VOLUME 7
NTWENHLE
He takes a sit on the bar stool as I start making breakfast for the both of us. I hadn’t finished making mine when bra Mindlos freaked me out with his mutis. I actually take bra Mindlos’ advice and ease with the oil as I make Zen’s breakfast, I’m trying to score points here. I love that his eyes follow my every move. Even though he can’t see me, I still sway my hips from side to side, just in case his vision miraculously comes back.
The creepily Vaseline container that I left on the counter wasn’t there when we walked in the kitchen. I bet it grew legs and went to report to the owner that I refused to take it.
I smile to myself. I don’t know why I believe him when he says my parents are protected but I believe him.
“I have a feeling you’re smiling” he grins,
“No I’m not” I roll my eyes but the stupid smile refuses to leave my face.
“Who helps Jabu get ready for school?” I change the topic fast because I feel so stupid feeling this way about him so fast,
“I do. But he doesn’t need much help”
“Wake me up tomorrow, I’ll help him from now on” the boy is 13 years old and I think he can manage well but every kid deserves to be seen off to school and actually have a decent breakfast. I doubt his blind father is able to provide that for him.
“This is how I know you’re the one” he keeps saying all the right things and I blush like a fool.
Call me crazy and I’m not going to deny it, I’m a gone girl. One night in was enough for me. I don’t even remember when we slept last night. The wet mouth me kept going on and on until I fell asleep. And this is the most comfortable and myself I have been with a man. Most times I change personality to accommodate a man but not with Zenzele. I’m myself. This man is my spot and I will kill for my spot if I have to.
“I eat eight slices of bread” he proudly tells me. Eight? This is my husband. I also don’t do four slices like normal girls, I always need six to actually fill up my stomach,
“I eat six” I tell him,
He laughs. We are actually a match made in heaven.
“Is there anything you don’t eat?” I continue to ask,
“Yes. Watermelon and mango” shame!
“And Jabu?” I ask,
“He is a picky eater but he is not allergic to anything” I noticed even last night he didn’t finish his dinner,
“What happened to his parents?” I gently ask as I put his breakfast on the table,
“Thank you. It smells lovely” I hope he enjoys it,
I take a chair across from him,
“Why are you not eating?” he better not start being weird,
“Are you not praying? I’m waiting for you to pray”
“Oh” I smile “I don’t pray every day or for every meal. I pray when I feel like praying” that’s the kind of a sinner I am,
“So I can eat?” he looks so confused it makes me smile,
“Eat your breakfast Zenzele Mabaso”
“You’re a very weird woman” he sighs. I’m not offended at all, I have heard that too many times.
“So? What happened to Jabu’s parents?” I ask again as we both start to eat,
“My uncle died with my grandparents in a car accident. He was the one driving and the accident claimed all of them” that’s horrific. To lose all your family members at once, Bra Mindlos should be a wreck……..
“I’m sorry to hear that. When was this?”
“Five years ago, Jabu was 8 when we lost our grandparents and his father”
My heart clutches for the boy. He is too lively it doesn’t look like he lost his grandparents and father at the same time. I think Zenzele stepping in and being a father to him helped him in some way.
“And his mother? Where is she?”
“None of the Mabaso wives ever stay. They all just drop them children and leave turning their backs on their seed”
“Haibo! That’s a curse. Why would someone just up and leave their children behind?” look at me being judgemental while I was ready to walk the same path. I was ready to give bra Mindlos the child he wants for my freedom, but that was until I spend the night talking to Zen.
“Nosipho did it with me, and Nthati did it to my uncle as well. Both who8res came in this family for money” Nosipho and Nthati did him dirty. His facial expression changes at the mention of those names. I think Nosipho is his mother and Nthati is his uncle’s wife or baby mama.
“Are they still alive?” I ask,
He nods “Nosipho went and got married, and had a new family without me. And Nthati…..i think she had another baby as well. I don’t keep tabs on heartless women who turn their backs on their children”
Something is fishy here. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both women left their children just like that.
“And Lerato? Does she have any children with bra Mindlos?” I lower my voice when I mention that woman,
He shakes his head no,
“Are they married?” I’m so confused with those two,
Again he shakes his head no “Lerato is Mandla’s evil twin, be careful of her” he adds,
“Why do you hate her so much?” I don’t need to be a scientist to see that he doesn’t like his step mother,
“Because I believe Mandla turned into what he is today because of her”
“Why do you say that?” I ask,
“Mandla was just a family leader trying to keep his family wealth intact before she came into his life. Yes, he was still Mandla but he wasn’t a ritualist. There was no room in this house that kept things we don’t know. That witch came into Mandla’s life and my father started wanting more money and doing creepy things. There is a room upstairs, he’ll show you, no one is allowed in that room apart from him and Lerato. Mandla started wanting boy children and sacrificing them to whatever they both have in that room” a shiver of fear runs down my spine and my mouth drops open,
“Wait, your father wants a son from me so bad so he can sacrifice him?” I knew that man is evil on two legs,
He nods “When I came home after staying in the UK he would arrange girls for me and I would refuse smashing them because I found it weird. I turned all his girls down but two managed to get in my bed”
“How?” I raise an eyebrow,
“He drugged me to get me to lay them. Two times I was taken advantage of and both times I don’t remember shit because I was out of it”
Mandla needs his special chair next to satan! Who does that to their own blood?!
“Those girls fell pregnant with boy children after offering them the same powder he offered you to bath with. And he sacrificed both souls”
“Zenzele why are you so calm about all of this?!” I’m burning here,
He chuckles “When you live with the devil you end up being a ghost”
I don’t like that “So you’re a ghost?”
“Mandla’s days of hurting me are over. He might not know it yet but the little boy in me who once saw him as a father died when he had me taken advantage of and killed those souls. That was the last time he hurt me” he smiles,
I don’t think that was the last time. I think his eyesight issues have everything to do with his father.
“I hope you won’t disappoint me Ntwe. I have never touched any of the women he organised for me until you came along” he say,
I want to smile but…..
“Your girlfriend? Is she part of the women your father organised for you?” I ask,
“No. And she is my soon to be ex-girlfriend in an hour. Precious is a woman I met at work and I actually liked her until you came along. She is not on Mandla’s pay roll” Precious needs to go now, an hour is too far,
“I invited her here to break up with her, I hope you don’t mind” he adds,
I don’t mind. The sooner Precious is gone, the better for me.
“I don’t. Tell me, why is bra Mindlos not making babies himself?” I ask,
“Whatever they have up there ate his seed. He can’t have children anymore. I’m his only hope for now before he starts shi8t on my son”
“JABU?!” my bile rises,
He nods “And I’m starting to think that he might actually have him ra8ped too if I keep stalling him”
“ZENZELE WHY DON’T YOU TAKE JABU AND LEAVE YOUR FATEHR AND HIS EVIL?!” Jabu is just 13!
“I tried” he sighs, “Every time I pack and leave something pulls me back. The first time I tried to leave this house with Jabu we both lost everything. All my documents vanished and all accounts were frozen, for whatever reason that I don’t know even today. I couldn’t find a job, nothing. Then we got mugged, we were left with nothing but the clothes we had on ourselves and then we came back. And guess what?”
“What?” I ask,
“When we got home my documents were brought by a man who said he found them in the street and I had never been to the place he described. And my accounts were unfrozen. That was the first attempt of leaving Mandla. The second time I tried Jabu and I we both got so ill we had to call Mandla”
I laugh, I find that funny,
“I was planning my third escape now but this happened” he points at his eyes,
“Leaving won’t help. You need to have what’s yours for everything to fall into place” his cane….that’s why they kept pulling him back home,
“What’s mine?” he frowns,
I don’t want to tell him about the cane just yet. My subconscious tells me to keep that information to myself for now.
“Do you need some sausages?” I’m trying to distract him,
“Please sthandwa sami talking starves me” (……….my love……) this is my man!
“Sthandwa sakho?” (Your love?) Someone asks from behind,
Zenzele pops his eyes. I turn. A very pale looking woman asks with her arms folded to her chest. She looks so sick nkosiyami!
“Who is this fat cake, Zenzele?” she narrows her eyes. Calling me a fat cake is very rich coming from her. There is being thin, and then there is being sick. She looks sick.
“Precious, you’re here?” Zenzele coughs,
So this is the girlfriend! I’m not even shaken.
“Are you going to tell mosquito who I am, Zenzele?” I glare at him,
He coughs again. A fake cough by the way.
“This fat cake is his wife, mosquito! Have some of my food, maybe you’ll gain a kilo!” I wasn’t going to be rude to her but calling me a fat cake when she looks like she is suffering from apartheid aids is VERY VERY RICH!
“Baby I’ll give you a minute with your ex!” I add just for control. One thing about me is that I afford people what they afford me. If you’re going to be a bi8tch to me then I’ll be a sl8ut.
When I leave the kitchen she is frozen on the spot. I don’t know if it’s hearing that I’m his wife or that she is the ex. It’s time I go unpack my bag. I’m here to stay, I ain’t going anywhere. Not even pregnant mosquito Precious is going to make me leave.
–
–
NARRATED
“Who is that Zenzele?” Precious asks with a breaking voice as soon as Ntwenhle leaves the room,
“Please sit down” Zenzele gently asks,
She pulls a chair and sits, her arms fold to her chest with tears building in her eyes,
“Thank you for coming. How are you?” he asks,
“Stop with the formalities Zenzele who is that fat pig…….”
“Don’t call her names please, Precious. Ntwenhle is my wife”
“WIFE? WIFE? ZENZELE I WAS IN YOUR BED YESTERDAY AND LAST I CHECKED YOUR FATHER WAS GOING TO PAY LOBOLA FOR ME!” she roars,
“Mandla was going to pay lobola for you?” Zenzele frowns, that’s new to him. He never promised Precious marriage for the couple of months they have been together,
“He calls me makoti Zenzele, and yes he said he would pay lobola for me when the time comes” she sighs,
“I don’t know about your promises with Mandla but I never promised you marriage Presh, we were just dating”
“I’m in love with you Zenzele!” her voice breaks,
“My heart beats for someone else Presh. I’m really sorry for doing this to you but Ntwenhle is the woman for me and that means you and I have to come to an end”
“ZENZELE I WAS IN YOUR BED YESTERDAY MORNING AND YOUR BREAKING UP WITH ME!” she shouts,
“Calm down please Precious. I didn’t know my wife would arrive yesterday after you left. Had I known I would have ended us before she arrived”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARRIVE? YOU HAVE BEEN MARRIED ALL ALONG?!” she won’t stop shouting,
“No but she is always been there in my spirit. I have carried her in my spirit for so long and knew that our paths would one day cross and it did yesterday. It wasn’t my intention to hurt you but we were just dating” he calmly say,
“What am I going to do with this love I have for you? huh?” tears fall down her face,
“I have loved you since we were kids Zen! You’ve always had my heart and when you gave us a chance I was over the moon. I love you. Why can’t I be the woman for you?” she tears apart,
“I really didn’t mean to break your heart Presh, but if I force myself to choose you it will be out of pity, not love. You don’t deserve that. You deserve a man who’ll reciprocate your love and love you the way you deserve to be loved”
“I DON’T WANT NO ONE BUT YOU!” she shouts, wiping her tears with the back of her hand,
“Don’t do this to me, please” she begs
“I’m sorry, Mofokeng” he reaches for her hands on her table and squeeze them,
“I’m really sorry for breaking your heart” he adds,
“SORRY?” she takes her hands back,
“SORRY ZENZELE? NIGGER I GAVE YOU THE BEST OF ME! I GAVE YOU MY HEART AND THE MINUTE THAT MADEA ON NYAOPE COMES INTO YOUR LIFE YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO DROP ME LIKE IT’S HOT?!” something flashes in her eyes, it’s not just anger…..
“Precious you’re a wonderful woman. I never promised you marriage. Don’t do this to yourself”
“YOU DID THIS TO ME BY FU8CKING ME FOR MONTHS AND THINKING YOU’RE GOING TO DUMP ME JUST LIKE THAT WHEN YOU MEET YOUR NEW MEAT! I’M GOING TO ABORT THIS CHILD!” she hisses,
“What child?” Zenzele frowns,
“Your child! I lied to your father who is been nagging me and hating me for not falling pregnant as he wanted. I gave him a negative pregnancy test to get him off my back once again, but I’m pregnant Zenzele! 13 weeks and I was going to tell you on your birthday!”
“Your dripping!” he gets off his chair, he can’t listen to her any longer,
“Take me to your doctor if you don’t believe me!” she blocks him,
“I’m pregnant Zen, and I’m not lying. We have a life together” she takes his hands and put them on her flat stomach. She knows who Zenzele is now. He’ll protect his seed with all he can. There is no way he would let her go with his baby in her womb.
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