Thabang and I are on our way to KZN for the welcoming of Senzi. I left my kids at home with my mom and Meme. I told my mother that men were not allowed in my house and that her prostitution business is closed for the weekend. I promised her groceries for the month, and to cover her bills for this month then also give her some pocket money. She happily agreed. I was a bit nervous that she would come with Mmaletuka and her children. Thank God she arrived without Mmaletuka. 

I told my mother about the conversation Mmaletuka had with me about taking her kids. She was a bit weird about it at first, as if expecting that I’d actually say I’d do it. But after some time, she then said that Mmaletuka must look after her own kids. No one helped me raise my kids. No one helped her raise her kids. So Mmaletuka must just raise her own kids. Simple. So maybe she spoke to Mmaletuka and that contributed to her not arriving with her to help with my kids for the weekend. 

“Ushup?” Thabang asks me. 

“Yeah, ke shup. Hape I’m thinking about taba ya lenyalo”, I say.

“What about it?” He asks me.

Yes, I’ve decided to marry him. 

Bryan’s family has been harassing me and my mother. On two occasions, they attempted to kidnap my kids. Then this one night, Bryan’s brother broke into my house. I had to hide my kids in my cupboard with Meme. I locked my door. The alarm went off and thankfully, the police arrived in no time. Thabang arrived shortly after that too and he’s the one who found Bryan’s brother hiding in my roof. We were so spooked that we spent a week at Thabang’s apartment. It’s honestly insane. So, the Mothipa family vowed to protect us on condition that I marry their son. But Thabang actually gave me a sweet proposal that was not posed as an ultimatum. So, I said yes. Next week is actually my lobola negotiations as well as our traditional wedding. The agreement is that my kids will also be Mothipa kids. That means that he is paying damages for them and paying lobola for them to change their surnames as well. To say that I’m grateful would be an understatement. Apparently, the first wife has agreed for me to marry Thabang. The second wife is putting up a protest. So things are a bit tense. But my kids even call Thabang papa now and he has grown so close to them. It’s beautiful to watch… honestly. He bought Mosetsana an iPhone and she’s obsessed with it. I have to even monitor the usage. So she has phone time. When it’s not phone time, her phone is locked in my bedroom. That way, I can also monitor what she does with the phone. She only texts Thabang, some friends, me and my mom. Those are the numbers she knows. I told her that she must share her phone with her brother. But she has her days. Sometimes they share, sometimes it’s just hers. 

“Baby? Keng? Talk to me”, he says.

“Akere you said Mahali is not in support of our marriage. Jwale what are we going to do? Don’t you need the support of both your wives?” I say.

“I do. But the most important approval is that of the first wife. And Mmakabelo has agreed.” He says. 

“Ja, but –

“Mahali is now Mmakabelo’s job. Nothing will happen.” He says.

“Thabang, if ha rati bana baka?” I ask him.

“It’s fine. Akere they are not their kids. These are my kids. The important thing is that I love them. And nna I’ll always support them and be their father. My mom loves them too and they love her”, he says.

That is true. He once went to Dithabeng with my kids and they came back obsessed with his mother. 

“Thabang, I’m just scared. I’ve never been married before. And now I’m marrying someone’s husband. Women go through terrifying lengths to get rid of the person they believe robbed them of their men. So ke tsohile.”

“Morafe, do you love me?” He asks me.

“I do. You know I do.”

“And do you believe me when I tell you that I love you?” 

I nod my head.

“I can’t hear you.”

“Yes baby, I do believe you.”

“Can that just be our beginning and end? When I’m with Mahali, we don’t talk about you or Mmakabelo. When I’m with Mmakabelo, we don’t talk about you or Mahali. Our marriage and relationship has nothing to do with them and vice versa. So don’t talk about them. When I’m with you, I’m yours and yours alone. We don’t have to talk about them. So, let’s not talk about them.”

I nod my head.

“Morafe, re tlo ba shup. I promise you”. He says.

I nod my head. I take a deep breath then look out of the window. I can’t believe I’m getting married. I really can’t. Especially under these circumstances.

“Bryan’s family is successfully captured. All of them. They are at our illegal foreigner detention centre. There was eight of them.” He says.

I had never even met one of them. The only person that I knew was Bryan.

“Kea leboha, Thabang. Ka nnete, thank you.” I say. 

He nods his head. 

Also, I don’t care what they do to them. As long as I never see them again. 

We arrive at a hotel that’s about an hour away from the Mtubatuba homelands at 11pm. We check into the hotel and retire to our bedroom. Thabang has my bag and his. I haven’t even had sex with him and I’m wondering if he’s expecting it tonight. I would like some, but I’m not sure if he’s in the mood. I even brought lingerie. 

We make our way to our room. I have my handbag with me. 

As we get in, he puts our bags on the bed.

“I’ll unpack then take a shower”, I say.

“Okay. Let me call the kids and check up on them”, he says.

“They should be headed to sleep. You must tell them it’s 11pm now.” I say.

He laughs. 

He’s actually so handsome compared to what he was in school. 

He FaceTimes the kids as I unpack our clothes into the cupboards. 

Their conversation is actually really funny. They have excuses for everything. 

When I’m done unpacking, I join the call. We chat until about 11:30pm, then I tell them to go to sleep – no negotiations. We say goodnight to each other and exchange some “I love yous” then they hand the phone to my mom. I chat a bit to my mom and she guarantees me that everything is okay. I say goodnight to her as well then we hang up.

“Ke lo hlapa neh”, I tell Thabang. 

“Shup. I’m just watching footage of your place to make sure that everything is clean outside”, he says.

“Okay. Thank you, T.”

He smiles at me. 

I take my time in the shower. I clean myself thoroughly then finally finish. I step out and lotion myself. I wear my lingerie. I get a nerve and a half then finally step out of the bathroom. Thabang is watching football while lying on the bed. He briefly looks at me then his eye catches me longer than expected. I smile at him as I stand at the door. 

“Morafe?” He’s so shocked.

“So you want to be my husband, but you have an issue with keeping me satisfied?” Me.

“No… it’s just… I thought you wanted to wait until after the wedding.”

“And what gave you that impression? Did I tell you that I wanted to wait?”

He swallows his spit. 

“Thabang, I’m going to be your wife.” I say, taking steps closer to him.

He stares at me, not taking his eyes off me until I find myself climbed on top of him.

“I know I’m the third wife. But I do aim to be the favourite wife.” 

He’s in so much shock.

“Unless… you have other plans for me as your wife?”

He finally snaps out of his trance. He grabs my thighs and he has his way with me. To say that he leaves me satisfied is an understatement. 

We are giggling and cuddling into the night as we chat nje and just connect. Maybe this marriage is not going to be so bad. 

“So, how long do I have to stay with your mom after the wedding?” I ask him. 

“Just a month”, he says.

“I have work, babe.” I say.

“It’s just a month off, babe. Please.”

“And you will be there for how long again?”

“I’ll be there every weekend with the kids. You know I’ll be with them making sure that all is well with school. I’ll be there to help your mom”, he says.

“Okay. Do you think your mom will like me?” 

“She will. She knows that I’ve loved you since I was a kid. And she already loves Mosetsana and Tshenolo. She will love you”, he says.

I take a deep breath. 

“Especially because you put it on me REALLY good”, he says.

I laugh. He laughs too. 

“One more round then we pass out?” Him.

I’m already on top of him. 

We are waking up this morning feeling a bit tired. My body is both happy and tired. I actually hadn’t had sex in a VERY long time before last night. The last time I had the kind of sex that we had last night – sex that sang a song to my heart – was the night Tshenolo was conceived. 

“What are you thinking about so early in the morning?” He asks me. His eyes are still closed, but he’s clearly awake. 

“I’m just happy. My body is happy. My heart is happy. I’m all the way happy.” I say. 

I’m still cuddled in his arms. 

“You should’ve married me a long time ago”, he says.

“I wish I did. I wish I were marrying you under different circumstances”, I say.

Now he opens his eyes.

He pecks my lips. 

“The important thing is that we are doing this now. Everything else is no longer important”, he says.

I kiss him.

“You are going to get me all excited then tell me that we have to dash out for the ceremony”, he says.

“I’m sure we have a few minutes for some nice good morning sex”, I say.

He jumps me immediately!

…

Morafe is everything I knew and prayed that she would be from the minute I laid my eyes on her. Apart from the fact that she’s a rabbit in bed, she’s just easy-spirited. I love spending time with her. Maybe it’s a good thing that we are only getting married now. I would have never married anyone else had she been my first wife. I wouldn’t have had it in me to hurt her with a second or third wife. 

I’m all dressed up for today, having breakfast on the balcony of this hotel. She is applying makeup, doing something to hair that I saw her glue on this morning then iron and all that shit. Mmakabelo and Mahali are not the glammed-up kind of wives – at all. Usually, I even finish getting ready for events last or to leave the house after them. So, this is very new for me. Morafe is eating while getting ready and while on the line with someone – Bassie, if I’m not mistaken. Yoh, this one likes beauty. But I don’t blame her. She’s a beautiful woman and all of this fuss and makeup and hair and ironing of hair and all that stuff… it all suits her. 

My phone rings. I check who’s calling. It’s Mahali. Eish, she phones me to just shit on me lately. She is completely against me marrying Morafe. It’s bad. She’s causing shit everywhere she goes within the family. I don’t even understand what her issue is. Did she really think that she was my last wife?

I answer my phone. 

“Hi”.

“Where are you?” She’s so aggressive.

“I’m in KZN. I told you this.”

“Le mang?”

“Le Morafe.”

“You are not married yet. She’s still your girlfriend. So, you are allowing a mere nyatsi to disrespect us like this? And worst of all, this is supposed to be my weekend. Why is it my weekend that is being sacrificed for her? What will it be like when she’s officially your wife? Why are you doing this, papa? Why? Are Mmakabelo and I no longer enough for you? Why are you doing this?” 

So, she phoned me to just tell me all of this?

“Mahali!” 

She’s quiet now.

“Why did you phone me? What do you want?” I ask her.

“I want you to come back home and spend time with your children and me. This is our weekend with you, and we had made plans accordingly,” she says.

“I’m not coming. I’m in another country.” I say.

“Papa –

“Mahali, are you forgetting that I fought for you to be my wife? Are you forgetting how Mmakabelo wanted to hear nothing about you when I was up in arms fighting for you? Today, ke wena that’s doing this to someone else?”

“Papa, nna I haven’t even been your wife for long. Mmakabelo had you all to herself for five years before I came into the picture. Nna all I get is two years? Two years, papa? Our children can barely put sentences together and we all have to deal with this new woman who –

“Mahali, I don’t know who you think you are or what you think your stubbornness will achieve. Mara I’m enough now. I’ve honestly had it ka lerata lewu lahao. You will not come between the woman that I love and I.”

“That’s exactly what I’m already fearing, papa. She is the woman that you love and the woman that you are not being pressed to marry. Mmakabelo was forced on you via an arranged marriage. Nna you had to marry me because I became pregnant. Morafe ena? She’s a used woman with children by another man. Nothing about her is motivation enough for you to marry her. You are just doing it because you are driven by emotion. Papa, I’m worried what this will do to our marriages.” 

“Nothing will happen to our marriage. The only thing that will happen to our marriage is your attitude. Stop doing what you are trying to do. Behave how you would have expected Mmakabelo to behave upon your arrival into the Mothipa family. Now I have to go. Enjoy your day.” 

I hang up before she says anything else and before she starts crying on me. 

Morafe finally finishes and she looks AMAZING.

“These men will be staring at you. You look… wow!” I tell her. 

She just giggles then says, “Kea leboha, Ntate Mothipa”. 

I smile at her.

“Are you ready to go?” She asks me.

I stand up and lead the way to the car.

After an hour and a few minutes, we arrive at the location sent to us, eMtubatuba. 

We hold hands as we look for people that we know. Bassie finds Morafe first, now I must entertain her husband or boyfriend or whatever this Keith person is to this Bassie friend. 

“What’s happening?” Morafe asks. 

I’m also very lost. I see this as a feast and all, but I’m not sure what it all means. There was slaughtering, so it’s definitely serious.

“Le nna I’m just as confused. Di ntho tsamaZulu dingata mahn. Wandi must come here and tell us what all of this means.” Bassie says. I actually laugh at how she says that.

But anyway, we walk into this massive yard, make our way to a tent and sit at our designated seats. I had invited Tumelo here. I’m so happy to see him. He’s here with his first wife and she’s already being snux towards Morafe. 

We sit next to them. But Bassie and Keith are also close to us. 

“I’m going to get us food, babe”. Morafe tells me.

“Okay baby.” Me.

“Tumelo, le jile?” Morafe asks Tumelo.

“Nah. Not yet.” Tumelo says.

Morafe looks at me. Then she looks at Tumelo.

“Ausi, would you like to come with me to get food for the four of us?” Morafe asks Kgomotso, Tumelo’s wife.

“Okay”, she says.

She wants to be mean, but she doesn’t know anyone here. This is more of Morafe’s turf. We are her plus ones. Hana chance. She gets up and walks with Morafe and Bassie to get plates. 

“And then? Kgomotso?” I ask Tumelo. 

“Eh. Mahali is doing an entire smear campaign against Morafe. It’s bad. And she seems to have recruited Kgomotso. Kedibone is a new wife, so they are not touching her. But maybe today will be a good way for the two of them to bond.” He says.

“I hope so. Yoh, Mahali is a problem! Yerrr! I should’ve let Mmakabelo deal with her”, I say. 

Tumelo laughs.

“Well, mom gave her a piece of her mind. Yoh, mama shat on her for talking shit like this. And she was tag-teamed up with Pebetsi.” He says.

We instantly laugh. My mother and my sister tag-teaming against anyone is a problem. A serious one. You have no idea how happy I am that they are happy about Morafe and her kids. Mmakabelo doesn’t care. Mahali is the one having sleepless nights about this.

“How are things with your new wife? Le tswarane shup?” I ask him.

“Yeah, she’s cool. But she’s still scared of me. So, the sex is still weird. I feel like I’m raping her”, he says.

“Is that why you didn’t bring her this weekend?” I ask him.

“Yeah. Kgomotso is stuck up, but she wears thongs and shit to bed, and she knows how to have sex like a slut”, he says.

We both burst into laughter. 

“Is Morafe letting you tap yet?” He asks me.

“Yerrr monna… last night… the things she did to me! Yoh! I’m still blushing.” I say.

He laughs then says, “Morafe is a beast?”

“A beast and a rabbit at the same time. Yoh. I had a great night and a great morning”, I say. 

We fist pump each other. Then he says, “Now we know which wives we take on long distance trips.” 

The women walk back towards us with plates and drinks. They are actually chatting to each other, no weird vibes or anything. I’m not sure what happened to Bassie… or Keith for that matter. Eish. 

They place the plates in front of us and some beer. They have their plates and one bottle of wine. They also have wine glasses with them. I actually like this. I can see that Tumelo likes it too.

The four of us actually eat and chat together. I’m very impressed by how well Kgomotso and Morafe are getting along. I honestly cannot hide that.

“Hey guys” I see Wandi. 

She and Morafe hug and make a noise. 

“I’m so glad I’m seeing Thabang before the big day next week. We can’t meet properly for the first time at the wedding”. Wandi says. 

Tumelo and I actually laugh.

“Ni shup? Drinks and all? Ni shup?” Wandi asks us. 

“Some beer would be nice”, Tumelo says. 

“Twelve pack okay?” Wandi.

“We will love you forever”, Tumelo.

“Ladies? Ice-Tropez or more wine?” Wandi.

“Ice Tropez and Savanna hle”, Kgomotso.

“I got you. I’m coming now”, Wandi. 

Then she leaves. 

“I like your friend. She knows how to host”, I tell Morafe. 

She just smiles at me. 

Wandi brings our drinks as requested and you know what, we are so happy. Senzi is with her helping her carry all of these drinks. We officially meet Senzi and we are all so happy to meet him. He actually chills with us a bit. Keith is also back and he smells like sex. Where did they even have a quickie? Yoh hai! 

Now we are all chilling together and Kgomotso has been introduced to the other ladies and she’s also enjoying the event. This is good. Kgomotso is a good ally to have for Morafe and our relationship.

The Mohale brothers and their entire crew join our circle. Ntuthuko is already drunk and has some hun with him. He doesn’t even remember her name. Their women come with them and we all sit together. Music is pumping and you can just tell that we are leaving this place when the sun rises. The chatting is loud and the drinking is a lot. There are all sorts of alcohol filled up in HUGE tubs of ice and water. 

“Ey, kgosana, we are doing this for you next week right?” Reahile Mohale says. How does he even know about next week?

“For real?” Khabane Seete says.

“Yeah. He’s wife-ing Morafe”, Senzi says.

Now they all invite themselves. Morafe looks at me like she’s about to kill me. What am I supposed to do? 

“I’ll personally organise your bachelor party, sir”, Banathi Khuzwayo says.

“Njani? He has other wives. He’s not a bachelor”, Reahile.

“Bozaa! Izinja madoda!” Banathi and Mnqobi say. 

I don’t even look at Morafe.

“Okay, but next week… si-on!” These guys all agree that they’ll be at my wedding. Mahali will really murder me now. This will be the biggest wedding I’ve ever had. Yoh. Ke tlo bona masepa mo.

Kgomotso and Tumelo are encouraging this… giving out details plus colours to wear and shit. Morafe said she is only getting married once so she wants one hell of a fancy wedding. I’ve already spent R200k on this wedding thus far. Like I said, ke tlo bona masepa. But Morafe deserves it. I’d do this for her over and over again. 

I’m really surprised that Kgomotso has warmed up so nicely to Morafe. It must be the crowd. Morafe chills with the royals of the kingdom – the absolute rulers. Who wouldn’t want those connections? Not even Tumelo and I could provide this kind of chill session with our absolute rulers for her. 

…

KZN was nice. I had an incredible time with Morafe. I even struggled to say goodbye. But I had to. I have to go and see Mmakabelo today. I’m not even in the mood to have sex with her. So, I’m just not going to be in the mood today. I spent the entire weekend with Morafe and I’m still not enough.

I get into the house and I’m greeted by my kids. I greet them all. Then I head into the kitchen where Mmakabelo is. 

“Hey”, me

“Dumela. How was your trip?” 

“It was a good trip. I’m just tired.” 

“I see. And how’s the bride to be?” She asks me.

“She’s alright”, I say.

“Is she ready for the weekend?” 

“She’s nervous. But she is excited.” I say.

“And wena? How are you feeling?”

Is this a trick question? 

“I heard Mahali is making this difficult for you”, she says.

“Yeah… much more than I expected”, I say.

“I spoke to her. I hope she will behave. You should tell our bride to be that she has nothing to worry about. She must just enjoy her day next weekend”, she says.

“Rea leboha, msadi waka”. I say.

She smiles at me.

“I have a slight headache. I was hoping I’d be able to go to bed a bit early. Will you be okay with the kids?” She says.

Makes my life easy.

“Sure. Is there anything that I can do to make it better?” I offer just so I’m not an asshole. 

“No. I just need some rest. I’ll see you in the morning” she says.

“Okay. Shout if you need anything. I’m here for you.” Me.

She nods her head. I pull her in for a kiss. She kisses me too. Then she heads to bed.

I settle on the couch with my kids. They are watching a movie, so I don’t disturb them. The nutcase tries to phone me. I actually ignore her call. 

I text Morafe. 

“Hey. You still up?”

“Yeah. But preparing for bed now. I’m all caught up with the kids and it’s bedtime.” She replies. 

“I miss you already”, me.

“I miss you too. I’m thinking about how you kept my body happy all weekend. Now I’m wondering how I’d be thanking you for the weekend if you were here”. Her.

I get comfortable on the couch. This chat is going to be one for the books. 

Goodnight.