BONDED FOREVER.
14. I’M NOT A THREAT.
SHAMISO
My day started off good because I had a great night. I don’t remember the last time I was restless not because of all my troubles but because I have something to look forward to. Andziso probably has no idea of the burden that he has lifted over my shoulders. Hearing him say that my uncle relocated for good and sold his businesses gave me this peace of mind that I’ve been long wishing for.
I know that I’m not in a place where I’m completely unreachable but I feel better knowing that the chances of that ever happening are slim. That doesn’t mean I’m going to start being careless though. I’m still going to live a low profile life. No social media accounts, no pictures that will be put out in public, nothing of that sort. I just want to continue living my quiet life, my safe life.
One thing that has me mopping floors with a smile on my face as I hum one of my favourite songs is the fact that I’m now just counting down days before I get to see Sarai up close and hopefully hold her in my arms. My heart broke into a million pieces the evening that I saw her for the first time and I had gotten used to viewing her pictures in her father’s Instagram, that soothed and wounded me at the same time. I’m not sure if that even makes sense but it’s been a bittersweet feeling, my little baby has grown so much and I have missed eight years of her growing up, nothing can ever bring back those years and the best thing that I can do is not try to make up for those years but rather to create memories for the years to come. This time, the only thing that will separate me from my daughter will have to be death itself, the real kind but if I have the powers to stay close in the afterlife then I’ll do just that.
I think back to the time that I was married to Rudo and he grew frustrated with me not being able to give him a child. I concluded a long time ago that he was the one with a problem but men have never been held accountable for the lack of children in the house so the blame fell on me. He called me the worst kind of names, he ridiculed me but it did nothing to me because I knew that I have a child, I knew that I wasn’t the problem and honestly, I was very grateful to have never had his child. It would have made it harder for me to leave and I wanted nothing to tie him to me. I hate that man with everything in me. I hate him just as much as I hate my parents and my uncle.
Instead of getting both of us checked, his family resorted to making me drink all kinds of concoctions in hopes that my womb would bear them a grandchild and when it didn’t happen the insults intensified. Not just that, he opted to sleep with his mistresses into the house which was meant to be my home too. I think Rudo went to these lengths because I wasn’t giving him the desired reaction. I wasn’t crying or begging him not to cheat, I wasn’t showing hurt from his insults or actions. I was just there, quiet and welcoming to everything he said and did, that made him a very angry man.
When he married his mistress, Tinashe. I was the happiest, I was more than glad to become part of the house furniture if it meant he wouldn’t be coming to my bedroom to demand that I perform my wifely duties and she was more than glad to take him off my hands. The happiness lasted for a when though because after three years of being his wife and having nothing to show for it, just like me. He started changing on her to but of course, the problem couldn’t have been Rudo, it was us, the wives.
When I feel my mood start to dampen, I lock out those thoughts from my past and continue with my happy thoughts. I’m no longer in Rudo’s house or life, I’m not being blamed for there not being babies in the family. I’m free now and I’m meeting my daughter in just a few days. I’m free.
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.
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PEARL
It’s one of those days when I’m just working throughout and haven’t even had a chance to make coffee. It’s around 1 p.m now and my stomach has been complaining, I’m actually planning to push on a little more until Mika walks in my office.
“You’re still busy?” she asks and I sigh. I hate days like this.
“Yeah, but I’m thinking of taking a break now, I’m exhausted.” I rub the back of my neck.
“Perfect, I’m hungry too and I want to get take out. Can we go?”
“I brought lunch.”
“It’s my treat, you can have your lunch as supper.” she insists and I’m not about to turn down free lunch.
I quickly pack up and follow Mika to the parking lot. Since she’s paying for lunch, I offer to drive us there and it’s a bit of a distance from where we work. When I ask why she chose this particular place she says they make the best ribs.
We get there and place our orders, all the while Mika’s eyes keep wandering in the restaurant until I ask “Are you looking for someone?” I hope she didn’t drag me here because she’s coming to stalk someone.
“Friend, there’s something that I need to tell you.” she brings her attention back to me.
“What is it?”
“You know that as your friend I’ll always look out for you, right? You know that I’ve got your back.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“Answer me, Pearl.”
“Okay, yes I know that you’ve always got my back now speak, please.” I’m impatient and feeling uneasy about this whole thing.
“I was here yesterday late to get my order and I spotted your man here.”
“Okay…” this is a public place so there’s nothing wrong with him being here just as we are here.
“He wasn’t alone.”
“What do you mean? Mikateko please speak up.”
“Okay. He didn’t come with someone but he came looking for someone. He was with this girl who works here, I believe she’s a cleaner.
“If she works here then maybe she was helping him out with something.”
“No, I don’t think so. They looked like they know each other and the way he looked at her… Look, I’m not trying to stir trouble but if it were me then I’d want you to tell me. The way they were standing so close, I swear he wasn’t just there for what the restaurant has to offer, he was here for her. Which then got me thinking, what if Andziso is playing you, girl? “
” What? No, he’s not playing me. “
” Can you really say you’re sure? I mean, he’s a man after all Pearl and even on uniform, that girl looks gorgeous, he even stood over there and watched her as she walked away. Would he really do that if they don’t know each other? ” she points at one end of the restaurant.
” It could be Khanyisa’s mother. “I think out loud and immediately regret it when I see how Mika is looking at me.
” I thought you said she’s not around. “
I shouldn’t have said anything but I can’t have her thinking that Andziso’s cheating on me. He wouldn’t, I know he wouldn’t and if she saw him with someone else then it’s got to be Khanyisa’s mother.
“She recently made a return.”
“Oh, little miss deadbeat is back, hmm”
“Mika!”
“What? You said it yourself that he said she’s not a part of her daughter’s life.”
“And I wasn’t telling you that so you can say what you just said about her right now. We don’t know why she’s been absent.”
“I don’t care, nothing can ever warrant a mother to not be there for her baby, nothing. That girl is a good for nothing deadbeat egg donor and she’s now going to try and sink her claws on her baby daddy while you sit here and feel sorry for her.”
“What do you want me to do? I don’t control who Andziso speaks to and if he wants her to be in their daughter’s life then who am I to say otherwise? All I can do is a support him, surely this isn’t an easy thing for him too.”
I saw it over the weekend. He tried hard to hide it but it was there. Her return has shaken him even if it’s just a little.
” Did you hear the part where I said that girl is gorgeous? “
” I heard you the first time, Mikateko and I can’t believe that you brought me all the way here just to show me some girl that Andziso was talking to yesterday.”
“Wait until you see her-“
“I don’t want to seek her.” I hiss “I don’t want to do this and you’re wrong for this. You could have told me all of this at the office instead of bringing me here. What do you want me to do? You want me to start a scene? You know I’m not that kind of person, Mika.”
“And that is why I am here with you, we’re just going to see this girl and of you want to talk to her then you will, if not then – oh, here she is.” without warning, Mika spills her juice on the floor “Oh my!” She loudly says and raises her hand for the cleaner there.
I can’t believe this is happening. Oh God, I just want to disappear right now.
“Don’t worry, I’ll clean it up just now.”
“Of course you will, it’s your job isn’t it?” Mika asks with an attitude and I give her a look meant to let her know that she must stop… She just shrugs.
The girl helping us does not respond to Mika’s hostility she just starts by wiping the table.
“Shamiso.” Mika reads her name tag. I read it silently.
“Yes,” she offers a tight lipped smile.
“We won’t waste your time. What is it that you’re doing with Andziso?”
“Mikateko!”
“What?”
Shamiso and I speak at the same time.
“You heard me, I saw you speaking to him yesterday and you two looked cosy, what was that about?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Shamiso calmly shoots back.
“Would you look at that? Are you the deadbeat baby mama?”
“That’s enough. That’s not what we came here for.” I warn Mikateko “I’m sorry about that,” I turn to Shamiso and with the way her eyes are cast down, a ping of guilt hits me. Not just that but I realise that this really is Khanyisa’s mother. Mikateko is out of line.
“It’s fine.” she says.
“No it’s not. Look at her, she’s a much better suit for Andziso than you ever will be, she’s successful and does not depend on cleaning up after other people just to put food on the table. On top of that, of she ever were to have his baby she wouldn’t abandon him and only show up now that he’s made it. You’re nothing but a-“
” You don’t know me so maybe you need to shut up. “Shamiso spits the words out” You’re right, I earn my supper by cleaning up after people and sometimes, unfortunately it a people who are stuck up like you. If I am so beneath you, what in the world would make you feel so bothered to drag yourself from your fancy job to come here and stalk me?”
“Stalk you? Excuse you-“
“Yes, stalk me because clearly you saw me speaking to him yesterday then today here you are. You’re an adult, do better and maybe try not to talk about things you know nothing about.”
“You disrespectful little bitch!” Mikateko says loudly and a man approaches us.
He first glares at Shamiso then smiles when he looks at us “Ladies, is everything okay?”
“No, you need to teach your staff how to treat people better. I just made a mistake of spilling the juice and now she’s going off at me”
“Is that true?” he asks Shamiso.
“Of course not. Simon-” I see the panic in her eyes and I’m stuck between wanting to say something and just wanting to leave. This has escalated and I wish I hadn’t agreed to come her.
“She’s not wrong-” I start but stop when I see Mika glaring at me. She’s silently asking me if I’m going to choose a stranger over the friend I’ve had for years.
“My apologies, how about another round of the drinks, on the house.”
“That will not be necessary. If we could have the bill and have our food to go, please.” I respond, not wanting to give Mikateko another chance to say something.
“We’re definitely not coming back here if this is how you treat people.”
“Shamiso here is just having an off day but she is sorry. Right?”
“I didn’t do anything-“
“You’re sorry, aren’t you?” He insists and she blinks a few times then clears her throat.
“Yes, I’m sorry for talking to you like that.”
“Your entire meal is on the house. Please do come back again, I can assure you that it will not happen again.” He turns to Shamiso”Go find someone else to finish cleaning up here.”
” Oohhh, we both know where the money for our meals is going to come from, I should have ordered desert too.”Mika laughs but stops when she realise that I’m not laughing with her” And then? I just let that girl know that you’re not one to be messed with. Andziso is a business man, you’re a finance lady and what is she? A lousy cleaner? Girl we came here to put her in her place. “
” What kind of person are you, Mikateko? Do you take pride in hurting other people? “
” Huh? “
” You heard me. You just lied, “
” I did not. “
” Yes you did. The only thing she did was defend herself and now you’ve gone and gotten her in trouble. What if he fires her? “
” That’s her problem, not mine. “she says and I scoff.
” So you have no problem taking bread from another person’s mouth? Wow. I should have never agreed to come here with you and you know what, the things I tell you… The things I tell you about Andziso are meant to stay between the two of us, I thought I could trust you.”
“I’m not doing this with you right now, that girl is your problem, not me and I was just trying to be a good friend. I guess this is the thanks that I get.” she takes the take aways just as they are delivered to us and walks out.
I get up and look around, hoping to see Shamiso and when I spot her headed towards the bathrooms I rush to her side” Shamiso, “
She looks at me and sighs” Look, I don’t need anymore trouble.”
” I’m sorry, I really am. She was wrong. “
“Can I just get back to work?”
“I’m sorry, I really am. Look, I know he’s going to get our meal money from you so I’ll pay it to you, if you could just give me your banking -“
“No. I don’t want any trouble so please, let me get to work before my verbal warning turns into a written one.”
“He gave you a warning?”
“Your friend outdid herself, and just so you know, there is nothing going on between Andziso and I, if you know him well then you will know that he’s not the kind of guy to get with two women at the same time. I’m not a threat to your relationship so you guys don’t need to go through all this trouble. “
” I didn’t know this was going to happen, I swear. I wouldn’t have agreed to come had I known. “
She glances behind me then says” I need to get back to work. “