Betso saw it best to excuse Manqoba, whose mood had turned to the smell of ruined milk. Now the SMS she decided to pay no mind to resurfaced in her brain. She initially thought it was just Enhle having one of her crazy outbursts that she always lives to regret later but the problem seemed to be heavier on the scale than it seemed. She sat on the bed and contemplated calling her to ensure that everything was okay. She dialled her number the moment she stopped thinking too much about it and waited for her to answer.
"Yes?", that was Enhle's intentionally rude reply.
"Are you okay?"
"I am perfect. Why do you ask?"
"Bathong Enhle what is the meaning of the message you sent to me in the afternoon?"
"I meant exactly what I wrote there"
"Why would you even think I'd sleep with your man? My husband's older brother? Are you insane?"
"Who are you calling insane Betso?! Child get off your high horse and stop pretending like your marriage is perfect. Muzi cheats like his life depends on it and you out here trying to act holier than thou", Enhle shot out with aggression.
"And where is that even coming from? Yoh yazin? Sorry I called. Bye", Betso put an immediate stop to the conversation. She brought the screen to her eyes and scoffed, in pure disbelief. When she stood up to go check on Manqoba, Muzi was standing by the door. Looking like the brand ambassador for exhaustion.
"Baby?"
"Sthandwasami", he replied before walking in.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough", he extended his hands, requesting a hug. She rushed into his arms and he tightened them around her.
"What message did Enhle send to you in the afternoon?", he asked steadily with his chin over her head. Betso swallowed before answering, not sure that she should.
"She said I mustn't sleep with Manqoba just because you're not around"
He pushed her by her shoulders and frowned, with his hands still on her.
"What?"-Muzi
She nodded.
"To be honest I feel insulted", she lowly let out.
"As you should. No MQ must get his bxtch in line. She's going too far", he said with irritation. "What else did she say?", he added.
"That...", she almost told him what she said about him but decided against it. "Forget her. You must be hungry", she said, pulling him by the hand". He pulled her back.
"Aren't you going to ask me about the arrest?", he lodged his eyes on her. She dropped her shoulders.
"I'm really not sure I want to know", she loosened her hold on his hands. He didn't. They just sat there motionlessly lounging in his.
"Well I want to tell you what happened..."
"Would you have if you never got arrested?", she maintained eye contact, eyes filled with disappointment. He dropped his face.
"Khumalo, I am raising male kids here. You're a great father trust me, but that also has its cons. You know they see an epitome of perfection when they look at you. All three of them. They behave and talk like you do, more or less. Everything you do is correct in their eyes...", she reprimanded with calm as he kept his ashamed face down.
"Ngiyaxolisa mommy. I am really sorry. I am sorry for being a potentially bad example but I am not sorry for killing that bustard", he said and Betso gave up.
"There's something I need to tell you", she began confessing and he raised his face from the floor. She led him to the bed and they sat.
"I did something"-Betso.
"Okay?"
"I... I bribed a policeman"
"What for?"
"Your son was arrested for assault. I had to get him out"
"The stolen accounts thing?"
"Yes. See why I don't want them seeing you get arrested, hear about you killing people and the likes?", Betso reluctantly agreed.
"Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
She nodded.
"It's okay", he said, looking at her suspiciously.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"-Betso. It took a moment before he could reply.
"Mm-mh nex. Let me go share a drink with the bro before I shower and we sleep okay? I promised him I'll be back", he said and she nodded. He got up to give her a brief kiss, which deepened with no intention at all.
...
THE NEXT DAY...
After Mxo sat his grandmother down to sweet talk her into borrowing him her car for a personal "errand" and succeeded in assuring her that he will be safe, he went behind the house to steal a few of her flowers for Ndalo, without permission. He placed them in the backseat and went past the shops to get a few goodies from Checkers and McD. He established that she loves the junk from the latter. She came to the car that he'd parked at a distance, in a simple jean-tee-Vans outfit.
"Aren't you going to open the door for me like they do in movies?", she teased as a greeting. He never saw her approaching, distracted by his phone. He laughed and she got in the car.
"You look cute", he complimented as he leaned in for a hug.
"Thank you. You look cute too", she said and he frowned.
"Ayikho indoda e cute"(There's no such thing as a cute man)
Ndalo laughed.
"Oh please. Who taught you that?"
"My dad", he said before leading his upper body in the direction of the back to get the flowers. She was about to stop him before she began sneezing. She gestured with her hands that he made a wrong move and that she did not want the flowers. She couldn't speak. The sneezes now had a more dangerous friend- wheezing.
"Baby what's wrong?", his panicked self threw the flowers on the dashboard and tried to get her to breathe. He opened all the windows with speed and tried to think. He wasn't able to think properly. Ndalo had her hands on her neck and occasionally beating her chest.
"Okay... okay...", he said to himself as he dialled his mother's number.
