PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

34

                                 

     

He could end it all right now, wrap his hands around Xola’s neck and squeeze until his eyes rolled back and he gasped his last breath. But Anesu wasn’t a coward he wouldn’t take a man’s life when that said man was oblivious to the fact, he wanted to look into Xola’s eyes as he crushed his windpipe and watch him beg for mercy. But people like Xola didn’t deserve mercy never mind what the Bible said about forgiveness.
     
Anesu wanted him to suffer preferably in hell, burning for eternity and if there was a worse place than hell then that’s where Xola needed to be. 
     
It would be easier to get someone else to do it and spare him the trouble of getting his hands dirty, but he knew from experience it was better to deal with his problems head on. And Xola wasn’t just a problem, he was a cunning snake and deadlier than a Black Mamba, and the best way to take out a snake was cutting its head off.     
     
As if he could sense he was no longer alone, Xola’s eyes flew open and he blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightly lit room and his gaze landed on Anesu’s tall and menacing figure, watching him like a predator stalking its prey would before it found the perfect opportunity to go in for the kill.

He was the last person Xola expected to see and as much as he was confused about his visit, fear creeped in because this man wasn’t here to wish him a speedy recovery.
     
“W-W-What are you doing here?” He managed to ask after getting over his shock.
      
It wouldn’t be easy to defend himself against Anesu with his one hand restrained to the hospital bed, not that he would stand a chance on his good day but at least he’d feel better about his odds if he wasn’t in such a vulnerable state.
     
He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. “We need to talk.” His tone was forbidding as he brushed a piece of lint off his pants.     
     
Xola tried to sit up even though his head still felt heavy from the pain meds and panic set in his bones, leaving him rattled when he didn’t see the two officers who were posted outside his room. 
     
What was going on here?
     
Nothing about this situation made any sense, unless Anesu was here to kill him, acting on Kgomotso’s orders. She didn’t get the job done when she hit him with the vase so the next best thing was to send her boyfriend.
     
“How did you get in here? Those officers aren’t supposed to let anyone in.” asked Xola, moving his gaze back to the door in case he needed to call for help.
     
“That was the easy part.” Anesu smirked, enjoying Xola’s discomfort. He was acting exactly how Anesu had imagined, busy being a coward after all the shit he pulled. It would actually be funny if Nolitha wasn’t fighting for her life and Kgomotso wasn’t facing the possibility of going to prison. “I gave them cold drink money so we could have some privacy. We have a lot to talk about and I don’t want us to be interrupted.”
     
“Just tell me the truth, are you here to kill me?”
     
Anesu leaned closer, resting his elbows on his knees. “Please, don’t tempt me because I thought about it.” 
     
Looking into his eyes was all Xola needed to know that Anesu was telling the truth and if he happened to change his mind there was nothing he could do about it.
     
He sighed and finally drew his gaze from the door. “What do you want to talk about that was so important you had to come all this way?”
     
“I want you to tell the fucking truth because we both know that Kgomotso had nothing to do with this.”
     
His haughty laugh was cut short by the stabbing pain at the back of his head, which seemed to be triggered by any small movement he made.
     
“Eish.” He winced, adjusting the pillows to get comfortable. “She had everything to do with this the moment she opened her big mouth and told my wife about our relationship.”
     
“Lalela la.” Anesu pointed his finger at him, he wouldn’t hesitate to put his hands on Xola if he continued talking like he didn’t have sense. “I won’t stand for you insulting Kgomotso, sezwana? You better call Detective Zondi and tell him Kgomotso was never working with you.”
     
“Did she send you here to come and talk to me on her behalf?”
     
“Kgomotso didn’t send me to come to you because she doesn’t even know I’m here.”
     
“Well, you wasted your time coming here because I’m not changing my statement and you can go back and tell her that.” He wasn’t going to take orders from a man stupid enough to fall under the influence of Kgomotso’s love potion. 
     
“Are you sure that’s the game you want to play with me mfana ka Walaza because I guarantee you will not win.”
     
Xola couldn’t help the smile on his face. “I think I’ve already won, I killed my wife and managed to convince the police your girlfriend was working with me. I couldn’t have planned it any better even if I tried.”
     
“Oh, they didn’t tell you?” Anesu regarded him with a raised brow and savoured Xola’s bewildered expression a moment longer. It was the perfect Kodak moment.
     
“Tell me what?” he asked, panting.
     
“Nolitha is not dead.”
     
“You’re lying, she’s dead. I know I killed her. I killed her.”
     
Anesu shook his head. “She’ll be awake soon and we’ll find out what really happened last night.”
     
“You think I don’t know you’re lying to me?” He sighed and briefly closed his eyes like the memory of that night was too much for him to bear.
     
“Clearly there’s a lot you don’t know.”
     
“Is she really not dead?” Xola asked, wiping his face with the hospital gown.
     
“Yes, Nolitha is very much alive and I think it would be in your best interest to come clean now.”     
     
“It was a mistake…I didn’t mean to hurt Nolitha, please, you have to believe me. We were arguing and I panicked when she talked about divorce. I-I-I didn’t mean to push her but then I saw the blood and—”