As Bayede laid dead and lifeless at Manqoba's feet, so was the meaning of family. He thought about it; him bludgeoning a man to death. He thought about how it stood insolently against all his father's teachings. He'd killed family in cold blood, but in the same manner that the word lost all meaning after Evelyn's confession, so did some of the teachings, especially those concerning the importance of family. Manqoba lacked faith in the justice system, hence his ill ways of bypassing it, and hence he always took the law into his own hands. The house had a fresh stench of its owner's blood, coupled with the famous smell of KFC takeout's, which Manqoba had to unimportantly realize were placed on the table. He left the house and walked back to his car. He got there and took off the blood-stained gloves and dropped them in a plastic bag he'd put in the car solely for that purpose. He wiped the stagnant drops of sweat from his forehead and reclined the driver's seat so he could rest. He closed his eyes for a couple of minutes before driving back home for a shower.
Melokuhle was sitting outside on the veranda next to his grandmother's abandoned bed of flowers. He never raised his eyes to his uncle, instead he continued typing on his phone as the cool night air surrounded him. Manqoba thought about walking right past him so he didn't have to verbally relive that incident, but the love he had for the boy guilt-tripped him into settling down beside him.
"Ntwana...", he greeted harmoniously. Melo turned his head towards him.
"What's going on?', he questioned, weapons down. Manqoba sighed and sat back against the wall.
"You're too young to understand my boy. What you saw— ", he took a moment to gather a fathomable string of words. "You weren't supposed to see that". This somehow sounded strange coming from him. Muzikayise and Manqoba have always treated the boys like their peers. There was space for that reverent father-son relationship but they were never been made to feel like children.
"Am I officially part of a broken family? Is that what we've become", Melo probed and stared, anticipating an answer. Manqoba just continued shooting his sight into the dark sky.
"You can say that I guess", an answer followed by a big sigh.
"Do you still have my back", Melokuhle popped, out of the blue. Manqoba sat up.
"I will ALWAYS have your back ntwana yam",
"A boy had to ask", Melo added with a slight smile. Manqoba brushed his fade.
"A boy has to go study now", Manqoba advised.
"I did something stupid today", the boy confessed.
"Who's pregnant?"
Melokuhle laughed, igniting a chuckle in Manqoba's taut and stressed face.
"No one. I kinda broke my girl's heart"
"Did you do it intentionally?"
"I was just being honest, in an attempt to make things easier"
Manqoba laughed. "Let me guess, you made a careless comment about her weight?"
"I would never do that", he laughed.
"What did you do then?"
"I kinda told her that there's somebody else in my life"
"Well, better that than string her along whereas you don't want her anymore. Don't you think?"
"Yy-yea, that's the thing. I want them both", Melokuhle proceed with his confession.
"Hee!", Manqoba laughed out loud. Melo followed.
"What?" – Melokuhle
"You really are a Mbulazi you piece of shxt", Manqoba continued to laugh.
