“What is it that you did not want to say in front of Mama?” Okuhle asked.

“Its about uMamtolo,” Ngelosi said.

“What about her?”

“You remember when we played hide and seek until late?”

“Yeah, we couldn’t find Cinga and Asanda,” she shook her head, “those two.”

“I was walking home and I saw uMamtolo coming from town she said, ‘“I am going to turn into a snake.’”

“You are going to turn into a snake?” Okuhle asked.

“No, she was speaking about herself,” Ngelosi said, “she said she is going to turn into a snake.”

“What? She’s a witch,” Okuhle said, and stopped walking, “was there someone else around?”

“No one else around. That’s what scares me. It’s like she knew no one would believe me. You are the first person I am telling,” Ngelosi said, then resumed walking.

Their walk was almost over. On his left, the forest ended and there was a plain of grass. It is here where the Garden Project was build. The gravel road turned left after the project and from there houses were built on both sides of the road.

“Wow, Ngelosi,” Okuhle said, “I don’t know what to say. Now you have to go and see this woman. I hope you don’t become crazy and go around clearing leaves on the road like Ta’ Shakes.”

“I hope so too,” Ngelosi said.

Okuhle turned to go home. Ngelosi walked past the Garden Project. He could hear hundreds of chickens inside the two buildings. The Garden Project also grew vegetables and belonged to the women of the village. Before the Project there was a short-cut through the field and it met the gravel road before it ascended past the small bridge. However, Ngelosi felt it was too soon to walk on grass.

He reached a small bridge and the road inclined before its ascent and here Ngelosi saw vastness of Weza below.

There were other kids on the road and a dog barked at him behind a massive gate. A 4×4 almost sprayed him with dust as it drove past, but he jumped aside on time. He felt like it was getting late and walked faster. Near the end of the village, the road turned right. Ngelosi knew that the Kwamkhulu was close by, but he did not know where. He was more interested in seeing the school that Okuhle and Cinga attended. The school was just two rows of buildings painted peach with red paint at the bottom. This school also went up to Grade 12 unlike his own school in town. But, other than that, it did not seem that much interesting and he moved on. He turned right and could see uMamtolo’s house, which was also the last house in Weza. The road turned red after it and lead to a different village called Umhlaba Obomvu.

***

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