THE OTHER BROTHER
CHAPTER 39
NGCOBO
Three months ago, Thabi sent documentation that she resigns with immediate effect. Still taken by that she then withdrew from the wedding to proceed. I swear this child is stupider than I thought. Now I regret not taking Khanyi to step in because I know she would have never disappointed me in any way. Why did I not just let them be?
“Impiyakhe. Give her the call.”
This man called Mkhuleko - thinks the world owes him something. I will deal with him, and he will not believe me. Impiyakhe is my right-hand trusted man but also works for Mkhuleko to give me all the inside job. What I want now is for him to track each and every Khanyi’s move. I want her to finish the task I have started - knowing by then I will be keeping the Gumede family very close. Her phone rings a couple of times before she picks it up.
“Halo.”
“Ndodakazi kaBaba wakhe.” I know how much she used to love this when growing up. I am sure her smile is reaching ear to ear. I look at Impiyakhe and he manages to get to her location. Bingo. Now her phone is connected to my phone. I will be able to see her chats, track her phone calls too. The line goes dead. Now that is unexpected.
“She dropped.”
I can see that you stupid fool. “Try again!” I shouted. He tries her numbers again and it’s taking us straight to voicemail. Dammit! I don’t believe this. Did she truly drop the call on her only father? I shake my head in disbelief. There is more than there is to this. Why did she drop my call? Why did Thabi back out? I swear these kids will make me grow grey hair before my time.
“Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?” I asked Impiyakhe. I am sure knows their ins and outs of them.
“No.” His answer is too quick, and his body language says a lot. I will let this slide. Maybe it’s me just thinking too hard. I hope my plan will work. Forcing Khanyisile to marry that good for nothing Gumede. Will be on my good favor. I know she still loves him. If only I let the kids be. We wouldn’t be here.
“You can take a day off. I will call you when I need you.” Impiyakhe packs his laptop and walks out without bidding farewell. I poured myself the most expensive scotch. The Macallan Lalique 50-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The burning sensation is smooth. Just the way I love it. I stand up, pack my laptop and head out too. I am going to an empty home. It is good as dead without my kids. They have been not of my seed, but I love them with everything in me.
I pass by the reception and notice Sthandwa busy with some paperwork. I know I have been harsh on her lately. I have been overworking her.
"You can take two days off.” I say. The shock on her face. I am not bad after all. When I am under a lot of stress, I intend to make everyone's life a living hell. That's just the way of me releasing stress.
"I mean it. I know I have been a bad boy lately. I will book you at a spa what, what. It's just me apologizing. I will send you the details.” I know she will not respond because she is not a responder in any way towards me. I take a deep breath and leave her still standing. I know she is in shock. I know that there is a Spa just down the road. I will make some bookings for her and send the details.
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I have been looking at my phone for any movements but nothing. Khanyi's phone is dry as hell. Just updates about school assessments and what not. I have been praying that they have been communicating with Skhosane privately but by the look of things the communication died the day they broke things off. This is just a complete waste of time. I should have thought of another plan. This is just not it. I cannot sit and wait for something I don’t know whether it will happen or not. She has been in one place all day. I take my phone and toss it aside. I need to check up on Gumede and see where his mind at. His phone is not going through. Will have to pop by later on and see him.
"Baba. Dinner is ready.”
"I will come. I am still busy.” I say.
"Food will get cold kodwa baba.”
"Mfazi. I told you that I will come. Now stop being a pest. Go make yourself useful around the house or maybe go check up on your shop or something.” I bark. She annoys me at times. Can't just women understand when we want to be alone without any disturbance! My home office is my personal space. She shrinks out and closes the door. This is what I hate. Being nagged by a woman all day. I lean back and take a deep breath. I am frustrated that everything I try doing seems not to be working. I received an email from my laptop. Ow it’s the investors. Every year we hold an end of year party. This must be it. I just love how they throw money in like it’s nobody’s business. I viewed the email and read through it. The news is not exciting at all. The biggest investors are pulling out. No this cannot be happening but for what reason exactly? A board meeting has been requested too and it is in two days. I feel like my world is coming to an end. Everything feels like it’s crushing down. I have worked so hard to build what I have. This is my heard earned sweat that this investor is destroying. I will hold a case of vote. I know most will side with me. This is something I do not accept in any way!
THABISILE
My abdomen has been giving me some issues for quite some time. I am now ten weeks pregnant, and I can say I am not enjoying my pregnancy one bit. Skhosane has not been there ever since I broke things with him. Which was for the best and I do not regret it. It feels like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. He will come around and be a father if he wants to. At times I sometimes wish to just lose this pregnancy once and for all. But I have an unborn child growing in my womb. Lately I have been feeling extremely tired. Nausea. Mood swings. A metallic taste in my mouth. I am grateful for Mkhuleko for being there for me. He runs around for my cravings and not even once has he ever complained. He is there for my medical checkups. Imagine having a brother in-law that would kill for you. I feel appreciated. Even though the baby I am carrying is not of his friend – but I know that Manqoba would have moved mountains for me. I am grateful for having a sister like Khanyi. She doesn’t really care that her man is also there for me. When my mood is out and about, he is there to comfort me. Lately I have been loving his scent. I eneded up stealing his cologne and guess what I was caught.
“How is it now?” He asks. Khanyi came with today.
“Still hurts. It’s like its expanding in a way.” I cry.
“The doctor is ready to see you.” The nurse announces. I can’t stand up without being pulled by arms. We have been sitting in the reception for far too long. Khanyi holds my left arm and Mkhuleko holds my right arm. I balance myself and finally I get to stand up fully. Dammit I feel like a queen. I follow behind them. I can't walk fast.
“Need a wheelchair?” He asks.
I just glared at him and didn’t respond. I can still use my two feet. With the cold pains hooting through. I managed to make it to the doctors safe and sound. I take a deep breath. I don’t want to sit. If I sit it’s a struggle to stand and it hurts.
“Miss Ngcobo. What can I do for you today?” She asks. I like her thick accent.
“It hurts oe. Right here.” I press on my lower abdomen and groan. She nods her head and informs me to get on the bed.
“This will be cold a bit.” She warns before smearing the gel on my stomach. I love how my stomach is. But it’s getting bigger every second I look at it and that worries me.
“Twenty Weeks Pregnant and looking all good.” I smile. That is all I wanted to hear. The frown on her face will take me to early labor. She turns the volume up and I hear the heartbeat. What else do I want.
“No this can't be.” She adds.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. The heats beat is distracting me. Wait a minute. “Is that two heartbeats?”
“Yes. But how is it possible. I have been moniring you... You know what. I will be back.” She leaves everything o the bed and runs out. I look at Khanyi and she is looking back at me.
“Don’t stress. The baby is fine.” She assures me. It’s not about the baby being fine but it’s about...
“Is it possible that I am carrying more than one baby?” I can’t have twins. How will I even take care of them. The doctor comes back with another Indian doctor. With no questions asked she immediately continues to see where the other doctor left off.
“This I rather strange.” She packs the kit and puts it aside. I try sitting up but fail – Mkhuleko comes to the rescue. I was given a paper towel to wipe the gel off. I sit up straight and listen to them speaking terms that are only known by them.
“I will have to withdraw blood samples for examination. We just want to conclude something.”
“What is that? What is that sound I heard?” I ask. I hate bad news. I have been having bad news ever since – I don’t know when.
“We can only determine once the results are out. For now, we will have to do some tests.”
“But I think it would be wiser to advise us what is the blood withdrawing for.” Mkhuleko.
“Sir. Can we just step out for a second.” The doctors ask Mkhuleko. They all step out and I am left with Khanyi alone. Afraid to even utter a word I decide to close my eyes and say a silent prayer.
“Don't stress.”
“I can’t help it.” I take a deep breath. After some time, they all come back in. I look at Mkhuleko and his face is unreadable. He comes to stand on my side and inhales sharply.
“Thabi. Let them take more tests. They just want to know why you were having double heartbeats.”
Makes sense. At first, I thought that maybe it was something serious. Imagine them putting me in the spotlight and abusing me emotionally.
“You guys should have just said so. I also want to know.”
I let them do what they do best, and we are being told to wait for the results. It will take approximately three hours.
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I was given a bed to sleep on. My body was giving in to the tiredness. I am woken up by Khanyi with my favorite muffins and some orange juice. I love my sister though.
“You guys are still here?” I thought they were long gone. We have been here for more than three hours that we were advised on, and I am starting to lose patience.
“And leave you all alone. Never.” She smiles. She helps me sit up straight. The pains have dies down. I don’t know what was in that drip. I swear I will never get pregnant ever again.
“Any luck?” I ask with my mouthful. She tells me no. Mkhuleko comes in holding a throw.
“I believe you might need this since these stupid doctors decided to leave us hanging.”
“You have no idea how cold I was. Thank you.” This is very much thoughtful of him. I appreciate him as my brother in-law. “I am tired of being here.” I sulk.
“Let's hope...”
“Sorry to keep you waiting good people. We were still trying to figure this whole thing out. Until we emailed a Doctor from India, and he was kind enough to explain this whole fumble situation.”
“Okay. So, what do the result say?” I ask.
“Whatever we tell you know just know that it’s not a bad think but somehow blessed.”
“Blessed. How?”
She takes a deep breath. “You have what is called a double pregnancy.”
“What?” Mkhuleko, Khanyi and I were impressed in shock. What the hell is this doctor saying.
“Does my child have some sort of disability?”
“Doctor what. What is double pregnancy?” Mkhuleko.
“Superfetation is a rare event that involves getting pregnant a second time while you're already pregnant.” The doctor turns and look at me. “It's so uncommon that cases of superfetation often make headlines. Your body does a good job preventing subsequent pregnancies once an embryo is developing inside your uterus.”
“I still don’t get it. What is exactly superstition?”
She laughs bit. I am annoyed that she finds this funny. There is nothing funny in what I said. “Superfetation you mean. It's extremely rare to get pregnant when you're already pregnant. There have been fewer than ten recorded cases of superfetation in humans.”
“I still don’t get all of this. Can you explain in a simpler term so that I can be able to understand?”
“It means you are carrying twins of a different father. But for the second twin it was produced when you were already pregnant. They are conceived from separate acts in two different cycles.” I feel a sweat dripping down my back. I feel like a whore right now. This is absurd. How can one get pregnant when they are already pregnant?
“It doesn't make sense. I...” Hell no! This cannot be happening. “Manqoba!” I cover my mouth in shock. My bite my inner cheek. Does this mean? No, I refuse to believe this. “But how?” I feel a lump in my throat.
“As I did tell you. It’s one of the rear situations. And I could say consider yourself blessed.”
“How sure are you that these kids are of different fathers without the DNA being conducted. “
“There is free-floating DNA from both fetuses in the mother's bloodstream.”
“You are not making any sense right now. I want to do a DNA test.”
That is the only way to deal with this once and for all. I can’t be having doctors who cannot be able to do their jobs.
“Doing a prenatal paternity test is not possible, the current technology does not permit the lab to isolate each fetus's profile separately.”
This is one hell of a sick joke. I can't have two children of different fathers. In worst cases twins!
After that traumatizing gathering, I had. I decided to pass by Manqoba. Mkhuleko dropped me off and he told me he will be back whenever I want him to fetch me. I don’t know what to say. I am still indenial. A tear escapes my eyes.
“Babe. It’s been a full three months with you here and guess what, I am now six months pregnant. Nginesigaxa mfethu. Doctors say I am carrying twins and one of the twins belongs to another man. Guess who is that man. You.” I laugh with tears streaming down my face. It hurts that I don’t want to lie. How do I process all of this? I cannot vent and share how I feel. Doctors told me to only share the positive thoughts for his memory to warm up and then come back to us. My heart is heavy. I am just weighed down with sadness. I felt I was lost somewhere in the dark. I was not so much believer of God, but now I need him more than anything. I am just numb and stunned. All of this causes pain, nausea and muscle tightness in my chest. The more I think about my life the more it gets heavier and complicated. This is a time where I need my mother the most. I got on top on the bed and lay beside him. This is what I have been doing for the past three months. I am even starting to lose weight. Maybe visiting Gogona will put my heart and soul at ease. Suicide was never an option but right now – I wish I could just die and rest in eternal peace.