By grace and grace alone, I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy last night and I took it like a woman – natural birth all the way. Shack could not play his game as he was here with me for the birth of our son. He has been by my side every minute of each day since I have been admitted into hospital. This time, I have actually put on so much baby fat. I am feeling super insecure. Shack has organised a trainer to help me train and lose the fat. Our son’s name is Zolani. 

Lando and Paula arrive with gifts and balloons. They arrive with their hubbies, Leruo and Manqoba, and my hospital ward becomes a venue for festivities. It is nice and spirits are very high. Shack tells me the team wanted to come. But Zolani is still too small, so we have to keep the circle a bit closed. Tee-le promised he would come see us when he returns from a business trip that he has to make. He is actually close with Shack, so I don’t mind. As long as he leaves that Khosi of his in the gutters that he found her in. 

“We will go and get us all something to eat. We will be right back”, Shack says. He kisses me and thanks me, yet again, for our son. He leaves the ward with Leruo and Manqoba. 

“Thanks for staying with Lethu, babe”, I thank Lando. Lethu has been at her house since I went into labour. 

“It’s no bother at all. My kids love having him around. I promised them that they would come by and meet Lethu’s new brother during the visiting hours tonight”, Lando says. 

“Thanks babe, I would really appreciate that. I miss my little rascal”, I say. 

“How are things with Leruo, the dad and vrou number 3?” Lando asks Paula. 

“Awkward with a capital A, honey. I wanted to be nice and invite them over for dinner. Dikwe didn’t even pitch because he feels disrespected by his son. Then the wife arrives alone. I have no idea what the hell she was thinking leaving hubby at home and pitching at a dinner alone. Leruo then goes ham on her at the dinner, she leaves crying and an hour later, Dikwe is at my house, punching my husband in front of my kids. He even told the coach to bench him in the last few games, that’s why he hasn’t been playing. Leruo is not injured”, Paula explains. 

“WHAT?!” Lando and I express. This sounds like an episode out of a soapie. 

“But why would Dikwe bring his personal shit onto the field? He is risking the team”, I say. This is unacceptable. We all have issues, but to bring that to work is just unacceptable. 

“It doesn’t end there. There are talks of Dikwe selling some players at the end of this season and bringing in new ones. I think Leruo is one of the players who will be sold”, Paula tells us. 

“That doesn’t make any sense. Leruo is one of the best players in the league. Has Dikwe lost his mind?” me.

“His agent is already talking to clubs overseas. It’s bad, babe. We could be relocating”, Paula.  

“What?! Are you serious?” Lando. 

“So serious, girl. It is really bad. Ngapha that big-mouth bitch that Tee-le is fucking is out here talking to me ngathi we are friends. I am waiting for Tee-le to drop her ass so that we can exile her out of our circle. Can you believe she came to my house and attacked Leruo for attacking her sister?” Paula says this and we all burst into laughter. 

“Khosi is just a straat-maid trying to climb up the class ladder. She is definitely not to be trusted, not after what she did to Thuli. I actually liked Thuli. I prefer her over Khosi”, Lando. 

“I think we should recruit Yaya’s newest deal”, I say. Yes, I am starting it. 

“Yaya has a new deal?” Lando attends to me in shock. 

“Don’t your men tell you anything?” me, I am being coy, I know. 

Leruo, Shack and Nqoba come back into the room with Mochachos. My favourite. 

“Who is Yaya fucking, now?” Lando sprints to Nqoba and ambushes him. 

The men look at each other. 

“Spill! Right now!” Paula ambushes Leruo. 

Shack looks at me. I start giggling. The gents put the food down and scratch their heads. 

“So, we have secrets, now?” Paula plays the blackmail card. 

“It’s Retshepile”, Leruo answers super quickly. 

“Retshepile? Ubani uRetshepile?” Lando enquires. 

I cannot help myself. I blurt out, “Bethlehem girl!”

We all scream and burst into laughter. 

The men look at us and chuckle at our reaction. 

“Bathong Yaya, how could he? And with Bethlehem girl?” Paula says, still laughing. 

“We definitely need her in this circle so that she can get us another Bethlehem man-snatcher to kick Khosi out of our lives”, Lando. 

We all laugh even harder. 

“No wena! See the vision! Thuli is single now! Someone needs to find her, and we need her and Tee-le go on a date. Who doesn’t know that Tee-le will drop Khosi any day for Thuli? We need Reahile to be in with us on this one.” Paula says. 

We are laughing so hard, but she is making so much sense!

The men hide their faces in the palms of their hands. 

…

“Thank you for coming”, I say to him as we stand at the gate outside my mother’s house now that he has parked his car in the yard. 

“I’m happy to be here. How are you holding up?” he asks me. 

“I’m home. I’m at a place no WAG ever wants to find herself.” Me. 

“Why? Home is usually the best place to find yourself, pick up the pieces and find a way to move on”, he says.

I sob. 

“Thuli, what’s really going on with you?” he asks me, sincerely concerned.

“I am so ashamed”, I tell him in a whisper through my sobs. 

“Of what?” he asks me. 

“I was supposed to get my mother out of here. I was driving M2s and living in Blue Valley while my mother was selling amakota namagwinya lana trying to make a living. Remoletile, I was supposed to at least renovate my mother’s home, kodwa I was busy running after Uyanda and his baby mama while Uyanda was making it very clear that his family comes first. I’m sure he even got tired of me fighting him because of his son’s mother instead of making life better for my family like he was doing for his. Now, I am back home with my tail between my legs. My car is parked in a garage that is falling apart because I never fixed it while I was making millions from the stipend that Uyanda gave me. I came home knocking on the same door I failed to fix when I didn’t need to knock on it. I am sharing a bedroom with my mother because I didn’t bother to extend my home. What kind of a child am I?” I am in tears and my heart is overflowing with a dam of tears of shame.

Tee-le just hugs me. He holds me in a way that I have been praying to be held since the day Uyanda kicked me out of his house and out of his life. 

“You are doing better now. Surely, that counts for something”, he says, breaking the silence that was dominated by my sobbing.

“No. God is showing me who is God. My mother always told me that God puts people in a position to uplift others so that people can see who they truly are. When God proves the kind of person that you are when you have money, He takes it all away so that you can be in a position of being ignored when you are also down and out. God is making sure that I live my hell here on earth for everyone to see the kind of daughter that I have been to my mom”, I say.

“That’s a bit harsh, Thuli. I think you are being too hard on yourself. Besides, old people say shit to us to instil the fear of God in everything that we do. God is not that cruel. He is a loving and forgiving God who gave up His only son so that we could all be forgiven for our sins”, he says. 

“You are tight with the bible like that?” I ask him. 

We both giggle. 

He wipes my tears with his hands then says, “the bottom line is that God left you with a huge sum of money from that break-up and now you will grow your mother’s business and do more with the house than what you would have done if you were still with Uyanda. Maybe God removed him from your life so that you can finally lift your situation at home; focus on it without having to worry about Uyanda and his family drama. The glass is not always half empty”. 

I smile.     

“Sho”, my brother says as he approaches us. 

“Sho”, Tee-le replies while giving him a handshake. 

“My name is Lindani. I am Thuli’s elder brother”, my brother introduces himself.

“Remoletile. I am happy to meet you”, Tee-le says. 

“Thuli”, my brother gets my attention. I look at him. Then he says: “I just wanted to say sorry for the fight we had the other day. I didn’t have to speak to you like that. I know you are going through a lot.” 

He must think I am crying and telling Tee-le about his insolence. Lindani never says sorry to me about anything. Or maybe he is having a groupie moment. I cannot be a bitch, so I say, “Shup. It’s water under the bridge”. 

“Sho. Are you coming in or…?” Lindani. 

“We have a meeting with mom. We are coming in”, I say. 

Lindani leads us into the house. 

“Mama, uRemoletile lona. He is my friend who I have been telling you about. He will help us expand the business. Remoletile, this is my mom”, I introduce Tee-le to my mother. 

“I am happy to meet you, my son. And thank you for driving all the way here just to help us. May God bless you.” My mom. 

“Hai mah, thank you for welcoming me into your home. ” Tee-le. 

He has a way with mothers, I can just see it. He and my mother chat away while I make them tea and Lindani just stands in the corner of the kitchen, assuming the role of a bodyguard. I wonder what his problem is this time. 

After I have served mom and Tee-le some scones and tea, I bring out the business plan. 

“T, this is the business plan that we have to grow the shop. La endlini, we will expand it into a restaurant of some sort. We wish for it to be something out of Vilakazi street, you know. Then we will buy about three mobile kitchens that we will place outside of companies or government buildings such as home affairs and the traffic department. Those mobile kitchens will be an extension of the restaurant here at home and will also be a pop-up franchise of some sort. Mama and I went to a construction company that is about ten minutes away from here. They have a vacant kitchen. We approached them to take over the kitchen and a bit more area in the building to open the restaurant there. We will be paying rent, but it is a good start for expanding. We have detailed more of the venture in the business plan, outlining the costs and everything else”. I say. 

“Thuli, what do you need me for? You’ve killed this expansion before we have even started it”, Tee-le says.

“I need your help so that it completely takes off. We need your expertise and resources as well”. I say. 

He takes the business plan and says, “Please give me a week to read this and get my team onto the project. I just know that it will be a success. Reahile would also be interested in something like this. His family is huge on uplifting such initiatives and investing in them”.

“In Tholoana Kingdom, though. I am in a different country, remember?” 

“Let’s work around it. I’m sure we can make your vision come to life.” 

“Thank you so much, T. This really means a lot to us. I will never forget this”. I tell him. 

He smiles at me. 

My mother is very excited. She has her hands together in a prayer form and she just hugs Tee-le. Tee-le embraces her. Lindani is still standing in the corner, extremely sour. 

“Let me walk you out”, I say. 

Tee-le says goodbye to everyone and we walk out of the house. We get to his car. 

“I am going to sell the BMW and get a smaller car. It will help us run errands and will be much cheaper to maintain”, I tell him. 

“Give him his car back. It is the right thing to do. I will borrow you one of our small company cars to keep you going until you can get your own. This is your journey with your family. Do not make him believe that he made you in the slightest bit.” Tee-le advises me. 

“I guess you are right. Thank you, Remoletile”, me. 

“I will call a company to come pick it up and drop it off at his house tomorrow. This is your chance for your new beginning. You walked away with grace. You have no idea how proud I am of you. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for.” Tee-le. 

We hug and say goodbye. He leaves. 

…

“Thulisile, what are you doing with this boy?” Lindani starts his nonsense with me again. 

“What have I done now, Lindani?” I ask him as I lock the door and tidy up in the kitchen. 

“You broke up with Yaya Mbatha five minutes ago. Now you are on top of Tee-le Serame? We don’t do that. Please love yourself”, Lindani says.

“Remoletile is helping mom and I expand the business. Why do you assume there is anything else happening between us?” I ask him. 

“Because I am not stupid and I am not a child. Life has humbled you and now you want to use mom’s business to get back to your status of being one of those rich women in the league.” He tells me. 

“Your problem is that you are an old man with no vision or job. At your old age, you have nothing. You live in your mother’s house and even your mere toothbrush is sponsored by your mother. You are well over the age of 35, but you are still courting girls on the street corners of ekasi. Should you get married, where will you and your wife live? In your mother’s house?” I attack. 

“So, you think you are better than me because you got to sleep your way out of ekasi?” He thinks he hurts my feelings.

“I slept my way out of the township? You must clearly have amnesia now. I went to school – just like you. I was given the opportunity to go university – just like you. I took that opportunity – unlike you. I got a job. My job got me my apartment and my car. The sex – I had that because I am a sexual being and I was able to find myself a man who could fuck me in his mansion, unlike you who still sneaks around in your mother’s house when she is not around – just to get laid.” I hurt his feelings further. 

He stares at me like I disgust him. 

“Lindani, you call yourself the man of this house, but you cannot even help mom in the shop. Why are you treating me like I deserted you guys when I got to Tholoana Kingdom? Who do you think buys stock sometimes when you spend mama’s money that she makes from sales? I bought it so that mom could take care of your grown ass with the profits of the shop. I have always invested in this shop. I have always taken care of you guys and I was here, two weekends of every month without fail. You had plenty opportunities to help umama. You’ve always lived here for free and without a job. You are the chief of lokshin management. I try to help mom and you are insulting me instead of working with us. You are useless, Lindani. Mom is in her old age and she must still work for you? Hai voetsek, mahn!” Me. 

“Thulisile naweLindani, that’s enough. I think it’s time for you to go to sleep now”, my mom walks into the kitchen and says. 

“Mama, You’ve always let Thulisile disrespect me. Are you listening to how she speaks to me? Does it make you happy? This is all your doing, mama. I need some air!” Lindani says then storms out of the house. 

My mom looks at me as if she is blaming me for what just happened. 

“Let’s go to the TV room, mah, so that I can help you soak your feet in some warm water. You have been on your feet all day.” I say. 

I see her smiling. I am winning. I love taking care of the queen.

…

I am visiting my mother and my niece today in Modimolle, one of these Tholoana Kingdom townships. My eldest sister, the well-taken care of housewife in Taung, is here as well. My BMW 1-series is parked next to her BMW X6 – a whole panda. My mom is so excited to see us. My niece is playing with the kids on the street so my mother, my sister and I have the house to ourselves. Lethabo, my niece, has taken Molotsi’s three kids with her. Molotsi, my sister, is helping me cook a mean meal in my mother’s kitchen while my mom is making us her divine ginger beer. I am definitely taking some back to my flat with me. 

“How’s work, baby sis?” Molotsi asks me. 

“It is okay. I love what I do, so I have no complaints. The hours are flexible and that’s the best part. The hospitals here are very different from the clinics in Mahikeng.” I tell her. 

“So, what’s your plan in the long-term? Are you really planning on being an employee for the rest of your life?” Molotsi asks me as if there is something wrong with that. So, I ask her, “What’s wrong with that?” 

“Hai Neo, buy a surgery and run your own stuff. The revolution of black people cannot end at “ngisebenzela umlungu”. She says. 

“Well, not all of us could bag ourselves a fine piece of KB Tloung”, I say to her while chuckling. She blushes. KB Tloung is her husband. 

“I have been meeting up with Tshepi, by the way, and I even scored myself a VVIP ticket to an NFR Legends game.” I tell her. 

“Why didn’t you call me? I could have come with you and introduced you to some fine men who could give you that surgery so that you can stop working for umlungu!” She says. 

“Who said I need your help?” I say, being coy.

“You met someone?” She asks me, expecting me to meet her energy of excitement. 

“Something like that. Kodwa, it is so complicated”. I say. 

“Let’s go for a drive. We can use my car.” Molotsi is so weird. 

“Molotsi, we are busy cooking. Hai bo!” I remind her. 

“We will eat at a restaurant. Mama cooks everyday, she will appreciate a good take out. Ariye! Let me phone the kids to come back”, she says. 

She phones her eldest and tells them all to come back. She tells my mom to leave the ginger beer, I was really looking forward to that ginger beer by the way, and we all leave for the Reahile Restaurant in her Panda. 

The kids are sitting with my mom at the back. Molotsi and I are in the front, she is driving. 

“So? Ke mang?” Molotsi wastes no time. 

“Tyson”, I say. 

“Tyson?” Molotsi. 

“Tyson Archibald”, I say. 

Teboho screams and shouts, “Shut the fucken front door!”

“Mommy! No man, you are making a noise and you are swearing”, her youngest daughter tells her.

“You are making a noise mahn wena Molotsi”, my mom. 

“Askies!” Teboho says to them, then says to me, “Tell me more”. 

I chuckle and continue to say, “Well we met at the game and he took me to his first hotel that he ever owned. He says it is because we were getting to know each other.” 

“Wow. And?” Molotsi enquires for more.   

“We have been talking ever since. He calls me everyday and I enjoy talking to him. But, I cannot get over the fact that he is married and I am still into Bangz. I am pushing Tshepi to introduce us. That is the main reason why I have been holding back.” I tell her. 

“So, you not bothered ukuthi he is old enough to be someone’s grandad, but you have a problem with the fact that he is married? And I’m not even close to being interested in someone who calls himself Bangz, so we not talking about that. Remember that KB was married when we met? Now I have my ring and the ex-wife is irrelevant. The only thing that I care about is do you like him or not?” Molotsi asks me. 

“I want to meet Bangz”, I say. 

“Please focus on Tyson. Please! Bangz can go bang other people who do not have Tyson Archibald looking at them”, she says. 

We laugh as the kids make one hell of a noise in the backseat. 

…  

“Hey baby”, Yaya greets me as he comes back from his workout session with his team of trainers. He finds me deep within my work on his kitchen counter. My plan was to multi-task: make food while working. I am not used to working on Saturdays. 

“Hey you. How was your workout session?” I say as I save my work on the laptop and go back to finishing off breakfast. 

“It was good. I just need to take a shower and have a very quiet day”, he tells me. 

“I will prepare you some food in the meantime”, I say. 

“What are you up to?” He asks me. 

“I got off a conference call with Rofhiwa, KB, Dikwe, Mfundo Msomi and Mzwakhe. The league officials have published new rules around buying players. The officials believe that some teams have a financial advantage when it comes to getting players and that is why the same teams win the league and champions’ leagues. They have even used bold statements about big teams buying trophies. Social Media has gone on a tangent and have implicated NFR Legends as being one of the teams that buy trophies because of our financial standing. It has also gone into a speculation game about which players management is letting go of at the end of the season. I need to manage that within the next eight hours”. I explain the drama of my morning. 

“Do you know who is being let go of?” He asks me, suddenly concerned. 

“Your managers will have those conversations with you and help you manage it. You know very well that I cannot share that information with you. All I do is manage NFR Legends’ narrative for when the announcement is made”, I tell him. How could he even ask me this? I hope this guy is not sleeping with me just to have one up on everyone when it comes to information regarding the team. 

“Baby, this is my career”, he says. 

“I am not going to put my career on the line for yours. Your manager will be in contact with you accordingly.” I end the conversation. 

A woman and a young boy walk in through the door that Yaya left open as he walked into the house from his training. The little boy runs to Yaya shouting, “Daddy!” I assume this is Phendulile. 

“Sanibonani”, the woman greets us. 

“Dumela ausi. You must be Ndalo. I am Tshepi, nice to meet you”, I say with a smile on my face. 

“Hello Tshepi. Uphi uThuli?” Ndalo asks. I have no answers for her, but I am slightly embarrassed at the question.  

“Akekho uThuli”, Yaya responds to her. 

“So, this is the new Thuli?” Ndalo says. She is actually a bitch. 

“Nope. I am Tshepi. Please excuse me”, I say as I leave them alone and move to the bar to get on with my work. I place my laptop on the bar table and eavesdrop on their conversation. 

“So, she managed to kick Thuli out of your life and out of this house after six years of Thuli being in your life? Yho! Suk’ emabhozeni!” Ndalo says and chuckles as she says this. This bitch has some nerve. 

“What do you want, Ndalo?” Yaya asks her, not even defending me. 

“Phendulile was missing auntie Thuli, so I thought I would bring him here to spend the weekend with you guys while I go away. My man is treating me to a weekend away. I know that Thuli would generally not have a problem with staying with him, particularly because you have a game tomorrow. But I don’t know if miss ‘dumela ausi’ over there would have any issues. Plus Phendulile doesn’t know her”, Ndalo says, She is already giving me names.  

“I’ll stay with my son, don’t worry”. Yaya says. 

“And during your game?” Ndalo. 

“You’ve brought him to me, right? I am Phendulile’s parent, not Thuli. I will make sure that he is taken care of. Have fun at your weekend away”. Yaya. 

“Ok shup. Listen Yaya, I am Phendulile’s mother so I automatically care about you and your happiness because you are the father of my son. UThuli loved you and genuinely cared about you. She played a significant role not only in your life, but in Phendulile’s life too. She definitely had a stick up her ass, but the right things always drove her. People will come into your life with different facades because you are Yaya Mbatha. Be very careful. I don’t know miss ‘dumela ausi’, but it means something to me that she could not even say hi to Phendulile when we walked in here”. Ndalo says. 

Fuck. Did I not say hi to him? 

“Just be careful, Yaya”. She concludes. Again, Yaya does not defend me. 

I guess it is a good thing that he and I are not official. I hope he will not suggest that I stay with his son tomorrow, because I will also be working. I do not even have my own child here because I am working. This child’s mother must take her child with her on her little holiday. 

“Phendu my boy, please be good for your daddy and Sis’Tshepi neh. When I come to fetch you, you will teach me all the new words you learned from that tswerr tswerr language neh”, Ndalo says. She is already teaching her son to disrespect me. The way she says it is further disgusting and unacceptable. The kid laughs aloud and to add salt to the wound, Yaya chuckles at that statement as well. 

I grab my laptop, put on headphones and continue with my work. Before I can play any music, I hear more people come into the house. I go see who that could be. I am standing with them in the receiving area of the house. It is a delivery person who is asking Yaya to sign some papers. He is here to drop off a car.

“But this is Thuli’s car”, Yaya protests. 

“Sir, I have been asked to bring this back”. The delivery man tells him. 

“I cannot accept this. It is not my car. Let me phone her”. Yaya is so emotional about this. Can he just sign for the damn car and we all move on? Ndalo is judging me as if this is all my fault. 

“Fuck!” Yaya yells. 

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” Phendu asks him. 

Ndalo picks Phendulile up and soothes him as if he is about to cry. 

“I cannot get hold of her”, Yaya says. 

Ndalo is unbelievably disturbed. 

“Sir, please sign for the car”, the deliveryman. 

I take the papers from him and sign. He smiles at me and hands me the car keys. Ndalo is shaking her head. The car is offloaded from the truck and the delivery people leave. 

“Are you sure that you will be okay to stay with Phendu for the weekend?” Ndalo enquires. 

“I need to take a shower and go to Mpumalanga. I need to talk to Thuli”. Uyanda. 

“What are you talking to Thuli about?” I ask him. I believe I have earned my right to do so. 

Uyanda has already left us alone. 

Ndalo just takes her son and leaves, as she should.

…

It has been a long day. I came back home and took a nice long bath with bath foam and some oils to soothe my body. Taxis will demoralise you, but I am so happy that we are making moves with expanding my mother’s business. Tee-le has been such a great help and I really am thankful for his contribution. I am lying on my bed now and chatting on WhatsApp with Tee-le. 

“Good luck for tomorrow’s game”. Me. 

“Thanks. I guess we will no longer see you at games as well?” Tee-le. 

“Nope. I am no longer a WAG“. Me. 

“We play at 2pm. I am thinking that I come by to check-in afterwards. We can do dinner”. Him. 

“Firstly, do you want Khosi to murder me? You know how possessive she is over you. Secondly, you need to rest. It is a tough game that you have ahead of you”. Me. 

I hear voices in the kitchen. I walk towards the kitchen and I see Yaya. He has never been to my mother’s house before. How did he find me? 

“Yaz, le ntwana yakho i-frequent kabi la ekhaya. (You know, your friend is very frequent here)” Lindani tells Uyanda.

“Intwana yami? (My friend?)” Uyanda.

“Sho. UTee-le. He says he is helping Thuli to expand my mom’s shop. But you and I both know how gorgeous my sister is. She is a beautiful woman and Tee-le is not a blind man.” Lindani. 

“Tee-le is not like that. I trust him. If he says that he is helping with business expansion, then that is what he is doing. Besides, it is part of his businesses to invest in small businesses. We are good, but thank you for the look out”, Uyanda. 

I walk out of the bedroom and meet with him in our very small kitchen. 

“Uyanda”, I call to him. I am wearing shorts and my hair is tied into a bun. My skin has a glow, thanks to my face products. I want him to see what he left. 

“Thuli. You look good”. He says. 

“What were you expecting? To find me crying and unable to move on from you?” I ask him. 

“No”. 

“How did you even find me?” 

“I knew you stayed in this township because you spoke about it a lot. When I got here, I just asked around, asking where I can find kaMam’Nandi. I remembered that your mom owns a popular corner in this township”. He says. 

Lindani does not leave. He is clearly here for this conversation.

“What do you want, Uyanda?” I ask him.

“Thuli, this car is yours. Why are you returning it?” 

“Uyanda, I paid six instalments on that car and you paid the rest. It is yours”, I tell him. 

“Please take it, as a gift. It is in your name anyway”. He says. 

“No! Thank you. If it was easy for you to terminate my cellphone contract – a main line that the world gets to reach me on – I don’t know why you want me to have your car. Give it to Bethlehem girl. I heard that she is the one who has your heart now”. I say. 

He is silent. He seems unsure what to say.

“Thuli, I am sorry about everything”. 

“Which part exactly? Uyanda, I didn’t deserve the treatment that you gave me. I did not understand why you punished me for something that I did not do. Imagine what was racing through my mind, trying to figure out what it is that is so bad that I did by Khosi making that phone call that put me in a position to be kicked out of your life. Uyanda, I was there for you when you were nobody. Before any team wanted to sign you, you were living in my apartment, driving my car and being taken care of by me. I bought your soccer boots for the training that you had to do. I found you trainers that could get you into the league and I paid them! I wanted this life for you because I knew it would make you happy. I got you a manager that got you into the league, and after you kissed me thank you, you cheated on me.” 

“Thuli”, he says as he sees me crying, breaking down. This man has broken my heart. 

“Don’t Thuli me. Don’t say my name. You got into the league and the team you played for was not big, but it was your debut. You then cheated on me and came back with a child. Do you know how much diapers cost? You don’t, but I do. Do you know why? Because I bought Phendu’s diapers, his formula milk and his clothes. You and Ndalo were both not working and I had to financially support your infidelity. Today, you do this to me?! I loved you, Uyanda Mbatha, but clearly you changed and you forgot how to love me and reciprocate my love for you.” 

I wipe my tears and gather myself. He is feeling like shit now. 

“Don’t get me wrong Uyanda, I did not do all of these things so that you can remain eternally grateful to me and never leave me. I did all of this because I loved you and your dreams were important to me. Phendu was important to me because he was important to you – even though he reminded me of how much you hurt and betrayed me. For you to say that I never loved him genuinely broke my heart because I cannot think of one thing that I did to give you that impression. His mother terrorised me and I hated her – definitely. But uPhendu, that was my son and if you are an honest person, you will admit to how I would have done anything for him. Yesterday, my very brother was telling me that I slept my way out of this township. I am 110% sure that the world is convinced of that fact as well – that you made me. I want you to get the fuck out of my life and watch me become even bigger without you. Maybe even you think you made me. Now I will show you what I could have become had I never met you.” 

I say. 

I walk back into the bedroom and get the wrapped gift that I have had with me for two months now. I get back into the kitchen and hand him the wrapped gift.  

“I promised Phendu that I’d buy him an iPad for his next birthday, which is next weekend. Please give him this gift for me on his birthday and tell him that auntie Thuli still loves him. I may not be around anymore, but I do still keep my promises. You will drive back safely, now”, me. 

With that, I go back into my room. 

“Thuli”. Uyanda says. 

I don’t respond. 

“Thulisile, please. Can we just talk and – 

“Yaya, vaya jo. Thuli is done with this conversation and with you. Kanti this is how you’ve been treating my sister? I’ve been defending you all this time.” Lindani. 

“Lindani, I need to talk to Thuli. Please.” 

“Yaya, vaya!”

I think he finally leaves. 

I grab my cellphone that’s lying on the bed. 

I find some missed calls from Tee-le. 

I call him back. 

“Are you okay?” Tee-le says as he answers his phone. 

“I am okay. Uyanda was here. We spoke. He just left”. Me. 

“Are you sure that you are okay? He has put you through enough, Thuli. Don’t let him bulldoze his way back into your life. Uyanda has never deserved you”, he says. 

“Don’t worry. Uyanda and I are done. I think this conversation was the final curtain call for us. Lindani told him that you are working with my mom and me. So, just know that he knows in case he brings it up.” I warn him. 

“I can handle uMbatha, relax. Take care of yourself and get some rest. I am going to see you tomorrow after the game, okay?” he says. 

“Ok. Goodnight”. 

“Goodnight, beautiful”. 

I hang up. My stomach suddenly feels tight and my head feels weirdly light. Did he just call me beautiful? 

…

Now that I am a mother myself, I want better for my son. I want to protect him better. I want to love him better. I want him to understand the hard facts of life: that no one owes you anything and all he ever will be is dependent on how he builds a life for himself. I want him to know that nothing and absolutely no one can hold it against him that they did more than they should have for him. He doesn’t belong to anyone, not even to me. He may have come into the world through me, but he belongs to no one but God. 

My son’s father, Leruo Tloung, and I have a good relationship. He is married to Paula Tloung and they have some kids together. I know that Paula doesn’t know much about me or my son, but Leruo is there for Fenya, has a relationship with him and helps me take care of him. That’s the only business that I have with him. 

I am a medical surgeon by profession. I am quite alright. My son and I live in a beautiful lifestyle estate. His father helps me with his fees, so we have him in one of Tholoana Kingdom’s finest private schools and I take care of my son and me. I cut ties with my family the day my mother passed away and my father just let me down in the worst way. I still talk to my siblings, but it’s not as often as society dictates I should.

Fenya is on school holidays so we are packing up my G63 and we will be driving down to Basotho Rock. It is a nice place in Maja-Perre. Leruo suggested it would be nice to drive down together. He does things like go on holidays with us and it’s usually nice. We co-parent, I promise. Nothing more. I know he’s been going through quite a bit with his father as of late, so I think he wants to talk about that as well. 

“Zamo, we need to get going. It is 7pm.” Leruo complains. 

“I’m finishing up the food for the road”, I say. 

“You’ve been cooking though”, he says. 

“I’m almost done. Is the car all packed up?” I ask. 

“Yes. We just waiting for you”, he says. 

I finish up the food and pack it accordingly in lunch boxes. My domestic worker, Sizakele, offers to wash the dishes. I wasn’t planning on washing them anyway. Sizakele and I run over what I expect of her while I’m away. Leruo and Fenya pack the food in the car. I hear my engine starting and I just know that the hooter is coming. I hate being hooted at with all my heart. I say my goodbyes to Sizakele and run to the car before the hooter – 

“HOOT!” 

Fuck! 

Two hours into the drive…

Fenya is watching something off his iPad in the back seat. Leruo is driving and I am chilling in the front seat making sure that we are not getting lost. Navigation is helping us, but Leruo does not believe in navigation. He believes that he is a walking Google Maps. 

“How’s work?” He asks me. 

“Work’s cool. The hours are still insane, but now that I have juniors, I can afford to be a little picky with the late-night calls.” I say. 

“You managing it well. Your son over there is very lucky to have you” he says. I smile. 

“And you? How’s everything at the club?” I ask him. He looks like he has a lot to talk about. 

“My father will not be renewing my contract at the end of the season”, he says. 

“Why?” I ask him. 

“Because I was honest with him about his new wife. With him, honesty is forbidden”, he says. 

“So, he cuts his nose to spite his face? You are one of the country’s finest and talented players”, I say. 

“Dikwe would rather have me be his lapdog – talented or not”, he says. 

“I’m sorry, L”. 

He tightens his jaws and keeps driving. 

“I’m thinking of retiring at the end of the season. I’m past the thirty-five years mark anyway. The body is not as tough and flexible as it used to be. I suppose I can use my Sports Sciences degree to join the team behind the scenes, you know? Plus, with all my endorsements looking to actually go into business with me, I don’t see why I shouldn’t explore that further”, he says.

“L, you know I just want you to be happy. I’ll support you with whatever you need and whatever decision you make”, I tell him. 

“Thank you, Zamo. That means a lot to me. The thing is, Nomzamo… the NFR Legends is a big team and this is where the most competitive salaries are. I don’t want to work for Dikwe. I’m not making that mistake again. So, I might need to leave Tholoana Kingdom at the end of the season”, he says. 

I look at him. I catch him already looking at me. 

“I’m listening”, I say. 

He drives into a petrol station for our first stop. 

“Mommy, why are we stopping?” Fenya asks me. 

“We taking a break. We can’t drive the full eight and a half hours in one go”, I say. 

“Okay. Can I go to the toilet?” Fenya. 

“I’m also headed there. Let’s go together”, Leruo says to Fenya.