Lady Black and the mysterious creature of the night

Chapter 19

Mpho had collected fluffs of African hair. She was crocheting them onto her Great Black wig. She would reassemble the wig whenever it would thin and got short. The wig was made of different people’s hairs, that she’d picked off the streets, bathrooms and garbage bins. It was no wonder many different people’s DNAs would be found at crime scenes and police would almost never pin-point her out. She also needed the hair strong and resilient enough to carry her weapons and to protect herself from harm.

When her brother knocked and quickly entered her room, she had already stuffed the wig and all the hairs under her bed. “Hey, sis.” He went closer, “You busy? Fixing your bed?”

“Leave it! If I wanted help, I would’ve asked you. “

“Okay… No need to bite my head off.”

“I’m sorry.”

He sat on the edge of the bed seeing as she filled the entire bed with her limbs. “I haven’t been seeing much of you lately.”

“Why do you need me? Is there something I haven’t fulfilled for you?”

Karabo could detect her tone, he knew how to read between her lines, he had known her for 8 whole years. “I wanted to thank you,” he decided to begin the topic meticulously. He had been practicing what to say to her the past few days. “You brought my father back and the people from our village. Thank you. That day… When I had brought up and said all those things…”

Mpho’s mind quickly went back to that afternoon when she had a fight with him over their past. Mpho’s line of work had trained her to never forget things. She remembered that afternoon clearly…

“Cut back on lying to me. You’re pushing another maid job. You lied to me, Mpho. What other lie have you told me? That you’ll find my parents? You said you’d find my parents. It’s been years now but you’re still quiet about it.”

“Karabo, how do you remember all that? You were just a kid back then.”

“I remember everything like yesterday. How they invaded our village, burned down our homes and killed our people. They slaughtered and gunned down all those that tried to escape. My life has never been the same since then. Now how do I forget that? You actually saw them butcher your mother and sister. How does that not motivate you enough to get moving?” he had to stop when he saw her tear up. Her family was one topic, she could not hold back the tears from. She had seen the death of her mother and sister with her own eyes. That vision haunted her for years. She collapsed on the kitchen floor, “Why did you have to remind me?”

Karabo felt some guilt build up inside of himself for doing that to his sister. He went and comforted the woman in his arms, “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry, Mpho. I am so sorry.”

“No, you’re not. Now, it’s all back in my head. I cannot unsee it. Why would you do that?!” she had pushed him off with that.

“You’re losing focus, Mpho!” he gathered himself in one place. “I had to remind you of the promise you made me 8 years ago. They took everything from us, they killed everyone we knew.”

She said her last words before storming out of the room like a teenager, “You think I don’t know? I was there! I was 18. I don’t need some teenager reminding of it!”

“…I shouldn’t have said all that. I am really, truly sorry.” Karabo continued. He hoped that she was listening. He was being vulnerable and authentic in that moment, he avoided being that way in front of her. Mpho shifted closer to him on the edge of the bed, “I never held that day against you. I was quiet, you were right. I was quiet in your eyes because I’d hoped that you’d forgotten. So, I decided to move in silence, not wanting to get your hopes up until it was done. Sorry, I couldn’t get your mother.”

“That’s not your fault. Dad told me that died years ago.”

“Is he great? Tell me he’s better than me.”

Karabo laughed shyly, “Honestly, it’s still a little awkward being around him but I know he tries to make up for lost time. Let’s just say I cannot compare the two you—you’re in different classes. He’s my biological dad and I can see it in his eyes that he’s suffered, while you’re my sister whom I’ve known for the other half of my life.”

She pulled him into her embrace, “I love you. I won’t forget you. I will miss you,” she was teary—her chin above his head. “Miss me? What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?”

“You have your family back. I have to give you, two, space to bond all over again.”

“We can do that with you around. What, you think, just because I got my father then you and I go back to nothing again?”

“Isn’t that the way it is?”

Now, Karabo pulled out of her. He wanted to look directly in her eyes, “We are family. You and I will forever be brother and sister.” This was by far the best validation she’d ever heard. She felt calm and at ease now. She was grateful that she would still be in Karabo’s life. With her g**g dismantled and Black would definitely leave after her task was completed, Mpho had feared that she would then be left alone. Merely, hearing this boy say that they were forever gave her a hope to lean on.

Zukisani had news to tell Mpho. He had her over at his apartment for diner. It was also his method of rekindling their old love. He had cooked for her a meal she'd always enjoyed. This reminded her of the times, in their teenage years, when he’d bring along his mother’s grocery to cook her and Karabo—and himself included—the meal. In return, they would wash dishes and keep him company. They would also teach him some self-defence moves that they’d leant on their own. They would take him to adventures in all the dangerous areas of the community. Just that night’s setting was enough to bring up their past.

After diner, they sat by the couch ready to watch movies but Mpho had asked why he asked her over. Instead of answering the question, he found himself going down memory lane. She laughed along, she even brought up some of her memory treasures. “Okay, so… You said had news for me.”

“I can’t tell you details but the mole has been caught at the station. There were three actually, and it was my boss’s superior who sniffed them out. My boss’s superior has also been the one who’s helped a lot through all this saga with the Lantern Brothers. We have caught Tiger and all of the Lantern Brothers. Well, except Eagle.”

“That is great news,” she was genuinely happy for him and proud. “Well done, Officer Zukisani.”

“Thank you. I’m still trying get a permit into Gama’s mention and thoroughly search that house. But the man appears too clean, you know. I’m sure Eagle is still in there, hopefully alive too.”

No. Mpho was not tempted to tell Zukisani that Eagle was in her custody. She could handle herself well in such situations. Mpho knew that Eagle and all the people in Crescent Castle would come out when the time was finally right. “I may also be looking at possible promotion once the entire case has been concluded. Thank you so much, Mpho. Okay, wait. I should probably thank both of you. Mpho and the Mysterious Creature of the Night, thank you.” Finally, Zukisani made an advance at Mpho. They were a great couple back in the day. They were highly praised and admired by their age-mates. He wanted that back. “I think we cut ourselves short way too quickly. I still love you, Mpho.”

Delilah went and visited Kgaugelo again. He was very happy to see her. She had been giving him a tough time again, “You hadn’t been answering my calls. I thought, you were mad at me.” They were in Kgaugelo’s apartment. “You asked me for a secret…”

Delilah was very eager to hear this out. She had paused chopping the vegetables on the board. They were making lunch for themselves. “My dad always suspected that my younger brother is not his son.” Delilah did feel disappointed that the secret would be that. She knew she wanted to know what he knew about his father’s company. At the same time, the Aggie in her was very curious in what Kgaugelo would say about Luthando. “I went and did some DNA tests, and it turned out that Luthando was indeed Gama’s son.”

Very disappointed, “Was that the big secret? Ugh.” Delilah resumed to chopping down the vegies.

“Actually, there’s more to the story. Out of curiosity, I went and I tested myself too.” Now, Delilah paused again, she almost could guess what the results would be. He began sweating as the words would not come out. “I tested Lebogang too, he’s my middle brother. We both are not Gama’s sons.” He said, “I don’t what all this means. What’s worse, our DNAs do not even match our mother’s. I have known this for many years now.” Kgaugelo would never let Gama know of this. He was scared that Gama might begin to reject him. He grew up being favoured, and highly praised by Gama. He would not let any of that go away. Even if it meant stealing Luthando’s inheritance.