Arriving kwa Ndlovu I decide to go and bid farewell first before gathering my munchkins and leaving. I find all the elders sitting in MaNdlovu's house and I think good shot,I only have to say this once and I will not repeat because everyone is here. Nqobi is hot on my tail.
"Sanibonani" I greet,ankere I'm the perfect makoti. They sing abo "yebo makoti,yebo MaDlamini,yebo sisi" in unison. "Uhm bantu abadala angihlalanga. Sengiyindlela manje,I just wanted to come and bid farewell" I say smiling.
They all wish me well and the drama starts when I say that I'm taking all of my children with. "Inkosi ikubusise ntombi ngokumamukela uNtlos'entle. We trust that he will be in safe hands" says one of Nqobi's aunts. "UNtlos'entle? Wubani loyo aunty?" I ask,confusion written all over my face. At my question they all turn to look at Nqobi who's standing next to me then at me again. Nam I turn to look at Nqobi and shame poor guy is so over this,he looks upset but drained too. Too bad I'm only starting. "Ingane yom myeni wakho" says aunty Thobile seeing that Nqobi has suddenly gone mute.
"Hawu and I thought that we only have two children" see now they are all confused. They don't know what to say or how to react. "Nqobimpi?" That's his mother. Instead of talking,he brings me a chair to sit on and I thank him then he goes back to take his own chair. "Kanti wena ntombazane uzeleni la? Did you not come here for his welcoming ceremony?" That's ubabomdala kaNqobi. Okay so sengiyi "ntombanzane" manje. With a smile I look at him,"here's what all of you here including Nqobi are failing to grasp. Me agreeing to what happened doesn't mean that i acknowledge him as my husband's child nor do I welcome him."
"Uthini kahle kahle?" An older man asks must be one of the uncles. "Ngithi baba I came here because I know that the ancestors sometimes aren't merciful therefore should anything bad happen to that child,angifuni nithe Hey its because his ancestors didn't welcome him because his father's wife refused to come. Hey uMaDlamini this,hey uMaDlamini that. I want my conscious to be clean,should he break his leg,land in a hospital or have some serious skin problems. I don't want to feel guilty and be like Yho I should have gone there,I should have listened and stuff like that.
Y'all know how horrific those attacks from the underground gang can be. I don't wanna be blamed or to feel bad,plus ngenenhliziyo encane mina. I'm still young to be stressing about such,I have two kids to live for and a career that I must still make waves in. Just because abantu bakubo welcomed him,it doesn't mean that I did too. No one here has called to inform about a child that my husband has not even him. So excuse me until I'm treated like Nqobi's wife and like someone who's important by all of you here including yena uNqobi I don't want to hear anything about a child that my husband apparently has." Yeses that was a mouth full!
The silence in this room is LOUD,you can even hear a pin drop. "Cha ngane yam khuluma kucace. Kahle kahle wena uthi lengane awuyifuni" Nqobi's aunt says trying to put words in my mouth. "Nikhuluma ngayiphi ingane? Mina noNqobi sinezingane eziwu2 k'phela" I speak out loud enough for all of them to hear me. "Hai cha sazesavelelwa bo" says aunty Thobile before clapping once. "Ndodana wathula umkakho ekhuluma kanje?" His uncle looks at him. "Ayikho into engisazoyikhuluma sikhulumile sino mama saqeda. I understand what she wants and I will do it" "which is?" Thats MaNdlovu.
"UMaDlamini would like me to do things the right way. I should sit down with her and properly introduce uNtlos'entle. Disclose everything and let her decide what happens ngengane. Until then kuyena I only have two children" he says his peace. "Actually I think that the entire family should join in." I say and when they all send me puzzled looks I elaborate. "Nibadala,you know how things are done. You know that uNqobi is not a bachelor,he has a wife and him deciding to hide this from me is wrong but you still supported him..." I'm interrupted by his mom. "We didn't support him,he was told to tell you but he didn't" shame she tries to redeem herself.
"With all due respect ma it still doesn't justify why everyone of you that's sitting here didn't tell me. As I was saying because you supported him then you won't mind supporting him when he has to respectfully introduce his child. What I am saying here is that,you have to come to my house,no one is going to call me to come down here. You will come and help your son state his case." I have said my peace,its totally up to them to decide. "Kunenqiniso kulokhu akushoyo. As elders we weren't supposed to let a child like Nqobi take matters into his own hands. Yebo unekhanda elishisayo but we know better and we can't be controlled by him" haike kusho umother in law.
"Kodwa phela manje sesilawulwa wuyena uMaDlamini!" Exclaims one of the aunts in disbelieve. "Shes not forcing anyone to do anything. She's just letting you know what's expected of you as my elders" Nqobi says,I didn't expect him to side with me...I legit thought that he would be pissed by this whole thing. But he's quiet,eyy udliwa yistress. "Umfazi oqotho akayi yenzi lento ayiyenzayo" whuu uAunty Thobile akafuni ukusala yho. I see Nqobi clenching his jaw before he opens his mouth to speak. I interrupt him,because although I'm one respectful makoti I also need to put certain people in their places by myself without his help.
"I thought that you knew that already ukuthi angisiwumfazi oqotho,I mean from the moment that you saw me,you decided that im not good enough for uNqobi. Kodwa keh aunty since ngingasuwumakoti oqotho its means that I won't be able to be a good mother to Nqobi's child right?" I ask her and silly her falls right into my trap. "Yebo vese ngeke ube wumama oqotho kule ngane!" and Nqobi besides me chuckles bitterly. "Okay keh then you take him in and ube wumama oqotho kuyena. Seeing that all of you are a bit hesitant on doing right by me as "ingane" yenu la ekhaya. I mean that's what I am right, ingane yala ekhaya since I married into this home and I bear your last name right?" Kwathuleka ekhaya.
"Uyingane la ekhaya ngoba walotsholwa. Uwumakoti wethu MaDlamini" says bab'omcane who's has been awfully quiet since the beginning. "Ngiyabonga bab'omncane and as umakoti I understand that nam I should be treated with respect" now this is directed at their son,as I look at him,he looks down in shame. "Since no one is able to afford me a little respect,no one and I mean no one including wena Nqobi will force this child down my throat. Zikhuliseleni yena ngoba senimamukele ngezandla ezifudumele." "In fact mkhuliseni ngoba seniyamazi. His dad informed y'all respectfully about his existence. Mina angimazi lomntwana and I'm sure that he doesn't know me too."
"Nqobi! Nqobi! Uthule nje wena siyadelelwa phambikwakho!" Thobile thinks that this is about her,abanye bathulile but she wants to stand out. "Enqinisweni no ma uyavumelani nam mengithi nathi sim'delelile umkami. Kakhulukazi mina and I want all my children to grow up under one roof, with both parents therefore we will do as she wishes." Okay okay okay seyikhulumile keh indoda. "Ukhona onenkinga?" He asks with an eyebrow shot up. "Onenkinga akabe nezizathu sokuthi why anenkinga" he says before they can respond. The room goes dead quiet. "Ngiyabonga for is'khathi senu abantu abadala,sengiyindlela" I raise on my feet ready to leave but MaNdlovu calls me aside.
"I'm glad that you stood up for yourself" she says proudly once we have moved away from everyone. "Okay ma" I say and I just look at her,like what's this? I'm expecting her to apologise ayilento. "Again I'm really sorry for not handling this like an adult should have" arg marn this woman has this motherly aura around her that I got to love and appreciate. As she's looking at me with a genuine small smile,I remember that about her and it allows me to break down. She takes me into her embrace and starts rubbing my back while saying that she's so sorry. "Ma you were supposed to be a mother to both Nqobi and I. Not just him,you were supposed to be fair to both of us" I say pulling away.
"I know that I have disappointed you child but just know that it wasn't my intention. I did try but I guess that I didn't try hard enough" she says helping me dry off my tears. I internally wave her off,its off no use honestly. She sees her mistakes,she's trying to rectify them and she's woman enough to apologise to a child like me. To me that's all that's matters. She's woman enough to admit that she was wrong and for that honestly,she still has my respect. Apart from what's happening now,she has always been cheering for me. I mean today,she was the first person to try and apologise and see how am I doing.
Right now in the meeting,she openly admitted that they have disregarded me and she's the first person to give in to my demand. I mean she had people to back her up but she chose my side. Nqobi comes to us,he looks at his mother then at me when he sees me crying. "Mama ukahle?" He asks coming closer,he tries to hold me but "I have to get going before its late" without waiting for their response,I turn around and walk away.