When we went to Diepkloof after returning from our trip for Molise’s birthday, my parents asked us to leave the kids there. My mom said Molise and I just needed time to ourselves, and that the kids needed to know that they have a holiday home in DK. My anxiety shot through the roof. Since Phupho was born, I’ve never been separated from my kids. While they were excited to stay in DK with my parents, I cried the whole way back to Tholoana Kingdom. Molise kept telling me that they’ll be fine. I’ll shamelessly admit that I’m the one who has severe separation anxiety. And I’m counting the days until we go fetch them. 

Molise and I are watching TV now. This is day four without my kids. They phone me every morning with Molemo’s phone. I phone them every night on Molemo’s phone. They are honestly having the time of their lives. Each day, they seem happier than the previous day. I need to relax – I suppose. 

“Are you good, my love?” Molise asks me.

He knows I’m not fine. I miss my kids.

“Ke shup”, I say.

“I need to go to the office for a few minutes. Would you like to come with me?” He says.

“Sure. But I was thinking I could check the hotel stuff. I’m busy putting together a report and proposal, then I want to go to the bank and get a loan to actually buy a hotel or a lodge or a BNB. Maybe a BNB. Then profits from that will pay back the loan and buy the hotel”, I say. 

He puts his focus on me. 

“Yeah. I’m thinking we could get an accommodation business. It will be an entire hotel and catering business.” 

I take him through my business plan, my idea and how we can then get Ruri to create sheets, curtains, pillow cases, duvets – all of it… then brand it and even sell it in shops. We could even have our own linen shop. 

He’s very impressed. 

“You really have this all figured it out. I could give you the money to do it”, he says. 

“Really? Do we have money for this kind of project?” I ask him. I’m actually getting excited. 

“Well, in the business account for my offices”, he says. 

“Won’t you need it for your operations?” I ask. 

“I had some plans, but this is –

“No baby, let me get the business loan. I’ll get this money back, then make us more. We will give our kids one hell of a future”, I say. 

We kiss. 

The gate calls. 

Molise answers.

“Hello?” Molise. 

“Mr Maphosa, a Mmaneo Maphosa is here for you”, the security guard. 

“Okay, let her in”, Molise says. 

He hangs up. 

“You expecting Mmaneo?” He asks me. 

I shake my head. 

“Mom is probably showing them flames and she’s here to complain”, he says. 

We laugh. 

“Did you know?” She asks us. She’s still standing outside the door. Her face is covered with tears. 

“Did we know what?” I ask her. I’m so confused.

“Molise, did you know?” Now she focuses on Mo. 

“Maybe if you gave us a bit of context –

“DID YOU KNOW THAT MOLEFE HAS BEEN IN A FIVE YEAR SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER WOMAN AND THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN TOGETHER?!” She yells. 

Yoh! 

I just step up to her and hug her.

“WHAT?! He’s got what?! Molefe?! My brother, Molefe?!” Molise is so shocked! 

Mmaneo just cries. She weeps! 

–

Molise went to work. I let Mmaneo sleep in our guest bedroom. I gave her some sleeping tablets. She’s a mess. Molefe mara! 

I’ve just cooked a hearty meal and have poured some wine into a wine decanter to chill it, letting it breathe. 

“Hey”, she comes into the kitchen. She looks a lot better than what she was when she arrived.

“Hey beautiful. I made us some food, and chilled some wine for us”, I say.

She smiles at me.

“Join me?” I say.

She nods her head with a smile.

I dish up for us. I bring the wine to the TV room and some wine glasses. 

We start eating and enjoying the wine. 

“I can’t believe Molefe would do this to me. I’ve been with him for seven years… married for two years. Are you telling me that he’s been cheating on me all this time? And was never faithful to me in our marriage?! I cannot believe this! And kids? Two kids?” She’s so heartbroken.

“How did you find out about it?” I ask her.

“We work at the same hospital. She told all the other nurses and cleaners about the affair – to gossip I suppose. One of our colleagues felt that she didn’t want to gossip about this because as a married woman, she didn’t agree with what that bitch was doing. When I confronted Molefe, he didn’t even deny it. He was more upset at the fact that his bitch has a big mouth that led to me finding out. Imagine!” 

I don’t why that sends shivers down my spine. She’s not even laughing.

“So what’s Molefe saying? About the kids?” I say.

“He’s busy trying to discipline his slut for sticking to her end of the deal.” She says.

I hold her hand.

“I’ve been trying to get pregnant, Zah. I’ve been trying. He knows that. And now this?!” She says.

I get up and sit next to her. 

We just cry together. I cannot offer anything else beyond this point. 

After crying and drinking – and no, we are not drunk yet – we decide to get up, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and watch some trash TV. These housewives shows will cure you from anything hey. 

Molise walks in…

With Molefe. 

I was really doing well getting her to feel better, now Molise brings the problem to take her back to where she was when she got here. 

Mmaneo instantly puts her walls back up, defence mode activated in full! 

“Dumelang”, Molefe says to us.

“Hi”, I say. 

Mmaneo just looks at him. 

“Mmaneo, can we talk?” Molefe says.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you”, Mmaneo says. 

“Mmaneo, we are married. We talk about our problems and we try to fix them”, Molefe says.

“When exactly did that start mattering to you?! Because it seems to me that from even before we got married, you were already running around with your trash and she was birthing babies for you. Why did you even marry me, Molefe?!” Mmaneo is not ready for this conversation. And I wish that Molefe wasn’t forcing it.

“How can you ask me that, Mmaneo?! You know that I love you”, Molefe says.

“Umaka! Sies! You don’t love me! I’m just the stupid woman who tolerated your rubbish! I’m the discount dustbin for you when it comes to women who know their worth! It’s fine, Molefe! Since you want to punish me for loving you, give me a divorce. Give me a divorce then you can be with your piece of trash and raise your kids together!” 

Yoh! 

I look at Molise. He looks at me. Molefe looks like he wants to cry. 

“Maybe you guys shouldn’t take such decisions at this point”, I say. 

“The only thing that will make me prepared to fix this is if he tells me that his relationship with his trash is over. Tell me that, then maybe we can talk.” 

Molefe is quiet. 

Molise is also dumbfounded. Heavily. 

Mmaneo gets up then walks out. 

Now we all don’t know where she is going. 

Molise and I are now in bed. He’s lying on his back and I’m sitting up, leaning my back against the headboard. I just took a shower. So I’m lotioning up the exposed body part that my lacy night gown isn’t covering. 

“What’s Molefe’s plan?” I ask Molise. 

“He wants another wife”, he says. 

I give him a look. 

He laughs at my reaction. 

“What do you want him to do? The his woman is the mother of his kids”, he says. 

“So? Molemo, your ex, is Molemo’s mother. Does that mean you want to marry her?” I say. 

“It’s different”, he says. 

“How?!” 

“I don’t love Molemo”, he says. 

“So, Molefe loves this woman?” I ask. 

“You don’t stay with someone for five years if you don’t love them.” He says. 

I turn my body towards him. 

“Are you seeing someone else?” I ask him in a threatening tone. 

“What?! Are you serious?! How did this become about me?!” He says. He’s so shocked. 

“Don’t get any ideas, wena Molise! Or else!” I say. 

“I don’t need another wife. I can only do one woman at a time”, he says, attacking me with a kiss. 

“So, I went to the bank today.” I say. 

He looks at me. 

I actually made the trip after Mmaneo left. 

“How did it go?” He asks me. 

“Not too good. They can only give me a loan of half of what I’m asking. I took it. I figured I’d start with a BNB in a rural area”, I say. 

“Rural area?” Him. 

“Yeah. I mean, so many of us want to go home every holiday to see family. We don’t even have a place to accommodate out of town people. Maybe people want a break as well from cooking and all that. Our place could provide all that”, I say. 

“Have you decided which village?” 

“I was thinking Merementse… where you are from. It will also create jobs. And in the spirit of making things right with your mom, we will get her a department to oversee. And, we hire your two brothers. They get jobs and they help out in the family”. 

He smiles at me, running his hands up my thighs. 

“Can I fuck the boss right now?” He says. 

“I haven’t told you my whole plan”, I say. 

“I’m already turned on by those brains of yours”, he says. 

Gosh! 

–

Two weeks later…

I have just dropped the kids off at school. The school drive this morning was very interesting. No joke. 

I learned that Molemo likes a specific girl. But girls find him so hot. Look, he is a good-looking guy. I can see why girls are smitten. Apparently the girls in his year even call him Sugar Bear. Imagine. I actually laughed. But he wants to focus on one particular girl. But the attention he gets is not allowing for that to happen. 

Phupho is going to nationals for a spelling bee. I’ll be travelling with her – myself and Lelapa. Molemo and Molise will only join us for the finals. It’s so nice. Phupho is looking forward to it. I help her practice every day – I work with her coach. I really enjoy being her mommy. 

Lelapa is starting soccer. At first, I thought it’s something he and his father share a love for. But he’s really into it. He is joining the NFR Legends… he’s in their development academy. He’s enjoying every minute of it. 

I love that my kids are growing into themselves. Truly. 

…

My lectures ended early today. I decide to phone Mmaneo. She’s basically my sister in this family. We have to have each other’s backs. 

“Hey”, she answers her phone. 

“Hey babe. Where are you?” I ask her. 

“At work”, she says. 

She’s so cold. 

“Do you have a minute for a quick visit?” I ask. 

“Yeah, it’s fine. You can come.” She says. 

“Okay, I’ll see you just now.” I say. 

We hang up.

I drive to her workplace. 

I find her already waiting for me when I arrived. 

“We can drive around. All these people know my business and I need space”, she says. 

Okay. 

I notice one particular nurse STARING AT US! 

“That’s her”, she says. 

“Her who?” I enquire. 

“That’s Molefe’s trash”, she says. 

Molefe Mara! 

Same workplace vele?! She’s not even pretty. And Mmaneo is more than pretty, she’s beautiful.

“Can’t you get a transfer?” I ask. 

“To where?! We can’t just get transferred because your husband is fucking your colleague.” She says. 

“I can ask Molise if you can be his dedicated nurse. Or maybe he could ask one of his colleagues.” I say.

“You’d really do that for me?” She sincerely says. 

“You are my sister. I’d do anything for my sister. And this woman doesn’t deserve to see you sweat.” I say. 

We both giggle at this. 

I guess she’s relieved that I’m on her side here. 

“So, what’s the plan?” I ask her. 

“He says he wants a second wife”, she says. 

“And what are you saying?” Me. 

“I don’t want to share my husband, Zah. But clearly I’ve been sharing him all this time.” She says. 

I’m quiet. 

“I want him to stop seeing her. I want him to choose me.” She says. 

“And what if he doesn’t?” I ask. I just want to get a sense of the worst case scenario here. 

“Today, I found out that I’m pregnant. We’ve been trying so hard for this child. Even experienced two miscarriages. I don’t want to lose this child. And I don’t want him thinking I’m trying to trap him. Something we’ve been working so hard for all this time, and I can’t even share it with him. I don’t know how to be.” 

“Maybe this baby is the leverage you need.” 

“This baby is my blessing, not leverage. I’m most certainly am not going to use it to corner its confused father.”

“He needs to know though. He has a right to know.”

“He will know. On my terms though.” 

…

It is finally knock off time. I’m so exhausted. I just want to get home. Spend some moments in the shower, then sleep. I’m so glad that tomorrow is my off day. I just hate that I’ll have to be home all weekend. I think I should maybe book myself into a road lodge. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. I’m just going to sleep, look after myself and make sure that my pregnancy isn’t affected by any of this crap. 

I grab my bag and start walking to my car. It’s a cute Suzuki Swift. But it’s mine. Molefe just bought a polo for himself. Our lives are not as extravagant and wealthy as Zah’s and Molise’s, but we get by. 

“Leaving already?” Dr Stevens says to me. 

“Yep. It’s that time.” I reply.

“Are you alright?” He asks me. Concerned. 

I look at him. He can’t possibly know, can he?

“I heard the rumours.” He says. 

Great! 

“You’ve got nothing to be worried or embarrassed about. Seriously. All this says is that your husband doesn’t deserve you.” He says. 

I smile. 

“Now that smile is more like it”, he says. 

“Thank you for being so kind. I really appreciate it.” I say. 

“So how about dinner?” He asks me. 

“Dinner would really be nice, Dr Stevens, but I really have to go home.” I say. 

He nods his head, disappointed. 

“I made vows. Even though my husband doesn’t deserve my vows right now, I still have to honour them. Marriage is a sacrament and I need to honour it before God. But thank you for being so nice to me. Thank you.” I say. 

He nods with a friendly smile. 

I leave. 

Molefe’s hoodrat tries to stop me, telling me we need to talk. Right now, I’m Johnny Walker… I keep walking. 

I arrive at a Road Lodge Hotel. I check in then head to my assigned room. I order some food from a restaurant that cooks home-cooked meals and I pay for the food to be delivered to me. 

I take off my shoes. I switch on the TV. I’ll take my uniform off once I get ready for bed. Oh rest – my dear friend – how I’ve missed you. 

…

Three days later

I’m walking into my house at 4am. I’m just here to change into a clean uniform then dash out to work.

I find Molefe fuming in the kitchen. 

I just walk right passed him.

“Where the hell have you been?!” He asks me in a low but threatening voice.

I don’t answer him. I carry on doing what I came here to do.

“I’m speaking to you. Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?!” Still low voice. But getting a bit more upset now.

I still ignore him.

Now he grabs me – violently. I find myself saying, “please don’t hit me. I’m pregnant. And I’d actually like to keep this child.” 

He’s taken aback. He even steps away from me.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me that?!” He asks me, genuinely hurt.

“For all I know, you run to your little slut with my pregnancy news and she uses muthi to make sure I lose these babies. That’s what bitches who need insurance do. I’d like to protect my child. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell your little concubine about my pregnancy.” 

He’s now blown away. 

How could I even accuse the love of his life of such?! 

Mxm! 

Work is work. I’m just getting through it. I do my rounds with the patients. I update all my admin. I stay clear of everyone.

A text message comes through my phone. I see it on my smart watch that I bought from some gadget shop. It’s cheaper than the expensive cellphone-married ones. 

It’s a message from Zah. 

“Molise got you an interview with a surgeon”. 

I’m so excited! 

I grab my phone then type, “I’m in.” 

“Check your emails!” She texts back. 

I indeed check my emails. 

The interview is next week. 

I could scream right now! 

I need to go sit in the quiet room and prepare myself. I’m going to be a nurse to a surgeon. I need to pull up my socks! I’ve done multiple trainings and courses for it. I’ve been waiting for an opening. Nothing has been coming up. It’s government! Now, I get to move to a private hospital! I could do a happy dance right now! My heart is already ten steps ahead of me. 

“Delivery for Mrs Mmaneo Maphosa”, some man in a delivery outfit says. He has the biggest bunch of red roses I’ve ever seen in my life. All the other nurses are here, gathered around me, including Pinky – Molefe’s concubine. She even looks hurt. 

“Who are they from?” I enquire.

“From Mr Molefe Maphosa”, the delivery guy says. 

Pinky’s heart is sinking shame. 

“Tell him I’m not interested. And he should never bother with me again. Give them to his concubine. She’s pressed to reveal herself, so she’ll tell you who she is shortly”, I say then walk away.

Everyone is so shocked. Pinky is super insulted. 

Good! 

I’m in the quiet room when Nurse Mashudu walks in. I’ve been doing research all this time and preparing myself for an interview. 

Nurse Mashudu sits next to me.

She’s quite older. She’s close to retirement so I know that she’s come here to tell me to bekezela. 

“Pinky is crying”, she says.

“Okay”, I say.

“Okay?”

“What do you want me to say?” I snap.

“Mmaneo, this is not her fault neither. The person in the wrong here is your husband. How are you holding the other woman accountable for all of this?!” 

“Sister Mashudu, I’m busy studying here. Can we please do this some other time”, I say.

She looks at me as if I’m this cold thing that she just doesn’t understand.

“This is not how we deal with things, Mmaneo.” 

“Yeah well, seeing that sleeping with people’s husbands has been normalised, I don’t see how it is anyone’s right to tell hurt and humiliated woman how to deal with her hurt and humiliation that the other woman participated in”, I say. 

“Do you think you are the first woman to be cheated on? To be asked for s’thepu?”

“No, I know I’m not the first. It doesn’t mean I have to tolerate it.” I say.

“She has two kids. They need structure. They need their father. They need you to –

“YOH! SISTER MASHUDU PLEASE! I AM TRYING TO STUDY! NONE OF THIS IS MY PROBLEM! I WAS NOT THERE WHEN PINKY AND MY HUSBAND GOT INTO BED AND CREATED THESE PROBLEMS! THEY MUST SNEAK AROUND BEHIND MY BACK TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES NOW, LIKE THEY SNUCK BEHIND MY BACK AND CREATED THEM THEN!” 

She’s also shocked to see me like this.

“KE KOPA SPACE! PLEASE! I NEED TO STUDY!” I yell once again. 

She shakes her head at me with heavy disapproval then leaves the room. 

I study, do rounds, study again, do my final rounds then leave. 

As I walk to my car, I see Molefe leaning against my car. But I also see him and Pinky in a screaming match. 

I get closer to hear what they are saying to each other, but they see me get closer. I look at both of them. 

“I need to get into my car”, I say.

“I’m here to take you home, baby. I asked Molise to drop me off.” He says.

“Baby mama ya hao over there?!” Me, referring to Pinky.

“I’m here for you. You are the only wife that I have”, he says.

Now I notice that we have an audience. 

Pinky feels so humiliated. 

How did she think this was going to play out? She gossiped about this for years with other people. It didn’t bother her how humiliated I’d be when this came out. But people like Sister Mashudu expect me to care about her humiliation. 

Molefe opens the door for me. He’s using the car’s spare key. I guess he brought it with him.

I want to be petty. But I choose to hurt Pinky instead. 

I climb into the car. 

“You look beautiful, baby”, he says to me. 

Now Pinky cries – the ugly cry – the one with noise and snots. 

Molefe climbs into the car then we drive off.