AYANDA: Another Chance At Love

Chapter 23

*3 months later*
My princess is 4 months now and lucky for me I don't have to go back to work just yet since it's November and my classes have already written their exams, I'm only going back to work next year.

My baby and I are finally living together, saddens me that I need to start house hunting for a bigger place because we'll need someone to take care of wami while I go to work. Right now my baby is sitting on her feeding chair while I cook potatoes for her, she loves mashed potatoes which explains her chubbiness. She's honestly the cutest little human.

Muzi and I speak often over the phone I send him pictures and videos of wami and he comes over on weekends to see her and spend sometime with her. This weekend I'm driving down to KZN for imbeleko ka owami, it's basically a ceremony to introduce Owami to the mabaso ancestors. So today is Wednesday I am going to drive home with Wami to try and reach out to my family, as much as I've been doing just fine without them, the truth is, I need them, more especially this weekend.

After feeding this sassy little drama queen I try to put her to sleep so I could bath but baby girl isn't having it, so I give her a bath first then feed her, she's on breast milk by the way and as she's sucking on my nipples for dear life, she's also slowly dozing off.

After putting her to sleep I take the monitor with me to the bathroom then take a bath, slip into a baggy t shirt, leggings and white AF 1s, I have braids on so I just tie them up and lay them edges before taking the baby carrier to the car and packing a bag for the princess. I made some pumpkin for her so she'll have that later on, packed the nappies, bottled some water for her and made sure I have everything I'll need, I gently carry her and buckle her up on her car seat. That was a success because she is still fast asleep.

It was a long drive we had to stop twice along the way because she got agitated but we are finally here. I am parked outside and you can see the neighbors discussing me. I take the baby carrier and put Wami inside, I buckle it up then take her bag, and some of the things I bought for my family. Then walk to the gate, luckily it isn't locked.

I walk around to the kitchen door and just before I could knock I am met by my dad standing by the fridge in the kitchen. "Yaya ka baba" that's what my dad used to call me when I was still young, he opens the door for me and gives me a hug, I'm sure you can conclude that at this point I am in tears, things ended off badly between my dad and I, we haven't contacted each other since my wedding day which was years ago.

"ubani ke lona" he asks while taking Wami out of the baby carrier and walking off to the sitting room. I nervously follow after him to my disappointment he's alone. "they went to buy groceries..." I guess he read my disappointment. "yaya, how are you?" and just like that I cry, I cry while I tell him everything that has happened since, from the emotional abuse, to the cheating, to the good stuff like me getting my own place, the divorce, finding a job and right up to me giving birth to my little princess after years of trying.

At this point both him and I are in tears. "Lalela yaya, I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that, your mother and I thought that we did what was best for you at that point, little did we know that we threw you to the lions den, worse we couldn't communicate with you since you were so upset, Ngiyaxolisa Ngane yami" he wipes my tears and gives me a hug.

"imoto ka bani..." before she could finish, she sees me sitting with my dad, my mum just walked in and she seems shocked to see me here. "Yaya..." she comes to sit on the couch oppsite mine "mama", she let's out a painful and loud sob, my dad hands me Wami and rushing to her while my sisters run in to find out what's going on, they're eyes land on me and I guess they figured whats going on. My mum calms down after a while then comes to sit next to me.

She takes Wami into her arms, "she looks just like you when you were a baby" she says, smiling as if she's reminiscing. "yaya, what brings you here" she asks "ma, I came to apologize, I'm so sorry for shutting you guys out of my life but my baby doesn't deserve to be deprived the privilege of knowing her grandparents and aunts just because of my selfishness, I'm sorry for how things turned out the last time we saw each other... "she cuts me off by attacking me with a hug, we cry together.

I spent the day catching up with my parents and my sisters, I finally got to spend sometime without Having  Ntokozo in my arms the whole time, she was with her aunts and umkhulu wakhe wanted her all to himself.

"its late now, I should probably get going" I say, my mum's face turns sad, "can't you guys sleepover?" she asks "if only I knew, I would've packed for her, but I promise we'll come after the whole kzn ceremony"

They all walk me to my car and honestly I'm content, I don't want to leave either. I'm happy, this is all that my life was missing, the people that I know and love dearly.

The drive home was long with many stops but we finally arrive and head to bed.

The next morning I am woken up by my mother in law confirming the number of people that are coming From my family. I do my laundry the start packing and lazy around for the rest of the day.

*Friday morning*
Mbali was supposed to drive down with me in order to help me take care of Wami on the way but she cancelled on me and my parents are already on their way to KZN, I have no plan in mind and Muzi is unreachable. The only person I can call is my mother in law. "ma..." as soon as she picks up "yes Koti is there anything wrong?" I tell her what's going on "let me see if there's anyone coming here who hasn't left yet maybe you can tag along with them" okay that's a relief.

I'm now sitting watching a movie waiting for a call from here, just as I wait the house phone rings, it's securities informing me that I have a visitor, it's probably Muzi so I tell them to let him in. Shortly after the door bell rings and to my surprise it's Nkosinathi, "mommy bear, niReady?" he walks past me, oh my word! Don't tell me I'll be driving off on an 8 hour trip with Nathi.