Embedded

Chapter Twenty Two.

She shakes her head again and looks right ahead.

"We do not speak of the ways of the hills of the Queen" she says.

Yoh. Okay. I sit back, now picking at my pie. How could I allow myself to go through such? How will I explain a missing body part of mine to people who won't understand. I'm pretty sure I can't even go around telling people of this.

This motorcade drives into an off the grid road. I peek ahead. The road looks like its been unused for a while. Oh, gosh. We're going to the deepest of deepest places and I don't think I'm ready to see it. What if there are snakes here...or spiders...oh my God. Take me back home now!

When the engine of the car goes dead I notice the two front cars has their doors open. I count 6 whole guards who walk off to the huge front gate carrying weapons. They stand apart at a distance, three on each side of the fence.

I hear a door opening and when I look to my side, It's Khethiwe. "Asambe. (Let's go)" she says and I breathe out, putting my half picked at pie back into my plastic and open my door. The rays landing on my hand, even the moment I set foot out of the car.

The grass pokes underneath my dress, freaking me out instantly. It sings to the blowing of the wind. The crickets chirped and that lovely goat we bought with us bleated. The hot heat from the sun has me ready to change into a lighter fabric dress immediately even before I shut the door of the car. I see Aunt Grace walking towards me...wait, no it's everyone too. She held a thick looking brown blanket in her arms.

Once they all reach me, I have no idea what to say. Instead I look down at my sandaled feet. She's wearing tekkies and a long skirt.

"Jabulile, awuthathe ngapha. (Take this side.)" She says. The blanket is lifted onto my shoulders and wrapped around me. Haibo. In this heat! "Bamba. (Hold)" She says . I take both ends given to me before being told I should keep my body covered. A sunhat is then placed onto my head, protecting me from the sun, but not it's boiling temperatures. "We have the candle and snuif right?" I hear her ask.
"Yes." Someone replies to her.

"Okay. Let's go. Our bride in the middle please." Aunt Grace says and immediately they surround me, placing me in the centre of attention. I felt like a sacrifice at this point, one that didn't even have the slightest clue what is to become of me the moment we step through those gates. We walk at the slowest pace I could ever imagine and when I glance up I could see one of the other mannequins with us dragging the goat by it's horns.

When we finally reach the front of the gate I'm told to come to the front. Two ladies come forward and spread three huge grassmats on the floor before I see Grace drop on her knees on the one in front. "Woza. (Come)" She orders looking me in the eye and steadily I made my way there, kneeling next to her.

The other kneel around us too before I see her setting alight the candle in her hold and put it in it's holder. She opens the snuif container, takes a few pinches and sprinkles them on the floor. She then proceeds to call upon the clan names of the Shazi ancestors. The ones that walked this earth before we did and the ones they knew that have now descended to the spirit world. She calls on the good spirits before she goes silent when she's finished, allowing us to take in the peaceful moment.

A cool, calm breeze flows past us before she continues right ahead to thanking her ancestors for protecting us on the road and for keeping us alive and well for all these years. She thanks them for the opportunity given to us to be here at these hills. The words just ooze out of her mouth as she proceeded to stating our intentions. Why we travelled all these hours to this place and also the gifts they brought for them. This is all before she thanks them again and we get up from the mats.