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Romeo and Julius
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2024-10-29 19:42:56It took a long time for Romeo and Julius to realise who they were until they saw other gay couples. They started to explore the areas of their lives they had never explore before. As they spent much of the time together they realised that that were more comfortable as lovers than as best friends. At first they were confused as to how they would handle the new developments in their lives. They started to go to parties that were attended by other young couples like them. As time went by they became comfortable with each other as partners. They went public. Within a short space of time they became an item and they had no shame in being seen walking hand in hand in public, something that they were not free to do in their villages. They almost did everything together like a married couple would do. Everyone got used to the idea of seeing them more as lovers than anything else. Although there were some people who disagree with the fact that a man should go out with another man, they had no grounds to separate them since the law allows all people to make their choices as whom they prefer to date. Sometimes, some people would make nasty comments about their sexuality, but that did not bother them at all. There were those scholars who would mock them as 'Romeo and Juliet'. They would scream at them at the top of their voices just to humiliate them. There was one young men who was their age and was attending the same classes as them. His father was a church minister. This young man called Zakhe used to make a spectacle of them in front of other young people. He named them as Gomorrah and Sodom. Other students would love at his comments about Romeo and Julius. They pretended not to care and they told themselves that where there is love, there is a way.
As if it was not enough when it was time for holidays they had to sneak around so as not to rise any suspicions since they knew they needed time to introduce their families to their new lives in a polite way. On the other hand they wished they could just divulged the news and face the consequences after. People in their communities were hating each other to the core of their bones. They were not even allowed to visit each other not under any circumstances. So, Romeo and Julius had to sneak around to see each other. It became a habit for then to visit each other during the night.
It was not safe for them to skip the boundaries to see each other but they took their risks. There is a saying that goes' forbidden fruit is always the sweetest'. So, the two love birds enjoyed the stolen moments of happiness and sometimes forgot that they were putting their lives at danger. They would hang around until the late hours of the night. One night they were hanging out in their private spot and they were nearly busted. They used Romeo's father's old khombi as their hideout. They would enjoy their private without being seen. But that very night Romeo's sister had to fetch something from the old khombi. She walked in on them. She was caught by surprise but she did not seem to notice a thing.
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Zamantungwa spent the sleepless nights, tossing and turning and found it hard to handle was she saw the other night. There were moments she thought she made a mistake. Maybe her eyes were deceiving her, she would think. How can her brother, her only brother, her father's only heir do such a thing? She was asking herself those kinds of questions that no one would be able to answer unless she could be able to grab to he bull by the horns and face her brother to fish for answers. What she saw the other night make her shuddered at the thought of it.Zamantungwa was Romeo's sister. She and her brother were so close. Romeo was her elder brother. They could talk about anything and could vouch for each other when they were in troubles that could make them face the wrath of their parents . They would protect each other by any means so that their parents would not punish any of them. There were several times that she (Zamantungwa) would lie so that her brother coul
Romeo and Julius Someone must know
Zamantungwa kept rewinding what happened during the previous weekend. She could not keep the secret any more. It weighed down on her shoulders in so much that she needed someone to talk to about it. She knew that she could not tell her mother. Definitely, her mother would tell her father and then things would not go well for Romeo. She knew how their father was she it came to dealing with things that concerned his family reputation. Telling him would be like selling his brother to there highest bidder in the auction. He would not wait until the further explanation. He would rather make a spectacle of him and could even ban him from the family. She had seen how the homosexuals were treated in the surrounding villages. She did not wish that to happen to her loving brother.While she was still in deep thoughts, something came to her mind. "Yes, that's a good idea", she thought to herself as she was planning to get rid of the secret she has
Romeo and Julius The dark girl starts the fire
Zamantungwa was carrying a calabash to fetch water from the river. She was walking leisurely while eating a roasted corn on the cob. Her traditional Zulu skirt suited her well and it revealed her beautiful legs as she walked gracefully towards the river bank. It was a tradition for the young girls to wear their traditional outfits especially when they reached their stage to be on their first periods. She was wearing hers with beads vest and sandals made from animal skin. On the head she wore a head band made of beads as well. She looked stunning and she turned heads and the young men were blowing the their whistles to call for her attention. Some were singing praises pledging to give their father's cattle heads as a bride price. It was a familiar habit for young men to fancy a girls when they went to the river. Some girls would go into groups and a group of young men would follow them. Each young man would pick his favourite girl and propose to be in a relatio
Romeo and Julius The battle field
The traditional royal poet of chief Khumalo'homestead went to the chief's resting room to call for his attention to the matter at hand. The poets were invited guests who just invited themdelved in any event. They sang praises related the a specific events. Most of the time they praised the chief to give honour and the respect they destas sons of the royal households. The chiefs would ignore them even if they insulted them. It was normal for a royal poet to express himself anyhow as long as it was relevant to such an event. The Khumalo royal poet went on saying these words:"Where else had such brutality been witnessed?When men were slaughtered like animalsAnd women and children left hopelessFor their keepers left them homelessAnd the ravaging of the sin is the cause of deathAs they say that death is the wages of sinThe keepers of the nation had been butcheredAnd their hiding rocks had been captured
Romeo and Julius It never rained but poured
Chief Khumalo lowered his right hand which he was carrying his spear with and tapped his horse with his foot signalling it to move. He held the saddle belt with one hand and his horse moved back following his commands. Chief Dlamini on the other hand was still sitting unshakeable on his horse's back. He was staring at chief Khumalo without blinking. No one knew what he was thinking. He lowered his hand with a spear slowly. Their horses stood at a distance of about a metre and a half apart. They revered each other, showing the mutual honour for their chieftaincy.Chief Khumalo cleared his throat and he was about to speak when one of chief Dlamini' s chieftain aide came closer to him( chief Dlamini) and whispered something in his ear. His facial expression changed immediately and it was clear that he did not took what he was told with a good heart. He creased his forehead and and narrowed his eyes looking at chief Khumalo. "Mntungwa! Put your dog
Romeo and Julius The brutality of the Dlamini clan
Romeo was groaning with pain and could not see clearly for his right eye was totally blind. He was in the back of a van and his whole body was soaked in blood. What was supposed to be his clothes were torn into blood soaked rags. He could not feel his body. He felt totally numb and his voice could not come out. He was trying to call for help but nothing could make sense as his voice could not be heard. The only sound that was dominating was the sound of the engine of the van he was in. It was roaring as it bumped on the gravel road making his body to ache even more. It was as if every bone in his body was broken. He could not even lift a finger. The more he tried to make a move the more the pain and uneasiness. His head was spinning around even though he was lying there helplessly. The voices of the men who were carrying different kinds of weapons to finish him off were still ringing in his ears. "We will kill the offspring of the common house", they said as they were beating him. T
Romeo and Julius The dawn
On a Sunday morning, everyone usually go to their place of worship for their spiritual revival. It has become a norm for every humans in the society to have their sense of belonging as far as their religion is concerned. For everyone Sunday is a special day where people connect with their maker in the spiritual realm but at Mahlabathini was a gloomy day and everybody was dull and physically drained to due the past events of the collision that had happened between the neighbouring villages under chiefs Khumalo and Dlamini. The blood of the royal families that was shed on that battle field needed to be cleansed, the royal councils suggested that from both sides of the royal houses. The fact that the royal heir from both clans were dating each other was considered as the curse of symbol of darkness. " A thing like this never happened in our kingdom", all the villagers were saying that. They felt like a dark cloud was hanging over their villages. Everyone was disgusted and
Romeo and Julius Romeo! Romeo! Are you dead?
That fateful Sunday everything came to a stand still for the Khumalo family. Romeo's mother was still busy preparing for breakfast when she heard screams and shouts a few miles away from their home. Her heart beat very fast and was anxious. She did not know why she felt that way all the morning but deep inside there was something that told her that there was something that was not right. Everytime she tried to dismiss that feeling, she would come back to it again. She was feeling down and lonely at the same time. Everything around her was not making sense. For the first time in her life as a married woman, she missed her own family. She wished her mother could hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be alright as she used to do.Her husband was lying in his bed enduring the pain from the injuries. She had given him painkillers and was starting to dose off. When she was about to dish up something strange happened. A big black
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Romeo and Julius My son are you standing?
Romeo's bed was empty and it was made up as if he did not sleep on it at all. They looked around hoping to find him sitting on a chair next to his bed. The chair was empty too. How can a house be locked inside when there was no one in the room? They kept asking each other. After they searched the whole house, his mother looked up to the roof. She saw something that shocked her. Her stomach got cramps and she could not move. Her heart was beating very fast and the knees were weak. She could not believe what she was seeing. Her son was sitting on top of the wardrobe and his head was hanging down. She called him and he did not respond. The young men climbed to reach out to him. When they reached him they found a rope around his neck. Apparently he hanged himself standing on top of the wardrobe. Then he tied the rope in the roof. After he tied it around his neck, he folded his legs so that the rope could strangle him.He was cold and his upper body was s
Romeo and Julius Romeo! Wake up
It was a Sunday morning and Romeo' s mother was preparing to go to church. She woke up very early to do the household chores as usual. She usually went to the river to fetch some fresh water to make tea. Then she would cook porridge for everyone and clean afterwards. She would leave everything spick- and- span. Her daughter would continue to tend the dinner pots that she would leave boiling when she left for church. By the time the church was over the dinner would be ready to be served. She and her daughter would dish up for everyone and even the unexpected guests would get their share. It was a tradition for a royal family to have visitors almost everyday. Some would be there with an intent to get help from the king. The king would settle disputes and give fair judgement in common cases among the community members. So, the king's homestead was a place of refuge to the community members. Everyone received their share of attention in the welcoming arms if the king and
Romeo and Julius Romeo! Romeo
By the time King Khumalo was on his mission to appeasing the ancestors, Romeo's condition was deteriorating. The traditional healer instructed that the boy should be re- introduced to his forefathers for they did not recognise him because of the way he turned out to be. Being a gay was really a curse, according to the traditional healer. So, in order for them to do right by their forefathers, Romeo's father had to slaughter a goat to wash the curse and appease them at the same time. Romeo's father did as he was instructed. He re-introduced his son to his ancestors. A necklace sewn out of goat' skin was tied around Romeo's neck. He was made to sleep on a goat' s hide. As for his health condition, he was becoming weak and had no interest in daily activities. He did not wash himself and sometimes could not even eat his food. His relatives and those who were close to him believed that his weakness was the way of being tamed by the ancestors. They said it was the sign that
Romeo and Julius The acceptance
After the social workers had done more talking, the villagers started to give more thought on what they were taught about homosexuality. They held the meetings trying to digest what the social workers had taught them. Although there were many who still thought it was the curse, some were starting to open their eyes. Romeo's mother took that opportunity to convince her husband about the importance of accepting their son' s sexual preferences. They both knew it would take time to get used to it but Romeo's father agreed to visit his son in hospital. Deep down in his heart he was feeling embarrassed and despised but he did it for the well being of his son who was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his friend and partner. In hospital, Romeo's condition was deteriorating everyday. There were times he would wake up in the middle of the night and pace up and down in the ward corridors, mumbling things that no one could hear. He was refusing to take th
Romeo and Julius The curse goes on
Romeo was doing well in hospital but the nolstalgic memories and melancholy got the better of him. He became lonely and wished he too was dead when Julius died. He felt like Julius took a part of him and died with it. He was no longer feeling himself. He eventually slipped into depression. He was not coping at all. All he could do was to face the wall and cry. All that was happening was in his life was overwhelming. He just wanted to be normal like other boys in the village. His was put on medication for depression. And it was advised that he should be kept for a while since the doctors were fearing for his life. Reverend Busang asked the doctor to keep him there until the rage of the villagers cooled down. The social workers were sent to the villages to look at the situation at the homes of the boys. They asked the kings to give them a chance that hold a meeting with the villagers. They organised everything so that they could address the villagers about
Romeo and Julius Man up
He realised that his family would not visit him in hospital. His father was still fuming with rage according his sister who sneaked behind their parents's backs to bring him some fresh clothes and delicacies. As for his mother, she was afraid to visit him because her husband made it clear that no one was going there. He was trying to accept that he would get support from few people including Reverend Busang and of course, his sister. His father was still recovering from the wounds he sustained from the battle. There was still a tension between the villages that were in a battle but they are respecting the words Reverend Busang spoke on the battlefield. Romeo knew that he had to choose between two things which seemed to be too hard for him at that moment. He had to choose to leave his village and start a new life somewhere or please his father and become an heir he wanted him to be. Those two options were too much of a burden for him to car
Romeo and Julius The wake up call
Romeo was still lying in bed, trying to recall the lastest events that occurred in past few days including the day he landed in a hospital bed. He remembered talking to Julius. "What do they mean Julius is dead but we spoke only a few hours ago?" he asked himself. To him it felt real that he had a real talk with Julius. He told him that he should go back and fix the whole situation. He told him that one of then must go back and finish where they left off. "Go back and finish where we left off", he repeated those words He felt like his mind was going to blow off. His pillow was becoming wet as he she'd tears while he was facing the wall. How can something that felt so good ended up so bad? " So, it is real that there is life after death" he thought to himself. He dozed off and fell asleep while he was in deep thoughts. In his sleep he saw Julius standing on the other side of the river. He was waving goodbye to him with his smile that always
Romeo and Julius The deep end
It was dark and cold around him and he could not move even an inch. The more he took a deep breath it was as if he was drawing his last. Every part of his body was heavy. He did not blame those who took him to the mob. He was as good as a corpse. He tried to open his eyes but could sees nothing as his face was covered with blood. There was not even a chance that he could raise his hand and wipe the blood off his face. The blood was flowing like a stream from his forehead. All he could hear were the voices that sounded like they were from miles away. He was feeling cold. There temperature was below the freezing point. He had heard about the near death experience stories but he did not know that could happen to him. He felt like he was in hell already. Hell is described as the hottest place one could never tolerate. Now he was in the coldest place one could never survive if they happened to stay for a long time. His heart was aching to the p
Romeo and Julius The claws of death
Twenty hours had passed and there was a dead silence in both sides of the villages. After Reverend Busang had rebuked the villagers everyone went their separate ways to digest his words. It seemed that his words had hit home and some of the villagers were regretting their evil deeds. They were asking themselves the reason for their fighting. They were from a same nation for heaven's sake. Who told them that there was supposed to be a single ruler for the whole Zulu nation? The Reverend had knocked sense into their minds. Even their forefathers had different house heads for different clan. So, who they were to go against that tradition. They gave themselves the time to mourn their loses. Romeo and Julius' bodies were taken to the mob. Both villages were mourning the death of their future chiefs whose lives had been cut short by their act of impulsiveness. That made them to remember their shortcomings. The royal poet for the Khumalo clan touched the hearts of many with these wor
