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Prologue
Substantial love
Substantial Love is the Love that says, "I want the best for
you","I am willing..."
This goes beyond feelings to a commitment of the will. Yes, as
the old vows say, "in sickness and in health; for better, for
worse; till death do us part"; I'm talking about that kind of
commitment.✨
•••
Lulo
I'm currently listening to "Insecure" on my headphones. This
song is just too good. That Jazmine Sullivan X Bryson Tiller
collab has got to be the best thing ever.
I'm at the stop waiting for the shuttle. I'm quite early today,
something that hardly happens.
The shuttle finally arrives at 17h35 and I go sit at the back. It's
not full because it's Thursday. I go on the green app and see a
text from Hazel saying she wants me to sleep at her place. I
texted her back and told her to come to my res at around 7 pm.
I miss her, plus I hardly bump into her on campus nowadays.
I finally arrive at res. I throw myself on the bed and scream into
my pillow. Today was very exhausting, engineering is not for the
weak ke sana. Study at your own risk.
I pack my travel bag. Luckily I don't have classes tomorrow. I
pour myself a glass of sparkling water and watch vlogs on
YouTube while I wait for Hazel. These influencer girlies all talk
the same. They make me cringe at this point, aai.
Well, Hazel is my closest friend. She's my sister's stepdaughter.
She and I started developing a friendship about two years ago
when my sister and her dad got married. She's genuinely
amazing, besides being a brat at times. You can tell that she
didn't grow up here. I still love her though.
At exactly 7 pm she calls me, telling me she's here. I switch off
my lights and grab my two bags. I lock my room and leave the
building.
I find her red Lamborghini Urus parked at the visitor's parking.
She comes out when she sees me approaching. Yikes! She
looks...rough. She has her curly hair tied up in a very messy bun.
She's dressed in oversized sweats.
"Lulu!" she says hugging me.
"Babe, how are you? You don't look good." I say letting go.
"It's just the flu, nothing hectic. Let's get going
Advertisement
I feel like having Steers," she says already entering the car.
A while later we finally arrive at her penthouse with takeaways
from Steers. She stays a bit far from campus. I swear this one
goes to campus for vibes I tell you. Her father gives her the best
life. A life we can only dream of. She's not flashy about her
things though, she's very much appreciative.
We chill in her comfy bed eating junk while she updates me
about her life. I swear Hazel is living the fast life. I mean we're
both 21 but the things she's done are way beyond. I'm not
saying I'm an angel but yhuu! Hazel does the most.
She eventually falls asleep before me. I tuck her in properly and
walk to the guest bathroom. I take a proper bath when last ke
mntase. Res life will make you appreciate the little things. I'm
honestly tired of showering with flip-flops every day.
As I'm getting ready for bed, Tata and mam'Nikhitha call and ask
me about my day. I honestly feel like they're trying too hard. I
mean Tata was hardly present in my life, why should he start
now? I honestly miss my mother. God just had to take her away.
~~~
A delicious aroma wakes me up. Since when does Hazel cook? I
assume it's probably just her cleaning lady. She comes once in a
while though.
I check the time on my phone and it's 09h36. I yawn and stretch
my arms. I then make the bed and tidy up the room. I wear my
robe and go downstairs.
To my surprise, I find my older sister Ray, and her husband,
Bab'Quinton in the kitchen. Haibo! What are they doing in
Joburg? So the thing is, they have the keys to this place.
Bab'Quinton is very protective of Hazel.
Bab'Quinton lifts his head from the iPad. He notices me and
immediately smiles. I return the smile. The man is very
intimidating. I swear, even when he tries smiling.
"Angel, I didn't know you were also here. Good morning."
Bab'Quinton says hugging me. He's more of a father figure to
me than Tata and his brothers combined.
"Morning," I say shyly. Ray turns around from the stove and
shrieks. She walks towards me and suffocates me in a hug.
"Lulu baby! I'm so glad you're here. I wanted to steal you for the
weekend." Ray says.
"What are you guys doing in Joburg anyway?" I ask taking a seat
on one of the high chairs.
"Your friend told her father she's sick, he panicked and told me
we had to come here first thing in the morning," she says
glaring at Bab'Quinton and tilting her head. These two are so
funny.
"Hey! What if it's something serious MaKunene," he says in his
defence.
They carry on bickering. This is so hilarious.
Hazel finally comes downstairs looking like she was run over by
a train.
She walks over to Bab'Quinton and starts whining. Hazel is such
a daddy's girl.
1
Lulo
Lulonke Andiswa Kunene is the name. I'm 21 turning 22 in
March. I was born and bred eMonti (East London). My late
mother and I moved to Durban when I turned 15. She was a
social worker. uTata is a Zulu man. Growing up, he was hardly
there. I'd see him about two times in a year. Reason being, he
had another family. One thing about uMama, ebemthanda
qgith uTata. (she loved my father a lot). She was in denial of the
fact that he had a wife that he loved and respected. He never
wanted us to be in Johannesburg. He even forced me to study in
UKZN when I initially wanted to study in Johannesburg.
Well about three years ago, Tata then introduced us to his
family and also took uMama as his second wife. uMama was
not well during that time, she was battling with stage 4 brain
cancer. Tata's other wife and children were very welcoming
when I finally met them. I expected weird vibes or bad blood,
but nothing of that sort happened. About a month after that,
right when I thought life was improving, I lost my mother the
day after new year's day.
I was only 19 at the time. I was fragile and broken. The whole
Kunene family tried to be there for me. My maternal family and
the people from church shamed uMama and said horrible stuff
about her. Saying it was God punishing her for breaking another
woman's marriage. Those words honestly hurt me.
I then transferred to the University of Witwatersrand and
continued with my second year in Chemical Engineering there.
My older sister Ray, took me under her wing and took care of
me. I lived with her during my second year and then I moved to
res when she had to move to Cape Town after her wedding.
It's been about two years since I lost uMama, I'm still healing
and finding my actual purpose in this life thing.
~~~
Lulo
I'm watching tv alone and texting Ebu, my long term
situationship. He's currently in Ghana for work. Ebu was initially
a one-night stand. He then made a reappearance in my life
almost two years ago. As time went by, I fell for him, hard at
that. It's probably because he broke my virginity. I ignored all of
the red flags and still gave him my attention. I mean we've been
talking for about a year and a couple of months but no one
knows about us. He says he doesn't want to ruin things by
making it official and that he's not the relationship type. I swear
uphambene.(he's crazy)
Ray and Bab'Quinton took Hazel to the doctor earlier on. I'm
actually supposed to be studying right now but procrastination
has me by the balls. I honestly need a break though, course is
chowing me.
As I'm watching an episode of Young Sheldon I hear voices
outside. Oh they're back.
When they enter, they all look somber. Bab'Quinton is fuming.
Hazel looks like she's been crying. Ray places the Nando's bag
on the countertop. She then walks over to the fridge and grabs
a bottle of water.
"Have you never heard of contraceptives Hazel! How could you
be so careless! I don't even want to look at you right now!"
Bab'Quinton shouts looking at Hazel.
"Daddy I told you it was a mistake, I thought I had everything
under control." she shouts back. Bab'Quinton chuckles bitterly
and walks out. Ray heaves a sigh and goes to Hazel.
"Please talk to him Ray, he can't be mad at me. I didn't plan for
this to happen." she cries while Ray engulfs her in a hug.
"I know nana. Let him cool down first. You should go and rest,
I'll bring lunch to your room, okay? Cheer up now, crying is not
good for the baby." Ray says kissing her temple.
A baby? Hazel is pregnant?
Hazel walks to the staircase passing me. Ray sighs and puts her
head on the kitchen counter. I stand up from the couch and
walk to her. This house is an open plan.
"Are you okay?" I ask her.
"Oh yeah I'm good baby. Can you please take out three plates.
We got chicken for lunch, I hope you don't mind." I smile and
take out the plates. She knows I don't like chicken.
"No it's fine. What's up with Hazel though? Kutheni na
elila?"(why is she crying?) I ask, I mean I already have an idea of
what's up, but still. Ray just heaves a sigh.
"Your friend is 2 months pregnant. Her dad is now furious." Ray
says.
"Damn, that's... crazy." I say. It's not a shocker though.
"I know, I hope you're preventing ke nawe. We want to see that
degree first." I laugh and fix my glasses.
"Oh no. You don't have to worry about me." She side eyes me
and nods.
"Okay
Advertisement
if you say so. Anyways, your 22nd birthday is nearing, are you
excited? Dad said you've been saving up for a car, you should
have told us that you wanted a car you know. You have a father
and siblings who can get you whatever you want Lulo." she says
plating the food.
The thing is, I inherited large amounts of money when uMama
past away. So I'm planning on buying a car with that money,
since this is also my last year of varsity.
"Thanks but I'm good. I just wanted this to be my first big girl
purchase." I say and she nods smiling.
"Look at you being an independent young lady. I'm proud of you
kid." she says pinching my cheek.
Her phone rings and she answers immediately.
"Wellesley..." she says walking upstairs with Hazel's food.
I grab my food and go back to the lounge area.
~~
Ray
We look at the pregnancy tests again. The Clearblue one says
"not pregnant". The other only shows one line. Fuck, another
failed attempt. Quinton just pulls me close to his chest and
holds me. I want to cry but I've honestly run out of tears.
This is our third IVF attempt. This is such a draining process. It
doesn't help that we found out about Hazel's pregnancy
yesterday. It was very triggering for both me and Quinton.
"It's okay MaKunene, you do know that we have children
already right? I just hate how this whole thing is taking a toll on
you." He says before kissing my forehead.
"I'm thinking of setting up an appointment with Dr
Thompson, maybe he'll give us a solution." I say already
reaching for my cellphone. Quinton heaves a sigh and walks
out.
I just throw myself on the bed and the tears just fall from my
eyes. We've been trying to conceive for the past year with no
luck. I know we already have children, but I want to carry my
own child. I also want to experience the whole pregnancy stuff,
the breastfeeding and the mommy talks.
We tried fertility treatments, going to multiple doctors and now
even IVF isn't working. All the doctors assured us that it has
nothing to do with my previous termination. They said there's
nothing wrong with the both of us, they're also just as
surprised. I just don't want to go down the surrogacy route
because it looks like an option right now.
My vibrating phone snaps me out of my thoughts. Oh it's
Simmy. I quickly wipe my tears and clear my throat before
answering.
"Mrs Ngcobo." I say in a fake british accent. She laughs and I
join her.
"Oh please, uqalile.(you've started) Anyways, how are you my
love? I hear you're in Joburg." I wonder who told her, I wanted
to surprise her.
"Yep, wanna do lunch? I'm leaving tomorrow." I ask hoping she
says yes. I missed her so much.
"I can do lunch. I hope you don't mind me bringing my
cocomelons along." Well Simmy and Bonga had baby Cebo last
year, right after their wedding.
"Of course I don't mind. I miss those cuties."
"Okay sharp, you'll text me the details then." she says. We then
wrap up the call.
I walk out of the bedroom and look for my husband. We're
currently at our house in Sandton. We only come here when we
have occasions or business here in Joburg.
I find him in the kitchen talking on the phone.
I make myself a cup of coffee, grab my Macbook and start going
through the emails and updates from my PA.
After Quinton and I got married, I had to resign from work and
relocate to Cape Town with Shayane. Quinton didn't want me
slaving at another hospital, so he told me to start my own
business and that he'd fund me.
After months of research and networking, I finally decided on
what I wanted to do. I launched two of my aesthetic clinics last
year and it's been busy ever since. We offer non-surgical
cosmetic procedures and IV drip treatments.
My business is my baby I swear. I've never been so passionate
and driven about something.
The whole shift and the new family dynamic is honestly
amazing. Shayane, Ava, Asa and Alden live with us. Enrique lives
with Lynn and her wife in London. Yes, Quinton's ex wife is
bisexual.
Jay moved to Italy and now lives with his new boyfriend, he
does visit once in a while though. Him and I have a very
complicated relationship.
Shayane will be turning seventeen this year and I honestly can't
believe it's been ten years of us being mother and daughter. I
remember the day when I was declared her legal guardian. She
was in second grade and we went to Spur to celebrate. Thinking
about it just makes me emotional.
2
Hazel
I'm currently at home in Llandudno. Ray said it's not good for
me to be alone right now. So she suggested I go back with
them, just for a week.
It's a Monday afternoon, I just finished joining my last online
lecture for today.
I go to the west wing to make myself lunch in the kitchen. I find
Ava and her au pair, Tanatswa, reciting spelling words in the
kitchen.
"Hazel!" Ava shouts jumping from her chair and running
towards me. I pick her up and tickle her. She's now in first
grade. I greet Tanatswa and then open the beverage fridge and
grab a raspberry flavoured Snapple.
"Mommy said we're eating out tonight." Ava says as I'm
preparing my salad.
"Oh really? Cool then." I say.
A few minutes later, the other siblings arrive with dad. Alden
throws his school bag on the floor and walks to the pantry. Asa
grabs a bottle of water and sits on one of the high chairs.
Shayane looks drained, shame poor thing. A-levels aren't a joke,
but at least it's her last year of high school.
"Tired?" I ask her.
"You don't know the half of it. I now regret taking chemistry."
she says and I laugh.
"Afternoon daddy." I say looking at him. Things between us
have been very tense ever since he found out I'm pregnant.
"Hazel." he says without even sparing me a glance and walks
away. Everyone turns to look at me with shocked expressions.
Dad has never dismissed me like that, it honestly hurts.
"Geez, what's up with dad? He's been acting weird ever since
yesterday when y'all arrived." Shayane says. I clear my throat
and blink away my tears.
"I wonder hey." I say. I grab my salad and juice and go back to
my room.
I chill at my balcony and eat whilst scrolling on my phone. A call
from my boyfriend Clinton comes through, I take a deep breath
and answer.
"Hazel, are you good babe? I saw your bimbo friend on campus
today. She said you're in Cape Town. What's up?" He's talking
about Thabile. I hate how he addresses her. I always tell him to
respect my friends. He's always nasty towards my black friends,
forgetting that I'm quarter black.
"Uhm yeah. I wasn't feeling well so my stepmom suggested I
should come home." I say.
We carry on conversing and eventually end the call. Clinton is
very narcissistic and racist. I still wonder what I saw in him. I've
been wanting to break up with him for a while now.
~~
I feel someone shaking me, I slowly open my eyes and it's
Shayane. I look around and find myself in bed with my Hockly's
Insolvency Law textbook open. My reading glasses are still on
my face. I can't believe I fell asleep, this baby is making me so
lazy.
"Sorry for waking you up, I just needed a favour." She says lying
next to me.
"Sure what's up?" I ask her as I yawn and stretch my arms. I
check the time and it's about to be 6pm.
"So I have a date with Kamo on Friday afternoon and I need you
to cover for me." she says. Kamo is her boyfriend. I'm the only
one who knows about him.
"Mmmhh, I'll make something up, you owe me though." Before
I could ask any further questions, my bedroom door opens. Oh
it's Ray. She comes in licking a popsicle.
"Girls. Is this girl talk? Let me join in." she says already removing
her shoes and getting on my bed. Shayane and I both keep
quiet.
"Geez, I don't bite you guys. So tell me, what are your
boyfriends' names? Hazel, who is he? Did you inform him?" I
already know what she's talking about.
"No I haven't, I'm waiting for the perfect time." I say, but in all
honesty I don't even know if I'm keeping the baby or not.
"Oh you better inform him soon. Your father wants to meet
him." Ray says. I just sigh. Thing is I'm not sure who's the baby's
father. It's between Clinton and Mtho, my best friend. Mtho and
I have had a few drunk nights together and one thing always
leads to another.
"Anyways, get ready girls. We're going out for dinner in ten
minutes." Ray says and kisses our cheeks before leaving.
"So it's true. You are pregnant!" Shayane says amused.
"Yes Shayane, and I don't know what's so amusing about that.
Who told you anyway?" I ask getting irritated.
"Calm your tits. I heard dad telling your mom on the phone this
morning. I just didn't think it was true." Oh no
not my mother. No wonder she didn't respond to my texts
today.
Fuck my life!
~~~
Lulo
I just got back from the library and I have such intense period
pains. I don't even have painkillers nor any snacks. I decide to
freshen up and uber to the nearest shopping centre.
I start at Clicks to buy painkillers and some self care essentials.
As I'm at the medication isle. I mistakenly bump someone
behind me.
"Oh xolo, I'm so sorry." I say turning around. It's a light-skinned
guy with very pink lips and small slanted blueish eyes. Okay he
looks coloured. He's wearing a gym attire with a cap. Umhle
ubhuti yuh! (the guy is handsome) We stare at each other for a
long time, before he shifts uncomfortably.
"Yeah yeah, can I pass now." he says sounding irritated. I take
back my words, he's fucking rude. Rhaa! I'm suddenly so pissed.
Fucking Trevor Noah looking twit thinks he can disrespect me. I
get what I need and pay. After that, I go to Spar and top up my
study and self-care snacks. I also added a few healthy stuff. I
then uber back to res.
When I arrive, I find Mthokozisi, Hazel's friend, outside my door.
The guy is doing his postgrad. I wonder what's he doing here.
"Hey Mtho, can I help you?" I ask as I unlock the door. We enter
the kitchen. I share a kitchen with my neighbour. I just have my
own bedroom and bathroom.
"Uhm hey, unjani four eyes."(how are you four eyes) Mtho says
teasing me. I just laugh.
"Mxm, I'm good. Are you okay?" I ask while I put the bags on
the counter.
"Eish, the thing is Hazel hasn't been responding to any of my
calls and messages. I also didn't find her at her place. What's
up, is she okay?" he says sounding concerned.
"Oh yeah, she's in Cape Town. I don't know if she told you, but
she's pregnant. So things have been a bit hectic." I say as I
unpack my stuff.
"Wait what, Hazel is pregnant? Uhm Lulo, thank you for your
time. I need to get going." he says and rushes out the door
quickly. Shuu, okay.
I then change into my pjs and sit in bed while watching movies
on my favourite illegal website.
At Virgin Active
Mthokozisi is taking out all of his anger and frustration on the
punching bag. He's thinking about Hazel and how much he's
been trying to express his love for her. Hearing that she's
pregnant, infuriated him even more. He hates that white guy
even more now.
Xolani touches his shoulder and tells him to take it easy.
"Haibo ndoda. It's enough manje." Xolani tells his friend.
Mtho clicks his tongue, takes off his gloves and roughly puts
them in his bag. He grabs his gym bag and rushes out of the
gym. He enters his Polo gti, takes out his burner phone and
contemplates on whether or not to call Hazel.
"Fuck this." he say's already dialling her number. She answers
after a couple of rings.
"Hello? Hellooo? Geez talk already."'she says. All of his anger
immediately melts upon hearing her high pitched, breathy
voice. He clears his throat before talking.
"Hazel. How are you?" he says calmly in his raspy voice.
"Mtho! Look, I'm not ignoring you or anything. I just..." she says
quickly before Mtho interrupts her.
"Hazel ngithe unjani. Angikbuzanga wonke loyombhedo." (Hazel
I said how are you. I didn't ask you all of that nonsense.) Mtho
says. Hazel just keeps quiet, probably because she can hardly
understand what he's saying. She only knows less than ten Zulu
words.
"Mtho I'm scared. I'm trying hard to stay away from you okay.
You know what happens when we're together. I know Clinton is
a dick, but I can't keep on doing this to him." she takes a deep
breath and speaks softly. "Mthokozisi I'm pregnant and there's a
possibility that you might be the father. Please understand
where I'm coming from." Hazel blurts out. She's also wondering
how she gained the courage to utter all of that.
Mtho immediately hangs up and sits in the car shocked at the
revelation. He can't possibly bring a child into his fucked up life.
Well, if the child is his.
3
Hazel
It's Friday afternoon and I'm supposed to be driving Shay to her
date. I've been experiencing crazy morning sickness for the past
two days, and I'm in no mood to leave my room. My mother
and I got into a heated argument on the phone yesterday.
Long story short, she called me "pathetic" and threatened to
cut me off until I start realising the consequences of my actions.
I don't even know how I'll survive with the R20k dad sends me. I
don't even earn a lot of money from brands.
Another problem, is the whole Mtho and Clinton situation.
Deep down I wish the baby is Mtho's, but there's a high chance
that Clinton's the father. This is honestly so stressful. I was
initially on mirena and it didn't work. So here I am, pregnant
and not sure who the father of my child is.
Well on Tuesday, I told Clinton that I need a break. He started
telling me bullshit about us being "forever" and that I won't
survive without him. If this baby is his, I bet I won't even tell
him. I swear his ego is bigger than his dick.
Mtho on the other hand, has been scarce. I can't wait to get
back to Joburg so we can properly talk. I miss him so much.
My relationship with Mtho started back in first year, when he
used to sell exam papers to me. Mtho was well connected and I
never studied, so it was a win win. From there onwards we
developed a very complicated friendship that was filled with
lots of sexual tension.
~~
I'm watching an episode of Family Guy while doing my makeup.
I need a smoke as in yesterday, this pregnancy thing is such an
inconvenience.
I'm wearing a cream, crotchet two piece outfit from the
collection my manager sent me. I pair it with white Bottega
Veneta heels.
I need to take pictures in all of these cute revealing outfits
before I start showing. I also have to let my agent know that I'm
expecting.
I stand in front of the mirror and let my curls loose. I recently
dyed my hair ginger. I spray some perfume and grab my purse. I
take some mirror selfies for my instagram and then go to Shay's
room.
I find her applying mascara infront of the mirror. She's dressed
in a miniskirt and a cute top, paired with Rick owens. I'm pretty
sure those are mine. She always takes my stuff when I'm not
here.
She asked me to straighten her hair and it looks good.
"MY shoes look soo good on you. You might as well take all of
them." I say sarcastically, startling her.
"Oh good, you're here. I knew they'd go well with this fit, I'm
keeping them by the way." she says, grabbing her saddle bag. I
roll my eyes. I don't even have the energy to argue with her.
"You're such an ass, let's go." I say walking out of her room.
~~
We get to the other wing of the house. We see dad and Ray
sitting at the porch with uncle Tevin and his wife Penelope. Flip!
I was hoping they wouldn't see us leaving.
We wave at them and attempt to walk away, but Ray calls us
over. Darn it! We walk to the porch and find them sitting on the
outdoor couches, overlooking the beach and having drinks.
They are also playing board games. I'd never do this on a Friday,
I'd rather be out clubbing.
"So you girls were going to leave the house just like that?
Without telling anyone that you're on your way out?" Ray asks
us. She's resting her feet on dad's lap and he's giving her a foot
massage.
"I was going to send you a text." I say, and turn my attention to
Uncle Tevin and his wife.
"Hi Buddy, hi Penny." I really love these two, they're the cutest.
Uncle Tevin is dad's youngest sibling. Penny is in her late
twenties and she's also a model. Another reason why her and I
get along.
Shay also greets them. They both smile at us and ask us the
usual.
After talking to them, we then attempt to walk away, but dad
stops us. I internally roll my eyes. He's been tense throughout
the whole week. At least he's kind of talking to me again.
"Where are you two going?" he asks while sipping on his scotch.
"We're going to V&A, we just wanted to spend time together
before I leave." I say, sounding sincere. I don't even know why
I'm doing the explaining. Miss "date" should be the one coming
up with lies.
Dad looks at Ray and she nods.
"Okay
I'll be driving you two there. I just don't understand this whole
Jezebel couture you two have going on. Especially you Hazel,
aren't you supposed to be investing in a new wardrobe." he
says, looking at me. Shay laughs. I swear she laughs at the
dumbest things. I also can't believe he indirectly insulted our
outfits.
"Love no, don't be like that. They look good to me. Plus Hazel
has always dressed like this and you've never had a problem.
Don't start acting different. Hazel, please use one of my cars
instead, I think your father forgot he has things to do." Ray says,
shutting dad up.
Thank goodness. I love it when Ray tames him. We walk
off leaving dad complaining. I grab Ray's BMW keys and off we
go.
~~~
I just left Shay with her boyfriend at Harbour House. I didn't
think it was a serious date. I honestly thought they were going
to the movies or some dumb ish. I guess we move with times. I
told her to call me when they're ready to leave.
I decide to do some fragrance and makeup shopping. I also get
shoes for Jade and Nicole. I swear they're going to bow to me.
Lulo doesn't really like them. She says they're using me. I
honestly couldn't care less if they're using me or not.
I just like their company and the attention they give me.
I mean they're always sucking up to me.
~~~
Lulo
I'm in Thabile's room and she's helping me find an outfit. Ever
since I lost some weight, I haven't done proper shopping. I
didn't lose massive weight but I managed to tone here and
there.
Thabile and I thought it was a great idea for us to go out,
especially after that horrifying test we wrote. Thabile is actually
one of Hazel's friends. We're both doing the same course and
our personalities just gel. She's also a Durban girly.
"Lulo how about this one, it's actually one of my favourites, I
hardly wear it though." she says, holding out the black and grey
mesh dress. I'm not too sure about this one. Thabile is also thick
like me, she just has a small waist. I swear she has the most
perfect body.
"It looks okay." I say, giving her a tight smile. She giggles and
rolls her eyes.
"It's not that revealing kodwa oe. Just try it on and see if you
like it ke." she says forcing it in my hands. I change in front of
her with her eyes glued on me.
I look at myself through the mirror and I'm shocked.I won't lie it
looks good.
Who am I kidding, it's amazing! It shows off my curves and love
handles so well. It's also not too revealing, it covers my most
intimate parts.
I feel so confident. I'm wearing shapewear undies to suck my
tummy in.
"Wow!" Thabile says. I suddenly feel shy. Dineo, her roommate
comes in. She's been cooking and doing laundry for her
boyfriend. Just being a typical res wife. I honestly feel sorry for
some girls hey.
"Ooouuu, this is kinda cute. You even lost weight sdudla." She
says touching me.
That sounded so backhanded. I just smile at her and turn to the
annoyed Thabile . These two hardly get along. They make me
appreciate staying alone.
~~~
At Konka Soweto
Lulonke and Thabile are at the bar having jägerbombs. They
decided to dress up and play with other kids tonight. They've
already declined about two table invites from "ballers".
"Weh oe, uthi iyahlangana nje imali ye Moët?" (Do we think
have enough money for Moët?) Thabile whispers into Lulo's ear.
"We're left with about 1k, that should be enough for a bottle of
vodka." Lulo whispers to Thabile. They both burst out laughing,
gaining weird looks from the bartender and the people next to
them.
~~
At the VIP section. Yemi and a few friends are also out to
celebrate Ebu's engagement. Ebu and his long term girlfriend
Zinhle recently got engaged after years of being together.
Yemi stands up and excuses himself. It's way too noisy and
irritating for him. Especially these girls throwing themselves at
him.
~~
He walks to the bar area to get himself a drink, just to clear his
head.
"Adeyemi is this you?" a soft voice says behind him. He turns
around and sees a familiar face. He smiles.
"Oh it's Lulo.Ray's little sister" he remembers. She's basically
like a sister to him.
Next to her is Thabile who briefly waves at him and carries on
taking videos of herself.
"Lulo. How are you sista mi?" he asks hugging her. But his eyes
are glued on Thabile.
"Jesus, she dey fine!" he thinks.
"I'm okay. I just saw a familiar face and wanted to say hi." she
says.
"Oh, why don't you and your friend follow me. I can't let my
little sister sit here with vultures staring at her while I'm
around." Yemi says, hoping they say yes. He's obviously taken
by Thabile.
After settling their bill, the girls walk with Yemi to the VIP
section.
~~~
Lulo
Thabile and I are walking with Yemi to where his other friends
are. I hope Ebu isn't here. I've been ignoring him for a while
now. I was honestly tired of being toyed around with.
Yemi has been staring at Thabi's ass, as we're walking . I did say
she has a killer body. It's honestly weird though, I take Yemi as
an older brother. It would be weird if he tried anything with her.
We get to the VIP section and to my disappointment, Ebu's also
there.
Yhu thixo!
He stares at me with his eyes wide open. Yemi then introduces
us to the others. Can this night just end.
4
Often it's the deepest pain which empowers you to grow into
your highest self. – Tamara Kulish.
Lulo
Not Ebubechukwu ignoring me in front of his friends. I swear
the twitter girlies were right about Yoruba men. After a year of
gaslighting me and toying with my feelings, he does this? He
didn't even spare me a glance when we sat with them.
So on Friday night it was said that Ebu recently got engaged.
Him and his friends were actually out to celebrate his
engagement. What's worse is that him and the girl have beeeen
together, way before him and I met.
I feel so pathetic, I can't believe I allowed myself to be caught
up in such a mess. Everything is now starting to make sense. All
the red flags were there, but I chose to view them as pink flags.
I mean explain why we always had to meet up at hotels and not
his place. He also never wanted to cuddle after sex.
"Lulonke men will leave you in the desert with no water. I'm just
glad that things didn't get serious between you two. I saw how
he used to look at you and I warned you. Didn't I? Lulo older
guys tend to be like that. You could have at least dated a boy
your age." Ray says after my vent session. She can't be serious. I
don't need a lecture right now. I needed someone to talk to and
she was the only person that made sense.
"It's fine Ray. I just want to close this whole chapter." I sniff.
"Take care, I love you okay?"
"I love you too." I reply.
"Let me go and see what these children are making noise
about. I'll call you later okay." she says and then hangs up.
I wipe my tears and grab my copy of Hlomu The End on my
pedestal.
~~~
Hazel
"This is so good bro, I swear I'm going to finish this food alone."
I say with a mouthful. I'm having some of Mtho's dumbling and
stew. His mother definitely knows her way around the kitchen.
"Eat Hazel. You need to start eating real food now. You can't be
feeding little nugget these smoothies you like." Mtho says. I just
melt, I really hope this baby is his.
"How was home anyway?" he asks kissing my bare feet. We're
currently in his car, we're parked in the parking lot at Fourways
mall. I take a sip of the juice and sigh.
"It was okay I guess. Dad spent a lot of time at the vineyard
working. He was also very cold and distant. I guess he's really
disappointed." I say.
"Let's hope he comes around. I want to pay damages soon." he
says. Oh I remember Lulo telling me about this whole
"damages" topic.
"Shouldn't we wait until the baby's born? We're not sure if it's
yours remember." I say.
"This is my child Hazel. O Gatsheni showed me in my dreams"
he says.
"Who's that?" I ask, genuinely confused. He laughs.
"My little miss England. O Gatsheni are my ancestors." he says,
poking my nose.
"Ohhhhh." I say.
"Nyooww." he imitates me. I push his shoulder and he laughs.
"You're not funny Mtho." I fold my arms.
"Manje ukwatile mama ka nugget? I'm sorry ke. I'll buy you that
ice cream you like. What's it called konje?" he asks. I try keeping
a straight face but I fail. I just blush.
"It's Haagen Dazs and I want two of them." I say.
"Okay. Now can I get a kiss?" he says bringing his face closer to
mine. I almost fold.
"Stop Mtho
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I'm not your girl remember." I say pushing his face away. He
then scoffs.
"Oh really, but you don't say that when I make you climax and
scream my name." he says looking at me intensely. I swallow my
saliva and look the other way.
He just laughs and unlocks the car doors.
~~~
Mtho
After dropping Hazel off at her place, I drove straight to
Helderwyk, my parents house.
I find two of our taxis being washed outside. I park my car and
greet the drivers. My father is in the taxi business.
I enter the house with MaDlamini's tupperware. I find her in the
kitchen humming a gospel song.
"Mfazi ka Gatsheni." (My father's wife) I say hugging her. She
smiles and pinches my ear.
"Ufunani la, shouldn't you be at school?" (What are you doing
here?) she asks.
"Hawu ma, I'm doing my postgrad. It's not as hectic." I say,
grabbing a biscuit.
A while later, my father enters the house with my little sister
uNqobile.
"Hi Mtho, bye Mtho!" She says running upstairs.
"Mfana. What brings you here?" My father asks looking at me.
"Sawubona Gatsheni, there's something important I need to
discuss with you." I say and he frowns.
"Khuluma phela." (Talk then) he says.
"Can you please sit down. Le ndaba inzima Gatsheni." I say. He
sits down and looks at me intensely.
"Eh, ngimithisile Gatsheni." (I got someone pregnant) I say
facing down. I'm shitting myself right now.
"Hawe ma!" MaDlamini exclaims.
Next thing I feel a hard slap on my right cheek. Fuck!
5
Lulo
I'm lying in bed while stalking this Zinhle hun, Ebubechukwu's
fiancée. Umhle yena andifuni uxoka.(She's beautiful I won't lie).
I can't really fault her. Her content screams soft girl. The holiday
content, the "cooking for my man" vlogs, the luxury unboxings,
basically everything. Another picture of her wearing a white
versace robe appears. Lmao the streets call it the jollofina
uniform.
A knock comes through my door. I grunt. Abantu bayadika yhu! I
just wanted to spend my Saturday evening in peace.
"Come in!" I shout.
A very excited Hazel enters with Thabile behind her. I just laugh
because I didn't expect them.
Hazel throws herself at me and floods my face with kisses.
"Happy birthday marshmallow!" she says in her high pitched
voice, she also hands me a small Gucci shopping bag. I wonder
what's inside.
Yep, today is my birthday. I just spent the day lost in my newest
read and feeding my cravings.
"Hbd ke sisi love you loads." Thabile says hugging me and we
both laugh. Hazel doesn't catch on, she looks at us confused.
That makes it even more funnier.
"We wanted to have a girls night out but your sister's husband
fetched my cars. He got me a driver, imagine a whole me being
babysat." Hazel says opening my bar fridge.
"Damn. Sorry." I don't know what to say. Hazel is not someone
you can relate to. Her problems are not the same as everyone
else's.
"Don't you have Snapple here? I don't like this juice." she says
taking out my liqui fruit.
"No I don't princess." I say sarcastically. She rolls her eyes at me
and then drinks the juice straight from the carton. I'm defeated.
"Get ready quickly, we're going out with Mtho and his friend."
Thabile says. I don't mind going out, as long as it's not with
Hazel's bratty friends.
~~~
About 30 minutes later, we're at the Engen around the corner
waiting for Mtho and his friend. We walked here.
"Bathong Hazel, where are your people? It's getting dark and
it's certainly not safe for girls like us. Even the weather is
changing." Thabile says. She actually has a point. The petrol
attendants are already making us uncomfortable with their
stares and remarks. I hate men who cat call women. One of
them said he'd have me all day and night, absolutely disgusting.
I even regret wearing these leggings.
"Chill you guys, they're a few minutes away." Hazel says, typing
on her phone.
After 5 minutes or so, Mtho's red golf GTI appears speeding.
Deep house music is bursting loudly through his speakers,
gaining him stares. He parks next to us and comes out. Hazel
rushes to him and he picks her up, grabbing her ass. He kisses
her cheek and puts her down. Thabile and I turn to each other.
Are we we missing something?
"Hey Thabz. Happy birthday four eyes, I'm sorry I couldn't get
you anything." Mtho says hugging me. I titter and smile.
"It's okay, thanks Mtho." I reply.
Mtho eventually drives off after a lot of bickering between
Hazel and his friend. Hazel wanted to take the front passenger
seat and the guy wasn't having it. Hazel threw a fit and Mtho
had no choice but to ask his friend to sit at the back.
"So it's your birthday today? Happy birthday beautiful." Mtho's
friend says with a genuine smile. We're sitting next to each
other, I'm between him and Thabile. He introduced himself as
Xolani.
"Enkosi Xolani."(Thank you Xolani) I say.
"Oh I didn't know ba uyathetha." He says lifting his eyebrow at
me.
"Well now you know." I say and he smiles. He then goes on his
phone. He's a good looking boy I won't lie.
Hazel is playing music from her phone and she keeps on
changing the song before it finishes. Everyone starts
complaining.
"Since it started raining, kuyiwaphi?" (where are we going?)
Mtho asks lowering the volume. Haibo njani, don't these people
have a plan?
"I was thinking we vay to my pozi, my-" Xolani says and Thabile
interjects.
"Perfect!"
"Okay so your pozi it is then." Mtho says and increases the
volume again.
"Haike Haike Haike!" Thabile goes crazy singing along to the
song that's playing.
~~~
After some time, we arrive at a white house looking place. It's a
mansion and a half. We park in the driveway and see two other
cars. Xolani cusses.
"My brothers and their friends are here, I hope you guys don't
mind." Xolani says. Everyone agrees that it's okay.
Xolani leads us to the huge mahogany door. We enter the huge
ass house with me and Thabile admiring everything. Of course
Hazel has been here. These are her kind of vibes.
I see pictures of his family in the hallway. Oh
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looks like the dad is one of the national cabinet members.
There's also a picture of his family with the president. I also
spot a potrait of some guy who plays for the national rugby
team. Look at me rubbing shoulders with important people.
We hear voices as we approach the sitting area. We find three
guys playing pool. It's the rugby guy, some white guy, and...wait,
it's that rude coloured dude I bumped into at Clicks. They all
stare at us.
"Mbulelo niyangxola bruh." (Y'all are making noise) Xolani says.
Oh now I remember the rugby guy's name.
"Little bro! Mthozi, howzit brews?" the Mbulelo guy asks. He
sounds like a typical whitewashed guy. The accent speaks
volumes. His eyes are glued on Hazel.
"I see you brought stocko gents." Another guy says appearing
behind us. He looks like Xolani and Mbulelo. I bet it's their
brother. The look he's giving me makes me uncomfortable.
"Easy man, these are my homies." Xolani says.
"I'm just saying man, this is the type you fuck and settle with.
I'm talking marriage." the guy says keeping his eyes on me. I'm
so uncomfortable.
"Enough Daluxolo, can't you see that the poor girl is
uncomfortable!" the coloured guy says. Thixo! His deep
baritone is doing things to me.
~~~
Ebubechukwu
This bitch blocked me. I've been trying to call her and text her
but nothing goes through. I was even doing her a favour by
making her my side. She's definitely fucking up my plans. I still
need her for that ritual.
"Baby! Are you even listening?" Zinhle disturbs me from my
thoughts.
"Zinhle! Make you no vex me! Abeg!" I shout.
"How dare you talk to me like that! I'm not one of your hoes,
uyezwa!" she shouts back.
"Zinhle! I go land you slap now now!" I say standing up.
"Wow! Fuck you Ebubechukwu!" she bangs the bedroom door
crying. I chuckle and shake my head.
"Enjoy your cry mumu!" I shout.
I'm not worried about this one. I'll just buy her a designer bag
and then I know I'm forgiven. I'm just stressing about Lulonke,
she can't mess up my plans like that.
~~~
Lulo
Mahlubandile is his name. A very gorgeous man! The more I
stare at him, the more butterflies erupt inside of me. He's very
observant, he doesn't talk much. He only talked to me when he
offered me a cider and wished me a happy birthday.
Thabile is also going crazy over him. She's been whispering how
she's going to bag him. I can't help but feel jealous. She actually
does stand a chance, more than me actually. We're currently
playing monopoly. I'm so over this, I'm not really a fan of board
games.
"Chubby cheeks doesn't talk much, does she?" Keegan, the
white guy asks looking at me. These guys are actually cool, you
wouldn't say that they are nepo babies.
"She doesn't talk much, she's a lady." Xolani says putting his
arm around me. I just smile and excuse myself to the downstairs
guest bathroom.
I open the bathroom door without knocking. I immediately
regret it. I find Hazel on her knees giving Mtho head, they both
turn to look at me. I quickly shut the door. I'm really traums.
What the hell is going on between these two? First I heard him
referring to her baby as his. Wait at a minute... is he the baby
daddy?
"Birthday girl, are you okay?" A voice says behind me. I turn
around and realise it's Mahlubandile. I only realise then that I'm
lost in the hallway.
"Oh I'm good, I just needed the restroom but it's kind of
occupied." I say avoiding his eyes.
"Hmm, follow me." he says touching my shoulder. I swear I just
felt some typa way when he touched me. An electric feeling.
We walk to another direction.
"You look kind of familiar, have we met?" he asks all of sudden.
"We kind of bumped into each other at Clicks in Newtown
Junction." I say. Damn, I answered that so quickly. He probably
thinks I'm obsessed.
"Oh damn! You were the clumsy girl who stepped on my shoes.
We meet again." he says amused.
"And you were the rude twit." I say and he bursts into laughter.
"Oh sorry. I was just having a bad day. If it makes you feel better,
I looked for you in the store to apologise. Unfortunately I didn't
find you." he says with a smile. Goodness, those pink lips!
We then stop at a white door.
"Our journey ends here, you can use this bathroom." he says.
"Thank you." I respond.
"It was nice talking to you Lulonke, don't get lost again." he says
touching my shoulder and walks away. Fuck! That feeling again!
6
Hazel
"This is really stressful. She hasn't confronted me about what
happened last night." I say in frustration.
Lulo hasn't said anything about what she saw occur between
Mtho and I, at X's house last night. It's really frustrating because
I don't know what she's thinking. I don't want her assuming the
worst.
"What could she possibly say, any fool can see that you are
mine. You can't keep lying to yourself. What are you going to do
when nugget is born?" Mtho says making a turn. I roll my eyes.
We're in a segregated area, going on our usual Sunday night
drive.
A call from his father comes through, pausing the music. He
looks at it and declines.
"Why did you decline?" I ask.
"Hazel my father isn't exactly thrilled about us having a child. I
don't want you hearing something that might hurt your
feelings." he says. I heave a sigh and get busy with my phone.
As I'm texting my older brother Junior. I hear gunshots. I realise
that someone is shooting at Mtho's car. I attempt to look back
but Mtho quickly pushes my head down.
"Ouch!" I exclaim.
"Get down Hazel! NOW!" he roars. I quickly obey and move my
seat down. There's also gunshots coming from the front. I really
can't die like this.
Mtho grabs a gun from the glovebox. I widen my eyes.
"Dial my father now!" he says. I dial his father immediately
without any questions. He looks really scary right now. His
father answers after one ring.
"Gatsheni I'm cornered." He says. He's speeding and dodging
the bullets. I feel so sick, I swear I'm going to vomit.
"Damnit! They attacked Mfundo as well. Drive here
immediately, I'll make a plan!" his father says before hanging
up.
Mtho starts shooting back with his one hand on the steering
wheel. He hits the car in front of us and it swerves away,
crashing to the opposite direction. Oh God! Who is this,
because it's certainly not the Mtho I know. I've never been so
scared.
After what felt like eternity, Mtho finally loses them. I breathe
out. He drives into an estate, gaining stares from the security
guards at the gate. I'm pretty sure his car is fucked up.
"Mtho what the hell was that!?" I shout.
"Not now Hazel! I'm already dealing with so much! I don't need
you nagging right now!" he shouts. Tears immediately make
their way to my eyes. I stare out the window. I can't believe he
put my life in danger and still has the balls to shout at me.
We get to a highly secured house. It's beautiful but not like
home.
Mtho gets out and comes to my side, opening the door for me.
"Come, follow me." he says, avoiding my eyes. I get out and fix
my dress. I follow him towards the glass door.
We enter the lounge and eyes are immediately on us. It looks
like his family. I can't believe he brought me to his parents
house, he should have just dropped me off at my place. A short
woman who's dressed in a kaftan dress rushes to us.
"My boy, uright?" she asks touching Mtho's face. Oh so this is
the famous MaDlamini who's been preparing his meals. She's
beautiful.
"And you my dear, are you okay?" she asks with a warm smile,
brushing my arm. I return the smile and nod. She seems nice.
"Come sit down
I'll prepare you two something to eat." she says. Yes! I'm
famished. I need a good meal and a good rest. I'm so mad at
Mtho for everything.
Mtho makes me sit next to him on the couch and greets
everyone else. There's a couple seated on the couch opposite
ours. There's also a girl who looks like she's in her teens. A man,
who I've assumed is his father, has his eyes on me.
"Hi everyone." I say awkwardly. They all look at each other and
keep quiet.
"In this home we don't greet like that ntombazane. We greet
with respect!" the father says. Did I say something wrong? Why
is he shouting?
"Baba easy on her okay. She's not familiar with our way of doing
things." Mtho says holding my hand. I want to pull away, but I
don't want to cause unnecessary eyes.
His father shakes his head and walks away. The couple smiles at
me.
"Hey I'm Mfundo, Mthokozisi's elder brother. It's unfortunate
we're meeting in such circumstances." the man says smiling.
"Hi I'm Boipelo, Mfundo's wife. I can't believe we finally meet
Mtho's girlfriend" the woman next to him says.
"Oh no, Mtho and I aren't together. I'm Hazel by the way, his
friend." I say with a smile.
They both look at Mtho and laugh. What's so funny?
Mtho's mother and a woman who I assume is their helper, bring
our food. My tummy starts grumbling.
~~~
About an hour later, I'm sitting with Mtho's mother and his
sister in-law Boipelo. Mtho left with his father and brother a
few minutes ago. He said it's something that has to do with
business. He also said we'll talk properly when he comes back.
His mother is looking at me with a smile on her face. Okay this
is kind of awkward. I've been smiling for such a long time, my
cheeks are starting to hurt.
"So where are you from Hazel? Your accent doesn't sound
South African." Boipelo says breaking the ice.
"Oh uhm, I'm from the UK. I grew up there all my life. My
father's side of the family is based here though." I say.
Boipelo and MaDlamini look at each other and communicate
with their eyes.
"Oh wow! And how exactly did you and Mthoko happen. Don't
take offence, but I know my son. He's very rough around the
edges and you are just different." MaDlamini says politely. I give
her an awkward smile.
"What Ma is saying, is that you're very barbie like, whereas
Mtho is a hood guy." Boipelo says. O-kay. How do I respond to
that.
"Mtho and I happened to get along, we've had an amazing
friendship ever since." I say. I'm so over this interrogation.
"Hmm, friends who get each other pregnant. This generation is
something else." MaDlamini stands up shaking her head and
walks away.
"Ma is just pulling your leg, she likes you already. Now tell me
about this "friendship" you and Mtho have going on." Boipelo
says shifting closer to me. I just giggle. I like her, she sounds fun.
7
Hazel
It's been two weeks since the shooting incident. I have so many
questions but Mtho isn't willing to answer them truthfully. He
just lies and lies. He's also been having secret conversations on
some burner phone he has. When I confront him about
everything, he tells me he doesn't owe me an explanation
because I'm not his girlfriend. This has caused so much tension
between us in the past two weeks.
It's April recess and I honestly need the break. I don't really like
school, the only reason I studied law was to please my mother.
Dad also has high expectations, another reason why he and my
older brother disagree a lot.
Well dad expects Junior to take over Wellesley Wineries &
Vineyards, but Junior is not about that. He studied film and
drama and he loves acting. He got a huge acting gig in Italy and
everyone was happy for him except for dad. Very weird
parenting I must say.
~~~
Mtho and I are currently on a flight to Cape Town. Mtho's father
has been pestering him about paying damages. I thought it's
fair that Mtho meets my dad before the whole thing.
"Do you want a muffin or any snacks?" Mtho says as he looks at
the snacks menu. We haven't been talking as much as we
usually do. I'm also pissed at the fact that we're flying economy.
Couldn't he at least get us business class tickets.
"No I don't want snacks Mthokozisi, I need you to shut up!" I
say.
He chortles and shakes his head. The lady in between us
giggles. I give her the nastiest look and look out the window.
About two hours later, we touch down in Cape Town. Mtho gets
a rental car and drives us to the hotel he booked.
At the reception I realise he booked us a single room. Oh well, I
guess I'll be sleeping home tonight. I'm definitely not
Mthokozisi's play thing.
~~~
About an hour later, we're driving home. I feel so nervous and
sick. I swear nobody talks about how crazy jetlag is when you're
pregnant. Mtho is holding my hand as we're driving there.
I honestly don't have the energy for his lying ass. I love him
though, so much. I'm just scared to admit it. I've seen how
Mtho treats the girls he's been with. I can't help but hold back
and not give myself fully to him.
"You have arrived at your destination." that's the gps waking me
up. I open my eyes and realise that we're outside the high walls
of home.
We get to the gate and the guards recognise me. They ask for
Mtho's proof of identity and cellphone numbers. They search
the car and finally give us the go ahead. Dad is really insane for
all these security measures.
"Fuck, is your father a gangster or something. Why so much
security?" Mtho says as he parks next to Ray's Rolls Royce. This
means they're home, thank goodness.
We enter the house with Mtho carrying lilies for Ray and a
bottle of scotch for dad. I wonder why he bothered, he's just a
baby daddy not my boyfriend. We find auntie Juan and
another helper in the main lounge. Auntie Juan tells me dad
and Ray are in their bedroom. She offers Mtho refreshments as
I go and call them.
I finally get to the third floor, I walk straight to the main
bedroom and knock. Ray shouts for me to come in. I open the
double doors and find her having a fruit salad whilst watching
tv. Dad is on the phone like always, he just waves at me with a
confused expression on his face.
"Doll face! What a nice surprise. Why didn't you tell us you
wanted to come home?" Ray says walking up to me. She also
gives me a hug.
"Hey. I actually came with someone. We need to talk to you and
dad." I say. She looks at me and nods.
"Well let me change into something more appropriate." she
brushes my arm and disappears to what I assume is the closet.
She's currently dressed in denim shorts and a bra top.
I've actually never been in here. It's a beautiful bedroom
incorporated with both Ray and dad's styles. I wander my eyes
around admiring the room. I immediately regret it when I spot
leather handcuffs and a flogger on the floating pedestal. Geez!
these two are freaky. There's also a huge picture of them
topless. In the picture, Ray has her naked back facing the
camera and dad is holding her. Gosh! I need to get out of here
before I faint.
~~~
Lulo
"Do you think Hlubi will be there because Xolani's brother is
also coming?" Thabile asks. I internally roll my eyes. Everything
has been about "Hlubi" for these past two weeks. We're
currently in a bolt ride on our way to the Wits and NWU rugby
match. We're going there to support Xolani because he plays for
the varsity team.
"Nyubi this Nyubi that, khawume kancinci Thabile! Yerr!" I say.
Thabile looks at me with such shock. The driver also looks back .
"Haibo oe, are you okay?" Thabile asks. I heave a sigh.
"Uhm, I'm so sorry Thabz, I'm just frustrated about leaving for
home tomorrow." I lie. The truth is, I've been so frustrated by
the fact that my friend and I are interested in the same guy.
"Shame man
don't stress much about it." she says. I give her a fake smile.
~~~
We get to the rugby stadium and immediately take our seats.
Xolani is really good, I guess it runs in the family.
Thabile is talking to some girls next to us, meanwhile I'm
focusing on the match while snacking on some biltong.
Someone taps my shoulder. I look back and I realise it's
Daluxolo, Xolani's brother. Next to him there's Mahlubandile. I
guess Thabile's prayers have been answered.
Thabile notices Mahlubandile and she gets excited. She
immediately sits next to him. The girls she was talking to are
now all over Daluxolo. I stand up, grabbing my sling bag and tell
Thabile I'll be back. I can't bare the sight of her and the guy I
met first, laughing together. Mahlubandile's eyes follow me as I
walk away.
As I'm about to exit the stadium, someone grabs my arm. God,
that feeling again. I can smell his intoxicating woody scent.
"Lulonke. Did we make you uncomfortable?" Mahlubandile asks
in his deep baritone. He looks perplexed.
"Oh no you didn't, I just needed to be away from the crowd." I
say giving him my most convincing smile. He stares at me with
those blue eyes and nods.
"Trust me I understand. Your friend is very...open, huh?" he says
scrunching his nose. I can't help but laugh. He looks so cute
doing that.
"Thabile really likes you Mahlubandile. Don't tell her I told you
though." I say adjusting my eye glasses. I do this whenever I'm
nervous. He raises one eyebrow,
"She's beautiful I guess, but no. I don't think I'd ever see your
friend in that manner" he says looking into my eyes. This guy
makes me sweat God! He's got a Jeremy Meeks kind of charm.
He's a walking sin I tell you.
My phone vibrates indicating an incoming message. I take it out
of my bag and read the message. The message makes my
insides turn cold immediately.
Unknown: You better start running sweetie. You're Ebu's least
favourite person right now. He already has you followed. He has
a lot in store for you baby girl. No body just leaves unless he
says so. Stay safe though.
My heart starts beating. I put my phone in my bag and walk
away leaving Mahlubandile.
"Lulonke!" he calls out for me. I speed up my pace. The only
thing on my mind right now is leaving this place.
~~~
Ray
"Thank you for welcoming me into your home Mr and Mrs
Wellesley. Have a great evening." The Mthokozisi boy says.
"Of course Mthokozisi, you're basically family now. And please,
it's just Ray." I say with a smile on my face. I turn to Quinton and
he just acknowledges him with his head.
He gets in the car and drives off. Quinton shuts the door and
kisses me intensely, leaving me dizzy. oookay. I wonder what's
wrong with him, he's been acting strange ever since he met
Hazel's baby daddy.
I haven't seen Shayane and Alden since the morning. They are
angry that Quinton didn't allow them to go out this weekend.
We just can't risk it.
It's currently bed time for Ava, so I go and tuck her in. When
she's finally asleep I go to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. I
find Hazel deep in thought.
"What's on your mind?" I startle her. She releases a breath and
looks at me.
"You know Mtho and I were attacked some time ago. I'm talking
gunshots." she says.
"My goodness! Are you okay? What happened?" I ask shocked.
"I guess I'm okay. He just won't tell me why it happened. He
always avoids my questions or just lies." she says before walking
away.
This is honestly concerning. This boy better not risk Hazel and
her unborn child's life. The people Hazel associates herself with
are very concerning. I could just tell from the way he carries
himself and the way dresses, that something is definitely up
with him.
I'm currently doing my night skincare. Quinton is putting Asa to
bed, he's autistic so he still requires assistance when he needs
to go to bed.
I finish up and get out of the bathroom. I find Quinton pacing
around next to the bed.
"What's wrong with you today, you've been too quiet for my
liking." I say removing the pillows off the bed.
"MaKunene this whole thing is messed up. Can you believe that
this boy is that barbaric Zulu bustard's son." he says. I widen my
eyes. "Wait what?!"
"Yes, the father of Hazel's child is the son of the man who's
stepping on my fucking toes." wait this is so confusing.
"You mean to tell me that Mthokozisi is Vusi Ndlovu's son? I
thought it was just a common surname!" I say. God! this is
really messed up. Everything Hazel said comes to mind. Oh noo!
"Gosh Quinton! Tell me you're not the one who's involved in the
shootout Hazel was caught up in." I say hoping he says no. He
looks at me with a shocked expression.
"Wait! Hazel was with him that night ?" he asks getting
frustrated. The veins on his forehead start popping out.
"Wow Wellesley Wow!" I say getting into bed and immediately
face the other way.
This Ndlovu person has been a threat to the logistics company
Quinton owns. He stole about five of their trucks. Quinton's
stubborn ass had some of their taxis set alight in return. From
there on, we've been looking over our shoulders. I find this
whole war they have going on is very dumb. It's also putting all
of our lives at risk. Quinton better fix this.
8
•Continued
Lulo
Ebu is really insane. I can't believe he could be having me
followed. I'm leaving for easter break tomorrow, but I'm not
even sure if I'll enjoy my holiday.
I'm at the Nandos in Parktown. I came straight to this spot
because I couldn't be around Thabile and them. I'd be such bad
company. I also can't stand the sight of Thabile flirting with
"Hlubi".
I finish my boujee bowl and Coke and then dispose the empty
containers in the bin.
As I'm on the sidewalk about to request a ride back to res. A
black Mercedes hoots and stops next to me. The passenger
window rolls down and Mahlubandile's face appears. What is
he doing here? He looks pissed.
"Get in." he says in an authoritative tone. Tshii! Is he talking to
me. I sarcastically look around me.
"Lulonke please get inside, I have somewhere to be." he says in
a softer tone.
"I'm good, I'll manage. I never asked for a lift mos." I say folding
my arms. I'm dying to enter his car, but I won't act desperate.
(sighs)"Mami asseblief. Allow me to take you home." he says. O-
kay, internal screaming Lulo, internal screaming!
I keep a straight face and open the front passenger door. I enter
the car and put on the seat belt. He looks at me and chuckles.
He drives off immediately. The car smells so good. "Lost without
you" by Robin Thicke is playing softly, a timeless classic.
"Your tantrums are really frustrating Lulonke! Why the hell did
you run away like that? I'm just glad I ran into you again." he
says looking pissed. Why the hell is he shouting?
"Can you not shout at me as if I'm a child. Just so you know, I
had things to do." I say, facing the other way. He heaves a sigh
and clears his throat.
"Can I quickly pass somewhere before dropping you off, I have
some forms I need to sign. I promise I'll be quick." he says.
I keep quiet and nod, of course I'm dying to be around him. But
I won't show it.
A few minutes later we get to a general practice/ clinic type of
place. He enters using an access card and parks at a reserved
parking spot. He kills the engine and looks at me.
"I'll be back now now okay?" he says before getting out. I watch
him walk inside the place. His walk is everything, you can tell he
doesn't skip leg day.
I get curious and snoop around the car. There's a coffee flask, a
bottle of Valpre and a tub of gum. I grab the access card on the
dashboard and read it.
Hmm, Dr M.T. Jola-Van Heerden. So he's not just lightskinned,
he's a boer.
I'm also surprised he's a doctor. I thought he was your typical
nepo baby who's a socialite or something. Ay, let me stop
snooping around.
I go on the truecaller app on my phone and attempt to track the
number that sent me that message. Unfortunately it doesn't
show who it belongs to.
I also send a message to Thabile, telling her I left. I feel bad for
leaving before the match ended. Today was actually Xolani's
first big match.
~~~
About 10 minutes later, he's still not back. An incoming call
from a "Fez" appears on the car screen. Looks like Mahlubandile
left his phone here. I press the answer button on the steering
wheel.
"Ekse, watkyn. We're going for a dop, you keen?" a voice
erupts.
"Uhm hi, Mahlubandile left his phone in the car. I'll tell him you
called." I say. The Fez person whistles.
"Awe, who are you?" he asks. Luckily the driver's door opens
and Mahlubandile enters. He looks at the caller ID and laughs.
"What do you want Fezile, Ek's besig." Mahlubandile says
starting the car.
"Was that your new stekkie on the phone? Is she mooi, wys
me." the Fez person says. Mahlubandile looks at me and
chuckles.
"Shut up, I'll choon you tomorrow." Mahlubandile says before
hanging up.
"I'm sorry, that was my younger brother." he says looking at me.
"You don't say that you have boer blood in you. That explains a
lot now." I say jokingly. He glances at me and laughs.
"Explains what Mami?" he asks as we exit the place.
"What's with the Mami name?" I ask him.
"It just suits you, that's all. How about we go get something to
eat, it's getting late." he says.
"Thanks but I just ate. Please just drive me to my res." I say
looking out the window.
"Okay, you'll watch me eat then." he says with no care. I turn to
look at him.
"Yoh Mahlubandile can you just take me to my place! " I say. He
chuckles and stops at the robots. I'm a very irritable person.
"You're really beautiful Lulonke, you know that? Especially
when you're frustrated." he says looking at me intensely. I clear
my throat. I suddenly feel hot.
"Mahlubandile please just take me to my place." I say calmly,
looking away from him. He chortles and mumbles something.
~~~
About 20 minutes later
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he parks at my res.
"Uhm, thank you for the ride." I say, unbuckling my seatbelt.
"So when are we seeing each other again?" he asks.
"I don't know Hlubi." I say grabbing my sling bag. He asked me
to stop calling him by his full name.
"Well how about you give me your number?" he says. I just look
at him.
"Please." he coaxes me before putting his phone in my hand. I
sigh and punch in my phone numbers. I save myself as
"Lulonke".
"Perfect, I'll bel you then." he says grinning.
"Bye." I say opening the door.
"Damn Mami, not even a proper goodbye. Do I make you
nervous or something?" he asks with a silly smirk on his face. I
can't help but laugh.
"You're so annoying geez, please leave." I say closing the door.
He reverses and waves at me before driving off. I realise now
that I left my lip therapy in there.
I see Dineo approach me. Oh God help me, I'm not in the mood
for her nosy self.
"Bathong power queen. There's another one kanti. I see you like
them rich." she says.
"What are you talking about Dineo?" I ask as I walk away from
her.
"Tjo wena, some Nigerian guy was here looking for you about
an hour ago." she says.
Oh God! Can this man just stay away from me. I owe him
nothing for him to be acting like this.
~~~
Ebu
"Time is running out Ebubechukwu. Bako wants new blood.
Where is the girl!?" Abaeze my witch doctor shouts. I remove
the phone from my ear and sigh.
"Listen, give me a few more days. I'll be bringing her soon."
"One week! One week is all you have before all your wealth
vanishes. Do the right thing!" he shouts before hanging up.
I can't lose everything. I need to start acting fast now. I can't
afford to be surpassed by Adeyemi. Not all of us are doing well
in business like him. Some of us need to do things the dark way.
~~~
Lulo
Thandaza sana lwam, ungayeki .(Pray without ceasing my baby)
You've been spiritually weak and it shows. Don't let the devil
play with your life. Pray Lulonke Pray!" I quickly shoot my eyes
open and breathe hysterically. That was Mama's voice I swear.
I've hardly dreamt about her ever since she past away. This
dream felt so real.
I check the time on my phone, and it reads as 02:54. I take deep
breaths and I suddenly get a strong urge to pray. I immediately
get on my knees and pray. This prayer feels different, it's as if
I'm battling with something spiritually. I just let the holy spirit
guide me through this prayer, I pray until I have no words. I start
praying in tongues.
~~~
At 8am my alarm wakes me up. I slept again at 4am after
praying. I grab my phone and turn off the alarm. A notification
from the Bible app comes through, alerting me of the verse of
the day.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Oh wow, my spirit definitely needed this. I need to go back to
church soon. That dream definitely meant something.
I get out of bed and remove the bedding. I'm leaving today, so I
need to do some cleaning. At least I packed my suitcase
yesterday.
Hours later, I've managed to do some cleaning and I've also
taken some of my important stuff to storage.
After showering, I get dressed in blue baggy jeans, a white tank
top and a cream cardigan. For shoes I go with the classic white
AF1s. I tie my afro in a half up half down style.
I decide to go and see Thabile before I leave. I wheel my
suitcase and carry my sling bag. I find her door half open, she's
holding a cigarette and a bowl of coco pops, while Xolani is lying
on her bed with a joint. They are both puffing big clouds of
smoke. "Big Rich Town" by 50 Cent is playing through her JBL
speaker. These two are the biggest crackheads, no wonder they
get along so much.
"Hayini guys. It smells bad in here." I say covering my nose.
They both turn and look at me.
"It's probably this one's cheap cigarettes." Xolani says pointing
at Thabile. She shows him the middle finger.
"Yey wena! Where did you disappear off to yesterday? The last
time I checked you said you were coming back." Thabile say's
looking at me.
"Exactly bru, do you know how disappointing it was not finding
you there after the match. I thought we homies Lulo." Xolani
says.
"I'm sorry. Something came up. I promise to make it up to you
though." I say. I can't possibly tell them that my ex fling might
be stalking me. And that I was dropped off by the "mutual
crush".
"Whatever, you and Hlubi broke the boy's heart. After you left,
he also had an emergency to attend to. Sabaweli ukuba
iemergency." Thabile says. I think about what happened
yesterday and smile to myself. Hlubi and I were texting last
night, he's such a breeze.
"Have you guys heard from Hazel. She's been scarce." I ask as I
take a seat next to Xolani on the single bed.
"She's with Mthozi, apparently he was meeting her tyma this
weekend." Xolani says. How come I'm never told about these
things.
"Oh. So he's really the baby daddy?" They both nod.
"It's not a shocker though. I've always known that they're
chowing each other. Remember when she hated all of Mtho's
exes for no reason." Thabile says with a mouthful of cereal.
A text from bhut Bangi comes through, telling me he's here.
"Oh well, let me love and leave you two. I'll see you guys in two
weeks." I say standing up. Thabile tells me to leave her some
money for dunked wings and a cider, to compensate for leaving
her. I roll my eyes and take out the two R100 notes from my
jean pocket.
Xolani helps me with my bags and walks me to bhut Bangi's car.
Bhut Bangi gives him an intimidating look before driving off. He
probably thinks he's my boyfriend.
9
Lulo
Being at bhut'Bangi's house is such a breeze. It's a very loving
and homely environment. His wife Ze is a housewife and she
definitely knows how to take care of her home.
It's just after 7am and I just woke up. I had another dream, this
time around I heard things but I couldn't move. It felt like a
sleep paralysis but not really a sleep paralysis, I don't know if
you get me. I really need to speak to mam'Nikhitha or aunt
Phumla about this, they know how to interpret dreams.
I take a quick shower and brush my teeth. I wear a plain black
hoodie and black leggings. I comb out my afro and wear my
glasses. Well, bhut'Bangi is accompanying me to a few car
dealerships today and I'm super excited.
I make the bed and tidy up the guest room and then go to the
kitchen.
I find Ze and bhut'Bangi dancing along to a Samthing Soweto
song while preparing breakfast. They look so in love.
"Morning." I greet as I enter the kitchen. They both look at me.
"Last born, did you sleep well?" bhut'Bangi says.
"Yeah, I slept good. How are you sis'Ze? Can I help with
anything?" I say.
"I'm good sthandwa sami. Please go and sit at the patio.
Breakfast will be served in a moment." she says with a smile.
I walk to the patio and find Oyintando and Lukhona already
seated at the table. Lukhona will be turning three this year and
she's such a drama queen. Tata says she's exactly like Ray when
she was younger. They even look so much alike, it's freaky.
"Morning kiddos." I say pulling out a chair.
"Sup Lu." Oyi greets me. He's such a big guy now, he's going to
high school next year.
Lukhona just waves at me and continues watching Ms Rachel on
the iPad.
Ze and Bangi come out with serving dishes. I pour myself a glass
of the iced tea and only plate two pancakes. I don't want it to
seem like I eat a lot. Sigh
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the struggles of being a big girl.
"Haibo, ukuphi lo mfana?"(where's this boy?) "Weh
Makhosini!" Bangi shouts.
"Makhosini!" Ze also shouts.
Minutes later, Makhosini comes out with some slender indian
hun behind him. Mind you he's only in matric. They both look
done and exhausted. The girl is carrying her sneakers, her short
pleated skirt is wrinkled and her hair is a mess. Makhosini is
trying so hard to avoid his parents' eyes. I actually didn't see
him when I arrived yesterday.
"Good morning." the girl says in a cute voice.
Ze claps her hands once and exclaims.
"Imihlola ka james!" (wonders shall never cease)
"So you decide to disrespect my house and bring uCurry
laykhaya?" Bangi says.
I swear Makhosini was born to humble his parents.
~~~
Ray
"Ah! That was mind blowing babe." Quinton says after we both
orgasm. He attempts to kiss me but I face the other way.
"Get off, get off. Move." I say hitting his chest. I'm angry at him
but that doesn't mean my needs won't be satisfied.
Well yesterday I almost got carjacked at gunpoint. If it wasn't
for my pepper spray and tazer, we would be telling another
story. We suspect that this has something to do with these
Ndlovu people. They've been going back and forth with this
stupid feud.
"Baby I'm sorry. I swear your safety will never be compromised
like that again. I've beefed up your security detail." I roll my
eyes and get out of bed. He follows me to the bathroom.
"You're just causing more and more problems. There's a fucking
baby involved now. I mean Hazel might be in love with the boy
for all we know. Just meet up with the man and make peace." I
say grabbing my toothbrush. I know it sounds almost impossible
but it's worth the try.
"It's not my fault that those barbarians keep on provoking me. I
can't just sit and not fight back, please understand baby." he
says snaking his arms around my waist.
"Your daughter is miserable right now. She's already blaming
herself for associating herself with the boy. What's next
Quinton?"
He sighs and brushes his head. His phone rings and he answers.
"Dabuko..." he says walking out.
We're leaving for Joburg today, mom and dad are hosting easter
this year. I'm supposed to be happy, not stressing over useless
things.
~~~
Hazel
"Mtho please! This has nothing to do with us. Sit down so we
can talk." I say holding his arm. We're back in Joburg in my
penthouse and he just found out about the situation between
our fathers.
"Hazel you don't get it do you? Those taxis are our family legacy.
Your father just set us back big time. My father worked hard to
gain what he has. Unlike your selfish father who grew up with a
silver spoon. " How dare he!
"How dare you say that about my father. It's not like your father
is innocent in all of this."
"Truth hurts? Yazin, don't even bother reporting that pregnancy.
I'm not even sure if that's my child you're carrying." I gasp.
"Don't you fucking dare! You're the one who told me that your
oogabooga ancestors said this is your child!"
"Oh wow! So we're now insulting each other." he chortles. I
heave a sigh.
"Mtho we can't let this get between us. This has nothing to do
with us." I say with pleading eyes. He sighs.
"This will never work Hazel." he grabs his duffle bag and leaves.
10
2 weeks later
Lulo
I'm packing my tote bag while having a cup of coffee. I'm
currently on a video call with Hazel as I prepare for my classes.
She called me telling me she has some tea to spill. Only for her
to tell me that, her "friend" Nicole, is sleeping with Clinton.
Apparently he posted a selfie of them in his bedsheets last
night.
"Lulu he posted it on his close friends, which means he
deliberately wanted me to see it." Hazel says. Geez, what kind
of a man posts on his close friends. It's giving ✨baddie✨.
"That son of a motherless goat. I'm so sorry babe." I don't even
know why I'm saying sorry. I mean the last time I checked they
were over. Why is she so bothered about that racist ass?
"I understand that I had a whole thing with Mthokozisi, but for
him to fuck my friend?" she says.
If it was any other day, I would have laughed at her
pronunciation of Mtho's name.
"You'll be okay, just focus on taking care of yourself and the
little munchkin. " She sighs and nods.
"Dior! Come say hi to Lulu." Hazel reaches out her left hand.
Dior, her italian greyhound jumps onto her chest and looks at
the screen.
Bab Quinton thought it was a great idea to get her a pet so she
can learn a bit of responsibility before the baby arrives. Trust
Hazel to name it after a designer brand.
"Don't let this bother you. To hell with the both of them." I say
before hanging up.
I swear Hazel is bored. She's currently not on speaking terms
with Mtho and she's been miserable. That's probably why she's
stalking her ex.
I grab my car keys and put my phone in the tote bag. Well, I
bought a car last week. It's nothing much, just a convenient
Hyundai. Tata was hurt that I didn't let any of them finance me.
I mean my mother left me money, why not use it for such
things.
~~~
Hours later, I'm back in my room revising some metallurgy
concepts. It's the first week back after recess, so you can
imagine the pressure. My phone rings alerting me of an
incoming call.
I look at the caller ID and giggle. It's Mahlubandile. We've been
occasionally talking throughout these past few weeks.
"Hey Tyrese." I answer. He chuckles. He's other name is Tyrese.
"Mami. Are you good?" God that voice!
"Yep, how about you?" I say as I walk towards my bed. This call
might take a while.
"Not quite. We had a neonatal death this morning and I'm just
drained. Remind me why I chose to be a doctor in the first
place." he says in an exhausted tone.
"Sorry man. See why I went the engineering route." I say and he
just laughs.
"Wellll, that's not why I called you. I was hoping that you and I
could unwind and get to know each other better. Maybe go out
for drinks?" Wait, as in like a date? I clear my throat before
answering.
"Okay cool, I can do drinks." I say in my most composed voice.
"Perfect then, I'll be there in half an hour."
We wrap up the call. I shriek and wiggle my feet in the air.
About 45 minutes later, I'm walking towards his car. It's the
same g-wagon he drove that day he dropped me off.
He comes out, we both look at each other and laugh at the
same time. He approaches me and hugs me. He smells so good.
"Geez you're such a copycat." I say letting go. He's dressed in
black just like me.
"What can I say, great minds think alike." He says while opening
the door for me. Gosh the butterflies.
~~~
It's now around 11pm and we're walking in the streets of
Maboneng exhausted as hell. I'm walking barefoot and the
mister next to me has been scolding me about it.
Tonight was such a blast. I never knew I could be so carefree.
We first pulled a dine and dash at some restaurant. I don't feel
bad though
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that waitress was a bitch. We also went to some tattoo spot and
got matching finger tattoos. Am I going to regret it? Probably
yes, but who cares? I really enjoyed his company, regardless of
our 10 year age gap.
"Okay my turn. What's your worst rejection?" Hlubi asks. I
giggle and grab the bottle of gin from him. We're strolling down
the street. He parked his car at the other end of the street.
"Hmm okay, please don't laugh. I was in high school okay. I had
a crush on this white guy. So in matric, I finally gained the
courage to shoot my shot. The worst he could say was no right?
Well I thought wrong. I remember telling him how I feel about
him and how "majestic" he was. Only for him to tell me he's not
into the whole rainbow nation thing. Just when I thought that
was the worst he could say, he told me to focus on losing weight
instead of looking for a boyfriend. So yeah that's my worst
rejection." I say before taking another sip of the gin. He looks at
with shock. I just laugh and he joins me after a few seconds.
"Damn, that was very sick of him." he says, taking the bottle of
gin from me.
"I know right, but I've moved on. I've accepted that all men are
like that." He stops next to me and just stares at me.
"What's up?" I ask. He holds my arm and looks at me in the
eyes.
"Well I'd risk it all for all of this. Do you know how gorgeous you
are?"He says, wrapping his arms around my waist, while looking
down at me.
I clear my throat and face the other way.
"Don't run from my eyes Mami." He says placing his hand under
my chin. I look at his intense gaze and gulp.
"I'm going to kiss you now." He says, lowering his head.
He smashes his lips on mine and kisses me sweetly. He
massages my love handles delicately as we kiss. He slips his
tongue in my mouth. I let out a moan. Not even Ebu kissed me
like this. Come to think of it, we hardly kissed.
"Mmmh." I say pulling out of the kiss. I'm even shy to look at
him.
"Damn Lulonke, that was mind blowing." he says with a smirk
on his face. I keep quiet and face the other way.
I don't know if it's nerves or the alcohol, but I immediately puke
after that.
~~~
Mahlubandile
I'm staring at her as she's asleep. Her cute pouty lips are slightly
open and she's lightly snoring. This woman is gorgeous even in
her sleep. Her calm character is very appealing. She's just
perfect.
She stirs for a while and eventually opens her big eyes.
"Look who's awake. How'd you sleep Mami?"
"Uhm, good I guess." she says as she rubs her eyes.
"Last night was pretty intense, here's some aspirin and a
rehydration drink." she gladly swallows the pills and gulps down
the solution.
"Thanks." she says in a low voice.
"Are you good? No hangover?" I ask.
"Nah I'm good. Thanks for last night, I had a great time." she
says, smiling softly. Thank God she doesn't have regrets.
"I'm glad. I loved spending time with you." God! I sound like a
teenager.
We're now absorbed in an awkward silence. I attempt to speak,
but she beats me to it.
"About the kiss, I hope things won't be awkward between us.
Let's forget it happened okay." she says with sweet smile. I feel
a dagger in my heart.
"Oh yah sure. Of course." I give her a fake smile.
"Oh well, I need to get going. I have a morning class today." she
says, stepping out of the bed.
11
•Continued
Lulo
He stops the car and lowers the volume.
"Thank you." I say, unbuckling my seatbelt.
"Cool, I'll call you later." Hlubi says without looking at me.
Things have been tense since we left his house.
"Actually, fuck this." he says before pulling my chin. He smashes
those juicy lips on mine and devours my lips. He squeezes the
inside of my thigh, making me wet down there. I don't know
when and how he managed to sneak his hand inside my
sweatpants, but he's now rubbing my clit through the fabric of
my cotton panties. I release a breathy moan, but immediately
come back to my senses.
"Hlubi...stop." I say in a shaky voice. He gently removes his
hand.
"Damn baby, you're soaked." he grins.
"Uhm, I'll see you then." I say grabbing my baguette bag. He
opens his door and walks to my side and opens the door for me.
"So I'll uhm...yeah." I say avoiding his eyes.
"Goodbye Mami." he says with a smirk on his face. I jump out of
the car and rush towards the security gate. I hear him laugh
behind me.
Upon entering the building, I see Thabile and Xolani on their
way out.
"Hey Lulo, bye Lulo." Thabile says. Xolani just waves at me, and
they rush out. It's 7am for god sakes, where are they off to.
I get to my room and immediately strip off my clothes. I think
about Hlubi while taking a shower. Oh Lord help me, that man is
such a temptation. I feel something for him, but I'm not ready
to explore it.
The last thing I need right now is a relationship. I'm focusing on
completing my final year with great marks so I can get that
internship at Sasol. That's my biggest prayer.
As I'm applying lotion, I look at the small rose tatoo on my left
middle finger and just smile. Gosh the things we do masinxilile
(when we're drunk).
~~~
Hazel
I just got out of my home sauna and I feel better. I've been
trying to manage my stress levels for the past few days.
My relationship with Mtho is no longer the same. I was really
hurt by what he said to me.
Well dad met up with Mtho's father and uncle some time last
week. Let's just say those people are stubborn. They were
insisting on taking over of dad's trucking routes instead of
cooperating. Fortunately they all agreed to stay out of each
other's way. I don't know what exactly happened, but that's I
overheard him tell Ray.
I'll be meeting Mtho at my doctors appointment today. We're
finally going to find out the gender. I'm actually four months
pregnant
not three. This proves that Mtho is the father because Clinton
and I weren't active during the time I conceived.
I'm so not looking forward to seeing Mthokozisi. He's been so
cold towards me and I absolutely hate it.
~~~
"There you go mommy and daddy, it's a boy." Dr Van Heerden
senior says. He managed to squeeze us in. My usual gynae is
currently out of the country.
"My boy! Can you make extra copies of the scan, I want to show
the family." Mtho says excitedly. I roll my eyes and look the
other way.
"Of course son. How are you feeling Miss Wellesley, are you
excited?" Dr Van Heerden says with a smile.
I nod and give him a tight smile. I'm numb, I'm honestly not
thrilled about becoming a mother.
Dr Van Heerden wipes the gel off my tummy and gives me the
prescription. Mtho and I go our separate ways after that.
I pass by the hospital cafeteria and get a lemon and poppyseed
muffin with a toffee flavoured Steri Stumpie. Flavoured milk is
my newest obsession.
I walk to the parking lot while texting Cora, Dior's pet sitter.
Someone blocks my way, I look up and it's Mtho. I heave a sigh.
"I'm really sorry Hazel, I'm honestly ashamed of the things I said
to you. I just didn't how to feel about the whole situation
between our families. Forgive me please, I don't want my son to
be born with parents that despise each other." He says.
"Oh be fucking for real Mthokozisi. You and I were never
together in the first place. Just stop with this fake apology.
You've been cold towards me for the past weeks, now you're
apologising all of a sudden? Just stop." I attempt to walk away
but he holds my arm.
"Hazel let's just fix this. Our son should to be raised in a happy
home, with both his parents. I'm a Zulu man and that's
important to me." he says with a serious expression.
"Well good for you bob the builder. Tell that to someone who
cares." I click my tongue and walk off to my car. He calls out my
name and I scream "Fuck you", gaining me stares from people.
~~~
The next day
Lulo
It's late in the afternoon. I just finished folding my laundry. I'm
on my way to the mall to top up my groceries.
A knock comes through my door. I open the door and it's the
security with some guy who's carrying a money bouquet and a
Pandora paper bag.
The security greets me and walks away.
"Are you Miss Lulonke, please sign here." the guy says. I nod
and sign.
He gives me the money bouquet and the paper bag.
"Have a great day mam." I nod and wave him off.
As I'm about to close the door Thabile and some other girl
appear dressed in gym wear.
"Haibo, a money bouquet. Not you living my dream. We love to
see it, who are they from?" she excitedly grabs the note from
the bouquet and reads it. Her face changes immediately. She
throws it at me and shakes her head continuously.
"Oh hell no! There's only one Mahlubandile we both know.
You're such a bitch Lulonke. You knew very well that I wanted
him. Sisanda let's go." she pulls the other girl and they walk
away.
Tshini!What is she on about?
I read the note and realise it's from Mahlubandile. He's asking
me out for dinner on Saturday night. This is such a mess. I didn't
expect that kind of reaction from Thabile.
~~~
Ebu
I'm watching her push the trolley to her car. The parking lot is
empty at this hour. I'm glad the security cameras here are
fucked up.
I get out of my car and walk towards her. I stand behind her as
she's offloading the plastics in the boot while humming a song.
Luckily she doesn't notice my presence. She's always been
naive.
"I missed you my iyawo." I say putting my hand over her
shoulder. She gasps in shock.
~~~
Lulo
I look at him and hold my chest. I take a deep breath.
"Ebu please leave me alone. You have a fiancée for crying out
loud." I say. He chuckles bitterly and tightens the grip on
shoulder. I shriek in pain.
"Dake enu re!"(shut up) He says sternly. I feel something cold on
my cheek. I realise it's a gun. My heart starts palpating.
"Now you will listen to me and listen carefully. You will leave
everything inside that car and lock it. And then you will
graciously enter my car like the good girl you are. Sabi!" he says,
brushing the gun on the side of my face. I nod continuously.
Oh Lord why have you forsaken me. I say a silent prayer and
follow his instructions.
Moments later, he's driving out of the mall.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask with tears running down my
cheeks.
He roars with laughter and just winks at me.
God who did I wrong to deserve this.
12
TW: contains acts of sexual violence.
Lulo
He's forcefully humping on top of me, taking away every part of
me. He's been at it for a while now. My body feels numb. I've
never been so broken. I curse the day I met Ebubechukwu.
He finally releases and gets off me. He kisses my cheek and I
feel like strangling him right there.
"I made sure to remove any memory of that bastard. You will
never look at any other man." he says.
He told me that he's been keeping tabs on me and tracking my
phone ever since him and I started our arrangement.
The past three days have been hell. After basically abducting
me, Ebu took me to his house.
He warned me to not even try anything funny, otherwise he
wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet through my skull.
When we first got here, he painfully beat me up for ignoring his
calls and messages.
Today he confronted me about Mahlubandile. He assumed I'm
sleeping with Mahlubandile and I just kept quiet. That
infuriated him even more, which resulted in him raping me. Him
doing that just broke me further.
I just wish he would let me go or just tell me what he wants
from me. I'm worried about my car and all my possessions in
there. This is honestly crazy. I wonder if my family is worried
about me or if they've been trying to get a hold of me.
~~~
I'm woken up by a knock coming through the door. I open my
eyes and see Ebubechukwu burning some strong herbs at his
little setup. He stands up and walks to the door.
Well, he has a strange altar which consists of bank notes,
candles and other spiritual things. When I asked about it, he
slapped me and told me to know my place. Ever since he kept
me in here, something has been urging me to pray. I always pray
when he's not in here. There's just something heavy about this
place.
He comes back with a creepy looking man who's draped in
animal skins and different red and white cloths. They both
communicate in a language I can't understand.
The man looks at me for about a minute, with an unreadable
expression. He turns back to Ebu and gives him a woven bag.
Ebu smiles and places it on the floor and then walks the man
out.
Something starts moving in the bag. I take a deep breath and
peak down at the bag, mind you I'm sitting on the bed.
What comes out of the bag makes my heart stop.
~~~
Ray
It's 6:30 pm and I just got home. I park Quinton's Maybach in
the underground garage with the other cars. I honestly love this
car so much, it's giving old money vibes. I probably use it more
than him.
I walk into the main lounge while carrying my bags. I'm so
exhausted and my feet are killing me. Today was very hectic, we
had a lot of gym bunnies coming for their bi-weekly IV therapy.
My amazing nurses worked so hard. They deserve free lunch
tomorrow.
Ava and Asa come running towards me. One grabs my handbag
and the other grabs my laptop bag. My heart just melts. They
do this everyday when I arrive.
"How are my favourite boy and girl doing?" I say while flooding
both their faces with kisses.
"Mommy stop!" Ava giggles. Asa also giggles while wrapping his
arms around my neck. He mostly expresses himself through
affection.
"Hi mom." Alden says from the couch. He's playing video
games.
"Hi boy. What's with the video games on a school evening?
Sizoxabana." I say and he looks down. He knows he's not
allowed to play video games during the week.
"Where's daddy?" I ask Ava and Asa as we enter the lift leading
up to mine and Quinton's bedroom.
"Daddy's making phasgetti." Miss Ava says. I just laugh and
shake my head. We've been teaching her how to pronounce
spaghetti for the longest time but she just won't budge.
They both walk me to the bedroom and then leave my bags
before running out. I take off my scrubs and work shoes and
change into a comfy Alexander Wang dress and slippers.
Minutes later, I pass by the laundry room and find Juan on her
way out. We talk briefly before she leaves. I walk to the kitchen
and find Quinton clearing the countertops. I can't help but
smile. I love it when he's all domestic. He looks up and smiles at
me. I walk closer to him.
"I see you made dinner." I say as we share a brief kiss.
"Yeah
I told the chef to go home early today. How was work though?"
he says, wrapping his arms around my waist and looking down
at me.
"It was okay, it was just so busy." I say.
"I told you to let your PA and the manager handle everything. I
don't want you overworking yourself MaKunene." he says with
a serious expression. I roll my eyes.
"Yes dad." I say. He shakes his head and laughs.
"Hey moms, hey pops." Shayane says entering the kitchen. It
looks like she's coming from hockey practice.
"Hi princess." Quinton greets.
"Hi nana. How was school?" I ask. She sighs loudly and chugs
down a bottle of water.
"School is schooling I guess. At this point I might even consider
becoming a housewife." she says. Quinton shoots her a glance.
"What was that!?" he exclaims with an unreadable expression. I
just burst into laughter.
"Geez. It's just a joke dad." Shayane says.
"It better be. Now take these dishes to the dining table."
Quinton says. Shayane giggles and takes the casserole dishes.
They've both formed such a beautiful father-daughter bond
throughout the past few years. It just makes me happy.
As we're enjoying dinner, both mine and Quinton's phones ring
at the same time. I check mine and it's my father calling. I look
at Quinton.
"It's Dabuko." he says before standing up. O-kay. Why are they
calling us at the same time?
I've actually been receiving multiple missed calls from dad
today.
"Sawubona Kunene." I answer.
"Khanyo. When last did you communicate with your sister? Her
phone number takes me straight to voicemail." Dad says.
"It's been long yazi, let me try her." I say before hanging up. Lulo
is used to not answering calls, but she will send a text to
acknowledge the fact that you called. I don't know what's going
on now.
~~~
Mahlubandile
"You have reached the mailbox of..." I curse and immediately
hang up.
It's been three days. Three whole days! She's been MIA. I had
initially planned out a candlelight dinner for her tonight. I was
planning on asking her to be my woman.
I hope I didn't come across as too strong. The last thing I
wanted was to push her away. She's everything I want in a
woman, regardless of our age gap. She's a very gorgeous young
lady. I bet she'd bear me the most beautiful kids. Her
humbleness, calm aura and faith is what draws me to her even
more. There's just something about a Godly woman.
"Laaitie." My father disturbs me from my thoughts by entering
my office. I work at our family hospital. Both my parents are
world renowned surgeons. My father is Dr DeAndre Van
Heerden and my mother is Dr Nomzamo Jola-Van Heerden.
"Pa! Can't you knock."
"Tyrese, praat jy so met my? Ek sal jou slaan seuntjie." he says
with an intimidating look, as he sits down. I sigh and rub my
eyes.
"Pa tell me, why are women so frustrating?" he lets out a loud
laugh.
"Is miss independent giving you problems weer?" Pa asks while
chewing on his biltong.
"No Pa, Chernice and I ended a long time ago. She was just a
headache." he laughs again. None of my family members like
Chernice. She was just too much. It didn't help that she always
wanted to wear the pants in our relationship.
"Then who's this meisie that's making my seun stress so much?"
I heave a sigh.
"Her name is Lulonke. I met her through Xolani." Well Xolani,
Daluxolo and Mbulelo are actually my cousins. Our mothers are
sisters.
"Now what's your problem with her? You can't get it up?" Pa
asks.
"Fok nee. She just went AWOL all of a sudden. I'm really
worried about her." I say.
"Talk to your brother, you know he can find her in an instant."
Pa says.
He's right, let me call Fezile.
13
"Courage is found in unlikely places." J.R.R Tolkien
*
*
•Continuation
Lulonke
A huge black snake comes out of the woven bag. It slithers on
the white tiles, coming towards the bed. I immediately let out a
loud scream. Fortunately it turns back and slithers to Ebu's altar,
before rolling itself into a ball.
Ebu rushes back into the room and looks around. His eyes land
on me. He clicks his tongue and wags a finger at me.
"Never do that nonsense again. Didn't I tell you to never make
noise in this room? I swear you don't want to ruin my plans o.
Now comot so I can fix this mess!" he says in a stern tone, trying
not to shout.
I don't even think twice. I immediately rush towards the door
and bump into the maid as she's about to knock. She just looks
at me with eyes full of pity.
"Good afternoon my sister, Oga told me to prepare lunch for
you. Please follow me."
I walk behind her and we finally get to the red and white
themed kitchen.
She tells me to sit down while she dishes up for me.
She hands me a plate of fried rice
and beef stew. She also pours me a glass of litchi juice before
continuing with her house work.
I roll up the sleeves of the oversized crew neck before indulging
in the food. Well Ebu gave me his clothes to change into. I'm
just glad he allows me to take baths.
I eventually finish my food. I rinse the dishes I was using, and
then walk back to the bedroom. I don't want to irritate him
further by snooping around his house.
When I get to his bedroom door, I realise that he's on a phone
call. I stand outside and eavesdrop, maybe I might just find out
why he's keeping me here.
Ebu: (chuckles) "Nonsense, I just bribed Zinhle with a vacation,
you know she'd never decline that...of course, you know how I
roll...The other one is here with me. The plan is to take her luck,
kill her and then I'll probably dump her somewhere."
I'm shaking right now I hope he's not talking about me.
Ebu: "Okay Azi we'll talk. And biko, don't now tell Adeyemi my
business." he says before hanging up.
I clear my throat and push the door. He glances at me and clicks
his tongue.
"I want to leave Ebubechukwu. Why are you keeping me here? I
owe you nothing for crying out loud." I say, facing him. He
stares at me and chortles.
"Worry not babylove. You will be out of my house and life very
soon." he says with a sinister smirk. He then grabs the snake
and walks out whistling a tune.
I sigh and throw myself on the bed and just cry. I just pray
nothing bad happens to me.
~~~
Mahlubandile
"The device has been at the same location for the past four
days." Fezile says as he shows me the screen. Today is Sunday, I
asked Fezile to help me track down Lulonke's phone number.
I'm really worried about her.
"And where's that?" I ask, getting agitated.
"It says Killarney Mall." fuck!
"That can't be right."
"You don't know that bru, she probably lost it or some other
iets happened." Fezile says, lighting up his blunt.
"Fezile I know her, there's definitely something up." I say,
getting annoyed.
"Damn you really smaak this stekkie neh, she's now making you
a moegoe(fool)." he says.
"Fezile I'm not your age mate. I'll fuck you up. Watch how you
talk to me." He raises his hands in surrender and gets out of my
car.
I was hoping he'd help me find her. I actually went to her res
yesterday and I bumped into the Thabile girl on her way out.
She told me she last saw her on Wednesday when they had a
disagreement. I just wonder what the disagreement was about
because she kept on avoiding my eyes when she was talking to
me.
~~~
Narrated
At Yemi's house
Before Ebu called, Yemi and Azi were discussing stocks to invest
in and other business discussions.
Ebu's phone call left them very alarmed. They've been
suspicious of Ebu for the past few years, but what he said today
confirmed their suspicions. It saddens Yemi that his best friend
could be a ritualist. That explains his sudden change of
character.
~~~
Later that day, Yemi is in his study going through his restaurant
and club's books. His phone starts ringing, oh it's Raysean. He
smiles and answers the call.
"Ifemi! How are you?" he says in a cheery tone. Ray titters on
the other side.
"Mxm. I see you want my husband to go crazy." Ray says and
they both laugh.
"He'll understand. Anyways
Advertisement
how can I help you?" Yemi says. Ray heaves a loud sigh.
"I wasn't going to call you about this, but you are my last resort.
Lulonke is nowhere to be found. She hasn't been answering our
calls for the past four days. Today we tracked her car and found
it locked at Killarney mall. The whole family is just worried." Ray
says in a defeated tone.
"I can't believe this. I'm so sorry sister mi. What do you need
me to assist with?" Yemi asks, sounding worried.
"I was wondering if Ebu might have any idea of where she is,
since they kind of had something going on." Ray says. Yemi's
mind immediately goes into panic. He clears his throat.
"Uhm sure. I'll definitely try on my side. I'll update you when I
have something." Yemi says before they wrap up the call.
Yemi puts his phone down and rubs his eyes before releasing a
loud sigh.
His mind goes back to wait Ebu told Azi earlier on. He's hoping
Lulonke isn't the girl Ebu is using for his sacrificial practices
~~~
Lulo
I must have fallen asleep because I'm woken up by Ebu shaking
me roughly. I realise that I'm in another bedroom this time
around. No wonder I slept so peacefully.
He tells me to get up and take a quick shower because we're
going somewhere. I get to the bathroom and look at myself in
the mirror.
Oh God! I look nothing like my usual self. I look and feel weak. I
have a few bruises on my body, which are now turning navy.
These must be from when he confronted me about
Mahlubandile.
Speaking of him, I wonder what he must be thinking of me.
Remember that I didn't get time to thank him for the roses and
the Pandora gift I received from him that day. I had to rush to
the stores, which resulted in me being abducted.
Thabile has also been on my mind. I just wish her and I could
just talk so I can explain everything to her.
I take a quick shower and just pray to God that he saves me
from this vile person.
When I come out of the bathroom, Ebu gives me my knitted
sweater and jeans and then leaves the bedroom. These are the
clothes I wore that day he forcefully brought me here. At least
they're washed.
After tying my braids properly, I walk to the kitchen. I just need
a glass of water to calm myself down. The house is quiet, the
maid must have left by now, it's already dark.
Upon entering the kitchen, I walk into another suspicious
conversation.
Ebu: Abaeze listen, I have everything under control. I'll simply
take her to the river and let Bako eat her womb... No I won't
mess up, I know how special she is. Her kind of luck will
definitely bring me more fortunate..."
Tears just stream down my cheeks. So this was his plan all
along.
He hears my sniffs and turns to face me. His eyes open wide in
shock. He's probably shocked that I heard that conversation.
He immediately ends the call and walks towards me. I walk
backwards and bump into the wall that's next to the sink. Oh
no!
"What did you hear!?" he asks, getting closer and closer. I keep
quiet and just continue crying. He slaps me and my glasses shift.
"Lulonke make you no vex me! Answer me now! WHAT EXACTLY
DID YOU HEAR!" he's now strangling me.
I try pushing him off but he's too strong. I spot a sharp steak
knife in the sink next to me. I grab it slowly and luckily he
doesn't notice because his focus is on strangling me.
I don't what came over me, but I just stab his back with the
knife. I stab him multiple times with my tears falling
uncontrollably. He loosens the grip on my neck and looks me in
the eyes. His eyes are filled with pain and shock and then he
suddenly drops to the floor. No no no! Oh God, don't tell me I
killed him.
I spot his phone on the countertop and luckily it requires a
touch ID. I use his thumb to unlock it and go to the phone app.
I dial Tata's phone number because it's the only phone number I
know by heart. It rings and rings and then suddenly takes me to
voicemail. Fuck no! Who else can I call? An idea suddenly
comes to my mind. God, I hope this works.
I try dialing Mahlubandile's phone number. I just know that it
starts with 060 and ends with 5940, I'm just not sure about the
three numbers in between though.
After four attempts, I finally get it right, or so I think. It starts
ringing and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Van Heerden speaking, how may I assist you." his majestic
voice says. I release another breath.
"Uhm hi, it's Lulonke." I say in a shaky voice.
"Lulonke! Where are you? I've been worried sick about you. Are
you okay?" he asks in what sounds like a worried tone.
I look over at Ebu, who's lying in a pool of his own blood. I just
start crying again.
"Mami talk to me, are you okay?" he asks again. I remove my
glasses and just let out a sob.
"Hlubi I need your help. I think I might have killed him."
14
TW: Sensitive topics, Self Harm, Mental health issues.
•Continuation
Narrated
"Mami talk to me, are you okay?" Mahlubandile asks again.
Lulonke removes her eye glasses and lets out a heartbreaking
sob.
"Hlubi I need your help. I think I might have killed him." She
says, walking closer to Ebu's body.
"Who? Lulonke praat, what is goi..."
All of a sudden the call disconnects. Lulonke looks at the phone
screen and realises it turned blank.
"Fuck! The phone battery just died. This pig didn't charge his
phone. What do I do now?" Lulonke thinks to herself.
As she's looking for a charger in the lounge, a loud knock at the
door startles her. She stops on her tracks and immediately
panics.
"Ebubechukwu!" A male voice shouts.
The mahogany door bursts open and a very furious Yemi enters.
He spots the frightened Lulonke and immediately rushes
towards her.
He envelopes her in a tight hug and breathes out. Lulonke is a
bit relieved to see the familiar face.
"What happened here?" the concerned Yemi asks, inspecting
Lulonke's bloody hands.
"I didn't mean to do it, everything just happened so fast. He
was threatening my life and I just couldn't let h..." Lulonke says,
stumbling over her words. Yemi quickly interjects.
"Shhh, it's okay. Just show me where he is." Yemi says, brushing
her back. Lulonke lifts her head and leads him to the kitchen.
When they get to the kitchen, Yemi is utterly shocked at the
sight before him. Lulonke looks down in discomfort.
"Uhm, can I quickly make a phone call using your phone?"
Lulonke asks. Yemi nods and unlocks his phone before handing
it to her.
She dials a number and it's answered after three rings. She
takes a deep breath before speaking.
"Tata." she says to the person on the line.
~~~
At the Kunene household
It's currently 10pm. Ndlalifa is pacing up and down waiting for
his brother, Dabuko to arrive.
He just got off the phone with Yemi, sadly Lulonke was too
emotional to speak. Fortunately Yemi managed to explain
everything to Ndlalifa. Well, everything that he knows.
Ndlalifa is fuming and shaking from anger. Nikhitha is trying her
best to calm him down.
"Kunene please calm down, acting like this won't solve
anything." Nikhitha says.
"Awume kancane weh Nikhitha! You will never understand
what I'm going through because she's not your child." Ndlalifa
says without thinking. Nikhitha looks at him with a hurt
expression before walking away.
Ndlalifa heaves a sigh, regretting what he just said.
~~~
About 30 minutes later, Ndlalifa and Dabuko arrive at Ebu's
house. Yemi sent Ndlalifa the location immediately after their
call.
As they enter the house, they find Lulonke sitting on one of the
couches and staring into space. Yemi on the other, has been
checking for any cameras around the house.
"Magcina wami." Ndlalifa says, startling his daughter. Lulonke
stands up immediately and rushes towards her father. He
envelopes her into a tight embrace, trying to control his anger.
"Tata he... he..." Lulonke says, as she cries hysterically.
"Shhh, ngikhona nkosazana yami. He messed with the wrong
one." Ndlalifa says, clenching his jaws.
"He's already dead. We need to find a way to hide the body.
Our justice system is fucked up, they'll definitely take the dead
man's side." Yemi blurts out. Ndlalifa and Dabuko look at each
other and nod.
"Bafo, I'll take care of this. Please take her to the hospital. I
don't know what kind of trauma that animal put my daughter
through." Ndlalifa says. Dabuko nods and gently grabs Lulonke's
hand.
"I'll drive." Yemi offers. Dabuko agrees and they all walk out,
leaving Ndlalifa.
Ndlalifa takes out his phone and makes a phone call.
"Mangethe, imina. There's some cleaning up I need you to help
me with. Some mongrel messed with my little girl. I'll send you
the details now."
~~~
Hours later
It's now 1am, the following day. Ndlalifa hid Ebubechukwu's
body at one of the cemeteries he owns. He made sure to blow
his brains out before burying him. He also made sure to destroy
his cellphone.
Ebubechukwu's snake Bako, was also found dead at his altar. It
was laying there with its mouth open and its intestines exposed.
Ndlalifa used some of his connections to clean up the mess.
They made sure to leave Ebu's house spotless, not leaving a
trace of what happened. Fortunately there weren't any security
cameras in the property.
Ndlalifa just got to the hospital. He finds Nikhitha, Dabuko and
Yemi at the waiting area.
Lulonke is currently being checked for any health problems.
"Thank you for everything ndodana, you can go home now. I'll
definitely tell Khanyo about this wonderful deed you've done
for us." Ndlalifa says, patting Yemi's shoulder.
"Oh it's nothing Mr Kunene, we are family." Yemi says, before
bidding them goodbye.
Dabuko's phone rings and he immediately excuses himself. The
tension between Ndlalifa and Nikhitha cannot be missed.
Luckily, a nurse approaches them, holding a file.
"Lulonke Kunene's family?" the nurse asks.
"You can see that we're the only people here
why ask the obvious!" Ndlalifa says in frustration. Nikhitha
shoots him a look before smiling sweetly at the nurse.
"Sr Molefe, yes we are Lulonke's parents. How is she doing?"
Nikhitha says gracefully.
"Unfortunately she suffered internal bleeding as well as
emotional and sexual trauma. We managed to give her
emergency contraceptives as well as post exposure prophylaxis
drugs. I'd suggest she starts attending therapy as soon as
possible. She seems very withdrawn. Fortunately, we won't be
admitting her. So she can go home. Uhm, any questions?"
Nikhitha shakes her head. The nurse nods and walks away.
"I failed her." Ndlalifa says, as a tear escapes his eye. Nikhitha
heaves a sigh and walks to her husband. She holds him tightly
as they sit down. She places his head on her chest and just
allows him to be vulnerable.
~~~
Ray
I just landed in Johannesburg. Mom called me at around 5am
this morning and filled me in on what's going on. She asked me
to make it home as soon as possible, as Lulo needs all the
support she can get.
My spirit is heavy, I'm fuming with anger. I can't believe that I
once considered Ebubechukwu my friend. Fuck I even called
him my brother. Only for him to do such a terrible thing to my
baby sister. I'm just trying my best to not act on emotions.
Unfortunately Quinton is not around. He's in Switzerland for
business. So from the airport, I take an uber to our house in
Sandton, so I can fetch my car. I actually still have my first car. I
drive it when I'm in Joburg.
After fetching my car and changing into comfortable clothes, I
drive to Tigers Milk.
I'm planning on passing by at Yemi's house to thank him for
what he did. I'm glad he was there to reassure Lulo through
such a traumatic experience.
After buying lunch, I drive straight to Sandhurst, Yemi's house.
It's just a few minutes away.
As I arrive, I park my car outside and walk to the door. I knock
and the door opens immediately. He looks at me and gives me a
weak smile. He looks drained, shame poor thing.
"Hey Ray, come in." he says moving from the door. O-kay,
something is definitely up. He never calls me Ray.
"Are you okay Adeyemi?" I ask with concern.
"I'll be okay, so what actually brings you here. I see you missed
me." he says, being back to his playful self.
"Well I brought you lunch. I actually wanted to thank you for
what you did for Lulo. I honestly can't thank you enough.
Considering the fact that Ebubechukwu was basically your
brother." I say, placing the takeaway bag on the coffee table.
He looks at me and heaves a sigh.
"Ebubechukwu brought this unto himself, I'm just hurt that one
of my own resorted to such measures. I just wonder where
everything went wrong. " I walk closer to him and give him a
warm hug.
"Hey! As you said, he brought this unto himself. I don't want
you stressing yourself out because of this. I'm here for you
okay?" I say and he just holds me tighter.
I raise my head from his chest and meet his face. He brings his
lips closer to mine. As our lips are about to touch, I come back
to my senses.
"Yemi I know you're hurting, but I'm a married woman. This can
never happen. I love my husband too much to betray him in
that manner."
"Fuck! I'm sorry Ray, I'm really sorry. I suggest you leave before
things get even more awkward." he says, turning away from
me. I heave a sigh and grab my car keys before walking out.
~~~
Two days later
Lulo
Everything is now starting to sink in. I feel so out of touch with
reality. My mind keeps on going back to what occurred at Ebu's
house. I've also been suffering from sleep paralysis.
It feels like I'm in a dark pit, desperate to get out, but I just
can't. I've been in my room, at Tata's house for the past two
days.
Mam Nikhitha has been trying her utmost best to make me talk,
but I just can't. I can't even bare the sight of human beings,
men specifically. The whole family is trying to help me, but
something in me just won't allow them.
Mam'Nikhitha just brought my phone. She told me that Tata
managed to track my car, and fortunately nothing was stolen.
Obviously I didn't respond to her. I just faced the other way.
I'm currently deleting and blocking all of my contacts. I received
about 70 missed calls from Mahlubandile alone. I don't even
want to think about him. Thabile can have him for all I care. I
just can't stand the sight of those evil creatures called men.
Speaking of Thabile. She sent me multiple apology texts, telling
me she's ashamed of how she reacted and a whole lot of other
stuff. I'm honestly not mad at her. I'm just trying to block out
everyone and everything for my wellbeing.
Unfortunately I can't neglect my schoolwork. I've come so far to
give up.
I just wish my mother was here...
Hours later, I'm woken up by Tata bringing me a tray of food. As
soon as I see his face, I turn the other way. He starts speaking
and I just block him out. I prefer listening to my thoughts and
being in my head instead.
After a while, he leaves. I lift my head from the pillow and look
around the room. I spot a scented candle and a lighter on the
other pedestal. Something tells me to grab the lighter. I grab it
and play with it, just switching it on and off.
The same voice tells me to run the flame over my skin. I run it
over my skin and a satisfying pain shocks through my body,
making me want to try it again. I run the flame over and over
again, for longer periods of time.
The smell of my burning flesh just satisfies me.
15
A week later
Mahlubandile
My mind keeps on going back to the words she uttered that
night. "I think I might have killed him." What did she mean by
that statement?
I've been trying to call that number she called me with that
night. Unfortunately it doesn't exist all of a sudden. Her
personal number still takes me straight to voicemail.
I swear this woman has got me fucked up.
Xolani told me that she's been missing for days, and that
everyone claims to have last seen her last week Wednesday.
I fucking knew that something was up. This whole thing is
messing with my head. What if she's hurt wherever she is. Fuck!
I've never felt so useless.
~~~
I'm at home, my parents' house to be precise. I'm here for our
monthly family dinner. My two sisters, AndreNia and Lingomso
are here as well. Well, Fezile still lives with our parents.
My sister AndreNia is the eldest, she's 34 and she's an actuarial
analyst at Momentum. She's also a single mother to Jadine.
Jadine is actually our family's biggest blessing. She changed
everyone for the better. That little girl has all of us wrapped
around her little finger.
Fezile comes after me, he's 28. He works in cybersecurity. He
acts just like a teenager, he refuses to fucking grow up.
The youngest is Lingomso and she's 23, she's currently doing
her 5th year in medicine at University of Pretoria. Just like me,
she followed our parents' footsteps.
"Hlubi wam, you seem distant. Are you okay? My mother says,
passing next to me.
I'm sitting on a kitchen bar stool, reading a patient's x-rays on
my Macbook. I just clear my throat and give her a weak smile.
"I'm perfectly fine MaJola. Work is just stressful." I say. She
gives me a look.
"Mahlu, you know you can talk to me about anything sana
lwam. You're still my favourite you know. I can't help but worry
about you." I chuckle and shake my head.
"Don't let Fezile hear you say that." I say. She just titters and
walks to the pantry.
Pa enters the kitchen carrying his tennis equipment with
Lingomso glued next to him. He walks over to MaJola and gives
her a brief kiss . Lingomso rolls her eyes, making me laugh.
She's actually closer to Pa than all of us.
"Tyrese, is jy goed?" Pa asks, looking at me. I just nod and
continue observing the X-rays. We literally just saw each other
at work earlier on.
"Mandla and Nombulelo are on their way here. They are finally
back from their trip to China." MaJola says. She's talking about
the Sisulus, Mbulelo's parents.
~~~
About an hour later, we're all seated at the dining table. Xolani
and Daluxolo also tagged along with their parents. Well,
Mbulelo is hardly available for such engagements because of his
work.
A few moments later, Xolani excuses himself. I take that as an
opportunity to follow him. I rush behind him and catch up with
him in the hallway.
"Any updates on her?" I startle him. I had asked him to update
me on what's going on with Lulo.
"Eyy bruh! I heard she's moving out of Campus Central, Thabz
said she saw someone moving her stuff yesterday." he says. I
can't believe this twit has been quiet about this all along.
"And you didn't see the need to tell me?" I ask, getting angry for
some reason.
"Nah man, she's okay. But flop is that she blocked everyone.
Even Mtho's meddie. Actually, why are you so concerned?" he
cocks his eyebrow.
"Xolani don't ask me gemors. Just tell me, what exactly
happened to my woman?" his eyes immediately pop out.
"Wait what..." I just walk away before he could ask me any
further questions.
I walk back to the table with a lot of questions in my head. Well,
at least she's safe. But why won't she talk to me.
Immediately after dinner, Pa and Uncle Mandla go sit at the
home bar. My mother and makazi go to the upstairs lounge and
ask sis Primrose to bring them tea. That's their way of bonding I
guess.
The rest of us sit at the outdoor patio near the fireplace.
Everyone is talking and laughing but my mind is just not here.
Jadine is sitting on my lap and playing games on her iPad. The
doctor in me wants to snatch it away. I genuinely don't
recommend this much screen time for a 5 year old.
"Okes, what's with this one? Daluxolo disturbs me from my
thoughts. I look up and they're all staring at me. These pussies
all start laughing.
"Daluxolo don't piss me off." I snap. I quickly grab my glass and
down the remaining whiskey.
"Geez, watch your language in front of my daughter! What's up
with you anyway?" AndreNia says.
"His stekkie ghosted him, that's why he's so stressed." Fezile
says. They all laugh again, except for Xolani. I click my tongue
and show Fezile the middle finger.
"Wag! Are you back with Chernice?" AndreNia asks.
"Fok nee!" I quickly interject. She hates Chernice's guts. Well,
her and Chernice used to be tight before Chernice and I hooked
up. They are both top women in finance.
Jadine gets off my lap and goes to her mother. I take that as an
opportunity to pour myself another drink.
I'm hardly a drinker but this whole situation with Lulonke is
stressing me out.
Fuck Lulonke, what are you doing to me.
~~~
Ray
I just came from the spa with Simmy and Ze. I wanted to spend
time with my girls before leaving tonight. I've been in
Johannesburg for a week now, it's time I go back to my busy life.
I miss my husband and all of my pumpkins so much. Last night
Ava cried when we were on facetime because she misses me so
much.
The ladies and I go to Mr George in Melrose Arch. Simmy and I
order immediately. Ze is still undecided on what she's going to
drink. The waiter tells us he'll come back once she's decided.
"Ze just order some chardonnay
it's your favourite either way." I say. Simmy nods in agreement.
"Ugh, I didn't want to announce like this, buttt, I'm pregnant."
Ze whispers. Simmy and I look at each other and look back at
her.
"Congratulations my love." I say, with my tears threatening to
come out. God how I wish it was me.
"Ahh, congratulations mama bear. How did daddy take the
news? You told him right?" Simmy says.
"Well, he was over the moon, our biggest concern is breaking
the news to the kids. I mean, Makhosini begged me to not have
another child after he turns sixteen. Now he's eighteen, what
do I say." Ze says and we all laugh.
"Well, this gives us another reason to spend some Wellesley
money. Ray, the bill is on you sis!" Simmy says. I can't help but
laugh.
About an hour and a half later, Ronan is here to fetch Ze.
"Makoti, I hope you're good." Ronan says, giving Simmy a hug.
"Hey Bangi, I'm good. I see you and your friend started this
whole growing a beard club." Simmy says and he laughs. I
honestly can't get used to people calling Ronan, Bangizwe. It's
just weird for me.
"Mubiza, greet usbali and the kids for me." Ronan says, before
kissing my cheek. I swear he still remains the mean older
brother regardless of how old he gets.
~~~
We finally get to Simmy's house. I offered to drop her off, plus I
haven't seen her munchkins in a while.
As we enter the house, it's very noisy. We find Bongz running
behind Lisa trying to feed her. He's carrying the sleeping Cebo in
the baby carrier. Simmy walks over to him and gives him a peck.
I love seeing my girl content and happy. Bongani treats her like
an egg, I swear.
I chill with them for about an hour before leaving. As I'm about
to enter my car, an imessage text comes through.

Adeyemi🖤
Hey there, I hope you're good. I just wanted to apologise for
disrespecting you like that. Forgive me abeg.
 Me
It's okay buddy, water under the bridge.
I heave a sigh and start my car and drive to Glenvista. Dad asked
me to pass there before I leave.
~~~
Lulo
Ray just left the room. She brought me chocolates and fresh
flowers. She didn't say much, she just told me to pray and be
patient with myself. I wish everyone was like her. All they do is
force me to talk about what happened.
Today I managed to attend two lectures. I happened to bump
into Thabile, she hugged me and apologised for our last
encounter. I honestly didn't have the energy for her, I just
walked away from her.
I'm still not ready to drive my car, so Tata has been driving me
to campus. I hate that he cancelled my lease without my
permission. Who the hell told him I want to live in his house.
~~~
I just took a long bath. I've been repeating the same song over
and over again, Do 4 Love by Snoh Aalegra. I hate that it
reminds me of Mahlubandile. He used to play it everytime
when I was in his car. I can't help but think about him. I'm
tempted to unblock him, but I just can't. I don't deserve him,
Ebubechukwu made sure of that.
I suddenly feel overwhelmed with emotions and I just let out a
soft sob. I just wish someone could take this pain away.
Whenever I close my eyes, I just see Ebubechukwu's pained
face. I hate that he put me through hell and turned me into a
monster. I never in a million years would have thought that I,
uLulonke, would end someone's life.
I just grab my lighter, hopefully this will numb the pain.
16
Three months later~ July
Ray
The radar alarm wakes me up from my slumber. It's 5am and
I'm super exhausted. I slept around 1am because I was on a
FaceTime call with Quinton.
I yawn and shift closer to Quinton's side of the bed, it's a habit.
He went on another business trip this week. Ladies, these are
the cons of being with an older wealthy man. As much as they'll
give you heaven on earth, all they do is work work work.
There's always endless business trips and meetings. I just can't
keep up at times. I only go with him when I can.
I get out of bed and walk straight to the bathroom. I take a
quick shower, brush my teeth, and do minimal skincare. My
personal trainer arrives around 05:45, so I need to be quick.
I wear my burgundy Ivy Park active gear, which is just leggings
and a sports bra. I pair that with my dark purple Under Armour
trainers. I tie my weave neatly and wear a towelling headband.
At 05:40, I rush to the west wing to make myself some celery
juice. I find one of the housekeepers tidying up the kitchen.
What happened because I saw her clean the kitchen last night.
Right before I went to bed, plus all the kids are not here. Shay
went to visit the heavily pregnant Hazel. The other three went
to visit Zikhona's mother, since they are on mid term break.
"Good morning Kate, what happened here? Didn't you clean up
last night?" I ask as I look around. There's snacks and alcohol all
over my counters. Everyone knows that I hate a messy kitchen.
"Good morning ma'am. Yes I did clean up, but Junior and his
friends came back early this morning and made a mess." she
says.
"Oh, uhm. I'm so sorry Kate. You can have the weekend off, I'm
sure Juan and Bridget will manage." I say and she smiles. I can't
help but feel bad.
Well, Jay has been here for about a week. He won't say why
he's here. Quinton didn't even entertain him. The thing is, ever
since Quinton and I got married, Jay has kept his distance from
the family. Which was honestly fine by me, I couldn't be
bothered. So him being here is very questionable.
As I'm taking out the ingredients for my celery juice. Amanda,
my personal trainer comes in. I glance at my apple watch and
the time reads as 05:46. I grunt and Amanda laughs.
"I have a love hate relationship with you. Why should you
always be on time?" I whine. She laughs and gives me a hug.
"Well I love you too Mrs Wellesley. Now come, let's get those
glutes burning." She says as we walk towards the home gym.
An hour and a half later, we're done. I gulp down a bottle of
water before walking Amanda out. As we pass by the kitchen, I
hear people making a noise. I'm just praying that Jay didn't
bring straatmates to my house, otherwise...mhh.
After walking Amanda out, I walk back to the kitchen. The sight
before me makes me boil. Jay is sitting on the island with some
girl standing next to him. His other gay friend Mogale is also
here. They even opened my bottle of Dom Perignon.
The chef is already making breakfast. I smile and wave at him.
I clear my throat and Jay jumps off the island. The three mice
turn to look at me. Only then do I get to see the girl's face.
It's bloody Tumi! In my house nogal, ngiyajwayelwa bo. She
glances at me and immediately looks down. She looks so
different, is she on ozempic or something because girl is skinny!
"Hi doll! You look so damn good. It's been long hey." Mogale
attacks me with a hug. I give them a fake smile. They go back to
sit down.
[Mogale's pronouns are they/them]
"Erhm, hi Ray. Tumi and Mo didn't have anywhere to go. All
hotels were fully booked and they really wanted to see me. I
hope you don't mind them being here." Jay says.
"Mmkay." I say, taking out smoothie ingredients.
I blend my smoothie in silence. The mood in the kitchen is
suddenly tense.
As I walk out of the kitchen, someone follows me. I look behind
me and it's Tumi. She's looking at me with envy. Yes bitch take a
good look at me.
"Hey babe, it's been long. It's been what, three years?" she
says, chuckling nervously.
I just keep quiet and size her up before walking away. I swear
this girl is delusional. She must just stay out of my life.
I enter the lift that leads up to the bedroom. I need to take
another quick shower and drive to my fitting. Today is my last
Durban July fitting. My designer Ryan Keys is one impatient
human being.
~~~
Lulo
"For today's session, I want you to reflect on your self growth
and healing. How have the past couple of months been?"
Mpumi, my therapist asks. I heave a sigh and give her a small
smile. I'm trying so hard not to cry because I'm wearing contact
lenses today.
"Hhmm, very crazy but also peaceful. I discovered a lot about
myself. I tried out a new hobby, all thanks to you. I never
thought I would enjoy dance classes. I also realised that I can't
let people like Ebubechukwu have authority over my life.
Especially a dead man." I say. Mpumi nods vigorously.
"Good good, now what about everyone else you've isolated
yourself from?" Mpumi asks.
"Well, I've tried reaching out to my friends and family. I
explained to them that I was going through a rough patch. Most
of them were really supportive and understanding." I say.
"Also
Advertisement
I had a full blown conversation with Tata and Mam'Nikhitha
yesterday, which is a good thing I guess. Erhm, I've also started
talking to Thabile, we're actually going out for lunch after this." I
say in a cheery tone. Mpumi smiles.
"I hear you, now what about Mahlubandile? Did you reach out
to him?" I heave a sigh and shake my head.
"You do know that he also deserves an explanation as to why
you went AWOL on him." Mpumi says and I nod. Where will I
even begin with Mahlubandile. He's always on mind.
"I'm happy with your progress Lulonke. I'll see you next week
for our last session. Make sure you talk to him. Otherwise I'll
extend our sessions." Mpumi says and I just giggle.
After my therapy session, I go to the restroom. I actually look
cute today,I might as well snap a few mirror selfies.
After a lot of contemplating, I eventually decide on posting
them on my main account. It's been dry for a while now. The
girlies need to know that I'm back.
~~~
I just left Mpumi's office. Thabile asked me to fetch her at the
salon. Driving there, my mind is occupied with a lot of things.
Mahlubandile to be precise. I doubt the guy will want anything
to do with me now.
The past three to four months have been intsomi, ifilim ke sana.
I've never experienced umgowo like I have in this year alone.
That time it's only been seven months into the year. I believe
God considers me one of his strongest soldiers because I've
gotten this far.
Well, ever since the whole thing with Ebu. I started attending
therapy, it's been really helpful. My therapist suggested that I
find a hobby. So two months ago, I started attending dance
classes and a bit of gym here and there. I won't lie, it's been the
best decision ever. The two environments are just amazing. I'm
slowly but surely getting back to my old self.
I find Thabi waiting outside the salon. She got bohemian braids
done and they look gorgeous. Her shiny forehead is even
popping.
She enters my car and pulls me into a hug. We stay like that for
a good two minutes, not saying anything to each other. I'm still
a bit sceptical about where we stand in this friendship.
~~~
The following day
Shayane
"Shay, make sure you got that on camera!" Hazel shouts. Her
makeup artist giggles. I'm currently helping her film a vlog for
YouTube.
"For the thousandth time, I did!" I say, getting irritated. She
smiles and nods. She's currently getting her makeup done for
her maternity shoot. She's now seven months pregnant and
trust me, she's the worst.
The MUA finally finishes and leaves. Thank God! I can finally
catch a break. Hazel is very demanding.
While Hazel is getting dressed, I go on instagram and just scroll
through peoples posts. A post from Lulo catches my attention. I
let out a scream. She's back bitchess!
Mom had mentioned that she's been attending therapy.
Unfortunately she only communicates with mom, she's been
keeping her distance from everyone else. This whole thing has
been weighing on Grams and Grandpa.
She now lives with them, but she's basically just their
housemate. She hardly talks to them.
Suddenly a knock comes through the door.
"There's someone at the door!" I shout, hoping Hazel can hear
me. Luckily she does.
"Please get it, it's probably Mtho!" She shouts back. I didn't
know her baby daddy was coming.
The person knocks again and I rush to open the door. As I open
the door, I'm met by two tall guys. One is dark skinned with a
taper fade, that's Mtho.
The other one is light skinned, has a nostril piercing, and is
wearing a grey NY cap.
"Hey you, you good?" Mtho says. I had once met him when he
came home with Hazel.
"Uhm, hey..." As I'm still greeting, Hazel comes behind me
shouting.
"Took you long enough! Take these bags and make sure you
take Dior's stuff as well." She says, looking directly at Mtho.
Mtho just stares at her in awe. I understand, she looks
gorgeous. The way that bodycon dress just sculpts her cute
baby bump.
Mtho obeys her instructions and moves from the door, walking
further in. He attempts to hold her hand but she goes crazy.
Telling him not to dare touch her. From there on they start
arguing. I swear it's as if I'm watching a Tyler Perry movie. Ever
seen people who argue unprovoked.
"They'll probably take a while, I'm used to it now." the other
guy says looking at me. I can't help but look into his intense
eyes.
"Oh really!" I say in a high pitched voice. It happens when I'm
nervous.
"I'm Xolani by the way, Xolani Sisulu. Nice to meet you...uh?"
"Shay, Shayane." I say mindlessly, just staring at his lips.
"Beautiful name. So Shayane doesn't have a last name?" he says
with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh uhm, I'm Shayane Williams." I say nervously.
"Oh nice. You're very beautiful Miss Williams." he says, licking
his bottom lip. He does that triangle eye contact thing that
gents do.
I quickly walk away trying hard not to blush. I'm so telling my
best friend about this!
17
•continuation
Shayane
The maternity shoot was really beautiful. Especially the shots
Hazel took with Mtho and Dior. They looked like a cute mini
family. They decided on a Calvin Klein themed shoot. Hazel was
obviously her usual moody self. She kept on telling Mtho to not
touch her or hold her in a certain way.
We're now leaving the studio and heading to lunch. Mtho
planned a little celebratory lunch for Hazel since she doesn't
want a baby shower. But me knowing Hazel, she'll probably get
pissed at everyone because they didn't throw her a shower.
Right now Hazel is angry that Mtho put her handbag in the
backseat. Dior's pet sitter already left with him. I wonder what
would dad say if he found out she got a pet sitter for Dior.
"So, are you riding with me?" Xolani asks as we're watching
Hazel and Mtho argue over nothing again.
"Uhm, sure." I answer. I don't think I wanna catch a ride with
those two again. I initially came here with them and Xolani
followed behind.
"Jonga mfondin, you'll catch us at the restaurant ke thina."
Xolani tells Mtho.
"Follow me." he says looking at me.
~~~
We're now driving in silence, well I'm the silent one. Xolani is
jamming along to his Drake playlist and lightly tapping the
steering wheel. He keeps on stealing glances at me. I pretend to
not notice by just scrolling on tiktok.
"So grade 12 huh, how's that going?" Is he talking to me? How
does he know that I'm in 12th grade?
Those are the questions lingering on my mind. I clear my throat
and answer.
"It's aight I guess. Pretty hectic I must say, but I'm doing well." I
answer, not knowing what else to say.
"Nice, so you're a focused girl?" he asks again.
"You could say that." I respond.
"Cool, so no boyfriend?" o-kay, why is he asking me that?
"I had a boyfriend but we broke up recently, we both wanted
different things." I don't even know why I'm telling him all of
this.
"That's good, boys are bad." I give him a wtf look and he just
shrugs his shoulders.
"Enough about me, what about you? What do you do?" I ask
him. I don't know where I gained the guts to ask him that.
"Oh me? Well I'm doing my honours in accounting. I also do
rugby and some modelling on the side, yeah that's all. " he says.
I could tell from his athletic body that he does sports.
"Oh nice, you don't look like the post grad type though. You
look a bit younger." I say and he laughs.
"How old do I look Miss Williams?" He raises an eyebrow,
looking and sounding amused.
"Probably 20 or 21." he chuckles.
"Well I'm actually 23." he says. I nod and we fall back into a
comfortable silence.
Moments later as I'm scrolling on my phone, When I'm in your
arms by Cleo Sol starts playing. I can't help but harmonise
along. I really love this song.
When the song ends, I look up and realise Xolani has been
staring at me. My cheeks heat up immediately, the look he's
giving me erupts something in my stomach.
"You have a beautiful voice Shayane." he says, as we stop at the
traffic light.
"Uhm, thanks." I say, feeling shy all of a sudden.
About ten minutes later we finally get to the mall. He looks so
hot when he's frustrated. He's been driving around looking for a
parking spot. He catches me staring and winks at me.
~~~
Lulo
I can't believe he hung up on me! So yesterday after my little
outing with Thabile, I called Hlubi. He answered the call but just
remained silent. I decided to pour my heart out and apologise
for ghosting him. Did he not say, "Are you done?" and then
hang up. I swear I wanted to cry.
Anywho, today Mtho invited us to a mini baby celebratory
lunch. Apparently Hazel doesn't want a baby shower, so he
decided on doing something cute and intimate with just us
friends. This is going to be my first engagement with all of them
after 4 months.
I just arrived at the restaurant where the lunch is held. I bought
helium balloons and a gift for Hazel.
I enter the restaurant and luckily Mtho waves at me from the
table they're sitting at.
I quickly walk over there. There's Mtho, Hazel, Xolani and Shay. I
didn't even recognise Shay, she's growing up too quick. I can't
believe she'll be done with high school soon.
"Hello beautiful people." I greet. I hug all of them and then sit
next to Xolani. Next to him there's Shay.
I place the foil balloon weight thingy on the table and give Hazel
the gift bag. She peeks in the gift bag and smiles.
"Aww, thank you so much marshmallow, this is my first baby
gift." Hazel says with tears forming in her eyes. I just blow her
kiss.
A waiter brings me the menu. I order a bottle of Moët and a
sushi platter. Mtho should sweat a bit for getting my friend
pregnant.
"Bro told me you called yesterday." Xolani says next to me. I
heave a sigh and nod.
"He's not angry at you, he's just hurt that you're only reaching
out to him now." he says.
"Then what can I do to show him that I'm sorry." I say
Advertisement
feeling defeated.
"To be honest, I suggest you apologise face to face. My cousin is
a very straightforward person Lulo, I hope you're serious about
him. The man is crazy about you." I don't know why but that
made me smile.
"I don't think him and I would go that far. First of, he's your
cousin and you're my friend. Plus you know Thabile had a thing
for him." I say.
"Well, as his cousin I wouldn't mind y'all being together. Plus
the whole thing with Thabz isn't that deep. That one has a list of
men she simps over." I can't help but laugh.
"So what do you suggest I do?" I ask him.
"Well, I can give you his new address since he moved. I'll make
sure to send you his gate code too. And please Lulo, don't mess
this up. I'm really rooting for y'all." I nod vigorously.
"What are you two discussing without us?" Hazel says looking
between us.
"Oh here's Thabz." Mtho says looking towards the entrance.
~~~
Shayane
The "Thabz" girl just got here. I can't help but notice how close
she and Xolani are. Are they a thing?
"Why didn't you text me mapakisha?" Xolani asks her. See how
he talks to her?
"Haibo I was busy with my own things. For your information, I
actually have a very busy life" she says, flipping through the
menu. She's sitting opposite me.
"Pshhh, as if you have a life." Xolani says. She rolls her eyes and
shows him the middle finger.
I still can't figure out what's going on between them.
"Oh don't mind us, we just enjoy bullying each other?" Xolani
whispers into my ear, sending shockwaves through my body.
Luckily no one saw him do that, well no one except for the
Thabz girl, who raises an eyebrow at Xolani.
"Hey, I'm Thabi. You're Shay right? Hazel's step sister?" she says
with a smile. I nod and give her a fake smile. I don't know why
I'm acting like this over a guy who's not even in my league.
"Lulo's niece sounds better thank you." Lulo intervenes.
"So that makes Hazel your niece as well?" Mtho says. We all
laugh except for Hazel, who slaps Mtho's head.
"Heey stawp!" Lulo says, folding her arms. That cracks me up
even more.
"Anyways, let's raise a toast to baby Mthozel!" Thabi says
pouring everyone except Hazel, a glass of the champagne Lulo
ordered.
"To baby Mthozel!" we all toast. Hazel looks so irritated by us.
"How old are you again?" Hazel says when she sees me take a
sip of the champagne.
"Gosh chill, she's technically almost an adult." Lulo says.
The food finally arrives and I keep taking small bites. I mean,
how else would you possibly act around a guy you find
attractive.
It doesn't help that he's sitting so closely next to me. His
presence makes me feel giddy.
~~~
Hours later
Lulo
It's around six in the evening. Here I am at a man's house about
to apologise. It's not me it's the alcohol.
I park outside the black gate. I retrieve my phone and go to
mine and Xolani's chats. I punch in the code he sent me and the
gate opens.
Immediately when I drive in, four dobermans come rushing
towards my car. Oh noo! I hateee dogs!
They all start barking and running around in circles, surrounding
my car. Fortunately Mahlubandile comes out. He's wearing a
black K-Way jacket, plain white t-shirt, and black Nike joggers.
Fuck he looks good with his beard grown. But right now my
focus is not on that.
He knocks on my car window looking confused. I slide it open,
feeling nervous.
"What are you doing here Lulonke, how the fuck did you get
in?" He asks popping his head inside. His eyes are bloodshot
and he looks tired.
"I'm sorry, I just came here to apologise properly. You really hurt
my feelings yesterday." I say, running my eyes everywhere. He
sighs and moves his head out. He opens my door and looks at
me.
"Come here." he says holding the door open. The dogs take that
as an opportunity to rush to my door.
"Ahhh! Voetsek! Get them away Hlubi! Oyhini torho! " I scream,
attempting to close my door but he's holding it. I can tell he's
holding in his laugh. This fool, nxa!
"Lulonke just get out of the car." he says in an authoritative
tone. I shake my head, refusing to come out.
He shakes his head and heaves a sigh. He then does the
unexpected, he carries me out of the car and places me over his
shoulder. The way he's carrying me so effortlessly, one would
swear I'm as light as a feather.
"Boys, I apologise for mommy's behaviour. She's a bit afraid of
you guys." He says brushing the dogs with his one hand.
18
•continuation
Lulo
These dogs look too excited, they keep on jumping and trying to
reach for me. I'm genuinely not having it, I'm even screaming
like a mad woman. Hlubi carries me over his shoulder until we
reach what seems like the landscaping part of the yard. He then
opens a half glass aluminium door. Luckily the dogs stop
following us.
We get inside the house, the kitchen to be exact. It's all white
and spotless. He places me on the kitchen counter and looks
into my eyes.
"Praat." (Talk) he says with a stoic expression. I suddenly feel
nervous. I gulp and blink repeatedly.
"I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for disappearing on you. I
just had a lot going on. I've been going to therapy." I say. I swear
I had a whole speech planned out but now I don't know what to
say.
"Mmhhh." he murmurs.
"Hlubi say something please. I'm also not at fault here. I don't
know why you're treating me like this." he raises an eyebrow
and chuckles.
"Yey! Sundicaphukisa Lulonke.(Don't make me mad Lulonke.)
What did you expect me to do?" I bat my eyelashes and look
down. There's just something about him when he speaks in
Xhosa.
"Hlubi look, I'm gen..." he interrupts me.
"No Lulonke, you can't expect me to disregard the fact that you
called me crying and then immediately hang up after saying the
most alarming things. That's not something you forget easily." I
don't know why but tears start forming in my eyes. He just
brought up something I didn't want to think about.
"Hlubi I'm sorry okay, can we not talk about that now. Please."
he chuckles.
"Then when should we talk about it Lulonke, huh?" he says
calmly. I start feeling nauseous all of a sudden.
"Hlubi please just..." I immediately puke on his chest. Shit! Why
must this always happen when I'm with him!!! I'm such a
weakling when it comes to alcohol.
~~~
Thabile
"Cishe ngaphula izinto zomsakazi wentombi yam
Ngenxa yalento bengiyizw'izolo
Cishe ngaphuk'intamo
Ngenxa yalento zam
Zokusukel'umdanso ngibhem'izolo
Ahh imnandi lento!
Ingenza ng'fun 'ukudlalis' i-Payyyy" (Track ID: Imnandi lento)
I sing along to the song at the top of my lungs. I'm currently at
some shisanyama. I came straight here after having lunch with
the gang. I'm honestly just here to drink and dance my
problems away.
I'm not even supposed to be spending this money, I was
supposed to send money home. They can honestly fuck off for
all I care.
I'm really going through it hey. My bursary dropped me and
didn't pay for my first semester fees. I called to enquire, and
they told me about how I failed an elective, which affected my
academic record. So here I am, currently owing thousands of
money to the institution. I can't even enjoy my holidays in
peace.
I emailed my bursary programme a lengthy motivational letter,
telling them how much I need this bursary. I just hope they
reply.
I can't even tell my friends about this because I fear they might
judge me. I mean they all have it easy. Xolani and Hazel are
typical trust fund babies. Mtho and Lulonke both have well off
parents. So they all know nothing about such struggles.
On the other hand, my friendship with Lulonke is a bit tacky, so I
don't want to bother her. I've already hurt the poor girl so
much. I won't even talk about Jade and Nicole, I don't even
consider them as my friends anymore. Hazel and I both cut
them off.
I go to the bar and order tequila shots. I gulp down the tequila
shots and then go on my phone. I check my emails to see if my
bursary might have considered my plea. Unfortunately there's
nothing, it's just those annoying "Bheki from Bolt" emails.
I also have multiple missed calls from Thishiwe, my mother. I'm
pretty sure she's calling about the money I was supposed to
send. She assumes I'm living my best life, when in actual reality
I'm going through the most.
The bartender then gives me my bill, I insert my card and punch
in my pin. The network is pretty slow.
"It's declining my sister." The bartender says. I sober up
immediately and shake my head.
"Let me try again." I try again two more times and it still
declines.
"Do we have any problem here?" a husky voice says behind me.
I look back and a guy is standing behind me, no scratch that, a
MAN is standing behind me. This gentle brother is such a snack
smakade!
"Eish ngamla, icard lika sista liya decline'a." (Boss
this lady's card is declining.) the bartender tells him. Damnit, so
he's the boss.
Mr boss looks at me and I can't help but feel embarrassed.
"Manje uthi siyenze kanjani ngale nkinga ntokazi?" (Lady, now
what do you suggest we do about this problem?) Mr boss asks
me. I just look down and shrug my shoulders. He chuckles and
his dimples appear.
"Mlethe ngaphakathi Mncedisi" (bring her inside Mncedisi) he
says before walking away.
"Sho ngamla. Kgopi, I'm coming back manje." the bartender
says to another guy who's a waiter.
The bartender then walks around the bar counter and grabs my
hand.
"What's going on?" I ask, feeling scared all of a sudden. He
keeps quiet and leads me to the upstairs section.
~~~
I'm now inside an office with the boss guy. We're both just
staring at each other in silence. He only asked me what my
name was and that was that.
He has a smirk on his face, meanwhile I'm shitting myself.
After some time, he stands up and grabs his denim jacket and
then retrieves car keys out of a drawer.
"Asambe Thabile." He says heading towards the door.
"I can't leave with you, I don't even know you. Look, I can pay
you back your money. Just allow me to make a few phone calls."
I say, taking out my phone.
"My name is Gatsha Zwane, that's all you have to know. Now be
a lady and follow me. I couldn't care less about a lousy R150."
he says. I heave a sigh.
"Where are you taking me?" I ask folding my arms.
"Ekhaya." He says with a serious expression.
Oh smakade the things we put ourselves through.
~~~
I wake up in a room I don't recognise. Everything that happened
last night comes back to mind. I've never been touched nor
handled like that before. This Zulu man sure knows his stuff.
So yesterday Gatsha brought me to his house and told me to
tell him more about myself over drinks. I already knew that he
wanted to hit. I'm already used to men doing such.
Well one thing led to another, now here I am in his bedsheets. I
guess I already paid for those shots?
I look at him and he's still asleep. I slide out of the bed and walk
to the ensuite bathroom. I do my business and get out. I pick up
my black satin dress from the floor and get dressed. I also wear
my heels. I find his Montblanc wallet in his jean pocket. The bad
voice in my head tells me to open it.
I open it and find a lot of R200 notes. I take a few and put them
in between my boobs.
"Wenzani." his voice startles me. I turn around slowly, feeling
guilty.
"Ngithe uyenzani." he looks so serious. I'm dead scared.
"Gatsha bheka, I really need this money. I have nothing okay, I
have outstanding fees, and I'm drowning in black tax." I say
stumbling over my words. He looks at me for a long time and
takes a deep breath.
"Well I have an offer for you."he says.
"What offer?" I ask, getting nervous.
"You'll take care of my needs and I'll take care of yours, simple.
So what do you say Thabile?" I swallow, not knowing what to
say. This can only mean one thing.
~~~
Shayane
I just finished watching an episode of The Kardashians on
Disney+. I'm so bored, Hazel has been asleep ever since. I stand
up and go rinse my cereal bowl in the sink.
My phone vibrates in my hoodie pocket. I take it out and see a
text from Xolani. Well him and I may have sort of exchanged
numbers yesterday after lunch. He's a cool gent, I couldn't say
no.
iMessage conversation

Xolani❤️🩹
What are you up to?

Me
nothing much, you?

Xolani❤️🩹
I just came back from training
and I'm super bored. Wanna
hang out?
Me
sure, where though?

Xolani❤️🩹
My pozi?
Me
cool, i'll tell Hazel that
i'm going out with old
friends.

Xolani❤️🩹
Let me send you the
location rq.
19
•continuation
Lulo
I slowly open my eyes and I feel something pressing heavily on
my chest. I look down and it's Mahlubandile's big head. He's
fast asleep.
I look around and notice that we slept in his lounge. We're both
tangled on this big grey couch. Well, we did sort of talk things
out last night. I guess I fell asleep then. I feel like he still wants
me to tell him more about why and how I went missing. I just
told him that I fainted at the mall and someone took me in. He
asked me what I meant when I said I killed someone. I just
fabricated more and more lies and told him that I hit a dog on
the road which resulted in it dying. I know this is wrong, but I'm
not ready to tell him the whole truth.
I look at him and I can't help but admire his features. He has
long eyelashes and amazing brows. Can someone please ask
God why he gave men better eyebrows and lashes than us
women.
I brush his eyebrows and he frowns. This man is too handsome.
He stirs and eventually opens his eyes. He lifts his head and
yawns before stretching his arms. He sits up and looks at me
before grinning.
"It's so comfortable here, I didn't want to get up." he says
massaging my breasts with both his hands, making me squirm.
He chuckles and lowers his head to my neck. He starts kissing
and sucking on my neck. I moan as I get that familiar warm
feeling in between my thighs.
He lifts his head up and looks into my eyes. I bring my face
closer to his and smash my lips onto his. I kiss him slowly and I
feel his lips fold into a smirk. He takes charge and leads the kiss.
He pinches my one nipple and that makes me gasp. The kiss
then turns into to slow sloppy kiss.
He pulls to his lap without breaking the kiss. He makes me
straddle him. I can feel his hard on through his sweat pants. My
clit is throbbing, begging for attention. I never thought I'd
experience these feelings again, especially after what happened
with Ebu.
I grind on him and he groans in my mouth. That perfect
moment is disturbed by my phone ringing. I try pulling out of
the kiss but he groans and holds me tight.
"Hlubi let me get it." I say, grabbing my phone on the coffee
table. He grunts and rolls his eyes. I just giggle before answering
my phone.
"Ma." I answer. It's mam Nikhitha
"Hi baby, is everything okay? Did we do something wrong?" she
says. I clear my throat. Gosh I almost forgot that I didn't sleep at
home.
"No ma, I'm good. I slept over at Hazel's place. I'll be back soon
though." I say. Hlubi raises an eyebrow and chuckles. He stands
up and disappears off somewhere.
"Okay be safe, I love you nana." she says. I sigh, this woman has
been nothing but amazing. I hate that I've been pushing her
away.
"I love you too ma. Goodbye." I say. I hear her gasp, probably
because it's the first time I've ever said that.
"Thank you Lulonke." she says sounding emotional, causing me
to be emotional as well. She then hangs up.
I stand up and walk around the house looking for Mahlubandile.
This house is beautiful, not too big not small. I finally find him in
the kitchen. He's busy opening cupboards looking frustrated.
"Oh there you are. I don't know what to make for breakfast. I
haven't really done grocery shopping, I'm hardly here." he says
walking towards me.
"It's okay, I'll be leaving soon anyways ." he frowns and wraps
his arms around my waist.
"But babe. I haven't seen you in months, can't we at least spend
the Sunday together...hmm." he pecks my lips. My mind is still
stuck on the "babe".
"Okay." I say without thinking. He smiles and kisses my cheek.
"So what do you suggest we have for breakfast?" he asks. An
idea pops in my head.
"Do you have yeast and flour?" I ask. He squints his eyes and
walks over to the grocery pantry. It takes about a minute before
he takes out about six yeast sachets. I didn't think he'd actually
have yeast just lying around.
"There you go, the flour is also in the pantry." he says.
"I didn't think you'd actually have yeast. Considering the fact
that you said you didn't buy any groceries." I say, walking
towards the pantry.
"Well lucky for you, MaJola bought a lot of these when she
cooked for my house warming party."
"She's a superstar." I say, grabbing a bowl to pour the flour in. I
can't believe he's not helping me, he's just following me
around.
"Yep, I can't wait for you to meet her." he says behind me. I turn
around quickly and give him a look.
"Nah uh, the only time I'd meet your mother is when I'm your
partner or something." I say, testing the waters. He heaves a
sigh and holds my hand.
"But you're my woman." I raise an eyebrow.
"I don't remember being asked to be your woman." I say with
some sass. He looks into my eyes for a long time and chuckles.
"Oh really. What are you making anyway?" he asks, looking into
the mixing bowl. I can't believe he just dismissed that
conversation like that.
"Well, I'm making amagwinya. Ever heard of those?" I say,
adding water and sugar into the bowl. He chortles and kisses
my cheek. God I love it here. I missed his company so much.
~~~
Shayane
I'm now in an uber on my way to visit Xolani. I know I only met
the guy yesterday, but there's just something about him. First
off he's too hot. I just can't resist his presence. Him and I are
texting as I'm on my way. I'm lowkey nervous though. I mean
what are we going to do when I get there. I hardly know him
and he's also older than me.
A call from daddy Que's South African number suddenly comes
through. I take a deep breath in and answer.
"Hi Pops." I greet him.
"Hey princess. How are you?"
"I'm good, I see you're back." I say.
"Yeah I got home last night. I miss all of you guys." he says and I
smile.
"Come on dad, we both know that's not true. I bet you and your
wife are ecstatic about spending some alone time together." he
laughs.
"Well I wish that was true, but your mother is being impossible
right now. She's been moody for no reason and I don't know
why. I even told Junior to leave with his friends this morning."
he says in frustration.
"Give her foot rubs and ice cream. Also watch her favourite
movie with her, she'll be okay." I suggest. Mom is honestly
something else hey.
"I'll see, where are you off to anyways? I can hear a car
moving." he says. I internally roll my eyes. I was hoping he
wouldn't notice.
"Oh erhm, I'm going out with a few of my old friends that are in
Joburg." I lie.
"Will there be any boys there? What did mom say, did she
agree? You know I would have sent you a driver." he says. I hold
in my laughter.
"I told Hazel, and NO there won't be any boys there." I say.
Mom shouts his name in the background.
"Good, be safe then. We love you princess... Are you okay
MaKunene?" That's all I heard before he hung up.
Here I am at this huge ass door
Xolani opens and smiles at me.
"You really came." he says, hugging me. He smells really good. I
smile and he lets me in.
"Follow me. Everyone is currently away." he takes my hand and
we walk further down the hallway. This house is too exquisite, it
looks and feels like a museum.
We go up a long staircase and finally reach his bedroom. It's
black and grey themed, very manly.
"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back beautiful." he says
before walking out. I huff and remove my sneakers, before
sitting on his bed. My parents would kill me if they knew about
this. So this is really me, I now hang out in older guys'
bedrooms.
He comes back with a Burger King takeaway bag and a Magnum
ice cream tub. He places them on the bedside and throws
himself on the bed. He pulls me to him and tickles me. I laugh
until there's tears in my eyes. He stops tickling me and just
looks at me.
"What are you doing to me Shayane." he says, bringing his face
closer to mine. I clear throat and look down. He chuckles and
moves away. He grabs the food bag and signals for me to take
something.
"Which movie do you wanna watch?" he says grabbing the tv
remote.
"Anything is fine." I say as I chew on fries.
"Well I love action, I hope you don't mind." he says, taking out a
burger.
"It's okay, please pass me my drink." he gives me the drink. I
drink through the straw. It's mountain dew, I love mountain
dew.
"Aren't you cold?" he asks me. I won't lie it's a bit chilly. I'm
literally dressed in my white skims cropped tee and a mini cargo
skirt.
"Kinda." I say. He chuckles and takes off his black Essentials
hoodie and makes me wear it.
"Perfect." he says. I sniff it and it smells just like him. He adjusts
the air conditioner and fixes the cushions.
"Now scoot closer, I don't bite." he says pulling me closer. I
blush.
Twenty minutes into the movie, we're done eating. He lights a
joint and puffs out smoke.
"Skyf?" I say. He chuckles and passes the joint to me. I pull and
it just hits the spot.
"And please don't tell people that I taught you kush." he says
taking it back. I giggle.
"Nah, I'm already bad." he chortles and holds me tighter.
When the movie ends, he's now lying on my lap and telling me
random things about him. We totally forgot about the movie.
We're both faded, laughing at anything and everything. He lifts
his head up and just stares at me.
"You're so cute, I could kiss you." he says.
"Then what are you waiting for?" I say. Fuck why did I say that.
He laughs and leans in, smashing his lips onto mine. Damn! His
lips are better than I imagined.
We pull out and stare into each other's eyes. He kisses my hand
before taking a deep breath in.
"I want you Shayane. There's just something so special about
you. I want you to be mine. Please let me in." he says looking
into my eyes.
"What are you saying Xolani?"
"What I'm saying is that I want you to be my lady. Look, I know
we've known each other for less than 48 hours, but I know
you're mine. My father always taught me to go for what's mine
regardless of how soon it is. So please, let's give this
relationship thing a try." he says, looking and sounding
genuine. Me on the other hand, I'm utterly shocked.
"Xolani I'm attracted to you, yes. But I know your kind, I don't
think my heart can handle someone like you." he huffs and
holds my hands tighter.
"I understand your concerns, but I promise to treat you good.
As I said, I'm not here for games. I want you Shayane, no one
else. I know our age gap is a concern, but I believe we can make
it work."
"Okay, we can give it a try." I say sounding unsure. He smiles
and attacks me with a kiss.
"I promise you won't regret giving us a chance." He says looking
into my eyes, before pulling me into another kiss.
Sigh This feels so wrong yet so right.
~~~
A few days later
Thabile
Here I am at the correctional services. I'm here to visit my
father.
The prison warder brings him out in handcuffs. He comes closer
and takes a seat opposite me. He looks at me with tears
glistening in his eyes.
"Thabi wa papa." he says.
"Papa. I need you. Everything is a mess. My bursary stopped
paying for my fees and I don't know what to do. Thishiwe is also
sucking me dry on the other hand." I say as tears roll down my
cheeks.
"I hate that I can't do anything, ke kopa maitshwarelo morwadi
waka." (I'm sorry my daughter.) he says.
"It's okay Papa, God will make a way." He gives me a small smile
that doesn't reach his eyes. I hate breaking his heart.
An hour later, it's time for me to leave. It hurts seeing your
parent in this place and there's nothing you can do about it. The
fact that Papa is in this place because he was trying to give me a
comfortable life.
On my way out, I call a number I never thought I'd call. It rings
for a while before it's answered.
"Yebo." he answers in his husky voice.
"Hi Gatsha, I have an answer for you." I say with my heart
beating fast.
"Good. I'll send someone to fetch you later on." he says.
"Uhm, I won't be at res. I'm closed for winter vacation, so I'm
currently at my mother's in Soweto." I say.
"It's fine, send me the address." he says before hanging up.
I sigh and close my eyes. I never in a million years thought I'd
have to resort to such measures to keep myself in school. Life is
really something else.
20
Lulo
It's been a few days since I went to Hlubi's house. Well later on
that Sunday, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend while we
were washing dishes. Of course I said yes. He was so cute about
it. That man is just amazing.
I had my last therapy session yesterday. Mpumi advised me to
be open and transparent with Hlubi about everything. At the
risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm not yet ready.
"Please help me with the oven nana." Mam Nikhitha says,
snapping me out of my daydream.
"Sure." I open the oven and she places the muffin pans in. She's
been baking while I keep her company. I love being on recess.
Just being at home and not stressing about academics. I've also
been attending dance classes a lot more often now.
"I really enjoy these little moments we have together. I never
had this with Raysean. Her and I were distant, she always
thought I was a bitch." I open my eyes in shock. Ma just laughs.
"Ray is a different breed. I've always wondered how her and
Tata don't butt heads."
"Oh trust me they did, they still do. Can you believe that when
she was 21 we had a whole umemulo ceremony planned out for
her. Only for us to find out she's not a virgin a week before the
ceremony. Her excuse was "I don't remember telling y'all I'm a
virgin". You should have seen the embarrassment Lulonke.
Fortunately that gangster boy sent a lobola letter a few weeks
after that. Only God knows what I've been through with
Raysean." Ma says.
"Ma you lie!" I'm dead with laughter .
"Trust me, your sister was a problem." As she's talking, her
phone rings.
"Oh speaking of Raysean. Look, she's calling." Ma says, showing
me her phone screen before walking away.
Shortly after that my phone also rings. It's the manss! You
should see the smile on my face. I quickly answer.
"Hey." I say softly.
"Thando lwam. Can I come get you later on?" he says in his
deep baritone.
"Depends on where you're taking me."
"My friend is launching his restaurant. I feel like you'd enjoy the
scenery."
"I'm not sure about that Mahlubandile, it's still too early to be
meeting your friends."
"I told you I'm here to build Lulonke. You meeting people in my
life is inevitable because you're here to stay." I don't know why
that made me smile.
"I hear you."
"Good. Now let me get going, I have a lot of appointments
today. I love you Mami."
"I love you more Tyrese." he chuckles.
"That's debatable." he says.
"Mxm bye." I say before hanging up.
Seconds later he calls me again. I titter and let it ring.
~~~
Shayane
"I promise to FaceTime you every day okay?" Xolani says wiping
my tears. I nod and sniff.
"Gosh I'm such a cry baby." I say and he chuckles.
"You're my cry baby." he says before kissing my forehead. I hold
his face and trail my lips along his jawline. He groans and
attacks me with a kiss.
We're currently in his car and I'm straddling him. This is our last
meet up before I fly back to Cape Town tomorrow. I really don't
wanna go.
We kiss for a long time before he breaks it. I huff and fold my
arms. He chuckles and pecks my lips.
"I had to stop, otherwise I wouldn't be able to control myself
any further." he says before placing my hand on his erection. I
swallow and face the other way. He chuckles when I remove my
hand quickly. He places his hand under my chin and makes me
face him.
"Heyy. Look baby, I understand you're not yet ready and I won't
rush you okay." I bob my head and smile shyly.
Ugh, I'm going to miss him.
"Let's get going before Hazel starts complaining." I say, moving
from his lap. Well Hazel is the only person that knows about
us. She is very much against us being together. She called
Xolani a pedophile and had a fit about everything. She's
honestly the last person to say something, when she's having a
baby with her supposed "male bestie".
About 30 minutes later, I enter Hazel's penthouse. I find her
doing birth classes with some white lady. Mtho is also here, he's
been coming over a lot lately. Much to Hazel's irritation.
"The little rat is finally back. Did you enjoy spending time with
your pedo." Hazel says as she sits up. I roll my eyes.
"Hayi Hazel. You can't talk to your little sister like that." Mtho
says in a stern voice. She rolls her eyes and laughs.
"I guess your friend didn't tell you, but I'll update you then. This
one is dating X. Your best friend X." Hazel says before doing
another yoga pose. Mtho raises an eyebrow at me.
"Is this true?" Mtho asks. I nod shyly. Something about this guy
is intimidating, not even Xolani is like this.
"That's some chicken murder bullshit. Xolani is going to piss me
off manje, what the hell is he doing with a kid. A child!" he
shouts as he grabs his phone. Hazel looks at me and laughs
spitefully.
~~~
Ray
"Okay bye Ma, I'll make him that concoction then. Tell Lulo to
call me." I say before hanging up. I was on a call with my
mother.
Quinton has been sick since last night. I suspect it's food
poisoning because we ate out. I've been monitoring him and
giving him meds. Men are such babies when they're sick. This
51 years old man has been sleeping the whole day.
We're supposed to leave for the Durban July event in two days.
I just hope he gets better before then.
"MaKunene I asked you for a glass of scotch, not these weak
medications. You never listen." I turn around quickly and give
him a deadly stare.
"Haibo sguli senkosi! You have some nerve to talk to me like
that. I was supposed to be at the spa with Christina but here I
am nursing you."
He mumbles something in Spanish before walking to the
ensuite bathroom. Mxm, he always does this when we argue.
I walk out of the bedroom because I'm getting pissed. I need to
compose myself. All my babies are back home except for
Shayane. She's coming back tomorrow.
As I walk to the lift
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my personal phone vibrates indicating an incoming call. It's an
unknown number.
I answer and keep quiet. The person on the line is also quiet.
Well, it's a breathing contest I guess. As I'm about to hang up,
they start speaking.
"Khanyo hey." this voice sounds familiar.
"Hello who's this?" I crease my forehead.
"It's Mnqobi, Mnqobi Maphumulo." Ugh! I roll my eyes.
"Ufunani Mnqobi?" I ask as I get annoyed.
"There's something important we need to discuss. Can we meet
up tomorrow?"
"I don't live in Joburg anymore, so I can't. Just tell me over the
phone." he heaves a sigh.
"Eish, how do I put this. Well, my wife and I have been trying to
conceive for the past years with no success. Western doctors
told us there's nothing wrong with either of us. I then went to
consult with a traditional healer. What he told me was quite
shocking."
"How am I involved in this Mnqobi?" I say with an attitude.
"Khanyo the reason why I can't have children is because our
child isn't at peace." what is he saying.
"Mnqobi as far as I can remember we did a cleansing ceremony
for Owethu, what are you talking about?" he clears his throat.
"Kahle kahle Owethu was a twin. We only introduced one twin
hence the other isn't at peace." he says and I chuckle
"Mnqobi I don't believe in those things okay, do what suits
you." he chuckles bitterly.
"Khanyo I know this isn't only affecting me but you aswell. The
healer told me you also can't have children. Just put your white
beliefs aside and do the right thing." I swallow and blink
repeatedly. Fuck this issue is deeper than I thought.
~~~
Thabile
I open my eyes and find Gatsha staring at me. Yesterday he sent
someone to fetch me and told me to pack an overnight bag. I
then slept at his house after signing the agreement contract.
The agreement is that I give him sex whenever and in return he
supplies my lifestyle. He also offered to give me money for
anything academic related.
"Good morning." I say as I stretch my arms. He maintains a stoic
expression and nods.
"Yebo. Hurry up so we can get going." he says before sliding out
of the bed. Gatsha is one blunt person, he hardly smiles and
always gets straight to the point. I'm still very much
uncomfortable around him.
I wake up and make the bed neatly. Today we're going to a
doctor to get tested for any viruses and infections. Gatsha also
suggested that I get on birth control since he hates using the
rubber.
He comes back as I'm fixing the pillows.
"You didn't have to make the bed you know. Gloria was going to
make it." he says as he leans on the door frame.
"It's okay, I was taught to never let someone else fix the bed
that I slept it." he nods repeatedly.
"Go get ready, breakfast is almost ready." he says before
walking out.
I grab my toiletry bag, walk to the conjoined bathroom and strip
off my night dress. I step into the shower and take a cold one.
After my hygiene routine, I lotion and get dressed in light blue
skinny jeans, a white long sleeve t-shirt and the cream teddy
coat that I wore yesterday. For shoes, I wear my black boots
that I packed. I let my blonde bohemian knotless braids loose
and spray my Oh So Heavenly scent all over my body.
Around 11 we get to a private hospital. We walk in and sit at the
waiting area. I wonder why he set up an appointment with a
doctor because we could have easily got all of this done at a
clinic or something.
The doctor's secretary tells us to go through. We enter the
doctor's office and he's not in. We sit in an awkward silence.
After 5 minutes or so the door opens.
"Apologies, I was in a short meeting. How can I help you
today?" The doctor says behind us. I turn around and it's
Mahlubandile. I'm suddenly uncomfortable. He then takes a
seat in his chair opposite us.
"Haw Gatsha my man, it's you." They both laugh.
"You know you're the only one I trust with these things ndoda.
This is Thabile by the way." Gatsha says, putting his arm over my
shoulder. Mahlubandile chuckles and smiles at us.
"Oh I know Thabile, she's friends with woman." Mahlubandile
says. Wow so him and Lulo are a thing now. I'm happy for them
though , Lulo deserves happiness.
"Hawu, that's interesting." Gatsha says looking at me. I give him
a tight smile.
"So what are the two of you here for today?" Mahlubandile asks
as he takes out a notebook.
"We're here to get tested for everything. We also want to know
about birth control options." Gatsha says. Mahlubandile bobs
his head and jots down everything.
~~~
It's around 4pm now, we only finished with everything now. We
both tested negative and I decided to go on the pill.
Gatsha is driving me to Soweto now. He first passed at a KFC
drive through and bought me food.
He finally parks outside my mother's house. He goes on his
phone for a while before unlocking the car doors.
"I just sent you something. Make sure you answer my calls
whenever I call. Siyezwana Thabile?" I nod repeatedly and grab
my food and overnight bag before getting out of the car. His
Brabus G63 speeds off immediately.
I open the gate and enter the yard. A few neighbours are staring
at me. Township paparazzi is annoying yazi.
I enter the house and find Thishiwe, my mother watching
something on Moja Love. She clicks her tongue and gives me a
look of disgust. I genuinely don't have the strength to entertain
her.
"Why unghlaza Thabile? Ungiphoxile yazi mntana ka Tau." she
says scrunching her nose. I internally roll my eyes and walk to
the room I share with my little sister. I enter and lock the door
immediately. Thishiwe starts banging on the door, throwing
insults at me.
I put on my headphones and just block her out.
I'm genuinely tired of my mother. She's a very toxic person. I
don't know what happened between us. She started disliking
me when Papa took me to live with him in Durban. The reason
why Papa took me was because my half brother Senzo once
stabbed my arm because I locked him out of the house. Senzo
was and still is a junkie. I always try my utmost best to stay
away from him. My mother will always defend his non existent
honour though.
I see a bank notification indicating that R150 000 has been
deposited into my account. I swallow and send Gatsha a
message thanking him.
21
Lulo
It's around 6pm and I just finished doing a light face beat. I
won't lie, I struggled a bit with this simple look. Bless those
youtubers that make one million make up tutorials. Luckily I had
a Fenty beauty makeup gift set that I once received at one of
Hazel's influencer events. It's funny how I thought I'd never use
it. I'm just a lipgloss and mascara kind of girl.
I'm dressed in a red long sleeved tight fitting dress. It's open
around my chest area. I pair that with black strappy heels. I
style my new passion twists into a simple look. I wear hoop
earrings and accessorise with a few rings on my fingers. I wear
the Pandora, silver charm necklace that I got from
Mahlubandile that day he sent me a bouquet.
Right then, I recieve a text from him telling me he's a few
minutes away. I grab my black Luella handbag. It's very chic and
elegant. I swear Foschini is coming through for us budget girlies.
I spray some perfume and turn off the Sarah Jakes Roberts
sermon I was listening to. I put my phone inside the bag and go
downstairs. Fortunately Tata and Mam'Nikhitha left for
Pietermaritzburg in the afternoon. They're visiting uncle
Mzwakhe and his family. Hence why Ma was baking and
prepping different dishes.
I lock the doors and switch the lights off before going outside. I
press the gate remote and find Mahlubandile's black BMWx6 M
sport parked outside. I realised that he loves big black cars. He's
actually not into cars though, he only has two cars.
As I walk towards his car, his tall self steps out. He walks to the
passenger side and opens the door. He stares at me intensely as
I walk closer. He mouths "wow" as his eyes twinkle with
admiration.
"Hey." I say, standing in front of him. I look up smiling at him. He
lowers his head and pulls my chin before smashing his lips onto
mine. He gives me a slow wet kiss, making my knees go weak. I
immediately feel dizzy when he breaks the kiss.
"You look breathtaking thando lwam. I can't wait to parade
you." he finally speaks in his deep, yet calming voice. I just
giggle, trying to catch my breath.
"Oh why thanks. You don't look bad yourself." I say sarcastically,
in a forced british accent. He chuckles and places a kiss on my
forehead.
He looks good in his black turtleneck and suit pants. I love how
the material of the turtleneck is clinging onto his biceps...mmm.
I get inside the car. He closes the door for me before jogging to
his side. He starts the car and drives off.
"So what did Kunene say about me stealing you for the night?"
he asks out of the blue. I titter and look at him.
"Oh he doesn't know about this. Him and Ma left for PMB
earlier on. Knowing my father, he would have thrown a fit if he
found out I was going out at this hour. Typical Zulu man." he
chuckles.
"Babe you know I sometimes forget that you're a Zulu girl. That
explains your stubbornness."
"Oh wow!" I slap his shoulder.
"What! I'm just being honest Mami. What the hell were your
parents thinking, Zulu and Xhosa? A recipe for disaster." I open
my mouth in shock and punch his arm. He just laughs and
places a kiss on my fist.
"As if you're any better. You were born a crime dude." I tease.
He bursts into a fit of laughter.
"Savage! I swear MaJola is going to love you. You two are cut
from the same cloth." he says, making a turn. One thing I've
realised is that he values family more than anything.
He stops at a petrol station to fill his fuel tank. He's been staring
at me since the petrol attendant came to assist us.
"I wish you would drive instead?" he says, caressing my cheek.
This man's love language is definitely physical touch.
"And why is that?" I squint my eyes.
"You're too gorgeous, I just want to stare at you the whole
time." he answers.
"Such flattery Van Heerden." I say raising an eyebrow. He
chortles
"I'm serious thando lwam, you're the epitome of perfection. I'm
hoping our daughters will take after you." I give him a perplexed
look.
"Oh please! That's in a billion years." I exclaim. He clears his
throat.
"I'm planning on having children before 40, and that's in like
eight years. So you'll have to compromise thando lwam." he
says with a serious expression.
"Oh God stop. Why are we even discussing this?" I whine. He
laughs and entwines our hands together.
"You should get more ink, it looks good on your skin tone." he
says, kissing my tattooed finger. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"Hmm, are you sure you're a real doctor?" I ask. He lets out a
belly laugh. It's amusing how he finds everything I say funny.
"I love you so much thando lwam." He randomly says after
calming down.
"uThandwa ndim." I reply with a smile. He winks at me, causing
me to flush.
The petrol attendant then makes his way to the car window.
~~~
We finally arrive in Centurion, where the restaurant launch is.
This place is amazing, very chilled and elegant at the same time.
We are offered champagne flutes as soon as we enter.
A white, well built male walks towards us smiling. He looks
quite familiar, actually most people that are present here are
influential in some way.
"Tyrese man!" the guy shouts as he gets closer. He has a heavy
Afrikaans accent.
"This place is amazing. I'm so proud of you man." Mahlubandile
says to the guy. They dab each other up and laugh. The guy
shifts his attention to me, observing me.
"You must be Tyrese's vrou. I'm Gavin, his childhood best
friend." The guy says. I offer him a brief smile.
"Nice to meet you Gavin, I'm Lulonke." I say sweetly. He then
envelops me into a hug, almost picking me up. I can't help but
giggle. My glass of champagne almost spills.
"Okay, that's enough touching. Los!" The fool I'm dating says.
Gavin laughs and releases me.
"Well, enjoy guys. Drinks and food are on the house for you
liefie." Gavin says before kissing my hand. He winks at
Mahlubandile
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teasing him. This man next to me scoffs and flashes his middle
finger at him. Gavin laughs and walks away.
"Your friend is very interesting." I say. He furrows his eyebrows.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he says. I hold in my laugh
and face the other way.
He turns my face, making me face him again. I clear my throat
and attempt to move back, but he holds me tighter.
We breathe in the same air and look into each other's orbs.
We're on the brink of kissing, when someone clears their
throat.
"Hello Tyrese." a tall indian/coloured looking female with a
model like body says. We both turn to face her. My man is
suddenly tense.
"Mrs Ngcobo." he says coldly.
"It's actually Ms Patel now. I finally changed my last name back
to Patel ." she says, beaming at the uninterested Mahlubandile.
"Good for you Chernice. Will you excuse us now?" My man says
with much irritation.
"Excuse me?!" she exclaims, sounding surprised.
"You're excused lala." I say, taking a sip of my drink.
Mahlubandile chuckles and squeezes my hand. I'm sensing
weird vibes from this Chernice person.
She gives me the stank eye and kisses her teeth. She walks
away, shaking her flat ass. I turn to the mister next me and give
him a questioning look. He huffs and holds me tighter.
"I'm sorry for that Mami, that was Chernice. An ex fling. We just
happen to have the same circle of acquaintances." he says,
placing a kiss on my temple. I guess that's him reassuring me.
I can't help but feel insecure in a way. That Chernice girl looks
well established and more like his type.
The sound of a piano draws me out of my thoughts. I turn
around and look towards the stage setup. I catch another
familiar face. Nice! It's thee Langa Mavuso. Hopefully this will
be a great night.
~~~
I wake up in my man's muscular arms. Yes, I slept at his place.
And relax, I didn't give it up yet. It was too late for him to drive
me all the way to the South.
Well, we had an amazing time last night. He introduced me to
more of his friends. I won't lie, it was pretty overwhelming. It's
my first time being with a man who proudly flaunts me.
I rub my eyes and turn my head to face him. Right then I'm met
with his intense gaze. He has a displeased expression on his
face. Looks like he's been awake for a while.
"Good morning." I say. I attempt to sit up, but he holds me
tighter. He pulls me closer to him, locking my legs with his.
"Do you have anything you'd like to tell me?" he asks, speaking
into my ear. I immediately feel a tingling sensation down my
spine and between my thighs. It doesn't help that I can feel his
hard on.
"Uhm no, why?" I ask, trying to compose myself. We're in a very
compromising position.
He chuckles bitterly and peels the duvet off of us. We both sit
up and look at each other. I wonder what's with the sudden
mood change. God I hope this man isn't bipolar, not that I'm
criticising mental illness.
"Okay. Explain this then." he says pulling up the sleeves of his
long sleeve t-shirt that I'm wearing. My skin shows, exposing
the burn scars on both my arms. Flip, how did he see them.
I've been hiding them so well from everyone else for the past
few months.
"Lulonke I'm talking to you." he says sternly, gawking at me. His
voice is laced with anger and concern. I blink rapidly and look
down before tears make their way to my eyes. Fuck!I thought I
closed this chapter.
~~~
Thabile
I'm lying in bed, just scrolling on twitter and laughing at some
funny tweets. My younger sister, Ntokozo barges in and asks to
borrow my edge control. I tell her to take it out of my toiletry
bag.
She's been running around the whole morning. Her father is
coming to fetch her today. She'll be visiting him for the winter
holidays.
We hear a car honk. Ntokozo excitedly grabs her bags and says
goodbye. I understand though, any normal person would be
glad to leave this toxic household.
Minutes later, I get out of bed and charge my phone. I
immediately start cleaning the bedroom. I move to the lounge
and fortunately no one's there. I'm pretty sure Thishiwe is at
some neighbour's house.
I go outside and get started on cleaning the stoep.
An hour later, I've managed to clean inside and outside. I'm in
the kitchen preparing something to eat. I decided on 2-minute
noodles. Durban curry is the only flavour that matters to be
honest. Go argue with your toes.
I go to the lounge and put on a music channel since there's
nothing interesting to watch. As I'm eating, my phone vibrates.
SIGH
It's Gatsha. I take a deep breath and answer.
"Sawubona Thabile." his deep baritone erupts.
"Hello Gatsha." I answer.
"Get ready, I'm on my way." he says.
"Bathong Gatsha. You didn't even prepare me beforehand. I'm
cur-" he immediately cuts me off.
"Kanti ngathini kuwena? Didn't I tell you that when I call, you
leave everything else?"
"You did." I respond in a low tone.
"I'm glad we understand each other. Now get ready. And make
sure you pack an overnight bag." he says. I keep quiet and
heave a sigh.
"Thabile when I talk you answer, siyezwana?" he says in a stern
tone. I clear my throat.
"Yebo Gatsha I hear you." he immediately hangs up.
I breathe out and stand up from the couch. This is honestly
draining.
22
•continuation
Lulo
He's holding me close to his firm chest. His hold is way too tight.
His heart is beating abnormally fast.
I just told him everything. By everything I mean the whole
situation with Ebu and everything that happened at his house.
At least I managed to tell him without getting too emotional.
"So he...he abducted you, assaulted you and then had the
fucking nerve to force himself on you thando lwam?" he asks,
more like saying it to himself. In a hoarse voice.
I look at him, close my eyes and nod slowly before opening
them again.
His eyes are bloodshot with his jaws clenched. He's been
squeezing my arm the entire time, I won't lie it's painful.
As if he can read my mind, he lets go of my arm and whispers
"sorry" into my ear.
"It's okay. Please calm down, I've moved past the whole thing." I
say, looking into his eyes. He blinks rapidly and places a kiss on
my forehead.
"I hate that I wasn't there to protect you." he says softly, his
voice breaking. I look at him and heave a sigh. I detach myself
from his hold. I straddle him and take his face into my hands.
"Hey, let's be grateful that I'm here with you, okay? That's all
that matters." I say, giving him a soft peck on his lips. He holds
me tighter, placing his head on my chest area. I swear this man
is obsessed with my breasts.
"I love you Lulonke. My love for you scares me at times. I don't
know how it's possible, but this made me fall deeper in love
with you. Your strength and fortitude is everything thando
lwam." I can't stop the tears that fall down my cheeks. I
genuinely thought he'd have a change of heart after this.
"I love you so much Van Heerden. I can't wait to do this love
thing with you, with no secrets of course." I'm now a crying
mess. He captures my lips and kisses me like his life depends on
it.
"We're in this forever thando lwam." he says, making me lie on
the bed. He snuggles closer to me and tells me to sleep. He
draws patterns on my back and hums a soft tune. God! he has a
beautiful voice. I love this man so much.
~~~
I'm woken up by a phone vibrating. I check, and Mahlubandile's
phone. I peep and it's "Angel face❤️" calling. I raise an
eyebrow. I quickly slide out of the bed and grab his phone. I
walk out of the bedroom and look for him around the house.
I'm dressed in his oversized top and boxers.
I finally find him outside feeding his dogs. Gosh! I instantly want
to go back inside. He notices me and walks closer beaming at
me.
"Baby, you're awake." he says, wrapping his arms around my
waist.
"Uhm yah, your phone was ringing. Angel face was calling." I
fiercely say. He laughs throwing his head back.
"Mami, angel face is Lingomso my little sister." I feel some sense
of relief.
"I didn't say anything." I fold my arms. He scoffs and pulls my
hand.
"Come on let's get you fed." we walk to the sliding door. I'm
glad his dogs behaved.
"Your little fur friends behaved today." I say as we enter the
kitchen.
"Just for today. You need to start interacting with them more
often. They'll be a part of your life now." I look at him like he's
grown two heads.
"Hmm. Just so you know, I don't like dogs ke mna." he furrows
his brows and chuckles.
"Then I'll change that. Here's your food thando lwam." he says,
giving me a plate of food. It's two slices of avocado toast on
ciabatta bread. It's has bacon and salmon, topped with feta and
black pepper. He offers me a glass of orange juice before going
upstairs. Ouuu, I love this treatment.
"Thank you my love!" I shout before digging in. He replies back
but it's inaudible.
Few minutes later. He comes back dressed in Nike tracksuits
with both of our phones in his hand.
"Finish up baby
I want to take you out today. Especially after the conversation
we had earlier on. You need some fresh air."
"Okay. Please drive me home first, I need a change of clothes. I
also need to do my hair today, I hope you don't mind driving me
there."
"Perfect. Let's get going woman." I titter and go wash my plate
in the sink.
~~~
Thabile
I jump out of Gatsha's Ford Ranger and follow him into the
shisanyama. He told me he needs to sort some things out.
He slows down and waits for me to reach him. He takes my
hand and whispers into my ear.
"Don't patronise me Thabile. Why are you acting like I forced
you to come with me? Fucking put a smile on that face unless
you want to piss me off." He's been like this the whole time
since he fetched me. Just snapping and shouting at me for
absolutely no reason.
We walk inside the place hand in hand with customers staring
at us. Most of them greet him, especially the ladies. You can
literally see their desperation, hmm...if only they knew.
We finally get to his office. I plop myself onto the couch while
he seats at his desk. I take out my phone and play subway
surfers.
About 30 minutes later I look up and he's still busy. One of the
waiters came in and brought us food. Now I'm bored and super
full. I posted a few pictures on instagram so I'm now interacting
with my followers. It's crazy how people admire the fake
lifestyle we potray on social media.
"Get over here." Gatsha says all of a sudden. I look up and give
him a perplexed look and narrow my eyes.
"Please." he says. Hebanna! What happened to the rude
Gatsha.
Anyways I walk over to his desk and just stand, folding my arms
in the process.
"Sit here." he pats his lap. I take a deep breath and stride
towards him. He holds my waist and makes me sit on his lap. O-
kay.
"Ngiyaxolisa. I'm sorry for how I talked to you earlier on. It's just
that, these ass holes are stealing from me. I had to sort it out
immediately." I nod slowly. He starts brushing my thigh and
kissing my neck. Oh God, here he goes.
"Thabile I need you." he says placing me on the desk, delicately
so. He starts pulling up my shirt dress, sliding my lace
underwear down. As much as I'm really wet down there, we
can't do this in here. I hold his hands and look at him. He stares
back at me with confusion.
"Gatsha we can't do this in here." I say in a breathy voice.
"Ngiyakcela MaMoseki, I need this." he says in his husky voice.
O-kay, why did my tummy do backflips upon hearing him say
that. I breathe out and nod.
He immediately makes me lie on the desk taking off my
underwear completely. He sniffs it and a smirk erupts on his
face. He always does this. A weird but sexy fetish I must say.
He parts my legs further and unbuckles his belt. His jeans and
briefs follow and his erection springs free. His tip is wet with
precum. Who said Zulu men don't clip?
He moves closer, guiding his length to my entrance. He rubs my
clit for a while before sliding in. Fuck this feels so good. He
starts moving slowly, stretching my walls. I let out an
unintentional moan. He starts moving faster and then slow and
then fast again, hitting all the right corners.
"Ahh...fuck yess...yes Gatsha" I moan as I get lost in euphoria.
His groans follow as he pushes in deeper, making me cry out
even more.
~~~
Ray
"MaKunene I'll take those." Quinton says, grabbing my luggage
from me.
"Thank you lover." I reply. One would swear that we weren't
fighting before getting here. Well we just landed in Durbs. We're
here for the Durban July. I can't wait for our looks, we'll
definitely be serving.
A driver is here to pick us up. He then drives us to our house in
Zimbali.
We get to the bedroom and go take a shower together. Of
course with some good make up sex.
After getting dressed, we get in bed. Quinton falls asleep almost
immediately. He honestly works too hard. I just get busy on my
phone while my PA approves of which pictures I should post.
~~~
Later on that day, Quinton and I are getting ready to go out for
dinner. My personal phone rings, indicating an incoming call
from Mnqobi. I decline it and he calls again and again. Quinton
gives me a look.
"Answer your phone, it's making noise." he says bitterly. I clear
my throat and continue doing my face contour.
"It's no one important Quinton." he scoffs and grabs my phone
quickly.
"Who's Mnqobi?" he narrows his eyes. Darn it! I haven't told
him about the whole thing with Mnqobi. It rings again and he
answers. God please, don't let him overreact. He immediately
hangs up after hearing Mnqobi's voice. He chuckles bitterly and
walks towards me. I back away slowly. I'm praying he doesn't do
anything crazy.
"Who the fuck is Mnqobi Raysean?" oh he's angry. I take a deep
breath and face him.
"Mnqobi is the douche that told me to abort years back." I
bluntly say.
"Now why the fuck is he calling you like you owe him
something?" I just keep quiet. He chuckles again before
throwing my phone across the room. It immediately breaks into
pieces. He then walks closer to me, raging. I back away even
more and just scream.
"I swear if you fucken lay a hand on me I'll leave you Quinton!
I'll be taking all my children with just so you know! " His facial
expression changes immediately.
"I promised to never lay a hand on you Raysean! What's this
nonsense? All because I confronted you about your bullshit?"
"Oh so I'm spewing nonsense? Fuck off Quinton!" I pack my
makeup and leave the room. I hate how he gets all insecure
when I talk to men my age. If only he knew I have my eyes on
him and him alone.
23
Two weeks later
Hazel
It's a cold Wednesday evening. I'm chilling on the couch
watching an episode of Too Hot to Handle. Mtho and X were
here to see me earlier on. I had to kick them out because they
suddenly started fighting and that irritated me.
But genuinely, I'm glad Mtho is just as pissed as I am about the
whole situation between X and my little sister. The whole thing
is just weird and fucked up. I mean how the hell did they even
come about.
Well Shay on the other hand hasn't been talking to me for the
past two weeks. She's still upset that I don't approve of their
little relationship. She's lucky I can't tell dad because she also
knows some of my shit.
As I'm watching tv, I suddenly feel a pressing urge to urinate.
I've been frequently going to the bathroom as of late.
Pregnancy is so hard, I even put a pause on school.
I stand up and realise that my sweatpants are damp. What! I
couldn't have possibly peed on myself, I would have felt it right?
I walk to my guest bathroom. When I reach the door, water
splashes down my legs. Oh no no no! Don't tell me my water
broke. I'm not due until the beginning of September for crying
out loud!
I slowly walk back to the lounge and grab my phone. I call Mtho
and he answers almost immediately.
"Dude! My water just broke."
"How is that possible? Aren't we like seven months?" he asks. It
sounds like he's on the road or something.
"I don't know Mtho, just get over here now!" I hang up
immediately. I start feeling period pain like cramps, but way
more painful. Flip! Are these contractions?
I slowly walk upstairs to fetch the baby bag. Thank goodness my
birthing coach pestered me about packing it earlier. My plan
was to get it last minute. I pack a few comfy fits and toiletries
for myself into my LV Keepall duffle bag. A sharp pain hits my
abdomen just as I'm about to freshen up. I let out a scream.
Cora, Dior's sitter rushes into my bedroom. She's been staying
here for the past few days. She needed a temporary place to
stay since she broke up with her abusive ex.
"Are you okay?" she asks, touching my shoulder.
"Please bring me clean sweatpants and a hoody. I think the
baby's coming." I say while brushing my belly to relieve the
pain. She widens her eyes and heads to my walk-in closet.
"And please grab my car keys!" I shout as the pains get more
intense. I grab my phone and attempt to call my doctor.
~~~
Mtho
Fuck Fuck Fuck! I can't believe her water broke. I hate myself for
not being with her during this time.
"Ekse, sheshisa ndoda!" (Hurry up man) Mfundo my elder
brother says. I quickly open the glove compartment and
retrieve my pistol. I fix my balaclava and leather gloves before
stepping out.
"Bhuti, my child is coming now. Hazel is in labour." I tell
Mfundo. He heaves a sigh and pats my back.
"Mamelani bafana.(Listen boys) Mfundo you will go in there,
grab all of the platinum and gold bars. Mthokozisi you will take
the cash and the gems, easy stuff. Don't disappoint me mfana."
My father says. My hands are sweating. This is the only way I
can prove to Gatsheni that I'm man enough.
"Yebo Gatsheni." (Yes father) Mfundo and I say at the same
time.
"Now Go in there!" he shouts.
Mfundo and I rush to the factory and meet up with our inside
man at the gate. He briefs us and tells us what to do and what
not to do. We finally get inside and target the vault. We're
robbing a prestigious jewellery factory, this is not just some
petty crime. We're talking hundreds of millions here. Millions
that will help me a lot. Especially with taking care of Hazel and
my son. I don't want Hazel's father to take over my
responsibilities as a man, just because he's wealthier.
~~~
We grab what we need to grab and rush out of the place.
Unfortunately someone starts shooting as us. Shittt!
We shoot back while running out. As we're about to reach the
Quantam, my left shoulder starts feeling heavy. I realise that I've
been shot. Damn it!
Mfundo cusses and pulls my hand. We finally reach the
Quantum, with one of Gatsheni's men opening the door for us.
We quickly get in and Gatsheni speeds off.
"We did it bafana!"Gatsheni victoriously shouts.
I feel weak, I keep on trying to keep my eyes open. Suddenly the
pain becomes too much and I just close my eyes. The only thing
on my mind is Hazel and my child.
"Eish Gatsheni, uMthokozisi bamdubulile!" (Father they shot
Mthokozisi!) that's all I heard before passing out.
~~~
Hazel
It's around 22:00 and I'm being moved to theatre. I was
immediately booked for an emergency c-section since my baby
is breech and preterm. I've been crying the whole night.
I'm in excruciating pain and everything is a mess! Mtho is no
where to be found. I asked Cora to call X just so I can know
about his whereabouts. Unfortunately X also doesn't have any
idea of where he is.
Luckily Lulo rushed here immediately after I told her I'm in
labour.
I asked the hospital to call my dad since he's my next of kin. He
said he'll be flying out immediately and that I should expect him
before midnight. Since then, he has been panicking and calling
nonstop. My mother and Enrique already made arrangements
to fly out asap. I really appreciate everyone's support, however
I'm very angry at Mtho. This is also his child for crying out loud.
~~~
Back to the present. The anaesthetist injects me with the spinal
anaesthesia. Oh God! I've never experienced such pain. It feels
like my life is ending. To think that I'll have a scar by the end of
this. Damn you Mthokozisi Ndlovu for getting me pregnant.
Minutes later, I start feeling drowsy. The nurses make me lie
down, while the doctor is getting scrubbed in. I stare at the
theatre light and just zone out.
I hear a soft, weak cry and tears immediately flood my eyes.
They bring him to my chest. My little nugget is finally here and
he's so tiny. Surprisingly he already has a lot of hair on his head.
The nurse takes him away while I'm getting stitched up. I wish
Mtho was here to hold my hand through this. I'm very young to
be going through this alone. It's all too much. I start
hyperventilating
the nurse injects me with something and it's immediately lights
out for me.
~~~
Lulo
The time is now 22:52. I'm in the hospital waiting room pacing
up and down. I told the Cora girl to leave since she's been here
for a while.
Hazel was wheeled to theatre almost an hour ago. Tonight was
very emotional. I've never seen someone in such pain before.
She kept on begging them to just "take it out", that really broke
my heart. I just wonder where the heck is Mtho.
I called Thabile and she's on the way. Xolani has also been
trying to get a hold of Mtho and his family. Fortunately the
hospital already contacted Bab'Quinton. Honestly, tonight has
been one of the longest nights ever. My man promised to pass
by, just to offer me emotional support.
A text from Thabi asking me for the ward number comes
through. I quickly send her the ward number and where she'll
find me.
A few minutes later she rushes in with a man behind her. He
must be the "no strings attached" guy she's been telling me
about for the past weeks.
"Boo." we both say at the same time, hugging each other. We
let go and turn to face the guy.
"Gatsha this is my friend Lulonke, Lulo this is Gatsha." Thabile
awkwardly says.
"Sawubona ntokazi." the Gatsha character greets me,
narrowing his eyes. I smile and return the greeting. This man
has a heavy demeanour.
"Sawubona bhuti." the Zulu in me says.
"How is she doing?" Thabi asks. I heave a sigh.
"She's been in there for close to an hour now. I honestly don't
know." I say in a defeated tone.
Right then, my phone rings. I excuse myself and move further.
"Baby." I answer.
"Thando lwam, I've arrived." he says. I release a loud breath.
We talk briefly before ending the call. I walk back to the sitting
area. Thabi and the Gatsha character are sitting in an awkward
silence.
About two minutes later, Mahlubandile appears. He
immediately envelops me into a tight hug, brushing my back. He
lets go and smashes his cold lips on mine. We pull out after a
while.
"Hawu madoda. Ula nawe Van Riebeeck. How are you
mfwethu? " Gatsha says. Hlubi laughs and bro hugs him. I raise
an eyebrow. They know each other?
They have a brief conversation and turn to us.
"Mami, we're going to get coffee. Do you ladies need anything
specific?" I shake my head and Thabile does the same.
"Anything is fine." he nods and places a kiss on my forehead.
Him and Gatsha walk away, deep in conversation. I instantly
turn to Thabile and give her questioning look.
"What was that? They know each other?" she nods slowly as
we sit down.
"Unfortunately. I actually found out weeks ago when Gatsha
and I were getting tested."
"Damn this is so weird." she giggles. I can't help but join her.
"I know right." she says, running her hands through her braids.
"Sooo, does nkabi know that you once had the hots for my
man?" I ask, humorously. She immediately bursts into laughter
and I join her.
"Wow friend, you're still there!" she says while laughing. I'm
glad we can laugh about this now.
Our silly moment is cut short by people rushing in. Oh thank
goodness! It's Ray and Bab'Quinton. I stand up immediately.
"Where is she? What's going on?" that's Ray attacking me with
a hug.
"They rushed her to theatre about an hour ago. She had to
undergo an emergency c-section to save the baby's life." I tell
her what I was told by the midwife. Both her and Bab'Quinton
nod vigorously.
"Oh sorry there dear, I'm Ray and this is my husband,
Wellesley." she says looking directly at Thabi.
"Oh I'm Thabile, Hazel and Lulo's friend. It's nice to finally meet
you Mr and Mrs Wellesley." Thabi says respectfully.
"You know Hazel should have agreed to come home. Now look
at me running around looking like a mess." Ray says in
frustration. I chuckle and shake my head. She's anything but a
mess right now. She's dressed in Gucci tracksuits and her
blonde wig is layed to the nines.
"Quiet down Raysean, your yapping is unnecessary."
Bab'Quinton says. I open my eyes shock. Ray scoffs and chuckles
bitterly. It looks like they have some unresolved tension. I mean
explain why they are sitting so far apart. These two are usually
all over each other and showing PDA.
Mahlubandile and Gatsha walk in after that. Oh shoot, I forgot
about them. My older sister and her husband are in the same
room as my boyfriend, imagine how I'm feeling.
Gatsha walks over to Thabile and gives her a Vida e Caffè cup
and a muffin. Mahlubandile walks closer and sits next to me.
"Here you go baby." he says, giving me the coffee and muffin.
Bab'Quinton swiftly turns his head and immediately looks our
way. Ray folds her arms and raises an eyebrow, looking at me
and Thabile.
24
•continuation
Lulo
The time is now 23:46. Hlubi and Gatsha left earlier on. They
saw how tense it suddenly became, especially with Bab'Quinton
giving them intimidating stares. We decided that Thabi will go
home with me. I hope Ma and Tata don't mind if she sleeps
over.
By God's grace, Hazel's operation went well. Unfortunately she
suffered a panic attack and she was immediately sedated. We're
currently in the private suite waiting for her to wake up. Her
baby boy is in the NICU. This whole situation is just sad.
Bab'Quinton is very aggrieved right now. He's been expressing
his anger and annoyance at Mtho and the Ndlovus. Ray on the
other hand, is asleep on the sofa with her airpods plugged in.
Thabi also dosed off next to her. It's not even visiting hours but
we're allowed to be in here. Talk about the power of money.
At around 1am I notice Hazel's body move. I sit up straight and
observe her. Ray and Thabi are still asleep, Bab'Quinton left
about half an hour ago. To where? I don't know.
Hazel finally shoots her eyes open and looks around. I stand up
and rush to her side.
"Marshmallow." I say, brushing her curly hair. She looks so
agitated and confused.
"Lulu where's my baby. I want my baby." she says in a hoarse
voice, with tears clouding her eyes.
"Shh. He's okay, he's in the NICU. How about we wait for the
doctor?" she nods vigorously.
Ray wakes up and walks to Hazel's left side. She kisses her
forehead and adjusts the bed so she can be comfortable.
"Where's Quinton?" Ray asks with her brows furrowed.
"I don't know. He left in hurry about 30 minutes ago." I answer.
She heaves a sigh and shifts her attention back to the
dissociated Hazel.
"You and I need to talk about what's going on between you and
that doctor guy." Ray suddenly says. I clear my throat and turn
to the now awake Thabile.
About an hour later I drive to Glenvista with Thabile.
~~~
Mtho
I open my eyes and realise I'm in the guest bedroom at
Mfundo's house. There's a girl asleep on the chair next to me.
She's dressed in pink scrubs. I look around myself and notice
that my arm is bandaged. I try moving it but the pain shoots
through my body. Fuck! I let out a grunt.
The female next to me wakes up immediately and rushes to me.
She starts touching and inspecting my wound. Her touch is so
gentle.
"It's okay. I'm fine." I hold her hand. She looks down shyly. I take
time to admire her face. Muhle lomuntu bafethu! She's caramel
skinned and she has cute chubby cheeks. She has cute small
eyes and dark pouted lips. Fuck, why am I staring at her like
this.
"I'm glad that you're awake Mr Ndlovu. You're lucky I came here
in time, you didn't lose a lot of blood." she says in a smooth
angelic voice. She has a cute lisp.
"Sorry sisi, who are you?" I ask.
"My name is Khwezi, I'm a nurse. I was called to assist you last
night." she responds. I keep staring at those pouty lips as she
speaks. "Fuck! Get a grip Mthokozisi, remember you're trying to
make things work with Hazel!" I think to myself. Right then, the
door opens and Mfundo enters.
"Please excuse us." he tells Khwezi. She gracefully walks out,
swaying all those curves. I've never been one to be attracted to
curvy women. But this one!
Mfundo clears his throat and raises an eyebrow at me.
"That Wellesley man called uGatsheni, kuthiwa your cheese girl
gave birth. Vuka, you need to go see your son bafo." I
immediately smile.
"Bhuti there's something I need to tell you." I say.
"Yini manje?" (What now?)
"With my share of the money, I want to pay lobola (dowry) for
Hazel." Mfundo raises an eyebrow.
"What do you know about uk'lobola Mr private school?" he
mocks me.
"Mfundo I'm serious, I think it's time I settle down. Plus ubaba
and Hazel's father are now civil with each other." I say. Mfundo
shakes his head chuckling.
"Mfanakithi, settling down means letting go of your playboy
tendencies. Wena you're anything but ready for marriage. I saw
how you looked at that nurse, yet you say you want to settle
down." I look down and scratch my head in guilt.
"Eish. But that doesn't mean I can't admire a beautiful goddess
when I see one." I say with a smirk. He laughs, shaking his head.
"About last night, eyy nawe uweak! How the fuck do you get
shot during your first heist." He says. I show him the middle
finger and he laughs again.
~~~
Hazel
He makes his way inside my hospital room. How the fuck did he
get in here?
I just stare at him without blinking. He has an arm sling around
him. I wonder what happened to him. He walks closer and
attempts to touch me. I shake my head and block his hand.
"Leavveee." I say slowly, with tears forming in my eyes.
"I'm sorry Hazel." I scoff and face the other way.
"A lot happened last night. As you can see, I even got injured."
he says. I just remain silent.
"Please look at me." I turn my head slowly and look straight at
the wall.
"You bloody promised to be with me every step of the way." I
say, slightly raising my voice. He heaves a sigh and wraps me
into a hug. I stay still, not returning the hug.
"I know, but I'm here now. Can we just put this behind us and
focus on the fact that we're parents." he says. I don't say
anything after that.
After five minutes of silence, he speaks again.
"Can I see him?"
I blink away my tears and nod. I immediately call for the nurse.
She helps me sit in the wheelchair. She then takes Mtho and I to
the NICU. We immediately get dressed in the whole PPE stuff
before going inside.
We're taken to our little boy. He's in the incubator looking so
fragile. I immediately break down and Mtho comforts me.
I eventually calm down and just look at him. I don't even know
what to name him, well I kinda have an idea. His baby tag is
written "Baby Wellesley". I can tell Mtho is flipping on the
inside.
"What are we naming him?" he asks, as if he was reading my
mind.
"I was thinking Carlo, that's dad's hispanic name. It would mean
a lot to dad." I say. Mtho clears his throat.
"Philani Carlo Ndlovu, perfect." he says, squeezing me tighter.
~~~
It's just after 12, midday. Mtho is wheeling me back to my
hospital room. We just came from the NICU. Seeing our little
boy with so many tubes around him made me shed tears. I just
hate this. Everything is just so draining and exhausting.
Getting back to my hospital room, we find people inside. It's
dad, Ray, Lulo
Thabi and X. There's also some balloons and gifts.
"Hey guys." I greet them. They all respond. Dad gives Mtho a
death stare.
"Ndlovu. Follow me son."Dad commands. Mtho follows him.
"I'll also be on my way out. And oh, Lynn will be landing soon.
You should expect her later on. Anyways, bye people!" Ray says
as she walks out. Not before kissing my cheek though.
"Damn, your sister makes me question my sexuality." Thabi tells
Lulo. We all laugh.
"I know right. Your dad is chowing nice dude." X says. I
immediately scrunch my face. Lulo hits the back of his head.
"Ouch! I'm just being honest here." he adds on.
"Eww dude, that's technically your mother in law." I mock him.
Of course I'm joking.
"Actually you're right." he says with a grin. Lulo and Thabi look
at us confused.
"What happened to you anyway? Who did you mess with?"
Thabi asks as she notices the bruises on X's cheek and eye.
"That pussy Mtho happened." X says.
"What exactly happened?" Lulo asks.
"He's smashing Shayane so Mtho fucked him up." I say, filling
them in.
"What!?" they both exclaim simultaneously. Lulo gives X a look.
"Heeyy, I'm not smashing her. We're actually in a relationship."
he defends himself.
"Even worse Xolani! She's a baby!" Thabi says.
"You could have any girl you want. Why her?" Lulo asks with an
unpleasant expression on her face.
"Okay look. I understand y'all's concern but I promise, I'm not
going to do anything with her. I'm not tryna get arrested okay.
I'm...I'm genuinely into her okay." X says.
"Can we just drop this." Lulo says. I nod in agreement. Right
then, the food service workers bring my lunch and leave. Lord! I
hate hospital food.
"How are you though baby mama?" X asks, as he brushes my
hair.
"I'm okay, I honestly can't complain." I respond.
"How's our baby doing?" Thabi asks.
"He's being observed for a while, they said he'll be out of high
care in about a month." I answer.
"I can't believe you're a mother." Lulo says. I giggle.
"What did you name him? Did you name him yet?" Thabi asks.
"Yes and Yes. We named him Philani Carlo Ndlovu." I say
proudly. "Oh man, beautiful names!" Lulo shrieks.
Minutes later, Mtho comes back alone. He has an unreadable
expression on his face. I wonder what dad did or said to him.
"Baba ka Philani, what happened to your arm?" Thabi asks. I
also look at him, waiting for an explanation.
"It's probably his karma for punching me like a bitch." X sneers.
Mtho kicks his leg.
"Grow up you two!" Lulo shouts. All of a sudden they all start
talking over each other.
I smile and look at them as they carry on bickering. It's amusing
how we all just gelled and became more like family in just a few
months. I wouldn't trade my people for anything.
Lulo
It's around 2 in the afternoon. I just arrived in Randburg,
Mahlubandile's house. I drove here from the hospital. I've had a
very long day, with little to no sleep.
I open the garage with the remote and park my car inside. He
gave me the keys since he said this is now "our place". I then
enter the lounge using the connecting sliding door.
I walk upstairs to the bedroom. I find the door slightly open. I
find him applying lotion on his tattooed body with a towel
around his waist. The amount of tattoos he has baffles me. I
once asked him why he has so many tattoos and his response
was that he was a very rebellious kid.
He notices my presence and a smile forms on his face. I walk
over to him and he quickly pulls me closer to his body, looking
into my eyes. He leans in and captures my lips. I moan and
snake my arms around his neck.
His one hand squeezes my ass and I let out a moan. He tries
lifting up my sweater, but I hold his hand. He looks at me with
those sexy bloodshot eyes.
"Mami I've had a rough day. Can I please make love to you. Only
if you say yes though." he whispers, nibbling on my ear. I know
exactly what he means but I'm just shocked. Question is, am I
ready for this?
"Ohkay." I reply breathlessly, as he trails kisses down my neck.
Moments later, I'm under him. Allowing him to please my body.
"You're perfect, I love you so much thando lwam." he says. He
increases the pace and strokes, making sure that he hits all the
right spots, I can't help but dig my nails into his flesh.
"I love you too." I say emotionally, as the pleasure takes over
my body. He's looking right into my eyes, connecting with me
on a deeper level. God I love this man.
An unexplainable feeling washes through me. I moan even
louder, earning me groans from the man on top of me. He flexes
his hip. My body stiffens, making me reach my happy ending.
"Damn! I love you so much Mami." he groans as he collapses on
top of me. I breathe out and kiss his sweaty head.
It's now 7pm and I'm driving home. Of course my man is not
happy about this, but I need to respect my father. I can't be
having unplanned sleepovers at my boyfriend's house. We also
need to get used to the fact that when recess ends, I won't be
able to see him as often.
I finally arrive in Glenvista. I find Ma and Tata watching news,
dressed in their pyjamas. I greet them and rush upstairs, to
change into comfortable clothes.
Coming out of my bedroom, I bump into Tata in the passage.
"Hambo geza. (Go bath) You smell like a man." he says, passing
me.
How did he...Oh flip, I forgot I used Mahlubandile's shower gel.
25
Shayane
The school bell rings. Thank goodness it's finally after school.
Ms Brisbois finally dismisses us after a long lecture on how we
don't take pride in our school work. I pack my French study
guide, notebook and iPad inside my school bag. I stand up from
my desk and rush towards the door.
I get to the corridors and walk straight to my locker. I unlock it
and put some of the books I won't need inside.
"Sweet cheeks." someone says placing their arm over my
shoulder. It's that familiar scent, Dior Sauvage. I roll my eyes.
"What do you want Phathu?" I say, turning around. Phathu is
my ex, we dated in the beginning of last year, our grade 11 year.
"Easy shawty, you good?" I click my tongue and shut my locker. I
retrieve my phone from my blazer and start walking away from
him. He follows me, putting his arm around my shoulder again.
People start gawking at us, fucking weirdos. I'll probably hear
about this on the school's confessions instagram page.
I ignore him and go on my phone. He pulls it out of my hand
and stares at my wallpaper with an angry expression. My
wallpaper is a cute mirror selfie of Xolani and I in his bedroom.
"So you date varsity boys now? I fucking know this dude
Shayane." he says in frustration.
"And what is it to you?" I snatch my phone back.
"He's going to break your heart bro." I roll my eyes.
"Oh really, more than you did right?" He looks down.
Fortunately Fulu, my best friend approaches us smiling.
"Scoot away loser." she says, pushing Phathu out of the way.
She hugs me and we both shriek , lifting each other up.
"You're coming home with me right? The rents are not home."
She nods with an excited look on her face. She turns to Phathu.
"I'm leaving with Shay, please bring my clothes later on. I'll text
you which ones to bring." She tells him. He mumbles something
but eventually agrees.
"Great then, see you later moron. And stop hitting on my bae,
she doesn't want you anymore." She tells him before grabbing
my hand. We snicker and walk away leaving him there.
Well Phathu and Fulu are twins. Weird I know, but Fulu and I
weren't yet friends when and I dated Phathu.
We go outside the school premises and find my driver there. All
my siblings and I have a driver for days when both dad or mom
are unavailable.
We enter the V-class and greet the man. He's always quiet.
Fortunately the younger ones come out of school earlier, so
they're home already.
~~~
We finally get home. We walk into the kitchen while conversing
briefly. My phone pings, indicating an incoming text. Oh it's bae,
he's just checking up on me. Xolani is honestly the sweetest.
He's been the best boyfriend ever during these past few weeks.
I continue texting him while Fulu is making us something to eat.
This is basically her second home.
I'm suddenly startled by someone pulling the ponytail of my
braids. I turn around and it's this dumb ass, Enrique my
stepbrother. He got here late last night
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after a long twelve hour flight. His mother, dad and my mom
are in Joburg though. Apparently Hazel gave birth and there's
some complications, so they're dealing with that. Unfortunately
her and I aren't on speaking terms since she's acting bitchy.
"Who are you texting?" Enrique asks, snatching my phone. Jeez!
Is today snatch Shayane's phone day or something?
"The fuck bruh! Bring back my phone." I try grabbing it but he's
taller than me. He sees my lock screen wallpaper and wiggles
his eyebrows. He laughs and shakes his head before placing my
phone on the kitchen counter. He walks over to Fulu and wraps
his arms around her shoulders.
"Fulu bae! How are you? Tell your yummy brother I said hi."
Fulu playfully pushes him off and they laugh. Well...Enrique is
not straight, he's still kind of closeted though. Only a few
people are aware that he isn't straight.
"You're making ramen, yum. Can I have some?" he say's looking
into the pot.
"Fuck off, make your own food." Fulu sneers.
We suddenly hear suitcases being wheeled in. We all look at
each other. I doubt the rents are back, it's still quite soon.
Suddenly Junior comes in wheeling his LV luggage with
someone behind him. Woah! It's aunt Tumi, mom's ex friend. I
still wonder why her and mom stopped being friends. She looks
so different now.
"Hey babiesss! Look who's home!" Junior says, hugging all of us.
"I didn't know you'd also be here London boy." he tells Enrique.
"Hi baby girl." he awkwardly greets Fulu. She gives him a tight
smile.
I look over to aunt Tumi and wave at her with a smile on my
face. She walks towards me and envelopes me in a hug.
"Baby. You've grown so much, I haven't seen you in such a long
time. Lefa asks about you, he's such a big boy now. You should
call him sometime." she says holding on to me. Lefa is her son,
who's probably six or something.
I just smile, not knowing what to say. Awkward...
"Where's the old man?" Junior asks as he rummages through
the snacks pantry.
"They left for Joburg. Hazel gave birth." I say. Junior
immediately lets out an electrifying scream.
"Did you hear that Tumz, I'm officially a guncle!" We laugh.
"These are the best news everr! Kate! Bring us mimosas, we'll
be by the Jacuzzi." he says before walking away, with aunt Tumi
following behind him.
I wait for them to move along further before speaking.
"Dad is so gonna flip. I won't even mention my mom." Enrique
bobs his head in agreement.
"Let's dig in y'all." Fulu says after dishing the noodles in one big
bowl. We each grab a pair of chopsticks and start eating. Of
course with me and Fulu complaining about how much of a
giemba Enrique is.
~~~
Later on that day, a call from Xolani comes through. Fulu
wiggles her eyebrows next to me. I giggle at her stupidity.
"Babe?" I answer.
"Hey beautiful, you good?" he asks in his deep voice. Causing
me to swoon on the inside.
"I'm good, just-" I'm interrupted by girls giggling on his side.
"Uhm, baby. I'll call you now now." he says before hanging up
immediately.
My heart starts beating fast. Calm down Shay calm down. Xolani
couldn't be possibly cheating on me or doing something that
would jeopardise this relationship right?
26
•continuation
Shayane
I swallow the lump in my throat, trying hard not to overreact.
My mind is going crazy right now. Why did he hang up?! Should
I call him again? Boys will fuck with your mind I swear!
"Your brother is here. Come." Enrique says after bursting inside
my bedroom. Fulu stands up and follows him.
I heave a sigh, grab my cellphone and follow. We get to the
other side of the house and find Phathu standing with Kamo. I
swear today isn't my day at all. First of all, my boyfriend acts all
suspicious. Next thing both of the guys I dated are at my crib.
Fuck my life!
"Shay, Shayane!" Fulu taps my shoulder.
"What?" I snap out of my thoughts. I realise they're all looking
at me.
"We're going for a drive, you coming?" I nod absentmindedly.
Phathu swings his car keys around his finger and leads the way.
On our way out, we see Junior coming in with two other guys.
Mom is not going to like this one bit. At least Ava, Asa and
Alden are at aunt Christina's for the weekend.
"Going out?" Junior asks as he's carrying the hookah in his arm.
Enrique and I nod.
"Okay. Be safe kids." he says before strolling away with the two
guys.
We all walk out and get inside Phathu's red BMW coupe. Him
and Fulu have the same car model, just different colours. Well,
mom said I can only get a car once I turn 18. Of course I threw a
tantrum, but I eventually got over it.
The drive is okay, with Phathu and Kamo introducing
themselves to Enrique.
"Wait, so y'all both dated her?" Enrique asks, pointing at me.
Kamo and Phathu both nod in sync. I roll my eyes and smack my
lips.
"Damn Shay! Talk about being a homie hopper." I gasp and they
all laugh.
We finally stop at Llandudno beach to watch the sunset. Fulu
and Enrique get out of the car and run to the waves. I decide to
stay inside with these two because it's way too cold.
"Sweet cheeks. You've been way too quiet for my liking. What
happened to our chatterbox?" Phathu says, lowering his seat.
Kamo does the same and they both turn to look at me. I'm
seated at the back, while they're both in front.
"Yeah, what's up love. Tell us." Kamo intervenes. I heave a sigh.
See
this is what happens when you date your homies. They get too
comfortable.
"Please stop with the pet names." I say. They both look at each
other with their eyebrows raised.
"Since when do you have a problem?" Kamo asks with his brows
furrowed. Phathu chuckles.
"She's now dating some dick that goes to Wits." Phathu says
bitterly.
"Heyy, stop it with the name calling."I scold. They both stare at
each other before bursting into a fit of laughter.
"So is lover boy the one stressing you out?" Kamo asks.
"Not that it's any of your business, but yes. He literally hung up
on me with no explanation. Worst part is that I heard female
voices in the background." I explain.
They both jump to the backseat and squash me.
"See! He's a dick, dump him." Phathu says.
"Right! Actually, give us his number so we can tell him to fuck
off. He has some balls, messing with our gem." Kamo exclaims. I
internally roll my eyes.
"Geez, shut up you two." I chime in.
Right then my phone vibrates, indicating an incoming call. It's
him, Xolani.
"Don't even think about answering. He should know that you're
pissed." Phathu says. The other dummy next to me agrees with
him.
A minute later, a text comes through.

Stink💘🩹
Please answer my calls baby girl. I can explain.
As I'm about to respond, Phathu snatches my phone.
"Let him go crazy for a while." he says. I fold my arms.
"You'll be okay. Get over here." Kamo says, pulling me to his
chest. I heave a sigh and lie my head there. Kamo is more of a
brother figure, hence we didn't last.
I grab my phone from Phathu and reply to Xolani's text. I wait
for his reply, but he just goes offline. Xolani is fucking with my
mind I swear!
~~~
I'm now in bed, trying to call Xolani. He's not answering. Worst
of all he's been posting videos on his instagram story. Looks like
he's out partying. It doesn't help that he's out with mooi
instagram baddies.
I sent him another text on whatsapp but he just blue ticked me.
I'm the one who's supposed to be mad at him, not the other
way around.
Fulu is now asleep, so I cover myself with the duvet and just
sob. I cry until I have a headache. The fuck was I thinking "trying
things out" with a varsity gent.
27
Two days later
~Back in Johannesburg~
Lulo
It's Saturday. Hazel is getting discharged today. Baby Philani is
still being kept in hospital though. It's been a few days, but that
little man is a fighter. I believe he'll be out of there sooner than
expected. Ray decided to host a lunch for Hazel this afternoon.
Basically a welcome home thingy for when she comes back
from the hospital. So I'll be going to their other house that's in
Joburg, today.
I pray before getting out of bed. I go to the kitchen dressed in
my onesie. I find Ma and Tata talking while warming up last
night's leftovers.
"Morning." I say while opening the fridge. They both greet back
and carry on with their conversation. Adult gossip is too nice I
swear. Right now they're discussing bhut Bangi and Ze. They're
complaining about the fact that Ze is expecting again. I mean
she's only 33 I don't know why they're complaining.
The conversation then shifts to them discussing Ray. Parents are
too funny I tell you. They are surely our biggest haters.
The gate intercom buzzes. Tata opens for the person and goes
to the main door. He comes back a while later with a huge
bouquet of carnations and a medium sized Dior box. He has an
unreadable expression on his face.
"Please do amanyala akho far away from my house. What
nonsense is this?!" he roars, throwing the bouquet and box at
me. Oh these are for me?
Ma titters before winking at me.
I look down shyly and excuse myself. I immediately shut the
door when I get to my bedroom. I fish for my phone inside my
blankets. I find it and dial Hlubi immediately. He answers after a
few rings.
"Love of my life." his deep voice erupts. I bite my cheeks trying
hard not to blush.
"Baby. What's with the gifts ke ngoku?" I ask. He clears his
throat.
"What's up, you don't like them?" I heave a sigh.
"No thando lwam, it's not that. You can't just send me gifts, I
live with my parents for crying out loud."
"What's wrong, did my father in law have a problem?" he asks. I
giggle at his silliness.
"Well...Tata still thinks I'm his innocent girl, so let's keep it at
that." I answer.
"Tell him that his innocent girl rides me like crazy, so I can't help
but spoil her." I gasp.
"Tyrese!" I scold. He guffaws stupidly.
"Andiswa." he facetiously says. I heave a sigh.
"Yadika yeva."(You're annoying, you know.) I say defeated.
"And I love you." he replies. Sigh
"I love you too bhabha." I say.
"You're sleeping over later on, right?" he asks, more like telling
me.
"I can't. It's short notice, plus we need to get used to the fact
that I'll be busy with school from next week." he grunts.
"Mami, can't you just quit school and become a housewife
instead? The hospital makes enough money for you to live like a
proper Van Heerden wife." I'm immediately thrown into a fit of
laughter.
"No thank you, plus I'm very close to bagging that degree." I say
catching my breath.
We eventually end the call about ten minutes later. Like the
people say it
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kumnandi kwa love lives here.
I then walk to the bathroom to get ready.
~~~
Thabile
I'm finally back home after being cooped up at Gatsha's house
for almost two weeks. I won't lie I miss it there, it's more
homely than Thishiwe's house.
Is it weird that I love spending time with the man? Regardless of
how cold and distant he is. The only time I see him laughing is
when he's talking to his friends or when he's on the phone.
With whom? That I don't know.
I'm just grateful that he keeps to his word and sends me money.
Look now, I have managed to settle my student debt, buy
Thishiwe groceries and give her some money. Like the typical
leech she is, she never asked me where I got the money from. I
haven't visited Papa in a while. Probably because I'm ashamed
of the measures I have resorted to. I honestly won't lie though,
Gatsha treats me well. I just need to keep reminding myself that
I'm nothing but his "fuck buddy". Especially now, since I'm
slowly falling for him. I mean the man is gorgeous, firm and just
oozes power and dominance. I won't even mention the
sex...mmm.
Anyways, back to reality. I'm in a bolt ride on my way to
Sandton. Lulo's sister/Hazel's step mom, is hosting lunch today
and she invited us, Hazel's friends.
The driver finally drops me off at some posh estate. I text Lulo
and she fetches me at the gate with a golf cart.
~~~
Lulo
Thabi and I are helping Ray and Aunty Lynn (Hazel's mom) prep
lunch. The conversation then shifts to my love life. I quickly
dismiss it before it could go any further.
Ray is dying to know about what's going on between me
and Mahlubandile. One thing I won't do is involve or tell my
family about my love life.
A few hours later, we're seated around the big table.
Bab'Quinton is seated at the head of the table. Ray is sitting
next to aunty Lynn. Hazel next to Mtho, and Thabi next to me.
Xolani couldn't make it due to him nursing a hangover.
Conversation is flowing and everyone is laughing.
"I think you should move into a bigger, child friendly place."
Bab'Quinton tells Hazel. Aunty Lynn nods in agreement. Mtho
clears his throat before speaking.
"Actually I..." He says before going on one knee. Hazel let's out
a dramatic scream.
"Mama ka Philani, will you make me a man amongst men and
be my wife?" he says, retrieving a red velvet box. He opens it
revealing the most beautiful rock. I'm genuinely confused hey.
"Oh my Yesss! A thousand times yes!" Hazel breathlessly says. I
raise an eyebrow.
"I'm not too sure about this." Thabi whispers into my ear.
"I'm just as shocked as you are." I whisper back.
Aunty Lynn and Ray stand up to hug them. Bab'Quinton is glued
to his seat, looking at them proudly.
28
Thabile
We just left aus Ray's house. Lulo is driving me home. We're
busy discussing Mtho and Hazel's engagement. We're both very
shocked. The whole thing just seems so off. But keh, who are
we to have opinions on people's lives.
"I just hope they're not doing it because of the baby." Lulo says.
"We can only hope hey." I reply. Lulo heaves a sigh and then
sings along to the Ice Spice song that's playing. She's so random
at times.
On the other hand Gatsha has been pestering me about going
to his place. Second semester is starting next week, so I
explained to him that I won't have free time for him. Well in
typical Gatsha style, he just looked at me and didn't say
anything.
Right when I'm thinking about him, a text from him comes
through.
Gatsha Zwane
Ngicela uye endlini.
I need to see you.
I chuckle and shake my head.
"Intoni?" (What?) Lulo asks. I show her the text and she laughs.
"Answer your man nontombi." she says.
"He's not my man ausi wee." she side eyes me and laughs.
A few moments later he calls.
"Hello." I answer
"Yebo MaMoseki. Yin'ndaba ungaphenduli imilayezo yami?"
(Why aren't you answering my messages?) I roll my eyes.
"Askies, ne kere keo arabile." (Sorry, I thought I replied to you.) I
lie.
We both remain silent after that. Shame if he won't talk then I
also won't. It's his airtime at the end of the day.
"Please go home. uSis Gloria ukhona, I'll find you there." he says
after a while. By home he means his house.
"Lulonke is already driving me to Soweto. I can't waste her
petrol." He chuckles. Lulo raises an eyebrow.
"Thabile I'm leaving Pretoria now, when I get to Joburg I want to
find you there." He says before hanging up. I heave a sigh of
defeat and rub my eyes.
"Is it possible for you to drop me off at Kyalami?" I ask Lulo with
pleading eyes. She titters before shaking her head.
"You and your boyfriend owe me my petrol money." She says
before off ramping. "Type in the location." she adds. I breathe
out in relief.
About 20 minutes later she drops me off at Gatsha's house
before driving off. I punch in the gate code and it opens. I walk
up the driveway and find the glass door open. I then let myself
in. I find sis Gloria standing with her handbag in her hand. Her
and I talk briefly before she leaves for the taxi rank.
Immediately after she leaves, I'm left in this huge house with
nothing to do. I remove my sneakers and pour myself a glass of
white wine. I sit on the couch and play music. I snap a few cute
selfies and post them on my IG story. Fuck this feels good. I feel
like the madam of this house.
A while later, the door opens and shuts. Assuming it's Gatsha, I
refill my glass and continue scrolling on my phone. Suddenly an
elderly woman enters the lounge with multiple bags. I
immediately stand up in shock.
"Awu! Makoti ngisize ngemithwalo la." (My Daughter in law,
help me with these bags.) She says. I choke on my drink and
reluctantly walk towards her. I want to correct her but
something in me tells me not to.
Almost two hours later she has me following her around in the
kitchen. She told me to call her Ma or Mam'Zwane. She's
teaching me how to prepare Gatsha's favourite meal. I can't
help but feel bad because the poor woman has been calling me
her daughter in law.
"Abazukulu will be so delighted to hear about you." she says
smiling at me. "Ever since Pamela's passing uGatsha has never
been with any other woman. I'm glad you came into his life."
she continues.
Wait who's Pamela?
As I'm about to ask her, the man of the house graces us with his
presence. His eyes pop out when he sees his mother.
"Ma! Ufike nini?" he asks, looking and sounding shocked.
"Awume kancane wena. Koti, please take his bag to your
bedroom." she says to me. I walk to Gatsha and take his small
travel suitcase. He gives me a "wtf" look. I just look at him and
shrug my shoulders. I leave them there and walk to Gatsha's
bedroom.
Moments later we're having dinner in the lounge. Mam'Zwane
is on the phone with her sister who's in KZN. She's been calling
numerous people, telling them that Gatsha has found someone.
I feel so guilty for not correcting her. It's not helping that Gatsha
is shooting daggers at me. He looks very much pissed off.
Mam'Zwane finally ends the call. She clears her throat and we
both look up. She looks at us with a warm smile on her face.
"Thabile ngane yam, thank you for choosing my son. Ave
nifanelana." she says. I nod and give her a tight smile. Gatsha
stays silent with his jaws clenched.
It's now 9pm. Mam'Zwane just went to bed. I'm in the kitchen
clearing the dishes. Gatsha steps inside and stands next to the
sink, glaring at me. I ignore his stares and continue with the
dishes. When I'm done, I attempt to walk out but he grabs my
arm.
"What rubbish did you tell her?" he asks calmly.
"I'm sorry but I didn't tell her anything, she just assumed." I
reply.
"And it didn't click in your small head that you should tell her
the truth?!" I flinch.
"I'm sorry Gatsha. I promise to tell her the truth tomorrow." I
say with teary eyes.
"Thabile we're already stuck in this mess! You telling her won't
help with anything." he says in annoyance. I blink rapidly, which
results in my tears falling.
"Ukhalelani?" he asks, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I'm not crying." I say in a shaky voice while wiping my tears. He
heaves a sigh and pulls me to his chest.
"Okay, I suppose we can play along until she leaves. Now stop
crying." he says while brushing my back. Damn, this is the most
affection I've received from him.
"I'm going to shower, join me." he says, heading out. I grab my
phone and follow him.
The next morning my alarm wakes me up. My body is painful
okay. We had some fire rounds last night. I swear fornication is
one of the best deadliest sins. The fact that there's no emotions
involved makes our sex life even more interesting. I just need to
keep reminding myself that this whole arrangement is nothing
deep. I slip out of bed, take a quick shower and get dressed in a
loose dress. I now have a few clothes here.
I exit the bedroom, leaving Gatsha deep in sleep. I get to the
kitchen and find Mam'Zwane drinking tea while reading her
bible.
"Sawubona Ma." I greet as I grab a mug from the cupboard. She
looks up and smiles.
"Yebo Koti. I hope you don't have plans today. I need you to
drive me to the shops." I chuckle nervously not knowing how to
respond to that.
"Of course she'll take you Ma. Angisho sthandwa sami" Gatsha
says, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You can take one of
the cars." he whispers into my ear. I clear my throat and nod.
This position makes me feel all giddy inside.
"Uhm, let me get started on with breakfast Mangethe." I play
along. He smirks with an amused expression. He probably
thought I don't know his clan names.
Breakfast went well. Mam'Zwane kept on praising my kitchen
skills. I make a mean breakfast I must admit.
We're now about to leave for the mall. I bump into Gatsha as I
exit the bedroom.
"Use this card, the pin is 3842. Make sure you do your hair as
well." he says
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placing the private wealth card in my hand.
"What's wrong with my hairstyle?" I ask, squinting my eyes. He
looks at me and laughs, revealing his dimples. I love it when this
uptight creature laughs.
"Hawu, I thought you'd be happy. Kanti don't you girls like it
when a man offers to pay for your hair?"
"Well not me Gatsha. You're already doing so much for me, I
don't want you thinking that you own me." I say fiercely. He
immediately frowns.
"I would never do that, trust me. I genuinely want to do things
for you." he says.
"Okay fine." I mumble.
"And another thing, please call me Mangethe more often. I like
it." he says avoiding my eyes. Wait is he blushing? I can't help
but laugh.
"Bathong wa blush(a)?" I ask, holding in my laugh.
"Thabile." he says sternly. I laugh even more before walking out
of his bedroom. He shouts my name as I walk out. I really enjoy
this gentle side of his.
I walk to the kitchen and grab the car keys, while wait for
Mam'Zwane to come down. Fortunately I can drive, I still need
to get my drivers license though.
Hours later Mam'Zwane and I are still at the mall. She bought
some stuff and I also managed to get a few outfits at Cotton On.
I've been waiting for her outside Woolworths. She's now buying
scarves and slippers for all her friends in KZN. She's such an
undecided person I swear. I even managed to do my hair while
she was window shopping.
After eternity, we finally get to Gatsha's house. The drive back
home was very...awkward. She was telling me about Gatsha's
two daughters and his late wife. I was shocked I won't lie. I
wonder why he didn't mention that part of his life. But then,
what am I to him?
Well Mam'Zwane just went inside. I grab the shopping bags and
follow. She bought so many things. Trust her to enjoy spending
her son's money. I feel very uneasy because of what
Mam'Zwane told me. I find Gatsha, Mam'Zwane and a man I
don't recognise, laughing in the kitchen. I decide to greet
politely. The man introduces himself as Gatsha's uncle.
Apparently he's here to fetch Mam'Zwane.
At 4pm they depart, leaving me with Gatsha. I was genuinely
enjoying Mam'Zwane's company. Her and I even exchanged
phone numbers. I honestly hate that we're lying to her.
"Go get ready, we're going to the shisanyama." Gatsha says,
startling me.
"I thought you'd take me home, plus I need to pack my stuff." I
say.
"Please. I promise to take you home tomorrow, just join me
tonight. I even got you a friend." I internally roll my eyes. Sigh! I
stand up and head towards his bedroom.
~~~
Lulo
It's Sunday afternoon and my man is on his way to pick me up.
He said he missed me, so he begged me to have a late lunch
with him. I really love how he makes an effort to always see me
or be with me, regardless of our situation.
I wish I could move out of home right away. I most definitely
miss the freedom I had when I still lived at res. I literally wanna
be inside my man's skin.
Tata and Ma are at bhut Bangi's house. They said they'll come
back on Tuesday. Talk about two people who hate staying in
their own house. I swear, those two are always gallivanting
instead of staying home. Fortunately their gallivanting worked
in my favour today.
At around 4pm Hlubi picks me up. He won't tell me where we're
going. I'm now sulking, refusing to talk to him.
"Come on Mami, we're only a few minutes away." he says.
"Mxm." I immediately regret saying that when he gives me a
displeased look.
"Lulonke." he scolds.
"Sorry." I mumble.
He finally stops outside a place with many cars. It looks like a
pub and grill. He parks next to another car and turns to me.
"We're here." he says unbuckling his seatbelt. He gets out of
the car and walks to my side to open the door for me.
"Thanks baby." I say as I step out of the car. He holds my bag for
me. "How did you find this place?" I ask.
"This is Gatsha's spot thando lwam. He asked us to come." he
answers. "I've actually been meaning to ask, how do you and
him know each other." he lets out a belly laugh.
"Him and I were in high school together. He was the only black
guy in school, so him and I clicked then. We've been mates ever
since." he explains. "Oh cool." I respond.
"You look gorgeous baby." he says, grabbing my hand. I can't
help but smile.
We walk inside hand in hand. The stares we're receiving are
such a confidence booster. Like yes bitches this is my man.
We walk to an upstairs section. I spot Thabile and Gatsha
dancing along to the music. Thabile and I start gushing over
each other. We shriek as we hug each other. I didn't expect her
to be here.
"Baby boo you're here?!" she screams hugging me tighter. She
looks and sounds tipsy. I genuinely love this girl regardless of
her crazy personality.
"Yess!" I join her in her screaming contest.
"Umsindo wani manje." Gatsha says in annoyance.
"Women!" Hlubi exclaims, shaking his head.
Thabi and I giggle as we sit down. I immediately order a
margarita. The two men are standing at a distance, discussing
something while drinking whiskey. My man hardly drinks, I
guess he's chilled today. Gatsha keeps on glancing at Thabile.
"Don't mind him, he's just annoyed that I look good. Can you
believe he told me to change when we were about to leave the
house?" She says. I burst out laughing.
"Well you look too good, I understand why he feels like that." I
say. She fans her face and dramatically flips her hair. She has on
a fresh install.
"Ugh! Bitch you look amazing!" she says pinching my cheeks. I
can't help but laugh. I love "Tipsy Thabile".
City boys by Burna Boy starts playing. She forces me to stand up
and dance with her. I lightly sway my hips, while sipping on my
margarita.
"Friend! I might have met Gatsha's mom." She whispers into my
ear.
29
Ray
"Finally! Home sweet home." I exclaim as I step out of the car.
It's around 11am, Tuesday morning and we just arrived back
home from Johannesburg. These past few days have been
eventful shame. With Hazel and the new addition to the family.
I carry my handbag while Brian, the driver grabs my suitcases.
Quinton is following behind us while he's on a conference call.
Brian leaves my luggage in the main lounge before walking out.
The house is oddly noisy today. Which is surprising because all
the kids are at school except for Enrique, who's visiting Tevin.
The helpers are also at their wing, so I wonder who's making
noise.
I place my handbag on the couch and follow the commotion. I
end up walking towards the pool deck. I find people flooding my
pool like flies on shit. There's even a DJ here.
Goodness me! What are so many people doing in my house? I
see Jay making out with a tall dark skinned guy. I also spot Tumi
in the pool laughing with a few other people. Some are sniffing
on some white substance. Oh hell no! Not in my house!
Quinton appears behind me, livid as hell. He grits his teeth and
clenches his jaws before placing a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry." he mumbles.
He immediately does the craziest thing. He takes out his pistol
and fires two shots into the air. Everyone is startled including
me. They all start running and screaming.
"I told you to keep that thing away. We have children in this
house!" I shout in a defeated tone. All these people are now
rushing out of the pool. They all leave the pool area except for
Jay, Tumi and the DJ guy.
"Go inside Raysean!" he commands. "Junior! Junior! Come and
face me you useless piece of shit!" he roars, walking towards
Jay. I don't go inside, instead I stand there with folded arms.
He reaches Jay and grabs him by his neck, choking him in the
process. In a blink of an eye he starts punching him in the face.
Oh God!
I rush towards them and beg Quinton to stop. Unfortunately my
pleas fall on deaf ears. Tumi is standing at a distance looking
agitated. I stride towards her, clicking my Jimmy Choos.
"Ray look, it wa-" I immediately cut her off.
"Get the fuck out of my house." I say bluntly. She blinks rapidly
and grabs the bottle of champagne before going inside. I click
my tongue.
I shift my attention back to the father and son. Jay is screaming
like a banshee, trying to defend himself.
"Oh so you're now fighting back? Come on fight me like a man!"
Quinton says before punching his gut. Jay falls to the ground
immediately. Quinton continues beating him up. Okay, I'm now
worried.
"Wellesley stop! You're going to kill him." I say as I hold his arm.
I'm saying this because it's true. Quinton has IED so he usually
gets rage blacks out whenever someone pushes him to the
extreme.
"MaKunene allow me to solve this boy. I think he forgets I'm his
father! You have the fucking nerve to disrespect my wife's
house?!" Quinton shouts, throwing in another punch.
"Dad p...pl...please. I'm sorry." Jay cries out. His whole face is
messed up. Quinton starts choking him again.
"Quinton Carlo Wellesley! You will stop this childish behaviour
right now. This is your son Quinton, your son!" I shout in
frustration. He immediately lets go of Jay and rushes inside.
Jay starts coughing uncontrollably. I walk closer to him and help
him up. I then turn to the DJ.
"Wena, pack your stuff and leave." I say before walking inside
with Jay holding onto my arm. Sigh!
~~~
About an hour later, I've managed to treat some of Jay's
wounds. He's now in bed resting. My whole day is already
spoiled. I can't believe I just nursed a bratty 28 year old. Is this
what they mean when they say you make compromises in
marriage?
I walk to the kitchen to prepare brunch for myself. Quinton
steps into the kitchen with bloody fists. I'm pretty sure he was
boxing.
"You could have at least worn gloves." I say, giving him a bottle
of water.
"I was too angry MaKunene. I swear I'm going to kill that boy."
he says as he takes a seat on a high chair. I stop what I'm doing
and face him.
"Please control your emotions in such situations. I don't like
how you reacted today." he scoffs.
"Did I tell you how gorgeous you look today." he says
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dismissing me.
"Quinton I'm serious." he heaves a sigh.
"I know and I'm sorry for reacting like that. But baby, Junior
asked for it." he says. I just shake my head and continue with
what I was doing.
It's now late in the afternoon. I'm helping the little ones with
their homework while they tell me about their weekend at
"auntie Christina's".
Quinton and Shayane enter the house. Shayane walks past us
without greeting. I look at Quinton and he shrugs his shoulders.
"Guys I'll be back, ask daddy to continue where I left off." I say
before following Shayane.
I find her in her bedroom, sprawled on the bed with her
uniform on. She lifts her head and I notice tears on her face. I
quickly get on her bed and hold her. She places her head on my
chest and lets out a painful sob. Okay I'm worried. Who hurt my
baby?
"Shay Shay, what's wrong baby?" I ask, brushing her hair.
"Mom I trusted him. He just had to break my heart!" she wails.
Oh Lord! Don't tell me she's crying over a boy.
"Who is he?" I ask before pecking her temple. She clears her
throat.
"He's Xolani, my boyfriend." She mumbles the last part.
"You have a boyfriend?!" I shout.
"Not now mom." I heave a sigh.
"Okay, what happened?" I ask, trying to keep my cool.
"I found out he cheated on me. Some girl from his varsity sent
me pictures of them together." wait a damn minute!
"A girl from his what?! How old is this boy Shayane?" she looks
down.
"He's twenty three years old." she mumbles. My heart stops
immediately stops.
"Twenty three Shayane?! Twenty three?!" I take a deep breath.
"Baby he's too old for you. This is a whole lawsuit Shayane. I
swear you want Dawie to haunt me!" she giggles. I don't know
what's so funny.
"But dad is like fifty and you're only like thirty. Xolani is not
thaaat old." I pinch her ear.
"I'm not your friend Shayane. Watch your mouth." I scold her.
"Geez! I'm just kidding mom."
"You better! And break up with that boy!" I shout as I walk out
of her bedroom.
I get back downstairs. Quinton looks at me expecting me to say
something. Junior is now awake lying on the sleeper couch
avoiding his father by all means. I walk to the wine cellar and
grab myself a bottle of rosé. I really need a drink right now.
"You people are going to kill me!" I shout. I hear Quinton laugh
on the other side.
~~~
Mtho
"Careful, careful." I say as I help Hazel out the car.
"Are you ready?" I ask.
"Fuck yes Mtho, stop with the suspense!" She shouts. I'm
thrown into a fit of laughter. I love this snob of mine
"Okay, chill babe." I say before removing the blindfold.
"Surprise." I say as we stand in front of the brand new Range
rover I bought for her. It did put a dent on my pocket, but maka
Philani deserves the best.
"Is it mine Mtho?!" She screams.
"It's yours maka Philani." I say handing her the car keys.
"Aaaaa!" she lets out an electrifying scream. "You bought me a
Range rover Velar?!" she screams again.
"Dior, come see mommy's new car." She says grabbing Dior
from his car seat. This dog is starting to grow on me, I find
myself randomly playing with him.
I watch Hazel gush over the car. I'm really content. The only
person missing is my boy. He's growing day by day, I can't wait
to finally hold him in my arms and have him home.
"Mtho take a picture of us!" Hazel shouts. She shouldn't be
standing for too long, she's still recovering from her operation. I
snap pictures of her and Dior before walking towards them. I
pull her in for a kiss. We pull out after some time and just look
into each other's eyes.
"Hi" I say, staring at her with nothing but love.
"Hey" she responds with her eyes twinkling.
"I really love you dude. Thank you for giving me a son and for
agreeing to be my wife. I promise we'll find our way through
this whole marriage thing." I declare, while blinking my tears
away.
"Aww, are you crying? Hey everyone! Mthokozisi is crying
because he's soo inlove with me." she teases. I can't help but
laugh at her pronunciation of my full name.
God! We still have a long way to go.
30
Few months later
~September~
Lulo
Today is Friday and it's the day before Hazel's lobola
negotiations. Her negotiations are going to happen here in
Joburg so the whole family is here.
I'm currently at my man's house finishing up an assignment
while he's running errands. I told him to rest but he won't
listen. He had two surgeries yesterday and one earlier on today.
I can only imagine how exhausted he must be. I initially came
straight here after my morning class and found him fast asleep.
I finally complete my assignment and submit it. Submitting an
assignment way before the due date feels so illegal.
Mahlubandile has been pestering me about finishing my
assignments earlier, so I had no choice. I pack my laptop and
books away before gulping down the rest of my Redbull. I then
stand up to make myself something to eat.
As I'm taking out the fruit salad, my phone rings indicating an
incoming group video call from Hazel and Thabi. I answer and
place my phone on the kitchen counter.
"Hey baes." I greet.
"Bitchez! When are you guys arriving? Ray is going crazy right
now." Hazel says. According to tradition, Thabi and I are
supposed to sit in the room with her until tomorrow. The
Kunene side of the family will be leading the negotiations.
"I'll be there before three, tell her to chill." I reply.
"Aowa ma eh, I'll probably get there later. Gatsha wants to see
me." Thabi says in a sulking manner. I don't know why those
two won't just date.
"Oh great!" Hazel says before rolling her eyes.
"Where's nugget, I wanna see him." It's funny how the nugget
nickname stuck.
"Ugh, I just put him to sleep. He was restless since last night.
Free advice, don't make babies guys." Hazel says. I can't help
but laugh. I swear, baby Philani was born to build Hazel's
character.
Right then, Hlubi makes his way inside the kitchen. Thank
goodness he's back. He's carrying shopping bags and a
Panarottis pizza box. He places the Woolies shopping bags and
the pizza box on the counter and then walks closer me. He
stands behind me and places a kiss on the nape of my neck.
"Hi ladies." he says, waving at the screen.
"Hi Mr bae" "Hey lover boy". Thabi and Hazel say, in the most
irritating voices. I automatically roll my eyes. My man just
laughs before walking to the fridge. I quickly hang up on them
and turn to him. I know they'll definitely bite my head off.
"Did you buy the body scrub I asked you to buy?" I ask as I start
rummaging through the shopping bags.
"Of course thando lwam, the coconut scented one right?" I nod
and walk closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"You're the best. What would I be without you?" I say, giving
him a peck in the process. He deepens it and squeezes my ass.
"I don't know, a miserable student?" He says. I pinch his arm
and he laughs.
"Let me pack these." I say as I shift my focus back to the
groceries. He grunts and pulls me to his hard chest. He starts
breathing into my neck making me feel giddy.
"I actually had better things in mind." He says, landing wet
kisses on my neck.
"Not today mister. I have to go home in 30 minutes. Remember
I still need to pack and then go to my sister's." He lets out
another grunt.
"But you have clothes here thando lwam, plus I can drop you off
at your sister's house. Just leave your car here." I chuckle.
"Oh please, uyageza ke ngoku. Plus, one weekend away from
me won't kill you. Already siya eBhayi next weekend, I'll be
yours for the whole weekend." Well we're going to Gqeberha
for umgidi at his maternal side of the family. I won't lie and say
I'm not nervous. I'm terrified.
"Whatever." He says, sulking.
About an hour later I drive back home. I find the house empty. I
pack my stuff and drive to Sandton.
News flash! I'm moving out soon. Well Tata was against the
whole idea of me moving. I asked Ray and bhut Bangi to
convince him. They both managed to convince him but the only
condition is that I have to move into Ray's old apartment. I
don't mind though, the place looks good.
I finally arrive at Ray's house in Sandton. I find about five cars
parked in the driveway, including Hazel's Range. She's so
obsessed with the car, she calls it her mom car.
There's so much noise as I enter the house. Ava runs towards
me and hugs my legs.
"Aunty Luh!" She screams as I pick her up. You can definitely tell
that she's Hazel's little sister, they're both dramatic as hell. Just
then
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two more little ones come running to me. It's Lukhona my niece
and Anelisa, Simmy's daughter. I put Ava down and pick the
other two up. They both start touching my face and tugging at
my weave. Lukhona places a kiss on my lips as an attempt to get
some of my lipgloss. I just laugh, typical toddlers. I try putting
them down but they both cling onto me.
"Where are the others?" I ask Ava as we head towards the
kitchen.
"They're at the backyard with daddy and the other uncles. We
don't play with boys Luh, they have cooties!" She says
aggressively, throwing me into a fit of laughter. Kids are too
funny.
Getting inside the kitchen I find Ray, Hazel, Ze and Simmy.
Anelisa and Lukhona try getting off me. I put them down and
they run out with Ava leading the way. She always acts like a
responsible older sister when she's with these two.
"Hey guys." I say, giving all of them hugs.
"Took you long enough, where's Thabile?" Ray asks. I shrug my
shoulders and look at Hazel which results in us laughing.
"Haibo Lulonke, wamuhle kanje!" Simmy says as she brushes
my arm. I smile and say thanks.
"For real, she even does ama face beat manje." The pregnant Ze
says.
"Angithi useyajola manje." Ray says. I turn to her and give her
"really?" look.
"Haibo wenja! Iza nazo!" Simmy says.
"English please!" Hazel says. We all laugh.
"You're getting married to a Zulu man baby girl, teach yourself
some Zulu. You don't want your in laws gossiping about you
now, do you?" Ray says. Hazel rolls her eyes.
"I'm still stuck on the fact that our little Lulo is dating." Simmy
says.
"Nami ngifun'ukwazi le ndaba ye boyfriend." Ze says. Oh God!
Can they just drop it.
"Who said it's a guy?" I say. They both look at each other and
then back to me.
"You play for the other team?" Ze asks, sounding unsure of her
question. I glance at Hazel and we both laugh again.
"No she doesn't. She actually has a doctor boyfriend. Simz
remember that coloured guy with tattoos we once met at La
Parada, the one who was with those two yummy guys. One of
them plays rugby." Ray says, leaving me shocked.
"Ubani konje, uTyrese or something?" Simmy asks and Ray
nods. Simmy widens her eyes "Lulo's dating that guy?" Ray nods
again.
"You little devil! You're serious about life mos wena!" Simmy
adds. I take out my phone and pretend to be busy on it. I don't
know why I suddenly feel so shy. But who wouldn't be, when
your older sisters are basically interrogating you. Hazel has been
staring at me with a silly grin on her face.
"Here's the guy Ze." Ray says, showing Ze something on her
phone. The three of them start stalking Daluxolo's account in
search for more of Hlubi's pictures. What a great day to have a
boyfriend who's not on social media.
"So how did you meet him?" Simmy asks after some time.
Thankfully Philani's nanny enters the kitchen with a crying
Philani. Hazel takes him and immediately breast feeds him. The
little human quiets down and sucks on for dear life.
Ray goes back to making the salads. Simmy gets started on with
the pap. Ze and I take the marinated meat to the backyard
where all the men are. It's Bab'Quinton, bhut'Bangi and
bhut'Bongani.
~~~
Shayane
"Dude I'm famished!" I say as I lift my head from the carpet. I
grab my phone to check the time, it's around 4 pm now.
"Ntwana that's me" Makhosini says.
I'm currently in one of the upstairs bedrooms with Makhosini
and Enrique. Enrique and I were forced to tag along for Hazel's
lobola negotiations. I'm so over this upcoming weekend. The
only highlight is seeing my favourite cousin, Makhosini.
We're all on the bedroom floor faded as hell. We've been
passing the blunt between us while talking about our problems.
Actually they were listening to me narrate my problems. Xolani
really did a number on me, I must applaud him. He then had
the fucken guts to apologise for cheating. I mean we weren't
even dating for a month and he had already cheated. I won't lie
and say I didn't see it coming.
"Come on y'all let's go down before they start looking for us."
Enrique says. He's actually been way too quiet ever since
Makhosini got here.
"Right! Help me up you two." They both help me up. My body
always goes into lock mode whenever I consume weed. I wear
my crocs and put my phone in my hoodie pocket.
I walk to the door and unlock it before getting out.
"You go first." Enrique says to Makhosini. I look at them behind
me and raise an eyebrow.
"No you go out first." Makhosini says. They stare at each other
before walking out together.
These two have been acting all weird and shy around each
other. Literally irking me out!
"Just look at her brushing her belly." Makhosini says
distastefully, as we pass by glass door that leads to the
backyard. He's looking at Aunty Ze as she's brushing her belly.
He's so not happy about the fact that he's going to be a big
brother again. I pat his shoulder and laugh.
"Shame." I say as I laugh even more.
"No but tell me dude, why the heck are they still having sex.
Aren't they like forty?" He says, sounding annoyed. Enrique and
I laugh at that statement.
"Come on dude aunt Ze is far from being forty. Wena you
should just accept that you're having a younger sibling." I say as
we walk towards the kitchen.
"Dude I'm eighteen. Eighteen! Why am I still getting younger
siblings? Yah neh! Parents will embarrass you." He says in a
frustrated tone.
"Shame, you'll be okay." I say as we enter the kitchen. We find
mom, aunty Simz and Lulo in the kitchen. I'm hoping they don't
notice that we're high as fuck.
31
Thabile
"A.a Gatsha that's ticklish." I say, trying hard not to giggle. He's
been squeezing my thigh the whole journey. He's now dropping
me off at aus Ray's estate.
"Call me when you're ready to leave so I can fetch you." he says.
"Bathong motho, it's fine. I'll uber." He frowns.
"You know I hate ubers Thabile. I think I should get you
something small to get you from point A to point B." He says.
"Whuu ay abuti, I'm out." I say trying to open the door. He
immediately locks all doors.
"Yima phela, awungithi manca phela mama." He says pulling my
chin. I blush and give him a brief kiss which he deepens. Our
tongues start dancing together, causing me to moan. He
immediately grunts.
"Uyabona manje usuvuse abalele." He says pointing to his
erection. I giggle and he places a kiss on my cheek. I look at him
for a while, contemplating whether or not I should ask him this
burning question I have.
"Yin'ndaba mama?" He asks. I heave a sigh and take a deep
breath.
"Gatsha what are we?" I blurt out. He automatically furrows his
eyebrows.
"Umbuzo onjani loyo? You and I make each other happy and we
enjoy each other's company, that's all. Why are you suddenly
asking such questions?" He says bluntly.
"See! Now that's my problem with you. You know what...bye!"
Fortunately, the door was unlocked so I got out of the car with
my bag. Immediately when I got out, he drove off.
I call Lulo so she can fetch me at the gate like last time.
Lulo and I finally get to the house. There are so many cars in the
driveway.
"Brace yourself, the whole family is here. Ray is hosting a braai.
Oh and, we also need to help with tomorrow's preparations."
Lulo says. Gosh, I'm so not in the mood to meet new people.
We get inside the house. Lulo takes my bag upstairs while I walk
to the kitchen. Getting inside the kitchen, I find Hazel, aus'Ray, a
pregnant lady and a little girl who's talking to aus'Ray. Hazel's
dog is also here
lying comfortably on his pillow.
"Hello." I say softly. Hazel smiles and waves at me while
shushing the baby. Aus'Ray doesn't look up. I'm pretty sure
she's pissed. She did say she'll kill us if we're late.
"Hi dear." The pregnant lady says with a smile. I smile back and
wave awkwardly. The little girl smiles at me with her cute
toothless smile. She looks so much like Hazel, I'm sure it's her
youngest sister.
"Thabile what time did I say you girls should arrive?" Aus Ray
asks with a straight face. I clear my throat.
"You said before 12 midday." I answer in a low voice. In these
few months that I've known her, I can assure you that she's very
intimidating.
"Forget that, did you bring a head wrap like I instructed?" she
asks. Shit! I forgot. I'll have to ask Lulo to lend me one of hers.
"Ukuphi uLulo, I need her to help me carry umqombothi." A
voice behind me says. I turn around and I'm met by a familiar
face. She frowns upon seeing my face. I also frown upon seeing
her. I last saw her years ago.
"Rethabile?" She says.
"Simthandile?" I ask with the shock visible from my voice.
~~~
Mtho
I watch her stuff her face with the shawarma and fries. She's so
intrigued by this "New Amsterdam" show. We're both lying
naked on her couch with the throw covering us. She catches me
staring and her face immediately flushes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because I love you." I answer. She smiles and straddles me
before smashing her lips on mine. I love how Khwezi isn't afraid
to initiate sex. Suddenly my phone rings, disturbing us. I grab it
from the armrest and answer.
"Ekse bhudda, uphi?" Xolani asks. I groan as Khwezi trails kisses
down my jaw. Xolani whistles.
"You're with Khwezi bra?" He asks. I move Khwezi's head and
stand up. I start getting dressed while balancing my phone
between my shoulder and ear.
"Eish man."
"I told you to end whatever bullshit you're doing with Khwezi.
You have something good going on with Hazel."
"Fuck! I know man." I say before hanging up. I look up at Khwezi
and she looks pissed.
"I have to go MaKhwe, I'll see you next weekend okay?" She
smacks her lips and looks the other direction. "Don't be like
that."
"How do you expect me to act when you're technically marrying
her tomorrow? What about my feelings Mthokozisi?"
"Baby-"
"Just leave Mthokozisi." she says calmly.
Khwezi and I have been seeing each other for close to two
months now. I really love her. Don't get me wrong, I love Hazel
too, a lot at that. But there's just something about Khwezi. I
want to make her my second wife once everything settles.
~~~
Mahlubandile
It's around six in the evening. I just arrived at the Van Heerden
residence, my parents' house. Pa called me and told me come
urgently. I wonder what's this huge issue that it couldn't wait
for tomorrow.
I find a car I don't recognise parked outside. I park next to it and
walk to the main door. Getting inside the house I hear loud
chatter and laughter. I walk straight to the sitting area and find
my parents with three other people. It's Ongeziwe and her
parents. Ongeziwe was just a fling of mine I had through the
years.
My question is what are they doing here and why is she wearing
a head wrap and covered in a blanket?
"Good evening." I greet. They all acknowledge my greeting,
except for Onge who keeps on looking at the floor and batting
her eyelashes.
"Tyrese." Pa says after taking a sip of his cognac.
"Pa?" I reply.
"This young lady here said she's expecting your first child. Is dit
waar Tyrese?" My heart immediately skips a beat. I turn to look
at Onge.
"Is this true Ongeziwe?" How far are you?" I don't know why I'm
suddenly angry.
"It's true, I'm four months pregnant." She says proudly. Fuck!
This is going to kill Lulonke. Ongeziwe and I were busy with each
other during those months when Lulonke ghosted me.
"I was suggesting marriage between the both of you. I mean
you're both young, good looking and you both have flourishing
careers." My mother says.
"I'll stop you right there MaJola. I don't mind acknowledging my
child, but marrying her?!" I take a deep breath. " I already have
someone in my life and she's the only person I'd ever get
married to." I say boldly.
"So you'd rather abandon your child and the mother of your
child because of some floozy who's after your money?" My
mother says bitterly.
"Don't call my woman that!-You know what, I'm out of here!" I
stand up and head to the door.
When I get outside I find Fezile on his way inside.
"Tell your fucked up parents to stop dictating my life!" I say,
passing him. I quickly enter my car and drive off. Fuck! I need
my woman.
32
Thabile
"Rethabile!I can't believe my eyes. This is really you? uMa is not
going to believe this!" She says while suffocating me in a
hug."Ubuye nini la Egoli?" she asks.
"I came back after my matric year. My father was arrested
then." I say, holding onto her. I never realised how much I
missed her. She still has that same calming effect.
"Hawu, umalume Tau bandla. That must have been so hard on
you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." She says, kissing my
forehead repeatedly. I look up and find all eyes on us. Even Lulo
is back. They are all glaring at us as if we're aliens.
"This is my baby cousin guys." Simmy says. As if on cue, they all
widen their eyes in shock.
"Wow! Small world." aus'Ray says with a baffled expression.
"I know right." Hazel says before walking out with the crying
baby.
"I think you two should talk in private. It seems like there's a lot
you need to unpack." aus'Ray adds.
"Definitely." the pregnant lady says before eating a spoonful of
ice cream. Lulo gives me a brief smile and nods in agreement.
~~~
About an hour later Simmy and I are in one of the bedrooms
pouring each other's hearts out. We've managed to talk about
everything.
Well...Simthandile is my late uncle's child. Her late father and
my mother were siblings. Her and I grew up really close
regardless of our age gap. Even when her father passed on we
kept in touch. Despite the family wars and drama that was
going on. Things started changing when I moved to KZN with
Papa, that's when we lost contact. I tried asking my maternal
grandmother about her, but that only gained me insults.
"I can't believe you're really here. You were always on my mind,
you know that?" She says hugging me for the thousandth time.
Just then my phone vibrates. I check the caller ID and it's
Gatsha. I immediately decline the call. I don't want to talk to
him, especially after what he said.
"Boyfriend?"Simmy asks. I shake my head.
"No, it's no one important." I reply.
Just then, the door bursts open. A tall man holding a baby boy
and a little girl, steps inside. Simmy looks at them and laughs
lightly.
"Mama!" The little girl shouts as she wiggles out of the man's
arms. He places her down and she runs to Simmy, forcing
herself onto her lap. I guess this is her husband and kids.
"They both wanted you sthandwa sami, we couldn't distract
them any longer." The man says. Simmy face palms herself and
laughs lightly.
"Haibo! You guys should give me a break." She says. "Uhm, baby
meet Thabile, my little cousin that I told you about. Thabile
meet Bongani, my husband." I've realised that her eyes always
twinkle when she mentions her husband.
"It's good to finally meet you Thabile." he says with a smile.
God! These kids look exactly like him.
"Likewise abuti Bongani. Ke itumelela go goitsi" I say.
"Hawu mkami, ithini manje ingane yakini?" he asks, throwing us
into a fit of laughter.
"Well, ke Motswana. I obviously speak some Zulu now and
again." I say catching my breath.
"Oh." he says, looking even more baffled.
Moments later we're all gathered around the big table at the
patio. We're watching the beautiful September sunset. The kids
are all inside with the two nannies. Hazel's father blesses the
food and we all dig in. I thought I could cook but these three
women take the cup.
As we're all eating and engaging in conversation, Hazel's father
asks for our attention.
"I wanted to formally welcome Thabile into the family. Thabile,
we're family now. Don't hesitate to go to any of us should you
need something." He says with a smile. I smile back briefly,
blinking my tears away. I can't wait to tell Papa about this.
"Oh come on, she's always been one of us Quinton." aus'Ray
says. We all laugh.
"This weekend started on a good note, let's hope it will end on
a good note. Hazel, you're about to become someone's wife. I
hope you're ready for this life changing journey you're about to
embark on." He adds.
"Of course daddy." she replies. She's been gaining weight and it
suits her.
"Let's hope there won't be any more engagements nor
weddings anytime soon. Lulonke, Thabile, stay away from
boys." Lulo's older brother says. I look at Lulo next to me,
stifling my laughter.
~~~
After a long eventful day, I'm finally off to bed. Simmy and her
family left and they'll be coming back tomorrow. The pregnant
lady, who introduced herself as Zekhethelo, also left with her
husband and two younger kids.
I'm sharing a bedroom with Lulo and she has been complaining
that Mahlubandile hasn't called her for their usual night call.
"He never does this. Even when he's working
he spares at least five minutes to talk to me." she mumbles to
herself.
"Askies oe, he's probably caught up with something." I say in an
attempt to better the situation.
"Mxm, let me just sleep." she says, covering herself with the
duvet. Lulo hardly gets angry. A while later I hear her breathing
softly.
My phone vibrates as I'm falling asleep. I answer without
checking the caller ID.
"Sowqedile uk'hlanya?" the familiar husky voice says, waking
me up immediately.
"Gatsha." I say in defeat.
"Ulale kahle mama." he says before hanging up. That was
random. He hardly calls when we've argued. Usually he lets me
cool off for days and then starts demanding my presence.
~~~
Hazel
Today is the day. I'm so excited, I mean I'm technically about to
become my best friend's wife. I just got off the phone with
Mtho and he's just as thrilled as I am.
Lulo, Thabz and I, are in my bedroom awaiting the Ndlovus'
arrival. This whole thing wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't
for Ray. She planned everything out the "Zulu" way, so we
wouldn't embarrass ourselves infront of Mtho's family. Her side
of the family volunteered to lead the negotiations. I couldn't be
happier, despite the fact that my mother and my older brother
aren't here. My mom is away for an "important" business
engagement. Junior went back to Italy a month ago.
"Guys they're here!" Thabi says. Lulo and I both stand up and
peek from the balcony. We can see Mtho's dad with other
males standing at the gate.
"Why aren't they letting them in?" I ask.
"My goodness Hazel, it's standard procedure." Lulo says.
"I wonder how much they'll charge them." Thabi says.
"I know right, considering the fact that y'all have a child
already." Lulo says. "Plus I heard that bab'Quinton payed R750
000 for Ray. Let's hope they don't overcharge them." Lulo adds.
"Yoh! Kanti what did they charge him? Buffaloes?"Thabi
exclaims.
Two hours passed, with us biting our nails and waiting in
anticipation. I'm suffocating under this bridal attire that Ray
instructed me to wear. The nanny even had to bring my baby
because he was restless.
Moments later, Ray got inside my room with a smile on her
face.
"Everything's done baby." She said hugging me. We all breathe
out in relief. I can't believe it.
~~~
Shayane
Everyone is inside having lunch. Hazel's negotiations went well.
I love it for her. I'm currently outside, avoiding Xolani's presence
because he's also here. I feel so uncomfortable in this
traditional attire. Well mom made all of us wear matching
traditional attires, much to everyone's irritation. But what she
says goes.
"Hey you." A familiar voice says behind me.
"Xolani." I reply, uninterested.
"Can we talk, we never really got to talk properly." he says.
"Xolani..." I say, attempting to walk away. He holds my arm,
pulling me back.
"Please. Let's get out of here, they won't notice you're gone."
he says, so closely to my face that we're breathing in the same
air.
~~~
I don't know how he convinced me, but here I am sneaking
inside the car of the very same person who broke my heart.
Love is fucked up man.
We finally get to his parents' house after a short awkward drive.
"Please cheer up baby girl, I don't like it when you're too quiet."
he says, killing the engine.
"Why exactly am I here Xolani?" I ask, coming back to my
senses.
"Let's go inside so we can talk." He says before opening his
door.
Lulo
I just got off the phone with my man and he sounded very off.
He couldn't even wait to end the call. I really hope it's nothing
serious. I've fallen way too deep for Mahlubandile and I
wouldn't survive life without him.
I'm so distracted, I'm watching all the little ones playing outside
through the kitchen window. Thabi, Simmy and I are currently
tidying up the kitchen after a long, busy day. Hazel left with
Mtho and her in laws, along with the baby.
"Has anyone seen Shayane? I can't find her anywhere and she's
not answering my calls." Ray announces as she walks in.
"No we haven't." Simmy replies.
"I'll go look for her, she's probably somewhere around the
house." I say before placing the dish cloth in the sink.
I pass by the lounge, where everyone else is seated. Even Tata
and Ma are here. Along with my two male cousins, Siyabonga
and Vukani. Getting upstairs I carefully look for Shayane in all of
the rooms. I finally get to the laundry room. I slowly open the
door with determination, but the sight before me leaves me
dumbfounded.
Makhosini and Enrique are in here making out. They quickly pull
out of the kiss when they notice my presence.
"Luh!" Makhosini says. I quickly shut the door and walk down
the hallway. Gosh! Why should I always be the one who catches
these scandalous things.
33
Lulo
After looking everywhere for Shayane, my mind goes to Xolani.
He also disappeared without say. Oh God! I begged him to stay
away from her. The whole thing between them is just wrong.
I'm currently at the backyard watching all the little ones play.
Kids are so innocent, they help me get my mind off things. I
Iaugh when Ava starts fighting her brothers for the ball.
"Luh please, don't tell anyone about what happened. I'm not
gay." Makhosini says as he walks up to me. I even forgot about
him and Enrique and their scandalous deeds.
"Does the other person know that?" he shrugs.
"All of these feelings are just foreign and weird. Enrique makes
me feel a typa way, not even my girl makes me feel like this. I
don't know Luh, I'm just confused." he says. I quickly pull him
into a hug.
"Makhosini being confused about your sexuality is pretty
normal. I just hope you don't break poor Enrique's heart
because he seems to really like you." I say, patting his back.
"Now let's go back inside. Your other aunt is fuming, Shayane
left without telling anyone." I say. Makhosini laughs before
walking ahead of me.
~~~
Hazel
"Is he finally asleep?" Mtho asks. I giggle and nod as I get in
bed. I just put Carlo to sleep in his crib. We're currently at
Mtho's parents' house.
"I'm exhausted, today was soo long." I say as lie on his chest. He
chuckles, making his chest vibrate.
"And this is only just the beginning. Imagine how worn out we
will be after umembeso and the white wedding." He says. I
immediately let out a grunt.
"Yikes, there's still that!" he laughs, placing a peck on my
forehead.
"I can't wait to see you wearing isidwaba, that would be a
dream come true." he says cheerily.
I smile and peck his lips. We've been at our happiest ever since
Carlo's birth and the engagement.
"Baby." I say.
"Maka Philani?" he replies.
"Dad wanted to gift us with a new home for our wedding." I say
softly. I know he hates it when dad does things for us.
"Cha Maka Philani! What kind of a man would I be allowing my
father in law to do things for me? We talked about this Hazel
and I told you I'd buy us a home soon." He says with an
unpleasant expression.
"It's okay, I'll tell him to cancel everything." I really hope he has
a solid plan.
"Soo...How about I cherish your body for the first time as
umfazi wakwa Ndlovu." he says, trailing kisses down to my
breasts. He really loves my breasts now that they're fuller.
Right when we're about to go beyond that, Carlo starts crying.
"Your son is such a cock blocker." he says, making me laugh. He
then slides off the bed and attends to his son.
His phone starts ringing. "Joseph (Campus)" is written on the
caller ID.
"Hello?" I answer. The Joseph person remains silent before
hanging up. Hmm...Weird.
"What are you doing with my phone?" Mtho asks with an
attitude. I raise an eyebrow and fold my arms.
"Someone called. Actually, since when do you have a problem
with me touching your phone?"
"Please respect my privacy. I don't go around snooping on your
phone!" he says.
"What's wrong with you?" I ask because I'm confused by his
sudden mood change.
"Can I just sleep Hazel." He says before covering himself with
the duvet.
What the hell was that?
~~~
Shayane
"I'm repeating this again, Mbali meant nothing. I love you and
you alone Shayane." he speaks, saying a whole bunch of utter
bullshit.
"Why are you still lying?!" I shout in frustration. We've been
talking, more like arguing for the past hour in his bedroom.
"Please calm down nana." He says holding my hands. Right then
a knock comes through his bedroom door. Flip! We both look at
each other.
"Xolani! Boy! Uthetha nabani?" A woman's voice says.
"No one mama, it's the tv. How was the funeral?" Xolani asks.
I'm shaking in my boots.
"It was just a funeral Xolani. How were Mthokozisi's
negotiations?" The woman asked from outside.
"They went well mama. Can we talk later, I'm kinda tired right
now." Xolani says.
"Okay my boy, you must come down for dinner ke." she says
before clicking her heels away.
Xolani looks at me and we both breathe out.
"How am I going to get back home Xolani?!" I say in frustration.
"I'll drive you back once the coast is clear." He says.
Eish. I'm even scared to switch my phone on. Mom must be
fuming right now.
~~~
The sound of birds chirping wakes me up. I quickly jump when I
realise that I'm in foreign surroundings. I'm reminded that I'm in
Xolani's bedroom. Fuck No! I can't believe I slept here.
I slide off the bed and wake Xolani up. He slept on the sofa.
"Dude! You promised to take me home last night." He slowly
opens his eyes and glares at me.
"Dammit! We must have both dosed off." Good God! His
morning voice though. I clear my throat and fold my arms.
"Take me home right now." I say, tapping my foot.
~~~
He's now driving me home. I decide to switch on my phone.
Missed calls, texts and voicemails come pouring in. Yeses!
Mom even sent a text telling me that I should stay wherever I
am.
"I'm scared Xolani." I say with my heart beating fast.
"You're going to be okay nana." he says
brushing my thigh delicately.
He finally drops me off after a quiet ride.
"Call me if they overwhelm you." he says before driving off.
I walk to the gate and it automatically opens. Oh no! I check the
time on my phone and it's just after 7am. The driveway is
empty, meaning that everyone else left.
Getting inside the house, I find mom pacing up and down with a
belt in her hand. Shit.
Daddy Que is looking directly at me as I make my way inside.
"One weekend away from home and this is the nonsense you
do!" Mom says without looking at me.
"Is Joburg driving you crazy?" Dad says calmly. I look down and
remain silent.
"See! I told you she'll just gawk at us." Mom says.
"I needed some air." I say in a low voice.
"I nyeeded some nyair" Mom says. "Don't you dare lie to us,
Alden said he saw you leaving with Mthokozisi's friend!" Fuck,
there's no getting out of this.
"Explain yourself young lady." Dad says sternly. I choose to keep
quiet. They both look at each other and chuckle.
"So this is what you do Shayane? If you continue going at this
rate you'll end up getting AIDS. I'm telling you my girl. I won't
even mention pregnancy." Mom adds. I'm suddenly getting
annoyed. Why is she acting like I'm such a rebellious teenager.
I'm still a virgin for fuck sakes.
"How are we supposed to trust you after this?!" Dad shouts.
"Jesus! Just tell us what came over you Shayane? Do you know
how ashamed we were when no one could find you yesterday?
We looked like incompetent parents!" she shouts again,
infuriating me even more.
"That's because you're not my parents!" I say without thinking.
The room suddenly goes quiet. They both look at me with hurt
expressions. Damn you Shayane, why did you say that!
"Quinton get her away from me." Mom says with her voice
breaking. She looks torn.
"Mom, dad. I'm sorry I- " Mom puts her hand up, shutting me
up. She throws the belt on the couch before walking upstairs.
God! What have I done.
~~~
A few days later
Thabile
School will kill us good people, especially if you're an
engineering student.
Today I wrote the worst elective test ever. I honestly can't wait
to graduate next year. Academic stress is definitely not my
thing. But anything for being a woman in STEM right?
I'm currently out at some restaurant with Simmy. She wanted us
to catch up.
We've been at it for almost an hour now. Just talking about
anything and everything.
"Is this man crazy or something, he's been looking towards our
table for the past half an hour." She says, indulging in her sirloin
steak and mash.
"Which man?" I ask, stifling my laughter. She looks so annoyed.
"The one behind you. But don't look now." she says, keeping a
straight. "Okay, now look." she says after a few seconds. I turn
around and I'm met with Gatsha's intense gaze. He's with two
other men. I quickly look away. We haven't talked since Friday.
It's always an endless cycle of us arguing, staying away from
each other and then fucking again.
About 20 minutes later, Simmy has to fetch her kids at daycare.
She leaves me with cash for the bill before rushing out. I'm so
glad we did this, it was very refreshing. I quickly call for the
waitress and request for the bill.
"Mam your bill has been settled." she says politely. I frown.
"By whom?"
"By Mr Zwane over there." She says.
"Oh." I don't know what to say.
"Will that be all mam?" she asks.
"Uhm, yeah. Thanks." I say and she walks away.
I immediately feel a heavy presence behind me. It's that familiar
scent. He pulls the chair next to mine and takes a seat.
"Ntombi yakwa Moseki." He says in his usual cocky manner.
"Mhhhm." I acknowledge him, before gulping down the rest of
my wine. I start packing my phone and wallet inside my bag. I
attempt to stand up but he holds my hand.
"Ukahle Thabile? Bewenjani amalobola ka mngan'wakho?" he
asks, leaving me surprised. He hardly asks about my wellbeing
and such things.
"The lobola thingies went well. I'm also well." I respond
passively.
"Thabile kuyabanda ekhaya. Uzoza nini? I hope you haven't
forgotten about our arrangement." He says, creasing his
forehead.
"Of course not. How could I forget when you remind me at
every given chance." He chuckles.
"Asambe mama." he says before taking my handbag and pulling
me up from the chair.
Tell me why am I still going with this man?
He first pays for the parking ticket. We get to the parking lot
where he unlocks the black Maserati Levante. It's so dirty, very
unlike him.
"What happened to your car? Why is it this dirty?" I ask as we
drive out of the boom gate.
"I had to drive a long distance. I was called at Kuhlekonke and
Nontando's boarding school for a disciplinary hearing.
Kuhlekonke was in trouble for fighting with one of the girls at
her hostel. I had to cough out a few thousands so she wouldn't
get suspended nor expelled." he replies, sounding pissed. O-kay,
this is the most he's talked about his daughters.
"Oh."
"I give those girls everything. I don't understand why they
should behave like this!" he says as we stop at the traffic lights.
"I don't want to seem forward, but it could be something
deeper. Take me for example, I lived with my father for most of
my life but I needed a mother figure. My mother was anything
but a mother." I say. He looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh I didn't know that." The light turns green and he drives off.
"There's a lot you don't know about me Mangethe." I say.
"I love it when you call me that." He says with a grin. He then
entwines our hands together.
God! This man is killing me. I can't with these mixed signals.
He increases the car volume and Intombi-Yami by Sjava starts
playing.
34
Lulo
It's a breezy Thursday afternoon. We just landed in Gqeberha.
By we, I mean Mahlubandile and I, Xolani, Daluxolo and
Mbulelo. We had to fly business class because there wasn't any
airspace for their family jet.
I'm dressed comfortably in my cute black unitard jumpsuit, a
white oversized shirt, my New Balance 550s and Mahlubandile's
black Gucci bucket hat.
Xolani and I are getting some refreshments while the others get
our luggage. There's still some tension between us though.
Going with these men is such a mission. With people asking for
pictures and some girls going crazy. Thixo!
We finally get what we need, of course with Xolani complaining
about the amount of money that was deducted from his bank
account. Airport convenience stores are so expensive for
absolutely no reason.
We all meet up again at the pick up point where a red Mercedes
V-Class is assigned for us. The chauffeur places our luggage in
the boot before driving off. I glance at Mahlubandile and he's
staring into space. He's been so distant throughout these past
couple of days. It's a miracle that we still went on this trip
together.
"Thando lwam." I say, touching his face. He jumps as if he was
electrocuted. Xolani and Daluxolo look at him and burst out
laughing. Mbulelo shakes his head. He's very socially awkward I
must say. We only exchanged a few greetings.
"What you fools?!" Mahlubandile snaps.
"Are you okay babe?" I ask him.
"Please kiss me thando lwam." I frown and the two fools in
front of us laugh again. I place a peck on his lips and look him in
the eyes.
"Are you okay Van Heerden? I ask with my voice laced with
concern. He gives me a tight smile before squeezing my hand.
After a long drive, the car finally stops outside a gorgeous
farmhouse. It's giving very much Wyoming vibes. My eyes
wander around when we exit the vehicle. Only Mahlubandile
and I get off. The other three are going to the family home.
"I thought we'll be booking into a hotel." I say as we walk
towards the huge mahogany door.
"Figured you should be more comfortable, so I rented this place
out for the weekend." he says, pulling me by my waist. How
sweet.
"I love you." I say.
"Promise to love me unconditionally?" he says, looking deeply
into my soul.
"Where is this coming from?" I ask with a frown.
"I love you Lulonke. Heck I can't even function without your
existence. Just promise you'll never leave me, even when you
find out things about me." Where is he going with this?
"I don't think I'd ever leave you. As long as you don't cheat or
do something illegal." I say humorously. He gives me a weak
smile and blinks repeatedly. His eyes are bloodshot, twinkling
with tears. He clears his throat and places a peck on my
forehead. My man is not okay and it honestly breaks me
because he won't tell me what's wrong with him.
Two hours later, it's around 5pm. I just got off the phone with
Tata. According to him I'm at a school related seminar. The
things we do because of men.
I've just finished viewing this place, and wow! I might just move
to the farmsteads. It's so beautiful and peaceful here. The air is
also different from the toxic Joburg air I'm used to.
I'm watching the gorgeous horses galloping around the field.
There's also a beautiful lake view. This moment is everything.
Mahlubandile is inside getting us drinks from the chef he hired.
Mahlubandile walks towards me singing along to the song that's
playing inside, iPlan. He's been obsessed with the song for the
past few weeks. I even regret putting him on.
"Here you go thandolwam." he says, placing the strawberry
daiquiri in my hand. I take a sip and realise it doesn't have the
percentage.
"Really? A mocktail." I say in frustration.
"Lulonke you know how you get when you consume alcohol.
Plus I don't have that many clothes for this trip." he says, kissing
my cheek in the process, as if he didn't just insult me.
"That's mean Hlubi!" I say, attempting to push him away but he
holds me tighter.
"But it's the truth thando lwam." he says before chuckling.
"I don't like you right now." I sulk. He laughs, like really laughs.
Which makes me happy because I haven't heard him laugh in a
while.
"This place is amazing baby. I could live here." I say, looking at
the horses again. He tightens his arm around my waist.
"We could have that arranged." He says before placing a kiss on
my cheek.
"Mxm, stop playing." I say, turning my attention back to the
horses. We both get consumed in a comfortable silence,
watching the beautiful wonders of nature.
"Ehm, thando lwam?" he says, breaking the silence.
"Yes?" I reply.
"Lingomso and Fez will be arriving soon, I hope you don't
mind." He says.
"Your siblings?" I ask.
"Yes." he replies. I heave a sigh of defeat.
"You could have warned me earlier." I say.
"But ba-" he's suddenly disturbed by a loud female voice.
"Big Ty!" a girl shouts, rushing towards where we're standing.
She throws herself at Mahlubandile.
Dang! she's gorgeous. She has a blond buzz cut, blueish greyish
siren eyes like Mahlubandile's, and pink heart shaped lips. She
has a nostril and septum piercing. She's dressed in a white tank
top and jorts.
"Angel face!" he laughs while spinning her around. He finally
puts her down and she looks at me.
"Hey." she says.
"Hi." I reply awkwardly.
She's holding a bottle of Don Julio Blanco with a packet of sour
worms in her other hand. She then looks between Hlubi and I
and a smirk appears on her face.
Just then a younger version of Mahlubandile follows behind her.
The difference between them is that this one has a curly fade.
The two humans glare at me intensely.
"Guys meet Lulonke, my lady. Thando lwam meet my siblings,
Lingomso and Fezil-" The man next to me cheerily announces,
before he's interrupted by his sister.
"Shush! We heard you." Lingomso says. She then looks at me
again with a gleaming smile this time around. "Nice meeting
you Luh
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call me Lings." oh wow, we're on nickname bases already, nice.
"Awe Mamas. Ek's Fez." he says, pulling me into a hug. He's
really tall like his brother.
Get the siblings to like you, check.
~~~
Thabile
Today I'm at Hazel's penthouse. She wanted to tell me about
the whole wedding planning progress. She said she found a
wedding planner in Greece, since she's planning on having her
wedding there. Her father will be funding the whole wedding.
"Well I also have other great news!" she says as she takes a sip
of her cola tonic. Baby Philani is in his nursery with the nanny.
"What?" I ask eagerly.
"Welll, three media houses and Showmax contacted me saying
they want to cover my wedding. How amazing is that?!" she
says excitedly.
"Oh this is big! Congratulations babe." I hug her with
excitement. These are the perks of being the face of many
brands.
"Nothing of that sort will be happening Hazel. Who did you
inform about that?" Mtho says, placing his car keys on the
coffee table. When did he get here? "Oh hey Thabz." he greets.
I give him a brief wave.
"Well this is good for my brand." Hazel says sassily. Mtho
chuckles and goes to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water.
"This is what I mean when I say awung'boni Hazel. Ngiyak'tshela
bese nawe uyang'tshela?" he says grabbing his car keys. "I'm
out, don't wait up." He says banging the door. Hebanna, is Mtho
possessed or something?
"What was that?" I ask.
"He's still pissed by the fact that dad is funding our wedding.
Thabz, I love Mtho and I want to give him his place as a man.
But this is my first wedding and hopefully my only. I just want
everything to be perfect." Hazel says defeatedly.
This isn't the usual cheery Hazel I'm used to. I thought she
would be happier with the new changes in her life. Mtho better
not be hurting my girl.
At 6pm I uber back to my res. Fortunately I got a single room
this semester, so I don't have to worry about roommate drama.
I take a quick shower and change into an oversized NASA
pyjama shirt. I really need to do groceries, I've been postponing
my grocery shopping for weeks now. I decide to eat the leftover
pap and cabbage bones I made last night. This is Gatsha's
favourite meal. Look at me thinking about him. Let me just
study and stop thinking about men.
After an hour and thirty minutes, I go on a study break and
decide to go on my phone. A notification comes through,
making my eyes pop out of their sockets.
+27 820072511100
Capitec: Payment +R35000.00 into
SAVINGS ACCOUNT; Ref, Ngoba umuhle MaMoseki. 0562ZP7F;
Avail R41857.00 14-Sept 19:56. Call 0860102043
I immediately call Gatsha. He can't send me so much money for
no reason.
"Awu! Isnqanda mathe sami madoda! Unjani MaMoseki?" He
says in a cheery tone. My tummy does backflips unexpectedly.
O-kay. I've concluded he's drunk.
"Abuti wee, what is this money for? Gatsha I understand our
arrangement, but that doesn't make me your charity case!" I
say cheekily. He chuckles lightly.
"Ukhuluma nami kanjalo? You'll call me again mawukwazi
ukunghlonipha." he says before hanging up.
I remove my phone from my ear and kiss my teeth.
"Mxm!"
~~~
Lulo
Waking up is a mission. Mahlubandile and I went overboard last
night. Lovemaking with Mahlubandile is out of this world. We
explore a lot and we always try out new things. Let me just say
those dance and yoga classes I took during my therapy days are
paying off.
His side of the bed is empty because he had to leave at 5am. It's
currently 9am, I get out of bed and go take a bath.
After getting ready I leave the bedroom.
I go to the patio and find Lings and Fez already having breakfast.
Sana! Zithini intloni kum?
Their pleasant expressions allow me release a breath I didn't
know I was holding.
"Morning cutie." Lings greets me in a her usual cheerful
manner.
"Good morning guys." I greet them shyly as I take a seat.
"Is jy goed mamas?" That's Fez, speaking in his heavy cape
accent, one would mistaken him for being kullid. These siblings
are so different from each other, I'm yet to meet the older
sister.
"I'm good, I hope you're well." I say.
The chef immediately brings me a plate and explains all the
dishes he prepared. I don't even care about all that, I just want
to eat.
"You're coming with us right?" Lings randomly says. I realise
she's looking at me.
"Coming where?" I ask with my voice laced with confusion.
"To makhulu's house." she replies.
"I don't know, what did Mahlubandile say?" I mean the function
is only tomorrow, what would I be doing there today.
"Don't worry about that one." she says without care.
"You know you're one of the few people he allows to call him
that." Fez randomly announces.
"What?"
"Tyrese. He hardly allows people to call him by his other name."
He explains. I just smile, not knowing what to say.
An hour later, we're on our way to their grandparents house.
Fez is driving us in his Audi. Him and I are seated infront while
Lings sits at the back. My outfit is pretty decent for someone
who's about to meet their boyfriend's family. I'm dressed in a
comfortable shirt dress and GALXBOY thong sandals. I also have
a fresh buss down middle part install. I look cute.
~~~
We finally get to a massive modern homestead. This place is
amazing. There are a whole lot of cars parked in the ginormous
yard. The three of us exit Fez's car. Lings hooks her arm around
mine.
"Stick with me." she says as we walk further into the yard.
I spot my man with the other men. He's dressed in blue overalls
that are stained with blood. They are sitting around the fire. He
sees me staring and winks at me, erupting butterflies in my
stomach.
"Oh here comes your mother in law." Lings says. I look infront
and a Halle Berry lookalike walks towards us. So she's thee
Nomzamo Jola-Van Heerden. She's rocking that basic traditional
wife attire. I'm suddenly nervous.
"Lingomso! I told you to wear a dress." she says with an
unpleasant expression. Her voice is sultry yet stern. She looks at
me with a blank expression.
"And who are you dear?" she questions. I've never been this
intimidated by a woman. Fortunately Mahlubandile comes and
stands next to her.
"MaJola this is Lulonke, my woman." He excitedly says. Her
expression immediately changes to a displeased one.
"It's good to finally meet you mah. Mahlubandile has told me so
much about you." I say respectfully. She sizes me up and gives
me a tight smile.
"I can't say the same about you, infact my son has never told
me about you." she says distastefully. I swallow the lump in my
throat. This confirms it; she doesn't like me.
"Mom!" Mahlubandile and Lings say simultaneously.
Mahlubandile looks at me and he looks hurt.
"Oh perfect! Ongeziwe is here. Go and help her with her bags."
she says, tapping Mahlubandile's shoulder. He widens his eyes,
looking behind me. I turn around, a short light skinned woman
comes out of a white VW tiguan. She smiles whilst walking
towards us.
35
"She tired of holding on She tired of being strong
Tired of thinking about me when I'm gone
Money on my mind, I'm focused on paying bills
I should have focused on showing her how I feel
I should have focused on giving her something real
Something so she can heal"
-Riky Rick
Thabile
I hate Friday classes with passion. Today I had no choice but to
attend because Lulonke asked me to take notes for her.
At 9:30, the lecturer dismisses us. Fortunately I only had one
class today.
I walk out of the building and immediately request for a bolt
ride to the mall. Mind you I'm so tired.
I only fell asleep at 5am. I was reading one of my favourite pdf
novels that I used to be obsessed with back in high school.
Facebook stories really had us on a chokehold. We all wanted
those fictional relationships where the guy is a beast, but this is
real life my dear. All men want is the thing between our legs.
There's no such thing as "chosen ones".
And then there's Gatsha. Last night I transferred the money
back into his account. Something about how he sent me the
huge amount of money didn't sit right with me. He already
sends me R8000 monthly, pays for my accommodation and
anything school related. I already feel so indebted to him.
The driver finally drops me off at Mall of Africa. I'm here to
finish off my lay-by. I've been itching for those Steve Madden
sneakers. Peer pressure definitely got to me.
After paying for my sneakers, I pass by Woolworths. I buy myself
a few bottles of wine since they're on special. I also get their
peppermint caramel dessert. I stand in the queue until my turn
to pay comes. I walk to the assigned till and place my stuff. I
turn around when I hear commotion behind me.
Gatsha is cutting through the queue, walking to the till I'm
standing at. Bathong is this man insane. Was he following me or
something? And why was he pushing through the queue like
that. Somebody call Weskoppies.
Without any care in the world, he places his Fiji water and
energy bar with my stuff.
"Ngizokhokha ntokazi." he says to the cashier.
"Can I have your Myschool card?" she says, bringing me back to
life. I take out my Myschool card and give it to her.
Moments later we walk out the store with neither of us uttering
any words to each other.
"Ngicela skhulume." he says.
"I'm listening." I say as we walk. To where? I don't know.
"Emotweni." He says.
"What's wrong with us talking here? You want to manipulate
me into leaving with you akere?" I say, stopping in the process.
"That's not my intention. Ngicela ung'landele." he meekily says.
We get to the parking lot and stand outside his car. I declined
getting inside.
"Bua abuti." I say with my arms folded. He clears his throat,
avoiding my eyes.
"Seng'khathele imidlalo. I want to be your man Thabile, I want
to be the only one who makes your heart race. I want to do this
life thing with you MaMoseki. The fear of betraying Pamela was
holding me back from loving you fully. Manje tshela mina
MaMoseki
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uyang'faka noma uyang'khipa?" He proclaims. Am I dreaming?
"Why now?" that's the only thing that comes out of my mouth.
"I was a fool MaMoseki. I was afraid of getting attached to you
only for you to leave. I'm not even making sense right now
kodwa engikwaziyo ukuthi ngiyakthanda shambula lami." He
says, holding an intense gaze with me. He pulls me closer to his
body, making me shiver.
"Gatsha we're in public. W- " I'm cut short by my ringtone.
I retrieve my phone out of my jean pocket. It's my uncle, my
father's younger brother Odirile. I even forgot I had his number.
"Rangwane Odirile?" I answer. The man infront of me glares at
me.
"Rethabile motlogolo. Abuti orisiyile." He says in a strained
voice. Woah! Which brother passed away now?
"Wa reng rangwane?" I ask with my heart beating fast. I hear
some shuffling.
"Good day am I speaking to Miss Moseki?" A man asks.
"Yes, this is she." Gatsha frowns, probably wondering what's
going on.
"You are speaking to Commissioner Engelbrecht. I am calling
you from Kgosi Mampuru correctional centre. It is with deep
sadness that we inform you of the death of Mr Bataung John
Moseki. He was unfortunately stabbed to death in his cell
during the early hours of today." I immediately feel my heart
shatter. My father can't be gone. There's absolutely no way
that's true.
Gatsha's voice brings me back to reality. I realise then that my
phone is on the ground.
" Mama, uright? Ukhalelani?" I immediately start wailing.
~~~
I wake up with arms wrapped around me like ivy. I'm in Gatsha's
arms. I cried until I had a headache earlier on. I grab my phone
from the pedestal and check the time. It's now around 4pm, I
need to call rangwane and find out what's next. I untangle
myself from his hold and sit up. He also sits up, holding a soft
expression.
"You know I also lost my father, right around your age. I was 19,
everything was difficult. My whole family started relying on me.
I had to take charge and be a man." he meekily says. I snuggle
closer to him.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye Gatsha." a tear escapes my
eye. He wipes it and holds my face. Maintaining an intense stare
with me.
"I'm here. I want you to let out every emotion." He says softly,
like a whisper.
36
•continuation of chapter 34
Lulo
The woman strides towards us with two bags in her hands. Who
is she, and why is her presence suddenly making Mahlubandile
uncomfortable?
"Oh poor thing, I can't believe you had to travel alone in your
condition. Come here." Nomzamo says while enveloping her in
a hug. Oh so she can be nice.
"It's not a train smash Mrs Van Heerden. At least I got a rental
car for this trip." the woman says in her poised voice.
"Nonsense Ongeziwe, call me mom. Wena Lingomso, take
Ongeziwe's bags inside." Nomzamo says. Lings immediately
frowns.
"Xa engubani yena? I don't even know this girl mom." Lings
says, followed by a snigger. Hlubi and I look at each other at the
same time. Had we been alone we would have laughed.
"I'll tell your father about your discourteous behaviour.
Ongeziwe is carrying your brother's child, show her some
respect." Nomzamo says. Lings frowns again.
"Wait. Fez is going to be a dad?" Lings questions, with her voice
laced with shock.
"Oh no babe. This is Tyrese's child, I'm actually four months
pregnant. Exciting right?" she eagerly says while brushing her
small bump. She looks up, glancing at the traitor I call my
boyfriend.
"Baby?" I say, with tears blinding my vision. I immediately
remove my glasses.
"I'm sorry thando lwam." He says with his eyes half closed.
I immediately start feeling dizzy, like someone just punched me
in the face. My heart is beating so fast. My vision starts getting
blurry and then it's lights out.
~~~
"I feel like shit already Nia." That's his voice.
"You're a naai Tyrese. You think with your dick now, huh?! I
hope she leaves your sorry ass." An unfamiliar voice says. He
keeps quiet.
Twaa! That's the sound of someone getting slapped.
I slowly open my eyes due to the noise waking me up. I realise
that I'm tucked in a bed.
I look around the foreign room. Mahlubandile is holding his
cheek. A mixed woman is standing in front of him with her arms
folded. Fez and Lings are also in here.
"Why the fuck did you slap me AndreNia?!" Mahlubandile
angrily says.
"Do it again Nia, he deserves it!" Lings shouts.
I clear my throat and they all turn to face me.
"Oh Luh! Are you okay?" Lings says as she rushes to my side.
"I wanna go home." I say blankly.
"Thando lwam please allow me to explain." Mahlubandile says,
attempting to come closer to me. His eyes are red filled with
tears.
"Leave me alone Mahlubandile!" I say with my voice breaking.
My heart is so heavy it physically hurts.
"You heard her Tyrese, scram!" The woman whom I've figured is
AndreNia, says in a stern tone.
"Lulonke please." He says, with his voice breaking.
He reluctantly walks out, with his bloodshot eyes stuck on me.
Eventually he leaves. I grab my glasses on the pedestal next to
me.
"Hi
are you okay?" AndreNia asks, looking my way. From what I've
been told, she's the oldest. They are all a copy of each other,
just different fonts. She's very beautiful, the Zoë Kravitz type of
beautiful.
"I'm okay." I reply awkwardly, not knowing what to say to her.
Fez and Lings walk out whilst fake wrestling each other. The way
they act so immature; I can't believe that Lings is actually a year
older than me. I won't even mention Fez.
"Here, your phone was ringing." AndreNia says, handing me my
phone.
I find about 6 missed calls from Thabile. I immediately call her
back. The phone is answered by Gatsha. I raise an eyebrow.
"Nkosazane." he says.
"Hey, where's Thabi?" I ask.
(Sigh) "She needs you now more than ever, please come to my
house. She's with me."
"What's going on Gatsha? I'm currently in Eastern Cape." I say
with my heart beating fast. This is all too much for one day.
"It's okay. I'll book you a flight; just please get here. She needs
you." he says, sounding defeated.
"Ohkay."
"Send me your nearest airport and identification details. I'll
send you the flight details." he says before hanging up.
"I need to go. I have an emergency back home." I say getting
out of the bed.
"I hope you're not leaving because of Tyrese. I promise, him and
that tramp won't get anywhere near you while I'm around."
AndreNia says. At least she's nothing like her mother.
"No it's not because of him. Something's wrong with my best
friend, I need to fly back to Joburg." I say.
"Shame man. I'll tell Fezile to drive you to the airport then." She
says.
"Thanks." I reply. I honestly don't know how to act around her.
"We should do lunch sometime. I'd like to know my baby
brother's girlfriend, even though he's an ass." She says. I
chuckle and she smiles.
~~~
Fez and I just fetched my luggage from the rental house.
Mahlubandile was nowhere in sight when we left their
grandparents house. I'm glad because I don't even want to see
nor think about him. Gatsha just sent me the flight
confirmation. I'll be boarding at 16:30 and thats in about two
hours. Fez is now driving me to the airport. I really appreciate
Mahlubandile's siblings, I'm glad they're nothing like their
mother.
Fez stops at a KFC drive thru. He asks me what I want and I tell
him whatever he's having. He orders two fully loaded box
meals. We eventually get our food. The smell of the food makes
me nauseous. I quickly take out the food out of the takeaway
bag and throw up inside of it.
"Jassas! Are you good mamas?" he asks, offering me his bottle
of still water. I gulp it down immediately.
"The smell of chicken threw me off, sorry." I say. "Let me throw
this out." I say referring to the takeaway bag. I even lost my
appetite.
He finally drops me off at Port Elizabeth Airport.
I rush to the check in point. I quickly check in, handover my
suitcase and go sit at the waiting area. I plug in my headphones
and listen to gospel music. My heart feels so heavy, everything
is overwhelming. Mahlubandile broke me in a way I never
expected.
My boarding time finally arrives. I grab my handbag and walk to
the boarding gate.
37
Lulo
As soon as I touchdown, Gatsha informs me that there's a driver
waiting for me. I fetch my luggage and go to the pick up point. I
find the guy and follow him into the car.
We finally get to Kyalami, Gatsha's house. The guy helps me
with my suitcase before driving off. I walk to the doorstep and
the door is opened by Gatsha. He gives me a brief smile which I
return.
"Thank you for coming Mtimande." He says. That's my clan
name.
"I had to, it sounded important."
"Ngena." He says letting me inside.
"Ikuphi lendoda yakho? I tried calling him akaphenduli ucingo."
he says. I clear my throat.
"Uhm, where's Thabile?" I say, avoiding his question. He squints
his eyes.
"Ngilandele." He leads me to the lounge.
Getting inside the lounge, I find Thabi lying on the couch. She's
covered in a throw whilst staring into space.
"Boo." I say, sitting next to her. She immediately sits up,
snuggling herself closer to me.
"He's gone Lulo, just like that. They killed him mercilessly." She
says in a hoarse, strained voice.
"Who baby?" I ask. I glance over at Gatsha who's wearing a
worried expression on his face.
"My father." she says before wailing in my arms.
My heart immediately drops, I know the pain of losing a parent.
~~~
It's been about an hour. Thabile has finally calmed down. I
called Hazel and she's on her way. Thabi needs all the support
she can get.
"Mama, your friend is here." Gatsha says, coming from the
lobby. Right then, Hazel appears behind him.
"Thabz baby." Hazel says, rushing to Thabi.
"Makhosazana, I'm out. I'll be back in an hour. Ndlovukazi,
ngiyakthanda yezwa?" Gatsha says, placing a kiss on Thabi's
forehead. He then walks out with his car keys, wallet and
phone.
"Okay what was that?!" I exclaim.
"So y'all are like exclusive now?" Hazel asks.
"I guess." Thabi says, blushing like crazy.
"Seriously though, how are you feeling about your dad?" Hazel
asks. Thabi heaves a loud sigh. Her face is red from all the
crying.
"I don't know guys, it's all too surreal. I need to go to go to Brits
tomorrow so I can get started on with the funeral
arrangements." she says.
"We're here for you mama." I say, engulfing her in a hug.
"Thank you guys for being here
even though you had other commitments." she adds.
"Please! I needed a break from my fucked up life."
Hazel says. Thabi and I look at each other.
"What's going on bub?" Thabi asks.
"Wait, I need a drink first. Is there any hot stuff here?" Hazel
says as she stands up.
"Let me help you." Thabi says, following her to the home bar.
Moments later they come back with a tub of ice cream , three
champagne flutes and two bottles of alcohol; Don Julio 1942
and Bollinger champagne. Talk about making ourselves at
home.
They both plop themselves on the couch. We all get under the
throw that's on the couch, with me in the middle.
Hazel immediately opens the tequila bottle and gulps it down.
"Hazel do you want to die?!" Thabile exclaims. She's right
though, who drinks Don Julio on the rocks.
"Woah Hazel, you're breastfeeding remember?" I say grabbing
the bottle from her.
"Fuck breastfeeding!" she exclaims.
"What's going on babe?" Thabi asks. Hazel huffs.
"I think Mtho is cheating on me." she bluntly says. Yah neh,
when it rains it pours. Why are we all going through it at the
same time? "Can we please not discuss that right now." she
adds. Thabi and I remain silent.
"And you, have you met the in laws yet?" Thabi asks, breaking
the silence. I nod, gulping down the tequila as well. It
surprisingly leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
"Well surprise surprise! My beloved boyfriend got someone
else pregnant." I say without thinking.
"Shit! I'm so sorry babe." Thabi says.
"Fuck him!" Hazel says as she grabs the bottle from me.
"Well his mom hates me, how great!" I add. They both look at
me with eyes full of pity. I hate that.
"I'm not surprised, Xolani's mom is also a bitch. I guess it runs in
the family." Thabi says.
"And how do you know Xolani's mom?" Hazel asks, taking the
words out of my mouth.
"Ugh! I met her months ago when Xolani and I were still
fucking." She says, passively so, as if she didn't just drop a
bomb.
"What?!" Hazel and I exclaim in sync.
"Rue when was this?" Hazel says. Thabile chuckles.
"Come on guys, it's old news. I'm not about that anymore.
Xolani and I moved on from that phase." she says, eating a
spoonful of ice cream.
"I swear we all deserve a reality show." Hazel says sounding
defeated. She shakes her head and reaches over to open the
champagne.
"Right!"
~~~
Thabile
I'm currently packing some of my stuff at res. Gatsha is waiting
for me outside the building. He offered to drive me to Brits, so I
can get started on with the funeral arrangements. My aunts
have been calling me nonstop. I haven't even told Thishiwe
about my father's passing.
Lulo offered to come with but I told her to stay behind. We can't
all miss out on school. This year is very important for the both
of us.
Eventually when I'm done packing I go outside. Gatsha puts my
bags in the boot before driving off. He's driving the Brabus
today. He has his Versace shades on, whilst focusing on the
road. The way his jaws move as he chews on that piece of
gum...modimo. This sight is enough to make me orgasm.
A while later, he stops at a petrol station.
"Do you want anything specific ndlovukazi?" he asks. It's gonna
take time for me to get used to the pet names.
"Anything is fine." my voice comes out small.
"Actually, how about you go inside instead?" he says giving me
his card. I internally roll my eyes and get out of the car.
I buy a few snacks and drinks for the road. I know very well that
Gatsha will only drink water throughout the whole journey.He's
not a snacks kind of person.
Getting back inside the car, I find him holding my wallet in his
hands. He's looking at my ID card while laughing. I close the
door and just stare at him; waiting for him to explain what's so
funny.
"Keng?"
"I didn't know your other name was Margaret." He says
pointing to my names, Rethabile Margaret Moseki. I can tell
he's trying hard not to laugh in my face.
No one besides my parents knows my second name. I've always
hated it, I don't know what Thishiwe was thinking naming me
Margaret.
I can't believe this man is finding this funny.
38
Days later
At the Van Heerden mansion
Nomzamo just got back from the hospital board meeting. She
enters the house while clicking her Christian Louboutin heels,
making her presence felt.
"Primrose! Bring me my tea. I'll be in my garden." She said as
she walked to her private garden. She usually sits here when
she wants an escape, especially when she needs space from
everyone. Including her husband.
A while later, Primrose brings out her usual earl grey tea. She
places the Carrol Boyes tea set on the outdoor table before
walking back into the house.
Nomzamo sips on her tea while deep in thought. The house is
usually quiet at this time; with Fezile and her husband Andre at
work, and her three other children away. She hasn't been on
great terms with all her children. Especially Mahlubandile, who
hasn't been on speaking terms with her. Her two youngest,
Fezile and Lingomso couldn't help but express their anger and
disappointment about the drama she caused during the past
weekend.
Her phone rings, indicating an incoming call. She cusses when
she sees the caller ID.
"Ongeziwe." She answers.
"Nomzamo! What the fuck is going on?! You told me Tyrese
would be thrilled about having a child!" Ongeziwe expressed.
"Sundi fundekela Ongeziwe. I'm not your friend little girl. Didn't
you see how that girl has a hold over my son? There's nothing I
can do about that!" Nomzamo said in annoyance.
"Nomzamo this is your mess. Do something already! I swear
you don't want to face Chernice's wrath." Nomzamo gulps.
"We need to remove that naive girl out of the way first, she's
the one ruining things for us." Nomzamo said.
"Do something fast Nomzamo! Do you know how difficult it is
faking a pregnancy? My parents have been pestering me about
doctor's appointments." Ongeziwe said.
"Hey fok marn! I know Ongeziwe, stop irritating me. Don't
forget that you're getting paid for all of this!" Nomzamo said
before hanging up.
A few minutes later, her phone starts ringing again.
"Hai ke ngoku! Yintoni?!" she answered without checking the
caller ID.
"Mom why are you doing this?" It's AndreNia. Nomzamo
automatically rolls her eyes.
"Molo ke nawe daughter dearest. I'm fine thanks for asking."
Nomzamo said cockily.
"That girl makes Tyrese happy, why the hell did you invite that
floozy knowing that she'd be there." AndreNia said.
"Ugqibile Ms Van Heerden?" she chuckles "Stop interfering in
your brother's business and maybe, just maybe, you'd find
yourself a stable man. Your age mates are married AndreNia,
what are you doing with your life?" Nomzamo bitterly said.
"Mom?" AndreNia said. She was used to this kind of talk now.
From a young age, Nomzamo never hesitated to express how
AndreNia was her least favourite child.
~~~
Lulo
I hang up and block the number. This is the 6th number he's
calling me with. He's been calling and apologising like a mad
man. I'm not angry that the girl is pregnant, I mean him and I
weren't even an item when she conceived. I'm just upset that
he couldn't tell me about it beforehand. Just to spare me the
embarrassment. I just need a break from everything.
Anywho! Tomorrow I'll be finally moving into the apartment. I
was supposed to move in at the end of the month, but I just
need a change of scenery right now. I'm currently at the mall
buying stuff like bedding and all other important stuff. I'll top up
other things as time goes by.
Since Thabi's dad's funeral will be this coming Saturday
I'm also shopping for a few stuff that I might wear there. I just
have a sudden dislike for all of my clothes. I get a few outfits
and pay.
I drive back home to make it in time for dinner; since this is kind
of like the last dinner I'll be having with Tata and Ma.
~~~
Mahlubandile
I'm going insane. I hurt my woman. I vowed to never bring her
pain nor tears of sorrow. I just wish I could talk to her. She is not
picking up my calls, she won't see me and that's driving me
insane. It has been four days now, four full days of not hearing
her voice or seeing her face. I don't think I've ever been this
scared in my life, I don't want to loose Lulonke. We just found
each other and what we have is amazing, it's the once in a
lifetime kind of love.
I'm on my way to my parents. I want to confront my mother
about the stunts she pulled this past weekend. She was never
like this, I don't know what's going on with her.
Upon driving into the yard, I spot a familiar car. I just can't wrap
my head around where I've seen it before.
I enter the house and I'm welcomed by voices arguing. I slowly
walk to the kitchen. I find MaJola with Chernice. What in the
world is she doing here? I decided to keep quiet and eavesdrop
on their conversation.
"Don't forget that I can release your skeletons. I know all your
bullshit Nomzamo. Simply bring me my man and we won't
fight." that's Chernice. What skeletons is she talking about?
"This is my son we're talking about Chernice. You of all people
should know how difficult this is going be." My mother replies.
Why is she suddenly intimidated by Chernice? Mom is not one
to be easily shaken by people.
"This Ongeziwe harlot wants out already, we can't let her
Nomzamo! I want this to break him so he can come back home,
I'm his home!" Chernice shouts before gulping down the
remaining of her whiskey. Unfortunately mom sees me, fuck! I
wanted to find out more about what they're discussing.
"Mahlubandile! What are you doing here boy?" That's the
woman I call my mother.
"MaJola. What a strange sight to come home to; my mother
and ex girlfriend who supposedly "hate" each other are in the
kitchen together. Strange right?" I sarcastically say. My mother
suddenly looks uncomfortable. Chernice is staring at me with a
flirtatious smile that I so badly want to wipe off.
"Mrs VH, I'll be out. Bye baby!" Chernice says, attempting to
place a kiss on my cheek. I swiftly push her off. She walks out
laughing like the psychopath she is.
I turn to the woman I call my mother.
"Mom what's going on?" I ask. She chuckles nervously. She
walks closer to me and holds my face.
"Mahlu, do you trust me?" She questions.
"Why are you asking me such? What's going on mom?" She
blows out a sigh.
"I need you to end things with that girl." She says. I immediately
frown.
"Fuck no! Is jy mal Nomzamo?" I feel myself getting angry.
"This is for your own good my boy, d-"
"No Nomzamo! I don't even want to hear it. I'm a 32 years old
circumcised man, why would I allow my mother to dictate my
love life?!" I shout and she jumps. She quickly recovers and
chuckles bitterly. She looks at me with a cold, sinister smirk.
"Nyana you will listen to me if you know what's good for you."
She coldly says.
"And if I don't?" I say, moving closer to her. Challenging her. She
lets out a distasteful chuckle before folding her arms.
"I can end you kwedini. As much as I brought into this world, I
can end you." she calmly says. This isn't my mother. When did
she get like this?
"I'd like to see you try." I say, challenging her.
39
Thabile
I'm so drained, mentally and physically. Losing my father was
something I never expected so soon. I wanted to graduate, get
my life together and make him proud before he departs.
It's true when they say if you make plans, God laughs.
I'm currently making tea for the people who came to give their
condolences. Moving around in this small kitchen is a mission.
Most of our family members said they'll only come for the
funeral. There's only my late grandma's sister and my two aunts
who are sitting on the mattress. Everyone else distanced
themselves from Papa when he went to prison.
After giving people tea, juice and scones, I go outside to check
on the progress. Gatsha is painting the house, along with
rangwane Odirile and a few other men. When we got here, the
house wasn't in a good condition. Gatsha being Gatsha, offered
to contribute to the minor renovations.
I really appreciate Gatsha. He's shown me a different side to
him in these past few days. He has been staying at a lodge 30
minutes away. He makes sure to arrive here before 6am every
morning.
A loud scream from the gate startles me. It's my mother, great!
When did she get here? Who told her? She throws herself on
the ground, rolling her body in the process.
"Shembe! uTau, uTau indoda yami!" She is wailing like a mad
woman. Why is Thishiwe embarrassing herself.
She tells one of the men to take her big bag inside. She then
passes me like she doesn't know me. This woman drains me.
Hopefully bo rakgadi will tell her where to get off.
I go inside and prepare juice and scones for the men. I bring
them out in a tray. I announce that I brought them
refreshments. I place the tray on a chair.
Rangwane immediately comes down from the ladder and grabs
a glass of juice and scones. The others also come and take
refreshments for themselves.
Gatsha walks over to me, with his eyes are piercing through my
body.
"Ngiyabonga mama." he says as he sips on his juice. I give him a
weak smile.
"Are you okay shambula lami?" he asks, lifting my chin. Making
me weak in the knees.
"I'm coping." I say emotionally.
"Khuluma nendoda yakho, yin'ndaba?" he asks, creasing his
forehead.
"Everything is overwhelming Gatsha. I can't even think right
now. I just wish that this was all a bad dream." I say with tears
trickling down my face.
Gatsha immediately pulls me to his hard chest.
"Ngikhona MaMoseki futhi angiyi ndawo. Allow me to
experience the pain with you." He says, kissing my forehead. I
just hold on to him tighter, not caring about the audience we
have gathered.
~~~
A few days later
Today is Friday, the day before Papa will be laid to rest. It's
chaos in this yard, aus'Ray hired a private catering company.
The women of this neighbourhood are demanding to peel the
vegetables. I have a pounding headache.
Hazel and Lulo got here around 1pm with aus'Ray. Hazel left her
baby with Mtho's parents.
Gatsha just left with rangwane to go buy alcohol for tomorrow.
The whole family thinks he's one of rangwane's friends.
My mother has been asking me about policy payouts, whether
or not Papa was covered. I just keep on ignoring her. She's also
been very bitter towards Simmy ever since she arrived with her
husband.
Lulo, Hazel and I are now sitting inside aus'Ray's car. We're
watching everyone go out and about the yard. I asked one of
the kids playing on the street to buy us apple munch ice lollies.
Lulo has been enjoying them like her life depends on them.
"You're acting weird, since when do you like sweet stuff." Hazel
says causing Lulo to roll her eyes.
"Leave me alone." Lulo snaps. Hazel laughs
like really laughs.
"Are you aware that I was acting just like this before I found out
I was pregnant." Hazel says.
"And what are you trying to say, that I'm pregnant?" Lulo says
with a frown.
"If the shoe fits." Hazel passively says. Lulo chuckles.
"Inoba uyaqhelana Hazel. Undiqhela umnqundu infact." Lulo
distastefully says.
"Bathong ladies, chill." I say. Hazel is laughing while Lulo is
wearing a displeased expression. I give Hazel a scolding look.
"Geez, I'm sorry!" Hazel says, suppressing the urge to laugh.
"Moving on, how's the new place Lulo?" I ask. She moved into
an apartment about two days ago.
"I'm still adjusting, but it's aight." she replies.
"Has aspirin reached out to you yet?" I ask her. Aspirin is our
code name for Mahlubandile.
"He has, like a fly that won't go away. Actually can we not talk
about him." she says, looking annoyed.
"Infact can we not talk about men in general.
We're mourning Thabz." Hazel adds, making us laugh.
A text from Gatsha comes through. He's asking me if he should
bring me anything. I can't stop the smile that appears on my
face.
"And there she goes, smiling at the devil's text." Hazel says. I
playfully slap her shoulder.
"So much for standing with us." Lulo says. I just shake my head
and laugh at their stupidity.
~~~
Mahlubandile
I just got to work and my access card is not working. Fortunately
the security guards let me in manually. I laugh in disbelief when
I find my reserved parking spot occupied.
I park in the patient's visitors parking and rush straight to the
HR department to report this situation. I think they need to give
me a new access card.
Getting there, I find all eyes on me. I ignore the stares, I'm used
to them now. That's what happens when you practice at a
family owned facility. I find Michelle, the HOD of the HR
department, busy with some paperwork.
"Morning Michelle,my access card is giving me problems." I say.
"Uhm yeah, about that. You have been suspended from
practicing Mr Van Heerden. You are currently under
investigation, you were sued for medical negligence." Michelle
says.
"That's preposterous Michelle, there's no such thing!"
"I'm sorry sir, I'm just doing my job." she says.
I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down. This has my
mother written all over. Why isn't my father doing anything
about this!
I find myself dialling her number.
"Nyana wam." she answers. Her voice is laced with mockery.
"What the fuck did you do Nomzamo?!" she titters sarcastically.
"Oh my boy, I told you I'll end you. You haven't seen anything
yet." she cockily replies.
"Why are you doing this to your own son?"
"I told you to do as I say Mahlubandile. Since you value
unondindwa over your family, I will make you suffer." she says
before hanging up.
Right then, I spot a picture of myself on a newspaper that's
lying on a chair. I quickly grab it and read the headline.
"DR M.T JOLA-VAN HEERDEN, 'NEPO BABY' DOCTOR; FACES A
R120 MILLION LAWSUIT"
My body immediately goes cold. Why is my own mother doing
this to me?
40
"Honesty? I told them I'm in love with you
But they're okay with bein' number two"
-Giveon
Two weeks later
Hazel
"I think we deserve a break now." Siya says. Siyakha is my
classmate. We're currently working on a case which forms part
of our group assignment. The other three group members
couldn't make it. Mtho is visiting his parents and he took the
baby with.
"Anything you'd like to drink?" I ask Siya as I walk to the kitchen.
"Can I have a beer if you have any."he replies. I take out
flavoured water for myself and a Corona for him.
"Thanks bruh." he says when I hand him the bottle.
I switch on the tv and resume my episode of Too Hot To Handle.
"These things are definitely staged. What insanity is going on
here?" Siya says, making me laugh.
"Hey! Easy on my favourite show." I say.
"My girl forces me to watch these things with her. I don't
understand what's so fascinating about fake booties and duck
lips." he says. I burst out laughing and he joins me.
Right then,the door opens. Mtho makes his way inside with a
sleeping Carlo. I quickly take him. I swear I'm attached to this
little human of mine.
"Sho." Mtho coldly greets.
"Sho mfo." Siya greets back. "Uhm Hazel, I'm out. We'll
continue tomorrow." He says, grabbing his stuff.
Moments later he walks out the door after bidding us farewell.
"So you laugh with cheeseboys and bring them to drink my
beer?" Mtho bitterly says. I roll my eyes.
"In case you forgot, this is MY place that MY father bought.
Hear that, MINE. So I get to choose who I invite and you will
respect MY guests." I say, putting an emphasis on my. I walk
away leaving him there.
"The day I burst Hazel. The day I burst!" He shouts behind me. I
ignore him and go put Carlo to sleep.
I'm sick of Mtho's bullshit. I don't know why we're still getting
married at this point.
A while later I go downstairs. I find him watching soccer
highlights. I grab a packet of Lays and sit far from him. He
chuckles and shakes his head. Dior climbs on the couch and
chills under my armpit.
I go on my phone and reply to texts. Xolani along with Mtho's
cousins sent me their suit measurements. I have been pestering
Mtho to ask them, I even had to ask them on my own. It seems
like I'm the only one who's interested in this whole wedding
planning process.
I go on instagram. I'm immediately irritated when I find
numerous likes from a certain account. This person even liked
my posts from three years ago. I'm used to stalkers, but this is
just plain creepy. I click on the profile and go through the
account. It's a decent, pretty lady, but why is she doing this?
I randomly click on her story. I chuckle bitterly when I see a
picture of my baby and Mtho. She captioned it; "My people🩹🩹"
What is she playing at?
I glance over at the asshole I call my fiance. His focus is on the
tv. I'm fuming right now. I quickly grab the remote on the table
and aim it at him. It hits his temple. He turns to face me, with
rage. The constant snapping, nights out and paranoia are now
making sense. This dick has been cheating on me!
"What the fuck is wrong with you Hazel!" He shouts while
rubbing his temple.
"You take my child to your bitches Mthokozisi?!" I shout,
showing him the picture.
"Shit! Look baby I'm sorry
really sorry." he says, attempting to touch me.
"You have the guts to cheat on me when you're living under my
roof! You fucken eat and shit food bought with my father's
money!" I shout. I know that's a low blow, but I'm fuming right
now.
"Hazel you know very well that I provide for you! Don't you dare
act as if your father does everything!" He's shouting like an
animal. Dior starts barking at him. Mtho shoves him off with his
foot. How dare he! I swiftly land a slap on his face. He shuts his
eyes for a few seconds and opens them again. His eyes are now
burning with rage. I slowly move away from him.
"How dare you slap me! Ngizok'bonisa ubabakho wena!" he
says charging towards me. I grab Dior and run towards Carlo's
nursery. I find the nanny shushing him. I quickly lock the door
after getting inside.
Mtho bangs on the door repeatedly.
"Open this door before I break it!" He shouts.
"Call your father miss Wellesley." That's Rato, the nanny.
"Hazel I'm going to kill you! Vula lomnyango!" he shouts again,
banging on the door harder. I dial Dad's number with my hands
shaking.
"Princess." He answers.
"Daddy, Mtho wants to hit me." I say in a shaky voice.
"What! I'm sending someone there immediately. Where are
you? What's going on?" he says all at once.
"Daddy we're locked in one of the bedrooms, can't you hear
him banging on the door?" I say while sniffing.
"Stay put my angel, I'm sending someone there. Don't hang
up!" he says.
The banging stops. Rato and I look at each other.
"Maka Philani please open the door. I promise I won't touch
you, I don't know what came over me. Ngicela uvule baby." he
says with his voice breaking. Why is he crying? Bloody prick.
"Leave Mthokozisi!" I shout while crying. Not even my own
parents have ever threatened to lay their hands on me.
About 30 minutes later, a gentle knock comes through.
"Miss Wellesley your father sent me to come get you." a man
says.
"Daddy?" I say. He's still on the line.
"Open the door princess, he's there for you." Dad answers.
I slowly open the door and find a caramel skinned buff guy.
"That's Brian, he'll be bringing you guys home." Dad says.
"Daddy I can't come home, I have a jam packed schedule." I
respond.
"Hazel, it's not up for debate." Dad sternly says before hanging
up.
"Uhm, Rato. Please pack some of Carlo's stuff and some of
yours. We're going to Cape Town." I instruct. Rato gives me a
tight smile and nods.
I walk to my bedroom. I find him sitting on the bedroom floor
while smoking a cigarette.
"Baby I'm sorry." He says as he stands up.
"Leave me alone." I say as I push him off.
"Maka Philani we can't let this get between us." he says
following me into the dressing room.
"Pack your shit and leave my place. The wedding is off." I calmly
say.
41
Mahlubandile
I'm currently living my worst nightmare. Everything is just going
downhill. My accounts have been frozen due to the whole
lawsuit situation. I'm accused of performing a total
hysterectomy on a patient that only required a laparoscopy.
Apparently that hysterectomy was performed incorrectly which
lead to the patient having cancer. I don't even know the patient
that's suing me. Apparently my signature was on her admission
and discharge forms.
Well last week, another case was filed against me. This one was
a case of sexual assault. A previous patient of mine is accusing
me of rape. To think that I respect women, that the thought of
ever assaulting a woman has never even crossed my mind.
I really wonder how much Nomzamo payed these people.
It's been a very difficult two weeks. I don't even have a lawyer
because our family lawyer is paid by my parents. Everyone
including my family members have started distancing
themselves from me. Can you believe that Nomzamo forced my
father into filing a protection order against me. Pa said he's
doing it for the hospital's image. He said he doesn't want to be
associated with such. I've just accepted that I don't have
parents anymore.
Them along with the Sisulus published a statement saying that
they have cut ties with me and that they no longer associate
themselves with me.
My siblings and cousins have been trying their utmost best to
be supportive. Although they're supportive, I can sense a bit of
doubt in all of them; well except for AndreNia. She's been trying
really hard to find me a good lawyer.
Back to the present. I'm at Gatsha's house. He's literally the
only friend I have at this point. Everyone I called "friend"
distanced themselves.
Gatsha has also been giving me updates on Lulonke. I'm really
dying without her. I have sleepless nights with just her on my
mind. I really hope she doesn't believe all these lies written
about me.
"Mangethe." I say as I enter his study.
"Sowuze wafika mlungu." he says. I chuckle at his humour.
"Fuck you ndoda." He laughs.
"How are you kodwa, genuinely?" I clear my throat.
"I'm alive." I reply.
"You do know I can end yonke lenyakanyaka angisho?" he says.
"I don't want things to get to that point." I tell him.
"But your parents are playing dirty." he says. I huff out.
"This whole thing is fucking me up man." I say in frustration.
Gatsha clears his throat.
"I did some digging bafo. You'll be surprised at what I found." he
says.
"What?"
"Let's just say your mother is using you as a pawn in a dirty
game." I frown.
"What exactly are you saying man?" I ask.
"Your mother is involved in some organ trafficking syndicate.
Your ex found out about that, now she's threatening to expose
her." he says. I feel my heart racing due to the shock and anger.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"The plan was for you to marry this Chernice bitch so she can
keep quiet about your mother's dealings." he replies.
"This is fucked up man!" I shout.
"You think? Well, iOledi lakho is doing all of this so you can
surrender and give in to their demands." he calmly says.
"Now why was she forcing Ongeziwe down my throat if that
was her plan?" I ask.
"Mxm oho, that air head. I took that Ongeziwe girl in for
questioning. She immediately sang like a canary. Long story
short, there is no pregnancy. Their plan was for you to get
attached to the "unborn baby", and then they'd fake a
miscarriage so it can hit you hard. Now that's where this
Chernice girl comes in. She was supposed to be your "saving
grace". Now the problem came in when they found out how
much you love uMaKunene. They've also been threatening her
life during these past two weeks." I'm left astonished.
"Thank you so much man. I don't know what I would have been
without your help." I say.
"You know I've got you ndoda. But it's still about to go down."
he says.
"Now I really need to see my woman. I need to let her know
about all of this. I can't let this break us." I say. He nods in
agreement.
Someone opens the study door. It's Thabile. Oh she's here. I
raise an eyebrow at Gatsha.
"Oh sorry. Hi Hlubi?" she says politely.
"Hey, how are you?" I reply.
"I'm good. Uhm, Mangethe?" she says.
"Yebo mama?" Gatsha replies with a grin.
"Should I cook ox liver or beef stew?" she asks.
"Ngicela isbindi (ox liver) mama." he replies. She nods and then
shuts the door.
"Skelm, I thought you said things weren't serious between the
two of you."
"Eish ndoda
I just found myself falling for her. Very hard at that. Not even
Pamela made me feel like this. I just feel the need to protect her
at all times, and make her mine and mine alone." he says in a
serious tone.
"So she lives here now?" I ask.
"Cha, but she spends most of her time here. I don't want her
being alone. She recently lost her father. I want her to know
that I've got her." he says.
I can tell he really loves her. This is serious because when
Gatsha loves, he loves really hard. Since we were teenagers, he
always stuck to one woman.
"Fuck man! Look at these varsity girls driving us crazy." I say.
Gatsha throws his head back and joins me in laughter.
~~~
Thabile
I'm taking it one day at a time. Loss is not something you can
easily deal with. Without my support system, I doubt that I
would have survived. I'm trying hard to deal with my emotions
and not sweep them under a carpet.
I'm currently on a phone call with Lulo as I'm unpacking the
items out of the shopping bag.
"I'm telling you, he's here friend." I say. I called her immediately
when I found Mahlubandile in Gatsha's study.
"Is he okay, does he look okay? You know what; I don't even
care." she says, making me roll my eyes.
"Bye. I hear them coming." I say before dropping the call.
Gatsha and Mahlubandile walk into the kitchen while laughing
lightly.
"Take care Thabile. Please do me a favour and tell her I love
her." Mahlubandile says. I give him a small smile and nod. He
then walks out, disappearing to the foyer.
Gatsha stands behind me, snaking his arms around my waist. I
lean in to his touch while he rests his head on my shoulder.
"You need to take one of the cars. I don't like this thing of you
using ubers." He randomly says.
"No. I don't want any of your cars abuti. I'd rather you give
something like company shares, something that will actually
last." I say jokingly, getting out of his hold.
"Ngempela?" he says, his eyes twinkling with admiration.
"Bathong Gatsha" I laugh while grabbing the pots.
42
Lulo
I'm done studying for the day. I pack my laptop and notebook
inside my Ted Baker tote. I leave the library and head to the
parking lot. My heart starts racing when I find all my tyres
punctured. Dammit! Who did this?
I start feeling emotional for some weird ass reason. Tears make
their way to my eyes. I don't know what to do, so I send Tata a
text along with pictures as proof. I'm not in the mood to talk
right now.
Almost half an hour later, his Toyota Hilux appears. I get out of
my car since I was waiting inside it.
Tata makes his way towards me,shaking his head.
"Why didn't you call insurance, I pay car insurance for a
reason." he says in a stern tone.
"I forgot about that." I really did.
"Ngena emotweni, I called the insurance company. They're on
their way." he says while inspecting my car. I gladly go sit in his
car. I connect my phone and play music because all he listens to
is Ukhozi FM.
Ten minutes later; the insurance people arrive in a tow truck.
He talks to them for while. They ask for my car keys and then
give us two documents. I take out the important stuff in my car.
They eventually drive off with my car. Tata and I drive off after
that. I can tell he is pissed off. Let me push his buttons even
more.
"Tata I'm craving a Mcfeast, can we pass at McDonalds?" He
chuckles and shakes his head.
"Saze sazala bo." He exclaims making me giggle.
Minutes later he stops at the nearest McDonalds. We get my
food and obviously he pays. I don't even waste time, I start
indulging. This tastes like heaven I swear. I glance over at Tata
and he's cringing.
"Don't make my car dirty weh Andiswa!" he half shouts. He
looks so uncomfortable. Ndlalifa Kunene is such a neat freak.
I shrug my shoulders and carry on eating. I start crying because
of how good this tastes. Whoever invented this meal deserves
their ass kissed.
"Kwenzenjani manje?!" Tata asks in frustration.
"It's too delicious Tata." I say. He shakes his head and looks
ahead.
Immediately after eating, I feel like taking a nice, long nap.
Fortunately we're a few minutes away from the complex.
Getting to my place, Tata helps me with my stuff as we go up to
the apartment. He obviously inspects the whole apartment
before leaving.
I immediately go into the bedroom and take a late afternoon
nap since there's load shedding.
~~~
I wake up at 6pm because of hunger. I order on uber eats and
go take a shower.
Immediately when I get out of the shower; a knock comes
through the door. It's probably one of the neighbours in this
complex. I quickly throw on an oversized t-shirt and leggings. I
rush out of the bedroom to go attend to whoever's knocking.
I open the door and my heart skips a bit. How did he know I live
here? He still has the same effect on me. I haven't seen him
since Eastern Cape. I've been reading stuff about him all over
the news and on social media. I don't care about all of that right
now, I missed him.
"Please let me in Mami. We need to talk; it's important." he
says. I don't why, but I just attack him with a hug. Suddenly, I
scrunch my nose. Saliva immediately fills my mouth. Gosh!
What is that smell?
"You smell horrible!" I say, letting go of him."You smell like
Doom Mahlubandile! Move away, it's nauseating." I half shout.
"But you hugged me first thando lwam." he says with a
confused expression.
"You said you wanted to talk. Talk! Stop wasting my time." I
shout. He just stares at me.
"I missed you so much thando lwam." he says, almost in a
whisper. I just blink repeatedly.
"Heeei! Talk." I say with my arms folded.
"She's not pregnant, she never was." he says. My heart stops.
"What do you mean?"
He narrates everything to me. His mother, Chernice, Ongeziwe
and the whole lawsuit situation. He's really been going through
it, and to think that I wasn't there for him. My reasons are also
pretty valid though. My heart just breaks for this man that I love
so much.
"God will bring you out of this storm. You should learn to trust
him." I say, hugging him tightly.
"I love you." he says
giving me a forehead kiss. I exhale sharply.
"I love you too." I missed these arms, although he smells
horrible.
"This doesn't mean that we're back together though, I just feel
bad." I say and he lets out a belly laugh.
"But we were never over thando lwam." I slap his shoulder.
"I'm hungry, I ordered pizza and it's on it's way." I say.
"So that means I'm staying over?" he says with a silly grin.
"Don't make me kick you out." he laughs.
The pizza finally arrives. We sit on the couch and watch a movie
while eating. Remind me why I'm in his arms again? I was
supposed to be angry at him.
I'm immediately reminded of something.
"How did you get here?" I ask, turning to face him.
"I have my ways thando lwam." he says.
"What ways bec-" he shuts me up with a kiss.
"Shh, you talk too much." I gasp, before slapping his chest.
"I talk too much?! Do yo-" he places his finger on my lips,
making me quiet down. He then aims his lips at my neck. He
sucks on my neck, sending fuzzy sensations all over my body. He
gently removes my clothes, leaving me naked. His eyes twinkle
with anticipation. He makes me lie on the couch and trails wet
kiss down my body. He removes my bra and squeezes my
boobs, causing me to wince.
"Don't touch them, they're painful." I whisper. They really are.
"I'm sorry Mami." God! When last was I addressed like that? I
feel the familiar ache between my thighs.
Unexpectedly, he inserts one finger in my moist opening. His
finger thrusts are causing me more anticipation for the real
thing. He removes my panties and runs his hard dick on my
opening, it feels so good.
Without warning, his tip penetrates me.
"Baby!" I cry and he groans as he pushes his length deeper
inside of me, slowly not to hurt me. He's stretching my walls but
it's not uncomfortable because I'm wet. He presses his weight
on me again while kissing me, then he starts moving and I'm
lost in bliss. He's moving his waist in every direction, he's
slowing down and going fast, building up this intense pressure
around my waist like he always does. He groans in my ear,
whispering sweet nothings. I missed this.
~~~
Narrated
Chernice was on her way home from the office when she
received a call from the PI.
"Jasper, any updates?"
"Ms Patel, I have an update but I don't think it will sit well with
you."
"What is it?"
"Mr Van Heerden's car has been parked at the woman's
apartment building for the past two hours." Chernice felt her
heart caving in. She ended the call and pulled over to the side
of the road.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuckkk Tyrese!" She said while banging on the
steering wheel.
43
Gatsha
I look at her peacefully sleeping not believing that she is finally
mine and mine alone. Thabile is a drug I'm addicted to. To think
that I was in denial about how I felt for her. uMaMoseki is my
second chance at love. I don't see myself doing this life thing
with anyone else but her.
I look at Mahlubandile's text and chuckle. That old magriza and
her accomplice have declared war. I decide to make a quick call.
"Mduduzi, gather all my hostel boys. I need you to all start
attacking as in yesterday. Bury that Indian bitch alive if needed.
Just don't do anything to the older woman, I still need
Mahlubandile's go ahead on what to do with her."
"Sho bozza." I immediately hang up.
My gorgeous woman stirs before fluttering her eyes open. She
rubs her eyes and stares at me.
"Why are you up so early?" I ask her. She titters and sits up,
straddling me in the process.
"I want you." she says, blinking innocently. I'm fucked.
~~~
Thabile
He places his hands on my ass massaging it. I smash my lips on
his, leading to a sloppy hungry kiss. I feel his member growing
underneath me. I slowly move my waist in circular motions. His
member twitches, earning me a groan from him.
He pulls off my satin nightdress. We pull out of the kiss and
stare into each other's eyes. His eyes a filled with anticipation
and hunger. I cup his face and place a few pecks on his lips. I get
down, sliding off his briefs. His erect thick veined cock springs
out. I grab it and rub it on my coochie before sliding it in. I start
moving slowly as the pleasure creeps in.
"Fuck!" he groans.
Without pulling out, he flips me over, taking charge. He pins my
hands above my head. He starts thrusting in
more like pounding inside of me.
He then slows down again, giving me slow deep strokes.
"Gatsha..." I moan out loud as I cum. Since when am I a two
minute noodle.
He puts my legs on his shoulders and goes in for the kill; he
pounds me hard and fast while rubbing on my clit. He slows
down again making me reach my happy ending. We cum
together this time around with my legs shaking.We scream each
other's names and he collapses on top of me. I brush his head
and we stay like that until he calms down. He then pulls out
after giving me a passionate kiss.
~~~
"Have you found any internships yet ?" Gatsha asks as he pops a
capsule in the expresso machine.
"Not yet, I was about to apply." he nods vigorously.
"I'll see what I can do on my side." he says. My phone pings,
indicating an incoming message. I read it and laugh.
"Yin'ndaba?" this man infront of me asks.
"Lulo just sent me a text saying she's lonely and that your friend
left her for an emergency. I didn't know they're back together."
he chortles.
"Izindaba zabantu azingenwa mama. How about you go and see
her?"
"Definitely."
"Perfect." He says, placing a peck on my forehead.
We start having our breakfast with brief conversation here and
there. What I noticed about him is that he loves talking about
his daughters more than anything else.
"I need to dash ndlovukazi, I'll see you when we both return."
he says while wearing his signature Patek Philippe watch. He
places a peck on my lips before walking out.
"And please take one of the cars!" he shouts from the door. I
just laugh lightly while shaking my head.
I quickly tidy up before sis Gloria arrives.
I already took a shower with Gatsha, so I go get dressed. I
decide on a tank top and denim skirt. I let my butterfly locs
down and do minimal makeup. Sis Gloria arrives as I'm on my
way out. I've found a mother in this woman, she's the sweetest.
I grab the C220d keys and off I drive to the nearest mall before
going to Lulo's place.
~~~
Mtho
"Baby it's only fair that you take back your car." Khwezi says.
"I can't do that, it was a gift." she rolls her eyes.
"Mina I'm just glad that this whole absurdity you called a
relationship is over."
"Don't say that MaKhwe, she's still the mother of my child.
Respect that!"
"Yoh askies." she keeps quiet for a few seconds and then speaks
again. "Let's eat out today. I feel like having pasta."
I watch her disappear to her bedroom. I get the urge to call
Hazel but something stops me. I'm honestly not bothered by
Hazel's empty threats. I know that no other man would tolerate
her like I do. She must be mad if she thinks we're over.
44
Lulo
I'm woken up by heartburn. I quickly detangle myself from
Hlubi's hold. I slip out of bed and wear my robe. I go to the
kitchen and pour myself a glass of milk. The time reads as
02:34. I only slept about an hour ago. Nobody told me that
make up sex is so damn good! I drink my milk and eat two oreos
before going back to bed.
Hlubi's voice wakes me up. He's shouting over the phone while
standing near the sliding door shirtless. The sun is about to
come out. I sit and up and check the time on my phone and it's
06:12.
"What do you mean it was too late? Did you manage to save
them at least? What about my car?!" he shouts again.
"Damn it! I'm on my way." He says before hanging up.
"Baby." I say. He turns around quickly, facing me.
"Thando lwam, I need to go." He picks up his t-shirt.
"What's going on?" I ask. He exhales sharply.
"My house is on fire." he bluntly says.
"Oh my goodness! I'm coming with you." He shakes his head.
"Mami please don't be difficult. I'll make sure to update you."
I reluctantly agree and watch him walk out. This whole thing
with his mother is so messed up. I'm pretty sure she's behind all
this. Some people don't deserve to be parents. She needs to be
locked up for life.
My mother always taught me to give such situations to God. I
immediately go on my knees and start praying for the man I
love. I pray for his protection, I pray that God grants him
wisdom through this difficult period he's going through.
After praying I feel lighter. I go to the kitchen to make myself
some coffee. Flip! I need to remind Hlubi to give me my birth
control shot. I'm pretty sure it also slipped his mind. I've been
distracted by school and my personal life that I forgot about
something so important.
I decide to take a shower to get my mind off things. When I get
out of the shower, I find pictures from him. He's showing me
the damage that was caused. His BMW is burnt to bits. I won't
even mention the house. This is also weighing on me. Where
are you God?
I attempt to do my schoolwork but that also fails. My laptop
screen has been staring at me for the past hour. Fortunately we
don't have any classes for the next two weeks. I decide to text
my girls just to check up on them. Hazel says she's in Cape
Town, meaning that there's something up. She won't tell me
what's up so I won't push. Thabile simply tells me that she's
within cuddles. A while later she tells me that she's on the way.
I don't know when and how I fell asleep, but I'm woken up by a
loud knock at the door. I wear my slippers and rush to the
kitchen door. I find Thabile at the door with an unpleasant
expression on her face. She has access to enter the complex.
"Babe." I say.
"Babe se gat! Do you know how long I've been knocking. I
would have died by now." I roll my eyes at her outburst.
"I'm sorry, I've just been so fatigued as of lately."
"Which is why I brought these." she says, showing me the
shopping bags in her hands. One is from Dis-chem and the
other is from Chateau Gateaux. I raise an eyebrow.
"Scoot. I want to enjoy a slice of cake." she says pushing me out
of the way.
"What's in the Dis-chem bag?" I ask while closing the door. She
looks at me and gives me a weird smile.
"Oh my Lulu
Advertisement
I bought you pregnancy tests. Any fool can see that you're
pregnant. Hazel was right, you've been acting strange for the
past few weeks. I won't even mention your skin that looks like a
glazed doughnut." I chuckle bitterly.
"Rethabile I'm not pregnant. I would have known if I was."
"Bathong not you using my government name. How about you
take a test for your peace of mind?" I shake my head.
"No! I'm not pregnant. What's wrong with you?!"
"Geez calm down. How about we both take a test, hmm?" I
heave a sigh and reluctantly nod.
~~~
Thabile attacks me with a hug while I'm still consumed by
shock.
"Cheer up babe. At least baby Philani will have a friend to play
with." she says, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Thabile this can't happen." I whisper.
"I understand, but the baby is here and there's nothing we can
do about it."
"I can't do this, it's all too much. Mahlubandile is going through
stuff and we just haven't reached that point in our relationship.
Yes we've joked around about having children and getting
married, but this? I'm also afraid that I've disappointed my
whole family." I say as tears make their way to my eyes. Thabile
embraces me in a tight hug.
"Shhh. You're my strong Lulonke. You've overcame things that
would kill some of us. Believe me you've got this. Plus you only
have two months left of school. Let's push, we're almost at the
end." I exhale sharply and hug her tightly.
"Gosh! How do I break these news to him, he's already going
through so much." I say as we let go of each other.
"That man loves you. I'm sure he's going to be thrilled."
"Damn! This explains the sudden urge of wanting to cut my
hair." Thabile laughs.
45
Hazel
I've been at home for about three days now. Carlo and Rato
seem to enjoy it here and I couldn't be happier. The only time
Rato and I get to carry Carlo is when it's his bath time or feeding
time. They are all so attached to him, especially Ray.
We're currently having breakfast while waiting for dad and Ray.
I'm listening to all my younger siblings talk over each other. I
chuckle at the fact that I thought Mtho and I would have a
family together. I now understand why my parents divorced.
Sometimes love alone isn't enough.
"What do you think Hazel?" Enrique says, bringing me back to
reality.
"What?"
"Shay is crucifying me for relocating here, tell her that the UK
isn't all glitz a glam." I titter.
"But come on guys, who leaves the UK for South Africa. Bffr
guys." Shay chimes in. Enrique and I laugh.
"Enough guys. Let's talk varsity, where are you guys going?"
They're both going to varsity next year. Enrique is currently on
his gap year.
"Well I got provisional acceptance at Wits, UJ and Stellies."
Enrique says.
"Really? Makhosini also got provisionally accepted at Wits.
Personally I would never go there because mom, uncle Bangi,
Lulo and Hazel all went to Wits. I want to be different." Shay
says, cracking me up.
Enrique starts choking on his food upon hearing Makhosini's
name. Lulo and I were talking about them the other day. Dad is
going to die when he finds out that two of his sons are gay.
"Okay miss different, where are you going?" I ask.
"Dad suggested that I study in Germany, mom is still against the
idea though." Shay says. I noticed that things are a bit tense
between her and Ray, maybe it's just me.
Dad and Ray make their way inside the dining hall.
They are dressed in their farming attires. I'm pretty sure they're
going to vineyard today.
"Good morning beautiful people, how are you on this
wonderful Saturday." Dad says in an unusual cheery tone. Oh
Ray gave it to him good I see.
We all greet back.
"Any plans for today?" Ray asks as she plates for dad.
"I'm going fishing with uncle Tevin and Enrique." the 12 year old
Alden says.
"And I'm going to my study group." Shay says.
"Ava and Asanele will be coming with mommy and daddy to the
vineyard, right?" Ray says, smiling at them. They have no choice
but to agree. How I don't miss being a kid.
"What about you Hazel?" Dad asks. Him and I haven't discussed
anything about what happened back in Joburg. He wants to set
up a meeting with Mtho and his parents first.
"Oh me? I'll probably just go to the mall with Rato. Carlo needs
a few outfits. Plus I've been eyeing this other Burberry bag." I
reply. Dad flinches, Ray and I high five.
"That child has clothes to dress the whole of Africa, why does
he need more?" Dad says with a frown. Ray chortles.
"Come on Wellesley. Babies grow overnight, they need new
clothes every two weeks." Ray mentions.
"Thank you!" I chime in.
"I'll end up being bankrupt because of you people." We all
laugh.
I glance at my phone, checking for any missed calls from Mtho.
He hasn't called since we left. The least he could have done was
to check up on his son.
A while later, everyone goes their separate ways. Ray and I are
the last ones at the table. I noticed that she had plain orange
juice for breakfast, instead of her usual breakfast mimosas.
"No mimosa today?" She titters and looks around as if she's
checking the coast.
"Your father and I are trying for a baby and I'm having high
hopes this time around." she says softly.
"A baby? Come on Ray, dad is old." she giggles.
"Oh no my love
he's not. Trust me he's not." She says with grin plastered across
her face.
"Geez no!" I exclaim upon realising what she meant.
Carlo, Rato and I, are currently at Canal Walk. I'm giving Rato a
day off, just to spoil herself. That girl is such great help to me.
Carlo and I are now inside the Keedo store. He's been so
grumpy ever since we got inside. It's safe to say that this boy is
not a fan of shopping.
"Hush my angel, we'll be out now now." I murmur while trying
to shush him. I think that infuriates him even more because he
lets out an aggressive cry. Gosh! Being a mom is such an
extreme sport.
"What's wrong with this little champ?" A voice behind me
asked. I quickly turn around to face the person.
"Mulelo?!" I exclaim in shock.
"It's Mbu-lelo." he says correcting me. Surprisingly the traitor
inside the stroller keeps quiet when he hears Mbulelo's voice.
"What are you doing here?" we ask at the same.
We both laugh after that. Damn! This guy always smells so
good.
"Okay you go first." he says. The way his adam's apple bobs
when he speaks. These are probably the most words we've
exchanged. This guy is usually socially awkward. There's just
something about a shy man.
"I'm visiting home. I'm just here to buy a few outfits for this
little guy." He glances at Carlo and smiles.
"Well, I live this side." he says, looking into my eyes. I maintain
the stare, surprisingly it's not uncomfortable.
"Xolani mentioned that you and Mthokozisi are tying the knot.
Congratulations." he says, breaking eye contact.
"Oh. Erm, can I go pay for these." I say, avoiding his statement.
"Sure, I also have to pay for these." he says, referring to the
baby blanket and the cute baby set in his hands. Does he have a
child?
"My friend's wife gave birth, I didn't know what else to get." He
says, answering the question lingering on my mind.
"Oh." I reply, looking into his eyes again. What's going on with
me!
"You're gorgeous." he says staring at my lips, reminding me of
that awkward moment we once shared last year.
Carlo's cry snaps us out of the moment. Mbulelo takes him out
of the stroller and he immediately goes quiet.
"It's okay little man." Mbulelo says while gently patting his back.
I don't know how to feel about this.
We both walk over to the pay point. I pay for Carlo's stuff while
he pays for his stuff.
The two girls at the pay point keep on looking between us,
which is honestly annoying.
"Sorry for staring, can we get a picture with your partner." one
of them says. I widen my eyes in shock.
"Oh no, we'r-" Mbulelo cuts me off.
"Of course I'll take a picture with you ladies." he says with a
brief, awkward smile.
We walk out of the store with so much tension between us. The
worst part is that Carlo wants to stay in his arms. He keeps on
mumbling baby sounds to him, fascinating my little human. I
stare at his well built rugby player body. I strongly believe that I
was a WAG in my previous life. Jesus! Control yourself Hazel.
Luckily Rato approaches us. This is our cue to leave.
Mbulelo Sisulu
He watched her as she strolled away in a hurry. A smile forms
on his face when he thinks about her fascinating character.
Surprisingly she wasn't her usual blithesome self; she looked
very drained today. The usual spark in her eyes was missing.
He couldn't understand the pull she had on him.
This all dates back to almost a year ago when she asked for his
autograph at one of his rugby games. He was fascinated by her
beautiful slim face, curly hair and polished British accent. He
remembers the exact words she said that day; "I want to marry
you Mulelo Sisulu!" He was used to supporters acting like this,
but there was something different about her. He couldn't help
but wonder if he'd ever meet her again.
Whatever he felt or thought about her had to vanish when he
found out that she's with his little brother's best friend.
46
Lulonke
The past few days have been a rollercoaster of emotions.
Mahlubandile and I, have been growing more and more apart;
it's killing me. I haven't even told him about the pregnancy
because of how distant he is. He hardly answers my calls and it
hurts. I told Thabile about this and she told me it's probably all
his problems weighing on him.
I'm currently sitting on the couch waiting for him. I even cooked
up a feast. He promised to pass by tonight. He's been living with
his sister ever since he's been trying to make a plan regarding
his house repairs and the two lawsuits. Gatsha tried offering
him some assistance, but his pride won't allow him. I love
Mahlubandile but he stresses me out.
I'm startled by kitchen door opening. I glance at the door and
see him enter. He looks drained and exhausted. The time is now
11pm.
"I waited and waited." I say, walking up to him.
"I'm sorry, I had a meeting with Nia's attorney." that's news to
me.
"You didn't tell me that you finally found one."
"I guess it slipped my mind." he says, walking into the lounge. I
heave a sigh.
"Please let me in. I don't like seeing you like this. My
Mahlubandile was never like this." I say softly.
"You don't like seeing me how, this weak? Not man enough?!"
he snaps.
"I didn't mean it like that and you know it." I say as tears cloud
my eyes.
"Well I'm sorry I'm not the same man you met and fell in love
with! I'm sorry that I'm this weak person with nothing to my
name! I'm sorry that my life is a mess! I'm sorry that I'm
emotionally unavailable for you!" he says with his voice
breaking. He has tears in his eyes.
"Don't say that thando lwam." I say with my tears falling. He
walks to the kitchen and grabs a glass.
"Mahlubandile..." I say, following him.
"What now Lulonke?! I can't drink water in your kitchen?" he
mutters. I hate it when we argue.
"I'm pregnant." I blurt out.
He turns around slowly and stares at me with bloodshot eyes.
"Fuck!" he exclaims before walking out. My heart shutters. I
didn't expect this kind of reaction from him.
I heave a sigh and leave the door unlocked, with hopes that he'll
come back.
~~~
Mahlubandile
She can't be pregnant, at least not now. I'm a mess and the last
thing I need right now is a child. I hate myself for hurting her
feelings. The shuttered look on her face broke me.
A call from my father comes through as I'm driving. I reluctantly
answer. Fortunately the road isn't busy at this time.
"Tyrese you need to understand that we have our reasons for
doing all that we're doing!" his voice booms in the car. I chuckle
bitterly.
"Wat sê jy Andre? That ruining my life was all part of the plan?
That toying with innocent lives was all part of your plan?" He
remains silent.
"Wat bedoel jy Tyrese?"
"I know about your whole organ trafficking filth! This explains
why the hospital makes such huge amounts of "profits" every
year! Now tell me, why am I being used as a scapegoat to hide
all your dirty doings?!" I shout.
"The Patels are dangerous seun! Including Chernice. We have to
give in to their demands. Her father knows way too much for us
to defy them!" he shouts in frustration.
"You and Nomzamo are just selfish! You don't even need all that
dirty money!"
"Jy sal nie verstaan nie seun." he says calmly before hanging up.
Dammit! I hate all of this. I wish someone could just wake me
up from this whole nightmare.
~~~
Hazel
Mtho and his parents flew in this morning. Trust me, his father
had a lot to say. That man is just a mean person.
We're currently seated around the table. My mother couldn't
make it like always. So basically Ray is standing in as my mother,
like always.
Auntie Juan and one of the other housekeepers bring in some
refreshments. I glance at Mtho and he looks angry.
"Can we get started, I'm a busy man Wellesley." Mtho's father
says, with a bored expression. Dad chuckles.
"Be patient Ndlovu. We all know why we're gathered here." Dad
says.
"I actually don't." Mtho says distastefully.
"Well we're here because of your disgusting behaviour!" Dad
snaps.
"Don't shout at my son! Shout at your harlot daughter." Mtho's
mother says, shocking all of us.
"Okay now that's enough!" Ray intervenes.
"I won't keep quiet! Why is Mthokozisi being crucified for
disciplining his wife?! Don't act like lo Hazel wenu is innocent.
Months ago she wasn't sure of her child's paternity." Mtho's
mother adds. I look up at Mtho and he has a smirk plastered on
his face. I can't believe he told his parents about this.
Mtho's father and my dad start talking over each other. His
mother keeps on throwing insults at me in Zulu. I'm just glad
that I can't fully understand all that she's saying.
I can't tolerate all this chaos. I stand up from my seat and rush
out of there, with dad shouting my name. I go to the living
room where they keep their car keys. I grab one of the car keys
before rushing to underground garage.
Narrated
Immediately after rushing out of that meeting
Advertisement
Hazel drove to the nearest bay. The whole conversation
weighed heavily on her. The words Mthokozisi's mother uttered
were still ringing in her head, even though she couldn't
understand some.
She sat in the car and started crying. This was her chance to let
everything out. She's never been one to express her
vulnerability. She always believed in maintaining the perfect,
strong persona. Even if it meant not allowing herself to feel.
That toxic trait became even worse now that she's a mother.
A knock on the car window startled her. She looked up and met
his eyes. She wiped her tears and rolled down the window.
"We meet again." Mbulelo said with his hands deep in his
pockets.
"Are you stalking me?" Hazel asked in shock.
"What if I told you I was?" Mbulelo humorously said, making
Hazel smile.
"Glad to see you smiling. What's up, are you okay?" he asked,
holding a soft expression.
"Oh me! I'm good, I was just absorbing the wonders of nature."
Hazel lied. Mbulelo immediately frowned.
"Phof ulilela nton?" he asked with an eyebrow slightly raised.
"Pardon?" Hazel said, not understanding a word he said. He
chortled. He found it cute that she didn't understand his
language.
"I'm asking why you are crying?" he asked tilting his head. She
exhaled sharply.
"It's a long story Mulelo." she said.
"Again, it's Mbu-lelo and I have all the time in the world to
listen to you." he said, looking at her with nothing but love, or
was it?
Hazel laughed lightly, wondering why he was so keen on
listening to her.
"Come on, we can even grab lunch while at it." he said with a
smile. Hazel heaved a sigh.
"Okay fine." She said, getting out of the car. He watched her as
she got out of the car. He looked at her as if she's a gorgeous
masterpiece. She locked the car and looked at him. His stare
made her feel nervous all of a sudden. Knowing Hazel, she was
used to men staring at her. But Mbulelo's stare was different. It
wasn't filled with lust like any other man who's looked at her, it
was...different.
"Ready to go?" he asked, snapping out of the trance. She smiled
lightly and nodded. Mbulelo respectfully held her waist as they
walked off to the restaurant that's a few metres away. That
gesture alone made Hazel squirm.
"How's the little guy?" Mbulelo asked.
"He's okay." Hazel answered. She was feeling shy all of a
sudden. Something that never happens to her.
She somehow felt content, calm and secure as he held her.
Mbulelo on the other hand was rejoicing on the inside. He was
thanking the heavens for this sudden encounter with her.
47
A month later
Lulonke
I'm at the hair salon getting an install and a soft glam makeup
look. Thabile is also here for the same thing. Tonight is
Mahlubandile's birthday dinner. AndreNia is the one who
organised the whole thing. She thought it's a sweet gesture,
especially now that he's going through the whole court case
situation.
It's been a crazy month for all of us. With Mahlubandile and I
having to come to terms with the fact that we're going to
parents. It's not easy, but we're trying hey.
I haven't shared the news with anyone else, well; except for
Hazel. So far only the four of us know. Thabile and Hazel are
both thrilled. I wish their excitement would rub off me.
Everything is stressful right now. I'm not even looking forward
to the day I have to break the news to my family. Hopefully
soon, before I start showing.
Anyways, Nomzamo has been missing from the face of the
earth. Mahlubandile's father is going crazy and pointing fingers
at him. Apparently Chernice also went AWOL. I just hope Hlubi
isn't involved in their disappearance. But I know my man, he
doesn't have an evil bone in him.
After eternity, we finally pay and exit the salon. We find Gatsha
and Hlubi's cars parked next to each other in the parking lot.
They are both standing next to each, engaged in deep
conversation. Trust these two men to act serious everywhere
they go.
"Kahle kahle how long does it take for you to do your hair
MaMoseki?" Gatsha says as we approach them. Hlubi walks
closer to me, taking my hand in his.
"Not now! I have a headache and I'm hungry." Thabile says,
walking to the passenger door. Gatsha chuckles before turning
to face me.
"Mtimande, uyaphila ntokazi?" he asks with a genuine smile. I
wonder how Thabile tolerates this man because he's just too
intense.
"I'm good, how are you?" I briefly say.
"I'm well. Thabile told me the good news, congratulations.
Usebenzile bafo." he says with a smirk. Hlubi chortles before
kissing my hand. I give Thabile a death stare. Trust her to
discuss everyone's business during pillow talk.
"I was about to tell you. I guess your woman beat me to it."
Hlubi says. Gatsha chuckles before retrieving his car keys out of
his pocket.
"Okay then, we'll see you guys shortly." Gatsha announces.
Moments later we all go our separate ways.
"You look gorgeous mommy." Hlubi says making me smile.
"Thank you." I respond.
"Are you guys still okay, are you hungry?" he asks. He's really
trying hey, regardless of how the world is weighing on his
shoulders.
"We're good baby. I just need you to pass by Clicks before we
get to Nia's house." He nods.
"Do you have your changing clothes?" he asks.
"Yeah, they're in the boot." I reply. He nods again, placing a kiss
on my right hand.
The whole drive to AndreNia's is filled with sounds of classic
R&B. This man has an immaculate music taste.
~~~
Thabile
"Shambula lami madoda!" Gatsha says, following me into the
house. I ignore him and carry on walking. "Sengenzeni manje
MaMoseki?" he asks catching up with me.
"Why would you tell them that I told you! Gosh! Lulo is going to
kill me." I say in frustration. We're now inside the kitchen and
he's caging me in.
"Watch your tone Thabile." He says sternly. I clear my throat
and face the other way. "Khuluma. What is the problem?"
"I'm sorry, it's just that Lulo told me that I shouldn't tell anyone
that she's pregnant."
"Manje mina ngiwu "anyone"?" he says squinting his eyes.
"Gatsha you know what I mean." I say in a defeated tone. He
chuckles before placing a peck on my lips.
"You were bound to tell me mama, angisho ngiyindoda yakho?"
he says as he roams his hands around my body.
"Gatsha we're going to be late." I say attempting to move from
him.
"Kodwa mama..." He sulks, making me feel his boner. I giggle.
"Whuu tlhe! You'll masturbate abuti." I say, slipping out of his
hold.
"Why would I masturbate when I have a wife?" he says with a
frown. I laugh
like really laugh.
"I don't see a ring ntate!" I shout as I walk to the bedroom.
About half an hour later I walk back downstairs. I'm done
getting dressed and I did a few touch ups on my face. I look for
Gatsha around the whole house. I eventually find him in the
lobby. He's on the phone with his back on me. The phone is on
loudspeaker.
"Tyrese! Taking a life is not like killing an ant. I don't want you
doing something you might regret. This is our mother we're
talking about. Pa is already going guns blazing." An unfamiliar
voice says.
"Thula Fezile! Ikhotha eyikhothayo, engayikhothi
iyayikhahlela! It's tit for tat for your mother, she fucked with
ubafo, we'll gladly return the favour." Gatsha says in a cold
tone.
"Gatsha, Fezile. Can we talk about this after tonight." that's
Mahlubandile's voice.
"I'm tired of playing this hide and seek game. I'm killing that
Chernice bitch." Gatsha says shocking me.
He immediately hangs up and turns around. He looks at me
with a frown, as if he's observing me.
"How much did you hear MaMoseki?" he asks with a straight
face. I gulp.
"I just got here, I was looking for you everywhere." I lie. He
looks at me for a moment before nodding reluctantly.
"Asambe, it's getting late." he says taking my hand into his. I'm
still shaken by that phone call. What did he mean when he
talked about killing?
~~~
Narrated
Mahlubandile's birthday dinner was going well. All of the Van
Heerden siblings were there, including the Sisulu brothers. Of
course with Hazel, Thabile and Gatsha invited as well.
Everyone was engaged in conversation. With others getting to
know each other. None of them were bothered about
Nomzamo's sudden disappearance.
Hazel's mind wasn't in the present moment. She was dealing
with so much. With being a mother, law student, with the
intentions of calling off a whole wedding when payments were
made and invitations sent out. Mbulelo on the other hand kept
his gaze on her. He's never been the same ever since their last
encounter in Cape Town, which was a month ago. He was
yearning to find out more about her. His heart beat for her and
her alone.
"You're Hazel Wellesley right? I saw your engagement party on
some magazine. Aren't we getting invitations?" Lingomso
humorously said with a smile.
"Oh the wedding's off." the tipsy Xolani blurted out. The table
suddenly went quiet. Hazel's eyes widened.
"Who told you that?!" She questioned him in an annoyed
manner.
"Mthozi and his new girl sa- oh shit! I wasn't supposed to say
that." Xolani said, regretting his words.
"Uhm, excuse me." Hazel stood up as embarrassment washed
over her. Lulonke mouthed an "Are you okay?", Hazel gave her a
brief nod before heading to the restroom.
"Guys, we're pregnant." Lulonke announced, trying to shift the
attention from Hazel's sudden predicament. Immediately
everyone shifted their attention to Lulonke's announcement,
with AndreNia and Lingomso gushing over her.
In the restroom, Hazel looked at herself in the mirror and did a
few breathing exercises. She wiped the tears that were trickling
down her cheeks before walking out.
Getting out of the bathroom, she was met by Mbulelo's intense
gaze. He stood before her as she looked up at him.
"Are you okay?" he asked with a worried expression.
"I don't know." Hazel replied, feeling emotional.
"Get in here." Mbulelo said enveloping her in a tight embrace.
Hazel moved back a bit, looking into his eyes.
"Kiss me." Hazel said without thinking. She immediately
regretted saying that when Mbulelo looked at her with a raised
eyebrow. "I'm sorry I shou-"
When she least expected it, he smashed his lips onto hers.
Hazel's eyes were wide open as he caught her by surprise. He
bit her lower lip and she swiftly responded to the kiss.
48
Mahlubandile
Gatsha walked out in a rush a few minutes ago and I can't help
but wonder what's going on. Fezile looks at me from across the
table and signals for me to check my phone.
"It's bad. They found mom, Chernice is dead. Patel is not going
to let this pass, trust me." I curse lowly before standing up. I
need to talk to Gatsha. Fortunately the ladies are serving
dessert.
As I'm about to walk out, I bump into Mbulelo and Hazel
coming from the hallway. They look rather cozy.
"You good?" I ask Hazel. She smiles weakly and nods before
walking off. Mbulelo avoids my eyes and follows her.
I find Gatsha outside, cursing over the phone. I clear my throat
and he turns to face me. He immediately hangs up.
"I told them to let her go. I couldn't do that to your own
mother." he says.
"Chernice?"
"She's dead. They didn't touch your mother kodwa. I told them
to let her go."
"Why?" I ask, feeling enraged for some reason.
"Why? That's your mother Mahlubandile. Fezile was right, I
can't let you live with that regret for the rest of my life." I heave
a sigh of defeat.
"This isn't making sense. Why would you let go of Nomzamo
knowing very well that she's a monster?"
"Don't worry, I still have someone tailing her. Plus killing her
would have been way riskier than killing Chernice. uNomzamo
ugabhadiya, she already has dangerous people on her tail." he
says, followed by a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" Gatsha knows way too much and it's
honestly amusing.
"I can't say much, but your mother is in deep shit. One of her
organ trade clients, or should I say ex client is also threatening t-
" As Gatsha is talking, my phone rings. It's my father.
"Phendula ndoda." Gatsha says. I heave a sigh before
answering.
"Nyana! I'm sorry for everything. I told them to drop the
charges. Tell your siblings and niece that we love them. Tell
Lulonke I'm sorry and again son, please forgive us." That's
Nomzamo, but why is she apologising all of a sudden. I hear
some shuffling and Pa's voice booms "Tyrese, our lives are in
danger. We need to leave South Africa immediately, please- fuck
we need to get going!"
He hangs up, leaving me shocked and confused. What the hell
was that?
"Gatsha who are you?" I ask with my mind running wild.
"Mina nginguMangethe. I'm well connected my man." he
dismissively says before walking back into the house. He bumps
into AndreNia who's coming here.
"Hey there daddy to be. Are you okay?" she asks, brushing my
arm.
"Our parents are now on the run. I can't believe they've been
living such a filthy life." She sighs and pats my back.
"This is all for the better Tyrese." She says before walking back
in, leaving me dumbfounded.
~~~
Hazel
I just got to my penthouse. I kick off my heels and grab a bottle
of chardonnay. A glass won't hurt. I gulp down the glass of wine
as flashbacks of what happened tonight come to mind. A pool
of butterflies floods my stomach. Damn you Mbulelo! The way
he claimed my lips, I'm still shocked. I can still feel and taste
him. How he caressed me, how he held me so seductively and
how he- Someone clears their throat behind me
disturbing me from my ungodly thoughts.
"Oh hey Rato, is he sleeping?" I ask. She smiles and nods.
"Uhm, Miss Wellesley?" I roll my eyes.
"Again, it's just Hazel, what's up?"
"I have a lunch date on Monday. Can I please go?" she says,
avoiding my eyes.
"Hey! Of course, you need to start living Rato. You can't be
always stuck here with Carlo, you deserve to get laid and let
loose. Don't worry about me, I'll make a plan."
"Thank you!" she says before walking off in a cheerful mood.
I grab some snacks and go sit in front of the tv. It's Saturday
night, I'm supposed to be getting railed right now. But here I
am. I get a text from Mtho telling me he wants his stuff. He
sends me a location right after that. I honestly have nothing to
say to him. I tried, I really tried. I guess it's time to close this
chapter. I saw how he loves this Khwezi girl, so who am I to
stand in his way of being happy.
As I'm dosing off on the couch, another text comes through. It's
from an unknown number. How weird.
Hey beautiful, it's Mbulelo. Hope you got home safely. I can't
stop thinking about you, I'm dying here. Please answer.
I blush profusely. Wait-who gave him my number? I decide to
leave him on read, just for control.
~~~
The next morning I wake up early, with Carlo fast asleep. He was
restless so I had to sleep in bed with him. I retrieve my nipple
from his mouth and he stirs a bit before going back to sleep.
I start throwing Mtho's clothes and other stuff into a black
garbage bag. When I'm done, I take Carlo to Rato. I take a
shower and get dressed in sweats since it's a bit chilly.
I put the garbage bag inside the Range Rover. He said he wants
his" stuff" so I'm giving him his "stuff". I take out all of my
belongings that were in the car, including Carlo's car seat.
I punch in the location he sent me and off I drive.
About 20 minutes later, I get to a townhouse complex. I call him
and he answers after a few rings.
"I'm here." I hang up before he could speak.
A while later he appears dressed in comfortable clothes. I get
out of the car and meet him halfway.
"Here are your car keys. Everything else is inside the car." I say,
handing him the car keys. I turn but he holds my arm. I give him
a bored expression.
"Let go." I say through gritted teeth. He reluctantly lets go.
"So this is it? We're over just like that? I never thought you had
it in you miss London." he says, causing me to scoff.
"Leave me alone Mthokozisi!" He chuckles.
"So what's next after this? Because I'm more than sure that
nobody wants to date someone's baby mama." He says
arrogantly.
"Fuck you." I say as tears blind my eyes. He sniggers and shakes
his head.
"Been there, done that. Fede Haze Haze." he pats my shoulder
before getting inside the car and driving into the complex. I
wipe my tears off and request for an Uber.
49
Thabile
I wrote my last exam today, and I couldn't be happier. I'm very
grateful for my support system. I don't think I would have made
without them.
Losing my father pushed me to work even harder. I can't believe
this is finally it, I'm officially done with my final year! I just need
to start moving my stuff asap.
Gatsha has also been the best. He's been giving me space since
it was exam season. But now that I'm finally done, I want my
man. It's crazy how I can't imagine life without him. Our love
may be complicated, adventurous, eccentric, you name it. But
what I know, is that we're perfect for each other. I love that man
so much, regardless of how much of a mess he is.
I just finished freshening up. Gatsha is picking me up. I'm going
to spend a few days at his house before I go home. Home being
Thishiwe's house.
My phone rings and I answer excitedly.
"Mangethe." I say in excitement.
"Ndlovukazi I'm outside,come out."
"I'm coming." I say before hanging up.
I leave the building and walk out of the gate. My res is very
strict when it comes to who checks in or who you allow inside.
When I get out the gate, he gets out of the car,
"Sthandwa sami." He scoops me up in a tight hug spinning me
around. I just giggle and hold his head until he puts me down. I
lean in, and we kiss for a long time before pulling out.
"I've missed you so bad Mangethe." I whine. He smiles and
opens my door. I get inside and he goes to his side before
driving off.
"What do you want us to do for the rest of the day?" he asks,
brushing my thigh.
"Can we go to your other joint, the one in Soweto. Plus it's
Mogodu Monday today and I've been craving for their food." He
chuckles before giving me a brief nod.
"How was your last paper mama?" He asks as he makes a turn.
"It was great. I'm actually very confident about my results." He
smiles and nods vigorously.
"So how are we going to celebrate mama?"
"I don't know, plus I'll be going home on Thursday. uNtokozo
said she misses me." He grunts.
"Kodwa nami ngiyak'khumbula nje." he sulks. I roll my eyes and
laugh.
~~~
"Ewwu Gatsha! You should get your stomach checked! What did
you eat?!" I spray my perfume all over the room because the air
freshener is just making the smell worse. He looks at me and
laughs even louder.
"Hawu mama, I only had uphuthu nenyama yenhloko izolo
eshisanyama." I shake my head with my nose still scrunched.
"I'm showering alone in another bathroom. I can't tolerate
this!" He grabs my waist
pulling me towards him.
"Since when do you shower alone mama? Mmhh?" He nibbles
on my ear. My breath hitches.
"Ah ah..." I say. He tries kissing me and I face the other way.
"Morning breath." I tease him. He frowns and pinches my
nipple, making me gasp.
"Manje inkonzo mama?" he says running his hand to my pussy. I
giggle at his stupidity. He's honestly crazy. We came back from
the shisanyama around 2am this morning and we got straight
into it, regardless of how drunk we were. My body deserves
some rest.
I leave him sulking and go to the kitchen. I really need a
refreshing glass of cold water.
Getting downstairs I walk to the kitchen with enthusiasm. I'm
met with two pairs of eyes, gawking at me as if I'm an alien. I'm
just as shocked as they are. I'm going to kill Gatsha for not
informing me that they are here.
"Hi girls." I greet them awkwardly. They respond in low voices.
The older one is pouring cereal for herself and her little sister.
"Who are you?" the younger one asks. I figure she's Nontando.
Her sister looks up, waiting for my response as well.
I smile awkwardly. Who do I introduce myself as??
"I'm Thabile." I announce awkwardly.
"I'm Nontando and this is Kuhle, my sister." the little one says,
followed by a sweet smile which I return.
"Ah! All my beautiful girls together." Gatsha appears behind me,
wrapping his arm around my waist. I shift awkwardly.
"Baba!" Nontando screams, jumping off the high chair. Gatsha
smiles and pulls her closer to him. The big sister rolls her eyes.
"Get in here Kuhlekonke." Gatsha tells her. She reluctantly steps
closer before joining in the hug.
"Mama, meet uKuhlekonke no Nontando. Girls meet
umam'ncane wenu." Gatsha says with a smile. I choke on my
saliva and start coughing. Kuhlekonke frowns and Nontando
smiles, looking just like her father.
"Mangethe..." I say, giving him a scolding look. He shuts me up
by placing a kiss on my cheek.
"Girls, go to your rooms and get ready. We're going out for
breakfast." he tells them. They both obey and go upstairs. I
immediately turn to face him.
"Why didn't you tell me that they're around! And umam'ncane?
What was that Gatsha!" I shout.
"Respect me Thabile. I understand that you're angry and
confused, but don't raise your voice at me. I'm still your man
don't make me remind you of how to respect me" I scoff.
"What's your plan Gatsha?" I don't even know what I'm asking
right now. He exhales sharply before pulling me close to him. He
presses his lips into a thin line, showing his dimples.
"Can we talk about this when we come back later? I just want to
spend the day with my favourite girls." he says softly. I heave a
sigh and look into his eyes.
"I guess we can talk later." he smiles and pecks my lips.
"I wish you can all get along. I must warn you, it's going to be
harder with Kuhlekonke. She's never seen me with any other
woman besides their mother. Nontando won't be a problem,
she's just a bundle of sweetness." he says in my ear.
Almost two hours later, we're on our way out.
"What do you want to do after breakfast?" Gatsha asks as he
drives out the gate.
"Can we watch a movie Baba. I saw a cool movie that came out
last weekend." Nontando says. She's very well behaved for an
eight year old.
"But I wanted to go shopping. You promised baba." Kuhlekonke
says.
"That's not a problem. Ntando and I can watch the movie while
you and sis'Thabile shop together." Gatsha says. I stare at him in
shock. I glance at Kuhlekonke on the rear view mirror and she's
rolling her eyes.
Oh God help me! This is going to be a long day.
50
Hazel
"Make sure you warm his milk before giving it to him."
"Hazel come on, we've got this. Now leave and go do your
influencer things." Lulo shoos me off while holding Carlo. Carlo
on the hand is tugging at her weave with absolutely no care in
the world.
"Bye baby daddy, please don't kill my child you two." I tell Hlubi
as I walk out of Lulo's apartment. I leave the both of them
laughing.
They both offered to babysit since Rato had a family issue to
attend to. They thought it was great practice for them. I love
how Lulo is finally embracing her pregnancy. I just wish she
would come clean to the family because I'm tired of covering
for her.
Well, today I'm going to Pretoria to watch Mbulelo's game. His
team is playing this side and I thought I should surprise him.
He's been messaging and calling me endlessly for the past
almost two months. I just feel bad for ignoring the poor guy. I
mean it's time I move on from Mthokozisi and his shit. I'm
young and I need to play with other kids.
I get to the stadium and the game is already 6 minutes in.
Mbulelo is the fly-half so I scan for him. I eventually spot him
and my heart skips a bit. Jesus Crust! This man is everything.
After the full 80 minutes, Mbulelo's team has won. All the
spectators run into the field when the match is over. I also run
into the field, hoping that he sees me. I shout his name and he
turns to my direction. He sees me and a smile creeps up on his
face. He ignores all the other supporters who are asking for
autographs and pictures, and meets me halfway. He picks me
up and spins me around.
"Beautiful! What are you doing here?" he says, looking at me
with those seductive eyes. It takes a lot for me not to kiss his
juicy lips.
"Thought I should pass by since you've been bugging me like a
mosquito that won't go away. Now put me down, people are
watching." I ramble. He laughs and puts me down. I realise that
we now have an audience. Fuck! I better not find this on
tabloids.
"Sisulu follow me." One of his team managers tells him. He
nods and then places a kiss on my forehead.
"I'll call you okay." he says before jogging away. I give him a
small wave before turning back. People's eyes are suddenly on
me as I leave. I'm praying that this doesn't get to the media. It's
still too early for me to be dealing with that.
~~~
Thabile
"How about these ones Kuhle, they would look good on you." I
say, showing her the jeans I picked. She just looks at me and
gives me a fake smile.
"I don't like them." She says with a bored expression.
"What do you want then?" I defeatedly ask. She folds her arms
before rolling her eyes. We're currently at Factorie buying
clothes for her. We've been here for close to an hour and she
still doesn't like anything. "I told you I don't wanna shop here
I only shop my basics at Zara. Yoh! Can't I just spend my dad's
money without you in my face." She rudely says.
I take a deep breather and try hard not react negatively. Not
even my younger sister who's her age talks to me like this. I
can't believe that a mere 14 year old is talking to me like this.
"Bathong baby girl. You never said that mos." I say softly, trying
to keep my composure.
"Ugh! I didn't even ask you to be here!" she shouts before
scurrying off to the exit. Yah no I can't!
I look at the lady behind me and she gives me an awkward
smile. I heave a sigh and walk to the exit. Let me call Gatsha.
Hopefully their movie is finishing soon. I can't cope with
Kuhlekonke, she's just plain disrespectful.
Lulo
Hazel just fetched nuggets. I really enjoyed having him here. I
just love babies. Those little humans are so fascinating.
Mahlubandile couldn't even put him down. I love how he's such
a softie around kids.
"Do you really have to go?" I sulk as my man massages my
shoulders. He's been holding the fort at his parents' hospital
since they are on the run. He chuckles before placing a kiss on
the nape of my neck.
"I have to thandolwam. All the hospital board members are
required to be there." Sigh.
"I understand." he places his hands on my abdomen.
"I can't wait for TJ to get here. Five months is a long time
thandolwam." he says. I can't help but laugh.
"For the thousandth time, we're not naming this child after you.
We don't even know the gender."
"If it's a girl we'll name her Tyler so she can be like daddy." I
shake my head at his madness.
"You're crazy." I say, turning around to face him.
"Yet you love me right?" he says before giving me a slow wet
kiss.
We're suddenly startled by the kitchen door opening. My heart
starts racing when Tata and Mam'Nikhitha make their way
inside with plastic bags. I forgot they had gate access. Damn!
"Tata!" I say, my voice laced with shock. He walks closer to us
with a displeased expression. He takes off his brown leather
jacket in the process.
"Ubani lo Lulonke?" he asks,giving Mahlubandile the most spine
chilling stare.
"Sawubona baba I'm Tyrese Van Heerden, Lulonke's partner and
the father of her child." Mahlubandile boldly says, trying not to
seem intimidated. My throat runs dry and I pinch his arm. Why
would he say that!? I look down, avoiding the looks on their
faces.
"Uthini lomfana Lulonke?!" Tata shouts. Mahlubandile squeezes
my hand tightly.
"Are you pregnant Lulonke? Umithi?" Mam'Nikhitha questions.
I gulp before nodding slowly.
"Amen!" she exclaims, clapping once.
51
Lulonke
"Amanyala lawa!" Tata shouts, causing me to flinch.
Mahlubandile just left, so I'm now facing them alone. I won't lie,
I'm shaking in my boots.
"Ndlalifa yehlisa umoya" Ma says, brushing his back. "When
were you going to tell us young lady." she asks, folding her arms
in the process.
"Soon Ma." she shakes her head.
"Go and pack some of your clothes, you're coming home with
us. Make sure you send me that boy's contact details." I breathe
out and walk to my bedroom.
This all feels like deja vu. I mean Hazel experienced the same
thing months ago while I was present. As I'm packing my stuff,
my phone rings. It's an incoming call from Xolani. Well this is
strange.
"What a not so lovely surprise." I answer and he laughs.
"Hey you."
"Hey, what's up?" I ask.
"Eish, I wanted to talk to you about Thabz.
She hardly has time for me these days, actually she's been
scarce ever since she started dating that Zulu bull dog." I roll my
eyes.
"You need to respect the fact that she's in a serious
relationship. You know how things were between you two, I
don't blame her for keeping her distance." I say. Ever since
Thabile told us about them having a "thing", I now fully
understand why she's staying away from him.
"Thatha relationship expert. I sometimes forget that you used
to date Nigerians. You're experienced at this mjolo thing neh?"
Oh my! I'm going to kill Xolani.
"Sudika Xolani! Was that necessary?!" I say, sounding annoyed.
He roars with laughter.
"Just jokes Lulz, we'll talk neh. Ndisayonxila mna ngoku
Advertisement
oh Fez and Dalu are saying hi." he says dropping the call. I'm not
surprised that he's with those two. The three of them all have
loose screws.
~~~
The drive from Bedfordview to Glenvista felt long. Tata kills the
engine before getting out of the car. He's literally fuming.
Surprisingly I'm not nervous nor scared about them finding out.
I grab my duffel bag and follow Ma inside the house. I spot a
few changes around the house. Looks like they replaced the
furniture, not that it needed replacing.
I take my bag to my bedroom and then go back to the kitchen.
We came back with the stuff they bought for me. Their plan was
to celebrate me finally completing my last year.
"Here, eat!" Ma says, giving me a sandwich and a glass of juice.
I immediately start eating. I didn't realise how hungry I was till
now.
Tata enters the kitchen and starts furiously opening the
cupboards.
"Don't break my cupboards Kunene." Ma says giving him a
displeased look.
"Awume mkami, wena Lulonke tell that boy I want to see him
and his elders as soon as possible. Nxa! Wena no Khanyo
niyafana nje." he walks out with a beer bottle in his hand.
"We need to tell your relatives in the Eastern Cape about this."
Ma says, as she gets started on with the pots.
~~~
Thabile
Today is Thursday and I'm going home. Gatsha and I just fetched
the rest of my stuff at res and he's now driving me home.
The past two days have been something else. With his children
around, and him trying to get us to get along. Nontando is not a
problem, she's amazing in fact. Kuhlekonke is the issue. She's
been such a nightmare. Last night she refused to eat because I
cooked. It was very hilarious I tell you. Gatsha even gave her
lecture.
"I'm very sorry. I promise, I'll talk to her ndlovukazi." he's been
feeling bad about this whole thing.
"It's okay Mangethe." I say softly. He sighs heavily and grabs a
hold of my hand.
"Are you mad at me?" I shake my head no.
"Never." I say with a small smile.
"Ngiyakthanda yezwa." he says before focusing back on the
road.
He eventually drops me off at Soweto. We kiss briefly before he
drives off. As soon as I enter, I find the yard packed with people.
Bacardi music is bursting loudly.
I angrily make my way inside. I find about eight drunk men
sitting around the table. There's also multiple beer cases all
over. Where the hell is Thishiwe?
I take my bags to the bedroom, avoiding all these people that
are in here. I find Ntokozo sleeping without the bedroom
locked. Oh God! Anything could have happened to her.
"The prodigal daughter is here." Thishiwe says, entering behind
me. I turn around and face her.
"What's going on in this house?" I ask with my arms crossed.
She chuckles bitterly and claps her hands.
"Thabile weh, not all of us received policy payouts. I had to
make a plan to make ends meet." She says distastefully. She's so
convinced that I benefited something from my father's death.
"What about the money I send you?" I ask calmly.
"Haibo sisi, don't tell me about R3000. Do you expect that
money to sustain me?" She bitterly says.
"So you resorted to turning the house into a tarven?"
"Don't you dare question me wena ntombazane!" She shouts
waking Ntokozo up in the process. "You should shut up and start
minding your own business. Or better yet, start using the wallet
in between your legs to give me the life I deserve. I didn't bring
a useless child into this world Thabile!" She adds. I wonder if
she forgot about her drug addict son.
"Find God Thishiwe. Ask him to cleanse this dirty heart you
have." I say, leaving her speechless.
52
Hazel
It's Saturday morning. Boipelo, Mtho's sister-in-law is here to
pick Carlo up for his weekend visit at Mtho's parents' house.
She's the only member of that family that I'm civil with, which is
why she does the collections.
After walking them out, my phone rings as I'm in the elevator.
Flip it's an incoming FaceTime call from Mbulelo. I quickly run
my hands through my curls and then answer. His handsome
face appears on the screen causing me to flush.
"And she blushes. So perfect." He says with a look of
admiration. That alone erupts butterflies in my stomach.
"Mbulelo stop it, why did you call?" I ask, smiling like crazy.
"I wanted to see your face kaloku. I was also hoping that you'd
come over and see me so I can bug you even more." he says
with a mischievous grin. I just giggle.
"You're this side?" I ask as I get inside my penthouse.
"Yes love." he replies. I throw myself on the couch and heave a
sigh.
"I can't Mbulelo-" He cuts me off.
"Come on love, I'm begging you here. First of all, you have a
live-in nanny. And don't even use exams as an excuse because I
know you're done." I exhale sharply.
"Mbulelo it's not that easy. You do know that I have a lot going
on right, I'm a mother for starters." His smile disappears.
"I don't care about that Hazel. I love you, all of you." He says,
emphasising on the last part.
"Love is a big word, don't you think?" I say, trying to change the
topic.
"Hazel are you coming over or should I fetch you myself?" He
says, sounding impatient. I raise an eyebrow.
"And how would you get here?" I challenge.
"My youngest brother is your supposed friend remember?"
God! I can't imagine him telling Xolani about whatever's going
on between us. That one would tell the whole world.
"Okay fine, I guess you can send me your address or whatever."
he lets out a belly laugh.
~~~
"Nice beast baby." He says as soon as I park my car in his
garage.
"Oh please!" I giggle as I get out of the car. I close the door and
shift my attention to him.
He pulls me in for a hug and sniffs my hair.
"Can't believe you're here with me." He says with his large arms
wrapped around me. I look up at his tall self and smile.
We walk inside the house and It's really gorgeous I must say.
"Is this place yours?" I ask. He smiles and nods.
"Yes love." my heart always skips a beat when he calls me that.
"Why do you have such a huge house? You don't even live
here." He chuckles.
"My father helped me buy this property with hopes that I'll get
married soon." He says with his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Typical trust fund baby." I joke. He stops walking and looks at
me with an amused expression.
"Says the girl who drives a Lamborghini Urus at 22." I just
giggle.
"Shut up." I playfully push him off. He just smiles and stares at
me like he usually does.
"Let's go to the kitchen, I'm cooking for you today." He says
pulling my hand.
"So you brought me here to poison me?" He lets out a deep
laughter.
"Such little faith in me babe." he pouts.
"Whatever Gordon Ramsay." I say, following him into the
kitchen.
~~~
Hours later we're sitting on the carpet while good music is
playing in the background. This man can cook I must say. These
prawns are amazing.
"You fit so perfectly in my arms." he says as he runs his fingers
through my hair. He is leaning against the couch with me sitting
in between his legs. My back is facing him while he has his arms
wrapped around my waist.
"Can I have another glass." I ask. He doesn't want me drinking
because I still breastfeed now and again.
"This is your last glass." he says, pouring me my third glass of
wine.
"So tell me, why are you single? I mean you have it all, you can
get any woman you want." I think the wine is getting to me
now. He squints and laughs lightly.
"My future wife is wasting time by playing hard to get. That's
why." I shake my head and laugh. "See
now she thinks I'm joking." he adds.
"Smooth." I hit his arm playfully. We both laugh and just stare
into each other's eyes.
"I'm not like him Hazel. Allow me to love you. Allow me to show
you what real love is." he says, looking and sounding sincere.
"Mbulelo..." he stops me.
"Please." he pleads. I just stare at him, admiring his features.
"Don't hurt me Mbulelo." A smile creeps up on his handsome
face.
"I wouldn't dream of it. Hazel I'm serious about you, about us."
he says with straight face.
We just stare at each other. My heart starts pounding as he
leans in. He kisses me slowly and delicately as his tongue
sweeps through my mouth tenderly. I let out a soft moan before
pulling out of the kiss.
"I want to take you right here and right now. Are you allowing
me love?" my breath hitches. My nipples harden because of the
intense feeling. I nod slowly, looking into his bloodshot eyes. He
pulls up my dress taking it off me. I suddenly feel overwhelmed
by the unfamiliar intensity going through my body.
I feel the ache and wetness that is in between my thighs. He
hasn't even touched me yet. His gaze alone makes me feel
things. The way he's staring at my half naked body with such
desire and admiration gets to me.
"Fuck! You're so perfect love." he says softly before attacking
my lips. Before I could even think about it, he gets in between
my legs. I open them wider granting him access. He rolls his hip
with his erection pressing hard on my groin.
"Mbulelo..." I moan softly inside his mouth. He stops kissing me
and looks at me "You're my woman now, mine alone." I nod
slowly as he kisses my neck, sucking and nibbling on it before
blowing cool air. I can't stop the moans that keep escaping my
mouth. He removes my bra swiftly and then he moves back and
takes off his shirt. My eyes are now stuck on his muscular body.
My hands are aching to touch every part of his body.
My hands finally get to touch him. I feel satisfied as our skins
touch.
"Mbulelo!" I moan as he delicately plays with my boobs while
sucking on my neck. Suddenly my breast milk sprays out causing
the both of us to laugh. Somehow I don't feel embarrassed.
"I love this." he says, attacking my lips again. I reach for his
member and grab it through his shorts.
"Shit baby." He groans in my mouth.
I start working on the zip of his shorts "Take them off, I want
you." I say breathlessly. He moves back and takes off his shorts
along with his boyleg.
I gulp when his member springs free. Mans is gifted, fuck!
He then lowers his head to my thighs. His tongue unexpectedly
sweeps right from the top to the bottom of my vulva. He
pinches my left nipple with his free hand. As I'm focusing on
that, he starts sucking on my clit. I let out a soft cry of pleasure.
I don't know whether to cry or grab onto something. He starts
groaning, sending vibrations to my clit. I try fighting the intense
feeling that tries to overcome my body, but I fail dismally. I just
let it take over, while screaming his name as I cum in his mouth.
"You're so beautiful when you orgasm." He says looking up at
me.
He moves up with his gaze stuck on me. He starts rubbing his tip
on my entrance, teasing my swollen clit.
"Lelo..." I moan in desperation. He chuckles lightly before
plunging in smoothly, filling me completely.
I moan in pleasure and pain and he hisses.
"Shit! This is amazing baby." He says, thrusting slowly. He picks
up his pace and fucks me thoroughly.
I sink my nails into his back. He groans while thrusting in deeper
until he's balls deep. I cry out in pleasure as I feel him in my
womb.
"This feels so good Mbulelo." I moan out loud. He places his lip
on mine while groaning beautifully.
"I want this feeling to last forever." He says, staring deep into
my soul. Our eyes lock, making it feel like our souls are
becoming one.
The familiar overwhelming feeling comes again. He thrusts
deeper and faster, groaning in my mouth. He lets out a loud
groan as he cums. I feel him shoot his seed inside of me. God!
The risks we take. He buries his head on my neck. He looks up
at me and smiles mischievously.
" I wanna go again." I gasp and slap his arm.
53
Hazel
I wake up in bed alone. I slide off the bed and wrap my body
with the throw I find in the bedroom. The curtains are open,
revealing the beautiful heavy rainfall. I go stand by the tall glass
window and watch the rain hitting hard. The door opens and a
shirtless Mbulelo walks in with a tray filled with breakfast. I
smile as he places it on the pedestal. He comes and holds me
from behind and kisses my neck.
"Good morning gorgeous." he nibbles on my ear. I giggle softly.
"Morning lover." I say, leaning in to his hold.
"How can someone look so gorgeous after waking up, mhhh."
he says breathing into my neck.
"That's the power of good dick Mr." I playfully say. He laughs
causing his chest to vibrate.
"I love you." He says, holding me tighter and sniffing my hair.
"I'm famished." I say, eyeing the food on the pedestal. He
chuckles and pulls my hand as we head to the bed.
We get in bed and start eating. He keeps on staring at me as I
eat.
"What?" I ask with a mouthful of food.
"Nothing. Has anybody told you that you sound exactly like
Emma Watson?" I raise an eyebrow.
"That's so random. I guess it's the British accent." I say, followed
by laughter.
"It's beautiful how you haven't lost your accent." He says,
kissing me on the lips. His lips taste like orange juice.
"Let's finish up, I need to get going." I say and he frowns.
"Why?" I heave a sigh.
"I need to shoot a brand campaign, plus Carlo is coming back in
the afternoon." he nods.
"How's my little man anyway?" he asks with a smile.
"He's a headache." We both laugh shortly after that.
"I also have to fly back to Cape Town this evening. I have a jam
packed training schedule, we're playing a big game on Friday."
he says.
"I'll probably fly down there sometime this week. It's my
father's and stepmother's anniversary dinner on Thursday.
Aren't they the cutest?" I say, showing him a picture of Ray and
dad. He smiles.
"Wow! Your stepmother looks quite..." he says looking
confused.
"Young? I know. She's only ten years older than me by the way."
He widens his eyes. I can't help but laugh.
"Wow."
"If you think that's bad then you'll be shocked to find out that
my mother is married to a woman." The look on his face kills
me.
"Baby how do you deal?" he asks, stifling his laughter.
"Our family is full of love and that's all that matters." I say.
The door bursts open and a clumsy Dalu makes his way inside.
Oh no...
I quickly cover my body with the duvet.
"Ekse bhuda- Oh shit! Wait a damn minute! Hazel, Lelo?" he
shouts in confusion.
"Get out Daluxolo ! What are you doing here?!" Mbulelo shouts
as he gets out of bed.
"Yeses, this is golden! Nice tits by the way." Dalu says before
walking out.
"I'm sorry love. I didn't know he was coming, infact he never
comes here." Mbulelo says, sounding frustrated.
"It's okay." I smile weakly. "Should I prepare myself for the
worst?"
"What do you mean?" he asks with a frown.
"I mean he'll probably tell Xolani, who'll most likely tell
Mthokozisi. I'm just not yet ready for the mess that will come
after that." I defeatedly say.
"Then he'll know you're mine." He says grinning.
"I'm not joking Mbulelo." He sighs.
"I know love
I'll talk to him. Now let's go take a bath." He says, reaching for
my hand. I heave a sigh.
"And no funny business." I say, cracking him up.
~~~
Hours later, I get back from my shoot. I walk up to my
penthouse and find the door unlocked. I'm suddenly confused. I
mean Dior is at his pet sitter's, so who could it be?
I push the door open and walk in slowly. The smell of weed
greets me.
"Uvumbukaphi Hazel?" Mtho says, turning around while
carrying Carlo. Flip! I forgot to take my keys from him.
He stares at me, trying to intimidate me. I fold my arms and
maintain the stare. Fucking dimwit thinks I'm scared of him.
~~~
Mahlubandile
"What are you having for breakfast Jadine?" I ask my niece
while making myself some coffee.
"I want Cheerios uncle Ty!" she screams from the lounge. Just
then, AndreNia makes her way inside the kitchen with her high
heels in her hands.
"Where were you missy?" I question her. She titters.
"Yey! I'm still your older sister Tyrese. But thanks for looking
after her." she says while opening the fridge.
"It's nothing, you honestly deserve a break from everything
Nia." I say, heading to the lounge.
A while later Nia joins us in the lounge, plopping herself on the
couch.
"Your room." she tells Jadine, who walks away sulking.
"So what's going on with Luh and her parents finding out?" She
asks. I heave a sigh and throw my head back.
"Her father and uncle called me last week, telling me I need to
do things the right way." I defeatedly say.
"We'll have to talk to the uncles from Nomzamo's side of the
family."
"Things are still tense Nia, I'm not sure." Our maternal side of
the family is suspecting me for my parents disappearance. If
only they knew.
"They'll get over themselves. We'll just buy those drunkards
alcohol and they'll agree, trust me." she says taking a sip of her
coffee. I chuckle, shaking my head.
"I miss them Nia." I say, looking at our parents on the family
photo next to the tv.
"I miss them too Ty, trust me I do. But they did this to
themselves. Think about all those innocent people that were
killed because of their greed." I heave a sigh.
"That's the saddest part Nia." She exhales sharply and scoots
closer to me.
"Now stop being a cry baby. You have a whole kid on the way."
She says in typical Nia style. "And when are you moving out of
my house, you're now crowding my space."
54
Xolani Sisulu
After an explosive morning session with Mbali and Khwezi, I get
off the bed. They are both spread out on the bed looking sleepy
and tired. I take off the condom, tie it and wrap it with tissue
before flushing it and washing my hands. I grab my phone,
lighter and a joint, and walk to the hotel room balcony. I take in
the morning breeze before lighting up my joint. Perfect.
I find an imessage text from Shayane and smile. She and I have
been vibing for the past month. It took a lot for me to get her to
forgive me. I decide to call her immediately.
"Morning." she says softly, making my heart melt.
"Hi nana, did I wake you up?" I ask.
"Not really, I was about to pack my suitcase." I raise an
eyebrow.
"Packing for what?" she giggles softly.
"Fudge! I forgot to tell you. Mom, dad and uncle Bangi booked
us a mini getaway since we're all officially done with high
school." she says quickly.
"Who's "us" nana?" I question.
"It's Makhosini, Enrique and I." she replies.
"You're going on vacation with the two gays?" I teasingly say.
She bursts into laughter.
"Geez no Xolani! I told you that stuff in confidence." she says
giggling.
"I'm just joking babygirl."
"Whatever." I'm pretty sure she's rolling her eyes right now.
"Ngoku uqumbile?" I ask.
"You can't even see me." she defensively says.
"But I know you nana." I say sternly, biting my lip in the process.
"Bye." she hangs up quickly, causing me to laugh.
"It's her again right? The high school kid?" Mbali says behind
me, wearing one of the hotel gowns. She takes the joint from
me and starts pulling.
"That's none of your business Mbaliyezwe." I say with a scowl.
"Admit it, you don't love her Xolani. You're just obsessed with
her innocence and the idea of grooming her." I chuckle in
disbelief and forcefully take my zol from her.
"Just because siya lalana doesn't make me your friend yeva!" I
tell her. She shakes her head.
"Is the poor girl prepared to be with the community dick?"
Mbali has some balls I tell you.
"Ndak'qhwaba unye ke mna. Actually go wake up missy in
there." I say referring to Khwezi.
"I like her, she was real fun. Where did you get her?" Mbali says
while walking inside. I choose to ignore her.
Mbali and I do OnlyFans together, there's nothing else that
binds us. Khwezi on the other hand asked me to fulfill her
fantasy of having a threesome. I was shocked at first but I
played along. I recorded the whole thing so I can show
Mthozi that she's not good for him. This is my chance to save
him from this voodoo bitch. Word on the streets says she used
black magic to secure her ex. I just hope that's not the case with
my boy.
I finish smoking my joint and make my way back inside. Khwezi
is still wrapped in the bedsheets while looking down shyly.
Mbali is already getting dressed. I shake my head in disbelief.
"Ekse, get up and leave Khwezi." I command. She blushes
before standing up.
"Uhm Xoli, Ca-" I cut her off.
"Heehake! I said leave girly." Her face falls. She then clears her
throat before shamefully getting dressed.
I click my tongue and walk to the balcony to roll another joint.
"Yeses! O Mthokozisi behamba be qhola." I exclaim in
frustration.
~~~
Mahlubandile
I watch her as she plays pretend tea party with Jadine and her
dolls. Right then it's confirmed; this is the woman I want to
spend the rest of my life with. Lulonke is beautiful inside out.
She's tolerated all my unnecessary bullshit and still stayed
regardless of my fucked up life.
She catches me staring at her and she smiles beautifully. Those
big eyes and pouty lips always ignite things in me. I love how
her confidence has skyrocketed throughout the course of our
relationship.
"It's time to leave mami. Nia is waiting." I reach for her hand.
She heaves a small sigh.
"Come give me a hug Jadie. I have to go." She goes on her knees
reaching Jadine's level. Jadine goes to her side and suffocates
her in a hug.
"Bye aunty Luh, love you! Please bring her again uncle Ty." she
shouts in her loud voice. My heart immediately melts. My
woman looks at me with tears twinkling in her eyes. Our baby is
making her such a cry baby. She's been such an emotional
wreck.
"I love you more my angel." she says kissing Jadine's cheek.
We walk out of the pyjama lounge and find Nia in the foyer.
"Finally! I bet Jadine didn't want to see you leave right? That
daughter of mine is something else I tell you." She says pulling
Lulonke's hand. My woman just smiles sweetly. Nia is taking her
out for a pamper day.
"Don't exhaust my girl AndreNia, she's carrying our precious
cargo." I mention as they enter Nia's car.
"Shut up baby bro." Nia says before closing her door. She rolls
down her window. "Stop worrying, I've got you." I heave a sigh
and nod.
~~~
Lulonke
He just fetched me from my spa date with his sister. This man is
of mine is very possessive. He looks a bit jumpy though; giving
me one word answers
and weirdly concentrating on the road.
He surprisingly takes a different route. Indicating that we aren't
going straight to my apartment in Bedfordview. He avoids
looking at me and continues driving until we reach Newtown
Junction. Why the heck are we here?
"Please come with me." He says while opening my door.
"Why are we here?" I ask before taking his hand.
"You'll see." he smirks.
He leads the way to Clicks and smiles when we get there. He
leads me to the medication isle and fortunately there aren't
many people in here.
"What are we doing here Mahlubandile?" I ask in annoyance.
He chortles and pecks my lips.
"Don't you remember?" he says. I just fold my arms and stare at
him. I'm too tired to play his guessing game.
"Remember what Mahlubandile, when you decide to bring me
to Clicks on a random Wednesday evening! I could be taking a
nice warm bath and indulging on a good read right now." I voice
out. He chuckles lightly and brings me closer to his chest.
"This is where we first met thandolwam. Surprisingly you're the
rude one this time around." he says with a grin plastered across
his face. I place my hand on my lips before laughing.
"I'm so dumb." I say while laughing. Question is why did he
bring me here?
As if he read my mind, he takes my hand.
"I wanted you to know that life is very unpredictable. Who
would have guessed that we'd be here almost nine months
later?" he says in my ear. "I'm glad you came into my life
Lulonke Andiswa Kunene." he says with tears glistening in his
eyes.
"Aww babe." I say feeling emotional all of a sudden.
"Let's get out of here, I have somewhere to take you." He says
pulling my hand gently.
~~~
A while later we stop at Maboneng. I'm immediately reminded
of the first time we hung out and of course our first kiss.
"Walk with me." he says after opening my door. He takes my
hand and helps me out of the car before locking it.
"So is this some "taking a trip down memory lane" ordeal?" I
ask as we walk. He laughs freely before placing a small kiss on
my hand. Physical touch is definitely our thing.
"Thank you for being in my life thandolwam." he randomly says.
My heart swells.
"Thank you for still being in mine thandolwam, especially after
the crazy year I've had." I say, thinking about Ebu and
everything else.
"I love you." He says softly, looking into my eyes. God knows
how much I love this man.
We stop walking as music starts playing. I turn around to look at
where the music is coming from. My eyes fall on Samthing
Soweto who's with two other band guys performing on the
pavement next to us. They're performing an acoustic version of
"My Mrs". God! This is such a golden coincidence.
"Oh my goodness! What i-" I say but my words are cut short by
the shock of seeing Mahlubandile Tyrese Van Heerden on
bended knee before me. I gasp in shock.
"I honestly don't know how this is done thandolwam, but here
it goes right." he takes out a beige velvet box out of his pocket.
"I remember falling inlove you on the 24th of March, your
birthday. I remember the day vividly. You were at my uncle's
house with your friends, looking all quiet and uncomfortable."
He chuckles. "Your beautiful eyes had a story to tell
thandolwam. I remember when I followed you to the restroom,
feeling all nervous and shit. I was surprised because how could
a girl younger than my youngest sibling, have such power over
my heart. I knew right there and then that you had to be mine
forever. Lulonke I can't even imagine an hour without you in my
life, you've turned my life around so much and I'll forever be
grateful to the universe for bringing you to me. I love you
thandolwam. I love you so so much. You're everything I need
and more. You and our child make me wanna be better and do
better. Baby you give me purpose. I know I've hurt you and
brought tears of sorrow to your eyes. But you thandolwam, you
never got tired of me, instead you loved me harder. I pray for
you, for our love more than I pray for anything else. I pray that
God protects what we have, to ensure that no evil comes
between us. I need you in my happily ever after Lulonke. Here I
am on bended knee, asking you to be my wife, best friend and
favourite bully." I giggle as tears blind my eyes. "Please allow
me make you happy. Let me love you fully. Be my forever and
the mother of my children. I love you MaMtimande, deeply so.
So, sal jy my asseblief die gelukkigste man in hierdie befokte
wêreld maak, en met my trou?"
55
Lulonke
I look at him with tears blinding my vision.
"Yes." I whisper. My whole face is wet with tears.
"I'm growing grey hair mami, please answer me." he says
sounding nervous. I laugh lightly and nod vigorously.
"I said yes I'll marry you!" I sniff. The smile on his face is
priceless. He slides the ring on my finger. He stands up and
kisses me passionately, leaving me dizzy. People around us start
cheering. This moment is everything.
~~~
I wake up with my head on his chest. I glance at my left hand
and smile. He proposed, fuck he proposed! This all feels like a
dream.
Last night after he proposed, we went to The Leonardo and
enjoyed a private rooftop dinner. After that we went to the
hotel room he booked and made love all night long.
I'm so happy, blessed and content. I brush my belly and think
about how happy my mother would have been. I miss her every
single day and it hurts.
"What's wrong thandolwam?" Mahlubandile disturbs me from
my thoughts. I snap back to reality and wipe the lone tear
sliding down my cheek.
"I was thinking about my mother that's all." he heaves a sigh
and pecks my temple.
"I bet she's proud of you and she's looking out for you wherever
she is. Actually how about you visit her grave?" I nod vigorously.
"Perfect, I'll plan our trip to East London." he says before kissing
me.
"I love you Van Heerden." I say as I hold his face.
"Feeling emotional mommy?" he says, his voice laced with
mockery.
"It's not my fault, it's your child's fault." I defensively say. He
bursts into laughter.
"Jah jah, whatever." He says as he massages my love handles. I
know what he wants, but I first need to get something off my
chest.
"Ehm babe?"
"Yes..." he responds while nuzzling on my neck.
"Doctor Adams said I'm three months and a couple of weeks
pregnant."
"Yes and?" He mindlessly says. He's focused on turning me on.
"But that doesn't make sense. That means I conceived around
August." I say. He suddenly tenses up.
"Uhm yes?" he shifts uncomfortably.
"The birth control shot you gave me in August was supposed to
last for 12 weeks or a minimum of eight weeks right?" I ask. He
keeps quiet and avoids my eyes.
"I'm sorry thandolwam, that was Toradol. An anti inflammation
injection." He says looking guilty. My heart drops.
"So you didn't give me the shot. You tricked me?!" I shout. I feel
so hurt, broken and betrayed.
"Lulonke I'm sorry. I had plans for us."
"Don't you even dare! You're the same person who walked out
on me when I told you I'm pregnant. Only to find out that you
planned this?!"
"Let me explain than-" I raise my hand up, shutting him up.
"Don't finish that sentence!" I shout as tears stream down my
face. "Fuck you Mahlubandile, uyandiva!" I shout with my voice
breaking. He looks hurt but I couldn't care less. I rush into the
bathroom and lock myself inside. He keeps on banging on the
door, begging me to open.
~~~
Shayane
"Did you pack everything?" Mom asks as I make my way inside
the kitchen with my suitcase and handbag.
"Yep." I walk towards her and dad, and stand in between them.
I kiss both their cheeks and they look each other shocked.
"I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being the best
parents." They both smile and squeeze me between them. Our
relationship is slowly getting back to what it was before my
outburst. Things haven't been the same ever since my outburst
back in Joburg.
"Have breakfast, the driver is already waiting for you guys."
Mom says. I let go of them and walk to the breakfast table.
I find Hazel blushing intensely at her phone. She has her
breastpump in her one hand.
"Maka Philani." I startle her. Mtho used to call her that. She
looks up and frowns.
"Please don't call me that, infact don't call my son that. Call him
Carlo." I can't help but laugh.
"But that's his name." I say taking a seat next to her. I grab a
muffin since I'm not that hungry.
"Not anymore." she says before sipping on her tea. "Anyway
Advertisement
are they okay?" she points to mom and dad with her eyes.
"I don't think so, mom has been in and out of the hospital. I also
overheard them talking about an ectopic pregnancy." I say in a
low tone. Her facial expression changes to pitiful.
"Shame, poor Ray."
"I know right, she's beeeen wanting to have a baby." I mention.
"And now Lulo is also expecting. I hope it doesn't trigger her."
We both heave a sigh shortly after that.
"But she has us." I say.
"That's different Shay and you know it. I mean you're also not
hers biologically, I won't even mention the rest of us. She wants
to bring her own child into the world, and the fact that she can't
breaks her. No matter how hard she tries to act strong, but it's
breaking her. I wish she could talk to someone about this."
Hazel says.
"I never thought you were this wise." I tease her. She laughs
shortly.
"Life will turn you into a motivational speaker my love."
"I can't believe you and Mtho are really over. Everyone at school
kept on asking me if the wedding is really off, I didn't know
what to say."
"I hope you said yes. I'll also be releasing a public statement."
she says with no care in the world. Damn, I fear men.
"So who has you blushing like crazy?" I pry. She laughs loudly.
"That my babe, is none of your business." She says standing up.
She walks away, bumping into Enrique who's wheeling his
suitcase.
"Time to get going Shay." He says. I stand up and grab my
suitcase and handbag.
"You two will meet Makhosini at the lodge in San José." Dad
says.
"And please behave. We're trusting you guys, don't do anything
stupid." Mom adds. I side eye Enrique, stifling my laughter.
Costa Rica, here we come!
~~~
Thabile
It's early in the morning and someone is honking like crazy
outside. This was my first peaceful sleep ever since I got here.
Thishiwe and Ntokozo left for a family gathering at my
grandmother's home. Which means none of her customers are
coming.
The person carries on honking, which forces me to get out of
bed. I try switching on my phone, but it's off. I also can't charge
it because there's load shedding. I look out the window and a
car is standing directly outside our gate. I hope it's not one of
Thishiwe's customers.
I wear my robe and decide to go outside and see what's up. A
man gets out of the car when he sees me approaching.
"Sawubona sisi." he greets, taking off his bucket hat.
"Bathong abuti, vroeg omo kana? What do you want?" I ask
with my arms folded.
"My name is Mduduzi and I brought the girls here.
uMhlonishwa told me to drop them off here since he has an
urgent matter to attend to in PMB." I frown.
"Huh?" I ask sounding confused.
"Girls, phumani phela!" he calls out. Suddenly Kuhlekonke and
Nontando get out of the car with their backpacks. I chuckle in
confusion.
"Nizo sala kahle, uMhlonishwa said he sent you money for any
emergencies." The Mduduzi guy says before driving off.
I look at the girls and they are dressed in their pyjamas. Oh God
help me!
"What time is it Kuhle?" I ask Kuhlekonke who's wearing her
usual displeased expression.
"It's half past seven." She mumbles loud enough for me to hear.
I exhale sharply.
"Did you girls eat?" They both shake their heads.
"I want pancakes sisi." The forever cute Nontando says. I doubt
there's any pancake ingredients in this house. I was planning on
buying December groceries today.
"Girls follow me." I say while opening the small gate again. The
day I get my hands on Gatsha! It won't be nice.
56
Mahlubandile
Damn I fucked up real bad. Lulonke has been moody as hell
ever since that confrontation. I last saw her almost two weeks
ago, the day after the proposal. She doesn't want me anywhere
near her. I obviously call her more than I should, just to make
sure that she and my child are okay. My uncles from my
maternal side of the family have already sent the letter to the
Kunene family earlier on this week. The negotiations are set to
happen in January. I'm just glad she's not disputing any of this,
and that she still wants to be my wife.
***
"Baalie, ek se you vay to her plek and pomp her brains out.
Pregnant women are always so jags either way." Fez says. Dalu
and Xolani cheer him on. I just shake my head at their craziness.
We're currently out at Opera for a few drinks, and just catching
up in general.
"I swear they're the best, always so wet and tight." Dalu adds as
he gulps down his whiskey. A grimace appears on my face, while
the other two are thrown into a fit of laughter.
"And how would you know that because you don't have a
child?" I ask with a frown.
"Mna? Mfondin I've lived. I used to fuck my pregnant ex while
her baby daddy was in the States. Best seven months of my
life!" He boasts. I shake my head and chuckle. Daluxolo should
grow up honestly. He tends to forget that uncle Mandla is a
whole prominent government minister and that everyone is
watching his every move.
"AIDS will catch up with you laaitie." Fez says followed by a light
laugh. In my opinion they're the same. They're both five to
thirty yet they still have playboy tendencies.
"Not just that, a lot of other diseases and soul ties." I say
distastefully.
"Not now bra doctor. Just let me enjoy life. At least I'm not
worrying about my pregnant fiancee who's not talking to me." I
chuckle lightly and shake my head again.
"Oh by the way, Sgaqagaqa is also on his way." Xolani says. He's
talking about Mbulelo. I'm glad he's also coming, I could
honestly do with a much more sane person.
"Eintlik watkyn met Lelo, he's been spending way too much
time hierdie kant." Fez says, which is partially true. Mbulelo
hardly spends time in Johannesburg with the family. He's always
hiding himself in Cape Town. He hardly even comes around for
Christmas sometimes. He will always blame rugby for his
absence.
"He found some Joburg meat, that's why. I don't blame him
though, his new thing has some nice tits. I'm talking the Shaka
Ilembe type." Dalu says as he sparks up a cigar. Typical of him to
view women as sex objects. "Speak of the devil, here he
comes." he says looking towards the entrance of our section.
I'm immediately dumbstruck when I see Mbulelo entering with
none other than Hazel, yes thee Hazel, my Lulonke's friend, step
niece or whatever. She and I hardly speak if I'm honest. All I
know is that she's always in the limelight and always has drama
going on in her life. Whenever Lulonke and I gossip during our
pillow talk, there's always news about Hazel.
"Molweni bras." Mbulelo greets proudly while holding Hazel's
hand. Funny enough they look good together.
"Hi boys." Hazel simply greets. Xolani chokes on his drink while
Fezile and I return the greeting. Dalu just carries on smoking,
totally unfazed by what's unraveling before us. It seems like he
knew.
"Hey baby doll! Bring me another bottle of Azul, I need it."
Xolani requests after calming down from his coughing battle.
The waitress at our section nods and moves.
"Love, I'll go get us drinks at the bar. Anything specific?"
Mbulelo asks Hazel while holding her waist. She whispers
something into his ear before he walks off. Damn! My cousin is
whipped. Who the hell brings his "woman" to a boys night?
"Aweh princess, kom sit hier." Fez says
patting the space next to him. Hazel smiles awkwardly before
taking a seat. This situation? Very shocking I must say.
~~~
Lulonke
I sip on my decaf cup of coffee while tapping my foot. I've been
so irritable as of lately. I guess it's the pregnancy. Oh and how
could I forget, my supposed fiance. I don't even want to think
about him. Thinking about what he did makes me boil inside.
Well, I'm currently at the Mugg and Bean in Sandton City,
waiting for Thabile and Hazel to arrive for our breakfast date.
We all agreed to do breakfast and then do some mini Christmas
gift shopping. Thabile and I both received our results a week
ago and I'm thrilled to announce that we're graduating. It's
honestly been a tough year, I'm so glad we made it.
Hazel wanted us to do secret Santa but Ray already had that
planned for her annual Christmas Eve party. So here's the tea;
Ray always hosts a huge Christmas Eve party where she invites
friends, family and her husband's business partners. I swear
she's now a pro at this trophy wife thing.
"Mrs Jola Van Heerden to be, how are you!" Hazel's loud voice
startles me. She's walking towards me while pushing the baby's
stroller. I roll my eyes at the thought of sharing a surname with
Nomzamo.
"I'm coping, how are you?" I hug her and she heaves a loud
sigh. I can't see her eyes because of the shades she's wearing.
She settles down next me and calls out for the menu. She only
takes off her Alain Mikli sunglasses when she gets the menu.
Her eyes are bloodshot and she looks like hell.
"Don't even ask. All I can say is that I had fun with my boo last
night. Oh, your fiance was as drunk as a fish by the way." She
says while paging through the menu. I missed this cheery,
talkative Hazel. Mbulelo is slowly but surely bringing her back to
us. I won't lie and say I wasn't shocked when she told me
they're together. They are an odd match, but I'm happy if she's
happy. My biggest concern is how Mtho is going to react to
these news.
"Earth to Lulo." she snaps her fingers in my face.
"Oh sorry. I have a lot on my mind." she frowns.
"Are you okay?" she asks with her face filled with concern. I nod
lightly and smile weakly.
"Can we order, Thabz will have to order after us." I say, paging
through the menu. A classic eggs benedict will do.
About five minutes later, Thabile approaches the table with two
girls next to her. I facepalm myself and laugh. She's really doing
this step mommying thing.
"Hello bo baby." Thabile greets. The two younger copies of
myself have suddenly caught my attention. I swear even my
baby pictures can attest. This is honestly creepy. Why would
Gatsha's daughters resemble me.
"This is Kuhlekonke and Nontando, girls meet sisi's friends,
aunty Lulo and aunty Hazel." I smile and give them a small
wave, which they return.
"Can I go to the toilet sisi?" the younger one asks.
"I'll go with her, it's fine." The older one says. She doesn't sound
as bad as Thabz made her seem.
"Okay, please hurry so you can order." Thabile says before they
walk off.
"So you've resumed the step mommy duties?" Hazel asks.
"Gatsha is having a closing party at his pub and grill, so he asked
me to look after them again."
"At this rate that man should marry you. I mean you cook his
meals, take care of his children and give him sex whenever he
wants." Hazel says.
"Girl bye." Thabile dismisses.
"Well big sister doesn't sound like the nightmare you made her
out to be." I say, referring to Kuhlekonke.
"Pshh, that's because we're around you guys. She's literally the
worst when we're alone." Hazel and I are both thrown into a fit
of laughter. The things men put us through.
"Is it just me, but those little girls kind of resemble you?" Hazel
says, looking at me. Thabile laughs softly. I just shrug my
shoulders and sip on my coffee.
"People tend to look alike Hazel." I say.
57
At the Wellesley Christmas Eve Celebration.
Thabile
"At least smile Gatsha, you're going to scare people away with
that look on your face." I say while fixing his formal shirt. He
groans softly. He's so not feeling this whole celebration thing. If
it were up to him, we would have been snuggling or making
love all night. The girls are currently visiting his mother for the
remainder of their school holidays.
I clasp our hands together as we head to the entrance of the
house. I can tell how big of a party this is by the cars and the
guests I'm seeing. I'm talking Bentleys, Aston Martins, RRs, you
name them.
I can see that Aus'Ray went all out for this. The exterior is too
exquisite, I can't imagine what the decor looks like inside. This is
the type of standard you only see on The Kardashians or Dubai
Bling.
We find aus'Ray and Hazel's dad standing in the foyer,
welcoming people in. They are both dressed to the nines.
Aus'Ray is wearing a gorgeous red satin ball gown with a slit.
You can tell that it didn't come cheap. They spot us as we walk
towards them. Aus'Ray immediately envelopes me in a hug.
"Thank you so much for coming, I see you honoured my rule of
bringing a plus one." she winks. I can't help but smile.
"Thank you for joining us Thabile, of course, you too young
man." Hazel's dad says. Gatsha has on a stoic expression as he
nods. This reminds me of the night when Hazel was giving birth.
I remember how tense things were between him, Hlubi, and
Hazel's dad. I mean the man considers us his daughters, so his
reaction was justifiable.
"Uhm, you two can go ahead." Aus'Ray says, indicating that we
should go inside.
We walk further inside and we immediately spot Lulo and
Mahlubandile hand in hand. I chuckle at the fact that she didn't
want anything to do with him but look now.
Next to them, there's Hazel and Mbulelo. Oh wow! Is he making
it to family functions already? I'm not judging though.
As we're about to reach them, a familiar face stands in front of
us. It's the Yemi guy, the one Lulo and I bumped into at Konka
earlier this year.
"Thobile right? Long time no see omalicha." He says in his deep
West African accent. He has a mischievous smile on his face.
"It's actually Rethabile. How are you Yemi?" I say sweetly.
Gatsha tightens his grip on my waist, causing me to laugh
inwardly.
"I'm pretty sure he's fine ndlovukazi, asambe." Gatsha says as
he pulls me away. I roll my eyes at how possessive he acts
sometimes.
"Why were you talking to him as if you were talking to me?" he
whispers in my ear. I sense a bit of jealousy and possessiveness
in that question.
"Territorial much Mangethe?" I ask with a cocked eyebrow. I'm
trying so hard not to laugh in his face.
At that moment, Hazel notices us and waves us over.
I grab a champagne flute from the waiter passing in front of us.
Moments later, we mingle with our friends. I also notice that
Gatsha is suddenly tense.
"Are you okay motho waka?" I ask, trying to soften him up.
"I'm fine, it's just that madala who's been staring at me ever
since we got here." He says, pointing at Lulo's dad who's talking
to someone. Just then, he turns around and gives Gatsha a long
stare. I heave a sigh.
"He probably knows you from somewhere, who knows?" I say
before pecking his lips. That seems to relax him a bit.
~~~
Shayane
Xolani makes his way towards me and I smile. I'm the one who
convinced him to come to my parents' Christmas Eve party. He
initially didn't want to come since Hazel is dating his older
brother. According to him, she's doing this as payback to spite
him since he and I "had" a thing. Well I genuinely believe that
Hazel really likes the guy. She even introduced him to dad,
which was a first. I mean, the only reason she initially
introduced Mtho was because she was pregnant.
Anyways
back to the present. I look at him as he walks towards me in a
black shirt and black formal pants. He looks so...edible. I swear
this guy keeps on getting more and more handsome. I signal for
him to follow me. I don't want anyone to see us talking. People
are very snoopy.
He follows me outside while walking at a further distance. I
stand by the maid's quarters. Nobody ever comes here because
there's no live-in staff at this house.
"That dress does wonders to your body." He says behind me. I
turn around and throw myself into his arms. His lips meet mine
and we share a kiss.
"Thank you, you don't look bad yourself." I say, blushing.
"Shit! Please hold here. Mthozi just got here and I need to talk
to him about something important." He says, giving me his
phone and wallet before rushing off to the pool deck.
A notification from a "Mbali" comes through. I chuckle bitterly
and try to keep my composure. I go on my phone and use a
selfie of his to unlock his phone. I immediately let out a breath
of relief when it works. My heart starts racing like crazy when I
click on his chats with Mbali. What I see next breaks my soul
into pieces.
~~~
Hazel
As we're all conversing and enjoying the live performance by
Zoë Modiga, Ray pulls me to the side.
"Mthokozisi is here. I forgot to tell you that we invited him. I
hope you and Mr rugby player over there won't mind." She says
pointing her head towards Mbulelo. Is she mad?
"How could you invite him Ray!" I hoarsely say through gritted
teeth. She heaves a sigh of defeat.
"I'm sorry. Your father and I thought it was okay to invite him
since he's Carlo's dad." she says with pleading eyes.
"Whatever." I say before walking back to the group.
Right then, I spot him walking in with that Khwezi girl. The
disrespect. I honestly can't stand this. Mbulelo holds my waist
and then follows my eyes. He heaves a heavy sigh before
bringing his lips to my ear.
"I've got you okay? We'll pretend as if they aren't here." he
reassures me. I exhale sharply and bring my face to his broad
chest, taking in his scent. His scent immediately calms me
down.
~~~
Narrated
Tears clouded Shayane's eyes as she watched the sex tape. She
could tell that it was filmed recently. Her heart was pounding
hard with rage and hurt. She was ready to give him a second
chance. She was even planning on relocating to Johannesburg
for him.
"Fuck this!" she said as she walked to the pool deck, where
Xolani had gone. He was standing with Mthokozisi and Khwezi.
A sinister smile made its way to her face.
"This is about to get interesting." she thought to herself.
"How ironic is this scene?" Shayane said as she got closer to
them. Xolani tried taking her hand into his but she quickly
pulled it away.
"Don't touch me! You disgust me." She said, her tears
threatening to fall. Mthokozisi looked at Xolani and shook his
head.
"Bro, do you see what dating kids leads to." Mthokozisi said
with cockiness. Shayane chuckled bitterly.
"Oh and dating a homie hopper is better?" Shayane said,
looking directly at Khwezi.
"Is this child talking to me?" Khwezi said while looking around
sarcastically.
"This! This is what I'm talking about!" Shayane voiced out as she
showed Mthokozisi the phone screen. Mthokozisi's face
hardened as he saw the video of Xolani blowing Khwezi's back
while Khwezi was muffing Mbali. He could hear her moans
throughout the entire video. His heart shattered as he never
made her moan that intensely. When he had seen enough, he
slapped the phone out of Shayane's hand, causing it to hit the
ground.
"Mfethu what's this?" Mthokozisi asked Xolani. The question
came out as a whisper, showing how hurt he was.
"Bruh I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you about her, about how she's
not good for you." Xolani said. Khwezi's heart broke because
she felt something for Xolani.
"You bitch!" She roared, pulling Shayane by her neck.
Moments later it was a mess. Khwezi and Shayane were
throwing hands at each other, while Xolani and Mthokozisi
threw punches at each other. Guests were watching in shock.
Everyone who was inside came outside to see the commotion.
Mbulelo ran to stop the fight between Xolani and Mthokozisi,
while Gatsha tried to stop the fight between the two girls.
Khwezi retrieved the okapi knife that was settled in between
her breasts. She opened the knife and aimed it at Shayane.
Right then, Gatsha ran in between them, causing the weapon to
stab his shoulder.
Shayane ran off into the house as fear, trauma, and shock
consumed her. Fortunately, the younger children weren't
present at the function.
Next to them, Xolani and Mthokozisi continued their boxing
battle.
"Leave me alone wena! It's bad enough that you're chowing my
leftovers!" Mthokozisi said as Mbulelo stood in between them.
"Xolani stop this madness! People are watching." Mbulelo said
as he held them apart.
"Actually leave Xolani out of this. Let's talk mina nawe, sende to
sende. How is it chowing my loose baby mama? Grand sharp
wena k'dala umfuna uHazel!" Mthokozisi said, full of rage.
Mbulelo couldn't take the insults thrown at Hazel, so he
punched Mthokozisi, which led to him falling into the pool.
Gasps and comments were heard from the guests.
"Get these dogs off my property NOW!" A furious Quinton
commanded, while his wife ran to attend to the now-stabbed
Gatsha. Khwezi was shaken as the Wellesley bodyguards
dragged her away.
~~~
Raysean
"Please take off the shirt so I can see how deep the stab wound
is." I ask this Gatsha character. He's been very stubborn I must
say. He wanted to leave immediately after that barbaric girl
stabbed him. I had to force him into the house.
"Fine! Kodwa don't waste my time ke sisi." he snaps before
unbuttoning his shirt. I shake my head lightly as I open the first
aid kit. These girls' choice in men is very questionable. Just now
Hazel's boyfriends were fighting. I don't even want to think
about what transpired tonight.
As I'm about to tend to his wound, something catches my
attention. He has the same shoulder birthmark as my father and
brother. Even my nephews Makhosini and Oyintando have that
exact birth mark. I shiver as I feel chills down my spine. Him
sounding and acting exactly like my father was crazy enough,
but this?
58
Thabile
It's Christmas morning and I'm at Gatsha's house. My family can
draw me at this point because my man comes first. I step out of
the conjoined bathroom and find him awake. He immediately
roars with laughter when he sees me come out.
"Haibo mgijimi." he immediately says when he sees the clay
mask on my face. I kiss my teeth and walk out.
"Mxm!"
"Ukwatile mama?" he shouts behind me. His voice is laced with
mockery. I'm tempted to punch his wounded shoulder net for
control.
"Leave me alone and start getting ready!" I shout as I walk
down the stairs.
"Ayi, do we have to go to this thing though?" he sulks. Aus'Ray
invited over for Christmas lunch. I was surprised when she
asked me to bring Gatsha along. She probably feels bad for
what happened to him last night.
"Yes we do."
"What's so special about these people kahle kahle, why is
everyone dickriding them like crazy."
"Hello? Hazel's father is a big deal okay? Mans has been
consecutively ranked on Forbes international for the past
decade."
"I'm also a big deal." He says with a cocked eyebrow.
"Yeah you're a big deal ko kasi and ko hostele." I jokingly say. I
see a defeated look on his face before he starts laughing.
"Ngizok'bamba wena." he playfully says when I move away from
him.
~~~
Hazel
I'm woken up by my phone vibrating. I slowly open my eyes and
find a text from Mbulelo telling me he's outside the door. Thank
goodness he's here. He didn't seem pleased when he dropped
me off last night. I don't even want to think about last night. I'm
embarrassed on Mthokozi's behalf.
I open the door for him and he attacks me with a hug.
"Baby." He tries kissing me but I move back covering my mouth.
"I have morning breath." I mumble. He chuckles and swiftly
removes my hand before smashing his lips on mine.
"Merry christmas baby." he says when we pull out of the kiss.
"Merry christmas to you too." I groggily reply. He chuckles and
pulls my hand.
"Open the door again, your christmas gift is outside." You
should see the smile on my face.
Stepping outside, I find a cute maltipoo on my doorstep. It's has
a red bow wrapped around it.
I quickly grab it and immediately start gushing over it.
I really needed this. Dior was unfortunately diagnosed with
parvovirus about two weeks ago. He's currently being observed
at the vet clinic until I'm ready to let him go.
"Baby! Thank you so much." I say while jumping on him. He
holds me tighter, sniffing my hair in the process.
"So what do you want to name her? And please babe, no weird
designer names." I roll my eyes.
"Fine. I'm thinking Belle. It has a nice ring to it." I say before
placing her down. "Well I also got you a little something, more
like I got us something." I add.
"Really?" he asks with a smile. I bite my lower lip.
"Yep, it's in the bedroom. It's red, tiny, lacy and sexy. I might
have also gotten a flogger since you've been a b-." He quickly
shuts me up with a kiss.
"Feel the effect you have on me." he says softly while bringing
my hand to his boner. I chuckle softly as I look into his eyes.
"Carlo and his nanny slept over at dad's house last night. Wanna
test out your christmas gift?" He curses softly.
Moments later he's ramming inside of me with my hands tied.
It's safe to say my christmas started on a great note.
As I'm about to climax, my bedroom door bursts open. It's dad!
He immediately walks out and closes the door behind him. I've
never felt so ashamed. This thing of dad having the keys to my
place is not on.
I quickly push Mbulelo off me and he cusses. We should
honestly consider locking next time. The same shit happened
with Dalu.
"Fuck fuck fuck! How will your dad look at me now?" He says
while uncuffing my hands.
"We're so fucked dude." I mutter.
We lie in silence for almost ten minutes and then burst into
laughter.
~~~
Lulonke
I'm in Ray's kitchen with her, Ze and Hazel. They are both
drinking wine while Ze and I drink cranberry juice
since we're both expecting. Pregnancy can be such an
inconvenience sometimes.
"I won't lie to you Hazel, he sounded very disappointed. No
man wants to see his daughter in that position." Ray says.
I've just heard about Hazel's predicament that she experienced
this morning. This whole thing is just hilarious.
"Did you two continue?" That's the only thing on my mind.
Hazel smacks her lips and throws a dishcloth at me. Ze laughs as
she places the veggie bake in the oven.
"Forget that, I'm pissed at you two. Why didn't yall tell me that
Shayane was seeing that boy?" Ray says with a displeased
expression.
"Not our business to tell." Hazel says. Ray gives her look.
"What? I'm just being honest."
"Zekhethelo these children are going to give me grey hairs. Can
you believe that this Xolani boy is Hazel's new boyfriend's
brother. If you think that's bad enough, Lulonke's fiance
happens to be their cousin." Ray murmurs.
"You forgot the part where Thabile was busy with Xolani." Hazel
says. I give her "really" look and she shrugs her shoulders.
"Way to go Hazel." I say with a sarcastic smile.
"Some incestuous friendship circle y'all have." Ray sneers. Hazel
and I are thrown into a fit of laughter because she's actually
right.
~~~
Gatsha
It's been a few hours since Thabile and I got here. I can't believe
I'm saying this but I'm kind of enjoying my time here. I've been
talking to this Bangizwe guy who's Lulonke's older brother. He's
been great company I must admit. Ray, the woman of the house
has been way too nice for my liking. One of the children who
I've assumed is Bangizwe's daughter, calls out for him.
"Sizokhuluma ndoda, I forgot that this one can be a cry baby at
times." he says before rushing to the children's play area.
I'm left standing alone while taking sips of my drink. This is
some good scotch I must mention.
Someone taps my shoulder and I turn around. It's Lulonke's
creepy father. This man had his eyes on me the whole of last
night.
"Sawubona ndodana." He greets. I clear my throat and shift
uncomfortably.
"Yebo mhlonishwa, unjani?" I return the greeting while trying to
sound as respectful as possible.
"Ngiyaphila, usakaphi ndodana?" I frown, why the hell would he
ask me where I'm from? I clear my throat again.
"Ngisuka eMkhomazi baba." I reply, trying to dismiss him. He
frowns and stares at me for a while.
"Kunenkinga baba?" I ask because I'm feeling uneasy all of a
sudden.
"Lutho ndodana, awuthi ngiyokhuluma no mkami." He says
before walking away. I'm left shaking my head in confusion. This
man is strange, very strange.
59
Amalobolo day
It's the first week of January. Today is the day of Lulonke's
lobola negotiations. It also marks the day of MaNxasana's
passing, Lulonke's mother. It was a bittersweet day in the
Kunene household, but they all tried to be in high spirits.
***
Lulonke
I stare at my reflection in the mirror and smile with tears of joy.
This was my mother's umbhaco attire but I customised it to my
own style. I caress my growing belly and admire myself. The
door suddenly bursts open, startling me. I clutch my invisible
pearls when I realise it's Makazi Lindelwa. She's my mother's
youngest sister and she's the only member from my maternal
side of the family who made it to my negotiations. Of course,
her daughter, my cousin Funeka also came through.
"Awusemhle Lulu wam." She whispers as she stares at me
through the mirror.
"Enkosi makazi." I reply before swallowing the lump in my
throat.
"uSisi would have been so proud of you." she takes my hands
into hers.
"I'm not so sure about that. She wanted me to get married
before falling pregnant." I humorously say.
"Nonsense! You're doing well for yourself. You're graduating
soon, you're expecting your first child soon, and you'll be
marrying the man you love. That's amazing my baby." She says
with tears clouding her eyes. I immediately suffocate her in a
hug.
"I miss her so bad makazi, every single day." I whisper.
"I'm here for you Lulu, your father's wife is also here for you." I
heave a sigh as I let go of her.
"I don't even know if I'm ready for marriage makazi." I confess.
She exhales sharply and holds my hands again.
"Put God first my baby and everything else will fall into place."
She says. I smile sweetly and squeeze her hands tighter.
The door opens again. Hazel, Thabz, and Funeka make their way
inside in their red and black imibhaco attires. Makazi smiles and
pats my back.
"Let me leave you girls to it. I'm really proud of you Lulonke."
She says before walking out.
"Gosh! Don't you look splendid? I'm so happy you're finally
doing this. I know he loves you." Hazel says while pinching my
cheeks.
" And you look amazing bub." I say hugging her. She lets go and
beams at me.
"I do right! I can't wait for Mbulelo to see me in this." She
excitedly says. Mbulelo's presence in Hazel's life has made an
impact. She's been so persistent about learning isiXhosa.
"I already saw your man outside with the negotiators. There's
also a camera crew at the gate, any idea why?" Funeka asks. I
heave a sigh and facepalm myself. Ray thought it was a great
idea to invite The Insider SA regardless of how many times I said
no. I just hope that this doesn't mess with my day.
"Sikhululekile kwa Kunene! Nina bo Madonsela, Mtimande,
Lubambo lunye, zingaba mbil'ufuz'ekhabonina,
Masango makhulu nawabantu nawezinkomo, Nina bakwa
Malambule,
Okwathi uMalambule ebanga noMswazi nathi, Malambule
phambili!" A loud voice shouts from outside.
My heart starts racing as the realisation hits me. I'm about to
become Mahlubandile's wife customarily.
Narrated
After a lot of hassle, the Jola elders were finally allowed inside.
Mahlubandile, Gatsha, Fezile, Daluxolo, and Mbulelo stayed
outside. Mahlubandile was shaking in his boots. He even
experienced a panic attack. His brotherhood was laughing at
him the entire time. The only thing on his mind was the fact
that his parents weren't present for such an important event in
his life. Unfortunately
Advertisement
Nomzamo and Andre were still on the run. Rumour has it that
they are hiding in The Dominican Republic.
Back in the house, the Jola's had to cough out imvulamlomo
because of their late coming. The negotiations then proceeded
until it was time for them to choose their bride. By luck, they
chose Lulonke even though they had never met her. The talks
were finally concluded and both parties were happy.
Mahlubandile and his crew were finally allowed inside the yard.
More family and friends came pouring in. The ceremony
officially began and the yard was filled with family and friends.
Lulonke and Mahlubandile couldn't keep their eyes off each
other. Any fool could see how smitten these two were.
Nombulelo Sisulu, Mahlubandile's maternal aunt, tried to cause
a scene by complaining about how things weren't up to their
standard. Of course, she was being spiteful because she had a
burning hate for her sister's children. Behind closed doors, the
Jola, Sisulu, and Van Heerden families weren't as perfect as they
perceived themselves to the public.
Ray on the other hand was too occupied with thoughts of
Gatsha. She was staring at him as he conversed with Bangizwe.
She could see the similarities of their mannerisms and features.
This was becoming more and more strange to her. She
somehow knew the truth at the back of her mind, but she knew
this would break her mother.
~~~
Gatsha
Thabile and I are hiding in my car as we devour the meat inside
the big Tupperware container. It's such a blessing when your
woman has connections in the kitchen. She snuck out some
meat and biscuits for me. She gulps down her Ice Tropez and I
know right then that she's full.
Someone knocks on my car window, startling us. I frown
because it's the same woman who's been staring at me the
whole day. Bangizwe briefly told me that she's their aunt, their
father's sister. She's wearing a white headscarf, a white long
dress, and a cape. She's definitely a seer.
"Sorry ma, can I help you?" I ask as I roll down my window. This
family is too obsessed with me, I just can't deal.
"I've been waiting for this day for almost thirty-five years. Thank
goodness my God and my ancestors finally heard my cries.
Ekugcineni usekhaya Kunene." She says with tears in her eyes. I
let out a scoff and shook my head.
"Uhm, let me go back inside. The girls must be looking for me."
Thabile says in an attempt to escape this awkward moment. She
hurries out of the car and into the yard. I shift my attention back
to the woman.
"Weh mama, you don't know me and I don't know you." I say
while getting out of the car.
"Please call me aunty Phumla. I'm your father's sister. Your real
father." I chuckle bitterly and walk back to the yard. I bump into
Lulonke's father at the gate.
"Not you too mkhulu!" I exclaim in annoyance.
"She's right ndodana, I'm your fath-"
"Yey! Don't even. My father is six feet under, we buried him
years ago!"
"Are you talking about Mphikeleli Zwane?" I frown. How the
hell does he know my father's name? I remain silent and just
stare at him without blinking.
"Mphikeleli married your mother, uNomusa while he was fully
aware of our relationship. I had just broken up with my now
wife uNikhitha when I met your mother back in our
homesteads, eMkhomazi. She and I got into a relationship for a
couple of months. I obviously told uMphikeleli about her since
he was my close friend. Four months into our relationship,
uMphikeleli betrayed me in the worst kind of way, he went
ahead and proposed marriage to her. Nomusa was young and
vulnerable so she agreed to marry him. But little did we know
that she was at the early stages of her pregnancy." Anger and
confusion consume me as he tells me this.
"Please stop with your lies and delusions! I know my family and
I know that I'm 1000% a Zwane!"
"We can do a DNA test ndodana." He calmly says. I shake my
head. I look at him and his sister with eyes full of rage.
"Thabile! Thabile! Asambe!" I shout from the gate. Lulonke's
father heaves a heavy sigh and attempts to touch my shoulder. I
quickly move away and give him a look of disgust. A confused
Thabile walks towards the gate with people staring at her. I
honestly couldn't care less about what people think right now.
I'm angry and confused. I need to call my mother so she can
explain this preposterous situation.
~~~
Lulonke
Gatsha and Thabile just left without saying goodbye. I was
shocked at Gatsha's outburst, what the hell was that?
Tata rushes inside the house looking quite displeased. I attempt
to stand up from my seat but Hlubi holds my hand.
"I need the restroom." I say softly. He places a kiss on my lips
before letting go of my hand.
I stand up and walk to the house. I find a few of my family
members sitting inside the house. I walk upstairs and hear loud
arguing. I follow the voices and end up outside Mam'Nikhitha
and Tata's bedroom. I place my ear on the closed door and
listen.
"How many more times Ndlalifa!" that's Ma's voice.
"Ngiyaxolisa mkami." Tata responds.
"No Ndlalifa! How many more of your bastard children should
I accept? First it was Lulonke, now it's this Gatsha boy!" Ma
shouts. My heart immediately drops when I hear her choice of
words. Everything starts making sense in my head. Gatsha's
daughters...No! no this can't be real.
60
Thabile
I wake up feeling all hot and suffocated. I automatically know
that I'm in Gatsha's arms. I wonder what time he came back.
Yesterday after we left Lulo's parents' house, he dropped me off
at his house and left.
Right now he reeks of brandy and nicotine, which is a first
because Gatsha never smokes. Matter of fact he hated the fact
that I used to smoke occasionally.
"Motho?" I whisper as I pat his arm that's snaking around me.
"Yebo mama." His voice sounds hoarse and strained. O-kay,
something is definitely wrong.
"Gatsha keng, are you okay? Please talk to me." He lifts my
thigh.
"I will tell you mama, just let me be, please." he rubs on my
coochie while sucking on my neck. His other hand is pinching
and pulling hard on my nipple until I'm dripping wet.
"Please talk to me Zikode kaPhikela." I say softly. He smashes his
lips on mine. We start kissing roughly and hungrily, with him
biting my lips to a point of pain. He swiftly turns me around and
roughly lifts up my silk nightdress. I'm still in shock when he
presses my upper body down on the bed, making my back arch.
He quickly slams into me, very hard at that. I cryout in a mixture
of pain and pleasure as he fucks me mercilessly. By the time he
cums intensely with a loud groan, my body is trembling in
pain. I can't sit up nor move my body.
I just lie in bed and watch him disappear to the en suite
bathroom. I feel my tears trickling down on both sides of my
face. He comes back with a towel in his hand. I wince in pain
when he wipes me with the warm towel. He gets in bed and I
turn, facing away from him. He sighs heavily
"Ngiyaxolisa MaMoseki, I shouldn't have lost it like that." I just
pull the duvet over my head and cry silently.
"I'm really sorry sthandwa sam." he says softly. After some time
I hear the bedroom door banging shut. I sniff and close my eyes,
letting sleep overcome me.
I'm woken up by my birth control reminder alarm. I quickly turn
off the alarm and grab my pills from the bedside drawer. I head
to the bathroom so I can also freshen up. I decide on taking a
bath. I pour bath oils and bath salts so they can revive my worn
out body.
After getting ready, I start packing some of my clothes into my
duffel bag. I think Gatsha and I need space from each other.
Something's clearly wrong with him. I hate the fact that he's
shutting me out.
I grab my phone and duffel bag and walk downstairs. I find Lulo
and Hlubi sitting in the lounge with Gatsha. He sees me first and
his face falls. He immediately goes back to his usual blank
expression before standing up.
"Can we talk in my study?" Hlubi nods and follows him. I wait
for them to disappear and then plop myself on the couch next
to Lulo. "Babe." I say because she's staring into space.
"Heeeyy!" she abnormally drags the word. I raise an eyebrow at
her. "What are you two doing here?" I question. She heaves a
sigh and takes my hand into hers.
"There's a high possibility that Gatsha could be my father's
son." she blurts out. I immediately frown in confusion.
"Huh?!" I exclaim.
"Exactly that." She replies. I hate how she isn't telling me
everything. I decide to keep quiet since she doesn't seem like
someone who wants to talk. Whatever's going on is definitely
huge.
A couple of minutes later, the two men come back.
"Take your bag and go to the car." Gatsha says, avoiding my
eyes.
"Why?" I know I said we need time away from each other, but
why does it sound like he's dismissing me.
"I'm taking you home Thabile because I have a lot to deal with.
Can we not debate about this." I swallow and blink rapidly.
"Don't talk to her like that." Lulo chimes in.
"Wena ungenaphi?" Gatsha snaps.
"Fuck off Gatsha. You're not the only who's going through
stuff!" I widen my eyes in shock. This is unlike Lulo.
"Ndoda talk to your woman!" Gatsha shouts. I exhale sharply
and shake my head.
"You don't get to talk to my friend like she's some floozy you-"
Hlubi interrupts her.
"Gatsha, thandolwam please! We don't need your brother sister
bickering right now!" The look on Lulo's face cracks me up.
Gatsha on the other hand is still fuming.
"It's fine, Thabile will go with us. She doesn't need to be around
Gatsha's toxic self." Lulo says. Gatsha scoffs before shaking his
head. I'd honestly rather leave with them instead of him.
~~~
Lulonke
It's been almost two weeks since my lobola negotiations. I
didn't even get the chance to suck it in because of everything
that's been happening.
Today is a Wednesday and I'm at home in Glenvista. Tata called
all of us for a meeting since Gatsha's DNA test results came
back today. Yes he finally agreed on doing a DNA test.
Gatsha's mother and uncle are also present. They don't look too
pleased about this meeting.
I keep on drinking water to cool myself down. I'm officially four
months pregnant and boy it's not easy. The random waves of
nausea and fatigue are the worst. I won't even talk about my
swollen nose and lips. I feel like a whale.
Mahlubandile's house repairs are going well. He might be
moving back in, in a few weeks time. The plan is to move in with
him while I do some job research. I mean
graduation is in two months and I'm already at a disadvantage
because of my pregnancy. We haven't had any wedding
discussions because I'm planning on giving birth before having a
wedding.
Someone clears their throat and we all look towards the door.
Tata and a guy from the lab walk in together. The guy greets all
of us before settling on a chair. Anyone can sense the tension in
the room. He places the brown envelope on the dining table.
"These are your results, I'm going to open them now," he says
before tearing the envelope open.
 "The test results state that the DNA samples taken from Mr
Ndlalifa Godfrey Kunene match the samples of Mr Gatsha
Zwane. Mr Kunene is 99.99% the father." Gasps are heard from
the table.
Gatsha's mother looks down and cries silently. Tata drops his
head and breaks down into a loud sob. Gatsha keeps a straight
face while staring into space. Mam'Nikitha excuses herself,
shocking all of us.
"After everything my late brother and I did for you, you decided
to dig this up?" Gatsha's uncle says as he stares at Tata.
"This is my son Qophelo, my blood! And you decided to hide his
true identity from him!" Tata shouts. Gatsha's uncle chuckles
bitterly.
"I will destroy you Ndlalifa. You seem to forget all that I've done
for you and your family." Gatsha's uncle says while giving me a
spine chilling stare. I shift uncomfortably not knowing what he
means.
A while later Gatsha's uncle and mother leave. Bhut'Bangi, Ray,
Gatsha, and I are the only ones left at the table. Gatsha looks
drained and defeated, nothing like his usual intimidating self.
"It's good to know that I'm not the only son." Bangi says, trying
to lighten up the mood. Ray and I laugh lightly while Gatsha
gives him a small smile.
"This changes everything, my identity, my children's identity,
basically my whole life." Gatsha says in a low tone. Ray's face
brightens up. "You have children?" Ray asks with a smile.
"Yes, two girls."
"Two girls who look insanely like me, just like how Lukhona
looks like you Ray." I say. The whole table laughs, bringing a
smile to my face.
"We could do with more girls in this family. My husband and I
have four boys already, I won't even mention this one who's
expecting his third son." Ray says while looking at Bangi.
"uBaba needs to perform a ceremony to introduce you to our
ancestors." Bangi tells Gatsha. Ray rolls her eyes. She doesn't
believe in ancestors and this causes a clash between her and
Tata.
"How about we go out for drinks tonight, it's been a long two
weeks." Ray says. I give her a look and she mouths sorry.
"That's not fair, you know I can't drink." I complain.
"Vele you weren't going to come with us, uyingane wena."
Gatsha says. The two other traitors at the table roar with
laughter. I frown and fold my arms.
Epilogue
Weeks later
Gatsha
I'm at the Kunene homestead eMkhomazi for my welcoming
ceremony. It's crazy how I used to play around here when I was
younger, not knowing that this is where I belong.
Another stressor right now is that I need to go to home affairs
and change my surname legally. I basically need to change
everything, my cards, business documents, everything.
There's going to be a lot of running around to get everything
done. I didn't want to do this but I have to, for my daughters,
future children and hopefully my future wife. I don't want either
of us to be caught in the cross fire of ancestral wars and all that
stuff.
I'm currently sitting around the fire, drinking umqombothi with
Bangizwe. He's been telling me all about the family members
and their different personalities. I haven't seen Ndlalifa, I mean
my father. I last saw him when we were at the ancestral hut. He
bought a goat to introduce me, Kuhlekonke and Nontando to
the ancestors.
I never in a million years thought I'd have siblings. I'm my
mother's only child and this came as a shock.
I hope that Ndlalifa and I can form a relationship without it
feeling like I'm betraying ubabomncane. Abo Zwane were not
pleased with this whole revelation. I'm praying that this doesn't
cause a drift between my mother and I.
Things between Thabile and I have been a bit hectic. She won't
accept my apologies and that hurts. I'm literally going insane
without her. That young lady captured my heart in the most
dangerous way.
Lulonke
Gatsha's ceremony proceedings just ended. Thabile asked me to
take pictures for her. She said she didn't want to come because
of personal and cultural reasons. Which I understand because
she might be our bride one day
who knows?
My man has been blowing my phone like crazy. He literally calls
every half an hour. I have to keep my phone in my hand the
entire time. Gatsha's daughters...let me rephrase that, MY
nieces have been following me everywhere. They are both
freaking out because of the goat skins on their wrists. They also
don't like any of the food served. I'm the only person they're
comfortable with, so I have to take them everywhere I go.
Later on that day, people are gradually leaving. I'm on a
FaceTime call with Mahlubandile when I hear abnormal
shouting outside. I quickly end the call and then walk out of the
hut I'm using, to go see what's going on.
My heart starts beating fast when I see Gatsha's uncle with
Zinhle, the girl who was Ebubechukwu's fiancee. Along with
them there's three police officers. Tata and babomncane
Dabuko are the ones talking to them while the other family
members are watching. Zinhle quickly catches a glimpse of me
and frowns. "There she is, the witch who killed my man in cold
blood!" she screams. My heart sinks as my mind goes wild.
Two of the police officers walk towards me. One of them is
holding hand cuffs. God no! This can't be happening! I thought I
closed this chapter a long time ago.
"Lulonke Kunene you are under arrest for the murder of the late
Ebubechukwu Adebayo. We found his remains buried in one of
the Kunene burial sites. We also found your fingerprints all over
the murder weapon. No need to deny anything. Mr Zwane here
is our key witness. Anything you say now, can and will be used
against you in the court of law." One of the police officers says
while cuffing me. Tears start streaming down my face. Fuck! My
life is over.
"Be gentle with her! She's pregnant for goodness sake!" Ray
shouts. Tata is suddenly quiet, consumed by shock. I thought he
had this under control!
"Please tell Mahlubandile that I love him and that I'll protect
our child no matter what!" I tell Gatsha in a breaking voice.
"We'll get you out Lulonke! Stop talking like this!" He shouts
back.
The officer drags me and pushes me into the police van. I hear
the loud cries of the women. Ray and Ze hold each other while
sobbing loudly. Babomncane Mzwakhe is holding back the
fuming Bangi. Gatsha is screaming at his uncle who's smirking
at me. The last thing I see is Zinhle's look of disgust. If only she
knew the truth...

.............................THE END.........................

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