Mzikhayise

Mzikayise had courted Ntombinani for two whole years, ably assisted by his diminutive elder sister, Bagangile, who acted as a go- between in this important and complicated matter, and now he was fast reaching the end of his tether,convinced that the girl he so deeply loved, did not love him and would never accept him.

He sat upon a rock, his head resting sorrow- fully upon the palm of his hand and hot tears flowed freely down his battle-scarred cheeks, and in his pain-dimmed eyes floated the vision of her, Ntombinani, the Shining Star of this life.

Suddenly he felt a small warm hand on his muscular shoulder, and he turned his head and looked into the round plump face of his sister, Bagangile, who was known in every village as "The Naughty One".

There was concern in Bagangile's beautiful eyes, but there were fires of mischief dancing in them as well.

"There you are, you big baboon," she was saying, "I have been looking all over for you. What's wrong? Are you sick? Need an enema?" "Stop teasing me, Bagangile," growled Mzikayise, "My heart is shattered."

"Is it?" Bagangile asked, her eyes sparkling like twin crystals. "Then let me tell you some very bad news, dear brother, news which will shatter it even more".

"What bad news, Bagangile?" demanded the young warrior. "Come on, tell me quickly!" He sprang to his feet snatching up his shield, spear and battle-axe, which had been lying on the ground in front of him. He stood stock-still, throwing glances this way and that, but the land was peaceful, smoke from cooking fires rising towards the heavens from the centres of the kraals and villages that dotted the green landscape.

Far away the distant mountains were smiling, a pale purple invitation on the very edge of the world, and upon the eternal veldt here and there herds of cattle were peacefully grazing.

"What bad news have you got m tell me, my sister?" he asked again. "You are not going to marry Ntombinani," said the girl in reply, "she is going to marry someone else - a man known as Kondekulu." - "What!?" he bellowed, "but that just cannot happen - Ntombinani cannot do such a thing to me!"

"And why not?" asked Bagangile with a faint smile. "She loves me - I know she does - even though she has never openly said so," cried Mzikayise. "Why, we were made for each other."

"A girl has the right to change her mind you know," said Bagangile, her face serious all of a sudden, "and Ntombinani appears to have changed hers."

"1 wonder who this Kondekulu is?" said Mzikayise, his face a mask of sorrow and rage, "he must have used witchcraft to win my beloved one's heart - he must have! If I find him I will challenge him to a death duel! I will kill him!"

"Somehow I do not think so my love," said a silvery voice from somewhere behind him. The young man spun around and saw that the speaker was one of three young women who had quietly emerged from dense bush a short distance away from where he and his sister stood and were walking slowly towards them.

He recognized her at once, and - "Ntombinani!" he cried, his mouth dropping open in astonishment, his eyes bulging. "What does this -" She walked right up to him, as beautiful as the moon in spring, closely followed by her cousins, and with a shy smile and trembling hands she placed the bead, Loveletter of Acceptance around his neck.

Mzikayise's face became a mask of total puzzlement as he blurted: "But what of this Kondekulu? I thought - " "Kondekulu - big Male Baboon - is Ntombinani's nickname for you, dear little brother," replied Bagangile with a silvery titter. "Now come on, kiss her forehead, big ox!"