Maid For Marriage

16

"Thandi, Ma is asking for you. Will you please get ready? I laid out some clothes for you." I forced myself up and got ready. Thabo was in the living room with the kids. "Morning Thandi." I greeted back softly and ma took me by the hand and led me next door.

"Thandi! You came!" Ma exclaimed. As tradition required. All the furniture was moved out and Ma was sitting on their mattress on the floor in all black. A couple of other ladies joined her. I greeted everyone and took a seat on the grass mat. "This is Thandi. Thandi I'm sure you'll get to meet everyone individually as the week carries on but these are Baba's sisters." The two ladies on the mattress with Ma nodded. 

The men were outside discussing whatever they were discussing while the women did the chores inside. I made sure ma took all her proper medication. From the pill container I could tell she hadn't had her medication. While I was there I distracted myself  with laundry.

"I'm glad to see you here." Senzo said joining me outside at the washing line. "I thought I wouldn't be able to come here but at least now I have a distraction." I said hanging up a shirt that belonged to him. "So my wife isn't coming. She's out of the country." He said and I stopped what I was doing. "What do you mean? Her father-in-law passed away. Do you mean just for the week leading up to the funeral?" He shook his head. "No, shes not making it for the funeral. My children are here.  She left them with nannies without even telling me."

I could tell he was upset but I couldn't hug him or even hold his hand because we were surrounded by people. "Do you want to meet them?" He asked and I couldn't exactly say no so I just nodded. I followed him inside. The two girls were showing their grandmother their toys.

"This is Pretty, she eight years old and this is Zandile, she's six years old. You know baby Chumisa. Girls this is Thandi." They waved and I waved back and said hi. I helped with dishes and with Chumisa.  When I got her to go to sleep I went back home.

"Thandi!" I couldn't ignore them any longer. I played with the boys while my aunt was making supper. "Thandi did you eat?" I didn't answer and she didn't bother me. At dinner I felt like a child. She wouldn't allow me to leave unless I ate something. I got two forkfuls down and I needed to vomit. I ran to the toilet and threw up.

"I'm sorry baby. I'm sorry. Come." She helped me up and I rinsed my mouth. "What's happening to me?" She helped me to my bed and sat with me. We didn't say a word but he being there made me feel much better.

I woke up the next day feeling heavy and nauseous. I tried calling out but I couldn't.  It was almost like it would take too much energy. "Thandi?" I hummed in response. "Thandi!" She ran to my bed. "Okay. I'll bring you yoghurt. You ate yoghurt yesterday didn't you?" I could see the tears well up in her eyes so I nodded. She ran out and was back within seconds.

"Thabo!" She called when she couldn't get me up. I wasn't helping much either. Thabo held me and she fed me like a baby. It was embarrassing. I begged my aunt to not tell anyone this happened she agreed.

I was sitting in the couch with Sizwe in my lap when Senzo walked in. He brought me a smoothy. "This is incase you still can't eat."  I thanked him and he took a seat. We played with the kids and that seemed to make my aunt happy.

"You're almost halfway. Just a few more sips." I rolled my eyes at him but took a few more sips and then gave it to the kids. "That's cheating." I rolled my eyes again. "You said I needed to drink half and I did."
"Yes and leave the other half for later."
His phone lit up. "It's Ma." He said and read the text. "She says she messed up her medication.  She doesn't know which ones to drink." I instantly knew it was a lie because shes the one who taught me the difference in the pills but I went next door anyway. I helped her and reset her container.

"Come sit with me." The ladies who usually sat with her were eating so I joined her. Chumisa was crying and her aunt's were trying to get her to eat. "She been crying the whole day. She hasn't cried like this since her mother passed away. This might not be the right time but I need a distraction. So... You and my son?" I looked away shyly and I couldn't help but smile.  "Wait, is that... Is that a smile? That's all I needed. Soon I'll be calling you Makoti."

The baby was given to her grandmother and I saw they were using the wrong bottle. "No sit by me. My sister will get it." She said when I wanted to get up. Chumisa crawled into my lap so I held her. They brought the proper bottle and she had no trouble drinking her milk. Her sisters came to sit with us.

"I don't like her. She cries too much." Pretty said and Zandile agreed. "Do you know why she cries?" I asked and they shook their heads. "She just cries and cries and cries." Zandile complained. "She cries because she can't speak.  She's just a baby. So when she needs something she can't say it. So she'll cry to tell you she's hungry, or needs to be changed, or is uncomfortable." They listened and Zandile sighed heavily.

"Okay, but I didn't cry." Zandile said and Ma laughed. "Yes you did." She seemed shocked. "And louder than Chumisa." She was shocked and denied it.

I sat with ma for a couple of hours. "Were you talking about this suit." One of the aunt's came out with Bab'Dlamini's grey suit. Ma nodded and I looked down because tears fell from my eyes. She notice and held me. It felt like my ears were going to burst because I held my sob back. I didn't want to be more dramatic than I already was.

"Sis'Thandi!" I heard the kids call my name. I wiped my tears. "Baba said we must ask you to make us something to eat because we don't like stew." Ma chuckled. "Okay, what do you like?" I asked and they thought about it. "Chicken nuggets." Pretty said. Everyone was staring at us but I just ignored it. "And fries." I agreed and put the baby on my back and went to work.

Ma didn't have a food processor or blender so I was stuck. I thought about cutting the chicken breasts up and just frying them but I was sure the kids would know the difference.

"Can we watch?" They asked and I agreed. I helped them onto the chairs and they watched me cook. I tenderized the chicken then cut it up in small pieces and smashed it again so it turned into mush. I added my spices, flour and bread crumbs so it didn't fall apart.

"Okay, you two are going to help me." They looked at me as if I was crazy. "Yes you, go wash your hands quickly." They raced to the bathroom. I rolled my mixture put and cut it into squares. The girls were extremely excited and the aunt's were watching us as if we were a tv show. They were shameless about it.

"Okay." I said when I had all my squares. "Here you go." I put the raw egg and breadcrumbs in front of them. "Pretty you're going to take a nugget carefully and dip it in the egg. Turn it over to make sure the whole nugget is coated and then carefully put it in the breadcrumbs." I showed her. "Zandile, you will then take your spoon and coat the chicken with the crumbs. Make sure the whole piece is completely covered and then stack them nicely." They git start d and the house was filled with squeals and laughter.

I let them do that while I made their fries. "What's going on?! Why are my children screaming!?" Mbali stormed in. I thought she was out of the country. "What are you doing!? You're getting yourselves dirty! Go wash all of that off your hands! Why are you in the kitchen in the first place!? Go! Go clean up!" The girls looked terrified and ran to the toilet. "You! Are you crazy!? You're the maid! You're supposed to be cooking! Don't ever try and make my children do your work ever again!"

One of the aunt's started shouting at her but I blocked them out. The fight moved out of the kitchen and I finished with the girls food. They were standing by the door watching sadly. I plated their food nicely and called them to come eat. They were a but weary but their mother fighting in the lounge so this was the only place for them to eat anyway.

Their while demeanor changed. They sat with their shoulders slumped over their plates and ate in complete silence. "Here you are!" They jumped when their mother entered and instantly started crying. "We're going!" She came and grabbed them and they started screaming.

"Leave my children!" Senzo came in and grabbed the girls from her. "If you want to leave there's the door but you're not taking my children." She just scoffed and left anyway. "You won't be seeing me at this damn funeral anyway!" She said when she left. I have them some juice and the continued eating sadly as I got Chumisa back to sleep again.

"Thank you Sisi." They said handing me their plates and leaving.

I know how that felt. They were still so little and had to deal with a parent like that. It was painful to watch.