He sat alone in his study, drinking alcohol. He had to choose: sacrifice wealth or his son, his only child.

“Maybe after this one, Master will let us keep the next child we will conceive,” he said, lying to himself. He stood up and went to their bedroom.

“Where’s my son?” Dlangamandla asked his wife, when he found her cooking in the kitchen.

“Playing upstairs,” she replied.

He nodded slowly. “I’ll go say hi to him,” he said.

“OK. Dinner will be ready in five minutes,” she smiled at him.

He kissed her, and then went upstairs. They came back downstairs.

“Oh baby, I forgot mushrooms, can you go and buy them for me?” Lindiwe asked, just as she was about to serve food.

“OK. You want to come with me, boy?” her husband said to their son. Nkosana nodded, slipping on his jersey, and ran out to the car.

****

They were halfway to the supermarket when Dlangamandla took another turn.

“Where are we going, Daddy?” Nkosana asked, looking at his dad.

“Somewhere special.” Dlangamandla tried to keep tears from falling.

“But Mommy sent us to go buy mushrooms,” the little boy said.

“I know. But, this is our time as boys to bond a bit, without Mommy,” he lied.

The boy got excited. “Are we going to do something fun?” he asked.

“Something that will change our lives forever,” Dlangamandla replied, focusing on the road. He turned to a big old abandoned building.

“What’re we doing here?” Nkosana asked, as his father stopped the car.

“Come with me,” his dad said.

“No. I’m scared.” The boy had tears in his eyes.

“I’m your father. I’d never harm you,” he said.

The boy stepped out the car.

“Sit down, son,” Dlangamandla told his son, as they walked into the building. Nkosana sat on the dirty looking sofa.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too, Daddy. Why are we here?” Nkosana asked looking around.

“I’m sorry, son,” he said.

The snake appeared. It quickly took the form of an old man with grey hair and eyebrows. He looked very frail, with almost all his teeth missing.

Nkosana started to cry. “Daddy! Let’s go home!” he screamed.

“I’ve brought him,” Dlangamandla said, holding his son firmly.

“I see,” the old man said, swinging up his hand that carried a machete. Dlangamandla closed his eyes as he heard his son’s last scream. When he opened his eyes, his son’s head was disconnected from his body. There was a pool of blood.

“You may leave. I’ll take care of this,” the old man said.

“My son,” Dlangamandla cried, kneeling down and hugging his son’s headless body.

“Leave at once!” the old man said, taking out the tongue from the boy’s face. Dlangamandla left. He had blood on his shirt and jeans.

***

He walked into his house. Lindiwe was seated on the sofa, her phone in her hands.

“I’ve been trying to call you! What took you so long, Dlangamandla?” she shouted, the moment he walked in.

He kept quiet, standing at the door.

Lindiwe stood up. “Where’s Nkosana?” she asked, walking closer.

He looked down, tears in his eyes.

She noticed the blood on his clothes, his hands, and the tears on the face. “Zibokwakhe! Where’s my son?” she cried.

“I’m sorry,” he came closer to her.

“What did you do? What did you do, Zibokwakhe?” she cried, beating her fists on his chest.

“I had to do this! For us! Do you want to lose all we’ve worked for?” he shouted, his voice tear-soaked.

Lindiwe fell to the floor, weeping until she couldn’t cry any more.

***

Tell us: Why do think the snake wants human flesh?