THE CANE OF WEALTH Novel Chapter 12

NTWENHLE

Our results came back last week…..well mine. I got a call from Dr. Ndlovu and he asked to see me alone. That alone was nerve-wracking for me. I was nervous about my HIV test because I know myself and where I have been. I haven’t been sleeping around but my boyfriends were always dodgy and questionable. I loved creepy men who aren’t from around here, and that has come back to bite my big as8s. I might be HIV positive. I don’t even know how I am going to tell Zenzele if I am. Ndlovu only said my results were inconclusive and asked to take my blood again. He said the results will be back in two weeks this time around, and that was a week ago.

I’m thankful he called me alone, I don’t know what I would have done if Zenzele was there. For the past week I have avoided him and him being preoccupied with work has helped a great deal. I haven’t seen much of him in a week and I’m grateful. Through the phone we talk everyday but we don’t see each other that much. He comes home after 18:00 and I lied that my father doesn’t want me to leave the yard after 18:00.

I need to get my head straight before I see him. If I’m HIV positive I’m going to hang myself with a tissue paper, just to die for a second and then come back. I can’t imagen living with a tablet for the rest of my life. The biggest pill I have taken is panado. If I hadn’t been a clever and bought my contraceptives at the chemist I think the clinic would have given me prep and I would be safe right now. But no, Ntwenhle Mbatha had to be a clever and I wasn’t going to queue on clinic lines when I can buy my contraceptives. And this is where I am……paying greatly for being a smart as8s.

“You want to reopen again?” Aunty Joy disturbs my heavy thoughts,

I’m standing on my kitchen door staring inside as my mind goes wild on me. Now that I’m back home part of me wants me to reopen but there is also my subconscious telling me that I shouldn’t, I won’t be in this premises for long. But then there is also that other voice that’s asking me if I’m HIV positive, do I think Zenzele will still want me? He would be a fool not to…..

A smile graces my face when I think of how I messed his credit card last week. He said he’ll never give his card again and I don’t blame him. I bought myself two wigs worth 4.5k, that’s the purchase I’m mostly happy about. The other were just branded clothes I couldn’t afford before and two or three shirts for him. That’s all he got from me out of love. When I buy for myself I buy for myself, I don’t want to be distracted by men’s depressing clothing line. Men’s clothes sections always depresses me. But all that was before Dr. Ndlovu called. I haven’t even wore my new clothes the way I’m so stressed.

“Ntwenhle?” aunty Joy calls again,

I heave a sigh,

“Are you okay? I asked if you’re reopening?” she continues to add. I heard her but my mind is not here.

She stands beside me, white on the cheeks with gentle magic mattifying moisturizer applied only on her cheeks. I bought her a gentle magic hamper last week while I was shopping with Zen’s card. I had to be an ambassador of gentle magic and sell her lies for her to agree to use the products. “It’s self-explanatory, gently on skin and gives you magic” that’s the line that pulled her. For a week she is been using the product but I haven’t seen the magic yet. I heard from one of my customers that gentle magic saved her from the creams burning. I hope it assist her too because she is starting to look really scary.

“I’m thinking about it. Are you supposed to apply the cream on your cheeks only?” I ask. I don’t use gentle magic so I’m not sure how one is supposed to use it,

“I’m starting to doubt this product of yours Ntwe, I haven’t seen the magic in a week I have been using this things”

“You have to be patient aunty Joy, give it at least three months before you give up on it” I’m praying cats and dogs that’s she doesn’t stop using it,

“My cream didn’t need three months to make me glow and shine brighter than the sun”

“Gentle magic will make you shine in darkness, you just have to be patient” Ntwenhle the face of gentle magic should be who I am,

“Really? I’ll shine during the night?” she asks. I don’t know why she is so obsessed with being a yellow bone,

“Yes. Give it three months and you’ll see wonders” I hope it fixes her face in three months’ time because if it doesn’t, I won’t hear the end of it.

“Okay my baby. Your father is calling you, he is in our bedroom” she say,

In their bedroom? I raise an eyebrow at her, “He just wants to talk to you. Shaka Zulu called” she adds,

“Zen? Called who?” my heart freezes,

“He called your dad, come on, let’s go”

With Zenzele I no longer ask how he got information, the man is blind but knows everything. Why is he calling my dad though? I hope Ndlovu didn’t tell him anything, there is something called a doctor patient confidentiality, right?

My father is on his bed when I walk in. He pats the space next to him for me to sit. Aunty Joy didn’t follow me into the house, she went to the tavern.

“Is everything okay?” I ask taking gentle steps in, his posture assumes that of a troubled old man,

“Everything is okay child, come sit down” he breathes,

As I step closer I notice an old bible beside him. It’s not his bible, his is there on his bedside table where I always see it whenever I clean in here.

He takes the bible in his hands to make space for me to sit. He brushes it so gentle like its treasure in his hand.

“Who’s bible is this, baba?” I ask,

“Yours” he lifts his eyes to me with smile,

“Mine” I frown. I don’t remember owning a bible before,

“Your mother left you this before she passed” he say and everything in me stills. I don’t remember much about my mother, apparently she died when I was very young. It was just my father and I for so long until aunty Joy came by. The only images I have of my mother are from the photographs that my father provided. I’m told she was a prophetess. She has a white cloth and doek in all her photos.

“Your mother was a woman of faith. She had a magnificent gift that made people envy her and in the end they killed her” he never speaks about my mother’s death, even today I still don’t know how she died because he never told me and I never asked. It’s one of the things I know he’ll never tell me even if I was to ask.

“I prayed so hard that her gift doesn’t pass on to you and it didn’t. I let you have a wild life because I wanted you to be a sinner. I didn’t want you innocent and grounded like your mother. I wanted you to do every bad thing in the book just so the gift doesn’t come to you and it worked. For years you have been wild my child and I just watched” he say,

This is why I was surprised of him being hard on Zen when he is always been a cool dad who lets me do as I please,

“Her shawl and doek I burned them but this is the one thing she begged me not to burn. On her death bed she asked that I give this to you when you grow up. I have wanted to give it to you too many times but I just felt it wasn’t the right time until last night” he pauses to breath,

“She came to me in a dream. I haven’t seen her in years. She asked me to give this to you because the next chapter of your life depends on it. And this morning I got a call from that……” he trails off and take in a deep breath,

“……I got a call from Zenzele asking to see me. He didn’t say anything but I know that boy is going to take you away from me. He is the next chapter of your life and I think your mother wants me to give this to you now” he passes the bible to me,

It feels solid and heavy in my hands, I don’t feel anything except its weight as I hold it.

“Thank you, baba” this bible I’m going to hold it like my life depends on it. I’m going to treasure it. I don’t remember being to church or opening a bible before but this one……. all my prayers comes straight from my heart, some I learned from my dad when he prayed blessing the table or on new year’s eve when he prays for a new year. Now I have a book of faith to teach me how to pray.

–

–

Zen is finally here. He still hasn’t said anything to give me the heads up about his meeting with my father. When he arrived they both went straight to the lounge and Aunty Joy and I were chased out. At this point aunty Joy and I we wish to be flies and fly in the room just to hear what they are talking about. It doesn’t help that my dad choose to sit on his couch that faces the kitchen, he’ll see us if we try to eavesdrop.

“I think he is going to ask for your hand” aunty Joy say,

I smile but my smile is short lived. I think so too but with my pending test results I can’t celebrate anything at the moment,

We are both seated outside on the stoep, waiting to hear anything,

“You’re going to be a Mabaso wife child, it would have been better if your boyfriend looked like his father” she adds

“Aunty please” she is starting,

“Pray that when god bless you with children they are all boys because imagen a girl child that looks like her dad”

“Mxm!” I leave because I don’t want to respond and be called disrespectful. And I’m also in my feelings lately,

“NTWENHLE I’M KIDDING!” she screams after me. I’m going to sit with Khalipha who might actually tell me something.

“Hello Khalipha” I greet nearing the vehicle. He seated in the car with all the windows rolled down,

He frowns “Yebo Mashandu, how are you?” he is so formal!

“I’m fine. It’s hot today, huh?” gossip must always start with small talk. I want to know what Zenzele is doing here since he didn’t tell me anything,

“It is” he say, eyeing me suspiciously,

“Yeah, do you have any plans with Zen this weekend?” I ask,

He shrugs. I don’t know if that’s a yes, no or maybe but I’m not giving up,

“Why is he meeting with my father?” I know he knows something, he is Zenzele’s eyes,

Another shrug.

“Khalipha say something” I beg, I’m really nervous,

“I have nothing to say” he chuckles. I don’t know what I was thinking thinking a man in black and white will share some gossip with me.

I don’t say goodbye to him as turn, he was useless!

Zenzele walks out of the house with my father as I walk back to the house.

I pick my steps as they shake hands. I want to hear something but I’m late.

“Joy!” my father calls aunty Joy to follow him to the tavern when I near them. Aunty Joy doesn’t want to leave but she drags herself,

“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me that you’ll be meeting my dad?” I ask Zen as soon as it’s just the two of us,

“Accompany me to the car. How are you?” he offers me his hand and I take it,

I breathe. He looks normal, this means Ndlovu hasn’t said anything to him,

“I’m fine. So?” I want the news,

He chuckles “Lord you’re so impatient! I was trying my luck again but I still got a no”

“Asking for my hand?” I ask,

He nods,

“It’s only been two weeks, what made you think he’ll change his mind so soon?”

“I can’t live without you Ntwenhle, we spent one night together but that was enough for me to want you next to me every night. Even if it means I have to take the couch again but I want to sleep in the same room with you” guilt clutches me, if I’m positive I don’t know how I’m going to tell him….

“You’re my all. If I have to annoy your father every week until he says eyes, I’ll do so” he cups my face “I miss you” he adds

“I miss you too” I swallow,

He smiles “I didn’t get a yes yet, but at least I got him to allow me to take you on a little get away this weekend” he say,

“Vacation?” I pop my eyes,

“We have to be in Bergville on Monday so I figured maybe we can fly down early and chill in Durban”

“You….you want us to go on vacation?” he is going to want sex. He is been hinting it for the past week that it’s time…..

“It’s not exactly a vacation just a get away” he say

“Can’t we do it next week?” by next week I’ll know my exact results,

“No, we have to be in Bergville on Monday” he insist,

“What’s in Bergville?” I ask,

“We are visiting my grandfather, Mvelo, there is a healer he found for us” he explains,

“Do I have to come with?” I can stay, I don’t mind,

“What’s going on with you? You’re the one who insisted that I should see someone and now that I am doing as you asked you don’t want to come with me?” it’s not that, I just want to avoid the little vacation before that. I know he is going to want sex, that I know for a fact,

“It’s not that I don’t want to come with you, I just……I feel a bit down” I’m not entirely lying,

“Why? What happened?”

I shrug like he can see me,

“I’ll ask Mandisa to book you into a spa tomorrow. I really need you by my side kaMabaso, don’t disappoint me please” he takes my hands in his. It’s the way he breathes that makes me see that he really needs me.

“Can we take Jabu with?” Jabu will be my only escape,

“Haibo! You want us to drag a 13 year old to our romantic get away……”

“Zen I want us to create memories together as a family. I want him to come with us”

“His got school on Friday and Monday!” he points,

“We can leave on Friday when he come back from school. Missing one day won’t delay him” he’ll only miss Monday,

“I honestly don’t know what is wrong with you, I thought you would be happy with this but now you want me to bring a 13 year old to our fu8ck trip. Open my door Khalipha!” he is pissed. He barks the last order to Khalipha. I knew this trip includes sex in it, this is why I want Jabu to come along.

“Am I not getting a kiss goodbye?” I ask,

“My mouth is sore!” bathong! He gets in the car. I can’t help but smile, I have never seen him pissed with me until today.

“I love you” I say as Khalipha starts the car,

“Umuntu says she loves me yet she wants us to bring a 13 year old to our romantic get away, make that make sense for me KHALIPHA!” he ignores me. Poor Khalipha will answer things he doesn’t know. Unfortunately I’ll be on my fake periods on Friday. He’ll be strong.

PLEASE LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE AND INVITE FRIENDS

200+ Comments