I am getting my son ready for the day. He has his interview with his potential new school to start grade R. Naturally, I cannot stop thinking about his father. Things are a little complicated now that he knows about Khabane and honestly, I just want my son to not be hit by a ball of surprise should Maboko show up here and demand that he wants to see him. 

He phoned me a few days ago to help him prepare for hosting Ona’s bachelor party. I just provided finger foods, snacks and some food for them. I took them to the apartment then left. He called me aside and I thought we were going to talk about Khabane. But he just hugged me and told me that he just needed a hug from me and he wanted me to promise him that we would be okay eventually. After that, I have left the flat and we haven’t really spoken since. But I know Maboko. It is coming. I need to be ready, but most importantly, I need to make sure that my child is ready. 

“Bane”, I initiate the conversation. 

“Yes mommy.”

“Do you like being here in Tholoana Kingdom?” 

He nods his head and says, “I have my brother and my sister now that I can play with. When we were in LA, I was all by myself.” 

His brother and sister are Bakang and Seipati – Tiisetso’s kids.

I nod my head and say, “Okay. You know that your dad is also here in Tholoana Kingdom, right?” 

He shakes his head. 

“You didn’t know?” 

“No.” 

“Okay. Well, he is here in Tholoana Kingdom and he knows that you are here too. So he wants to meet you.” 

“But why didn’t he come to LA to see me?” 

“Because mommy didn’t tell him that you were born. Had mommy told him, he would have come by to look for you and be in your life. But mommy made a mistake.” 

He is quiet. I am not sure what this means from a five year old. 

“Are you upset with mommy?” I ask him.

He shakes his head. 

“I’m sorry, my baby.” 

He hugs me. Okay. 

“Your dad is also upset with mommy. He is angry that I kept him away from you and he doesn’t get to see how smart and handsome you are.” 

He takes a deep breath. 

“But mommy will fix it, okay? And maybe after your interview today, mommy will organise that we meet him. Would that be okay with you?” 

He nods his head. 

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, mommy.” 

We finish up getting ready for the day then we make our way to the dining room where my family is now having breakfast. I dish up for Khabane and me after we have said good morning to everyone. 

“You look so nice, my boy.” My mom says to Khabane.

“Thank you, granny. I am going to my interview today.” Khabane replies. 

“Mama, can Seipati and I also go to Bane’s school?” Bakang says to Tiisetso. 

There is this tense air that just thickens in the room. Nobody answers Bakang. 

My mom changes the subject and chats to the kids. She is really great with them. I am most surprised with Khabane because my entire family met him for the first time a month ago when we came back to Tholoana Kingdom. Unlike Tiisetso, I was left to figure it out by myself in a foreign country with my son. I am not sure if I will ever forgive my parents for that. But I will not come between their relationship with Khabane. 

I feed my son as I eat my breakfast. We are in a bit of a hurry. His interview is at 10am. I do not want us to be late. I had to ask my employer to pull some strings for me to get Khabane into this school. The application process starts two years in advance and the kids go through weird things like personality tests, psychometric tests and and and… You’d swear they are being vetted for a job. They are five years old! Usually, large sums of money should do the trick to get them in. But this school – I like it though. It is rated as one of the best schools in Tholoana Kingdom. 

I didn’t exactly always go to the best schools. I had to work hard to get a bursary to attend the best school in high school. I was in class with people who looked down on me because I was on a scholarship and my uniform was from the second-hand shop. Then, one of the hunks of the school noticed me and people started noticing that I am one hell of a human being. It was the disrespect that I got, the people who looked down on me in that school, the things that were said about me sleeping my way out of poverty because Maboko and I were a thing – all those things drove me to want to be better than all of those trust-fund little shits I sat in classes with. I knew that I didn’t have parents who could buy me a future, but I was determined to give myself a future that was better than the bought one for all the kids I attended high school with. Today, I am referred to as the diamond of Tholoana Kingdom. I am an internationally recognised digital marketing and branding expert. I make billboards and news because of my hard work – not because of who my parents are. I raised my son alone and I made sure that he never lacks for anything – all on my own. I am building a house in the suburbs of Tholoana Kingdom. It will be a big house – it will not be out of place in that country estate that I am building in. Maboko’s construction company is the one I am using to make sure that my house and my child’s home is flawless. But, that project is cleaning my bank account hectically. Hence, we live with my parents. 

I help Tiisetso wash the dishes now that Khabane and I are done eating. She’s washing and I am wiping. 

“So, you decided to tell Maboko about his son on his wedding day. Devious much?” Tiisetso says to me.

How does she even know that? 

“He was here on the night of his wedding, demanding explanations and answers as to why we kept him away from his son.” Tiisetso says. 

Maboko is so dramatic. He was supposed to be having sex with his wife that night. What did he want here? 

“Teboho – 

“Tiisetso, I am not in the mood for this conversation. I will deal with Maboko how I see best.”

“Dad told him that the next time he comes here, he better come with his parents and his wife.” 

Agh! Now my family is suddenly going to care about Khabane and me?

I just throw the dish-drying cloth down and call for Khabane so we could leave. Khabane comes running in the kitchen and I pick him up. I grab his back-pack and my handbag. I grab my keys and cellphone then we make our way out of the house. 

I put my handbag and Khabane’s backpack in the boot. He straps himself in his car seat in the backseat of our black Audi SQ5. I say “our” because Khabane always says that this is his car, I just drive it. I double-check that he has strapped himself in properly and close the door. He is on his iPad watching whatever show he has chosen to watch and I drive off. 

Ten minutes into our drive, I notice a white E-Class Coupe Mercedes Benz following me. I suddenly feel scared. I hope I am not being hijacked. I speed up and the car speeds up too. It seems to be over-taking me, but slows down when it is next to me. It is Maboko. Great. He signals that I must follow him. I look at my son. My baby boy. His life is about to change forever. 

The Benz drives into a petrol station and I drive in too. I park in front of the convenience store, next to the Benz. Maboko climbs out of his car and comes to my door. I step outside. I lean against my door.

“Mommy, why are we stopping here?” Khabane sulks and says. 

“We won’t be long, Bane.” I say. 

“Mommy, it’s hot. I don’t want to sit in the car.” He says. 

“Khabane, please.”

“Please, mommy!” Now he sounds like he wants to cry. 

Maboko has not taken his eyes off me. I move to open the backseat door and get my child out of his car seat. He is on my hip now and we are both looking at Maboko. Maboko seems to be getting very emotional as his eyes stay glued to Khabane. I don’t blame him. But now that they are both in front of me, I see just how much of a spitting image of Maboko Khabane is. I see Maboko clenching his fists. He used to do that when he was too emotional to comprehend his emotions. Where is his ring? Why isn’t he wearing it? Now, Maboko is looking at me to say something. He stopped me. What does he want me to say? 

“He really is my son”, he mumbles. 

Khabane is very confused. 

“Maboko, this is Khabane, your son. Bane, this is Maboko. Maboko is your dad.” I say. 

“My dad?” 

“Yes baby. Remember we spoke about meeting him this morning?” 

“Yes, but we said maybe. And we said it would be after my interview.” 

“I know, baby. But here he is. Why don’t you say hello?” 

“Hello dad.” Bane is not even looking at Maboko. 

“How are you, my boy?” Maboko says. 

“Fine.” I am not sure how to read Bane right now. 

“Bane, what’s going on? Talk to mommy. Are you sad?” 

He nods his head. 

“Why?” I ask him. 

He hides his face on my shoulder. 

I rub his back and Maboko just seems done with me. He looks like he is admitting to himself that marrying Linda over me was the best decision. How could I be so cruel? Keep him away from his child? His look is actually hurting me. 

“Bane, look at me.” I say. He does. 

“You remember how you always used to tell me that you wish you had a dad who could come to your school on Fathers’ Day like all the other children in your class? And that you wish you had a dad who could come watch your recitals or watch you play sports? Do you remember that?” I say. 

Maboko just wants to end me at this point. Khabane nods his head.

“Don’t you still want that?” I ask him. 

“I do, mommy.” 

“So what’s wrong, baby? Your dad is here now and he wants to do all of those things with you.” I say. 

“Is he going to live with us and then we be a family?” Bane says. 

Maboko sighs.

“No baby. But he will always be there when you need him. He is going to be your best friend forever.” 

“Why can’t he live with us?” 

“We will work on it, my boy.” Maboko says. 

Maboko must not give this child false hope. What are we going to work on? 

“So dad is my dad like grandpa is my dad?” Bane says, less stressed now. 

“Grandpa is my dad.” 

“You are too old to have a dad.” Bane says. 

Maboko and I chuckle. 

“Mommy is building a big house for me and her. Maybe you should come live with us.” Bane says. 

Maboko and I chuckle again.

“Let’s not make any promises, okay? We will see how it goes.” I say. 

“Well, I’m going to a new school now. Mom is taking me there right now because I have an interview.” Bane says. 

“Would you like me to come with you and your mom?” Maboko. 

“Yes. But mom has the final say.” Khabane. 

Maboko looks at me. It’s the look he gave me when he would ask me a rhetorical question because he was annoyed with me. 

“Well, if you are not busy – 

“I’m not!” He aggressively says before I finish my sentence. 

“Then you can come with us.” I say. 

He looks at me longer than a few seconds then finally shakes his head at me. Ja no, he is really hurt. 

“Does that mean I can call you dad?” 

He brings a smile back to Maboko’s face. 

“Yes, my boy. You can call me dad.” Maboko says. 

“Is that okay with you, mommy?” 

Not really, but I cannot be the bitch to ruin the moment now, can I?

Also, these looks that Maboko keeps giving me!

“Yes, it’s fine.” I say. 

“Can I get a hug?” Maboko says to Khabane. 

Bane dives out of my arms and is now located in Maboko’s arms. I actually feel bad for keeping them apart. I really do. They seem to be the best thing that has ever happened in each other’s lives. 

“You’ll follow us, yeah?” I say to Maboko. 

“No, I’ll go quickly park my car close to my office. This is one of my gas stations. I’d like to drive with you guys.” Maboko says. 

WTF?!

I just nod my head. 

“Please give me a minute. I’ll take him with me.” Maboko says. 

Ja no, I am going to pay big time for the decision that I made. 

I get back into my car while I wait for the father-and-son to park Maboko’s car and come back so we can make it for Khabane’s interview. I scroll through my phone for any messages that I have missed. I reply to a few WhatsApp messages. Then I notice that I have a DM on Instagram. It is Linda. When did she even start following me? This is creepy. I open the DM and it reads: 

“Can we meet up? We need to talk.” 

This is the shit that I didn’t want. 

“I’m busy today. Maybe tomorrow? Around 1pm?” 

What the hell does she want?

She replies in no time. 

“That’s fine.”

I am not looking forward to this. Maboko must sort his wife out. My son will not be caught in drama. I refuse. 

I hear a knock on my window. It’s Maboko and Khabane is now on his shoulders. Ja neh! 

I open the door. 

“Ushup?” Maboko asks me. 

“Yeah.” 

“You sure?” 

I nod my head. 

“Okay. I can drive.” 

But this man though – he is not even suggesting. 

I just step out, get Bane off his shoulders and buckle him back into his car seat. I make my way to the passenger seat of MY CAR and Maboko drives us to Bane’s potential new school. He doesn’t ask which school it is, so I take it that Khabane briefed him while they were bonding for the first time. 

…

The interview seems to have gone really well. The teachers have told us that Khabane is a very sociable child who is bright and will learn things very well. We are told that his English command is excellent for a five year old black boy. I am so glad that Maboko and his privilege was here to understand, I suppose, what this woman was trying to say to us. Because I was ready to go hood on her and ask her what the hell a black boy’s English command sounds like. 

“He has a few Americanisms that he needs to outgrow. But he is a child. They adapt faster than adults.” She said. 

Maboko and I are now sitting on some bench under a tree in the playground, waiting for final instructions on next steps. Khabane is playing with some new friends that he has just made. He has never had a problem with that – making friends that is. He is within our site and I can literally see him get dirty. 

“Thank you for letting me come here with you guys.” Maboko says to me.

“You say that like omphile choice. You just ambushed me on the road and made me bring you here.” I say. 

He laughs first and I chuckle. 

“But, when I see the two of you get along like this, I feel so bad for keeping you apart. I’m really sorry for that, Maboko. One day when he is older and he learns what I did, I am sure he will hate me too and it will take me a while to explain it all to him.” 

“He could never hate you. He loves you. You are his world. Even after some time, he will never look at me the way that he looks at you.”

“Whatever happens, please don’t disappoint him, Maboko. It’s okay if you disappoint me, I’m used to it. But please don’t disappoint him.”

“That hurts me. The fact that you are used to me disappointing you. It really hurts me.”

“You really hurt me, Maboko. I think you underestimate just how much you hurt me.”

“I made a mistake, Tebza.” 

“That makes the insult and pain even bigger. You took the most intimate part of our bond and shared it with another woman without considering what that would do to me. In that moment with her when you had sex with her while I was waiting for you to surprise you on a weekend getaway for your birthday. I meant nothing to you.” 

I am upset all over again. I am taken back to that very dark place that I was in when I left Tholoana Kingdom. I didn’t want to do this with him – especially here. But I am crying now because everything inside of me is just falling apart. 

“I was not someone who was worthy enough to be respected and loved by you the way that I respected and loved you. Then you tell me that it was a mistake? That wasn’t a mistake. That was selfishness with intent to destroy anything we ever planned on building together.” I wish I wasn’t crying. But I am getting my point across. 

“Tebza, I am so sorry. If I am being honest, I never saw things that way. I was selfish, yes. But my intent was never to cause you this kind of pain. You look at me like I am a piece of shit and I probably deserve it. But my biggest loss in all of this is losing you and losing five years of being a father to my first child – our first child that we share together. I could have raised my son with the love of my life – the woman who should have my last name, but I lost that and trust me when I say that nothing has been worth being apart from you.” 

I look him straight in the eye and tell him the one thing I have always wanted to tell him, “You broke my heart, Maboko. You broke it into pieces that I am still picking up today.” 

He looks away. 

I wipe my tears off my face, then say to him, “But, it doesn’t matter anymore. We’ve both moved on.” 

He holds my hand and says, “I still love you, Tebza.” 

“And I still love you. But it’s too late. The only thing we should focus on now is being the best that we can be for our son.” 

He nods his head. 

I get tissue out of my bag and clean my face. I use the camera on my Z-flip Samsung cellphone to view myself as I do this. I touch up my make-up while I am at it. Maboko is staring at me. 

“You are beautiful”, he says to me. 

I smile at him. 

Oh ja, how can I forget to ask? 

“Are you and Linda on the same page regarding Khabane’s presence in your life?” 

“She knows he exists.” He says. 

“And how does she feel about his existence?”

“Her feelings are irrelevant. This is my son.”

“Maboko, I don’t want drama. I definitely don’t want Khabane feeling like the drama is because of him.”

“Why are you assuming the worst of her? Why would she make him feel some type of way? We didn’t cheat on her. Khabane arrived way before she and I became serious.” 

He clearly doesn’t know his wife, this one. I flip my cellphone open and go to my Instagram DMs. I open Linda’s conversation with me and I show it to him. His face slightly changes and he hands my cellphone back to me. 

“I’ll sort it out.” He says. 

“No it’s okay, I can handle her. I am actually interested in what she has to say. My son on the other hand does not ever need to be in a position where he needs to handle her. She must always remember that ke nna thaka ya hae. If she wants to pick a fight, she knows where to find me.”

“He is my son too, Teboho. I am pretty sure I am also able to protect my son from her if the need ever arises.” 

Khabane runs to us, full speed. He reaches us and says, “Mommy, daddy, teacher said I can start tomorrow.” 

He throws some paper at us and runs off to his friends again. I shake my head and Maboko chuckles. I think he likes being a dad. He sets the paper right and we both read it. 

“It’s all the things he will need as of tomorrow. A school golf shirt, the school’s shorts and tracksuit, books and the school’s school bag. What’s wrong with an ordinary school bag? I was really looking forward to passing down my school bag to my son.” Maboko says.

I cannot help, but burst into laughter. He smiles at me. It’s that smile that got me in his car when I was only thirteen and in grade eight and had just met him. Gosh. The memories that I have with this man!

“The uniform shop is on the school premises as well. Let’s go get his essentials while he plays about.” He says. 

“You can stay here and watch him. I’ll go and get it.” Me. 

“Tebza, I know you can more than afford to take care of him without me. I know that you don’t need me. I am just asking you to please let me be a father to my son. You’ve been there since the beginning. I’ll never catch up, but please let me do my part.” Why does he sound so offended? 

“Okay Maboko, shup. Askies. I’m just used to doing everything on my own.” I say. Also, I can use all the financial help that I can get right now. That house I am building is keeping my budget really tight. 

“Well you don’t have to anymore. I am Khabane’s father. I may be a shit boyfriend and an even worse husband. But I intend to be the best father that I can be.” 

I just nod my head. 

He reaches out his hand to me as he stands up and I take it, standing up too. 

“Let’s go get his stuff then settle his fees for the year.” Maboko says. 

“He will have to come with us. I’m not comfortable leaving him here with these kids without one of us supervising him. Plus, he needs to fit the uniform.” I say. 

“Okay.” Him. 

Maboko goes to get Khabane. I can just see Khabane trying to be defiant. Maboko is still too scared to put his foot down with him, so he is clearly negotiating. Whatever the negotiation terms are, he seems to be winning. Khabane is on his shoulders again, tapping his hands on Maboko’s head, as they make their way back to me. I actually take a picture of this on my cellphone. This is beautiful. 

…

“Bane tells us that the two of you spent the day with his dad.” My dad says to me as we have dinner together as a family. 

My mom and Tiisetso look at me – judging me really. 

“Yes, he came with us to Bane’s interview.” I say. 

“You decided to shut him out without consulting us. You decided to inform him about Khabane without our consent. Now you’ve given him access to Khabane without our consent. Khabane is our child and Maboko needs to come to this house and do things the right way if he wants to be an active father.” My dad says. 

I keep quiet because if I say anything, I will be kicked out of this house. My father’s audacity is not my size. Khabane is their child now? Really?! I just eat and feed my child because if I do anything else, each person at this table will know me. I am not Tiisetso! I will show them that just like they’ve shown it to me all these years.

“I’m talking to you, Teboho.” My dad insists on my response. 

Fine! Let’s do this!

“What do you want me to say, ntate? I have never had to consult anyone about anything that has to do with my son. All of you were never there. I have always been the one to make a decision about what’s best for him. You telling me he is our child… which nappy did you change, ntate? Which formula did you advise me to buy, mama? When did you ever babysit, Tiisetso? You weren’t there. It’s always been just me. Come to think of it, you only met Khabane for the first time a month ago when we landed in Tholoana Kingdom. Now you want Maboko to come pay you for raising his son for him? You did nothing for my child. Your children are Tiisetso’s kids: Bakang and Seipati. Those are the children you did everything for. You can tell their father the nonsense that you feel should be told to Maboko.” 

SILENCE! ABSOLUTE SILENCE! 

“My son is not for sale. Maboko and I will decide what’s best for this child and this situation.” I say. 

My phone rings, adding sound to the moment. It is Maboko. 

“Please excuse me. I have to take this.” I say. 

I get up from my seat and go into my bedroom. Khabane follows me. He always does. I guess it’s always just been the two of us and he is still adjusting to there being more people. I close the door of my bedroom then answer my phone. 

“Hey”. I answer. 

“Sho”, he says. 

“What’s up?” 

“I was checking up on you guys. Le shup?” 

“Ja, re shup. What’s going on? You don’t sound okay.”

“Ke lloanne le vrou”. He tells me that he fought with his wife. 

“About Khabane?” I enquire.

“She wants Khabane to take a DNA test. I don’t want that. I know he is mine.” He tells me. 

“She what?” The audacity of this woman!

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you do it.” 

“Maboko, meet at the Royal Tau hospital. I’m sure you have enough influence to get a doctor in there and a lab open to run these DNA tests. Please make it happen.” I hang up before he can say anything else. 

Linda doesn’t know what game she is playing here. Maybe it’s time that I reminded her who I am. 

I go on Instagram – where she now follows me – and I post two pictures. One of the pictures are of Maboko and me in uniform. I was in high school here – grade eight – and he was in matric. This was at an athletics game. Ona took this picture of us and he said he would have it on display at our wedding one day, though we were not an item yet at the time. The second picture is a picture of him and Khabane today – the one I took because it deserved to be captured. It was just too beautiful. My caption reads: “How it started. How it’s going. A friendship set on fire will never have its flames put out.” 

Within seconds, he has liked the post and commented, “When did you take this picture of Khabane and I? It’s perfect. Thank you for my son, @Teboho.TheDiamond”.

@PrinceOnaMohale comments and says, “The plan was to share this picture at your wedding @Maboko_Seete and @Teboho.TheDiamond. Sadly, I attended the wrong wedding. Hoping to still get a chance to share this photo and talk about the conversation that was had when this picture was being taken.” 

Ona is a shit-starter and petrol-pourer! But in this particular situation, I love it! 

There are many more likes and comments that pour in after his. Now, we can go for that DNA test.

“How it started. How it’s going. A friendship set on fire will never have its flames put out.” 

Maboko_Seete: “When did you take this picture of Khabane and I? It’s perfect. Thank you for my son, @Teboho.TheDiamond”.

@PrinceOnaMohale: “The plan was to share this picture at your wedding @Maboko_Seete and @Teboho.TheDiamond. Sadly, I attended the wrong wedding. Hoping to still get a chance to share this at a photo and talk about the conversation that was had when this picture was being taken.”

Nx! It’s the disrespect for me. I am clearly not visible at all in this equation. A friendship set on fire will never have its flames put out? Teboho Tlou is something else! And that child of hers is the spitting image of my husband. I haven’t even been married for a week and my worst nightmare is coming true. 

I understand that the whole world and its aunts believes that Teboho Tlou is the most suitable for Maboko, but his ring landed on my finger and I didn’t hold a gun to his head demanding that he makes me his wife. They may not like it, but I am not going anywhere!

I get a call on my cell. It’s Kabelo, Maboko’s friend. 

“Are you okay?” He asks me. 

“Yeah, I am good.” 

“This is bullshit. They both need to go to hell for humiliating you like this. On Instagram of all places?” 

“I’m fine, KB. Seriously. Thank you for checking in.” 

I hang up and my phone rings off the hook now. I am forced to switch it off. I just need to be alone. 

I woke up the morning after my wedding day and found my husband already dressed up and ready to start his day – no morning sex or staying in like a normal newly wedded couple would do. That morning, I woke up, watched him put on his wrist-watch because he was already dressed up and asked him where he was going. He lied and said that he was going to work. When I pointed out that he had taken leave, he told me he had an urgent meeting that he had to attend to. I threw the cat out of the bag and told him that I knew that Teboho was back. The conversation went like this: 

Me: “I know that Teboho is back”. 

He just looked at me. 

Me: “I don’t know for sure, but my gut tells me she is the reason you were late for our wedding.”

He didn’t answer me. I nodded my head, accepting that his heart had already left our marriage. I was hurt, I will not lie. But I needed to understand what I was dealing with, so I continued with the conversation. 

Me: “What’s going on? Do you still have feelings for her?”

I was expecting him to lie to me and say no, but instead:

Him: “She has a son. He is my son. I didn’t know all this time.”

My heart!

Me: “Wow. I don’t believe this. This girl came back for you, didn’t she?”

Him: “I just told you that I’ve found out that I have a son and the only thing you care about is what could potentially happen between Teboho and me?”

Me: “Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that I have nothing to worry about, Maboko?”

He couldn’t even look at me in his silence after I asked him this question. 

Me: “Did you even do a DNA test? You haven’t been with her for over five years. How do you know ukuthi this child is yours? I don’t care how much she loved you, she did not NOT have sex in the past five years just because she is stuck on you.”

Him: “Linda, may I please deal with this my own way? Please?”

I had to remind him that, “Maboko, whatever you do, always remember that you are a married man. You are my man now. I don’t care how I ended up with you. The bottom line is you are mine and I, Linda Khumalo-Seete, do not like sharing.”

He just left. 

I knew right there and then that I had to meet up with this girl and talk to her. So I followed her on Instagram, now that she is a brand ambassador for one of the biggest brands across the world. I DM-ed her, requesting that we meet up as we needed to talk. 

I suppose this post says everything about how he dealt with that matter. 

Oh, and it gets better!

He got back home at 7pm, extremely excited, and lifting me off the floor, being romantic and all that. He put me on the kitchen counter and started kissing me everywhere. Imagine how I felt feeding off his excitement because he had spent the day with Teboho? That is as bad as your husband giving your multiple orgasms with an erection caused by another woman. 

Our conversation went something like this: 

Me (after he had spun me around in the air and placed me on the kitchen counter, locating himself between my legs): “You’re in a good mood. You must have had a good day. Was the meeting that great?”

He looked at me and noticed that I was not as excited as he was to see him. 

Him: “I am happy to see my wife. Why is that suspicious?” 

The lying had already started and we were not even a week in. I pushed him away from me and climbed off the kitchen counter. I went back to nursing my salad and gulped my dry white wine, because truthfully, I needed to be drunk to be able to deal with this shit. 

“Ubuyaphi?” I asked him. 

“My mom’s house. I had her and my dad meet me there. I needed to tell them about Khabane.” He said to my surprise. I expected him to tell me more about what he and Teboho got up to with their son. But also, I wasn’t ready to put down my war weapons. We needed to fight. I needed to get angry so I could tell him exactly what I think about Teboho’s return to Tholoana Kingdom. I needed him to tell me how he felt about her return too. So, I carried on starting shit. 

“Why wasn’t your step-mother invited?”

“This is something I wanted to discuss with my parents.”

“You don’t regard her as one of your parents?”

“Not an immediate one, no.”

“So that will also be my position in this Khabane’s life?”

His face changed. Good! He was getting upset. He was going to where I needed him to be. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He said. Good!

Me: “What’s your plan? You going to have this child in our lives and you’ll be co-parenting with the love of your life. Mina nawe? Isishiyaphi yonke le nto?” 

Him: “I don’t know what you think is going on here, but I am going to be in my son’s life whether you like it or not. If you have a problem with that, I’ll keep you away from the subject all together.” 

Me: “Maboko, did you get a DNA test done?”

Him: “I don’t need a DNA test. He is my son.” 

How does that even make sense to him? 

Me: “Are you that desperate to be a father? The first woman who brings a love child your way, you just accept?” 

Him: “HE IS MY SON!”

I realised at this point that not only had I already lost his heart to Teboho, I had also lost every argument that we would ever have to his son. 

So I told him, and I believe I had every right to do so, “Until a DNA test is done, he is not welcome in this house.”

He looked at me like I was high and asked me if I were serious. 

I answered him and said, “I’m very serious. I don’t want any alleged children of yours running around my house without a confirmed DNA test result. This is not the play house for amavezandlebe.” 

He got extremely defensive and said, “Vezandlebe? You calling my son ivezandlebe?” 

“Alleged son”, I reminded him. 

 I grabbed my salad and wine and left him in the kitchen. He left the house. He is still not back and now Teboho has posted this nonsense on Instagram. 

…

Today is a new day. My alarm rings at 6am and I get up and get out of my bed. Maboko is here and is fast asleep. Nice to know that he came back home eventually, but I have no desire to kiss him or anything like that. 

I head into the in-suite bathroom to take a shower. After about ten minutes under the best showerhead in the world, I feel him come into the shower to join me. He wraps his tall and hunky self around me, kissing my neck and obviously trying to initiate sex. I am still upset with him. 

“Please stop being angry with me. We just got married. There is absolutely nothing going on between Tebza and me.”

Tebza? Really Maboko? I try to remove myself off him, but he holds me tighter. 

“Talk to me, baby. What’s going on? Why are we fighting so much?” He asks me. 

I turn around and look at him. The water is falling all over both our bodies. He has an erection. I am not going to achieve anything from this conversation if he is thinking with his penis and not his head while having this conversation. He is just going to lie to me because his aim is to get me in bed. I kiss him and he returns the kiss, lifting me off the floor and putting me against the wall. He inserts his erect penis inside of me and picks up a rhythm as I moan in pleasure. Maboko knows how to handle a woman. He knows how to make sure that a woman follows him around like a puppy after he has served his penis. We have sex in the shower and when we are done, we shower together. He actually washes my back and I wash his. We kiss and actually enjoy being in each other’s space. This is how it was supposed to be from the beginning. 

I am dressed up in my white summer dress and am wearing my black Vans sneakers – no underwear. The dress is white and tight. Maboko is wearing shorts and no t-shirt. He clearly has no plans for today. I am meeting up with his baby-mama. 

“So, where are you going?” He asks me. 

“To meet up with Zinzi, Thelma and Samke”, I lie. 

He looks at me as if he doesn’t believe me. I wouldn’t be shocked if Teboho told him that we are meeting up. But I also know Maboko – he would have said something if he knew where I was headed. 

I kiss him goodbye then make my way to Reahile – a restaurant owned by the queen of Tholoana Kingdom – Kea Mohale. Teboho and I are meeting up there. 

I arrive at the restaurant and actually see one of the Mohale twins on a date. The girl is Fikile Mbatha, so the twin must be Khotso Mohale. Their love is all over social media, so we all know that she is taken by one of them. Let me go and say hello. The twins are friends with my man after all. 

“Hey”, I say to them. 

Fikile seems uncomfortable for me. It must be Teboho’s post. 

“You good?” Khotso asks me. 

“Yeah, I am alright. I just thought I’d come say hello.” I say. 

“Thanks, Linda. Have a great meal.” Khotso says. He is the nice twin. Ona is obnoxious, spoiled and an absolute arsehole. 

I find my reserved table and order some dry white wine while I wait for Teboho. I smoked a joint on my way here because I need to be calm when dealing with this girl. Zol does wonders for my mood in such times. 

My wine is served. I am half way through my glass when Teboho appears in my site. I wave at her and she makes her way to our table. To think that she was just scholarship when I first met her? I always thought she was uptight and she always operated like she had a point to prove. Then Maboko noticed her. Maboko and I were in the same grade – we were both in matric when this girl was in grade eight. Maboko boosted her everything – including that scholarship title she will never shake off in some of our eyes. She is just another township girl who slept her way to the suburbs. And now she wants to bully me out of my marriage with some bastard child? She’s never been one to understand that she is playing way out of her league. But with me – o hlokoloza le pantsula – and I will humble her again if I need to. 

“Hello”, she says as she sits at our table. 

“How are you?” Me. 

“I am good.” She says. 

“You not going to ask how I am?” I ask her with sarcasm. 

“Not really, it’s not like I care.” 

I chuckle. 

“Can I order you something to drink?” I offer.

“No thanks, I’m not staying long. What do we need to talk about?” She says. 

“Straight to the point? Okay. Why are you back?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Why are you back? From what I hear, you were doing great in LA. Then just when Maboko and I decide to get married, you show up with a kid? Why are you back?” 

She shakes her head at me then says, “Not that I owe you any explanations, but Tholoana Kingdom is my home. Why should I be the one who is ashamed to come back home if you are the one who took my man and ran with it? Now I must feel uncomfortable because me being here is uncomfortable for you? Who asked you why you opened your legs for Maboko when he was still with me? No one. So don’t come here and ask me shit.” 

“So you came back for him?”

“No. As difficult as this is for you to believe, I didn’t. He’s yours. Enjoy. Are we done?” 

I stare at her. How can she be so arrogant? I’m the one who is being done dirty here. And no, we are not done. 

“You and this kid… you are playing with fire if your game plan is to interfere with my marriage.” I tell her. 

“Good thing I live in fire so getting burned is nothing foreign in my world. And if you think you can touch my son with your little threats, that’s when you will get burned… not just by me, but by your husband too. I know you know this and that’s why you called me here to begin with.” Teboho is a disrespectful little bitch!

“I was hoping you and I could co-exist. We don’t have to be enemies. We not fighting for Maboko anyway. He’s mine.” I say.

“I used to think so too. But then you brought my son into this and you called him a, kana Maboko weitseng… ah… ivezandlebe. You don’t mess with the child, hun. I don’t expect you to understand seeing that you don’t have kids of your own.” 

I thank the Zol for keeping my cool on my behalf. She knows I miscarried twice. Why would she say something like that to me? Maybe smoking the Zol was a bad idea. This bitch needs an ass-whipping. I’m even older than her – can she at least recognise that? I was her damn senior!

She throws an envelope at me. It almost hits my face, but I catch it just on time.

“Those are the DNA test results you asked for.” She says. 

What the – 

“Pick one more fight with me, Linda. Just one more. And I promise you, ke a ekana Linda, I will show you who really has Maboko’s heart. I will give you a reason to be scared of my presence in Tholoana Kingdom.” 

Now this I laugh at. No mahn, we all need this girl’s confidence in life. And she on the other hand – tea-spoon yenhloni would do. I catch Khotso approaching our table. I’m sure he has even phoned Maboko. 

“You really think he still wants you?” I say to her as Khotso lands at our table. The entire restaurant is watching us now. 

“I know he still wants me. He was late for your wedding because he was at my house telling me how much he loves me. Yesterday, he told me that he will always love me. Do you really want to see what I can do with that love?” She says. 

Khotso’s face is as shocked as mine is. 

She continues, “I’m being kind. I’m warning you. Back off. I don’t want your man.”

With this, she gets up from her chair and leaves the restaurant. I am already feeling emotional. I need to roll another joint. 

“You alright?” Khotso asks me. 

I put R450 on the table for the bottle of dry white wine I ordered and leave the restaurant. 

…

Maboko phoned me and told me that he was meeting up with Zakes and the Mohale twins for drinks. He said that he would be back home late. I am now in my garden, walking barefoot and taking in the evening sky. I am obviously smoking a joint and reading these DNA results over and over again – as if something will change if I read them long enough. I want to cry. I really do. 

“Yo!” I hear a voice behind me. How did they even get in here? I need to start complaining about the security at our boom gate. 

“Zolile, what do you want?” I ask. 

“Is that how you greet your mother and your brother?” My mom asks. 

Zolile is already rolling a joint and my mom is sitting on my patio furniture judging us. 

“I thought you quit this thing.” She says. 

“Quite the opposite actually. I need more of it to be able to tolerate Maboko’s shit these days.” I say. 

“Already?” Zolile enquires. 

I sit on the furniture as well, sitting on top of these DNA results because I am not ready to explain them to these two. 

“Where’s dad?” I ask. 

“He had to go to Turkey. He had some business to take care of.” My mom says. 

“Did he go alone?” I ask. 

“What kind of a question is that?” My mom defensively asks. 

“Dad is known for loving his travel buddies young and desperate. You, mama, no longer fall under that category.” Me. 

Zolile is now smoking his joint as well. My mom must just join us. She needs it!

“At least I made it to ten years of marriage before he started leaving me for other women. Let’s see how far you go now that Teboho is back.” She says. See what I mean? I’d probably be hurt if I hadn’t been feasting on some MJ. But now, she’s the only one who’s touched. I had lunch with the infamous Teboho and I am sitting on top of DNA results of my husband’s child. Her comments cannot hurt me anymore. 

“When are the two of you going on honeymoon? “ My mom asks as she sees that I am not interested in her being herself today. 

“Next week. I honestly cannot wait.” I say. 

“Can I house-sit for you guys?” Zolile. 

“You mean you want to throw parties and invite bitches to my house.” 

“No. I’ll be on my best behaviour. The most that I will do is feast in your bar and on your kush-stash.”

Zolile and I laugh. My mom is already annoyed with us. She wishes she had a third child so she could prove to herself that she wasn’t a bad and neglectful mother. Zolile and I are not exactly her model kids. But, she will have to deal because this is who we are and this is a result of who she was to us. Zolile and I have always been there for each other because she was never there. My dad – whores and all – was probably the only parent we had when my mom was chasing her dreams, a higher income and executive positions. My dad actually put his career on hold, became a house-husband and took care of Zo and me. My mom emotionally and mentally abused the shit out of him for it – to her, what kind of man waits for a wife to come home and provide for him? But someone had to be our parent. Zo and I will never forget that and we will always have his back against our mother. 

“I heard that Tebza is back. She is the brand executive lead for Connie.K.” Zo tells me. Now this I didn’t know. 

“Really?” Me. 

“Really to what? Her being back or her working at one of the biggest companies in Tholoana Kingdom and leading one of the biggest brands across the world?” Zo. 

“I knew she was back, I didn’t know she had a job.” I tell him. 

“Yeah. That is huge, dude. One of my friends that work on the Connie.K brand told me that she is consulting at a very senior level for other brands in that company as well.” How does Zo know all of this?

“She has always been a hard worker and a very bright girl. She made it to LA before her parents made it out of the township.” Only my mom can make a comment like that sound funny. I giggle. 

“Seriously mom? They have a very nice house in the township. You make it sound like they are staying in a matchbox. Their township house is probably bigger than the apartment that Tebza stayed in when she was in LA.” Zo says. He has always been one to believe that rich and poor people are equal alike. 

“Okay Mr advocate for township living. Geez.” I say. 

“I’m just saying.” Zo. 

“Are you comfortable with her being back?” My mom enquires. 

“It’s her home, mama. I cannot keep her away from her parents.”

“But you can keep her away from your husband.” My mom says. 

“Not really. They have a kid together.” I say.

“What?!” My mom screams. She really needs to smoke a joint. I am very calm saying this and Zo just looked at me. He is shocked and worried, but he’s calm enough to listen and not overreact. 

“Yep. She kept it from him. He recently found out.” I say. 

“That girl is something else.” My mom. 

“That she is. And sadly, I don’t trust Maboko around her.” I admit. 

“Are you willing to lose him?” My mom asks me. What kind of a question is that? 

“Angazi mah. I wasn’t expecting to be dealing with this dilemma so early emshadweni wami.” 

“Well you need to make a decision. And fast. Akekho umuntu ongazi ukuthi uMaboko uyazifela ngoTeboho.”

“Ngiyazi mah. I met up with Teboho today. I needed to understand ukuthi ubuyeleni and ufuna ukwenzani ngalengane yakhe? The sad thing ukuthi I can already tell that things have changed between Maboko and me. He only proposed because I got pregnant and he only saw the wedding through because he felt sorry for me after losing the baby in that car accident. Does he love me? I don’t know the answer to that because our relationship has always been about sneaking around with each other. That’s what kept it alive.”

“So now that you are no longer the side chick, you realise how difficult it is to be a main chick and wife in a world full of side chicks.” Zo says. I’ll take that Zol away from him. 

“Ungazophapha wena. Side chick yokunuka.” I say. 

“Mara vele. You used to sit with Thelma, Zinzi and Samke and laugh about how stupid Tebza is. I told you that shit would come back and bite and you in the ass. You got a kick out of embarrassing her. Now you sad because the joke and embarrassment are on you?” 

“Why are you judging me?” I ask him. He is supposed to be on my side. 

“Ninjalo ke nina enihlulwa iqiniso. These are facts, not judgements. God alone will judge your ass. But I think God’s jury is out now because He is already making you live your hell a few hours into your marriage.” Zo is brutal. 

“Siyabonga, Zolile. Sizwile kwanele.” My mom. 

I am just sitting here tapping my foot. I am kinda irritated and my blunt is finished. I must just take Zo’s one. He doesn’t deserve to be smoking my weed while talking shit about and to me. 

“All I know is that you are not leaving him. Angina ngane mina who will end up being a returned soldier. Never. If it means we let him see Teboho in secret, then so be it. But divorce is not an option.” Something’s wrong with my mom. 

Zo claps once and says, “Heh! Now, I’ve heard it all.”

“What kind of a life is that, mah? I also deserve to be happy.” I say.

My mom takes one look at me, chuckles, then says: “You chose Maboko. You knew that your relationship was always hanging and would always hang at the mercy of Teboho. But you still chose him. So please, live with your choice.”