…
[MABONTLE]
Aunty Lydia is here because I postponed our lunch date. She brought along platters and her alcohol.
‘I had already ordered. Who was supposed to eat all this food?’ she says while dishing up. Kuli is just looking at her with a smile. This woman is something else. She’s wearing mom jeans, Christian Dior slides, a crop top and an oversized white shirt. Her shades are always protocol when she’s outdoors. Either in front of her eyes or safely put away in her hair. She hands us our plates and says we’ll see what to drink because her bev is hers and hers alone. I opt for sparkling water because it helps keep the food down. Kuli doesn’t bother getting up.
After we eat, Aunty takes a chair and comes to sit in front of us.
‘Did it have to do with what’s on that trashy site?’
My sister and I look at each other – both confused.
‘You two cancelling on me?’
I look away and Kuli sighs.
‘How disappointing!’
What?
‘Mabontle, are you really trying to tell me that you were never expecting any of this?’
She’s his aunt. Of course she’s going to try and dilute the situation.
‘What you’re not going to do is live in a bubble, dearest one. Are you listening to me? You are married to a black, African man. Of course your love life will be lukewarm and disappointing. You came here to have fun but you’re allowing him to ruin your time here? In his absence? Not on my watch!’
I am still quiet.
‘Have you ever wondered why I only marry Caucasian? You’re a smart girl. You knew what you were getting yourself into. It’s either you leave and you fight for your peace in this marriage’
‘But how aunty?’
‘Let’s establish where we’re at first. Are you prepared to leave him?’
I look away.
‘You may have not verbalized it but that no is very loud. Now listen up here, the two of you’
Kuli pulls her head back, appalled. I laugh at how she thought I was the only one catching fire here.
‘There’s no man who will choose you over himself, no matter how much he loves you, especially this garbage from royal families. But you women love them because they weigh much more than your average Joe. Ever heard of pretty privilege?’
‘Of course’
‘The first mistake is thinking it only applies to us women. Men know when they have it and they tend to abuse it. If you show him that he can shenan once, he’s definitely going to shenanigan’ she says and taps her flute against the air. I laugh out loud.
Kuli doesn’t get it.
‘Shenan once, shenan again. Shenanigans’ I explain. Aunty pours herself more champagne and a teaspoon of orange juice. Is that supposed to be a mimosa?
‘I don’t even know what feelings what in heterosexual relationships . You’ll die a slow death if you don’t learn transactional “love” but a part of me is happy you still have a heart. That’s still my son at the end of the day’
Which team is this woman playing for in this family?
‘You’re going through a lot but I don’t remember receiving a call from you, shouting for safety. You had to find out about this from stupid blogs’
These two have been discussing me. I can just tell.
‘You were never supposed to find out about her. Someone leaked something, somewhere’
How can she just say it sosimple like it’s supposed to make me feel better?
‘Don’t look at me like that. You’re the one who decided to be married to a prince. Why don’t you ask yourself why us, the princesses who have been in the game for years don’t even want to look at royal men twice?’
‘Who from royalty traumatized you aunty?’ Kuli asks.
‘Child? His name was Edmond. There better be an ambulance nearby the day I bump into that son of a Bantam’
‘Edmond Sokhuli?’ I ask.
‘The one and only’
I cover my mouth.
‘Aunt Lydia!’ Kuli is as shocked as I am. Everyone knows that Edmond is a seasoned skirt chaser.
‘I was young. I need him to try me now, I’d paralyze him’
Who would’ve thought? But why is the mental image of the two of them cute?
‘You’d make an adorable couple’
‘Focus on getting Fikani on a tight leash and stop being a silly girl’ she immediately shuts me up. Kuli wants to laugh,she better contain it.
‘Has he ever made any attempt to get you back?’ She asks. I’m also curious about this love story.
‘It’s been two decades of him trying to make me his fifth wife’
‘Was he your first love?’
‘Love? Sweetheart, he was the man who taught me that when you enter a relationship, you submit a copy of the heart and never the original. That scoundrel almost put me in intensive care’
‘And you’ve never loved anyone else after that?’
‘Men were never meant to be loved’ she’s now drinking from the bottle. Her life is very colourful and interest-hooking. The sun is even setting and she hasn’t run out of things to say. Nothing is surprising though. This is Aunt Lydia we’re talking about.
‘I remember how Edward beat him to pulp the day he came looking for me at home. I was heartbroken and mad that my brother did that to him. Now that I am older and much wiser, I am glad Ed physically prayed for him’
We cannot stop laughing. This man really done did crush her heart. Now I understand why she’s such a material girl and prioritizes nothing else. My phone rings and I move away from the conversation to answer it.
‘Hello?’
‘Hey Bontle, it’s Kurhula. Is Kuli there? Can you talk?’
I don’t have this number. I look back at Kuli. She’s still madly entertained by Aunt Lydia. I go out and close the door.
‘Sure. What’s up?’
‘I need a favour. Can you please make sure that my wife arrives at the location I’m about to send to you right now? Just don’t tell her you’re bringing her to me cause she might not agree’
I don’t even want to ask what’s happening between the two of them but it doesn’t sound like anything light. I also hate seeing her in that morose mood so whatever it is, they need to fix it.
‘Please Bontle’
Where am I even going to start?
‘I’ll see what to do’
‘You’re a star. Thank you’
I go back inside and ask to speak to Aunt Lydia. She’s the perfect person for this job. I lie and say I need her advice. Kuli gets up and says she needs the loo. I am not in the best spirits because my body is showing me flames,the ribs I just had are attempting to wreck my gut as well. I explain the situation to her and she doesn’t hesitate.
‘I need you to meet someone’ she says and gets up when Kuli walks back into the room.
‘Who?’ she asks.
‘My personal shopper. She has an eye for stunning pieces and she’s only here for two days. Paris is calling her name, let’s go’ she’s quick in her speech and steps, then stop. ‘But no. I can’t be seen with you in public while you look like that. Make a plan my girl, do something sensible’ she pushes her back into her room. We both squeeze hands in excitement when Kuli agrees. I really wonder what Kurhula did to get her this mad. She comes back in a casual backless dress and sandals. You can never separate my daddy’s child with backless dresses. She always looks pretty in orange. It brightens up her glow.
Aunty takes out a small cosmetic bag from her handbag and pulls her close.
‘Who’s your lash tech? Love these individuals’ she compliments while lining her lip with brown lip liner.
‘Forgot her name. She has a store at the mall though’ Kuli responds while trying to keep her lips still.
‘Nothing a nude lippie can’t fix’ Aunty says while applying it on her.
‘Please don’t take long otherwise I’m gonna get bored here’ I play along. This needs to be convincing. She cannot catch on until she gets there.
‘You should come with. Maybe the fresh air will do you good, the nausea might go away?’
‘What I need is a nap’
‘Suit yourself’ Aunty says and drags her out.
…
[KULANI]
I can’t believe I couldn’t tell that those two were playing me. He’s here, standing in the middle of an empty restaurant with a rose in his hand. I am just standing by the entrance, not sure if I should walk in, or even entertain this conversation to begin with. He walks towards me and hands me the flower. I take it and smell it.
‘Hi’
‘Hey’ I greet back. Missing him is excruciating but I don’t think I have the strength for this. He goes down on one knee and takes my hand. I look away.
‘Mbilu ya Kurhula. Mhana Vutlhari. There is absolutely nothing I can say to justify what happened the last time we were together. That was the dumbest shxt I’ve ever done in my life and I’m judging myself for it, heavily so’ he exhales out loud.
‘I love you, Kulani. I cannot lose you baby otherwise I’d lose my fvcking mind. I know how selfish and conceited this must sound but I am not going to stand here and pretend like I can function without you’
The love I have for this man is going to be the death of me, literally.
‘You strangled me, Kurhula. I…’
Just the thought of that incident has a tear racing down my cheek.
He stands up.
‘I did not mean to, I swear. I don’t know what came over me and—‘
‘Let me finish. I am emotionally exhausted and you’re not the only reason why. Every time I convince myself that I am strong enough for the life I am supposed to live, something always happens that shows me that I am still the sensitive and weak girl I was a couple of years ago’
‘You’re the strongest woman I know. So much that it scares me sometimes’
‘I am back at the point of wanting to brave it out and end it all. I just… I am exhausted’
He frowns. ‘What do you mean by ending it all?’
I shouldn’t have said that. He raises my chin and forces me to look at him.
‘Are you suicxdal, Kuli?’
‘I am but I know better’
‘I’ll do anything to see you smile again’
‘Forgive your father. Humble yourself and buy the goat then fix his tombstone’
He tightly swallows.
‘I will. I can’t allow Edward to keep taking from me even beyond the grave. I will do it’
I didn’t expect that. He sounds sure and certain. There’s zero hesitation in his voice.
‘I am willing to do anything to fix this. This includes grovelling to your father while he beats me to death’
Laughter leaves me amidst the tears.
‘If he finds out about this, we might as well consider this over’
He doesn’t say anything. He just continues remorsefully looking me in the eye.
‘You’re forgiven. Just promise me that something like this will never happen again’
He picks me up and spins me around – holding me super tight. He puts me down and kisses all the life out of me.
‘I swear on the Senior’s name. On Mavengana’s grave, this will never ever happen again’ he kisses me again while we hold hands.
‘The thought of losing you almost killed me’
‘You should’ve died’ I jab and he laughs out loud.
‘I guess I deserve that’ he agrees with his hand on his chest, like he’s covering a physical pain.
‘I am joking. Losing you would kill me as well’
‘I am tempted to get you out of this dress’ he seductively speaks with his hands on my bare back.
‘What’s stopping you?’
‘I am savouring this moment, and there’s people at the back’
We’re both not blinking while staring at each other.
‘Let’s get out of here then’ I suggest and he gives me a sly smile.
‘Sure?’
‘I want you to show me how sorry you are’
‘You know that your wish is my command, right?’ he says and gets me to twirl for him. He unexpectedly pulls towards him and breathes against my face. I thought he was about to kiss me but no, his eyes are simply moving all over my face.
‘You’re a gorgeous human being, Nwa-Khalanga. The fact that I get to call you my wife always feels so surreal’
The smile pulls at the corners of my lips.
‘Now let’s go so I can earn my forgiveness in between these thighs’
‘Your place or mine?’
‘Mine. I don’t want to subject your sister to your loud moans’
I laugh through a gasp.
‘I am not that crazy loud!’
‘You will be today’
Damn…
CHAPTER 21
Start from the beginning
