I'm more than just the second wife

37

He walked into the chief director's office looking alarmed and when his eyes landed on me he calmed down and his look now was one of confusion. " I'll leave you to talk and I'll be back." The director said softly before leaving us in the deafening silence in the office. "Ntombizonke whose baby are you holding?" He finally asked when I didn't say anything. "He's uh...a patient's. She asked me to take him." The confusion didn't ease from his features so I handed him the letter she wrote and he silently read it to himself. When he was done he appeared not to be so utterly puzzled anymore but I couldn't read his expression.

"Can I see him?" He asked his voice heavy with emotion but I still couldn't quite tell which was strongest. I tried to hand him over but he didn't receive him just uncovered the corner of the receiver that shielded his face and took a peak. " I want to meet his.., her. Is she still here?" I wasn't sure but we could look. We stood up and he opened the door for us and I led the way to the maternity ward where the mothers recovered. The first mother also had a baby girl with albinism. Seems we're lucky this week, cases of albinism are rare so for us to have two in a week is truly surprising. She was again settled at the end of the room facing away from everyone.

"Mrs Nxumalo this is my husband, Yanda Hadebe. He wanted to meet you." She slowly turned around and looked up at us at the sound of my voice. Her gaze lingered on the bundle in my hands but quickly averted it to meet Yanda's. "Hello." Yanda greeted shaking her hand. She only nodded. "Are you sure this is what you want ma'am?" She nodded again a tear rolling down her cheek gripping her bedsides to reposition herself wincing slightly in pain. My heart went out to her. "I don't want us to forge a bond with him and one day you catch us unawares and take him away from us. My wife and I have lost several children we cannot afford another loss." Now it was her who cast us a pitiful look.

"I'll tell you what I told Dr Mkhize. I love my son with all that I am and would love nothing more than to raise him myself and smother him him with all the love but I know my love alone will not be enough in my world. I will not interfere, show myself or breath a word to another soul about his existence for his protection. I leave it to you to tell him about me or not. It's not an expectation I have after barricading him into your life as I have all I ask is that you love him, nurture him into a man I would be proud to call my son."

Yanda nodded. " I'll need you to sign a few documents for me for legal purposes." She nodded, relief evident on her face. She signed an NDA, forms where she gave away her parental rights and adoption documents where she filled in hers and her husband's personal information after he patiently explained what each one is for. He explained that their personal information is necessary for his adoption file because we have it on hand and the information wIll not be readily available to the public as the file would be sealed. He just had adoption form templates on standby in his briefcase? He's one lawyer always ready for any situation then. It's the first time seeing him working and I was mesmerised at how calm and patient he was being with her is it because this case is personal to him or was he just this good?

"Thank you Mrs Nxumalo." Yanda shook her hand once more and led us out and off we went to the chief director's office again. " Dr Mkhize, Advocate Hadebe? Not to be rude but Can we please be brief I have to run." Mr Thompson asked, I see he was now accompanied by Ms Davis his vice. They looked at me to explain but I was still stunned by it all, I just couldn't piece together the words. "Mrs Nxumalo gave up her son to us, she feared he wouldn't be safe with her and her husband. He doesn't know about the baby. Here's the letter and forms she's signed saying so." Yanda said handing everything over to them. "All I ask is that you do not open the letter addressed to him. He should be the first person to uncover the contents of that letter should we choose to share the fact that he's adopted at any point in his life." They nodded browsing through the documents.