The Death of the Mantis (23 page)

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The Death of the Mantis
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K
ubu spent Saturday
morning at the office, catching up on paperwork that had
accumulated during his visit to Namibia. But his spirits were good,
and he hummed a Mozart tune as he ploughed through the stack of
papers. The week had been successful. He was confident that his
prime suspect for the Krige murder would be apprehended in the near
future and Monzo’s death would then be explained.

He was looking forward to the evening. Pleasant had invited them
to dinner, and Joy had arranged a babysitter for the first time.
Kubu felt a pang of guilt as he eagerly anticipated being with Joy
for a whole evening without Tumi. As much as he loved the two of
them, when they were together he felt he was getting too little of
Joy’s attention.

♦

Appreciating the evening off, Joy smiled the whole way to
Pleasant’s apartment. They knocked at her door, both expecting a
frazzled Pleasant to greet them. Joy’s sister was not an
accomplished cook – probably because she was single and often
invited out – and was invariably running late. To their surprise,
Pleasant looked completely composed and greeted them with a wide
smile and hugs all round.

Kubu was immediately suspicious. Something’s up, he thought.

The next surprise came only seconds later as they walked into
the small living room. Standing there was Bongani Sibisi, lecturer
in ecology at the University of Botswana, and Pleasant’s on-and-off
boyfriend.

“Bongani! How nice to see you,” Joy said enthusiastically,
shaking his hand.

“Where’ve you been hiding?” asked Kubu, giving him a thump on
the shoulder.

The handsome young man with John Lennon glasses smiled shyly.
“I’m well. And very happy to see both of you. It’s been a long time
– my fault. I’ve been busy on a new project.”

“I’ve a surprise for you,” Pleasant said with a big smile.

I knew it, Kubu thought. Here it comes.

“We’re going
out to
dinner. Bongani’s treat. He wants to
celebrate – he’s just been promoted to associate professor. We’ll
have a drink here, and I’ve made some snacks. Then we’re going out
to Rodizio at Riverwalk.”

“Congratulations, Bongani. That’s wonderful!” Joy gave Bongani a
big hug, to his mild embarrassment.

“Well done,” said Kubu, giving Bongani another thump. “Very well
deserved too, if a little late. The university doesn’t realise just
how good you are.”

♦

Rodizio was a newish restaurant and none of them had been there
before. They spent a few minutes perusing the menu. Both men
ordered the Meat Rodizio, described as an unending supply of
different types of meat – chicken, fillet, pork ribs, veal, chorizo
sausage and others. Kubu was delighted. All you can eat meat! He
sighed contentedly. The women both ordered vegetarian dishes, as
though they could offset the amount of meat about to be consumed.
Finally, Bongani ordered a bottle of South African sparkling wine
for the occasion. Kubu would have preferred a decent red, but made
no comment.

After they’d all had a chance to tuck into their food, Kubu
lifted his glass. “I have a few toasts I’d like to make. First, to
you, Bongani. Congratulations on your promotion. It is well
deserved, and we are proud to know someone who knows so much!”

The four clinked their glasses.

“The second toast is also to Bongani – thank you for this lovely
dinner. You shouldn’t have spoilt us like this – but we love it. I
hope your promotion to full professor comes soon. I have a
suggestion of where to eat that evening!”

More leaning across the table to ensure all glasses were
touched.

“And my third toast is to my dear sister-in-law, Pleasant. Thank
you for not cooking!”

After the laughter had died down, the four resumed eating. Kubu
was particularly impressed with how frequently waiters appeared at
his side holding swords skewering the various meats. I’ve gone to
heaven, he thought.

Finally, Bongani raised his glass and said quietly, “I also have
a toast.” He paused for effect. “To my fiancée, Pleasant.”

The whole restaurant turned to see what the shrieking was all
about. Joy was uncontrollable. She jumped up, tears welling in her
eyes, and hugged Pleasant. Then she hugged Bongani. Then Pleasant
again. Bongani and Kubu were a little embarrassed by the commotion,
but did nothing to stop it. They couldn’t have even had they
tried.

Pleasant rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small box. She
opened it and took out a ring with a small diamond in a
contemporary setting. She slipped it on to her ring finger and
flaunted it with a huge smile. Joy and Kubu admired it and
exclaimed how beautiful it was.

Kubu lifted his glass and drained it with a flourish. “You must
come back to our place and have another drink. This is a wonderful
evening. We must enjoy it to the full.”

Eventually they ended up back at Pleasant’s apartment, having
made a detour via Kubu’s liquor cupboard for the best of his stock.
They had realised that continuing the party with Tumi in hearing
distance could ruin the evening. The babysitter was promised double
payment for a few more hours.

The celebration continued until midnight, when they left; Kubu
prayed that there would be no roadblocks on the way home. It
wouldn’t look good for an assistant superintendent to be caught
driving under the influence.

If Tumi cried that night, neither Joy nor Kubu heard her. They
both slept as though drugged. Before his eyes closed, Kubu had a
momentary fantasy that he and Joy would make love. They’d had a
wonderful evening with nothing to spoil the enjoyment. But although
the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak, and it was only seconds
before Kubu’s snores reverberated through the house. Fortunately
Joy was equally inebriated and heard nothing. In fact, although
Kubu didn’t know it, she made nearly as much noise as he did.

♦

Kubu awoke on Sunday morning with a fierce headache, made worse
by Tumi’s incessant crying. Both he and Joy had overslept by more
than an hour, and Tumi was letting them know, in no uncertain
terms, that such neglect was unacceptable. To make things worse,
Ilia howled every time Tumi hit a certain note.

The weekly trip to Mochudi to enjoy Sunday lunch with Kubu’s
parents was further delayed because Pleasant and Bongani were late
in arriving, no doubt victims of the same malaise.

When they eventually set off, the hour’s drive was uneventful.
Pleasant sat in the back seat with Joy, who was trying to console
Tumi. Bongani was even quieter than usual, and Ilia had been
relegated to the back of the Land Rover, where she was frustrated
by being so close to the cold meat and salads Joy had brought for
lunch.

♦

As soon as the car door was open, Ilia raced along the fence,
skidded around the corner by the gate, and jumped up at the elder
Bengu, who smiled broadly and lifted the dog affectionately.

Kubu walked up to his parents and greeted them, “
Dumela
,
Rra.
Dumela
, Mma.” He then extended his right arm to his
father, touching it with his left hand as a mark of respect.

Wilmon responded solemnly, “
Dumela
, my son.”

“I have arrived,” Kubu said formally. “And I apologise for being
late.”

“You are welcome in my house. How are you, my son?”

“I am well, Father. How are you and Mother?”

“We are also fine, my son.” Wilmon’s voice was strong, but
quiet. Joy and Pleasant gave Wilmon and Amantle hugs, and Amantle
took Tumi from Joy, kissing her on the forehead and rocking her in
her arms. As if by magic, the baby stopped crying. Then Kubu
introduced Bongani. “Father, Mother, this is Pleasant’s friend we
have told you about. Dr Bongani Sibisi. He’s a professor at the
university.”

As Bongani shook hands with his parents, Kubu watched his mother
with amusement as she thoroughly scrutinised the newcomer.

“So, you are the man who has been giving Pleasant such a
difficult time.”

Bongani had been warned of Amantle’s directness, but this was
not the greeting he’d expected.

“Um,” he spluttered, “I don’t try to be
difficult – ”

“It is important to be nice!” Amantle interrupted. “Pleasant
tells me that you spend too much time working and not enough time
paying attention to her.”

“But Mma – ”

“No buts, Bongani! Pleasant deserves your attention all the
time. Not just when it is convenient to you. That is very
selfish!”

“My mother,” Pleasant broke into the exchange, “don’t be too
hard on him, because I have good news for you. He has asked me to
marry him!”

Amantle hesitated for only a fraction of a second. “I hope you
have accepted?”

Pleasant nodded. Only then did Amantle’s wrinkled face break
into a huge smile.

“Hallelujah! I am so happy for you.” She handed Tumi back to Joy
and enveloped Pleasant in her arms. The two swayed back and forth,
locked in shared joy. Then Amantle broke free and shook her finger
at Bongani. “It is about time! I was very worried that Pleasant
would end up unmarried and without child.” For her that was the
ultimate horror. Bongani smiled weakly.

Then Wilmon smiled and extended his hand. Pleasant pushed the
hand aside and gave him a huge hug. As usual, he wasn’t certain
whether to be shocked or delighted. Delight won, and he patted her
cautiously on the back. “I am very happy for you. I wish you both a
very happy life together – like Amantle’s and mine.”

Then he turned to Bongani. “Bongani, I do not know you, but if
Pleasant loves you, you will always be welcome at our home.”

“Thank you, Rra. Pleasant always has such kind words to say
about you and your wife. It will be my privilege to get to know
you.”

“Congratulations, Bongani.” Amantle extended her hand. “If
Pleasant loves you, so do I. But make sure you respect her and
treat her well.”

“I will, Mma. I promise.”

Joy and Kubu watched the felicitations with approval. Ilia, on
the other hand, was less enthusiastic. She wasn’t receiving the
attention she’d come to expect.

♦

After Kubu had hauled the cooler boxes into the kitchen, he
retrieved a folding chair from the Land Rover – his parents only
had five chairs, four of their own and one already loaned by Kubu.
The six of them then sat down and chatted for a while, mainly about
plans for the wedding. When the women went inside to prepare lunch,
Wilmon beckoned Bongani to sit next to him. “I regret to say I have
already forgotten your name.”

Kubu glanced sharply at his father. This was unlike him. He was
a man with a good memory, especially for people’s names.

“Bongani Sibisi, Rra.”

“Ah, yes.” Wilmon nodded. “Tell me about your family.” Kubu
smiled. He knew that Wilmon would want to know all about Bongani’s
heritage.

For the next ten minutes or so, Bongani related how his father
was dead, but his mother was alive and in good health. He told
Wilmon about his grandparents, where they had come from, what they
did, and how fortunate he’d been that they had lived in health to
an old age.

“My grandparents, especially my grandfathers, were very
important in my life, Rra. When I was growing up, my father spent
most of the year in Lobatse. That was the only place he could find
work. So when he was away, I spent many hours listening to my
grandfathers’ stories. I was very lucky, because they had both been
to school and could read. It was they who helped me love to
learn.”

Wilmon listened carefully, nodding in appreciation of Bongani’s
respect for his elders. When he had exhausted his questions, he
slowly stood up. He turned to Bongani. “You will excuse us,
please.” He beckoned to Kubu. “My son, please walk with me.”

Kubu struggled out of his low chair, shrugged at Bongani, and
helped his father down the stairs to the street. Bongani would have
a chance to enjoy a few moments of peace, which Kubu was sure he
needed.

“My son, we need to talk about
lobola
for Pleasant. Her
father and mother are both dead, and your mother and I are now like
parents to her. We must negotiate a fine
lobola
. Her family
will get many fine cows.” Kubu understood now why his father had
summoned him away from the veranda. It would be improper to talk
about
lobola
in front of the future groom.

They turned the corner into another dusty street. Wilmon nodded
his head at several neighbours who shouted greetings.

“Father, you are right, as usual. But it isn’t for us to
initiate the discussion, like you did with Joy’s family. Bongani’s
family will decide who will negotiate for them. Then Pleasant will
tell Bongani that you will be her father in the matter. They will
then approach you for her hand.” He put his hand on his father’s
shoulder – a rare touch of affection between the two. “Pleasant is
blessed to have you take her father’s place. You will have the
respect of Bongani and his family.”

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, and Kubu could
see that his father was very proud.

♦

Lunch was a happy affair. Kubu noted with approval how Pleasant
and Bongani paid a great deal of attention to each other, with
frequent and affectionate touches. Joy and Amantle had already made
progress in planning the wedding, which they had been told was to
be in the spring – early October, in fact, so that the heat would
be tolerable. Wilmon sat quietly, sometimes dozing, with Ilia
content on his lap. Even Tumi behaved, sleeping quietly just inside
the front door.

♦

That evening, after Pleasant and Bongani had made their way
home, Kubu relaxed in a comfortable chair with a ten-year-old KWV
brandy. Joy had finally got Tumi to sleep, and settled herself on
Kubu’s lap with his arm around her shoulders. She took a sip of his
brandy and wrinkled her nose as she always did.