have to tell me the truth!”

Silence. 

She snorts with tears.

“Is Rofhiwa dead?” Khanyisa. 

“No.” Khabane.

“Did you hurt her?” Khanyisa. 

“Not physically. No.” Khabane. 

“Is she okay?” Khanyisa. 

“Twenty million rands settlement. A four-bedroom house in an upmarket area. Two new high-end vehicles. Out of the continent, but very comfortable.” I say. 

She looks at all of us. She’s crying and breathing heavily. 

Her phone rings. 

She looks at it. 

“It’s kazi”, she says.

We all look at her. 

She answers it and puts it on speaker. 

“Hey kazi”.

“Khanyisa, I just got a very off text message from Rofhiwa. Both Thomas and I cannot reach her. What’s going on?” 

“Eish kazi, I also just got back from the airport to drop her off. She asked me to just drop her off there. She didn’t even want me to see ukuthi uyaphi. She said she needed a fresh start and asked me to raise the twins for her.” Khanyisa says. You can just tell that this is the most difficult thing she’s ever had to do. But she’s convincing. 

“What happened exactly, Khanyi?” Papa asks. 

“Papa… she was having an affair.”

“What?!”

“Yeah. And Rea found out. Fifi then said she wanted out of the marriage and she wanted out as amicably as possible. Rea gave her a divorce, but gave her twenty million rands as a settlement, then bought her a house and cars wherever she is. I think Rea knows where she went.” 

Silence. 

Then papa says, “Maybe this is for the best. When she’s ready, she’ll come back.”

“Yeah. We can only hope.” Khanyi.

“Khanyi, if you or Rea need help with the twins, feel free to bring them. Rea is welcome here any time to see them.” Papa.

“Okay papa. I’ll let Rea know. I think maybe the twins just need some familiarity for now and their dad is here, you know. Rea is also dealing with this.” Khanyi. 

“I understand. When are you coming back for umemulo wakho?” Kazi. 

“The Monday before the weekend.” Khabane will bring me. 

“Please come with the twins.” Kazi. 

“I’ll speak to Rea, kazi.” Khanyi. 

“Okay sisi. We will talk more when you get this side, okay?” Kazi.

“Okay. I love you guys.” Khanyi.

“We love you, baby girl.” Papa.

The call ends. 

“You did good.” Uncle Maboko says.

She’s just crying. 

“Baby –

She just puts her hand up at Bane’s face then leaves the room. 

It’s just silent now here in Bane’s TV room.

…

“How are you feeling today?” I ask him.

He’s been a bit under the weather lately. Mofomahadi has been treating him herself. He does look better, but I want him to tell me how he feels.

“You know I don’t expect you to be here every day, right?” 

What’s this man saying now? 

” You have been here every single day… sleeping over every time they’d let you. I appreciate it. I appreciate you. But your life doesn’t have to pause for me.” 

“Mohato, you are my husband. Who must my life pause for?” I ask him. 

“Zar –

“Mohato, stop this! Just stop it! You are not getting rid of me that easily.” I say. 

He giggles. I’m glad he thinks this is funny.

“I was speaking to my mom. I didn’t tell them about you being incarcerated or anything, but I did say that we could do with a bit of a holiday. She says we could come over and visit them in the UK in the next two months.” I tell him. 

He smiles at me and says, “I’ve never been out of the kingdom for vacation. We always going on missions, but never for leisure. That would be nice.”

I smile at him. 

I’m glad he’s fond of the idea. 

I’m an only child. With Mohato, my parents have two kids now. We both need to go where we are valued… my husband needs it.

“I thought it’s what we need. I’ll tell mom you are keen.” 

He smiles at me.

“What?” I ask him. 

“You are amazing.” He says.

I blush a bit…

Then I fill him in.

“Rea and Rofhiwa are getting a divorce.” I say. 

He’s shocked!

“Actually, they are already divorced and Rofhiwa has vanished into thin air somewhere.” I say. 

“What happened?” He asks me. 

“No one will say. Everyone was told that it’s due to irreconcilable differences. But the twins are with Khanyi full time now. She and Bane are helping Rea with them.” I say. 

“Why wouldn’t my brother tell me something like this?” He says. 

He’s actually hurt. 

“Maybe he’s still dealing with it, you know?” I say. 

What I want to say is that he doesn’t consider him a brother at all. Khabane is his brother. Not Mohato. 

“How is he holding up?” He asks me.

“He seems okay. Maybe they just decided to go their separate ways… you know?” 

He’s a bit hurt by Rea shutting him out. I can just see it.

“Not even any of my dads said anything to me.” Mohato keeps saying. 

Eish!

Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.

“Am I even still part of that family?” 

Eish! 

I hate what they are doing to him! 

I really hate them for that.

…

I’ve come home to get some warm vests for Mohato. I’m spending the night at his cell tonight.

I walk out with his overnight bag and I bump into morena, moholo and Rea. People are moving Rea’s clothes in. I guess he’s back for good.

“Makoti“, Moholo acknowledges me.

“Dumelang“, me. 

“How’s Mo?” Rea asks me and I’m instantly pissed off.

“If you really cared about him, you’d go see him and see for yourself how he is.” 

They are all taken aback by my response.

“Makoti –

“No papa, she’s right. Mohato is my brother. No matter what.” 

I’m glad he acknowledges that. 

“Can I leave with you to go and see him?” He asks me. 

I nod my head and say, “He’d really appreciate that. Thank you.” 

He nods his head. 

–

Mohato is so happy to see Rea. He’s surprised, but happy. 

We are let into the cell. 

They actually hug each other. And it’s a long and meaningful hug. I smile at them. This is nice. 

“I’ll give you guys some space”, I say. 

“Thank you, baby. We’d really appreciate that.” Mohato. 

“If it’s cool, I’ll sleep over today.” Rea says. 

Wow! 

Mohato looks at me. 

“Okay, cool. Just remember to take your medication tonight and tomorrow morning, okay?” Me. 

“Yeah, baby. Don’t worry.” Mohato says. 

“Have fun”, I say. 

Then I leave them.

I actually have no idea what I’m going to do with myself for the rest of the night. 

–

“How are you, man? Zari tells me that you and Rofhiwa have decided to go your separate ways? I know you loved her, so there’s no way that this is easy on you”, I ask him. 

We are both sitting on the bed, talking. 

I haven’t done this with my brother in a very long time. 

“I’m fine. I’m making it. The twins are with Khanyi. I’m practically co-parenting with her. But she’s easier to deal with compared to Fifi.” He says.

“What happened, monna?” I ask him. 

He giggles under his breath then says, “She cheated.”

I’m so shocked!

When?!

Why?!

How?!

He sees my shock. 

“And I just found out that she’s pregnant with that nigger‘s child.” He says.

Bathung! 

“When I found out, I wasn’t even surprised. I was disappointed and hurt, yes. But I wasn’t surprised. Rofhiwa is brilliant at sabotaging good things. I knew that we wouldn’t stay married forever. In fact, I had no intention of marrying her. But what do you do when someone picks you over their family then gets pregnant with your children?” 

Fuck man!

I really had no idea this is how he has been feeling all this time. 

“I’m sorry, man. I really am.” I say. 

He nods his head.

“And wena? How have you been? You seem to be living soft in here.” He says. 

I laugh. 

“It’s still prison. You can’t really do what you want when you want to do it. But Zari and mah are making it more bearable.” I say. 

“Zari is a real one for you. She shat on me for not coming to see you.” He says. 

We laugh.

“Here I was thinking you finally missed me.” I say. 

“A lot has happened, Mo. I don’t even understand what happened between you and me. To a point where you pointed a gun at me? Ready to blow my brains out?” I guess we do need to talk about this.

“To be honest with you, Rea, I don’t remember any of it. It’s like there are parts of my brain that are completely blank. The only thing I remember is the alarm going off. I don’t remember anything after that.” I’m being honest.

“This thing of yours… it’s really serious. How are we fixing it?” He says.

“Mah and Zari are helping me. The medication helps a lot. But I’ve also made the decision to bow out of the game.” I say. 

“I heard about that”, he says.

“Yeah. Zari needs me. And clearly, I don’t do well in the situations that the church puts us in. At this point, I’m forcing all your guys’ hands to sacrifice me in the line of fire. I am a liability. I know if someone else was like me, I would push them to the line.” I say.

“I’ll support you. And I’m sorry that I haven’t been supportive all this time.” He says. 

“I don’t blame you. You’ve taken care of me our whole lives while our mom was too high to make us food… when she was selling us to pimps and shit and we had to sit in dodgy hotel offices and witness people buying and selling girls and drugs… you took care of me – even before we met Mme Thabi and she diagnosed me. You are exhausted. And I understand, it gets exhausting. When you met Fifi and you were exposed to a healthy and normal family. I don’t blame you for running after that. For chasing that. Why do you think I let Zari run my life so much? She gives me normal. She gives me different. She teaches me to not accept what mom put us through.” I say. 

Rea is getting emotional.

So I’m also getting emotional.

“I didn’t even cry when she died. I loved dad more for killing her”, Rea says. 

“I hate her.” He says. 

“We don’t even know where she’s buried. And I have no problem never finding out.” I say. 

We look at each other. 

“I’m sorry that we almost lost each other”, he says. 

I pull his head towards mine and our foreheads touch. We actually cry.

It’s almost lights out now. 

“Give me pillows and a blanket”, he says.

“You sleeping on the floor?” I ask. 

“You think I’m going to sleep in the same bed as you? Let you feel me up and shit at night? I’m not Zari.” 

We laugh. 

I give him the pillows he’s asking for and two blankets.

He makes his bed on the floor then lies in it. I lie in mine. 

We are both facing the ceiling.

“We need to get you some ass”, I say.

“It’s taken care of.” He says.

I actually laugh!

What?!

He laughs too. 

“I’ve been seeing her for almost a year now. Like I said, I knew that Rofhiwa and I would one day get here. But if we never got here, I was okay with never divorcing her and doing right by her. I was committed to honouring my vows and the mother of my children. But I was open to meeting someone I’d actually want to marry and love. And I happened to meet her.” He says I’m still laughing. This guy deserves a reality show. 

“Yeah. I’ve spoken to pops to arrange an arranged marriage for me and her. Chat to the family and make it happen. Out of respect for the Ramarus.” He says. 

“Why do you still care about respecting them? They gave you their shittiest daughter. I’d understand if it were Khanyi.” Me. 

“No man. They are good people. They were good to me. They treated me so well even when Rofhiwa treated them like shit. I still want a good relationship with them. I still want them to be my family. They are the twins’ family, you know? I figure that me entering an arranged marriage will go down better than me meeting, loving and marrying someone before the ink even dries up on my divorce papers.” 

“You must really care about their feelings”, I say. 

“I do.” 

“And how does your wife-to-be feel about this?” I ask him. 

“She understands.” He says. 

“Who the hell is she?” I ask. 

“Someone I met in KZN when we were there with Ntuthuko, Banathi and Khabane. She’s from a Zulu royal family, actually. From the minute I saw her, I knew we would be forever.” 

This guy is in love! 

“What’s her name?” I ask him. 

“Nandi.” He says so romantically.

I smile at him. 

“You are in love!” I say.

He even blushes. 

“Let me phone her and have you meet her.” He says. 

He pulls out his cellphone and dials a number. The caller ID reads “My Love.” 

Ja no! I’m shocked! 

“Reahile Mohale! Did you see the time?” That’s how Nandi the one answers her phone. 

“Bathung, baby… I miss you.” Rea. 

“You couldn’t miss me in the morning?” She says. I actually laugh. 

She’s quite… different. 

“I’m with my twin. I wanted you to meet him.” Rea says. 

“Oh, that’s so nice. And he let you make him meet me at such odd hours of the night?” She says 

“It’s midnight. You are being a bit dramatic.” 

“Weh!” 

Now both Rea and I laugh. 

“Hi Nandi.” Me.

“Hi. How are you?” She says.

“I’m good. I’m happy to meet you. The woman responsible for my brother blushing a lot these days.” Me.

She laughs. 

“Does he tell you how much he stresses me out?” She says. 

“No, he doesn’t. But I’ll sort him out for you, don’t worry.” I say 

She laughs then says, “Please do.” 

“It was nice meeting you, Nandi.” Me.

“Likewise.”

I hand the phone back to Rea. 

Boy is CHEESING!

“What are you doing?” He asks her. 

“I was sleeping. But now I’ll wake up and check my emails, track some orders…” 

“No baby, go back to sleep. You work too hard.” 

“I’m self-employed. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid.” She says. 

“Please go to sleep. Please? I’m going to see you in a few days. ” Rea says. 

“Just to see me?” Her. 

“Yes. And to help with some preparations for my sister’s umemulo.” Him. 

“That’s beautiful. I’ll organise an outfit for you to wear. You are not going there to be Sotho. You’ll be participating in an isiZulu event. A beautiful one at that.” She says. 

“The Zulu people in our lives have organised, thanks babe. But I do want to see you.” 

“Okay. Well, let me know if you want me to drive down to meet you somewhere”. 

“Yeah. It’s in Soweto. But we will be sleeping at the Four Seasons Hotel.” 

“Okay babe.”

“Are you still enjoying that car I bought for you?” Rea. He’s even bought her a car?!

“Yeah. And my dad is loving it too. I’ll never thank you enough for that, baby. I really appreciate you.” 

“Okay baby. Well, go back to sleep. I love you, okay?” 

“I love you too, baby.”

“And the letter is arriving tomorrow morning. I think our families will meet this weekend.” Rea. 

“I can’t wait to be your wife.” She says.

“Me too, baby. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Now it hits me. If he marries a royal wife, that makes him more of a priority to be king than me. I know Moloko is next in line. But until Moloko is of age, Rea would be his regent. 

Did he do this on purpose? 

I need to tell Zari.