An influx of more family members made it all feel real to the pending king. He was no longer in a daze about taking the reigns from his deceased father but ready was no where near the right word. The cows were already put to the slaughter and the traditional beer was waiting deliciously to be consumed. Even a blind man could sense how big the event was going to be.
If there's an English word for sphithiphithi please kindly insert it here. Betso bumped into Enhle at the top of the stairway carefully holding a black and white attire on her arm. It had just been ironed.
"Hey Queeeen", she said to Enhle in a teasing tone. Enhle laughed and acknowledged the form of address.
"I haven't seen you all day", Enhle remarked.
"Ma made me manager of the pots of the back", she replies and airily rolled her eyes.
"Okay. Are they still in a meeting? It's been 2 hours now are they discussing a national heist yin?", Enhle questioned. Betso shrugged, placed both hands in her apron and made a quick trip down the stairs.
...
The elders stood up patiently when the meeting was adjourned. Muzi and Manqoba remained seated around the dining table. The shut doors were successful in keeping all types of noises outside. Evelyn kept expecting Mbhekiseni to show up to no avail. She had a feeling he would pounce on her like the wild animal he is. She derived this derogative from how he always smells like a wet dog. According to her. She doesn't mind him, just as long as he's at least 3 meters away from her and keeps his mouth shut. Mbhekiseni was the type of person who got magnetized to you just by the hatred you displayed for him.
Bab'Sizwe placed his affirmative hand on Manqoba's shoulder.
"Ngine sqiniseko sokuthi U bab'wakho uyaziqhenya ngawe la elele khona ngale snqumo os'thathile ndodana"(I'm pretty sure your father is proud of you for the decision you took son), he stated and patted him twice on the shoulder and squeezed.
"We're here to guide and show you the way. Ungakhathazeki kakhulu"(Don't worry much), he added and Muzi nodded on MQ's behalf. The other elders had walked out and left the door open. An avalanche of noise was pouring in. Paroxysms of loud laughs coming from the ladies in the kitchen. Bab'Sizwe also eventually left.
"You've got this", Muzi reassured and put out his fist so they can bump. Manqoba gave a halfhearted smile and they fist bumped.
"Anyway, let me go find my wife", Manqoba said and screeched the tile with his chair so he can stand.
"Olyt", Muzi said as he unlocked his phone.
"Wait...", Manqoba turned towards Muzi before he can walk any further and Muzi bent his neck back to 'see' what he had to say.
"Did you finish the recent bottle of cognac all by yourself? Wakanda stress do you have?", Manqoba said and Muzi briefly stared at him like he was trying to figure out why he had suddenly grown horns. It then hit the both of them, at the same time.
"Ayayaya!", they both exclaimed in exasperation and Muzi stood up so they could find the boys.
...
"Sit!", Manqoba said to all three after they pushed them into the dark study, after they found them sleeping. Melokuhle placed his fingers on his throbbing temples. Mxolisi snorted his way to the couch.
"I don't even know what I'm doing here", Lwandile said. Completely sober. Muzi opened the drawer to the desk that used to belong to his father and took out an object. The two rascals were already at the door preparing to run only to find the door locked.
"So you're drunk enough to lazy around but sober enough to run?", he said as he switched the device on. Lwandile was just standing there waiting to be sentenced for innocence.
"I said sit!", Manqoba said and went to sit on the edge of the desk.
They came back.
"Is that a taser?", Melokuhle nervously asked.
"The fact that you think that tells me that you're too drunk", Muzi said and held it to his mouth.
"A breathalyzer?", Lwandile commented.
"I don't have to tell you what to do...", Muzi said as he waited for Melo to breathe into the object.
"Dad come on", Mxolisi begged.
"How many times did we specifically tell you to stay out of the man cave?", Manqoba interrogated.
"We never went..."
"BREATHE!", Muzi was getting impatient.
"I promise we're not drunk. See, the thing with these things is that they can easily give you false results. We see it all the time in the physics lab", Melo defended.
"Exactly. Also, we had cranberry juice. Cranberry, carbon dioxide and ions create alcohol in the blood dad come on?", Mxolisi added to the defense.
"HUH?!", Muzi and Manqoba both looked at him incredulously. Lwandile internalized a laughter.
"I don't think that science is correct. Breathe dammit", Muzi commanded.
"And why are you standing that far?", Manqoba directed this at Lwandile.
"You know I don't drink", he said with certainty. Manqoba looked at him dubiously before he went "Mmm". Deep down, he knew he was telling the truth. The two finally gave in and exhaled into the breathalyzer sequentially. They both tested insanely positive. Muzi dropped the hand with the breathalyzer in defeat, with a look that was borderline disappointed and speechless.
