Early in the morning before the sunrise, pains of my leg slap my mind to wake up. I tried to rise but different parts of my body felt separated. My head on the north was heavier, my legs on the south couldn’t stare at each other because the left leg had a scary scar of a cut, and the right one was tired of balancing the other. I felt as though thousands of bricks were placed on my chest, and I was tired of crying.

“I will give you umuthi again,” said my mother while brushing my hair. “It will numb your pains.”

“Mama,” I looked at her. “How do you see when I’m in danger?”

“It’s a gift my child, plus, I gave birth to you, it might take time for me to see where you are but I can sense whenever you’re in danger, and you’ll always faint when I send my spirits to fetch you.”

“I want to revenge mama, how can I live with this huge scar? They need to pay,” I said while breathing heavily.

“Your leg will heal, but your scar,” she pushed her tears back. “Will take time to recover, you need to learn to embrace it, I was not born like this either, I had stroke and I learnt embraced the person I became.”

A smoke distracted our conversation out of the wedlock.

“This must be Mthakathi.”

“Mama!” my chest ran quick to my gullet. “I don’t want to die!”

“Relax, she’s nothing to me.”

My mother limped quickly to her magical spear and started talking in tongues.

“Now I came to finish you,” said gogo Mthakathi before me.

“Isn’t want you done enough?”

“Hahahaha my God!” that was my mother laughing from her back.

Umuthi: Traditional medicine.

Gogo Mthakathi yawned and coughed out two marbles from her mouth, red and black. “Let the war begin!” she said. It became dark in the shack . “The black one means death, I’m sending your mother to six feet underground,” she laughed arrogantly, “The red one is very special, it’s the one that will help me turn you into a zombie!”

“You’re dreaming!” my mother shouted.

“It’s now my time Maria!”

I froze in shock, I wondered how she knew my mother’s name. “Truly she’s powerful,” I said to myself. “Only if you can protect my mother God, I swear I will obey everything she says,” that was my prayer on the matte.”

The shack became light again. I threw my eyes to different sides and I saw my mother standing firm pointing gogo Mthakathi with her spear, and that time it was hard because she also stood firmly. My mother’s prayers disappeared out of nowhere, and she started shivering. Gogo Mthakathi threw the black marble on her and shouted. “Die! Die! Die Maria! Follow your parents!”

“Oh no!” I tried to rise but pain glued me inside my blankets. “Please don’t kill my mother,” I begged with all my heart.”

“I’m finishing you today,” she said and took out the red marble. I was very sure I lost my mother that time. She froze extremely, you would swear that she was struck by a lightning, and her beloved spear went silent.

“Stop!” 

A voice came out of nowhere. I sent my eyes everywhere but nothing appeared on my sight.

Puzzled, Gogo Mthakathi shouted. “Thembeka!” 

“It’s you who’s going to depart the world!”

Gogo Mthakathi’s eyes widened, “Please my granddaughter! Let’s talk!” she pretended to laugh. 

After a moment, my mother moved, she stretched her arms and unexpectedly a lightning struck gogo Mthakathi.

 “Oh!” Gogo Mthakathi screamed and her head busted in our shack.

“Rest in tears gogo,” Thcmbeka’s voice spoke. “We’ll meet in hell!”

***

Few weeks went by, my mother cleansed the shack and we felt free after some while. I cannot lie that I didn’t miss Thembeka, I missed her everyday and every second. I realized that I lost a true friend that was only brainwashed. Not all friends can protect you in their death, but Thembeka did, and came as a fearless ghost to rescue me and my mother when her grandmother was about to finish us. I will never let my anger control me again. I now make peace that my mother is crippled, and I will embrace my scar on my leg forever.

Rest in peace Thembeka Mazola, I wish you can head to heaven, I’m no longer Queen Boss. My mother named me Harmony and I will represent my name as an honor to your memory.

Early in the morning before the sunrise, pains of my leg slap my mind to wake up. I tried to rise but different parts of my body felt separated. My head on the north was heavier, my legs on the south couldn’t stare at each other because the left leg had a scary scar of a cut, and the right one was tired of balancing the other. I felt as though thousands of bricks were placed on my chest, and I was tired of crying.

“I will give you umuthi again,” said my mother while brushing my hair. “It will numb your pains.”

“Mama,” I looked at her. “How do you see when I’m in danger?”

“It’s a gift my child, plus, I gave birth to you, it might take time for me to see where you are but I can sense whenever you’re in danger, and you’ll always faint when I send my spirits to fetch you.”

“I want to revenge mama, how can I live with this huge scar? They need to pay,” I said while breathing heavily.

“Your leg will heal, but your scar,” she pushed her tears back. “Will take time to recover, you need to learn to embrace it, I was not born like this either, I had stroke and I learnt embraced the person I became.”

A smoke distracted our conversation out of the wedlock.

“This must be Mthakathi.”

“Mama!” my chest ran quick to my gullet. “I don’t want to die!”

“Relax, she’s nothing to me.”

My mother limped quickly to her magical spear and started talking in tongues.

“Now I came to finish you,” said gogo Mthakathi before me.

“Isn’t want you done enough?”

“Hahahaha my God!” that was my mother laughing from her back.

Gogo Mthakathi yawned and coughed out two marbles from her mouth, red and black. “Let the war begin!” she said. It became dark in the shack . “The black one means death, I’m sending your mother to six feet underground,” she laughed arrogantly, “The red one is very special, it’s the one that will help me turn you into a zombie!”

“You’re dreaming!” my mother shouted.

“It’s now my time Maria!”

I froze in shock, I wondered how she knew my mother’s name. “Truly she’s powerful,” I said to myself. “Only if you can protect my mother God, I swear I will obey everything she says,” that was my prayer on the matte.”

The shack became light again. I threw my eyes to different sides and I saw my mother standing firm pointing gogo Mthakathi with her spear, and that time it was hard because she also stood firmly. My mother’s prayers disappeared out of nowhere, and she started shivering. Gogo Mthakathi threw the black marble on her and shouted. “Die! Die! Die Maria! Follow your parents!”

“Oh no!” I tried to rise but pain glued me inside my blankets. “Please don’t kill my mother,” I begged with all my heart.”

“I’m finishing you today,” she said and took out the red marble. I was very sure I lost my mother that time. She froze extremely, you would swear that she was struck by a lightning, and her beloved spear went silent.

“Stop!” 

A voice came out of nowhere. I sent my eyes everywhere but nothing appeared on my sight.

Puzzled, Gogo Mthakathi shouted. “Thembeka!” 

“It’s you who’s going to depart the world!”

Gogo Mthakathi’s eyes widened, “Please my granddaughter! Let’s talk!” she pretended to laugh. 

After a moment, my mother moved, she stretched her arms and unexpectedly a lightning struck gogo Mthakathi.

 “Oh!” Gogo Mthakathi screamed and her head busted in our shack.

“Rest in tears gogo,” Thcmbeka’s voice spoke. “We’ll meet in hell!”

***

Few weeks went by, my mother cleansed the shack and we felt free after some while. I cannot lie that I didn’t miss Thembeka, I missed her everyday and every second. I realized that I lost a true friend that was only brainwashed. Not all friends can protect you in their death, but Thembeka did, and came as a fearless ghost to rescue me and my mother when her grandmother was about to finish us. I will never let my anger control me again. I now make peace that my mother is crippled, and I will embrace the scar on my leg forever.

Rest in peace Thembeka Mazola, I wish you can head to heaven, I’m no longer Queen Boss. My mother named me Harmony and I will represent my name as an honor to your memory.

THE END!