LETHUTHANDO : The Traditional Wife
CHAPTER 03
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LETHUTHANDO DLOMO
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The door of our bedroom opens. I closed my chester drawer after putting the pregnancy test inside.
“Misikhaya called” he said, arms in his jeans pockets. He stood far away from me. “He said I can come tomorrow. “
“That was fast” I said sitting down on the bed, already thinking of how I’ll be treated once he’s gone. Not that there’ll be any difference, maybe worse than it already is.
“He said I can drive one of his taxis while I search for a job. He’ll help me out on that part though. He’ll talk to people on my behalf but for now, he wants me to drive his taxi”
I looked at him, “are you okay with that?”
“With what?” he asked, frowning.
“Working for him.”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine with it. We’ll reach some agreements and make it work.” He said sitting next to me. “I’ll leave tomorrow afternoon, after seeing Mhlathiwepukane”
“About that, I’m not going there.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t want to.”
He chuckled in disbelief, “Are you sure you want a baby with me Lethuthando? Because you’re not showing any effort…”
“I’m 100% sure that you’re not talking about me. Mfethu, we went to Mhlathiwepukane twice, I let him do whatever he wants with me. I always give you my cooch¡e no matter how tired I am. The only thing you care about is yourself. You never think about me, about my feelings. What if you’re the one with a problem?”
The look he gave me told me that I wasn’t supposed to say that. I apologized immediately.
“We’re not friends” he said looking straight into my eyes, I looked away.
“I’m sorry” I repeated.
He clicked his tongue.
“We’re going to Mhlathiwepukane tomorrow morning, that’s final” he said getting up, making his way out.
“But you’re leaving tomorrowand I’m on my periods. We won’t be able to try again.”
He stood still for a moment.
“I hear you. Please pack my bag for me.” He said making his way out, leaving the door open.
I sighed moving towards the door when I see Nosipho approaching. I smiled meeting her halfway. This is the only person who treats me like a family member in this family. Well, Misikhaya too, but we’re not that close hence I’m not mentioning him.
“Look at you” I said pulling her in for a hug.
“Sisi omdala” she said.
“Ayy suka! I’m younger than you.” I said, pulling out of the hug.
“You’re married to my big brother so that has to be clear,the respect has to be seen.”
“I wish Thokozile can see that but what can I say, I’m younger than her.
“It doesn’t matter. I actually brought my lobola letter. I’m here to get Mpilonde and go back to my house.”
“Oh so he finally decided to put a ring on it?” I asked smiling at her, she waved her left hand at my face.
“He did sis, and I’ve never been happier.”
“I’m so happy for you.” I said hugging her once again.
“I was hoping you can be my maid of honor.” that left me mesmerized.
“Are you already planning a wedding?” I asked.
“We are actually. Our wedding is two weeks away. Lobola this weekend.”
“That’s great, there’s not time to waste vele.”
“We want our baby to be born after we’ve tied the knot”
I looked down at her belly and brushed it.
“How is the little one?” I asked, my own heart shattering inside.
“She’s okay. Healthy as ever.”
“Thats great,…” she cuts me off.
“Hey…” she lifted my face with his index finger, I blinked my tears away. She pulled me in for a hug.
“Everything will be fine. Don’t blame yourself for not being pregnant. You’ll get pregnant when the time is right. For now, enjoy life.”
“What’s there to enjoy Nozipho? Your mother and sister always make my life living hell.”
“Put yourself first, always. You came here for my brother not to slave yourself. Choose yourself and fight for your well being. Ungavumi ngawe”
I chuckled wiping my tears off, “Misikhaya also told me to put myself first. Maybe that’s what I should do.”
“You should vele hao!” she said pulling out of the hug, she wiped my tears. “We only live once, make sure you enjoy your life to the fullest. If it means leaving my brother to be happy, then so be it.”
“I’m happy with my marriage, it has its ups and downs but we’re okay. He’s leaving for Joburg tomorrow morning, Misikhaya got him a job that side. He’ll get us a house and we’ll leave and live our happy life together.”
“That’s better but how long is that going to take?”
“I don’t know. I’m hopeful.”
She sighed rubbing my shoulder.
“I’m here for you, through it all. I’m just a phone call away, okay?”
“Thank you sis’Nozipho. For everything.”
“I’m being there for you they way you were there for me. Anyway, I’ll send the last payment to your account when I get home. You helped me a lot with Mpilonde but it’s about time we take him to a pre-school. He’s old enough for it anyway.”
“I agree, thank you for everything.”
“If I hear that you’re still taking care of Tholakele’s brats, I’ll come here and kill you myself.”
“But…”
“No buts. You took care of them too, for what reason? I don’t know. You deserve some time to yourself too. If you want us to stay this close, you’ll do as I say.”
“I hear you. I do need some time to myself.” I said smiling.
“Good, you said my little brother was here?”
“Oh, yes. He didn’t stay for a long time though. He arrived in the evening yesterday and left early this morning.”
“That’s Misikhaya for you. Let me not keep my fiancé waiting.”
“Okay, travel safe sisi”
“Thank you, nawe usale kahle.” she said, making her way towards the gate.
I made my way towards the bedroom.
LETHUTHANDO : The Traditional Wife
CHAPTER 03(continues)
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THOKOZILE ZONDO
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I’ve already taken a bath. I put on a movie on my phone and laid on the bed. My kids come running inside the bedroom. I frowned.
“Why are you guys dirty?” I said.
“Don’t get on my bed ningcole kanje.” I said pushing them off.
“Sbahle, why are you guys dirty? Did you run away from Thando again?”
“No, auntie told us that she’s not going to bath us anymore.”
I frowned, “Why?”
“She said she has more important things to do.”
I laughed, what’s there to do? To try and get pregnant while she knows very well she can’t conceive? Lethuthando should just tell us the truth and stop forcing things. I buy groceries in this house and she eats for free, she needs to become useful and take care of my kids while I work to put food for her in the table.
I got off the bed and made my way to their bedroom. I let myself inside, oh, she’s bathing.
“You could’ve started with my kids.” I said closing the door behind me.
“Exactly, your kids. They’re yours, take responsibility.” she said wrapping a towel around her body.
“Angizwanga?”
“You brought them to this earth, you could’ve easily abstained or use a cond0m or have them terminated or give them up for adoption, you had four chances sisi but you still decided to keep them. So take responsibility, angithi ubalethile emhlabeni(you brought them to earth).”
“Is this how you thank me after feeding you?”
She laughed mockingly, “Feeding me? You think I don’t know that Misikhaya sends money for groceries every month and while you go shopping? Nakhona for yourself not your kids. Who’s supposed to buy them clothes when you spoil yourself more than them?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll go prepare water for them and when they come back to my bedroom, I want to see them in clean pyjamas.”
“You can do that yourself. Also, I won’t wash their laundry this weekend, Mpilonde is gone, he’s the one I was taking care of on behalf of his mother.”
I got closer, she just reminded me about what Nozipho sair earlier on.
“So wena, you’ve been working for your sister in law and you didn’t bother to contribute to groceries on behalf of you and your husband?”
“It’s not like you and your other are also contributing. Please leave.”
I looked at her, more like studying her, she seems a bit different, like she was hiding her true colors all along and now I got to meet this side. I don’t like it, i won’t be able to manage my kids and work, I need her.
“How about I pay you R500 every month?”
“Even if I was desperately in need, I wouldn’t have accepted your offer. Please leave. Oh and, I’m not cooking tonight.”
Okay now this is getting out of hand.
“If I cook, I won’t dish up for you.”
“That’s okay, do you.”
She pushed me out, slammed the door against my face and locked it. I looked at me kids and sighed, they’re on me. I walked back inside the house, my brother is chopping onions.
“Doing your wife’s duties?”
“Awungiyeke wena”
I raised my hand in surrender.
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LETHUTHANDO DLOMO
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I wore my silky night dress and got in bed, my back leaning against the headboard. My phone rings as I was about to watch some videos on TikTok. I answered.
“Hello” I said, still asking myself who it is because it’s an unknown number.
“Hey, it’s Misikhaya.”
“Hi bhuti…”
“Call me Misikhaya or Khaya anything but that.”
“I hear you. How are you? Did you get to Joburg safely?”
“I did, thank you for asking. I didn’t know that you care.”
“We don’t know each other that much, just that I’m married to your brother.”
“That means you care?” he sounds amused.
“I do care. How can I help you?”
“I was just checking up on you.”
“I appreciate it, thank you. I’m okay, Nozipho came here earlier on and advised me to put myself first through it all. I took her advice.”
“That’s good. I’m glad, honestly.”
“I am too. She’s getting married soon. Her lobola might be this upcoming weekend.”
“That’s nice.”
“Will you make it?”
He sighed, “I don’t know…”
“Please try, she needs you. You were not there on your brother’s wedding, we don’t want her to think you’re avoiding her. She looked for you that day.”
“She can easily call me if she wants to talk to me.”
“Ngiyakucela ke mina, please come to her wedding bandla.”
“Okay, I’ll come.”
I smiled, “Thank you.”
There’s knock on the door, I forgot that I’ve locked it.
“There’s someone on the door, we’ll talk later.”
“Oh? You mean that.”
“Not really, maybe some day.”
He chuckled, “Okay. If you want to talk with anything, I’m here.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, bye”
I dropped the call and deleted the call log. The knock gets louder. I made my way towards the door. And opened.
“Why is the door locked?” Khula said coming in holding a plate of Pap and chakalaka and fried steak.
“Sorry myeni wami, I just took a bath.”
“You don’t usually lock it though, why today?”
“Your sister barged in while I was bathing. I kicked her out and locked it so that she doesn’t come back again.”
“Oh, i hear you. I cooked. This is for you.”
I smiled, when was the last time I had his food?
“Thank you.” I said taking the plate from his hands. We sat down on the bed, he tapped his foot on the floor. I know he wants to say something when he does that, he’s nervous. I placed the food on the pedestal next to me and looked at him.
“Is everything okay?”
“I’ll miss you” he said. Will he though?
“I’ll miss you too.”
“I’ll come back for you, you know that, right?”
“Why aren’t you leaving after Nozipho’s wedding?”
“I need to start working ASAP. We need our own home, where our kids will grow up, where you’ll be okay.”
“I understand but Misikhaya is coming back this side. You can leave with him, save money.” I said.
“How do you know that? You and my brother aren’t close.”
“We are not, Nozipho told me.”
“Oh, makes sense. Either way sthandwa sami, I have to start working,sooner than you think. We have to get our own house where you’ll have peace and happiness.”
“I hear you but can’t you stay, I’m left with two days then I’ll get out of my periods, then we’ll try again.”
“Will we go back to Mhlathiwepukane then?”
I looked away. “I think we should go to the hospital instead, to check if we’re experiencing any fertile issues.”
“there’s no need because we both know that your womb has a problem, not me. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
“I’m not going to Mhlathiwepukane with you.”
He sighed rubbing his face in frustration.
“I hear you. It’s fine, I’ll stay. We’ll try again.”
“Thank you.”
“We haven’t been okay, ever since you came here.” He said taking my hand into his.
“I know, you haven’t been standing up for me to your family. You let them do what they want to me, you let them insult me and mock me for not getting pregnant. You let them slave me around. In fact, you helped them out here and there. I’m tired honestly.”
“I’m sorry sthandwa sami, I’ll do better, I promise.” He said kissing my knuckles.
“Don’t you think it’s to late now? You’re leaving soon.”
“Better late than never” He said, smiling weakly at me. I love him, God knows I do but I’m tired of being treated like this. Maybe he’ll do better, maybe he’ll change, just one last chance and if it’s still the same or worse. I’m going back home.
“I hear you”
He kissed my forehead and made his way out, I took my plate and ate.
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