“Please make fat cakes and coffee for all the elders in there, ngwana waka”. This man is tap-dancing and my last nerve.

“No!” I say firmly and angrily.

“What did you say?” He says. 

I see Mamholo running into the kitchen as if to stop a fight.

“I said no! Mamholo, who the hell are these people? I’ve never seen them a day in my life! But they are all here telling us what to do, eating all our food – including your stock – while we are eating bread and tea. These are my lobola negotiations. Why are they here?!” 

“Ey wena! We are your elders!” The so-called uncle.

“Who did what for us? Do you know how much we struggled? You didn’t even send us a slice of bread! But you are here now, and you are annoying us! You are ready to be acquainted with the royal family and you are already making plans with my lobola money! You are not going to see a cent of that money! Mamholo raised us on her own after mama and koko passed away. She will have that money by herself!”

“Is this how you raised these kids, Mamoleko?! To be so disrespectful?!”

“Disrespectful?! I’ll show you disrespectful!” Me.

I walk out of the kitchen. Mamholo keeps asking me what I’m doing as she and the elders follow me to my room. 

Maybe I’m hormonal! But I don’t want these people here! I want them to go back to wherever they’ve been all this time and leave us alone like they’ve left us alone all these years.

“Baby?” Reahile answers his phone. He’s still sleepy. I don’t blame him. It’s 2am. My family has been fighting all this time, that’s why no one is sleeping. 

“The negotiations are off.” I say.

Everyone in the house is shocked and are arguing with me.

“What?!” Reahile is equally shocked.

“The negotiations are off! The only person who should be here is Mamholo and absolutely no one else. But these men – I don’t even know who they are – are here ruining everything! They are bullying us! They are already making plans for the lobola money and are looking forward to being acquainted with your family. If you give these men even a cent or speak to them even once, I’ll divorce you!” 

Now someone has snatched my phone. One of the uncles even goes to the extent of slapping me across the face and I actually fall because the force is so hectic. 

There’s mayhem. I think he didn’t know that my fiancé is a prince. Now everyone is telling him he’s in shit. I’m just in pain. A lot of pain. I hit the ground painfully. 

I saw Lele running out. Now she’s coming back with Mrembula and Mrembula carries me out of the house, puts me in his car and drives off. 

Tono is with me. Lele stayed with Mamholo to deal with the fuckers! Tono is sitting with me at the back of Mrembula’s car, trying to keep me calm. She keeps telling Mrembula to, and I quote, “Baby, step on that accelerator! If she starts bleeding, the baby is toast.” Mrembula actually listens to her. I think their relationship is actually serious now. I’m just crying here. 

Mrembula has also phoned Reahile. I don’t know where my phone is now. 

“Cuz, I need you to breathe. Stop crying please, and focus on breathing! Your baby needs you to focus on breathing. Please”, why is she so nice to me. Tono is not the nice one. But I listen to her. Three kids later, I’m sure she’s a pro at this, so I listen. 

We get to the hospital. I’m scared. Rea is right here already. His mother, Mme-Phuthi, comes into the ward with me. They let Tono come in too. So it’s Rea, myself, Mme-Phuthi and Tono. Rea is worried. I see it in his face. The nurses have given me something to calm me down. This thing is just making me sleepy. 

“Mme-Moholo, these are the things that she’s allergic to. I jotted them down in the car – especially penicillin. They can’t give her anything with that”, she says to Mme-Phuthi. She insists that I call her Mah. Which is fine. I like her. She’s the nicest person to me. She loves Rea and that’s what I love the most about her. But to the rest of the country, she’s Mme-Moholo. She is, after all, Moholo Khotso’s wife. 

“Thank you, sisi. I’ll give this information to the doctor and nurses.” She says to Tono.

“Tono, what exactly happened?” Rea asks.

As Tono starts speaking, I doze off into sleep. 

–

I’m waking up feeling extremely tired. My body is not in as much pain anymore. I look around. I see Mme Phuthi next to me with her head hanging in her hands. Rea is now in front of me as well. 

“How are you feeling?” Rea asks me. 

Mme Phuthi is also now hovering over me. 

“The baby?” I ask. 

He smiles. 

“Is the baby okay?” I ask. 

“The baby is perfectly okay.” Mme Phuthi says. 

I take a deep breath. 

“And those people have left. Mamholo got some locals to assist with the negotiations”, Rea says. 

I smile. 

I’m actually relieved. 

“The doctors will discharge you soon. We are four hours behind schedule, but we are still doing this, okay?” Rea. 

I squeeze his hand. 

Tono walks in with Mrembula. 

These two!

Tono helps me up from the bed. 

Mrembula holds my bag. Rea is told that we will see him later, then we leave the hospital. 

My plan is to sleep this whole ride. But Mrembula won’t stop asking me if I’m okay. 

We get home and I haven’t slept at all in that car ride. At all! 

“Are you okay?” Mamholo asks me. 

“Ke shup.” I say. 

“Are you sure?” Mamholo. 

“Mamholo, ke shup.” I emphasise. 

“Okay… our dresses have arrived. That girl – ba re ke mang –

“Ruri”, Lele says. 

“Ruri, yes. She brought a dress for you, me, Lele, Tono and the kids.” Mamholo. 

Oh ja, that was meant to be a surprise. 

“It was meant to be a surprise. Surprise.” I say. 

They are all excited. 

“Let’s get ready! They are already here”, Lele says. 

…

The lobola negotiations are done. I’m finally a Mohale fiancé. They’ve also gifted my family and dressed me up in my makoti gear that they got for me. 

Now we are in the tent and people are eating. Mamholo invited EVERYONE. Mrembula was tasked with taking the lobola money to the bank. He we went with some security people from the royal house. 

Those uncles that almost ruined my day came back and they’ve been demanding the house, saying it’s their mother’s house and they have every right to be there. The house belonged to my great-grandmother. My grandmother is the child that never moved out then she stayed there with her kids. Now her kids stay there with her kids. I told Mamholo that it’s time we moved. We will get a better house. We don’t need them or their shit. She keeps saying that she will burn the house down first because they must find the house how they left it. I actually believe that she will do it, so now lawyers are involved and lawyers are saying if the uncles want the house, they must buy it from Mamholo. I’m just upset that this all had to happen today. I already feel tired and it’s only 2pm. 

“Are you okay?” Rea asks me. 

“A lot just happened today. I’m just tired. But the best part of today is that I’m your wife”, I say. 

He smiles at me. 

It starts raining. 

I’m so glad the tent is a glass tent that keeps everyone dry and indoors. Mamholo just won’t stop showing off. She’s definitely THEE celebrity around here. 

“I wish we could go back to Taung together.” He says. 

“Me too. But you are a prince. Of all the people on this land, you have to respect the rules the most.” I say.

“I know. Promise me that you’ll rest”, he says. 

“I’ll try my best. I can’t relax when those people are around”, I say, referring to the uncles. 

He stares at them. 

“Hey… ke tloba shup.” I say.

“You sure?” Him.

I nod my head.

He kisses me.

“Wena ushup?” I ask him. 

He knows what I’m asking. I know that he’s touched that the mother of his kids didn’t allow the kids to come to our wedding. She’s not even allowing them to come to any of the cultural celebrations. The minute the royal family told her that she has to bring the twins back, she put lawyers on them and it’s been a dirty fight ever since. 

“Ke tla reng? You know, I don’t think I’m going to ever have a relationship with my kids again.” 

I stare at him with my eyes wide open.

“I know Rofhiwa. She will go all the way with this one. If it means taking my right away as their father, that’s exactly what she will do. I know her. “ he says.

“Can’t you fight this?” I ask him.

“How?”

“Legally?”

“She’s got information and evidence that could put us in prison for the rest of our lives… a federal prison at that… probably even have us served the death penalty. She knew this day was coming from the moment that I met you and she’s been preparing for it ever since. That woman is the biggest mistake of my life. I just wish that I could get my kids and have nothing to do with her ever again. I always wonder if my kids will ever know how much they mean to me. She’s making sure that they believe that I never wanted them.”

“What if we just kept things as they are? You keep your visitation as it is until there’s a plan.” 

“It’s just… I don’t want to deal with Rofhiwa anymore!”

“You have to! For your twins. You have to!” 

We look at each other. 

“Rea, we have to go, papa”, Mme Phuthi comes to us and says. 

She and I smile at each other.

“Wena… ube kahle phela. Umzukulu wami lo omthwele”, she says to me.

I laugh. 

She said I better learn Zulu and fast. 

“Sis, izobonana next week”, Wandi comes out of nowhere and says. 

We hug. 

Her daughter, Melo, hugs me. 

I love this family. 

They are good people. 

Rea and I stand up from where we are sitting. People are now singing for us, so we have to do a step together. People follow us also doing a step behind us. It’s in the rain, but it’s beautiful. Rea and I are holding hands as we do the step together. Every camera is just snapping us. We kiss. I just know those pictures will be priceless. 

…

The party is still pumping outside. I’m in my bedroom already. 

I’m lying in bed just to get some rest. My body still hurts a bit. But the warm shower that I had before slipping into bed has definitely made a difference. 

“Hawu, you are in here?!” Tono says as she walks into the bedroom.

“Yeah. I’m just feeling quite tired. I thought I’d come sleep a bit.” I say.

“Oh okay. I wanted to check that you are fine before I take off.” 

“Where are you going?” 

She smiles.

Heh! 

“Is it serious vele? Taba ya hao le Mrembula?” I ask. 

She starts laughing then lies in bed with me… next to me. 

“Do tell”, I say.

“I don’t know how to explain it, Mapho. I’ve never experienced what I’m experiencing.” She says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“He… he respects me. That’s completely new to me. I’ve never been respected by a man before. I never knew what that felt like until I met him. Men have done unspeakable things to me, Mapho. I still get nightmares at times about some of my experiences. And I will admit that when I started dating him, it was about money and being comfortable. I was tired of suffering hle. But he gave me so much more than just money. He gave me respect. Hell, he taught me respect. He loves me. He doesn’t even have to tell me. Ung’phuthile hle.” 

I smile at her. She seems genuinely happy. 

“Aren’t things weird between you and Lele because of him?” I ask. 

“Ja ja ja! Ke mo shapile ka stina! But come on, she needs to get over it now. I didn’t do anything that he didn’t want to do with me. Lele has always hated me. This is just another thing she can blame me for or add to her list of reasons of why she hates me.” 

I look at her weird. 

“Keng?” Her. 

“Fix things with Lele. Ke ausi wa hao. And fix things le Mamholo. She’s your mother”, me. 

“Mapho – 

“Mapholoso”, I call her by her full name. 

She looks at me. 

“Do you know what I’d give to have my mother back? I don’t care if she and I would’ve hated each other… as long as she would’ve lived. Don’t take your mother for granted, Tono. We’ve all suffered. We’ve all suffered but rose again. We can’t abandon each other now. We can’t, hle Tono”. 

We look at each other. 

“I’m really glad that you and I are better though”, she says.

“I just don’t get you sometimes hey. You can be such a bitch! Then you become what you’ve been today?”

She starts laughing.

Her phone rings. It’s her man. She’s saved him as “Motho Waka.” 

“Baby?” She answers her phone. He’s on speaker. He even bought her a new phone.

“Where are you?”

“Ka tlung, le makoti.” 

“Okay. I’m going back in the house. Are you sleeping over at your mom’s place?” 

“Why?! So your sluts can sleep in my bed?” 

“Bathung Tono!” Me.

“Thank you, Mapho. Yoh!” Mrembula. 

“I’m coming.” Tono says. 

“Okay. Hurry up. I’m cold.” He says. 

They hang up. 

“Stop treating him like that”, I say.

“I can’t be soft like that with him”, she says.

“You have to be. If not, someone else will be. Be nice. Be soft.” 

“Okay… I’ll make you a deal. You teach me to be soft and I’ll teach you explosive sex moves”, she says. 

We actually burst into laughter! 

Wow! 

I woke up this morning and enjoyed one hell of shower. It was nice. It calmed me. It healed my body. It left me feeling good. 

Because I’m still in the process of “getting married”, I can’t really leave the house. I shouldn’t be seen by people, especially because I’m marrying a prince. But I also have to live in a doek, covered shoulders and a dress. So I decided to wear a blue long-sleeved bodycon dress with a length that’s up to my knees. I wear a doek and slippers. 

I don’t have a wedding ring or an engagement ring. I just saw documents in Rea’s study at his house in South Africa that reflect that my wedding ring has been ensured for R500 000. I’m even too scared to wear it at this point. And honestly, Rea could’ve bought a R1000 ring. I don’t know anything about jewellery. I probably won’t appreciate the diamonds and the what-what that makes that ring R500 000. 

“Mme Mohale, dumela”, Mamholo says as she enters the kitchen. I cannot help but smile and blush. 

She’s smiling at me.

“I’m so proud of you. I know for a fact that your mother is also proud of you wherever she is.” She says.

“Kea leboha, Mamholo.” That really does mean a lot to me. 

“And thank you for fighting for me le bo malome. I honestly felt so bullied… ambushed… and –

“Mamholo, are you sure you don’t want to just leave here and we get another house hle? We can’t keep going through this.”

“This is my home. I suffered here. I grew up here. I want to die here. Lo na le bo Lele will sell it when I’m gone.” 

Ey, old people bathung. 

“Mamholo, I was thinking…” 

She looks at me. 

I’m making eggs, bacon and baked beans for us. Apparently Lele has a new boyfriend so she left with him last night. Tono is obviously with Mrembula. Their kids are still fast asleep, so I’m making breakfast for Mamholo, myself and the kids. They royal house asked her to not open the shop in respect of me not being seen or easily accessed. They even paid her what she makes in a week so we doesn’t run at a loss. So for a change, the house is silent. Her bank balance is buzzing!!!!! My lobola money + cash for the week’s making. She’s the girl right now. 

“Seeing that you are handing me over to Khotso at the wedding, Lele and Tono can be dingwetsi tsaka”, I say.

She sighs then says, “I see that you and Tono are getting close these days.” 

“Ke ausi waka. Yes, we fight. What family doesn’t fight? We are people. But Mamholo, we’ve suffered together. We’ve been through so much together. Mamholo, do you realise mara that we used to sleep in a shack kaofela and we somehow made it work? Why are we turning on each other now that we have a bigger house that can accommodate us well? Why are we abandoning each other now that we are okay in life? Do you really want to send me off into a royal family not having a strong family and team behind me?” 

“I hear you, Mapho. And le nna I want things to be better between us. I just need to heal and allow Tono back into my heart. That child has hurt me so so much, I just don’t know if I can open the door of my heart or her again.”

I hug her.

“Nna, I love you. And when you need a break, just phone me or come visit me. I’ll probably feel very lonely in that royal house.” I say. 

We come out of our hug. 

“My baby, please… don’t embarrass me in that royal house. Behave! Respect yourself! Respect your husband! Respect your in-laws! We didn’t have much and yes, they are way ahead of us in terms of wealth. But things like love and respect… those things are not for sale and you have that in abundance. Don’t get tired of affording people grace when they do you wrong. And never run out of mercy when they ask for forgiveness. Look at what you’ve achieved for this family by just always offering us grace! You could’ve moved on without my kids and I, but you didn’t. Don’t get tired of actions like that.” 

I smile at her. 

“I’m going to unveil mama’s and your mother’s tombstone with the lobola money. Then we will have a memorial for both of them.” She says.

I agree with what she’s saying. 

“The rest of the money, I’ll use it to open my shop ko sganga sele at the corner.” 

“Sganga?”

“Yes. Did you see that there’s vegetation going on there?” 

“Ja…”

“I’ve been playing there. Then I allow the old mamas to take packs of vegetables so they can eat. Now, I’m going to build my kitchen there so the house can be our private space again. I’ll also put tables and chairs for people to be able to sit and eat. It will also have a drive through for people that are lazy and just want to order while in their cars. I’ll be able to hire people to come cook and clean. People come here everyday asking me for work.” 

“I like that. We must register the business though so it’s within the boundaries of the law. Reahile owns a security company, so we can ask that we have security to come look out because things can easily go pear-shaped.” I say.

“That would be really nice. Lele asked me to apply for a liquor license so we can also sell alcohol. That will be the second part of the store. Mrembula said he will help me with security.”

“This place is beginning to sound like a busy place. Yohweh!” 

She laughs. 

I laugh too.

“You know you are going to be blessed right? You know very well that none of this would be happening if you didn’t open the door for us. Rea leboha, ngwana ausi waka.” 

I smile then say, “you can thank me by applying the same grace to Tono.” 

Now she laughs aloud. Imagine! 

The kids wake up and our day starts. 

I get a text message from Reahile telling me that he is coming to see me because he misses me. I have absolutely no complaints.