AYANDA: Another Chance At Love

Chapter 19

"finally, I've been waiting for you" sindi opens my door for me and the music is banging, everyone seems to be enjoying the vibe. I passed by at Woolworths to buy a few salads, I couldn't arrive empty handed and also bought myself fruit juice considering that probably everyone around here will be drinking alcohol I don't want to inconvenience them.

"heyyy girl" we hug, "I brought these" she chuckles, "thanks but you really didn't have to, asambe ke" she takes my hand into hers and we walk in. There's kids running around, aunts sitting drinking and chatting, uncles dancing to the music, it's a very chilled vibe. She introduces me to almost the whole family, literally everyone we come across. We finally get to the other side of the yard where her cousins are, I greet and I'm offered a seat. "your hair, it's so silky and beautiful" Palesa says, whom I've learned is one of Sindi's cousins. I smile and thank her.

Sindi serves me a plate with pap, salads and braai meat and trust my baby to get excited because of food, the endless kicks going on in my belly right now. I dig in and occasionally chat and laugh with everyone here. "finally they arrive, yoh we've been thirsty" and everyone suddenly gets excited, I guess these guys were out to buy alcohol. But one of them looks familiar, I'm sitting on the far end so I cannot see him clear enough.

They put the cooler boxes and ice packs on the floor while everyone is cheering and there's just a lot of noise Going on. Sindi walks to me with two guys following after her. "Aya, this is my fiance Tumi and my brother Sphelele" I smile and greet both of them. Then they walk off and I continue focusing on my food, once I am done eating I stand to go and put my plate in the kitchen.

On my way to the kitchen someone bumps me and I nearly fell but he held me, I'm in his arms and he smells familiar, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there..." he helps stand upright and that's when it registers, it's him, it's Nkosinathi, "Ayanda..." he says then his eyes travel down to my baby bump, "Nkosi, hi" he smiles but he seems to be rather surprised, either from seeing me here or by my baby bump.

*Nathi's POV*
A friend of mine, Sphelele invited me here to blow off some steam considering how I've been occupying myself so much with work lately, I thought why not go out with the gents and see how the day turns out. I didn't expect to see uAyanda here as well. I must say this woman is beautiful even with her big belly she's still the most gorgeous woman I've ever laid my eyes on.

"Nathi, here you are, I've been looking for you all over..." Ntombi says as she holds my hand and waits for me to introduce her to Ayanda.

Ntombi and I work together and we've recently started pursuing a relationship, it's been 2 months, early stages so nothing serious as yet, besides my heart still fully belongs to one woman. "Ntombi this is Ayanda, my sister in law, Aya this is Ntombi my girlfriend" this has to be the most awkward introductions I've ever had to make. "oh... Hi Ntombi, lovely to meet you" I can tell that she said this from a painful place, I understand though, I honestly just dropped a bomb on her.

" Hiii sis..." Ntombi gives her a hug, she's wayy too forward, trust me that's one of the reasons why I don't see myself having anything long term with her, she's also very loud, she's not cut out to be a wife to a Zulu man.

"excuse me please..." Aya says as she makes her way to the kitchen, I am still wondering what she's doing here.
"babe did you get my ice tropez?" Ntombi asks, I nodd, then we walk out while she tells me about how the other ladies were eying me, as if I'm even interested in knowing. One thing I've picked up, she's probably just with me because of all the attention I get from other women, she enjoys gloating about our relationship.

I go and sit with the gents. "dude ubuya kuphi?" sphelele asks as I reach for the cooler box to grab my drink, I take a sip of my corona and sigh, this is all just wayy too messed up. "I bumped into Ayanda just now..." both tumi and sphe immediately stop what they're doing and register what I just told them.

One thing about my gents, they know about everything Going on in my life,we're so tight that I traveled all the way from durban to come to joburg just to enjoy this weekend with them. "it's worse gents, Ntombi came through and I had to introduce them to each other" they are silent for a few minutes before they burst out in laughter, now the gents know for fact that Ntombi is not my type, I don't know how we ended up together but they certainly know.

*Ayanda's POV*
Honestly speaking I don't feel like being here anymore, I walk back to sindi and the girls, we chill and have small talk while they drink and I'm just busy on my phone before someone lightly taps my back, I look back and it's Nathi, he looks tipsy "can I have a word with you? Please" . I stand and follow him he leads the way to his black g45 Mercedes-Benz. He opens the door for me and I step in, he takes the driver's seat.

"maQwabe" he looks tipsy, his eyes are barely open, and you can tell from his breath that this man here has been drinking. "Mtungwa..." he let's out a soft chuckle, "Umuhle maQwabe, kakhulu futhi" I smile "ngiyabonga..." that's all I manage to say, this is just awkward. "how's the baby doing?" he sits up "the baby is healthy and growing everyday", "I see you took off your wedding ring" I look down at my finger, he takes my hands into his. "you finally left?" I look down trying to hold back my tears, then I nodd, as I do so tears just find their way out.

He quickly wipes my tears, all this while we're sitting in complete silence, "look Ayand..." before he could even finish there's a knock on my side of the car. He opens the window and his girlfriend stands on the other side. "babyyyy I've been looking for you" she says, "ngiyeza Ntombi..." he says, in a very dismissive tone, "oh but our song is..." before she could even finish "Ngithe ngiyeza Ntombi noma awungizwa?" then he closes the window while she's still standing there.

I'm honestly stuttled, this isn't the Nathi that I know. "I'm sorry about that" he says. Honestly this isn't the nathi that I know, the Nathi that I know is soft, kind, caring and never raises his voice at anyone. "I think I should drive back home before it starts getting dark"he looks at me for sometime,well this is my way of trying to get him back to his girlfriend and anyway I need to leave its already 6pm.

"ngizokuhambisa..." what's wrong with Nathi?? , "how's that even possible?" I ask, "you'll see, Woza" he opens his door then jogs to my side and opens for me then helps me out.

We walk back to everyone else, "you can go over to your friends and say your goodbyes, I'll find you outside your car", I do as I'm told, I find it sexy when a man takes charge honestly.

"Sindi, I'm not feeling well so my brother in law offered to drive me home, I'm so sorry I cannot stay any longer" she looks concerned and honestly now I feel bad for lying, "it's okay, I hope it's nothing serious, I'll see you on Monday?" she asks while giving me a hug, I nod, then say my goodbyes to all the other ladies as well as the elders.

Nathi comes up to me and takes my bag then we walk to my car, his girlfriend follows us," Sphe will drive you to the hotel, my brothers wife isn't feeling well" he then opens the passengers seat for me and jogs to the other side, just like that we're driving off. "siyakuphi?" he asks, "midrand, airview estate" he nodds and drives off, after about half an hour of driving he drives into a KFC drive through, "would you like anything?" he asks and honestly I'm a sucker for those dunked wings and nuggets.

He orders and pays then we continue driving. We finally arrive, now I'm wondering how this guy will go back since he drove me here in my car, anyway he walks in with me,its about to be a really long night...