I'm more than just the second wife

16

For the next two weeks I woke up made him lunch and a smoothie because I didn't take the nonsense of not eating breakfast but I made sure I avoided him at all cost and ignored all the extravagant gifts he left for me to find on the kitchen counter. I wanted an apology not for him to buy my forgiveness. I walk past them as if I don't see them but I notice that the shape changes everyday. That's what tells me it's a different one everyday.

Thokozani, Mr Sithole's nephew, we've been communicating via emails but we haven't been able to meet because he's been held up at work. We're meeting tomorrow for lunch.Today I really missed my baby so I decided to video call her on her mom's phone.

"Hello Koki! I miss you so so much and I got my things thank you for sending them" she rattled on without taking a breath as soon as she answered, her face so bright and evidently happy and she laughed to herself at the end. " I miss you too my love bug. How is your new school?" I asked and that had her rattling off again.

" It's really nice. My new teacher is Mrs Palmer. I made a new friend, Zoe. She said we should be best friends but I told her Onami is my best friend."  She explained with a cute look of indecision on her face. "It's okay to have two best friends. I have mama Zikhona and mama Amy remember and they're both my best friends." I saw her face light up as I said that. "Oh cool! Thank you Koki." She replied and kissed the screen. My heart warmed at the sight. "Where's my kiss Koki?" She asked when I didn't kiss my screen. "Here it is catch!" I answered blowing a kiss. "No Koki it might get lost in the wind. Give me one over the screen." I laughed at her serious expression. She truly was convinced the kiss would fly away and not get to her if I blew it. I cherished her moments of pure juvenile innocence.

"Mwah!" Just as I was kissing the screen Yanda walked in. Great! "Hello Ntombizonke, can we please talk." He asked. "Koki is that uncle Yanda?!" She asked in elation. Without a word I handed him my phone and stood up and walked out.

After two hours of browsing through furniture shops online on my ipad. I was glad to know I'd found more than enough options for all the items I wanted. It would be hard to decide on just one. The realization came to me that Yanda still had my phone. I wanted it back but I knew he was holding onto it in hopes it'll get me to talk to him. Well I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I decided to do some chores to take my mind off things. I decided to make some lunch, maybe bake a cake and do the laundry I'd put off doing.

As soon as I opened the cupboard I noticed the pots aren't where I'd put them. Cutlery and kitchen utensils were the only things I'd bought so far. I know they've been moved because I arranged them myself. I just know Yanda was behind this. I opened more cupboards and nothing was where I put it. The pots weren't even in the cupboards I could reach. I've lived 5  years alone without a man. All the obstacles he'll put in my way hoping I'll need his help with I'd faced fore and knew how to overcome them myself.

I went out into the garage to get the ladder and guess what? It was no where to be found. He'd clearly thought of everything but what he doesn't knew is I have a portable one I carry in my boot because I find myself in need of it at the worst times. I also have a tool box. I took it out as well because I just knew he'd also tempered with the plumbing or something.

I got back into the house and took my pots out of the top shelves in the cupboards at the top and rearranged my kitchen back to how I liked it and took out vegetables I'd use to make lunch. I peeled them and placed and placed them in the sink. I opened the tap but no water came out.

So bloody predictable! I knew he'd fastened the main tap outside I took my pliers and went to the back of the kitchen to open right after I tightened the bolts in the pipes beneath the sink. An hour later just as I finished prepping lunch he walked in and tried but failed to mask his surprise at the sight of me washing my hands in the sink.

I placed his plate on the counter, picked mine up and attempted to walk out but he stopped me. "Ntombizonke please talk to me." I just looked at him blankly in response. "Okay I'll talk just give me 10 min. Please!" I saw the sincery in his eyes but I wasn't about let him off easy. "Talk! You have 5 min!" I spat out with my arms now folded. "Please sit down." I went and I took the high chair opposite his and I waited for him to speak. My eyes were looking straight into his. For the first time he's the one that looked away first.

"Firstly I would like to apologize for the way I have treated you through out our marriage. We were both forced into this situation but I punished you for it. I'll spend the rest of our lives apologizing for it and hopefully one day I'll be deserving of your forgiveness." I both feared and was struck with confusion at his last statement but chose to dismiss it, for now.

" I really am sorry for the way I spoke to you that night of the the dinner. My not knowing about your life is my fault. I should have made an effort to get better acquainted with you. And it's..." he cleared his throat before he spoke again. "...none of my business the men you choose to be in your life because I failed to be THE  man in it. I've been selfish and I'm really sorry you've been at the receiving end of my selfish acts." He finished and then there was a pregnant silence surrounding us:

"Why? Why did you treat me that way?" I asked. "It all started when I lost my twin." He rasped his voice laced with emotion. "Zanda's mom was my twin. We lost her to child birth. Baba was disappointed that she'd fallen pregnant out of wedlock and she hadn't finished studying just yet. He kicked her out. She went and lived with our paternal aunt. She lives two hours away from home. Baba banned us from seeing her but his ban fell on deaf ears. When I was home for the holidays, which was already rare as I had to be here most of the time with dad grooming me to take over the company. I'd drive my siblings and I to our aunts house and we'd spend the week or weekend there with her. A week before her due date she and baba reconciled and we lost her a day after Zanda was born.

I was so angry at the world but especially baba. I know her death wasn't his fault but us losing so much time with her before her passing was his fault. I knew my anger didn't help anyone but I didn't want to be rational or logical about it. I'd lost my best friend. Who was I supposed to turn to to help me navigate through life. I felt empty for the longest time after her passing and I know she would have wanted me to take Zanda and raise her but she resembled her so much even the little mannerisms and that smart mouth." He chuckled but you could tell it was more to mask the emotion in his voice and not that he found humor in what he'd said.

"I let myself be consumed by the loss and when father told me I had to marry your sister I retaliated and married Nobuhle. We weren't serious but because she was there and she understood that I didn't love her and she liked how she'd climb the social ladder from being affiliated with me. We had a very rash wedding hoping that would deter my dadd but it clearly didn't. I'm not saying it was a good reason but that was the reason behind my bad attitude. I really am sorry for it. I was interrupted by my phone just as I was about to say something. He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me. I wasn't going to answer it until I read the caller ID. I literally leapt out of my chair and answered it. I read the look of hurt in Yanda's eyes but was too overcome with excitement to look into it.