Beautiful Rossettes (A werewolf story set in Africa)

Chapter 9 Why isn't a handsome man like you married?

Londiwe

Zosowa and I went on walks regularly. Thanda would often be with Chawezi or Kato or both.

"I have three brothers. They are all older. My oldest brother is called Lizwe, the second born is Sunduzwayo then Jabulani."

"So you were the first girl after three boys?" Zo asked staring at me.

I nodded. "My mother named Lindani meaning the one she waited for. My father named me Londiwe meaning protected since I had three older brothers."

I wanted to say and two brothers who are now black leopards but I bit my tongue.

"So you were protected?"

I glanced down at the crisp leaves our feet were smashing into bits. "Not always." The look on Zosowa's face told me he had noticed the slight change in my countenance, so I said. "My arm is healing."

"Yes it is. It healed fast."

Fast! It took three weeks. If I had my leopard powers it would have taken me four days. Now that my wound was almost healed, his mother gave me something to stop the effect of lozwa. I had missed Bongwani. Zosowa and I continued to walk through the forest, talking about various things and at times in silence. Zosowa got his leg stuck in a creeping root. I was in front of him. A leopard leapt out of the tree above him. I lunged forward pushing him out of the way. The leopard fell on my nearly healed arm, glazing my skin with its claws. Zosowa who always had arrows with him, shot one. It hit the leopard's leg. The leopard's crazed eyes widened. Bongwani pushed to the surface. I let the leopard see my golden eyes and feel my dominance. He crouched low. Zosowa fired another arrow which hit the leopard's torso. It limped away. Zosowa fired two more arrows at it but it dodged them.

"Are you okay?" He asked holding my shoulder.

"Yeah." I grunted. "More stitches for me!"

He helped me stand. Taking off his shirt, he wrapped it around my lacerations.

"I am sorry. I did not notice we crossed out of the village boundary."

"It's okay."

"It's not okay." He grunted. Then inhaling deeply, he said. "Thank you for saving me Londi."

"You are welcome. That leopard looked rabid."

"Aren't they all?"

Anger surged through me. Breath in Londi. I breathed in. "Not all. Most leopards are passive by nature."

"That's not true." His voice was charged with rage. "My father was killed by a leopard. We were hunting a honey badger, not knowing a leopard was hunting us. My father told me to ran, I did and when he screamed I turned back. The leopard had released him from its grasp only to chase him down like a game. The last thing I saw was him telling me to run as the leopard sunk its claw into his neck. This is why I always carry my arrows with me."

I nodded not knowing what to say.

Lekeleni was exhausted from harvest ritual preparations. She told Zosowa to sew me up. He gave me an anaesthetic and got to work.

"Why isn't a handsome man like you married?" I heard my voice say. Oh no! The anaesthetic removed my filter. Oh no.

Zo chuckled. "Still looking for my soulmate."

I coughed to remove the tension in my lungs. "All these beautiful women here and none is your soulmate?"

He silently continued working on my arm.

"Must get lonely."

He met my gaze. "It does but it will be worth it when I meet her."

I am right here Zosowa. I am right here. Yet you are still looking.

He plunged his needle into my skin. "All my age mates married in the last five years. I was made fun of for being single. Most of them are unhappy. They are either cheating on their wives, being cheated on or constantly fighting with their spouses."

"Waiting is important."

Having finished, Zo gently rubbed castor oil onto my arm. "When I find her, I am never letting her go." He had finished rubbing castor oil onto my arm but he was still holding it. "Because she will be my best friend."

"I hope you find her." I smiled.

He smiled down at me. I enjoyed our friendship. I had gotten to know him well but I wasn't sure if he liked me back.

Thanda's footsteps grew louder as she walked in, Zo and I pulled away from starring at each other. "What happened?"

I told her everything as Zosowa cleaned my blood off the ground.

"He doesn't know you are a leopard?" Thanda asked via our mind-link. We were alone in our room but we were afraid he might hear.

I shook my head. "The guy who attacked us knows but not Zosowa." I told her about his father's death. "I know what killed his father was a human leopard. He said it released his father and then caught him again. Wild leopards do not do that, only human leopards play such sadistic games." I sighed. "How will I be able to tell him about my true identity now?"

"If anyone can figure it out; it's you."

"Your confidence in me is assuring. I will ask his mother since she knows my secret."

"I told you, you would figure it out."

I smiled, then carefully readjusted myself to lie completely on my unharmed side. "What happened with Kato? You seem upset?"

"Kato!" She threw her hands in the air. "I noticed this week he has been tired. I asked him. He told me he doesn't want to talk about it in his gruff manner. Can you believe him?" Tears welled in Thanda's eyes. I pressed my hand on the bed's edge and pulled myself up. Thanda knowing what I was going to do, rushed to my bed. She lay on my chest. "He is so closed in. I am so tired of it. One day we are making progress, the next he has shut me out." Her tears slowly saturated my dress. "Which is strange because he is the one who was into this whole mate thing." Thanda's words were muffled, but I was fluent in Thanda's sob talk. I rubbed her back with my good hand.

"Why don't you tell him it upset you?"

"He won't understand. I know him. I miss home. I miss Lizwe. I miss Jabu and Sundu. I wish I was home."

I listened to her ravings till she slept. At least her mate knew they were mates. Mine had no idea. No idea.

The next day, I accompanied Lekeleni to pick herbs. She was surprised that I had such strength to accompany her on this journey far out of the village. But she soon learnt why I had come with her.

"I understand your fears but you have to tell him. Maybe not now but soon." Lekeleni said.

"He will hate me." I said.

She burst out laughing. "Then you have not seen the passion in his eyes when he looks at you."

I glanced at the shallow stream waters we were wading through. I can't believe she just said that about her own son!

"He won't hate you." She said firmly.

Author's Note

Do you think lekeleni is right? Should she tell Zosowa?

Lekeleni was preparing a ritual thanking Chauta for good harvest.

Are you a creative? if you have character art or a cover, please send it to me on writtenbywongile@gmail.com. I promise to acknowledge.

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