Read on Twitter
@marangdream and @TashJoeZA might have already blocked me for taking too long, but I'm not lying on a beach anymore, so I have time to finally make this thread.
That one time we had a tokoloshe in our house. https://twitter.com/marangdream/status/1322047730936676353
That one time we had a tokoloshe in our house. https://twitter.com/marangdream/status/1322047730936676353
It all began around 1997.
We had just moved out of my grandmother's house and into the house my parents bought. Things were lit because my parents were juggling being broke from putting all their savings into the house, then finding out my mother was six months preggo.
We had just moved out of my grandmother's house and into the house my parents bought. Things were lit because my parents were juggling being broke from putting all their savings into the house, then finding out my mother was six months preggo.
We had only just settled into the house when strange things started happening.
My mother and I would be watching TV, and the video machine would suddenly come on, rewind a tape, change the channel on the TV then play the video.
My mother and I would be watching TV, and the video machine would suddenly come on, rewind a tape, change the channel on the TV then play the video.
Things like that happened with all the electronics - the HiFi would come on and play random radio stations, the TV itself would reconfigure its channels, the landline would call random people and they would just hear scratching on the other end.
We told my father what was happening and of course he didn't believe us. He said the electronics were just old and we're seeing things because pregnancy stresses people out.
Okay dude so explain why I was seeing it too since you're so smart.
Okay dude so explain why I was seeing it too since you're so smart.
Two particular incidents stand out and exist as proof that we weren't just seeing things.
Our house had an outbuilding, and we had a tenant, Aunty Teresa, living there. Aunty T was a god-fearing woman. She would pray so loudly, we could hear her in our house.
Our house had an outbuilding, and we had a tenant, Aunty Teresa, living there. Aunty T was a god-fearing woman. She would pray so loudly, we could hear her in our house.
One day, Aunty Teresa came to our house to have tea. She was there for maybe an hour or so. When she went back to her house, we heard her scream. Reader, we thought there were robbers in the house, the way this aunty was belting. So we ran over to go see what was happening.
What we saw was fresh out of a movie.
All her furniture had been turned upside down.
Her bed, her TV, her cast iron stove (that required three men to carry into the house).
E V E R Y T H I N G
She started praying immediately. I think it went to voicemail though.
All her furniture had been turned upside down.
Her bed, her TV, her cast iron stove (that required three men to carry into the house).
E V E R Y T H I N G
She started praying immediately. I think it went to voicemail though.
You should know that we were also quite religious and Christianity doesn't really allow for this sort of thing so we were nice and shook. My mother spent a lot of time randomly shouting at the air to go away and leave us alone. It never did. Still, my father didn't believe us.
And then was the straw that broke the poor camel's back.
The cinema at home used to have R10 movies on Tuesdays and my mother and I frequently took advantage of that deal. One day, we were at the cinema and my father calls my mother, frantic.
What's going on?
The cinema at home used to have R10 movies on Tuesdays and my mother and I frequently took advantage of that deal. One day, we were at the cinema and my father calls my mother, frantic.
What's going on?
This man is busy shouting at us, asking us why we're so irresponsible and how could we leave the house in that state and go gallivanting. We obviously leave the movie and rush back home.
Guys. It was bad.
Guys. It was bad.
We got home to all the windows and doors open, all the taps (inside and outside) open to full capacity, all the plates on the stove on 6, all the other appliances on and running at full capacity, the TV and HiFi on at full volume, the video machine playing.
All our furniture upside down, the contents of every cupboard in the house emptied onto the floor, and all the food in the pantry opened.
It was chaos.
[I just want to pause here to say that my father really thought that we left the house that way. An intellectual giant.]
It was chaos.
[I just want to pause here to say that my father really thought that we left the house that way. An intellectual giant.]
My mother, cool as ever, turned to my father and said: "Now do you believe me?"
He did.
Enter religion.
We called two pastors, a bishop, a moulanna and a guru. Our house was filled with holy water, salt, smoke from incense, paper with prayers on them. The works.
He did.
Enter religion.
We called two pastors, a bishop, a moulanna and a guru. Our house was filled with holy water, salt, smoke from incense, paper with prayers on them. The works.
When all of that failed, my father remembered that the guy who does the plumbing for his contracts (he was a builder) was married to a sangoma. We were desperate, out of options, and honestly quite annoyed, and we needed a solution. So we consulted her.
She told us that there was indeed, a tokoloshe in the house, but it was sent for the previous owners who were apparently really shitty people. She gave us some kind of muti to bury in our yard (no one was allowed to see it) and then asked us what we would like to do with it.
My mother, without flinching, said: "Send that thing back to whoever sent it."
I'm not sure what really happened next, all I know is that the chaos stopped, and a few weeks later, we heard that the previous owner's father had died.
Okay bye.
I'm not sure what really happened next, all I know is that the chaos stopped, and a few weeks later, we heard that the previous owner's father had died.
Okay bye.
