The Two Of Us

Chapter 13

THE TWO OF US

CHAPTER 13

NOKUKHANYA MTHEMBU

She leaves work running like Caster Semenya. Luckily, she is almost done with the day, just less than an hour before she clocks off. It always happen, the seizures, she means but she just cannot get used to it. It always scare the hell out of her. "What if she doesn't work up this time?" is what she always asks herself out of panic whenever the moment pays a visit.

She walks into the hospital like a mad woman, asking for Ukhona Mthembu and impatiently stating that's she's her mother. She exhales through her mouth trying to steady her breathing and heart rates. She swear her heart is going to bust out of her rib cage if this front desk woman with a 2011 bonding hairstyle doesn't stop chewing on that poor gum like a goat and type fast on the damn computer.

"Ward 109," she finally says popping the chewing gum. Professional advanced women and thinking they deserve a queen's treatment!

She's relieved when she sees her through the transparency of the small squared glass on the door. She's awake. Her baby is awake! She's talking to someone, nodding with a faint smile. Oh! It's a guy. She realises when she push the door letting herself in. She can only see his back, probably a friend from school or is it the Liam she always talks about? But this one looks a little older to be still in high school but you cannot predict the age of these 2000s kids. They look twenty-five while they're only nineteen.
Ukhona finally raises her eyes and see her mother who is slowly walking in with a relieved face. Khanyo smiles at her daughter but the feeling is obviously not mutual, the faint smile Ukhona had on her face just fade like a fog when the sun finally makes it presence known.

"Ba—" her speech is cut short when this boy Ukhona was smiling at, follow Ukhona's gaze and the voice. She has never fainted in her life but today sure is the day. Her eyes bulge out. She chokes over nothing. Her heart is hammering its way out of the rib cage. It cannot be a coincidence! Is this spinning or it's just her who is feeling dizzy? This cannot be happening! It cannot! God and the ancestors cannot forsaken her like that!
She stumble over her own feet. Nathi is fast enough to hold her steady and help her sit on the chair he was sitting on. She can barely hear him saying something about water then disappear. She lays her head on the bed otherwise she's going to fall along with the chair. Ukhona is staring at her with shock and fear plastered on her face. She cannot lose her mother.

She's trying to a grip on herself when someone touches her shoulder. Here, she gave birth to a gentleman, he has a soft touch. She gulp down the entire liquid in a tumbler. Everything clears and her heart slow down. A breath of relief. What was she going to tell Ukhona.
She cannot believe her eyes, he's so grown, so handsome. The poor kid uncomfortable shift under her stare. Her eyes burn with tears.

"Uhm...Ma, this is Nathi my..." Ukhona tries to save the moment. She probably think that her mother is gawking over her boyfriend.

Snap! She doesn't want to here the word.

"You're the one who brought her here?"
She doesn't even wait for him to respond as soon as he nods and open his mouth to speak she says, "Thank you so much my child. Thank you."

"It's okay," he shrug. "I should get going," he then says excusing himself.

"How are you feeling baby?" she finally asks a while after Nathi walked out.

"I am laying in a hospital bed." The attitude!

"Ma, I'm tired of this life. I am tired of living this way." Is that what she's angry about?
"It's either you tell me who my father is or I write an email to Khumbul'ekhaya. I don't look like you so it's obvious that I look like my father or something. He'll recognize me."

The elephant is slowly letting itself inside the room. She needs to shut that door before there's a need to address it.

"This has nothing to do with your father!"

"It is! Gogo has said that a million times but you always brush it off like you're doing right now."

Whoa! This is getting out of hand.

"We are going to talk about this when we get home. This is not the right place, okay?" What choice does she have except saying that?

The doctor walks in and tell them that they couldn't find anything wrong with Ukhona. Since the hospital is running low of beds, they're discharging her.

             
                              ***

"I don't like your boyfriend," Nokukhanya says over dinner.

Ukhona who hasn't eaten her food raises her eyes to her mother with furrowed brows.

"He's not good for you," she adds quietly.

"You don't know him," Ukhona protests.

"I'm your mother, I know what's good for you. I don't want you to get hurt again besides, even a blind person can see that he is a total player."

"You know what good for me Ma? Finding my father is what's good for me right now!"

"Are you having sex with him?" That's her worry. In fact, this whole thing changes the fate. She has to speak before this escalate.

"What if I am?"

This is not helping. She's holding her breath still. She cannot just tell her to break up with him because he's her brother. This is getting worse.

Her ringing cellphone saves her from this stupid conversation. It's Bheka. Couldn't her day gets any worse?

"I have to take this, we're not done here," she says before going to her bedroom.

"How did it go?"

"She's fine, they discharged her."

Her fingers are crossed. She might say things she's not supposed to say. Why is she having this conversation with her boss in the first place? It's a kind gesture but it's so wrong.

"Thank you for asking," she adds.

"I didn't know you have a daughter."

Here we go!

"Uhm...yeah."

"How old is she?" That's an innocent question but it makes her heart beats a little faster.

You should have told the truth Khanyo, she thinks to herself. This is going to mess things up. She's going to be a liar in Bheka's eyes. It's not like she cares, right?

"She's...seventeen."

There's silence.

"Who's the father?"

"Look, Mr Khumalo, thanks for calling but my daughter really needs me now. I have to—"

"Cut the bullshit Khanyo! Am I the father?" He's pissed.

"Bheka..."

"Don't Bheka me Khanyo. Answer the damn question."

"Can we not talk about this over the phone, please."

"I never thought you could something like this to me Khanyo."

"Blame your father Bhekamantungwa!" she drops the call. No one is innocent here. They're both wrong! Haibo!

She breaths through her mouth with her hand on her waists. Bheka is going to calm down and they will talk this through as long as he doesn't fire her. It's all good. Then, she'll find a way to tell Ukhona and...

"Is that my father you're talking to?"

She freezes right on the spot. Her phone is loud as that of a taxi driver. If she followed her here, she probably heard the whole conversation.