Zulu

Four | The interrogation

Day three in school

Zweli regretted what happened to Mxolisi and wanted to apologies to him but Mxolisi didn't show up for school. He kept on hearing Mxolisi 's voice groaning and Mzwanele came to sit next to him. Mzwanele saw that Zweli isn't okay with what happened, so he wanted to manipulate him.

"Hey man, I know you are still thinking about what happened yesterday and I too think of it," Mzwanele lied.

Zweli looked at him when he said, because he knew he wasn't telling the truth. "Really?" Zweli asked. Mzwanele nodded his head agreeing to Zweli's question. "You didn't betray him, you were thinking about yourself and that's not bad, "Mzwanele manipulated Zweli.

"I was selfish," he said.

"You have never got a chance to play in the field and this is your chance, that guy is here to take your spot. If you want your spot, you'll need to fight for it and I know how," Mzwanele continued manipulating him. Zweli was angry and he shouted, "that doesn't mean I should turn my back on him, it means I have to challenge him in a right way and that is on the field!' Everyone looked at them and Zweli calmed down. Vusumuzi came and whispered to Mzwanele then he left.

"Zweli listen Vusi just told me that Mxolisi is fine and he said he got injured on the field, so they'll be questioning us. If you want to be on the field then you must go with the flow but if you wish to tell them the truth then it'll be my word versus yours and you wouldn't want to do that," Mzwanele threatened him. The physics teacher came in and said, "boys who plays football you're all summoned on break at the principal's office."

Outside the school

When Mxolisi woke up, he was in his home and he went to the mirror. He took his shirt off and he had bondages all over. Mary wasn't at home but instead she was at Mxolisi's school t found out what really happened. Mxolisi wanted to cry, he yelled and regretted being on that school. He wished his parents were still alive. He went to the kitchen, took a knife and pointed it to his wrist. He then saw his mother's beads, he dropped the knife, took the beads and he went to the wardrobe to take his father's art work. He whipped his tears and smiled.

Flashback

"What are you doing dad?" young Mxolisi asked. His father was painting and he was just watching, holding a ball. "I am painting my son, this is my talent. Tell me what's your talent?" Mxolisi's father asked.

"My friends always salute me in playing soccer so I want to play with Bernardo Silva one day," young Mxolisi responded.

"Don't worry my son anything is possible, you just need to keep your chin up and enjoy that's all. One last thing you must fight for Bernardo Silva to play with you, not the other way around." Young Mxolisi was worried that what if someone is better than him outside. "What if someone is better than me or someone is jealous of me?" young Mxolisi asked.

[Mxolisi's father chuckled]"My son you don't have to worry about that, even if someone will hate you for that, you just need to keep on going don't pay ay attention to them and be great at what you do."

Present

[Mxolisi chuckled]"A real Zulu doesn't give up." Mxolisi took his mother's beads and brushed them.

Flashback

"Hold here Mxolisi," Mxolisi's mother asked a favor. Young Mxolisi and his mother were busy making beads and Mxolisi's mother used to make many beads. "Why do you make so many beads mom?" Young Mxolisi asked.

"So that I can see my perfect my work and smile every time I'm not happy," Mxolisi's mother responded.

"When did it happened that you became unhappy and became happy when you saw your work?" Young Mxolisi asked.

Mxolisi's mother sat down and held Mxolisi's hands. "There was this lady on a competition, her beads were beautiful but mine were perfect and she saw that she was going to loose. She was jealous so she stole mine," Mxolisi's mother responded. "Why didn't you hit the lady for stealing?" Young Mxolisi asked.

[Mxolisi's mother chuckled]"Then I'll be showing my weakness and beads is not my weakness but strength. You see if someone acts violently then that person is showing a weakness. What you must do is beat that person on the field, if they fight then that means you're the challenge and threat." Young Mxolisi understood and nodded his head to agree. "What if that lady continues to steal?" He asked.

"Then you have to build yourself so that if they try something again you'll be ready, tell yourself that you won't give up. Then they'll show their weakness and that weakness will be on the field. You'll use their weakness against them and remember what I said their weakness is your strength," Mxolisi's mother motivated Mxolisi. Mxolisi had a negativity to think that he won't make it.

"What if they come over and over?" He asked. Mxolisi's mother smiled because she was happy to motivate her child and she hugged him.

Present

"Always keep your chin up, think like a snake, be smart like a cheetah and attack like a lion, " Mxolisi said what her mother responded to him.

[Mxolisi chuckled]]

During break in school

The boys who were playing soccer going to the principal's office and they were going to be questioned about Mxolisi. Mary didn't believe Mxolisi's story, she knew that Mxolisi wouldn't tell the truth and she decided to go to the school to investigate. The boys were at the office and the principal came, "here is what I'm going to do, I will ask all of you the same questions and if someone has a different answer then we will have a problem with that." The boys looked at each other.

Thirty minutes before questioning

Mzwanele summoned all boys who were playing soccer. They were in the boy's toilets and they all came.

"Boys we are in deep trouble. Zulu was hurt and we don't know how, but he told his mother that he was injured on the field," Mzwanele addressed. Some of the boys liked Mxolisi because they wo because of him. "And what does it have to do with us? Because he was in our team and he was fine the last time we saw him," boy#1 asked.

"It has everything to do with us because we were the last people in this school to see him. Look guys this is simple he already has a story, we just need to confirm it that's all," Mzwanele convinced the boys. "I will just tell the truth man I don't want to be involve," boy#2 said. Mzwanele's plan was failing and he had to do something with it.

"If you dare go and talk. Me and rest who will remain will point you. This is simple we have to have the same story that's all," Mzwanele threatened the boy.

[Zweli clicked his tongue]"Why do we have to listen to you always huh?"

Zweli didn't want to do it but he had a choice, it was either he is choosing his dream over a friend and get his spot by betraying him or choose a friend then work hard to earn his spot. Then he released that he has already betrayed him.

"This is all your fault Mzwa! You know what, I'm going to tell the truth either way," he said. Mzwanele threatened him, "ok Zweli go ahead but just know that if I come back from my suspension. I'll make sure you'll regret being born."

Vusumuzi intervened in Zulu, "no need for that Mzwa, he'll cooperate."

"As for all of you, if you do this with me then I'll reward you with something," Mzwanele bribed the boys.

"Something?" Boy#3 asked.

"You know my family is rich and I promise to give you anything," Mzwanele promised. The boys nodded their heads agreeing to Mzwanele's proposal.

During questioning

"Zweli!? Zweli!? Boy I'm talking to you," the principal talked to him. It was Zweli's turn and all the boys were asked Zweli was the last. Mary was also in the office she recognized the word Zweli. " Are you not Mxolisi's friend?" She asked. Zweli was shaking up and sweating.

"Nope, Mxolisi is not my friend we were just classmates," he replied.

"How did he get injured?" The principal asked.

"He was trying to score a header, unfortunately he hit the post and I accidently hit him on the his ribs, when I was jumping," Zweli lied. Mary didn't believe it and she was angry that every learner said the same thing. "You are lying! Why are shaking up and sweating!?" Mary furiously.

[Zweli whimpered]

"I think it's my fault that why. Now I'm going to be suspended, who wouldn't sweat?" Zweli pretended. The principal was feeling sorry for him and protected him, "I won't suspend you boy. MS Simelane is being overprotective on her child that all. You may go to class now break is almost over."

Zweli left the office, he was afraid that Mzwanele's plan wouldn't work but it did. Mary wasn't convinced because Zweli said Mxolisi was not his friend and Mxolisi once told her that he was with a friend Zweli on his day. "You see no one will bully your child. It was football, this things happens all the time," the principal convinced Mary. Mary left.

Outside the school

Mary went back home and hoped to find Mxolisi home but he was not home. Mary was worried and she checked his room but still he was there. She searched all rooms and even went to the backyard but he was not there. She went back to his room, sat on couch and she saw a knife down. She thought that maybe he committed suicide.

During second in school

Zweli kept on thinking about Mxolisi. Mzwanele and Vusumuzi came to him. Mzwanele was smiling because Zweli just chose a side and that was Mzwanele's side.

"You did the right thing to follow our story and now you have just earned your spot on the field," Mzwanele offered him.

[Zweli sighed]

Thando, Aaliyah and Amanda were watching the boys talking. They were wondering what they were talking about. "Zweli doesn't look like your brother, I mean the way you two don't talk to each other," Aaliyah made fun of Thando.

"They are even twins but it doesn't look like that," Amanda intervened.

Thando looked at Aaliyah and Amanda. "What does that have to do with all this?" She said. Amanda and Aaliyah laughed but Thando was really curious about the boys, she wanted to know what was going on and why they were summoned. Thando and Zweli were not talking at all in school but they were twins. Thando was the one who had a problem with Zweli.

Bell rang

Outside the school

"My boy if you feel like or see that your opponent will not give up. Sometimes you need to give them a win but a temporary win, you're actually making them think that it's a permanent win and you lost. By that time you'll be gaining strength, watching their weakness so that next time they'll underestimate you. That where you'll defeat them because you'll have more strength than before and they won't be ready for it," Mxolisi's father's voice echoed while he was jogging. Mxolisi was practicing to toughen his body from the pain he felt. He didn't listen to Mary when she said he must rest.

After school in school

Amanda and Thando were sitting together under the tree because they were waiting for Aaliyah. Amanda asked, "Thando do you have a partner?" Thando nodded her head with a no.

"Well mine is Zulu," Amanda bragged.

Thando's face changed when she said that. She was jealous of her. "Let me tell you this my friend, you won't go with him," she said. Amanda was shocked when Thando said that. "Why are you saying that ?" Amanda asked.

"That's not important, he'll not go with you and that's final," Thando was bossy.

"Well I think it's important, maybe you want him," Amanda replied.

"I don't, I actually hate him! She said. Amanda stood up and said, "that's your own baby to feed, I'm going with him tomorrow and if you try something, I swear you'll see the worse of me!" Amanda left Thando.