SIBLINGS-IN-LAW:LOVE & CONSEQUENCES

TWENTY-EIGHT

LUYOLO MAYIZA

I woke up the next morning and my wife was not next to me, neither was my son who slept between us last night, it is quite a challenge sleeping with that child. I brush my teeth and wash my face before heading downstairs. The table is already set with bowls on top of plates and a cutlery.

“Luyolo.” He calls out from the porch, I walk up to him and close the sliding door as soon as I stepped out of the house. I could smell the cigarette so, I guess he was having a morning smoke.
“Tata.” (Dad). I sit on a chair opposite him. We stay in silence for a minute or so before, breaks it off.
“How is Lindo's health?” I breathe out the air I didn’t know I was holding.
“Kubi tata.” (It is bad, dad.)  I lean back.
“How bad?” He asks, looking concerned.
“As soon as the results come out, he will be starting with the chemo.” I close my eyes, not sure if I want to see what I am saying. “And also, he is going to undergo surgery, they will have a certain part removed from his body. Dad, I am scared, I am afraid. What if…” I snort.  What if he doesn’t make it, what is to become of me? The warm liquid drops down to my hands and I realise that I am crying and I am not ashamed of it, this is my father.
“Son, we are fighters and we will conquer this together. Lindokuhle is strong and he will pull through.” He tries to assure me but, I don’t have a strong feeling about this.
“He is just a child dad, yes, he knows when you go to a doctor, it means you are sick but, he does not understand how sick he is. I lean forward and put my elbows on my thighs and balance my head on my hands.
“Has he started with the chemo?”
“Well the doctor said so but, As soon as the results come back, he will get to the radio therapy” He nods.

The sliding door opens, I still have my head down on my hands and I don’t dare raise it up, I can’t let my wife see me like this.

“Molo tata, tata ka Lindo.” My wife sounds so adorable when trying to speak Xhosa. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Ndiyabulela Makoti, we will be there right now.” (Thank you.) I can feel her eyes on me.
“Is everything okay?” She asks.
“All is well, Khanyisile.” My father responds.
“Okay, I will leave you two then.”

I couldn’t miss how worried she sounded. She went back inside and closed the sliding door.

“When is Yoniswa leaving?” He sounds serious now, I raise my head and look at him.
“Tata?” He looks at me not showing emotions.
“You are a married man, Luyolo and there should be boundaries between the woman in who is your past and you. I do not condone this at all, you are… you have disrespected your wife in her own house, her own territory. You should have heard how Yoniswa sneered at your wife last night, in front of me for that matter which proves to me that, if she could do it in front of me, you are nothing. This nonsense needs to STOP!” He yells but, not to loud.
“Dad, she is the mother of my child, I can’t just kick her out like that. I allowed her to find an accommodation, till then she is staying here.” He chortles.
“You sound like you are under her spell. She got you dancing to her tune.” His face turns back to being serious. “Look, Yoniswa has done a good job in raising Lindokuhle but, that is where it should end. We did our part by also paying the damages to her and her family for the pregnancy and that was it, we accepted the baby, not her. Haven’t you heard that, two bulls won’t live in the same kraal?” My father is now exaggerating, bulls, seriously?
“I thought bulls were males animals from the cow family.”  I lean back on the chair.
“I am just telling you how things were about to go down last night.” He stands up from the chair. “Luyolo…” I look up at him. “She must go.” He goes into the house leaving me puzzled.

My wife has been avoiding Yoniswa the whole week, for instance my wife and I would be watching TV in the living room and when Yoniswa comes to join us, she would leave without saying anything and, this is not how she should live in her own house, she got uncomfortable in her own space and I am making things difficult for her by allowing Yoniswa to live in our house. My wife has been trying to be supportive to me despite me the Yoniswa issue and I, still entertain Yoniswa. Even if my wife is brittle, she still cloying her feelings.

“Bhutana we want to eat, are you coming or should we eat without you.” I chortled to what she just called me, disturbing my ruminating moment.
“Come here.” I pull her to where I am sitting and she perches her butt on my thighs. I devour her lips, not giving her a chance to breathe. I pull her lower lip and nudge my tongue in her mouth and she moans to the sensation of our mouths moving in motion.
“I haven’t been the best husband.” I say in between our passionate kiss. “I want to make things right.” She pulls out from the kiss, breathing heavily. Her eyes dilated as she looked at me.
“What are you on about?”
“I was having a chat with utata and, he made me see things from a different perspective.” She narrows her eyes. “I should have never brought Yoniswa into our house in the first place, it had cost you your space and happiness in this house, I truly apologise.” She looks down and plays with her fingers, I hold her hands.
“Okay.”
“Okay? Are you not going to say something more?” She always flips so, this is new.
“Luu, this will drive me crazy, she will drive me crazy and as long as she is still here, I am definitely going to be crazy.” She calmly says. “So, I decided to avoid her and talking about her because, I have been saying that she should leave our house but, there she is having breakfast on my dinner table so…” She shrugs.
“She’ll be out by Monday, I promise.”
“I will only believe it when I see it.” I plant a kiss on her cheek.

“Where did you hear the name Bhutana from?” She laughs.
“Lubabalo. He kept saying that word during our stay in Eastern Cape.” I shake my head, simpering.
“Do you know what it means?”
“No, but it’s not a bad word now is it?” I laugh as she gasps.
“It’s an insult, my love.” She dilates her eyes wider.
“Oh my goodness, Luyolo I said that out loud, you parents probably head me.” She panics.
“I am messing with you, it’s a respectful way to call your husband.” She softly hits my arm.
“Aaahh, you broke my arm.” I say, jokingly.
“You are such a baby. So at what time will your brother and his wife be here?”
“I am not sure if they are still coming here, I think they are going to book themselves into a hotel. We will meet them at the event.” She nods.