VOLUME 10
MANDLA
The room is dark. Light is not allowed in this room, the only source of light is the owner of the room himself. On days when he is at his happiest he glows through the room giving it a source of light.
A heavy black curtain hangs on top of blinds on the window shielding any form of light from penetrating into the room.
At the east side of the room there is a huge clay pot that could fit a person. It’s the only thing that belongs in the room, and the cane laying just beside it.
Lerato leads the way into the room. It always has to be her shadow that ‘Mkhulu’ sees first. She bows in respect before the clay pot, Mandla only then does he show face as well. He also joins her and bow his head.
“Mkhulu Magadla” they both chant in unison and fall on their knees.
Lerato taps the clay pot, humming a pleasing song for ‘Mkhulu’ to come out. It’s her summoning song, she learned it from her late mother in law who gifted her ‘Mkhulu’
The hymn is low, more like mumble but she understands mkhulu lingers in whispers. He hates noise, through the darkness is where you’ll find Mkhulu but his offerings are louder and brighter than the day. He offers lifetime of wealth.
It doesn’t take long for the clay pot to tilt and a tortoise slowly crawls out. It’s a Chelonoidis nigra tortoise. Found mostly in Galapagos Islands. Those who lived before called it the tortoise of wealth. It doesn’t generate from nothing, it dominates from an already rich house. The kind of wealth it brings comes with sacrifices. If it’s a male tortoise it will feeds on boy children of the house to generate wealth for the family. And if it’s a female tortoise it feeds on the girl children.
Mkhulu Magadla was a gift to Lerato. Something she got from her late mother in law from her past marriage. For years she had ‘Mkhulu Magadla’ with but he didn’t generate any wealth for her until she met the right man. It had to be a man who already had money. Magadla doesn’t start from poverty. He wants a house that is already wealthy to generate more and keep himself alive. For every soul he feeds on, he lives longer. His kind is known for their longevity, they can live up to 150 years if they dominate the right houses.
His shell is domed with 13 scutes (patches) decorating it. Each scute represent something. He shows his emotions through the scutes on his shell. Through the darkness in the room each scute glows, showing all they have to see.
The most important scute is the middle one on top of his shell, the biggest of all the scutes. It shows his true emotions and his needs.
Today the middle scute glows in red. The colour red means danger. Something is disturbing his peace in the house. Red is something the two have never seen before….maybe Mandla mostly. Lerato knows very well what red means. There is someone in the house who threatens his existence. The power that someone comes with clashes with who Mkhulu Magadla is.
The second scute glows in green. Green means he is running out of time. He needs a Mabaso innocent soul or else he is going to take it all with him.
“Mkhulu we hear you, a soul will be delivered soon!” Lerato speaks, clasping her hands and bowing before Magadla,
“Please continue to bless me Magadla, all you need I’ll provide” Mandla adds. His blessings comes through the cane. If he continues to bless him he does so through the cane.
He releases a sigh of relief when Magadla crawls around the cane, it means he is continuing to bless them with wealth.
“Siyabonga Mkhulu!” they both bow in respect.
Magadla is still with them, but he is no longer happy in the house. They have to find out what’s troubling Magadla and get rid of it. And give him a soul too before he loses patience.
–
–
NTWENHLE
Zen and I we didn’t go shopping as we had planned yesterday. He had an emergency call that required him to report at work. He postponed our shopping spree to today and this is why I’m standing by the butcher waiting for him to pick me up. He said he is 10 minutes away when we talked. We are really doing this boyfriend and girlfriend thing.
Last night we talked all night long. He reminded me that I had said we were going to pray together and we did. I asked him to kneel down and pray with me. It wasn’t what I had planned but I felt like something had shifted after our prayer session. There are times when I feel like my prayers are actually heard and last night was one of those days. I just felt like praying for us and Jabu with everything in me and I did.
It feels so amazing to have someone who falls on his knees with me. He is not a God’s person but he doesn’t shrink me or make me feel otherwise. He prays with me and reminds me to pray even though it’s not his thing.
I have always been into mysterious not so handsome kind of boyfriends. I don’t remember dating a pretty boy ever in my life. He is not different from my past lovers but the fact that he listens to me and pays attention to everything I say makes him a king from all the frogs I have kissed. And he is handsome, I don’t care what Aunty Joy say. Last night when we were watching tv shaka ilembe advert aired and aunty Joy eyed me. That sideeye she gave me I knew what it meant before she even opened her mouth. I had to go to bed immediately because wow! I’ll never hear the end of my man’s looks from my step mother.
“I hope you’re thinking about me with that smile on your face” a voice that I know very well speaks before me. Senzo. Senzo my ex is standing right in front of me.
I blink. This is our meet up spot. My bladder fills instantly. I’m waiting for Zen. Stupid me forgot that Senzo knows this butchery as our meet up spot as well.
“I waited and waited yesterday” he narrows his eyes. There is a vein popping on his forehead. I think he is angry. This is the first time I see him angry.
“Senzo” I hiss, darting my eyes around looking for Zen’s vehicle,
“I told you that you’ll tell me that shit face to face. Why the hell did you block me!” he roars, closing the space between us,
“Keep your voice low damn it! You’re blocked because it’s over, what’s wrong with you?” I think I have a male Precious. People are looking at us.
“Relationships don’t work like that Ntwenhle! You don’t dump someone for no reason at all”
“I said I’m married!” isn’t that reason enough,
“You’re my girl, and if there is someone who is going to marry you it’s me. I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about being married because I’m damn sure you have never cheated on me or even tried”
“Senzo I really don’t have time to explain anything to you right now but I don’t love you, it’s over please!”
“No” he say,
“Dude what do you mean no?!” he is pissing me off,
“It means cha Ntwenhle! You don’t get to play with my feelings like that. There is no it’s over here! Get in the damn car!” he roughly grabs my arm. His polo is right there. I didn’t even hear that noise pollution car park.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” I pull my arm off his grip,
“NTWENHLE!” he growls,
“SENZO LEAVE ME ALONE!” by now we are both screaming at each other,
I don’t see it coming. I find myself on the ground before I realise that the mother fu8cker hit me. He slaps me so hard I fall on the dusty ground, biting myself in the process.
For a minute I’m confused, pain is the last thing on my mind as I look up at him. He hit me! Senzo hit me! And he is barking nonsense I don’t hear. He is pointing a finger at me, screaming and shouting but I hear none of that. My mind is still stuck on the fact that he hit me.
“Ungijwayela kabi wena!” he raises his hand again but this one I see it coming. I’m not one to be hit by a man and let it happen. The first slap was the first and the last he’ll ever put on a woman. As he tries to hit me again I grab on his balls like a ravenous dog. I grab his balls with both hands, I pull them out with every strength in me.
He falls on the ground beside me and I don’t let go, mother fu8cker cries in excruciating pain but his cries do nothing to me. How dare he put his filthy hands on me!
“YOOOH! SIZANI!” (….HELP) he cries,
Help my as8s! He trembles beneath me. I’m on my knees, pulling on the soft balls like an angry dog. My hands become moist on his balls, fu8cking sacks are hard but one slap will pay for his manhood!
“MASHANDU!!” strong hands grab me from the back. I don’t let go of Senzo’s balls! As the person grab me he pulls me with the balls. The person let me go and grabs my hands.
“PLEASE DON’T!” he kneels before me and I realise its Khalipha, Zen’s driver. Only then do I let go of Senzo’s weak balls.
My hands are full of blood. I didn’t take them out but he is going to need serious medical attention to have them stitched back to health again.
“Don’t ever! Even in your next life try to put your hands on me again!” I spit on him before get on my feet.
I don’t know when people circled us. I only realise when I stand that we have an audience with phones in hands recording. I hope they filmed the whole thing from when he slapped me.
“Get in the car, I’ll take care of this” Khalipha whispers to me as I straighten myself.
He collects my bag and cell phone I had in hand when the idiot slapped me and gives them to me.
People make space for me to pass as I walk to the car. Again, I’m glad Zenzele can’t see but I know Khalipha must have shared what was happening.
My hands are bloodied. It’s the only thing that worries me.
Khalipha comes to me with a bottle of water. I’m thankful for his help. He helps me wash my hands before he opens the door for me.
I can’t look Zenzele in the eye as I sit next to him. He is looking at me expectantly like he can see me.
“kaMabaso” he whispers, still staring like he sees me,
I don’t respond. I take in a deep breath, something sits heavy in my heart. I don’t want to cry but him being here……..
“Sthandwa sami who is that and why are you uniting him with his maker” he cups my face,
“His name is Senzo. He is my ex and he hit me” that’s all I want to say,
I don’t want to cry and I wasn’t going to cry but the tears just come. It’s not out of pain but from the fact that looser put his hands on me.
“Come here” he pulls me under his arm and kisses the top of my head.
“You did amazing. Had I known he hit you I wouldn’t have asked Khalipha to go stop you. He won’t do it again, I’ll make sure of it” he cups my face and wipes my tears with his thumb,
“Can I kiss you?” he asks,
I chuckle and nod,
“I didn’t want this to be our first kiss but a man is got to do what a man is got to do to stop his wife from crying for useless boyfriends” he pecks my nose and then my lips,
“I’m not crying for him. I’m crying because you’re here!”
He laughs “Okay. Stop crying ke. Let me call Khalipha so we can go have ice cream and forget about him” he lays me back on his chest,
“And chocolate. I want some chocolate and cake” I add,
“Lilly, call Khalipha!” he throws a command, I frown pulling out of his embrace again,
I realise he is speaking on his phone.
The phone is on speaker on his hand. It rings a couple of times before Khalipha opens the door,
“Sir?” Khalipha asks,
“Let’s go” Zen say,
“Uhm……the guy is…..”
“He put his hands on my woman. Let’s go” Zen sternly say,
Khalipha doesn’t ask questions. He jumps on the driver seat and starts the car.
“Zen” I crawl on his lap. I want to be entirely wrapped in him and breathe him in,
“Hm” he cradles me like an egg in his arms,
“I’m dirty” I fell on the ground when that pig hit me,
“You want to go home and change?” he asks,
“Please. But not my home” I have clothes in his home. I want to take another shower as well because I feel like Senzo’s blood is still stuck on my hands.
“Khalipha heard you” he tightens his arms around me. His scent calms me down. I hate myself for fooling around with the likes of Senzo when I could have just waited for the love of my life.
“You lied to me” he notes mid the ride, rubbing my back as I rest on him
“About?” I frown, pulling out of his arms,
“You said you don’t have a boyfriend” eish….
“He hit……me!” I fetch the tears again, the pain comes back multiplied by 100 all of sudden,
He rolls his eyes before he pulls me back on his chest. That’s how you escape lies.
When we arrive at the Mabaso premises something grounds me at the main entrance. My heart skips in a way that alarms me just as we walk in. I’m calm now but something in me shifts urging me to fall on my knees and pray.
“Baby” I stand rooted at the door,
“Yes” he smiles,
“Can we pray?” something sits heavy on my spirit,
“Now?” he looks confused,
“Please”
“Okay. Where do you want us to kneel?”
“Right here if that’s okay” I say,
“At the door baby? We can go……”
“Please Zen. Let’s face the east” I don’t want to waste any second longer
He is hesitant but he comes to fall on his knees beside me,
“Can I ask why the east before you start?” he asks
I don’t know either but there is something that’s pulling me to face in the direction of the sunrise,
“The sunrise is dimmed in this house” I say,
“What does that mean?” his frown deepens,
I don’t know either. Sometimes words just tumble out of my mouth.
“Uhm….okay” he say when I shrug,
I want to pray. There is an urge forcing me to speak to God. I take in a deep breath and close my eyes. God knows my heart and my desires. I don’t think about what to say, I let the words tumble out of my mouth praying for this house and everyone in it. I ask for protection, for me and every member of this house. I ask the lord to shine his everlasting light through every corner of this house. I ask that what was done in darkness be brought to light. I ask that those who walk in shadows be brought to light. And that’s when I feel like I have left it all in the hands of the Lord.
“….Amen!” I take in a deep breath as I open my eyes,
“Amen father Jesus!” he chants. I glance at him, I’m not even offended but ‘amen father Jesus’ is not how we say things as Christians.
“That was powerful my love, thank you. Let me help you up” he stands up first and offers me his hand.
“Next time just say Amen. You don’t have to say amen father Jesus” I can’t have him embarrassing me in front of God.
His phone rings before he can respond. He steps back to answer it.
Rebecca comes down the stairs with that smile of hers that’s just…..i don’t know. I read people with smiles. A person’s smile tells me a lot about them. Rebecca is…..i don’t have the word for it but I feel like she is influenced.
“What happened to you? You look terrible, can I run you a bath?” she asks with that smile of hers that is a bit fake,
“No thank you. I’ll take a shower” I say,
“You can really use a bath and relax, you look……”
“She said she’ll take a shower! Let’s go” Zenzele grabs my hand and we pass her. Fear strikes me as we pass her. This didn’t happen when I first met her. Now I know that I have to be careful with her too.
PLEASE LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE AND INVITE FRIENDS
200+ Comments
Join Our WhatsApp Channel For Fast Update Or More Novels: 