Chapter 3: Live again
A man wakes up in bed, looks around and does not seem to recognize his immediate surroundings. A door opens and a beautiful woman walks in carrying a tray containing a glass of juice. She approaches his bed side, "here you are she smiles, holding out the glass of juice to him.
The man accepts the proffered glass and takes a sip.
"How are you feeling today", the woman asks, smiling at him.
"I...I feel fine", he replies.
"Who are you?", the man asks, "In fact who am I?"
"You don't remember at all", the woman asked soberly.
"No I don't", the man replied.
"The doctor had warned me about this that you might not immediately recall who you are, after what happened to you", the woman went on.
"What happened to me?", repeated sounding puzzled.
"Some men found you badly beaten up and dumped behind some rubbish bins, fortunately one of them recognized you and they brought you home to me", the woman explained.
"When did this happen?", the man asked.
"Over a month ago", the woman replied.
"You mean I have been laying on this bed for a month", the man asked shocked.
"Yes", the woman answered.
"How are we related", the man continued to ask.
"I 'm your fiance, we were due to be married next Saturday when this happened to you", the woman continued miserably and almost in tears.
"I have been looking after you here all these days and weeks, while you were in a coma, hoping that one day you will come back to me", the woman went on.
The woman and the man silently looked into each eyes for a while.
"Were we that much in love?", the man asked in a much gentler tone.
The woman quietly nodded her head in confirmation the tears begin to stream down her face.
"I don't see why we shouldn't go ahead with the wedding as planned", the man insisted.
"Do you really mean that", Nomalanga asked sounding hopeful and beginning to wipe the tears from her face.
"Yes with all my heart", the man proceeded.
"You have no idea how happy you have made me", said the woman delightedly
"I believe you are telling the truth as shown by the way you have looked after me all this time I was unconcious", the man said.
"I want you to help me to regain my memory", the man went on, " you can begin by telling me, your name.
"Maybe it will trigger something in me.
"I am Nomalanga, your fiance and you are Qondani Moyo, a Johannesburg taxi driver. We have been living together in this flat for close to a half a year", Nomalanga told him.
"I 'm not saying that I don't believe you, it's just that none of what you said sounds remotely familiar.
Maybe think I just need time to take it all in", said the man.
"That's alright my darling, take all the time you need", Nomalanga assured him. I will go make breakfast".
Taking the empty tray along with her Nomalanga walked towards the door swinging her curvy body gracefully for effect knowing that he was watching her.
"Before you leave can you direct me to the bathroom?", he asked Nomalanga as she reached for the door knob.
"Second left door down the corridor", she replied before she left closing the door behind her.
The man got out of bed a few minutes afterwards and went to the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he went to the wash basin and looked in the mirror. The man nearly got the fright of his life to see a grave faced old man in the mirror.
He quickly spun around to face the old man.
"Tinashe", the old man called out to him. Somehow it felt had felt normal to be adressed as Tinashe.
"I am your guardian spirit sent by the ancestors because we are concerned about you", the old man went on.
"Why did you call me, Tinashe", the man asked, because that is who you are", the dream of Qondani Moyo is a dream of death, from this dream you must awake. Everything Nomalanga has told you about yourself is a lie".
"But why spirit?", Tinashe asked.
"To lose your identity is to die to yourself and literally to the real world at large", the spirit went on almost completely ignoring Tinashe's question.
"What must I do to live", asked Tinashe.
"In order to live you must become Tinashe Marova once again".
As the spirit spoke the scene shifted. They were no longer in the bathroom but instead they stood high above a barren cliff with a with a massive fast flowing river below. On the other side of the mighty river was another barren plain.
"Tell me what to do spirit", implored Tinashe.
"We shall go home across the river".
"How will we get across, there is no bridge in sight?", asked Tinashe.
"But there is a bridge, it is right there in your heart", the spirit calmly said and pointed at the left side of Tinashe's chest.
"Here take my hand", the spirit calmly advised, holding out a hand to Tinashe, who took hold of the proffered hand.
They walked to the edge of the cliff and the spirit stepped on to the air as though it was solid.
High above the massive fast flowing river, Tinashe and the spirit walked on air crossing the great chasm to the other side of the river. Halfway in between, Tinashe heard Nomalanga calling out to h from behind. He was about to look back but the spirit advised him, "do not look back, it is the voice of death caught up on crocodiles' jaws calling you to your doom".
Tinashe and the spirit kept walking until they were close to the other side, then the spirit stepped onto land. As as Tinashe was about to step onto the other side, the spirit reached out a hand and touched him on forehead and calmly said, "remember". Suddenly Tinashe was falling with his back towards the fast flowing river.
But as Tinashe fell, the spirit reached out to him calming him, reassuring him, that he would always be with him.
As the light of earth faded from Tinashe's sight as he continued to fall through the air, film upon film started to play in his mind of the story of his birth, Bere telling him about his inheritance which was about to be stolen, the great love of his life whom he had met in that special evening of seeming enchantment just before he was forced to flee.
All the while Tinashe was getting closer to the closer massive river, and as his back was about to strike the the waters, he woke up with a start laying in bed.
Moments later Tinashe was walking out the door downstairs with Nomalanga watching him from a balcony above. Tears running down her face, watching him walk away she knew she had lost forever.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone