THE CANE OF WEALTH Novel Chapter 13

MANDLA

‘Mkhulu’ doesn’t want Ntwenhle’s prayers in the house, he didn’t believe it until he crawled into their bed. He was pissed at first upon hearing that Zenzele took her home but now he is grateful. That girl is dangerous. He is starting to see it too even though something in him still doesn’t want to harm her. Yes, he is scared of what Zenzele might do to him if he was to eliminate her but there is still that voice in him that forbids him from harming her. It’s a weird feeling, usually he doesn’t give a damn about Zenzele’s women but this one…… he worries about her more than he should. She feels like blood, like a daughter he never had. He doesn’t get along with Zenzele but he would never want to see him dead, it’s the same thing he feels with Ntwenhle. He doesn’t want her dead at all.

“Mindlos” Lerato walks in his study. He is been locked in there since morning, not doing anything but just thinking.

She is wearing a very thin short red robe and walking barefooted.

“How do I look?” she twirls, her small butt pops underneath the robe,

“You look like a tomato sliding out of a burger!” he can be rude, and inconsiderate of others feelings at times,

“Mxm! Why are you grumpy?” Lerato asks,

“I’m not grumpy I’m just in my feelings” it doesn’t happen every day but Lerato knows she can’t let him wallow in his thoughts for long,

“Do you think Sbani forgave me after the ceremony we did?” he asks, more like speak out loud. From the death of his family, Sbani’s death is the one that haunts him the most, not every day but there are times when he thinks of his late younger brother. He wasn’t supposed to be in that car. His parents were a sacrifice he saw and agreed to but Sbani…….Sbani is a name that’s not mentioned in the Mabaso homestead because it’s like a bleeding wound to Mandla,

“He forgave you lover, I know it. Stop thinking too much. I have news that will cheer you up” she is shutting down the Sbani conversation, like she always does. Sbani is like an unclosed chapter to Mandla and if she allows him to read too much of that chapter, things might collapse, things she is worked hard for…..

“What is it?” he sighs. He could use some great news.

“I just got a call from Ndlovu” she is happy today. She is always happy when things are going according to her plan,

“And?” Mandla smiles too, straightening on his chair. Yes they bought Ndlovu to fake the results. Since he wasn’t going to kill Ntwenhle, the only way they have is to break this Zenzele and Ntwenhle’s relationship. The fake results are just the start, there is still more they have planned for them.

“It’s done, little miss goody two shoes will receive her results on Monday and she’ll be told she is HIV positive in front of Zenzele!” Lerato squeals

“That’s amazing news. Now we need to find Precious” Mandla clasp his hands in thought,

“That Kangaroo is pregnant and she lied to me! We need to find her, sacrifice the baby and make sure Zenzele thinks it’s his Ntwenhle that told us where to find her. He’ll never forgive her. Zenzele will blame her for his child’s death. They’ll break up and our lives will go back to normal” he adds. It’s the only thing he can think of to break up the two and get Ntwenhle out of their lives,

“You know, my only solution to this mess is that we have her killed but since you don’t want to harm her, let’s hope this works”

“It will work” Mandla sighs, he is not sure either but it has to work,

“How is mkhulu doing?” he continues to ask,

“He is back in his room because she hasn’t been in the house with her stupid prayers. You haven’t touched me yazi” she sits on the table and unfasten her robe. She is utterly naked beneath. He must touch her, he has to touch her because when he doesn’t, he grows soft on Zenzele. She is the bond between him and Mkhulu. Mkhulu controls him through her, and when he doesn’t touch her, that bond weakens. He grows a conscious, that’s something mkhulu can’t afford.

“Can we do it tonight? I want to respond to my emails now” he say,

“I’ll suck the lollipop” she winks,

“You will?” lollipop sucking is Christmas for him, happens once in blue moon and he won’t waste the moment,

“Deep suck, I’ll put it right here” she points on her throat,

“Okay malavo” he grins, pushing his chair back as he undo his zipper.

Lerato smiles, he knows his weak spot and uses it every time he gets difficult.

–

–

NTWENHLE

Jabu and I we are the only ones excited about this trip. This is both our first time in airport so you can imagen our excitement. We take pictures everywhere, through every terminal and every gate. I didn’t think we were going to fly to KZN. I thought we were going to drive but when Zen asked for my ID on Thursday saying he was going to book plane tickets I got so excited I even forgot about my pending results.

“We should have bought a selfie stick!” I’m not done with the pictures. I want a video walking down every aisle so all my enemies don’t assume this is AI. It’s real, I was in OR Tambo.

“I’m thinking of going live, I have 20k followers on Instagram” Jabu,

“20k?” I stop beside him,

“Yes, I’m very famous at school and in other schools” he say,

“What are you famous for?” this kid!

“I’m a maths genius. I represent the province in SAMO” he say.

I glare at him, I think he is lying but Jabu hardly lies,

“What’s SAMO?” I ask,

“South African Mathematics Olympaid” he say

“Zen is this true?” I drop beside Zen. We are seated at the waiting area waiting to for boarding time. Zen and Khalipha are chowing lemons. They have been on planes before so they don’t understand why Jabu and I are so excited.

“He is not lying” his got those dark glasses on today and he is been holding my hand so tight through every turn we took,

“He is quite a smart kid. He is not just a genius in maths only, all his subjects he always nails them with straight A. Maths just happens to be his strongest, he is very good with numbers” Khalipha speaks very proudly of him, and I think this is the longest he is said since I’ve known him,

“You see!” Jabu grins,

“Come here” I open my arms and he rushes in for a hug, this I didn’t see coming “I’m proud of you and I’m going to be there to celebrate all your wins from now on” this is manna from heaven. I scored myself a genius kid and a sulking rich husband,

“I would be happy to have someone cheering for me in all the competitions I attend” he say as we break the hug,

“Your cousin doesn’t come?” I ask,

“I’m not his cousin!” the cousin himself barks,

“He used to attend each of them but now with his condition he doesn’t do well in foreign environments and crowded ones so I understand why he can’t come now” oh poor thing,

“You’ll have a crazy mother cheering for you from now on. In fact, let’s take another picture” the caption on this one is going to be ‘mother and her genius boy’.

We click few pictures with Khalipha being our camera man until we get one that we both like,

“I want to check the other side, can we go?” he is quite enthusiastic, unfortunately I’m tired now. The running around and taking pictures have depleted all my energy,

“I’ll take him” Khalipha offers,

I mouth a thank you to him before they leave.

I sit beside my lemon sulking man again and take his hand in mine.

“You’re still angry”

“I want to be with you” he say,

“I’m here”

“You know what I mean kaMabaso. This was supposed to be a me and you trip, getting time to connect emotionally and introducing Hercules and Hela to each other”

“Who is Hercules and who is Hela?” I ask,

“Hercules is sitting comfortably waiting for a match in my pants and Hela is with you” he winks,

“ZENZELE!” I gasp,

“Why is my momozi called Hela though?” I continue to ask,

He shrugs “It just came up. Hela is Thor and Loki’s sister from the Marvels”

“Zenzele you have no shame. That witch!”

We both laugh. The glaciers are melting.

We are the South coast beach. He booked us into a Villa. The house is beautiful and big. Our bedroom is on the other side of the wing while Khalipha and Jabu are both on the other side. I understand why Khalipha had to come with, he is Zenzele’s eyes. He does all the things that Zenzele can’t do. From the airport there was already a car waiting for us and Khalipha took the wheel. I think maybe I should tell Zenzele that I can drive so he gives the guy a break every now and then.

“Zen” he is in the lounge with Khalipha. I was doing what I do best with Jabu, taking every picture from every corner of the house,

“My love” his mood is been better since the airport. He opens his arm and I pulls me to stand beside him. They are both standing outside the balcony enjoying the warm humidity of Durban. Durban is beautiful, and from the night skies it’s breath-taking!

It’s around 19:00 in the evening. I want it to be morning already so I can go to the beach.

“I can drive you know. I thought I tell you so you give Khalipha a break every now and then” I tell him but they both laugh like I cracked some joke,

“Your funny” he kisses the top of my head,

“What’s funny with me telling you that I can drive?” I’m confused,

“That’s my cue” Khalipha raises a glass of whatever he is drinking to me before he leaves us on the balcony,

“You’ll drive us one day when I can see, but for now let Khalipha do the driving” he say,

“Why can’t I drive us?”

“Sthandwa sami this is our lives, not your father’s bakkie dragging crates of black label. I’m not trying to die please!”

My mouth drops open. Yes my father owns a Toyota bakkie and I was driving it this morning because he had asked me to go stock black label for him,

“Are you having me followed?” I ask,

He frowns “No. I told you I have people watching your family to make sure Mandla doesn’t get to them. You driving that death trap bakkie came in a report. Why is Shandu not buying another car?”

“It’s not a death trap okay! That bakkie holds memories for him” that bakkie used to make me a laughing stock at school and now it’s going to make me a laughing stock in marriage! My father is very sentimental and now I’m paying greatly because of his choices,

“Your people are quite noisy! Tell them to report serious things not my father’s bakkie!”

“Don’t ever drive it again please. I was told that you picked something from road while driving it” haibo!

“Yes I saw R10 note on the ground and I stopped the car and picked”

“And you call that a car? Something you can pick things from while you’re inside? That’s scrapyard material, ngeke phela!” ZENZELE UYAPHAPHA YAZI! I narrow my eyes at him as he leaves me laughing. He uses his stick to guide him back to the house.

Looking out at the beautiful sea view my mind travels back to the tests. I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m going to do but I’m not going to let it spoil my first vacation ever.

“Lord, I don’t know why I’m going through this but I know you wouldn’t give me a burden that’s heavier than my strength. As you always do in every journey I take, I ask that you be with me again in this journey. I ask for guidance and strength to overcome this hurdle. If it’s your will, I’ll accept my fate and still praise you. May your love quieten the storm of fear in me and bring me gentle healing. Amen!” I breathe the words into the air without thinking them through. Now I’m going to freshen up and dress up for dinner. I’m going to enjoy my vacation and deal with the results when I get home.

When I turn the sneaky Zenzele is standing right there. I forgot that sometimes he walks like a ghost.

“Let’s go into our bedroom” he say. He heard my prayer, I see it on his face……

“What is going on?” he asks as soon as we both sit on the bed,

“And don’t lie to me Ntwenhle, something is been messing with you the whole week. I know it because I know you” he adds,

I can’t lie my way out of this one. I might as well tell him, if he decides to leave me in Durban……yooh!

“I got a call from Dr. Ndlovu last week” I start,

He frowns,

“He said my results are inconclusive and he needed another blood sample so I have been freaked out since then” I heave a sigh,

“Freaked out about what?” he asks,

“What if I’m HIV positive Zenzele? Why are the results not clear? What if he just wants to make sure before he gives me the worst news of my life?” I don’t test regularly because I know how much tests freak me out,

“Why is Ndlovu calling you?” he frowns

“What do you mean why is he calling me? It’s my results and he is supposed to call me vele” who was he to call with my results?!

“No, I mean we both took those test together. When the results comes back I believe he was supposed to call me too but he didn’t. In fact I haven’t received my results, I even forgot we took them” that’s strange….

“You haven’t?” I didn’t ask him about his results because I was scared he would ask what mine said,

“No” he shakes his head no with his frown deepening,

“I wish you had told me this when we were still at home so I pay him a visit” he adds,

“I was scared okay, I’m still scared. Maybe he is waiting for my second results to come back before he calls us both” I shrug,

“Nah, I think there is something fishy here but I’ll find out when we get home. So your pending HIV test is the reason why you don’t want Hela and Hercules to meet?” he folds his arms, his lips twitch into a smile.

“We need to get ready for dinner” I ignore him. I feel his amused stare on me as I go to our luggage. I haven’t unpacked. I need a sizzling dress for that dining hall down stairs,

He comes to stand behind me, he drops a kiss on my neck before he whispers him my ear “You’re getting fu8cked tonight, better not put on some panties because I’m going to rip them off!” and my bean jumps. There is no traitorous organ on this planet like a bean. Why BEAN?

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