Chapter 49: The Snake Bite

 

Three weeks had passed since I proposed to Mapaseka in Zanzibar. We were happier than ever, but there was still one thing standing in our way—her parents.

They had not spoken to her since the hospital. They had not apologised for what they had done. They had not even acknowledged the pain they had caused.

I knew Mapaseka missed them, even though she would not admit it. They were still her parents, and a part of her still loved them.

So I decided to try.

Every day for three weeks, I drove to their house in Kgarankuwa with Sipho, my bodyguard. I would park outside the gate and wait.  But they never let me in.

"Go away," her father would shout through the door. "We do not want to see you."

"You are not welcome here," her mother would add.

I did not give up. I kept going back, day after day, hoping they would change their minds.

It was a Thursday afternoon when everything changed.

I was sitting in my car outside their gate, as I had done every day for three weeks. Sipho was beside me, watching the house.

Suddenly, I heard a scream from inside.

It was a woman's scream—high-pitched and terrified. My heart stopped.

"What was that?" Sipho asked, his hand moving to his gun.

"I do not know," I said, my eyes fixed on the house. "But something is wrong."

I could not see what was happening. The curtains were drawn. The doors were closed. But the screaming continued.

Then I saw Mapaseka's mother running toward her car. She was frantic, her hands shaking. She got in and tried to start the engine. It coughed and died. She tried again. Nothing.

She tried again and again, but the car would not start.

I got out of my car and walked toward the gate.

"Let me help you!" I shouted.

She ignored me, her face pale with panic. She kept trying to start the car, but it would not work.

Then I saw Palesa running toward the gate. She was crying, her face twisted with fear. She ran past me and headed toward the neighbour's house. I watched as she banged on the door, but no one answered. The neighbour was not there.

Palesa ran back to the gate, crying.

"What is going on?" I asked. "What happened?"

Palesa looked at me, her eyes wild. "It is my father! He was bitten by a snake! A black mamba! "

I did not hesitate. I turned to Sipho. "Follow me."

Sipho and I ran through the gate and into the house. We found Mapaseka's father lying on the floor in the living room. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. His leg was swollen, and I could see two small puncture wounds on his ankle.

"The snake is gone," her mother said, crying. "We do not know where it went."

I knelt beside him. "I need something to tie around his leg. A piece of cloth. Anything."

Palesa ran to fetch an old cloth. I tore it into strips and tied it tightly above the snake bite, just below his knee, to stop the poison from spreading.

Mapaseka's father opened his eyes and saw me. His face twisted with anger.

"Get away from me!" he shouted, trying to push me off. "I do not want your help!"

"Stop moving!" I ordered. "If you move, the poison will spread faster!"

"I would rather die than let you touch me!" he shouted.

I looked at Sipho. "Hold him."

Sipho grabbed Mapaseka's father and held him down while I tightened the cloth. He struggled, but Sipho was too strong.

"We need to get him to a hospital," I said. "My car is outside. I can take him."

"No!" her mother shouted. "We do not need your help! Palesa called an ambulance!"

"The ambulance will take too long," I said. "He needs a hospital now."

I stood up and walked to the car. I opened the bonnet and quickly diagnosed the problem. The battery was dead. I grabbed my jumper cables from my car and connected them. Within minutes, the engine started.

Her mother stared at me, speechless.

"You can drive him now," I said. "Take him to the nearest hospital. Hurry."

Her mother got in the car and drove away, her face pale with fear.

I waited at the house with Sipho and Palesa. We sat in silence, none of us knowing what to say.

Hours later, her mother returned. Her face was tired, but there was a look of relief in her eyes.

"How is he?" I asked.

"The doctor said you saved his life," she said quietly. "If you had not tied that cloth around his leg, the poison would have spread to his heart. He would have died."

I nodded. "I am glad he is okay."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions—gratitude, shame, and something else I could not name.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I know we have not been kind to you. But you saved my husband's life. I will never forget that."

I did not say anything. There was nothing to say.

The next day, I received a call from Mapaseka's father. It was the first time he had ever called me.

"Qondanisa," he said, his voice rough. "I want to thank you. For saving my life."

"You do not have to thank me," I said. "I would have done it for anyone."

There was a long pause. Then he spoke again.

"I have been thinking," he said. "About everything—how we treated you and Mapaseka. We were wrong.”

I did not say anything. I let him speak.

"I know I said I would never accept you," he continued. "But you saved my life. And I see now that you love my daughter. You have proven that. So... I will allow you to pay lobola for her."

I felt my heart stop. "Are you serious?"

"I am serious," he said. "You can send your family and discuss the lobola with my family. I will not stand in your way anymore."

I could not believe what I was hearing. After everything we had been through, after all the pain and suffering, her father was finally giving us his blessing.

"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. I will not let you down. I will take care of her. I promise."

"I know you will," he said. "You have already proven that."

I called Mapaseka immediately.

"Mapaseka," I said, my voice shaking. "Your father agreed. He said I can pay lobola for you."

There was silence. Then she started crying. "What? Qondanisa, are you serious?"

"I am serious," I said. "He called me. He said he will not stand in our way anymore."

"Oh my God," she whispered. "I cannot believe it."

"Believe it," I said. "We are going to get married. Nothing is going to stop us now."

She laughed through her tears. "I love you, Qondanisa Qwabe."

"I love you too, Mapaseka Mkoena," I said. "My queen. My forever."

I hung up and sat in silence, my heart full.

After everything we had been through, we had finally won.