Khumo: the arranged wedding

TWENTY-SEVEN

                 ZAKHELE KHOZA

I was in my room, admiring the ring I had bought for Khumo. She's my fiancé but has no ring? Baba must be turning in his grave. I put it in the safe before going downstairs to pour myself water. I heard a knock on the door. I was about to say Dorothy to get the door then remembered that she doesn't work here anymore. “I'm coming!”
I smiled looking at the pictures Khumo had sent me as I opened the door. My smile vanished when I saw who was at the door. “What do you want here?”
“Are you not going to let me in?”
“Zandile ufunani emzini wami?”
“I was hoping that we could talk.”
“Talk yok’nuka! Get out!”
“Zakhele...”
“Phuma Zandile!”
“Baby please...” she walked closer and left a few kisses on my face, then kissed me.. I was reluctant at first but I kissed her back.
“Zandi..”
“Don't think about it.. I know you want this as well.” she removed the coat she had on and I felt my dick twitch. I kicked the door and held her hand to the guest bedroom...

We removed every single clothing we had on. I looked at her and I felt a little bit sad. I pushed her to the bed and kissed her all over her body. “You really hurt me Zandi.. I loved you..” I cuffed her to the bed.
“I'm really sorry Zakhele. I was young and naive.”
“It's late now for your sorries.” I pushed myself in then pulled out again. “Your apologies mean nothing now, Zandile.” I lifted her lower body and pushed myself all the way in.
“Zakhele please..”
“Please what?”
“Stop teasing.”
“I don't take orders from you.”
“I know but...” I didn't let her finish, I roughly pushed myself in and her back arched.
“Mhmm..” her warmth around my dick was everything. She was still good. I upped my pace as I held on tight to her waist.
“Faster Zakhele.. yes baby.. ahh!” I saw her eyes rolling to the back and I knew she was close. I thrusted a few times then we both reached our peak.

Once our heart rates were back to normal, I removed the handcuffs and she massaged her hands.
“You're still a stallion baby.” I looked at her then went to the bathroom to fetch a towel.. I cleaned her up and went to take a quick shower. When I returned she was still on the bed.
“Zandile, it's time to leave.”
She raised her head and looked at me. “After what we did? Zakhele please don't do this.”
“When you came here, you knew why you were coming here. I don't love you Zandi.. maybe if you had came back into my life a year ago, there would be a you and me but not anymore.”
“I know you still love me baby. Don't do this to us. I still love you.”
“You broke us! You didn't sleep with just anyone, Musa was my best friend. Just get up and leave Zandile.”

            KENEILWE MORAPEDI

“Ohh, strawberry, you're so sweet.” Robert said leaving his rotten cum on my tummy and face.
“Can I leave now?”
“Take your payment from under the pillow and go.”
I tried to get up but every single body part ached. I spent the entire night at his friend's place. Just when I thought I would go home and rest, I found his men waiting for me outside. They brought me here to Robert.. his been at it from 08h00 in the morning, it's 15h00 now.
I slowly got dressed then walked to the car. I couldn't even sit properly in the car. The ride back home was horrible.

I sneaked back into the house and locked my room.
“Wena Keneilwe, o nagana gore o mosadi jaanong ke go shebile!” (you think you're a grown woman now)
I kept quiet and listened to my mom throwing tantrums by the door.
“Keneilwe open this door before I kick it open!”
I chuckled but stopped because my ribs hurt.
“Keneilwe Morapedi!”
“Mma?”
“O batla go bona mmaago monyana?” (do you want me to show you flames?)
I ignored her and undressed. My skin was black and blue. I had new beatings on top of the old ones. By the time I reach thirty, my body would be a scrapyard! That's if I would still be alive by the time I reach thirty. I looked at the door handle turn, I put on my gown then opened for her.
“Keneilwe, you want to send me to my grave before my time?”
“Mma?”
“Stop saying Mma, bloody fool!”
I left her in the room to boil water to bath. She followed me everywhere I went. I went outside to get some Aloe, to bath with. I hope it helps with my wounds.
She grabbed my gown and it opened, I closed it quickly but she had already seen the bruises.
“Keneilwe what's that?”
“Nothing.” I tried walking away but she pulled my hand.
“Who did that to you?”
“I fell at school mama.”
“How did you fall to get such bruises?”
“I fell mama eish!”

             ZANDILE MOTAUNG

I looked at Zakhele and he was serious. He wanted nothing to do with me anymore. “Zakhele, Sthandwa sami.. please give us a second chance?”
“A second chance to do what? You want to grate my heart this time around?”
“No! I want to love you properly, the way you deserve to be loved.”
“I'll go and tell Jack to start the car so he can drive you home.”
I watched him walk away and I let the tears fall. I had lost him for good this time.
I didn't bother wearing my underwear, I put on the coat and hid my underwear in the pockets. I walked barefoot to the car and cried silently as we left his home, in Fourways. I could see Jack looking at me through the rearview mirror. I faced another direction and let the tears fall..
“Ma’am are you okay?”
“I'm fine Jack... Please stop at the pharmacy I need to get something.”
We stopped at a pharmacy and I bought morning after pills. For a minute I thought of not drinking them , maybe when I'm pregnant Zakhele will give us another chance.. but this is Zakhele, he wouldn't stay with me because I'm carrying his child. I drank the pills then walked to the car.

Walking into the apartment I saw Khumo sitting on the couch and I felt like strangling her. She's the reason Zakhele is not giving us a chance. She turned and looked at me.
“Hey Zandi I didn't hear you come in.”
“I noticed. Is Kaitlyn home?”
“She went to buy milk and bread.”
“I see, are you not working today?”
“I did the morning shift, I had an afternoon class.”
I nodded and went to the kitchen to drink water. From the kitchen I could see her smiling and giggling on her phone. “Khumo can I ask you something and please don't be offended?”
She stood up and walked to me. “You can ask.”
“Do you trust Zakhele? I'm not judging you or anything..”
“It's fine I understand. I don't trust anyone in this world, only myself.”
“Not even your mother?”
“When you trust people, you give them a chance to hurt you.” she shrugged her shoulders and added mixed vegetables to the brown rice.
“You're a weird person Khumo!” she went to her room and left her phone unlocked on the counter.. I opened her WhatsApp and read her messages with Zakhele, I could feel something blocking my airways.

When Zakhele loves a person, he loves hard no cutting corners. I put her phone where it was and checked his profile from my phone, it was Khumo. I remember because I took the picture when she was not looking. The sun had kissed her face beautifully. Khumo was a melanin queen! Everything about her was beautiful. From her skin tone to her body. She was confident except when it came to her body and skin colour. She was getting better now.. she covered less and showed more skin.
As I had my bath, Khumo had tagged me on Facebook. I looked at the post and smiled, she had posted a picture of me and her wearing matching blue shirt dresses and sandals. Her caption was, “My beautiful, sexy, amazing sister from another mother. I love you Zandi, I'm so grateful you're my housemate”. My smile vanished when I remembered what I did with Zakhele. How can I be so jealous of Khumo? She's been nothing but a loyal friend. Kaitlyn, is not going to forgive me when she finds out that I lied to her about Zakhele.