Chapter Seven

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Princess Kayise. Happy birthday to you. Hip, hip, hooray!

We all clap and cheer as we watch my 1-year-old attempt to blow out a candle. The same candle that I eventually blow out for her because, otherwise, we’d be here until she turns 5. Her birthday is actually later in the week, on Wednesday, but we’re celebrating on a Saturday so that my family could come over. Nonhle is a first year dentistry student now, also at Wits. And now Nkosana has to share the flat with her. But then again, he is in his final year of studies so soon she’ll have the flat to herself. Lucky fish. Most people would say it’s a bit over-the-top to throw a whole dinner party for a 1-year-old but most people aren’t Queens so, that debate is closed.

“Oh, guys, we’re going to leave now. It’s getting late and we’ve partied quite enough.” My dad says, putting his whiskey glass on the table. They insisted on living at the lodge this time, said the palace was a bit much for them. Nonhle wants to protest but she doesn’t really have a say. Neither does Nkosana and that’s mainly because we didn’t prepare the spare rooms for them.

“Can I at least kiss my niece goodnight?” Nonhle asks and I laugh at her.

“You already kissed her before I took her to bed. Let the child sleep, you’ll see her tomorrow.”

She pulls a face but I gently push her in the direction of the door and towards the car, where the parents are saying their goodbyes.

“Drive safely, okay?” I say, giving each of them a hug. We all return into the palace once the cars have driven off.

“Well, today was something else. I have never seen a 1-year-old perform so much.” Sbu’s dad says fondly.

“She is the daughter of an actress, after all.” I say as dramatically as I can manage. It is true, Kayise was lapping up all of the attention today. Singing, dancing, entertaining. She truly was the life of the party. We’re sitting in the living room when Sbu gets up to pour himself a glass of whiskey. I like it when he drinks a little before bed, it makes him adventurous.

“Oh, parents, while you’re here there’s something I want to tell you.” He announces casually as he returns to his seat. I wonder what his big news are because he hasn’t said anything to me.

“Out with it, come on.” His mother urges.

“I have fallen in love with a princess and I think marrying her will be great for expanding Emabomvini territory.” He says casually and I choke on my own saliva. What the hell did he just say? His mother’s eyes quickly dart in my direction, as if she’s waiting to see my reaction.

“When were you going to ask me, Sbu?” I ask him when my voice eventually returns.

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?” he says, oh-so-smug.

“I won’t allow it.” I say.

“You won’t allow it? Ntando, I’m a King and you’re a commoner. I was always going to marry royalty. Besides, you grew up in a messy family, you should embrace polygamy.” He says and I feel my body shake. I am at a loss for words.

“He’s not wrong…” his mother pipes in and I wish I could just slap her stupid face. Instead, I just get up and march to our bedroom.

“You need to take control over your marriage.” I hear his father say as I walk away.

There goes a perfectly beautiful night. Sbu always knows how to ruin my mood, how to make me feel worthless. I’m pacing up and down in my bedroom, thinking about what a fool I’ve been letting this village idiot into my life. This is probably how Mamkhulu felt when my mom came into the picture… or maybe she was more open to the idea. How could Sbu embarrass me like that? A few minutes later, the bedroom door bursts open and he storms in. I am so ready to give him several pieces of my mind but before I can get a word in, the back of his hand flies across my cheek in a swift motion, causing me to topple across the room. I look up at him in disbelief, hand on my cheek to numb the pain.

“Sibusiso…” I gasp. He walks towards me until he’s towering over me.

“Don’t you dare ever embarrass me in front of my parents like that.” he says in a sort of growl.

“Sibusiso, you hit me…” I am still more shocked than anything but it seems that my talking is sending him into overdrive. He immediately grabs me by my throat and presses me against the wall. I’m struggling to breathe right now and all I can see is the devil in his eyes. Excuse me, but shouldn’t I be upset right now? So, why am I being battered?

“You’re… choking me…” I gasp, tears running down my face.

“I am your King and you will respect me as such. Do you understand?” the growl has turned into an ominous whisper. I don’t say anything.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” he barks and I immediately nod my head – to the best of my ability, while being held in choke-hold – in agreement. Once he’s satisfied that his point has been made, he lets go of my neck, causing me to drop to the carpeted floor and leaving me to gasp for air and fight back the tears. He storms out of the bedroom. So, this is what has become of me. I’m sitting cross-legged on a carpet, crying my lungs out because my husband has just physically abused me. I’m still the Queen, though… nobody said Queens have perfect marriages…

*****

He didn’t come to bed last night. Luckily, I’m dark skinned so that slap didn’t leave a mark. Neither did the choking but my neck still hurts. My family is heading back to Johannesburg today and I have made the decision to go back with them. I will not stand for abuse. Not in this day and age. It’s 2041, for goodness sake, and I’m only 20 years old. So, I woke up at 4:30am, took a bath and started packing for myself and for Kayise. She woke up at 6 and I fed her before bathing her and preparing her for our journey. I then texted Nkosana to let him know that we were tagging along. Sibusiso only came into the bedroom just after 8am, walked right past me and into the bathroom. Good because I don’t want to talk to him either. He didn’t ask me about the packed suitcases. He didn’t ask whether I’m taking Kayise with me or not. He didn’t say a word. He just took a shower, got dressed and left again. This entire family is psychotic – and by entire family, I mean Sbu and his parents. They were all smiles and giggles when I left with my family, pretending to know that I had planned to leave. They could kill me, bury my body on one of their farms and help my family search for me. What did I get myself into? Girls, when your parents tell you to stay away from boys, listen to them. I wish I had. I slept during the drive to the airport, during the flight and immediately when we got home. My mother and Mamkhulu were more than happy to look after Kayise while I rested. Nobody has asked me why I decided to come to Jo’burg. They all assume I needed a break from the village. From being a Queen. I will not let anybody know that I have become a statistic. A victim. It is not who I am.

“You know, oversleeping is a sign of depression.” Nonhle says when I eventually wake up and join her and Nkosana in the living room. I see the Zwane portion of the family did not return to Bedfordview – all thanks to Kayise, I presume.

“I thought you were a dentist, not a psychologist.” I say and she pulls a face. “Where are the parents?”

“Sleeping.” Nkosana says. “It’s after 10, they’re not young enough to stay up all night anymore.”

I reach for the remote and channel surf. I haven’t been watching much TV while I was in the village, I’ve been so busy with the baby and my royal duties. And my husband has been very loving until recently. I stop on M-net and stare at the screen for a while. It’s Thuto.

“Haibo, when did this happen?” I ask Nkosana, who eventually looks up from his phone and at the TV.

“Oh, you didn’t know he landed a role on a soapie? It’s a pretty sweet deal, he’s kind of famous now.” He says. I smile.

“I’m so proud of him. I must call him.” I say as I immediately reach for my phone. S comes before T and I can feel my body get tense as I scroll past Sbu’s contact details. The phone rings about four times before he picks up.

“Your Highness, what a lovely surprise.” He says. I can hear him smiling, if that makes any sense.

“Hey, Mr Big Shot Actor. How are you?” I say and he laughs.

“Oh, it’s not that big. I’m good, very happy to hear from you.”

“Listen, I’m in Jo’burg for a while. How about I take you out for drinks to celebrate your success?” I ask.

“I’d love that. My last class ends at 12 tomorrow, how about we meet up after that?”

“3 o’clock?”

“Perfect. I look forward to seeing you.” He says before we say our goodbyes and hang up. Finally, something to be excited about. I’ll have to ask my mom to look after Kayise again, not that she’d mind. Besides, Aunt Violet is still around. Nonhle heads for bed, saying that she’s tired and has a long day tomorrow. Nkosana waits for her to disappear before coming to sit next to me.

“What’s the deal?” he asks.

“What deal?” my eyes are wide with confusion.

“Stop it. Why did you suddenly decide to come to Jo’burg? What is the problem?”

I hate that Nkosana knows me so well but I cannot let him think that I am weak. I cannot let him meddle in my affairs.

“I just missed you guys, that’s all. And I missed being in Jo’burg. The whole vibe, everything.” I say but by the time I finish my sentence, I feel a stray tear run gracefully down my cheek and Nkosana immediately turns pink. He cradles me in his arms and brushes my hair.

“What’s really going on, Ntando? You can tell me.” he says when I eventually stop crying.

“He… he hit me.” I whisper, almost to make sure nobody else in the house hears this. I see the veins on Nkosana’s forehead throbbing, his face has hardened.

“When?” he asks, almost growling like Sbu.

“Last night… he slapped me and then he choked me… said I was embarrassing him, that I was disrespectful.” I say and for some reason, I sound like I’m trying to justify why he did it.

“It doesn’t matter what you did, he doesn’t get to lay a finger on you. Why didn’t you lay a charge on him?” he asks.

“I can’t… he’s my husband, he was just upset.” I say, voice shaking.

“Bullshit! Has your father ever hit you?” he asks me and I shake my head. “Then why would you allow some lowlife to have that much power over you? Are you his property? I must have a word with that bastard.” He says, now he’s pacing up and down the living room.

“Nkosana please…” more tears…

“Why are you protecting him?” he’s totally frustrated now.

“Please… I’ll fix this myself.” I say, wiping away the tears. He seems to calm down. He returns to the couch and pulls me in for a tight hug.

“I’m going to trust you just this once… but if I find out that he hit you again, I will kill him.” He whispers in my ear. I know Nkosana has never killed anyone – or possibly even threatened to do so – but I know that he means it. And I appreciate it.

*****

I am woken up by Kayise pulling my nose. Her face lights up immediately when I open my eyes.

“Good morning, baby.” I say as I plant a kiss on her forehead. She’s screaming in some or other baby language, making conversation, while I bath her. Nkosana and Nonhle had already left by the time we woke up, so had Mamkhulu, Bab’omncane and my dad. I spent most of the day binge-watching Thuto’s soapie – Attractions – and telling my mom and Mamkhulu Violet all about the things and people I’ve encountered while serving as Queen. Some of the stories are ridiculous, like the one about the man who came to ask me for a week off from the farm because he got stung by a bee. Others are sad, like the one about the girl who was gang-raped and her family kicked her out because she fell pregnant. I was shocked to find out that even in tight-knit communities like Emabomvini, rape and brutality are still a reality for many people. I have become one of those people. I let that girl move into one of the spare cottages on palace premises until a home was built for her. I then ensured that she had everything she needed – groceries, clothing, toiletries and baby-care products once the baby was born. She braids my hair from time to time for a little extra cash. By 2:30pm I was already dressed and ready to go out, much to my mother’s disapproval. Not that she didn’t want me to go out, she just wanted to spend more time with me. But I assured her that I’d be home the entire week and she then focused all of her attention on Kayise – who loves attention, by the way. Apparently, she’s like me on steroids. I don’t see it.

Thuto and I agreed that we’d meet up at Delicioso for lunch and drinks, on me, of course. He looks gorgeous even though he’s just wearing a black, short-sleeved t-shirt and black jeans. I get up to hug him as he arrives, consciously pulling my miniskirt down because I’m so used to being the Queen and wearing long skirts and dresses. He hugs me tight, his hand just above my butt.

“Look at you, co-ordinating with me.” he says, twirling me around. I’m wearing a black tank top with a black denim skirt – we’re in sync, it would seem. “Looking good.”

I giggle. Since when do I giggle? We take our seats and the waitress comes over.

“Welcome to Delicioso, can I get you anything to drink?” she asks.

“Passionfruit and lemonade, please.” Thuto says.

“Make that two and keep them coming.” I say with a smile. The waitress leaves.

“It’s so good to see you, Ntando. How are you?” he asks.

“Oh no, today is not about me. It’s about you. Congratulations on your new role. I’m proud of you.” I say and he blushes. Oh, Thuto and his beautiful face.

“It means a lot coming from you.”

The drinks come and soon after, so does the food. We’re talking about everything and anything. He’s gushed over pictures and videos of Kayise and I’ve gushed over his stories about what it’s like to act on a soapie. He’s got a recurring role, his name is even in the title sequence – it’s a big deal. Before we know it, several passionfruit and lemonades later, we’ve been here for four hours. I get a text. It’s from Muzi:

Hey Ntando, I don’t know if you’re aware… but Sbu has just brought another woman here. My parents are gushing over her, apparently she’s a princess. She’s sleeping in your bed, tonight – just thought I should let you know.

No wonder they were more than happy to let me leave, so that whore they call a son could bring his floozy into my palace. Yes, it’s mine – I’m the Queen.

“We should probably get going. We’ve been here for a while.” He says, looking at his watch.

“Do you have to be somewhere tomorrow morning?” I ask and he pauses for a moment to think.

“I have to be on set by 9, shoot starts at 10. Why?”

“Come with me, then.”

“Where to?”

I convince him to just trust me as I request an Uber that’ll take us to one of Mamkhulu’s hotels. No, do not judge me. When he realises where we are, he seems like he’s panicking but he keeps his cool until we’ve checked in and we’re in the privacy of our own suite.

“Ntando… why are we here?” he asks, cautiously. I’m standing on the balcony, admiring the Johannesburg skyline. It’s very beautiful at night, you know.

“We could run lines together… I don’t mind helping you prepare for tomorrow’s shoot.” I say. It’s absolute rubbish because he obviously didn’t bring his script. I’m staring into the distance with my back turned to him. He’s quiet for a moment but I can hear his footsteps. He’s coming closer to me. Soon, I feel his hands on my waist and he stands close enough for his body to be against mine.

“Do you remember the lines from our performance last year?” he whispers in my ear before gently biting it. Oh boy, I’m in for it tonight.

“Well, Isaac, what happens now that we’ve had that drink?” I ask, also in a whisper.

“I still need you…” he whispers again before gently kissing my neck while he caresses my body. I turn around to face him. He looks troubled – like he’s arguing with himself internally.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him.

“You’re married… yet here we are…” he says. I take a deep breath and gently remove his hands from my waist. Just as I’m about to walk back into the room, he takes hold of my arms and spins be around so that I’m facing him again.

“Tonight, Ntando, I’m going to show you that you married the wrong guy.” He says and my heart skips a beat. There’s something about the way he speaks, the way he touches me that just drives me insane. I’m looking straight in his eyes, they tell a tale of passion and desire. He starts walking towards me, causing me to walk backwards… backwards… backwards… until I fall onto the bed – our eyes still locked on each other. He turns around suddenly and closes the sliding door that leads to the balcony then comes back to his position at the edge of the bed. He looks at me, his eyes gliding slowly but intently from my head to my toes. I’m so glad I’ve been working out and eating right, imagine being in this position with Thuto with all that baby fat. He licks his lower lip in that way that riles me up.

“You sure?” he asks. He’s such a gentleman and that’s even more of a turn on. I nod my head, looking up at him with pleading eyes, biting my lip. He kisses me slowly – the most passionate kiss I have ever experienced. Even more passionate than the one we shared on stage. In no time, I’m gasping for air, clutching onto the sheets with one hand, digging into his back with the other…