After another identity fight with his mother, Mthokozisi left her house and headed towards Sfiso’s.
“Baba!”, he yelled to no response when he found the front door unlocked. He yelled once more but Sfiso never replied.
He walked into the first room to search for him but he wasn’t there. He stopped walking when he felt like he was hearing moans from the next room. He paid careful attention with a frown on his face. The moans grew louder and confirmed what he thought was happening. He sighed and shook his head. He dropped his weight on the bed, lazily looking around. The fxck-me-harders were getting louder and more irritating. He shot up from the bed wanting to leave but the forest-green checkered sleeve that appeared from the slightly open wardrobe caught his attention. It looked new and expensive but definitely on his father’s style. The same Sfiso who wore washed out worksuits to his friends’ weddings owning a designer item? Nah.
He walked closer to inspect it. He loved it for himself. He took it out and fitted it. It was a bit big on him. He walked to the mirror to check himself out. He laughed to himself when he imagined Sfiso in it. The mere image of that didn’t make any sense. He inserted his hands into the pockets and shrunk his face when he felt a hard item in one of them. He took it out and immediately popped his eyes when he realized it was a Hublot watch he was holding in his hands. There is no way Sfiso could afford that. No fxcking way. He inspected the watch some more and started doing the math. Rain drops started hitting the roof.
He scoffed before taking the jacket off so he could raid the room more comfortably. He threw it on the bed and knelt down next to it, looking underneath. A thin and long box was carefully placed under the bed on top of the brown and never vacuumed carpet. He could see it was a box even though it was dark under there. He thought about lifting the bed but decided against it. It was going to waste time. He went back to the wardrobe and searched it. He skipped Sfiso’s usual old clothes and took out the brown box he noticed on the floor of the wardrobe. It was a storeroom for Sfiso’s old shoes, soccer magazines and ancient cassette tapes and vinyls. He unpacked them to find anything suspicious. He found exactly what he was looking for. Stacks of cash and three more designer watches.
“What the—“, he had two in his hands when he heard Sfiso and lady laughing. He dropped them in the box and dashed out of the house.
…
Evelyn took her usual evening bubble bath and brushed her teeth, watching the rain fall through the window above her square mirror. She was a lover of rain. She enjoyed the smell of the soil after it stops. She took longer than usual to brush her teeth – distracted. When she finally spat out the paste and washed her mouth, she took some mouthwash into her mouth and spat that out also. She then grabbed the towel meant to wipe her mouth and did just that, standing upright with her eyes shut. She kept the towel there and opened her eyes. Her heart almost stopped when she realized a figure standing behind her. Her late husband stood there calmly like there was nothing wrong with that set up. Her breathing rate was untamed and out of control.
“Awulaleli. Awuzwa” (You don’t listen), he said with so much dominance, looking at her through the mirror. She wanted to speak, but yet again, her tongue was tied and twisted like a wet and rusted old rope.
“Ngizamile ukuk’ khulumela. Ngethembe uma ngithi ngizamile. Kodwa ngoba ufuna ukubona ngamehlo, impela yilokho ozok’thola”(I tried to advocate for you. Trust me I have tried but because you’re a Thomas, that’s exactly what you’re going to reap”
Her heart thudded against her chest and she felt the ice cold blood in it mix up abruptly. She quickly turned to face him to beg for mercy but it was like he was never there.
She ran out of the room like a madwoman in her long silky nighty and matching robe.
“Haibo ujahwa uban?!”(Who is chasing you?!), a stupefied Manqoba questioned after catching and stopping her from running past him. Her breathing was labored amd rough. She pointed forward and he nodded so she could speak. Her knees couldn’t sustain her. She fell back in his arms as her eyes slowly shut.
“Ma?!”, he yelled out and gave gentle slaps on her cheek to shake up her sinking consciousness. She felt her temperature and it was normal. Melo came out of his room to see what was going on and he immediately ran towards the room to check on his ugogo.
“What happened to her?”, he asked before he could also feel her temperature with his palm.
“I have no idea”, Manqoba said as he waited for the family doctor to answer her phone.
“Dr Xulu hi. I am terribly sorry for calling you this late but can you quickly, quickly come to the house please?”, he politely asked and waited for a response. “Sure thanks”, he cut the call and handed Melo the phone. He then carried Evelyn back to her bedroom.
Episode 62
Start from the beginning
