My parents and I have just arrived here at the royal house to see Rena. We heard that she’s back. Plus, all the Mohales live here now. She’s not even talking to me, but I brought flowers and a gift. I’m hoping that she will forgive me nyana. 
“Is Khotso okay?” I hear my mom ask my dad as we walk towards the door. 
“Ey, he’s been hectic lately. Between this thing with Legoa and everything that’s going on with Rena, I haven’t seen him smile one bit. Even Ona is a bit scared of him lately”, My dad. 
“Phuthi has also been extremely distant. But I think us coming here today is a good thing”, my mom. 
I have my own issues with Rena that time. 

I’ve hugged Aunt Phuthi and Uncle Khotso. Rena is apparently sleeping upstairs. I hear the adults talking, saying that Uncle Ona and his wives are all out there somewhere doing something. 
“Can I please go check up on Rena?” I ask. 
“Sure, baby girl.” Uncle Khotso. 
I know my way around this house, so I leave the adults to their issues then make my way to find my sister.

She is indeed fast asleep. She looks quite bruised up. Apparently, she’s still pregnant. I’m glad she didn’t lose her child. I don’t know with Rena hey… I suppose a baby is what she needs right now to just have a slap of selflessness. 
I put the flowers on her side table and the gift right next to it. I then sit on the couch in here and just wait for her to wake up. 

I miss my boyfriend. 
A week ago, I was at his place – as I generally am – and his mother was there. She now lives with Khanya – yena and her mother (so Khanya’s mom and Khanya’s grandmother). Her man is in jail and has been sentenced to quite a few years behind bars. Khosini is doing well on the programme that Wehweh’s dad has him on. He even travels for work and takes school very seriously. Khanya and Wandisa do not trust her to live in the house that their dad left for them in Khanya’s and Wandisa’s name. She spent all the money that Khanya’s dad left for her with her man – yena leKhosini. So she’s down and out, literally living off Khanya and Tholoana. Tholoana just felt bad that Khanya is doing this alone. Not even Khosini – her ride or die – is financially looking after her. So Tholoana stepped in. 
Anyway…
Khanya left to go to work in the morning and left me fast asleep. I woke up and bumped into the mother. We had the biggest fallout ever then she kicked me out of my boyfriend’s house. Imagine! 
I left – very embarrassed – and told Khanya what happened. He wanted to kick her out, but I talked him out of it. I don’t know where my loyalty for her even comes from because she definitely doesn’t deserve it. 
Let me text him. 
“Muntu wami”. 
“Shambula lami”. He texts back immediately.
“I miss you”. 
“Can I phone you?”
I call him. 
“Sthandwa Sami”, he says as he answers his phone. 
“Hey love”, me. 
“Please come over today.”
“Umah wakho yena?”
He laughs at my Zulu accent (at least I’m trying, unlike him who never even barks a single Sotho word), then says, “Baby, uwena umama wakwami. Yena ungumama ongizalayo, but that house is your house. Not hers. She cannot bully you out of the house.” 
I actually laugh. 
I hear him giggle too. 
“I’m just not in the mood to fight, Khanya.”
“I’ll deal with mah. Wena please come over. Please love”. 
“I have a better idea”, I say.
“Okay?” him.
“Dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“Under the stars. Maybe we can even tick off one of our adventure activities that we put on our to-do list… you know, outdoor sexy time.”
“And if people catch us?”
I laugh and say, “then they catch us. Hopefully by the time we get home, your mom will be fast asleep”. 
He laughs then says, “what am I going to do with you?”
“Just love me like I love you.”
“I probably love you more. I live for you.”
We say goodbye to each other then we hang up. 
“The two of you!” Rena says, chuckling.
“Hai! You’ve been awake all this time? Listening to my business?” That time her eyes are even closed.
She opens her eyes, laughs then says, “it’s not like my life is exciting. I might as well be all over yours.” 
We both laugh. 
I get into bed with her. She makes space for me. Her tummy is even growing. How pregnant is she? We both face upwards. 
“I miss you, sis.” I say.
“I miss you too. I’m so sorry I’ve been such a bitch.”
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you.”
“Yoh sis… that man was a lunatic! A lunatic I tell you.”
“Did you at least put acid on his balls?” Me.
She looks at me.
We burst into laughter.
“So, the baby? O tlo yetsa jwang?” I ask her.
“It’s not Bokang’s child.”
“Tumelo?” I’m actually shocked! Didn’t we kill that baby?!
She nods her head then says, “the baby didn’t die. I’m clearly supposed to have this baby. This baby survived this family’s attempt to kill it. It’s meant to be, Ruri. It’s meant to be.” 
I hold her hand and smile at her.
“Well, I guess we have a baby to raise. Me, you and Khanya.” 
She laughs and says, “even Khanya?”
“Yep. It will be like Uncle Ona. You’ll be the child-bearing wife and I’ll be Aunt Thabi in this case”.
We laugh aloud. Yoh! 
“I love you, sis.” Me.
“I love you too, sis.” Her.
“So, what’s been happening with you?” She asks me.
“Thandeka is around!” I say as I roll my eyes. 
“Why?” She asks.
“Her man is arrested. Khosini is living his best life without her. She’s blown her inheritance from her deceased ex-husband. Khanya and Wandi don’t trust her with the house that’s in their name. So, she’s living with Khanya now and is Khanya’s and Tholoana’s responsibility.”
“Umaka wena!” 
“I’m so serious”.
“E re stru!”
“Stru!”
We are quiet for a minute.
“So how are things between you guys?” She asks me.
“Re lwanne last week”, I say.
“About?”
“She wants me to break up with Khanya”.
“Why? Does she want to marry him or something?”
We giggle at this. 
“She thinks I’m driving a wedge between her and her son. She thinks that if Khanya and I get married, I’d force him to ice her out.” 
“What gives her that impression?”
“The family that she had an agreement with… that Khanya should marry their daughter… they were going to further provide her with a house and look after her too. It’s some royal house out there. So, if Khanya marries me, she won’t get that. Phela Tebza leMaboko habatsubi matekwane!”
We chuckle. 
“So, o tlo yetsang?” She asks me. 
“Ke tlo rata motho waka. That’s the only thing that I can do. Thandeka will just have to be strong. I’m not going anywhere.”
“And that must be clear.”
We are silent. 
“Bokang yena? Is that chapter closed for good? Like divorce is finalised and all?” I ask her.
“He initially didn’t want to sign the papers. He was making all sorts of threats as well. But…”
“But?”
“That guy used to rape his own mother, Ru.”
“WHAT?!”
“Bokang mahn… it’s as if when we went to sleep, he went somewhere else to drink blood or something. He just had this darkness that I couldn’t explain. When my mom shot him and he bled, he…”
“He what?!”
“I don’t know Ru… I’m scared of him. I don’t know how my mom took him on. He’s a demon that one. And he killed his own father. So, he gave me a divorce in exchange for everything that I knew about him.”
“Yoh bathung!”
“But now, he’s causing trouble for us. We might need to go into hiding soon. I heard the parents talking.”
“Why don’t they just deal with him?” I ask. That’s what we do. 
“I haven’t heard the full story. I just eavesdrop nje.”
“I’ll ask my parents or Bane. We will gossip when I have the answers.” 
“And when will that be because wena le motho wa hao lo yetsa manyala kajeno!”
We laugh hysterically. 
“Hai wena!” I say mid-laugh. 
“Mantombazane! Naze nagcwalisa insini la!” Aunt Phuthi says as she walks in. She’s smiling at us. 
“Ru, your parents are ready to leave, nana.” She says. 
“Okay. Bye sis. Re tlo buwa kaosane, okay.”
We smile at each other than I leave.

…

Khanya and I are literally having sex inside the pool of a hotel. It’s nighttime and it’s dark. People are not out here because it’s raining. We have spotted a few people peeping outside of their room windows, but hey… 
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!” A raging voice startles us, and we stop just after the perfect orgasm. 
We look at her. 
“YOU HAVE EXACTLY TEN MINUTES TO GET OUT OF HERE OR ELSE I’LL PHONE THE POLICE!”
We quickly get out of the water. Mind you, we are butt naked! 
“AND YOU MAY NEVER RETURN TO THIS HOTEL EVER AGAIN! ALL STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE NOTIFIED AND YOUR PICTURES WILL BE- 
“Ma’am please! Our pictures don’t have to be anywhere. We have careers. We promise you… we will never return here.” I say. 
“YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU DISPLAYED SUCH PUBLIC INDECENCY!”
“Ma’am! I’ll give you ten thousand rands. You’ll have the cash and our word. Please… no pictures!”
“FINE! LEAVE THE CASH IN LOCKER 508 IN THE CHANGING COMMON ROOM. BE OUT OF HERE IN TEN MINUTES!” 
“I think ten thousand rands can buy me an extra ten.”
“TWENTY MINUTES! NOT A SECOND LATER!”
I just nod my head then Khanya and I dash to get dry. 

“That was nice”, he says as we dry ourselves up in the common room area. 
“What if we get banned here?! That hostess was so angry when she told us to get out of the pool”, I say. 
We both burst into laughter. 
“Well, we will never come back here. That’s very clear”, he says. 
We laugh. 
Now I sigh. 
I’m all dressed up again.
“What’s wrong?” He asks me.
“I’m a bit nervous about going home.” I say. 
He holds my hand. He kisses my hand. 
We walk together to the car. We are using my car today. 

We are driving now. 
“Your mom says that I’m preventing you from doing right by your family. Am I doing that, Khanya?” 
He’s quiet. 
I also stay quiet.
After ten minutes, I’m so done being quiet. 
“Please take me home”, I say.
He’s still quiet. He just drives on.
And he doesn’t take me home. We are now parking in his garage, next to his parked car in here as we were using my car. 
He climbs out of the car. 
I take a deep breath then come out too. By the time I’m out of the car, Khanya is already inside the house. He used the door from the garage leading to the laundry area of the house. 
As I step in, I hear arguing. 
“SO, RURI MUST NOT FEEL WELCOME OR COMFORTABLE IN MY HOUSE?!” Khanya yells. 
“RURI CAN GO TO HELL!” The mother yells back. 
“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! KUKWAMI LA!”
“NGIYEPHI, KHANYA?! NGIYEPHI?!”
“Iyakuchaza le nto eyenzeka la?” The granny creeps up on me and asks me. I don’t know where she came from. 
“Gogo, angisweli izinto ezingichazayo. Why would this impress me?” 
I’m actually irritated! 
“Then break up with Khanya. Awuboni ukuthi uwena inkinga la? If you and Khanya were not in a relationship, none of this would be happening!”
“Nawe futhi, gogo?! Nawe futhi?!” Khanya says, taking threateningly fast steps towards us. 
“Khanya! Mus’ukungiphakamela!” The gogo. 
“THIS IS NOT YOUR HOUSE! WHY DO YOU AND MOM THINK CAN RULE ME IN MY OWN HOUSE?!” 
Silence. 
I honestly don’t know how I feel. It’s very crappy to know that bonds are being broken and families are at it and it’s all because of you.
“I want you and mom out of my house within the next thirty minutes.” Khanya drops one hell of a bomb. 
“Khanya, where are we supposed to go?” The mom. 
“To Tholoana”. Khanya. 
“You know I can’t! You know Thabi will never allow me. She doesn’t tolerate me at all. I’m scared enough to be in her country. I can’t be in her house.” 
“So, you know that you have problematic tendencies that need to be tolerated?! But me, who tolerates you… my girlfriend who tolerates you… that’s who you give a hard time to?”
Silence. 
“Mama! Gogo! You are guests in this house. Ruri isn’t. And I’m getting tired of reminding you to behave yourselves. I’m asking you for the last time! Behave yourselves! Or you can just leave. But Ruri isn’t going anywhere and it’s time you respected that!”
Silence.
“Let’s go to bed, love”, he says, pulling my hand and leading me upstairs.