Maid For Marriage

33

"Baby! Where did I leave my tie?!" I rolled my eyes because I just gave him the tie. "Baba, the house is not big enough for you to be screaming this loud so early in the morning." He chuckled. "Sorry. Do you know where I put my tie?" He whispered. "Right next to you." I gave him the tie and he looked a bit embarrassed so I kissed him.

He left for work and I decided to reorganize the kitchen. I had it organized for ma but since she said it's my house now I'll organize it how I want it. I do all of the cooking anyway.

"Thandi you're always doing something and if there isn't anything to do you start creating work." She gestured to the table full of stuff I got out of the cupboards. "When do you rest?" I just chuckled. "I'm just reorganizing the kitchen Ma. Would you like some tea?" She shook her head. "No thank you. I'm having tea and lunch at church. I would ask you to join me..."

Everytime I heard anything about church I was just automatically annoyed. "Yes, exactly that. There's that face. I would rather just keep praying for you to heal from whatever happened and you'll come to church when you're ready. Enjoy the day. Maybe you can treat your aunt to tea and some cake."

I called my aunt but she was going out with her sister-wife so I finished my organizing and watched some TV. A car I didn't recognize stopped infront of the house. I looked out the window and saw MaCele, Baba's second wife, get out of the car.

I opened the door and welcomed her. She looked very distressed. "Where's Dlamini?" She burst through the door. "I've been calling him since yesterday!" What was going on. "He's at work." She held her head in distress. "Let me call him. Then I'll make you some tea." I tried his personal phone and he wasn't picking up so I called his assistant and he told me he was in back to back meetings.

"MaCele, Baba is very busy today. I couldn't get through to his phone but his assistant said he's in meetings all day. Can I get you something? Tea? Something to eat?" She just nodded. I made her tea and a sandwich and she ate.

We were watching TV in awkward silence for about an hour when Baba called. "Hello, my assistant said you called urgently?" I got up and went to our room. "Yes, MaCele is here. She looks very stressed. She says she's been calling you since yesterday. Can you come home?" He sighed heavily. "Okay, I'll be there in an hour." We said goodbye and I went back to the lounge.

"Baba says he'll be here in an hour. I need to start dinner. Will you be staying?" I asked to see where this situation might be going. "If you'd allow me." She said awkwardly playing with her hands. "Of course." I replied.

I started chopping my vegetables when she joined me in the kitchen. "Can I help? I can't just sit while you do all the work. What would my mother-in-law say when she comes home finding me just sitting around?" She laughed awkwardly. She helped me chop the vegetables. I cooked and she cleaned. My pot was on the stove and we were having juice and snacks.

"Makoti!" I heard ma yell from outside. I went out and saw she came back with groceries so I helped her. "Ma I thought you were going for tea." I said taking the bags. "I did but the fridge was starting to get empty so I went to buy a few things." At the same time Baba's car stopped and he came to take the bags.

"Where is she?" He was already mad. What was going on? "In the kitchen." He stormed in with the groceries. "She?" Ma asked. "MaCele is here." Ma rolled her eyes dramatically. "I don't know why my son had to marry all of these women. Did you know MaCele was never like this. She was a humble girl from the village now shes just after my son's money." I didn't want to add anything to the conversation so we went into the house.

"MaBhengu!" He yelled sternly and I made my way to the kitchen table. He pulled a chair out for me and I sat. I was shocked when he sat next to me. "Now you can talk. If you don't want to talk infront of my wife I don't want to hear it. She sighed and I looked down at the table.

"They threw me out." She started.

"What do you mean they threw you out?" Baba asked.
"The other wives threw me out of the house."
"If they threw you out where is my child MaCele?" He asked sternly.

"She's with my mother. They threw me out and now they won't let me back in. Baba I thought you said that the house in the village would be mine. They've made my life a living hell ever since you moved them in. I'm a slave in my own home. I work from the moment I get up until I go back to bed. Most of the time I don't even sleep. I want my house back and I want them out."

I was shocked. I thought she was part of their squad. I thought they were the three musketeers. "Also, I'm the second wife. Their numbers three and four. They're not supposed to be controlling me like this. You never come visit and that's why they can get away with this."

"You're blaming me? Me? Really? After the stunt the three of you pulled on me in that house you're blaming me?" She glared at him. "Baba I appologised for my evolvement. I never knew they wanted to keep you there so they could exploit you for money. And I took good care of you while you were there. You were the one refusing my food."

I still didn't know what happened that time when Baba went missing for so long. I knew they found him with the other wives but he's never spoken about it. "Bab'Dlamini please. I'm begging you. I'll leave all this foolish behavior of mine behind and become a real wife. Please. I'll do anything. Please get those women out of my house." She begged.