Missteps – Chapter Thirty Nine (uneditted)

Thozama Mqikela

@Mightyzama

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Mthobisi and I snuck out of the church, we went to the car, I switched my phone on shaking, I asked Mthobisi what was going on with my sister, he said he didn’t know but the cops said she was in Mulbarton Hospital and her maid had given them our numbers, “Oh Lord, please let her be okay, please don’t let her to have been in an accident, please God” I said my usual small prayers. I tried her phone it was off, I tried her husband’s phone it was also off I didn’t even have their maid’s numbers on this new phone. “Oh God, what about her kids? Did the police say anything about the kids?” I asked Mthobisi who said no, I wanted to call my mother, Mthobisi said I shouldn’t call her not until we know exactly what is going on, we drove from Soweto to Mulbarton hospital in less than 20 minutes, we rushed to reception and I asked where my sister was they directed me to a ward, we went to find my sister lying in bed, at first I didn’t recognise her I actually walked passed her looking around, Mthobisi recognised her first and said “Naledi?” I looked and as I was about to say it’s not her, I realized it was my sister, her face was all swollen and bandaged, we couldn’t even see her eyes, I screamed “Oh God what happened to her” I was crying I couldn’t even look at her. One of the nurses came an told us that the nanny had found her in the morning when she arrived at my sister’s place, my sister had begged her not to call the ambulance and asked the nanny to look after her but she kept going in and out of consciousness and the nanny was worried that she might die so she called the ambulance and the hospital called the police coz the nanny says that she thinks the husband beat her up, my knees became weak from shock, my sister’s husband did this to her? The nurse said she had fractured ribs and has internal bleeding and a broken arm. That bastard did that to my only sister. The nurse after seeing that I had gone pale told me to sit and she will bring me a glass of water, I sat and moved my chair close to my sister and held her hand and started crying, she was unconscious, I could not believe my strong, brave, beautiful sister was lying here beaten to a pulp by the man who is supposed to be her protector I just could not understand how this could happen, I was with these people just the other weekend and they seemed so happy and so in love, what had changed so drastically over seven days. The nurse came back and gave me the water, she gave us the numbers of the officer who had come to open the case . I took the number from her and called the officer, it was some coloured guy I didn’t catch his name, but I told him who I was and who my sister is and what had happened to her and he said they had gone to the house and did not find my sister’s husband and had called his phone and it was off and they will go back this afternoon to go look for him at the house again, I asked is that all they gonna do look for him only at his house, nowhere else, he said they can’t do much and my sister has not laid charges against him so their hands are tied I asked how on earth is she supposed to lay charges when she is unconscious, he mumbled something about people who are too educated being a problem then said he will let me know as soon as there is something to report, this man was pathetic. We sat there for over an hour in silence, I felt so helpless and defeated, the legal system was failing me and I felt like I was failing my sister. I told Mthobisi we need to go pick up the kids and take them to our place coz the nanny will probably want to knock off. Mthobisi said we should go drop the Merc off in Bedford first and get his car, I agreed.

We drove in silence to Bedfordview, my husband made a call as we got closer, the gate was opened and the garage we got in, Thomas was not there it was just some guy who looked like a body guard, they greeted each other him and Mthobisi and he handed my husband his car keys and we swapped cars Mthobisi put the number plates back on and drove to Winchester Hills, the kids were their usual happy selves, they didn’t know what was going on which broke my heart even more, how do I tell them that their mother is in hospital. I left Mthobisi to play with them while I chatted to the nanny in the kitchen, if there is one thing I have learnt it’s that the domestic worker always and I mean always knows about everything that goes on in the house they work in, whether you tell her or not she knows, so I asked her how long has this abuse been going on, she first acted like she didn’t know what I was talking about then eased up and told me that she had not been too sure but had always been suspicions because she would get there some days and there would be broken chairs in the bedroom and my sister always had some excuse or another for why things were broken or never in place, and she once saw bruises in her body when she walked in on my sister while she was getting dressed but she couldn’t ask her what had happened, hearing all that I felt sick to my stomach. My sister and I were not close and at that present moment I regretted that, if we were closer she could have confided in me, I could have prevented this from happening, why couldn’t I be like She Rocks and her siblings? I made a vow to myself that we she got out of hospital I will be a better sister, family should always stick together no matter what, my sister could die and all I could remember were fights and arguments that she and I always had and all that now seemed so unnecessary, I was never going to take my sister for granted ever again, I thanked her and told her we will be taking the kids with us until my sister has fully recovered, I took her numbers and told her we will call her. I went to find Mthobisi, he was in the study going through drawers I asked him what his looking for he said for Lwazi’s phone box, he said the kids said it was in this room, he opened a bottom drawer and found it, he called the kids and asked if this was their dad’s phone box and they said yes. He took the box and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down the IMIE number from the box. I took the kids upstairs to their rooms and told them they are visiting us so we should go pack, they showed me their bags and their favourite clothes and towels and I packed those and we left, Mthobisi said we should take the kids to my mom’s house whilst we take care of business, I knew what he meant by “business” so I told the kids that I’ll be taking them to their grandma and they can play with Neo and swim while they are there, they were just happy to be out of the house. I called my mom and told her that Naledi asked me to baby-sit but something has come up can she please watch the kids for a while, I knew telling my mom would that Naledi was in hospital because of her husband would absolutely kill her, I just could not bring myself to telling her, it will be my sister’s decision when she gets up.

We arrived at my mom’s place and one look at me and my mother could tell something was wrong, she asked why had I been crying, I said I wasn’t crying she looked at Mthobisi and he said I was watching some sad movie before we left, my mother asked what the movie was about, Mthobisi said it was about some kid who had cancer and the parents couldn’t afford the treatment, I looked at him and thought how does he come up with lies so quickly he didn’t even have to think about that, my mom looked at me and said no wonder I look so terrible and I should stop watching these sad movies coz I get too emotional and forget that it’s just a movie, I smiled and said I will stop. My mom was happy to have all her grandkids around, she said I should make sure that Naledi picks the kids up before 10 pm coz they sleep at 10, I wanted to cry at the mention of Naledi’s name so I just looked away and pretended to be watching the kids play. My phone rang it was Ausi Maria she wanted to know when are we bringing our son so her niece could meet her, I told her they should go home we still at church, she was surprised and said we should be careful they will start preaching lies if they preach for so long, I laughed and hung up.
We left my mom’s house Mthobisi called one of his “people” and gave him the IMIE number that he got from the box. My mind was stuck I didn’t know what to do now, my sister is lying in hospital, I don’t know what to tell my mother, I started panicking and telling Mthobisi what if my sister dies, what am I gonna tell my mother then? Mthobisi said she will not die, my sister is a fighter just like me. Mthobisi’s friend called back and gave Mthobisi the location of where my sister’s husband was, Mthobisi put the location in his GPS and said that is where your brother-inlaw is. I asked him how did he know he said his friend is a hacker, so all he needs is an IMEI number of the phone and with that he can track where the cellphone is, I said but the phone is off, he explained that even when the phone is off it still sends signals to the closest towers as long as the batry is still attached to the phone then the phone is still active, every few seconds your cellphone sends signals to the closest towers of where you are, wow, this is probably why he always knows where I am I thought, I didn’t want to dwell too much on that this after all was not about me, I should focus on finding that bastard Lwazi and teaching him a lesson. He was in Mamelodi in Pretoria, we had quite a distance to drive, I was anxious to get there, and for the first time in my life I wanted my husband to break someone’s bones, not just someone but my brother in-law. I had never hated anyone as much as I hated Lwazi at that moment, who did he think he was laying his filthy hands on my sister.

We finally arrived in Mamelodi, Mthobisi explained that we do not get the exact location but the area where he is in so we gonna have to drive around looking for him but he had called some of his friends and they also in the area searching for him so finding him will not be difficult. A few minutes later one of my husband’s people called to say they had spotted Lwazi’s car and sent us his location , we drove to where they said they were, I spotted the bastard it was him, sitting in his car with some lady all smiles, I wanted to go to him and slap the smile of his face, as I was about to open the door to go confront him Mthobisi told me not to move, I looked at him and said “excuse me?” he said I will not be going anywhere near Lwazi, he should not even know that we are around, with that he called his friends and told them that is him, out, from where we were parked Lwazi could not see us, out of nowhere a car come speeding and parked next to Lwazi’s car, a guy got out opened Lwazi’s door and pulled him out, he fell to the ground, the guy dragged him and shoved him in the boot of his car and closed the boot went to the front seat of the car and we just saw the girl running out and the guy drove off with Lwazi’s car and Lwazi in the boot, the other car that he was in followed behind, I was all confused now, I looked at Mthobisi then looked at the cars then back again at Mthobisi next thing the cars were parked next to our car, my mouth was wide opened. Mthobisi stepped out, both guys came out of the cars and they spoke for a few minutes then my husband came back to the car cool as a cucumber like this was no biggy then drove off, all 3 cars went in different directions. I looked at Mthobisi and asked “are were gonna kill Lwazi?”

****The End^^^^