So…

We are on the run again. Well, we are in hiding. And now ALL families had to split. And I mean ALL! 

It’s been six months. A lot has happened. Mapho gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her name is Reaotlotla, which means, we give you praise. Uncle Khotso gave her this name. Rea and Mapho went to him and asked him to name her. It hurt uncle Ona a bit, but no one was surprised. Rea has always been a lot closer to Uncle Khotso, especially when Uncle Ona and Aunt Thabi took a stronger liking to Mohato, paying more attention to him. Mapho and Rea further asked if baby Rea could also be named Lefatselabarena. There was not a dry eye in the room when this request came in. I remember how Uncle Khotso was holding Rea in her arms when Rea the dad asked. Uncle Khotso was worried. He expressed that while this is a beautiful gesture, he doesn’t like the idea of people being named after other people. It’s too much pressure to live up to those people and it takes a hint of identity away from a new born child. He also says that Rena made choices that he does not want to speak over baby Rea’s life. So, he decided that instead, her second name should be Litlainama (pronounced di-tla-inama), which means all nations shall bow down before you. Mapho insisted that this be her first name, especially because she wanted to avoid the confusion that was already occurring when everyone would say ‘Rea’ and we’d wonder if it’s Rea the girl or Rea the dad. So her names are Litlainama Reaotlotla Mohale. We call her Inama for short. Motherhood is perfect on Mapho. But this is also what led to us being in so much shit. 

Rofhiwa Ramaru – that cow and a half – got upset that Rea decided to cut her off completely. She put up a fight every time that he tried to be a father to his twins. It got to a point where having the twins around was putting his marriage on the rocks. All the adults decided that it would be best if the twins stayed with their mother. Rea took this and decided that unless a court of law was telling him to pay maintenance, he was cutting off Rofhiwa and those brats all together.

Rofhiwa was LIVID! 

Firstly, Rofhiwa is a problem. She’s not a Rea-problem or a church-problem… she’s a problem, period! Having to be dependent on her parents again grated her anus! The money that Rea sent her every month to look after the kids was a salary and a half and he still paid for their school and all that jazz. When I say he stopped everything, I mean that he stopped everything. Then Rofhiwa wanted to move out of home because being told how to live her life by her parents was becoming a pain for her. She wanted Khanyi to ask Rea if she could move into his house in Serengeti, where he stayed when he was visiting the twins. Rea said no. He even went as far as renting it out to make money out of it because knowing Rofhiwa, she’d show up anyway and just live there. Rea had blocked her everywhere so she had no way of reaching him. 

I guess she was too provoked. So the bright spark went and sold information that she had about the church to a gang in KZN that has been after us for years, trying to take over our organisation to expand their influence and territory. Shit has gone left ever since. 

I’ll give her an A+ for going to fellow thugs than the cops. The idea was to kill Rea so she could inherit money reserved for the twins and live her best life. The rest of us are just collateral damage. 

Uncle Khotso finally did the Lord’s work and had Rofhiwa killed. Yes! Ding dong, the bitch is dead! But that just made the KZN crew go to the cops and put Rofhiwa’s death on the church. Uncle Thomas and Kazi believe that Rofhiwa died in her sleep after trying to kill herself. That’s how it was staged. Khabane and Khanya broke into the Ramaru home while everyone was asleep and made Rofhiwa drink milk that had poison in it. We all don’t know how they got her to oblige without causing a scene, but it was done. Then they left. Rofhiwa was found the next day dead in her bed and had left a suicide note. It was time that she joined her mother in death because we were all made to feel bad that she didn’t have a mother. 

Kazi and papa are too old to raise those insolent twins. They’ll probably be Mapho’s and Rea’s responsibility, but the bottom line is that Rofhiwa is dead. She left a mess and it’s taking longer than expected to get out of hiding. 

Khanya and I are hiding out in Nare. I don’t even know how Khanya found this place.

It’s a one bedroom apartment that we are in. I get cabin fever everyday. I can’t even be lazy on the balcony because we don’t know who is watching us. 

Wehweh found Banathi a stunning girlfriend. Her name is Palesa. But shame, girl probably regrets the day she ever met Banathi because she’s been dodging one bullet after another nje since she arrived. Wehweh also started her business. She trains people on information systems skills and computer sciences skills, then contracts them to companies to support with the roles that need support from computer sciences. Obviously, you need a degree to even get a job in her company… an information system, IT or Computer Sciences degree, then she trains you on specifics so that you are hot when companies want you. Mnqobi told her to also start a security company where she can even provide cyber security protection. She listened. And now she and Mnqobi are loaded! I love that my friends and I are entrepreneurs and we haven’t even graduated yet. Squad goals, I tell you. 

Zah bought shares in a few hotels. She makes money from that, but Wehweh and I have encouraged her to start her own brand/chain of hotels. She’s gaining the capital for it now. She kinda has to work harder than the rest of us for money. Her husband is a law abiding citizen so budget is their way of life. But she will get there. 

Mapho and Khotso have started their project of building a hotel where Rea and Mohato were raised by their drug-addicted mother. I don’t like her because I heard my mom and dad talk about how in high school, she was a rich bitch that bullied my mother. So yes, I don’t know the cow but I don’t rate her. 

The hotel project is on hold until we come out of hiding. 

I’ve just been given the lucrative project of sewing the linen, hotel gowns, towels, kitchen material, carpets and dining area material for the hotel. Honestly, this is the project that will take me to the next level. 

I at least brought my sewing machine with me to this place. I buy material weekly and I sew! It keeps me busy. And I enjoy it… especially because sometimes, Khanya is away from home. 

He comes into the TV room where I’m sewing. I’m doing the hotel order. 

He has a bag.

“And then?” I ask him.

“We are going to KZN”, he says.

“To do what?!” I ask. 

“I’m going with the soldiers to set up a base camp where the rest of the leaders will come and stay. Once we’ve surrounded KZN territory, we can start bombing these guys’ territory and –

“You are a soldier?!” I ask. Those are the front line hits.

“I just came into the church, Ru. I can’t already be a deacon or a priest.” 

My worry is… Khanya doesn’t have heart. Thandeka made him soft! I get that they are trying to toughen him up, but damn… a frontline soldier?! 

“I have to go, baby. I’m travelling by taxi”, he says.

Worse! 

I stop what I’m doing then I make my way to him. I throw my arms around his neck.

“What do you need me to do?!” I ask him.

“Just be you”, he says. You see what I mean by soft?! He could die and he’s trying to be romantic. 

“Do you want me to come with you?” I ask him.

“Your father will kill me”, he says.

“Well, I’ll kill him if anything happens to you. So… do you need me to come with you?!” I ask again.

“I won’t lie… I am scared.” He says.

“Then I’m coming. Let me grab a bag.” I say. 

…

We’ve been on this taxi for twelve hours when we are dropped off at a taxi rank in Durban. We had a few stops, but we are here now.

It’s 4am. 

We stretch our legs. 

I still have my bullet-proof vest on underneath my t-shirt. He has his too. 

There’s a harsh drizzle, but it isn’t pouring.

We start walking to the location that he was told to set up camp. Different soldiers were given different locations. 

We get to the place and it’s a township. There’s a house right at the destination. It’s actually a train of houses… about twelve houses. There are about ten men working under him already waiting for him. Men under soldiers are always the first to die. So it’s in their best interests to not be stupid. 

“Be firm with them! Don’t let them smell your fear”. I tell him.

“Okay. Ask them what they’ve analysed about the place so far. It will give you an idea of what you are working with. Don’t trust them with too much though. For now, I’m your only ace”, I say to him.

He nods his head as I take his bag and make my way to one of the houses, just so I can make observations of my own. I notice that the walls separating one house from another are quite thin. So I open this bag that Khanya has and see all the equipment that’s in here. I sound proof our room where I’ll be sleeping with him. 

Then, I take the camera eyes. As Khanya speaks to these men, I put camera eyes outside each house (on both sides of the house) as well as on the inside of the houses. 

I also search bags that I come across in here. I identify three cellphones on these people and I bug each phone. 

I head back to my room with Khanya. I open the tablet that will receive every information that I’ll be receiving from the cameras and bugged phones. I put the tablet between the mattress and the base. 

I step outside of the room, lock our room then stand next to Khanya. I hear him tell the guys to build a fence around the rooms. He then also tells them to build other useless things that make no sense to me. I promise everyone that I’ll be responsible for food. I need to appear stupid so they trust that I’m unseen. I can see them already undermining Khanya. I want to teach them a lesson!

…

I’m man enough to admit that I don’t have the crime life all together. My girlfriend’s instincts scare me a little. And she’s a natural at this. She’s more than ten steps ahead of everything all the time. It’s as if someone is giving her instructions that I’m not receiving. I’ve always been good at everything that I do. I swear. From school right up to my job. But this life… this job… I feel so stupid. 

Maybe moving isn’t a bad idea. If Ruri is still keen, I think we should leave this life and go start our own life somewhere out there. 

I feel a kiss land on my neck. 

“Everything is done”, she says.

I look at her. I’m so defeated.

“Everything is set for them to arrive. We can go now.” She says.

“Go? To where? Am I not supposed to wait for them?” I ask her.

“Khanya, this is not us. This will never be us. I don’t want this to be us. I don’t want you to be this guy.” She says.

What exactly is she saying?! 

“I asked my dad and uncle Khotso to let us go. They agreed. They respect you for the heart you’ve shown, just for me. I’ll love you forever for how you put yourself out there for me. But I don’t want this”, she says.

To say that I’m relieved is an understatement. 

“My aunt Fifi said that we could have the house that she and Uncle Shaka bought for Luhle in LA. It’s a nice five bedroom house. So, your mom can have a room. Your grandmother can have a room. We will have a room. Khosini will have a room for every time he just shows up unannounced. And our baby will have a room,” she says as she puts my hand on her stomach.

She’s actually told me a lot.

“Are you…?” Me.

She nods her head.

“I’m pregnant”, she says.

I hug her super tightly. I even get emotional.

“But we don’t have to stay with my mom”, I tell her.

“That crazy woman loves you. And I’ll never take that away from you. So, I hope you are ready to witness our fights for the rest of your life!” That statement means everything to me.

“She’s already being escorted to the airport. We need to find a way to get to OR Tambo International in South Africa. Getting a plane here in the kingdom is too risky. But we need to leave without any of these men noticing us”, she says.

“I love you, Ru.” I tell her.

We kiss.

My hand is still on her stomach. 

“My parents have already sent money for us to the new house. It will carry us for two years while we figure out our paperwork then find jobs. I’ll start sewing again and do a RURI online store for now until I can afford another shop. But for now, the best way to get to South Africa is via bus or taxi. We need to get going. I’ve given my dad all the instructions they’ll need when they get here.” She says.

We waste no time.

We walk away as if headed to the shop, only to get a taxi driving by and we wave goodbye to this kingdom… 

…

I’m going to be late for work again today. Goodness! At least today, I asked my brother to open up the shop for me. I generally like to keep him away from my shop because he’s forever trying to ask my employees out. He’s only in matric hle. But he does help me out a lot. I appreciate him. Since our mother passed away, him and I have had to rely on each other a lot. 

My brother was twelve and in grade six when my mother passed away. I was fifteen and in grade nine. Her death hit us the hardest, especially because we knew that the family would be in our hands, taking over from her. She was a single parent working temp.jobs to make ends meet. We don’t know where our father was. We’ve never met him. As the first born, I don’t recall seeing him around to even see him impregnate my mom three more times, but we are all here. All four of Matshidiso’s children. I’m the eldest… me, Palesa Seabe. After me comes my brother who is in matric now, Katleho Seabe. Then comes my sister who is in grade nine, Puseletso Seabe. The last born is my baby brother who is in six now, Boikarabelo Seabe. We all use my mother’s maiden surname because, like I said, our dad was the star of hit and runs. 

Wehweh’s dad kind of adopted us when our mother passed away. He paid for our schooling. Wehweh and I have always been close. Maybe he felt for my siblings and I then helped us. He still pays for my siblings at school. But I decided to not go to university. I couldn’t be a burden like that. He has done so much for us. I matriculated at one of the best high schools in South Africa. My siblings are going through that school themselves. I started doing people’s hair and nails at school from grade ten to make extra money. Wehweh’s dad did help us with groceries and we definitely allowed ourselves to be disciplined by him because he truly was a parent to us even though we lived on our own. 

My mom did people’s hair and nails to make money. She was a gorgeous small-figured stunner. We lived on that money. We lived in Mamelodi… still do… but we were comfortable. She taught me how to look after myself the way that she does. My mom loves being beautiful and she was gorgeous. I took after her in that regard. People in the township would gossip and say that she had blessers. I didn’t care. I’ve never bumped into a man in our house. Not even by mistake. Mom woke up everyday and worked in our garage… trying her best to make people as beautiful as she was. People trusted her and she did a good job at making them look good. People saw in her what she truly was – the epitome of beauty. 

My mom passed away in a taxi accident. I miss her everyday. But I’m doing my best. I really am. 

I took over from the hair salon and nail bar she ran in our garage. When I decided to focus on the beauty business instead of going to university after matric, Wehweh’s dad forced me to do a course in somatology. I listened. I got my experience on cruise ships as well. And now, I have upgraded to opening a beauty bar at a shopping complex just outside of an enclosed expensive suburb in Pretoria. 

I bought two cars… one for the company that has our name, logo, address and contact details on it. It’s a white Hyundai Grand i10 with lilac writing. Our colours are white and lilac. The second car is for Katli to get around with the younger siblings when I am not available. He started driving at sixteen. But I’m glad he has a license now. I can breathe when he’s out with the car. And I’m so thankful that he’s responsible. He doesn’t take advantage of me at all. He does what he says he will and is always upfront about his plans. But the kids come first. We both agreed on that when we bought these cars. The second car is a Hyundai Venue. I’m so glad he’s not the peer pressure guy who would’ve demanded a VW out of me because it’s the cool vehicle. We need affordable vehicles that will be safe to drive. I cannot be worried about them getting hijacked every time they are not next to me. 

He gets the bigger car because there is more of them and one of me. Plus, I use my car to also go to clients for ‘at home’ services. Both cars are kind on petrol, but the smaller is the kindest. 

Today, I’m taking the kids to school because Puseletso was in a fight, was suspended and today is her hearing. That’s why Katli will be opening the beauty bar for me. 

“Puseletso, we cannot afford to have these kinds of problems”, I say to her now that we are walking to the office.

“So I must let people bully me? Is that what you are saying, Palesa?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. Every minute I’m here at your disciplinary hearing, it’s money I’m losing at work… money that feeds all of us. On top of that, I’ve had to pay a lawyer to come and help us make sure that you don’t get expelled. Again, money we didn’t plan for. And you don’t seem to care”, I say. 

She rolls her eyes at me. 

You know what neh…

“I want to go to boarding school”, she says to me. 

I don’t respond. I also roll my eyes like she did to me. 

“Why are you rolling your eyes, Palesa?”

“Why were you rolling your eyes at me?” 

She’s quiet.

“I don’t like this school. I’m forever in trouble. I get bullied and you think it’s my fault. No one around me understands me. I don’t even have friends.” 

“And you think boarding school will be better, Puseletso?”

“It will be a fresh start. I can lie about having parents. People won’t call me an orphan. And I won’t have to deal with you and Katleho thinking that you are my parents.”

This truly hurts me. 

I’m actually so hurt. 

Puseletso is so ungrateful. Katli and I bend over backwards so she and Boikarabelo could have everything we couldn’t have because we grew up so quickly. Katli is a good looking teenager that knows erections and sex. I’m sure he’d rather be having sex and dealing with his girlfriend’s stress than be dealing with her. I’d rather be building my business even bigger than be dealing with this. But we sacrifice… and this one ubuwa s’phinya fela!

“So? Am I going to boarding school?” 

I just look at her. 

I have nothing else to say to her. 

The disciplinary hearing takes the entire day. I thought this was a small thing where the people involved in the fight – assuming it were two people involved in the fight – would just apologise to each other, hug it out and we all keep it pushing. 

But no…

Fifteen people were involved in the fight. All fifteen were suspended. There’s Puseletso and her crew, then there is the opposing crew. It looks like Puseletso and a girl named Sibahle are the ring leaders. 

According to the facts that have been established, Sibahle has been bullying Puseletso for over a year now and the teachers are aware – but have done nothing about it. Each teacher that was called in claimed that she didn’t think it was THAT serious. Sibahle got to a point where she put a head of a doll in Puseletso’s bag and labelled it as Puseletso’s mother. I don’t know why that hurt me too. Suddenly, I’m actually considering taking Puseletso to a boarding school. 

Puseletso took a desk and hit it against Sibahle’s head. Sibahle naturally became injured. But she was not injured enough to not run her mouth because in her pain and bleeding from being hit with a desk, she started insulting Puseletso, and even went as far as mentioning that our mother was a prostitute. Heh! 

Then Puseletso uttered, and I quote, “at least my mother had ten fingers”. 

When this was said, I looked at Sibahle’s hands and noticed that she has less than ten fingers. 

I’m so glad the lawyer we got was there because really, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what questions to ask. I was just blown away at the words and actions that these kids are capable of putting out there shamelessly. I know we were no saints in school, but surely, we were not this bad. 

We are all sitting outside now as we wait for the school leaders to deliberate on all that has been said and presented. Each parent is next to their child. Also, each parent brought an attorney and all our attorneys are in there fighting with the school executive leads. 

Katli walks towards us with Kari. He’s already picked him up from school. They have McDonalds with them. 

Kari and Puseletso greet each other and dig into the McDonald’s. We’ve been here all day, I didn’t think to get food. None of the parents did and now we are the centre of attention because all kids are hungry but only my siblings are eating. 

“What happened?” Katli asks. 

“Yoh Katleho, the things that these kids do are demonic”, I say. 

“Who are you calling a demon wena?!” Sibahle’s mother barks at me. 

“Your child! She’s the work of the devil! Who on earth cuts a doll’s head off, puts in my sister’s bag and labels the body-less doll my mother?!” I bark right back.

“Wait… what?!” Katli. 

“You see what I’m talking about? Wait till they start talking about mom being a prostitute like they always do”, Puseletso.

“Excuse me?!” Katli.

“But your mother was a prostitute. Who didn’t know that?!” Sibahle’s mother. 

“Like your child?! I did see her at an abortion clinic”, Katli.

BOMB!

SHOCK! 

ALL OF IT!

“I just hate that our kids got dragged into this!” A parent of one of the crew members says. 

“NO ONE HELD A GUN TO YOUR CHILD’A HEAD!” Sibahle’s mother says. 

Watsiba… this woman neh… uneconsi! 

Now there’s an uproar. 

Sibahle is crying because her mom knows her secret. 

Puseletso is eating her food. 

Kari is recording everything with his eyes.

All these women are up in arms and their kids are stressed because their school lives are on the line.

“Ja no… it’s shit being a parent”, Katli says to me. 

“Tell me about it.” I say.

…

I’m preparing dinner now at home. After everyone got thrown out for being barbarians, we were told that we should come back tomorrow for the decision of the school. I just remember our attorney taking a video of everything and submitting into evidence that we were not part of the messy fight at all. 

I got home, changed and started dinner. I couldn’t even go to my shop at all today. Katli did the opening and lock up. I’m so grateful.

Now, I just make a quick chicken and rice meal with potatoes, coleslaw and chakalala. That should do the trick for tonight. Katli is locking  up the gates outside so that we can set the alarm. Mamelodi can be dangerous and it is well-known that it’s just my siblings and I that live here. 

“You good?” Katli asks me. 

“Ke shup. I’m worried about Puseletso though. She wants to go to boarding school. I don’t want her to be away from us. But at the same time, I don’t want to keep her in that toxic environment. She took mama’s death the hardest. She’s acting out and I’m scared that…” 

“I hear you. Do you think she should talk to someone?” Katli. 

“She needs to do something, Katli… something with professional assistance. I can’t lose her too. I can’t lose any of you.” 

He hugs me. 

“How’s Kari?” I ask him. He hung out with him today.

“He’s fine. He did well in his tests. So I took him to McDonald’s. That’s how we brought you guys food. I took cash from the cash register at the shop.”

“It’s cool. Did you cash up for me?”

“I did. And I took the cash to the bank.”

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate you, abuti waka.” 

He kisses my cheek then says, “I’m going to study in my room.” 

“Okay. I’ll bring you food when it’s ready.”

“Thanks, my gorgeous sister”