I WAS PREGNANT WHEN MY SISTER STOLE MY HUSBAND

LOBOLA PART 2

CHAPTER 19: LOBOLA PART 2

Lobola. The word that broke my father and made my mother cry in 2019 when he said I am worth nothing.

Now same word came back, but with 8 cows and Mercedes.

After fire and gun night, Baba Mthembu said, "Enough courts. Need to finish lobola. Make you officially Mthembu before white wedding. Then no one can say twins not Mthembu."

In Zulu tradition, lobola is not buying woman. It is thanking family for raising woman. But my family? My father Sipho Dlamini who slapped me? My aunt who chased me with R180 on bench? They want thank you? For what? For chasing?

But Baba said, "We must do it right. If we don't, ancestors will not bless wedding."

So Saturday, 12 July 2026, 9am, at my father's house in Umlazi, Section V, small house with cracked walls, same house where he said I was mistake.

Baba Mthembu sent delegation - 4 uncles, Zamo's uncle from Joburg, traditional negotiator Mr. Ngcobo, and Zamo himself, with 8 cows letter, not real cows, because Durban no space for cows - R120,000 per cow, total R960,000, plus R500,000 cash for damages because I was pregnant before marriage, plus Mercedes C-Class for my father, used, 2022, worth R450,000, total R1.91 million lobola.

Most expensive lobola in Umlazi history. People came to watch, 100 neighbors.

My father sat with my aunt Naledi's mother, and Naledi's uncle, and my cousin Thandi who once stole my ID.

Negotiator Ngcobo started: "We come to thank Dlamini family for Lerato. She is queen now, mother of twins, CEO of Mthembu Beads. We offer 8 cows."

My father's eyes big - 8 cows? He expected 3 cows because I was pregnant before marriage and bench girl.

But my aunt, Naledi's mother, said, "8 cows not enough! She is now billionaire wife! She has R2 million trust! Her twins are Mthembu heirs! We want 12 cows! And Mercedes must be new, not used! And house in Umlazi for Dlamini family!"

Greed. Always greed. Same aunt who told me to leave bench and go to Jozi to sell body when I was pregnant.

Mr. Ngcobo laughed, "Mama, 12 cows is for virgin princess from royal family. Lerato has twins before marriage, she stayed with Thabo, she had C-section on bench. 8 cows is already too much, Baba Mthembu is generous. And Mercedes C-Class 2022 is more than most fathers get - most get goat."

My father slapped table, "I am father! I raised her! I deserve new Mercedes! GLE, not C-Class!"

Raised me? He chased me when I was pregnant, said I shamed family, took my grant money R350 SASSA and bought beer.

I stood up - I was sitting with women inside, listening through window - I came out, with twins? No, twins with Nokuthula at estate, safe, with 12 guards and electric fence.

I said, "Baba, you raised me? You slapped me when I told you Thabo left? You said I must abort? You took my child grant? You did not visit hospital when I gave birth on bench? Now you want GLE?"

Neighbors gasped - daughter talking to father like that in lobola is taboo, disrespect.

But Zamo stood, held my hand, "Lerato is right. She speaks truth. Dlamini, you did not raise her well. But we still respect you as father. So we offer 8 cows, C-Class, and R500k damages. Take or we leave and do lobola for Nomusa family - Lerato's mother family in Hillcrest - because her mother raised her, not you."

My father shook - Nomusa family? If lobola goes to mother side, he gets zero. In Zulu, if father did not pay lobola for mother, mother side gets lobola for daughter. He never paid lobola for my mother Nomusa, he just lived with her, then chased her. So technically, Hillcrest family can claim.

My aunt shouted, "You can't! We are Dlamini! We have right!"

Mr. Ngcobo opened book, "Customary Law: If father did not pay lobola for mother, maternal family has claim. Sipho Dlamini never paid lobola for Nomusa Ndlovu. So Ndlovu family in Hillcrest can claim Lerato's lobola. We checked."

My father went pale. R1.91 million gone to Hillcrest?

He said quick, "8 cows is fine! C-Class is fine! We accept!"

But my cousin Thandi whispered to father, "Ask for more cash, cows is cows, but cash is cash."

Father said, "And we want R1 million extra for raising costs - school fees, food, from baby to 22 years."

R1 million extra! Total would be R2.91 million.

Baba Mthembu, who was listening on phone speaker from estate, spoke via Ngcobo's phone, loud: "Sipho, you want R1 million for raising? Show receipts. School fees you never paid - Nomusa paid with beads. Food? Lerato ate at neighbors. Hospital? She gave birth on bench. What did you pay?"

Silence. 100 neighbors silent.

My father cried - first time I saw him cry. Not because shame, because R1.91 million about to go to Hillcrest.

He said, "Okay, we accept 8 cows, C-Class, R500k. But give cash now, not later."

Zamo said, "We give cows money to family trust, not to you directly, so you cannot drink it. We buy house for Lerato's younger sister, Ayanda, 16, who is still in school, in your house but suffering. House will be in Ayanda's name, not yours. And Mercedes in Lerato's name, you can use, but not sell."

My father angry, "My daughter house in other daughter name? No!"

I said, "Ayanda is 16, she is still at home, you take her NSFAS? You will take lobola and gamble? I know you - you went to mashonisa last month, same mashonisa Thabo owes. If I give you R500k cash, you will pay mashonisa and leave Ayanda with nothing. So house in Ayanda name."

Neighbors clapped - they know my father, gambler, drunk.

Negotiator Ngcobo wrote agreement: R960k for 8 cows (symbolic), R500k damages for pregnancy before marriage, R450k Mercedes C-Class 2022, total R1.91m, plus R200k for Ayanda school trust, total R2.11m. Paid via trust, Mercedes, and house deed.

My father signed, with thumbprint, because he cannot write well.

Then, tradition: I must enter and thank, with blanket.

I wore red blanket, Zulu makoti, knelt, said, "Ngiyabonga Baba, for allowing me to be part of Dlamini, even if hard. I forgive you."

Forgive? I forgave because twins need grandfather, even bad one, and because Nomusa taught forgiveness.

He hugged me, smelling beer, said, "Lerato, you were always worth 12 cows, I was just angry you got pregnant. I am sorry."

First sorry ever.

Outside, 8 cows symbolic - we didn't bring cows, but we brought 8 cow paintings, made by my workshop women, each painting worth R120k, framed, with Nomusa pattern in background. Each painting is cow with beads. Neighbors loved - better than real cows, because real cows die, painting stays.

Mercedes arrived, driven by security, silver C-Class, with ribbon. My father touched it, cried again.

But as we celebrated, eating umqombothi and meat, police arrived. Not for lobola, for my father.

Detective Cele: "Sipho Dlamini, you are under arrest for fraud - you took R350 SASSA grant for Lerato for 2 years after she left home, you forged signature."

My father, arrested at his own daughter's lobola. Handcuffed next to Mercedes he just got.

He shouted, "Lerato! Tell them! It's my grant!"

I said, "Baba, it was my grant, for twins milk. You took it."

Police took him, Mercedes still with ribbon, 100 neighbors watching.

Lobola finished, but father in jail.

We drove back to estate, 12 guards, electric fence, twins waiting.

Zamo said, "Your lobola cost R2.11m plus father arrest. Expensive."

I laughed, "My mother lobola was never paid, my lobola paid with arrest. We Dlamini women have cursed lobola."

Nokuthula waited at gate, with twins, said, "In 1998, Baba paid 10 cows for me, plus car, no arrest. In 2026, 8 cows plus Mercedes plus arrest. Inflation."

We entered house, twins crawling now, 7 months, Amahle grabbed my red blanket, Lwandile grabbed Mercedes key.

Baba Mthembu called, "Lobola done, now you are fully Mthembu. Next week, white wedding. No more court, only church."

But phone buzzed - from Westville Prison - Naledi: "I heard your lobola - 8 cows! I told Dlamini family to ask 12! You still gave 8! You cheap! When I do lobola with Bongani, I will get 15!"

Naledi still in prison, still counting my cows.

I blocked number, put twins to breast, and thought: Lobola done, father in jail, mother dead, twins Mthembu, Mercedes parked.

Tomorrow, wedding dress fitting. Final chapter after this.

The next morning, I woke early, before twins, before Zamo, and went to workshop. The 12 women were already there, singing, beading the last 50 trays for Johannesburg order. They saw my red blanket still on my shoulders from yesterday, and they ululated.

Mama Zanele said, "Makoti with 8 cows! Now you are truly Mthembu!"

I sat with them, beading, not as CEO, but as one of them, and for first time since bench, I felt my mother Nomusa next to me, beading too, smiling, because her daughter finally got lobola she never got.

And for first time, I slept without checking CCTV.

Because 12 guards and electric fence and 8 cows were watching.

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