‘Slick, smart and scintillating. This novel pulses with energetic, cinematic prose.’—Sifiso Mzobe
The Resurrection – a thrilling tale of mystery and suspense, danger and daring.
Sihle Qwabe
Kwela, 2023
The excerpt:
He turned onto the gravel village road and picked up clouds of dust behind him.
‘Get here as soon as you can,’ his mother had said on the phone.
‘But, Ma, I can’t just up and leave everything. I have a business to run, remember?’
‘I know, son, but this is far more important. You have to make a plan.’
Last night Victor had tried to sleep, but the sweet oblivion just wouldn’t come. The sense of urgency he had heard in Charity’s tone haunted him. He’d never heard it before. So, before the break of dawn, he’d jumped out of bed, packed a travelling bag and driven from Durban where he worked and owned a townhouse to the rural family homestead. If ‘Home’ was what you’d call it. To himself, he was homeless. He’d had a home once in Johannesburg, until his father was murdered. Mother had packed them off in the middle of the night like common thieves and moved them to this simple village. Their father’s old home. To Victor, it was only a safe house.
Curious glances followed the black BMW M3 Victor drove. Children raced behind it as they always did when he visited. In no time he was parked before the homestead’s gate. Blessing rushed from the big house to admit him. The youngest of the Zulu brothers had grown tall since Victor had last seen him. His chest was jacked, and muscles flexed on his arms when he pulled the gate back.
Victor drove in. He left his luggage in the car and got out.
‘Welcome home, big bro,’ Blessing said.
‘Yes. Blessi.’ Victor patted his brother on the back as they fell in step next to each other.
The yard was summer green with flowers of all colours blooming in the garden at the far end. Victor kicked the morning dew off the grass in the few long strides he took to reach the big house. He and Blessing walked in. His brother sat down on a chair drawn out from the square dining-room table. A half-full squeeze water bottle and a bowl of grapes were on the table in front of him.
‘Ma will be here any minute now. She went to a morning prayer at church,’ Blessing said.
‘All right. Tell me, what’s wrong, Blessi?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe she misses you. Last month you didn’t come home for Christmas.’
Like Victor needed reminding. Since their elder brother Hector’s death, two years ago, their mother relied on Victor the most, and he knew she’d wanted him here over the festive season. He lowered his gaze. It shamed him how he sometimes needed a break from being the son she could count on.
‘I’m just messing with you,’ Blessi giggled. ‘Ma received a letter from Fana. He wants to buy us out of TheZulu Club. He’s offering mad cheddar for it too. I’m down. I told Ma as much. But I think she doesn’t wanna sell.’
Victor knew that there was only one place where his late brother’s best friend could get ‘mad cheddar’. He was surprised that Fana hadn’t already called about it. ‘What makes you think she doesn’t wanna sell?’ he asked Blessi. The club had been their father’s, but it had also been the scene of terrible heartbreak.
‘I dunno, bro. Lately she’s really acting strange. But I told her we should sell the club and cut our losses with everything in Joburg.’
Does that include Busie as well? Victor thought. Hector’s widow was still in Joburg and managing the club alongside Fana.
Read more here:
Sphesihle Vusimuzi Qwabe was born in a small Kwazulu-Natal village. He was raised by his grandmother who, as a retired teacher, read to her grandchildren every evening. He is 29 years old and works for a Foschini store in Johannesburg. Sphesihle completed a national diploma in public relations. He spends every lunch break reading and then writes every evening when he gets home. He writes because he firmly believes that this is what he was meant to do; it is his calling and contribution to this world. He is never so at peace as when he holds a pen in his hand. He is fully committed to the art of writing and is determined to make writing his full-time occupation.
