Umendo Chapter 31

Umendo Chapter 31

 I guess Lindo wanted to tell me l had a visitor. It was my mother in law!  Yeyi bantu, who in this day and age just turns up to someone's door without warning, what if l was sleeping over at Zandie's or something? What are phones for kanti? I took a deep breath, got out the car and greeted her

Sme: Sabona mama, linjani

MaMoyo: Sabona makoti,vele yiso iskhathi ongena ngaso endlini lesi even umntanami ekhona? Translated>( Is this the time you come home even when my son is around?)

Sme: (l took her suitcase) Please come in. Yebo mama, l usually get home around 6, if l'm early l get here around 5pm

MaMoyo: (She sits on the sofa whilst l take her suitcase to the spare room) Pho, ubusumphekela nini umkakho? Translated> (So when do you cook for your husband?)

Sme: When l get home

MaMoyo: By the time you finish cooking uyabe eselele phela, no wonder ewondile umntanami

Sme: (Sigh) Can l make you a cup of tea ngisalungisa ukudla?

MaMoyo: Ngikhathele, kudala ngisendleleni. I cannot wait for you to cook a proper meal.

Sme: l am sorry, had known that you were coming over, l would have come home early to cook for you, then picked you up. 

MaMoyo: In other words uzama ukuthi l should have asked your permission to visit endlini yomntanami?

Sme: No mama, you are welcome at our home, l'm just saying, had l known you were coming, l would have been better prepared for you. Usenjani ubab'uNkomo ?

MaMoyo: He gets better everyday, he is back home. I left him in the good hands of u aunt and Bobo. God is great, uyayiphendula eyami imithandazo, that's why l came over to pray for umntanami holding his hands. 

Sme: That's great news, makaphile, sisamdinga empilweni zethu 

MaMoyo: Borrow me your phone so l can call ekhaya ngizwe ukuba basele njani

Sme: (l handed her my phone) I'll quickly drive to the garage to get more airtime cos l don't have much left, would you like anything from the shops? 

MaMoyo: SIM card le airtime. 

Sme: Kulungile

I made her a cup of tea, took out some frying steak and left it to thaw in boiling water. 

When l came back, l found her speaking to her daughter who lives in Pretoria, telling her to come over so they could visit Siya together. I quickly fried the steak and cooked pap and vegetables. We ate in silence, l didn't know what to say to her because l felt that anything that came out of my mouth was wrong as far as she was concerned. 

Sme: Shall l pick you up tomorrow around 12:30pm when l'm going to visit uSiya?

MaMoyo: Yebo, you can pick up uBuhle (Siya's sister in Pretoria) along the way

Sme: From Pretoria?

MaMoyo: Yes, is there a problem?

Sme: Yes, Pretoria is quite far from here, and l only have an hour and half from work. So l 'm afraid she will have to make her own way

MaMoyo: (Claps once) Heh, ukudubeka lokhu mntakaMoyo yisono. Angithi nga uleyakho nga uyazidrayivela uyethatha umntanakho. Loosely translated, being poor is a sin, if l had my own car, l would have driven to pick up my daughter. 

Sme: (deep sigh) So, should l come and pick you up

MaMoyo: Yebo, kulungile

I washed up and we went to sleep. I made her breakfast before l left for work and told her to call me if she needs anything. I received a call from Buhle before l arrived at work telling me not to worry about picking her up, she was going to make her own way there. Just before lunch l received a message from Nicole telling me that my mother in law is asking to see her grandson and she doesn't know what to say to her because she never told her that Junior is not her grandson. She was asking me to help and tell umamazala the truth. I decided to tell uBuhle, l thought it was going to sound better coming from her. We met up at the hospital around noon. Siya was awake when we arrived. He was weak, but he smiled and tried to talk, but trying to talk left me breathless, so l told him that it was ok, he didn't have to, we were all just happy to see him making so much progress. I got up to go to the toilet and signalled Buhle to follow me. I told her what was going on and asked her to tell uMaMoyo about Junior. She agreed and told me she understood. We went to have lunch after visiting Siya. 

Buhle: Mama

MaMoyo: Yebo mntanami

Buhle: I know how much you wanted a child from Siya

MaMoyo: Yebo mntanami, isn't The Lord great. He always answers! 

Buhle: Yes he is, but the baby is not Siya's mama

MaMoyo: Ini? Did she put you up to this (pointing at me)

Buhle: No mama, she did not put me up to anything, the baby simply isn't his

MaMoyo: Utsho ngani?

Buhle: Nicole, the baby's mother said so

MaMoyo: how come akangtshelanga mina? I came all the way here to see my son and my grandson

Buhle: She didn't know how to tell you. 

MaMoyo: Oh Nkosi yami, my son will be sad to hear that. Ukudana kwabanye yinjabulo yabanye. I'm sure you were happy to hear that (looking at me)

Buhle: Ah mama, don't be like that. To be honest, l was happy to hear that cos Nicole and her mother are nothing but trouble. They are the reason uSiya is lying there

MaMoyo: How come? 

(Buhle explained the whole story to her mother)

MaMoyo: Tjo tjo tjo, (clapping at the same time). Mayeeee Nkosi yami. Yhooooo, abathakathi laba bafuna ukungibulalela umntanami! 

Buhle: Don't you think you owe umakoti an apology mama?

MaMoyo: For ini? I will not apologise for wanting a grandson from my only son. Kulicala na ukuthi ngibe lesfiso sokuthi ngife sengibambe umzukulu ovela kuSiyabonga? If it wasn't this little witch Nicole, it was going to be someone else. When he gets better, we will have to organise a meeting with both families athole omunye umfazi olenzalo umntanami. Kanti nguye owabulala bani ukuthi uzakufa engelamntwana. Wake wakuzwa ngaphi wena khonokho?