Mthunzi

“Am I getting another ring?” She asks me. 

“What’s wrong with the ring you have?” I mean, I spent a lot of money on that ring and the shop assistant assured me that every woman loves that ring. 

“Nothing. It’s a beautiful ring. But I’d like another one. I’m getting you another one.” She says. 

“Then what am I supposed to do with the one I’m wearing now?” 

Koena’s spending habits are beginning to worry me. Not that I mind when she spends our money, this is just unlike her. 

She stands up from sitting on my lap. I pull her back. I don’t want her to walk away from this conversation. I want her to tell me when she doesn’t agree with me or when I have upset her. I don’t want her bottling things up then we get to where we were when we were in Venda for the Ramaru wedding. 

“Talk to me, Mam’Msomi. What’s going on?” I plead with her. 

“My ring just looks like the one that Sindi had. I don’t want to be an extension of her. I’m also not in competition with her. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do everything for me that you did for her. This big and in-your-face ring is more her thing. It’s not me. I just can’t help but wonder where it takes you when you see on my finger the same ring that you had on Sindi’s finger.” She says. 

Honestly, a ring is a ring is a ring. To be honest with you, they all look the same to me. But…

“Honestly love, I walked into Browns and told a shop assistant that I want to propose to the love of my life. She pointed me towards this ring and told me it will melt your heart. And with what I paid for it, I sure hoped it would.” 

“And it’s beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful ring. It’s just not me. And I’d like something that’s more me.” She says. 

“I hear you. And we will go and get it together. Because I’m not choosing another ring on my own only to get it wrong again.” I say. 

She smiles at me. 

I start running my hand up her dress. The kids are in Mafikeng so we have the house to ourselves. She jumps off me and asks me about my suit fittings. I honestly cannot wait for this wedding to be over. I eat, sleep and drink this wedding. I know it’s a big deal for a woman, but I feel like we are already married. We could take this money and do so much more with it. But no, we are spending it on people to watch us kiss, dance and tell each other that we love each other. Whoever made a business out of romanticising marriage deserves to rot in hell alongside whoever created women cosmetics that cost us a lot of money. 

“My suit fits just fine, baby.” I say. 

“The designer was a bit worried about the one you’ll be wearing for the traditional ceremony happening in Mafikeng.” She says. 

“Your designer is dramatic. All my groomsmen even have their suits for all ceremonies in their possession. Mine is fine as well.” 

She throws me her legendary pissed off look and I just know that I’m not getting what I want tonight. 

“Mthunzi, this may be your second wedding, but it’s my first. I plan on only doing this once, so I would like for it to be perfect. Please stop down-playing my stress. I know you think that this is a waste of time and there is no need for any of this. But this is serious to me.” 

I just stand up and make my way to bed because we are going to end up fighting tonight. We want different things and none of this is leading to a common ground. She wants to plan a wedding and I want to have sex with my wife after the long day that I have had at work. 

“So you walking away now?” She says to me as I climb up the stairs. 

“I’m tired, Koena.” I say, still walking up the stairs. 

“It’s fine, Mthunzi. We can call the wedding off! It already feels like I’m marrying myself and you couldn’t be bothered about the slightest thing. The wedding is off! I hope you are happy now.” 

WTF? 

I stop and look at her. She is even crying. All this because of a suit? 

“Koena – 

She leaves my sight and marches to the guest bedroom downstairs and locks herself in there. I really don’t have the energy for this. But, I still want a wife after this fight, so I go and knock on the door, trying to beg her to let me in so we could talk. 

Women do this shit just to test if we still love them. I’m convinced. Because how are we calling off a wedding because my suit fits? I don’t understand. 

“Koena, baby please. Can we talk?” 

I can hear her crying. I have a good mind of just going to bed and letting her cry, because really, why is she crying? But I’m the husband who makes her feel insecure because I’m flirty. I’m also the same husband who has paid an arm and a leg for this wedding that she now wants to cancel because my suit fits. How could she think I don’t want the wedding? Who spends this much money paying for something they don’t want? 

She finally unlocks the door. I open the door and walk in. She is in bed, between the blankets. I slip in and wrap my arms around her. She’s lucky I love her. And she’s lucky she’s hot. Now, I have an erection and she can feel it because it is poking her ass. 

“I’m sorry”, she says. 

Good. She knows she’s being unnecessary. 

“It’s okay, baby. Let’s just sleep. I think the stress is getting the better of the both of us.” I say because I’m a good husband like that. 

“I just want everything to be perfect.”

“Everything is going to be perfect, Mam’Msomi. I’m marrying you. It doesn’t get any better than that. Everything will work out perfectly. You’ll see.” 

She sighs. 

She turns around. She is facing me now. I look at her. She looks at me. 

“Are you sure you still want this? Us? Our family?” She asks me. 

What the hell is she asking me? 

“More than I’ve ever wanted anything in the world.” I say. 

She kisses me. 

Okay, I love my wife. She is about to give me what I want. 

…

My wife and I are dressed up for work and are yawning like hippos. Last night was exactly what we both needed to chill out a bit. But we went in all night. When we were taking breaks, we would chat and laugh then we would be at it again. There has not been a single wince of sleep that took place between the two of us. 

She is making breakfast and drinking a can of Monster. I am drinking one too. This is going to be a long day. But my dick is also tired. I know because my wife looks hot in this outfit of hers and my dick is merely twitching, nothing more. 

“I wish I could take this day off”, she says as we sit opposite each other and eat the breakfast that she has prepared. 

“You and I both. I might just call in sick.” I say. 

Yawn. 

“What’s your day looking like today?” I ask her. 

“Most of my staff is back. I just have two who are still on family responsibility leave. So I’m just standing in for them.” 

I admire her as an employer. She brings human back into management. She stands in, wears uniform with her employees and stands in for them when they have things happening in their lives. Looney-bin should work with her. She would be right at home with Koena. 

Sindi was so different – cold even. She would phone her employees in the middle of family funerals and ask them for work. When there would be complaints about her basically breaking labour laws, she would throw the “Be grateful that you actually have a job in this economy” card. 

Two different women. And I have loved them both. Is there really such a thing as a type? Or is it one of the social constructs we put together ourselves to justify the decisions that we make because we always feel the need to explain ourselves? Maybe it’s just about connections you know…

“What?” She says to me. 

“You are just so beautiful and so amazing. Please don’t overwork yourself. You are also human.” I remind her. 

She smiles at me. 

“My first appointment is at 11. I would sleep in, but I need to go to the clinic for my contraceptive injection.” She says. 

I’m glad she’s being responsible about this baby thing, but perhaps we should talk about whether or not we still want more kids. 

“So are we done having kids?” I ask her. 

“You actually want to have another child? Thingo is still a handful. My career is picking up and we are actually doing okay.” She says. 

“I’m not saying we have to have another child. I’m just asking – just so we are on the same page about what we want in the next few years, you know?” 

She nods her head then asks me, “Do you want another child?”

I never know what to say when this question comes up. The simple answer is yes. What man doesn’t want another child? But, and I tell her…

“You just went through a lot with your pregnancy with Thingo and it really took a toll on our relationship. Even a year later from birthing Thingo, you were not okay. It would be selfish of me to just keep saying that I want more kids; it does play a physical and emotional number on you while all I do is ejaculate inside of you. So yes, I do want another child, but not if it’s going to cost me my wife.” 

She nods her head. She looks at me. Something is very sincere in the look that she gives me. 

“Thank you for considering my well-being in all of this”. She says. 

I smile at her. 

In no time, we are kissing each other goodbye as our domestic worker walks into the house to start her job. We leave for our jobs. 

…

Ramaru arrives with Thando for like the 50th time this month. I want to ask, but it’s none of my business. The new Lydia has started his work. His name is Nathan and he is good, just not great. He is a specialist- very specialised in what he is here to do. But unlike Lydia, we cannot pull him into important meetingsfor him to have a significant impact on the decisions made around here. He works with Harry and we keep it there. But we do miss Lydia’s inputs in our meetings. I’ve told everyone to stop saying this because honestly, how are we expecting Ramaru to move on when all we talk about is Lydia and how much we miss her? But I definitely think it. Because we do. This place has suffered a proper loss. 

“Earth to Msomi”, Thami says as he walks into my office. 

I look at him. I honestly just want to sleep. I haven’t even checked in on my boys this morning. 

“You look like hell. What’s wrong with you? That sexy wife of yours kept you up all night?” He says. 

I’m going to punch this guy one of these days. 

“Can you just respect my wife? Please. You can’t be talking about my wife using words like sexy. What’s wrong with you? That shit is not funny.” I say. 

He puts his hands up in surrender. 

Ramaru walks into my office too. They must have been following each other into my office. 

“And you? Are you smashing Thando? Uyakhawuleza gwedini!” 

What is wrong with this guy? He has no social awareness what-so-ever. Ramaru is not laughing and I don’t blame him. He doesn’t need to explain to anyone what’s happening between him and Thando. 

“What’s wrong with everyone today? Why are you all so moody?” 

“Thami, why are you in my office? What do you want?” 

“I thought we were having a meeting”, he says. 

“About?” Tom asks him. 

Silence. 

“Get out. There’s no meeting.” I say. 

“Why is Ramaru here?” Thami asks me. 

We both look at him, because if we have to open our mouths right now…

He leaves. 

Ramaru settles on one of my couches. I grab two bottles of water, hand him a bottle then have one for myself. I sit next to him.

“My brothers are arriving this weekend. We will drive down to Mafikeng together.” I say. 

I was sceptical about asking Ramaru to be my best man. But I’m glad that it is keeping him distracted. 

“Yeah, we’ve been talking. We are throwing you quite the bachelor party. When is the Mrs leaving?” 

I laugh. 

“On Wednesday.” I say, still laughing. 

He nods his head laughing. 

“I’m bringing Thando as my plus one.” He says. 

I nod my head. I want to ask, but…

“She keeps me sane. In a weird way, she’s safe. I haven’t smashed and I don’t plan to. I want to, but I’m not ready to take off my wedding ring. I miss Lydia so much. She still consumes me. Thando is there for me and my kid loves her. She makes dealing with this so much easier, but I cannot give her what she wants. I know what she wants. But right now, it still belongs to Lydia.” He says. 

This must be so difficult. But I must say, I respect Ramaru. And if I ever had my doubts, now I know for sure that he loved Lydia. 

“There’s no manual, man. Do what you need and be what you and your daughter need. You don’t owe anyone anything – least of all an explanation. We won’t judge you for moving on, but we are not rushing you neither. I got you.” I say. 

He nods. 

He looks like he wants to get emotional. I could change the subject, but he seems to need to offload a bit. 

“My daughter told me that she doesn’t want another mommy and siblings.” He says. 

I actually want to laugh. What the hell? 

He laughs first. I laugh too. 

“That child is going to run my life.” He says. We are still laughing. 

“Fuck, I miss her mother, man. I don’t know how to make the pain stop or the thoughts stop. Nothing is helping. Nothing is working. She’s just –

I pat his back with my hand. 

…

Koena

My last client left at 2pm, so I have been seeing wigs since. We usually get quite a high influx of orders for wigs. I have five employees who sit and sew wigs all day and they are good at it. I need them to do just that because our wigs sell out on our website and via people who walk in. But when I finish early, I sit and help them because I’m also quite good at sewing wigs. Plus, this is when I also get an update on whatever it is I need to be updated on. 

We complete an order of twenty wigs when my receptionist comes to us to tell me that someone is looking for me at reception and the person who has come to pick up the order for the wigs has arrived. This lady is getting married. She ordered the wigs for herself, her bridal party and some family members. 

I make my way inside with Sana next to me. She is packaging the wigs now then will go and give it to our customers. I go to reception and see one of my instructors from the K-Pable-C office. 

“Hi”, I greet her. 

“Hello, lovely lady. How are you doing?” 

“I’m well. Would you like us to chat in my office?” 

“After you.”

I lead her to my office and offer her some champagne which she gladly accepts. We sit down and talk. 

“You are running this place very well, Zelda. The head office is most impressed with you and your franchise is one of the best performing franchises.” She says. 

I smile. 

I’m proud of myself. 

“We have had some of our employees come in as customers, just to see how it is. We have received incredible feedback from each one. The one that humbles me the most is that you are also on the ground working with your employees. You are so special, Zelda. Most of our franchisers run a good machine as well, but they run it from their offices.” She says. 

I’m still smiling. 

“We are opening a new franchise in Houghton and we would like you to head that one up too.” She says. 

“And what will happen to this one?” I ask. I don’t want to lose this one. 

“You will have both. You will own both and we will give you a manager for the Houghton store as we did with this one. You are doing great and we are interested in investing in your growth.” 

We go over a few things regarding the contract she already brought with her. We conclude our meeting at about 7pm. I’m the last one here, so I lock up. I then go home and arrive before Mthunzi arrives, so I start cooking. While I wait for the pots to cook the food – stove on minimum, I take a shower and change into something more comfortable. 

Mthunzi walks in at 9pm as I am about to pass out. I’m not hungry so I didn’t eat anything. I was cooking more for him than for me. 

We hug. I’m wearing his favourite shorts that I own. They are bum shorts so he just loves them. He is rubbing my ass as we kiss and I help him out of his suit. He lifts me up and puts me on our kitchen island. 

“Hello”, he says to me as we are locked into each other’s arms. 

“Hello, my husband”, I say. 

We kiss. 

“How was your day?” I ask him. 

“It was okay. I was tired most of the day, but I managed to see its end. How was your day?” 

“It was okay. I got another franchise.” 

“For real?” 

“Yeah. They are happy with my work and the performance of my store, so they are giving me another one.” I am excited and proud of myself.

He pulls me down the table and twirls me saying, “Congratulations, my angel.” 

We are hugging again. 

“This deserves a proper celebration.” He says this and reaches for a bottle of champagne. He pops it while I’m looking for an ice-bucket. 

He pours us some champagne into two champagne glasses and we cheers before we drink. 

He plays some Stevie Wonder, revealing his age. But shame, I dance with him. We are drinking and dancing, celebrating and just being silly, I suppose. But man, we are so exhausted. 

We head to bed for cuddles just after 10:30pm.