Shrivelled Roses 2: Iyana Kleinbooi

14

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 FOUR𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑵

-IYANA-

Siyasisanda looked at her screen... a part of her wanted to believe that the woman who answered Kuriyata's phone was harmless, but another part of her wondered why she would lie and say she's their sister to Iyana when they all knew that the brothers had no sister. Something was off, but what worried her the most was Iyana. From that lunch date, Sanda could tell that Iyana wasn't necessarily in love with uZwelethu but she was kind of obsessed. She was like someone who had envisioned a certain life and now that it was clearly crumbling down she was mostly in denial and partly ignorant to the red flags. Red flags that once made her dig up information that should have now made her even more alert...

Sanda took a deep breath and dialed Uyabukwa first... she wanted a second opinion, mainly because Uya had always been vocal about how she felt ngo Zwelethu and how he was handling the whole Buhle situation. Yes, Sanda still stood by what she said, that Iyana was old enough to take her own decisions and make her own mistakes but now that she (Sanda) had spoken to the supposed "sister" she knew that nothing good was going to come out of that relationship. She dialed and waited... but Uya didn't answer her phone, she dialed again and the second time around, she answered.

Uya: Sanda?

Sanda: Baby, unjani? I hope andikuphazamisi...

Uya: Is it urgent?

Sanda: Kind of... what's going on? You sound upset.

Uya: Ey friend... uSiya ukhona and we are kind of not talking at the moment. Well, he's not here for long, I think ndi stress'wa nayilo part.

Sanda: You're not talking?

Uya: Yeah... yilento ka Iyana man. He thinks ndizifaka ezindabeni endingangeni ndawo kuzo so ukhalele and I don't know what else to do or say because ndixolisile but...

Sanda: Yho friend, uxolo man. I'll call you some other time ke because nam bendizothetha ngo Iyana lowo.

Uya: Yho ha.a, I'll call you on my way from the airport. He is leaving tomorrow morning.

Sanda: Oh hay Uya sehamba? Yhima, uzomka ningathethi kengoku?

Uya: I tried apologizing Sanda and nam ndiyaziva ba I am not really apologizing but I am apologizing for the sake of harmony between us, ukhe ubone? For the sake of our relationship because ke andiyazi man ba sifike njani apha. I don't know what more he wants from me ngoku because Iyana is my friend and I am doing something I would want my friends to do too if the wheels were to turn so nam ndimyekile ke ndithule.

Sanda: Yho this is hectic... okay sharp, masithethe ngomso lowo ke.

Uya: Sho.

They hung up and Siyasisanda called Iyana back... immediately.

The phone rang for a couple of times and then it cut. She dialed again, pacing up and down her room... and she answered.

Iyana: Sanda?

Sanda: Hey...

Iyana: And?

Sanda: I don't think that woman is their sister, but, she was nice to me.

Iyana: Oh-kay, why do you say that? That you don't think she's their sister.

Sanda: First of all, we both know those men don't have a sister. She could have been a cousin, but not a sister.

Iyana: But utshilo nje kum ba she's the sister they never talk about. So she could be telling the truth because we both never heard of her.

Sanda: Andikuphikisi, but she also didn't want to tell me her name. She sounded like she was hiding something and then got all defensive before putting the call down on me.

Iyana: Wait, so she also answered your man's phone?

Sanda: Yes.

Iyana: Where was he?

Sanda: Apparently he had gone to the shops and left the phone in the house. Zwelethu was out fetching a cousin at the taxi rank and she didn't know where to find Mzuvukile.

Iyana didn't answer...

Sanda: You know Iyana... a part of me wants to say that the woman is that Buhle girl... the rape victim. I can't shake the feeling that bamtshata nyhani lamntana, like, they went ahead with their plans even though you found out about the marriage thing.

Iyana: I don't think so yazi tshomi... Zwelethu has been so consistent mani as of late. Ugqibele kudala nogoduka, if it was her then I think I would know.

Sanda: You didn't know about her existence until you dug up... what makes you think he would make things obvious now?

Iyana: Chomi, Zwelethu is committed to us ngoku. Watsho mos kwangokuyana ba it was his brothers ababemhlohla ngentloko kulanto, he didn't want to marry Buhle in the first place and I believed him. I still believe him nangoku.

Siyasisanda sighed... running a hand over her face...

Iyana: We have had our ups and downs but ngoku I know we are committed to each other, ingxaki apha ndim.

Sanda: Ingxaki nguwe? Kanjani ngoku?

Iyana: I am having a difficult time trusting him... he is trying so hard, but I keep pulling us backwards. I panic a lot when I can't reach him... it's not cute friend. Maybe we really need to see someone yazi.

Sanda: Or maybe you could check on him later on, I could be wrong.

Iyana: Nah, I don't want to pester him. I'm sure he will return my calls once he sees them.

Sanda: Haike big girl, my work is done here.

Iyana: Haha, yeah whatever!

They hung up.

Iyana waited, and Zwelethu never called back... well, she kind of expected that but it was such a bitter pill to swallow.

Sunday afternoon... landed in East London and his first stop was Iyana's place. She opened up for his goofy ass and was welcomed by a bouquet of red roses and a gift bag. She smiled as she took the flowers and bag, and then stood against the doorway, just looking at him. He looked happy...

Clive: Am I not going to come in?

Iyana: I was expecting you to look all miserable, I mean, you haven't seen me for what? Close to a week now?

Clive: Hawu, baby!

Iyana: But I see that whatever is at home really brings out your glow, you look really happy Mntungwa.

Clive: Next time ngizohamba nawe, you will get your glow back too. Kuhle emakhaya, the environment is just so calming... and the beautiful characters add to that.

Iyana: Beautiful characters?

Clive: Sines'khwele yini?

Iyana: Cha, beng'buza, hawu! Come on in...

He laughed and stepped in, locking away all Buhle memories from his head. He was with his woman, the only woman he ever loved. The only woman that mattered.

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