I'm more than just the second wife

5

After the wedding. Dumisile led us to my room, it wasn't exactly a room it was more of an outbuilding with two rooms, a living room and a kitchen. Each sin moved out of the main house and built and outbuilding for his wife well in my husband's case wives. My best friends and cousins didn't wait to be given a tour. The set out to different rooms as soon as they set foot inside the door. "Please excuse them. They tend to get too comfortable." I said to Dumisile chuckling masking my embarrassment at their behavior. "No worries. This is your house now. They should feel at home." She replied smiling at me.

"Well this is your kitchen." It had grey built in cupboards, stove and fridge. The theme colors seemed to be grey and black. It was beautiful. "I helped anti with the design I hope you like it." She spoke smiling back at me with uncertainty. "It's very beautiful skwiza. I'll be sure to thank mama." That seemed to put her at ease. We moved around the whole house as she showed me around and the next room seemed to be more beautiful than the last. The main bedroom was my favorite.

After the tour we found everyone in the living room huddled around a bottle of Skyy Vodka. "You drunks! Where did that bottle come from?" I asked laughing. "I got myself a mans." Manga spoke out with pride and everyone cheered. "Sis'Dums you won't tell on us will you?" Zikhona asked sweetly. "Not if I can join you!" She said already making space between Amy and Siza and that resulted in everyone letting out another wave of cheer.

I made my way over to them and sat besides Manga. "Before I forget. There's a delivery for you coming in about an hours time. It's a gift from Amy and I." Zikhona said winking at me. "Thank you guys but you didn't have to. You've already done and gotten me so much." I said holding back another wave of tears. "Nonsense. I know you'd have done the same for us." Amy said. "Enough of the soppy bull. Let's drink!!!" Zikhona screamed and we all had to remind her to keep it down.

The next day I woke up at 4am on the couch , covered in a throw with a pounding headache, puffy and sore eyes. The reality hit me. I'm now someone's wife and at his homestead I'm expected to dress a certain way, fulfill certain duties. I got up with a sigh and headed to the bathroom to shower wore a petikote, a long skirt and long sleeved shirt a head wrap and a pinafore over it all and headed to the main kitchen to make porridge for everyone.

By 11:00am I'd made tea and sandwiches for three groups of people. Each group had 7-12 people in it and each one of them had preferences on how they like their tea prepared. When I set the tray before them with all the ingredients they insisted I put them together for them. I was so over their bullshit but I had to grin and bare it. All of them were also ladies who are neighbors. They'd come to see the new bride. Which actually means they'd come to assess how I look and how well I tend to the chores.

After the tea making ended I had to prepare lunch. Right after washing the dishes used for lunch I'd have to cook dinner. Each of these meals had to be heavy filling meals. There is no such thing as sandwiches for lunch in the bundus. Somewhere in between everyone gave me their laundry to do. Thankfully I didn't have to do it by hand as Amy and Zikhona's gifts were a washing machine and a dryer. The only hard labor I had to do was iron all their clothes

This was my routine for a week. At the end of each day I was dog tired. It took all of me not to break down at the sight of the blisters that covered my feet from all the walking up and down the big yard.

Apparently all the children and grandchildren had left after my wedding so it was just me and my in laws and my father in law's older brother and his three wives for the week until the weekend when everyone would come home for the December holidays when everyone had closed from work and school. Everyone would then be properly introduced to me.

I was bored but they sure kept me busy. By the time Friday rolled around people started arriving at 19:00pm. I cooked up a feast and kept the pots in warmers and set out the dinner table. I didn't stay to welcome them. I excused myself after setting up the table.

I heard the cars arrive and the yard be filled with a bustle of noise as they shared greetings and empty their boots of the groceries they'd arrived with. I wasn't awake for long. I knew I'd have an early morning as per normal and I was exhausted.

I again woke up at 4:00, took a shower and got into a dress and a pretty head wrap and an apron. I wanted to make a good impression I guess. I got to the main kitchen and two ladies were already there. "Good morning! You must be Ntombizonke. I am Noma, the eldest cousin's wife and this is Velile the third cousin's wife." She spoke embracing me. "Good morning ladies. It's nice to meet you."

"We apologize we left without meeting you last weekend. We were up in arms with work and had to leave as soon as we were done." Velile spoke also enveloping me in a hug. "I'm sure you too have been up in arms with work. These old ladies are slave drivers." Noma spoke checking the door to see if anyone walked in. I immediately felt comfortable with them, they were welcoming and down to earth. "You have no idea. These blisters are killing me and I don't have any cream to apply on them." I sighed grabbing a chair and sitting down. "Here you go honey. We've all gone through that and still get them." Velile said handing me a tube from her apron.

"I think everyone is up now. We can start dishing up the porridge. Speaking of food. Thank you for last night's meal. It was delicious. We all want your recipe." Noma spoke as we passed around bowls with me taking them out of the cupboard, Velile wiping them and Noma dishing up the porridge.

We all fell into a routine like we'd been doing this together forever. They were a pair of funny ladies too. They fished out the family gossip through out the day. Around lunch time we were summoned to the living room. I'm guess to introduce me to everyone. I was introduced to the eldest grandpa and his three wives, MaDube, MaMhlongo and KaMabaso. And their respective children, I can't remember them by name but I know that MaDube has 3, MaMhlongo and kaMabaso have 4 . My mother in law MaBhengu has 5 Yanda, two younger brothers Meluleki 23 and Nkosinathi 20 two younger sisters Thembi 21 and Nothile 17. They had one granddaughter. The most adorable 1 year old. They told me her name is Zanda.

My sister wife Nobuhle Shange was colder than the North Pole as I'd expected. Yanda was just unbothered by my presence. After everyone was introduced they excused themselves. I was left with my parents in law and baby Zanda. "Koki!" She yelled out in excitement as she stretched out her arms for me to take her from her granddad . Her smile showing off her two bottom teeth warmed my heart. I stood up from the grass mat and went and took her.

She is the most precious thing and she was tied to my hip from the moment her granddad handed her  to me. Watching her little personality grow over time I spent with her was the best. She'd become my responsibility and I didn't mind. Caring for her didn't feel like a chore. I enjoyed her company and that of Velile and Noma. I avoided Nobuhle and her husband best as I could.

Yanda's siblings were also very nice people. They were all huddled in my living room and telling me stories. We'd moved from the kitchen where the others had joined Nkosinathi, Thembi who'd been helping me peel the veges and I. "They'd all follow Yanda and I around and when they'd get hurt and came home crying baba would give us a thrashing." Meluleki grumbled making all of us break out in guffaws of laughter. "Your ever so sweet mother in law would wake us all up at 3am and give us laxatives on the second day of the new year after we'd consumed junk during the Christmas season." Thembi spoke shuddering at the memory. "That was probably the second worst thing they did to us in our childhood. The first being having to herd the cattle during Winter mornings." Nkosinathi said.

" Nathi remember when dad made us wash his smelly socks and pick the weeds that had collected on his pants in the fields." Nothile grumbled and Nathi nodded in agreement.
The remainder of the night went by with them telling me stories about their childhood and themselves.

Meluleki is a Charted Accountant, Thembi is studying actuarial sciences , Nkosinathi is doing his second year in Medicine and Nothile was in Grade 11.

They tried to get to know more about me but I deviated from their questions. I knew it would somehow get to everyone not because they didn't mean well or they're here to spy but they'd be sharing ". I knew they, everyone else undermined me. I didn't want them to take me seriously based on my achievements but on me as a person and getting to know my personality.

They didn't want to leave. They all ended up sleeping on the sofas and blow up mattresses on the floor.