Yanda's POV
5 years later
"I can't with these kids! I can't!" Zanda muttered and I knew we'd be called on any minute from now. "They're your kids." Zonke muttered cocooning herself into the covers. That's how we deciphered who dealt with the morning chaos. "Koki!" "Baba!" They yelled simultaneously before they raced down the passage to our room and began knocking. "Come in."
"You couldn't have taken it outside our room Hadebe?" Zonke muttered covering her head with a pillow as the kids stomped in. "They drew on my iPad case and this was my favourite one!" Zanda all but yelled. I guess we're skipping through the greetings this morning. She's 11 now. She grows to resemble her mother more and more each day it's scary yet comforting too but it cannot be denied she's a beauty.Still argues her way through everything. Still larger than life but now she wears bras although she doesn't need to yet, too cool for dolls and yells at her brothers when they go into her room and she's not even a teenager yet. I'm panicking and Khaya and Sim's boy is still a thing. She shares every little change with him. They talk on the phone at least once a day. Who says you can't secretly orchestrate the disappearance of your friends' son to keep him away from your daughter? Because Zonke has to stop Zanokusa and I from carrying out that elaborate plan at least twice a month but Zanda is none the wiser and I doubt even supernatural forces could tear them apart. The nightmares and bed wetting stopped several months after Simphiwe was arrested. It took a lot of therapy ,startled wails in the middle of the night, loads of weekends partaking in activities that rebuilt her self confidence and time spent with her dad to whip the sunshine, as Zonke often fondly refers to her, back to her larger than life shape.
Each time we announced she's becoming a big sister she welcomed the announcement with glee and still told anyone willing to listen she was a big sister and still loves to crawl into the baby's crib in the mornings and watch over them. She never showed jealousy which surprised us since she's been alone for a good 5 years but she was secure in the love she had.
She'd visited her paternal family twice now. The first was only a weekend long and the following one a week and both were a success. Zanokusa has thankfully toned it down with the overcompensation for his absence and the abuse and we coparent pretty well with him now and he visits with us at least twice a month and everyone enjoys having him over. It's a tough feat getting the children to bed the first night he's over. He always has a child hanging from each limb but he seems to love every minute of it. We've absorbed him into our family not only because he's Zanda's dad but he's also become another uncle to the kids , he simply adores them. He falls seamlessly into our routine when he's over.
My boys stood by the door with their heads lowered. Asimbonge had dark green, I'm assuming 'tattoos', on his arms and stomach. He's 5 now and just lost his first tooth, his left upper jaw incisor. He has questions about everything. Protective of his siblings, loved to laugh and oh so curious. He's taken apart every remote controlled toy he owns because he simply had to see how they all worked. His toy box was filled with more undone cars and remotes than functioning toys. He was sadly starting to become aware of the ways in which he was different from other children. His ophthalmologist said he'd need eye surgery in 2 years to ease the tension in his left eye to avoid future complications and that'd also mean they could put off getting him on prescription glasses for a few years although it was inevitable. The questions hadn't been mean so far just curious as children often are and we ensured we taught him about his skin condition and ensured he knew how to care for it Incase he and his mother and I weren't around and he was in someone else's care. Asimbonge is also my little shadow. He follows me everywhere and would watch me closely. I catch him trying to imitate me often. It's humbling to see.
I can't wait until I teach him how to shave, how to drive, take hikes with just him. Baba thrust me behind my first wheel at 12 but Zonke would kill me so I'd wait until they all turned 16 before I teach them how to drive.
The younger rascal Olethingcebo, who's 3, he was our miracle. He was conceived a year after his mother's surgery, which was thankfully a success. She was back to working like superwoman weeks after it and she seemed as though new life had been breathed into her. Her hope restored. We didn't rush the process this time. We covered all our bases and when we felt we were ready to accommodate that change in our life we had him. He looks so much like me and is unfortunately just as troublesome as I had been. Him and his older brother are on a mission to give me grey hairs. How did my parents deal with 6 of these headaches? I don't know. Ngcebo is the little mischief man. Where there's trouble trust he'll be at the centre of it. After a full day of wreaking havoc he sits by the window where you can see our cars drive in waiting for his mother. As soon as he spots her car he bolts for the door. If Zonke's in the room little else matters to him. He's definitely our mamma's boy. He was sporting a beard and sideburns and what looked to be chest hairs which were red and I just knew the art had been crafted in permanent marker because karma hated me.
Their sisters cover was a masterpiece of stick men, cars and other interesting looking art pieces.
"Okay boys so I need you to apologise to your sister and really stay out of her room AND for you to respect her belongings. Your pocket money will be used to replace her ruined case." Asimbonge's face fell. He was beginning to understand the value of money. We gave them chores and if they did them well throughout the week they earned their pocket money. We were trying to teach them importance of responsibility and hard work. "I'm waiting." They turned to Zanda who was the least bit impressed. "We're sorry sisi and we'll stop going into your room and touching your stuff." She nodded "Hug?" Ngcebo asked smiling at her and I saw her resolve break a little. This manipulative little shit. She opened her arms and both of them tumbled into them. "Next time I won't be so nice." She whispered and they froze nodding robotically. Yeah I'll just pretend I hadn't seen that. They probably deserve that.
"Okay come on let's go get your brother and go make breakfast and let your mother sleep Ngcebo." His smile dropped. "But baba I just wanted to give her a kiss." He argued. When she wakes up she can have three and how about we have waffles this morning. A wide smile etched on his lips and he nodded as they all followed me out of our room and into Lwandile's which was closest to ours since he was the youngest. He'd just turned 1 a weekend ago. "Mthimkhulu do you like my tattoos?" Asimbonge rushed to his brother's crib to show of his art. Lwandile just squealed in response clapping his hands at the sight of us. "Baba! Baba!" He babbled opening his arms to be taken. I whisked him up tossing him in the air which had him a giggling mess. He was faster than lightning if you lose sight of him even for a minute he's go making a mess somewhere in the house. Just about everything goes in his mouth and he's started biting his siblings. You need the patience of a monk with him and his siblings. "When you guys next bring me a baby let it be a girl or I'm running away from home." Zanda grumbled leading the way out the room and down the stairs. "Can I have your room when you leave? Yours is the coolest." Asimbonge asked without missing a beat. "I'm begging you!" She pleaded dramatically ignoring Asi.
"I don't think mama wants anymore babies in her belly. So sorry Princess and besides don't you like being the only girl we spoil?" Her eyes lit up "So uncle Yanda." I groaned. I walked right into that one.
Just as we finished placing the food on the dining room table Zonke waltzed looking regal in a simPle baby pink little summer dress. Her braids tossed in a bun atop her head. The scent of pomegranates permeated the air and my heart skipped a beat. "Good morning family." She greeted joyfully giving each of the kids a kiss and three for Ngcebo, the little traitor hadn't been asleep earlier, that had him giggling and wrapping his arms around her neck in a hug. "Hands off my wife little man!" I teased "She's my mama." He rebutted "she was my wife first." He turned to Zonke for help. "Hadebe leave my baby alone!" The gleam returned to his eyes and he stuck out his tongue at me. "Do I get a good morning kiss?" I asked. "No because you were mean to my baby. She said settling at the other end of the table which had all the kids giggling. "We'll that just won't do." I tutted getting up and strolling to her and taking my kiss. She instantly melted into my arms wrapping hers around my neck. "Okay you two, I'd like to keep my breakfast in my stomach." Zanda drawled. We pulled apart chuckling. "Is it too early to emancipate your kids?" I asked. "Hadebe man quit it." She chuckled.
We held hands and said grace and dug into breakfast with conversation and laughter bustling and it was the most beautiful chaos. I don't think I could love anything more than I love everyone at this table. The kids were arguing about something and Lwandile was getting more waffles and berries on the floor than in his mouth but he seemed content with that. Zonke was looking at them with the love and contentment that I'm sure reflected in my eyes. I caught her gaze and mouthed "I love you" she smiled at me and mouthed the words back.
I understand we could have fallen in love sooner if we weren't so stubborn. Maybe we'd have been able to conceive naturally. We'd be further on in our love journey but I wouldn't have it any other way. The way our love story unfolded are some of the reasons why I love my wife so fiercely. How she lets nothing and no one stand in her way. Her selfless love and dedication in everything she does, the patience she shows everyday with the children, how her family and friends mean the world to her and how she looks at me like I carry the moon and stars in my eyes. She makes me want to be a better man for her, to ensure that I show her everyday how much I love her and our family.
She decided she didn't want a big elaborate white wedding after her surgery and she didn't want to wait any longer so we just signed but a reception was something she couldn't deny her cousins and our friends. They planned the whole thing and we ended up exchanging impromptu vows at the ceremony and it was perfect for us.
I can't imagine a time I reduced my wife to just my illiterate village second wife. She is so, so much more than that. She's her own woman, she's a wife, a mom , a daughter, a sister, a friend and I love her.
THE END