The Two Of Us

Chapter 16

THE TWO OF US

CHAPTER 16

BHEKA KHUMALO

He's been trying to get hold of his son for days, with no luck. He's not blocked, it just rings unanswered. Nothing is as hard as raising a child that's stubborn as you are. That's what his late father had always said,"Don't beat him, you will end up killing him. The boy took after you." But then, how about a little respect? He's his father after all. He can't just talk back like they're peers like he did on their last argument of which is the last time they saw each other. Pride then took over them, no one wants to apologize to one another. Nathi stands for his football dead career and Bheka still stand against it. Nathi is a heir, his only son. He have to focus on getting that degree on record time and come home to catch up on what he's missed from the business while studying. Modeling, disck-jockeying and whatsoever can miss him and that's finally. He's the head of this family and he's the one who makes decisions not a twenty-year-old who still go crazy over girls with big breasts and tiny waist!

Mam'MaMdluli has prepared dinner and he's biggest worry is to waste this woman's energy and time. Except that he will not eat the food, he's wondering which stunt he's going to pull today when he tells him the truth. Yes, he's coming home. All special thanks to Thando. No matter how much of a spoilt brat he is, he has a soft spot for his sisters, that's what he's noticed about him. He had to use that to his advantage.

Well, speak of the devil! He knows that he's just walked in when Amahle flies off of his lap he was sitting on playing games on his tablet. She's screaming, "Zuzu" in excitement. Thando leave MaMdluli in the kitchen to see the prodigal son. Just like he anticipated, he does not eat. He just say, "Nah, I'm cool" and goes to his room. There's just something about him today, it's not just the stubborn Nathi, he looks stressed. As long as it doesn't concern his studies, he'll have to get over it soon before it's get to that level.

"It sounded important over the phone," that's his one and only son who jumps the formal greeting and get straight to the point.

"I'm good ndodana. How have you been?"

"It's not like you care baba so please tell me what you wanted us to talk about, my mother and your 'brand new' daughter."

This is not a matter to talk about in the middle of the kitchen but in the quietness of his study.

"Your mother is not dead."
Good news at last! After a long day of trying to get hold of Ukhona with no avail.

"Really? How? Was it witchcraft? I have read about such things on the internet, I didn't know-" he's speaking very fast, his face lit up. Poor kid.

"That's not what I meant."

"What I'm trying to say is that, she was not your mother. Your mother is someone else who's not dead."
Okay? April fool was three days ago.

"My father was owing the Bab' Buthelezi. So he said that he could go easy on my family if I agreed to marry his daughter so that she wouldn't sleep around and fall pregnant or be infected with HIV/AIDS like most girls in the township." That place has always been a home of groove.

"I was twenty one, dating this beautiful girl I had been with since I was sixteen and she had just gave me a beautiful child. I was happy, genuinely happy and trust me I was going to marry that girl. " he chuckles almost sadly. "But that didn't matter though, especial to my father. I had to leave her. So we cut ties and your grandfather wouldn't allow her to see you and he made sure of that."

And he died without fixing all of this? Must be nice!

"You were barely three years old that's why you can't remember a thing and it made things easier."

Nathi just sit with his elbows balanced on the table, his hand covering his face. He thought that parents can only lie when it comes to one's biological father. Now a whole mother! No wonder he had no resemblance of her, not even eyes or maybe the shape of her nose. He thought it was just him being his father's younger version in a caramel skin. While his mother was a goddamn yellow bone? He's been stupid! For the whole twenty years. Stupid!

"So it runs in the family. It's always about money. It's always about power and manipulating people," his voice is shaky.

"Zubenathi..."

"You're not different from uMkhulu baba. That man, died almost ten years ago and you're telling me this now?"

"Her family moved to Jozini after her father's death. I couldn't find her until a few months ago. You have to believe me."

"What's her name vele?"

"Nokukhanya Mthembu."

Nathi is relieved until it hit him that Ukhona is a Mthembu. "What?", he blurt out.

"Do you know her?"

That's not a good question to ask in a moment like this. He's trying to remain sane. Ukhona? He can't break up with her. Not now! Not ever!
He stands up and pace up and down before saying, "I can't do this Mntungwa" and walk out. Just like that!

"We're not done! We still need to talk about your sister." This child can be disrespectful sometimes. How can he just walk out on him like that?.

"Your mother will be here tomorrow," Bheka yells to nothing hoping that it gets Nathi's ears.

****

AMANDA

Another day, another misery and regrets. She's not always complaining but it's her life that pushes her to complain every day. Her twin sister always says that she's crazy but she's not. Besides, Asanda can never relate, she's God's favorite.

She's woken up by someone shaking her in a vigorous manner. Like, who does that? It can never be her mother, that one simply take the blanket off and let the coldness snap you back to reality. That's how being raised by a black parent is. American kids are woken up like, "Good morning sunshine" while opening the curtains and all those stuff.

"Leave me alone Asa, pleeeeease," she sulk turning to face the other direction.

"Dude, my parents will be here by 7am so you better get your ass out of my bed." Shit, shit and more shit!
That's a guy's voice. It's that...Brian guy she left with at the party last night.

"You were not even supposed to sleep here or come here in the first place. I have a girlfriend and my parents know her so please!"
Wow! That's stings. She's crushing on him for God sake, the least he can do is to be nice.

"But I thought-"

"You think too much. Just put your damn clothes on!" he says throwing her a dress that she was wearing last night, that she wears with shame and disappointment.
She thought they had a thing last night. You know, the way his eyes focused on her the whole time even she's the one who started gawking at him but he gave in and gave her the attention she needed. The stares, the sex, that was more than a one-night thing. Or she was just imagining things as always.
She feels used, again. Is she not worthy to be loved? The type of guy she likes has been chewing and tossing her back and forth since adolescent became a stage in her life. She always crawl her way back to them because a girl's beauty is measured by the handsomeness of the guys she dates or have sex with because that's what she does. She need to be classy. "How did you score yourself a guy like Brian?," that's how girls are supposed to ask her not, "He's okay, he's just a guy" of which simply means he's ugly.

She's just got home and it's around 6am. Everyone is still asleep since it's a Saturday. She's just took a shower and trying to get herself done good ass sleep when her cellphone decides to keep her awake. She glances at the screen. Like really? Sizwe, so early in the morning? This guy really is getting ahead of himself. He thinks he's the cherry on top of the cake while he's not. He's just an egg, ruining the smell of the cake and need essences to be toned down. He's handsome and all but he's below the standard of the guys Asa dates.