Midnight Kiss
6
Later that evening, Ofentse silently went through a report on his laptop. The house was wrapped in complete silence. He took a deep breath as his thoughts drifted to Lesedi, and a large part of him could no longer brush it aside. His phone rang and he reached for it.
“Papa…”
“I hope you are treating that young woman right. I know you are not happy, but I did what I had to do as your father. You seem to be losing touch with-”
“I am never going to accept her as my wife. You paid magadi for her for you, not me. If you wanted a second wife, you should have just owned up to it.”
“That girl is good for you.”
“You know that’s not why you did what you did. Stop using me as a cover for your actions. You know who you are and I can see through your façade!”
His father cleared his throat.
“I need this favour from you.”
Ofentse shook his head. “I knew it!”
“I can explain-“
“Isn’t she too young for you?”
“In a month or so, I would have found a house for her, and she can move out of yours.”
“You are a paedophile.”
“I gave her father twenty thousand. That girl is not a child. She is twenty years old. She just couldn’t continue with school because her parents are in too much debt to send her away. I am the better option for them.”
“Does she know she is for you, not me? Does her father know that you took his daughter for you and not me? You are an asshole!”
“Once you reject her, I will come and take her.”
“You are a monster.”
“There is not much difference between you and me.”
“I am nothing like you. I am not taking advantage of the less fortunate just to have a se.x toy behind my wife’s back. I will never be anything like you. You are going to hell.”
“Is she okay? And please don’t tell anyone about this.”
“And why would I want to tell anyone what kind of shit my own father is? Nxla!”
Ofentse hung up. He tried to focus on his work but his eyes kept reading the same word over and over again.
He set the laptop aside and walked out of the house, worry tightening his chest as he wondered if he should call the police to verify whether she was there. He rubbed his forehead wondering if the call would raise suspicion… a part of him strongly feared something bad might have happened to her.
He dialled his girlfriend walking around the yard. Arefa’s phone rang unanswered until it stopped. He tried again as he approached the backyard, but it continued to just ring. Ofentse sighed and looked around.
His heart skipped as his eyes fell on a figure lying on the ground. He rushed closer recognizing the dress Lesedi had been wearing that morning. His steps quickened.
“Lesedi!”
He bent down and turned her over. “Lesedi!”
Her eyes weakly opened briefly, then shut again. He swallowed hard lifting her up and hurried toward the house.
He laid her gently on the couch.
“Lesedi!”
Her eyes remained closed. Ofentse rushed to the kitchen and returned with a glass of cold water. He sprinkled some on her face. She stirred weakly letting out a faint groan.
“Fuvk! Fuvk! Fuvk!”
His heart pounded and he ran to his bedroom, grabbed his car keys, and rushed outside to unlock the car. He opened the backseat door then ran back into the house to get her.
***
Over an hour later, Arefa stepped out of the bedroom she was in with a towel wrapped around her naked body and called Ofentse back.
“Refa…”
“Hey, babe. I’m sorry, I was in a virtual meeting with my department. We missed a few things for the expo, and we have been working on them.”
“I’m at the hospital with Lesedi. I asked her to leave in the morning and… I was upset because my father brought her without my permission. I found her this evening at the back of the house, non-responsive. I think she collapsed due to hunger and thirst.”
“Jesus! So you left her outside?”
“I was upset.”
“Does she even know anyone here?”
“No.”
“So where were you expecting her to go? The least you could have done was take her to the bus rank so she could catch a bus home if you didn’t want her that badly.”
Someone hugged Arefa from behind and she smiled turning to him. He leaned down and kissed her while Ofentse continued speaking.
“I was just too angry. I’m at the hospital with her right now. Can you come?”
Arefa pulled away from the kiss and sighed. “I still have to polish the report we were working on tonight. My job is on the line here. I’m sorry, babe.”
Ofentse sighed. “You have been a little too busy these days.”
“Promotions come with a bigger workload. I’m sorry. Just keep me updated.”
“Yeah… we are still on for this weekend, right?”
“Uh… I have the Kazungula Marathon happening. The big bosses will be there. I’m going to be forced to attend as well, but let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
“I can go with you.”
Arefa rolled her eyes. “We will talk tomorrow, baby. I have to go. Bye.”
She hung up before he could say anything else. Rragwe Ofentse looked at her.
“When are you ending that relationship? I’m tired of sharing you with small boys.”
“I can’t just drop him. Come on, at least let me do it the right way.” She stood on her toes and kissed him. “It doesn’t help that you are his father.”
“End it soon. I’m tired of the back and forth.”
***
At the hospital, Ofentse slowly walked into the ward where Lesedi lay. He stepped closer to her bed and looked at the drip connected to her arm.
Lesedi blinked and looked at him, tears filling her eyes.
“I want to go home… please…”
Ofentse thought of the conversation with his father and took a deep breath.
“You can stay here for two months then go home. It will show your father that we tried, but it didn’t work out. I am not evil. I just didn’t expect everything that happened to happen. I know you don’t want to be here, and I don’t want you to be here either. So we can coexist for a month or two, then I will send you back home.”
Tears streamed down Lesedi’s face as she covered it with her hand and broke down in sobs.
.
.