SIMPHIE SHANDU THE HUSBAND
CHAPTER 17
SIMPHIWE
The thought of her being in a club freaked me out to the worst nightmare. She came back not smelling alcohol but a man’s cologne. This cologne has been her scent recently. I am afraid to ask her anything because I know it will backfire. Is she cheating on me? I look at her peacefully sleeping at the backset with the new member wrapped in a blanket next to her.
I park outside the gate and Dud is here crowding our space.
“What the hell!” I press harshly on my breaks waking Nozi up in the process.
I step out of the car…
“What are you doing here?”
It's almost midnight for crying out loud!
“I came here to fetch my daughter.”
“Couldn't you wait till the sun rise?”
“I know she is not safe with that lunatic wife of yours.” she says making me seethe my teeth. I can't believe I put my marriage on the line for this. Like really?
“Simphiwe, all I want is my baby and I will be gone out of your hair.”
“And what about the ceremony that is due to take place tomorrow for my kids?”
She looks at me blankly like I said something stupid. Nozi is still seated in the her.
“Okay, you can take her. If she gets sick again don’t bother me.”
If she thinks I am going to beg her to save my child’s life, she has another thing coming. I cannot be bullied by a mere baby mama who doesn't know her direction in life.
“Just like that?” Why is she surprised?
“I thought that maybe that is what you wanted.”
She sights and takes steps back.
“Can you take me home.”
“I can't, I have a family to look after.”
“Then request.”
“Dudu wee, this is not Durban where you can just request for a car to come pick you up. We do not have that here in rural areas. If you want a cab to take you home – go to town, simple!”
“But…”
“Ay maan Dudu! What were you thinking coming here in the first place? Did you not come here with the police to arrest my wife? I am too old to be having a conversation like this in the dark with a baby in the car.”
“The ceremony…”
“From now onwards, you will have my wife to deal with you.”
She gasps and her eyes trigger with tears. They do not move me one bit. Mayb if they were Nozi’s tears, I would have jumped the sky to see a smile on her face.
I walk back to the car and drive inside my yard making sure to lock the gate. I left her outside and I don't care who says what.
“I'm sorry about that.” I turned to look at her and I found her glued to her phone with all smiles.
“Nozi.” my voice goes a little bit higher startling her.
“Huh,” she looks at me confused and her eyes dropped down again onto her screen.
“Let's go inside.” I speak. She steps out first, leaving the baby in the backset.
I pick her up and walk inside the house leaving her behind following me slowly. I find the house help sleeping on top of the couch – her t-shirt is slightly up showing her round big breast. Her skirt is slightly turned up with her legs parted apart slightly. She turns her head and finds me staring at her. She jumps and wakes up from the couch and clears her throat.
“Erm, I am sorry sir; I might have passed out while watching…”
“No need to explain yourself. You can go to your bedroom.” She bows her head before taking her leave. I sigh trying to take the image out of my mind. I look at her going up the stairs. Her full body. She is not that thick but she has meat in the right places. I need to drink water. Nozi hasn’t even bothered walking in that door. Part of me believes that she is cheating. But deep down I know she wouldn’t because that is just something that is not in her nature. I gulp the cold water down and my body relaxes. After some time, she comes in with an unusual face. She walks past me without saying a word.
“Babe.”
She frowns looking at me.
“Yes,”
“Can you please take her.”
I know nothing about babies. I need her help more than she thinks.
“I'm sorry I can't. Zuri has me occupied.” She goes up the steps humming. The baby is asleep yes but she is just too tiny for my hands. I follow her shortly after confirming that everything is locked and closed. She has stripped naked and her skin has some bit of glow. Her beeps but she ignores it. My member is getting harder by the second. I put the baby on top of the bed with the blanket on top of her. I also take my clothes off and stand behind her. The smell is really bothering me.
“Simphiwe.” I am right behind, poking her butt. My hands trail to her now firm breasts. I know once my tongue dances down her neck she will be on her knees melting.
“I'm sorry.”
I bit her neck and I and her tension melted within split seconds.
“Yet you continue to hurt me and live the day without any remorse.”
I play with her tits making her to moan a bit.
“I know, it's the shame in me. But I promise to do better next time.” I whisper.
My hand trails to her nuna. Shes wet, that brings out a question in me. Must be that she was horny for a very long time. I rub her clit – she moans and throws her head backwards.
“Simmy…”
The more I rub her the more a foul smell puff out. She is leaking…I stop myself from rubbing her and bend her over. I smell my hand and yes, I am not imagining anything but I have no proof. I let my man slide in, she grabs and holds on tight on to the dressing table. Yes; smushier; wetter, smellier, penusy smell, musky, swollen, plumper like it's been pounded. Pubes ripping out too. I cannot imagine my wife being pounded by another man. My body shivers in disgust almost making me puke. My mind is no longer here but in a confusing land. They say it's easy to misconstrue odd behavior as cheating, that gut feeling is spot on more often than not. I am afraid to spell my fears out loud, most of them make sense in my head. I could tell. I don’t care how many women get on here and say wash it, it’s snaps back quick, blow dry it. Whatever. The muscles that relax, relax a lot quicker hours or maybe even a day afterwards. It’s not a reproductive organ thing, it’s a muscle memory thing. I knew the second I was fully inside and felt the muscles relax. Pulled out…I want to feel the possibilities again so I pushed it back in. She grunts, she only grunts this way If she's swollen…
I go with the flow not rasing any suspicions. After this I want to take a bath and come up with ways to confirm all of this. I need to try to have access to her phone. I didn’t even last long because my body, soul and mind are not here. The fear of my wife being bedded by another man hits me. I Iet my sperms swim inside of her and pull out gently. She fully stands up and goes to the bathroom without even looking back at me. I will take a shower after her…
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“After the club where did you go?” It took a lot of courage for me to ask her this question. I am holding her from behind – the scent has died off. Now she smells herself.
“Home…”
“Who brought you home because you didn’t take your car?” I ask. “I worry about your safety babe. Next time, please just tell me when you want to go out so that I can know where you are.”
“Okay Simphiwe.” I sigh. This conversation is not going anywhere.
“Any plans for tomorrow?”
“Will be home bored all day.” I sigh out of relief that means she will be here all day. I had to cancel my trip with Bagqibile. I sent her a text later this evening and switched my phone off because I knew she would be blowing up my phone all night.
“I love you Nozi, do not forever second that.”
She turns to face me. Tears have blinded her vision.
“Do you mean that?” she asks choking.
“Me not saying it regularly doesn’t mean I do not love you. I love you with every fiber in me.” She lets out the few tears drop. I have broken her and that I can tell. It was never my intention to. I smile while making her sleep on my chest. I will let this issue slide for the moment. But I am still on the lookout.
__
I decided to wake up in the morning and serve her breakfast in bed. Zuri is also here occupying the kitchen opening and closing all the cardboard.
“Zuri, your mother will kill you.” She is pulling every cleaning material from the cardboard. That reminds me to switch the space. I'd rather leave the bottom cardboards empty – looks like we will be having a lot of these banging in the next few months.
“Good morning, sir.” That is the house help greeting.
“Sisi, unjani.”
“I'm good sir.”
“Do you understand Zulu?” I ask because I've never heard her utter any word.
She laughs shyly…
“I do.”
I nod my head.
“Almost done here, just making my wife some breakfast.”
I toss the eggs on the plate neatly as she loves it. Half cooked – honestly, I don’t know how people eat this kind of egg. It doesn’t even go down my throat at all.
“Wakey, wakey…”
I pull the blankets off her. She yawns stretching herself with a bit of droplets on the pillow. When did she start drooling when asleep?
“Where is Zuri?”
“In the kitchen with, her…friend”
“Ow Vivian.” I think she should go back to school just for name learning. Thank God she hasn’t forgotten my name. I laughed a bit. I know her name is not even close to Vivian. She frowns looking at the eggs. She jumps off the bed and sprints to the bathroom leaving me confused.
“Are you okay?” I ask approaching our ensuite.
“The smell of the eggs is just upsetting my stomach.”
“Since when because you have always loved eggs?’ I ask. Honestly, I am confused.
“I don’t know.”
“It's confusing cause I know how much of an eater you are.”
“So, you trying to say I love food?” She's still kneeling, she is done gagging but nothing is coming up. Maybe she is coming up with the flu or something.
What could be making her so emotional this morning? Haibo! Tears falling one after another.
“Babe.” Now I am shocked. Did I say something upsetting?
“Leave me alone and leave with your bloody breakfast!”
“Did I say something wrong?”
I am dismayed by her sudden outburst. She stands up and pushes me aside.
Okay, what was that all about?
I follow her behind like a lost puppy.
“Muntu wami.” I sit next to her. She is literally crying her balls out. “I am sorry.” I don't even know what I did or said this morning.
“Can I have spinach and rice?”
“Haibo Nozi, where will I get Spinach?” I am taken back. Is she kidding me right now?
“Make a plan!” she shouts her lungs out. I get off the bed and wear my slippers. I grabbed my wallet from the counter…
__
I am in town and never intended to be. Nozi is really worrying me. Driving back home has made me think a lot. I have that spinach and I am anticipating with my thoughts so bad whether to go in the house or not. Finally, I had the courage to step out of the car. She is seated in the dining room watching cartoons looking half asleep. I was only gone forty-five minutes…Zuri notices me and rushes to my direction.
“Hei baby.” her chubby cheeks.
“I found it.” I say handing her the plastic.
“Found what?” She takes the plastic and looks at it.
“Your spinach.”
“Did I ask for spinach?” She looks confused for real. No, I am beginning to think that maybe she is losing it. I feel her temperature but she is all fine.
“Yes, you did this morning. The time you were crying.”
“Ow, so now I cry a lot?”
She cries again and I'm left stunned. She rushes upstairs and I hear the door being banged. The girl giggles…
“She might be pregnant. The symptoms sir.” She walks away leaving my throat dry. I followed her to our bedroom.
“Babe. I'm sorry.”
Too late she is fast asleep. I put the blanket over her body and kissed her forehead. I look at her closely. Could this be that God has answered our prayers? I doubt he did – maybe she is getting her periods. She normally gets emotional and stuffs herself with food if she's close on her periods. I step out of the room and take a deep breath. Still waiting for my father and uncles to come by.
__
After almost the whole day of waiting they finally arrived with two white chickens. My two aunts are also here – it's not a big thing but they are here running up and down.
“Where is makoti?” my father asks. He is very fond of Nozi. And I don't think he will ever accept another girl if I were to introduce one. But that will never happen.
“She is asleep, she has been acting weird lately. I don’t even know how to explain it.”
Honestly, I don’t know what the hell is wrong with her?
“Maybe it's because of stress.”
He reckons. He might be right.
The little ceremony was done a long time ago and the two chickens are now boiling inside the pot with dumplings in it.
“How is Fihliwe?”
I hate that name with everything in me.
“Shes is doing fine.”
Nozi comes down the steps yawning. She greets and goes straight to the kitchen. I am just sad that she wasn't part of the ceremony – even though it was not big but with her in sight it would have been better on my end.
NOZIMANGA
I honestly do not know what is wrong with me. I'm happy and the next I'm emotional. Could be the pregnancy. I don't know. I just slept throughout the day because…I don’t know either as to why.
I look at the chicken intestines steaming smoke, being fried by Vanessa and my heart just leaps out. I am on hunger strike and I want those. My mouth is watery to the point that I just grab it while it is still hot.
“You can have some.” she offers, she must have noticed the way I was looking at them. Now I understand how chicken intestines feel like.
“These are really good.” She should give me her recipe so that I can do it from time to time.
“Makoti.” Aunti Zodwa - I am not in her mood. Can the God’s forgive me today.
“You have gained.” she is scanning my body and I just know…this woman doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut. I give her a warning glare and she disappears out of sight. I sit down and continue to dig in. Someone is looking at me…I tilt my head finding Simphiwe looking at me with a sight frown on his face. I have no time to entertain.
__
Everyone is gone. I don't know why I am suddenly feeling out of space. Is it because…
The banging on the door. I must have forgotten to close the gates when the elders left. I open…
“Mihlola le.”
I speak. This girl is seriously going to be a pain in the butt.
“What do you want in my house?” I am calm as hell.
“I want my baby!” she screams.
“Okay. Come in.” she looks at me in confusion. She hesitantly comes in and scans her eyes around. Simphiwe is on the couch with his baby in his hands. I have never even bothered to even see her face nor come close to her. If she cried, I would call Vivi or Simphiwe, if he is around.
“Dudu, you should have called.” He is already on his feet.
“I just want my child.” the way she is grabbing the baby out his hands. I shake my head and dip my arse down. This doesn't need me one bit.
“Vi, can you take this child's clothes and give it to this woman.” I hear her gasps.
“Did you just call my daughter this?”
I kept my mouth shut because I wasn’t talking to her.
“Wena Simphiwe, I do not want you anywhere near my daughter do you hear me! I don’t want your wife touching her. Who knows maybe barrenness is a disease that is air transmitted.” I smile because I know I am not barren.
“Dudu, that is enough.”
They say never show your enemy your weakness.
“Ey Mlando made a huge mistake. Now I understand what he meant.” I say with a smirk. I see her chest rising up and down in anger. I know I have pushed the buttons of a wounded soul. Mess with me and I will mess with your emotions.
“Now that you have that in your hands, kindly leave my house.” I turn to my plasma screen. Simphiwe is a dog that doesn’t bark!
