Chapter 5 My 'Role Model' Husband! The agony of a Mother, Wife, and Friend.

Babz left Amanda and her son, Mandla, seated in the hospital lounge and went to the cafeteria to buy some coffee; she hasn't eaten anything since morning. While at the cafeteria; she saw Amanda and Mandla discussing something intensely, she grabbed her coffee and came back to where they were seated. When Amanda and Mandla saw Babz, they immediately stopped talking. They bid her farewell and left in the hurry.

Babz became suspicious of them but she just sat there and enjoyed her coffee. While Babz was still having coffee, a policeman and a policewoman came in; they were walking towards Bongz's ward when they saw Babz.

They went and sat next to her. The policeman greeted Babz and asked her how her brother was doing. My brother is still in the same state. The doctors are saying that it might take months for him to come out of the coma but we are hopeful and praying that he will come around sooner, Babz answered.

The police officials felt sorry for the Khumalos, they offered to pray for Bongz too. The policeman asked Babz why she was seated in the hospital lounge alone instead of being in her brother's room.

My mum and dad are in Bongz's room, I'm waiting for them here since they only allow two people inside at a go, said Babz.

The Policeman said that they went to the Khumalos house to speak to Babz and her mother, Fezile, but they were not home. The housemaid, Gugu, told the police that they are at the hospital, that's why they came. The policeman asked Babz to go call her parents so that they can have a talk.

Babz stood up, threw away her empty plastic coffee cup in the dustbin, and then proceeded to the ward. A few minutes later, she came back with her parents. Themba and Fezile greeted the officers and then asked them if they had any news about Bongz's situation.

The policewoman answered, she said that they don't have much information to share with the Khumalos but they wanted to confirm something with Babz.

The policewoman said that on Friday evening; Babz told them that she called Phindie and asked her about Bongz's whereabout.

Yes, I did call Phindie when we couldn't get through to Bongz's phone. She told me that she did not meet with Bongz that afternoon; that she was not well so she walked home after school, Babz responded.

The Policewoman said that she is confused with Babz's statement; she asked Babz if Phindie said that she walked home or she was picked by her mother?

No, she said that she walked home. Actually Bongz, Phindie, Thando and I, usually walk home together; her house is about 1.5 kilometers away from ours, answered Babz.

The Policewoman continued to ask Babz when she last walked home with her brothers and Phindie.

On Thursday, Babz responded. This shocked the Policewoman; she asked Babz if she is sure of what she was saying. Babz said that she is very sure; she said that they even took selfies on their way home.

Babz pulled out her phone and showed the police officers the selfies they took and the dates on the photos confirm that they were taken on Thursday.

The Policeman also asked Babz about when Bongz and Babz stopped dating. Babz was caught off-guard by this question; shockingly, she said

"Did they break up? Who told you that? As far as I know, they are still dating. Bongz loves Phindie so much. Although there are rumors at school that Phindie is a double-timer that she is dating both Bongz and Mandla, he still loves her".

The Policewoman shook her head in amazement at what Babz revealed. She immediately asked Babz who Mandla was. Babz responded to her by saying

"Mandla is Amanda's son, he is now Bongz's friend though when he first joined Lincoln High School, he used to bully Bongz and he once put drugs in Bongz's school bag which led to a suspension of Bongz for two weeks from school. Fortunately for Bongz, one of our fellow students took a video of Mandla putting drugs in Bongz's bag, which saved my brother and Mandla got into trouble with the police."

The Policeman remembered that drug incident at Lincoln High School. He said "Oh, is that the same Mandla who is a friend of Bongz! Interesting! I know where that Mandla lives; we will pay him a visit. I went their weeks back on a case of the drugs at school which you talked about".

The Policewoman told the Khumalos that Phindie said that her mother picked her up from school that Friday afternoon.

Babz was shocked about what Phindie told the police officers, she said "What? But she told me that she walked! I do have a call recorder on my phone, let me check that call. Babz searched for the call through her phone, she played it and it confirmed that Phindie said that she walked home.

The police officers said that they will have to pay Phindie a visit again. They continued to ask Babz that on that fateful Friday, Babz told the police that she called Bongz and he was not picking up. They asked Babz where Bongz's phone is.

Yes, I and my mother called Bongz many times without luck; he has the same phone as mine; dad bought them for us recently on our eighteenth birthday. Bongz always keeps his phone on him, Babz responded.

The police officers asked Babz and her mother if they took Bongz's phone from the crime scene. Babz said no, that she didn't take any phone from the crime scene. Her mother, Fezile, also said no. Fezile told the police officers that they did not see any phone on Bongz, all they saw was Bongz's school bag on his back, and she thinks that the school bag helped Bongz not to break his neck when he fell.

The two officers excused themselves and promised to update Bongz's family if they get more information. On their way out, they wondered where Bongz's phone disappeared from and why Phindie lied about her where about that Friday.

Why would Phindie tell Babz that she walked home yet she told the officers that her mother picked her up! To make matters worse, her mother confirmed picking Phindie from school that Friday. They also wanted to visit Mandla to see if he knows anything.

On Monday, Babaz went to school; although she wanted to stay home for a day. Babz's parents, fezile and Themba, insisted that she should go to school so that she keeps her mind occupied.

At school, Babz saw Mandla, Phindie, and four other boys together. The four boys were Choma, Hlumelo, Sipho, and S'thembiso, aka S'the. That whole group plus Bongz are well known as Brainerd at school; this is because they are the cleverest bunch in their grade.

The Brainerd are all in their final year of high school. Babz was shocked when none of them came to ask her about their friend Bongz, other students were so concerned about Bongz's condition but not the Brainerd.

Babz became suspicious of the Brainerd; Babz wanted to approach them and give them a piece of her mind but she remembered what her mother told her; to keep quiet and let the police do their job. Babz chose to keep her suspicions under wraps.

That afternoon, Babz's father, Themba, came to pick her and Thando from school; they planned to go to the hospital after school. Babz's class ended earlier than usual so she walked towards the gate to wait for the school bell to ring.

To Babz's surprise; she spotted her father outside talking to a lady, she decided to hide behind the watchman's gate-room and checked to see who the lady was. It was Amanda, Mandla's mother. It seemed like Themba and Amanda were arguing about something, Amanda was waving her finger into Themba's face.

When the bell rang, Babz walked towards her father. Before she got to him; Amanda saw her and walked away. Babz hugged her father; she dropped her bag into the car and crossed over to pick up Thando from Lincoln Primary.

Babz, Thando, and their dad, Themba, drove to the hospital. They found Fezile there; she was seated beside Bongz's hospital bed. Bongz was all surrounded by gadgets; he had machines connected to his head, mouth, nose, and chest. Thando tried to ask what all those gadgets were used for but Babz asked him to shut up!

Fezile looked very tired, she was like someone who hasn't eaten or slept for days. Themba told her to go home and rest a bit. Fezile refused; she said that she will only live in the evening when visiting hours are closed off.

Fezile continued to tell her husband that she doesn't want anyone to come and see Bongz without her being there; she is convinced that someone wanted to murder her son. In fact, she told Themba that she is going to hire a security guard to guard Bongz's room.

Meanwhile, the police were busy with the investigations; they have already summoned the Brainerds to visit the police station with their parents. They also interrogated the security guard who was on duty that Friday. Apparently, his testimony was full of contradicting information.

Days passed by and there was no change in Bongz's condition; his whole family was going through hell. Babz hated going to school without her twin brother but she had no choice but to keep moving forward.