Two weeks later, Mayibenathi has been buried. Their house burnt down. The snake put it on fire, killing Mayibenathi and salvaging Nomathemba.
Dlangamandla has bought them a new home. Bigger and better than the previous one. But all these riches and luxuries do not numb the pain of losing a child.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nomathemba asks
“Tell you what?”
“That you’re a ritualist.”
“Would you have married me then? The master promised that Nkosananwas the last human sacrifice. He lied to me again.” Dlangamandla cries all over again.
“Mayibenathi was so young. She had a whole bright future ahead of her.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for allowing this to happen to our kid, baby.”
***
The snake slept with Nomathemba every night, that’s why it kept her alive. Nomathemba felt dirty and painful all over, everytime this snake was done with her.
Eventually, she started getting depressed more and more. She started hallucinating, seeing Mayibenathi, Nkosana and the four other kids, telling her to run and never look back.
Eventually, Dlangamandla had to have her admitted at the same asylum, his first wife was at.
“I saw them last night.” Lindiwe says
“Me too, they visited me too. They looked at peace, playing.” Nomathemba replies, smiling.
They sit together on the bench, wearing white uniforms, watching ducks swim on the nearby lake.
A guard nearby, reads the daily newspaper. Front page news
“ZIBOKWAKHE DLANGAMANDLA, SOUTH AFRICA’S BILLIONAIRE WEDS AGAIN! THIS TIME, TO A STUNNING 23 YEAR OLD MODEL. SHE’S ALREADY CARRYING HIS PRECIOUS CARGO IT SEEMS”.