NKANYISO MADIDA
“So I am your client now?” Nandi stands up, harshly grabs her purse and leaves. I follow her but my eyes are on Samantha the whole time. Luckily her attention is on her friends. I hope she hasn’t told Leah about this. I increase my pace trying to catch up with Nandi. She shouldn’t be acting dramatic like this, I don’t want Samantha picking up something suspicious. And Nandi should at least let me explain.
“Nandi wait!” I finally manage to catch up with her and block her way, “Wait. Please wait.”
“Wait for what, Nkanyiso? You want me to smile when you just called me your client?”
I sigh trying to think of a lie but nothing is coming to mind. Maybe I should just tell her the truth. There is no use keeping this from her after all she already knows that I have a wife, “Let me explain, can we talk in the car?”
She rolls her eyes and walks towards the car. I unlock the doors, we both go in and then I drive out. “I am listening,” says Nandi.
“That was Samantha. She is my wife’s best friend.”
She scoffs, “Your wife’s friend? How is that my business?”
“She might tell my wife.”
She claps once, “Wow, Nkanyiso, just wow. So you don’t even want your wife to know I exist. It’s clear I will always be second to you. I am getting sick of this.”
“Come on Nandi it’s not like I knew we were going to bump into Samantha. I panicked and said the first things that came into my mind.”
She says, “I don’t like how you handled it. As if it’s not already embarrassing that you are making me your side woman now you are denying me.”
“I am sorry it seemed like that. Samantha just caught me by surprise, you know I care about you.”
She folds her arms, “I am tired of being your side woman. If you love me as you claim then marry me.”
“Nandi come on. My wife doesn’t even know about us.”
“No Nkanyiso…if you love me as you claim then tell your wife about us. I don’t want to be a side woman forever,” she says and I can tell she is serious. It’s easy for her to say, she has never met Leah. My wife would kill her if she found out about her. She would kill us both.
I sigh, “I will try to tell Leah.”
“Don’t try, tell her if you still want me in your life,” she turns up the radio meaning that is the end of the conversation. Only if she knew that it isn’t that easy. How do I tell Leah about her? I love them both but I care about Leah’s feelings more and I know she won’t take this easy.
I drop Nandi off at her place and then drive home. Now I don’t know what to expect at home. What if Samantha already mentioned today to Leah? I need to calm down.
“Hey, baby!” I kiss Amahle who is watching TV. I think we need to disconnect the TV just to get this child to do other things because her addiction to TV is getting out of hand. To think she would be happy that her father is back home like other kids her age but she doesn’t care. As long as she is not hungry and has Wifi – her life is complete. I look for Leah around the house and find her in the laundry room. She is ironing clothes.
“Hey, baby,” I walk up to her and kiss her.
“Hey.”
“You look tired,” I envelope her from behind and rest my chin on her shoulders, “Why are you overworking yourself?”
“If I don’t do it, who will?”
“You could get a helper,” I suggest but she shakes her head, “There is nothing wrong with getting help.”
“I can do it.”
“How was your day?” I ask and look around the room. She looks like she had a busy day and she looks exhausted.
“I was making sure everything is fine around the house. Buying groceries, cleaning around and other things one can do in the house.”
I clear my throat, “I saw Sammy today. I was at Fourways with a client and saw her.”
“Sammy is everywhere.”
I guess that means Samantha didn’t tell her anything. I say, “Get some rest, my love. You look tired.”
“If I leave this then I will be giving myself more work next week.”
I kiss her forehead, “I will handle supper, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Thanks my love,” she smiles faintly. I kiss her forehead and head out but she stops me before I close the door, “I found this in your pocket.”
I catch what she just tossed at me. It’s a pack of condoms, “You found it in my pocket?”
“Don’t act dump. Who are you using protection with?”
I choke on my saliva, “Leah how can you ask me that?”
“We don’t use protection so why do you have it?” she asks and I don’t respond. “Your mother once told me that something was done to all Madida men so that they are faithful to their women. It’s a family thing. So if you are cheating your woman will suffer for it. I was already introduced to the Madida ancestors so I don’t get affected.”
I chuckle nervously, “I would never cheat on you.”
“I would rather you tell me the truth if you no longer love me.”
I walk up to her and kiss her, “You are the only one I love, I swear.”
I leave the room. Why am I finding out about this today? They did something to us and it’s a family thing? How come I don’t know anything about it? I dial Nigel.
Nigel: What do you want?
Me: Am I on speaker?
Nigel: Not anymore, what’s up?
Me: Don’t ask why I am asking but just answer my question. Was something done to us, Madida men so that we stay faithful to our women?
Nigel: I heard so but I don’t think those things work.
Me: So something was done to us?
Nigel: Yes, it’s a ritual mom did whenever all the boys turned ten. She said it was a way of making sure that we don’t turn into our father. You know our father was a womanizer.
Me: So then how does it work?
Nigel: How am I supposed to know? Wait, are you cheating on Leah?
Me: It’s complicated, man. How do I get rid of this thing that was done to me?
Nigel: You are cheating on your wife? What is wrong with all the men in this family?
Me: You don’t understand.
Nigel: There is nothing to understand here... you and Mazwi are just a piece of shit. You don’t even deserve this family name.
Me: Please don’t tell mom.
Nigel: I am telling her! I am telling her that you are just like our father.
I shouldn’t have made that call now everything will be out in the open. My mother will come to Johannesburg and Leah will know the whole truth. And why would our mother do something to us without our consent? I guess that explains why Nandi bleeds every time we get intimate. Today before we left her house, we did it and she bled.
Today I wanted to cook supper but I am no longer in the mood so I will order something. I need to find a way to fix this, Nandi can’t be suffering because of me. I don’t even know how this works. Will everything stop if I tell the truth? Leah would murder me. I am surprised at how calm she was about the condoms. My phone rings and I also pee on myself when I see the caller ID. I go outside to answer it.
Me: Ma!
Mom: What is this I am hearing from your brother? You are cheating on Leah?
Me: It’s complicated.
Mom: Nothing is complicated, you are unfaithful to your wife and you are telling me it’s complicated.
Me: I love them both.
Mom: Then how come you are keeping the other woman a secret? Why are you hiding her if you love her as you claim?
Me: I was waiting for the right time.
Mom: You are just like your father, you can’t keep your pants up!
Me: Don’t compare me to that man. I am nothing like him and I will tell Leah the truth.
Mom: I am very disappointed in you, Nkanyiso. At your age, one woman cannot satisfy you.
Me: It’s not about that, Leah is stubborn and doesn’t listen.
Mom: You knew she was like, why did you marry her then?
Me: I love her but I also want a woman that doesn’t challenge me as she does.
Mom: You are just making an excuse for your cheating. And I hope she leaves you when she finds out the truth. You don’t deserve her.
Me: You know I love her. I am human after all and I didn’t choose to fall for another woman.
Mom: That is just bullshit! Tell Leah the truth or I will. I won't let you continue lying to that poor girl.
Me: I will tell her.
Mom: Tell her today because I coming to Joburg next weekend and I will tell her myself.
Me: (sigh) Is it true you did something to us?
Mom: Yes, I was trying to make you better people but it seems your father’s demonic spirit of being a womanizer runs in the Madida genes.
Me: That was wrong of you mom. What if someone’s child would have been hurt?
Mom: That’s a lesson not to sleep with married men and not only will she bleed but it affects her womb.
Me: That’s the same as witchcraft mom!
Mom: You are a married man and what woman in their right mind sleeps with a married man? That is the prize for unfaithfulness.
Me: When will it stop?
Mom: When the other woman is your wife... when she is introduced to the Madida ancestors. Or when you go back to the person that started this whole thing…
