Amile The Queen

Chapter Fourteen

***Mandlenkosi Zulu***


He’s smart, he obviously knows what periods are and what they do to the body of a woman, but he’s not educated on the practical side of it. He never had a sister to tell him about all these things, all his sisters are years older than him, and he hardly ever talks to them, they are all married and living their best lives. He’s also never lived with a woman full time to know what these things look like.
He wanders around the store looking for the woman’s cosmetic aisle. He should’ve listened and brought Nambitha along with him, there are so many different brands, so many different colours, so many different shapes. He doesn’t know which is which. There was a lady standing next to him, picking out some things on the shelf.
“Excuse me miss, can you please help me.” She turned and looked at him.
She was quick to recognize him and she dropped her eyes in a haste.
“My prince.” Oh goodness, not this. So much for being under the radar.
“My girlfriend needs one of these things, and I don’t know which ones she uses.” He ignored the rest.
“Does she have a heavy or light flow and does she use pads or tampons?” she’s not lifting her eyes from the floor. 
“I don’t know any of those things.” The lady chuckled lowly.
“Okay, you can get her both.” She took a blue box from the shelf, another box and a packet of pads.
“Is this all she needs?” he asked taking the things from her.
“There are also wipes and feminine washes, does she use those.” She said, but this man clearly knows nothing about his girlfriend.
“I’ll take them just in case.” She took them off the shelf and handed them to him.
“Thank you so much.” He said, gratitude filled his voice.
“You are welcome my prince.”
Hes never going to see her again, he won’t bother to correct her. The eyes he was getting at the till would make another person uncomfortable, but he could say he’s used to it, all those that can see his resemblance to the king, know that he is the prince.
Just like he is, Banzi was also the most eligible bachelor in KZN. Every lady wanted him, not only for his title, but because he was handsome. The only reason why they are this handsome is because their mother was a beautiful woman, and they got their beautiful genes from her.
Although MaMzobe has been in Banzi’s life for as long as Nkosi can remember, there were other women. Plenty of them who came and went but MaMzobe was always there. She was the only constant one in their lives, both of them. Even their father loved her, but the whole of KZN was expecting Banzi to enter into a polygamous marriage within the first year because of his scandalous dating life. Even after he was crowned king, he never spoke or mentioned anything about taking a second wife, much to the many maidens disappointment. Every girl who attended the Reed dance each year had hopes to be lucky enough to capture the eyes of the king and get him to choose them as a second wife. Because that’s every girls dream, becoming part of the royal family. After all, that’s how prince Dumisani met his wife.
He arrived at his place after even going out of his way to buy her some goodies and absurdly, underwear. Is he not just the sweetest?
“I thought they had kidnapped you.” She said when he walked into the bathroom. She was covered in bubbles in the bathtub.
“Have you been sitting here the whole time my love?” he went to kneel next to the tub and kissed her lips softly.
“Yes, I was waiting for you. You didn’t call.” She sat up.
“Yes, I got a lady there at the shop to help me. Turns out I don’t know anything about women.” She laughed at him and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“Now you’ll know. So did you get tampons or pads?” She reached out for the towel and he handed it to her. She covered her body before stepping out and draining the water.
“I don’t know the difference. But there are two boxes and one packet. I think one said liners.” She laughed and shook her head.
“This lady you said helped you, are you sure she’s a lady?”
“What do you mean?” Shame, he’s so clueless.
“Its fine Zulu, I’ll check it out.” He held her waist and pulled her closer.
“Are you feeling sick or anything?” he knows that women on their periods normally go through the most.
“Nope, I don’t get sick, thankfully.” He sighed out loud.
“Okay, let’s go see what you bought.” She led him out the bathroom.
“Where is Nambitha.” She asked suddenly remembering that she’s not here alone.
“She’s downstairs watching TV.” He replied and handed her the plastic.
She looked through it and it had everything she needed and more.
“You got everything, that is so sweet Ndabezitha, thank you.” She gave him a side hug.
“Wait, there’s more.” He went to the closet and took out the paper bag. She frowned when she saw the brand.
“Bras n’ Things? You bought me underwear?” she can’t believe it.
“Yeah, I assumed you would need it.” She got emotional and couldn’t speak so she just gave him a tight hug.
“No, don’t cry. It’s just panties MaGumede.” She giggled through her tears.
“No, you don’t understand.” He does, it’s tears of joy, it’s not only the panties, it’s everything.
“I love you MaGumede okay.”
“I love you too Ndabezitha.” She sniffed and rubbed the back of his head.
When they broke the hug, he sat on the bed and she started moisturizing her body. He sat there and watched in admiration.
“I had a strange dream.” She said to him. She’s skeptical about this, but she feels like she has to.
“When, now?” he focused all his attention on her.
“Yeah. I had a dream about a woman I don’t know and she told me she lives in a castle with her king. Oh she was beautiful, she was wearing white and had her hair in a neat bun. The place was beautiful and so serene, there were lots of trees and they were all filled with fruits. It basically a mini heaven.”
“Sounds like a good dream.” He said, now feeling less concerned.
“That’s what I thought too, until we started talking properly. She told me that she can’t be with her son because he doesn’t come to visit regularly and when he does, he doesn’t stay for long. She also said she doesn’t tell the king when she goes to see him. She asked me to help her pick the fruits and when I tried to take a bite of the apple, she told me not to. When I spit out the piece I had bitten, it turned into a green little snake and it ran away.”
“That’s weird. What do you think it means?” she rubs her head in frustration.
“Normally, dreams about fruits are associated with pregnancy. I don’t even want to think about that.” He shook his head.
“That can’t and won’t happen anyway.” She frowned.
“What do you mean won’t?” she raised her eyebrow. He cleared his throat.
“Let’s not talk about that now. So you don’t know that woman at all?”
She felt some type of way about his statement, but he’s brushing it off, so she won’t push him if he doesn’t want to be pushed.
“There’s a picture in your bathroom drawer, that woman in the picture is the same woman in the dream.” She admits finally.
His breathing hitches. She was able to put two and two together and knows that the lady is his mother. You can’t miss the uncanny resemblance between them. Now that she saw the picture, she can clearly point it out.
“That’s my mother.” He said in a low breath.
She sighed. His brain has just been jumbled. Why would MaNdlela visit Amile in her dreams when Amile hasn’t even been introduced to the Zulu’s yet. It’s not making sense.
“Was it the first time dreaming about her?” he asked.
“Yeah…” she stopped.
“What? Tell me, was it the first time?”
“I’ve heard her voice before.”
“Where?” he’s getting frustrated now.
“I can’t remember Nkosi, I’m confused just as you are.” She grabs the tampons from the bed along with underwear and prepares to put it on.
“Kanti leyonto ingenaphi?” (Where does that thing go?)he asked looking at the tampon she placed on the bed.
“My vagina.” She said taking it and opening. His eyes widened.
“Hhayi Amile.” He warned.
“What Mandlenkosi?” okay, she’s also irritated now, but she slowly practiced her breathing techniques and calmed down.
Nkosi watched in silence as she lifted her leg up to the bed and inserted it up her palace. The atmosphere has suddenly grown thick, something that has never happened between them.
“I’m sorry for snapping.” She apologized.
“I forgive you.” He said, clearly not prepared to apologize back. Okay!?
She got dressed and when she was done, he went to his closet. He came back with her Dior perfume that she left here. She had completely forgotten about it. He handed it to her.
“Thank you. Can you please ask Jama to take us home.” He picked up the tray of food as she tidied the room.
“Eat first.” He said.
“Siviwe will come home today and he needs to…”
“You won’t leave here until you eat MaGumede.” He’s not shouting, he has on his normal voice, but she feels like she’s just been shouted at.
“I will make you fresh coffee, this one is cold.” She shut her mouth and sat on the bed.
He picked up the tray and walked down the stairs. It seemed like Jama and Nambitha were getting along. As he descended the stairs, they were laughing like old friends. He passed them like he didn’t see a thing and went straight to the kitchen.
This dream Amile had bothers him, and it’s not even about the message it may be trying to convey, but the reasoning behind his mother visiting her in her dreams. It makes no sense how she can just visit someone she doesn’t know when he has never seen her in his dreams. He can barely count the number of times he’s seen her in his dreams, and the way Amile described it to him, it was a pretty vivid dream. He wishes he could hear her voice, or see her face like that, but all he has are pictures even pieces of clothing that belonged to her ended up losing the smell of her sweet scent. 17 years without her is long enough.
“Zulu.” He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to meet Jama’s stare.
“Why are you so deep in thought?” he asked picking up the kettle that had water for Amile’s coffee and poured it into the mug he had placed for him and Nambitha.
“I’m thinking about tomorrow.” He genuinely is thinking about tomorrow, and how he definitely has to raise this with his brother.
He just won’t mention Amile, she’s the most precious thing he has in his life right now and telling his brother about her means he will have to start sharing her with them, and he’s not ready for that.
“Kanti siyokwenzani kaZulu?” Jama asked.
“I want to do a small tea for MaNdlela.”
“And what about Bayede and Bhut’ Langa?” He rubbed his forehead in frustration.
“I don’t know. I don’t care about that now. I just want my mother to visit me in my dreams.”
“You’ve been hosting teas for her every year, and she still hasn’t come to visit you, don’t you think maybe it’s something else you are doing wrong.”
“Amile just told me she had a dream about her, why is she visit her, not me, her son?”
“Then that means MaNdlela is her guardian angel and is looking over her. Maybe she has a message to send to you via her.” Jama suggested.
“But why her? Why not you, or Dumisani, or any of my other one thousand and one siblings, why Amile? Why are they involving her in my family matters. Why can’t I just have her to myself bafo.” Jama shook his head in disagreement.
“Don’t forget that MaNdlela was never traditionally married to Bayede, she was not introduced to the Zulu ancestors, therefore, your mother does not advocate for your dad’s side of the family, but for herself.” At this point, he wants nothing but to tear his hair out and scream.
“I’ll do that tea anyways. I’m doing it for my mother. Bayede will get a tea from his precious son, the king he chose.” Jama sighed.
“You will regret this Mandlenkosi. Don’t do something you will regret.”
They both startled when Amile placed the plate in the sink. They both turned to look at her and she had a blank unreadable expression.
“Mom is calling. I need to go home.” She said keeping the straight face.
“I’ll take you.” He dropped everything he was doing and walked to take the keys from the kitchen counter.
He’s confused, he doesn’t know what to do with himself, theres so much going on right now, he doesn’t know what to do and what not to do.


***Amile Gumede***

I don’t know if he’s pissed at me, or what I told him, or whatever is going on in his life, but he’s awfully quiet. I had to lie about mom calling me so he could take me home, the energy around him was stressing me and I don’t want that. I’m sitting in the front seat and Nambitha at the back. He’s listening to Michael Jackson but he’s not even humming or nodding his head like he usually does when he listens to music. He’s just quiet.
“Now that schools are closed, we need to start studying.” His voice was low, but very drawing.
“When?” I asked.
“I’ll draw up a study timetable.” He said lowly. I nodded and shut my mouth once again.
My phone vibrated under my thigh and when I took it out, it was a message from Nambitha. Come on, she’s sitting right behind for goodness sake.
-please ask him to drop me off at home, I don’t have transport-
She’s still scared of him, even after spending a whole day at his house. I still want to know what she was doing the whole time, with Jama especially!?
“Babe can we please drop Nambitha off at home.” I’m also shaking as I ask this by the way.
“Babe?” he had a silly smirk on his face. Oh come on now, wasn’t he sulking just now?
“Did you hear what I said?” I asked.
“No, my ears closed after babe.” I could tell he was being sarcastic, but I love him anyway.
“Akaziceleli ngani uNambitha? Usenqunywe umlomo yini yena?” (Why doesn't Nambitha ask for me herself? Has she been silenced?)
I cleared my throat and gave him a stern look. Jeez, why is he putting her on the spot like that? I turned and looked back at her. She looked like a rained on cat.
“Anikhulumeke magals, indlela iyaphi?” (Speak up girls, where are we going.) I think I like the quiet Nkosi better. I definitely do.
“Montclair.” I said.
“Nambitha where are we going?” he’s doing it on purpose.
“I said Montclair.” I repeated.
“I’m not asking you, I’m asking Nambitha.” Oh wow.
“We are going to Montclair my prince.” Her voice was barely audible.
“Thank you. You will direct me.” I shot him a look but he ignored it and turned up his music.
Now that’s I’ve spent a lot of time with him, I can clearly tell that he is the last born in the family. He has last born tendencies, but he also has only child behaviour. He’s impulsive, that’s one of the reasons why he fell so crazily in love with me so quickly. Funny I should say that though because I’m just as in love with him. I’m yet to learn more about him though, I still know the outer parts, and what makes him the Nkosi I know now, buy its only about time before I meet Mandlenkosi Zulu. I hope they aren’t two different people because I love the man I’m with now.
We dropped Nambitha off and she thanked him using her own mouth. He was happy. I think more than anything, he just wants to feel normal amongst people, and not have people always bowing down to him. We are five minutes away from home, but the amount of traffic on the road will only let us get to my flat in ten minutes. It’s almost a standstill.
“I’m going to Zululand tomorrow.” He turned down the volume of the annoying voice of Michael Jackson. Thank God.
“Again?” what do I mean by that, it’s his home for fuck sake.
“I want to have a tea for my mother.” Huh?
“What is that?” my model c school ass doesn’t know what the hell that is.
“Chickens for my mother. You light candles and slaughter chickens and give her food.” The Zulu culture is weird. That is nowhere close to making sense.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked again.
“I want her to visit me I my dreams.” Okay, now I feel terrible. His mom visited me, but not him.
“Has she ever visited you in your dreams?”
“No.” I can see that it hurts, I can’t imagine how painful that is. Not that my father has ever visited me too.
“In the dream…” I hope I don’t regret this, “she said her son comes to visit her all the time, but he doesn’t stay for long because he’s not allowed to stay for too long.” He frowned.
“Which son, me or Banzi?” oh jeez.
“I don’t know.” Now this dream is not making sense to me all over again.
“This is why I need to do this tea, maybe she will appear in one of our dreams, whether it be Banzi’s, or mine, but she will make things clear.” He said determination filling his voice.
I honestly am not the best person for him to discuss these things with, I know nothing about tradition and all these cultural rituals done in our culture. I grew up in the city, I left Nongoma when I was only 6 years old. I’m clueless.
“I hope everything goes well ke Zulu, I’ll be this side praying for your success. Your mother is a good angel, she will definitely show herself to you.” I held his hand.
“I wish I could take you with me, I wish I could have you there with me MaGumede. I need you there, but I don’t want you around my family. They are a bunch of toxic people that you don’t need right now in your life.” He looked stressed all of a sudden, I felt terrible.
“I know Zulu, I also wish I could make it better, but all I can do is be there for you and with you in spirit.” I turned his head to face my direction and I locked him in a stare.
“Please just take it easy, don’t stress too much and know that I am not going anywhere. You will find me right here when you come back. Okay?” he nodded.
“I need to make you mine Amile.” I don’t know what he means by that, but I know when he calls me by my first name that he’s not joking.
“I am yours Nkosi.” I whispered.
“All mine?” he asked.
“All your Mandlenkosi.”
“I love you.” He said.
“Ngiyakuthanda nami Zulu.” I confessed before pressing my lips on his.
Life is all about living in the present because you don’t know what tomorrow has in store. I will love him now because I don’t know for certain what my future has I store. I don’t see a life without him now, if he’s not there, there is no life left in me. It’s that crazy type of love that I’m experiencing, the dangerous kind, and I hope I don’t burn in the flames, I’ve already put in all of me.