Siyamu's pov:
"Well we can't really leave Durban now,our whole family is here. Our friends" I tell him
"Lucky me then,I bought a piece of land 7 if not 8 years ago,I wanted to start building but then I met you. I really wanted you to design the house. If you don't like it then I can buy another place?" I look at him in total amazement. He's really sweet
"We'll design it together because I might just give you one more baby to add to your collection" I giggle while he grins.
"I like the sound of that. Let's go dish up,I'm hungry" he says taking my hand in his. I look at the ring on my finger. The lobola negotiations happened last month,this month we're supposed to have umbondo,umembeso and umabo. It works in our favour because there's an extra long weekend. The negotiations went welll but I don't know how much they paid, apparently it's a lot because my dear brother was being hard on them. He drags me to the kitchen and as we come closer,an odd smell makes itself known. The smell of burnt food. I rush towards the kitchen,leaving Ndo behind. Why is my kitchen this far from the lounge again?
I enter the kitchen and a breeze of fresh smoke welcomes me. Snothando is sitting on the barstool busy with her phone. I run towards the stove and try turning it off. It's a flat plate stove so it's maximum limit is 9 and it was on 9. I try turning it off again but it's too hot. Thando wets the cloth and takes away the pot from the stove. I panick but miss girl is still busy on her phone, despite everything happening around her. Thando takes a wooden spoon and switches off the main switch for the stove. I open the door so the kitchen would smell better and the air would evacuate the smell of burnt food. I cough due to how much it is suffocating me
"Snothando" Thando calls out. She looks up from her phone. Girl is even wearing a mask
"Snothando ngikhuluma nawe" he says again calmly. It's bad for the girll now
"Baba I'm listening nje" she responds. Thando folds his arms
"Give me that phone,ngathi iyona ekwenza uhlanye (seems like it's what is making you crazy)" he stretches out his hand but Snothando doesn't budge. This isn't the Snothando I know at all, mara maybe iAdo. Adolescence makes kids like this
"I said give me the damn phone child!" he says banging the island table. Not even shouting once but we both flinched. She gives him the phone
"A pot was burning right infront of you but you were busy with your phone!? Do you want all of us to die?or do you want to die because clearly you sitting in the kitchen while something is burning means you want to die!" okay now he is shouting. Snothando takes off her mask since the smoke is a tad bit better
"Baba it's her pot,why do I have to interfere?so you can say I tried to kill her just like the last time?" she responds scrunching her face
"You made a mistake and we forgave you Snothando!I will not repeat myself again. This behaviour has to stop. She is your mother" he shouts at her
"I didn't want you to die dad. I wanted them to die!the devil and her son! She's trying to take you away from me dad and she's not who you think she is. She's cheating on you dad and I have proof! I hate her and her little son. All you care about is her and her stupid Ndabe,not me. Is it because I don't have a mother?" She says a mouthful. To say I'm shocked is underestimating my reaction. There's nothing I haven't done for Snothando and this is what I get in return? I'm the devil?yho
"But Sno-" I try to say but she cuts me off
"Kahle wena Satan" she raises her hand up to stop me from talking. Haa! I clap my hands once,still in shock
"That's it,I've had enough of this" Thando says taking off his belt. Snothando jumps off the barstool but Thando grabs her arm just in time. He throws his belt across her buttocks and she starts crying. I'll leave them for a while because never have I ever been disrespected by a child like this in my life. He continues hitting her "who did you learn this from hee?" "Mina ngakufundisa inhlonipho (I taught you respect)" another slap from the belt across her back and she wails out "uzogcina(this will be your last time)"
"Thando stop!" I shout and he looks at me,letting her go while she wipes her tears.
"Baby can we talk for a sec?" I ask him. I can't believe I'm doing this. He stands infront of me
"About what?" he asks. Snothando sniffs
"Maybe we should put the wedding on hold. If your daughter isn't ready then we can't force her into anything " I take off the ring and put it in his hand "I just want us to be happy"
"Siyamthanda can you hear yourself? Could you just put yourself first for once in your life? I waited 6 damn years!6 years to marry you and you weren't ready. We're finally getting married and you want to bail out because of Snothando?so what?if it takes 15 years for her to accept us,then we have to wait?she's the child here. Ngeke sizwe ngaye. What happens when Snothando finally accepts and Ndabe says that he doesn't want us to get married?what then?we wait another 6 years on top of the 15?musa ukungidakelwa wena,buyisela leyo ring. Ungitshele musuqedile ukuhlanya. (Stop messing with me, put that ring back on. Tell me when you're done being crazy)" and he walks away. Okay,good point. What was I even thinking? I put my ring back on as per his orders.
I follow him leaving Snothando sniffing in the kitchen. I walk into my room,where Ndabe was sleeping because he never sleeps in his room. He's still sleeping,yho,his ability to sleep through anything scares me yazi. Thando has his back on me,his hands in his pockets and his head hanging low. I walk to him and wrap my arms around his waist. He doesn't react to my touch like he normally does. He's maddd.
"Are you still hungry?I could try and make you some food again since it got burnt" I try to talk to him
"Yeah but don't worry we'll order in" he says before heaving a big sigh. I take his phone from his pocket and order us some food. Ndabe wakes up and we both sit on the bed,on either side of him, adoring our creation
"Mama,papa" he stretches out his hands for Thando. He takes him and he lays his head on him
"Hello boy boy" he says kissing his forehead "I wonder where I went wrong with Snothando. She's just like Londi manje"
"No baby you're wrong,you did your best raising her and teaching her respect. Now what she chooses to do,is totally up to her. One thing a baby doesn't take from their parents is their heart. You choose whether you want to be like them or not. She had a choice and I know she chose you. Somebody probably said something to her about stepmother's being bad and now she's reacting. Don't be hard on yourself,you're a great parent. I love you with all my heart,okay?" I brush his cheek
"Alavu too mama" Ndabe responds and we laugh. I hear the doorbell ring
"I didn't think they'd be that fast. Come with Ndabe so he can also eat" I say standing up to walk out. The kitchen door is open wide. The sight before my eyes makes me want to puke all the food I ate in the morning. I don't think I can ever get used to seeing this sexy demon here!
"What's going on here?" Thando's bold voice booms throughout the room. Why can't we just have a peaceful life?yho ahy.
