Shrivelled Roses 2: Iyana Kleinbooi

9

CHAPTER NINE

-BUHLE-

As they parked, his phone rang and she could feel the tension even though he tried so much to hide his flushed cheeks... she knew it was Iyana, so she opened her door and stepped out, fixing her dress. He quickly followed suit and walked over to where she stood, locking the car as he went.

"Usucasukile yin'manje?" he asked, still smiling.

"Cha... why ubuza?"

"Ukuthi you just stepped out and didn't give me a chance to open the door for you. Kanti ke yimi obevulile for you to get in"

"Hawu Mntungwa, mina bengithi uzophendula ucingo... futhi ke beng'ngafuni ukuzwa izindaba zakho"

"Oh jealous, are we?"

"Cha Khumalo, I personally do not know anyone I should be jealous of us. I just respect people's spaces" she rolled her eyes as he took her hand walking her to the front door.

"If you must know, that was my brother, so you hearing our conversation wouldn't have been intrusive in anyway"

"Even so, mina angiyena owaka Khumalo. There are things you would have to discuss with your brother ngingekho, so angifuni ke ukuthi ung'jwayeze into ongekhe uy'mele ngoba sizogcina ses'xabana. Yingakho ngiphumile emotweni... I was giving you privacy hay'ukuthi ngicasukile"

He nodded, with a smile as a waitron opened the doors for them and the very first thing she noticed was that Clive didn't just book them a table... he booked the entire restaurant. Her mouth dropped at the setting, their table was in the center of the room, they were met half-way by a different waitress with champagne glasses and a bouquet of white roses for her. Once she settled in her comfortably padded chair, her bouquet on the empty table opposite their own, she looked him in the eyes...

"I understand you wanted to do something nice for me but an entire restaurant?" she asked and he chuckled, nervously. He knew that Iyana would be jumping up and down at that gesture, but that every moment he didn't know how the woman across him felt. She was very good at concealing her true emotions, she was very good at making a man feel useless, unintentionally.

"Bengithi nje angenze int'encane maShelezi uk'khombisa ukuthi you are important to us as a family, yebo iskhath'esiningi we are not here and we don't know your daily struggles and routines kodwa umuzi kababa uw'phethe kahle, asikezwa bekhala ngawe nabo makhelwane. Ukubonga okuncane angekhe kwalisa muntu"

She blushed at the kind words...

But at the back of her mind noted how he didn't personalize the whole speech but made it a family affair. What if he was sent there by his brothers? She needed him to be his own man, the only way to get between him and Iyana was if he manned up and became his own man. Not this family twat that he was.

"Uma usho kanjalo, hay cha, ngiyabonga Khumalo"

"Eh, konje ubuth'uthanda liphi iwine? Anemos Chenin Blanc?" he asked as their waitress walked towards their table with appetizers.

"Yebo Mntungwa... mh, you're a good listener too" she smiled and he blushed.

"Great, we will get that. I didn't know what they should make for you but they have prepared a buffet, from starters to dessert. I hope you like that"

"I appreciate the effort Mntungwa... Saw'bona sis'Thandi" she greeted the waitress reading her badge and thanked her for the appetizers. Zwelethu ordered the wine and asked that it be brought to their table and not wait for the main course.

From there the conversation started flowing easily, effortlessly, unforced.

They cracked jokes, laughed at each other and listened... Zwelethu kept reminding himself that the woman sitting across him was only his wife for the benefit of the family, not because he loved her. This was a difficult task because Buhle wasn't making things easy for him... she let loose, and thoroughly enjoyed herself, becoming a stranger to Clive because he had gotten accustomed to her hostility. The person sitting across him in a weave, makeup and great sense of humor was a total stranger to him. A stranger he didn't mind taking out on more dates...

Buhle: So, ngiyazi ukuthi unomuntu e East London... umtsheleni ma uza lana?

He sighed... taking a sip from his wine.

Buhle: Just be honest. There's no need for your to think of a lie when talking to me, especially about her.

Clive: You know, I would have loved for you two to meet.

Buhle: But?

Clive: She doesn't understand polygamy.

Buhle: Or she doesn't like sharing, phela polygamy is not in the Zulu culture only so there is no way umuntu angathi she doesn't know about it.

Clive: Knowing and understanding are two different things MaShelezi.

Buhle: When you know about something and you draw interest in it, you make it a point to understand it. If she doesn't understand polygamy then she most likely doesn't like to share.

Clive nodded, letting it sink in.

Buhle: I know quite a number of Xhosa people who grew up in polygamic families, this things has been practiced by our forefathers and their own forefathers. This is a Nguni curse to be honest.

Clive: Hah, a curse pho?!

Buhle: Yebo Mntungwa, many people are in it because of selfish reasons, not to expand the family lineage or whatever polygamy is said to be about.

Clive: Would you be in a polygamic marriage?

Buhle: Would you partake in polyandry?

Clive: What? No!

Buhle: There you have it... if you cannot share your wife with another man, why would you want your wife to share you with another woman?

The conversation obviously took a turn he had not imagined, and he had no come back. He pleaded defeated and she raised her glass for a toast...

Buhle: Today you have shown me a side to you I didn't think existed... you're thoughtful, you're kind, you're a good listener and you have a good head on your shoulders. Not only that, but you also made me laugh and I think I can now tell my people that I know my husband.

Clive: Wow... you came to all of this by sitting across me and having dinner?

Buhle: Yebo.

Clive: Maybe I should come back home more often, for these kinds of dates.

Buhle: If she won't mind.

Clive: I can handle her...

Buhle: Huh, here's to a man that knows how to handle his business... here's to Zwelethu Clive Khumalo.

He lifted his glass and they both drank at the same time.

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