Big shout out to @MpanzaSD ! This chapter is dedicated to you.
Ntando's POV
Lobola day.
It was on the last Saturday of November.
I was woken up super early at 5am by Aunt Sara, "wake up uphekele abakhwenyana" (wake up and cook for the inlaws) , she said.
I groaned. For someone who had sacrificed her life to make her family happy, l didn't get why they were punishing me by waking me up at such an ungodly hour to cook for their pending in laws.
Actually, when l got to the kitchen, l wondered why l had been woken up early because there were my older female relatives everywhere and they seemed to have everything under control.
One of my aunts was making a fire outside, two of my cousins were cutting meat into pieces, another aunt was sweeping off some leaves on the paved yard, my mother and sis Mavy were wiping some plates and 3 of my grandmothers sat legs stretched on a reed mat on the kitchen floor, nestling a huge teapot, two loaves of bread, jam and were happily feasting.
It blew my mind what time all these people had woken up from their homes and travelled to ours if they were already here and so active.
I took a deep breath, and one by one, started greeting everyone.
Everyone was excited to see me. The grandmothers told me l had done them proud and that l had set a good example to everyone of how things should be done. I just smiled and nodded, barely understanding what they meant.
My other aunts too smiled and gave me hugs. My cousins smiled shyly as they greeted me. If they felt awkward then l felt awkwarder -if the word even exists. Forgive me Queen if l am murdering your language.
Aunt Sara came and instructed me to make more tea to serve the men, l said okay, and when l went to the other side of the house to count how many they were, l was surprised to find they were quite a number, my dad, uncle Roy, Ngqabutho, other uncles and cousins. I greeted everyone , shook hands with some , made small talk with others while l made a mental count of everyone.
"I've counted 19 people in total so far Aunty" I said to Aunt Sara.
"Good" she said "but make tea for about 30 people, more people are still yet to join us"
Wow. I thought to myself. That's a lot. No kidding, by the time it was mid morning, I'd lost interest in counting how many of my relatives had arrived.
It was around 8am that Emerald finally arrived, l was so happy to see her l used her as an excuse for us to go and hide in my room for a bit.
"Em, l wish you had been here sooner!" I moaned.
"Geez" she laughed "l didn't think it was going to be this busy hey!"
"I've been up since 5am" l complained, but before our conversation could go any further, One of my cousins came in, "uh, sis Ntando, Aunt Sara said please show us where we can find liquid soap, please"
I sighed "okay I'm coming" as l gave an apron to Emerald, "let's go friend"
10am.
"Go and bath, go and bath, abakhwenyana are almost here," Aunt Sara came pulling me away from the vegetables l was cutting, "Cindy!" She called one of my cousins, "come and finish this up, Emerald, you go and freshen up too."
"Yes Aunty" l said happy to take a break.
Emerald waited for me in my room while l took a shower. Then l came back out and changed into my traditional outfit, it was a flared green African print skirt, that went down to me ankles, l put on a yellow tight body bsuit top that was tucked in the skirt, and had a head wrap matching the skirt.
"Look at you girl! Umakoti!" (Bride!) Emerald squealed excitedly, "you look pretty friend"
"Thanks friend" I smiled. Well then, this was it.
Aunt Sara came back in. "You look good Ntando, you too Emerald" Emerald had changed into a neat knee length African print dress too.
"But we need you to look the same for now" Aunt Sara continued, she gave us some pieces of clothe to wrap around wastes so they covered our skirts and she gave us some black lace materials to cover our heads and faces. "Good much better, now they won't be able to tell you apart so easily.
Emerald and l had the same body size, complexion and structure. The only difference apart from our now hidden facial dissimilarities was that she was slightly taller that l.
3 More of my unmarried female cousins joined Emerald and l and we were instructed to go into the lounge, were the lobola negotiations undergoing, in a single file,with our heads bowed, and to kneel at the center of the room.
My heart was beating erratically on my chest as we followed the instructions. This was it. It was happening.
We entered the room. I quickly surveyed it and saw that the people from my family were seated on chairs, while the Mokoena entourage sat on the plain hard floor!
The coffee table had been placed infront of my dad and brother, and on it was a wooden bowl that appeared to have a chunk load of money already. Goodness. I wondered how much these people had been charged to just enter our yard.
"Right" l heard my brother say, "you say you came to pick a flower from our garden. These are all our daughters. Which flower is it?"
I lowered my head even more but my eyes were painfully roaming trying to see which flower the Mokoena spokesman would point at.
He pointed at Emerald. "This one"
There was silence and l bit my cheeks to stifle my chuckle. From the corner of my eye, l saw Thuso shake his head and signal at me with his head.
"Oh" the Mokoena spokesman said his face paling, "my apologies, l made a mistake "
"You don't even know the flower you are hear to pick?" I heard my brother tease, "we have to fine you for that, $100"
The Mokoena spokesman took out some notes from his bag and placed them on the wooden bowl.
An aunt of mine who was carrying a notebook recounted the money and nodded at my brother.
"Okay, " Ngqabutho said, "which flower are you here to pick?"
"This one!" The Mokoena spokesman pointed at me this time.
My heart jumped to my throat and l fought to swallow it back.
"Are you sure?" Ngqabutho asked as Aunt Sara came and uncovered my face.
"Yes!"
My aunts ululated.
"Okay sister's you may be excused" Ngqabutho said dismissing us, and we got up to leave.
"The flower you have picked is our most precious flower-" l heard Ngqabutho say as we exited the lounge.
"Oh my God that was so fun!" Emerald laughed when we were safely away from earshot of the lounge.
By the time we re-entered the kitchen , my cousins were already telling the story of how the Mokoena's had been fined for choosing the wrong girl and everyone was laughing.
The lobola negotiations proceeded for an hour longer and then we heard ululating coming from the lounge.
"That means they are done" mama said to me smiling. I rubbed my hands not sure what to do next. I was now traditionally married.
The other elders who weren't in the lounge already went in for family introductions, and then Aunt Sara with the assistance of Emerald took dishes with food and went to serve abakhwenyana lunch.
Everyone else was served as well, a fine party lunch and l felt myself breathe out a breath l didn't know l had been holding.
After lunch the family was called together and we took some pictures. I could barely look at my new husband. My cheeks were burning, l couldn't believe l was a blushing bride.
We had just finished taking a picture as a couple, and l was about to find an excuse not to continue being next to Thuso , when l felt him hold my back, "wait" he said.
I looked at him puzzled.
Then he went down on one knee.
Everyone gushed.
He produced a tiny black box from his pockets and opened it. Inside it was a gorgeous diamond ring.
He looked at the ring and then he looked at me with a warm smile on his face. "Ntandokazi Dlamini, will you be my wife?"
I could hear my aunts in the background ululating, from the corner of my eye l saw mama nodding and wiping off tears.
I pursed my lips and wished with all my might that l could feel something other than numbness.
I heard my voice say "yes" and l saw my hand extend itself to have the ring adorned.
It was done. I heard more ululating and even whistles from the men.
Thuso got up and gave me a hug, which also was our first hug. I awkwardly half hugged him back.
"I have a surprise for you" he said smiling but loud enough for everyone else to hear.
"Oh yay" l muttered under my breath and followed him outside the yard.
I gasped.
In drove a brand new Toyota Avensis, sleek, black and shiny with a huge pink bow at the top. It came and parked right infront of us and the driver came out and handed over the keys to Thuso.
"This is for you" Thuso said, giving me the keys.
I was thoroughly tongue tied. I looked at the shiny ring on my finger, the brand new car, the keys being handed to me, and the man warmly smiling at me. I wrapped my arms around my brand new fiancé.
I could get used to this , l thought to myself.
***
Later after l had given the car a test drive and more people had congratulated us, Thuso asked if we could take a walk and talk in private.
"Sure," l said, "we can go to the shops down the street"
"Thank you very much for the car" l said when we were alone.
"There other ways you can thank me" he said giving me a mischievous smile.
"Like what?" I asked feigning innocence.
"Like a kiss" he said "for starters"
I turned to him and tiptoed as if to kiss his lips then quickly gave him a peck on the cheek and moved away from his grasp.
I patted my lips, the feeling of his beard was weird, and l wasn't sure if l liked it, it would have to go l thought to myself.
He laughed "smooth move Mrs Mokoena to be"
I smiled, it was nice of him to say that, but it still felt so strange and foreign to me.
"So how did you afford to pay lobola and buy me a car , all at once"
"Ah well" he scratched his belly nervously, "the lobola money l always had it saved, l never spent it when things went south with you know who.."
"Oh" was all l could say.
"And the car, well, you do remember l told you l was going to sell the Mercedes"
I was surprised, "so you did?!"
"Yeah" he smiled "sold the Mercedes and bought us each a car."
"Wow" l said, l was amazed. "You downgraded for me."
"It was just a car" he said, "but you upgraded my status, you made me a man by acccepting my proposal."
And for the first time ever, l looked at Thuso and my heart skipped a beat. What was happening to me!
"So l have something to tell you" he said, and l nodded so he could go on, "I'm moving from South Africa back to Zimbabwe. A friend of mine and l have found an opportunity to open our own specialist surgery in Victoria Falls, while working for another private hospital as well"
"Oh congratulations!" I said.
"Yeah so this means when we get married, we are moving to Vic falls to start our life there"
"Nice," l smiled at him, "everyday will be a holiday"
He chuckled. "Yeah, so we want to settle in and have the surgery set up and running before you and l go for our honeymoon. As a result, I'm going to be very busy, today may be the last time you are seeing me until a few days towards our wedding."
"Oh" l said , "okayyyy"
"Great! I knew you'd understand"
"Yeah, totally" l said.
"I already talked to my mum and yours, and they said they'd be more than happy to assist you with the wedding preparations."
"Oh" was all l could say, "okay"
Author's note: hie fam!
To my dear readers who aren't quite familiar with African culture l will try to explain a few things. Lobola is paying bride price. It's like a whole wedding function, and at the end of the negotiations, the couple is traditionally married. However, due to westernization, religion (and some laws l think) most people do not recognize lobola as a marriage until they are married officially in a court or church.
So l hope this explains why at one point Ntando was referred to as a wife and the other as a fiancée.
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