I actually love living with Senzi. And I love him even more because we got our own place and didn’t shack up with his parents. Yoh, his mother would drive me crazy. She doesn’t even like me. And with Senzi’s job as a pilot, I’d be stuck with that woman most of the time. When he’s working, I’m usually alone in the house. But I can deal with that. 

I miss Bassie and Morafe. I miss them being one or two doors away from me, or just living in a communal space where I could just step outside my door and talk to people. Now, I live in a triple-gated area. I don’t know my neighbours. I live in a four-bedroom double story house with a HUGE garden and a big ass pool. We chose a location close to the airport so it’s easier and closer for Senzi to get to work. We stay in a stunning estate called Clearwater Estate in Boksburg, in the Eastrand. 

Senzi came home last night from an international trip. I have him to myself for the next five days before he takes off again. He says we should have a baby, then I’d feel less alone. I’m actually considering it. It gets really lonely. And you can only do so much at the church, shame. 

Senzi is still asleep. He must be so tired. He got home after midnight. He woke me up. We had a lot of sex, and now he’s been passed out ever since. I’m making breakfast for him, but I’m also preparing lunch because we are hosting our parents today and officially, sivula indlu.

I have a domestic worker who was shoved onto us by Senzi’s mother. Senzi’s mother even wanted her to be a stay-in domestic worker. I refused! So, she comes in daily to clean then leaves. She gives me attitude all the time. I tell the girls about her on the WhatsApp group and they are always giving me tips on how to politely tell her to fuck off. My issue is that I don’t want to come across as if I’m ungrateful, especially to Senzi. I fight his mother on EVERYTHING. It’s at a point now where I honestly feel as if he looks at me and wonders if I see anything right with what his mother does – especially for us. I don’t want my husband to view me that way. So with the domestic worker, I bite my tongue as much as possible. I’d rather it be someone else who sees her for the cow that she is. She cleans everywhere except for my bedroom. And she doesn’t cook. I know she’s told Senzi’s mother because Senzi’s mother has more than taken shots at me for it. But those are my boundaries. I don’t trust her. 

“There’s my stunner of a wife”, I hear Senzi say. But he’s already wrapped around my body. He’s topless as well.

“Good morning my handsome husband.” 

“Hello baby”, he says, turning me around and kissing me. 

“Why aren’t you dressed? The domestic worker is here and you know she reports me to your mom for everything”, I say. 

“This is my house. I can walk around here butt naked if I want to”, he says and kisses me… on my lips… on my neck…

“Senzi”, I say in a moan.

He picks me up and puts me on the kitchen counter. He brushes my thighs. I’m giggling and enjoying this like some teenage girl. 

We hear someone clear their throat. I actually fall off the counter because I’m in so much shock. Senzi’s erection is so tense, he doesn’t turn around to attend to whoever is here – nor is he able to help me and I really think that I injured myself. 

“Senzangakhona! There is an adult in this house! Why ningayenzi lo mhlolo wenu in your bedroom?” It’s Senzi’s mother. How did she even get in?! 

“Mah, please… I’m begging you. Please wait for us in the living room. Please.” Senzi says. 

“Senzangakhona!” The mother. 

“MAH, PLEASE! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY KITCHEN! HOW DID YOU EVEN GET IN HERE WITHOUT US BEING NOTIFIED?! THIS IS NOT YOUR HOUSE!” After God, fear a man with a heavy erection. 

The mother gets the message then she leaves the kitchen. 

“You okay?” I ask him. 

“I just need a minute”, he says. 

He takes a minute to breathe and calm down.

“Are you okay?” Now that he’s better and his penis is respecting him, he asks me. 

“I think I’m injured. My ankle really hurts. I can’t move it”, I say. 

He sits down and attends to me. 

“It’s changing colour, babe. I need to get you to a hospital.” He says.

Now I’m crying. I’m in so much pain.

He carries me up the stairs and to our main bedroom. His mom thinks we are headed to go have sex so she’s shitting on us. Senzi is not even entertaining her. We get to our bedroom and he locks the door. He quickly changes. Fortunately, I had already showered and am dressed. When he is done, he carries me to the car, leaving his mom still yelling like a mad woman. He drives me off to the hospital. 

–

I’m waking up a bit drowsy and confused. Senzi is here with my mother, my father, my brothers and his parents.

“Senzi”, I mumble. 

They all jump and look at me. 

“Hey baby. I’m right here”, he says.

“What’s going on?” I ask him. 

“You had to have an emergency surgery on your foot. But everything went well. You’ll just be on crutches for a while, but you are going to be great. You’ll see”, he says and kisses me. 

I smile at him. 

“You are going to be okay. You’ll see. Your dad organised a private room for you. I’ll be staying here with you until you are discharged, okay?” Him. 

“What about work?” I ask him.

“I took leave, baby. You know that you come first.” He says.

I nod my head. 

My parents greet me. Khanya is also talking to me. But it feels like I cannot hear them. I’m just drifting into deeper sleep. 

…

I can’t believe all we were just trying to do was have sex. Then because my mother has no respect for privacy, my wife has had surgery. Imagine! I feel bad. But I’m happy she’s doing a lot better. I submitted my leave as well. I’ll be staying with Wandi at home until she’s good. I can’t leave her alone in such a state. 

“Sho“, Khanya says. He’s walking in with Khosini. I’m just sitting here next to Wandi watching her sleep. Wandi”s mom walks in behind the boys with drinks. 

“I brought us something to eat. You need to eat something, bafo“, Khanya says to me. 

I force a thankful smile and thank him for thinking about me. 

Wandi’s mom brushes my shoulders and smiles at me. 

“She’s going to be okay”, she says.

I nod my head and say, “I just wish she could wake up, talk to me and tell me that.” 

“She will. Sleeping means that her body is healing. Don’t stress.” The mom. 

“Your mom says y’all were having sex when she broke her ankle”, Khosini says and I’m actually shocked. I cannot even hide it. What would press my mom to say something like that to people.

Wandi’s mom laughs a bit. 

I’m just embarrassed. 

“So, your mom walked in on you?” Khanya. 

I need Wandi to wake up and put her family in place. This is a bit embarrassing. 

Khanya laughs now. 

I just chuckle. 

We start eating. 

We chat about useless things as we eat. Wandi is peacefully sleeping. Khanya is cool with Wandi’s mom. Khosini is very off. I know that he is semi anti-Maphuthi because he actually wants his parents to get back together. Wandi told me that she doesn’t know what Mam’Thandeka told him, but she thinks Mam’Thandeka had the “your dad cheated with Maphuthi and our family fell apart at that point” conversation with him. Khosini is too comfortable talking about how Maphuthi’s release will now see his parents never getting back together again. He also throws the whole “Maphuthi and Baba are sleeping together again” way too loosely for my liking – as if he’s unaware that these are two grown consenting adults that he’s speaking about – and two adults that are way older than him. Khosini treats Maphuthi weird as well – uncomfortably so. I don’t even know how to be right now. 

They all leave when the visiting hour ends. I get ready to sleep. I head into the toilet to take a piss… probably a shit too, after all of that food. Everything smells like medicine in here. I’m not sure if it’s making me shit easier or holding my stomach tighter. 

When I’m done, I step back into Wandi’s room. My mom is here. With Julia. I thought the visiting hour was over. 

“What are the two of you doing here?” I ask them. 

“Not even a hello? Hawu Senzi, when did you and I become enemies?” Julia. 

“What do you want? I know you don’t like Wandi, so you are not here to wish her well.” Me. 

“Yeah, I don’t like her. But I do care about you. When mom told me that you were not okay over Wandi being injured, I thought I’d come here and bring some prayers.” She says. 

I just don’t trust this girl. I don’t even know why my mom would disrespect my wife like this and bring this girl here. 

“Is it okay if I pray for her speedy recovery?” Julia asks me. 

“No, it’s not okay. My wife and I are not spiritually robbed. We know how to be in God’s presence and ask for the power of healing ourselves. But if you must pray, surely you can do that in the comfort of your own house”, I say. 

“Senzangakhona! I didn’t raise you to be so rude! Yini ngawe?!” My mom.

“You know Wandi is in here because of you, right?” Me. 

“Because of me?!” My mom is instantly in defence mode. 

“Yes. Because of you. How the hell did you even get into my house?!” I’m shouting at her now. 

She’s quiet. 

“Well?!” Me. 

“I have a key.” She mumbles. 

“Excuse me?!” Yoh, this woman is testing me.

“Why shouldn’t I have a key to my son’s house?! This girl just keeps taking you away from me. Julia wouldn’t mind if she were your wife.” The audacity. Has she no shame?!

“Give me the key!” I yell. 

“Senzangakhona –

“Give me the key to my house right now!” I raise my voice. 

She takes them out of her bag slowly and gives them to me with half a smile. She has a whole bunch of keys. She probably has keys to my bedrooms and toilets. 

“How did you even get these?!” I ask her as I take them from her. 

Now she looks away from me. 

“Mah!” I snap.

“Senzi, come on.” Julia. 

“I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU!” I bark at Julia. 

They can see that I’m angry now.

“I asked usisi that works in your house to make a plan for me”, my mom. 

“Wandi was right all along! She was right about you and she was right about that damndomestic worker that works in our house! How could I be so stupid?!” I’m actually in disbelief. 

“Senzangakhona, Wandi just wants to isolate you from everything that you know. Why don’t you see that?!” My mom.

“Really?!” Wandi’s mom says as she enters the hospital ward. 

I REALLY THOUGHT THAT VISITING HOURS WERE OVER! 

My mom is instantly tense. There is something about Wandi’s mom that really gets her shaky in a way that she never is around ANYONE. It fascinates me all the time. 

“Kahle hle yin’ inkinga yakho ngengane yami, wena?!” Wandi’s mother can turn into such a thug sometimes. Even I’m scared of her. 

“This is between my son and I.” My mom.

“And apparently Julia. But the weird thing is that it’s about Wandisa. And Wandisa is my child.” Wandi’s mom. 

Silence. 

“Of all the things I know you to be and always knew you would be, umamazala that is feared by omakoti is the last thing I’d attach to your name”, Wandi’s mom. 

“Wandi is not right for my son”, my mom says. 

“And who is, mah? Julia?” Me. 

Julia looks at me like I’ve hurt her feelings.

“Laura, Wandisa is my child. I may not have been around for most of her life, but I’m here now. And you WILL back off!” Wandi’s mom says. 

“When it comes to my son, I don’t back off, Maphuthi.” My mom. 

“Well, you will have to. My child is off limits. Unless you want me to unleash a world of hell on you”, Wandi’s mom says this in a way that even sends shivers down my spine. My mom is shit scared.

“And Wandi will be reporting into my office at work. Not yours.” Wandi’s mom says. 

“You don’t get to make that call”, my mom. 

“I just did.” Wandi’s mom says. 

The two women stare at each other. STARE!

“And wena skheberesh…” Wandi’s mom says to Julia. 

Julia clears her throat and looks at Wandi’s mother. 

“If I ever see you around my son-in-law ever again, or even smell your scent within a mile of him or my daughter, kuzonuk’ unyoko! Uyangizwa?!” 

This is very disturbing. Julia doesn’t say anything. My mom is letting this happen. What does this woman have on my mother?!

Wandi’s mom takes threatening steps towards Julia. Julia tries to step back but she bumps into Wandi’s drip holder. She pauses – shit scared.

“Prison is no longer the worst place for me to be in. So don’t test me. Uyangizwa?” Wandi’s mom. 

“Yes ma’am”, Julia. She’s so scared.

“Visiting hours are over.” Wandi’s mom says.

My mom and Julia SPRINT out of this ward. 

Yerrr! 

“Goodnight mkhwenyana. Please call me if there’s any change”, she says to me. 

I nod my head. 

She leaves. 

I’m not okay. 

I sit down on some couch. 

Wandi opens her eyes. 

I look at her. 

“What a show!” Wandi says.

“You heard all that? And you didn’t wake up to come to my rescue?” Me. 

She starts laughing. I can’t help but laugh too.

“My foot hurts so badly.” She says. 

“I’m sorry, baby. Should I get the nurse?” I ask her. 

“Please. I really need just one shot of something strong”, she says.

“Okay, I’ll go get someone”, I say. 

“Senzi”, her. 

“Love?” I say as I walk to her. 

“Thank you for protecting me and for loving me so much”, she says.

I kiss her. I hug her. Something hints at my hand under her pillow. 

“What’s this?” I ask as I pull it out. 

“Ini?” Wandi. 

I hold it in my hand. It’s a syringe with liquid in it. 

“Senzangakhona”, Wandi says and I hear the fear in her voice. I see the tears and fear in her eyes.

“I’ll sort it out, baby. I’m going to sort this out.” I say. 

“Kanjani? These people have access to our house and you are away a lot of the time. They snuck that into the ward?! Senzi –

“Wandi, please baby. Calm down.” 

She’s breathing heavily. 

The nurse comes in. She was coming to check up on Wandi. I let her do her checks. Then I ask, “Sisi, we found this under Wandi’s pillow. What is it?” 

She looks at the syringe. 

“Was there another nurse in here?” She asks me.

Just Julia. 

“Not one that works in this hospital”, I say. 

“Let me go and have this tested. I’ll come back with feedback”, she says.

“I’d appreciate that. Thanks.” Me. 

She takes the syringe from me. 

Wandi is seriously not okay.