*My Gift*
23
The seer comes to stand in front of me and looks at me. Now he is creeping me out with this whole thing he is doing. They are not explaining what is happening to me and it’s very frustrating.
“What is happening baba?” I ask the seer standing in front of me. He is not saying anything he touches my shoulders and starts shaking.
The royal family is not doing anything about the shaking seer infront of me they are just looking at him and they don’t even look shocked. I’m sure they are used to this kind of life I mean they have the seer and Lwandle.
After some time he stops and goes to sits down. Everyone is now looking at him waiting for him to explain what just happened right now. If they don’t want to know then it’s fine but I do.
“You need to go and see Lwandle”
The seer says and I look at him shocked. I mean he is suppose to explain what just happened but now he is telling me about going to see Lwandle is this man normal or what.
“Ohh she is in her room?”
I ask and they nod their heads. I don’t want to be arguing with this man because if he saw any need for me to know what just happened he would have told me but he did not.
I stand up and go to Lwandle’s room. For some reason I knock and wait a little then open the door and enter. She is standing by the window and I don’t know what she is looking at.
“Lwandle”
I call her but she is still looking outside the window. At least she is not in some unexplainable coma that no one knows when she will wake up from. I go and stand next to her and look at what she is looking at. She is looking at the workers as they work and I just look at them work. The view is really nice. Looking at the greens down there.
“I’m scared about getting my results”
I tell her and and she still does not say anything.
“Lwandle please say something.” I say to her and she still does not say anything. I think I will give it soon I go and sit on the bed because this is becoming to be useless. I’m not used to just sitting and not saying anything. I may not like talking a lot but it does not mean I like what is going on now.
“I will go with Nandipha to buy the paper and I pray that I pa-ssed”
I say and she still does not say anything.
………….
MaKhumalo
I’m sitting here listening to the seer talk about how that girl will he Lwandle’s second in command. How that girl will sometimes have to help Lwandle with things she can not deal with on her own. I mean I’m here I could help Lwandle and besides I’m always with her I’m the one who can help her better than any other person can.
“Why does it have to be her I mean she is young and I don’t think she is ready for that kind or responsibility.” I say and the seer looks at me.
I don’t like the look he is giving me right now because it’s creepy it’s like he can see the insides of my soul.
“Don’t let your anger consume you because it will be the end of you.”
He says and I look at him. I want to shout that I have every right to be angry but I won’t. My mother taught me better she always said you respect your elders no matter what they do.
“We need to talk to Fuze’s mother and tell her what is happening so that we can do a ceremony for her.”
The seer says and everyone nods in agreement with what he is saying. How could they do this even the queen is agreeing to this nonsense.
“Do you think it’s wise? To involve her mother I mean the last time she was here she caused a lot of trouble.”
I says and everyone looks at me. I don’t know why they are looking at me like I just killed someone.
“I’m just asking.”
I say and the queen shakes her head.
“We need to involve her so that she knows what is going on that’s all”
The queen says and I nod my head and zone out. It was nice at first. Dating Lwandle she gave me all the attention and now it’s always Lindiwe this Lindiwe that.
“I need to go and get ready.”
I say standing up. I don’t want to listened to them making noise about Lindiwe because it will make me hate her more than I do now.
…………
Lindiwe
Lwandle is still not saying anything and I have been walking around this room looking at things and touching them. I know if she would talk she would tell me to stop touching her things. She hates it when people touch her things but now I have nothing to do so touching her things is the way to go.
“The royal house is in danger.”
I hear Lwandle say and I turn really fast going to sit next to her.
“Babe please say something please.”
I say to her but its like she is back to that I’m walking coma of hers and I can not even help her.
“Mah!”
I scream. I don’t want to go just in case she might say something.
“The royal house is in danger”
She says again and I don’t know what to say. She holds my head. I’m glad she is doing that which shows that she knows I’m next to her. I hate that the ancestors are doing this to her. Can’t this gift thing be normal and she has a normal life not what is happening to her right now.
“What is happening?”
I hear someone say behind me and when I turn its and queen and her family the seer is not there. I even forgot that I screamed for the queen when Lwandle was talking they sure took their own time.
“She spoke. She said the royal house is in danger”
I say looking at them and one of the brothers sighs. I would also sigh because it looks like the ancestors are giving them problem after problems. It’s because dark in the room it didn’t look like it will rain when I came here but now it looks like a storm is coming.
“This is not good.”
The king says and everyone nods in agreement with what he is saying. I’m starting to feel a little but too hot. I stand up and walk to the window. I can not stand this heat it’s too much for me.
“What are you doing?”
I hear one of the brothers say and I continue walking to the window and open it.
“It’s hot I want to open the window.”
I say and they all give me weird looks. I go back to sit with Lwandle and the seer comes in.
“We can not wait to go and ask her mother we need to do it now.”
The seer says as soon as he comes in and I’m lost because I don’t know who they are talking about.
He is carrying impepho and it’s already lit so I’m a-ssuming that she will use it on Lwandle.
“I bought this for the princess. It will help her.”
He says and walks to Lwandle. I’m move from her so that the seer can do what he wants to do.
What happens next shocks me I push impepho off the seer’s hands and it falls on the floor. Everyone is now looking at me I’m not sure why I did it but something or a for-ce made me do it.
My Gift
24
“Why did you do that? Are you normal Kodwa wena ?”
One of the brothers asks and I just look at him. I don’t know how to answer that because I also don’t know why I did it. Something just for-ced me to do it and now everyone looks angry except for the seer.
“Don’t worry about it sisi.”
He says picking it up from the floor and putting it on the plate. It switched off when it fell on the floor and the seer does not seem bothered by that.
“We should let her sleep now we should go to Fuze’s house to talk to her mother to ask for permission”
The seer says and I don’t know which permission they need to ask from my mother.
“Permission for what?”
I ask them and they all turn their eyes to the seer. I’m sure they told him to start explaining to me what is going on.
“Well, you that you can be Lwandle’s second in command. Not second in command there are things that Lwandle can not handle to see like what she saw in the water that is why she is like this now, so if she can’t handle to see them they will be shown to you.”
The seer says and I just look at him. I don’t need this kind my life I don’t want to have a normal life and normal relationship like other kids my age.
“MaKhumalo is there I’m sure she can do it futhi she is with Lwandle most of the time”
I say and the seer shakes his head.
“You are Lwandle’s gift from the ancestors so this should be done by you. And it needs someone with a pure heart.”
He says and I guess he is indirectly saying that MaKhumalo is not pure of heart. I would not blame her if she was not pure of heart I mean having to share your girlfriend is difficult I always feel it when I’m with Lwandle and MaKhumalo calls her because she needs her. Sometimes I ask myself if she needs her or it will be just her lying.
“My mother is at work.”
I tell them and the seer nods his head.
“It’s fine she will come back but this ceremony needs to be done tonight if we want Lwandle to go back to her normal state”
He says and I look at him like why should I be the last to know things that concern me.
“What ceremony?”
I ask him and he sits on the bed. I’m sure he was tired of standing because I know I am.
“For you to accept being Lwandle’s second eye for you to accept seeing things she can not see”
He says. Don’t I have a choice in this whole thing.
“No, you don’t you never have a choice with ancestors sisi”
The seer says and I’m guessing I said that out loud. I nod my head and I start feeling dizzy. I can smell fire and hear people screaming I don’t know what is happening to me but I hate it I do. It feels like I’m there I’m the burning place and I can not get out.
“Lindiwe!”
I can hear them calling out for me but I can not move my mind from what it is thinking about. It’s like my mind is frozen in that place. I want to move from where I am standing and stand by the window but I can’t.
After some time I feel better I’m back to normal and when I look around me everyone is looking at me.
“Are you okay?”
The seer asks me and I nod my head. I’m feeling a little dizzy so I sit on the bed and close my eyes.
“Did you see something ?”
He asks me but I can not hear what he said.
“Sorry?”
I ask him to repeat what he said.
“What did you see I know you saw something.”
He says and I just look at him. Why does he not let me calm down a little before he gives me these questions?
“I heard people screaming and I could smell fire.”
I tell him and he looks at me scared. I guess what I just saw has something to do with what Lwandle said.
“Does it have anything to do with what Lwandle said? About the royal house being in danger?”
I ask and he nods his head. This is sad now I will be the one telling the family bad news and I don’t want that at all.
“We need to send people to your mother now.”
The seer says going out of the room and I’m left with Lwandle and his family. They don’t say anything they follow the seer out and I’m left with my girlfriend alone. I get inside the covers and sleep on her lap since she is sitting. I close my eyes and sleep.
…………..
It’s now time for the ceremony to be done. My mother agreed I guess it has to do with the seer asking her nicely I’m not even sure that he asked her nicely or she just respects tradition.
I’m required to wear all white and Nandipha was not allowed to be here which is sad. The seer said I will go to the river and bath there then come back so that they can pour me with the goat blood and I then eat the liver. Which is a lot of work if you ask me I can not deal with this much work.
I went with one of the seer’s a-ssistants to *bath by the river. Imagine bathing at night in the river the water will be really cold I thought I was going to die when I entered the room. We are now back and we are st* anding in front of the fire. The goat was slaughtered while I was *bathing by the river so I’m now inside a bathing bowl and the a-ssistant is pouring me with the blood. I close my eyes so that the blood does not enter my eyes. When I’m done I go inside the seer’s hut and he is* burning impepho. I don’t know what it is for but he is doing it.
“Woza sisi.”
He says and I go kneel in front of him.
“Fuze?”
He says. I’m not sure if he is asking if my surname is Fuze or he is calling to see if he still has my attention. I nod my head and he takes another plate that is impepho in it.
” Nina boMapholoba,Nyuswa, Fuze, Mavela, Mafuz’afulele njengefu lemvula,
Mashiya amahle ngath azoshumayela,Dambuza, Mthabathe,Mabhala ngozi-pho abanye bebhala ngepensela,”
He says trying to light it up but it’s not working which is weird since there is no wind in this hut.
“Malal’efake umunwe endunu,Avuke ekuseni awuncinde akhombe ilanga,Mavulankungu kuvel’ilanga,
Sididane,Ngongoma,Maqadi amakhulu,Mbili!”
He says again and still, nothing is happening. He stands up.
“Ngiyabuya”
He says and goes outside. I don’t know what he is going to do there so I sit and bring my knees closer to my che-st and wait for him.
………….
Seer
I go to where the family is and call Mrs. Ngcobo aside. This may only mean one thing that Lindiwe is not a Ngcobo and I need to know her real surname so that I can continue with the ceremony. We will see other things after the ceremony.
“What is Lindiwe’s real surname?”
I ask her and she looks at me shocked.
“What are you talking about Ngcobo is her surname”
She says and I take a de-eper breath this is going to be hard.
I just look at her so that she can see I’m serious I can not be dealing with this right now honestly.
“Mah please tell me the truth so that we can go on with the ceremony please.”
I say in a pleading voice and she nods her head. I look at her waiting for her to tell me her surname.
“Ncube”
She says and I nod my head then go back to the hut.
.
.
.
Tbc