THE OTHER BROTHER
CHAPTER 66
Three months into the marriage and already Mkhuleko has been rather the happiest. Yes, he has lost partial of his heart, but he has been the happiest. He takes a deep breath. Still laying on the bed lazy to wake up. The bed bounces and he just know that the devil of the child is here. She pokes his eyes instructing for him to wake up. Khanyisa too time to warm up to me. And when she eventually did, we became of best friends. I wonder where the woman of the house is. She woke up hour ago. Am I wrong to not have been intimate with her? I don’t want to come of as selfish and inconsiderate. I’m giving her to heal. And besides – the timing is not so good. She still processing the loss of my brother even though she doesn’t talk much about it. I open my eyes and there she is with her wide smile on her face. She believes she did a great job for waking me up. Kids!
“Hy princess.” She just giggles and covers her face with her tiny hands. He has missed out on a lot of years but now he is here ready to play his role. He will forever be grateful to Mkhuseli for raising his daughter. Today he is going to his grave. Just to visit him. He misses him everyday. Part of him died with his brother. He died physically, and died inside. It was just the two of them for so long and then he was gone. There has not been a single day that he have not missed him. The grief will ease, and will remember the good and the happy times. But for Mkhuleko, there have always been the days that he feels like he can’t cope. And yet, somehow, he manages. He like to think that he is still lending him his strength, like he always did. “How did you sleep.?”
Khanyisa is not much of a talker but a definite screamer. Completely different from her mother. Talking about her mother Violet. Khanyi framed her picture and nailed it on the wall in Khanyi’s bedroom. She stated she doesn’t Khanyisa to forget her biological mother. She visits her mothers side of the family from time to time. But that doesn’t sit well with Mkhuleko. The bedroom door opens and her scent fills the room. She has been exhausted lately. She throws herself on the bed and takes a deep breath.
“I feel like throwing up.” She says.
“You have been feeling like throwing up a lot lately. I think it’s time to see a doctor.” He says. He is starting to get worried. Her health matters. Maybe Khanyisile is not taking care of herself like she is supposed to.
“I will be fine. I think it’s the egg I was eating. I also drank coffee...” She rises up from the bed and runs to the bathroom. Everything she ate is coming out to play. The eggs are dancing in the toilet. Mkhuleko rushes behind her leaving Khanyisa on the bed who is busy jumping up and down.
“Are you okay?” He kneels next to her and brushes her back. She emptied everything. She grabs the towel and wipes her mouth and blows her nose. She feels suddenly sick.
“That’s it! I am taking you to the hospital.” Mkhuleko says.
She stands up and flushes the toilet. He takes the towel from her and soaks it in the sink. He will wash this later on. She and Khanyisa have already bathed. He jumps into the cold washer and comes out quickly. He is ready to take her. He can’t go another day without knowing what the issue is with his wife.
Luckily, at the doctors are not full. It’s still early in the morning.
“Are you good?” He asks. She has been sleeping the entire ride. And right now, she has her head on his shoulder.
“Just tired. I want to sleep.” She responds lazily. He has Khanyisa on his lap who is watching Peppa Pig on his phone. This child has been spoiled and he blames Mkhuseli for it. Not that he is complaining.
“Mrs Zikhode.” The doctor's assistance calls out. Mkhuleko slowly shook the sleeping Khanyi. She moans as she lazily opens her eyes.
“Wake up. It’s our turn.” She stands up and stretches herself. The smell of medicine is making her nausea again. She gags.
“You good?” Mkhuleko asks. Khanyi shakes her head no. She is not good. She just tried eating plain yogurt not so long ago. It was what she was craving for. She can't be throwing it all up. Luckily, she manages to push it back down. She burps.
“I am fine now.” Mkhuleko sighs out of relief. He hates it that he cannot control how she feels. The doctor opens the file and reads through.
“Mrs Zikode. My name is Bagqibile.” She stretches out her hand for a handshake, but Khanyi just stares at her hand irritated. Disappointment washes over the doctor's face. Mkhuleko reaches out for his and they shake hands. Khanyi glares at him with a murderous look once and Mkhuleko quickly pulls out of the handshake. He clears his throat. Bagqibile sighs. The room falls into silence.
“My wife is not feeling okay.” Mkhuleko breaks the ice. Bagqibile looks at Khanyi with a blank stare. Khanyi frowns in confusion.
“Huh?”
“I didn’t say anything.” Bagqibile.
“I don’t feel good.” She stands up - sudden dizziness. She sits back down. “Is there a toilet close by?” Khanyi.
“Sure. Right behind me.” She stands up. She rushes to the toilet.
“I am so sorry about that. I don’t know what is wrong with her.” Mkhuleko.
“What s wrong with her? Like what are the signs?” Bagqibile asks.
“She has been throwing up a lot lately. Her moods change from hot to cold. She sleeps a lot. Ey it’s a lot.” Mkhuleko explains to the doctor. She nods her head as she rights down some notes. Khanyi comes out of the toilet.
“I feel bloated.” She announces. “I can't poop.”
She sits down feeling devastated.
“For how long have you ben feeling bloated?” Bagibile.
“It’s almost a month now.” Khanyi responds looking at Mkhuleko for reassurance. “Yea, it’s been a month.”
“Can you pee in this container. I need to check your urine.” Bagqibile hands khanyi a silver container. She heads to the toilet and pees in the container. Nothing is coming out. She just peed not so long ago. Hopefully, she will be given medication that will make her poop easily.
Mkhuleko looks at his wrist watch and frowns.
“She has been gone for too long.”
“I will go check up on her.” Bagqibile knocks on the door. “Are you done? Can I come in?” She hears no response. She pushes the door and walks in. She is sitting on the toilet seat asleep. She chucks shaking her head.
“Mam. I am still waiting for your urine.”
Khanyi gets startled and sits up straight.
“Sorry. I don’t have any.” She says.
“It’s okay. We will try other measures.”
“I think I can push it out.” She insists. She drops her pants down picks the container up and tries as much as she could. As little as it is. It’s just a drop. But it counts for something. The Doc doesn’t require the entire litre. That would be just plainly ridiculous.
“I tried.” She hands the container to the doctor. She chucks.
“Indeed, you tried.” She dips the stick in the pee.
“We will have to wait for the results. You can go take a seat.”
Khanyi walks out leaving the Doctor in the toilet. She waits for the results patiently.
“You good?’ Mkhuleko and his concern.
“Yea. Just want to go home and sleep.”
Mkhuleko smiles. She is really a fan of sleep these days. The doctor comes back with the stick. She places it on the table.
“Can you please lay on the bed.” Bagqibile instructs. Khanyi stands up. She is tired. All of this up and down is irritating her. She lays on the bed and frowns.
“Am I being admitted?”
Bagqibile laughs out loud. “No. I want to check your insides. I want to know the reason behind your tiredness, being bloated and nausea.”
“Oh. Okay. Please, don’t inject me.” She pleads. Someone is afraid of needless.
The doctor smears the gel on her stomach. She flinches at the coldness.
“Sorry.”
She then places the ultrasound on her stomach. Some sounds. She looks at the screen.
“Is everything alright?’ Mkhuleko asks. The doctor has been quiet for her like.
“When last did you have your periods?”
“They have been irregular the past months. This month I only experience spotting just for one day.” She explains.
She removes the scan from her stomach and instructs her to wipe the gel.
Seated patiently waiting for the results. Bagqibile comes back with a file in her hand. She sits down and smiles.
“Well - first and foremost I would like to congratulate the parents here.”
They look at each other.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Sisi, you are three months pregnant.”
Khanyi gasps in shock. She holds her stomach in confusion. No, it can’t be. She hasn’t had sex for the past four months.
“How is it possible that I is three months pregnant. I haven't had sex in four full months.” She looks at Mkhuleko who has his ways wide open. This doesn’t make sense. Unless if...
Her minds runs to the day she woke up leaking someone's cum and Mkhuleko was there. She looks at him in disbelief but quickly composes herself. Bagqibile is out for words.
“Ow sorry. I remember. That day I was drunk.”
She chucks. Mkhuleko sighs in relief. Imagine the embarrassment.
The doctor prescribed some medication for her.
