KHUMBULANI

#14

KHUMBULANI
# 14
KAYISE
I wait in anticipation to find out what has happened with Mphathi. When the ambulance arrived, he wasn't breathing and I am so scared. What was I thinking? I was so sure that it would not be harmful. I just needed to make him believe that this child was his, I didn't mean to kill him or harm him.
"Mrs Shongwe", The doctor calls my name and I rush to her.
Kayise:Please tell me my husband is okay.
I pleaded with her biting my nails. I tried to read her facial expression.
Doc:What happened exactly?
I looked down, I couldn't tell her that I spiked my husband's drink with eyedrop.
Doc:We found a chemical in his body, Tetrahydrozoline; it is found in eyedrops and it seemed to have been consumed in a not large quantity. He is alive, but his heartbeat is slow and there is a possibility that he could slip into a coma.
I balanced with the walls feeling the walls closing in on me. My heartbeat sure missed a pace.
Kayise:If he slips into a coma, will he live?
Doc:For now it's hard to tell, but we will monitor him.
She nodded and told me that I can go see him.
I dragged my feet to his ward room, and he was sleeping peacefully. He will be so disappointed when he learns what I did. I move towards him and there was an oxygen mask, to help him with breathing I assume.
"I'm sorry", that's all I could say. I wipe my tears and sit on the chair.
I hold his hands and look at him.
"Please wake up. I'm sorry, I didn't think about what I was doing. I love you, and I can't lose you over this."
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KHUMBULANI
Two days later, Mphathi is still at the hospital, and have not waken up. I was surprised to receive a call from Kayise telling me that Mphathi is admitted. She says he accidentally drank eyedrops. How could he do that? Because Mphathi is a full adult, something is offish here.
Mother could not come, but said she's keeping him on her prayers. There's no progress with finding my father's killer, the detective handling the case says every lead is a dead end, and the captain is ordering him to close the investigation because he's just wasting the state's resources. Which means we will never get to know what happened to my father or who killed him.

I am outside Mandla's house, hiding actually, I don't even know why I'm here. But seeing him again that day just took me back to that fateful day! I'm sure he doesn't even remember me. I see him carrying a tool box going outside. He throws it outside and kicks the dust. He looks pretty upset. I decide to go to him. He frowns when he sees me, probably wondering where I came from.
Khumbulani:Hi...
Mandla:Uhhh hi....what are you doing here and how did you know where I live?
Khumbulani:It's not that hard to find Mshengu's son. Are you okay?
Mandla:Yes I'm fine, how are you?
Khumbulani:I'm fine too. I just came here to thank you about what you did for my wife, I appreciate it.
Mandla:It's okay, I just helped a woman in need. Do you want anything to drink?
Khumbulani:Yes, a glass of water wouldn't hurt.
Mandla:Come in.
I followed behind him. His home is beautiful, and big.
He directs me to the living room, and there was a framed pictured plastered on the wall. He was there, and his whole family. I sighed and gulped down my saliva. I tap my foot repeatedly on the floor waiting for him. He came back seconds later with a glass, but it was not water.
Mandla:Clase Azul ultra. Fine stuff, my dad kept it in his office.
He gave me the glass and I accepted it. I took one sip and looked at him. He also drank his. I decided to test the waters.
Khumbulani:What were you doing with that toolbox?
Mandla:There's a door I'm trying to open here but I'm failing. I hired someone to open it for me and he accidentally cut himself with a saw.

An unopened door? That sounds so familiar. Where have I heard it from before?

Khumbulani:Why don't you cut it down?
Mandla:I have tried, it's completely impenetrable. My dad was hiding something from me. I want to see what's in that room, my curiosity won't let me rest.
.........
Years ago.
I run to my dad with his phone.
"Thank you son. Please call your mother for me", he asks.
I run back to the house and tell my mother that dad is asking for her.
She tells me that she's coming, I go back to my room to continue with my school work but I stop on my tracks when I hear someone talking, sounds like a woman. We have no other female in this house except for mom, and she is outside with dad. I place my ear on the door thinking my brother sneaked in his girlfriend or something. But that person stops talking, instead I hear loud typing. Whoever it is must be fighting with the computer. I turn the doorknob trying to open the door but it was locked.
"Khumbulani your friends are here", Qinisela tells me. I leave the room and go outside to my friends.
........
PRESENT TIME.
I blink my eyes rapidly and Mandla was standing right in front of me.
Mandla:Bro what happened to you? You just zoned out!!
Khumbulani:I need to  make a phone call.
I went outside and called my mother.
Mom:Khumbulani is everything okay? Is Mphathi okay?
Khumbulani:Yes, I'm calling about something else. Are you home?
Mom:Yes.
Khumbulani:Can you open all the doors?
Mom:What!?
Khumbulani:Mom please just do as I am asking.
Mom:Okay....
I heard her moving for a few minutes.
Mom:Well I have opened all of them.
Khumbulani:Are you sure?
Mom:Yes.
Khumbulani:There isn't a closed door?
Mom:No, I have opened all of them.
Khumbulani:Okay thank you..
Mom:What is this all about?
Khumbulani:Nothing important. Goodbye.
I hung up and went back inside.
Mandla:Dude what's going on?
Khumbulani:Can I see the room?
Mandla:Not to sound rude, but I don't know you like that to trust you with my family's affairs.
Khumbulani:I understand, I just want to see it. I promise, I'm not here on bad intentions.
He looked at me for a moment and stood up.
Mandla:Okay follow me.
I followed him.
Mandla:This is it.
I touched it and twisted the door knob, it was really unopenable.
Mandla:See? I have tried everything.
Khumbulani:What do you think is behind the door?
Mandla:I don't know, but dad left a letter for me which I lost. And he had given me a picture of a woman that I must find her for him, he said no one ever seen her. When I did my research, instead information from the olden age popped up, some talking about the ghost behind the closed door. It's all very confusing.
Khumbulani:Very.... I... I would like to help you, if you don't mind.
Mandla:Why? I mean you don't even know me.
Khumbulani:I just want to help. It will ease up the guilt I'm feeling.
Mandla:What?
Khumbulani:Huh...
Mandla:You said it will ease up the guilt you are feeling.
Khumbulani:I'm pretty sure I didn't say that.
Mandla:But you did.. I just heard you...
I touched his forehead.
Khumbulani:You need to rest...
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NAKIA
I pat Kayise's back softly and she continues crying. Mphathi was still sleeping, it has been two days and he hasn't woken up.
Kayise: This is all my fault...
Nakia:It's not your fault.. You didn't know he would drink the eyedrop.
Kayise:No I mean I did it. I'm the one who spiked his whiskey with the eyedrop.
I let her go and turned her around to face me.
Nakia:Why would you do that Kayise!? You almost killed your husband.
Kayise:You won't understand Nakia, I needed to sleep with him and he was still stuck on the fact that I slept with his b...
She stopped talking.
Nakia:You cheated on your husband!?
Kayise:I didn't cheat. Mphathi was unable to make me pregnant so he asked someone else to sleep with me so we would have that child as our own. I am pregnant now with that man's child, and the curse on Mphathi has been removed. He would be so disappointed when he finds out that he is not the father. So I drugged him with the eyedrop to sleep with him, so he could believe the child was his.
Nakia:Kayise I don't know what to say. Why didn't you and Mphathi try other options other than sleeping with someone else!?
Kayise:Mphathi is a proud man, he said he doesn't trust the western methods.
Nakia:But you see the mess the two of you have caused? What will you do when he dies? Will you live happily knowing that you killed your husband because you just couldn't be honest with him?
Kayise:Don't make it worse Nakia, I already feel bad enough.
Nakia:Mphathi was also in the wrong, he shouldn't have shoved the idea of sleeping with someone down your throat. Who even is that man?
Kayise:You don't know him.
Nakia:Let us pray that he wakes up. And when he does, be honest with him. Also tell the father of the baby, he deserves to know that he is a father.
Kayise:That would ruin his marriage.
I get defeated every minute. I clap my hands.
Nakia:He's a married man!?
Kayise:Yes....
Nakia:The only person I'm feeling sorry for is the clueless wife who doesn't know anything. This is the same as like her husband cheated on her!
Kayise:I'm sorry....
Nakia:Don't apologize to me... You did nothing to me. You should apologize to that poor woman. All three of you.. Mphathi will wake up don't worry.
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KHUMBULANI
Me and Mandla exchanged numbers. He seems like a good guy, just that he has suffered so much loss in his life. He is all alone in that big house. I hope we become friends, so he doesn't think much about the people he has lost. I know the pain of losing a parent, it doesn't go away. There's no closure you get, it will always be within your heart that you lost someone. I miss my dad everyday, not a day goes by that I don't think about him.
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