Amile The Queen

Chapter Seventy-One

***Amile Gumede***

I’m starving! I’ve spent the whole night here, and the only reason I know it’s morning is because Bhut’ Langa was wheeled out to surgery just over 20 minutes ago. Shlobo left, she can’t stay in one place for too long, and all the different spirits and energies in this hospital were bothering her, so she left. I can’t afford to leave; I already feel like it is my fault that he is here, if I’m not here when something doesn’t go well, I won’t stop blaming myself for the rest of my life.
Nurses have been walking past me, looking at me with pity. One even brought me a blanket. It’s not that cold, but I appreciate the gesture. I might be relaxing here, but deep down I am extremely concerned about that press conference that is supposed to happen approximately 2 hours from now. Bhut’ Langa is on a hospital bed, I’m here and I’m not planning to leave his side.
Who is going to address them? MaMzobe left, she no longer identifies herself a part of this family. Her dragging her suitcase after exposing my dirty laundry to Bhut’ Langa was proof of that. Mandlenkosi is a drunkard, and it seems as though he has not processed any of the things going on in his life; it’s only alcohol on his mind. Therefore I can deem him as useless. The rest of his siblings are as good as dead to him; to us.
One thing I have noticed about this family is that there is no unity. Even after the man responsible for this divide is gone, the children, (grown men in this case) still don’t look out for each other. Sis’ Balungile was very quick to try and take over everything when Banzi died, but she had not been here a single day when he needed her, or any of her siblings. Even when Banzi called to them, they did come, but they ran at the sight of problems. He was on his own.
Even now, none of them have bothered to come through and check up on me. I know I mean nothing to them, but I meant something to their brother. Doesn’t that count for something? Or maybe just show face to support their brother, who they just decided to give a cold shoulder after he came back. I totally understand that he came at the wrong time, but he’s still their brother, they should be sticking together. At this point I would’ve preferred for them to be here causing drama and trying to fight me for the throne, but it’s just peaceful. It just goes to show how much they don’t care. 
There isn’t much left for me to deal with, hopefully, I’ll find spiritual peace when all of this is over and done with, and the sooner I accept that this is the life I’m destined to live, the better I will live in it. I guess it’s just me and Bhuti from here onwards.
“Ndlunkulu.” only one person calls me that.
I fluttered my eyelids open and he was crouching down in front of me.
“Jama?” I stretched my limbs. I fell asleep.
My eyes feel heavy, so does my head. My body is also aching, I’ve been in the same position for too long.
“We have an issue at the palace.” he says, staring at me as if he was awaiting an answer.
“What is the problem?” my thighs are sweating, it’s the blanket.
“The palace is swamped with the news people. They said they were invited by you for a press conference. It is chaos going on, Mandlenkosi is shitting himself drunk and they are having a field day with him.” sigh.
Can’t I deal with one problem at a time?
“I can’t go, Bhut’ Langalethu is in surgery. I want to be here when he wakes up. I can’t leave him alone.” the look he is giving me screams judgemental, but I’m not going to let him do that to me.
And is he not going to ask what is wrong with the man on a hospital bed?
“Tell them to go.” I said standing up.
He stood up too. I don’t wish to see myself in the mirror, I’m sure I look hideous. And I’m starving.
“Don’t you think we’ve tried that? There isn’t enough of us to fight against almost fifty people. There is no one else to call but you. Just please come and talk to them, and get Mandlenkosi in order before he continues to make a fool out of himself in front of the press.”
Jama is contradicting himself. Does he want me to go deal with the press, or his drunkard best friend? I’m sure he’s more than capable of doing that himself. I don’t want a drunk Mandlenkosi hurling insults my way, I already feel like shit.
“I’ll deal with the press, you can see what you do about your friend.” I’m getting to a point where I’m slowly starting to get pissed off about Mandlenkosi’s behaviour.
He gave me a cold look. I’m not Nambitha, he must not try that with me. As I was about to follow him out the hospital, the nurse that came to give me a blanket earlier called my name.
“MaGumede.” it’s very rare to hear someone other than these men I live with call me that.
“The prince is out of surgery.” she’s not looking at me, she has her eyes locked with Jama’s.
He looks pissed and she, I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it. Kind of disrespectful if you ask me. Why are they addressing their sexual tension on my account?
“Is he up, can I go in and see him?” her eyes are back on me.
“Yes you can, but please don’t burn anything.” she laughs a little.
I don’t. She sees that I’m not laughing and straightens her face. The joke flew right over my head. I can tolerate anything, but I will not tolerate someone who disrespects my beliefs like that. She clears her throat in embarrassment; good.
“What about the press?” Jama asks, grabbing my wrist as I attempt to walk away.
“I told you, my priority right now is making sure that man in there is okay. He is the only family I have. The press can surely wait.”
I free myself from his hold and follow the nurse into the ward.
“I can only allow you in for a few minutes.” she announced before she walked out.
He’s not hooked on any pipes now, just the oxygen mask covering his face, helping him breathe. I see they got him a longer bed to accommodate his long legs, he fits on this one. I’m trying so hard to stop myself from crying, but my tears are betraying me. I have barely healed from Banzi’s death; having to see him in that state, down on the floor, shaking in pain as if he was going to leave me right in that moment, it scared me. I didn’t realize just how I am afraid of loosing people until that happened.
“MaGumede.” he lowered the oxygen mask.
I didn’t realize he was awake. I quickly wipe the tears and walked closer to his bedside.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m perfect. I want to go home.” he’s not at liberty to say that.
“No, you need to rest. You had a heart attack.” that’s not something to be overlooked. It’s a serious matter.
“You can’t, you just got out of surgery.” he sat up.
I tried to stop him, but he was already sitting. This is another level of stubborn.
“That was barely a surgery, I’m okay.”
The doctor that was tending to him walked in and smiled at the both of us. She’s nice.
“How are you feeling Mr Zulu.” she asked taking her stethoscope and putting it on his chest.
You can tell that he’s uncomfortable as she touches him.
“I’m fine. I want to go home.” he declares.
“Unfortunately, that can’t happen. You had a heart attack, I have to keep you in for at least the rest of today to monitor your progress and make sure you don’t have another one after the procedure.”
He looks at me. I can’t help him.
“I agree with the doctor, it’s too soon.” I said looking at him.
He sighed. I’m guessing he has realized that he has no choice but to listen to me.
“I didn’t want to leave before you wake up, but Jama was here and he says the press has already arrived at the palace. I’ll just tell them that you are in hospital.” the doctor was checking other things.
“Don’t. You tell them what the plan is.” I frowned.
“The main idea was for you to address them.” I remind him. I think he seems to forget who he is.
“You can also do it. Don’t mention me being hospitalized. They know you, they trust you.” I feel terrible about this.
He needs to hire someone to do this on his behalf. I don’t think I will be able to cope.
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Jama waited for me, and when we got to the palace, I was shocked, I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in my whole life. Some are crowded outside the palace gates, it’s hard to get inside. I didn’t think it was this bad.
They were gathering around the car, thank goodness for dimmed windows, otherwise they would’ve photographed me in this state, and I can’t have that. But how am I going to go inside the house and shower before addressing them, because there is no way I will show up to the press looking like this. They will have a field day with me.
“Jama go park that side, I want to go shower first.”
“There is no time to shower, these people are impatient.” he stops in the middle of the turning circle.
Is he crazy!? they are literally swarming around the car. How am I going to get out? I try to shout for him as he comes to my side to open for me, but he’s not listening. He opens the door, and I see flashes going on in my face, blinding me.
“My queen, where are you coming from?”
“Is Langalethu still alive?”
“How do you feel about your brother-in-law acting like this?”
It’s questions coming from every angle. They are suffocating me. It doesn’t help that it looks like I’ve just come from a night of agony. I’m just about to do a serious walk of shame. Now I understand what celebrities go through on a daily basis.
“My queen, will you address us or will it be Prince Langalethu?” a microphone is pushed to my face.
Jama quickly blocks it and pushes me towards the house.
“Please give her space.”
He literally had to cover me as they follow me all the way to the front porch of the palace. I finally get a moment to breathe when I am safe behind the palace doors, and I have left all the noise outside.
Mandlenkosi is passed out on the sofa, Banzi’s expensive sofas, with his dirty shoes on. There is a woman next to him, she’s pressing what I’m assuming is a cold towel on his forehead, Jama’s facial expression has already changed.
“Jabulile?”
“Nkululeko Dlamini.” she says and looks through the both of us.
What is this now?
Sis’ Melo rushes in the room.
“My queen, do you need any assistance?”
“Yes, I need a change of clothes and a comb.”
“Yes my queen.” she rushed out. I rushed into the bathroom down the passage.
Yes, that horrid bathroom. I got in, rinsed my face in the basin and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I’ve lost myself. I look at myself in the mirror and the reflection is still the same, I still have the same face, just a whole different person, a person I don’t recognize. I am no longer a girl who’s innocence was the most important thing to her, I am now a woman who has to go around fixing people’s shit, people who didn’t care to think about the future when they made mistakes.
Yes I’m pissed. I’m mad at everyone who has contributed to me being here in this current moment. I hate it here, I hate the person I am becoming. This is not the me I want to me. I am miserable. And I doesn’t look like it’s going to get better than this.
“My queen.” a knock on the door.
I open and Sis’ Melo is standing there with a navy body-con dress with dramatic sleeves hanging on a hanger. I’ve never worn this dress, it’s part of the wardrobe that MaMzobe picked out for me. I would never buy something like this.
“Please help me with my hair.” I asked grabbing the dress from her.
I’ll shower later I guess. I took off the dress I was wearing and threw on the other one.  She helped me comb my unruly hair. I didn’t treat it after removing my braids, I have been hiding it under a scarf ever since Banzi was pronounced dead. I actually want to shave it off.
“You have beautiful hair my queen.”
“You can have it, I want to shave it off.” you can see that I have just insulted her.
“Please don’t, this is your crown, and it’s beautiful.”
“I don’t have time to maintain it. Maybe when I have time again, I will.” this will be the first time cutting my hair, it has never even crossed my mind. But now I want to do it.
She tied my hair is such a cute little bun, I loved it. When I looked presentable enough, I thanked her and we walked out the bathroom. Mandlenkosi had risen from the dead, although he still looked as dead as could be.
“Amile.” he called out to me.
What are people supposed to think, why is he addressing me on first name basis in front of this person I don’t know.
“Zulu, lay low.” that was Jama. Good, he must keep him like that.
I walked out and realized that I was walking barefoot. I didn’t care. There was a podium set up with a few microphones from different news channels. When did they do this?
“Good morning sizwe sako Zulu, and anyone who may be watching. Firstly I’d like to apologize for the delay, things haven’t been going well this morning. I am aware that I have called upon you to come as you were expecting an address from umntwana uLangalethu, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he can’t join us this morning.” I felt a presence next to me and I looked up to see Jama.
“Can you tell us where he is?” one journalist shouts.
Did I not just say due to unforeseen circumstances?

“No I cannot disclose that.” I closed the case.
“Indlunkulu is facing a lot of challenges in the current moment in time. It is no secret that you have lost a monarch, and I a husband, and we are all still grieving, but many things have to be fixed, and if they are not fixed now, isizwe sako Zulu will crumble.”
“My Queen, who is to succeed King Zwelibanzi?” another journalist asks.
“I will allow for questions when I am done. I am here to announce that umntwana uLangalethu will be taking the throne and will be the king of isizwe sako Zulu. This decision has come after he has come back, as he was initially the one to succeed the late King Mhlabawesizwe, before his accident. He will be introduced to the ancestors once again and will be put on the throne at the end of the next month. With that said, I will be taking my place beside him as the queen, as his wife.” gasps and murmuring.
“How is that going to be possible?” one asks.
I’m this close to shutting this whole thing down and going back to the house. They are pissing me off.
“Umntwana uZwelibanzi was placed on the throne wrongfully, therefore the ancestors did not recognize him as the king. I have been betrothed to umntwana uLangalethu without my knowledge, without any of the elders knowledge, that is how I ended up here in the palace, married to umntwana uZwelibanzi. Things are going to be fixed, but that is not going to happen without the public’s support and respect.”
“How did umntwana uLangalethu survive the car accident and where has he been the past three years?”
“He has been in recovery, connecting to his ancestors. He was found by Miss Thulisile Mfusi and has been recovering under her care.” yes, I do know Shlobo’s name!
“And when will the wedding be?” the same one asked there in the front.
“As it is a sacred ceremony that has to be performed for the ancestors, I cannot disclose the date.” I say that because I do not know myself.
I just know that it has to happen before the coronation, and I know that everything has to happen before the end of February otherwise we are doomed.
“And after umntwana uLangalethu, who is next in line for the throne?” annoying!
“No comment. Thank you for your time.”
Camera flashes everywhere! It’s a frenzy out there. Jama is back to shielding me from the stampede and he is leading me back inside. We definitely need a stronger security force in this place, this is not it.
I definitely was too quick to complain, this is only the beginning of the madness! Langalethu must recover, we’ve got a palace to fix, and a nation to lead!