I always knew that my marriage to Ona would be more about duty than it would be about love. You don’t marry a man like that and think like an average woman. My time to be in love and be by this man’s side because I love him has reached its end. Now, the truth about my marriage kicks in. To prove it, I slept in the bed with Mohale and Tholoana – after having to explain to Mohale that he is a big brother now – and Ona slept on the sleeper couch in this bedroom.
He and Khotso are leaving with morena for Miami today, so I’m very glad that I will be away from him for some time.

I hear giggles and chatter in the passage. Grateful are those such as Oluremi and Khotso who get to enjoy and bask in love. I suppose when the throne is not part of your journey, your life is definitely more different from mine. Khotso is home from the hospital and is currently wheelchair bound. Oluremi baths him, helps him with everything around us and even gets him to smile and laugh and just be an asshole who keeps his brother’s secrets just as his brother keeps his. Good for him.

I wake up and shower. When I am done, I bath Mohale and Tholoana while they are asleep because I don’t plan on doing this later today. Today, I’m assuming my role as the future first lady of this kingdom. I even have a nanny for the boys. She will come in and start work at 7am. I’m about to be that woman and Ona has his dog ways to thank for that.

I’m dressed in a red power suit and a crisp-white shirt with black heels as I make my way into the kitchen. Oluremi is in here wearing a maxi dress and sneakers. She’s bouncing around and singing even. Having sex with an invalid must be very satisfying for her.
“Good morning”, I greet her.
“Hey girl. Wow! You look amazing.” She says.
I know, but I rather say, “Thanks.”
“I was about to get breakfast started –
“I won’t be eating. I have a breakfast meeting. I just wanted to thank you for looking after Mohale while I was just fetching my life. I’ll never forget this.”
“Of course.”
“Sabrina, their nanny, starts today. She should be here by 7am. I’ve bathed them already and –
“Regodise… are you okay?”
“Unlike you, my husband’s infidelity problem didn’t just die.”
“I’m not going to apologise for being upset about Khotso hurting me. And I’m not going to apologise for being happy with him again.”
“Everything is just so easy and simple in your world, right?”
“No, it’s not. But I’ll never give anybody power to take over my freedom of choice. We are what we allow and we cannot walk around blaming people for the decisions that we make. You are the one who forgave Ona and opted to look after Tholoana and raise him. You are the one who is accepting this. You cannot hold the rest of us accountable for that. Before you deal with the next person, you have to deal with yourself and you need to make a decision that you will be able to live with. I’m sorry this happened. How you deal with it, determines everything about your relationship.”
I nod my head. She’s making a lot of sense.
“I’ve made my decision. And I’ll live with it. After everything that I’ve done for this family and everything that I’ve put myself through for their survival, this is how they’ve chosen to deal with me. From morena himself, right up to my very husband, Onaleruna. It’s best for everyone if I know my place, stay in it and treat them accordingly. Next time, you must also be smart. If Khotso wants to be a dog, teach yourself to not always walk away. There’s dog food and dog toys for a reason. You teach Bobby how to sit, you don’t run away from Bobby as if it’s a dog unleashed by apartheid police on black people.”
She’s shocked!
But she will remember my words one day. The damn queen and that thing she married that cannot produce children – they are raising dogs. And with dogs… every puppy is cute and easy to fall in love with before it gets comfortable and starts biting because it doesn’t get its way. Khotso has already shown half of his bite. I hope she learned something from it.

I charge towards the door with a nectarine and a banana in my hand. I look upstairs and I see Mofomahadi staring at me. I stare back at her and I want her to see it in my eyes… I’m going to get this bitch for the role that she has played in all of this.

“I don’t want any problems. I’ve kept my end of the deal”, he says as I walk into his office.
“I’m not here for any trouble neither and my three calls are not up”. I say.
He looks at me.
“May I sit down?” I ask him.
He is silent. He just stares at me.
I walk towards a chair anyway and sit down.
We stare at each other.
“I had to take numbing pills before I came here. You still make my skin crawl.” I tell him.
“And you are as beautiful as I remember you to be before I was instructed to never breathe the same air as you.”
“That might need to change. We have got some business to discuss.”
“Business?”
“Yep. About the Mohales.”
“Aren’t you one of them?”
“I’m one of the betrayed ones.”
He starts laughing.
“Anything funny?”
“This whole situation. Please don’t tell me that you want to turn on them? Because then I’ll seriously die of laughter.”
I stare at him.
He sees that I’m actually serious.
“You want to turn on them? Are you serious?” He is unbelievably shocked.
“Yes. And I want us to do it properly. So you don’t involve anyone. You don’t know who is compromised in your department. I want you and only you to be the only person who is privy to the information that I will be bringing to the table and I will help you collect evidence. But absolutely no one – not even your PA – needs to know what we are talking about.”
He is so shocked he cannot even talk to me.
“And I know that you will not be compromised even if you wanted to because you owe me two more favours.” I tell him.
He takes a deep breath.
“What’s in it for you? What do you get out of serving this family to us?”
“I want the throne. I want to be the next queen. By queen, I will not be anything like Kearabetsoe Mohale – looking beautiful, hiding bullshit and support nonsense just to stand next to a powerful man. I want to be the powerful woman. I want to rule. I want to make the rules in this country, change the laws and sit on international meetings and politics that matter. My husband can be the king – but a king without duties.”
“If you give us what we need, he will be in prison.”
“We will see. Your team has never known how to do their job properly. I don’t have much faith in you. I’ll do what I need to do to simply remove them from the throne. You need to step up to have them behind bars. That for me, is a bonus. In prison. No special treatment. Throw them in a cell with men they’ve done dirty so we know no one will be worshipping the ground that they walk on.”
“What the hell did they do to you, Regodise?”
“They betrayed me. And I’m not going to cry about it and expect massive gestures as apologies. I’ll go after what they want the most and they will regret the day they ever came together and agreed to betray me.”
He is shocked.
I’m getting tired of his shock now.
He needs to snap out of it.

“What project needs attention in Tholoana Kingdom?” I ask him.
“What?”
“If we meet and there’s nothing political that we are discussing, they will know something is not right. What project can I lead in Tholoana Kingdom today? That will be our front. A project will allow us to meet without being questioned and we can discuss and get into how we are bringing these people down.” Must I honestly explain everything?
“Education.” He says.
“Education?”
“Yes. The inequalities are too huge. We are trying to find a way to bridge the gap between schools such as the one your husband attended where they had everything and they prepared kids for basically anything after matric. Some of those students didn’t even further their education in university and they were more than equipped to start businesses or become a significant part of the economy. Then there are those schools around here that cannot even support a student enough to at least get them to debate about the political economics around them that are actually their lives and circumstances.” He says.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“Your first task as the next future queen, right? Help us fix it. The current queen has already started a few initiatives. She has started coding programmes for students in townships and she is building schools in areas where the situation is severe. Why don’t you get on her program? Work with her. Provide your input. Get close to her. I’m sure you’ll get us more on-the-job information because I can guarantee you… that shit that she married is addicted to crime. He can’t help himself. He will find a way to feature crime in this entire initiative.”
He has a point.

…

I decide to go to Oluremi’s Sip and Read store. I actually like this store. It’s quiet and cute. It’s very her as well. The aesthetics are powerful yet beautiful at the same time.
“Welcome to The Sip & Read. Which reading world would you like to engage with today?” One of the greeters asks me as she meets me at the door.
“Politics please.” I say.
“Please follow me.” She says and I follow her.
The politics and current affairs section is upstairs and it’s setting is a business lounge of some sort. I’m surprised to actually see proper professionals up here – not kids studying politics. Oluremi did good with this. She really did. I get settled into a couch and I have a coffee table to myself.
“Here is our food menu and drinks menu”. She says.
The food is more finger snacks then actual food. This is not a restaurant. That’s very clear.
“Just twelve samosas and champagne please. You can mix the samosa flavours.” I say.
She nods her head, smiles at me then leaves.

I find some books on the politics and economics of education in kingdoms. There are notebooks here for us to even make notes. But you pay for it. So I hire the book that I’m about to read – two hundred rand an hour then I buy the notebook for one hundred and fifty rand.
I am reading and making notes for over three hours. This place just becomes you as you read and write. You can just see that Olu knows how to make people fall in love with reading, no matter your preference.
When I’m done, reading and writing, I pull out my MacBook and start with doing a report write up then put together a proposal for Mofomahadi.
I order a glass of wine because my champagne is finished. I had a whole bottle. Thank God for all these bodyguards around me because one of them will drive me home.
I order a dessert now – Italian Kisses – to have with my glass of wine and I start typing on my MacBook.

It’s 8pm when I get a call from Ona and I creep out of this zone that I’ve been drunk and trapped in.
“Yes?” I answer my phone.
“Where are you?” He asks me.
“What do you want? Aren’t you supposed to be in Miami?” I ask him. Why is he annoying me?
“I am in Miami. I wanted to check in on you. The boys are here with us. Oluremi is looking after them”.
I suddenly feel annoyed.
“Without my permission?”
“Were you there to give that consent? That nanny you hired had to leave and you are somewhere getting drunk.” He says.
“Why is Oluremi there?” I ask. Why aphapha ngwanyana oe?
“She is taking care of Khotso. You know Khotso doesn’t want a nurse. He only wants her. So she’s here with Khotso.”
“And my kids?”
“You are welcome to come here yourself and look after them, my love. But these days, we all know you’d rather cuddle to a bottle of alcohol and meet with your rapist.”
WTF?!
“You think I didn’t know? Regodise, for your sake, I hope you are not doing anything stupid. I have eyes and ears everywhere, Regodise. You should know this by now.”
“Ona, I’m starting my job as your wife. I’m getting involved in the socio-political matters of this country.”
“Who asked you to do that?” He snaps.
“I don’t need your permission. And I certainly don’t need you to ask me for anything.”
“In that case, let’s hope that you can stand for what you are stating.”
The line goes dead.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I stand up and attempt to run to my car, but I fall and I break my heel. The wine and the champagne have got to my head and knees.
Fuck!
I feel a camera snapping me.
I forgot. I get snapped everywhere I go. Fucken media!
One of the bodyguards destroys the camera of that person and even throws that person out of the store. Another bodyguard holds my things and helps me to the car.
As expected, I get driven home.

When we arrive at Oluremi’s little three-bedroom duplex, I climb out of the car and walk into the house. Mofomahadi is here. She looks at me as she drinks her coffee and while on her iPad.
“Hi”. I say.
She nods her head.
“When are we going back to the royal house? This place is starting to feel a bit cramped”. I say.
She just giggles and drinks her coffee.
“I asked you a question.” I say.
“Regodise, I see that you clearly think you are quite the smart one around here. I see you moving around here and I see your attitude getting worse by day. Do you think you are the first person to be cheated on by a man? Now you are carrying yourself as if you are the one person who knows how to rise above the betrayal of a man and get even because suddenly, every person around you must pay for what he did. I take that very seriously because these are my sons. And I take it even more personally because you are prepared to enter into deals with your rapist just to settle a score. So hear me when I say that I will get rid of you and strip you off everything myself before I sit back and watch you hurt my son. Do you understand me? Your blood will not be on Ona’s hands. It will be on mine. And just like she’s doing now, Oluremi will raise Mohale and Tholoana. At least she knows how to be a human being amidst mistakes.”
We stare at each other.
“When are we going back to the royal house?” I ask my unanswered question.
“The royal house is not your house. When we are headed there is none of your business. If you feeling crowded here already, go back to Mohase. Your mother might need you now that you’ve started pissing my husband off.”
WHAT?!
She is gone out of the kitchen now.
No! Not my mom! What the hell!!!!

I head upstairs, but I fall a few times because wow- the champagne and the wine.
I make my way upstairs and start dialling Fitzgerald, the prime minister. He doesn’t take my call. I call again. No answer. I call again. This time he answers and says, “You bitch! You set me up! I’m going to unleash hell on your world.”
“No! You set me up!”
He hangs up before I can even enquire further.
My heart is beating too fast. My stomach is forming knots at a rapid pace. This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening to me.
I just sit on the floor and I start crying.
But you know what, the Mohales will not win! They will not win! They will pay for this – one by one!

…

I watch Oluremi put Tholoana to sleep. He hasn’t been feeling well for the past few weeks and I’m very glad that he’s close to me now. I don’t know what to make of Regodise’s reaction, but I’ll just treat it as her dealing with this. We can still fix this. We really can. She’s upset and she’s moving in dangerous ways to get back at me, but she wouldn’t go too far. She wouldn’t put me in a position where I have to end her life. We have two boys to think about. She has one, that’s fine. But she promised Thandeka that she’d raise Tholoana as her own and Dise is the type that keeps her promises.

“Your wife is making moves against the church. Dangerous moves. She’s talking to people who can really put an end to us. She’s cutting deals and shit.” Morena tells me as he hands me a bottle of beer.
“She’d never do that, morena. She loves Mohale. She loves me. There is a line that she would never cross.”
“Son, I hate to tell you this, but you betrayed her. You hurt her and you embarrassed her in a way that she never expected you to do. Remember Basetsana? Remember Mimi?” Uncle Shaka tells me.
I actually want to fall apart.
“Basetsana was my Regodise. And she was an undercover cop.” Uncle Shaka continues.
“Regodise is dangerous because she’s a well-trained soldier. If we give her enough space and enough time, she will destroy us. We need to move fast.” Morena says.
“She’s Mohale’s mother”, I say.
“Oluremi is great with Mohale. And Tholoana. To her, they are your kids therefore they are her kids. The boys will be just fine.” Morena says.

Khotso wheels himself into the room. Oluremi is in the next room and we can see her from here because the door is open.
“Mom put cameras in Dise’s house”, Khotso says.
I’m already crying.
Morena dials my mother’s number.
I can’t believe Dise would do this just because I cheated.
“Kea, baby! What’s going on?” Morena is now on the phone with my mom. She’s on speaker.
“You have to come back, Mohato. I just received a warrant of arrest for you, Ona, Shaka and Khotso.” My mom.
We all look at each other.
“Regodise gave them information about you guys starting the riots to push vehicles with drugs and girls across borders. There is seriously incriminating evidence here. I think even Zithulele is implicated.” My mom says.
A war has been declared. Clearly.
“Mohato, I’d rather you guys come here get arrested here. We can do more here. If this gets to a point where you have to be detained in a foreign country, there’s no telling what could happen.” Mom.
“Baby, I’ll call you back.” Morena says then he hangs up.
“I’ll eat the charges alone. You guys fly out to South Africa tonight. Take Fifi, Mason and Luhle with you. Stabilize the situation and neutralize Regodise.” Uncle Shaka says.
“You cannot go alone. It’s too dangerous.” Morena.
“I can take it. We are not sending Zithulele back. He did a year for us and he’s wife is still pissed off about it. Pope, you can’t go. For obvious reasons. And Khotso is still recovering”, Uncle Shaka says.
“Then I’ll go with you”, I say.
“Ona-
“I created this mess. I’ll go inside with bishop and eat the charges. But get us out as quickly as possible. You have my permission to do as you please to neutralize Regodise.” I say.
They all look at me.
“Kea is going to kill me.” Morena says.
“I’m going to kill Dise. I’d rather that not be on my hands.” I say.

Uncle Shaka and I took our own private jet. Everyone else has left to sort this mess up.
Uncle Shaka and I land in Tholoana Kingdom then get into a car that is waiting for us. The car drives us to the prison.

Zithulele phones bishop.
“Qwabe”.
“Mashimane. I’ve spoken to someone inside. Regodise paid people to make sure that you are not comfortable inside. Report to Tau Prison. I’ve called in favours for your comfort there. Morena and mofomahadi have Dise. This might all be gone by the time you are done being processed.”
Uncle Shaka and I look at each other.
“Good work, Qwabe.”
“Babe –
Fifi comes to the phone.
“Love.” Uncle Shaka says.
“I need you.” She says.
“I’ll be back soon, love. Just look after Mason and Luhle for me. Please.” Uncle Shaka says.
“I will. Just come back to us. Please. We need you. Luhle needs you.”
Uncle Shaka tightens his eyes.
Then he hangs up.

Why is Regodise doing this? Why?!

We arrive in Tau Prison and indeed, we are processed as expected then we are given a cell. Together. It is slightly nice. There are two double beds with fresh linen in here.
Uncle Shaka and I look at each other.
“Not bad.” I say.
“Yeah. We just need to find a way to make sure that our food is not poisoned.” Uncle Shaka says.
A cellphone rings. We look at each other.
We both look under our pillows and Uncle Shaka finds a cellphone under his pillow.
He answers the cellphone and puts him on speaker.
“Mashimane.” Legoa starts.
“Qwabe.”
“You are coming out tonight. Don’t get comfortable in that cell. Both of you.”
We both breathe aloud.
“Where’s Regodise?” I ask.
“In a mortuary”, legoa says.
That stabs my heart a bit.
“She didn’t suffer. It was peaceful and in her sleep. We made sure of it”, he says.
“And my kids?”
“Oluremi has them. She and mofomahadi are comforting them. Especially Mohale. He has been crying for you.” He says.

I cry hard as we wait to be released and Uncle Shaka is actually there for me. He really comforts me. I know it had to be done. I know. But I did love her. I loved her and I thought she would be my queen. We would have ruled so well together.
“Your father and I found you a woman. Maybe you will do okay in an arranged marriage”, Uncle Shaka says and we both laugh.
“I haven’t even buried my wife yet”, I say.
“You’ll meet your new potential after the funeral. She’s a daughter of one of the chiefs in the homelands. Merementse.”
“Do I look like my only type is village girls?” I say and we laugh.
“It’s going to be okay, son. You’ll see.” He says.
I nod my head.
“And your new wife… she’s gorgeous.” He says.
“What’s her name?” I ask him. Might as well entertain this.
“Rethabile Sebata. She’s beautiful. I saw her myself. She’s a surgeon who qualified in the United States then also practiced in over thirteen countries.” He tells me.
“So, why is she back here?”
“Her father – chief Sebata – is unwell. He has been unwell since his fourth wife – Rethabile’s mother – passed away. So she came back to Tholoana Kingdom, opened a hospital in Merementse… the first big hospital there for the people of Merementse and she serves there now.”
“She opened Sebata Hospital?” I enquire.
He nods his head and says, “Yes, she did.”
She sounds nice.
But I’m not ready to meet her yet. It’s too soon.

…

It is 4am when we walk into Oluremi’s house and find Khotso, my mom and morena wide awake in the TV room. Legoa is here as well.
“Are you good?” Morena asks us.
“We good”, Uncle Shaka says.
Oluremi comes down the stairs with Mohale holding onto her hand.
I go straight to my son and I pick him up. The minute his head hits my chest, he cries. Oluremi hugs both of us. I wonder how much of this she actually knows about.

Tebza and Maboko walk into the house. I guess they’ve heard. We are all hugging and are feeling extremely sad. They walk in with Dise’s mother and she is more than hysterical. My mom is the one who hugs her. She’s inconsolable and I understand. They were very close.

I finally fell asleep and now that I’m waking up, I hear Tholoana crying and Oluremi laughing with Khotso. I take it Tholoana is not sick. He’s crying over something worth laughing at. Mohale is fast asleep next to me. The house is already busy and I really don’t want to see people or be around them.
Maybe this arranged marriage thing is good for me. I already know that I’m never going to love another woman the way that I loved Regodise. Might as well stick to this arranged thing. What else can I do?
I look through our pictures on my cellphone and I just fall apart.
“Rest in peace, my love. I’m sorry that it had to come to this.” I say to a picture of her laughing as she looks at me.
What a beautiful soul.

There’s a knock on my door.
I don’t say anything.
“Ona! It’s me, your mother. I’m coming in.”
The door then opens. My beautiful mother – the most gorgeous woman on earth – walks in with a plate of food and a glass of juice.
She closes the door.
She puts the tray down then sits on the edge of the bed next to me.
“I’m sorry, papa”, she says to me as she brushes my face with her hand.
“It had to happen, mama. She was never going to come back from that and she knew it.” I say.
“It still doesn’t make it hurt any less. And you are my baby. When you are hurt, I am not okay as your mom.”
“I’m also worried about little man over here”, I say, pointing at Mohale.
“He will be okay. He has me. Oluremi is amazing with him. And he has the best father walking this earth.”
I smile.
“I’m so proud of you, my baby boy. You are strong and you’ve become a man that I’m so proud to call my son. You’ll make it through this. I know you will.” She says.
I smile at her then say, “I hear you guys got me a wife already”.
She laughs and says, “I don’t support that nonsense. You know that.”
“She sounds nice though, mom.”
“Really?”
“You don’t think she’s nice?”
“I believe in consent, Onaleruna. And I believe in consent coming from both affected parties. She could be Michelle Obama for all I care. But my son is not going to be forced into anything and will not be in a marriage with a woman who was forced into it.”
“What if we both don’t mind.”
“I’d need to be convinced.” She says.
I kiss her cheek.
“Come baby, the house is full of people who are here for you. Just come say hello and thank you.” She says.
“Mah… when are we going back home? I’m starting to feel like we are crowding Oluremi.” I say.
“We have to have the cleansing, papa. And with all these things happening, it’s so difficult to pen down a date. Olu is a trooper. Her house is very cosy as well. I kinda don’t want to go.”
We both laugh.
“I like her for Khotso”, I say.
“I like her too. I liked Regodise for you and she clearly deals with pain dangerously. I want to take my time with Oluremi and truly learn her. I clearly need to be careful about my daughters now.”
“Including Rethabile?”
“Onaleruna Mohale! Hai! Stop it.”
I can’t help but laugh.
She laughs then says, “Wake up and eat up, papa. I’ll meet you downstairs. I’ll go and get Mohale ready for the day. Tholoana is already running Oluremi’s life and Khotso is feeling jealous.”
I laugh.
She takes Mohale and leaves.

…

We had an intimate burial for Dise. Close family and friends attended the ceremony and the community have come for the lunch. We had the funeral at a local church and people are eating in the yard.
Oluremi, Letlali and Tebza are in aprons serving people juice, alcohol, water and food. Us guys are sitting here with the kids. Khabane, Mohale, Mason and Banathi are running around because they are older and they can. We told them to stay in our sight and they are obeying us so far. Legoa has Mnqobi in his arms. I have Tholoana in my arms. Maboko has Ruri in his arms. We are all actual fathers. All of us.
Refiloe and Uncle Shaka walk in together. They are both dressed in black. They arrived together at the funeral. This thing of theirs is very serious.
Then a very beautiful woman walks in with chief Sebata. She’s absolutely gorgeous. She’s a thick baby girl with curves and calves. She is wearing a black short dress with black stockings and black heels. She then has a wig hanging under a black headscarf. She is wearing diamond studs. What a classic beauty.
“That’s Rethabile Sebata”, Uncle Shaka whispers in my ear.
I laugh immediately.
The guys all look at me.
I hand Tholoana over to Khotso.
“That’s her?” Khotso asks me. Yes, I’ve already briefed him.
“That’s who?” Maboko asks.
“The girl Ona is arranged to get married to.”
“We just buried Dise.” Legoa points out.
“Nothing shocks me anymore.” Maboko says.
“She’s beautiful. I’ll give her that.” Khotso says.
I just stare at her… studying her every movement. She is one with the people. All these old people that I don’t even know are talking to her and are genuinely smiling as they do so.
“My company built her hospital”, Maboko says.
“What was she like? Did you ever interact with her?” I ask.
“Just on email. She was professional. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t prepared to compromise.” Maboko says.
“Ona, how long is your mourning period?” Legoa asks.
“Three months”, Khotso says.
“Okay. At least you won’t tap for the next three months”, Legoa says.
The guys laugh.
“She was engaged though not too long ago”, Maboko says and we all give him our undivided attention.
“To who?” Khotso asks.
“Some guy from Tanzania.” Maboko says.
“How do you know that?” Legoa enquires.
“Tebza told me. I don’t know how she knows.” Maboko.
“And then what happened?” I ask.
“They guy passed away in a car accident. He was driving with his pregnant wife that Rethabile didn’t know about.”
“Wwwwwwwooooooaaaahhhhh!” We all say at the same time. Then we laugh.

“Well at least you have grief in common”, Maboko says after we have all laughed.
“Fuck you!” I sat, mid-laughter.
“Imagine that! In the middle of giving each other sex, you start calling each other by your diseased partners’ names…” Khotso says as he laughs.
“Now that would be different! Oh, Dise, rest in peace. Oh, Tanzania motherfucker, rest in peace.” I say and everyone laughs.
“Y’all are going to hell for this shit”, Legoa says and we cannot help but laugh.

Someone clears their throat.
We all stop laughing and we look in the direction of that person. It’s her. And she has flowers in her arms.
“Dumelang”, she greets us.
“Hello”, we all say.
“Ke nna Rethabile. But people generally call me Thabi”, she says.
She’s very nice. And she’s extremely well-spoken too. Her accent is very British. She sounds like she’s been having tea with the queen.
After a long awkward silence, she looks at me then at Khotso then at me again, then she says, “I was told to come and ask for Onaleruna.”
We all laugh at her. We know she doesn’t know who is Ona and who is Khotso. Which is weird because everyone can tell us apart. Apparently, we are identical twins, but I can tell you now that we have strong differences.
“That would be me”, I say.
“Oh okay”, she says and smiles at me.
“So, who’s looking for me? You or an imaginary friend?” I ask her.
“Me. I wanted to offer you and your children my condolences. I brought you these flowers and I hope they bring you some kind of comfort. But through it all, I hope you find peace in the storm that you are currently going through. It will be okay eventually. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But there is comfort in knowing that it will get easier and you will be fine.”
I nod my head.
She seems so sincere.
“Thank you”, I say. That’s all I can say.
She nods her head then she says, “Gentlemen, it was nice meeting you all. Maboko, it’s nice to finally put a face to the emails.”
“I never told you who I was”, Maboko says.
“Yeah, but being all over the media for business and scandals makes one able to identify your face from a mile away.”
We all laugh at this.
She smiles then she says, “I have to get going. Merementse is quite a drive from here and my father is getting old so he’s feeling a bit tired.” She says.
“Let me at least walk you to the car.” I offer.
“Sure.” She says.
I get up from the chair, leaving her flowers on the chair that I was sitting on, and we start walking to her car.

As we walk, we chat.
“So, my father tells me that I have been chosen to be your next wife”, she says.
“I also found out about that a couple of days ago”, me.
“And what’s your feeling on that? Especially given that your wife just passed away”, she asks me.
“I’m not against it. How do you feel about it?”
“It’s a bit weird. I mean, you are a good-looking man and all, but something about your aura tells me that you are a difficult one.”
“You just met me”.
“And I’m usually good with reading energy.”
“So, you don’t like difficult?”
“I can do difficult.”
“So, should I tell my family that they can go ahead and start negotiations?”
“How about you take me on a date first? I know it’s culture and all, but surely, you gotta still work for it.”
We both laugh.

Morena, my mom and her dad walk towards us. We have also stopped walking. We are standing next to a black BMW X6. The number plates read “THABI GP”.
Nice.

“I see the two of you have met.” Her dad.
“Dumela, Ntate Sebata”, I greet her dad.
“She’s my prettiest daughter. Keep that in mind when you come and negotiate for her hand in marriage.” The dad says.
We all laugh.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Rethabile.” My mom says.
“Likewise, mofomahadi.” Thabi says.
“Well, please drive safely and Sebata, we will be in touch.” Morena.

We all say our goodbyes then I head back into the church yard with my parents.
I see black cars driving towards us. Morena and I look at each other.
People come out of the rooftop of the cars and they have guns in hands.
“MOVE! HIDE! RUN!” My mom screams.
I’m running too, but I go for Khotso because he is on a wheelchair. There are gunshots everywhere. People are screaming. People are yelling. People are dying from bullets floating all around.
Then…

SILENCE.
ABSOLUTE SILENCE.

It feels like a dream, but it isn’t. There is smoke everywhere and those cars have disappeared.

I see Rethabile running in with a huge box. I look around me. I’m still. I don’t hear anything, but I do see movement around me.
“Ona! Ona!” I look up. It’s Khotso. Okay. He’s okay.
“Mohale”, I say.
I see him in Thabi’s arms now and Thabi is treating him with something. Oluremi is there with them and Tholoana is in her arms.
Okay…
I see my mom.
I see morena.
I see Shaka.
I see Refiloe.
I see Maboko.
I see Tebza.
Ruri is bleeding, but she is getting help. Khabane is the one carrying her and asking Thabi to help his sister.
Why is there blood around me? Whose blood is it?
Khotso, Maboko, Legoa and I look at the body. It’s Mason.
We don’t know what to do.
Tlali has both her kids with her.
Maboko starts crying.
Refiloe starts running towards us. I shake my head at Shaka and he tries to hold her back. Everyone makes it towards us.

Refiloe breaks down and screams next to Mason’s body. Uncle Shaka tries to hold her, but she is out of control. Her screams!
Just as we are all trying to console her, we hear Thabi saying, “Time of death…”
The body she’s standing over is Dise’s mother… and Dise’s father.
The prime minister and his wife are also just lifeless bodies now.
What the hell just happened?

“How can I help?” I ask Thabi as I get to her. She’s attending to people alone.
She looks at me.
“You are also hurt. Sit down so I can treat you.” Only now I realise that I’m also bleeding and that I am in pain.

…

Evening

Mohale, Ruri and Banathi are bandaged. Every parent in here is pissed! We are all at Maboko’s mother’s house for yet another funeral. Fifi had to be sedated so that she could stop crying and actually get some rest.
We are all silent and have nothing to say.
Thabi climbs down the stairs with her clothes full of blood and this box that has her essentials.
“She’s asleep now. She will wake up tomorrow. I’ll send for someone to come and check in on her. My friend is here to pick me up and take me home.” Thabi says.
“Thank you. For everything”, Morena says.
She nods her head.
“I’m sorry about your father”, my mom says.
Her father passed too?
And she’s this strong and willing to assist people?
We are all shocked and we all look at her. I know her car caught so many bullets that it blew up. I didn’t know about her dad.

“Friend, we need to get going”, some girl walks in and says to her.
“The two of you shouldn’t drive alone. It’s late.” Morena says.
“It’s okay, morena. My boyfriend and his friend are driving with us.” The friend says.
“Friend?” Uncle Shaka enquires.
This girl is not even my wife yet. They mustn’t do this to her.
“Yes sir”, the friend.
I stand up and go hug Thabi. She’s literally shaking like a leaf. I don’t say anything. I just hug her. She lets me. And she cries in my arms. Someone had to do this for her. She saved everyone else except for her father. No one thinks to give her a hug.
“Maybe we should make you guys some tea before you leave. You can invite your boyfriend and his friend inside”, Oluremi says, already getting busy in the kitchen.
I don’t understand Oluremi’s coping mechanisms. I really don’t. She doesn’t want to be hugged or comforted and she prefers to operate like a robot while the rest of us collect ourselves from a traumatic event. It’s very weird.

“Eish, the thing is… my boyfriend has other engagements tonight.” The friend says.
“Sisi, it’s fine. You can go. We will make sure that Thabi gets home safely”, Uncle Shaka says.
“Friend, are you okay with that?” The friend asks.
Thabi is still crying.
“She’ll be fine. We will make sure of it.” I say.
The friend nods her head then disappears.

Oluremi is serving people tea and sandwiches in no time. Ai, this girl. I really don’t get her.
My mom climbs down the stairs. She stands in front of Tebza and says, “Makoti, you need to dress up and go sit with Fifi on the mattress”.
Tebza nods her head then stands in front of my mom. My mom covers her head with a black headscarf. Normally, it would be Maboko’s mother or sisters who do this to Tebza. But, one sister is out of it and the other sister has passed together with the mother. Aus’Lebo and Bra Joe are not here yet, so my mom is doing it.
After this, Tebza climbs the stairs and makes her way to the mattress.

“We need to get going”, morena says.
It is quite late.
“Khotso, I’m going to stay with T. Ona, if it’s okay with you, the boys can stay here with me.” Olu says.
“Are you sure?” I ask her.
She nods her head.
“Well, we are both staying anyway with Maboko”, I say.
Khotso and I are going to be here with and for Maboko.
Everyone agrees.
“Tlali and I will take Thabi home then we will see you guys tomorrow morning”, Legoa says.
I agree to that and so do moringa and Thabi.

Then for the awkward moment of the night…
We all look at bishop…
He is scratching his head…
Tonight, we will find out who Refiloe truly is to him…
And…

He….

Stays…

I therefore have no shame moving on with Thabi. Maybe not now at this very moment. But Uncle Shaka has set quite the bar for us widowers.