TWO WEEKS LATER
Milile pov:
It has seriously been a tough past few weeks with everything going on around us and I am just happy that Nqubeko and I are still holding it down together. We both actually got out of hospital a week back and I have been staying with him since. We also both attending therapy. Today we on our way to the Eastern Cape, Nqubeko's home. He is going to clarify amd solve somethings well those were his words not it mine and i'm just being a supportive partner, dad also approved so why not.
Nqubeko: "You done baby?" I nod as I put the salad back in the lunch bag.
Me: "Yeah and it was good."
Nqubeko: "I really feel like some burger, fries and real meat baby! ey"
Me: "Shame man!" I laugh at him. Well our diet had to change a bit since he is still healing and again I am being a supportive partner. I do eat my junk when i'm not in front of him though and what he doesn't know won't kill him (winks).
Nqubeko: "And we here baby." He says just as he parks the car in front of a big dull looking house. We both get out and walk to the front door, he knows then opens the door. He holds my hand and leads me to the living room where there's a woman sitting drinking tea.
Woman: "Nqubeko!" she exclaims clearly surprised to see him. Nqubeko walks closer to her and hugs her then kisses her cheek.
Nqubeko: "Unjani mah?"
Woman: "Ey it's bad man my boy ay. Hawu makoti , come to me." she says opening her arms. I go hug her then take my sot next to her when she doesn't let go of my hand.
Woman: "How are you makoti?"
Me: "I'm good thank you mah and yourself?"
Woman: "She doesn't recognise me anymore Nqubeko." she says looking at him then they both laugh.
Nqubeko: "Ask her mah."
Woman: "Don't you remember this old face my child?" i smile shyly
Me: "No mah."
Woman: "Kufanele, we didn't get a chance to meet you properly that day. Remember when you entered the house and found us in your man's lounge then you ran back outside?" We all laugh.
Me: "Oh yeah I remember now."
Woman: "I was one of the woman." she says still laughing.
Woman: "Anyway I am good regardless of everything." she adds smiling and lightly squeezes my hand.
Me: "That's good."
Woman: "And how are y'all both doing after your loss? I know how hard it is to move forward."
Nqubeko: "And how did you know mah?"
Woman: "Your father told me few weeks back and i'm sorry for never checking up on you two. I just have been so cooped up in all this stuff happening around here lately."
Nqubeko: "Okay, that's also the reason we here for by the way."
Woman: "Oh yeah?"
Nqubeko: "Yes, I am just looking for some answers and since you married to my father I think you might know some of the things i am looking for."
Woman: "Yes son, go ahead and ask."
Nqubeko: "Did you know that MaShezi was not my real mother?"
Woman: "Excuse me what?" she looks genuinely surprised.
Nqubeko: "Yes and Ndamase isn't my father either."
Woman: "Okay I know about uNdamase not being your father because we had been married months before your father passed on. I knew and met your father a couple of times whenever I came around to see Ndamase and I must say you are a copy of him. I also knew that he had a girlfriend he loved dearly just that their love was forbidden in this family but i had never seen the woman. The Ndamase family only approved of their love when it was revealed that your father's girlfriend was pregnant and I guess it was with you."
Nqubeko: "So you say you've never met my mother?"
Woman: "No son. Then you were born and you were to stay here and be raised by your father because apparently your mother was kind of sick. I don't know, but alot was said about her then. A few months later this beautiful woman kept on coming around and nobody really liked her as far as i knew. The woman was introduced as your mother, they called her uMaka Mfana so i finally met your mother. The woman was MaShezi. Just before that month could end, your father passed on and that's when the family divided. Ndamase inherited everything from his brother and it was suspicious if you ask me because your father had left a woman he had a baby with including the baby and he'd choose to leave everything yo his brother? But i couldn't say anything about it because it wasn't my place and when someone raised the same concerns, she ended up crippled. Ndamase then decided he'd share everything with your mother, MaShezi which they did. Him and MaShezi started being close which i thought it was because they both lost someone they loved dearly so i didn't really suspect anything until he mentioned how lonely she was and then a few weeks after that he had to 'ngena' MaShezi which i'm sure you know."
Nqubeko: "Yes."
Woman: "That's how they got married then 2 years in their marriage, your brother came along. When I questioned that, they claimed that he had been living with MaShezi's aunt because during those days, these villages were against twin children. If ever a woman had given birth to twins, they'd take one twin and kill it because they said it was a curse to have twins especially if they were identical."
Me: "That's insane." Like who would be so heartless to kill a baby?!
Woman: "Yes it was my child."
Nqubeko: "So you never questioned the sudden wealth your man had after ?"
Woman: "All i knew was that your father was known as a very smart man. Ndamase said he had many investments in different places and they had started paying out by then."
Nqubeko: "Wow!" He said and covers his face with his hands.
Woman: "That is all I know mntanam."
Nqubeko: "Thank you mah, Thank you so much." he says as he wipes his eyes. I move sits and sit next to him when the woman excuses herself.
Me: "I'm so sorry baby. I promise, we will get through this together. I love you." I hug him. He kisses my forehead, cheeks then my lips making me smile.
Nqubeko: "You are the only thing going right in my life right now. Thank you baby. I love you so much." I kiss his lips then pull away.
Nqubeko: "That's MaNgcobo by the way." he says chuckling, I nod.
