The Arrangement

To KZN??

Crystal

What the?

I've never in my life encountered such "Siyabonga uthetha ngantoni khe ngoku? When did i say or try to kill your mother? First of you humiliated me in front of the whole class of 2018 then you impregnated me-"

"You failed to tell me you're pregnant-" he shouts

"Don't you dare Siyabonga! Don't you fucking dare!"

"Heh! uMakoti usyasithuka manje! Haai ushadile Fano! Waze wayenza indaba (Heh! Our bride swears now! Oh you married Fano! Unbelievable!)" She enters holding her waist

I roll my eyes and make my way out of the kitchen. I can't deal with them. As I'm walking up the stairs I hear voices. The closer I get to the bedroom Belle was sleeping in, the louder the voices. I open the door and Belle was chatting up a storm with her grandfather

"Am I disturbing?" I ask at the door

"Mommy!" She jumps out of bed and runs to me

"Hi baby. Someone woke up happy" I say hugging her close

"Mommy am I really Zuu Luu" she asks

"Its Zulu baby child and yes you are, you are also Xhosa"

"Huh" she turns her head to the side

"Yep" I say as we walk back to the bed

"Molo tata (morning sir)"

"Yebo nganeyami. Unjani (yes child. How are you)"

"Ngiyazama uk'khuluma iqiniso." I wasn't sure if I should tell him what happened downstairs. I don't want to make him an enemy to his wife and son.

"Ngizwe umsindo enzantsi $ don't know if I spelt that right #hides $ ingabe konke kukahle? (I heard commotion downstairs is everything okay?"

"Enyanisweni tata, unyana wakho waxelelwa ngumamakhe uba mna ndifuna ukumbulala uma wakhe, wandifundakela unyana wakho no mamakhe ndazkhupha kuyo yonke lanto ndazela apha (In all honesty tata, your son was told by his mother that I'm trying to kill her, he then started shouting at me along with his mother and I decided to remove myself from that situation and I came up here)" I say in one breath

"Hmmm" he keeps quiet

"Luyanda, I'll be going downstairs now" uBaba said and left making sure to close the door behind him.

"Luyanda?" I ask the little miss

"Grandpa said that that's my name now"

"Do you like it?" A stupid question to ask a child but I have to know

"Hmmm (she put her pointer finger under her chin and pouted her lips) I do,!"

"Awesome" we hug. I decide to unpack some of her clothes and place them in the closet with her help ofcourse.

"Mommy I'm hungry" she said as we placed her skirts right besides her shorts

"Okay baby, I'm sorry let's go feed the hungry monster in your tummy."  We get up and head downstairs

I find Mr and Mrs Xhakaza sitting on the couch drinking tea or whatever it is that they drink. Belle and I head into the kitchen and find Siyabonga working on his laptop

"Daddy!" Belle rushes to him. I decode to busy myself by re heating the breakfast I'd made earlier. Once I was confident that it was just right for Belle I placed the plate on the table and slid it towards the two.

"Thank you mommy" I smile at her

"What about me" I turn my head up to look at this ridiculous man

"What about you?"

"I'm hungry too" he says with a pout. I nearly laugh out loud at him

"Awww. God blessed you with two working hands that came with arms, legs and a brain, along with a pair of eyes. Now is the perfect time to put them to good use" I say and head out

"I'm sorry."

"Your always sorry"

"I'll be back okay." I here him tell Belle. I decide to continue upstairs to 'our' bedroom

"I meant what I said downstairs" I head the door closing. Choosing to ignore him, I busy myself with picking up the pillows and fixing up the room.

"We are going to KZN" I stop mid air holding two throw pillows in my hands.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" I place them on the bed

"I'm asking you" he days standing stupidly by the bedside table

"Then fix your question" I tell him as I head to my suitcases

"Look, I don't want to fight you okay. We need to and are going to kzn...please"

"Hmm. Clearly isingisi asivakali kuwe. Mna andiyi eKNZ. Ndoyenza ntoni mna le? (Clearly you can't hear English. I'm not going to KZN. What am I going to do there?)" I push them onto the wall on the empty side of the closet

"Yazini. Kulungile uma ungafuni ukuhamba, usasala kodwa umtwana wami uyahamba nami (you know what. Its find if you don't want to come, you'll stay here but I'm taking my child with)"

I immediately turn around

"Umtwana wakho? Heke bhuti ithi ndikuxelele into ongayazi. Lamtwana ngowam inoba nje wea uyisperm donor- (Your child? Well mister let me tell you something you don't know. That child is mine, you're just a sperm donor-)"

"How dare you! She is mine as much as she is yours!" He shouts. I can already see the veins popping.

"If she's mine just as much as she is yours then you have to consult with me on matters that involve her! You can't make decisions regarding her without my input. I know you're trying to win World's Best Dad medals for whatever fucking reason but you can't make choices or decisions regarding her without my knowledge"

"I know and I'm sorry but uma uthe kungaba ncono masigayenza umsebenzi manje - (mom said that it would be better if we did the ritual now-) "

"Umama? So nyan nyan umama wakho nguye ophethe lomshado neh? Xa ethi jump uyayenza nawe, no questions asked? Rhaa you disgust me marn. (Mom? So actually your mother is the one in charge of this marriage huh? When she says jump, you jump, no questions asked?)" I make my way to the bathroom

"What's that supposed to mean?" His footsteps approach

"Exactly that! Every time your mother says this, you just jump up you don't even stop to think or analyse the situation."

"No. That's not how it is at all. She's just worried."

"Mmmm"

I start cleaning the side I've decided to take for my toiletries and I pack them. "Asiyi eKwa Zulu Natal (we are not going to Kwa Zulu Natal)"

"We are. And that's final"

He walks out after that.

"Arghh!!!"