This week, we will be saying goodbye to season 1 of this rollercoaster that we have been on in each of the lives of the characters that we have encountered in The Workplace and Its Employees, Season 1. As we wave goodbye to this season, we would love to say goodbye in style – with some exciting bonus episodes. 

For as long as you keep on reading, we will keep on writing. 

Please engage with us:

We have had so much fun reading your feedback. It’s a bit sad for us that we will be reading your feedback this week for the last time. So let’s make the most of it!

What does your cast look like? 

Send us pictures of what each of the characters look like in your imagination as you learn about them. These people do not have to be famous; it can even be a random picture that you came across or your brother that you live with everyday at home. I’m extremely keen to see where your imagination took you with each of these characters.

The next blog series is…

We have a new story for you and you can bet that it is just as juicy and just as engaging. You can look forward to the first post on the 4^th of January 2020 at 19H30. It will run for twenty weeks and we will have so many more engagement opportunities that will open up your world to K-Pable-C & Ketso Madonsela’s Literature Entertainment and even see you winning some awesome Ketso Madonsela novels (hardcopies). 

For as long as you read, we will continue to write. Tell your friends and bring them to our reading circle. We are on: 

Facebook Page: My Worth Crowned You

Twitter: @KPableC1

Instagram: KPableC

Some Exclusive Content To Look Forward To: 

We have three gifts to grant you on three different dates, exclusively on our website www.k-pable-c.co.za under our library!

Yes, you guessed it! I am gifting you with three complete books – readable novels that will be made available on the website for you. Look out for the following dates: 

10 December 2021 – To celebrate a whopping one year of the re-launch of My Worth Crowned You Novel, “Mrs Him – The Mrs Amongst The Mistresses” will be launched on the website under our libraries for you to read and enjoy!Not just the first fifteen chapters, but THE FULL BOOK!

23 December 2021 – My Christmas gift to you just to say Merry Christmas and thanks for your love and support, “Mrs Him – The Aftermath of Bad Decisions” will be launched on the website under our libraries for you to read and enjoy! Not just the first fifteen chapters, but THE FULL BOOK!

28 January 2022 is my birthday! And to celebrate my birthday, I will be gifting you “Last Wife Standing” – a story about…. Actually, come into the library and read! Not just the first fifteen chapters, but THE FULL BOOK!

Exciting times ahead of us to celebrate our growth all thanks to your love for reading! Thank you once again. Your support and love for reading is everything!

For now, let’s say goodbye to our friends at The Workplace & Its Employees 

~ Ketso Madonsela

Luthando

“Cancer? You have cancer?” I ask him. I’m honestly distraught. I was coming here to give him a piece of my mind and look for answers about that Sindi woman. The last thing I was expecting was for him to tell me that he has cancer. And now that he has told me, he does look a bit…

“Yes, my love. I’m dying. I wanted us to get a divorce so that you wouldn’t have to spend a year mourning for me. You’ve already been through enough since I got arrested. I wanted to give you a reason to just leave me and forget about me. But your memory of me was never going to be me cheating on you. I’d never do that to you. I love you and I wouldn’t do you like that.” He says.

“So who’s Sindi?” 

“She was one of the businesswomen I worked with.” 

“So the two of you don’t have a child together?”

“I three children, Luthando. Only three: Nobuhle, Slindokuhle and Bantubonke. I’ve always hated that they have Zulu names when they are actually Tsonga. But I loved you so much I wanted you to have everything – including whatever names you gave our children.” 

I smile at him. 

“Now baby, why aren’t we dealing with this cancer? Why are we letting it kill us?” I ask him. 

“Lutha, I’m in prison. I’m not in here for shoplifting. I’m considered to be one of the most dangerous criminals in this prison, never mind dangerous human being in this country. I’m not going to be released just because ’I’m sick. I’ll be treated right here in this prison via state facilities. You expecting me to go through chemotherapy and all that other shit in here? I can never be perceived as weak, Lutha. Never. I’d rather they put me back with the rest of the offenders and I be killed by one of them – quickly. Not what this cancer will most likely do to me.” He says. 

“Maluleke, what am I supposed to tell our kids?” 

“That I love them, baby. That this was the best way. And I’m dying, making sure that they are well-taken care of for the rest of their lives. Tell them that they must make sure that they stay away from dangerous men. And they must let me rest in peace.”

“At least see the kids one more time, ngiyakucela George. They miss you. They’ll miss you for the rest of their lives. At least let them say goodbye. Please baby.” 

We hold hands. 

There is the noise of other conversations taking place. Now that he is no longer in solitary confinement, I don’t visit him in his cell at any time. I have to see him during visitation like everyone else. 

“My love, I’m dying.”

I become emotional. I cannot help myself. 

“What am I supposed to do without you?”

He pulls my head towards him and kisses my forehead. 

“I did everything in my power to make you leave me, and you are still here. I’m going to my grave knowing that you loved me until the very end and absolutely nothing could have done us part… nothing, except death – just as you promised me you would when we got married.” 

“That’s because I love you, Mr Maluleke. There is absolutely no man on this planet that I will ever love the way that I love you.” 

“But promise me you are going to move on, okay? Promise me. I need to rest knowing that you will let me rest in peace – for me and for our kids.” 

“How, baba wezingane zami? How?” 

I cannot stop the tears from streaming down my face.

“I don’t know, my love. I don’t know. But I’ll stay alive in your heart. And don’t you think that I’ll be better off to you guys as your guardian angel looking over you then me inside of here having no way and no power to do anything for you guys?” 

“I want you to be next to me, waking up next to me every morning and going to sleep next to me every night. I want to wrap myself in your arms every night and push my bum towards you. I want you to hold me one more time. I want to make love to you again and know that I’ll wake up next to you the morning after. The kids still want to go to sleep knowing you are in the room down the passage from their rooms. They miss you so much. They almost hit Sindi when she came to our house to force me to sign the papers.” 

We giggle. 

“We had a good life, sthandwa sami. We made beautiful babies and we did good. We are down and out for now, but this is a small price that I am prepared to pay for you guys to be okay again – to live the life I worked hard to make sure that you live forever.” 

“It means nothing to us without you.” 

“It has to mean something, Lutha. Otherwise, my love, even my death would be in vain.”

We hold hands. 

“Is there really nothing that we can do? Like absolutely nothing, Maluleke?” 

“Nothing, my love. I’m dying.” 

…

George

Lionel and I are sitting outside and watching the other inmates just chill and do whatever it is people come out here to do – mostly to waste time because really, what else do we have to do? 

“Lionel, I want you to kill me.” I tell him. 

He gives me one hell of a look. 

“I’m dying, man. I want you to make it as quick and as painless as possible. Only you – no one else. I have friends on the outside who will make sure that your family is well taken care of. I just need to die before this cancer gives me hell. Please.” 

“George – 

“I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want the men in here to see me weak. I don’t want anyone to even see me feel half of the things I’ve felt thus far. I want to die with my strength and dignity intact.” 

“And your nkosikazi?” 

“She’s a strong woman. She will heal eventually.”

“Your zingane?” 

“They have her. They’ll be good.”

“What about your makhwapheni and her ngane?” 

“They’ll be okay. Sindi has a million lives and plans for each one. If there’s one person who can make sure that my son grows up fine even if he remains a secret forever – it’s Sindi. But, I’ve sorted her out too. I have people that will take care of her.” 

He shakes my hand. 

“You are the only person who has ever been like a brother for real to me. You took three months in solitary for me. How do you expect me to kill you, bafo?” 

“I’m asking you, bafo. Please. End my life. If I’m really your brother, stop my suffering before it even starts.”

“I can look after you, bafo. This cancer, you can beat it. I can look after you inside until they release you on medical parole. Then your nkosikazi will do a nca job looking after you out there.” 

“I’ve put her through enough. I cannot do that to her. Please, just end my life.” 

He didn’t tell me how he would do it, but he ended up agreeing to it. All I know is that today after dinner….

…

Luthando

He was poisoned. He ate, got sick and died within an hour. I was called to go identify his body at the government mortuary. He is gone. My kids have been so sad since the news arrived. I knew that it was coming, but I thought I still had time. I thought I still had some time to see him one more time. But, I’m officially a widow. 

George’s mother asked me to have her son buried in Giyani. We never had much of a relationship, but we were not enemies neither. We both loved Georgevery much and there is no need for us to hate each other now. I agreed. 

We got a funeral home to collect his body from Gauteng and take it that side. My kids and I drove to Giyani and arrived last night. 

Today, the planning is still going on for his funeral. I am expected to sit on the mattress and be his wife. I really don’t want to give his mother a reason to hate me. I have a feeling that I’m going to need her now more than ever. Bonke is the most fragile right now. He has been sitting with me on the mattress, crying. My poor baby. His head lies on my feet as I sit here and have people come in and sing and pray and tell me to be strong. 

Nobuhle and Slindokuhle have been incredible. All my bank cards are with them. I tell them what is required and they make sure we do whatever it takes to honour their father one more time. Buhle can drive –although without a license because she isn’t eighteen yet – so they get by with the car that we drove down here with. My mom is here as well and she has been incredible. The rest of my family will be arriving the Friday before the funeral. 

“Makoti, may I please go with you tomorrow to pick out his casket and tombstone?” Mrs Maluleke asks me. 

I nod my head. It’s her son. I cannot keep her away from being part of that. I just don’t want her to bully me into picking one that she likes. Her input will be valued, but I know what my husband would have wanted.

Choosing his casket and tombstone is a lot more difficult than I expected. I’m surprised that I’m not falling apart as my mother-in-law is doing. She breaks down every five minutes. I’m not even upset with her. I totally get it. I’ve had my chance to cry and be in this state. Now, I’m doing what I need to do then I have to pick up the pieces of my life and be a parent to my children. 

We finish after 2pm and make our way home. As I arrive, Buhle and Slindo take the car and head to buy themselves, Bonke and myself clothes for the funeral. They go with my mother because she also needs a few things. Buhle knows my style and they both know my sizes, so I’m not worried. 

We all sleep in this room that I sit in all day in black clothes. Apparently, this used to be his room. 

It is now 10pm and my kids are all in here. My mom too. We are getting ready for bed. Bonke sleeps with my mom and I on the floor. Buhle and Thandeka sleep together on the bed. We pray together then pass out. 

This week has been just blurry and heavy. Now it is Friday. My family has arrived. My uncle and Lolu’s baby daddy are in overalls and are within hard labour outside. Lolu is helping out in the kitchen with my mom, but she’s actually being nice to me. Now that my family is here and a lot of our friends have arrived as well, I don’t feel alone as I did when it was just the Giyanipeople. 

George’s body is about to arrive. Lolu finds me and asks me if I am okay. I nod. I promise myself that I am not going to cry. I don’t know how I feel about his casket being open for everyone to see. But when I went to bath his body and dress him up yesterday, I made sure that he looks like the George Malulekeeveryone knew and respected – from the suit to his shirt and tie. My man. His casket has a glass that everyone will see him through. I chose that on purpose. 

I see that Sindi woman again. She is with a child who is the piercing image of my son. Buhle and Slindo look at me. I shake my head. The woman is with her mother, some lady and some man who looks like her so I assume it’s her brother. George promised me that they didn’t have a child. He promised me. She has no place here. I don’t want her here. But I’ll let the child stay. 

I walk to her. The mother and the brother stand in front of me. 

“He can come and be with my kids and me. It’s his father too. But not you. I’d be okay if you just came back to pick him up when everything is done. But if you are going to stay, you stay the hell away from me and my kids. You stay out of our sight and out of our way.” 

She nods her head. She looks at her son and says, “Fana, go with Sis’Lu. She will take care of you. She was your dad’s wife and she is okay with you taking your place as his son. Mommy will be okay. I’ll be with malome, gogo and auntie KG.” 

The boy nods his head. I extend my hand to him and he accepts it. 

We walk to where I was seated with my kids. 

Buhle and Slindo sit on either side of me. Siya and Bonke sit together in front of us. We are all on the mattress. George’s mother sits on a grass mat next to us. 

Lolu’s glorious singing tells me that George’s body has arrived. All four of the kids I’m with fall apart in my lap and on my shoulders. All of them, even Siya. When that casket is parked in front of me, that’s when I feel myself coming apart. That’s when I feel my spirit leaving my body. I have an out of body experience. I find myself on his coffin, crying and all four of the kids trying to pull me back to the mattress. I turn around and Lolu receives me. She hugs me.

I can’t believe that he is gone.

…

We plan to keep you spoiled with reads this festive season. But if you are craving some more, pop into our librar6 and read the first fifteen chapters of the available books waiting to be accessed by you.