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Chapter 5
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16 Chapter 5 At sunset, MaNdlovu, in her yellow dress and a black wool hat with its white Nike logo, walks along the deserted Sibambene Street with Ambition – who is really too big to be carried – on her back. The street is deserted, but she’s just passed the milkman parking his cart in front of MaVundla’s house, before going in through the gate, a strange thing in itself because milkmen did their rounds in the morning, not at this late hour. MaNdlovu quickly dismisses the thought; now is not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. To her left, the setting sun beams over the rooftops, as if curious to see what’s happening in the township. MaNdlovu knows very well why the streets are deserted, but it hasn’t stopped her. When Freeman left, she’d inspected her son closely as he lay on the bed. He seemed uninjured, except for the film of dust that covered him. She worried that his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had a fever, but when she had felt his forehead, his temperature seemed normal. She’d asked him what the matter was, and Ambition told her drowsily that he was not feeling well, and just wanted to sleep. She’d asked him where he’d got the red headband and the white cloth cape but the boy had just mumbled something incomprehensible. MaNdlovu had not pressed him for an answer, but she had taken a wet towel and wiped the dust off his body, and afterwards he’d quickly fallen asleep. This did not stop MaNdlovu worrying, for Ambition seldom slept in the afternoon. Afternoons were a time when he was most active, and outside playing street soccer. He’d also not eaten his morning porridge, so when he woke up MaNdlovu had given him some isitshwala and mopane worms 17 which she’d prepared for lunch. But much to her further alarm, he’d been sick immediately, and then gone straight back to sleep. MaNdlovu felt she needed somebody to share the burden of worry, which was beginning to overwhelm her. Her husband had still not returned , after leaving to look for Ambition in the morning. They’d both worried that maybe the child had been caught by the Green Bombers. Then Ngwenya had not returned, and Ntando whom she’d sent to look for him told her that the shopping centre was closed and all the vendors ’ stalls were deserted. So MaNdlovu called in her neighbour, MaChivanda . Observing the sleeping child, MaChivanda had offered to give a prayer, and MaNdlovu had, for once, readily agreed. Placing a hand on Ambition’s forehead, MaChivanda had prayed loudly and in tongues. Then she’d declared that the bad wind affecting Ambition had been conquered, which had lifted MaNdlovu’s worried spirits. Then MaChivanda had offered to get rid of the pieces of cloth that MaNdlovu had stripped from Ambition, saying they should be thrown away, but MaNdlovu had politely refused. She’d explained that her husband had to see them, so they could decide what to do with them as a family, because this was not a matter to be taken lightly. There seemed, she said, something very bizarre behind it. MaChivanda had not responded , keeping her face blank. MaNdlovu had noticed that MaChivanda’s eyes were also bloodshot and red-rimmed and she also kept coughing and sniffing. ‘Just a touch of flu, Auntie. You know when people come to exchange their forex, counting all these new million dollar notes with their new ink affects one. But I’m sure by morning it’ll be gone, I have a strong body that recovers quickly.’ MaChivanda had offered another short prayer, this time in Ndebele, thanking uNkulunkulu for taking care of Ambition and the rest of the children in the world, after which she left, saying her forex customers would be waiting for her. Having escorted her to the gate, MaNdlovu closed the door of the house, took out a salt shaker and sprinkled salt around the sleeping Ambition , while muttering in a low voice, ‘Please protect us, Oh spirits of Ngwenya. Our daughter is gone and the same thing must not befall our son. We are all your children, and in your benevolence we trust.’ As she walks slowly down Sibambene Street, MaNdlovu reflects on [18.213.110.162] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 19:14 GMT) 18 all the bad luck that has befallen the family...