“Ay suka Sabelo! You have no manners,” says MaNkosi, taking her seat.
Sabelo notices how his father is looking at Leko, disgust written all over his face.
“Where is the makoti we are waiting for, Sabelo?” asks Mr Nkosi, his eyes still fixed on Leko.
“Ask him, baba! We have been waiting to see her for a while now, is she afraid to come in? Tell her not to be silly, we don’t bite!” adds MaNkosi, with a smile of anticipation on her face.
Sabelo looks at Leko, who is now melting under Mr Nkosi’s piercing stare.
“Ma, baba, and our guests, I am glad we are all here today, I’ve missed you all. This is indeed a special occassion. Judging by the aroma filling this house, it tells me that you guys went out of your way to welcome us. Thank you,” says Sabelo, with a warm smile.
“Sabelo, spare us the formalities! We want to see our makoti!” says an over-excited MaNkosi.
“Ma! Let me finish, please!”
“Yes, MaNkosi, let him finish, you are wasting valuable time. Plus the food is getting cold,” says Mr Nkosi.
Everyone laughs, except Mr Nkosi and Leko.
“OK, OK, ma. Let me not keep you guys in suspense. This gentleman sitting next to me is Leko Mahlambi. We are both at law school. He is my partner.”
Heavy silence takes over the house. There is shock and confusion on MaNkosi’s face. MaZulu and MaShange exchange puzzled looks. Mr Nkosi’s face turns pitch black.
“By your partner, what exactly do you mean, Sabelo?” asks Mr Nkosi, his attention now on his son.
“Do you mean like he is your partner at school?” MaNkosi jumps in, before Sabelo can answer his father.
“Ma, Baba. There is no makoti. I am gay, Leko is my…”
Before Sabelo can finish his sentence, Mr Nkosi leaps up furiously.
“I will go to my bedroom, if I come back and you are still inside my house with this son of the devil, I will kill you both!” says Mr Nkosi, making his way towards his bedroom in haste.
“Baba, let me explain!” Sabelo tries to plead with his father, who disappears into the bedroom like a ball of lightning.
“Sabelo, is this some kind of a joke, my son? Tell me you are just joking before your father comes back! You know how he is.”
“Ma, I am not joking. Leko is my partner, we are planning to get married soon.”
Leko is the first to see Mr Nkosi returning with a knobkerrie in his right hand. He runs for the door. Sabelo tries to speak, but Mr Nkosi strikes with his knobkerrie, missing Sabelo’s head by an inch. He strikes the table and everything falls down.
MaShange and MaZulu start screaming, they follow Leko towards the door.
“Baba, wait! Don’t kill our son!” MaNkosi tries to stop her husband.
Mr Nkosi is now a man possessed. He pushes his wife aside and goes after Sabelo.
“Let me kill this dog! He is not my son. I don’t have a gay son,” he says, as he lifts his heavy weapon to strike another blow.
A chair behind Sabelo trips him, and he falls down on his back.
“Baba, let me explain…”
Before he can finish his sentence, Mr Nkosi’s knobkerrie lands on his head. He goes quiet, not moving.
“Baba…you hav…you ha…you killed him,” says MaNkosi, struggling to breathe, her hands clutching her chest. She tries to speak; her eyes are now wide open as if they will pop out. She falls down, her body shaking violently.
Mr Nkosi doesn’t see her. He runs after Leko.
***
Tell us: Why do you think it’s hard for parents to accept their gay children?