INSERT 52
★Insert 52★
TSAKANI
Their bedroom is upside down, you can tell that Thembeka was fighting her abductors because Khalasi’s essentials are scattered on the floor, and one of the flower pot is sitting ajar, the long mirror is broken. Talon, is pacing up & down and the funny thing is that these people didn’t even fiddle with the door, they didn’t force their way in. It’s evident that they knocked, and Thembeka attended the door then they pointed her with a gun, and she ran here, they followed her here, and fought with her… Well, that’s what I think happened.
“When did this happen?” I implore looking at him, he’s pissed off and his forehead veins are popping.
“Ek’seni for sho. Enhlek ang’keni.” (In the morning. In fact, I don’t know)
Me: “How? Because we all left the club at the exact time.”
Leon: “He went and got himself some pussy while we went home.”
Batista: “Why would he go and look for some pussy elsewhere, whereas Thembeka is here? It doesn’t make sense.”
Him: “Ek’se, Batista. Ukwenza I marshmallows nalo gogo bekuyiphutha, iphutha elikhulu kabi. Kanty mina vele akang’khihlisi sasemngcwabeni, inkinga incosi yami bafethu. Ngifa ngencosi yami hhayi lo gogo. Lee, hade ukuringa kanje ngo aunt wakho maar I vaar, ngifa ngencosi yami k’phela. Yazi ngabe bajinde lo gogo bayeka incosi yami, fuck it maarn.” (Having sex with that grandmother was a huge mistake. And besides, I’m not worried about her, she doesn’t make me shed tears, but the problem it’s my son. I want my son most importantly, not her. Lee, I’m sorry for talking like this about your aunt, but it’s the truth, I only need my son. They should’ve just taken Thembeka and left my son)
Lee: “No stress ntwana. I’m also not worried about Thembeka, she’s a grown woman. I’m also worried about Khalasi. So, you have no idea about who abducted them?”
Him: “Zero. Ang’cavi nokuthi unama kati amnyama.” (I don’t even know that she has enemies)
Lee: “Me too. Of which makes wonder why did they abduct them because as far as I know, Thembeka was very friendly towards everyone.”
Me: “You weren’t staying with her 24/7 Lee. Maybe she has enemies that you don’t know of.”
Him: “It might be possible.”
Batista: “There are no clues, nothing. Whoever abducted them it’s a professional and since none of you here knows who her enemies are it’s going to be a little bit perilous for us to find them. Not unless the abductors come forth and demand a ransom for their emancipation, until then we have no leads. Tried imploring with the neighbors?”
Him: “Abaka cavi nix, ba useless mus laba. Mara ke ema barbs bahlala basejele,” (they didn’t see anything, they’re useless. But then in the suburbs they are forever in prisons)
Hlulani: “This is bad. I hope they didn’t harm any of them, especially Khalasi seeing that everyone is worried about him, and not the mother.”
Me: “Why don’t we wait for their abductors to call us, and demand for the ransom then we will take it from there because with no leads we are doomed, plus we don’t even know if she had enemies or what.”
Lee: “Let me call Mmnangwane, maybe she might give us something to work with. I’ll be back, ” he excuses himself.
Batista: “Ku thafu,” shaking his head.
Leon: “Let me get us some beers so long.”
Talon: “Jinda njayami akuna thwa es’bandeni.” (Leave it, there’s nothing in the fridge)
Me: “Nazo. Njani Talon?” (How)
Him: “Lo gogo ungenze kabi, uchamise yonke lento ku drain,” (this grandmother did me badly, she emptied all of my beers in the drain) I laugh.
Me: “Wamjinda?” (And you said nothing)
Him: “Yebo. Angithethisi abogogo mina angifuni amabhadi, ngisase yi ntwana blind ukuba namabhadi ek’se,” (I don’t reprimand old women I don’t want bad luck, I’m too young to be retaining bad luck) we all laugh.
Batista: “Ae, bewuthwele kanzima mfethu.” (You had it hard)
Him: “Injalo. Enhlek; good riddance to bad rubbish, uyidodi kabi logogo. Nxa.” I chuckle.
Leon: “Mara umdlile mus waze wamuthi fa fa nange ncosi.” (But you still had sex with her and gave her a baby)
Him: “Yinto engizisola ngayo leyo, mara ke angizisoli ngo Khalasi yinja yami leya, ngizoyibhodela,” (That’s the only thing I regret, but I don’t regret Khalasi, that’s my son I will die for him)
Me: “Athi ngibambe le way njenge ruler. So, wena kahle- kahle uthi uyazisola ngokulala nalo gogo but awuzisoli ngo Khalasi?”
Him: “Crystal. Or awuseva? Enhlek, ugcine nini ukuthi fafa izindlebe?” (Are you deaf now? In fact, when last did you clean your ears) Leon laughs.
Me: “1980 something.”
Him: “No wonder,” I chuckle.
Me: “Mara uyacava ukuthi ngabe asi le griza lakho ngabe awunaye uKhalasi wena?” (Are you aware that if it wasn’t for your grandmother you wouldn’t be having Khalasi)
Batista: “I waar, mara ke sizawuthini?” (True. But what can we say)
Me: “Ncono sizidlele u shut up.”
“The only enemies she has are loan sharks, o shaka k’phela.” Lee, informs us stepping inside the room.
Leon: “How many are they?”
Him: “Ang’cavi.” (I don’t know)
Me: “So, one of them might’ve abducted her?”
Leon: “I doubt. Loan sharks never abduct people, this is deeper than we think. Or maybe a blast from a past that she was owing, or an old enemy came back. I actually don’t know. Hhayi, abo gogo bama secrets, nxa.”
Lee: “Life ke Spinach, strue.”
Batista: “How is it a spinach?”
Him: “Because it’s green,” we laugh. ”I don’t know-how, I was just saying,” he shrugs.
Talon: “Ngathi kuzomele ubuyele es’gila ayikho phela le.” (I think you need to go back to school)
Him: “Hhayi baba, awung’nyazi kanjalo.”
Talon: “Bengidlala ntwana, you are educated. I know you.”
Him: “Good boy. Manje indaba ka Khalasi?”
Hlulani: “Why not go and report it at the police station? I’m sure they will help,” Talon laughs.
Him: “Ungang’tsheli ngalabo. Ngizozifunela yena uKhalasi wami and I will find him. Sisonke mus?”
Us: “As per usual.”
Leon: “Where will we start though?”
Him: “Sizobona nasesi phume nge gate, asimasheni.”
Hlulani: “I’d love to join you guys, but I need to go and fetch Nomalanga.”
Me: “We understand.”
Him: “Why don’t you text Tammy, and tell her to accompany her? I’m sure she won’t mind and in that way, I will tag along with you guys.”
Me: “Good idea,” I take out my phone from my pocket, and send her a text. I know that she won’t have any problem driving her mother back to the Elite.
★»★«
LUXOLO
“Well, it seems as if like I’ll be taking you to the Elite,” I tell my mother picking up her plate we just finished eating.
“Oh, Hlulani is not coming?” She asks sounding disappointed.
Me: “Yeah, it seems as if they have a mission to carry.”
Her: “Okay, let’s not waste any more time then, let’s go,” she gets up from the couch.
Me: “Let me get the car keys then we will leave.”
Her: “Okay.” I hurry to the bedroom and take the car keys then head back down.
Me: “Asambe.” We step out of the house and head to the car.
Her: “Are you going to consider it?”
Me: “Consider what?” I roar the engine to life.
Her: “Meeting up with your father,” I chuckle.
Me: “I ain’t doing that. Anyway, do me & Luxolo senior share a father?”
Her: “No. You have different fathers.”
Me: “Hmmm, I see. Now, what I’d like to know is; for how long have you been working for this Mashifane man?”
Her: “30+ years.”
Me: “What? You are lying, Mama. Stop lying, um’dala for such. Can’t you just tell me the truth just for once!”
Her: “I’m telling you the truth, what more do you want me to say?”
Me: “The truth. I want the truth. Tell me here, did you conceive biggie while working for the Mashifane’s?”
Her: “Yes, I conceived her while working for the Mashifane’s.”
Me: “I’m confused, I need to wrap all this around my head, this is confusing truly speaking. My mind will explode if I think about all these lies you are feeding me.”
Her: “Believe what you want ke because I said what I said, and it’s the truth.”
Me: “I’ll gladly do so. But wait, how old is Mr. Mashifane?”
Her: “In his mid50s,” I laugh.
Me: “So, this man raped you while you were in your early 20s, and he was in his late 30s, is that what you are saying?”
Her: “Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
Me: “How old were you when you conceived biggie?”
Her: “20 years old, and 26 years when I conceived you.”
Me: “Hence the 6 years age gap, then the moment you learned that you were pregnant with me, you gave biggie away? If yes, then why did you give her away?”
Her: “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, you are causing me confusion.”
Me: “No. You are causing yourself confusion, Mama, because your stories don’t add up. Instead, they’re getting more & more confusing. When you are ready to come clean you know where to find me, you have too many secrets, Mama.”
Her: “As long as you know who your fathers are, how I conceived you don’t matter anymore. And this better be the last time we have this discussion, I detest dwelling in the preceding.”
Me: “Wow. Okay, and you also better not force me to meet with Tsebo because I have no interest in getting to know him.”
Her: “Whatever decision you take, Nono, I’m fine with it.”
Me: “Very well then,” I put in some music just to dampen the mood. My mother is a serial liar, she lies too much that she ends up choking on them, and getting confused amidst it all, sighs. “I’m not coming in, pass my greetings to everyone.”
Her: “Will do,” she steps out of the car. “Drive safely
So, biggie said Tsebo is a very dangerous man I wonder how dangerous he is if biggie fears him too. But one thing I do know is that I’m not scared of him, I may not know him, but I’m not scared of him and I might take him on time. Yoh, then there’s Nomalanga. Hhayi ngeke this woman is a skelem, crook kabi loMama.
I can’t help it, but feel as like I’m being followed. There’s this white car that has been following me ever since I left the Elite, I wonder who is following me, people have a lot of time in their hands, or maybe is this so-called Tsebo men. I need to lose them, and taking the freeway route will do because there are many cars there, or I can always slow down and see what they will do, then I will take it from there. The car slows down too, yazi if I was the old Luxolo I would be messing this car right now and go in an instant alarmed mode not knowing what to do. I come to a complete halt and the car does to not far, just a meter or two away from me, sighs. People are draining sometimes. Hoisting the passenger’s seat I come across my gun, my very first gun that I used to kill evil people. It’s loaded, we are good to go, and I know that I don’t miss when I aim at my target.
I open the door, and take one foot out chuckling. Yah neh, life. I cock the gun and step out of the car, and fire one shot at the windshield, and they take off passing me in full speed, I aim for the tyres now, and in one shot the tyre burst, then the car will lose composure than its game over for them and whoever sent them to follow after me, rubbish. Nxa, later on, I will have to pass by the location biggie sent me, and I told them to go and drop the child off at Talon’s door phela the child is innocent in all this. And Tsakani must never find out that I’m implicated in this too because hhe, kuzonyiwa. I get back inside my car as the other car explodes, fuck it.
★»★«
VUYO
I’m surprised to find so many cars parked outside my house, I decided to come back just to iron things out with Cindy, and to see that she’s better than the last time I saw her. And now as I see all these cars parked here, I’m surprised, and it can’t be possible that they have a family gathering, they never gather as a family on a Sunday, I wonder what’s going on. I park my car across the street and step out of it, let me wait a bit and see what exactly is going In before I make my way inside. More cars are arriving, hmmm. This is serious mus.
“Hey, Vuyo.” Cynthia, her cousin greet me. She’s wearing a skirt & a doek.
“Hi. What’s going on there?” She looks at me flabbergasted.
Her: “Don’t you know?” I shake my head. “That’s strange. I thought you knew. Anyway, Cindy has passed away last night.”
Me: “What? What happened to her? I had no inkling.”
Her: “She just stopped talking & walking out of the blue, then she passed on in her sleep.”
Me: “That’s sad, I’m sorry to hear that. May her soul rest in peace.”
Her: “Just like that? Aren’t you worried? Heartbroken? Sad?”
Me: “Neither of any of that. I was going to be if we were still a happily married couple, but we weren’t, so, I’m not hurt in any way. Thank you for letting me know. When is the funeral?” She gasps.
Her: “Are you being for real right now, Vuyo? That’s your wife that’s passed on.”
Me: “Ex-wife to be factual. So, when is the funeral?”
Her: “They are still arranging it.”
Me: “Oh, I will need her death certificate so that I can go and claim insurance money.”
Her: “You are one evil man, Vuyo. I don’t know you like this, what happened to you?”
Me: “Life happened. So, you will let me know how everything goes right?”
Her: “Do I have a choice?”
Me: “No. You don’t have any choice.”
Her: “I will let you know then, let me go and help out inside the house. You better leave now before Nonhlanhla comes here you know how much she hates you. She might even cause a scene, and we don’t want that.”
Me: “You are right, I will hear from you then. Condolences to the family.”
Her: “Appreciated.”
Me: “Farewell,” I step inside my car and laugh. Hhe, God is good. His ways are extraordinary. I still wonder what made her deaf and crippled her, shesh. Life is really a misery. I roar my engine to life and take off, I still have to go and see Blessing’s mother, hopefully, I will find her today and she will eventually give me all the answers I need, I need closure. And I will have to go to Adele, and implore about the girl’s whereabouts and if she’s opened for business. This time around I’m willing to rescue my daughter even if it means risking with my life, I will just have to.
The house is empty as per usual, and this time around weeds are covering half of it, you can only see the windows and the washed-up wall. Guess she no longer lives here, I wonder where is she. Or maybe she died during the war? I don’t know, but if she is alive and well then may God give me the strength to locate her, and save my daughter too.
★»★«
TSAKANI
The sun is setting, and still no sign of finding Khalasi or the abductors calling us requesting a ransom. We don’t know what to do now other than reporting them to the radio stations and make out flyers, posters, and post on all social media networks. Haike, even the sun wasn’t having any justice on us. Talon is really broken, he’s drained and most definitely not losing hope. He reminds me of the time when bubbles went missing, I couldn’t take anything or think straight, food was even the last thing on my mind. So, I kind of understand what he’s going through, it’s one dreadful experience to go through… Not knowing where the most important person in your life is at. You even feel like a failer at some point.
“We will continue the search tomorrow, or we can always do a crossover at night. Right now all I need is to eat, and have a cold one,” Leon tells us.
“Hambani no resta magenge ngizoyishova ngiyi 1 le nombolo,” (go and rest gents, I will carry on with this mission alone) Talon tells us.
Me: “Awunyi wena? Ungazos’jwayela amasimba. Asambeni sobamba 2 nyana nenyama bese sachubeka ke ngale nombolo.”
Him: “Angeke kungene ukudla bafethu.”
Lee: “Then you will watch us eat, no problem.”
Me: “Ngiyacava ukuthi u feela njani ntwana yami, I’ve been there too. Remember the bubbles issue?”
Batista: “Yeses! You were behaving like a gay during that time, yerr. Bewunyayisa yeva, rha!” The others laugh.
Me: “Mxm. Uyanya kanti.”
Talon: “Uringa I waar u, Batista yazi. Bewungikwatisa blind wena swine, yeerrr. Mabanga daar beng’fun ukum’cisha same time,” (you’re telling the truth, he used to make me angry during that time. Those days I wanted to kill him same time) I chuckle.
Me: “Niyanya nina, tsek zinja. Masibambeni igawulo.”
Lee: “Who’s paying?”
Me: “The one who said who’s hungry first.”
Leon: “I don’t mind paying for the food. So, who’s going to pay for the alcohol?”
Me: “Batista. End of discussion.”
Him: “Nxa, sies.”
Talon: “Gents ngiyazifela ngani.”
Me: “Whoa, brika net daar njayami. Ufa ngabobani?”
Him: “Ngani magenge. Nina izinja ze game, o gabhadiya, o uncle ba Khalasi. Ngiyafa ngani magenge blind.”
Batista: “Hhayi mfets, ngine medi mina. Not in a bad way though njayami.”
Him: “Lentombi yakho iyazi ukuthi uvuka iziphayiphayi nawushaye ama 2?” We all laugh.
Batista: “Dlala kahle ntwana yami, awuhlekisi.”
Me: “Wabanjwa Satan,” laughing. My phone rings and its bubbles. “Excuse me, gents, I need to take this call,” they nod. “bubbles, miss me?” She giggles.
Her: “No, I’m not missing you. I was just calling to inform you that Khalasi has been found.”
Me: “Wait, what? Where and how?” I look at the gents and all their eyes are pinned on me.
Her: “Mrs. Davison, called me a few minutes ago and informed me that someone dropped a baby cot in front of Talon’s gate. When she went to check she found Khalasi in the cot, unharmed, she said there was a note also guess it’s a message of some sort.” I close my eyes. Mrs. Davison, was my noisy neighbor, but she loved bubbles and still do.
Me: “Thank you, God. I’m so relieved, let me tell Talon, and the gents. I’ll be home now.”
Her: “Okay. I love you.”
Me: “I love you too.”
Her: “And please come with something to eat I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”
Me: “I will. Keep safe.”
Her: “Will do, and you too,” hanging up. I walk up to the gents.
Me: “Ntwana ungakhokha umoya manje, Khalasi is safe and unharmed.”
Him: “Yeh? Serious njayami?” He asks not believing it.
Me: “Yeah, bubbles just told me. Mrs. Davison called her, and informed her.”
Him: “Yoh, dankie ntwana yami,” he hugs me.
Leon: “Now what are we waiting for? Let’s go and fetch our son, gents.”
Lee: “Take-away it is I guess.”
Me: “Yeah, add more meat. Bubbles said I must come with something to eat.”
Him: “Sure.”
Talon: “Une sure ndoda?” I nod. “Mele ngimubone ntwana yami, dinga ukumbona.”
Me: “You will njayami.” Well, at least the abductors have some heart.