“You bastard! I always knew that you were behind all this!” Fungani shouted at his father.
“Ye wena mfana, gada amazwi owakhulumayo lapha kimi, nginguyihlo!” Mr Mjoli shouted.
“Uyihlo my foot! I’ve always knew that you were behind Thandiwe’s death. This whole thing makes sense to me now. Thandiwe was just okay the night I proposed to her. She was happy and healthy as ever! She couldn’t just faint and die after I proposed to her.” Fungani shouted, grabbing his father with his shirt.
“Yewena mfana, nantsi ingulube inginonela bo! Ngidedele uma ungafuni nje ukuzixabanisa nohlanya!” Mr Mjoli said furiously. “Uchaza ukuthi mina ngingumbulali?”
“Kahleni bo! Yeheni kwenzenjani udlame. Fungani umenzani uyihlo, umenzani!” Mrs Mjoli shouted appearing in the mist of the fight.
“Mawakhe! Khuza lengane yakho ingibiza ngombulali. Awuyibheke nje ingenzani, isho ukungibulala ngeyazo izandla ingane yakho!” Mr Mjoli shouted in terror.
Mrs Mjoli took out the wooden spoon from the cooking pot and hit Fungani with the burning part of it where he was injured, which made him abruptly pull his hand away in pain.
“I’m not done with you angidlali! If I ever find out that you have anything to do with this, I’m telling you it will be the end of you!” Fungani shouted, then kissed his burnt hand as he headed away, leaving the house in range.
“Yini, kwenzenjani baba ngabe uwakhulunyisa yini lamazwi lomfana. Ngabe khona yini ongigodlela kona engingakwazi?” Mrs Mjoli asked concerned.
“Ey ungazongibhedela nawe we nkos’kazi ndini. Lengane yakho isingimi emqaleni. Engathi kuzomele umfake endleleni wena okwaziyo ukukhuluma naye ngoba ngiyabona ngathi kuzophuma isidumbu la ekhaya, nami kuzomele ngizivikele!” Mr Mjoli said trembling.
“Aybo baba usho ukuthini?” Mrs Mjoli asked not able to control her tears.
“Ngisholokhoke!” Mr Mjoli replied also leaving the room.
Qaphela was hiding behind the door from her room, watching in the little space between the door. She felt guilty for what she had said to Fungani earlier on, and wished she can turn back the clock.
*****
“Fungani ndiyakuncenga wethu khawuyeke ento yakho oyenzayo. Akusizi ukuba ne gazi elishushu ulokhe ucaphukela abantu ube nodlame kubo, tshini! Ndicela uxolo futhi uma ngabe ento endiythethileyo pha emalangeni ikuphathe kakubi, yakwenza wacinga ukwenza izinto ezi wrongo. Mina bendithi ndizama ukukududuza ukuba wehlise umoya wamukele isimo noba ngabe sinjani na, ukuze ugweme ingxabano na olu dlame osuliqalileyo apha endlini ngenxa yento ongayazi noba iyinyani okanye kukuphambana kwenqondo qha!” Qaphela said pitifully.
“I can feel it in my spirit that it’s true! Thandiwe couldn’t just leave me just like that, we were a perfect match. She was my all, my soulmate, the one that completed my life!” Fungani replied angry.
“Ulaka alukaze luncedise kwanto, kuphela kuzokwenza umoya waloyo thandiweyo wakho oswelekileyo ungabi nokuthula nalapho acimele khona. Kalokhu awusiyo indoda na wena? Kumele uzisukumele, ufumane omunye umntu owasebukhosini ozokwazi uk’ba akuncedise abe nalento abazali bakho bazo yivuyela.” Qaphela encouraged.
“And I guess that’s the precious Qaphela, always there to help me out.” Fungani said rudely.
“Kanti akunjalo na wethu, injongo yami wukuthi ndifumane injabulo , ayi ukuba ndizifake kumntu ongandithandi kakuhle. Angeke ngakwazi ukuvala eso sikhala sika Thandiwe empilweni yakho,futhi kandi zami nakancinci.” Qaphela said.
*****
“Mind where you are going princess, I’m pretty sure you won’t want to wake the pit bulls of the house.” Fungani whispered, and a cautious laughter of a lady followed in a burst.
Fungani was very careful when closing the door from inside. He didn’t want to wake anyone in the house. Even his turn was of caution as he didn’t want to make any footstep sounds.
“Kwenzakalani na Fungani kuwe! Ukhuluma noba ebsuku!” Mr Mjoli said switching on the light.
“Am I supposed to discuss my personal phone calls to you now?” Fungani argued.
“Kutheni pho na ngizwa uhleko lomuntu wesimame pho lapha endlin. Ngubani lona obumcashisileyo lapha endlini waze wamkhupha ngomnyango?”
“You are hearing things now dad, just cut it off you’re freaking me out!” Fungani said.
“Angisona isilima mina Fungani, ungbheke kahle ngiyayazi into engiyizwile. Uyakhohlwa yini ukuthi mina ngilala ngibhekile! Kungani pho waswenka ngokuhlwa engathi khona la ubusiya khona?” Mr Mjoli questioned.
“Uxolo kalokhu tata ukuk’vusa ulele. Mina no Fungani besike saphuma ngenkati nilele, siyaxolisa ukubuya ngokuhlwa,” Qaphela rescued the conflict amongst the two, she showed up from her room well dressed in her Sunday’s best just to cover up for Fungani.
“Ngini’bhekile!” Mr Mjoli said struggling to pull up his face, because of amazement, and went back to his room.
“Thanks for the rescue, I didn’t know you had good brains.” Fungani teased.
“Yewena andisona isdenge mna. Ukuba andivelanga ngabe sikhuluma indaba yokuthi kuphele nya ngawe kusihlwa nje!” Qaphela said.
“I know you couldn’t have done better, no one in his good brains would honestly believe I would go out with anyone dressed like you! Is that a dress or a costume?” Fungani teased and went to his room.
“Kunjalo ke ukunceda isbhanxa senkwenkwe!” Qaphela replied annoyed also heading to her room.
*****
“You belonged to me, fooor just one niiight, as we slept the night away!” Fungani sang.
“Wakhwaza ekuseni kangaka kalokhu!” Qaphela said, staring at Fungani who was looking all jubilant in the morning.
“Let just say ngimtholile engimthandayo!” He sang once more in jubilation. “I found her just the way I found my angel Thandiwe, online dating.” Fungani bragged.
“Kalokhu wena uma unganangxaki nokuthandana nomuntu ongamiziyo, pho kutheni unganditshati?”
“Ayi kalukho inhloso yami akusiyona ukukhupha uThandiwe enhlizweni yami, andikaze ndizame futhi andikaze ndizame nakancinci, remember your words?” Fungani said. “I also say the same now, the problem is not marrying someone I don’t know but it’s marrying a Xhosa girl I do not love. Besides, Thandeka is from the Swazi Royal family and her father is a politician. Aren’t you the one who advised that I should find another person from the Royal family to marry, and you said it yourself that it’s not you?”
Qaphela felt pain stabbing her heart when she realised that Fungani had once again misunderstood her words. She was only trying to make Fungani understand that she does not want to fill up Thandiwe’s place in his heart, but only wanted to show him that she cannot pretend to be someone else. She wanted Fungani to love her the way that she is.
*****
“Hey wena uyaphi?” Fungani said.
“Ndiyahamba!” Qaphela said carrying her bags.
“Where are you going, you think you can just leave as you please, is this your house?” Fungani shouted.
“Ewe kalokhu ndiyazi uk’ba akusiwo umuzi wami lona, futhi asoze nditshade nawe apha, ingakho ndithatha imthwalo yami ndiphindela ekhaya ngoba into ebendiyizele apha ayisekho. Ngisuke emakhaya ngaza apha ngoba nginethemba lokuthola uthando kumuntu ebengicinga ukuba unenqqondo kanti akunjalo. Sala naleyo ntombazana yakho oyitholileyo ndiyathemba ukuba ukudibana naye kuzakujabulisa abazali bakho. Ubachazele nokuthi ndihambele ntoni apha!” Qaphela said and left.
*****
Tell us: Should Qaphela have gone instead of staying and fighting for her arranged marriage? What do you think his father will say?