My dad is hosting this braai of his today. I don’t even know what we are celebrating. I think he’s just trying to bring our family back to a good place. Last year was an extremely difficult year for our family. My dad’s secret came out: turns out that my cousin is actually my brother. My dad fucked around and was too scared to take chances with my mother. But my mom found out. My mom finds out everything. Then last year, she decided that she couldn’t keep it in anymore, so she exploded. Their marriage has been rocky ever since her explosion. I guess they are only still together because they love each other so much. Not being together wouldn’t make them happy. They don’t want to be with other people… they want each other. That just has to be special. 

The year before last, my wife passed away. It’s been really difficult, I will not lie. Some days are better than others. Some days, it doesn’t hurt as badly. Some days, I feel like dying. 

Wehweh introduced me to her best friend from back home. Her name is Palesa. She’s a beautiful woman, I will not lie. She’s got a stunning body. She knows how to look after herself and she knows how to always look good. I was charmed from the minute I laid eyes on her. Truly. And our chemistry was explosive. But, our main issue is that I’ve not been able to let Nothando go. I called Palesa Nothando once in bed… I swear I thought I saw Nothando as Palesa was on top of me… I swear. Palesa climbed off me and left. We didn’t even get to finish and I was about to cum. I’ve been apologising to her, but she keeps telling me that she refuses to compete with a ghost. That statement hurts me every time she says it. So we just haven’t spoken in forever. 

Mnqobi cheated on Wehweh and she broke up with him. Then he got shot and she forgot that she hates him. My two aunts – my dad’s remaining siblings – passed away. My then-cousin-now-brother, Phakathwayo, moved in with us. But he still thinks my dad is his uncle and not his father… and no one seems to be prepared to share those news with him anytime soon. 

It’s just been a difficult year. Maybe my dad just wants us to put a positive stamp on the time ahead of us. 

“I’ve marinated the last batch of meat”, Wehweh says as she puts a dish of meat in front of me. 

“Uph’ umuntu wakho? Why am I doing this alone?” I ask her. 

She laughs then says, “he had gone out to buy drinks. But he’s back now. I’ll tell him to come help you.” 

I just shake my head. 

“So… Palesa is coming”, she says. 

I look at her and smile. 

“You know she thinks I’m trash, right?” I say. 

“I didn’t say that she was coming for you. I just said that she was coming.” 

Hmmmm…

“Daddy, Auntie Palesa is here”, Gugu sprints to me and says. 

I thought she was still coming. 

Wehweh smiles at me. 

“When is she going to be our new mom?”

Now I choke on my own spit because really, what the fuck?! 

“You want her to be your new mom? Am I boring you already?” Wehweh rescues me. 

“No… we just also want two moms like Sasi. And Auntie Palesa is pretty and funny and kind.” Gugu neh.

“WEH!” Wehweh says as she laughs. Gugu laughs too. 

“You know daddy… it’s okay to move on. If you left the world before mommy, wouldn’t you want her to move on and be happy?”

She’s really taking it there with me.

“I think mommy wants you to be happy and to move on. You don’t smile anymore and you don’t laugh like you used to. I only saw you smile and laugh when Auntie Palesa was around.” 

I do like Palesa. A lot. But she hates me. 

I look at her. 

Wehweh looks at both of us. 

I see Palesa walk in with Mnqobi. 

Yeses! Inhle le ngane! 

She’s wearing blue jeans that have more than hugged her body… and they are high waist. She’s wearing a yellow top that Wehweh refers to as a boob-tube. She has some jewellery on, but the look is extremely tasteful. She’s wearing sandals and her hair is short… no extra hair, just cute short hair. I love her look. 

“Hey girl”, Palesa greets Gugu. 

Gugu hugs her and they greet each other in a way that makes me smile. 

Now she and Wehweh greet each other. 

“Dude, you have an erection”, Mnqobi whispers to me. 

I didn’t even notice. 

He makes me sit on the camp chair here. I sit and just gather myself. Yoh hai! 

Mnqobi has taken over the braai function. Wehweh and Palesa are talking and I cannot stop staring at Palesa. 

She finally comes to where I am. My penis was calming down, but now it’s getting excited again.

“Sawubona”, she greets me.

I laugh. She’s Sotho, but thanks to the Gauteng influence, she’s very multilingual. And because she stays in Pretoria, she can even speak Pedi and Venda. I love that about her.

“Hey”, I say as I smile at her. 

“Are you well?”

“You know the impact that you have on me has me too weak to stand”, I tell her. 

She laughs. 

Mnqobi laughs too.

Wehweh is lost. I’m sure Mnqobi will fill her in. Mnqobi switches off our gas braai stove then walks away with Wehweh, giving Palesa and I some space. 

I hold her hand. 

She lets me.

“Please sit on top of me and help me hide this”, I say, pointing at my penis. 

“I’m terrified of your mother. It’s not happening. And she gave me looks when I arrived”, Palesa says. 

I laugh. 

My mom is hectic. She’s not easy with anyone. But she likes Palesa. She’s even told me that Palesa is good for me. 

“Tshela lo guy wakho to relax”, she says to me. 

“You are so cruel”, I say. 

We both laugh. 

“It’s weird that he gets excited for me, kodwa when we give him what he wants, I get called Nothando in bed.” 

Now I’ve stopped laughing. 

So has she. 

“Please sit down, so we can talk.”

“There’s no chair.”

“On my lap. Ngiyakucela.” 

She steps towards me sits on top of me. 

Now my penis just wants to be inside of her. She can feel it and I’m struggling to think straight. 

“Do you need us to go to your bedroom?” She asks me. 

I think she’s also horny. Her body just doesn’t embarrass her like mine embarrasses me. 

“Yes. But I can’t even stand.”

“Come, let’s go.” She says, standing up and taking my hand. She’s also a lot shorter than me. 

Thankfully, my room is outside the main house, so I made it in here without being seen. We don’t even make it up the stairs to my bedroom, we just undress and fuck right here in the TV room. She gives me everything I need. She lets me ride her as I let her ride me. We are both moaning and holding onto each other’s bodies as our bodies respond to being fed. We both orgasm at the same time and it’s honestly explosive. We didn’t even get the chance to use a condom. 

We are both lying on my carpet in my TV room butt naked. We are in no rush at all to get up. Our bodies are recovering. 

“I needed this”, she says. 

Ja, I knew she was just as horny for me. 

“At least you didn’t call me Nothando this time”, she will probably never let this go. 

“Palesa, I’m really sorry about that. I really am.” I say. 

“I was really hurt, Banathi. I understand that you miss her and that she’s the love of your life… but I’m human and regardless of what my mind understands, my heart is still hurting.”

I turn my body towards her and face her. She’s still facing the ceiling. I actually see tears streaming to the side of her face. 

I kiss her. 

“I know I hurt you. I’m really sorry.” I say as I kiss her. 

She pins me down. 

She climbs on top of me. 

She puts my penis inside of me. 

I feel so vulnerable. 

She starts riding me. 

It’s sooo good. Fuck! 

She rides harder. And harder… jirating deeper… and deeper… I start moaning like a bitch. 

“What’s my name?” She mumbles as she jirates deeper. 

I can’t even speak. I’m preparing to cum. 

She stops. 

“Please don’t stop.” I beg. 

“What’s my name?” 

She’s not going to let me have my happy ending unless I say her name. 

I get up. 

I put her on her knees. 

I hit it from the back. 

“Palesa, I’m sorry”, I say as I pound her. 

She’s the vulnerable one that’s moaning now.

“Palesa, I’m sorry.”

“BANATHI!” She screams. 

I have also screamed her name now. 

I’ve cum so hard that my cum is dripping down her legs. She has also cum intensely. 

She runs to the toilet. 

I lie on my back in here. 

Yeses! 

She’s cleaned herself up and is getting dressed. I decide to also get up and get dressed. 

“I need to get a morning after pill.” She says. 

I have a whole box in my room. I give it to bitches after one hell of a night – even when I’ve used a condom. But if I offer her one, I don’t know how she will receive it. And I don’t want to treat her like some bitch I fucked to release. I actually love Palesa. 

“We can drive to the pharmacy now if you like.” 

She nods her head. 

I get up and clean myself now, getting dressed too. 

“Do I need to get tested for anything?” She says.

“Sowuthini manje?!” I’m actually offended. 

“I know that you were busy while we were broken up. Kwanami nje at the moment, I’m on rotation.”

What does this girl take me for?! 

“So you think I wasn’t protecting myself?”

“Ey, Banathi! I wasn’t in your bed when you were fucking every bitch with a vagina. How am I supposed to know?!”

Why is she getting upset? Why is she jealous?! We are not even together like that!

I just click my tongue and go finish cleaning myself up. 

As I climb downstairs to check up on her, I find that she’s left my space. Mxm! Uyahlanya lo! 

I make my way out and lock my room. 

“Where have you been?” My dad asks me. He’s the one with the braaing tools now, so clearly he’s braaing the meat now. 

“I just needed a few things in my room.” I say.

“Yini? Did you and Palesa fight or something? She’s even leaving now. Wehweh is driving her to the airport”.

“Uyahlanya loyo”, I say. 

“Uhlanyiswa yini?! Uwe?!” My dad.

I look at him.

“Asambe siyoshisa inyama sikhulume, Banathi”, he says to me. Now I know I’m about to be lectured. And for Palesa of all people?! Hai mahn! 

We are all outside now. Wehweh and Palesa left. So it’s just my parents and my siblings… including Phakathwayo who thinks he’s our cousin. My mom is still a bit cold towards my dad and sometimes, I feel like like she’s mad at Mnqobi and I for loving Phakathwayo and treating him like our brother. None of this is his fault. So, it’s unfair of her to make us feel like by loving our blood, we are betraying our mother. That’s just not right. 

Wehweh walks in with Gugu and Zozo. My mom is on her phone being cold. She probably wanted nothing to do with this braai.

“Is Palesa okay?” Mnqobi asks her. 

“She’s fine. Uzothini?” Wehweh says, looking at me. 

“Wehweh – 

“I don’t want to hear it, Banathi.” 

Wait, her friend was rude to me and I’m the one she’s mad at?! 

“Don’t be like that”, I say. 

“You know I’m the one who looks like a bad friend, right? I’m the one who introduced her to you and every time she spends more than an hour with you, she’s hurt. I’m no longer getting involved in this crap. When you are sure with what you want, discuss it with her then let me know.” 

Mnqobi is laughing. 

“Do you want to be with this girl, Banathi?” My dad asks me. 

“I do.”

“So why do you fight so much?” My dad. 

“Because she doesn’t take Banathi’s shit then call it love. And good for her. Nothing great ever comes out of persevering for someone who doesn’t know how to appreciate you.” My mom and her comments neh! 

My dad is so hurt.

I feel like Palesa is a lot like my mother with that mouth of hers. Mnqobi is the lucky one. He just gets forgiven for fucking his ex on a live on social media. I’m in the dog box for calling her Nothando as I was about to ejaculate inside of her. My dad is in the dog box for making a child years ago. Wehweh just has my mom’s body. Palesa has my mom’s personality. Mnqobi and I fell in love with different aspects of our mother though. 

“Do you want to fix things?” Mnqobi asks me, I guess re-directing the attention. 

“I do.” I say.

“Don’t just fix things with her, actually be better! Your sorry is beginning to sound like a broken record”, Wehweh. 

Yerrrr! 

“Are we going to talk about what we are here to talk about? I’d like to go take a nap”, my mom. 

Kanti today’s braai has an agenda?!

“I need to meet up with Zaza. So I’ll see you later, babe.” Wehweh says to Mnqobi. 

I wish I could tell her to not go. But Mnqobi lets her go because we all see that my parents are about to get into it.

Wehweh runs out as fast as she can. She probably doesn’t even need to see Zaza. 

Phakathwayo is sitting next to Mnqobi on the patio couch for two. My mom is sitting on the single couch. I’m sitting on the other single couch. My dad is standing up and talking to us. The grandkids are swimming and playing within our sight. 

“Lalelani… I made a mistake a few years ago. I cheated on my wife. And I’ve lived to regret it ever since. Kodwa ke, from that, kwafika uPhakathwayo. I regret what I did, kodwa it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you, my son.” 

Phakathwayo is the only one that’s shocked. Mnqobi and I have heard more than enough arguments between my parents to know exactly what’s going on. We even know how he passed Phakathwayo as Aunt Nothile’s child. 

“Kodwa umah wami uNothile.” 

“UNothile uyena umah wakho. Kodwa akuyena umah okuzalayo.” My dad. 

“I don’t understand.” Phakathwayo.

“Your mother is someone I had an affair with. She passed away giving birth to you. Nothile lost a child while giving birth to it. So I buried the child she gave birth to then gave you to her so I could always be in your life.”

Phakathwayo is not okay. 

My mom is difficult to read. 

“So who’s my mother?” Phakathwayo asks. 

“Her name was Tsitsi”, my dad. 

Phakathwayo storms off, leaving us here. 

My dad doesn’t know what to do. 

Mnqobi and I look at each other. 

“I’ve… Uhm…” my mom. She clears her throat. She already has tears streaming down her face. 

“I’ve also asked your father for a divorce”, my mom. 

Mnqobi and I both sit up and stare at them. 

My dad is also crying now. 

“So I’ll be moving out of the house at the end of this week”, my mom. 

“Mah!” Mnqobi. 

“Baba?! Just like that?!” Me. 

“I just can’t forgive this. I’ve been trying. I can’t. And I simply cannot love your brother. This is his father’s house. Now that he has to live here – and he has every right to because this is his father’s house – I can’t make him feel uncomfortable.” My mom. 

“Mah, please stop this. Please! Dad fucked up. I get it. But please don’t break our family up.” Mnqobi. 

“Your dad broke this family up. He’s the one that cheated on me wangilethela ingane on top of that”, my mom. 

“Mah please!” Mnqobi. 

I just find myself crying. 

“I love you guys. And i love Zithulele. But this has shattered me so much. I’ve tried to hang on. I’ve tried to fix this… pick up the pieces of what used to be my heart and hope that I can still stay in this marriage. But I can’t. I really cannot. Please don’t ask me to stay. If I stay in this marriage, it will destroy me.”

We are all emotional right now. Mnqobi is taking it the hardest. I’m also hurt. I’m just not falling apart like Mnqobi. 

My mom wipes her tears using her hand then says, “I watched my husband – the man that I love – fuck another woman. I saw it all. I saw him ejaculate inside of her… smile at her… then kiss her like he kissed me after he had sex with me. That night, he came home and slept on the couch… then wouldn’t touch me for a week after that. How am I ever expected to recover from that?”

I face upwards to hold my tears back, but a loud cry gushes out of my throat. 

My mom gets up from the chair she’s sitting on then heads back into the house. 

My dad leaves too. I don’t understand ukuthi uyaphi because he did this. But I hear his car’s engine starting and he drives off. 

…

2:37am

My phone rings… 

I open one eye. 

I look at my phone. 

It’s a weird number. 

I don’t answer it. 

It rings again. 

I grab it and answer it.

“Hello?”

There’s commotion.

“Hello?”

“Is this Mr Banathi Khuzwayo?” 

“Yes. Who’s this?” 

“Sir, please make your way to Queen Kea Academic Hospital. Please bring Mrs Letlali Khuzwayo with you. We have found a terribly injured body we believe is your father’s. He drove himself off a bridge.”

“Wait… what?!”

Line goes dead. 

“Hello?!”

…

I phoned my aunt – my mom’s sister – to come and help us because I have to go to the kingdom and be there for Banathi. My aunt arrived about five minutes ago. She likes coming here. She lives in worse conditions than us and she believes that she should’ve inherited this house. So every time we call, she shows up. And she doesn’t abuse us, so we don’t mind her being here. 

Now, I grab my bags, get on an Uber and leave for the airport. 

I arrive in the kingdom at 6am. Wehweh is at the airport to receive me. We hug because we are falling apart ourselves… and it’s as if we know that this is the last time we are allowed to cry. When we get to that hospital, we have to be strong for the Khuzwayo family. 

“How are they?” I ask. 

“It’s bad, Palesa. He’s on life support. The mother… the guys… the grandkids… they are trying to prepare for the worst.” 

I just hold my head. 

“Thank you for phoning me.” I say. 

We hug one more time then we head to her car and drive to the hospital. 

We get to the hospital and find that all their friends are here. I’ve met these people at least once so I know who they are. I just don’t know them like that. 

I greet them and they all greet me back. I don’t see Banathi. 

I don’t see Mnqobi neither. 

I don’t see their mother. 

“Come”, Wehweh says to me. 

I follow her. 

Is Wehweh Mnqobi’s wife and we don’t know? How is she just going into wards where the family is while friends that have known them for years are sitting in the waiting area? 

We walk into the ward. 

Banathi and I lock eyes. He’s shocked to see me. 

I make my way to him and I give him one hell of a hug. He holds me too. He starts crying. I hold him tighter. I let him cry. He holds me tighter. 

After some time, we just all stand here in silence. Banathi’s mom will not stop staring at her husband. He has so many machines attached to him. 

A group of people enter. Apparently, it’s the mother’s siblings and their partners… plus kids. She weeps in her brothers’ arms. WEEPS! I just have my arms wrapped around Banathi’s waist and he has an arm wrapped around my neck. We all just don’t know how to be. I want to ask where Mnqobi’s and Banathi’s kids are, but I’m assuming someone is looking after them at home. 

Now, some elderly people walk in. These people, I don’t know. But judging by how defensive Mnqobi and Banathi just became the minute they walked in, they clearly bring trouble. 

“What did you do to my son, you Sotho woman?!” One of the women say. 

“Uskang’hlanyetsa wena! Usuka la usuka khona ukuzong’bhedela la. Zithulele didn’t even want you around him ever since I’ve known him. What audacity do you have to call him your son?” I love Banathi’s mom! She’s my hero!

“This is my brother’s child, so that makes him my son!” 

“You should’ve remembered that when they needed you after your brother and his wife passed away”, the mom. 

“Tlali!” 

“No, Reitumetsi! Wahlanya oe! I don’t even know who phoned these people. They’ve never been around and Zithulele always chased them away. They are not wanted here! They are key contributors to Zithulele’s mental health challenges! Because of these people, I’ve had to take my husband down a hanging ceiling while he was still my boyfriend. We got married and I had to take him down hanging ceilings countless more times. I’ve had to stop him from jumping off high buildings. I’ve had to pull him out of cars while he was trying to gas himself to death! Where were they?! Huh?! Where were they?! Zithulele has now drove himself off a bridge. Ba tlong tlwayela masepa mo!” 

This is hectic. 

Banathi and Mnqobi are a mess! 

This lady and the two men she’s with are a mess. There’s another lady here with them. She looks like she’s married to one of the men. 

“Makoti –

Some man tries, but Banathi’s mom just stops him and says, “I don’t want to hear it! Please go to the waiting area. You are not family.”

That cuts them deep! I’m offended for them. I’m not family and I’m in here. 

“NOW! GET OUT!” She yells. 

Next thing, bodyguards walk in here and pull these people out. I don’t know where these bodyguards came from.

After an hour of absolute silence and sniffs, the machines start flatlining and Banathi’s dad seems to be having some fits. He then gets up and violently coughs up blood. People gave sprinted out to get help. But by the time the doctor arrives, they call out his time of death. I cannot begin to describe the cry that pierces through the hospital. I just hold Banathi. Wehweh holds Mnqobi. Their mother throws herself on the father, promising him that she won’t divorce him if he just comes back to them. 

Divorce?! 

She begs and begs and begs him to choose life. But he’s gone. I thought I’m here not to cry, but I find myself crying too. 

…

The Khuzwayo people are demanding that Banathi’s mom sits on the mattress. So she’s called Wehweh and I aside. Banathi and Mnqobi are here too. Wehweh and I have changed into dresses, sneakers and headscarves. 

“I don’t trust these people. I know that sitting on that mattress means I’ll be doing nothing but just sit there. I’m trusting the two of you with the keys of every bedroom in here. And I’m only trusting the two of you with food.”

We nod our heads. 

“Let’s just get through the week, guys. We will need each other. Only we are in charge of everything. Let’s give my husband a dignified send off.” She says. 

We nod our heads. 

She’s crying shame. But she’s strong. 

“Has anyone seen Phakathwayo?” She asks us. 

“The last time I saw him was at the braai”, Banathi says. 

“Eish, ngwana oe! Please find him tu. He needs to be here to bury his father.” 

Isn’t Phakathwayo a cousin around here?! 

“We will find him, mah.” Banathi. 

“Makoti!” One of the women aggressively yells.

“I’ll bring you tea in a bit, mah.” I say to a Anathi’s mom.

“Thank you. I’m counting on you guys. Please.”

The pressure!

…

I’ve just finished bathing the kids. Wehweh said she’d get started with cleaning the kitchen. She’s not the best cook yena shame… but she mustn’t worry, I’m here for her. 

The kids are very sad. Their grandmother told them what happened. I just feel so bad for everyone in here. Banathi’s youngest, the four year old, is a bit clingy. I offer to put him on my back and he agrees. So, I just put him on my back and wrap him with a towel. 

I’m in the kitchen now. I start baking scones and biscuits. Wehweh starts cooking. I tell her how to accentuate some stuff with spices. I make my own sauces with the ingredients I find in here and I tell her to use those sauces. 

“Chomi, you must teach me these things”, she says. 

I just smile at her. 

By 9am, people start arriving and the kitchen is getting busier by the minute. The Khuzwayo elders keep giving Wehweh and I instructions of what to do and how to do it. There’s this particularly rude one that annoys me. Every time she looks at me, I want to remind her that I’m not married into this family. But I’ve found Jesus!

“I heard someone was baking”, the rude one says. Everyone in the kitchen looks at her. 

“Whoever is baking, please bring scones and biscuits when we get served tea in the mourning room.” She says then leaves. 

I just want to throw a stone at her. 

“Are there cakes for real?” Zaza asks. She’s Wehweh’s friend from school. 

“Yeah. Palesa baked.” Wehweh. 

Now everyone wants to know where I’ve hidden the stash. I want to laugh neh, truly I do. I’ve also just finished making gemere, but we will have to have it tomorrow only. We need to let it chill for the day. I made 80litres of that drink and I’m not making more. I smell like ginger. 

We start putting scones and biscuits on big plates, then we make tea. 

I dish up some food and prepare some juice for Banathi’s mother. I ask Wehweh to take it to her because she and I haven’t really built a relationship yet. So I don’t want to be forward. 

As food , tea, scones and biscuits leave the kitchen to go serve the people in the mourning room and the kids, I decide to go to Banathi’s room to put Ziwe down. She’s been on my back all morning. 

As I put her down, I feel it now that I’m tired and my body hurts. She’s super sleepy shame, so she doesn’t feel herself leaving my back and hitting the bed. I noticed the other kids playing in here. 

I feel hands hug me. 

It’s Banathi. I know his hugs. 

We stay in this position for a minute. 

“I heard you are holding it down in the kitchen… from the food to the baking… everyone is taking instructions from you.”

“Ihhaba!”

We both laugh softly. 

“Thank you for being here”, he says. 

I turn around then throw my arms around his neck. He kisses me. Then we hug. 

“I’m worried about you”, I tell him. 

He just holds me tighter. 

“Palesa, I love you.”

Woah!

Really?! This is the time to tell me something like that for the first time?!

But I find myself being too honest with him, brushing his bold head and saying, “I’ve loved you for quite some time now. Why do you think you drive me so crazy?!”

He laughs softly then he kisses me again. 

“Friend”, Wehweh comes in and says. 

We look at her. 

“I’m so sorry guys. Friend, we need you in the kitchen hle.” Wehweh. 

“Can it wait?” Banathi. 

“She’s kinda the only one that knows what to do. We are lost without our leader and your frightening aunt uyasinyela bra”, Wehweh. 

We all actually laugh. 

I give Banathi one last hug then I follow Wehweh back to the kitchen. 

On our way to the kitchen in the main house, Wehweh pauses and places her focus on a specific direction. I follow the direction of her focus and I see Mnqobi hugging Lindiwe. I just know that my friend is triggered. They pull out of the hug then Mnqobi notices Wehweh and I staring at them. He moves towards our direction but Wehweh just dashes into the kitchen. I follow her. 

“Wehweh, ngicela ukukhuluma nawe”, Mnqobi says, standing at the door of the kitchen. 

Wehweh ignores him, carrying on with vegetables that she and I are preparing. Everyone in the kitchen is, however, focused on them now. 

“Nomawethu, I just need five minutes. Ngiyakucela.” Mnqobi. 

Wehweh = BOMB! 

He stares at Wehweh. 

We are all now uncomfortable. Both Mnqobi and I catch Wehweh wiping a tear off her cheek and he just knows that she’s not angry, she’s hurting. And yes, it is his fault. 

He walks into the kitchen, pulls Wehweh into a forceful hug because Wehweh really is fighting this. But she finally gives in. 

“Uyabuya”, Mnqobi tells us as he leads Wehweh out of the kitchen. 

No one is going to ask what happened. But you can just tell that everyone wants to know. 

“Sanibonani”, Lindiwe says. She’s standing at the door. People start putting two and two together. 

No one greets her back. 

It’s the Wehweh squad back here. 

“Is there something that I can help with?” She says. 

“No”, Mapho says. 

“He was my daughter’s grandfather, I’d like to help.” Lindiwe. 

“We don’t need your help”, Zaza. 

“I insist”, Lindiwe. 

“Sisi, please go sit with the mourners. We will bring you scones or biscuits or juice or tea or food… whatever you want. We will be at your service. Sicela nje usishayise ngomoya”, Zaza. 

“I insist”, Lindiwe, making it to where I’m standing and where Wehweh was. 

Bona! I’m not her friend! 

“Lindiwe, kuses’feni la! There are old people here! Please be respectful!” Me. Firm but still cool. 

She takes one long look at us then she leaves the kitchen. 

Yerrr!