Secrets are like decay worms. The more one tries to conceal them away, the impossible it gets by each minute, especially where blackmail has its oily nose deep in the can. Evelyn kept pacing her bedroom, not knowing where to start scratching the itching rash that is Mbhekiseni. She knew hard and well that he wasn’t going to stop seeing her as an ATM machine at the corner of his dog house, for his consistent convenience. She dropped all her weight on the bed and stood up a second later, marching out to Manqoba’s study.
"Ma?", Manqoba stood up from the chair behind his desk. She wasn't in the best shape of herself. He sat down on the couch next to her.
"What's wrong?"-Manqoba
"Son I'm in trouble"
"Surely it's nothing we can't solve. Tell me what's wrong?
"Mbhekiseni knows about Mthokozisi"
"Let's start here, who is Mthokozisi?"
Evelyn swallowed before answering the question.
"Umntwana ka Muzi"(Muzi's son), she reported.
"You have lost me"
"Muzi has a son he doesn't know what. I am responsible for the conception of that son. All this happened 17 years ago, after Bab'Ngema told us that uMaDlamini was to fall pregnant"
Manqoba popped his eyes.
"Wait. What? Where is this son? Is he well taken care of? How come... ma?!"
"He is well taken care of. That goes without saying"
…
Enhle eventually arrived at Muhluri’s place. She raised her good hand to knock but retracted it in doubt. She shortly demolished the doubt and went ahead to knock. He opened the door and welcomed her in with a smile, breaking all the walls protecting her forced calm and put-togetherness, leaving her feeling emotionally naked and exposed. She bent her lip, trying hard to convince her face that she was not internally falling apart.
“Heyyy, kas’ what’s wrong?, his question was laced with concern when he pulled her gently inside for a hug as an attempt to comfort her. The door closed itself when he let it go, then she wept like a little girl who got stood up by the tooth fairy.
“What happened?”-Muhluri, he questioned as he carefully broke the hug to inspect her hand.
“May I?”, he felt he needed permission to undo the bandage. She nodded, with a mess for a face.
He proceeded to slowly and considerately remove it, easing up when she flinched of pain. He tensed his brows at the sign of the swollen hand. All this was being done in silence.
“Try to move your fingers ni vona”(…so I can see). She did exactly that. With pained difficulty, she was able to, except here index finger.
“Bend it into a fist”, he grimly instructed and she obeyed.
“You might have torn some tendons but I don’t think there’s anything broken. However, we will still need to do an X-ray. Can you see how bad the swelling is?”
She nodded.
“Let me get you some aspirin for the acute inflammation but first, we need to get you cleaned up”
He declared before gesturing with his hands for her to walk in the direction of the bedrooms.
Curiosity got the better of her.
“Where’s your wife?” , she asked abruptly, trying to avoid any surprises. He chortled to himself and continued walking behind her, amused by the weird look on her face.
“Uri ku endleke yin ka voko ra weh?” (What happened to your hand), he blatantly avoided the question.
“You forgot to translate”, she said before walking into the bathroom he directed her into.
“I smashed it into a mirror”, she divulged. He raised his eyes briefly to her as he squatted and proceeded to look for the first-aid kit in the cupboard.
“Why would you do that?” , he asked out of cooled curiosity and put on the latex gloves.
“I had argument with my husband, he walked out on me and I lost it”
He took her hand and washed it in the tub.
“Mind me asking what about?”
“Another wife. Well, that’s a portion of it. Remember the dress I was wearing the last time I came to your office?” , she asked and he nodded.
"I don't think any normal man would forget it", Muhluri said and Enhle laughed. They continued trying to get the wound cleaned up.
"Yeah I happened to wear something similar, not knowing that Bab'Bayede was around"
"His father?"
"Sort of"
"Yikes", Muhluri explained.
A brief, voiceless laugh left Enhle's mouth.
"I was actually hoping you'd have a different view"
"Why?"-Muhluri.
"I don't know. You're... not so patriarchal"
"Situations are different. The approach won't be black and white all the time", he stated and handed her a towel to dry her hand.
"What do you mean?"
"There's an old adage that says, 'when you get Rome, you must do what the Romans do' ", he said and stood against the wall.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, if you want to get along with Romans in their land, you need to become one of them. If you rebel against their way of living, you don't get to complain about their wrath"
"If you're not speaking in a language I don't understand you're speaking in riddles?"
Muhluri laughed. He went to sit on the edge of the tub with her. She still had the towel pressed to her wound for therapeutical pressure.
"Listen, your man is of royal blood right?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Each and every tribe has it's own set of rules and ways of doing things. All this to protect the core of the culture and preserve their traditions. You can get away with doing as you please in the bedroom but the moment those habits are seen by your in laws, I can almost guarantee you that your marriage will not last"
"A whole you, advising me to become the typical wife?"
"I did no such thing. I'm saying, if you want your in-laws off your back, you already know that what to do. If you feel it's not for you, excuse yourself from the mess but these two things cannot coexist if your husband does not stand up for you"
"Would you have stood up for me?", the question came out softly and ignited a mutual stare.
"You know I love my women open-minded, liberated. However, I am not a chief so I cannot speak for a chief's behalf. I told you, not everything is black and white when you want to be realistic", Muhluri explained and Enhle's phone rang. She declined the call from her husband and a message follows.
Are you okay?I'm seeing blood. Where are you?- Manqoba
Muhluri just watched her click her tongue wordlessly. When she raised her eyes, she realized he was waiting for answers. She wanted to speak but decided otherwise. He still kept silent. She had a burning urge to undress him so he rips her apart. She tried leaning in to kiss him but he pulled away with a slight inevitable smile.
"Uhm... I'm sorry. I just--"
"I understand. You're hurting and frustrated"
Brief silence. She eventually nodded. The moment was nothing short of awkward for her.
After rubbing ointment, dressing the wound and giving her pills for the pain and inflammation, Muhluri walked Enhle to the door when she decided she had to leave. They shared their usual hug but broke it slowly. Enhle did not give herself the chance to think about it. She just led her lips to his. Muhluri broke it and placed his hands on her cheeks. She shut her eyes closed. Covered in the liquid of shame.
"Go home and cool your head. If you still want this after that, call me. I don't want to take advantage of your vulnerability ", he stated lowly.
"Do YOU want this?", Enhle asked after opening her eyes to search for the truth in his.
"You know how I feel about you. You just refused to pay attention to it"
"Tintswalo?", she questioned about his wife.
"She died Enhle!", the words were already out before he could stop them.
"Oh...", she let out somberly.
"Yeah"
"When?"
"Three years ago"
"I just thought--, the ring?"
"Don't worry about that..."
He said before opening the door so she walks out. She tried reading the emotions on his face but he concealed them well. She stepped out and awkwardly and he pulled he back inside. He attacked her with a kiss, deepening it with each suck. She reciprocated. He picked her up and continued indulging in her lips, walking to the couch...
...
"I have to go",Enhle said with a smile as she laid on Muhluri's chest.
"I wish you didn't have to", Muhluri said as he played with her hair.
"We'll do this again soon. Plus, I need to pass by Woolies for some toiletries and ice cream. I have a feeling I'm going to need it"
He dropped a kiss on her forehead before she could get up to get dressed. He just laid there naked under the throw.
"You look half dead", she remarked and laughed. He laughed as well.
"You rode me like a fxcking horse what did you expect?"
"You also ripped me apart don't play innocent"-Enhle.
She went down to kiss him for the last time. He pulled her so she sits on top of him.
"I've been meaning for a get-away and now I see the perfect opportunity for it...", he said seductively as he stroked her thigh. Her hand on was on his chest.
"That's quite risky"
"That's the whole point"
Enhle laughed.
"Unlike you, I am not an adrenaline junkie"
"Who says I am?"-Muhluri
"The first sign of an adrenaline junkie? The posession of a motorbike for no good reason", Enhle said and Muhluri laughed.
"Listen if I don't leave now, I might never", Enhle said and stood up.
"What? You don't trust me?"
"No. I don't trust myself to make sensible decisions around you"
...
When she got to the store, she pushed her trolley through a few aisles before bumping into Sphesihle, also on a toiletry run. The atmosphere immediately reeked of all smells of awkward.
"Hello", Sphe greeted before pushing her trolley forward to move past her.
"Sphe!", Enhle called out and Sphe jammed in her steps.
"Yes?"
"I would like to apologize for what happened last time, me faking the bruises and stuff"
Sphe dropped her stiffened shoulders.
"It's okay"
"No it's not. See, I did all that out of jealousy. I shouldn't have"
"It really is okay Enhle. I think it's best we get along since we both can't run away from sharing him"
The "sharing" never sat well with Enhle. An image of Manqoba making love to Sphe invaded her mind and the worm responsible for her anger began drilling into her medulla oblongata, making it difficult for her to sustain her breathing. She forced herself to get a grip.
"Are you okay?", Sphe asked
"Sphe, me faking the injuries does not mean the abuse isn't there. I just had no bruises at the time and I felt I need to convince you"
"What do you mean?"
Enhle unwrapped the bandage carefully on her hand and extended it so Sphe sees it. Sphe had a vomit reflex but managed to send it back.
"I'm sorry I'm not good with bad wounds", she apologized for her reaction. Enhle dressed the wound again.
"He did that to you?"
Enhle nodded.
"I no longer care much about him getting married to somebody else. I just fear for both our lives. But then again, your funeral", with that, she left the aisle.
...
A few days later...
The policeman knock shot Betso up from her seat. Everyone else was in some part of the house. She approached the door to put a halt to the impatient banging.
"Okay okay! I'm coming, yesses", she said as she slid in her slippers. When she opened the door,
"Good day ma'am. Is this the Khumalo residence?", one of the officers asked. She nodded doubtfully.
"Can we speak to your husband?"
She silently gestured them in and promised to go call him. Muzi came down as she was about to go to him. When you speak of the devil, be sure that he will appear. Bapedi bare gopola tshukudu o namele mohlare.
"Is everything okay here?"-Muzi
"Mr Khumalo, we have a warrant for your arrest in connection with the murder of Mr Khuzwayo and the disappearance of his wife", the policeman said as he approached him with handcuffs.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to legal representation. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the state will provide one for you", he stated as he handcuffed him. Muzi never said a word. Betso was looking at him for answers.
"I'll speak to you when I come back okay?"
UNEDITED