Buthelezi handed Manqoba his car keys as they rushed to the car. They all drove out but had no idea where the Khuzwayo household was located. Their only hope was in the pedestrians they came across. The first two ones had no idea of who they were talking about, until they came across a teenage girl they almost ran into. She was highly distracted because of her earphones. When she recovered from her well-nigh heart attack, Muzi got out of the car.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't--"
"Forget that. Uyamazi uBusi Khuzwayo?"
"Busi Khuzwayo?", she asked in bafflement.
"Yeah. She recently passed on?"
"Oh! Busi Mlangeni. Ngiyamazi. Are you on your way to the funeral?"
"Yes but kinda lost. Mind giving us directions?"
"Err I'm not very good at giving directions. Let me just drive with you?"
"Thank you but please don't make this a habit"
"What?"
"Driving in cars that belong to strangers", he warned before they got into the car. She laughed.
"You might not know me but there's no way I wouldn't know about you"
"Still", Muzi said and she greeted the two men in the front. The talking GPS they'd picked up put them right on the gate of the Khuzwayos. There were a few people in the yard and a couple of cars packed on the street. They thanked her and she got off.
"Stay here and try to track Melo's phone. I'll be back", Muzi said before stepping out.
"You might need this?!", Buthelezi said before handing him his gun.
He arrived to a group of elderly women seated bxttflat outside in front of the house and a young woman in her mid-twenties came out with a tray of cookies and a pot of tea before he could get to them.
"Sawubona", he said softly although his chest was burning. He had a lightbulb moment at her sight. She greeted back.
"I'm looking for Mr Khuzwayo or his wife. Are they around?"
"My mom is not here but dad is at the back", she replied shyly like a lovestruck teenage girl, playing right in the arms of a man old enough to be her father.
"Oh so you're the daughter?", he asked with his trusted charming but nervous smile. A part of him felt like he was running out of time but he also felt she'll be useful if things don't go his way. She nodded.
"Do you have siblings? I'd like an older version of you", he said and she laughed.
"I do but I'm the oldest you can get. After that you'd just be a pedophile", she stated and he began feeling like he was wasting time.
"Please get your dad for me?", he said and she agreed. She took the tray to the women and went round the house. Muzi waited. She came back with him but took a different direction. Muzi was trying to gauge the guilt in Khuzwayo.
"Khumalo?"
"Mind if we talk inside?", Muzi gestured with his head that they should go in and never bothered to greet back.
"Sure", Khuzwayo looked around briefly before leading the way. They greeted the ladies in the kitchen and took the direction of the main bedroom. Khuzwayo walked in first and Muzi followed, closing the door behind him.
"What's going on?"
"I'm only going to ask you this once. Where is my son?"
"What do you mean? I don't know wha--"
Muzi grabbed him by the neck and his breathing short circuited.
"I am not in the mood for whatever games you're trying to play. WHERE IS MY SON you fxcking mongrel?!"
"I swear. I have no idea what you're talking about. I have been home all day and--"
"Where's your wife?", Muzi asked, the veins in his neck and forehead out to volunteer for emphasis. Khuzwayo bit his tongue trying to explain with his short legs dangling in the air.
"You had better speak fast because you sure as hell don't want me finding her myself?"-Muzi.
Khuzwayo's phone rang from his pocket
"Please put me down?", he said in his strangled voice. Muzi placed him on the floor. Muzi sent a fist flying to his jaw when he was struggling to take the phone out. He spat out a single bloodied tooth.
"What was that for?!", Khuzwayo shot out with his palm on his jaw bone.
"For being a fxcking pedophile. You repulse me msunuwakho!"
The phone continued ringing. Khuzwayo took it out. Muzi took a glance at the screen and saw that his wife was calling. He took out the gun from the back of his belt and pointed it to his forehead. Khuzwayo shut his eyes when he felt the cold metal that could end him settling roughly on his skin.
"Answer it, put it on speaker and act normal", Muzi commanded. Khuzwayo swallowed.
"Ma... mama?", Khuzwayo let out in a nervy voice. Muzi twisted the gun so hard it twisted his skin.
"Normal", he threatened in a whisper.
"Baba. Are you okay?", she asked in concern, with wind sinking and cutting into her voice.
"Yebo I am perfectly fine. Perfect. How's grocery shopping going?"
"Grocery? What--", she said before catching on that she probably had to lie for some reason, "Uhm I'm still at Checkers. I'll be done soon then I'm heading to Fruit and Veg. Is everything going well there?"
"Everything is fine. Take your time", he said and Muzi took the phone from him
"One, just one weak scar on any part of my son's body and you and your whole family will die a very painful death while dancing to slow gospel do you hear me woman?"
"Just how stupid do you think I am? I'm giving you one last chance to tell me where my son is or you'll soil your pants"
"Khumalo, Mbulazi..."
"For your sake, he had better be alive wherever you've kept him. Now listen to me and hear me well, you're gonna walk out of here with me and you're not going to make a scene ulalele? One wrong move and bullets will go out flying. Who knows? One might land in your precious daughter's skull by mistake if she's lucky"
"Please don't--"
"Walk your funky a** out!"
He shot out before opening the door. Khuzwayo walked with him to the gate trying his best not to give anything away.
"You're seriously abducting me from a funeral?", he lowly asked.
"Continue talking and it'll turn into yours"
They got to the car and Muzi made sure he got in first. There were a few suspicious looks but that caused no change in mind. They drove off.
"I found his phone", Manqoba said.
"I found his daughter", Buthelezi said.
"Whose daughter?", Buthelezi asked.
"The daughter that goes to Bridgenton boarding school?", Manqoba said in a calm yet threatening tone of voice.
"Please no. I'll do anything just leave Sonia out of this?", Khuzwayo begged. Buthelezi handed Muzi the phone as they continued driving.
"Shame she's cute yena yaz. Imagine this adorable face in a tiny coffin", Muzi remarked as he held the phone in one hand and the gun in the other.
"I swear if you touch her--"
"Then what? What you fxcking rxpist?!", Muzi threatened back. Khuzwayo thinned his eyes as his chest began moving up and down in exasperation. Night was now falling upon them. Buthelezi parked in front of a house.
"Is this where you kept him?", Muzi asked Khuzwayo who was stubborn enough not to speak.
"I'll handle it", Manqoba said and got out of the car.
"You don't know who's in there. I'm coming with you"
"We're all going out. Including you, phuma", Muzi said to Khuzwayo who was reluctant to open the door.
Muzi tapped the back of the gun on his head and reiterated the "Phuma!". Manqoba's phone rang after the two got out of the car. He raised his face to Muzi and said "Evelyn".
"Don't answer it"
The walked to the house forcing Khuzwayo to lead the way. He was still clutching on to his silence.
...
"Why is he not waking up? He should be up by now?!", Mrs Khuzwayo snapped to the sangoma.
"You should know. I don't remember giving out any instruction that he is supposed to be drugged with western medication", he jabbed back as he sat on a crate crushing his herbs. Mrs Khuzwayo was standing over an unresponsive and unconscious Melokuhle, whom they'd placed on a dirty and empty Super B sack. She clicked her heels and paced the rondavel in panic.
She then abruptly knelt next to him to chexk his pulse.
"No no no you cannot die on me boy", her voice was shaking as she ripped his shirt to feel his heartbeat.
"He'll no longer be of any use if he's dead. We need to extract his beating heart"
"What kind of a sangoma are you speaking of ifs? Aren't you the one who's supposed to be telling me what's going on?", she snapped.
"I've already told what I can see. I can only see your husband right now. I can't see the boy for some reason"
"We have to be quick before Khuzwayo cracks"
"I am telling you this for the 5th time. He needs to be awake for this ritual to be successful. The baby's blood is not working. We can't take chances with this one. His blood is strong. If we do this well, we'll be wealthy for life", he said as his evil eyes inspected Busi's bloody red foetus in the jar he placed it in, swimming in a yellow fluid. Mrs Khuzwayo desperately placed her ear on Melo's chest, desperately checking for a heartbeat. To her complete disappointment, his heart was completely silent. The sangoma stood up to check for himself.
"See what you've done?!!", he erupted in fury. She was about to respond when he placed both his palms on his temples, screaming in agony as if he was being tormented by a demon.
"It is only a matter of time before they come here!", he informed.
"The boy needs to be buried and you need to get out of here!"
UNEDITED.
