I love being at home. And I definitely believe that I needed this week off from school and just be at home. I’ve been attending lessons virtually and doing all my work. I think I needed the biggest break from Mnqobi and his shit. My dad was really nice. We had movie night every night. His girlfriend joined us once or twice, but for most nights, it was the two of us. This weekend is Michelle’s event in suncity. I guess I’ll go back to the kingdom after suncity. 

I haven’t seen or spoken to Mnqobi all week. I saw a message from him two days ago telling me that he’s in South Africa and he’s not leaving until we talk. I didn’t reply to the message at all. I just need space. My dad also says that I need to decide if I want to be with him or not. If I don’t, I need to tell him so that he can move on and I can’t be mad when he does. But if I do want him back, then maybe it’s time to forgive him. So I’ve really been thinking about this. I also feel like had I just got a Mosotho man like I had planned when I left South Africa for Tholoana Kingdom, none of this would be happening. When have Zulu men ever not disappointed?! Kodwa here I am, in love like a bloody fool. 

Sigh.

I decide to phone Mnqobi. The loser I miss and love so badly. 

He answers his phone, but doesn’t even say hello. I can hear him breathing. 

I lose my nerve. 

I hang up. 

My hands are even shaking. 

He phones me back. 

I let it ring. I don’t answer. 

It stops ringing. 

Okay. 

I can do this. 

I take a deep breath then phone him again. If I lose my nerve again, I’ll just say that I want the kids for this SunCity thing. Yes, that’s my plan. 

I phone him. 

He answers. 

He’s breathing. He’s still not saying anything. 

“Mnqobi”, I begin. 

My stomach is in KNOTS! 

“Nomawethu”, him. 

I clear my throat then say, “I was wondering if I could ask you to bring the kids to South Africa. I’d like to –

“Please stop this”, he says. 

I’m quiet. 

“I want to see you”, he says. 

“Okay.” I say. 

“Can you meet me at X mall? Close to the cinema.” He says. 

“Are we going to watch a movie?” I ask. 

“Just come. Please.” Him. 

“Okay”, I say. 

We hang up. 

I decide to wear blue jeans that have an untidy finish at the end of the legs then is torn at the knees. I wear a zip up camisole that is black. It just hangs over the top of my jeans. I wear Loubitin black and red heels. I wear a wig – glue it on actually – a blonde 36inch wig with black roots. I take a light jacket with me because cinemas are cold. 

Now, I make my way to X mall. 

I arrive at the mall then walk to the cinema place. The cinemas are closed. I decide to phone Mnqobi. I just feel hands on the bottom of my back and I know it’s him. 

“You look beautiful”, he says. 

I smile at him. 

He made an effort too and he looks absolutely delicious. 

He comes in for a kiss. I return it. We kiss. 

“Are you ready, sir?” One of the people that work here say. 

“Yes. Let’s get started”, Mnqobi. 

I’m led to a cinema. 

This better be a good movie. And it’s just us in here. This guy! But I’m quiet. I just hold his hand and follow his lead. 

We sit in the centre. There are flowers here. They are beautiful. 

We sit next to each other. 

The movie plays. 

Oh!

My!

Goodness! 

This is us… our pictures. Our videos. 

I’m already crying! 

I can’t believe this. 

Some pictures have Sasi.

I’m just taken back to the best moments of our relationship. I see him also getting emotional. 

At the end of the slide show, there’s a video of him – on an instagram live. Apparently he was live yesterday. Ive been avoiding social media. In his video, he says:

“I’m doing this on this platform because this is the platform that the love of my life was disrespected. Lindiwe Mokoena is a woman that is the mother of my daughter. We have a beautiful daughter together, but I’m not in love with her. On the day that I was compromised on the internet, Lindiwe came to one of my establishments under the guise of wanting to discuss something about our daughter. Yes, she didn’t hold a gun to my head for us to have sex. But she did plan everything. The purpose was for her to make her comeback to the industry. I have evidence of deals and interviews she signed as a result of this. My girlfriend legally intercepted each interview and reality show deal. The only reason that I’m not taking legal action against Lindiwe is because one day her daughter will ask her about what she’s put up on the internet, and I want it to come from her what a vile woman she is. Now that I’ve addressed that… I want to apologise to the love of my life – Nomawethu Radebe. I love the hell out of you, MaRadebe. Uwena uphumalangasikothe wami. I’m so so sorry. It’s been a difficult time between us because of this. But I want you to be confident in knowing that Lindiwe is nothing to me – nothing more than the mother of our daughter. And I say our daughter because our daughter also sees you as her parent. Lindiwe is not the one that got away. I only have one ‘the one’ in my life, and that’s you. I’m sorry I disrespected you. I’m sorry for it all. I love you, MaRadebe. I’ve come to the world to ask that you help me ask Nomawethu Radebe to forgive me and to please take me back. I love her terribly. Thank you.”

I’m in tears! 

I’m balling! 

Now he goes on social media and this thing is trending.

#Wehweh4giveMnqo

People are even offering to pay for trips for us to go on romantic retreats and getaways.

“Yaz uyahlanya wena!” I say between my sobs. 

There are videos of people campaigning that I take him back. 

I climb on top of him. It’s the sex that confirms that I’m his again!

I’m waking up in his hotel room. He is staying at The Four Seasons Hotel. I’ve never been here before. It’s such a nice hotel.

“You need to wake up, love”, he says.

I don’t know what he’s doing on his phone. 

“Why?” I ask him.

“Banathi is here already with the kids. They are ready for SunCity. They are so excited”, he says. 

“By the way, there’s that. And I’m travelling with Palesa. But we can all go together neh?” I say. 

He looks at me with smile of his. 

I sit up and smile back, holding the blankets close to my chest to cover my nude body.

“So what does Banathi think of her?” I ask. 

He bursts into laughter. 

“Baby, I think they’d look hot together!” I say. 

“Nomawethu!” He says. 

I laugh. 

“I’m adding only one more room for us at SunCity. A family room. You and I will sleep with the kids.” I say. 

“Your mind is too far! Let’s go take a shower”, he says. 

I get up, laughing, and head into the shower with him.

We are in the shower now and I decide to ask him, “Mnqobi, do you think I need to do surgery to make my bum smaller?” 

He gives me THE most SHOCKED look I’ve ever seen in my life.

“Nomawethu, what the hell are you saying to me?” He says with an extremely concerned tone. 

“I need your honest opinion, please.” I say.

“Nomawethu, you are perfect. You don’t need surgery to do anything on your body.” He says. He’s so sincere.

I get emotional. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks me.

The water from the shower head is hitting our bodies as we talk. 

“You don’t understand, Mnqobi. I’ve always been bullied and and teased about my bum – since I was a child. In high school, I did get a bit of confidence, but I’ve always felt like I was being undressed with men’s eyes. Every joke was about my bum and I had to laugh so I don’t come across as uptight. But I felt harassed. When we were kidnapped with the kids… I was terrified. I didn’t want anything to happen to the kids. One of those men said he’d rape me and piss on my ass in front of Sasi, Zozo, Gugu and Ziwe. I’ve never felt more sexually abused. Then, I kinda saw someone while we were apart. I wanted to get over you. I was so hurt by what happened between us. When it was time to…”

I take a deep breath.

“He felt like I owed him sex. And I thought I could go through with it… just to hurt you like you hurt me. But I couldn’t go through with it. All I thought about was what it would do to you and your hurt genuinely hurts me more. He was so angry, Mnqobi. He threw me against a wall, pinned me down and undressed himself, swearing at me and everything he said was directed to my bum. I grabbed a vase and hit it against his head. That’s how I ran away. But it really made me feel like my bum will always have me subjected to abuse. I’ve escaped two rape threats. What if one day someone decides to see the threat through? Maybe I need to reduce it and –

He just pulls me into a hug. 

I cry on his bare test. He genuinely hugs me. He kisses the top of my head. 

“You are not doing any work on your body. Do you hear me?” He says.

“I’m going to kill that guy you were with. I’m going to find him and I’m going to kill him.”

I laugh. But there’s a part of me that believes him. 

“Don’t lose your temper today. We will be around people I went to high school with and the boys all had something to say about my bum”, I say.

“Ngizoba shaya mina. No one is going to disrespect my woman in my presence. No one!” 

I laugh. 

“I’m going to protect you, Nomawethu. Even if it kills me. You don’t need to be raped just because of how you were created. You are a stunning woman – one of the best that I’ve ever seen. No one is entitled to do anything you don’t want to do just because of that. I will make sure ukuthi that is clear. Yezwa?!” 

I kiss him. 

I missed this the most about him. 

I love him. 

…

I can’t believe Wehweh has been suffering like this. She’s never told me any of those things and I genuinely do not appreciate how men have disrespected her. I’ve asked a few men to locate the idiot that she was with who tried to rape her. They have already found him. Umafinyela nyana from the Eastern Cape in South Africa. He’s also a student at the Tholoana Kingdom University. He’s very easy to get and I’ll finish him off today. Those idiots that threatened to rape her in front of my kids are already dead. I have pope to thank for that. Today, I’m prepared to discipline anyone who so much as looks at her ass. Angidlali nabo. 

We are using my dad’s V300 to go to Suncity. Banathi arrived with it this morning when he came with the kids. Palesa is in here with us and I just know that my brother is into this girl. Since Nothando died, he was into sex with women, but nothing else. He bought Palesa flowers and chocolate after asking Wehweh what her favourite flowers and chocolates were. Wehweh explained that Palesa doesn’t have a good relationship with flowers – though her name literally means flower – since her mother’s passing. So Banathi bought those flowers that require hard work and you must plant. He says they are iris flowers. I don’t even know what that is. Imbali yimbali. He gave it to Palesa saying that iris flowers represent life and passion and I don’t know what else. So because they both want their lives and passions revived, they’ll parent those flowers together into a bush of iris flowers. That’s when I knew that he’s whipped. No man cares about flowers like that… unless you want to hide money and a bag of weapons in the soil of where you plant those flowers.

But I don’t blame him… she’s a beautiful woman. But she’s nothing like the women that Banathi has dated or casually slept with in the past. She’s especially nothing like Nothando. I guess that’s a good thing. It means that he’s healing from Nothando – or has already healed.

Palesa is average height – like Wehweh. Banathi prefers his women tall and slender… the model types. And Nothando could have made millions from the modelling world.

Palesa is light-skinned. He’s always preferred his woman dark-skinned. He’s words are “the darker the chocolate, the better for me.” Now he’s out here buying flowers for a milky bar. Palesa is more round than slender. She, like Wehweh, has more of my mom’s body type. They are not fat at all, but they are curvaceous. I’ve personally always loved my women curvy. Banathi has always had an obsession with flat breasts and flat asses. We used to tease him and call him a pedophile because he was into bodies of twelve year olds. Lol! 

I was not encouraging Wehweh to set these two up because I didn’t think that Palesa is my brother’s kind of woman. But since she has him buying flowers and studying what iris flowers mean, I stand to be corrected. 

“Eh ndoda, uMusa uthi they’ve found the man you were looking for and they’ve put him in a warehouse. What man is this?” Banathi asks me.

“Ushaye uWehweh and tried to rape her”, I say.

He’s so shocked! 

“He’s dying today! I’ll help you –

He pauses.

“Yini?” I ask him.

“I have plans with Palesa”, he says.

I laugh. He laughs too.

“What plans, ndoda?” I ask him.

“Zokwazana“, he says.

We both laugh. 

“She’s so different from what I’m used to seeing you pick up in the club or just nje”, I say.

“I think maybe that’s why I find her so refreshing.” He says.

Now his face changes.

“Yini?” I ask.

He looks behind him to make sure that they are not listening to our discussion. When we realise that the kids are asleep and Wehweh and Palesa are under a blanket probably gossiping about us too – because they are not sleeping – he looks at me and says, “a doctor once misdiagnosed her. She had an appendix issue, but the doctor saw something else. The doctor fucked up her surgery and they ended up having to remove her womb to save her life. So she can’t have kids.” 

I don’t know why that stabs my heart so much. 

“I hope she sued!” I say.

“Ey. I have three kids. It’s not like I want more. But I do feel bad that if she ever wants the experience of giving birth to one, that’s something that has now been taken away from her completely.” He tells me.

Ey! These women have it bad.

“Kodwa bafo, I promised myself one thing… I’m going to give her the world. If she’s my second chance, I’m honestly going to give her everything – including the things I never had the time to give to Nothando.” He says.

I know what he means.

“Wena noWehweh ni-shup?” He asks me.

“Yeah. We are finally back together.” I say.

“So, Molise’s plan worked?” He asks me.

“Yeah. Big time. But I added my own elements as well”, I say.

“Wena noLindiwe nimephi?” He asks me.

“No where. We’ve been over. That shit that happened was a mistake. I honestly don’t know what came over me.” I say.

“You know mom thinks she used witchcraft on you?! She says it’s not possible that no one can explain what came over you including yourself… and how she went there with her camera ready to tape everything. Mom says she knows for a fact that you were over her and that you love Wehweh. So no weakness in you is for her. So she thinks bakushaye bakuqeda blind.” 

Now that he mentions it…

“Kumele ugabhe, ntwana… ugeze... then stay far away from that woman.” He says.

I hear him. 

–

We arrive in Suncity then check in at the palace. The kids are beyond excited. Palesa and Wehweh get the family room because they opt to sleep with the kids. Banathi and I share a luxury room of our own next to their room. 

I think this party of theirs starts in the next three hours.

I want to take a nap because Wehweh kept me up all night last night then we drove here. But my dad calls on Banathi’s phone. I remain lying on the bed. Banathi comes to lie next to me then answers his phone. 

“Sho timer”, Banathi. 

“Banathi, Kunjani?” My dad. 

“Ngiyaphila. Wena?”

“I’m fine. Where is Mnqobi?” 

“He’s here with me. You are on speaker.” Banathi. 

“Good. Where are you guys?” 

“SunCity”, Banathi. 

“SunCity? The resort or prison?” 

I don’t know why I find that funny, but I laugh. So do they.

“The resort.” I say. 

“We need to go to Miami, gents”, he says. 

Yoh! 

We just got to SunCity!!!

“When?” Banathi asks as if heartbroken. By the way, he has plans with Palesa. 

“Tonight. The ladies and children are going with. Siyomosha”, he says. 

“Yoh, okay.” Banathi. 

“So we all need to go back to the kingdom?” I ask. 

“Yes. Now.” My dad. 

My dad and Banathi finish their call. I’m just wondering how we are going to break those kids’ hearts who were so excited about this SunCity party. 

…

We are boarding our private flight now. Wehweh and Palesa COMPLAINED! They drove us back to the kingdom. Palesa wanted to go home. Banathi and his kids begged her to come with us. Banathi and I slept while they drove. 

We are settled in the private plane when we start hearing gunshots. We all duck down for safety. But we don’t know where the gunshots are coming from. 

“This plane will go up in flames if they shoot at it too much. We need to get out”, my mom says.

Someone opens the door and shoots outdoors. These are our security guys. Wehweh has Banathi’s youngest on her back and Sasi by her side. Palesa has Zozo and Gugu with her. They climb off the plane. Some cars arrive. Banathi, my parents, myself, Palesa, Wehweh and our kids are in one car. We hear people talking about having to split up and survive. 

Okay then. 

My dad is driving fast. But we start seeing some cars following us. People in the cars start shooting at us. 

We seek cover. 

My dad drives into a field. 

Wehweh has a handbag with her. It’s a big bag. 

She grabs it first, then grabs Ziwe. 

The car stops. 

The door opens.

We all get out as fast as we can and we start running on foot.

We keep hearing gunshots but they are beginning to sound further and further away. Each adult (us young ones) has a child on our backs. My mom took Wehweh’s handbag and she’s running with it. 

We take rest when we get to the next hint of civilisation… the other side of the field. It’s a different town. We’ve been running for two hours and a bit. And only now I realise that my girlfriend’s leg has been shot. But the adrenaline delayed the pain that’s why we didn’t see anything until now. She didn’t scream or anything. 

We manage to find a decent hiding place… a neglected Wendy house. 

“Wehweh, your thigh!” Palesa announces. 

“I’m not in pain yet.” Wehweh says. 

My dad quickly uses some twizzer from I don’t know where to remove the bullet, tying his t-shirt around Wehweh’s thigh. 

Now she’s in pain, but at least the bullet is out. 

My mom gives her antibiotics and painkillers. Yes, we’ve been on the run that long. 

“We need to get to Taung”, Wehweh says. 

We all look at her like she’s crazy. 

“We need to get a car dealership there – diTau car dealership.” She says. 

“Why?” My mom asks. 

“I have a car there – a Quantum. It’s paid for but just parked there. They also helped me with the getaway Haval I used the last time when the kids and I ran. In that Quantum, there are bags of stuff. One of the stuff is a key and directions to the house the kids and I ran to and no one found us – not even you. The security is already beefed up and everything.” She says. But she’s in pain. She can’t run like this. 

But she’s brilliant and too strategic. 

“But love, your leg – 

“Mnqobi, there no time. Go to this dealership with your dad and Banathi. Ask for the car under Nomawethu Radebe. The receipt is in that bag that mah has. There’s some money in there too. Take some and get a taxi to the dealership and get the car. Make sure that no one is following you. Mah, Palesa, the kids and I will go wait at the motel in town. It’s too busy with drug dealers and prostitutes, but at least no one will find us. They think we like glamorous things only.” 

My mom is already in Wehweh’s bag. She’s given my dad the receipt and a stack of money. There are snacks coming out there and juice. She gives these to the kids to distract them. 

I kneel next to Wehweh. 

“There’s no time, Mnqobi. Go. I’ll be okay. Take one of the these. Each phone has one number. When you get the car, dial it. We will tell you where we are. If things change, we will dial you. Don’t phone anyone else with these phones and don’t use your personal phones in case someone is waiting to pick up your signal then track you down.” She says. 

I kiss her.

“Mnqobi!” My mom, losing her patience. 

“I’ll be back”, I say to Wehweh. 

“Alive. And safe. Okay?” Wehweh. 

I kiss her again.