Zanokuhle

Chapter 49

ZANOKUHLE

Chapter49

REFILWE

It's a bit cold today in this weather. I just woke up and cooked some samp with beans  because I felt like having it.  I didn't know what to do these days, quiet frankly I do not know what to do since I found out I was pregnant. My source of income came from going to clubs and entertaining men and now the income I have is for being pregnant and being able to take care of myself and my cravings.
My stomach is growing though, it shows now than it did before. I don't know how that really happened because one night my stomach seemed flat and the next it didn't seem as flat as before. 
Maybe I might be feeling bloated or maybe it is just how things happen. 
I have cleaned the apartment. Chat with my friends to try and see when they are free so we could atleast have some lunch together.
I am getting bored out of my mind lately and at some point I think I will move back home but I can't leave this city, the father of this child lives here.
I get cuddled up under the fleece and get a bit warm. A knock comes from my door and I wonder who it is. I pause what I am watching and then I move off the couch and go to the door wondering who it is and I open it and I come face to face with a life size teddy bear in front of my door and appears out of nowhere and I get a little fright.
“I didn't mean to scare you”,He says and I look at him. 
“It’s okay, what are you doing here?”,I ask. 
I don't want his drama filled life to come here to my apartment today. I am really not in the mood for the lack of whatever it is that is in his marriage that now I am faulted for. 
“I just wanted to come and apologize.  I know I have made your life complicated by bringing in my marital situation in it and I just wanted to say I am sorry”,He seems genuine about it too.
I sigh because honestly I just want to get back on that couch and watch what I was watching.
“It's okay. You could've sent a message or called”,I say.
“That wouldn't seem genuine. Peace?”,He offers the teddy bear.
“What is it for?"
“Something to keep you company until the baby is here”
I look at him.
“Who told you that I don't have company?”
“Well you are easy to study and know so it was just that easy”,I grab the bear. 
“Thank you”,I take it.
“Okay, I have to rush to work”,I nod my head. 
“Okay bye”,He leaves and I close the door and stand against it and look at this teddy bear. 
I take it to my room and place it on the bed before I go back to where I was seated and enjoy what I was watching once more. 

ZANOKUHLE

The ceremony is going well so far, I have found Nkosana's cousin and we have been seated together since then. She is a nice person well everyone here seems very nice in this place. We are outside watching the old men get drunk and are dancing by the tent. I try to imitate them and the cousin laughs and I join in with her. 
I see Tusani making his way towards us and I frown. He gets to us and he stands in front of us. 
“Sanibonani”,He greets and I keep quiet.
“Yebo, how are you?”,the cousin answers. 
“I am well, may I talk to Sis Zano?”,He asks and she looks at me.  
“I will be just a few metres away.”,She says and I nod my head. 
She really stands at a distance but I can still see her. 
“How are you?”,He asks and I keep quiet. 
I don't have anything to say to this man. He used and abused me when I thought he was being my friend.
“You don't have to be silent”
“I don't want to talk to you. Doesn't that say anything"
“I know you are maybe angry about our last encounter but I was right to be angry because you ended up with the same man we fought about.",I scoff.
“You are crazy"
“I am not. Do you know how manipulative that man is and you chose to trust him and were too dumb and cheap to belie...”,I slap him and my palm turns red instantly and it stings and I hear a gasp behind me. 
“You will not talk about Nkosana that way or me.  You are the rubbish bag here and I don't want to talk to you. Don't you ever talk to me like”,I say and I feel my chest rising rapidly.
“Great if you protect someone who takes advantage of your mental state”,He says.
I fold my arms.
“Does your rude girlfriend know that you took me from home and would prevent me from doing anything either than having sex with you?”,I say. 
His face changes.
“You wouldn't dare”,he says through his teeth.
I am tired of Tusani trying to bully me. 
“Watch me”,I say and try to walk away but he grabs my arm roughly and I scream. Nkosana's cousin comes in a rush and pulls us away from each other.
“Thats enough!”,She says and points at Tusani. 
As she is between us I rush off and run and he sees that I am running away and he runs after me. 
I can hear his heavy footsteps. I run around  the yard until I see Nkosana standing with someone I don't know and I run to him. 
“He is chasing me!”,I scream and Nkosana turns to my direction and he frowns. I run to his arms and he holds me. 
“What happened?”,He asks.
“Tusani was forcing me to talk to him and he said bad things about me and you and...”
“Where is he?"
“He is somewhere”,I say and he lets me go.
“I will sort it out. Come”,He says and we both go together and when we find Tusani he is with his girlfriend and his friend with the cousin I was with and also another aunt. 
Nkosana let's go of my hand as we reach them and stands in front of him and points to his chest.
“I warned you to stay away from my fiancee but you think that I was playing when I said that!”,Sanele tries to come between them. 
“Bafo please calm down”,he says.
“I am not scared of you! Does Zano know the kind of monster she has set herself up to?Huh? That you kill people like nothing and...”,Nkosana throws the first punch and Tusani returns it and Sanele risks in getting between them as the women scream to try and get them to stop. 
Nkosana overpowers him and gets ontop of him and carries on beating him.
Tusani’s woman drags me off the scene and she folds her arms standing in front of me. 
“What do you want from my husband?”
“Nothing”,I frown. What would I want from Tusani.
“Something is going on between the both of you and you will tell me"
“Ask”,I say and she frowns.
“Tell me",She says.
“Tusani took me from my home and brought me to Cape town and I didn't know he had you until he abused me one day and I ran off. I don't want anything to do with...”,She slaps me and I gasp.
She slaps me again and I push her away from me and I touch my throbbing cheek.
“Thats for sleeping with my man and ...”,I slap her back and she gasps and I bite her shoulder and she screams.
Who does she think she is.
One drunk man comes to grab me off her as she was pulling my head to get me off her and someone else attends to her. 
“I am sorry, I will not do anything to her",I say to the man and he lets me go and the lady is attending her shoulder. 
“Are you sick or something?!”,This woman shouts.
“You started it”,I say and rush off leaving her there and I get back to the scene at hand and Tusani is bloody and so as Nkosana's hands. 
His father and grandparents are here and some men help Tusani up and they take him inside per Grandmother's instructions.
“You can't behave like this Nkosana you are a father and example now and...”,He is fuelled.
He turns away from the elders and he comes and grabs my hand and he picks me up and puts me over his shoulder like a sack and walks off and I watch the defeated look on his grand parents faces. 
“I am sorry”,I mime as he walks away. 
.
Silence has been prevailing between the both of us since we left his home. We went to a petrol station and I went to buy some water and now we are here out of nowhere together. I wash his hands and so as mine and he took off his top and has been staring into space for some time.
“You are not a monster or bad person”,I say and wrap my arms around his waist.
“To you”,He says.
“You are taking what Tusani said seriously?”,I ask. 
He looks down on me. 
“I am just realising that it won't be long until you realise some things about me",He says.
I frown a little.
“Like?”,He shakes his head and leans to kiss my lips and I return the kiss. He breaks it there after. 
“I love you and I know I speak for the kids too and nothing will ever change that”,I say and he lightly smiles. 
“Your cheek is red. What happened?”
“Tusani's woman hit me after she demanded answers. I made sure to leave my mark.”,I say.
“What did you do?”,He asks and I smile.
“I bite her and slapped her back My aunt would be proud of me”,He laughs throwing his head back. 
“She really would be proud of you.”,He carries on laughing.  
I am happy that he isn't feeling gloomy now. 
.
It has been quiet a few days and we had to leave the Mthimkhulu home and go back to our lives even though the granny wanted me to stay but I have some school to finish and also it was nice staying but I don't want to be far away from Nkosana anymore but I did promise to visit.
We are now all on our way to Johannesburg.  I am still going to be alternating between Capetown and Johburg until I am done with school of I can find a similar school there and ask for a transfer. 
I called my friends and asked them if they will be able to come to the apartment for some dinner. I can't wait to tell them that I have babies now. I have been very quiet about these news for a while now and I need to tell them honestly that I am a mother now just like them. 
The boys have been a bit restless today and I don't know why, maybe it is the change of the environment but they will have to adjust and like it too. 
“I am nervous about telling the girls”,I say and Nkosana looks at me as he has the other twin in his arms.
“Don't be. Everything will go okay, you don't have to worry",He says and I nod my head. 
The drive was pretty long and I also cannot wait to get back home. 
We soon get to the apartment and his parents were ahead of us. We get out of the car and make our way to his place. We get inside and I see my aunt and sisters.  What is she doing here?
“Aunty, what are you doing here?”,I ask and the girls rush to us and go for the kids and forget about me. Their sister who they have known longer.
“I came to see my grand children. Hawu Zano what do you mean what am I doing here?”,She asks with a frown and pulls me in a hug before she lets me go and goes to hug Nkosana.
“Mkhwenyana wakwami, uyaphila kodwa?(My son in law, are you well?)”,The smile? She didn't give me that smile.
“Ngiyaphila ma( I am well ma)",He answers. 
She lets him go and goes to the boys and looks at them. She soon opens her purse and takes out R2 coins and stick 2 on their foreheads. 
Isn't she working like tomorrow or something?