SIMPHIWE SHANDU THE HUSBAND
CHAPTER 14
SIMPHIWE
It was meant to be a peaceful night but everything turned out to be a porn disaster. I don’t know how this couple manages to make love in that crazy manner – highly unprofessional. I have confirmed that with Bagqibile the sex is boring. He is nothing compared to Nozi. The slip of tongue, yes. I did not mean to call out for Nozi while intimate with her. The screams just made me remember my wife even more.
I tried tracking her last night but her phone is not connected but the car is at home. Which is a good sign, right? She went to the pharmacy; I wonder what that was for and to some place which I assume is Sigujana’s place.
I sigh with my shoulders tired. I need to go out for fresh air. No way in hell I am enjoying this stay in. Everything about it – it's just draining. maybe if Nozi was here, everything would have been lighter and glimmer. But you cannot always wish for everything.
“I will be back.” I say limping towards the door. She is still sulking. She should understand that things like these happen, especially for us married men.
“So, you are just going to walk off and pretend that you didn't call me by your wife's name while you were on top of me?”
I knew that her mouth was itching. I stopped inches away from the door and turned to face her.
“Bagqibile, I am...”
“Not in the mood! Simphiwe I am tired with this hide and seek. I am tired of being your second best. You are failing to love me. I am starting to think I made the biggest mistake of my life!” I am taken back by her sudden outburst.
“I will be paying for the damages this month end.” I quickly changed the topic. I am really in no mood to contemplating her.
“I am stressed - I don’t even know how to tell my wife about this situation. That is why her name always slips out whenever I try to come up with ways of telling her the shit, I have put myself into.” I will continue to add.
I see her crossing her arms.
“I will go get breakfast.” She walks past me and steps out of the room. I sink on the bed. I do not have the energy to deal with her. And besides I will have to go home to my wife now. Hope everything is still good. I cannot imagine my life without Nozi.
BAGQIBILE
Simphiwe really takes me for granted. He doesn’t understand anything at all. To him everything is just a game. Heartache is so painful. I wish I could do something to take the pain away, but I can't.
Everyone looks happy except for me. I thought I saw Jele passing by with a bunch of red roses.
Lucky woman. I think maybe finding a man that will love me will not hurt. I can't be stuck to a man that does not even consider me or even considers my feelings.
“Just a pretty face looking all sad.”
Did God answer my prayers way too quick? I tilt my head and I just see and ordinary man. Nothing special about him. Nothing close to the father of my child. Just wearing overalls filled with paint. A pot belly stomach. Not my match.
“What do you want?”
I put my cup of tea on the table.
“I just can't pass a beautiful lady like you and not greet.”
“Did I ask you to greet me?” I snap and turn to look on the side. I see Jele again with a woman coming out of the hotel. They are laughing and being all touchy. That face looks familiar but I am not too sure where I have seen it. I’m sure they were at it all night. I sigh sadly. Some people are loved outside. I stand up with the man still descrying.
I leave him still standing but he follows me behind.
“My name is Mkhuleko by the way and I am willing to love you with the child you carrying.” He says with a big smile on his face. Such a clown and again he is not my type.
Rather be mute and not pleasure him. I have a lot of baggage's – men are the last creatures on my mind at the moment. The father of my child showed me flames, busy moaning his wife's name on top of me. He stops - I turn to look at him from the side, I see him, walking away.
Entering the room and he's already packed ready to go to his precious wife.
“For how long are we going to do this?” I ask closing the door. I want to know where I stand with him and today is the day, he will answer me.
“Where does that come from?” he asks with his face offended. I would have melted if it was the still naive Bagqibile. Well, not anymore. I refuse to be his door matt.
“You know exactly what I am talking about.”
I say pulling my luggage. Now I regret coming here.
“You know what, take me home.”
After he dropped me home, I decided to lock myself up in my room. What a disappointing night and I was looking forward to it.
“You have to eat something.”
I ignore my mother who has been banging the door like a mad woman. Can't she get it that I just need to be alone and be left alone.
“I will eat.”
I am not in a good mood to eat. Simphiwe finished all my appetite and he does not give a damn!
“I will leave the food here on the floor.” I hear the plate being placed down on the tiles and footsteps fading. Who am I fooling - I am hungry!
I jump off the bed with my big stomach...
I have been checking my phone all day and there is no call from Simphiwe, asking how I am. How I am coping with all the trouble I've been through, the trouble he put me through. I still have pains in my lower abdomen from time to time. And due to stress levels looks like I will be giving birth earlier and sooner than expected.
He was just active a minute ago and he never even bothered to ask me if I arrived safely or what!
I need to sleep before I lose my mind. I cannot be possibly stressing my mind with the action of an old man. Sighs!
NOZIMANGA
I am in high spirits today. I have not fetched Nozi and I am not going to anytime soon. I still need some time to sleep after that handful night I had. I see Simphiwe’s care driving through. I stand by the window and look at his car carefully. Now that I'm looking at it in close range - this is the same car I saw yesterday. The dog that is on the dash board!
I take a deep breath calming myself. I look at the time and it's just right after 10:00am. So, has he started again? I will keep my cool and play the game he is playing. I am tired of Simphiwe can his stunts.
“Babe.” He closes the door and comes to give me a hug. The hotel shower gel just sells him off, making my suspicions correct. Did we actually book in the same hotel? Or did he really go home?
“How is everyone at home?” I ask.
“All good.”: she responds avoiding eye contact.
“What was the emergency?”
“What emergency?”
Is he really asking? I put on my catty face of which I know very well he is afraid of.
“Ow yea, my sister's son is not okay. Can I go sleep for a bit I am tired.”
“That shower gel smells so nice.”
I retrieve my face from catty to being sweet. Confuse the enemy at hand. I see his salvia swimming down his throat. Swallowing huge lumps. My suspicions have been confirmed that he is still cheating.
“Okay.” I turn to leave...
“Where is Zuri?”
“Daycare.” the dismissive tone in me.
The shock on his face is something else, does he expect me to take care of his baby while he is whoring? If he cheats, I cheat, simple. Tired of crying the Nile River alone. He must get to feel what I feel when he leaves me at home to have the time of his life.
“Isn't she too young?”
“No,”
“Are you sure?”
“I hired a stay in nanny for her.”
Now the topic is suddenly interesting for him. Did he not say he was off to sleep?
“Is she reliable?”
What does he mean?
“I have been leaving Zuri with this woman for almost two months.”
I spit out with my BP rising.
“Without my consent?”
“That is because you are never here! If it’s not the late-night calls it’s sneaking around and texting non-stop. It's you lying that you have an emergency at home lying whereas you were in some hotel with some whore!”
A loud thunder closing my ears and making my vision blurry.
“Did you just slap me?” I held my cheek in disbelief. No matter how bad our fight gets, he has never laid his hand on me.
“Nozi...”
I shot back, the slap of a lion. I will not go down without a fight. H sleep empties I will sleep empties. Fuck bitches around I will fuck every stripper around them hood. Bring bustard kids from all over - I will gladly do the same.
“Nozi, you smacked me?”
“Ow trust me I will smack you again and again!” I click my tongue and walk out of the house.
I see the gates closing...
“You got to be kidding me.”
I march back to the house and the devil is pressing harshly on the gate remote.
“Simphiwe, open this gate right this minute!” I half scream.”
“For what reason Nozi?”
The anger in me is brewing up unexpectedly. Once upon a time I was fucked whole night without mercy and I come back home to this! I grab the, a vase that I bought for these roses that my side man bought me! I threw it in his direction. The vase hits his head with it scattering all over the floor. I march towards him and give him one hell of an upper cut.
“(Namuhlanje uzongazi wena!) Today, you will know me.”
“Haibo makoti!”
That is the devil. What the hell is she fucken doing in my house? He should thank his lucky stars that I didn’t kill him. I was about to.
“This is the way you have been treating my son?” she hisses and strides towards me.
“Mah please, this is between me and my wife.”
“Wife my foot. A wife is a woman with inzalo. You can't tell me when you call this a wife.”
I have had it with this woman. My chest is rising up and down in anger.
“Says someone who doesn’t even know her husband has a second wife and a child!”
The room becomes silent.
“What did you say?” she asks. I bite my tongue regretting my mouth.
“Talk!” she half shouts.
“I can hear you from all the way down the road. It's so early in the morning and you are here to cause trouble in your son's house.”
“She hit my son with a vase!”
“Did you even ask what happened or you just taking sides without facts.”
“I saw her hitting my son! And said you married and have a basted child as well. Girly is failing to contain her marriage and she decides to make my marriage upside down.”
“Simphiwe go wash that blood off and come back here. We need to sort this for once and for all.”
He limps upstairs.
I begin to clean and pick the pieces of the broken vases on the floor. My roses are now damaged by just a useless goat. He comes back later looking clean and fresh. My mind is still stuck on my roses. Jele bought me these. A tear escaped my eye.
“I'm sorry.” he mutters looking at me sympathetically. I don’t care, all I want are my roses from the men that blessed me all night!
I didn’t know that it would be a family day today. The uncles and aunts all gathered here having my scones and tea. I am tired of walking up and down just because I have the right to serve them.
I am seated in the kitchen far away from them. I don’t even want to know what the argument or conversation is about.
“You are needed.” that is Simphiwe failing to even look at me with his swollen forehead. I slowly get off the high kitchen stool and pull my dress down. He comes towards me and holds my hand.
“Ngyaxolisa mkami.”
I want to cry and indeed my tears come out. Half of my face is swollen. He caresses it and kisses my nose.
“I know I have been a shotty husband but I promise to be a better partner.”
I don’t know why he is melting me like this. He always knows how to sweetly talk to me in a way. I take a deep breath and follow him behind.
“The reason why I called for this meeting is because there are some things, I need to get off my chest that have been bugging me for years.”
Bab’Shandu takes a deep breath.
“Yini Baba, are you dying?” this woman and her mouth. I rolled my eyes and looked to the side and I found Simphiwe looking at me. He shakes his head and his mouth silently screams ‘no’.
“As you all know that my wife here has never really given me much attention. She is all about destroying her son’s house instead of helping him fix it.”
“Haibo!” she claps her hand once and cringes looking at her husband.
“I am not there, so I will just get straight to the point. Some years ago, I met up with a woman who captured my heart.” I see the devil smile – the devil is me. I huff cause now I know where this is going.
“To cut the story short we are married and we have a fifteen-year-old daughter.” Gaps and claps of shock. The uncles are quiet.
“So, you have two wives?” One aunt asks.
“Makoti, can you call uMamncane outside.” I stand up and smile widely.
“Is Kiddo here too?” I ask. I feel like a proud Makoti right now. Ow how I have waited for this action for a very long time.
“Yes, she is outside.” I walked out...
“Kiddo!” She is in a car. She opens the doors and runs towards my way and jumps into my arms.
“Sisi!
“I see you have missed me.” I speak. She smiles and plays with her dress pulling it in all directions. Her mother follows shortly.
“Baba is asking for you.”
“Where is she?” I laugh. I guess she doesn’t like her either.
“Inside.” They follow me behind. All eyes on us. Bab’Shandu pats on the available seat next to him.
“This is my second Wife and my daughter.”
“She has grown.” Uncle Simon proudly says.
“Woza ku Baba.“ Uncle Simon opens his arms warmly and gives her one of the warmest hugs.
“So pretty like your mother. And I hope you are a great cook like her.”
I look at Simphiwe" mother. She has been silent all this whil. Her mouth is half open and her eyes are wide open. That is not normal. As much as I hate her, I do not wish death upon her.
I rush towards her and she is cold as ice.
“Mah!” Now everyone has their full focus on us. They all stand up but Simphiwe is still seated down with his eyes all out.
“We need to take her to the hospital!”
They are just all standing there like statues. Ay ke husband is still glued to the seat.
Bab’Shandu scopes her ups and runs out of the house with her in his hands.
DUDUZILE
He said he would come by this morning but he didn’t. I am sick and tired of Simphiwe making me his ball. Yesterday I stole his card. It had its address on it. I cannot be played like this. This baby will be dumped right Infront of his house. I can’t live the life I want because of me being a care taker 24/7. I have bathed so is Fihliwe. I tried calling him all night and his phone was on voicemail. He knows what he has to do – he knows the implications that come with the health of his baby but he does not care at all! She hasn’t stopped crying ever since we got here. What is the point of me having a baby who doesn’t get any better but continues getting worse. If she has to die rather die peacefully maybe in his father's arms.
I am standing under the heat – burning sun waiting for a taxi. I don’t know whether she is having a seizure or what – but she has been shaking like this all night and stops but starts all over again. I am not getting any sleep and my neck is stiff from back to front. “Uyaphi sisi?” The driver asks.
"Elokshini.”
I don’t know the exact location but I will go as far as my legs take me. I only have R20,00 in my pocket. I get in the taxi and sit quietly behind the driver.
“How much?” I ask.
“R15,00 sistera.”
Shit! That means I will not have any transport money for myself when I come back, I cannot walk with a baby in this heaty weather. Simphiwe will need to make a plan.
I am walking around the place I am not familiar with asking for a doctor called Simphiwe Shandu. With his picture on my phone, it will be much easier.
“What is the name of the person you are looking for?” the old man asks.
“Simphiwe Shandu, the doctor.”
“Sgceme?” He smiles widely.
“Yes,” I don’t even know who the hell is Sgceme!
“Go straight down. The first house down the beside the road is his house. That mansion there is his house.”
The house is very far from where I am but I have no other option but to carry my legs there.
Feels like I have been walking for hours and I am not getting any closer. The more the house looks closely the more it seems to be distancing itself.
Finally! I am by the gate. My heart is pounding in fear and I don’t even know what awaits me inside. I am by the gate and see two cars driving out at full speed. Now I am left wandering with my thoughts whether to go in or not.