Life has been good. It has been a year since the dramatic reveal of mine and Mthunzi’s relationship. The country is on lockdown level one, so we can pretty much get back to our lives now and contract this thing at our own risks if we are still stupid enough to believe that social distancing, wearing a mask and sanitizing are not a thing. 

Mthunzi and I have moved from my little RDP house to a very cute house in Midstream. I love it here. It is a beautiful five bedroom house, three upstairs and two downstairs. One of the bedrooms have been turned into a study. 

I don’t know how to swim, but I love relaxing on the step of my pool and just being surrounded by the water. We live with Mfundo and he seems happy. I am six months pregnant and Mthunzi is annoyingly excited about the baby. 

After his divorced was finalized, he paid lobola for me. I was three months pregnant at the time. My parents are happy for me and we have all seemed to have healed from Mohavi’s death. 

Dikeledi went back home because I was not prepared to have her work in my house. She did exactly what I thought she would do – she told the whole of Mafikeng that I am a homewrecker. She told them everything that she witnessed and my parents suffered the shame. Mthunzi put Dikeledi and her parents to shame when he brought cows for my lobola and to pay for impregnating me before we got married – live cows that arrived in a truck, may I add. Our farm is looking very good and my dad is very proud. He paid the lobola and damages in full on his first appearance. 

I don’t know what happened to Thabiso’s lawyer and the money I was supposed to get. Mthunzi sorted it out. I’m sure it was sent back to his wife and the kids that they had together. 

I still work with Sindi. It’s not the best deal that I have, but it pays me well and Sindi is not as bad as I thought she would be. She is never around anyway, so she promoted me to be a manager. I have an assistant that works with me. Sindi is a bit upset about my upcoming maternity leave, but I am trying my best to make sure that I leave the ship afloat for the four months that I will be away. Our clients know that I’m headed to maternity leave soon, so I tell them that they should work with me to ensure that my four months off will not impact their business. 

Our offices are at a hotel that Sindi co-owns with George. George just creeps me out. It turns out that George is actually Siya’s father and these two have been Bonnie & Clyde since before I started working for Sindi and Mthunzi at their house. But this man is just creepy. He is Sindi’s type – rich and handsome. He looks like something that stepped out of a movie. But his aura man, everything about his spirit is just off. I don’t like it when he is anywhere near me. I prefer to just deal with him via emails. He just can’t help himself though, he seems to always make an effort to be around me and he is weirdly obsessed with my pregnancy. I don’t feel safe around him at all. 

“Baby”, Mthunzi creeps up on me. I’m chilling in my pool, sitting on the step as usual. I have a cap and sunglasses on because I know that I am not going in any further than this. It is Saturday and the water is the best in the morning. 

“Hey”, I say as I look up at him. He comes into the water, but he stands on the shallow end, next to the step that I am sitting on.

“Come, you won’t drown. Look, I’m standing. This part is very shallow”, he says. 

I shake my head and say, “No thanks”. 

We giggle. 

“You okay?” He asks me. 

“I’m just – I don’t know- George creeps me out, babe.” I say.

Mthunzi has never liked George for obvious reasons. I think I annoy him when I talk about him. But he must know this. 

“I think he uses traditional medicine, but not the healing kind. He is aura is too heavy and no matter how much I try to avoid him, he always finds his way to be next to me. Uyangisinda babe. And his obsession with my pregnancy makes me very uncomfortable”, I say. 

His face has changed about three times now. I am not sure what to make of his expressions. 

“Baby, why aren’t you working from home? With Covid-19, pregnant women work from home”, he says. 

“Sindi asked me to come in”, I say. 

“Do you want me to get involved?” 

“No. It’s work and I need to figure it out myself. I just don’t have a good feeling about this George character”, I tell him. 

“Work from home. It’s either that or you start your maternity leave now. I’m happy for you to take unpaid leave when the baby arrives. You need to protect yourself and this child”, he says. 

I’m actually not mad at that suggestion. I’ve had a beautiful pregnancy thus far. I’ve never had a difficult pregnancy. Even with Mohavi, it was very simple. My most traumatic moment was giving birth to him. That entire experience was painful and traumatic. But when I held my baby in my arms for the first time, as young as I was, it was all worth it. I had brought life into this world at the age of sixteen and I knew just how powerful my body was. Now, my second pregnancy, it has been good. I’m not fat and my baby bump is quite misleading. You’d think I’m nothing more than four months pregnant. Mthunzi says I turn him on. 

“Hey”, he says. Now he is right in front of me, kissing me and brushing my belly.

“Nothing is going to happen to you and my son. You are going to be safe and he is going to be perfect”, he says. 

Yes, we are having a boy. 

SPLASH!

Our bigger boy jumps into the water and the water baptizes Mthunzi and I. Mthunzi swims to the deep end and they chase each other in the pool. They are so happy together. They look like brothers more than they look like father and son. I love their relationship. Mthunzi is an amazing father. It’s one of the most attractive things about him.

“Mah, come. You won’t drown”, Mfundo say.

I shake my head and chuckle. When I see them both swim towards me, I get up from the pool and jump out. I’m now on land and these two are trying to persuade me to jump back in. 

“I’m going to make us breakfast”, I say. 

“Noooo, you not getting away that easily”, Mthunzi.

“You not hungry?” I ask them. 

They look at each other. I head into the house while they think about it. 

I make a full English breakfast and some flap jacks. Mfundo loves them.

They walk into the house wet and rowdy as I lay the table. 

“But guys, you bringing all that water into the house. You making the house dirty”, I say. 

“Sorry baby. The kitchen smell invited us back into the house”, Mthunzi says. 

“I’ll mop the floor mah, I’m sorry”, Mfundo. 

I smile at them. 

“Please go shower. Breakfast will be served when you come back downstairs”, I say. 

Mthunzi kisses me as Mfundo heads upstairs. 

“I love you gorgeous”, Mthunzi says to me. 

I smile at him. 

“By the way, a man named Clement phoned you. I answered your cell because you were sleeping. But he said something about Tlotlo and Rorisang missing you.” 

I roll my eyes. He looks at me, enquiring really on who Clement, Tlotlo and Rorisang are. 

“Clement is my sister’s husband – if I can still even call him that. He has moved another woman into my sister’s house and is raising my sister’s children with that person. The kids are Tlotlo and Rorisang.” 

“You never talk about them”, he says. 

“There’s nothing to talk about. My sister was arrested five years ago and is doing time. She was served a fifteen year sentence and will only be eligible for parole after eight years. Her husband has moved on and he kept the kids away from my parents and me. I don’t know why he is suddenly phoning me and telling me that nonsense.” 

“And what about your sister? How come you never go visit her in prison?” 

I sigh. I am not ready to answer that question.

“I’ll tell you when I’m ready. Let’s focus on breakfast for now, please.” Me. He nods his head and kisses my cheek. 

He heads upstairs for a shower and I quickly use the mop to clean my floors. 

The table is set and the men come downstairs. They are both topless. I swear that they are the same person. Their habits, their actions, the way they walk and talk, it’s weird. They even eat the same. 

My phone rings. It is Sindi. 

“Hey Sindi”, I answer the phone. 

“Hey. Can you come into the office today?” She says. 

“I actually have plans with Mthunzi and Mfundo. Is it something I can do from home?” I lie. I just have no plans of going into the office where I could possibly bump into that man of hers and feel as if he sucked blood out of my system. 

“It’s urgent”, she says. 

“I can’t come, Sindi”, I emphasize. Plus, it’s a Saturday and I know my rights. 

She hangs up. 

Mfundo and Mthunzi both look at me. 

Sindi calls again before I can explain the call. I put her on speaker this time. 

“Sindi”, me. 

“George wants you here. It’s urgent”, she says. 

Ngeke! 

“Sindi, please email me what it is that you need me to assist you with and I will send it. Plus, I’ll be working from home until my baby arrives. Covid-19regulations allow me to do that. I’m not coping with the up and down to the office”, I say. 

“Why are you being so difficult? Have you forgot that you are an employee around here and failure to follow instructions and orders from your manager is insubordination? Do you want me to charge you?” She is yelling at me now. 

I am silent. 

Insubordination?

For not going to work on a Saturday and for wanting to protect my child? 

Mthunzi is angry. 

“Charge her. We will see you at the CCMA”, Mthunzi says then hangs up. 

I think he made things worse. 

…

It is Monday. I have bathed, but I will be working from home so I am wearing a tracksuit. Mthunzi is dressed up in his suit and is preparing to go to work. He is already on the phone with his boss, Thomas. They have been talking for the past hour. Mfundo is grumpy. He hates school. He hates the new school that he goes to now that he is this side with us. How does anyone hate a private all-boys Catholic school? He always says that everyday feels like Father’s day. I know that has everything to do with the fact that he doesn’t sit next to girls in class.But he is smart and his marks are as handsome as he is, so we are happy. He is in grade eleven. He had to go back a year because no one really starts at a new school in matric. But he will live. His father has waited years to live with him, be there for him and just love him like he did with Mbali. Mthunzi was never going to send Mfundo back to KZN. Mfundo talks a lot about his girlfriend that he left behind. Mthunzi is really not interested. Mfundo is staying in GP and that’s the end of that story. 

He is on WhatsApp chatting away as he has his breakfast. Before I know it, they are both hugging and kissing me goodbye as they dash out to start their days. Our helper arrives. We greet each other and talk about our weekend briefly, then I head upstairs to the study and start my working day. I check my emails. No warning and no notice to attend a disciplinary hearing. Maybe it’s still coming. 

Sindi phones me. 

I take a deep breath then answer.

“Hi Sindi”.

“Zelda, we don’t allow men to do that to us. We have choices. This is not the time to be oppressed as women. You are no longer Mthunzi’s maid. He has no right to tell you how to run your professional life”, she says.

Is this woman on opium? 

“What are you talking about?” Me.

“Saturday. I know that wasn’t you. You’d never disrespect me like that. It’s Mthunzi. I forgive you for speaking to me the way that you did and I forgiveyou for not coming to the office when I asked you to. I also forgive you for suggesting that ridiculous suggestion about working from home until your baby is born”, she says. 

“No actually, I’m not sorry. If my new terms and conditions will be a problem, then I’m happy to take my maternity leave with immediate effect”, I say. 

She is quiet. 

Then she says, “Zelda, you owe me. You ruined my family when we trusted you to keep it together. You broke my marriage and now you are benefitting from a husband that I made and equipped to be what you are now benefitting from. You have no business not acknowledging how kind I am being for a woman that you stole a husband from”, she says. She is still calm. This woman is crazy.

I hang up. 

It’s time. This job has reached its expiry date. I type my resignation and send it to both George and Sindi. 

I shut my laptop down. 

I send Mthunzi a WhatsApp telling him that Sindi went crazy on me and I’ve resigned. 

He phones me immediately. 

“Baby”, me.

“What happened?” He asks me. 

I tell him what that lunatic said to me over the phone. He gets upset. I assure him that I am fine and this will give me an opportunity to focus on my business. He makes me promise to only focus on it after the baby is born. I tell him I’ll pick up Mfundo from school so he doesn’t have to worry about taking a late lunch. 

I spend the rest of the day watching useless TV.