Betso saw it best to excuse Manqoba, whose mood had turned to the smell of ruined milk. Now the SMS she decided to pay no mind to resurfaced in her brain. She initially thought it was just Enhle having one of her crazy outbursts that she always lives to regret later but the problem seemed to be heavier on the scale than it seemed. She sat on the bed and contemplated calling her to ensure that everything was okay. She dialled her number the moment she stopped thinking too much about it and waited for her to answer.
"Yes?", that was Enhle's intentionally rude reply.
"Are you okay?"
"I am perfect. Why do you ask?"
"Bathong Enhle what is the meaning of the message you sent to me in the afternoon?"
"I meant exactly what I wrote there"
"Why would you even think I'd sleep with your man? My husband's older brother? Are you insane?"
"Who are you calling insane Betso?! Child get off your high horse and stop pretending like your marriage is perfect. Muzi cheats like his life depends on it and you out here trying to act holier than thou", Enhle shot out with aggression.
"And where is that even coming from? Yoh yazin? Sorry I called. Bye", Betso put an immediate stop to the conversation. She brought the screen to her eyes and scoffed, in pure disbelief. When she stood up to go check on Manqoba, Muzi was standing by the door. Looking like the brand ambassador for exhaustion.
"Baby?"
"Sthandwasami", he replied before walking in.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough", he extended his hands, requesting a hug. She rushed into his arms and he tightened them around her.
"What message did Enhle send to you in the afternoon?", he asked steadily with his chin over her head. Betso swallowed before answering, not sure that she should.
"She said I mustn't sleep with Manqoba just because you're not around"
He pushed her by her shoulders and frowned, with his hands still on her.
"What?"-Muzi
She nodded.
"To be honest I feel insulted", she lowly let out.
"As you should. No MQ must get his bxtch in line. She's going too far", he said with irritation. "What else did she say?", he added.
"That...", she almost told him what she said about him but decided against it. "Forget her. You must be hungry", she said, pulling him by the hand". He pulled her back.
"Aren't you going to ask me about the arrest?", he lodged his eyes on her. She dropped her shoulders.
"I'm really not sure I want to know", she loosened her hold on his hands. He didn't. They just sat there motionlessly lounging in his.
"Well I want to tell you what happened..."
"Would you have if you never got arrested?", she maintained eye contact, eyes filled with disappointment. He dropped his face.
"Khumalo, I am raising male kids here. You're a great father trust me, but that also has its cons. You know they see an epitome of perfection when they look at you. All three of them. They behave and talk like you do, more or less. Everything you do is correct in their eyes...", she reprimanded with calm as he kept his ashamed face down.
"Ngiyaxolisa mommy. I am really sorry. I am sorry for being a potentially bad example but I am not sorry for killing that bustard", he said and Betso gave up.
"There's something I need to tell you", she began confessing and he raised his face from the floor. She led him to the bed and they sat.
"I did something"-Betso.
"Okay?"
"I... I bribed a policeman"
"What for?"
"Your son was arrested for assault. I had to get him out"
"The stolen accounts thing?"
"Yes. See why I don't want them seeing you get arrested, hear about you killing people and the likes?", Betso reluctantly agreed.
"Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
She nodded.
"It's okay", he said, looking at her suspiciously.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"-Betso. It took a moment before he could reply.
"Mm-mh nex. Let me go share a drink with the bro before I shower and we sleep okay? I promised him I'll be back", he said and she nodded. He got up to give her a brief kiss, which deepened with no intention at all.
...
THE NEXT DAY...
After Mxo sat his grandmother down to sweet talk her into borrowing him her car for a personal "errand" and succeeded in assuring her that he will be safe, he went behind the house to steal a few of her flowers for Ndalo, without permission. He placed them in the backseat and went past the shops to get a few goodies from Checkers and McD. He established that she loves the junk from the latter. She came to the car that he'd parked at a distance, in a simple jean-tee-Vans outfit.
"Aren't you going to open the door for me like they do in movies?", she teased as a greeting. He never saw her approaching, distracted by his phone. He laughed and she got in the car.
"You look cute", he complimented as he leaned in for a hug.
"Thank you. You look cute too", she said and he frowned.
"Ayikho indoda e cute"(There's no such thing as a cute man)
Ndalo laughed.
"Oh please. Who taught you that?"
"My dad", he said before leading his upper body in the direction of the back to get the flowers. She was about to stop him before she began sneezing. She gestured with her hands that he made a wrong move and that she did not want the flowers. She couldn't speak. The sneezes now had a more dangerous friend- wheezing.
"Baby what's wrong?", his panicked self threw the flowers on the dashboard and tried to get her to breathe. He opened all the windows with speed and tried to think. He wasn't able to think properly. Ndalo had her hands on her neck and occasionally beating her chest.
"Okay... okay...", he said to himself as he dialled his mother's number.
"Mama? My girlfriend is suffocating I don't know what to do"
"Yeah it's just us two. I gave her flowers trying to be roman--"
"Asthma? I don't know"
"Yes there is a paper bag in the car", he reported before putting her on speaker and emptying out the McD paper bag. One of the cups with a fizzy drink spilt on his jeans and the driver's seat. He couldn't care less about that at that moment he just had to get Ndalo breathing properly again. He put it over her nose and mouth and said "Breathe baby please". She was already breathing into it, trying to make the feeling of not being able to go away.
"Is she breathing?", a concerned Betso asked from the phone speaker. Mxo ignored, threw the flowers out the window, got out of the car and went to open the door to Ndalo's side. Her wheezing was calming down. He was brushing her back hoping that it also helps.
"Kopano?!", Betso yelled.
"Ma?"
"Is she breathing?"
"Yeah she's getting better", he reported. Her eyes were teary when she put the bag down, breathless with her chest moving back and forth.
"Baby?", Betso called out.
"She's talking to you", Mxo said to Ndalo before he could squat down outside of the car, on the sandy ground. Ndalo wasn't sure whether to speak or not.
"M-ma?", she replied.
"Are you okay now?", Betso asked from a place of concern. Mxo had his forehead on her against her thigh, still digesting the relief.
"Yeah I'm fine thanks"
"Are you asthmatic?"
"Yeah I am"
"Since when?"
"Since I was a child"
"Did he throw the flowers away?"
"Yeah he did"
"Do you have your pump with you? What's your name?"
"Ndalo Shezi. It's at home. I haven't had an episode in a while"
"Listen baby you must always have it with you okay? There won't always be a paper bag to save you"
She nodded and assured her that she'll never forget it.
"Ube right. Give Koppie the phone", she said lovingly and Ndalo shook him on the shoulder. He took it and stood up.
"I'll check on you later. Don't do things you aren't supposed to do", she commanded and he just said "Okay", instead of giving her his usual naughty laugh. He cut the call and went back to the driver's seat. They both closed the doors and he began driving.
"Are you okay?", Ndalo asked.
"I almost killed you Ndalo there's no way I'd be okay"
She took his free hand and squeezed it.
"You didn't know baby", she said weakly, with her head against her seat.
"That wouldn't have mattered if you had died"
"I was scared too but I'm fine now because I didn't die. My mom always says that could'ves and should'ves shouldn't matter"
Mxo kept quiet and continued driving with the sombre look on his face. They were approaching a car wash and Ndalo suggested they get it cleaned up before he gets into trouble. He tried protesting but she was persistent. The place was combination of a 'Kota Kingdom' and 'Car Care Surgery', the names written on the huge board. The car wash has a 'Pay first' rule so they did that before Ndalo suggested they walk into the kota place, trying to pull Mxo out of his unpleasant mood. The place was pretty much empty since it was the late hours of the morning. Mxo dropped himself on one of the white plastic chairs and Ndalo went to order. She came back to sit across him. He took her hands and watched her till she was uncomfortable.
"Ungibukani?"(What are you looking at?), she said and laughed.
"Ngiyak'thanda Ndalo"(I love you). She blushed before saying, "I love you too Koppie". He laughed.
"Hayi yaboh manje?"(You see now?), he held out his hand in disapproval. The lady behind the black bars of the shop, embedded in a red wall yelled that their order was ready. Mxo got up and took out his wallet.
"I've already paid", Ndalo said and he dropped his hand in impatience.
"I thought I was the one taking you out?", he said. She giggled and said,"You are", then continued walking to get the kotas. He smiled and shook his head, placing his wallet back into his back pocket. They stepped outside and the guys said they were still finishing up.
"Where exactly are you taking me?", Ndalo questioned as they stood in the sun.
"I booked an air b'n'b for the day", he informed and placed a kiss on her cheek. The two gents cleaning the car went "Ola! Ola! Kwenzwa net kanje mshana!"(That's exactly how it's done), chanting and cheering him on. He laughed and Ndalo blushed onto his shoulder.
...
Melokuhle woke up missing Mthokozisi but he decided to ignore it. He hated him but he still lowkey loved him. He ignored the feeling and got himself cleaned up, wondering how they allowed him to sleep till that late and actually miss breakfast. He put on his shorts and opened the door for some air and yelled Mxolisi's name.
"Akekho!"(He's not here), his grandmother's disembodied voice yelled back. He remembered that Mxo mentioned he would be out for the whole day the previous night when they were watching the game. Minutes later, Evelyn appeared on his door and stood against it with a smile.
"How did you sleep?", she asked.
"I overslept", he said and continued to pull the curtains open.
"Good. I've noticed you haven't been sleeping well these days", she remarked and his phone beeped.
"Yyeah-I-guess-I-needed... it", he said in slurred speech trying to get his head to be in two places at the same time.
Lunch. Today. Two?-Mthokzs
He read and digested the text. What? He questioned it its motive.
"Are you okay?", grandma asked.
"I'm fine"
...
Enhle and Muhluri left the hotel after many of their steamed sessions to go get some food and fresh air. She wore sunglasses and wrapped a silk head wrap over her weave to conceal her obvious identity. They laughed their way into the parking lot and Muhluri's eyes were the first to meet with Manqoba's, standing against the bonnet. Enhle's followed and she almost tripped and fell. Muhluri held her by the waist so she doesn't hit the ground with her teeth.
"Baby? What are you doing here? You were only supposed to be here tomorrow?", she rambled in fear.
"You wanted me back so I came back. Your wish is my command remember?"
"I did?"
"Yes. Otherwise you wouldn't be doing wonke la manyala trying to test my patience", he sneered and she kept quiet. Muhluri forgot to remove his hand from her waist. She shifted it away.
"Get in the car", he commanded and left them there, getting into the driver's seat.
"Don't go he's going to kill you!", Muhluri pleaded with her. Enhle was already crying. She wiped her tears with her sweaty palms.
"He'd never do that. If I don't go he might kill you. Go back to the room. Keep my stuff and I'll come fetch them from you", she subtly instructed and he held her by the wrists, trying to stop her from leaving with her husband. Manqoba stepped one-foot-out of the car and yelled that Enhle was wasting his time. She pulled her wrists out of Muhluri's hands and sobbed, walking slowly to the car like a lizard suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Muhluri mentally noted the number plate with his photographic memory, frustrated with being caught between a rock and a hard place. Enhle got in the car and Manqoba drove off. She looked back to see Muhluri but her eyes fell on the 20 litres of what smelt like petrol after careful, sensory consideration.
"Manqoba?", she tried questioning him about it but he never replied, keeping his eyes diligently on the road.
UNEDITED