Prologue
She laughed, rolling her eyes as he walked in carrying a packet of cheap snacks. It was a peace offering and mom was already softened by it. She had been mad at him all day because he didn’t inform her about doing a long distance trip. She only heard from Lande who was mumbling in her baby talk. I took it as my cue to leave but dad quickly held my upper arm.
“You want this woman to kill me?” he said and I laughed.
“Ohh, so you are using me as a shield?”
“I brought you into this world, so be useful and protect me from your mother.” He joked and my mother laughed.
“Let my child go. This is between you and me.” she said eyeing dad whose shoulders sagged as he settled on the chair opposite mom.
“If you don’t hear from me after an hour, just know she has succeeded in killing Me.” he said letting go of me and I laughed before I walked away.
Mom and dad’s love story was one of a kind. Their love was rare, unique. You never, not once heard mom complain about dad mistreating her. You never even heard her cry because of dad’s doing. The only time I saw mom’s tears was when she laughed until she cried.
“Sisi.” Lwando shouted as he walked in bleeding. I rushed to him with my eyes popped.
“What happened?”
“I fell on the road.” He said wincing. If it was Lande, she would’ve been crying like crazy right now. I made him sit on the floor before rushing to the kitchen. I found mom and dad kissing but I didn’t pay attention to them. I poured warm water in a basin and retrieved a first aid kit on the drawer before rushing back to the lounge.
“WHAT’S WRONG LWANDEKA?!” mom shouted behind me and I didn’t answer her. I kneeled in front of Lwando. I cleaned his knees and he kept wincing. Mom and dad barged in while I was busy nursing Lwando.
“Daddy, daddy.” Lande screamed walking in. she went to dad and he quickly picked her up. “Simo hit Lwando and he pushed him on the road and then sat on top of him.” she always reported when someone mistreated Lwando and she was he only who cried first because she could feel his pain. I stole a glance at dad who was clenching his jaws.
“Let me help with that.” mom said leaning down and taking over. I sighed and sat down. I looked at dad and I could see he was trying so hard to contain his anger. He loved his children whole heartedly and he could kill for them.
…
I am Lwandeka Nkosazana Mnguni from UMzimkhulu. I was raised by both my parents (Ntokozo and Nokukhanya Mnguni). I have 3 younger siblings, Lwandokuhle (13), Landesihle (13), they are twins and Londeka (19). My father was a proud Swati man. He also was a taxi driver, he died when I was 17 in taxi wars.
My mother is a qualified dermatologist and has been planning on opening her own surgery but it’s not easy when she has to take care of 4 children. She is a proud Zulu woman and her family is also from around Durban. I studied at University of Zululand for my Agricultural Sciences degree and completed my studies at the age of 21. I graduated at the age of 22. I came to Johannesburg at the age of 23 looking for a job, honestly any kind of job because I was tired of sitting around at home doing nothing while I had a degree. I could’ve started a farm business, selling vegetables but every business needed capital and I didn’t wanna bother mom with that.
