THE AFTERMATH
03
MALIBANTUBAHLE
Muhle appears followed by her man.
This is the drama I didn’t want happening.
“Lilitha stop,” Sikhanyiso says,holding her back.
“Let go of me bhuti” she says.
“Not until you calm down,” Sikhanyiso says.
“Lilitha what are you doing here?” That’s Kuyasa asking me.
“I am here for you,” Lilitha says.
“Please leave,” Kuyasa says.
“I am not going anywhere until you tell me who the hell this is and why is wearing your gown”
Muhle casually folds her arms and looks at Kuyasa.
I myself steal a few glances of Sikhanyiso.
Something about him just won’t let me be.
Now that I am soberish I can definitely say he’s handsome,his eyes being the most beautiful feature of all.
“We kuyasa wena”
I am drawn back to Muhle and Kuyasa’s drama.
“Sthandwa sam,” Kuyasa says,softly.
“Ngithi we kuyasa wena”
“Mama”
“I can do crazy all by myself so please”
“I know my love” Kuyasa says,but I bet he doesn’t know.
Muhle isn’t right in the head.
“Do you want me to burn this whole house down?” she asks.
Kuyasa shakes his head
“I don’t think you heard me,do you want me to burn this whole fucking house down with you inside?”
He quickly shakes his head
“Then fix this,” Muhle says.
“Who are you talking to my man like that?” Lilitha boldly asks.
“Mtshele baby” Muhle says.
“She’s my hunny bunny,” Kuyasa says.
“Ini?”
“Tell her bbe I don’t think she heard you first time”
“She’s my hunny bunny,udali wami lona” Kuyasa cements,very much smitten.
“And what am I kuyasa?”
“An ex”
“I was here just yesterday”
“To fetch your clothes” He then quickly turns to look at Muhle.
“I didn’t touch her sthandwa sam”
“Let go of me bhuti please,I want to show this girl who I am”
I shake my head.
“Please don’t” I say.
“No, it’s okay you can let her go,it’s not like I will hit her or something. Unless she hits me first and I need to defend myself”
“Muhle it’s late please don’t do this” I say.
Sikhanyiso glances at Kuyasa,but Mr drama here pretends not to see him.
“I am not doing anything,but what I won’t do is have a man whore in my life” she looks at Kuyasa and smiles.
“Uyafeba Ngidi?”
Kuyasa shakes his head.
“Uxegelwa inda wena?”
“Lutho sthandwa sam” he says.
“Then fix this before I do”
She walks away and turns to look at Lilitha.
“If you come anywhere near him,I will burn you and every living thing you care about”
Lilitha looks at Kuyasa who shrugs.
“Asambe muntu wam”
“Kuyasa,after everything we’ve been through. I thought we were just taking a break”
I let out a sigh.
Technically taking a break in a relationship means being over.
“Lilitha it’s late please leave”
“Not before you choose,me or her”
I shake my head. Such alternatives are always crazy and never the outcome you hope for.
“Baby” Muhle says softly.
Kuyasa blushes.
“Mina ngikhetha uMuhle bandla” he says.
Lilitha’s mouth drops.
Muhle drags Kuyasa and we remain with a shocked Lilitha.
“I think you should leave” Sikhanyiso says
She turns on her heels and walks heading for the door.
I walk over to the counter and start clearing the plates.
My heart starts racing and skin emanating this heat I can’t explain.
I feel his eyes on me and gulp.
“What?”
“May I take you out to dinner sometime this week”
I raise my head and tilt it to the side.
“You have a girlfriend”
“Ngiyakwazi lokho”
“I don’t want to be another Muhle so stay away from me” I say.
“How do you stay away from something that’s been haunting you for the past two months”
“Inyongo leyo,phalaza njengendoda”
He laughs.
“You owe me,” he says.
“I didn’t even know you”
“Yet you were brave enough to roll me up in a sheet,somehow in my books that is attempted murder. You’re lucky I didn’t press charges”
“I apologized and you accepted my apology”
“I un accept your apology”
“That’s not how this thing works,” I tell him.
He walks over and I take a few steps backwards until my back hits the fridge.
He towers over me and I hold my breath.
“So what’s it going to be?”
“I gave you my sour worms surely that counts for something”
He laughs out loud closing his eyes and I stare.
He opens them and I find it hard to pull my eyes away from his.
“Ngicela ukuk’khipha MaNgubane,Kanye nje Mambomvu”
His eyes haunt me the most,his presence has me wanting to surrender.
“You have a girlfriend”
He closes the gap between us.
“I am not a greedy man MaNgubane,kuphela nje usuphenduke isinkwa sam semihla ngemihla. Ngiyahluleka ukukhohlwa uwena,ngicela ungenzele umusa ungihawukele” he says,softly.
“You don’t know me”
“True,which is why I am asking to know you better”
He leans close and I quicky turn my head.
“Its getting late I should go back to sleep”
He nods and takes a step back.
“Good night” he says.
I hurry to the guest bedroom and close the door behind me.
I hold the key and contemplate whether to lock or not.
I think about all the stupid things I have done and felt and none compare to this.
I leave the key as it is and get in the bed.
.
.
Sikhanyiso
After a lifetime of tossing and turning,he finally sits up straight and looks at the time.
He then looks at the empty space next to him and sighs.
Hazel left,she couldn’t understand why the same girls they went with to Capetown were suddenly here.
He gets out of the bed and grabs his sleeping pills.
Taking three would knock him out,but that’s not good for his heart,so he puts them back and releases another sigh.
He then stands up and heads out,his feet leading him to the guest bedroom.
He gets to Mali’s room and takes a huge breath before knocking.
“Mali” he says,quietly.
A moment passes and he knocks again.
“Mali”
The door abruptly opens and she looks at him.
“What?” she asks.
“This is going to sound weird but can I sleep with you”
Her eyes widen.
“What?”
“I don’t mean like that,I just.. Can I sleep next to you? I am having trouble getting some sleep and the only way to get some sleep is if someone is next to me” he says.
“I am not a doctor,” she says.
“I know”
“Yet here you are telling me about your sleeping problem”
“I shouldn’t have bothered you,ngiyaxolisa”
“You need professional help” she says,moving out of the way.
He walks in and watches as she gets in the bed and places pillows,dividing the space.
“No touching and no spooning” she says,pointing at him.
“Yes ma’am” he leaves his slippers and gets in.
“This is what I get for listening to Muhle,I am now babysitting an old man. Ungisize mina ungavukelwa please” she says.
He holds in a laugh.
She turns around and looks at him.
“Ngitheni?”
“No touching,no spooning”
“And the other one”
He clears his throat.
“Ngingavukelwa” he says.
“Good and just to be clear, not all strangers are kind like me. Futhi I am only doing this because I don’t want my family chanting justice for Mali just because I said no and you strangled me to death”
He almost laughs but holds it in.
She pulls the duvet over her head and he sighs,laying back.
Her feet touch his and he shuts eyes.
Hopefully he’ll get some rest,without the nightmares.
…….