PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

74

                                

     

They arrived at Lanseria airport late because Tinashe didn’t burp Khanya after feeding her and ended up covered in her breakfast, during the frenzy of getting changed he misplaced the car keys, which they spent twenty minutes searching for.
     
It was the weekend of the gala and Durban was the place to be for pompous politicians, one of them being Senzo Buthelezi. Treasure’s exposé never saw the light of day because Senzo had an associate that was well acquainted with the editor of Jozi Scoop, she didn’t condone corruption but was relieved that her reputation wouldn’t get dragged in the mud.
     
She tried to get out of attending the gala, navigating grief wasn’t easy, she hit rock bottom after ausi Daphne left and didn’t even possess the strength to get herself out of bed on most days, so she preferred not to be around people but Anesu wouldn’t hear it, because according to him being pregnant required 24/7 supervision.
     
It was also Khanya’s first visit to Ntuzuma and leaving her there for the whole weekend heightened Kgomotso’s anxiety, she checked and rechecked the big suitcase she packed to ensure nothing was left behind. She wanted to keep Khanya’s umbilical cord in the memory box but Sthembile told her to bring it so it can to be buried under a tree along with the others belonging to the Buthelezi children, she lost that battle and didn’t bother to fight because they had to keep their interactions cordial for this to work. They were doing imbeleko for Khanya on Sunday and Anesu thought it would help with her tantrums, Kgomotso however didn’t believe the tantrums had anything to do with spirituality or traditional rituals.
     
But then again, what did she know to have an educated opinion on these things?
     
A crew member carried their bags inside the jet because Anesu was occupied with getting the car seat out and she was too pregnant to handle heavy objects. She was only allowed to carry her handbag because even the diaper bag was off limits, it was ridiculous but she wasn’t going to tell Anesu that because in his mind he was doing ‘the right thing.’
     
Once inside she noticed the jet was more spacious than the one they used on their previous trips to Cape Town, she wasn’t shocked by such things anymore because being around rich people for almost a year allowed her to acclimate to the life of convenience. And it wasn’t hard to notice that’s what having money was all about; affording amenities that made life easier.         
     
“Aunty KG!” Makayla shrieked, abandoning her iPad to give Kgomotso a hug. Her unrestrained curls bounced around her shoulders and framed her oval shaped face. Mason waved from his seat because he wasn’t forward like his sister. Makayla’s gregarious personality was sometimes a lot for Kgomotso to digest.
     
Kgomotso first met them when Celiwe hosted Sunday lunch and Makayla was shy for the first five minutes after the introductions were made, by the end of the day she’d already told Kgomotso her age, favourite colour and the boy she had a crush on. They were raised differently because there was no way she’d be telling an elder about liking a boy at 10 years old.
     
“Hey.” Kgomotso returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. They were almost at eye-level because the Luthuli genes consisted of towering height amongst other things.
     
“Are you pregnant?” she asked, already caressing Kgomotso’s stomach. “Uncle Connor’s wife is also pregnant and they are having a girl.”
     
Touching her stomach without her permission was a big no for Kgomotso, it felt so invasive even when it was done by a 10 year old who didn’t know any better.
     
Kgomotso gently removed Makayla’s hands from her bulging stomach and she didn’t notice Kgomotso’s discomfort. “Yes, I am.”
     
“Are you also having a girl?”
     
“Do you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you?”
     
“I promise.” Makayla beamed, lifting her pinkie finger. Kgomotso did the same and whispered in her ear after their pinkie promise was sealed.
     
She put her hands over her mouth and giggled because she was mainly excited about being trusted to keep a secret.   
     
“So, I guess you don’t see me, huh?” said Anesu, putting down the diaper bag.
     
“Hi, uncle Anesu.” She smiled, sheepishly and hugged him too.
     
“How are you, Kay-Kay?”
     
“I have braces now, see?” She smiled, putting them on full display. “And Manson calls me Brace Face, please, tell him that’s not a nice thing to say.”
     
“But it’s true.” He retorted.
     
“Don’t ever call your sister that.” Tinashe reprimanded in Zulu, they understood it but couldn’t speak it well because it was something Bianca never encouraged, and Celiwe didn’t take it well but then again she never approved of anything Bianca did.
     
“But how is that fair because she calls me Dumb Head all the time.” 
     
Tinashe looked at Makayla with his brows raised, feigning disappointment as he cleared his throat. “Is that true, Kayla?”
     
The act fooled no one because they knew she was a daddy’s girl and could never do no wrong in Tinashe’s eyes.
     
“I won’t do it again,” she said, too quick to mean it.
     
“It’s good to see you, MaModise.” Tinashe acknowledged with a nod.
     
Kgomotso thought he’d go back to giving her the cold shoulder after the funeral but he seemed to have accepted that she was here to stay since as well there was a baby on the way, but she wasn’t ready to let her guard down around him just yet.  
     
“You, too.” Her smile was tense. Kgomotso would’ve loved for Jabu to be here but she left on Monday already because she didn’t trust anything would be done right without her supervision.
     
Anesu held her close, kissing the top of her head. “Why don’t you have a seat, baby, and I’ll ask the hostess to get you something to drink.”
     
“I’ll have water with ice, please.”
     
He frowned, scratching his head. “Isn’t it too cold to have ice?”
     
“Please, don’t start with me, Anesu,” she said, quietly and took Khanya out of the car seat. It was time for her nap but it didn’t look like that was going to happen because she was far more interested in what was happening around her, and missing nap time made her agitated when she could no longer stay awake.
     
Experts should write a thesis on how babies fight sleep like they have something better to do with their time, only to grow up and want nothing more than to sleep for days. They were right about growing up; it’s a scam.  
     
Makayla’s face lit up like a neon sign when she saw Khanya.
     
“Uncle Anesu?” she said, looking up at him.
     
“Yes, Kay-Kay.”
     
“How many times did you have sex with aunty KG?”
     
The earth must have stopped spinning or her hearing was rapidly declining because what was happening? Bianca did her children a disservice by raising them with the White mentality of treating grown-ups like their peers, the urge to say something was overwhelming but Kgomotso thought it was best to leave it up to Anesu since the question was directed to him. 
     
Her eyes darted to Tinashe’s seat but it was empty, when did he leave because he was there a moment ago?
     
“Why do you ask?”
     
Kgomotso’s eyes widened in shock because Anesu was entertaining Makayla instead of reprimanding her like any sane adult would. When did disciplining children go out of fashion because she clearly missed that memo?
     
“Well, my friend, Skylar told me that when a man and a woman kiss they are having sex and the woman gets pregnant and has a baby. So you and aunty KG must have a lot of sex because you have a baby and she’s pregnant again.”
     
Why was he looking at her?
     
Kgomotso proceeded to the reclining chairs, leaving him to finish what he started.
                                                                    *******