I'm more than just the second wife

13

I woke up from sleep but didn't want to get off the bed. I didn't want to get into the covers. I instantly regretted my decision when the door flung open after a single knock. We both froze before he abruptly turned around. "Damn woman why didn't you say you were inappropriately dressed." He grumbled "Well I wouldn't even need to have that conversation with you had you knocked and waited like decent human now get out!" I fired right back. Without argument he walked out.

I quickly got off the bed and into a set of my my long pajamas. I don't know whether I hoped that would erase the image of me stark naked in his mind but just to quell my raging thoughts I believed that. I made my way into the kitchen to prepare breakfast and make this brute lunch. Luckily the kitchen appeared to be fully stocked. I prepared a full English breakfast, eggs, bacon, bangers, hash browns and all the works. I even squeezed out fresh orange juice.

I convinced myself I prepared all this to somehow ease my presence into this house. That may have been somewhat true but it was mostly because I was nervous about our encounter from earlier this morning. No man had ever seen me in my nakedness. Why did I feel like this though? He's my husband, well my married husband that is.

He walked in just as I zipped up his lunch bag. "Good morning Ntombizonke. I'm headed to work." He said without looking up from his phone. " I made breakfast." I said before he wasked out the door. "I don't eat breakfast during the week." He said finally looking up, his face emotionless. "I made you lunch." I spoke thrusting his lunch bag in the hand that already held his briefcase. "Thank you." He said his face eased from its stone form to display his apparent confusion. "Go on now before you're late." He slowly turned around and walked out.

I took a seat on a high chair and let a breath I didn't know I was holding go. Just as I sat there wondering what to do with all this food Zikhona and Amy decided to FaceTime me. "Hey mfazi!" Amy screamed as soon as we got connected. "Wait you hoe have you FINALLY found yourself a man?! That's not your house!" Zikhona interrupted before I could speak. I'm screwed I didn't tell them I was moving to Pretoria or that they took Zanda. "Hhayi bo Mfazi talk where are you?" Amy asked. "So I May or may not have moved to Pretoria." Before I could recite my I'm sorry speech they spoke at the same time "AND YOU DIDNT TELL US?!?"

"Send your location so I can come and beat you ." Zikhona yelled before dropping the call. I opened my mouth to talk to Amy but she didn't let me get a word in "That location please!" Before she too dropped the call on me. I sent them the location and proceeded to set up outside. There was a table overlooking the backyard which was beautifully vast and decorated with the most beautiful flowers. I didn't get to finish the flute of wine I'd decided to indulge in before the doorbell started ringing. Please spare me the judgement on my day drinking. I'm unemployed and have nothing better to occupy my time with anyways.

I opened the door and I was bashed with handbags "You cow! Feed me then you have some explaining to do." Zikhona said as she flung her heels off. How she still managed walking with heels whilst 7 months pregnant was beyond me. She was followed by Amy who threw her blazer on the sofa. They clearly weren't going to work anymore. We were spending the day together. They might be mad at me but I'm grateful that they're here. I led them to the backyard and Amy grabbed a flute and poured herself some sparkling wine and popped a cherry in it and took a generous sip. Zikhona grabbed a plate and piled just about everything on it. They then settled on the chairs and looked expectantly at me.

"Zanda's father showed up and took her to live with him." I sensed that the mood instantly changed after I said that. They each grabbed one of my hands. "My father in law then ordered me to move here and in with Yanda. In not so many words. So here I am stuck with a man who wants nothing to do with me, with no job and no purpose." I choked out trying so hard not to cry but my tear ducts betrayed me and let the tears fall.

"I'm so tired, tired of crying , being so weak and letting them do as they please with me. He still talks to me like I'm an illiterate village girl. I'm more than that. I'm proud of where I come from. I wouldn't be the person I am without my background but I'm more I'm a sister, a friend a qualified doctor, a mother well I was until they took that away from me too." I went from yelling in frustration to trying to get the words through sobs. Amy and Zee abandoned their seats and came to hug me and let me wail to my heart's content.

I promised myself that that was the last time I cried for or because of that family. I wiped my tears and enjoyed breakfast with my two best friends. We sat there and they told me what's been going on in their lives. One bottle of wine turned into two, then three . I laughed until my sides hurt as they told me about the rude patients they encountered and how they put them in place. Before we realized it it was 15:00 and they both needed to leave.

"Tomorrow we're doing lunch!" Amy said giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Yeah and it's your treat." Zikhona added as the two fools giggled all the way to their cars. "Maybe then we'll think about forgiving you." Amy yelled as she reversed out of the driveway. "Love you!" Zikhona also yelled before rolling up her window and also driving off.

I was once again left in this empty enormous house that echoed the sound of my every move. I decided to distract myself with cleaning the kitchen and making dinner.

"I need to apply for jobs soon. Being a house wife does not suit me." I grumbled as I made my way up the stairs to freshen up after dinner was ready.