Dark Soweto

consequences and stakes

Before Sphesihle could say anything, she saw Thato in the sky. He was flying, and as he descended, he transformed revealing the most beautiful, magical wings. He spotted Sphesihle on the ground and flew down to her. As soon as he landed, they hugged.

“You don’t know how worried I was about you, love,” he said, relieved.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let me deal with these people, then we can leave,” she replied, shifting her focus back to the kidnappers.

“So, who’s ready to burn?” she said with an evil smile. Her hands burst into flames, and her eyes began to glow.

Before she could act, Thato interrupted. “Wait!” he shouted. “We don’t want to draw more attention to ourselves. Let’s just leave them.”

“But aren’t they supposed to burn for messing with the future queen?” she asked with a smirk.

“I know, but they’re not like us. They can’t defend themselves they don’t have powers like we do. Please, Sphesihle, just spare them. If they try this again, I won’t stop you.”

“Fine.” The flames in her hands disappeared. “You four, get out of here before I change my mind.”

The men didn’t hesitate they ran as if their lives depended on it.

“Okay, Sphe, let’s just go home,” Thato said softly.

Sphesihle didn’t respond. She simply nodded, her expression unreadable as they lifted off the ground. The night air rushed past them as they flew, but the silence between them felt heavier than anything else. Normally, Thato would try to lighten the mood, say something playful, anything but this time, he stayed quiet. He had seen the look in her eyes earlier, the way her anger had almost taken over completely. It unsettled him.

When they finally landed outside Mama Joyous’s house, the lights were still on.

Inside, Mama Joyous sat on the edge of the couch, her hands tightly clasped together. Her thoughts were spiraling. Every second that passed without seeing Sphesihle made her chest tighten. She kept imagining the worst her lying somewhere hurt, or worse, gone forever. The guilt was unbearable. She had promised to protect her, yet she had let her out of her sight.

“What if something happened to her?” she whispered to herself, her voice shaking.Before she could sink deeper into her thoughts, the door opened.

Sphesihle and Thato stepped inside.

For a moment, Mama Joyous just stared, as if her mind needed time to catch up with reality. Then everything hit her at once.

“Sphesihle!” she cried out, rushing forward and wrapping her arms tightly around her. “You’re alive… you’re really alive!”

Her voice broke as she held onto her, as if letting go would make her disappear again.

“I was so worried about you,” she continued, tears streaming down her face. “Even your mother she was going to end my life if anything happened to you."

The warmth of the hug didn’t reach her. Instead, those words echoed in her mind.

Your mother was going to end my life.

Slowly, she pulled away, her expression hardening.

“So,” she said quietly, “the only reason you were worried about me is because you’re afraid of my mother?”

Mama Joyous blinked, caught off guard. “No, Sphesihle, that’s not what I meant ”

“Really?” her voice rising slightly. “Because that’s exactly what it sounds like.”

“That’s not true,” Mama Joyous said quickly, shaking her head. “I care about you”

“Do you?” Sphesihle’s tone sharpened. “Or are you just scared of what might happen to you if I get hurt?”

The room fell into a tense silence.

Thato shifted uncomfortably, glancing between them, unsure whether to step in.

“Sphesihle, please,” Mama Joyous said, her voice softer now, more fragile. “You know that’s not how I feel.”

Sphesihle let out a bitter laugh. “You expect me to believe that? Wow… I guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from its tree.”

The words hit harder than she intended but she didn’t take them back.

Mama Joyous’s face fell, pain flashing across it.

“Sphesihle, I didn’t mean it like that, I”

But Sphesihle had already turned away.

“I’m tired,” she muttered.

Without another word, she walked down the hallway, entered her room, and slammed the door shut before locking it.

“Sphesihle!” Mama Joyous called, rushing after her. She knocked on the door urgently. “Please, open the door. Let’s talk about this.”

she didn't respond.

“Sphesihle, I didn’t mean what you think I meant,” she continued, her voice cracking. “Nana, asikhulume please.”

Inside the room, Sphesihle leaned against the door, her breathing uneven. For a brief moment, doubt flickered across her face but she pushed it away. Instead, she grabbed her headphones and put them on, turning the volume up just to block everything out.

The knocking continued and eventually it stopped.On the other side of the door, Mama Joyous lowered her hand. Her shoulders slumped as the silence settled in.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered to herself. “Why does it feel like no matter what I do, I keep losing her?”She stood there for a while longer, hoping the door would open but it didn't.

Eventually, she walked away, telling herself that Sphesihle just needed space that maybe, with time, things would calm down.Hours passed and the house grew quiet, wrapped in a heavy stillness.

Thato stood outside Sphesihle’s door, hesitating before knocking. His hand hovered in the air for a moment before he finally tapped gently.

“Hey… love, it’s me.”He sighed softly. “I just came to say goodnight. I’ll probably see you tomorrow at school.”He paused, leaning slightly against the door.

“Look… I’m not trying to speak for her,” he continued, his voice calm but sincere, “but Mama Joyous really cares about you. Honestly… more than our own mother ever did.”“She wasn’t there for us. Not when we needed her.”

There was a long silence.Just as he was about to walk away the door creaked open.

Thato turned back, relief flickering across his face but it quickly faded but Something was wrong.Sphesihle stood in the doorway, completely still.Her eyes were glowing intensely.

Thato’s body tense,he knew that look.This wasn’t Sphesihle.“Wait,” he said slowly, his voice tightening. “Who”

“Wait!” she said, her voice softer now, unfamiliar. “You’re… my son.”Tears filled her eyes.“But your father told me you died.”

The words hit him like a shockwave.

She stepped closer, reaching out with a trembling hand, desperate to touch him confirm he was real but he pulled back immediately.“Don’t,” he said angrily.Pain flashed across her heart.

“I shouldn’t even be calling you ‘Ma,’” he continued, his voice breaking despite his effort to stay strong. “You lost that right the day you kidn*pped my father.”tears streamed down his face now.

“Since then, I’ve been alone. Do you even understand what that feels like? Growing up with no one? Wondering if you were ever coming back?”

“My son”

“No!” he snapped. “Don’t call me that.”

She slowly sank to her knees, her strength giving way under the weight of his words.“You don’t know the truth,” she said, her voice trembling. “I never kidn*pped your father.”Thato let out a bitter laugh. “Of course. There’s always another story.”

“That day,” she continued, forcing herself to go on, “I went to see your father because we had a plan. We were going to destroy the Serpent King.”

Thato didn’t respond, but he didn’t leave either.

“It wasn’t easy for me to stay away from you,” she said, tears falling freely now. “Every day, I thought about you.”

“But when we tried to fight him everything went wrong. He was stronger than we expected. He captured your father and took him to his world locked him away in a hidden dungeon.”

“We’ve been trying to find a way back ever since,” she continued. “A portal… anything. But it’s not easy.”

She looked up at him, desperation in her eyes.“I need you to trust me.”Silence filled the space between them.

For a moment, it seemed like Thato might say something.But instead, he stepped back.“I can’t,” he said quietly.Then he turned and walked away faster, then faster until he broke into a run, leaving the house behind.

Moments later, Sphesihle’s mother slipped out of her body.Sphesihle staggered slightly as she regained control, her head spinning.

“What… just happened?” she whispered.

Then she remembered andher expression fell.A deep, heavy guilt settled in her chest as she realized what Thato had just gone through.She sat onto her bed, staring at the floor.

For the first time, she truly understood something she had never fully considered before What it meant to grow up alone.

And for once She felt grateful that she never had to.