BANGIZWE
We are up early and ready to leave the house. On a normal Saturday we would still be cuddled up in bed looking towards to a lazy day but this isn't any other Saturday. They are both calm about this and I'll take it as a good sign. I know this is one important day and I'm nervous as fuck but of course can't show it, I need to be this strong man that's expected of me.
I wait for Nandi to get done, Although we've been offered a venue for this, she insists on arriving early to help with the cooking and I'm not going to stop her. Whatever keeps her calm works for me as well, through all of this.
"All done," She says stopping in front of me.
"You look beautiful," I say and kiss her cheek.
"Thank you, are you ready to go?"
"I am, wena?"
"Me too,"
"Thank you for this, sthandwa sami. I really do appreciate it," I tell her. I know this is taking too much from her but the way in which she's handling this whole thing makes things easier on my side. She could be making my life hard right now or she could have said she doesn't even want to meet Lulama but that's not who Nandi is, and I'll never not be grateful for that.
"We're in this together-" She stops when her phone rings, it's her sister Slindile. She puts it on silent then tucks it away.
"And then?"
"I don't have the energy for her this morning, I'll speak to her when we get back," She says and I don't object. I know I'm not Slindile's favorite person and my days of giving a fuck about that are long over, I couldn't care less, it's not like she's on my list of favorite people either, I just tolerate her because she's my wife's sister.
I lock up and drive us to my brother's place and the mood is chilled between us. When we arrive, the family is already up. My sister in law gets the door for us.
"Hi ma," I greet jokingly and she laughs along.
"How are you guys? Come in," She makes way.
"Where's the big man?" I ask looking around for my brother.
"Just follow the TV sound," She says then whisks Nandi away.
I do as I'm told and it leads me to their lounge. He's sitting with Ntombikayise while she happily claps and attempts to sing along to the baby songs.
"A whole CEO watching coco melon!?" I start and he gives a defeated look.
"Shut up," He mumble turning down the volume a bit. His daughter looks at him, clearly unimpressed with his action of turning down the volume and he sighs then pretends to turn it back up, kids are really easy to fool.
"Zishan, daddy shark?" I ask and he glares at me making me laugh, it's the fact that I never though uNkosiyabo was capable of becoming a softie, look at him now, she's the boss of him... After his wife of course.
"What? You seem to be enjoying these songs a little too much too," I continue with my teasing. "Angithi Ntombikayise? Isn't it daddy loves these songs as much as you do?" I take her and spin her a little.
"Da-da," She responds with a cute smile.
"Yes, da-da. That big man over there," I point at him and she follows my finger, when her eyes land on her father she grows overjoyed like she's seeing him for the first time. She opens her arms leaning towards him.
"Seriously? Just like that? And here was thinking I'm your favorite,"
Like she understood what I just said, she shakes her head and beckons for her father to take her.
