Torn (6)
By Ayanda Xaba, South Africa:
I think I’m also losing my mind. How can life do this to me? Just when I find something good he goes and dies. Zweli, why would you do this to me? I still can’t believe what his relatives told me… it’s just… he was found with a girl. They think the girl killed him and then stabbed herself in the stomach. They’ve merely concluded on this and there won’t be any investigation. I wish I could’ve seen the crime scene myself, maybe I’d have some closure. I’ve skipped work for 4 days now, I can’t focus on anything.
‘Zweli went to Newcastle to dump that girl because he was marrying me. That’s why she killed him.’ These are my thoughts as I walk home.
I accused Nozi of killing Zweli, but this was before I heard about the girl. I haven’t apologized, I think it’s too late for that now. I hate her. I hate that she gets everything I’ve always wanted even though she’s a nutcase. What did I ever do to deserve this life? Why did I come to Petermaritzburg with them? Had I stayed in Pretoria I wouldn’t have met Zweli, I wouldn’t have came so close to knowing happiness, and I wouldn’t be so heartbroken right now. He cheated.
I notice Sipho’s car as I enter the gate to our house, okay it’s Nozipho’s house. She has a house to her name, a car, and now a baby – I have nothing. We work in different fields but still… What do I expect to earn being an HR officer? I wonder what Sipho is doing here. Since this pregnancy thing he’s been here almost everyday, and the days he’s not here, Nozi is at his place. I tiptoe in and walk towards Nozi’s bedroom. The door is slightly open so I can hear them.
“You know your dimples are funny,” Nozi is saying. It sounds like she is in a sleeping position.
“Can you stop teasing my dimples? You know they are the reason you fell in love with me.”
“That and your criminal mind.”
They giggle, I think I’m crying. Why am I crying?
“I think we should have a big wedding now…”
“No, Sipho we’re already married. You know I don’t want a huge wedding, it’s just about us.”
What? They are married?
“It’s been so great though, all these years despite…”
I can’t contain it anymore; I barge into the room, tears flowing down my cheeks, and probably looking like a maniac.
“You guys are married?” I interrupt Nozi.
Shit they are naked!
“You were eavesdropping?” Sipho asks without even moving.
Why aren’t they covering up?
“Why would you hide something like this from me? I thought we are sisters, Noz.”
Can I just stop crying, goodness!
“Lebo, are you okay?” She stands, walks towards me and then hugs me. She’s naked.
“I’m so sorry,” I sob “Zweli was found with another woman, she stabbed him… she…”
“Shhh…” Nozi whispers, her body has tensed but she’s not letting go of me.
“Why did you get married without me? And your family?”
Her body becomes more tense, this time she pushes me away. I don’t know if Sipho heard my question because I whispered.
“Lebo, I told you to go dig them if you care about them so much!” Nozi snaps and goes back to bed.
Sipho, “I’m disappointed in you Lebo, please leave.”
These two are hiding something and I won’t rest until I find out what.
“You seriously need to move in with me, your roomie is becoming dangerously nosy.”
“This is my house Siphosethu, I can’t just…”
I overhear them as I walk out. He wouldn’t want me out of the picture if there wasn’t something going on. I need to find their secret before they kick me out, and I know just the place to look.
—-
“I’m only asking because I’m worried about her,” I’m begging. Why won’t this nurse just give me what I want.
“I can’t give out patient information Miss…”
“Molefe, it’s Lebohang Molefe. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. She has changed her treatment and I think it’s affecting her progress. Her condition…”
“She had to change it because of the pregnancy. Now if you will excuse me…”
We keep interrupting each other but I won’t back down until she gives me the information I want.
“Sipho changed her before she fell pregnant. He has been experimenting on her…”
The nurse pops her eyes out as she says; “Why didn’t you tell me that sooner? That’s very dangerous, she needs stability so that she doesn’t snap again.”
Yes, I’m in!
“I think she already has, lately she’s acting weird and I think it’s only going to get worse. I fear for my life, since that whole thing with her family.”
I’m taking a big chance here. What if nothing happened with her family? What if the nurse asks me what I mean? Think of a quick lie Lebo.
The nurse shakes her head and says; “We can’t have a repeat of that,” she pauses and then says; “but she wasn’t diagnosed then and killing can only… I need to bring her in quickly.”
“Do you think she could kill us?”
“She didn’t plan on killing her family Miss Molefe, it was an accident. But if she doesn’t stick to the medication prescribed for her… let’s just say she could relapse and that is dangerous.”
Nozipho killed her family! I wonder if Sipho knows… this is huge. What am I going to do? How do I look at her after this? I should be celebrating this information, but why do I feel so sad?
