"Sawubona", Manqoba greeted after he walked into the kitchen filled with the smell of chocolate. Enhle had an apron on, baking muffins and brownies. He was clearly surprised to see this.
"Sawubona baba", she said calmly and went to take the second tray out.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm baking for ma's biweekly meeting with the ladies", she informed and took off the baking gloves. He noticed she had new nails but a way,way shorter length compared to what she always gets installed.
"Are you okay?", Manqoba asked as he slowly placed his phone and car keys on the kitchen counter. She nodded with a smile and approached the fridge.
"You weren't half an hour ago", he remarked.
"I really am fine", she assured as she took the litre of milk out of the fridge.
"Okay...", he had no choice but to stop pushing. She continued being busy. He was surprised at how the person he spoke to on the phone was a completely different version of what he was seeing in the kitchen. He walked past and she quickly said "Your food is in the oven. Please come back to eat?"
Now he was asking himself several real questions. The cliche "Who are you and what did you do to my wife" question was circling his mind. He just nodded and continued with his journey upstairs.
...
When Muzi arrived home, he found the boys watching TV and greeted them, asking when exactly they arrived. Mxolisi was sunken down on the couch watching TV with his hands in his pockets.
"And then wena? Ulunywa yin?"(What's your problem?), Muzi asked. He could see he wasn't quite himself. Mxo shook his head and Muzi knew he wasn't going to win even if he forced him to speak. He stored the matter for tomorrow then turned to Lwa, who was on his phone. They conversed for a bit before he retired to his bedroom. Betso was asleep in the dark with her hand on her tummy. He switched on the side lamp and sat on the bed, taking off his sneakers. He got up to go wash his face and came back to take the rest of his clothes off, left only in his underwear. He got under the covers and hugged his wife from behind, kissing her on the neck. She woke up and turned towards him with a smile. A kiss landed on her lips.
"Hey baby", she greeted.
"Ninjani?"(How are the two of you doing?), he asked.
"We're fine. Did you enjoy your night out?"
"I missed you the whole time", he informed and she smiled, checking the clock on the pedestal.
"Is that why you're back? I wasn't expecting you back at this time"
He nodded.
"How long have you been asleep?"-Muzi.
"Since nine I think"
He was already caressing her breast and kissing lightly on her shoulder. She knew what was coming and was absolutely in no mood for it. She allowed him to continue, trying not to be rude. She bent her neck to allow him working space. He turned her so she lays on her back, getting on top of her. He raised her silky nightie and lifted her left leg while kissing on her lips. He then suddenly stopped and sighed.
"What's wrong?", he questioned.
"What do you mean?"
"Awuyifeeli lento engiyenzayo la. Baby when was the last time we had sex? Ngempela ngempela ngizophila ngath anginaye umama la endlin? Okwe s'shimane?"(You're not feeling this... Am I honestly going to live like a bachelor while I have a wife?), he asked and she looked away. He released a heavy breath out and got off of her. He went to take a cold shower and came back to bed. She was already asleep by the time he was done. They slept with their backs facing one another. He wondered himself to sleep.
...
Manqoba was seated in his office when Enhle knocked and he allowed entry. She fixed her headwrap and walked in. He was watching the sunset on the balcony but walked back into the office when he saw her. They both knew they had to talk at some point. He went over to the couch and sat. She went to sit next to him.
"Mbulazi...", the conversation had to start somewhere.
"Mama...", he answered. The way in which he said it gave her hope.
"I'm sorry. I honestly don't know how to apologize in a way that will make you see the regretful state my heart is in"
He sighed and took her hand. She dropped tears from both eyes.
"Going back and forth with you is going to be a complete waste of time. I am mad yes but on my drive back home today, I had a thought and even laughed at myself. I realized that how I'm feeling right now, is exactly how you felt the multiple times I went out to cheat. Siyafana mina nawe so It'd be hypocritical of me mengizoku khomba ngomunwe"(We're no different... if I were to point fingers)
"You went out because I was a bad wife..."
He distorted and exercised his upper lip so it meets his nostrils and shook his head.
"It's no use pointing fingers now. You're here to stay just as much as Sihle is. You're both ancestral wives. I want peace. I need it. I am in fact desperate for it"
"I really thought you were going to kill me"
"I can't say all is forgotten but I'd never do that. I don't know why you always fail to understand how much I actually mean it when I say I love you Bianca", he said and she laughed at how he referred to her. He barely calls her by her second name.
"So, angazi. Asenze lento yakho sibone ukuthi izo silahlaph"(Let's do this thing of yours and see where it takes us)
"Yin leyo baba?"(And that is?)
"Itherapy", he said and waited for her to reply.
"Ngempela?"(Really?), there was a twinkle in her eye.
He nodded.
"On one condition though...", he added.
She looked at him with an expression that said 'Carry on'.
"That you also have individual sessions with the therapist apart from our joint ones?", he said and she took a short moment to digest what he'd just said. She then nodded and he tightened his hold on her hand. She leaned in for a hug and he hugged her back. She was doubtful about kissing him when they broke the hug. Manqoba is the most unpredictable person she knows and that was the foundation of her doubt. She ultimately resigned from that idea when his phone rang. He answered it, only to be alerted that there is somebody outside who was there to see him.
He got up to go attend to the matter. He stepped out the house, using the opportunity for fresh air.
"Mbulazi", the man greeted.
"Ngikusiza ngani Shelembe?"(What can I help you with?)
He was squashing his hat in his hands as he stepped a bit closer in his worn out Chuck Taylors.
"Sine nkinga la emphakathin. Siyangenelwa ezindlin ebusuku. Konke loku kwenzeke ngesuku elilodwa"(We have a problem in this community. We're getting robbed at night in our houses. All of this happened in one day)
"Amaphara?"(Drug addicts?)
"Angazi. Kthiwa bashisa udonsi lwempisi ukuthi silale sife khona bazo ntshontsha kahle"(I don't know. Apparently these people burn a hyena's tail to make us fall deeply asleep so they can steal well)
"How many houses so far?"
"Five. Kune two eykhala ngeymbuzi"(Two households are complaining about goats)
"Zenze njan iymbuzi?"(What about the goats?)
"I don't know kodwa bathe mebevuka bathola ezimbalwa zishonile"(When they woke up they found a few of them dead)
"Dead not stolen?"
He nodded.
"Zibulawa yin?"(What kills them?), he asked in a very baffled tone.
"Akekho owaziyo. Kodwa mina ngicabangela isilwane. Inyoka maybe?"(Nobody knows. But I suspect an animal of some soft. Maybe a snake?)
Manqoba felt a headache trickling to the forth of his head, worrying about his livestock as well.
...
TWO MONTHS LATER.
After they came back from school, Lwandile informed that he was going to take a nap, leaving Mxolisi and Rorisang in the living room. She placed her backpack on the couch and sat, waiting for Mxo to come back with their juice. He did and came to sit next to her. She took out her math workbook and study guide, along with her large pencil case.
"I think we should go to my room. This table is too low for me my back is gonna hurt", he said as he stood up.
"You know how your mom feels about that"
"Do you see her anywhere?", he questioned, a voice full of irritation.
"Yoh okay. No need to bite my head off", she packed her things up and followed him, leaving the bag behind. They got there and he offered her the chair. He went out to go get Lwa's from his room. Lwa just looked at him suspiciously when he was wheeling the chair out.
"What?"-Mxo.
"You're asking for trouble", he warned and Mxo snorted.
"Trouble loves my company. Not the other way around", he said and Lwa laughed in defeat.
"Anyway, is it me or your parents are acting hella weird these days?"- Lwa.
"Ey Kanyo you know I never want to involve myself in their mess it fxcks with my peace", Mxo continued taking the black chair out. Lwandile rolled on the bed to get a better position to sleep in.
Rori tossed a jelly tot into her mouth when he walked in and it disturbed a completely wrong pipe. She started coughing out while hitting her chest.
"Are you okay?!", Mxo rushed to help her. She shortly stopped and swallowed, trying to stabilize her breathing.
"I'm fine but...", she said as she searched the floor.
"What are you looking for?"
"My contact lens. It fell out now my sight is trash", she informed as she continued searching. He helped her scan the grey carpet for it.
"Are you winning?", he asked if she's making progress in finding it.
"I don't see shxt", she said and they both raised their faces to look at each other, before exploding in laughter after realizing the pun in her statement. They continued searching as they laughed.
"Man I can't lose them I just got these yesterday"
"Here...", Mxo found it next to one leg of the bed. She took it.
"How do you put these things on anyway?"-Mxo.
"I'd show you but I can't put it on now. It's probably contaminated I'll have to put it in solution first", she said as she took out the other one as well, putting them in their small case that was in her 'Hello Kitty' pencil case.
"I am officially blind", she said and laughed. He laughed lightly as well.
"You really can't see? As in totally?"
"I can. But I can't see anything at a distance. I'm myopic", she informed.
"You used to wear glasses. Where are they?"
"In my bag. I hate feeling blind but I hate them twice as much"
"Well you need them now", he said as he got up to go fetch her bag, loosening his tie around his neck. He came back with it and handed it to her. She took the casing out and put the glasses on.
"How do you feel now?"
"Much better thanks", she said and smiled. He smiled too and took his seat. She paged through the study guide to find the section on trigonometry and showed him the question she had the most trouble with. He was still trying to figure out the direction of the question when she suddenly said "But I don't feel comfortable being in your room man Kopano"
"I don't bite", he said without raising his face and picked a pencil out of her stationery bag.
"Your mom wouldn't hesitate to cross these two streets to go tell my dad that--"
"My mom is for me to stress about"
He said and she sighed.
"This is simple. Remember, when you have sin and whatever angle it's no different to having one over the cosec of that angle? Which ultimately means that a cosec is actually an inverse of the sin that you have? Same goes with your cot and tan. Do you remember this?", she pulled the chair closer to listen attentively.
"Look this equation might look long and complicated but it's actually not. Yours is to convert, substitute and shift a few things around lemme show you"
He pulled the notebook closer and worked it out. He got stuck on one of the steps and sat back on his chair to think.
"See? It's not as easy as you made it out to be", she said and he kept quiet, biting his upper lip thoughtfully.
"Wait. Sin 30° is half right? So we can discard of this and substitute that here", he said and allowed the pencil to do all the work under the instruction of his mind passionately. She kept stealing glances of him, admiring him flowing in his element.
"Aaaand Bob's your uncle!", he cheered when he came to the very last equal sign.
"No way. It can't be that easy", she laughed. He laughed too and attended to his ringing phone on the table.
"Marshmallow", he answered his brother's call.
"Mxo. Can you talk?"
"Sure. What's up? Why so serious?"
"I bumped into Ndalo KwaDiliza. Remember that tournament I told you about? When I asked her what she's doing there she said she lives there and ran off. When I asked Zee what's going on, she went off at me about how much of an ignorant boyfriend I am and asked how come I don't know that Ndalo got kicked out"
"She got kicked out? Did Zee say why?"
"Eish Mxo. U spat uNdalo mfethu"(Ndalo is pregnant), Melo said and Mxolisi's lip dropped in slow motion.
UNEDITED.