Four paramedics arrived. Two checked Lulu and the others Thateho. Shame, poor things! They couldn’t bring themselves to tell me that little Thato was no more.

You don’t need to see the kind of show I put on that day! I jumped up and down in disbelief: “Noooooooooo! Thato! Baby, no you CAN’T leave me. You can’t leave mmane! Thato wake up! Wake up my baby!” I screamed, trying to hold her.

The paramedics removed me from the bed, asking me to step aside while they waited for the police. Lulama was placed on a stretcher and that was the moment Katlego walked in.

“What is going on here? Mantoa, what is it? No! Who is that covered with a cloth? Who is that? Where is Thateho?”

“She… Lulu… she killed her first before she attempted killing herself. Thateho… is no more…” I said faking tears.

It was heart-breaking, I have to admit. I had never seen anyone in so much pain. He knelt down on his knees and carried his little girl in his arms as if crying would bring her back. Well she was not coming back, and if he had treated me with dignity and given me the love I deserved, none of this would have happened. If that witch woke up from all this, it would just have to be her word against mine.

After everyone had cleared up, Katlego sat in the sitting room all by himself, the poor thing. He hadn’t stopped crying ever since he found out about Thateho. He had left with the hearse and still come back with tears in his eyes. Suddenly I felt a little remorse. Maybe killing Thateho was a little extreme, but he was the one who forced me to do all those horrible things. I mean, I’m also a human being. You don’t get to hold me all night and call me sweet names and then change your mind tomorrow. All I ever wanted was for him to love me. Is that asking too much?

I went to sit with him in the sitting room, but then I knew I had to play my cards right. I had to be as far away from him as possible so that he didn’t suspect anything. I knew there was going to be plenty of time when he would need someone to comfort him and I would be right next to him to give him all the comfort in the world.

“I heard you two argue, but I thought… I just thought it would blow over just like it always did,” I said with a soft voice.

“How can someone kill their own child? A three-month old baby, just to spite another person? If she wanted to die, why didn’t she kill herself and… just… leave my baby alone. How do I go on without my little princess? How do I…” He started weeping again and that time I found it hard to contain myself. The reality of what I had done hit me hard, but why should I complain when everything was working in my favour?

“It is well, she is an angel now and she will guide all of us, and…. How is Lulama?”

“I don’t care Mantoa, I don’t give a damn. She is as good as dead to me! Don’t you ever, ever mention that name in my presence again! You know what? Just leave me alone. I need to be left alone.” He said between sobs.

It was a great pleasure to leave him alone, after finding out that Lulama was as good as dead to him. It was a great feeling to know that my plan to separate them had worked wonderfully so all that was left was to plan how to make him love me, make him need me, just as he did the other night.

It was such a busy week. People started pouring in for Thateho’s funeral arrangements. You can imagine the kind of joy in my heart when I eavesdropped on family members discussing the Lulama saga: “I have always asked myself what my son saw in that girl! She is nothing but a selfish spoilt brat! Can you imagine she has never allowed me to come see my granddaughter? And today she is gone… Oh nkosi yam, she killed my granddaughter!”

No one ever suspected foul play. Everyone seemed to believe she did it all by herself. No one stood up for her or gave her credit. Shame, you know a stinky attitude never helps because people will always think the worst of you.

On Thursday morning while I prepared tea for the elders, Lulama’s mother came into the kitchen and she was as serious as death itself.

“Dumela Mantoa, ke hloka go bolela le wena…”

“Eya mama re ka dula fase ra bolela,” I responded humbly.

“Mmmh! Look at how humbled you are right now, so humble, so human. I was called to hospital last night; Lulama has awoken from her coma…”

“Oh, that is great news! Pity the police are guarding her, or she would be coming here to bury her daughter.”

“Mhm, you really played this thing right ne? Lulama told me she had no intention of committing suicide! My daughter was shocked to even find out about her daughter’s death.”

“I don’t see how that concerns me, mam?”

“Sesi we, Sesi! Don’t play dumb with me. I know that you are behind all this. All you maids are snakes. You came here begging and my daughter let you into her house and this is how you repay her?” she shouted.

Thank God Katlego arrived in time to defend me.

“Mrs Mabitsela, I think I made it clear that I don’t want any mention of your daughter in my house. Please calm down or take your things and leave.”

“Katlego, ngwanaka, don’t believe all these lies. Lulu loved her daughter you know that, she would never do such a thing. She… How come she doesn’t remember any….”

“I said I don’t ever want to hear that name in my house! Your daughter will rot in Hell. She will rot for what she did to my daughter. I don’t ever… I don’t ever want to see her, ever again in my entire life because if I do, I’ll squeeze the life out of her just like she did with my daughter!” he said with tears rolling down his cheeks.

***

Tell us: What do you think made Lulama’s mother think that Mantoa was the culprit?