A week went by, and when Nothando didn’t recover, Samson got stressed out.

“You know Samson, before the whole incident, Nothando told me she liked you,” Thami said. “She even said that she wouldn’t mind being with you if you happened to ask her, and when I put everything together, after what happened, both of you deserve each other, man.”

“Thami, this isn’t the time to think of something like that,” Samson said. “Nothando is fighting for her life in hospital all alone.”

“That’s why she needs you by her side,” Thami said. “Everything’s in place, oh god! You just need to tell her you like her.”

“But what If she rejects me, or maybe you’re even lying to me?” Samson objected.

Thami thought of an idea. “I’ll provide you with proof,” he said. “But you need to help me help you.”

“Help you help me?” Samson said, sounding puzzled.

“Yeah, listen bro,” Thami began. “Things are not going well at home, and I some need money. So to see whether Nothando likes you, you’ll play the poor guy. You’ll ask Nothando for little things at first, sometimes food and even a little cash. If she gives you these things, it’ll prove that she loves you. That’s when you’ll make your move and confess your love with the assurance of having hers.”

“Wow, that’s a brilliant idea,” Samson said. “A win-win for the both of us.”

“So we have a deal?”

“Yes we do,” Samson says, and they both shook hands.

“I also need another favour,” Thami said. “I’m crushing on Lulu, and I want you to kind of put in a good word for me with her.”

“What!? Come on man, no ways,” Samson responded.

“We both know that she listens to you more than any of us, so please bruh,” Thami pleaded.

“I don’t know about that, I can’t assure you anything with Lulu.”

“Please Samson, help me win her over,” Thami pleaded again. “Just like I brought you Nothando.”

“Okay I’ll try,” Samson said. “But it’s just for the sake of our friendship, and that’s all.”

“Deal?”

“Deal,” Thami said, and they both shook hands again, and then Samson left.

“I’ll use the food and money to please Lulu,” Thami thought to himself. “Everything is falling into place.”

After separating with Samson, Thami went to the teachers’ staff room, and Lulu went to him. “Samson said you want to talk to me,” Lulu said, staring at Thami with a serious look.

A large rock fell heavy on Thami’s chest. “Yeah,” he said nervously.

“What’s wrong?” Lulu asked, triggered by his quietness.

“Lulu, the other day you spoke of having your heart on someone special,” Thami began. “You said that, if that someone knew how much you loved him, he wouldn’t even fall asleep thinking about you.”

“Yes, so what?” Lulu asked.

“I also have my heart on someone, and I can’t sleep thinking about her,” Thami said.

“And why tell me?”

“Because you’re that person,” Thami said.

Thami’s words shocked Lulu, but after a while, she cooled down to a disappointed face. “I’m sorry, but you’re not him,” she said.

At hearing Lulu’s words, Thami felt like he got shot in the head and died of disappointment.

“I meant someone else,” Lulu continued.

“Are you sure? I mean, we’ve both known each other for a long time.”

“It’s not you Thami!” Lulu firmly said. “I love someone else, and you and me knowing each other for a long time means nothing.”

“I can’t accept this,” Thami said.

“That’s not my problem, and don’t get obsessed with me Thami, because you’ll end up getting yourself hurt,” Lulu warned. “I mean look at you, you’re not even comparable to him.”

“Who is he?” Thami asked with a broken heart.

Instead of answering, Lulu turned around and walked away.

“Lulu!?” Thami called out, but she did not respond. And ever since that day, Lulu avoided Thami, and whenever they met, she just turned away.

Later that day, David and Thandeka were discussing their situation while sitting in their dining room. “Thandeka, I want to go consult a healer back in Matsulu,” David said. “I want to know what’s going on with our family.”

Thandeka remained silent.

“I said, I’m going to see a healer back in Matsulu.”

After a while, Thandeka turned around to face David. “You know I don’t like you going around and consulting Sangoma’s. The next think you know, you’ll be bringing back demons to our home that will haunt us forever.”

“But the one I’m going to knows what he’s doing,” David responded.

“If there was a problem with our family, they would’ve prophesied it to me at church, but they didn’t. But even so, all the way to Matsulu? Why not ask around for a closer one?” Thandeka asked.

“What if it’s our neighbours who are behind this, and we’ll ask the very same people for help?” David asked, blinding Thandeka.

“Do whatever you want,” Thandeka said. “When are you going?”

“On Friday,” David responded.

“I would go too, but Vuyisile said she wants to visit Nothando, and I want to go with her.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you whatever I find out when I come back,” David said.

The following day, David drove to Matsulu in his shiny new orange Ford Ranger to see Mahlatsini. When he arrived there, he saw Mahlatsini’s house and got filled with anger.

“The elders are waiting for you,” Mahlatsini said, trying to calm David down. “I know that things have taken a left turn for you.”

“Yes, what’s going on?” David angrily said. “I’ve been abiding by our agreement. I brought your money, but now I want you to redo the spell on my daughter. I would rather suffer for the rest of my life than have my daughter die!”

“You want to get rid of the same spell that brought you all your success?” Mahlatsini said. “Your daughter is fine. The incident occurred because she was falling in love.”

“Didn’t you say ‘she wouldn’t fall in love’ instead of ‘she’s not supposed to’?” David said, sounding startled.

“The elders said so, but she has a powerful spiritual resistance,” Mahlatsini said. “But it’s not going to happen again. I’ll ask the elders to cease their ways of punishing her.”

After talking, David put twenty thousand Rands on the floor. Mahlatsini took the money and went to his room. He then came back with a small bottle of umuthi. “Your offering has pleased the elders,” he said. “You will make the same offering four times a year. Now, take this muthi and give your daughter a dose of two tea spoons a day. Understood?”

“Yes,” David said, agreeing to the instructions then leaving for home.

When David arrived home, he found Thandeka waiting for him. “Found out anything?” she asked.

“Eish, the man said nothing was wrong, but he gave me this muthi to give Nothando,” David responded.

“Didn’t I tell you?” Thandeka said. “If there was anything wrong, I would’ve found it.”

David remained silent for a while, thinking of how bad of a husband he was, and how he had lied to his wife. On the following day, they drove together to the hospital to see Nothando.

Tell us: Do you think the new muthi is going to work, and that Nothando will have a better life after taking it?