VOLUME 5
SPONSORED BY NACIA
NARRATED
Silence embodies it’s self in the bedroom, making sure it takes the centre stage and leaves room for nothing else. Ntwenhle rushes straight to the closet when she feels suffocated by the heavy silence. The silence isn’t uncomfortable, it’s just too heavy and immersed with something neither of them are prepared to confront.
The man is odd, very odd. It feels like he can see her. His eyes stay on her like someone staring at something breath-taking for the first time.
As she changes in her nightwear her mind is back in the bedroom, wondering if he is still just standing by the mini desk waiting for her to come back. It was easier sitting together on dinner table, but now that it’s just them two in a room, both are drowned by awkward feelings that scares the shit out of them. It’s impossible to love someone at first sight. Such shit is for novels and corny movies. Not in real life.
She takes forever in the closet before she finally gathers the courage to return in the bedroom. She is relieved to find him nowhere in sight, though the sound of running water from the bathroom confirms that he is actually taking a bath.
Looking at the enormous bed she was sleeping on earlier she is not sure if Zenzele will be comfortable sharing a bed with her, even she isn’t comfortable. He is too cold to want to share a bed with her on a first night, maybe not ever but since she is in this house to make babies she’ll have to find her way around his coldness and get in his bed with time.
She decide to prepare the couch to sleep. With two trips back to the closet she comes back with a sheet and comforter to prepare the couch for her sleep.
As she prepares her bed Zenzele passes with a towel wrapped around his waist and disappears into the closet.
“Lord guard my bean please!” she releases a heavy sigh. He is not the well build kind of man but his lean tall structure is just so sexy and portable she wants to wrap her arms around his waist and breathe him in. it doesn’t help that his shower gel leaves a very delicate masculine scent behind.
“Never in my life have I thought I would find someone who resembles Shaka Zulu handsome” she sighs, fanning herself. It’s true when they say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Her cell phone rings on the table breaking her indecent thoughts. It’s her dad.
‘Shandu’ she lowers herself on the couch as she picks the call,
‘Unjani mntanami? Are you hurt in anyway? Joy and I were out when you called earlier on. We went to see Mageba to ask that he borrows us money so we can free you from that hell hole but he refused. I’m trying my best my child I’m going to get you out of that place. Please say something by beautiful thing’ (How are you my child?…………)
Ntwenhle chuckles ‘Baba I’m fine. Bra Mindlos did nothing to me and it turns out he wants to marry me off to his son, not him’ she say,
His father is not surprised, Mandla told him that he wanted her for his son. It’s Ntwenhle who was confused.
‘How is the son? Is he as cruel as his father? Please my child I’m really sorry for putting you in that position. I’m going to sell the tavern if………’
‘No baba don’t please!’ she interjects her dad. She knows the tavern is her father’s life. The only thing that is his source of income and if he sells it she won’t forgive herself for taking the one thing that kept his father alive after her mother’s death.
‘I’m fine baba I promise. And the son is handsome and my type……’
‘NTWENHLE MBATHA!’ her dad scolds and she laughs,
‘I’m really okay baba you don’t have to sell the tavern. You can raise the money and come pay him month end. His son looks harmless and it doesn’t look like he is interested in touching me. There is really nothing to worry about’
Shandu sighs. At least if the son is not interested that buys him time to raise the money.
‘Baba how did you get yourself involved with bra Mindlos?’ she asks,
‘Eish mntanami….’ Shandu heaves a sigh,
‘Baba please. I deserve to know because I’m in this mess because of you’
‘Ntwenhle my child I don’t want to expose you to my mess deeper than you already are. Please don’t ask the how or why because that will be letting you in much more danger. I need you to trust me when I say I’m going to get you out of that place. Please my baby’
‘I wish you can share with me but if you don’t feel comfortable telling me why or how you got involved with this man I’ll respect that. I have to go to sleep, say hi to Aunty Joyce for me’
‘I’m here, you are on loud speaker’ Joyce is already taken the phone from Mbatha,
‘How is the son? Is he as handsome as Bra Mindlos?’ Joyce asks and Ntwe laughs when she hears her father groan in the background,
‘Bra Mindlos is got nothing on him’ she lies. Zenzele is not as handsome as his father, he is just a clean man,
‘I don’t know why your father is stressing. If I were you I would open those legs very wide my child and……….’ Mbatha grabs the phone from Joy
‘Don’t do that my child. I’m coming for you. Please sleep and don’t forget to pray before you sleep’ he drops the call immediately leaving Ntwenhle laughing.
The sneaky link husband is back in the room, feeling so heavy and intimidating but yet so familiar to her soul. He is once again right behind her, silent and just standing there like a dark cloud pregnant with all sorts of desires.
He is always sneaking on her phone conversations.
“You starting to look like a jealous husband!” her mouth runs before she can think it through, but she doesn’t regret it. He is too sneaky and always approaching her from the back while she is on calls.
He doesn’t afford her a response but just look down at her like he can actually see her.
“I’ll take the couch, you can take the bed” he eventually say when the room starts to drift from heaviness to awkwardness,
“No I’ll take the couch” Ntwe refuses,
“I insist kaMabaso, get on the bed” that comes as an order and it leaves no room to argue but it’s what he called her that makes her blush,
She smiles her way to the bed knowing he can’t see her, secretly inhaling him as she passes to the bed.
“Dear lord” she mutters to herself as she slips beneath the covers. The man smells divine.
Again, silence takes the room as they both get comfortable on their beds.
Zenzele decides to break the silence after a moment “I’m Zenzele Mabaso” he say,
Ntwenhle takes it in, she didn’t expect that,
“I’m Ntwenhle Mbatha” she eventually say,
“I know” there is something soft in his tone, it feels like he is smiling though she isn’t sure as she can’t see him properly from the bed,
“How come I didn’t know about you?” she asks. She settles into the pillow, elbow anchored and props her head in her hand as they start to chat,
“You know everything about Mandla?” Zenzele asks back as he turns and makes himself comfortable too,
“Not everything but everyone in Ivory park knows who bra Mindlos is and I’m sure no one knows about him having a son” she say,
“Well I’m that son he kept in the dark but treated like treasure until I came of age. I’m his only seed. I was mostly in the UK all my life and when I came back I focused on running the family business than being involved in his shenanigans until he lured me in and then I was here” he speaks in riddles,
“What do you mean until he lured you in and then you were here?”
“I mean my father managed to finally get me involved in his dealings and then I became blind”
“So you really can’t see?” part of her thought he is just faking since he walks so free and comfortable in the house,
He laughs. It’s a quiet laughter but she loves it,
“I can’t see kaMabaso, but not for long. Next month I’m going to Bloemfontein. I found a doctor who actually diagnosed me with what is called Retinoblastoma”
“What the hell is that?” she feels a sense of unease settle in her heart at the mention of Bloemfontein,
“It’s the most common primary malignant intraocular cancer that typically affects children between the ages of 1-2. Though in rare occasion like mine it does come out of age. It’s just a retina disease that occurs when cells grow uncontrollably and starts to form a tumour”
“So this 1-2 year old eye cancer affected you at this big age and all along you have been seeing just fine and didn’t have any problems with your vision?” her heart doesn’t agree with the diagnosis. She doesn’t have a right to say no to him yet but something in her knows that Bloemfontein won’t fix his eyesight issues,
He chuckles, “At this point I’m willing to try anything to get my vision back” the desperation in that sentence cannot be missed,
“Tell me, you became blind when you started working with your father?” she presses on that,
Zenzele frowns and falls silent for a moment, thinking it through. He hadn’t thought of it like that…..
“I guess” he eventually say,
“Do you guys believe in ancestors here at home?” she continues to ask,
“We……my grandfather was a rooted man and he believed in ancestors and appeasing them. But when he died Mandla stopped doing all those things. Why do you ask?”
“I just find it odd that you didn’t grow up with eye sight problems and then the minute you start working with your father you lose your eyesight. I think maybe its punishment, maybe your ancestors didn’t want you working with your father” she shrugs
He goes silent, thinking it through,
“But I’m no longer working with him or anyone since I can’t see anymore. Why are they not bringing back my vision then?” he asks,
“I don’t know. All I know is that ancestors work in mysterious ways. Maybe there is something you must do for them in order to get your vision”
“But that’s not fair. Why take my vision when you haven’t told me the fu8ck you want from me!” his tone loses balance,
“Easy bhuti, I’m just saying. Maybe go consult or something. Have you seen a healer since you lost your eyesight?”
“Yes. Mandla brought someone and he said he sees nothing wrong with me”
Mandla brought him? Ntwe thinks it’s suspicious.
“What?” Zenzele asks when she goes silent,
“Do you trust your father?” she asks,
“No” he doesn’t hesitate,
“Then why do you trust a healer brought by him?” she questions,
He doesn’t know either, and he never thought of it to that extent. It’s true when they say people come in your life for reasons, some bring storms while some bring clarity. He is a very vigilant man but somehow he wasn’t vigilant enough with his father. His heart knows that Ntwenhle is not just here to drop them babies as Mandla thinks, she is here for a reason; to bring light in areas he falls short, or maybe be his vision in the darkness of his life.
“Let’s stop talking about my eyesight problems that are going to be fixed soon. Tell me about you, why didn’t I know Shandu has a beautiful daughter?”
She smiles “How do you know I’m beautiful?”
“My heart knows” he say,
She blushes
“Are you in a relationship?” he continues to ask. He is suddenly very interested,
She smiles “No, I’m not in a relationship” she lies,
“Why?” he asks,
“Why what?”
“Why are you not in a relationship?” he doesn’t know what she looks like but Jabu called her a drop dead gorgeous stufuza with angelic eyes. He trusts Jabu’s version of her. He finds it hard to believe that someone of her beauty and charisma isn’t in a relationship,
“Eish, my boyfriend was killed two years ago” she heaves a sigh. That’s her late ex, not Senzo the current whatever they are……
“What happened?” Zenzele frowns,
“He was stoned to death by the community” she shares with him,
“Why?” he raises an eyebrow,
“They lied and called him a thief. Can you believe people? Then they killed him saying he was stealing for them”
“Are you sure he wasn’t a thief?” communities don’t just attack without a reason,
“No he wasn’t!” she barks,
He chuckles,
“What’s funny?”
“Nothing. So you have been single since your thief boyfriend was killed?”
“Yes” she say. Again he finds that hard to believe but he doesn’t press.
“You? Are you in a relationship?” she diverts the topic back to him,
“I am” he doesn’t hesitate or lie. Zenzele own his truth.
Disappointment showers her, she would have preferred that he be single,
“But I’m ending that first thing tomorrow morning” he adds mid her thoughts,
“You’re ending your relationship?” she raises an eyebrow,
“Yes” he admits,
“Why?” she frowns,
“Because I want to keep you” that’s the response she gets and it irons the frown on her face. She smiles to herself, regretting lying about being single but she decided to let it be. Her subconscious reminds her not to fall for someone she don’t know or even believe anything that comes out of his mouth, he is Mandla’s son after all.
“Where is your mother?” she changes the topic when she can’t take the blushing anymore,
“She is alive and I don’t want to talk about her” he say. Meaning his mother is a no go area. She hears him.
“Tell me about your situation with Ndaba. Why did you and your friend steal from Ndaba?” he continues to ask,
She swallows, “We needed money” her voice falls,
“Money for what?”
She doesn’t respond, she is ashamed,
“kaMabaso if you’re going to be my woman I need your honesty, messy as it may be I want you to be honest with me so I know what I’m dealing with. Why did you two steal from Ndaba?” he questions once again,
“There is no solid reason for it other than greed. I love money Zen….” He smiles hearing her call him Zen, “I’m a typical woman, money speaks volumes to me so when Thabiso came to me with a fast money gig of moving merchandise I grabbed it with both hands because I was broke and unemployed”
“Moving merchandise? You move drugs, Ntwenhle?” that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth,
“NO. You know what your father is involved in. Ndaba is his guy and we were Ndaba’s runners” she say,
“Runners of what? Drugs?”
“Runners of gold. Your father has an illegal mining operation going on in the North West. Our job was to take the gold from the illegal miners and give it to Ndaba who would then give us money to return to the miners but we took money for ourselves” she tells the truth, he already knew but he wanted to confirm so he knows she is being honest,
“How long have you been Ndaba’s runners?” he continues to ask,
“We only did three gigs and he didn’t pay us well so the last one we decided to pay ourselves by taking all the money we were supposed to take back the illegal miners” she shrugs,
“You’re a girl child Ntwenhle, aren’t you scared involving yourself with such dangerous life?”
“I’m a survivor Zen. I’m not going to watch my age mates thrive and feel sorry for myself. God gave me this life to make something of myself and I’m going to do just that. That’s what I am, a hustler before I’m a woman. As long as I’m not ruining lives, then I’m going to survive and hustle”
He is not sure he likes that. This is means she is an opportunists. When she sees an opportunity that favours her she takes it with both hands,
“So you don’t mind who you get involved with as long as something promises you greener pastures you take?” he asks,
She doesn’t respond,
“You’re a dangerous woman Ntwenhle, maybe this was a mistake” he say,
“What was a mistake?” she asks but he doesn’t afford her a response. He turns and looks the other way. His feelings was a mistake, it’s what he means. Feeling the way he does for her when he barely knows her is a mistake that he hopes will be gone when he wakes.
“Switch off the lights, I don’t sleep with lights on” he say,
“But you can’t see, what’s the point?” she is suddenly pissed with the change in his tone. He is back to being cold.
He doesn’t respond,
“Well I pray before I sleep so I’m going to pray before I switch off the lights!” it sounds like she is angry and that makes him smile.
She slips out of the bed and fall on her knees.
“Heavenly father, I come before you this evening to thank you for this day. You were with me from the morning and to the evening and for that I thank you, father. I didn’t conquer this day because I’m smart, it’s because I kneel for you and praise you father of the heaven and earth. I don’t know what tomorrow holds for me but I ask that you never forsake me, for I always come victorious when you’re with me, my lord. I ask that you be with me in this house my lord, protect and shield me from anything that might bring harm to me. I ask that you protect Zenzele and bring clarity in his life lord, I know I’m a sinner and can’t ask you of anything but if Zenzele’s blindness is not your doing, then prevail my lord and bring light in the darkness of his life. Amen!” she say,
“Amen!” he adds, fascinated and once again consumed by indifferent feelings.
He listens to her footsteps go switch off the lights. She is so confusing, troublesome but…..kind. She was kind enough to put him in her prayers. He doesn’t believe in miracles but he wants that praying troubled woman by his side.
“ulala kahle kaMabaso” (Sleep well kaMabaso) the words tumbles out of his mouth, inviting a smile back on her face,
“Tell me about your girlfriend, does she have a flat stomach?” she asks, settling back on her pillow,
He laughs. He realises that they are not going to sleep tonight because she doesn’t know when to stop unless her brain cells give up.
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