The Gift
18
I turn around trying to see who the voice is coming from and it’s from the prince. He is standing right there with a girl next to him looking at me. The girl is practically nak-ed and I don’t know how she is comfortable walking around wearing that because I know I would not be. Other girls are brave out there just like this girl.
“I asked you a question is this what you do when my sister is not around?”
He asks me again and I don’t know how to answer that. I don’t know if it’s a trick question or be genuinely want to know what I’m doing here. I don’t want him to repeat what he said again because if he does he would sound like a broken record but without the starches, it comes it.
“No, it’s not I’m just having fun that’s all.”
I give him the best answer that comes to mind. An answer that I think won’t make him question me again.
“Having fun? Could you not do that endlini?”
He asks me and I don’t know how to answer that. I am lost for works and I just want to crawl into a small space and hide away from everything.
“She would be home had your sister not left her without telling her ”
Nandipha comes to my rescue. She is now standing in front of me shielding me from seeing the prince.
“Does she not know ukuthi my sister has to go sometimes wena stop acting like a child”
She says in a dee-per voice this time.
“Does not mean she should go without telling her ukuthi she is going can you give us space we want to continue with our drinking maybe my friend will get a girl who will love her nonsense!”
Nandipha shouts a little and the prince is looking at her. I’m sure he does not know what to say because Nandipha has a tongue for days. When she starts talking there is no stopping her or knowing what she will say.
“You guys are going with me”
The prince says and I hear Nandipha laugh next to me. It’s a sarcastic laugh that contains the “test me and you will see” aura. I don’t want to attract drama. I don’t want my mother knowing I was at some party and the prince of the village had to take me home. People in this village can take an ordinary story and turning it into an award-worthy story.
“I will go with him don’t worry you can continue drinking”
I say to Nandipha holding her shoulder. She looks at me and shakes her head.
“Uyahlanya wena you mad I was liking the princess for you Kodwa manje I don’t because all you do is cry where she is involved engathi umubi and you can not get any girl or guy you want”
Nandipha says and I nod my head. She is right my relationship with Lwandle is toxic but I can not help but love her. I didn’t choose to love her my heart did.
“We will talk tomorrow when I come back”
I tell her while hugging her.
“I’m still against this Kodwa who has ever listened to me kodwa”
She says and I laugh a little. She is portraying her diva side right now and I’m not a fan of it.
“I listen to you always let me go.”
I tell her and hug her one more time then I follow the prince out of the hall. We do not say anything to each other till we reach the car and I sit at the back. The girl he was standing with is nowhere to be seen and I could not care less. The car is not moving on the bumpy road and I think about whether Lwandle is back and that is the reason the prince is taking me to the palace. It’s dark outside but I can spot a few people as I look out the window. I don’t know this place well so I’m not sure how far we are from the palace. I wish we get there soon because I’m starting to get car sick and I don’t want to vomit in this car. As I’m still thinking about the possibility of me vomiting in this car the palace cars into view and I feel. At least we will get there soon now. It does not take more than five minutes and we are already driving inside the palace. As soon as the car parks I get out of the car and head to the house. I open the door and the queen is sitting in the living room.
“Sawubona Mah”
I greet her and walk past her. I don’t even reach the other side of the living room before she calls out for me.
“Lindiwe ubukuphi?”
She asks me and I turn around to look at her. I look at her waiting for her to explain what she means by the question she just asked me.
“Lwandle went to your house Kodwa your mother said you not around you went to visit some cousin”
She says and I look at her not knowing what to say to her.
“Exactly that I went to visit some cousin”
That is what I would have loved to answer her with but I can’t. It goes against my beliefs of respecting elders even though they don’t make much effort to respect us.
“I went out with a friend.”
I answer immediately when I realize that I have been zoned out from her for a while now.
“Which friend? The one you come with the other day?”
She asks me and I nod my head heading in her direction. I sit opposite her and take a de-ep breath. I’m trying to figure out how I will be disrespectful in a se-xy manner and once I know how I take a long-needed de-ep breath.
“I was hurting and she thought I could go with her to the party by the hall. We went with her boyfriend till your son come to take me. Not really come to take me he saw me and told me to go home something about his sister not being around and me doing my things like she is ever around nxa”
I say the last part in a low voice and clic-k my tongue. She is looking at me intensely and I don’t know what she heard the last part or me clic-king my tongue but it’s most probably me clic-king my tongue because learning how to do it in a low voice is a skill I have not learned yet and don’t wish to learn.
“You have so much anger within you yazi”
She says and I just look at her. Is she trying to imply that I have anger problems? I would not blame her I also think I have them but who would not with a girlfriend like mine.
“I don’t anger problems I just hate this whole thing with Lwandle is it not enough that I have to share her now I have to deal with her disappearing acts. Engathi this ancestors of yours bafuna mina have you ever seen her having an episode enoMaKhumalo?”
I ask her as it just clic-ked to me that whenever she is with MaKhumalo everything seems to be fine but when she is with me everything goes south-north and all the other directions of the campus. I’m still looking at her waiting for an answer and it does not seem like she will give it to me anytime soon
“Hust as I thought. I was never meant for Lwandle maybe the royal sear made a mistake I mean he is only human.”
I say to her in a low voice.
“I don’t make a mistake ngani yami you just need to deal with this with an open mind I know having a relationship with someone who has a gift is ha-rd but you need to give it time. It was also ha-rd with me and my wife that she almost left me but you should not give up on her this soon”
I hear a very knowledgeable voice say behind me and it’s the seer. He is standing there looking at me in the eyes that make me doubt that he is here. . I have seen on television how these seers cam me at two places at the same time and others don’t even remember being in those places.
“How do I give her time when she does not even want to meet me halfway?”
The question lives my mouth without me being able to process it and seeing if it’s an appropriate question to ask.
“Who said I don’t try to meet you halfway?”
I hear Lwandle’s voice and I laugh a little at how everyone is appearing after I ask a question.
“Vele you don’t you left in the morning without even telling me that you do I had to wake up with you gone. Do you think that’s fair on me?”
I ask her. I want her to answer me. I want her to explain to me what she did today in the morning.
“I didn’t want to have to look at your sad face when I’m going. I mean we have not been spending a lot of time together so I knew uzophatheka kabi I’m sorry.”
She says to me and I nod my head.
“When did you come back?”
I ask her because I thought like the other trips she was going to take time to come back.
“Emini went ekini Kodwa your mom told me you are not around.”
She clarifies sitting next to me. When I look around the room it’s just me and her I don’t even know when the queen and the sear left the room.
“Ohhh I’m sorry.”
I say not even knowing what I’m apologizing for.
“You sorry for going to the party ?”
She asks me laughing and I join in and we both laugh.
” It was my first time going to a party and it was nice I like it.”
I confess.
“I love you.”
She says ki-ssing my forehead and I smile.
“I love you too”
I answer her without any hesitation because I do love her. With all my heart and I don’t think I will ever love anyone the way I love her.
.
.
.
Tbc