Embedded

Chapter Twenty Eight.

Chapter Twenty Eight.

"People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don't need help." x Glennon Doyle.

••

"How could she do something like this? How can she blatantly hurt another woman like this? How does she even sleep at night?" I say running a hand across my face.

"Sthandwa sam..."

"Like how can she lie like that? Businesses Bangi? Is she for real? Is she okay in the head?"

I peel my eyelashes off.

"Yehlisa umoya Zanokuhle."
"Ngiyehlisa umoya kanjani when things are like this?"
"Okay can you sit down ke, you're making me dizzy."
"You must've not been there with me Bangi. You must've not heard what she said. She is pregnant Bangi again...and...oh my goodness...is it even your Brother's child or is it one of her blessers' child? What if it's that married man's child?"

I glance at him as he sat on the bed. Hands on his knees.

"Are you seriously just going to sit there and not say anything?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"Something!" I snap and soon after regret it. I sigh, hating how this whole situation was making me feel. How Zonke was just becoming a nightmare to even think about as time just continued passing by. I knew she hated me but this...this was another level. A level I never thought would exist. Ever. "I'm sorry my love...it's just that this whole thing is getting to me."

"Come here," he says and motions for me to come to him. I walk to him still trying to calm myself as best as I could. "You shouldn't allow her to get to your head like this."
He takes both my hands into his and I frown.

"Bangi have you not been listening to me this whole time? How can she not get into my head when she's literally a few feet away from this very place plotting God knows what."

He sighs. I know I'm irritating him with this but he must feel my frustrations and worries. It's his job now.

"Bangi you know the moment everyone in this Palace finds out about that they'll think I had a hand in this. They'll think I'm the one who set them up and tried ruining someone else's marriage. Oh my God Khethiwe is going to hate me. She's going to despise me for not telling her that Eve is my sister...I'm not even going to mention your parents. They're going to think so low of my family when our name has already been tarnished by my father...I do not..."
"Sthandwa sam," he interrupts me.
"What?"
"Do you hear that?" He asks and I keep quiet. Not hearing a single thing apart from my own heated breathing.

"What am I supposed to hear?" I finally ask.

"Exactly that. How calm and sane it is when we're not quarrelling about those two?"
"Oh so this whole time you've not been listening to me neh?"
"I am listening to you." He groans in frustration.
"You are not Bangizwe! You are not!"
"Zanokuhle I am! I just don't want to be fucken thinking about shitheads like Alakhe and your insane sister literally hours upon returning from our honeymoon. I don't want to be talking about them like they bring some sentimental value into my life when they don't!" He gets up after roaring all of that out into the open.

"I'm going to sleep if this is all we're going to clearly talk about." He lets his tight grip loosen from my wrists, turning away from me. I grab his wrist before he halts his journey. He turns his head back, looking down at my hand holding him before back at me.

I didn't want him going to bed angry at me, especially because of something I could've avoided. I can't even speak right now but I clear my throat. "I...I'm sorry my love...I...I just...I just wanted a reaction from you."
"A reaction?"
"Yes. I just feel like I'm the only one worrying about what happened tonight back there and..."