PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

63

                              

     

They arrived at the hospital and made a quick stop at the gift shop to buy flowers and pink balloons, it was the best she could do since Kamo went into labour two weeks before her due date.
Kgomotso was in a hurry to get to the labour ward but Anesu’s firm grip on her hand slowed her down.
     
“Bathong, Anesu! If you walk any slower we’ll get there next year.”
     
He pulled her close as they waited for the lift to stop on their floor and a smile tugged at his lips. “I don’t want you to trip and fall in those shoes.”
     
Oh, my! Why did he have to look at her like that and make her feel like the only girl in the universe? She thought of taking them off but walking barefoot on the germ-infested hospital floors was not a viable option.
     
A warm blush stained her cheeks as her eyes found something else to gaze at, than getting lost in the depths of his soul.
The lift arrived with a soft ping and she hurried inside and Anesu trailed behind still holding her hand.
     
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?”
     
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
     
He let go of Kgomotso’s hand and grasped her chin, tilting her head up. “Umuhle maka Ntombikayise.”
     
His irresistible charm had her weak at the knees, she pressed her back against the wall to keep steady.
     
“You enjoy making me blush, neh?”
     
“Yes, because it means I’m doing something right.” He inched his face closer and teased her with a very brief kiss. 
     
“How did your appointment go?” she asked.
     
“It was good.” He tried to sound casual and not let anything slip because he wanted her to be surprised when he went down on one knee. There were already a few ideas floating in his head on how he planned to propose and enlisting Jabu’s help would make the outcome effortless, since she had a knack for perfection.   
     
He was hiding something and it wasn’t hard to figure out because of that smirk on his face.
     
“Was it about Justice?”
     
It didn’t take long for his smirk to transform into a pensive frown and she began to doubt an answer was ever coming.
     
“No, I have something else planned for him.”
     
“Details, please? I don’t want to regret telling you about this, Anesu.” She looked at him with pleading eyes.
     
“I promise you, it’s nothing illegal.”
     
She trusted him because he had never stepped out of line so far and prayed it stayed that way.
     
“Okay.”
     
Anesu masked his discomfort around hospitals with a tolerant smile as they made it out of the lift. Kamo was in a private ward, holding a red-faced baby, sucking on her breast while surrounded by Lwazi, Sello and Prudence. Their arrival wasn’t noticed because they were all engrossed with the baby. It was a surprise to see Sello without his signature cardigan and his dyed hair didn’t have the desired effect, it was clear to see who was behind the makeover.
     
“Dumelang.”
     
All eyes turned to them and Sello pulled a face, focusing his mean glare on Kgomotso. “You have some nerve showing up here after what you did.”
     
It seemed they were still on shaky ground after Caroline’s rampage, something Kgomotso wasn’t aware of but she didn’t have the energy for his nonsense and if he kept the attitude up, he was bound to find out how fed up she was.
     
“Daddy, please, I called Kgomotso because I want her here.”
     
He shook his head like he found it hard understanding a word she said or maybe those tight pants were cutting the circulation to his brain. “You shouldn’t have because the people that matter are already here.”
     
“The only person I see here who doesn’t matter is your flavour of the month.”
     
Sello’s jaw dropped and the icy stare from Prudence was meant to kill but it was gone in a split second, Kgomotso thought she imagined it. Prudence should’ve been an actress like Jessica because she excelled at playing a saint, her best performance yet was crying at the drop of a hat when Sello got home after her frantic call to find Caroline trashing their house Madea style like they weren’t exchanging vile insults in his absence. 
     
“Wena!” He pointed his abnormally long finger at Kgomotso. “I always knew you were a piece of rubbish like your mother and I feel sorry for this young man because he can do so much better.”
     
Somewhere in the Bible (Kgomotso couldn’t remember the verse) they talked about children being punished because of their parents’ sins and Sello was content with nailing her to the cross for Caroline’s wrong doings, forgetting that she was also Caroline’s victim. 
     
“Daddy!” Kamo clutched the baby close to her chest, poor thing got startled by the shouting.
     
“With all due respect, Ntate, you can say all you want about your ex-wife but never disrespect the mother of my child again because I won’t be so forgiving next time.”
     
Why did she find his macho act so incredibly sexy? Every woman deserved a man who didn’t hesitate to stand up for her because it was one hell of an aphrodisiac, forget oysters.
     
They glared at each other, a test to see who would break first while unspoken words seemed to pass between them. Sello with his chest puffed out like he stood a chance against Anesu and he regarded Sello with casual confidence, knowing Sello was no match for him. Their testosterone took an ambiguous shape, growing tall and reckless as they continued the staring contest.
     
Where was Sello hiding this brazen version when Caroline was around?
     
“Daddy, can you please give us a moment.”
     
Kamo’s words called for his attention and he reluctantly pulled his gaze away from Anesu. “You’re chasing me out?” He was in disbelief.
     
“It’s okay.” Prudence caressed his arm and smiled. “We’ll come back later.”
     
Sello nodded, his lips set in a grim line and they both hugged Kamo, congratulating her one last time before taking their leave.
     
“We bought flowers.” Kgomotso put them down and Anesu tied the pink balloons to the bed.
     
“Hi, mommy.” He beamed at Kamo.
     
“Hi,” she said, shyly, tucking her breast back inside the gown.
     
“Congratulations, she’s beautiful like you.”
     
“I agree.” Lwazi chimed in, with a gentle brush on the baby’s cheek. They were a picture perfect family, complete with the addition of their daughter and he wasn’t going to mess it up. Starting from today Nomusa was ancient history.
     
“You did my friend here a favour because she looks nothing like him.”
     
“Hai, ndoda, stop flirting with my wife.” Lwazi grumbled.
     
“Relax.” Anesu patted his shoulder. “I only have eyes for one woman.”
     
Kamo cleared her throat, looking up at her husband. “I’m hungry.”
     
“I’ll ask the nurse—”
     
“No.” She firmly shook her head. “Go buy me something to eat, I was in labour for 12 hours surely I deserve a burger, ribs and some wings.”
     
“You want all of them?”
     
“Lwazi?!” She glared at him.”
     
“Okay, baby, anything you want.” He planted a kiss on her lips. “Daddy will be back now-now, Khanya, uyezwa.”
     
Her tiny head followed the sound of her father’s voice and that made Lwazi smile. He felt a profound joy, which mended his heart from the heartbreak Nomusa caused him and nothing he did would ever be enough to show how grateful he was to Kamo for their precious gift.
     
“Asambe, ndoda, I won’t leave you here alone to flirt with my wife.”
     
“And, please don’t smoke, I won’t let you hold my baby if you come back smelling like an ashtray.” She warned.
     
“I will never touch a cigarette again, I promise.”
     
He didn’t sound convincing, which was why Kamo rolled her eyes once they disappeared out the door.
     
Kgomotso sat on the chair Prudence occupied earlier, watching as Kamo gently brushed the baby’s hair. The tenderness in her touch was reflected in her loving smile and the serenity on her face, it was a sight to behold because Kgomotso never envisioned Kamo putting anyone else before herself.
     
“I apologize for my father, he shouldn’t have said that.”
     
Kgomotso shrugged, still mesmerized by her sister’s affection towards the tiny stranger in her arms and began to wonder if her motherly instincts would also kick in so naturally. “It’s water under a bridge now.”
     
“Do you want to hold her?”
     
“You don’t mind?”
     
Kamo’s smile widened. “No, you’re her aunt.”
     
“Okay.” Kgomotso held out her arms, ready to receive the red-faced baby.
     
Kamo giggled at her eagerness. “You have to wash your hands first.”
     
Duh! What was she thinking?! She rushed to the sink and was back before Kamo changed her mind.
     
“Sit and then I will give her to you.” Kamo instructed.
     
Kgomotso was an amateur and it showed, as Kamo helped her balance the head and wrapped the blanket tightly around the tiny body, trapping her arms inside. She searched and found the hat on the bed and put it on her baby.
     
“So, Khanya?”
     
“Kamo nodded. “Lwazi chose it. Khanya Reitumetse Buthelezi, she looks perfect in your arms.”
     
“You think so?” Kgomotso was unsure, her sister probably still had residual pregnancy hormones in her brain.
     
“Yeah.”
     
“She has big lips and so much hair for a baby.” Not that she knew how much hair new born babies were required to have, so that was a moot point.
     
“I know, right?” Kamo giggled, her eyes never left Khanya once. “I never thanked you, Kgomotso.”
     
“Thank me for what?”
     
She sighed. “Talking me out of having an abortion, I never knew I could feel complete until now. Reitumetse brought Lwazi and I closer, and I didn’t think that would be possible. Of course we love each other but I always yearned for something and I thought getting married would fix it but we almost reached our breaking point. I wish I could blame Caroline for all of it but I’m to blame for some of the choices I made.”
     
“Bathong, Kamo, were things really that bad between you two?”
     
She slowly nodded, keeping the sombre expression on her face. “Yes, I even considered leaving him for Churchill and he even bought me a ring to seal the deal but I’m where I belong and I know that now.”
     
“That’s good and you need to stay away from Churchill and give him back his ring.”
     
“I tried but he said I should keep it in case I change my mind, he’ll wait no matter how long it takes.”
     
Kgomotso frowned. “Is he well upstairs? Because he doesn’t sound sane to me.”
     
“Yeah, he is, but can be compulsive sometimes.”
     
“Then you can give it to me, so I can propose to myself since Anesu is dragging his feet and it’s so frustrating because he knows I don’t want to have our baby out of wedlock.”
     
“Should I ask Lwazi to talk to him?” Pity lurked in her eyes as she caressed Kgomotso’s arm.
     
“No, thank you, that will make things worse. I’ll have to find another way to get him moving because the clock is ticking.”
     
“You can always leave subtle hints for him, buy bridal magazines and leave them around the house, borrow his laptop and search for engagement rings, wedding dresses and venues. They’ll be in the browser history for him to find.
     
“Is that what you did?” Kgomotso laughed but quickly stopped when Khanya stirred in her arms, she was expecting tears but clearly this child was an angel because she made no sound.
     
“Yes, and it worked.”
     
“Okay, I’ll try it.”
     
“And you’ll be Mrs Luthuli before the end of the year, don’t say I didn’t tell you.”
     
Kgomotso’s arm was going numb and the little diva preferred to sleep than be curious about her surroundings. She got up to put Khanya in the cot but Kamo asked to hold her instead, proving she was already obsessed.
     
“Are you going to call Caroline?”
     
“No, I think it’s best I keep her out of my life. I don’t want her poisoning my daughter like she did with us. Do you still talk to her after she dragged you into that fiasco?”
     
Kgomotso sighed, shaking her head. “I guess wherever Caroline is, she won the lotto because she hasn’t called me once asking for money.”
     
“If she won the lotto, the whole of South Africa would know because she would live to torment Daddy and Prudence. Maybe she found a Ben 10 and eloped.”
     
“I doubt it, but wherever she is I hope she’s alive,” said Kgomotso.
     
“She wouldn’t die before Daddy and miss the chance to dance on his grave, she will not be a peaceful ghost if that happened.”
     
Yes, Caroline had her flaws but it didn’t seem right for all of them to turn their backs on her, the world was already unkind to women. It won’t be easy convincing Kamo to forgive and forget but it had to be done, their children had to know their grandmother.
     
“What is Anesu getting you as a push present?”
     
Kgomotso shrugged, distracted by the question because she thought such things wouldn’t matter to Kamo anymore. “I haven’t thought about it, I don’t even think I want anything.”
     
“I’m getting a Maserati.” She said with her whole chest.
     
“Just like that?!”
     
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in her voice. “Pushing Khanya through the birth canal was hard labour of blood, sweat and tears, and I have stretch marks on top of that. I’m due some compensation for my suffering, you must also start thinking of what you want and not let Anesu off the hook so easily.” 
     
What would top a Maserati? A beach house in Mauritius? Maybe a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive, the possibilities were endless.
     
“Kgomotso?”
     
“Huh?”
     
“Remember the first family trip we took to Sun City?”
     
“I do. Caroline bought us matching swimsuits.” The memory brought a smile on Kgomotso’s face.
     
“I remember how happy I was that you were there with us and I want us to do it again, once the kids are a bit older. Go with the husbands and create new, fun and happy memories, something our kids will cherish forever.” There was something lurking in her eyes and Kgomotso couldn’t place, it eluded her the harder she chased after it.
     
“I don’t think Anesu would mind.”
     
“That’s good, now be a good aunt and take some pictures of your niece, but before you do get me some lipstick and a hairbrush. I’m sure I look horrible.”