HIS ROYAL BRIDE

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 24

‘We both know you’re lying. What really happened between you and Kurhula?’ Tumi asks when she finally gets the opportunity to speak to him in private, at home.
‘I don’t know what else to tell you. We were together, sitting in the car when some thug came out of nowhere’
‘Where did this even take place?’
‘I’m exhausted Tumi and I’m tired of talking about this. Can you explain the bags?’ he points at the corner where her luggage is placed.
‘We have spoken about this’
‘You want a divorce?’
‘I never said that. I just… I need to be alone for some time’
‘Who is this nigga?’ he asks and she widens her eyes.
‘There’s no one else’
She moves her eyes away when he refuses to break the stare. He simply lets out a deep sigh and continues getting dressed.
‘Going somewhere?’
‘Meeting up with Kurhula’ he coldly responds while tying his sneaker laces.
‘Again??’
‘Need I mention that he’s my brother?’
‘Let’s just hope you won’t kill each other this time’
‘You care?’ he’s still cold.
‘Bathong baby. You don’t need to be like that’ – she approaches him and reaches for his cheeks – ‘We cannot pretend like this relationship is not draining the both of us. We need some time apart. Things are just not the same anymore’
He removes both her hands from him and walks out. He passes by the guest bedroom and knocks.
‘Come in’ Xongi yells. He opens the door and finds her in the difficult process of getting up from the floor.
‘You pray?’ he asks with a sharply raised brow. She laughs.
‘Why do you sound so surprised?’
He closes the door and goes to sit on the bed next to her.
‘You seem like there’s a lot on your mind’ she notes.
‘Nex. N’le ku hlamaleni ntsena. I’m really just shocked and confused’
She slightly frowns – waiting for him to stretch this.
‘I hlamariswa hi yini?’
He side-eyes her and she starts feeling uncomfortable. She sees that contemptuous look Kurhula tends to give her when he’s fed up. He takes a deep breath.
‘Mhan’ Xongi. I fully acknowledge that that you may not know me neh and I cannot call…whatever your actions were… I can’t exactly label them as betrayal. You can only betray a person you know and love; someone you are loyal to’ he speaks and rubs his eye at the same time. She fidgets a bit slightly and clears her throat.
‘What I don’t understand is, why you would do such a thing to Kurhula? You raised him. He’s your son. Why would you want to cause a rift between him and his wife knowing very well how he feels about her? And why did I have to be in it?’
She opens her mouth to speak and he raises his hand. She immediately shuts it.
‘You separated twin brothers at birth. As if that was not bad enough, you deliberately cause a stir between us just when we find one another? What kind of sick behaviour is this?’
‘Fikani, I have no idea what you have heard or who you have heard it from but I don’t know what you’re accusing me of here’
The silent eye contact makes her severely uncomfortable.
‘Don’t try and play that game with me. I promise you, I’m not the one…’
‘I really don’t know – ‘
He stands up when she least expects it and she immediately protects her face with her arms. He just stands there and looks at her.
‘You thought I was gonna hit you? I have no reason to turn out like your husband. None of you raised me Xongi and I’m starting to feel grateful for that. I’m going out. When I come back, you had better be gone’
‘Okay, I can explain. Please sit down’ she pleads with tears cascading down her face.
‘I gave you the chance to come clean. I cannot sit here all day. I have things to do’
The peptic ulcers she’s been experiencing for the past two weeks strike again when he shuts the door. She holds and rubs her tummy, trying to calm the inflamed area.
‘This had better not be what I think it is…’ she mumbles to herself through a strained voice. The pain was gradually becoming unbearable.

…

Fikani arrives at the chisanyama that him and his brother agreed to meet at. He finds Kurhula drinking beer by himself – talking on the phone. Kurhula raises his eyes to him and ends the call.
‘You’re late’ he states.
‘Why state the obvious?’ Fikani responds with irritation while raising his hand to one of the two waitresses that work there. Kurhula takes a sip.
‘Are you ovulating?’ he asks. Fikani laughs.
‘You’re an idiot’
‘What’s eating you so much that you had to come offload it on me?’
‘Your mother’
The waitress arrives and he places his order. They ask for a tray of chops, ribs and wors plus a couple of beers and no pap.
‘You confronted her?’
Fikani nods.
‘You shouldn’t have done that. These witches don’t need to see you approaching’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Nothing. Leave her to me’
‘You better not do anything crazy because I have already had enough of this family’s shenanigans’
‘Tough. You haven’t even been here for a minute’
Fikani ignores him.
‘Why did you call me here?’ he asks.
‘Nah you start first’
The meat arrives and Fikani opens his beer with his wedding ring.
‘I need to apologize to Kulani, properly. She never gave me the time of day at the hospital’
Kurhula tosses a piece of meat in his mouth and just looks at him as he chews.
‘I am already struggling to forgive myself for this so can you please stop?’
Kurhula sighs. ‘I honestly don’t know what you want me to say. It’s too soon and expecting me to get her to speak to you is crazy. I would rather not talk about this because the more I think of what you did to her…’
‘Okay, okay’ Fikani surrenders and also starts eating from the wooden board. ‘Where is she anyway?’
‘She had to go back home. I called you because I need your help. Nah I am being unnecessarily polite here. I need you to come fix the mess that you caused in my marriage’
Fikani frowns with curiosity.
‘Her father took her back to his yard. She can’t come back home unless if you go there and apologize in person’
‘Why don’t you go and pretend to me?’ Fikani challenges him. Kurhula thins his eyes and takes a patient sip.
‘I should’ve shot you in the head’
‘Relax. That’s doable. I’ll go. It’s the least I can do’ 
‘The apology has a name and a price tag. A Bonsmara’
‘Sheesh. This is why men should date fatherless women’ Fikani says and Kurhula almost explodes with beer in his mouth. He never expected that.
‘That’s dark. Very dark and you’re very stupid for that’
‘I’m sorry. That just came out’
‘I’m just going to conclude that you hit the jackpot with Tumi’
Fikani’s mood dampens.
‘Let’s not go there’
‘That’s exactly where I’m headed. What’s going on with you two?’ he points at him with the almost empty beer bottle.
‘What do you mean?’
‘No man. You give me old couple vibes. Married for sixty years and still at it because she’s the only thing you’ve known and the same goes for her. Pension buddies keeping each other company while both awaiting death’
‘Okay fine you’ve made your point’
‘So?’
Fikani sighs and sits back.
‘We were honestly fine until she started with this whole baby thing. I’ve tried to assure her that it means nothing for our relationship but she’s made up her made that a marriage is incomplete without a child. Ever since she conceived this idea in her head, nothing has ever been the same’
‘Still. I haven’t known you for long but I can tell you straight that the two of you are not compatible. This has nothing to do with your lazy sperms’
Fikani huffs and decides to ignore this comment. ‘How do you know?’
‘I can feel it’ Kurhula jokes. ‘On a serious note, I think you should be glad that she’s not falling pregnant. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise’
‘Why?’
‘Your woman is cold man. She’s… ay I don’t know but she’s not… do you get me?’
‘Thin ice…’ Fikani threatens.
‘No seriously. I like the other doctor more’
‘Dude. You literally just walked into my life and you already think you know better than me?’ Fikani laughs.
‘I’m the smarter one, if you haven’t noticed’
‘Fvck off. I don’t know. You might be right and coming to terms with that is messing me up’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Something happened about… two weeks before our wedding neh? Right now, I am digesting it and… in fact, I’ve been digesting it ever since I met Dr Motaung'
‘Her name is Mabontle. You’re welcome’
Fikani chuckles. ‘Can you just shut up and listen?’
‘Cool. Something happened. How is it connected to McStuffins?’
‘I have this friend, Bongz. He has this thing of dreaming of things and they truly happen. We were in varsity together and he’d literally know if a lecturer wasn’t gonna come to class. He dreamt of an entire question paper this other time’
Kurhula laughs. ‘What are we? Two?’
‘I’m not joking. We never took him seriously when he told us which chapters not to study and they indeed never came out. Anybody who studied CS would tell you how useful that kinda friend is’
Kurhula continues to laugh, not taking a word he’s saying to head.
‘Stop lying and tell me how this Bongz is connected to Dr M and your lukewarm marriage’
‘Bongz was basically congratulating me, and he told me a funny dream he’d had’ he raises his green bottle and wets his throat with the cold beverage.
‘I’m gonna have to punch you in the face if I have to ask you what that dream was about’
‘Yimanyana man utan’ tlimbhisa hi beer ay’ he continues drinking. ‘Bongz told me that he dreamt of me standing at the altar with my bride but instead of a wedding dress, she was wearing a doctor’s coat with a stethoscope hanging from her pocket. I just took that as a confirmation. Those words came back to me when I first met Mabontle, for some odd reason’
‘I told you I’m smart. What did you say when I realized you had silly intentions by going to that hospital? You married the wrong doctor bloody fool’
‘Shut up’ Fikani continues drinking.

…

[KULANI]

I’m in pain. Great physical pain. My spine is on fire and all of this is my mother’s doing. I still need answers but with the little I know, this family will come crumbling down and I can try to handle it but Rhandzu doesn’t deserve that. My mom barges in as always and I feel like strangling her. Why doesn’t she ever knock?
‘You haven’t eaten anything ever since you arrived. Are you sick?’ she asks. I shake my head and continue sleeping with my temple against my clasped hands.
‘Have you been crying?’ she steps closer. She must just leave me alone. She puts the tray of food on my pedestal and sits on the bed, forcing me to make space for her.
‘Can I be left to sleep, please?’
‘How when you won’t eat? You may not but that baby you’re carrying needs nutrients’
I frown.
‘You can’t hide pregnancy from your own mother, Kuli’ she smiles. ‘Ooh I cannot wait. Finally. I hope it’s a boy. I can just imagine him looking like his father’ she squeals happily. Whatever Kurhula has fed this woman comes from very deep roots, outside of South Africa.
‘Is it hormones? Is that why you’re crying?’
I sit up. I can’t take this anymore. I wipe my tears and turn towards her.
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’
‘Who did you find in dad’s life?’ I ask. She frowns, pulling her head back.
‘Who did I… what are you on about?’
‘There was a woman in dad’s life. You stepped in and wreaked havoc’
She swallows and flares her nostrils.
‘Stay out of things that don’t concern you’ her voice carries a threatening tone.
‘What did you do to Mhan’ Yvette for her to disappear with a child in her tummy? Does dad even know about her?’
‘About whom? I said keep your nose out of this. You are a child. Do not think that we’re peers just because we’re both married women now’
She stands up and tries to walk away.
‘About Mabontle? Please answer me or else I am going straight to him with these questions’
She finally turns and walks back towards me.
‘Yvette left here on her own accord. She left the same way she arrived. She didn’t belong and she saw it. That’s it’
‘Lies! I know that you’re the one—’
I am silenced by a burning backhand. I place my palm over my cheek. If it could talk? It would say this is definitely a Beat-Kuli-Up month. She stands there, trying to get her composure back.
‘See why it is necessary to grow, get married and move out of your parents’ home? I will not have another grown woman in this house’
‘Fine. If you won’t answer me, I know dad will’
She scoffs and slides both her hands into the pockets of her dress.
‘I see that Yvette told you everything but left out a very important fact. You don’t want to make an enemy out of me, Kulani. You’ve always forgotten your place in this house because your father deluded you into thinking he loves you just as much as he loves me. Ntaku dlaya ni heta ni rhila ngaku no fela hi xihlangi lexi ani xi rhandza ku tlula vutomi, wanitwa? The tears I will cry at your funeral my girl? Don’t try me’
‘She’s dead’ I mutter, still massaging myself.
She takes two steps in reverse and marches out enragedly.