This place brings back so many memories. Maboko and I have definitely come a long way. In a perfect world, he would be my husband today and I would have probably given him three kids by now. But here I am, putting my son to bed in the second bedroom of a flat that we purchased together when I started working. I’m here to avoid my parents and he is here because his wife kicked him out of his own house. How did such a beautiful love story become such a mess – such a scandal? 

I’m low-key excited that I am here with Maboko – even if it is just for a few days. And I plan to make sure that he understands what he turned his back on when he cheated on me with her. For the next few days, she has the ring and I have the man. 

So, now that Khabane is fast asleep, I change out of my clothes and wear bumshorts – the kind that have a portion of my butt-cheeks sticking out of them. I wear a JT-One vest-top and make my way to the TV room. 

Maboko is sitting in the kitchen, facing the fridge and not my direction, drinking beer. He has wine chilled in an ice-cooler and a glass of wine next to it. He is topless and is wearing shorts. I clear my throat and he turns around. He sees me. He stares at me. My body is not that of the thirteen year old girl whose virginity he broke. I’m a lot older now, a lot curvier and the mother to his son. I have no stretchmarks to show it. I have no extra skin to show it. I’m as attractive as someone that he would pick up in a club, but it’s the substance I possess in his life that is keeping him interested. I walk towards him slowly, allowing him to take me in.  I have weakened him. Mission accomplished!

“You okay?” I ask him as I sit on the kitchen chair next to him. 

He finally snaps out of the trance that I clearly put him in. 

“Yeah, I am good. Is Bane finally asleep?” 

“Yeah. He usually takes time to adjust and sleep in a new place. But he is cool now.” 

“He is a mommy’s boy.” He says about my son. He has clearly forgot how he gets around his mother. 

“Like father like son.” I remind him.  

“Excuse me?”

“Oh please! Quit acting like you didn’t grow up hiding underneath Lydia’s skirt.” 

We both laugh aloud.

I pour myself a glass of wine. 

“Let’s get comfortable on the couch.” Maboko suggests. 

He grabs the wine in its ice-cooler and his beer. I just bring my glass full of wine and we settle on one couch – a two seater couch. We are sitting close to each other, but our bodies are not touching each other.  

“I thought you’d be at home and working things out with Mrs Seete.” I say. 

Maboko chuckles. I smile at him slyly. I want to really know how far we can go exploring each other tonight and the only way that I can figure that out is understanding if his heart is here with me or at his new home with Linda. 

I take a sip of my wine as I wait for him to answer me.

“Well, she kicked me out. She told me that I need to choose between her and my son. I can only go back home and initiate the process of us getting to a better place once I have decided to cut you and Khabane out of my life.” Maboko says this then drinks more of his beer. 

 “That’s quite arrogant of her.” I express. 

“What woman in her right mind makes a man choose between his wife and his child?” Maboko enquires with me. 

“Your wife apparently.” I tell him.  

We both take a drink from our alcohol. 

“So, what are you going to do?” I ask him.  

“I am seriously considering a divorce. Things have changed between Linda and me. We want different things now and we don’t have the same idea of what or how blended families can work. I am not going to shut my son out – EVER. I guess that means that my marriage is over.” He says. 

“Is that what you want?” I ask him. 

He looks at me seductively then says, “Tebza, I want you. Now. On this couch. That’s what I want. I want us to do the one thing we are both not brave enough to verbalise, but our chemistry is just that tense. You know we make fireworks together. Our son was not a mistake. I am the one who messed up and I am so sorry.”

I gulp my wine then I put the glass on the coffee table. I take off my top and am now in a bra and bumshorts. Maboko gulps his beer. By the time he puts his bottle down, I am on top of him. We are indulging each other through kissing and this leads to us explicitly making out. Maboko slips his hands on my breasts then slides a finger under my shorts, fingering me. I moan as I give him a handjob. He is moaning now and takes my shorts off. 

“MOMMY!” I hear Khabane scream as he cries loudly. 

I jump off Maboko and find my t-shirt. I hear Maboko mumbling, “Fuuuuuuuuck!”

I wear my t-shirt and shorts that had now come off my body.

“MOMMY!” The scream again. 

I run to his bedroom. Maboko walks to the room behind me, carrying his blue balls with frustration. 

“Hey baby. What’s wrong?” I ask my son. I squeeze myself into the bed with Khabane. Maboko stands at the door and watches us.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Bane asks me between his sobs.  

“I was talking to your dad.” I tell him. 

“Can I please sleep with you guys today?” Bane asks me. 

“You and I are going to sleep in one bed, my boy. You want daddy to join us?” 

“Yes please.”  

Maboko walks to the bed and sleeps on the other side, putting Khabane in the middle of us. He is not a happy man. If he could, he would probably drive to Linda and not make that erection go to waste.  

“We are here boy. Let’s go to sleep.” That’s what he says through his frustration. 

It is a new day and we are entering a rather rainy morning. Khabane is a headache when it comes to getting him ready for school on rainy mornings. In his head, rain translates to no school. So I am preparing breakfast for the three of us. I am done showering and am half ready for work. Maboko is already running on the treadmill – that is something I do not have energy for – never have and never will. But give me some tar road and I will run to Jamaica and back for you.  I am listening to an audio book as I bounce around the kitchen, preparing lunch and snacks for the three of us. I love books a lot, but I struggle to find time to read. So audio books are the best things to have ever happened to me. I listen to books in the house or in my car when I drive to work or any meetings. Fun times.

As anticipated, Khabane thought today was a Saturday – well that’s what he said to me when I woke him up. He was half asleep when I bathed him, lotioned him and dressed him up. I actually got irritated and started yelling at him, so he is now in a bad mood. Maboko is amused by all of this. He is just staring at us and laughing at us instead of helping me. They have breakfast while I change into adequate working gear. I hear them chatting, so I assume that Khabane is in a better mood now. 

Maboko offered to take Khabane to school, so I was able to get to my photoshoot on time. The photoshoot is a cover and spread that I am doing by one of the digital magazines that are led by Fikile Mbatha – the infamous girlfriend to Khotso Mohale. I’m not a fan of her really. I find her to be insecure and extremely messy. I wanted to turn down the offer to do this shoot. Then I was told that they’d give the campaign to someone else instead. My conscience kicked in and it didn’t feel right to be the reason why a black woman parted ways with her money. You can do whatever you want in life, but don’t come between a black working woman and her money. So I begrudgingly agreed to do this with her; her communication is with my assistant though, not directly with me. 

The queen of Tholoana Kingdom herself even vouched for her. She asked me not to right her off because she’s still learning and growing. She even had Fikile come on a work trip with us. What I did learn from having her on that trip is that she is an incredible digital marketer. She is an even better walking brand. You will never spot Fikile Mbatha looking anything less than stylish and put together. She wakes up and represents her brand well. 

In the middle of my shoot, I see Maboko walk in with Zakes and both the Mohale twins. Seriously? They sit behind the camera and watch the shoot. 

“Are they bothering you? I can ask them to leave right now”, Fikile says. 

“How long until we are done?” I ask her. We’ve been at this for the past hour. 

“Twenty more minutes”, the photographer says. 

“It’s fine, let’s finish”. I say. 

Indeed I endure another twenty minutes, then I am done. 

“Some brunch?” Fikile offers me brunch as we make our way to the editing studio. As the face of K-Pable-C, I was shooting for the advertisement for the new products that will be launching soon. My pictures are now being edited and Fikile is giving me a whole guide on how I will be posting the content. After I tell her that this is a lot of work, she tells me she will get one of her social media managers to manage that for me. Awesome.

“Are you done working now? Can we just chill and catch up?” Maboko asks. 

These men don’t even wait for us to respond, they just settle on chairs closest to them. 

“We are not done, guys. We are waiting for Mofomahadi to arrive because the next few pictures will be the diamond of Tholoana Kingdom and the queen of Tholoana Kingdom introducing the skincare range. This one is a billboard shoot.” Fikile explains. 

“My mom is on her way here?” Ona enquires, a bit disturbed actually. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late”, Queen Kea comes in running into the studio. 

“No problem, mama. You can have a seat. I’ll have some coffee made for you then you and Teboho will change and get the shoot started.” Fikile says. 

Kana, this is her future mother-in-law. I didn’t get coffee and extra time to catch my breath – and I was actually on time. 

“Thank you, nana.” Queen Kea says. 

Indeed she leaves to get that sorted. 

“Tebza, it’s so good to see you. I am still waiting for that meeting between us to happen at the government offices. Nosi is beginning to lose patience with me”, Queen Kea says to me. 

“It will happen, mofomahadi. All in good time. I have been pulled in a million different directions since I returned. I’m actually doing my actual work on a more part-time basis than full-time basis because of all these shoots and branding campaigns that I have to do for K-Pable-C.” I explain. 

“Even more reason for you to call me”, she says. 

“But we were travelling together just last week”, I say. 

“For different business. I want to talk to you about something else.” 

I nod my head. 

She is so warm. She is so beautiful. I actually cannot believe that I am in her presence and that I do so much work with her. She is so –

“Bashimane, I missed you last night at dinner. You were out partying again?” She directs this question to her twins. They are so well-behaved around her – even Ona. Imagine! I must admit though that Ona has calmed down a lot since he got married. We, on behalf of Tholoana Kingdom, thank Regodise from the bottom of our hearts.

“We were working late, mama, then Dise was upset with me so I had to sleep in Khotso’s room.” Ona says as he kisses his mother on the cheek. 

“I thought we spoke about this. Or do I need to corner you both with Mohato and start making demands about the time I expect you at our dining table and having dinner with me? You are already having problems with your wife because of this work that’s never done.” 

Eh!

“Mama, it was urgent. It’s not an everyday thing. And Dise is upset for other things” Khotso.

“Other things like what?” 

Silence. 

“She’s pregnant, Onaleruna. Do you want her to lose this baby before you stop stressing her out?” 

“Mah, how can you say that?” Ona. 

“Between work and your nonsense, it will be a miracle if she carries to full term and births a healthy baby.” 

Ona is extremely hurt by this statement. 

“Maboko, you are a businessman, aren’t you?” Queen Kea asks Maboko. Zakes wants to laugh, but when he sees that he could also get pulled into this conversation, he keeps a straight face. 

“Yes mma, I am.” Maboko answers. 

“What time are you usually back home?” Queen Kea continues with her questioning. 

“Which home? The one with Tebza and his son, or the one with his wife-on-paper?” Why must Ona be this person? Why? 

“Onaleruna, you barely keeping your pregnant wife happy and you think you can say things like that to people?” Queen Kea shoots at him. 

“I’ll fix things with Regodise, mama. She just needs some space.” Ona says. 

“How are you already fighting two days after coming back from that trip you had with Fikile?” Queen Kea asks. 

“Well –

“Dinner tonight Onaleruna and Khotso. Or else, you will know me!” 

We are all very shook by this. Even Maboko dodged a bullet of answering questions galore. 

Queen Kea and I have so much fun together on set. The shoot is just going to be priceless. The entire creative team is here, watching the shoot and it is our chemistry that pulls them in the most. We were supposed to do a shoot with fake rain. But thanks to the actual rain pouring outside, we have our black and white shoot outside in the pouring rain. We will probably get sick after this, but it is a lot of fun.

As we shower to get warm, our pictures are being edited and the concept is being discussed. The rain shoot is for the Reahile line. This line is owned by Queen Kea and it has bath foam and shower gel products, scented candles and an exclusive Kea.R.Mohale diary with inspirational quotes about love, life and being an overall conqueror. 

As we sit in the couch area waiting for the rain to subside, Queen Kea and I talk. Apparently the guys went to get food. 

“Kea.R.Mohale. What is that line about?” I ask her. 

She smiles at me. 

“It’s the Kea that was with Reahile Mohale. That Kea was full of hope, dreams and she had a voice. She was unbroken. She created the one thing that she will never create with Mohato – children to continue the Kea.R.Mohale legacy.” She says.

“How do we get that Queen Kea back?” I ask her. 

“I don’t even want to be referred to as Queen Kea. The title “queen” before my name is the reason why I lost the R in the Kea.R.Mohale. I just want to be Kea.” 

“You want me to call you Kea?” 

“I’d really appreciate it.” She is so genuine as she says this. 

“You know what, let’s have that meeting soon.”

“This Saturday okay with you?” She says. 

“Perfect. I will bring the wine. I have a feeling that we will need it.” 

We laugh. I feel like I am connecting with what I wished my mother could have been for me. 

…

Everyone – except for my husband – is at my house today to have lunch with me. I was honestly looking forward to being alone for the next couple of days while Maboko is away – sit with myself and accept defeat on my own before owning it before the world. Then people just come to my house because everyone believes that they can tell me what to feel, what to think and what to do. To say that I am annoyed would be an understatement. It’s a good thing that they brought food because I was not planning on offering them anything. Mama brought prawns and rice. Dad brought ribs and fries. Zolile brought drinks and kush. Thelma and Samke brought ice-cream. 

We are all seated around my marble dining table in my beautiful orange velvet sofa-chairs. My mom set up a buffet for people to choose what they want to eat. She dished up prawns and salad for me. I actually want ribs and chips and white bread or white bread rolls and coke. That’s what that hoodrat eats and she got my man. This salad and prawns shit has done nothing for me. It’s not even getting me pregnant. Shit food got Teboho pregnant and she wasn’t even trying. Im playing with my food while everyone else has a good time indulging. 

“Linda”, Zolile calls me. 

I look at him. We are sitting across each other. Thelma is sitting next to me and Samke is sitting next to Zo. My dad sits at the one end of the table and my mom sits at the other end. 

“Why don’t we go on holiday together? Just you and me? It will help you forget about all of these things that are happening between you and Maboko”. I know Zo means well, so I give him half a smile. But I’m not pathetic enough to go to my honeymoon with my brother. Come on now. 

“Think about it… we will go on an all-expenses paid trip to Mauritius! All paid for by Maboko!” He keeps insisting on this and I can feel myself getting pissed off. 

“That’s not a bad idea, Zo. We would also like to go”, Thelma. 

“I have never been to Mauritius before. Yes, let’s go!” Samke. 

By the way, Samke fucked Maboko three weeks before our wedding. She doesn’t know that I know. I’m waiting for the perfect moment to throw it at her while telling her that I hate how fake she is. 

“I’ll give you guys all the tickets and reservations. You can go without me”, I say. 

They are quiet. I hope they were not hoping for me to jump up and down in joy and agree to go to my honeymoon with them. 

“You are not going to divorce him, Linda. You can sulk until kingdom come, but you will not leave this marriage.” My mother, the look-good-at-all-times-no-matter-what witch says. 

“What do you propose I do then, mama? I am not happy. Maboko is not happy. Teboho is back. It has not even been three months and he has already left me for her. How, do you propose I stay in a marriage like that?” I ask her. 

“You don’t listen wena, that’s your problem. Your first mistake was kicking out that man. What is wrong with you? When he came back to apologise, you did not have to kick him out or give him an ultimatum”. The wicked witch of Tholoana Kingdom says. 

Then Samke adds her two cents and says, “I am with your mother on this one, Linda. You cannot make a parent choose between his blood and the partner he or she has sex with. You will never win that one. If you were asking him to choose between you and Teboho, I can understand.” 

“He was late for our wedding because he was with her. He told her that he loves her. He is using this son to cover up the fact that he is choosing Teboho”. I remind them all. 

“But he still married you. Why are you disregarding the fact that this guy cheated on her with you? And it clearly wasn’t a mistake because he married you. If kids are his kryptonite like that, get pregnant again. The only thing that Teboho has one up on you with is his child, not his surname. There is only one Mrs Maboko Seete in the whole of Tholoana Kingdom and that is you. Do you have any idea how much power you have in this situation?” Thelma says. All these idiots are just speaking out of their asses and pretending to be stupid just to not see the truth. It’s those lower grade classes that they were in throughout high school that didn’t teach them critical thinking. 

“What power is that? Competing with Teboho for his heart? Are we all seriously going to sit around this table and pretend ukuthi Maboko doesn’t love Teboho? Is that the shit that everyone at this table wants me to put up with for the rest of my life and call it a marriage?” 

“Then what do you want, Linda? This is the situation and it is not going to change just because you are sulking and don’t want to take us on a free trip to Mauritius. What do you want?” Zolile and his damn trip to my flippen honeymoon! 

They are all looking at me now. 

“Linda, will divorcing Maboko actually make you happy?” Zo asks me. 

“I actually love him, Zo. That is why this hurts so much!” 

With this, I stand up from the table and head to my bedroom. I’m staying in here until I don’t have to face anyone ever again! 

I have no idea when everyone left last night, but I am waking up this morning and I make a commitment with myself that today is going to be a good day for me. I hit the road for a 5km run just to take in the air and give myself a boost for whatever lies ahead of today. When I get back, I do some minor yoga just to stretch my body. I hit the shower and make sure that I wear my favourite perfume. I wear a white dress and white heels. I let my dreadlocks flow and become me. I look good and I feel even better. I get into the kitchen and find my breakfast waiting for me. My chef is probably already in and I spot three of my domestic workers already working around the house. I look at my ring and debate with myself if I should still wear it. I keep it on. Time will let me decide. 

A knock on the door startles me. Maboko has a key to the house, so he wouldn’t knock. I make my way to the door and I see Kabelo standing at my door. And then? 

“Kabelo, hey!” I greet him. 

“Hey” he greets me, uncomfortably hugs me then let’s himself into my house. 

Okay! 

“Is everything okay?” I ask him as we settle at my dining table. 

“Yeah, everything is fine. I was just worried about you”. 

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.” 

The whole world is worried about me. They need to stop. I’m good! Seriously. 

“I’m perfectly fine, Kabelo. Why would you worry about me?” 

“Come on, Linda. I know that you are not okay. You are already living alone while your husband is shacked up with Teboho and their son. That’s just not okay.” 

WHAAAAAT?! 

“What did you just say to me?” All that positive energy juju is out the door! I am FUMING!

“You didn’t know? The three of them live together at the love nest that Maboko and Teboho bought together years ago – you know, the one you fucked him in when he was still with her?” 

Now he’s being salty and just disrespecting me. I start feeling hot and as if I cannot breathe. Kabelo catches me before I fall onto the ground. I can no longer hold it in. I just cry my soul out! This hurts so badly! He just holds me and soothes me. I haven’t been held like this in a very long time. I have not been loved like this in a very long time. 

“He doesn’t deserve you, Linda. You are way too beautiful to be dealing with this kind of shit. You are an incredible woman who deserves a faithful man who truly loves her. Maboko is not that man. He is out here on these streets making you look desperate to hold onto him. You can be with any man that you want, Linda. A real man who will give you the love that you deserve.” 

I hear him, but my cry keeps getting harder. I find myself curling into his arms. 

“Come on, let me take care of you and heal that broken heart just for today.” 

I look at him. I want to understand what he means by this. 

He picks me up from the ground and carries me upstairs – I let him. He takes off his suit jacket and rolls up his shirt sleeves. He undresses me then runs me a bubble bath – I let him. My phone rings. I can see the caller ID telling me that “Hubby” is calling me. Kabelo rejects the call – I let him. 

“Take your bath and just relax. When you are done, I’ll be downstairs preparing you a good meal to eat.” He says. 

Then he leaves the bathroom. 

I’m not sure how I feel. 

Indeed, I make my way to the kitchen after my bath. I have a plate ready for me as he is busy with something on his phone. 

“A man who knows his way around the kitchen.” I say to get his attention. 

He puts his cellphone away then says, “I know. I’m every woman’s dream come true.” 

“I wonder why you are single”. I say. 

We both laugh. 

“Are you feeling better?” He asks me. 

“I am. Thank you for taking care of me.” I say. 

“It’s my pleasure”, he says this so seductively. 

“What are we eating?” I ask. 

“My specialty: eggs-a-la-king”. We both laugh.

“You are so beautiful”, he tells me. 

I smile at him.

“He doesn’t deserve you”, he says. 

“Kabelo, this dirty mack of yours is starting to feel uncomfortable. If you want me, just say it. You wanting me should have nothing to do with Maboko.” I say. 

He is not sure what to make of what I am saying. I stand up and slowly walk towards him. I drop my towel as soon as I stand in front of him. He is paralysed with shock. 

“I’m not sure if it’s you that I want or if I just want to feel wanted. But I’m hurting right now and I need to feel good again. Please make me feel good again.” I tell him. 

He stands up, lifts me up in his arms and carries me upstairs…