*
NOBUHLE
*
This place has always looked clean. The yard is big with a beautiful modern house and a few huts around the yard including the one that I am in. I've never been inside the main the house. Apparently no one is allowed except family. Nokwakha has always been my to person when I need something done. I never use Sabelo for anything. He would have done the things that Nokwakha has done for me.
Nokwakha: What are you doing here Nobuhle? "That's odd, she usually knows what brings me to her. Why is she asking now.
"I need your help."
Nokwakha: I can't help you. When you asked to bind your daughter's powers I told you that she should never get married to her mate. I told you she should never go anywhere near The Hidden Kingdom because that is the place that can help her. After all those warning now you are here, what do you want me to do? The seer did what he could to unbind her powers, now she is married to her true mate, her powers have completely unlocked and she has absorbed her husband's powers.
"No it can't be. The must be something you can Gogo. Please. She can't have her powers." I beg her. There has to be something.
Nokwakha: There is nothing I can do for you. I am not allowed to help you. I am not about to lose everything because of you. I warned you from the beginning that you are starting a war that you will not win, I warned you that swapping places with your twin will have dire consequences. You might have been able to keep your husband blind to it all but it was not meant to last. He has always known that you are not his Nobuhle but because you kept feeding, he would not question anything you did. Nobuhle is coming back. Get ready for war. Your reminded your husband of her, hence he was the way he towards. What you did to him started working against you when your daughter was born.
"Nokwakha no, she can't come back. I can't lose all of this. I can't. I'll do anything."
Nokwakha: There is nothing you can do. What you wanted done was done but now, now the ancestors are fighting back for their own. I will not go against them. I was warned and I am heeding the warning. Go home and confess what you did otherwise it will get worse for you.
"I'm not confessing anything. If you cannot help me, I'll find someone else to help me." I can't believe this woman right. How can she expect me to confess to what I did. Menzi will kill me before I even finish telling what I did. Why couldn't Nobuhle just stay where she is. Why does she have to ruin everything. As always, everything is about her. I was happy, I was finally happy with Menzi, why couldn't they just let me have this one thing. Why ?
Nokwakha: Every person that you go to ask for help will reject you. No one is going to help you now. This is now above you, above me and above everyone else. Please leave my yard, there nothing I can do for you. LEAVE!
I didn't need to be told twice. The last think I want is to make angry. I get in my car and drive off. What am I going to do now. If Iyana is got her powers back that means Menzi is starting to see thing clearly. I need to speak to the accountant. I need to move money some money. Running is the only option I have but I first have to see what is happening in that palace. Even Thando came back earlier than he planned to. I should have never gotten pregnant for this man but that would have resulted into a completely different set of problems. I park the car and walk inside. I find Menzi sitting on the couch with his laptop, why is he not is his office.
"Hi." I greet in a very low voice. I was hoping he wouldn't be home, now I have to explain where I've been. How do I even begin to explain that.
Menzi: You are back. One of the projects that you were supposed to work on as Queen needs your attention. You can the orphanage's manager for detail. You need to go there as soon as possible.
"Ok. I'll do that." I respond and walk away from him before he can say anything else. That's odd though. He is not even asking where I've been. I mean I should be he is not asking but it is unsettling. It leaves wondering what he is thinking, what he knows. I don't like being unsettled like that by him.
Now why does the orphanage's manager need to see me. He knows I have interest in it. Why couldn't he discuss what he wants with my husband. That's what he usually does. Ok, the orphanage can wait. I get in my and drive to the accounting firm that handles the Kingdom's finances. I quickly find parking, why is it so packed here. It's never this full. I get out of the car and find my way to Andile's office but his PA tells me he is in the boardroom in a meeting. I take a seat and wait since he is not supposed to take long. The wait is not that when I see him walking towards me, he greets and tells me to follow him. He is not the usual Andile that I know. He looks tired, he has bags under his eyes. He looks like he hasn't slept in days. He closes the doors as soon as we walk into his office and gesture for me to sit and he remains standing.
"Andile what is going on? You seem off."
Andile: The palace is being audited.
"That should not give you grey hairs if you guys are doing an auditor."
Andile: An external auditing company is doing the audit. Your son apparently requested the audit because something was not adding up with the finances. "This can't be happening now."
Whatever transaction you want me to make, I won't be able to do anything now. There's on the way to the palace to fetch the paperwork that has not been brought to us. They are looking at everything. We might have made it look like the Kingdom is losing money. The fact of the matter is that we committed fraud.
"The money was coming to me for my projects, that shouldn't be a problem."
Andile: It is a problem because none of the was done. The money is just sitting there. You've been spending the money on being lavish and I warned about that.
"I need money Andile, I need to get out of here." if this is happening, then I really need to get out of here.
Andile: There's nothing I can do for you. You need to get out of here before they see you are here. All accounts are frozen.
I don't wait to be told twice, I leave his office in a hurry. When I get to my car, I sit there for a while wondering where it went all wrong. I scream in frustration not knowing what my next move will be. I am cornered and I don't know how to get out of this. Why is this happening? Is this really the punishment. I need to Nkosinathi, he need to help me.
*
BHEKI
*
I woke up in hospital. Why didn't he kill me? He should have killed me. I wanted him to kill instead he keeps me alive. I know they brought my wife here. I could here her voice when she was talking to me. I should have listened to the warnings, but those were nothing compared to what we were going to gain. We would have had it all but his kids had to intervene. Only God knows why. My sister in law walks in. God she is beautiful. I don't regret killing my brother for her, she is worth it. I not regret that she is not going to be wife. I had hoped she would agree to be my second wife.
Lona: I see you getting better. My son really did a number on you. I should have set him on you the minute I knew you killed my husband.
"Why didn't you?" Could it be possible that she has feeling for me?
Lona: I wanted them investigate and see what else they can find out after that fiasco deal you had with Edwaleni Kingdom. I really don't under how you thought we could agree to such a deal when his chosen is from Manzini Kingdom.
"Oh ok." That stings, I had little hope.
Lona: You sound disappointment. Were you hoping I would say I have feeling for you? Really Bheki. You've known me for a long a time and you know how much I loved my husband and how much I hated the idea of Ungeno. Knowing me, knowing what I believe and what I stand for, did you really think I would agree to be your second wife? I never wanted to be second to anyone. I was never second with my husband. The only people I ever came to second to in his life are our children but he always reminded me that I would always be his number one girl even when we had Phiwo.
"Lona I love you. I've always loved you. I saw you before he knew you were his chosen. I chose you."
Lona: I was never yours to choose. From a young age I knew I would be your brother's wife, he knew as well but didn't brag about it. You married your chosen as well but you were greedy, wanted something you couldn't have.
"I could have had you Lona, had you given me a chance." She looks at me and smiles that smile that makes me week. God really took his time creating her.
Lona: I would have never given a chance Bheki. My was never yours. You killed my husband for nothing. You made us suffer for years for nothing. The fact that you performed witchcraft so that we couldn't have children. You resent my children because they get to have the throne. I love your children Bheki. They are like my own children. There is nothing we didn't do for them. Now you lie here and tell me you did all that because you loved me. That is not love Bheki, that is some sick twisted obsession you have over me.
"It's not an obsession Lona. I love you. Even Busi knows how I feel about you. It doesn't matter now, does it?"
Lona: It never mattered Bheki, never. Anyway the reason I am here is to let you know when you get out here, you retained in the palace cells, your wife is already there. You will tried under the old laws, the council and the King will decide what to do with the both of you.
She stands and walks out. Ok maybe I went about everything all wrong, maybe I should have done things differently. I still can't believe that all this time she knew and said nothing instead got her boys to investigate. At least being tried under the old laws will ensure my quick death. I'm sure they will give me a death sentence with all the charges the have piled up on me especially murder and treason. I can only that our children will forgive us. I now understand why they never wanted the throne. They would gotten it if Lona and my brother didn't have children, they would have chosen one of them to be King, that's how much they love them. I was too blind to see it. Even if they had only girls, one of my kids would have been crowned King. I never saw it and it was right in front of me. My children were the key. It's too late now.