Shrivelled Roses 2: Iyana Kleinbooi

21

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑵𝑻𝒀-𝑶𝑵𝑬

-Iyana-

She sat across her father who was smiling from ear to ear, listening eagerly to hear about his daughter's shenanigans.

Iyana: I don't know him that much tata, we just met.

Mr Kleinbooi: You just met? Kodwa wakwazi ukuthwala nempahla zakho wakugodusa?

Iyana: I guess serving people comes naturally for him.

Her father wasn't buying it... but, he could also see that she looked drained and so he boiled water for her feet, washed them and rubbed them with ointment before instructing her to go and rest. She willfully walked away, and flopped onto her bed. Her first instinct was to check if Zwelethu called her, but before she could even get to the messages, her Instagram notifications caught her attention. She clicked on the app and her heart broke. Khumalo Logistics was a success, the pictures of happy people... but mostly, a happy Clive... that broke her heart. How could he be so happy? Did he think she would never find out? Did he think he would conceal such news forever? The more she saw pictures of him and his brothers laughing and celebrating the moment, the more she got upset. She turned off her phone and pulled the fleece over her head. It was a good thing she had gone to the village where her dad was, and not where her mother was...

Two hours later, she woke up feeling worse.

But she was hungry, and she could smell the mutton stew from her bedroom. She slipped into her old slides and dragged her feet to the lounge, her father wasn't there. She peeped at the kitchen, he wasn't there too so she just went to fetch her phone and then went to sit in the lounge as she switched it back on. There were three missed calls from Clive, "a lousy three" she said in her head as she scrolled passed them. As if he could feel that she was up, he called that very moment. She watched the phone ring until it stopped, and then he called again, she drew in a chunk load of breath before answering it...

Iyana: Zwelethu?

Clive: Baby... It's not what it looks like.

Iyana: Right, what else?

Clive: Iyana ngiyak'cela tu, come back so we can talk about this. Please.

Iyana: You left me three missed calls for that?

Clive: Nana... you know I don't like discussing delicate matters over the phone. Please come back, so that we can talk properly.

Iyana: Is that how you have been juggling the two of us all this time? Do you also give her that bullshit that you don't like discussing delicate matters over the phone? Do you give her that crap too Zwelethu okanye uqhela nje mna?

He didn't answer...

Iyana: Zwelethu Khumalo ndithetha nawe!

Clive: You're upset, maybe we can do this some other time.

Iyana: What the fuck? I'm upset? Obviously, I am fucken upset Zwelethu. You married another woman ndikhona and you expect me to say what? Congratulations?

Clive: For the sake of the baby that you're carrying, I don't think we should continue with this conversation right now. When you're calm, and when you can talk without getting ups-

Iyana: Hey hey hey, do not patronize me wena! DO NOT fucken patronize me today okay?

He hung up.

She couldn't believe it... she looked at the screen, he had hung up.

With that, she got up and went to look for her father and she saw him at a distance. He was watering his crop... she dialed Zwelethu while watching her father because she didn't want him to hear the conversation. Clive answered the call...

Clive: Nana, you are pregnant, okay. The early stages of pregnancy are very risky so I am begging you, can we do this when you're not this upset?

Iyana: Zwelethu?

Clive: Baby.

Iyana: You don't get to tell me what to do, okay?

Clive: That child you're carrying is also mine, it is my duty to protect him.

Iyana: Nye nyald nyu nyering nyis nyoso nyan ubengu child nini ngoku? Weren't you the one telling me it's just a fetus?

He sighed...

Iyana: Zwelethu ungcolile wena, you are wicked. I should have left you the day I found out about the wedding arrangements, I should have walked away. Jonga ngoku ndimithele wena, rhaaa sies mani. Inoba noo brother bakho bandihleka ubumuncu nokungazithandi.

He didn't respond....

Iyana: Does she know about me? Okanye uthi kuye uzophangela eMonti? Holy shit, so when you went home and I couldn't reach you, wawumpotopotoza??? Fuck you Zwelethu mani!

Clive: Oh-kay... are you done?

Iyana: I am not done, you know what, I am going to abort this fetus.

Clive: You are not aborting that child wena Iyana, utheni manje usuyahlanya?

Iyana: Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. Asoze kaloku ndizalele igqwirha mna, uligqwirha lendoda wena Zwelethu Khumalo. Umfuze goed u Mzukisi wakokwenu.

Clive: You're being irrational and I don't know what to say to you right now.

Iyana: Don't say anything. The same way you didn't say anything when you decided to marry the Princess, don't say anything nangoku. The same way you didn't say anything when I told you that your brother raped the very same Princess and denied it, do not fucken say anything. Keep your mouth shut!

He shook his head, running a hand over his dry face.

Iyana: I want nothing to do with you Zwelethu, uyeva? Stay the fuck away from me.

Clive: You're carrying my child, I cannot stay away from you.

Iyana: Did you not hear me ngoku ndithi I am going to abort this child?

Clive: I heard you, but I know you will not do that. You want the child, and I want to support you.

Iyana: Are you listening to yourself?

Clive: Nana, look, I get it. Okay? I get it. You're upset, you are looking for umuntu to blame for everything that is not going well right now and I just happen to be the closest person you can blame. I don't mind. I don't know what the chief told you, and I will not defend myself ngento eng'ngayazi. Again, when you have calmed down and you are ready to talk, you will come and we will talk. In the meantime, I will book you your first doctor's appointment. Waze way'faka istress ingan'yami mf'wethu!

Iyana: What the fuck???

Clive: I'll see you when you're back to your senses.

Iyana clicked her tongue and hung up.

He managed to make her look crazy, not this one time, but countless times. He would switch up and she would believe that she was irrational... when she actually wasn't.

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