Isigodi

Chapter 17

I am healed. Well not fully but I am fine now and the welling has gone down. It's just that I have a blue eye but I know it will disappear before the Friday of our departure. I sit next to the window and watch as Sokalisa walks out of MaVezi's house with a smile on his face. I don't think I will ever understand polygamy. On Saturday she was being cheeky about mom's return to the Buthelezi household but now she is a bit better, or whatever state she is in. Or maybe she is just pretending. That can be the only explanation. Mom is at work and she will be fetching me in the afternoon so that we can go back home.

I walk to the lounge and wait behind the door for Sokalisa. When he walks in, I scare him. "HELLO!" he jumps up.
"FUCK AZANDA!" he places his hand on his chest with his eyes popped out. He is already breathing heavily.
"Old man you need to hit the gym."
"Are you trying to kill me?" I shrug.

"Depends on how much I am going to gain from your death."
"All you need to do is ask. How much do you want? Or what do you want?"

"A car. No, a house. No, a shelter for our business. No. I don't need your money. I am just kidding. Anyways why are you this unfit? I mean you are always giving it to them every day, or you let them do all the work?"
"Aybo Azanda." He says with a warning tone. He walks to the couches and settles down.

"Let me fetch some water for you. I don't want you fainting on me and people saying I only came back here to kill you." he rolls his eyes and I laugh. I go to the kitchen and come back with 1l bottled water and a glass. I pour the water in the glass and hand it to him. I sit across him. "So like how do you do it? Four women? Should be a lot of work."

"What did they feed you this morning because you are too much for me?" I laugh and shake my head.
"No, I am just curious and I am bored. So I have to converse with you because you are here."
"So I am a cure for your boredom?" I shrug.
"You could be, if you let me in on your polygamy secret. How do you keep it together?" he chuckles.

"I don't have a secret to keeping it together. If I did, your mother wouldn't have left in the first place. I am probably one of the few men around who don't bewitch their wives to get along. I am just glad that we are in a better place now. Hee when your mother found out about MaVezi, she was breathing fire. They actually got involved in a fist fight, mind you they were both pregnant but your mother was so close to giving birth."
"Aybo, why didn't people stop them? And who started the fight?"

"I don't know who. When I arrived at the scene, they ganged up on me and beat me up. I think that's one of the factors that made your mother go into early labour. I was just stressing her too much and when she was gone, I realized my mistake."
"What did your mother do about them fighting or any other beef for that matter?"

"My father died while in the process of paying for ilobolo to his supposed third wife. My mother was the first wife and hated polygamy with her whole heart but couldn't comment on it because women had no say in what happened back then. She hardly said anything to her sister wife and my father. When my father died, she just dedicated her life to alcohol because she believed she had raised and her job was done. So when I told her about wanting to be a polygamist, she was like 'okay, but don't include me in your bullshit'."

"She was an alcoholic?"
"In her last days, yes."
"That means I am following in her footsteps." He gives me a mean stare and I just chuckle. "So your father wasn't bothered by the fact that his wives didn't get along?"

"He didn't care. As long as thy fulfilled their purpose in the household, which was producing kids and making sure that he had a warm meal every evening. He was not a good man but they loved him. His second wife died of heart attack a year after his death."
"Maybe he used a love portion on them." he laughs.

"Well he got the wrong person to advise him on polygamy because he should've gotten a portion to make sure that his wives get along and make sure that the whole yard is warm and welcoming to anyone."
"He was a shitty dad but at least you have a chance to correct your wrongs, unlike him." he sighs and nods.
"Yah."

"So how would you feel if one of your daughters would go and get into a polygamous marriage? Maybe me for example." He frowns and sits up straight.

"Azanda I love my wives, dearly. All of them have a special place in my heart and I know that all of them don't like sharing me. Let me let you in on a few secrets of a polygamous marriage. These women come from different families, different backgrounds and they have different personalities. They also have different qualities of being good wives. It might not show, but their lives are all about competition day in day out. They are always finding ways to impress their husband so that he can love them better than the other.

"They have so many insecurities. God they have so many of them. Even though they agreed to share their man, it always hurt them to see him being all lovey dovey with another woman in their presence. If it were up to them, the husband would definitely show affection for them in private, just so they cannot be jealous. So Azanda, as much as I am in a polygamous marriage, it can be very toxic because of those things I have mentioned." I sigh. I would call him out for double standards but I am a bit happy about his transparency right now. I am starting to respect him.

"So you wouldn't marry off any of your children to polygamy?"
"Yes and I also wouldn't advise or put pressure on my sons to be in polygamous marriages just because I am in one. So nkosazane yami, if you find someone who is interested in you, in your late forties," I laugh out loud and he frowns. "What's so funny?"

"You thinking I will get married at 40. Sokalisa I am going to get married anytime a young man comes and sweeps me off my feet."
"Let's settle for 30 then." I continue laughing.
"Don't you want grandchildren?"
"From you, not yet."

"But Sokalisa you guys have already done umemulo for me. That is like giving me permission to go out there and explore." He stands up and takes his bottled water.
"See you around MaShenge." He walks out and I laugh. I now know what to say when I want him to get all awkward and uncomfortable.
--

Everyone was sad to see us leave, and as much as I was also sad, I missed my mother's house. That peace, comfort and freedom to do whatever you want. Not that there is no freedom at the Buthelezi household, but you gotta be careful or who gets offended by that freedom. Too much drama if you ask me.

Mom took a day off and took me to Empangeni for some shopping. We bought almost everything, from luggage to clothes, shoes, cosmetics, you name them. Except for food. She said we will buy food when we arrive in Jozi. I assumed Sokalisa gave her the money because she didn't even look at the prices, she just took what she wanted and most of the things she bought for me were high quality. Even the luggage was made from leather.

Building material has started being delivered here at home. I guess Sokalisa wants to do this wedding fast so that he can have access to his wife anytime he wants it. She is going to be the first wife to live outside the Buthelezi household but what MaNene wants MaNene gets. Also she is the only wife who is working. The others are just housewives. MaMsomi, the second wife, used to be a teacher but she quit a few years into the marriage. MaMhlongo has never worked for anyone her entire life. When she was of age, she just started helping people traditionally. Well MaVezi is just a certified slay wife who sits around all day and read magazine while sipping on champagne using a coffee mug.
.
.
.
#Isigodi
#MinenhleNkosiTheAuthor