In a couple of days, Boy joins other initiates in the bush. And his mum starts organising things required for him and serving the church punishment concurrently.

After exhausting three months in the countryside, Boy retreats from the bush with other initiates. They are ready for the initiation ceremony. Surprisingly, MaBoy ululates more than anyone, even though at first she didn’t support her son’s endeavour. A mother’s love is abundant, it endures even when her children do her wrong.

Boy wrote poems and he praises his late father, who contributed a lot to mould him to become the man he is today. He moves his mother to tears, tears of joy.

“Possibly, his father is rejoicing in heaven,” she says, assuming how her late husband feels in the land of the Majesty.

“For those who don’t know me, my name is Boy. I’m a daddy’s boy,” the poem went on. “My father wanted me to be the man, a powerful man. And today I’m that man!”

Many women join MaBoy in the ululation. They begin to recall Biggie’s love towards Boy. They run crazy, making some noise and give him plenty of gifts. The atmosphere is vibrant.

After the initiation, Boy is welcomed home by his mother and other family members. They are all glad and proud of Boy, forgetting the troubles that Boy had initially dragged MaBoy into. It seems that people forget easily.

“Congratulations!” they keep on saying to Boy.

Other family members are trying to encourage him to search for a wife, a helper for his mother. In the meantime, he shows no interest in women. He first wants to work. Boy and MaBoy shares the same sentiments in this regard.

“Work first, then the marriage will follow,” MaBoy always says to Boy.

Boy understands his mother’s gist and promises to let her know when he’s ready to wed, which will be after he’s saved enough money for lobola.

In a short time, Boy secures a job in the mine, where his father was working. He works hard during normal hours and overtime. He manages to earn a good salary. Today, he’s ready to pay the bride price. He is looking for an ideal woman: a disciplined woman who understands his culture and norms.

He’s planning to bring her home at night when everybody will be fast asleep, the way other village boys normally do, to surprise everyone in the next morning. However, before he does this, he informs his mother of his intention. It’s during this moment when his mother advises him to do it the right way: propose to her, place an engagement ring on her finger and then wed her during daylight. This will give the two families, the bride and groom’s families, a chance to plan for the wedding.

Through his search in the village of Hillside, Boy encounters a sweet-loving girl called Promise. She has no bad history with men in this village. Before then, some people were worried and wondered why she was always overlooked by men. “Is it because looks can be deceiving?” They used to ask themselves, without getting clear answers. Maybe they’ll know someday.

Boy said that he’d love her and she accepted him after a lot of persuasion.

After a couple of days of dating, he proposes to her, “Will you be my wife, Promise?” he asked.

“Oh, yes!” Promise replies with teary eyes.

He quickly slips an engagement ring on her finger and kisses her slightly. It’s a done deal.

When first learning about the proposal, MaBoy is over the moon. The final step would be to wed her. MaBoy realises that sooner or later she will be a mother-in-law. She can’t wait to babysit her future grandchildren.

The bride price is then paid in full in the form of fifteen cattle. Everyone is looking forward to the wedding day, in four months’ time. Instantly, the news of the Boy’s engagement to Promise flows from one place to another in a frenzy.

Tell us: Do you think it’s wise to marry someone after knowing them for such a short time?