Every heart in that hospital room bounced near and off the coals when Muzi assured that he was fine. Everyone was laughing, except Evelyn. Muzi has always been her baby boy, no matter how many times he mentioned how much of a grown man he was. Imagining him in a state that was anything but himself paralyzed her peace.
"I'm seeing all of you here but ukuphi umfazi wami?"(Where is my wife?), he asked and the smile on his face gradually evaporated when he realized that theirs were changing.
"Ma?", he questioned further. He bent his neck to ask Manqoba, who was standing next to his pillow.
"Eish... bafo...", no other words were willing to come out. Muzi tried to sit. Evelyn and the doctor pushed him back to the bed by his shoulders.
"She gave birth!", it quickly slipped out from her.
"What?", his muscles loosened and he laid back willingly. "How long have I been out? Where is she? Where's my baby girl?"
"The baby is fine and healthy. But mom is unconscious", Lwandile let out. Muzi immediately removed the sheet and tried again to stand.
"Mr Khumalo. I will advise you not to do that. Your wife is under very good care and she's receiving the best medical assistance we can offer. You're not ready to be exhausting your self like this", the doctor tried restraining and reasoning with him. Muzi wouldn't have it.
"You will not be allowed to see her anyway dad. Neither of us have", Melo jumped in. Muzi did not have enough strength to keep fighting. He exhaled while sitting up, still hooked to the machines by cords and wires.
"What happened?"
"In simple terms, her body is misbehaving but I have sent her blood to the lab. The results should be back by one".
Muzi faced up and shut his eyes.
"Doctor?"-Muzi
"Yes?"
"I want to see my wife"
"You can't"
Muzi deflated his chest and sat thoughtfully.
"Can I see my daughter?", it came out more of an instruction than a request. The doctor nodded.
"If you promise to sit still, I will bring her to you"
"McStuffin, I said bring my damn daughter!"
"Calm down", Thando pleaded.
"Nxn!", he shot out when the doctor finally walked out.
A nurse walked in wheeling the Jellytot in and everybody's eyes immediately got fixed on her through the glass protecting her. Muzi's fury immediately died down. The nurse pushed the small bed with a smile.
"Say hello family", she said in a babying tone. She was sucking on her fingers in her sleep. Muzi carefully sat up and waited for the nurse to hand him the baby. When she did, everyone leaned in to watch her. She was small but her presence made a difference. It was felt. It mattered.
Muzi's eyes were fixated on her as she continued to sleep in his arms.
"Umfaz wam gave birth to herself here", he hushly remarked. He was gently rubbing her tender cheeks. She eventually opened her big eyes. Instead of crying, she stared back.
"Mom's womb is a photocopy machine", Mxo said and the room filled with light, loving laughter. Jellytot had a round head full of black hair.
"She doesn't have a name", Melo reminded.
"She does", Muzi huskily replied but never moved his eyes from her.
"She does?", Lwandile and Mxolisi asked at the same time.
"Yes. Odaliwe Khumalo", he informed.
"I love it. MaMbulazi", Thando immediately agreed.
"Mind me asking why?", the nurse curiously asked. Muzi took a moment before he could reply.
"I fetched it", he responded. Evelyn and Thando immediately understood. The kids knew nothing about the happenings of his last accident.
"Fetched it?", the nurse was confused.
"It's complicated", Thando said with a smile and punctuated with a laugh.
"She only has one name?", Mxo was baffled. Nobody has a single name in that family.
"No. Her mom will name her when she wakes up", he said with certainty.
...
After struggling to get Muzi to let the baby go rest, he began insisting on seeing his wife. The doctor had no choice but to put him to sleep. He was also a patient who needed to rest. The family left him and Manqoba pulled Mxolisi to the side.
"Wena sphongo senja. Did I not specifically tell you to use condoms?!", he shot out. Mxo gave a regretful straight smile.
"Urhh a lot of things happened that night MQ"
"Well, you have damages to pay now. Does your father know about this? And please, there will be no abortion here or anything snaxx", he asked as he held on tighly to Mxo's upper arm, holding him closely so the rest don't hear their conversation.
"Yeah he knows. I don't want her ukuthi askhiphe MQ. I want us to keep it", he explained with sincerity.
"Hee. You sound ready"
Mxo swallowed.
"I'm not. But I don't have a choice. I will be when the baby gets here. In fact I need to call her she must be fuming right now"
"I hope this is the first and the last baby for the next 9 years"
A laugh escaped Mxo's throat. His phone rang when he was about to reply. He questioned himself why Sbusiso would call him at that time of the night. They were kinda friends yes but not close enough that he would call him around midnight.
"Sbuda?", he took the call and Manqoba just stood there, waiting for him to get done so he could continue frying him. He took out his phone to check on his wives.
"Mxo. Mfethu. Ndalo is missing", Sbu informed and Mxo immediately shrunk his face.
"What do you mean she's missing?"
Manqoba stopped typing but never moved his fingers from the screen. He raised his brow and Mxo kept rigid eye contact while listening to Sbu.
"Grace apparently saw her screaming in a car that looks like the one that always take her home this afternoon"
Mxo felt a few springs unhook from his sanity.
"How sure is she that it wasn't the same car?"
"She says Vovo's car has three Apple stickers at the back. That one doesn't"
"Did she at least take the number plate?"
"I don't think so. Let me send you a screenshots of her post"
Mxo dropped the hand with the phone in it.
"Who's missing?"
"Ndalo. Apparently she was kidnapped"
Mxo was trying hard to think of a possible suspect.
"Stay here",Manqoba stated without a grain of doubt in his voice. The rest of the family had went to go get some food. They all last nibbled on breakfast in the morning. Mxo followed him.
"I'm not staying anywhere. I am coming with you"
"Mxolisi. I'm not gonna repeat myself"
"Mbulazi. With all due respect, this is the mother of my child we're talking about. The love of my life. You stay then!", he shot out.
"It is equally my grandchild that's in danger. I will find her. I promise". Mxo disregarded everything he just said and grabbed the keys from MQ's hand. Manqoba just knew that he wasn't going to win this one.
"Okay. Asambe ke"(Let's go then). They then left without any goodbye or explanation, the same way they both did back at the house.
