I love working for Mthunzi. I love it. I am even at school now. He approved a bursary application for me to go ahead and study. He told me that it is important that I never stop developing myself. Sli and I work extremely well together. A lot of people report into Mthunzi. Well, he is the director of the company. We manage his office and he always tells us that we do a good job. We have met his wife and his son. His wife is a beautiful woman and just like Lydia, she got with a married man and won. But I can see why Mthunzi would choose her. She is beautiful and so humble. She is good to him and he is genuinely happy. 

Lydia gave birth to a baby girl. Mr Ramaru sent an email announcing it to the company – that’s how happy he is about the birth of his baby girl. Her name is Rofhiwa Phatsima Ramaru and he is a man in love. Lydia also got a promotion. If I wasn’t working in Mthunzi’s office and I didn’t hear him fight people like a crazy man for Lydia’s promotion, I’d say she slept her way to the top. But Lydia is amazing at what she does and she paved the way for Palesa to be a managingexecutive. Everyone says that Palesa drowns without Lydia and it’s true. 

Pearl…

She is still married to Tom, but they don’t have much of a relationship. She has told herself that she is the only Mrs Thomas Ramaru and she is not going anywhere. But she’s not happy and every time that Tom and Lydia are in one room, the chemistry is just priceless. 

Today, I am sitting on a mattress mourning my husband. His funeral is tomorrow. He died from Covid-19 complications. He healed, but the complications lead him to death. He was back to being abusive again, but I still loved him. His family is here, my family is here and Mthunzi sent flowers and R10 000 to contribute towards the burial from him and his Mrs Msomi. She’s pregnant so hey, she can’t be around funerals. 

Sli has been coming every day and helping out with the cooking and cleaning. Working in Mthunzi’s office is a million times better than working for Miles and Jackson. I have so much peace knowing that I don’t have them breathing down my neck and being insensitive to my role as a family woman. Covid-19 took everybody, but Miles. 

“Makoti, the body has arrived”, my mother-in-law lets me know. 

We prepare for the coffin to come in and I get comfortable on the mattress. My daughters come to sit next to me and my sons stand next to the mattress. I hear the singing starting and I hear his sisters and mother crying already. It is those sharp cries that make me realise and face, for the first time, that I’ll never see my husband again. My emotions overcome me. I will never wake up next to him again. And as horrible as this will sound, he will never lay a hand on me ever again. I start falling apart and I feel my daughters trying to comfort me even though they are falling apart as well. I see Sli standing there looking at me, feeling sorry for me really. She looks like she just wants to hug me. 

The coffin is placed right in front of me. The singing gets louder. 

“Sisi, you have to come open the coffin”, his sister says to me. 

I look at her. Is she serious? She can see that I’m not going to do that. She tries to pull me up and I feel paralyzed. I cannot get my mind and my body to cooperate with one another. I must go view my husband in the coffin? 

Before I know it, I am wailing. My daughters stand up and open the coffin instead. They look at him for a while as if they notice something different about him. My mother-in-law and sisters-in-law now no longer have patience for my unreadiness to view my dead husband. They carry me up and lead me to his coffin. 

He is so… peaceful. He looks as if everything that has ever bothered him doesn’t bother him anymore. He looks as peaceful as he was on our wedding night – as if everything that needed to be done has been done and now it is time to rest. Except this time, he is resting forever. 

I lean into the coffin and lay my head on his chest. This moves everyone. Even the people who are singing are getting emotional now. 

“Rest in peace, my love” I say to him as I lift my head off his chest.

…

Today is my first day back at work. It is a week after my husband’s funeral. Mthunzi insisted that I take the week off. That man is too good to us. My kids are also back at school now. We have a car now – a Polo. It is big enough for my four kids and I. My in-laws have gone back to the Eastern Cape and I’m glad. My focus now is my kids. Sli has helped me get bursaries for Unawe to go to university and one of the bursaries has been approved. She is going to study at Wits and I am very happy about that. 

I arrived at work early. Now that I have a car, I get to drop off my kids at school and come to work on my schedule, not wait for the bus and and and… 

Sli arrives and finds that I have pushed quite a bit. 

“Hello. Welcome back” She says, giving me a welcome back balloon and flowers. This girl is too sweet. I smile at her and ask, “What did I miss?” 

“Nothing. Just hard work. The boss is coming in early today and Pearl has been MIA for the past week. No one talks about what’s wrong with her, not even Thando. But rumour has it that she has been admitted into a mental institution.” She informs me. 

“Took her long enough”, me. 

We both chuckle. 

We get to work and spend about an hour just working, exchanging notes on a few things and preparing packs for Mthunzi’s meetings. 

We hear his voice and Tom’s voice heading towards Mthunzi’s office. 

Tom: “You going to be changing diapers and staying up all night soon. I hope you are ready. And I’m only giving you two weeks paternity leave”. 

They both laugh. 

Mthunzi: “You must make a boy next time. You can’t just have girls. I’ll teach you how to make boys. Ejaculate with your eyes open”. 

They laugh harder this time. 

Sli and I look at each other with our mouths open. We chuckle and focus on our work again. 

They walk into the office and pretend to be very serious, as if they were not talking about ejaculating on their wives. 

“Good morning, Portia. I hope you are feeling well. Welcome back”, Mthunzisays.

“Thank you, sir”, I say.

“Portia, it’s good to see you settling well in Mthunzi’s office”, Mr Ramaru says. 

I just nod my head. 

The gentlemen proceed to Mthunzi’s office. 

Sli and I chuckle to ourselves. 

“Ladies”, Lydia walks in and greets us. Behind her is Palesa and the new ladywho has now taken over Palesa’s old role. 

“Good morning”, Sli and I say simultaneously. 

“We have a meeting with Mr Msomi and Mr Ramaru. May we proceed to Mr Msomi’s boardroom?” Lydia. 

She is so beautiful. You would never say that she just had a baby.

“Please do proceed”, Sli says, directing them to the boardroom. 

“Thank you. I have an urn of coffee being brought up. Please let them know to bring it to the boardroom”, Lydia says.

Rumour has it that her coffee is out of this world. 

“Sure thing”, I say. They disappear to the boardroom.

Lastly, Pearl walks in. She doesn’t look good at all. She is not the best dressed Pearl with the best shoes that we all know. She usually has the best wigs on, today she just has old and worn out cornrows on her head. She is wearing a tracksuit and she’s lost a lot of weight. She is not wearing any makeup and she has weird dark circles around her eyes. 

“Where’s Thomas?” She shouts. 

Sli and I stare at her. 

“WHERE IS THOMAS?” She yells even louder. 

Thomas and Mthunzi walk out of Mthunzi’s office. Thomas is not impressed. Everyone comes out of the boardroom too, except for Lydia. 

Thomas stares at Pearl. Pearl has tears streaming down her face.

“I’ll give you a divorce. But I want twenty percent of this company”, Pearl says.

“You’ll never even get one percent of this company”, Thomas says with so much anger in his tone. 

“Do you really want to test me?” Pearl. 

“Do you want to test me? Walk away from this marriage with what you came in with – nothing! I’ve been more than generous in the settlement I’m willing to give you considering that you have nothing. You still want to behave like some entitled bitch? You clearly don’t know how difficult I can make your life”, Thomas. 

I am suddenly grateful that my husband is dead. Kanti it gets this bad? 

“With everything that you have put me though, you owe me your life. You compromised my dignity and my mental health. You owe me!” Pearl. 

“Go to court and argue that. In the meantime, you are fired. You’ve been AWOL for three weeks and nobody around here knew where you were”, Thomas says. 

Even Mthunzi gives him a look that reads “that’s a bit harsh”. This woman has already been hit by life. Thomas is honestly just kicking a dog while it’s down now. 

“Thomas, this is how you do me? Because Lydia gave you a child you think her thighs are made of gold and diamonds? You think she’s a better woman than me? I almost died giving birth to two children for you. TWO. And this is after we buried the one child that we had together. Are you really going to punish me for not wanting to put my life on the line anymore just to bring another human being into this world?” Pearl says, and she is crying. 

I am even crying now. Pearl sees me wipe my tears. 

Thomas says nothing. Absolutely nothing. How could he? 

Pearl nods her head, wipes her tears and says, “I see. Thomas it’s fine, I’m going back home to Ndwedwe. I will drive out tonight. I’ll sign the divorce papers. All I ask is that you please don’t cut me off financially. I’ll look for a job and settle in. Once I have settled in and have found my feet again, I’ll let you know. I’m letting you go, Thomas, and from the bottom of my heart, I truly wish you all the best with Lydia and your baby girl”, Pearl. 

Thomas nods his head and says, “You have my word. I won’t cut you off. I’ll take care of you until you are settled. Whatever you need. And thank you for finally letting this go. I’m sorry it had to come to this.” 

She pulls an envelope out of her bag and signs some papers. She puts the papers back in the envelope and hands the envelope to Thomas. We are all very uncomfortable. 

Pearl turns around and leaves.