Shrivelled Roses 2: Iyana Kleinbooi

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𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙊𝙉𝙀

"𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘹 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘦𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘧𝘶? 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘬𝘦𝘮𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘲𝘦𝘯𝘪 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵? 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺?"

They were back from the trip, it didn't pan out as they had wanted it to. Between Iyana's relationship blues and Siyasisanda's promiscuous behavior, the trip just became depressing, even for Iyana. What she found saddening about Sanda was that she thought she could handle three men at the same time, it was actually more concerning than saddening. On top of that, Iyana's mind and heart was stuck on that conversation... the pain she saw in Uyabukwa's eyes as she relived her own past traumas. How could she not get stuck there whenever she closed her eyes to think of Clive? How could she not remember the pain in Uya's voice?

"𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘯𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘢, 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘒𝘸𝘢 𝘦𝘻𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘻𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘣𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺? 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘮𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘶 𝘐𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘯𝘢, 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘘𝘩𝘢."

The last line felt like uyamkhalala nyhani...

She decided to call Uya, at least there was no Sanda to brew up anything or try manipulate the situation. They would have a decent conversation, and maybe open up more... if Uya was up for it because she sounded like she was done. Uya's phone rang until it hit the mailbox, Iyana tried again, two more times and on the last ring Uyabukwa answered.

Uyabukwa: Hello?

Iyana: Did I wake you up?

Uyabukwa: Hey, I'm up now. What's up?

Iyana sighed...

Uyabukwa: Are you okay?

Iyana: No, I'm not.

Uyabukwa: Oh-kay... what's wrong?

Iyana: I just... I have been pondering on our conversation regarding my relationship with Zwelethu. I don't know Uya... I feel like I am setting myself up for more betrayal here, ewe ndiyamthanda u Clive, like... with every bit of my being but I cannot shake off the feeling that he will do this again, and again, and again.

Uyabukwa didn't answer.

Iyana: The reason why I called is because I wanted someone to talk some sense into me.

Uyabukwa: I am not that person sthandwa sam.

Iyana: But Uya...

Uyabukwa: Nana, everything I said kula trip hasn't changed. I meant every word, but as Sanda said, we cannot conclude for you so the decision now lies in your hands. If you think he is the man for you, if you think he is what you need, then you know what to do.

Iyana: Uya you are not helping right now.

Uyabukwa: I am helping yazi baby, qha wena ufuna mna ndikuthume wenze into and I am not going to do that. I will not blatantly force you to do anything you don't want to do, anything you won't brave out and do for yourself. Umdala Iyana, u Zwelethu wamvuma singekho thina xasisonke so nangoku akuzotsho mna okanye thina ukuba mlahle. Wena ke ufuna mna ndithi lahla u Zwelethu and then down the line I will be the evil friend eyakohlukanisa nomntu wakho, andizi babes. You know what you want, you know what you need... if nguye, then so be it. If ayinguye then you will bring the change my dear. Not mna and not u Sanda. Sinee ngxaki zethu kwezethu ii relationships thina.

Iyana: Yho hay ndinazo iingxaki ne, kodwa andifiki ku Sanda!!!

Uyabukwa burst out laughing.

She had expected Iyana to shift the relationship back to Sanda and her multiple men.

Iyana: Yho, oko bendikhuza. Kungathi ndixakwe yindoda enye, kubekho umntu who is juggling three men at the same time? Yho akazoyiki izinto u Siyasisanda ndimncamile.

Uyabukwa: Mdala u Sanda, uyayazi lento ayenzayo. My only worry is that Ginger is going to ruin his relationship ngomntu ongekho serious ngaye. He has a soft spot for Sanda, always had.

Iyana: But she loves Ginger... well, that's what she says.

Uyabukwa: And she is with Mzukisi because?

Iyana: Protection and provision?

Uyabukwa: So where does Abendeiya fit in if those two already have those items covered?

Iyana's jaw dropped.
Sanda's was really playing a dangerous game.

Uyabukwa: Siyasisanda is suddenly acting like a teenager that never got her father's love. I know that's not a nice thing to say, especially nge chomi but she is really acting out of character ubhida nam and ke taking from the advice she was giving you, I will step back and mind my own bethunana. Mntu ngamnye makazibondele umqa wakhe!
Iyana: I worry about her sometimes yazi Uya.
Uyabukwa: I stopped worrying about her when she didn't question Mzukisi's innocence kulento ka Buhle mna Iyana. She could be dating a rapist for all we know, but she doesn't seem bothered? Njani? Okay ke she is not bothered, umntu uyayazi indoda yakhe... but akukho ne piece apha kuye eyoyikayo ba one day the same man ingambulala?
Iyana: If he was able to rape sogqiba aphike nyhani ke uzokwehlulwa yintoni to kill and deny?
Uyabukwa: Exactly, but ke mna ndaaphuma guys ezintweni zabantu. Ndixakene nezam mna self.
Iyana: Oh hay suka, uxakene nezakho phi?

Uya just laughed.

Uyabukwa: Not all that glitters is gold sisi... futhi ke ndiyeke mna, pray for Ta G angabimuncu and allow Sanda to ruin his perfect relationship.
Iyana: iClever la chap, he won't be played by Sanda.
Uyabukwa: You clearly have no idea how in love they were... ewe he is happy kulamntana, and mna ndithanda lamntana shame Iya I won't lie. That girl has worked, uyacaca umntu othandwayo apho athandwa khona, nawe ba ungambona u Ta G ungayibona lento ndiyithethayo. That girl has cleaned him up, utsho wacaca ba unaso nes'kolo. Even if he is still into those "gang" stuff noko ayisabhalwanga kuye.

Iyana pondered on that for a second...

Uyabukwa: I know that girl loves him, but when he was with Siyasisanda back then? Yho mandithule.
Iyana: Warn him.
Uyabukwa: Yho hay soze, Sanda is still my friend kaloku, that would be betrayal.
Iyana: Phofu ke, she will ruin it ngokwakhe, myeke nyhani.

They finally wrapped the conversation and Iyana was bummed that Uyabukwa didn't even bother sweating ngale yakhe into. She was right about one thing though... it was all up to Iyana to decide. No one was going to make that decision for her, but one thing was certain, she was about to be a fool for a Zulu man because of the "a heart wants what it wants" nonsense.