Copyright © Bomi Shinga 2013- All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without Bomi Shinga’s express consent. You may share this document or part there of only if you cite the original author Bomi Shinga
You may follow the original scripts on Facebook Mzansi Stories With Sis B
Follow Bomi on twitter @BomiShinga
Episode 1
The story began at Umzimkhulu in a dusty village called Mvubukazi. Thulisile (Thuli) a 5 year old girl lived with her grandma and her younger cousin brother Nduduzo (Ndudu) who was only 3 years old, just the three of them. The year was 1995. Thuli’s grandma was a teacher at the local school and everyday she would leave Thuli and Ndudu with her neighbour who did not mind as long as Gogo contributed just a little bit to her monthly groceries. The neighbour would then take the children along with her own children and take them to preschool and they would come back to her house after school. This was never an issue and everyone seemed happy and the children were happy too.
One day during the weekend Gogo was still in bed with her grandchildren “Gogo” Thuli called out. Gogo: Yes my child
Thuli: My surname is Mjilo right?
Gogo: Yes
Thuli: Sisi (She called her mother sisi) is Mjilo too gogo right?
Gogo: Err Ya.
Thuli: Gogo how come all of my friends are using different surnames from their mother? Why do I and sisi use the same surname?
Gogo: Heh hayi Thuli, who taught you to ask such questions?
Thuli: I don’t know gogo, so how come? Who is my father? Do I and my mother have the same father?
Gogo: You know what Thuli, your uncle is coming back for school holidays soon, you should ask him.
The question Thuli asked did not sit well with Gogo, she had always known that day would come; she just never thought it would be that soon. The uncle she was talking about was her last born who was in high school at the time. Telling Thuli to ask him was just her way to buy time with the hope that Thuli would forget about it. She wondered how come Thuli suddenly asked such a question.
This is what had happened: one of Thuli’s peers had just been connected with a father and that peer was the one who brought the issue to Thuli’s attention when she (peer) was bragging about her new daddy and that she was now going to change her surname and use her daddy’s. That was when Thuli thought that she did not know her father and she had never ever heard anyone talking about her father. Her grandfather had died when she was still a baby and even though she was young she thought it would not make much sense if her and her mother had the same dad. She had never seen that in the other families. Everyone had a mother and their own dad.
Thuli hardly knew her mother she knew that her mother lived in Durban, and she had faint memories of her because she only came back once a year in December and would stay for a few days and leave again. So she was not used to her anyway. But she was used to her uncle and would talk to him about her dolls and everything else concerning 5 year olds. Uncle would tell her funny stories and she loved spending time with uncle.
“Malume how is high school? Do you have toys to play with at your school?” Thuli asked her uncle one morning when he had just came back the previous afternoon. Thuli liked doing that when her uncle was home, she would go to his room very early in the morning and wake him up so she would hear stories. “No we do not have toys” “So what do you do all these days when you are at school if you do not have toys?” She asked again. “Okay mtshana, we do have toys”. “Hahahaha malume, you play with toys but you are so old” “Ahh Thuli, some play with toys some don’t, mother is calling you, go and eat” Uncle said trying to chase her away. Thuli went to the kitchen and indeed found her granny and cousin already eating porridge. She then went back to malume’s room and he was still in bed listening to radio that was placed on a chair next to his bed.
“Tell me a story malume” She said. “A story about what mtshanam?” Thuli kept quite for a bit while she looked like she was thinking. “Tell me... A story… About… errr… about… my… about my father” she said with the last few words in a very low tone but with enthusiasm. “Your father?” Malume asked sounding surprised and shocked. He really was not expecting that. Malume was 19 years old and he knew exactly what had happened 6 years ago when his older sister was pregnant with Thuli. He did not like it, he hated it and being reminded about it did not sit well with him.
“Ewe my father, gogo said you can tell me about my father” Thuli said pleadingly, she was now almost regretting saying that to Malume because she could see that malume was unhappy “Malume don’t you know my father? The one on the photo with gogo? The one on your photo album as well? I mean that one” Thuli said. “Oh, he is my father too, he was great and he loved you. He used to sit you on his lap when you were a baby and crying and you would laugh”. This was not the first time Thuli heard this. She loved hearing stories about her grandfather/father.
“Okay malume, bye-bye” she said as she ran out of her uncle’s room to play with her dolls. She did not speak about the matter again until her uncle left. “Thuli I tell you now, if a man ever came to you and say he is your father you should ignore him and run fast, you hear me?” gogo said one day to Thuli after she was saying something related to her father “Why gogo?”. “Thuli when I tell you something you do not ask why, okay?” “Okay” she said.
Like every little girl her age in her villager Thuli played outside, played houses and what not. She rarely thought about this issue about her father and just told herself that her mother’s father was her father too. But the people in the society would always say things to remind her. When you grow up ezilalini (rural areas) you have to be able to say who exactly you are, your surname, your mother’s surname and you grandma’s surnames, from both your mother’s and father’s side. Thuli always just needed to go pee when her peers would play that game because she could not say “Ndingu Thulisile Mjilo, umtshana wakwaMjilo (I am Thulisile Mjilo, my mother’s surname is Mjilo). That did not sound normal.
At the age of seven after she had never mentioned her father issue again to any person from her family. She did raise the issue of being unable to tell who she was though. Gogo said, “I am your mother from now on and your surname is Mjilo, your mother’s surname is Ndzelu (Gogo’s surname)”. She was doing sub-std A (grade 1) and she was a bright kid. She was on the top of her class. She had a friend named Vuyiswa(Vuyi) who was the neighbour’s daughter that she had been friends with from since she was a toddler.
“Vuyi and Thuli come here” a boy who was doing sub-B called them as they were about to cross the river on their way to school. “Asifuni (we do not want to)” both girls answered in chorus as they went on with their way. The boy was bigger, about 10 years old. This boy was sitting on the bench of the river with his feet in the water. He was blocking their way so they would not pass. “Come here,” he said grabbing both the girls’ arms and they started to scream. “I want the two of you to be my girls. You hear me?” he said trying to make a scary voice. “We do not want to” they were saying while they were screaming. “And you Thuli I do not know what is your problem. Your mother is a girlfriend for everyone. Why are you not like her?” the boy said. Thuli started crying for real and the boy let her go and was left with Vuyi who also started crying, so he let them go.
Thuli often got those kind of comments from other children that her mother was a girlfriend for everyone. She did not know what it meant or if it meant she should be a girlfriend for everyone as well. The word “intombi (girlfriend)” sounded naughty so she did not want to ask her grandmother about it in-case she got into trouble, so she just stayed with that information and just cried when other kids would raise it. She remembered that her mother had not been home since she was still in preschool and she would hear her grandmother praying every night asking God to bring Thuli’s mother back home. But it never happened.
Episode 2
“Thuli we are going to Durban tomorrow” Gogo announced one Friday afternoon. “Durban Gogo?” She said sounding excited. She had never been to Durban ever. The only town she had ever been to was Umzimkhulu and she could count the number of times she had been there. Gogo then showed her new clothes that she was going to wear on their way to Durban. “Where are Ndudu’s clothes?” Ndudu the cousin brother was a 5 year old boy then and had started preschool. “We are going to see your mother in Durban, Ndudu will be left with Vuyi’s mother until we come back.” Gogo explained. Well Thuli was excited that she was going to Durban and see her mother.
She called her mother “sisi” because that is what she was called by the rest of the family since she was the oldest. Thuli could not sleep at night thinking about the journey to Durban, she wondered if they were going to come back with her mother. She was also curious to see her because she had not seen her in two years which seemed like a long time to her and she only knew her mother from the photos. The sound of her mother’s voice was faint in her memory.
The following day Gogo woke her up, bathed her and Ndudu. Packed Ndudu’s bag for a sleep over then on their way to the bus stop they dropped Ndudu with Vuyi’s mom. “IThek’ iThek, iThek’ iTheku, abaya eThekwini ngapha (bus conductor towting for the Durban bus)” was the sound Thuli heard as they were approaching the bus station. Thuli went in the bus with her gogo and gogo left her in the bus while she went to buy food they were going to eat.
The bus eventually left for Durban. Thuli was asleep most of the journey and only woke up when they were about to get off. From what she saw she realised that Gogo also did not know where they were going. Gogo had an address that she had extracted from a letter that Thuli’s mother had written to her (Gogo). And that was how gogo knew where she was. So Gogo decided to take Thuli to her mother in the hope that Thuli’s mother would go back home and perhaps continue with school.
The bus dropped them and the conductor showed them where to go and did advise them to ask along the way. Gogo asked street vendors and luckily they were not far at all from where Thuli’s mother was living.
Thuli’s mother was living in a two roomed shack but when they got there she was not back from work yet. But she came back within a short while. She looked happy to see them. Thuli’s mom was called Nomsa. Nomsa hugged her mother, Thuli just looked at her, she did not really have interest to hug her mother. Nomsa realised how distanced Thuli was “Molo Thuli (Hello)” she said in a very friendly tone “Ewe sisi (Hi)” Thuli responded while looking down shyly. “You have grown so much, you look so beautiful, come here” Nomsa said as she attempted to lift Thuli up. Thuli could not help but smile shyly at the compliment. But her mother looked like a stranger. However she knew it was her mother and she let her mother hold her.
“Let me go buy you something nice from the tuck shop, mom we will be back now” Nomsa said as she was still holding Thuli and took her to the shops. “How are you sisi? You have grown so much, do you know who I am?” Nomsa said in an excited yet trying to be child like tone. “Ungusisi (you are my sister)” Thuli said shyly while in her mother’s arms. “Do not be silly, I am your mother, but you can call me sisi if you like that”. Nomsa was 25 years old, the only daughter out of 3 siblings. She had Thuli when she was 19 and was supposedly be doing her first year at the teachers college.
She had to drop out when she was pregnant and go home. She stayed at her home for the rest of 1989 and gave birth to Thuli in 1990. She spent 1990 at home as well then in 1991 she had to go back to school and finish her education course. But she was to start from the beginning since she dropped out when the year was still young. In 1991 when Thuli was a year old and Nomsa was doing her first year (Course 1, lol) Nomsa’s father died. At hearing these new Nomsa dropped out of school with the excuse that her mother could not support the rest of the siblings alone and since she was the first born she was to help her mother. Her mother pleaded her not to do that but Nomsa dropped out anyway. That is when she went to Durban to find a job only to come back once a year.
When Thuli was 3 years old one of her two uncles had a son Nduduzo and he died as well shortly after that so now Nomsa’s mom aka Gogo was left with only 2 children and 2 grandchildren.
In 1995 December when the story had already started Nomsa did not come back home. Her mother wrote letters that got no response, she called her work phone and she did not succeed. For 2 years Nomsa did not contact her home, until 1997 when she sent the letter that drove her mother to Durban.
So anyway Thuli and her mom were on their way to the tuck shop and Nomsa seemed to be really happy to see her daughter. “Are you still in press school?” She asked. “No, I graduated in preschool, I am doing grade 1” Thuli said. Nomsa was impressed. Last time she was conversing with Thuli she could not put a proper sentence together, but now she was just really adorable. She got to the shop and told her friends that were there that her mother was home and that her mother came with Thuli. She did not tell any of her friends that Thuli was her daughter.
Episode 3
Thuli did not seem to have noticed that her mother did not introduc her as her daughter. They bought sweets and some other stuff that Nomsa was going to cook that day for supper and they went back to her shack. When they got there Nomsa’s mother was still sitting outside, she had taken only the bags inside and waited for Nomsa and Thuli’s return outside.
“Hayibo mama, why are you sitting outside? Let us go in” and they all went in to the shack “Gogo where is the house?” Thuli asked her gogo surprised by the shack. “Stop asking so many questions Thuli” Gogo said shutting her up. Nomsa started cooking. “Sisi kutheni le ndlu yakhiwe ngophahla? (Why is the house built with a roof?)” Thuli could not contain herself anymore so she asked her mother. “hahahaha Thuli, these are not for the roof. This house is called umkhukhu (a shack). People live in places like these in Durban” Nomsa explained. “But when me and Gogo were coming here we did see houses that are built with house (she meant walls), why don’t you live there?” The young girl asked again. “Not everybody lives in those houses Thulisile, who is your friend at school? Tell me about your school” Nomsa said as she tried to change the subject.
Nomsa went on with her cooking and answering some of the question Thuli was asking. When it was getting dark a man walked in the shack. He got a little shock when he saw gogo and Thuli sitting on the bed that was there next to the stove “Sanibonani (Hello)”, he said hesitatingly while still standing, he looked like he was not sure whether to sit or go back outside. There wasn’t any chair in the shack, only the single bed. “Ewe molo (Hello)” gogo responded to the guy. The guy looked at Nomsa and prompted her to go to him. Nomsa left her pot and quickly went to the guy. They went outside and spoke softly there for some time.
After a few minutes they both came back “Mhamha mina ngingu Vusumuzi, uVusi Shange (Excuse me mam, I am Vusi Shange)”The guy said to Nomsa’s mother. Gogo looked at the guy and said “Nice to meet you young man” then she kept her mouth shut. Vusi then looked at Thuli. “You are such a beautiful girl, did you also come to visit?” Vusi asked Thuli. Thuli sat quietly and looked down shyly as she leaned on her gogo, she did not say anything, she just nodded her head. Vusi realized that he was not getting any response and so he said “Nomsa I will be back later, just going to go down to the garage” then he left.
“Mama, Vusi lives here, he did not know you were coming” Nomsa said to her mother shyly. “I see” Gogo responded. Okay let me mention this, gogo was in her early 50’s and was not the type of a person that spoke too much. There was awkward silence. Thuli wondered if that man was her father, if not then how was he related to her mother that they were even living together? Was he the one making her mother not go home anymore?. Being a child that she was she could sense the tension in the room and she knew that it was because of that guy. She could not put the puzzle pieces together but then again she could not ask gogo because gogo always changed the subject when she spoke about her father and she did not want to get people more upset. At some point she wondered if she(Thuli) was not the reason her mother decided to leave home. Little Thuli kept quite with her gogo and mother.
“Nomsa you know Sanele (uncle) is doing well at the teachers training college. I am managing very well with the finances”. Gogo said breaking the silence. “Oh I remember he was in high school, is he doing course 1?” Nomsa responded. “Yes, maybe you should go and finish as well. School is very important” gogo said trying to convince her. “I don’t know mama, I have a business here, I have shacks for hire, it will not be easy to pack up and leave” Nomsa said to her mom. Thuli was just quite.
“At least my child, say you will think about it” gogo pleaded. “You see mama, I wouldn’t have written to you with my address if I knew you were going to come here and ask me to go to school again” Nomsa said rudely and she went out to the other room on the shack…
“Gogo when are we going to go back home?” Thuli asked her granny who was covering her face with one hand as if crying, but no crying sound was coming out of her so Thuli did not think she was crying. Gogo did not respond to her. “Gogo are you praying?” Thuli asked concerned, gogo still did not respond. After some time gogo took a deep breath and opened her eyes. “It is going to be okay my child. Your mom will be alright”. “Are we going to go home with her?” Thuli asked. “I do not think so my child. But she will come home soon.” Gogo answered Thuli.
After some more time Nomsas walked in and went to the small cupboard that was there and took out 3 plates and dished out the food without saying anything to anyone. She then gave the food to her mom and Thuli. “Gogo let’s bless the food” Thuli said. “Okay Thuli, thandaza (you can pray)”. Gogo said. Nomsa also closed her eyes. Thuli started shouting like she was at school “God bless the food we are about to eat. Amen!!”. Nomsa then took her plate and went to eat in the other room and left gogo and Thuli there.
Eventually Vusi came back and he went into the room where gogo and Thuli were, he found only them, then he sat on the bed as well. “I did not know you were coming mhamha. I would have made proper arrangements. I hope konke kuhamba kahle (all is well)” he said sounding very respectful. “We are okay mntanam. So youo guys have a business here?” Gogo said in a conversation tone and she sounded friendly. “I would not call it a real business mha, but we do have a few shacks that we own which we rent out to people.”
Episode 4
Gogo: So are you the one who perhaps have business management skills?
Vusi: Hahahaha. I am not qualified or anything. You see a friend of mine used to own these shacks and he died of old age. I was the only one who was close to him and I always had helped him manage them, so after his death I have been doing the business, with the help of Nomsa. I and Nomsa had been thinking that she can go study business management at college so she can help with the papers. But we were still discussing that (he sounded confident).
Gogo: Oh, I see. How long have you been with Nomsa?
Vusi: (thinking…) I think it has been about two years now mha. (Kept quite)
**Awkward silence**
“Gogo your plate is still full, why did you not eat?” Thuli said a she had just finished her plate and she broke the silence, “Go and put the plates on the table Thuli” gogo instructed her.
“I do not know if Nomsa had told you about the sleeping arrangements mha” Vusi said. At that time Nomsa walked in with her plate. “You are back” she said quietly to Vusi, Vusi did not respond. Nomsa then went to the table and dished out food for Vusi. Vusi ate in silence, everyone could sense the tension and as a result no one said anything. When Vusi was done Nomsa took all the dishes to wash them outside.
Nomsa came back with the dishes. “Mama you and Thuli are going to sleep on this bed,” Nomsa said to her mother as she was packing the dishes. Gogo did not say anything, Thuli just wanted to go home, Durban was boring. Nomsa went towards the door, “Thuli come here sisi” she said to Thuli and Thuli did as instructed, they went outside. “I am your mother yeva? But you should call me sisi neh? And if anyone asks you, tell them you are my sister. Okay?” She told Thuli, “Why?” Thuli asked. “You can not understand now, you are still a child. I will explain to you when you are older. But everything will be okay yeva? You and gogo are going to go home tomorrow and I will come back during Christmas. I will bring you and Ndudu new clothes and nice things from Durban, you hear me?” she said to her daughter softly. Thuli put her index finger in her mouth and played with her right leg/foot and nodded in response.
The two of them went back inside. Thuli was not feeling good, she did not know why, but she just felt grumpy. She went and sat next to gogo and leaned on her and kept quite. Thuli was not a quite child. Even when she was shy it would be that childish shyness when she would not know what to say or getting complimented. However gogo noticed that ever since they got to Durban she had been very quite, even more quite then after she had been with her mother.
“Mama about earlier” Noma said when Thuli had fallen asleep with her head on gogo’s lap, Vusi was in the other room. “I am sorry about earlier that I spoke back to you” she said respectfully. “I am listening” her mom said. “Thing is me and Vusi were planning that I was going to go to college and do a business management course.” She said. “To manage shacks?” gogo asked her. “Gogo it is a lot of work and I and Vusi had been thinking to grow the business, he is the one working on the business plan” she explained
“What about your child? I do not hear you saying anything about her, does Vusi even know about your child?” gogo asked. Nomsa did not respond. “He doesn’t neh?” gogo asked. Nomsa shamefully shook her head. “When are you planing to go back home?” Gogo asked. “I was telling Thuli just now that I am going to come home definitely this December. I am not going to change my address mama, I will give you my new work number, I promise” she said in a breaking voice. Gogo got annoyed “What has changed exactly? Why were you not going home all along? Whatever has been keeping you will not keep you any more?” Gogo said almost shouting. “I am sorry mama” Nomsa said tears filling her eyes. “Sorry does not answer me Nomsa!” Gogo said then she kept quite as well.
Gogo remembered all the suffering she went through in the past 2 years, when she reported Nomsa missing to the police, when she would go identify dead bodies that were found. When she did not know if her daughter was dead or alive. She prayed so hard to God every night calling her daughter’s name. For 2 years nothing was happening. And now there she was telling her she was going to go home as if it was not a big deal. As if nothing was really holding her in that Durban. Gogo was upset. She covered her eyes with one hand once again and did not say anything.
“Mama, I am going to register at college for business management course” Nomsa interrupted her mom’s sad thoughts. “Who is going to pay for those studies?” gogo managed to say, her voice was broken too. Nomsa just looked down without any answer. “I need to sleep now my child, we will talk tomorrow” gogo said. Nomsa agreed and went to the other room where Vusi was. Gogo got herself and Thuli in bed and started thinking about her things…
While gogo was thinking she heard Vusi’s voice speaking loudly and it sounded like he was angry “When were you planning to tell me? You are unbelievable Nomsa!”
Episode 5
Gogo could hear Nomsa responding but she was speaking in a lower tone so she could not hear clearly what she was saying. After that it became quite again. Gogo fell asleep and woke up the following morning. Both Nomsa and Vusi were not going to work because it was on a Sunday. After they had all eaten breakfast Vusi started to speak to Thuli, “So how old are you?” Thuli was feeling better now, less grumpy and less shy. Besides, this Vusi person sounded friendly.
Thuli: Seven
Vusi: Who is your mother?
Thuli: my mother? (Thuli remembered what she had promised her mother about not telling people who her real mother was)
Vusi: yes your mother, you look a lot like your sister Nomsa, is she your mother?
Nomsa overheard this conversation and said in Zulu “Vusi I told you already, stop questioning her” Gogo was not present at the time she had gone to the toilet. Then she came back, Thuli immediately ran to her gogo a she could not stand the awkwardness. “Gogo? Gogo?’ she said while patting gogo who was still standing about to sit down. “What is it?” “I want to go home” Thuli said sadly. “We will go home later today, okay?” Thuli was okay with this and she was happy they were going to leave that day. She went and played by herself and left the old people.
Nomsa and her mother were talking and the next thing Thuli heard was Nomsa calling her to come and bath. She thought it was time to leave already. “Sezizagoduka sisi? (Are we about to go home?)”, “No, I have a surprise for you” Nomsa responded. Thuli couldn’t wait for the surprised. When she was done and her mother was done, she saw that gogo was not getting ready. “let’s go” Nomsa said to Thuli and off they went to the bus stop to Durban CBD.
Nomsa bought a few clothes for her daughter and some for Ndudu. She went and pierced Thuli’s ears and she bought her ice cream. Thuli had never eaten an ice cream before, she enjoyed it so much and she thought she looked pretty with her earrings. They went back to the shack and found gogo already ready to go. Vusi was there as well and he had been talking to gogo about general stuff. The four of them all went to the bus station.
“Usisi akazubuya nathi gogo (Sisi is not coming back with us?)” “No child, but she will come home for Christmas, do you like the clothes she bought? You look so beautiful with your earrings, are they not painful?” Thuli then started talking none stop about how she liked the earrings and how she could not wait to show to her friends, she also ate ice cream “gogo you should buy ice cream for Ndudu as well” as they were going back home.
Months went by, Nomsa was communicating with her mother using letters and gogo was still not clear about who was going to pay for Nomsa’s business management studies, and she was willing to help if Nomsa needed help. But she was still convinced that she should do teaching. But she never raised that issue with her because she felt like it would drive Nomsa away.
One day gogo got a letter from Vusi. The letter was Vusi apologising for “maybe inappropriate” behaviour when gogo was there. He said he had no idea that Nomsa had not been going home for 2 years as he overheard gogo saying. Nomsa had been going to her “home” once in 3 months or so for the past 2 years he has known her. He said that he was also troubled by what he heard as he then had no idea where she had been going all that time. Gogo could just take a wild guess of where her daughter was going. After all everyone knew that she was a loose panty. However gogo did not respond to Vusi’s letter as she could not badmouth her daughter and she was not willing to lie for her either. She just wished Nomsa could come back home.
And then it was November, it was in the afternoon Gogo and her grandchildren were sitting around the fire waiting for food to be ready. “Nangu usisi, (there is sisi)” Thuli announced. She indeed saw her mother going past the kitchen door to where the bedrooms were, she was carrying a big bag. Gogo did not believe that so she went outside, indeed she saw Nomsa going in the room where she used to sleep, gogo went after her and found her sitting on the floor with her head on the bag she was carrying and she was crying bitterly.
Episode 6
Gogo went on her knees and held her daughter. She comforted her, Nomsa did not stop crying, but she did get calm gradually. Thuli and Ndudu were there standing by the door as their gogo was comforting Nomsa. Gogo instructed them to leave, they left that room. When all was calm and Nomsa had something to eat she did tell her story.
Vusi had beaten her up, she took her clothes off so her mom could see the damage, she had been beaten up badly. She said ever since her mom and Thuli came to Durbam and she told Vusi that Thuli was her child, which was why he was shouting at her and gogo heard. After gogo and Thuli left Durban things were not the same anymore. Vusi called her a liar and would beat her up regularly. But this time around the beating was so bad that she could not take it anymore. Vusi had even made her stop going to the factory where she was working at so she could stay at home and manage the shacks. There was one tenant who moved out without any notice and the tenant owed money. So Vusi beat her up because of that and that was when she decided to come back home. That was Nomsa telling her story.
Gogo comforted her and suggested that they go to the doctor the following day just to check her if she did not have any internal bleedings. When Thuli saw her mom, Nomsa was already calm and had stopped crying. Nomsa stayed at her home until she was better, they even decided that she would go to school the following year.
After about 2 weeks when Nomsa was back home gogo got another letter from Vusi. This time Vusi was explaining that Nomsa had disappeared in more than 2 months back and he had looked for her everywhere he could think of and he was wondering if she went home. He said on the letter that about a month after gogo and Thuli left Durban, Nomsa just took all her bags and left after he(Vusi) confronted her about one of her actions. (Dear reader please be reminded that it had been at least 3 moths since gogo and Thuli came back from Durban.)Vusi had been worried all this time as to where she was. However he did make it clear that if Nomsa was at her home then he did not really want her back as she had been a burden in his life and he was sick of her lies.
Gogo understood how Vusi was feeling, if he was telling the truth. However gogo felt that Vusi did not have respect, he could not say things like that to an elder about their child. Gogo wondered who beat Nomsa then if it was not Vusi. Well her answer was not going to be answered because she was not prepared to ask Nomsa anything concerning Durban. Nomsa was never keen to talk about Durban either. Days went on and gogo forgot about the letter, it really did not matter to her as to who beat her daughter up, she was just happy Noma was home.
Thuli one day asked her mother about her father. “Your father’s name is Thamsanqa Ntuli, he is from Mt Allyf. He was…” gogo walked in while they were still talking and Nomsa stopped. Gogo had heard what they were talking about. “How can you tell her that Nomsa? She is too young to know all of that!” Gogo said shouting at Nomsa. Nomsa just kept quite. Thuli did not get what just happened, she did not know why her granny was suddenly angry or what was it that she(Thuli) was not supposed to know, she went outside to play.
She went to visit her friends and found a lot of other children her age there playing skip the rope. She joined in and it was fun. Suddenly one guy that was new in the area and who was about her mother’s age came to the children and he was drunk. “Thuuuli!! Where is your mother?” Thuli just got scared. She was not used to the guy and she did not know what to say. The game stopped and all the children looked at this guy. “Answer me damn it, I am like your father now, when I talk to you, you listen and answer me. Where is your mother?” she overheard one of the older children saying “Sis Nomsa’s boyfriend is drunk”. Thuli felt so embarrassed and started crying; she ran home. The guy did not go after her.
When she got home she found her grandmother furious and shouting all over the place “Your mother is unbelievable! It is like she was bewitched! What kind of a girl is she? What happened to this child?” Thuli did not know how to answer her gogo as she did not understand what she was talking about, but Nomsa was not home anyway. Nomsa did not return home until the following morning. When she got back gogo had already left for town as it was weekend. She got in and started cleaning. Thuli wanted to ask her mother where she had been but she was afraid that question felt out of place. Thuli just went and played with her friends the whole day.
Thuli went back home in the afternoon and from a distance she heard that her grandmother was shouting at Nomsa “You like men so much, how do you just go around sleeping with everyone? What example are you setting for your child?” Thuli went in the room and found her mother sitting quietly looking down while her gogo was shouting. “I have tried talking to you, I have tried beating you, I do everything that I think might work, but you are just impossible! Uyawuthanda umthondo qha qwaba (You like the penis, end of story). I know even now I am shouting at you, you do not even care. You are still going to go out and get pumped by a different man! Here is the key, I am washing my hands off you Nomsa, kakade andinawo umthondo endizakutshova ngawo utsho uhlale phansi (I do not have a penis to pump you with so you can stay at home). Open up the gate for yourself when you come back tonight!” Gogo threw the gate keys at Nomsa and she was on her way out to her own bedroom.
Episode 6a – Who beat up Nomsa?
After gogo and Thuli had left Durban Nomsa and Vusi went back to their place and tried to continue with their lives. However Vusi could not stop wondering where Nomsa had been going to all the times she claimed she was going home. To think that gogo had not seen Nomsa in 2 years and Nomsa had a baby girl she had never told him about made him feel both anger and pity.
He then stole gogo’s address from one of Nomsa’s letters and wrote to gogo as he felt the need to apologise. He wished he could do more, but he was having second thoughts about this Nomsa girl. However Nomsa was really good with the business books and if he let her go then the business would suffer.
Nomsa only confirmed the baby girl part as she told him herself the time gogo was there. Vusi did not get the explanation of where she had been all the times she said she was going home. And a few weeks after that Nomsa once again said she was going home. Vusi knew she was lying because he had overheard them talking about Christmas. But he waited for her till she came back from “home”.
“How was home?” Vusi asked. “It was good, they send their greetings.” Nomsa replied
Vusi: So, where is the parcel that gogo promised to give you to bring to me the next time you went home? (Vusi lied)
Nomsa: I, I.. err, my mom told me about it, but I think she forgot to give it to me before I left. Sorry
Vusi: Unfortunately I am lying. What parcel would your mother possible give to me? So that means you are lying, where have you been?
Nomsa: I, I… Hayi Vusi, I went home
Vusi: Anginaso isikhathi sokudlala (I do not have time to play), tell me where you were right now! (angrily and shouting)
Nomsa did not answer she just ran out of the shack, she must have gone to sleep at her friends’ place. The following day Vusi came back from work to find all of Nomsa’s belongings gone and he started searching for her to no avail.
Nomsa went to her other boyfriend whom she had been seeing for the past 2 years. The guy let him stay there for a while but she could not go to work from that guy’s place. Nomsa discovered that the guy was abusive. He beat her up every time for more than 2 months then Nomsa had had enough and she went home as she could not go back to Vusi. When she got home she lied about Vusi. Vusi might have been a good guy…
Now this is between me (author) and you (reader). Gogo and Thuli and anyone else besides Nomsa did not know who beat up Nomsa.
Episode 7
Ever since Nomsa came back from Durban, Thuli had been sleeping on her mother’s bed, so when she saw what was happening with her mom and gogo she felt pity for her mother and naturally she went and sat next to her mother, gogo was still by the door and she saw Thuli going to sit next to Nomsa. “Come here Thuli, we are not sure if ubufebe buyathelela, (whoerism could be contagious), do not sit next to your mother.” That was a very hard instruction for Thuli, she did not understand the words that were coming out of her gogo’s mouth but the part that was telling her not to sit next to her mother made her feel like she was being asked to choose her mother or gogo. “I am talking to you young lady! Get away form that devil” Gogo shouted at Thuli and Thuli cried as she was walking towards gogo while looking at her mom sadly. “Go with gogo” Nomsa said after her.
When they got to gogo’s bedroom gogo told her that the way Nomsa was behaving was very inappropriate for a girl. “Wena Thuli ungaze uvumele amakhwenkwe akwenze ifadukhwe yawo (do not ever let boys make you their dish cloth), they will get you pregnant and leave you like that. Inkomo yakho yeyomyeni wakho qha (Your virginity is for your husband only)”. Thuli got the words that gogo was saying but could not understand most of them. She knew she did not want to be anybody’s dishcloth. As for the virginity, she just did not get that part. Husband was just an imaginary thing that adults talked about. So young Thuli just kept quite and wondered if her mother was really going to leave that night. But she would not see it because she was sleeping at granny’s room.
Gogo was feeling terrible about the things she said to her daughter. But Nomsa was just sending her to an early grsve with her behaviour. Everywhere she went other mothers would be there giving gogo ideas of what to do with her Nomsa since she(Nomsa) was famous for being a helper to every boy. Other people even said maybe she took it from gogo. Gogo on her side was a well behaved girl when she was younger; she was noting like Nomsa. Gogo was upset and angry, she felt like giving up on this Nomsa girl, she was a 25 year old girl, but still behaved like a 16 year old. “She will come around” gogo thought to herself as she fell asleep.
Nomsa did not leave that night, however her behaviour did not change at all. When gogo scolded her she would just keep quite and not talk back. Thuli was starting to wish her mother was not Nomsa. It was so embarrassing for her to see her mother being shouted at like that. But anyway the deal for Nomsa to go back to school the following year was still on. Gogo had not give up on her.
1997 ended and as promised Nomsa did go to school the following year. She went to UNITRA to commence her education course. She was really determined and had promised her mother that she was going to do her best, even though she was then 26 years old. Gogo just hoped she meant it. Gogo was just worried about her and the way she loved boys. She hoped they were not going to destruct her and that for a change she would study and finish, even though it was a 3rd attempt already.
Meanwhile back at home Thuli got position one in her sub-A class and she was off to sub-B. Her mother and gogo were very proud of Thuli. All of her family celebrated her achievement. Now that her mother was at school that guy who embarrassed her in front of all the kids was then giving Thuli attention. He would give Thuli money whenever he saw her. Thuli always took the money but whenever she had a chance she avoided that guy. He made her uncomfortable. No one should be calling her mother “intombi (girlfriend)” that just did not sit right with Thuli. But life went on.
That year – 1998, gogo was diagnosed with Diabetes. Gogo tried hard to maintain her health but the doctor did say her blood pressure was high as well because gogo stressed too much. Doctor gave her something to relax and told her not to stress so much. Gogo would share all that info with her grandchildren so they would know. Thuli was so bright she was the one reminding gogo everyday to take her medication. She even knew the dosage and when gogo was tired she would sort the pills out for her. Gogo was forever impressed with her 8 year old granddaughter.
Thuli was even good with reading, she liked reading magazines and even though she would read in a way that you could tell that she did not understand what she was reading, but she was reading. Gogo noticed the love Thuli had for reading and she brought her books from school. She started with std 1 (grade 3) books. Thuli would read a story then gogo would ask her to narrate it. Thuli was able to do that menaing she read and understood book from std 1. Gogo brought her std 2 (grade 4) and she could read those as well, but it was a bit hard, so gogo concluded that it was her level. At age 8 Thuli educated herself so she could read without using her voice.
“You remember when I always said you were not old enough to know about your father? I think now you are a big girl. You have proven yourself so many times child.” Gogo said to her when they were just sitting alone during the weekend. Ndudu was playing with his friends. “I remember”. Thuli replied. “Do you want to know the whole story?”gogo asked. “yes gogo” Thuli loved stories.
“Your mother, Nomsa got pregnant and she told me where the boy was from so we went to Mt Allyf to go to the boy’s family, your father. It was a Ntuli family…”
Episode 8
Gogo continued “That boy said he did not know you. His mother said there was nothing she could do if the boy did not know the pregnancy and that was it. They did not even request to see the baby after she was born. That boy disrespected me like I was his age and her mother seemed to encourage him to do that. That boy even called my daughter a b*tch in front of everyone and had no shame. Me and my sisters in law all came back empty handed, embarrassed and humiliated. Ever since that day we have never asked anything from them. Your grandfather took full responsibility of you, up to now you have been a child of this home” Gogo told Thuli who was listening attentively.
“So gogo that boy never came to look for me?” Thuli asked, she felt something like a ball stuck on her throat. “Your mom would be the one who would know that. But as far as I know he never cared. I do not know even a sweet from that boy to you. That is why Thuli, I always tell you, you should run as fast as you can should you ever hear anyone say they were your father.” Gogo said. “Ewe gogo, I would run fast and tell malume, (uncle) and malume could sort him out” Thuli said having confidence in her uncle Sanele who was then 22 years old and doing his second year at the teachers college.
From that day onwards Thuli grew hatred towards her father and she decided that she was not interested in knowing him ever. He was a horrible human being. But deep down she did have a hope that one day, maybe, just maybe her father might spot her somewhere and come introduce himself to her. She was a young girl and always envied other children who had their fathers working in Joburg, Durban and other cities. These fathers would come back with sweets and toys and good things from the city for their children. Thuli knew that would never happen to her and that though made her resent her father even more
One weekend before the Easter holidays Sanele (uncle) came back for weekend and as usual early in the morning Thuli went to his room for stories. As they were talking they got to a topic about Thuli’s father. “You should never even think about that guy mtshana” Uncle said. “I know malume, if he comes to me saying anything I will tell you and you can kick him neh?” “of cause mtshanam.” Malume assured her.
Malume really hated talking about that guy. He decided to tell Thuli a story as well. “Your mom was coming back from hospital to give birth to you. My mother sent me to go fetch her in town as she was still recovering. When I got there I found her holding you and she was crying. I asked why she was crying and she showed me Thami (your father). He was there in town, not too far from my sister. He was chatting away with his friends and he could see your mom and you. I asked why would she cry because of that. Apparently your mom needed to buy a formula bottle for you but she was still weak and could not walk to the shops, then she called on Thami. Thami just looked at her and ignored her as if she was not even there. I hate that bustard!”
Malume narrated the true story to young Thuli, he was not sure if he did the right thing, all he knew was that he had to create resentment within Thuli so she would never ever go to that guy. Malume also remembered that before Nomsa got pregnant she was not into boys the way she was at that time. Malume always thought Thami was the reason his sister was so out of place; having Thami far away from his(malume)’s family was the best thing. The whole family knew that Thuli was Thami’s child. According to the rumours malume had been hearing since Thuli was a baby, Thamsanqa knew that the baby was his as well. But no one understood why he never pitched.
After hearing the story about her mother and the “guy” who got her mother pregnant Thuli felt like crying, but she did not cry. She thought that malume would not understand why she was crying. She thought if she cried malume might think she is on Thami’s side. “So did sisi buy the baby bottle malume?” Thuli asked sadly. “No mtshanam, she was weak. But when I got there I went and bought everything she needed then we came back home and I was holding you, you were such a beautiful and peaceful baby mtshanam”. Thuli smiled after hearing that. She left malume’s room and went to play with her dolls alone.
Thuli tried so hard to forget about the stories of her father and as long as no one was reminding her she was fine. After a while she got used to the idea that her mom was the way she was and her biological father was a pig. She had gogo, Ndudu and malume who were always by her side. So knowing that kept her comfy and she was able to maintain her first position title in class. After everything that was going on in her life she was doing really good in her studies. Gogo made sure of it. When Thuli was not doing anything and was lazy to go and play she would bury herself in a pile of books and read. Her gogo was not lazy to bring her reading books from school.
It was Easter holidays and so Nomsa and Sanele came back for holidays. Everyone was surprised at the way Nomsa was behaving. Thuli even heard her gogo praying about the new behaviour of Nomsa.
Episode 9
Nomsa had changed a lot to everybody’s surprised. She told her mother that the friends she made at school were church goers and she started going to church with them. That was when she got Jesus in her life, she said. She had really changed, the way she dressed and talked. Her mother was impressed. Thuli was happy to see the change. For once when her mother was home there was happiness instead of chaos and shouting.
She was at home most of the time and did not go around looking for boys and spending nights at only God knows where. Gogo was happy at all of this. Her blood pressure was not so high anymore. They all (except for Sanele) went to the Easter conference, it were indeed good times. From the looks of things Nomsa was doing great at school as well. Sanele and Nomsa went back to their respective schools and once again gogo was left with her grandchildren.
Gogo was taking her treatment regularly but the doctor said her diabetes was diagnosed not early enough. The doctor told gogo that she might go onto an injection soon. Gogo would have times when her feet would swell and she would be unable to walk and she had back pains almost everyday. Her health was not improving.
One day towards the end of the year 1998, it was on a Sunday and there wasn’t gona be any school the following day for some reason. Thuli had gone to church, when she came back she found gogo lying on the grass mat in the kitchen. “Gogo why are you sleeping during the day?” Thuli asked gogo concerned. Gogo answered in a weak voice, “Go call Vuyi’s mom (neighbour)”. Thuli dropped her small New Testament bible and ran to Vuyi’s home as fast as she could. “Mama ka Vuyi” she said tryingto catch her breath, but she could not go on as she was breathing heavily due to running fast. “Ugogo”, she said. “What about ugogo?” Thuli took a few more breaths, “ulele, she said… to call you”. She managed to say. “okay child, I am going with you right now, Vuyi’s mom said getting up quickly and they went to Thuli’s home.
Gogo was still on the mat when they got there. Vuyi’s mom spoke to her for a while then instructed Thuli to go to the house that had a bakkie so they could rush gogo to hospital. On her way to the gate Thuli saw Ndudu coming home “ugogo uyagula (gogo is not well), go with me to go hire a bakkie”. Ndudu did not ask a lot of question, they just ran to the shop because the owner had a bakkie. They found him not busy since it was a Sunday afternoon so he went with them back to their home.
When they got there, there were more neighbouring women who had come to see what was going on. Gogo was already dressed in her fine clothes and Vuyi’s mom helped her get into the van and Vuyo’s mom went with her to hospital. Thuli and Ndudu were left with all the other women. “Have you eaten? Let’s go home for now, we will make a plan from there.” One of the women who was also close to the fsmily said. So Thuli made sure she locked all the room with the help of that woman and they went to her home.
Thuli knew that gogo was in hospital and that she was not well, probably her diabetes or something. She was worried about the 5 year old Ndudu, but she was just a child, she could not do much.
Around 7 evening Vuyi’s mom came back and the baakie dropped her at the home where Thuli and Vuyi were. She was not with gogo…
Episode 10
Thuli saw the two women talking and she wondered what they were talking about. When they were done Vuyi’s mom called Thuli and Ndudu and she told them that gogo had been admitted in hospital, but will be back. In the meantime Vuyi and her older sister were going to sleep over at gogo’s along with Thuli and Ndudu so that there would be someone home.
Indeed the kids had no problem. Vuyi’s older sister was 15 years old. So the arrangement was Ndudu and Thuli would eat at Vuyi’s then sleep at their home. They went to school in that manner with Thuli trying to sort out Ndudu’s clothes and she was not even able to iron them, let alone her own uniform.
At least Ndudu was still in preschool and most of his clothes did not need ironing. Thuli was doing grade 2 and her teacher saw what she looked like but was not the kind of teacher that would interfere in personal things, so the teacher never said anything to Thuli. Gogo was a teacher at that same school so all the teachers knew Thuli and Ndudu, one of the teachers saw the state Thuli was in, she had bits of soap on her face and her uniform was not ironed and it looked like she repeated a shirt from the previous day. “Thuli come here” Thuli went into the class that the teacher was calling her to. “Who takes care of you and Ndudu at the moment? Do you eat?” “Yes miss, we do eat at Vuyi’s home, but we sleep at home with Vuyi’s sister”.
Thuli was an outspoken child and as she was a brilliant pupil a lot of teachers liked her, so she had confidence that was built in her and she did not have to pretend to be confident. That is why she was able to answer teacher clearly and in details. “I see, but here is some money, buy something for you and Nduduzo after school, then you can eat supper at Vuyi’s home, okay?” Miss instructed her as she was giving her R10. “Thank you miss” Thuli said. “Jonga Thuli (look Thuli) when you get home I want you to take your clothes and Ndudu’s clothes and bring them to me in a bag tomorrow, siyevana? (You understand?)” “yes miss” Thuli responded and then she went out of the class.
When Thuli got home that day she went and called Nduduzo from Vuyi’s home and along with Vuyiswa(Vuyi) they all went to the shop and bought half a loaf and 6 slices of polony and sweet aid. All of that made a total of R5 so they had R5 left as change. Ndudu suggested they buy sweets Thuli said no they would buy more bread the following day. When they got toThuli’s home the 3 of them all dug in the food and were full. Then they went and played. At that moment Thuli could not bring herself to play, she just watched Ndudu playing as she was feeling some kind of responsibility towards her young cousin.
The following day when they were going to school Thuli discovered that the R5 was missing and she was sure it was taken by Ndudu because since he was younger she could spot his lying, but he was a boy and stronger than Thuli so she was unable to retrieve the money from Ndudu and so she gave up. She had been hoping that she was going to divide the money amongst the 2 of them so they would have something for lunch since they were not having any breakfast, what made her even more sad and more angry was the fact that Ndudu was probably going to lose all that money anyway because he was young and careless.
A tleast young Thuli remembered their clothes and she put them all in a plastic bag so she would give them to that teacher. “I am going to wash and iron these clothes Thuli, you will be okay, gogo will come back. You are such a brave young girl”
It was a fourth day now with gogo being in hospital. This thing of Ndudu taking the money just triggered emotion on Thuli and she started missing gogo so much and wishing she would come back as she could not stand it anymore. It was okay ,they were eating at Vuyi’s, but she missed her own gogo’s cooking. Gogo would bath them, make them breakfast, gogo would make Ndudu’s lunch box for preschool and Thuli would go to gogo’s class during lunch time and gogo would give her 50c to buy something. She was missing all of that. Then she started to feel really sad. While the other children were playing, she was just sitting by herself.
That afternoon Thuli went to Vui’s home as usual, it was starting to get uncomfortable, even though it was something she had always been doing since she was a small baby, but it was different now, she went there because she was helpless and gogo would not come fetch them after school like she used to. They would have to go by themselves with Vuyi’s sister and could only go in the evening. While they were playing “by the fire” games at gogo’s kitchen with the other children Thuli heard gogo’s voice “Knock knock! Anyone home?” Thuli and Ndudu were so happy to see gogo and they threw themselves at her. She looked strong and relaxed. Getting away from children and work and just lying in hospital; being taken care of- revived her.
She admitted that she missed her grand kids so much. She told them wonderful stories that she had been thinking about while in hospital then they all went to sleep happy. Vuyi and her sister were going to go home only the following day since it was dark already. The following day was Saturday; after the other children were gone gogo called Ndudu and Thuli so the 3 of them could draft letters to Sanele and Nomsa.
Episode 11
The three of them drafted a letter to Nomsa and Sanele, gogo was telling them that the kids were okay and she also told them about her recent sickness and that she was hospitalised. Gogo also told her children that they must try to come back earlier after December exams as she was missing them so much already.
After the letters were finished gogo then started speaking to her grandchildren. “Thuli go and fetch that big white envelope in the drawer with all the papers, the one labelled “Policies”, Thuli ran and got the envelope. “You see this envelope child? If anything were to happen to me you must give this envelope to your uncle or mother.” Gogo said.
“What’s going to happen to you gogo?” Ndudu asked. “I did not say something was going to happen. I am saying if something does happen then give that envelope to your uncle”. Thuli was sitting quietly and listening attentively. “Thuli and Ndudu the 2 of you are so adorable, Thuli brave, clever and beautiful, you are growing up so fast, I have no doubt that you will be a very wise young person. Keep reading those books child for I believe they make you even cleverer. Never stop reading. Ndudu, you may be a trouble maker but with the correct guidance you will reach for the stars, you also have a sharp mind boy” Gogo said to her children. “Gogo if I want to reach for the stars I can build a really long ladder and climb up to the sky” Young Ndudu said and both gogo and Thuli laughed.
“You children must always love one another, and wena Thuli never forget what I told you about inkomo yakho (your virginity), what did I say?” Gogo asked Thuli “You said it was for my husband, gogo will I have a husband too?” Thuli said as she honestly did not understand that whole husband thing. “Yes, you will” Another thing Thuli the boy who got your mother pregnant with you is no good and you should never seek him for we do not know what he is capable of” gogo said.
“Gogo tell us a story about grandfather” Ndudu said getting unsettled with all the talks from gogo. Thuli too was getting worried now because of all the stuff gogo was saying. She wondered what staying in hospital did to her. Anyway after this day, days went by and it was December, exams went past and Nomsa and Sanele were both going to come back in a week or so…
Gogo started to not feel well once again, Thuli and Ndudu would both massage their gogo’s back which ached almost every night and her feet were always swollen. Doctors gave her more medication and she had to inject herself every morning. Things would look good the other day and terrible the other. She was not hospitalised though.
Gogo one day woke up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her little angels; that was the same day when Nomsa was to come back from school. After some time Thuli realised that gogo did not shout at her(Thuli) for not waking up like she would. So Thuli woke up by herself and went to the kitchen, only to find gogo lying by the kitchen door. Thuli had no idea what was wrong or what she was to do. But like a smart kid she was she went into the kitchen and lay the grass mat, she then tried to pull gogo onto the mat, it was really hard but at the same time she did not want to call Ndudu who had more energy since he was a boy…
Gogo woke up, apparently she had fainted, but she did not really have energy, but she was able to help Thuli drag her to the mat by making her body lighter. After she was on the mat Thuli ran to Vuyi’s home to call Vutyi’s mom who also came running. They found gogo Ndudu sitting next to gogo. When Ndudu saw Vuyi’s mom and Thuli coming he stood up next to gogo and went to Thuli “Thuli gogo says she is not going to be alright, what does she mean?” Thuli thought she knew what that meant but she made herself believe that gogo said that because she was in pain. Like before gogo was taken to hospital. Thuli said her and Ndudu were not going to leave their home until gogo came back. So Vuyi’s mom told her children to go play at gogo’s with Thuli and Ndudu.
At around 4pm Nomsa came back, found the kids alone “Uphi umama? (where is mom)?”)she asked after greeting them. Thuli told her the whole story and she did clarify to Nomsa that they thought gogo was going to return that day. Nomsa cleaned around the home then bathed her daughter and nephew… then she made supper. After they ate they all went to bed but did not sleep as they were still waiting for gogo. The bakkie or Vuyi’s mom had not returned the whole day. At around 8pm there was a knock on their bedroom. Nomsa and Thuli were still awake, Ndudu was already asleep.
It was Vuyi’s mom along with other women from the community, they got in and started singing