A Mother's Pride

Chapter 38

Mmampho's POV

"Water? Spill!" She says. By now we both know what a glass of water for her means.

"So...I might have told Chris that I do not love him anymore so he should stop following me around. And that I got over him." I clench my teeth together and wait in anticipation for whatever probable lecture she has for me.

"Oh my gosh! Why would you do that?"

"Because...I am trying to get over him. I just feel like it's high time Chris moved on okay? Or he got the fact that I am not a good woman for him, I also need a break from dating Mavis."

She lets out a sigh and takes a sip from the water I poured for her.

"So that's why he's been moping around the house the whole week."

"What do you mean? Moping?"

"You broke the poor guy. He has eye bags under his eyes. He is never home. I do not remember the last time I saw him, it was just yesterday because I left the house really late due to the rain and that's when I saw his eye bags, they are really bad Mmampho. He leaves too early before I even get there and comes back really late, literally, he got home at  eleven last night.

And if he comes early, he is always working on his laptop and the lounge table is always filled with papers from work and I have to clean that up every morning when I get there but I find it the same way the next morning. A mess! I have worked for him for so many years and I have never seen Chris make such a mess or work for such long hours. And when he talks, it's like he is carrying so much pain.  It is just so sad to look at. He forgets things. He literally asked me where his car keys were and he had them in his hand, he asked me for like three times. It was a like a person with a hangover or something. You broke him." She is blaming me.

Really? Is it that bad? I never thought he cared about me that much or how much this whole thing could have affected him. Did he mean it when he said he is in love with me? Now I feel awful.

"No! No! I am not going to allow you to make me feel horrible for making a decision that I feel is right for me and in some way, he will realize that it is right for him too. And people can...be forgetful as...as they age and eye bags... eye bags are probably because he works too much like you said and maybe he is never home because he is preparing for the biggest pitch of his life. You don't need to overthink this Mavis, it has nothing to do with me.

"And that mess too, it's probably just that he has loads of work and maybe gets too tired to clean up afterwards. Look I don't know what's wrong with your boss but do not blame me."

I don't like the sudden feeling of guilt that is rumbling inside of me. The worst part is that I have been handling this better than him. I mean I cried a few times and it crossed my mind too and I wished I could take it back but it was never as horrible as Mavis says Chris is.

"Mmampho! What work? We both know that he always has his job under control and it never affects him this way. And do you think coincidentally, he gets so much work load on the week that you broke his heart?" She shouts. Why is she shouting at me?

"Yes I think so Mavis." I say affirmatively and I finish the glass of water that was in front of her. Seriously, can't this feeling of guilt just pass already?

"Chris is a good guy Mmampho and you have been treating him like crap, if we're being totally honest. You were lucky enough to find a wonderful guy like Chris and you broke his heart. A lot of people would envy what you had. He does not deserve this, not at all. You came into his life and made it better only to leave him empty at the end. Why would you do something so cruel?