NURSE THEMBENI
CHAPTER 9
THEMBENI
My father is still on his knees, it’s embarrassing because it looks like he’s praying to a god.
“Bayede, Ngwane kaNgwadi,” he keeps murmuring, his head bowed so low his chin might be kissing the dirt.
Seriously, what he’s saying is confusing, and impossible to ignore.
Ngwane kaNgwadi? That’s not just any name, that’s old royalty talk, the kind you hear in stories about kings who ruled more than just Manzana, back when the whole of KwaZulu bowed to one bloodline. My father’s eyes are bad, yes, but his memory is not. He doesn’t say things like that by mistake.
I want to scream, “Baba, get up! This is Golide… my Golide. Chiefs don’t sneak into poor people’s rooms at night.” But my mouth is glued shut, I’m still trying to process baba’s words. Mkhululi is already moving toward him.
He grabs our father’s arm, pulling him to his feet.
“Baba, come. Your eyes are playing tricks again. This is not… this is not who you think.”
My father shakes his head, he’s stubborn.
“No… this is him. The true one, the only king of this land. Not just Manzana, the whole of KwaZulu.”
King, not chief? I feel like I have been thrown into a lake of cold water. My heart does that stupid jump and goes straight into my throat. What? Golide? A king? My secret headache, the man who calls me Phakade lami while cuddling like we’re married already… a king? Never.
“Baba, he’s not a Ngwane. His surname is Mthunzi.”
Mkhululi glares at me. What?! I was trying to help.
I glance at Mehlo…Ngwane… whatever his name really is. He’s standing there calm as ever, hands on his back, that tiny smirk playing on his lips as if this is another lazy Tuesday. He doesn’t correct my father, he doesn’t even try to say no baba, I’m just your daughter’s sugar daddy, not a king. He’s just watching us crack our heads, probably waiting for popcorn too.
“Baba, please get up. You did not even bow for the real Chief. This is embarrassing, you will get us into trouble.” Mkhululi.
Yeah, he’s snapping at my father.
Mkhululi’s face is thunder as he turns to Philile.
“MaThabethe, take uBaba inside to his room.”
Philile’s eyes are wide, darting between Golide and the chief. Oh my dear sister in-law is calculating odds. Her daughter’s future is riding on who the real chief is, after all. She wants to stay and watch the drama unfold… who wouldn’t?
But Mkhululi snaps again, “Mfazi!”
She sighs, dramatic as always, and takes my father’s other arm. Ntando helps my mother up too, and they shuffle away toward the house. My mother shoots me one worried look over her shoulder, but says nothing. I smile to assure her that I’m okay.
Now it’s just us, me, Mkhululi, the chief, and the man who was in my bed an hour ago.
“This is the first time someone has knelt for you, and it will be the last. Don’t get excited.”
Why would Menzi say that to Golide? Do they know each other?
Golide’s smirk grows just a little, he doesn’t answer right away. I’m growing old watching him tilt his head, his eyes locked on Menzi as if he’s studying a bug under glass.
I’m distracted by Mkhululi’s crooked finger pointing at Golide. My brother is so disrespectful.
“What are you doing here? You don’t even know anyone in this yard.” Mkhululi.
“I was driving past. Thought I should come greet.” Golide says.
He likes to see me writhe in nerves and panic, that’s why he came out of that room. How did he leave that room without being seen anyway?
Mkhululi snorts. “Greet? Who? You dropped my sister off last night like some taxi driver, and now you show up like you own the place? Is this your father’s land?”
Golide’s eyes flick to me for a second, he looks almost amused. He looks serious as he glances over at Mkhululi.
“I know Nurse Thembeni.”
I haven’t had breakfast, that’s why I suddenly feel dizzy. The worst part, he said it so simply, like it’s nothing. If he tells these people that he spent the night wrapped around me, Jesus will be seeing me sooner than He expected.
Golide looks straight at chief Menzi with that same smirk he had two seconds ago.
“And I know the chief too.”
Menzi’s face goes from red to purple. I swear I see his jaw clench so hard his teeth might crack. I want to jump in as he steps closer to Golide, but remember I’m a girl who doesn’t want to lose a tooth because of men, and Golide can take care of himself.
“You think this is funny? Stay away from KaMajola. She’s my future queen.” Chief Menzi threatens.
“Is she?” Golide says, lifting that brow of his.
“Yes!” The chief explodes. “And if you don’t leave right now, I’ll make sure you’re banished from ever stepping foot in Manzana again. Stay away from my woman!”
My woman… that makes my skin crawl. I open my mouth to intervene, but Mkhululi cuts me off with a look that could kill.
“Thembeni, go to work. Today is your last day until the wedding. You will start preparing tomorrow.”
I told him I am not ready.
“But bhuti…”
“I’m done talking, Thembeni. Stop being difficult and go.”
“I’ll drive her.” Menzi says.
“No need. I’ll do it.” Golide.
This makes Menzi laugh. “Who the hell are you? Unless you want trouble, you better leave and stay gone.”
Mehlo’s just smirking, the eye contact between him and chief Menzi is heavier than an elephant. I’m not an expect, but these two have met before. Menzi looks nervous, Golide looks sure of himself, almost arrogant. I can barely breathe, my brain is busy and it’s driving me crazy.
How come my father thinks Golide is the true prince? My father thinks he’s king of KwaZulu? I’m standing here in my nurse uniform, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous this all is. Because if I start laughing, I might never stop. Or I might cry.
I don’t know who this man really is anymore. But one thing is clear, my secret sugar daddy just turned my whole world upside down without saying much at all.
And now I have to go to work like nothing happened?
Ha. As if. I rush to my room to get my bag. I would rather be at work than here anyway.
.
.
Chief Menzi doesn’t even ask if I want to go with him, he opens the passenger door of his black SUV, it’s already decided in his head that he’s taking me to work and with Mkhululi standing right here giving that don’t test me look, what am I supposed to do? Argue? Start a scene?
Mkhululi does not mind using a belt, and no one will stop him. I’m a child in his eyes and he will remind me who raised me.
I don’t know why I look at Golide, he winks. I thought he’d be angry because this man has been clinging on me like gum lately. Now he’s watching as I slide into chief Menzi’s car. Golide is the one who slams the door shut, harder than necessary, then steps back. What a confusing human.
I cross my arms, my eyes rushing to him. I’m surprised that he doesn’t fight, or argue. He’s standing by the tree watching. Menzi gets in and shuts the door, I catch him throw a death stare at Golide before driving off.
I keep my gaze out at the road, nothing interesting to see, but at least I’m not looking at chief’s angry face who… by the way, is driving slow. It must be because of the bumps, as if he’s afraid one jolt will make me jump out the window.
We still have an hour to go, it’s safe to say, I miss my transport driver.
“You didn’t come to supper yesterday.” The chief starts.
We both know I missed supper last night, and we both know I was not at work, that I lied. That’s why I don’t answer right away. What’s there to say? “Sorry, I was busy getting my world flipped by the man who’s been financially sponsoring me?”
Something about what happened back there tells me these two knew each other way before I met them.
“I waited for you, mkami. My whole family was waiting, and you know how important respect is to them.”
I don’t really know, but I have heard. He just confirmed it.
Guilt tries to poke me, but I push it down. This man was arranged for me like a piece of furniture. I didn’t sign up for guilt trips.
“I had things to do, I’m sorry you were embarrassed because of me.”
He sighs, glancing. “Thank you for owning up to it, I appreciate that, mkami.”
I wish he would stop calling me that, it makes me uncomfortable.
“I know you’re not happy about any of this, the wedding, the rush, and me.”
I snort. “You think?”
He gives me another glance, I expected rage, annoyance, but his eyes are too soft for a chief who’s used to people kneeling.
“I’m not blind, Thembeni. I see how you look at the door every time we’re in the same room. Like you’re planning your escape.”
He’s not wrong.
“But I want you to know something, KaMajola. I’m not here to trap you, I never was. The elders chose this match years ago, yes. But I chose to wait and give you time. I wanted you to live your life first. But it’s time we honor this agreement, non of us are getting younger.”
Excuse him! I’m still too young, way young to be tied down by a chief and the village and their responsibilities.
“You chose to wait, Chief Hongwane because I was young, I’m still young. There is so much I need to do in life, and I hate that everyone else planned my future like I don’t have a brain?”
He exhales. “I know it looks that way, and I’m sorry for that. I should have fought harder against rushing it. But I thought… if I gave you space, maybe one day you’d look at me and see more than just a man who is tied to you.”
“This is a lot for me… still, it doens’t matter what I want. My brothers want me to marry you because tradition chose me. Whether I like it or not, I will become your wife.”
This is the first time we’ve had a real conversation, I thought he would be the chief I know. Do this, do that, come here, go there. Not that he was controlling, he just didn’t seem that interested in knowing what I wanted in this arrangement.
“Do you like me? Or you’re just going with the flow because it’s what your family expects?” I ask.
This is what happens in royal families. A wife is chosen for the king or prince and he has to marry her, no matter what. I read the book of Esther, the king had a wife but because the elders did not like her, they chose another wife for him. Will that happen to me? I will fail this queen thing and they will replace me.
“I like you, more than you know. You’re not like the others, KaMajola. You don’t bow just because someone says so. You are a hard worker. You dream bigger than this village and I admire that. I want a partner, not a decoration.”
I roll my eyes, but it doesn’t land as hard as I want. How does he even know I don’t want to be in this village?
“Flattery doesn’t fix forced marriages.”
“It’s not flattery, it’s the truth.” He slows the car a bit more, it’s as if he wants this drive to last. “I know about the other man, I know you were with him last night.”
Here it comes, the explosion I expected. The man sighs, isn’t that a way you calm your demons? He’s not going to explode, is he?
Oh, there’s his anger… on the steering wheel. His hands are tightened around it.
“It hurts, more than I can say. But I’m not going to drag you into a fight over it. You don’t owe me anything, KaMajola.”
I stare at him, waiting for the ‘stay away or’ threats.
Instead he says, “If your heart is somewhere else, tell me. I’ll step back. It will kill me, but I’ll do it. Because I don’t want a wife who resents me every day.”
Nah, he’s lying. Why is he testing me?
“Are you sure?” I asks because I am ready to bounce.
The head scratch is a bad sign, he didn’t mean what he said.
“I wish I had the power to grant you your freedom, mkami.”
“You do, you’re the chief.”
“I am, but there are elders who make the final decision. Every royal house is run like that.’ He says.
So basically, there is no way out for me.
“I just want a chance with you, and not because tradition says so. I want you to give me a chance because you choose it. Let me show you who I am when the crown is off. When it’s just Menzi and Thembeni. No chiefs, no brothers, no expectations.”
Yoh! What do I even say to that? How do I trust a man I don’t know?
Finally, the clinic appears ahead. The drive felt too long, he pulls under the shade tree, and kills the engine.
“I’ll pick you up after your shift, we can talk, or not talk. We can sit in silence if that’s what you need.”
I grab my bag and open the door.
“I don’t owe you anything,” I tell him, in case he comes and finds me gone.
He meets my eyes. “I know, but I’m asking anyway.”
For too much, yeah!
I step out and close the door. The SUV doesn’t move right away. I feel his gaze on my back as I walk toward the entrance.
.
.
Sorry I’m late, I’ll prepare ch