On that Sunday, Betso woke up first. Muzi was still fast asleep on his stomach, his head rested on his one arm. She made her way out of bed and into the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she stepped into the shower. When she came out, her sight fell on Muzi by the basin.
"Good morning", she said adoringly while carefully stepping out of the shower so she doesn't slip.
"Morning baby", he gave a muffled greeting since his mouth was full of toothpaste and a brush. She fixed and tightened the towel around her body before hugging him from behind, placing her head on his bare back. He continued with his business until he was done. He then pulled the towel off its round metallic hanger on the wall and wiped his mouth.
"You okay?", he asked before turning to face her and place his cold hands on her cheeks, after playfully fixing her shower bonnet. She nodded with a smile.
"Are YOU okay?", she asked with her hands on his waist.
"You're smiling. That's all it takes to make my day no matter how bad it would've turned out", he rubbed her chin.
"Uhm, we need to talk", she alerted and he frowned.
"A...bout?, curiosity anxiously took over. She laughed.
"Why do you suddenly look like you've seen a stripper ghost?", she continued chuckling up. He had no choice but to laugh as well.
"I told you how much I hate those four words"
"You must've done something you shouldn't have then", she said and he laughed harder before picking her up like a bride.
"Lutho njan"(I've done nothing), he assured before smothering her lips with his. He placed her on the bed and sat in a squat in front of her.
"I'm all ears"-Muzi. She took his hands and exhaled with her lips puckered in a smile.
"Hawu. Kwenzenjan wa moyizela kab'hlungu kanje? Is it something I've done?", he questioned with a baffled and curious smile. She nodded. The excitement was beginning to choke her.
"And that is?"
"Uhm let me see... gave me another baby?", the smile on her face was reaching her ears as his diminished in confusion.
"If this is a joke then it's not funny baby?"
Betso laughed.
"I am not joking! I am 6 months pregnant!", she exclaimed and laughed even harder.
"Wait what?", the confusion further consumed him as his eyes scanned her tummy.
"Where is the baby?", he asked and his lip was left hanging.
"Somewhere in here. I suspected that I might be pregnant then mom said we should go see my doctor. She performed an ultrasound scan when we got there and bam, I found out that I'm about to be a mother again", she informed and placed her hands on his head.
"But how? The scarring. They said--"
"I don't know baby all I know is that we're about to parents again"
She stood up when the news rendered him speechless. She fetched the printed scan from her handbag and came to sit back down in front of him. He hadn't moved. She handed it to him and he studied it with growing admiration.
"Do you know the gender?"
Betso shook her head in disapproval and watched him slowly brushing and running his thumb on the scan, still in disbelief. He then knelt and placed the side of his head against her tummy, hugging her. She hugged him back and caressed his brush-cut head.
"Mrs Khumalo?", he hoarsely called for attention.
"Hm?"
"Ngiyabonga mama. Words fail me. I don't have enough vocabulary to express how happy you've just made me", he whispered and hugged her even tighter. A tear settled on her eye and fell on his scalp when she shut her lids.
"Can we pray? I feel like we should for some reason"-Betso.
This took Muzi by surprise since she barely does what she was asking of him. Neither did he.
"Sure?", he agreed, however. They held hands as they knelt down on the carpet. A brief laughter escaped her lip and he opened his eyes to see what was going on. She still had hers closed.
"I don't even know where to start. God is surely going to have a heart attack at the sound of my voice", she said and Muzi couldn't contain his own laughter.
"Uyathandaza or ngisukume mina la?"(Are you praying or should I stand up?)
Betso's laugh delivered itself in breaks and pieces. She was trying too hard to be serious.
"I can just imagine him calling Moses ukuthi ezombonisa lemihlola ayibonayo la"(... to help him spectate the taboo he's seeing here)
Betso wrapped up her laughter and said, "Okay okay. On a serious note now..."
Muzi closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"Papa Modimo yo maatla Modimo yasa hloleng ke selo. Re tlile pele ga sefahlego sa Gago ka Sabatha e, gotlo kgopela tshireletso. Ke kgopella lapa laka kokeletso ya matsatsi a bophelo. Please protect and strengthen this pregnancy to full term. Bless the birth and arrival of this precious little one. Bless the life of baby Miracle. Amen"(Father, God of all might the God who makes all things possible. We come before you today on this Sabbath to plead for protection, for my entire family. I am asking that You extend all the days of their lives, she stated her plea and they both opened their eyes.
"Baby Miracle?", he asked with a slight smile and a raised brow.
"That's his womb name", she said and laughed.
"His?", he questioned with the same tone.
"I'm hoping it's a boy", she said as they stood up and he placed his hands around her waist.
"Hayi baby abafana abangaka. I'm hoping that it's a girl this time. I never got to raise Ava as a baby. I can just imagine nje. Daddy's little girl. Ngizom'spoil nize nimemeze ukuthi kfanele nginqandwe"(I'm going to spoil her until you all scream that I should be stopped), he said and she laughed before he could even finish his sentence.
"Since you're on this prayer warrior tip today would you have a problem menginga shis' impepho?"(... if I burn some incense?)
He still had his hands on her waist.
"Of course not", she assured and brushed his beard.
"I was just making sure", he teased and turned her around so he could caress her tummy.
"She must be so small", he remarked. Betso laughed.
"I also couldn't believe that there's a baby in here"
