THE ROYAL MATRIMONY
CHAPTER 35
UNEDITED
[MOKGADI]
She’s still the same mirror-loving person. Here she is, making sure her face is still flawless before bed.
I watch as she packs her toiletries in silence while hoping that we do not revisit this afternoon’s topic. The reason I’m here is to make sure that she’s comfortable. She’s my guest and therefore my responsibility.
‘There’s an extra blanket in the wardrobe. I’m a call away if you need anything’ I let her know. She continues to vigorously rub hand cream into the gaps of her wrinkled fingers, affording me no response. Her silence is my cue to leave.
‘Mokgadi’ she calls me back just after I’ve pulled down the door handle.
‘Ma?’
Gas leaves me and I pray the smell does not reach her because it’s lethal. I’m so bloated, I want it to be over. The pregnancy symptoms are already having me and I am not enjoying it at all.
‘I turned you into this, didn’t I?’
My ears are certainly deceiving me.
‘Ma???’
Her facial expression tells me she’s already getting annoyed. She hates repeating herself, but I need her to because those words couldn’t have possibly come from here. You will never find my mother and accountability on the same page, let alone the same sentence.
‘Come sit here, child’
I don’t argue. She’s gathering her words and I’ll give her all the time she needs. I am fluent in silence.
‘If there’s one thing I have always loved about you is how much of a respectful child you were, with a working ear’
I had no choice. She’d also listen to anybody who’d beat her senseless if she dared open her mouth to oppose them.
‘Even as a wife and a queen, continue being that person. Do not turn into a wild animal I will eventually be unable to recognize’
I am still silent, so silent that I can hear the dysrhythmia in her breath. Did I really freak her out that bad?
‘I was never in love with your father’ she randomly says and my head turns towards her without my conscious permission. If I look out that window, I might find that the moon has changed colour. Has she been cloned or am I simply dreaming?
‘Why are you shocked? You’re a grown woman now. Isn’t that what you said earlier on? If I ask you to pop a pimple on my pubic area, you will do it’
This makes me laugh and she shortly joins me, then quickly and curtly curtails it.
‘There’s a lot that man has done to me that warrants me poisoning him but I never think of it’
The fact that she’s randomly mentioning it now means that there’s no truth in that statement. If I didn’t know better, I’d conclude that this is a reverse confession.
‘A daughter is her mother’s mirror. I have never taught you any of these things you’re doing now. That is your stepmother’s speciality. I want you to stop while you’re ahead’
I still have no response.
‘I feel like he’s a decent man. Give your relationship a chance. You’ll learn to love him’
Loving someone means you’ll have high expectations of them and those will definitely get your heart broken. That hug almost made me dizzy. Imagine if I catch him on top of another woman after handing my heart over to him? Sounds cute but no thank you.
What she said about my dad keeps ringing in the hall of my head.
‘Was he your first ever partner? Have you ever been in love?’ I ask and a smile immediately escapes her. This earns me a light slap on the thigh.
‘He-eh wena. What are you asking me? I told you that hormones are driving you mad’
I shrug. It’s an innocent question. She glances at me and quickly moves her eyes away.
‘His name was Thomas’
Oh? Influenced by curiosity, the naughty voice in my head quietens all the other ones.
‘He’d bring me fake roses and Cadbury sweets every Friday until he suddenly stopped one day’
‘Why? You broke up?’
She’s fixedly staring at the carpet – visibly deep in thought. She releases a loaded breath.
‘We were not really in a relationship. We both knew we couldn’t be together even if he wanted to and I wasn’t prepared to elope. I was that girl from a royal family and he… he was just… Thomas’
I don’t know what to say.
‘I eventually found out that my father threatened him and that’s why he stopped coming to our special tree’
‘How old were you then?’
‘Fourteen’
If she ever saw me smiling in the direction of a boy at that age, she would’ve messed up my dental formula with a single slap. Parents are the biggest hypocrites to ever walk this earth.
‘Where is he now?’
‘Married and living his life. He was on your TV screen about two hours ago’
I feel my brows pulling together. Wait a minute…
‘When you say Thomas, you mean Thomas Matlala, the news anchor?’ I fail to contain my laughter. I cannot believe this! That smile I never see from her suddenly defeats her and she stands up. She fixes the bed and gets in.
‘Mom!’
‘This conversation is over’
Truly, the well of wonders will never run dry. I was convinced that my mother simply loves watching the news but lo and behold, she just wanted to see her crush, to experience him virtually. The love bird that flew away and left her with the nest.
‘Why are you telling me all this? Today?’
The serious face is back on. It takes her a while but she eventually offers me the other side of the bed and this adds to the list of shocking things she has done today. This woman loves her own space. If you find her sitting on a couch, find another one because the empty space on hers is always off limits. If she willingly offers it to you, just know you’re in trouble and that’s why she wants you close.
I take off my gown and get in the sheets. I almost pull away when she unexpectedly takes my hand and places it under her pyjama top. She makes me feel her boob and I find it – the lump.
No…
I look at her. Her eyes are glassy.
‘When did you…’ I swallow. I can’t bring myself to finish the sentence.
‘Three weeks back’
‘That’s a month. What did the doctor say?’
‘What doctor?’
She’s been silently sitting with this thing while it eats away at her flesh?
‘You have to get checked, so they can remove it’
‘Did you feel how big this thing is? You cannot postpone death, Mokgadi’
‘Let professionals tell you that it’s too late. They’ll surely be able to remove this thing’
‘And my entire breast too’ she lets out humourless laughter. Yes, cancer is deadly but it is somewhat manageable, to an extent. There’s chemo, and other things. No?
‘That’s okay. There are bras specially made for that. No one has to know that you have a missing breast’
‘Since when are you so talkative?’
I am serious here. Ty is going to lose his mind. Their relationship is not perfect but if he had to choose between his mother and father, he wouldn’t blink in that man’s direction.
I feel like we wouldn’t know what else to choose apart from the toxicity at home because well, that’s all we know; it’s all we’re accustomed to. To us, it’s what defines normalcy.
‘Does dad know?’
She doesn’t respond. That’s a no. As selfish as this sounds, I do not need this right now. It’s crazy how the possibility of death always reminds us of the value of people we thought we could do without. Growing up, I’ve always thought it would be better and much more peaceful if my parents left for good but the possibility of death is now reminding that your parents will always be that, and no one can replace them. Had they left us, the relatives that always remind us of how privileged we were compared to them would’ve shown us hell, live.
I realise that my thoughts had completely taken my attention away from her. She is now asleep.
I left my phone in my bedroom but I think I am going to sleep here, by her side. It’s a rare occurrence. Might as well cherish and revel in it, I guess.
…
[MOKGADI]
The request to Ty was simple. He was supposed to rough him up a bit, not attempt to introduce him to the Grim Reaper. He swore not to do too much damage, and I wasn’t expecting him to execute this so soon.
The machine keeps beeping at short intervals. My eyes get wet when it dawns on me. What have I done? I gently pull down the oxygen mask and kiss his busted lip. He was apparently awake earlier on but we were not here. His mother saw him first and I followed. Kurhula said he had something urgent he needed to attend to and that he’d be back.
When I lift my head up, I find him looking at me and my heart immediately skips a beat.
‘Mlambya…’
He tries to speak but I see him swallow instead, which looks painful. I offer him water and he raises his hand to decline my gesture. Does he know? I highly doubt that. Ty promised that his guys are professionals. What the hell was I thinking? Tyson could’ve easily had this man killed and there would’ve been nothing I could do to reverse it. I simply saw red when he lied and felt I needed to teach him a lesson. You can do everything but do not lie to my face.
‘How long have you been in here?’ he asks. This comes out hoarser than his normal voice. He’s been quiet for a long time. I’d never tell him this but this is the voice I yearn to wake up to in the morning but I’m in an odd marriage, I never do because I always find him gone and that’s if he even slept in the room in the first place.
‘Kgadi?’ he pulls me back to earth.
‘Hm?’
‘Hm to who?’
‘I’m sorry. How are you feeling?’
‘I have asked you a question’
‘Not too long. About ten minutes, I think’
Stone barges into the room, followed by Kurhula.
‘Look who’s awake’ they happily tease him and he laughs. He flinches as his hand goes over his rib area and their smiles disappear.
‘You good?’ Kurhula asks.
‘It’s only a matter of time till we find the fvckers who did this to you’ Stone gravely swears and I feel my scalp starting to overheat.
Mlambya eventually catches his breath.
‘Gents, can I please have a moment with my wife?’
‘That’s okay. Just don’t do things that will raise your blood pressure. Don’t want that heart flatlining, alright?’ Stone winks, continuing to jest around. Can’t he see that it’s super painful for this person to laugh?
‘You sure you’re good though?’ Kurhula has been worried about him. It’s still evident on his face. Mlambya nods with a gentle and warm smile.
‘How’s our baby doing?’ he reaches for my abdomen.
Relief slowly fills my stomach. The look he gave me when he first woke up scared me but it seems I was imagining things. Our baby is causing me flatulence and it’s already annoying me.
‘Our person is okay’
‘Did you go to the doctor?’
I nod and assure him that everything is fine. Just as his friend and brother are about to give us space, I hear my mother’s voice reprimanding and calling Tyson’s name. This is surely not happening. He promised that this would be a secret and we would never have to speak about it again. Now what the hell is he doing here? My palms are sweating. He barges in and his eyes find me.
‘I’m here to fetch you. Let’s go home’
Mhani Xongi and Mhani Singi walk in after him.
‘What?’ I try to speak but my voice is strained. I am begging him with my eyes to stop causing a scene.
‘Nehhh man. Neke dutsi kedi bala and this whole thing is just not sitting well with me. This nigga cheated you and you’re still here? What are you waiting for? AIDS? Let’s go home!’
‘It was you, wasn’t it?’ Kurhula asks accusingly, looking at my brother. Stone catches him by the abdomen when he attempts to jump Tyson.
‘Rhula, calm your bloody behind down. We’ll deal with this but this ain’t the place, my G’ Stone continues trying to calm him down – still holding him tight, so much that I can see all the veins on his arms. Kurhula takes a deep breath and Stone pats him on the back. Just when we’re convinced that he’s calm, he charges towards Tyson again and a punch lands on my brother’s cheek. Ty throws it back.
‘Kurhula!’ his mothers try to call him to order when he pushes Ty and Ty’s back collides with the wall. I don’t like the sound that the impact made. Security luckily walks in, along with the doctor.
‘Everyone, please leave the room’ Dr Hlungwane sternly commands.
‘My ma se kind. Six feet deep, straight but never narrow’ Stone says to my husband before throwing a glance at my big bro. Both him and Kurhula are now restrained by the men in black.
‘Stay’ Mlambya says to me while people are being escorted out. The look Mhani Singi gives me sends frost down my nerves.
‘Please try your best not to upset my patient’ the doctor says and I nod. He’s quite strict. Looks like the type that’s good at what they do even though they hate every minute of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in this for the money. From the first moment we met, I could tell he’s sick of everything.
‘Do you want me to cheat on you? All you have to do is say the word’
We are not doing this.
‘Is the king asking me if I want an open relationship? Marriage, rather’
I meant every word I said during that conversation after the thanksgiving ceremony.
‘There goes that subtle yet disrespectful thing of yours’
‘Did I do something wrong? I simply asked Mlambya a question’ I approach him with the same humility he’s used to.
He tries to sit up but whatever is going on with his rib area doesn’t allow him. His facial expression is proof of this.
‘You were there during that standoff, if you can even call it that. You were there when your brother was being unnecessary in my house and your first smart thought is to tell him I am cheating on you? Do you have any—’ he flinches again.
‘Do you have any idea what you’ve done?’
Ty has ruined everything by coming here. This thing of not being afraid of anyone is going to be his undoing one day. What the hell is wrong with him?
I want to tell Mlambya that I was the mastermind behind his attack but my tongue is frozen.
‘I wish I could say that you simply shook the table but baby you went and flipped it the fvck over!’
Silent gas leaves me again regardless of my desperate attempt to stop it.
‘I had gone out to see and approve your netball court. I wasn’t out chea—’ he suddenly stops. ‘Mh!’ he exclaims while putting his oxygen mask back on.
‘You want to finish me off now?’
‘But it’s not me. It’s the baby’
The look he’s giving me is confusing. It’s a mix of anger, speechlessness and an urge to laugh. This is mortifying. Are there no supplements I can take to make this go away?
