[MABONTLE]
This man is carrying on like nothing happened and I am on the brink of a confession. Last night when we arrived at home, he took a shower then a nap. When he woke up, he was back to the Fikani I know. My inners are frozen with guilt and apprehension. I’m even thinking of seducing him so we can talk about this in bed. Maybe then I’ll be more convincing when I tell him that I’ve never met Vincent a day in my life. The sun is out and he’s getting dressed. I’m even afraid to ask what his day is looking like.
‘Are you okay, baby?’ he asks and I nod while scrolling on my phone. I am aimlessly switching between different apps, including the calendar and the calculator. I’ve already taken a shower because I woke up before him. I actually did not get much sleep. He kisses me and tells me that he’ll be hosting the Mavundzas today for a meeting. I don’t know what about that surname grates my nxpples but I would rather not hear it.
‘Baby?’ I call when he approaches the door. He turns around and looks at me inquisitively. I stand up from the bed.
‘Can we talk about what happened yesterday?’
It takes him a moment to respond. I really don’t understand that look in his eyes but it’s making me feel like I’m an accomplice to murder. He walks back and settles next to the spot I was sitting on. I sit back down.
‘I know that you’re angry but I don’t understand why you’re behaving this way. Why are you not confronting me about what happened yesterday?’
‘Why do you need to be confronted?’
I clear my throat.
‘Wrong choice of words. But there’s obviously tension between us and I want us to talk about what happened’
‘I’m all ears’
‘That guy cornered me in the aisle yesterday. He wanted my number and wouldn’t take no for an answer’
‘From what I saw, you looked comfortable in his embrace’
‘No I wasn’t. I swear’
‘Are you sure you don’t know that man, my love?’
I nod.
His unexpected laughter is full of crude sarcasm.
‘Look at me’ he says and I do. I can feel my eyes getting wet. I won’t back down though. Vincent is a thing of the past and he shall remain buried there!
‘I’m going to ask you this one more time and I’m never coming back to this question again. Are you one hundred percent sure you don’t know that man?’
I feel my heart drumming out of control.
‘I swear…’
‘Do you honestly think that I cannot tell when there’s uncomfortable history between two adults?’
I quickly shut my eyes the moment he stands up. I don’t know but something just convinced me I’m in danger. When I open them, I find him looking at me, very much unruffled.
‘My Achilles heel, according to the Great Don. Helen of Troy… You’re such a terrible liar’ he punctuates his statement with a kiss and walks out on me. I don’t care what’s going on between us but I need Kuli here. I call her and she answers on the third ring.
‘Hey…’ she sounds less angry than she’s been recently.
‘Can you please come to my room?’
‘Are you okay?’
‘Physically, yes. Emotionally? Absolutely not’
‘Well I cannot come to your marital bedroom Mabontle, it’s against the rules. Come meet me in the nursery’
‘On my way. But wait, is Mhan’ Masingita there?’
‘She just left’
I leave our bedroom and I go to her. I find her answering AK’s endless questions while going back and forth on the rocking chair, with Tlhari in her hands.
‘Yes you’re going to grade one next year because big boys go to big school, not kindergarten’
‘And I’ll also be wearing uniform?’
Kuli nods. ‘Now please go to Mhan’ Maria. She will make you breakfast so you can be strong enough for tomorrow. Tell her not to forget your medication as well. Ask her nicely’
He nods and greets me before running past. He didn’t see me when I walked in because he was busy looking his mother in the eye. He’s such a handful. Yesterday he asked me why I don’t have a little baby like Kuli. I had no response for him.
I sit on the velvet single couch next to her.
‘What’s eating you?’ she asks.
‘Fikani’
She laughs. ‘He’s the one eating you? Such a double entendre’
‘This is serious. I did something and now I’m not sure if it was the right call’
‘What did you do?’ she asks while trying to fix the brown blankie that’s wrapped all around her baby.
‘So yesterday when we came back from seeing Masedi…’
‘Sorry to disturb you but how is she?’
‘She’s okay. Fikani managed to get through to her’ I quickly respond. I am not here to speak about my delinquent little sister.
‘That’s good. What happened after the visit?’
‘We went to—’ I stop. That open door might break my marriage. I stand up to go close it and come back.
‘We went to get some food then parted ways because I needed some deodorant’
She nods.
‘I then bumped into my ex. He saw us and now I don’t understand his behaviour’
‘Wait. What were you doing with the ex? He’s just mad that you bumped into someone you knew previously?’
‘He had his hands on my shoulders. And he’s… I’d say old’
She lifts a brow. ‘Ex? How old?’
‘He’s in his early sixties now. He’s some politician who happened to help me out financially when I desperately needed it’
‘Oh so Fikani is mad at the fact that he was touching you? I think that’s reasonable though. Would you be happy if you found some woman’s claws on him?’
‘There’s more…’
She sighs. ‘I’m even afraid to ask’
‘We spoke about it just now and I lied because I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth. Now I regret it’
She switches arms and cautiously brings Vutlhari’s head to her left.
‘I really don’t know how to advise you right now. Call aunty Lydia. She might speak some sense. Although she might probably be on a yacht somewhere and not answer your calls’
I go silent. I messed up, didn’t I?
‘Because I can say tell him the truth and it might add fuel to the fire. I can also say put this to rest and hope it never comes out but you know what they say about a can of worms right? I wouldn’t encourage anyone to build any relationship on a bed of lies’
One of the helpers comes in and calls me, saying our guests have arrived downstairs, then leaves. Guests?
‘How do I look?’ I ask.
‘Mhan’ Singi would be impressed. You look like the wife of her dreams’ she jokes and I laugh. I even have a headwrap on. I leave in her there and go greet the Mavundzas.
‘This is my beautiful wife, Mabontle’ Fikani introduces us with his hand on my waist. This is the Khensani he said is not his type? I cannot keep my eyes off her while they exchange pleasantries between the three of them. She looks like she came straight out of a magazine cover! And this bxtch had to make sure to flaunt her flat stomach and that her cleavage shows under that tucked in silk shirt. She’s all snatched up and my brain is glitching at this sight. She’s straight up flirting with him and I doubt she’s going to acknowledge my presence anytime soon. Her eyes fall on mine and we stare at each other. Her devious smile has just given me the answers to all my questions. Am I seriously the only one who’s seeing how she’s looking at me? She whips her bouncy curly weave behind her and looks at Fikani, who is paying all mind to her father.
‘Shall we get started?’ she asks, looking at him through eyes that scream she wants to devour him.
‘Sure’ he kisses my cheek and leads them to the office. I watch her strut her way behind the men – swaying her curves left and right in those wide-legged formal pants. I scoff. Breathe Mabontle, breathe. That girl has nothing on you. I go to the kitchen to go organize breakfast for his guests. I didn’t ask if they’d like tea or coffee. I’m going to ask for coffee to be made for them. Hopefully the caffeine content gets too much to handle for her so she gets a cardiac arrest and dies! I am certain that if anybody pays enough attention, they will see hot steam coming out of my ears because the nerve of this girl?
