Bhekokwakhe

chapter 12

“Kenosi!”

“Kenosi!”

“Kenosi!” he is shouting aggressively, Kenosi can’t hear anything, she is floating in a bubble of love.

Strides he took towards the backroom, left the ground shuddering. His mind is running wild. His hands are itching to smash a knock-out punch on her. He is not about to cater ‘Bullsh*t’ in his own yard. The amount of fats in his body is now boiling, producing a large amount of sweat that can fill a bucket in less than a minute. Kagiso kicked the door open without knocking, his kick nearly broke the door. The same kick that embraced the door was the same kick that was aiming to smash Kenosi’s body who was kneeling on the floor giving Langalibalele a bath, but something stops Kagiso from being venomous, baby Langa’s cries.

His eyes falls on Kenosi’s dainty structure. Who is alone in the room, they roam around the room trying to spot Bhekokwakhe but he is nowhere near the scene. The sound that is dominant in the room is Langalibalele’s cries, causing Kagiso’s brain to come to halt. His body became wobbly.

Only Kenosi and Langalibalele occupy the area, and Langa’s chubby body is a baby bathtub that Kenosi brought out of love. Other baby items she brought for the baby are scattered on the bed. And the enemy of progress is not here, should I say.

Kenosi’s ancestors surely came through today. Because Kagiso is exhaling fire.

Kenosi who was softly jerking Langalibalele body splashing water on her stomach stops alarmed to glance at what is really going on. Shock ties on her face. While the Langalibalele who is afraid of water, as if water that filled this small bathtub is a habit to crocodiles, is crying her heart out. Langalibalele cries Pierce through Kagiso’s heart.

What Kagiso did years back flashes on his mind. The image before him becomes blurry as he starts swimming to those days he has beaten her to the pulp to the point where blood marks the floor, flowing. That came with solemnity, she lost her children. His own flesh and blood, his first princess could have been six years while his second dynamite could have been four but he decided to play God, he gave life and took it – the difference is that it was never his call to make.

-

“What is going on?” Kenosi asks, trying to understand what really caused a grown man to jam in front of her heaving heavily.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, crawling to her position on the floor.

Kenosi’s body shrinks when he tries to touch her, he was able to detect that. Why, couldn’t he see this one, ages ago. That his own wife is afraid of him.

“Sorry” Kenosi says, begging for a pardon to get a space to stand up and apply baby lotion on Langalibalele. He just stays there blooming like a cabbage or was it hard for him to stand up? Does he need a helping hand?

His eyes have never left Kenosi’s body as she applies lotion on the little rascal’s body. His heart darkens with self-hate. When he spots the affection and love swimming in Kenosi’s eyes. His kids could be receiving the same ounce of love. The lace of joy plastered on her face, he has never witnessed it in their seven years of marriage. The smile on her face is priceless, no amount of money in his bank account can buy that.

‘Why did he allow his father to brainwash him?’ This could have been his life. ‘Your wife should carry you a son, if it’s a girl that thing is useless. She can’t continue your legacy. She might as well die. The Mokwena legacy is not ruled by bunch of emotional people’ his father advice’s starts rotating in his head, he took his father’s words as raw as they were and he applied them.

-

AFTER A WHILE.

The devil decided to grace his presence, luckily Bhekokwakhe respects Kenosi. He could have come to the room with only a towel wrapped on his body. After taking a bath, he was fully clothed. Only his toiletries were in his hands, nothing fancy but something to scrub the body clean.

He halts on the door as his eyes are greeted by Kagiso who, his face is buried in his hands. His body is balanced by the bed. Bhekokwakhe eyes move to Kenosi who is sitting nicely on bed. Somehow, his heart palpitates.

“Can I?” Bhekokwakhe asks, softly trying to take his baby. Kenosi’s resistance is in her eyes. But it’s not her child she has no say.

Her tears; don’t even need to form; they just stream down. She is now able to read Bhekokwakhe’s thoughts without asking, as much as Kwakhe thinks no one can read his emotions and thoughts Kenosi is able to master that like she is studying for an exam. She is able to tell that Bhekokwakhe is livid, that his child might have been in danger the past few minutes.

“Can I please pass?” she requests, after handing the baby back. Her sobs have penetrated her throat; they are now audible. Bring Kagiso to the land of reality. Her heart is squeezed that she cannot have children of her own, that little time she gets to enjoy the beauty of nature is snatched away from her.

“Ngiyabonga, Ndoda. I’m sorry about that” (Thank you, man) – Kagiso says, struggling to stand up. Bhekokwakhe offers his hand to help.

“Thanks, again” he grumbles, rushing outside.

Leaving Bhekokwakhe astonished, “What just happened?” He questions. Did he just say thank you? Furthermore, he is clueless as to why Kagiso is here, his eyes moves to the clock. The clock is screaming 7:30pm.

Kenosi surely spent two hours in his room. He even asked her. “Wouldn’t your husband be back anytime soon?”

She brushed him off “Nah, Kagiso always comes home late. I won’t even bother to prepare dinner. When the clock hits eight pm. I’m going to take a shower and retire to bed”

From there, they started having a conversation, talking about random things like how many kids Kenosi wants, your favourite dish, your favourite colour – for the first time Bhekokwakhe was relaxed so was Kenosi. But Kwakhe made sure the conversation doesn’t exculpate to careers.

His brain moves towards the house. “What if he beats her, again?” He asks, himself. But his mind pulls him back. No! He won't he was too concerned to lay a hand on her. He was showing remorse.

Bhekokwakhe, wanted to go there, but he remembers that he has a job and a child to protect.

So he just jumped to bed.