The Story Of A Black Successful Girl

Chapter 19

Zimi

(I feel the urgency to get this baby out of my stomach sooner than later because I am exhausted. Mvelo just came back from work, having been working late these days. His phone rings on the coffee table, and I choose to ignore it. It rings again, annoying me, so I stand up and answer it. The caller speaks before I could say anything.)

Caller: Hey lover boy, I wanted to tell you that I'm available for you today. You can make me yours all night long, and you... (I cut her off by crashing the phone against the wall before she could finish spewing nonsense.)

Mvelo

(I'm getting dressed when I hear a crashing sound downstairs. I quickly rush down and find Zimi standing.)

Mvelo: Baby, I heard something crashing, are you alright?

Zimi: I'm fine. Your side piece called, and I decided to squash her together with your phone. (I'm shocked but try to hide it.)

Mvelo: Sthandwa sami, it's not what you think, okay?

Zimi: Then what is it???

Mvelo: Baby, I... I... (I stutter.)

Zimi: You what, Mvelo??? Usuyangfebela wena manje, Zulu?? (She screams and moves towards the stairs.)

Mvelo: Zimi, can you please calm down and let me explain? (I move closer to her and grab her hand, but she pulls it away.)

Zimi: Ungangthinti mina, ayikho into ozoychaza dotiii, you disgust me yezwa. (I look at her, insulting me. She continues moving to the stairs while I follow behind her. She looks back, sees that I'm right behind her, and does a lightbulb movement, grabbing a decor ornament from a sidetable nearby and throws it right at my direction. It lands just below my eye, and its sharp side scars me immediately. Zimi starts sobbing loudly upon realization of what she's done and starts running up the stairs while I try wiping my bleeding face. I move towards the kitchen to grab a serviette when she stops on the stairs and turns back to look at me as if she's clueless or starstruck.)

Mvelo: What's wrong? (I say, moving towards the stairs.)

Zimi: I think my water just broke. (She says and cries even louder. What have I done? I rush to her, look at the floor to confirm.)

Mvelo: Let me take your hospital bag, and let's go, okay? (She ignores me, I rush to the nursery, take the baby bag and hers, grab her hand, and we move downstairs. She stops.) Manje?

Zimi: Can you call my brother and let him take me to the hospital? (I can't believe her right now.)

Mvelo: Zimi, you're being dramatic, you know that?

Zimi: I'm going into labor a few weeks before the set date because of you, and you're calling me dramatic.

Mvelo: But babe...

Zimi: Ungangbizi mina ngento obiza ngayo zonke lefebe zakho. (I'm defeated. She tries to sit on the couch, but her contractions start kicking in. She screams and walks toward the door heading out.) I hate you yezwa, always remember that. Can you please get me to the hospital fast uyeke ukukhamisa lapho. (I help her inside the car, and we make our way to the hospital.)

(Fast forward, everyone, including my family and hers, is at the hospital waiting for the baby to arrive. She's been having contractions for the past hour, and she hasn't said a word to me. The doctor enters, checks her, comes up with a smile, and instructs she gets wheeled out to the delivery room. She hands me a pair of scrubs.)

Dr: Please change into these before entering. (I go change and follow them, finding Zimi screaming her lungs out. She gives me a cold look and breathes out.)
Zimi: Ngcela uphume, I don't want you in here. (She says fuming and I'm broken by her statement. I look at her.)