Been driving around town trying to figure out what to do with my life. I am parked by the robots looking at people crossing the road. My eyes just scan around in curiosity until they spot a figure, they are familiar with. She is wearing a short yellow dress. My heart skips a beat just by looking at her. My door seems to be stuck. I can't seem to get the hell out of the car. A knock on the window sends me straight to fright. It’s the police officer. I lower my window in relief.
“Is everything alright Mr.?” The police officer asks. My eyes ran to the direction she was walking in, and she just disappeared out of sight. Dammit!
“No. I was just resting. I am tired.”
“Take all the rest you need Sir. For future references you do not park here.”
“I’m sorry.” The man nods his head and walks away leaving me frustrated. I swear the devil came into my life to bloody work overtime. Even if people look alike. I can swear that - that woman I saw right there was defiantly her. I can’t mistake her for anyone else. I feel my heat dropping at the pit of my stomach. Anything heartbreaking situation for me. What I can do is I can be able to just follow the route she has just taken. I start my car and follow her footsteps. With these people walking up and down on the pavement it will not be easy for me to spot her. I have reached the dead end I have no other option but to make a U-turn and go home.
Back in my apartment I am looking at the walls. I called my mother earlier on and she assured me and she's fine just needing money. She saw new pots in some shop, and they immediately cried for them. I swear that woman thinks money grows in trees. Mkhuleko gives her money almost every day but her needs and wants never gets to be fulfilled. I wonder what she does with all of the money. I shake my head and smile a bit. I swear woman love money. I wish never to marry a woman who loves money like my mother because that means I will be bankrupt.
I look at my ringing phone. A name I never thought I would ever hear from ever again. I clear my throat and pick it up.
“MaZandi.” I answer.
“Mkhuseli. How have you been?” she asks. I take a deep breath because I don’t know how I have been. The only person who knows how I feel and knows how badly I struggle at times. But she doesn’t know the reason behind the pain.
“Hanging in there.” I politely respond. I hate how I laid my hand on her. I am not that man. And I was never raised to be that man. “I have been meaning to call you, but I was afraid. I hate what I did to you.”
“I was the fuel to whatever you were facing. I shouldn’t have said what I said honestly. That is not who I am, not that is not how I handle things. Find it in your heart to forgive me too.”
“I have forgiven you.”
“Look, the main reason for the call is because I wanted to tell you something.”
“What is it?” Lord – let it be not her requesting for us to work things out because I will not be on board. My heart has been captured by someone else.
“I am pregnant Mkhuseli. And my parents want you to come and pay the damages.” She tells me. My mind freezes a bit. I always pulled out. What happened?
“How far are you?”
“Two months I believe.”
If she says two months that means she got pregnant on our last encounter when I went...
“Mkhuseli are you okay?” She asks. I find it hard to breathe. That means I raped her. “Can you take it easy and breath!” Her shouting is not dampening the situation. I put my phone aside and control my breathing patterns how Dr Chetty advised me to. Seems to be helping. I push the negative thought at the back of my head until my normal self-return.
I pick the phone up and look at the screen, I notice that Mazandi is still on the line cursing her lungs out. I take a deep breath and listen to her.
“Sorry about that.” I say.
“Are you okay? Must I come down there?” She asks. I know she will forever care but right now there is no need for her to panic.
“I will be fine Just an episode. Nothing new.”
“Please, call me if you need someone who will be there.”
We concluded the phone with me agreeing meeting up with her. We need to find a ground role on this. We might have broken up, but I will always be there for her. And now that she claims that she is pregnant for me that means I will be in her life 24/7 until she gives birth. She has no reason to lie. If she is truly pregnant, then the baby is truly mines. I lay on the couch and think of my possible life in the future as a father. I won’t cook. Already its evening and I am tired. Ran around the whole of Durban trying to find that girl. Sigh! I wonder where she could be. Is she studying or what? This girl is really pulling me towards her. I close my eyes to rest a bit. Will wake up later on to take a shower then go to bed.
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I must have fallen asleep on the couch. I scanned my eyes around - I slept on the couch. My neck is stiff like I have been hit by a truck. The windows are still open. This is Durban I don’t know how I risked my life so much. I get off the couch and stretch myself. I need a long hot shower before meeting up with Mazandi. I feel my heart having abnormal heartbeats. It must be the nerves.
After taking a shower I decided to take a quick snack. My neck needs to be stretched a bit. It’s still stiff and I am having a hard time looking sideways. Failing to eat it I put the bread back in the fridge. These days I don’t have an appetite in the morning. I only eat during the day, and I always skip dinner. I grab the car keys from the coffee table and head out. Will grab orange juice from Spa. That is all what I crave for these mornings.
I drove to her home, and I found her already waiting for me. Mazandi has always been strict when it comes to time. That is why I wasted no time in coming here. She was going to give me an earful that would last the whole day.
“Was about to call you. We agreed with eleven on the dot.”
“It’s only five minutes after the time we agreed on.” Why is making a fuss over a God damn time! I gulp my orange juice and close my eyes enjoying it.
“Why are you drinking juice so early in the morning?” she asks glaring at me with so much shock. She knows me as a man that always take care of their health. I am that man that eats healthy cereals in the morning after doing my morning jog.
“It has been my favorite these days.”
She shakes her and laughs out loud.
“I have been wondering as to what happened to the morning sickness. Kanti no, the man is taking the effects for me. Thank you so much.” She continues to laugh. I am left dumbfounded. I don’t even know what the hell she is talking about. The rest of the drive to the hospital is her talking about how much she hates Durban. She is thinking of just going back home to Eshowe and living there for good. We arrived at the doctors. The appointment has already been set.
“Are you, okay?” She asks. I should be asking her not the other way around. The smell of the pills makes me want to puke.
“Mam. Can you please get on the bed for me.” The doctor tells MaZandi. Without questions asked she gladly gets into bed and lifts her shirt up. Her stomach is so flat. I doubt she is pregnant. Pregnant women look pregnant without them even telling you that they are pregnant. You can just tell. Some substance is being smeared on her stomach. She flinches a bit and I rush to her side.
“Is it painful?” I ask.
She laughs a bit and says no. “It’s the gel that is just cold”. I sigh in relief.
“Your baby is right there.” The doctor points out some tiny dot on the screen. All I see is a tsunami. The smile on MaZandi’s face.
“Is it a boy?” I ask.
“She is just ten weeks pregnant.” Doc. “Want To hear a heartbeat?”
“Yes!” MaZandi is having a good one on this. I on the other hand. Lost in the woods.
“Wait. That water has a heartbeat?” I fold my arms across my chest in disbelief. This I would defiantly want to see. Again, some weird music blasts across the room.
“That is the heartbeat. Your baby is healthy as a horse.”
How is that a baby? I think someone is making someone a fool here. I need to google this ten-week baby. Isigaxa. I stand still with my hand still intacted against my chest, my mouth partially opened. I refuse to believe MaZandi has my baby swimming in water.
THE OTHER BROTHER
Start from the beginning
