IF ONLY.....

CHAPTER 26

Shadow: what?
Cole: it’s been half an hour now im sure you already had enough air to last you a life time
Shadow chuckled.
Shadow: I see you’re Mr. funny guy these days huh
Cole didn’t say anything he just looked at him.
Shadow: you don’t like me very much do you
Cole: you killed my cat!
Shadow: dude you know what a black cat symbolizes in our black community and seeing that black shit in your office I thought ba simollotse baloi ( witches have started) and I just put a bullet between its eyes 
Cole breathed out and he shook his head.
Shadow: I didn’t know it was there for rats...i get it it’s a club deep inside Pretoria CBD but no man.... le gona monna e le gore why o sa letsetsa a professional pet control (but dude why didn’t you call a professional “pest controller”) or whatever the fuck they call them, you didn’t have to bring a black cat xemanga xa ntema( black cat)  there
Cole just breathed out again and he looked at him with a straight face.
Shadow: ok harde ( sorry) I killed your cat now can we move on
Cole: fuck you!
Shadow chuckled.
Shadow: I didn’t take you for a cat lover
Cole: and I didn’t take you for a cat killer
Shadow chuckled.
Shadow: touché
Cole: why are you really out man
Shadow looked at him.
Shadow: to calm King down
Cole: he doesn’t need you to calm down now try again
Shadow chuckled.
Shadow: two years back he didn’t but now he does
Cole: what do you mean by that?
Shadow: he had three other personalities before he left and he came back with 10
Cole: what?
He was shocked.
Shadow: yeah, it was me, Small and Boris but now there’s a hunter named Bukasa, Kalaba was created to fool the rebels into thinking he was mentally ill when they raided the village, Lufua is a military man and his name means death so you can imagine how reckless and dangerous he is
Cole: damn
Shadow: then there is a serial killer named Mfumu and he’s one dangerous mother fucker, more dangerous than Lufua
Cole raised an eyebrow and Shadow chuckled.
Shadow: I know right....anyway he was created the time he burned all those rebels alive after Lufua ambushed them and killed some of them, Mfumu then burned all those that were still alive then when their screams died down he threw in the dead ones and watched on with a smile on his face
Cole swallowed hard.
Shadow: you don’t wanna meet him believe me, if you thought I was the brutal one then you’re wrong cause Mfumu is....that motherfucker doesn’t have a heart or any conscious, his heart is as cold as ice
Cole: the remaining three?
Shadow: the other one is a fisherman Moyo and then there’s Mukuna the farmer and Saddam the dealer while King himself is the smart one, the wise one
Cole: damn
Shadow: King went through shit man, at some point he thought he wasn’t gonna make it, especially when he went through those third degree burns on his lower back and stomach, if it wasn’t for Mr Kabongo and his knowledge with herbs he wouldn’t have made it
Cole swallowed hard.
Shadow: so when he’s angry I need to come out until he calms down or else Mfumu or Lufua might take over and hell will break loose
Cole: why do you suddenly care I mean once you were the unstable one
Shadow: cause those two motherfuckers will get him killed cause they dont give a fuck about the consequences, they are not afraid of death
Cole breathed out and he rubbed his hair.
Shadow: while with me, if he dies I die too and I can’t have that cause this world is too nice and sweet.... not forgetting the girls and their pussies and his fine whiskey so death is a no no
Cole: this is too much to take in
Shadow: just be glad you didn’t witness Lufua and Mfumu in action cause believe me you would look at King differently
Cole sat there looking down trying to let everything sink in.
King: you ok man
Cole looked up quickly cause he could hear the change of his voice.
Cole: King?
Kgosi: yeah...why do you have that look on your face?
Cole sighed.
Cole: shadow
Kgosi: he was out?
Cole nodded and he got up and went to pour them some whiskey.
Kgosi: damn it!
Cole: yeah and he had a lot to say
Kgosi: I bet he did
He said taking the drink from Cole and gulped it all down.
Kgosi: I hope what he told you didn’t scare you too much
He said not even looking at Cole.
Cole: voetsek who said I get scared easily
Kgosi chuckled and he looked at him.
Cole: you are my brother and I’ll never judge you or turn my back on you...you know that right
Kgosi sighed.
Kgosi: yeah I know man and the feeling is mutual
Cole: even though you have a serial killer inside of you and also a soldier, a Fisherman and a farmer
He said and chuckled and Kgosi shook his head chuckling too.
Cole: I never pictured you as a famer or fisherman King
Kgosi: a man has got to do what he needs to do to survive man
Cole: true
Then Cole’s phone rang and he looked at Kgosi before answering it.
Cole: baba
The King: Qophelo how are you
Cole: trying to be strong baba and you?
The King: in your language gatwe “ indoda ayikhali” ( a man doesn’t cry)
Cole chuckled a bit.
Cole: true
The King: I called to tell you that we will arrive tomorrow morning so get everything ready
Cole: noted baba
The King: good
Then the call ended and Cole sighed.
Cole: they are coming tomorrow I hope you’re ready
Kgosi sighed.
Kgosi: the only thing im not ready for is burying Tirelo
They both then went silence with emotional looks on their faces.

----------

AT RICHIE’S HOUSE

Cole arrived with his house helper and he briefed her and Richie’s helper about the royal family’s arrival tomorrow, his house helper was there to help Richie’s helper prepare for the royal family.
Cole: ma I know what you’re going through, you and Tirelo had a bond that he didn’t even have with his own mother......you took part in raising him and when he moved this side you moved with him and continued to take care of him so I understand your pain
The helper wiped her tears off with her apron, her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she did then Cole’s helper brushed her back as she also wiped her tears off.
Cole: I need you to be strong ma, I need both of you to be strong cause the King and his elders are coming to take his body home
Cole’s helper: don’t worry baba we will make sure they are comfortable
Cole: ngiyabonga ma ( thank you ma)....another thing, Dineo is pregnant
Richie’s helper quickly looked at Cole.
Cole: and she’s not coping at all and it’s not good for the baby.....that baby is the only thing we all have that connects us to Richie.... he/she is his blood
Richie’s helper: ooh Jehovah
Cole: apparently Mmabatho miscarried so Dineo is the only one carrying Richard’s child....a princess so im sure you know how important that baby is
Richie’s helper: too important ntate
Cole: but we know that baby’s life is now in danger cause someone will feel threatened by him/her
Cole’s helper: ooh Nkosi yam ( ooh my God)
Cole: so we need to protect the baby and Dineo at all cost
Them: mmmmh
They said nodding.
Cole: we both know Richie was gonna make sure the baby calls both of you ogogo and I know you two were gonna spoil him/her rotten so I need both of you to play your grandmothers roles by protecting her and her existence.....meaning everything that you think belongs to Dineo in this house need to be kept in a safe place, cause I think Richie kept some things that remind him of her somewhere in here so please find them and keep them in your quarters for safe keeping until I come fetch them cause I don’t trust Mmabatho and the queen 
They both nodded.
Cole: and don’t say anything about Dineo and the pregnancy to anyone please, in fact don’t trust anyone cause we don’t know who killed him and it looks like it’s someone or some people he knew that killed him so be careful and keep your ears and eyes opened
They both nodded again.
Cole: ok
He got up and went to Richie’s study and he opened his safe and he found a stack of photos of Dineo and him and he chuckled getting emotional, he also found his ID and passport and other important documents and he took them and left....he went to the mortuary to deal with some paperwork and to tell the owner that the royal family will be coming in tomorrow.

----------

AT COLE’S HOUSE

Dineo and Marang were cuddling in bed as silence filled the room, they were both lost in thoughts until Dee spoke.
Dineo: why are we both cursed Mara
Marang sighed.
Marang: I don’t think we are, I used to think like that when I went through the rape thing and also growing up but now I don’t think I am and I also don’t think you are
Dee shook her head sobbing.
Dineo: then why me....why would this happen to me Marang
Marang: cause apparently God gives his toughest challenges to his strongest warriors and we both know you’re one of the strongest people out there
Dee shook her head.
Marang: yes you are Dee and you know it as for me I think God was testing me and you help me to pass the test by being my pillar of strength so now let me be yours
Dee wiped her tears but more came out.
Dineo: it hurts Marang....i can’t believe he’s gone, I wish all this was a dream
Marang bit her lower lip as tears fell and she held Dineo tight.
Marang: I wish it was too
Then Dee sobbed on her chest.
Marang: im glad you got to experience true love through him Dee and to me he was the big brother I never had....im gonna miss your arguments and you two swearing at each other and your loud noises every time you two had your make up sex
Dee frowned and she looked at her.
Dineo: you gonna miss our loud noises every time we had make up sex?
Marang: ok that didn’t come out right
They both giggled and Dee sniffed.
Marang: I remember that time Cole and I slept at his apartment cause we couldn’t take the noise you two were making upstairs.....i thought he was beating the shit out of you Dee
Dineo: what?
Marang laughed.
Marang: mmmmh that was until Cole said you were having rough sex that’s why you were screaming like that then I started feeling stupid and embarrassed
Dineo sighed emotionally.
Dineo: I miss him Marang....why go sa swa sfebe sele e leng Mmabatho instead ( why didn’t that bitch Mmabatho die instead)....i don’t think I can go on without him
Marang sighed.
Marang: satan is not yet done with using her that’s why
They both chuckled.
Marang: I know you’re hurting but please Dee little Richie in here needs to make it.....he/she is our consoler Dee, he/she will be the only one that will manage to wipe our tears off
Dee sighed.
Marang: so please Dee this baby needs to make it so less stress please remember if it’s a girl she’s gonna be the first lady of this country, she’s gonna be the first woman in your family to fuck the president so good  that he’ll end up marrying her cause wena you were madam princess and your mother well....
They both chuckled.
Dineo: im not ready to say good bye and I don’t think I ever will be
Marang sighed.
Marang: me neither
***then they kept quiet***

----------

Inside Kgosi’s bedroom he was crying silently as he sat on the edge of the bed after some time he calmed down and wiped his face......he then stood up and went to the closet and he took a blue plastic that has the clothes Richie was wearing, they were covered in blood....he took out the golf shirt and he looked at the dry blood on it then out of the blue he heard a voice in his head.
Voice: calm down!
It was shadow....ever since the plane crash he started to hear his voice in his head, at first he thought he was going crazy but he only spoke to him when he gets too emotional.... one day Mr Kabongo found him screaming busy telling Shadow to get out of his head and he asked him what’s wrong, after Kgosi told him what was going on he tried to help him using his knowledge  with traditional herbs but nothing helped so he knew he had to get used to him or else he was gonna run mad.
Kgosi: just shut the fuck up man
Shadow: you’ll get them but for now you need to keep it together, remember you’re the calm one
Kgosi sighed and he put the shirt down and took out his jeans.... as he was looking at them he remembered seeing something on the shirt and he put the jeans down and he picked up the golf shirt again and looked at its back.....he saw some dry blood on the upper back of the shirt....the shirt was covered in blood on the front and the back was clean except on the upper back of it while Richard was stabbed on his abdominal area.... he frowned and put the shirt back inside the plastic and he picked the jean and he felt something inside the back pocket.....he searched inside and found a small chip, it was a recording chip created by  their IT guy.
Kgosi: mmmmh I hope you recorded those fuckers Tee
He put it down and continued to search the jean and he found a small piece of paper and a phone number was written there, he took out his phone and dialed the numbers and a man’s voice answered.
Man: sure
Kgosi: sure is this Pule?
Man: no
Kgosi: ooh ok I guess it’s a wrong number
Man: yah
Then the guy ended the call and Kgosi dialed Cole’s numbers.
Cole: King
Kgosi: call Fingers to come to the house I just found a lead and tell him to bring his DNA preservation kit  
Cole: ok but what lead
Kgosi: a phone number, one of our recording chips and some blood on the back of his shirt
Cole: ok let me call him and im on my way
Kgosi: sure
He sighed and put the jean inside the plastic and sealed it then he picked them along with the paper and chip and he walked out going to the study room.

----------

KWENENG KINGDOM

Motlalepula: I hope you have good news for me Rabolao
Rabolao: nyaa Kgosigadi ( no my queen) im afraid I have bad news
Motlalepula sighed.
Rabolao: your son died because of your sins Motlalepula
Motlalepula: what?
Rabolao: his ancestors could have saved him but they didn’t
Motlalepula: I don’t understand Rabolao
Rabolao: you tried to kill the heir apparent to the throne more than once Motlalepula in fact you started when he was still inside his mother’s womb and they decided to hit you were it hurts the most by not saving your son the time you gonna need him the most
Motlalepula: no....no
Rabolao: the ancestors of the family you’re married to are dangerous Motlalepula, you touch one of them and they’ll hurt you where it hurts the most
Tears ran down Motlalepula’s cheeks and her hands started shaking.
Motlalepula: how dare they...all I did was to secure my son’s future....im the first wife so my son deserved to be the King!
Rabolao: we both know that’s not how it works
Motlalepula: that’s how it’s supposed to work Rabolao!
She said shouting and Rabolao sighed.
Rabolao: another thing the heir has arrived and the ancestors are not done with you yet
Motlalepula: no we need to do something Rabolao
Rabolao: something like what
Motlalepula: we need to make sure he’s dead....its better both our sons die than to have her useless son sit on that throne
Rabolao sighed.
Rabolao: you know I regret ever agreeing to help you, it’s true when they say that money is the root of all evil
Rabolao then dropped the call and she heard a knock on the door.
Motlalepula: what!
She shouted.
Voice: my...my Queen the King requests your presence in the royal meeting room
Motlalepula: im coming!
She breathed out.
Motlalepula: nx what does this useless man wants now....aarga man yeses, I have important things I need to deal with
She dialed Rabolao’s numbers again and a woman answered crying.
Woman: hello
Motlalepula: hello can I speak to Rabolao
The woman cried some more.
Motlalepula: hello?
Woman: he....he’s dead
Motlalepula: wait who is dead?
Woman: papa.....he was just hit by...by a lightning now and he....
She continued to cry and Motlalepula’s eyes popped out.
Motlalepula: wh...what?
Tu tu tu the phone got disconnected and she sat there with her eyes popped out with her heart beating fast.

----------

AT COLE’S HOUSE

Cole arrived first then their IT guy also arrived and he was shocked to see Kgosi.
Fingers: is jy seker jy is nie n spook nie, my bass? ( are you sure you’re not a ghost my boss)
Kgosi: jy is mal ( you are crazy)
They all chuckled.
Fingers: wel, spook of nie, ek is bly jy is hier ( well ghost or not im happy you’re here)
Kgosi: ek is bly ek is ook hier man, hou nou op om vreemd te wees en doen waarvoor jy goed is ( im glad im here too man, now stop being weird and do what you’re good at)
Fingers chuckled and Kgosi gave him the small paper.
Kgosi: I found it inside the jean he was wearing when he was stabbed
Fingers: ok
He did his things on his laptop then he stopped.
Fingers: found it...there it is
They looked at the screen and looked at each other.
Cole: North west?
Kgosi: Brits?
Then Fingers went back to typing and he stopped.
Fingers: umm the simcard is registered to a Modiri Molelekwa
He said as he continued to be busy on the laptop.
Fingers: mmmmh interesting
Cole: what?
Fingers: nigga is some wannabe El Capone boss..... street name is Scarface and he’s originally from Madikwe township in the north west and his mother is Pinky and looks like he doesn’t know his father
Since his laptop was also paired with Cole’s printer he printed out all the information about the guy and Cole went to take all the printed pages and he read through them then he gave them to Kgosi
Cole: what is his connection to Tirelo?
Kgosi: the question should be what is his connection to those two monkeys
Cole went to his safe and he opened it and took out a file that had  both Collins and Trey’s information and he read through it
Cole: damn it I don’t see any Scarface or Modiri here
Kgosi sat there thinking.
Kgosi: if it’s not a business connection that they have then it must be personal
Cole: yeah
Kgosi: go deeper fingers, get me all the information you can get about his background  and dig up every nasty shit he has ever done and still does even now, who he fucks and who he meets with, the names of his pets, helper etc.... just everything you can possibly get
Fingers: roger that bass
Kgosi got up.
Kgosi: I’ll leave you to it as for me I need to go and preserve some DNA from his clothes, something doesn’t add up and I need to make sure we’re not leaving anything out
He took the DNA preservation kit Fingers brought with and the plastic that has Richie’s clothes.
Cole: well I’ll go feed our pregnant women then
He also got up.
Fingers: kan ek pizza bestel.... ek is honger (can I order in pizza....im starving)
Cole: ek het reeds....ek sal n paar vir jou bring (I already did.....I’ll bring some for you)
Fingers smiled.
Fingers: ok dankie bass ( thanks boss)
He went back to his laptop then Cole and Kgosi walked out.