"Zinhle! Zinhle!"
I thought I saw her. My heart kicked against my ribs like it wanted out. The woman's face blurred, then melted into the crowd. I pushed forward, weaving between strangers, lungs burning, until I finally caught up—only to see it wasn't her.
Disappointment sat heavy on my chest, but the weight doubled when I spotted a shadow in the distance. Mlotshwa. The dangerous drug lord I'd been avoiding for years. If he saw me here… no. I couldn't risk it.
I slipped away, ducking down a side street until the noise of the market softened behind me. Gogo Nomusa's words from earlier replayed in my head like a drumbeat: "Spiritual jumping will get you there quicker." She'd said it so casually, like talking about catching a taxi.
I wasn't sure I'd found answers at the mountain. The earth had spoken, yes, but I'd returned with more questions than I'd left with. Still, Nature never lied. Unlike the pyramid schemers with their false promises, unlike the patriarchal elites who hoarded power—Nature always told the truth. And my truth, according to Gogo, was buried in my past.
"You were always going to run," she had told me, her voice slow, her smile knowing. "I sent you there to inform you. People are skeptical. They question our authenticity." She'd glanced at me like she could see straight through my skin. "Your ancestors want you to lead. And if you don't embrace your destiny, you will never find happiness or fulfillment."
She rose then, humming under her breath, moving around the room with the ease of someone who had done this hundreds of times. Dried herbs crumbled between her fingers, powder falling into a clay pot. A bitter smell filled the air.
"This will take you there," she said without looking up. "To her. You will speak to Zinhle. Not in this world, but in the other."
I wanted to agree without hesitation, but the truth was I was still afraid. Afraid of leaving the present, afraid of stepping into the future—mostly because of what people said. Fear-mongers had turned spirituality into a threat. I'd heard the whispers: Once you get initiated, your life changes.
What did that even mean? Would I still be me? Would I lose the parts of myself I wasn't ready to let go?
"Phuza la."
The command cut through my thoughts like a blade. She stood before me now, holding out an ukhamba, the clay warm in her hands. Her eyes didn't blink.
I took it. The liquid inside was darker than I expected, its surface swirling as if stirred by something unseen. I raised it to my lips.
The first taste was sharp, almost metallic. My throat clenched, my face twisted.
"Eyyyy…"