**UMFAZI WAKWA NDWANDWE**
**WRITTEN BY L. P. MBHELE**
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_NARRATOR_
It is the following day, and everyone is looking forward to going to the hospital. MaShandu has been up and down, doing only what God knows. She doesn’t know what to do with herself, but she knows if the truth comes out, hell will break loose. She looked at her phone once more; she has to call them whether she likes it or not, but now it is not a good opportunity to call them.
She put it in her bag, and her bedroom door opened slowly. “Asambeni MaShandu” (let’s go…), Musa said, standing by the door. The nervous MaShandu picked her bag and then followed Musa out of the bedroom, thinking about why all of this is happening to her. After so many years, she had never thought her secrets would get out. She promised and swore to herself that she would take these secrets to the grave; after all, abafazi bafa bazi.
Everyone was now waiting for them in the lounge. Kago doesn’t look good at all; having this secret in her heart isn’t sitting well with her. But she can’t say a thing because she doesn’t have proof. She looked at MaShandu’s face, then down to her shaking hands; she shook her head and then chuckled. Nhlanzeko held her hand, and then they all walked out. Everyone got into their cars, while Musa was driving with both his wife and Sthembile.
“Yini mama?” Nhlanzeko asked Kago as she just drew a very heavy breath. She looked at him and then shook her head slowly. Nhlanzeko took one of his hands from the steering wheel and put it on Kago’s thigh. “Ungakhuluma nami mama, kwenzenjan?” (You can talk to me mama, what’s wrong?). Kago, instead of saying anything, rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes, allowing the thoughts to run freely in her mind.
Nhlanzeko sighed and then focused on the road; his mind was running with different questions with no answers. He looked back at her. “Whatever it is… it’s draining her,” he thought to himself. After a few minutes, they all parked their cars in the parking lot and got out. MaShandu asked to be left alone because she said she can’t face her son right now. They all left her standing there; she took out her phone and then dialed someone’s number.
It rang for a moment before she said, “Hello.”
📱 “Lumnene,” the voice said. They promised each other to never call again, but she doesn’t have a choice, does she?
📱 “Are you going to talk, or what?” she swallowed nothingness before clearing her throat. “Cebo got into an accident; he needs blood.” Whoever is on the other side kept quiet. “You have to help him; otherwise, he will die, please Nomasonto.” So, too, sighed on the other side.
📱 “He’s our son, Lumnene; we will see what to do. Send us the details, and then we will get to it.”
Kago, who was standing behind her, turned slowly to walk away. Yes, she didn’t hear all of the conversation because she couldn’t hear the person on the other hand, but she knows her name, and she knows that whatever it is between them, it’s big. She got inside and found everyone in the waiting area. She went to Nhlanzeko. “Did you all see the doctor?” Nhlanzeko shook his head. “He hasn’t arrived yet.” She nodded slowly. One of the nurses walked out of Cebo’s ward. “Morning.”
They all agreed, “You all can go see him, but we will allow only two people at a time… who is starting?” she said, looking at them. “Sthembile, ungahamba ndodakazi” (Sthembile, you can go, my daughter), MaCele said and told Musa to also go in with Sthembile because MaShandu wasn’t there. While MaShandu was still standing in the parking lot, the doctor parked his car. He got out of the car, locked it, and then marched to the entrance.
MaShandu followed him slowly to his office. He got in, and before he could close the door, MaShandu braced it with her feet. Dr. Jordan looked behind him. “Oh, good morning, Mrs. Ndwandwe,” he said, allowing her to get in. “Good morning, Doctor.” Jordan showed her a chair to sit; Lumnene took a seat, then Jordan followed. “What can I help you with, Mrs. Ndwandwe?” Lumnene swallowed as her heart started to race. “I have a deal for you.”
_NHLANZEKO NDWANDWE_
We all got to see Cebo; even MaShandu came back to her son. She was a crying mess; the way she was crying, you’d swear she felt guilt or something. We were now standing in the waiting area when the doctor came to us. “Good morning,” he greeted us with a smile. I guess one of us was found to be a match. We responded to him, not smiling, of course, because there’s nothing to smile about. “I did the tests and two of you are matching,” he opened a file and then looked at it, “Mr. Musawenkosi Ndwandwe and Mr. Phiwayinkosi Ndwandwe.”
We all sighed in relief; as long as one or two of us are a match. “Uhhm, I don’t know who will want to donate for him between the two.” “I will, doctor,” Dada said, looking at the doctor. The doctor smiled. “You can follow me, Mr. Ndwandwe.” They both walked away. After a few minutes, a nurse came into Cebo’s ward, holding a plastic bag full of blood. Then she walked out; someone grabbed my hand, and I turned to look at that person.
“Here are the police,” Kago said, looking behind us. We all turned; the police came to us. We exchanged greetings with them. “Mr. Ndwandwe, we got a report from the mechanic that we took the car to,” I nodded slowly. “It seems like the brakes were damaged because other than the cut wires there’s nothing.” I looked at Kago and then at my mother, whose eyes were popped out. The officer turned to my mother. “Mrs. Ndwandwe will come down to the station; we have questions to ask you.”
MaCele nodded slowly. “I’ll go with you,” my father said as he walked in here. The officers nodded; Mkhatshwa took MaCele’s hand, and then they walked out following the officers. Kago looked at me and then at the door; she kept swallowing as I saw her throat going up and down. She seemed nervous. I drew closer to hold her hand, but she yanked her hand away. “I need water,” she whispered, walking away from me. She acted like someone who knows what is really going on here.