I'm more than just the second wife

28

We'd just arrived at the Zubane homestead and Mr Zubane was oh so welcoming and friendly but the Hadebe's weren't entertaining him. He finally caught on when he made a joke and only he laughed. "This appears to be a not so friendly visit please let us know if we've wronged you." Zanokusa's eyes wondered from me to the door. I knew he wanted to ask where Zanda is but I waited for him to ask. "Hawu I thought Zanda was only spending the weekend." He said looking at me. This one thinks I have all the answers. "She's at home." Yanda replied and didn't explain further despite Zanokusa's evidently growing confusion. "May we ask why you haven't brought her back?" He paternal grandad asked growing impatient. "Well son bring out your wife and maybe she'll shed light." Was Bab'Hadebe's calm response.

"And why are you summoning women in my home and bringing yours over! I do not sit at a table and discuss any business with women!" He roared. Hadebe chuckled masking his anger. "You will never take that tone with me or mine again. I don't know of the regard or disregard you have for women in this home but in mine you respect them always so you will apologise and bring that woman out here now." He stated sternly whilst flicking imaginary dust off his blazer. He had her summoned but dismissed the apology. "Here she is, now will you tell me why you're here Hadebe?" He asked now a little calmer but the attitude was still there. "Not before you apologise to my wife and umaKoti." Hadebe said his state not wavering from Zubane's. Zubane eventually dropped his eyes and apologised.

"Now young lady explain these." Bab'Hadebe demanded flinging the envelope to Sthembile. Sthembile just sat there frozen with tears on the brink of falling, she'd better not start letting those crocodile tears fall because the envelope won't be the only thing being flung across the table if she cries. Zanokusa reached for the envelope but Sthembile put her hand over his looking at him. "Please don't open it, I can explain." She stuttered her hands shaking. Her words only seemed to encourage him to open the envelope and looked at the pictures inside. He started visibly shaking "Sthembile tell me this isn't my child's back." He whispered. Her sobs broke out in the room. "Don't you dare cry or I'll hit you!" I yelled. "That's what you'd say to my child angithi! So practice what you preach." I spat at her. Her grandad was still confused until Zanokusa passed the pictures to him and his brothers and gasps were heard as the pictures circulated. "Start talking!" I demanded. "Nobuhle is my older sister." She said through her hiccups. I caught Yanda sagging in guilt once more beside me and I reached out and held his hand beneath the table.

"She helped me abort three of our stepdads children. He'd been raping me since I was 15 so she held that over me and knew I was barren because all of them had been done illegally and that damaged my womb. She organised my meeting with Zanokusa, she knew all along that he was Zanda's father and that like any man would want children and that's one thing I wouldn't give him and when it was convenient in her plan she'd orchestrate the reveal of that to him and at first it was just me going along with her but I fell in love with you Zanokusa. I didn't want to abuse your child but she made me. She'd talk me through what to do but I ended up using that as an outlet too. Having that power over someone young and couldn't fight for herself like I couldn't against that monster was liberating.

What was wrong with these women? Was she hearing herself right now. What part of what she was saying was sane in her mind? I was boiling mad. I don't know how nor when but next thing I knew I was on top of her and throwing punches mercilessly on her face. I was deaf to her screams and her covering her face didn't help her. Yanda finally managed to get me off her and I didn't try to retaliate because I was happy with my handy work when I looked at her now disfigured bleeding nose and swollen and purple eye.

Everyone was now on their feet but no one helped her up. " You should have let her carry on son. I'm disgraced to call you a part of the Zubane family." Zubane grumbled leading everyone back to the table and we sat down. "So we've come to the decision that Zanda will live with us!" Bab'Hadebe stated and he dismissed Zanokusa when he attempted to argue. "Don't boy! She was mistreated right under your nose. You slept with her under the same roof but you're telling me you didn't notice anything amiss. I'll tell you why that is so. Your useless father taught you that nurturing your young is a woman's job so not once did you spend time with her alone to notice her habits, behavioural traits or bathe her or you'd have seen those grotesque bruises. You're not fit to live with her. You can visit her and as soon as she's comfortable with you she'll visit but she'll be under our primary care.