THE AFTERMATH
08
SIKHANYISO
He dropped off Bahle and went to check up on Hazel.
She sits next to him and smiles.
“I got your message” he says.
“And you didn’t respond” she says.
He clears his throat.
“I was held up in meeting”
She nods and pulling out two pregnancy tests.
“I know we haven’t spoken about this,but I haven’t been feeling well lately and so I visited the doctor”
Her smile widens while his remains flat.
“I wasn’t expecting this but I am pregnant,well we are” she says excitedly.
He remains silent and heavily sighs.
“Say something Ngidi” .
He grabs both tests and sighs.
“There’s something that I need to tell you” he says.
She nods still maintaining her smile.
“It’s about us”
“What about us?”
He clears his throat..
“I met someone else and I want to pursue whatever it is that’s going in between us”
She blinks and tilts her head,shocked by his statement.
“I don’t understand,what are you saying to me Sikhanyiso”
“I don’t want to hurt you,I don’t want to break your heart. I wanted to tell you a few weeks back,but the time was never right. But now I realise staying with you while I love someone else will only hurt you”
She stands up and laughs in disbelief.
“You’re breaking up with me” she says.
“I am sorry” he says.
“I just told you that I am carrying your child and you are telling me about being in love with another woman”
“Angiyifuni mina ingane Hazel,uyakwazi nawe lokho”
Her hearts skips a beat and she shakes her head.
“Awuyifuni”
“Yes”
He’s been nothing but vocal about this,he doesn’t see himself fathering anyone
“Yet you were the one that slept with me without a condom,you are the one that came inside me!”
“You told me you were on the pill”
“Pill yokunuka Sikhanyiso!” she says.
He glares at her and she glares back.
“I think I should leave before we both say things we’ll regret later”
He stands up and she pulls him by the arm.
“You are not about to walk away from me uyangizwa,I am carrying your child Sikhanyiso. Your damn child!”
He gives her a blank stare and a cold chill runs down her spine.
Tears fill her eyes and she covers her mouth.
“Ngidi please,” she says.
“If you keep this child then you’re on your own”
She gasps and keeps her mouth covered.
“Sikhanyiso please don’t do this to me,please. Ngithwele ingane yakho Hlomuka. I don’t know what I did and I am sorry”
She crosses her fingers and breathes out heavily,trying to stop the tears.
“I will fix it,whatever it is I will change. Just don’t leave me,don’t abandon us. Ngiyakucela Hlomuka” she says.
He takes out his phone and sends her so money.
“That should be enough to help you deal with this”
Her lips tremble and tears fall.
“You’re a cold bastard,uyinja Sikhanyiso” she says.
“Goodbye” he says,walking out.
Her screams echo behind him as he keeps walking.
He gets in his car and grabs his phone.
He leans back and dials Malibantubahle.
She answers on the first rings and he smiles.
“Dokotela,” he says.
She laughs.
“Hlomuka”
“I miss you” he says
“I miss you more,” she says.
“May I see you today,please,” he says.
“I will make a plan”
“Thank you”
A call comes through and he clenches his jaw looking at his father’s name pop up.
“Sthandwa sam let me call you back,my father is calling”
“Okay”
He ends the call and takes his father’s.
“Ngidi”
“I need you to come home now”
The call ends and he shakes his head..
He puts the phone down and drives out.
.
.
MALIBANTUBAHLE
I lean against the door frame and look at my mother.
How my father bagged such a gorgeous woman is beyond me.
“Ma”
She turns and smiles.
“Hi baby”
I break into a smile and walk in.
All I need is to be in her arms,then maybe all of this will make sense.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing” I say.
She pulls back and cups my face.
“What’s wrong MaNgubane?”
I let out a sigh.
“I messed up mama”
Tears fill my eyes and I gulp.
“You’re scaring me Mali”
I drop my head in shame and breath.
“I don’t want you marry Mthoko”
“What?”
I raise my head and look at her.
“I cheated on him Ma” these words leave my mouth and it feels like I’ve just launched a nuclear bomb.
“Wenzeni?”
I shake my head.
“I don’t love him ma,I think I fell out of love with him a long time ago” I say.
“You cheated on him?”
I nod and she gasps.
“What kind of cheating are you talking about wena ngane?”
I stand up and take a few steps away from her.
“The sleeping kind”
She claps her hands and stands up.
I stand by the door and look at her.
“Come here”
I shake my head.
“Ufuna ukungishaya” I say.
She shakes her head.
“I won’t”
“I can tell you’re angry”
She looks around and quickly grabs a shoe throwing at me.
“Dodi wengane” she says
The shoe hits me before I can duck.
“Ngiyaxolisa” I say.
“You’re sorry, what are you sorry for exactly huh,for hurting that poor boy and opening your legs up for another man or for disappointing your father and I and bringing shame into this family”
“I am sorry” I say.
“Nyori,you’re nyori Malibantubahle. Will your nyori undo this? Will it tell your father what you just did” she tilts her head and holds her waist.
“Usuyalalana wena?”
I jump and look at my father.
“I asked you a question Bahle”
I quickly shake my head and he shuts the door.
“It must be the heart,I swear its the heart baba. She was never the same after it”
My father looks at me and I move closer to my mother.
You’d think as an adult you’d have privacy or boundaries,but not in this house.
“What’s going on here?” Mbuvu asks.
“Tell your father what you just told me”
I swallow hard and look at her.
“Don’t look at me like that,tell him what you told me”
Mbovu looks at me.
“Bahle” he says,softly.
“Baba” I say.
“What’s going on Mbovana ka baba?”
Tears well up and I cover my face crying.
He steps closer and pulls me me into aarms.
“Did someone hurt you?”
I shake my head no and he pulls back.
He cups my face and wipes my tears.
“Khuluma nobaba” he says.
“Your daughter here has met someone else,someone who isn’t Mthoko” his forehead crinkles.
“And that’s not the worst of it all,she slept with this man,akaseyona intombi uBahle,futhi mina ngisola le nhliziyo. She’s gone only crazy and impulsive after getting that heart,inhliziyo yobufebe baba” she says.
Mbovu looks at me and I see the disappointment in his eyes.
I see the hurts and drop my head in shame.
“Ngiyaxolisa baba”
I reach for his hand but he pulls it back.
“Angikaze ngikushaye wena Bahle,inkinga yakho awuyazi induku”
He reaches for his belt and I shake my head.
“Mina baba ngiyagula,angithi ma” I say,trying to get on her my side.
“Baba mina udokotela wathi ningangishayi. Ngingumuntu wakaDokotela. Mtshele ma” I say,hidding behind her.
A knock comes through and Mbovu opens the door.
Ndlela walks in and looks at us.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“Baba wants to hits me” I tell him.
Ndlela walks in and gets me from behind my mother.
“Niyazi nje ukuthi uMali umuntu wakaDokotela,unless you want her to drop dead from a heart attack”
I repeatedly nod,at least someone actually acknowledges my situation.
“By the way we have guests baba,Mthoko and his family are here to see you” he says.
…….