uThando

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

I stand rooted by the door, clearly paralysed at the sight in front of me. Banzi comes rushing into the room, bumping me on his way in. My body crashes against the frame on the door and I come crumbling down. He tries to catch me, but my butt is already on the cold floor. "Shit! I'm sorry baby," he apologises as he tries to get me up from the floor. I can't even feel a thing. My eyes are fixed on the woman who's not only carrying my son in her arms but is acting oblivious to the fact that she's trespassing and to our presence too. "Are you okay?" Banzi asks, panicked while running his hands all over my body. I nod, my eyes still fixed on Anathi. I don't even think he bumped me that hard. I'm sure I could have stabilised myself if I wasn't so disoriented. He shuffles for a bit beside me before he appears at the corner of my eye holding a gun. What the fuck? He stands at a distance from Anathi and slides the gun on his waist. I watch his back muscles flex as he bops his head side to side like cracking his neck or something. I can tell from his demeanour that he's beyond pissed. I've seen him angry but never this angry. He's raging, even his left leg is twitching. "Anathi. Ufuna ntoni apha?" He asks in a voice that clearly depicts how hard he's trying to control his anger. (What're you doing here) His voice is soft, calm but very cold. The bitch doesn't react to his question or to his voice. It's like she's in a world of her own; one where only her and Lina exist and we're not in it. Banzi shifts his weight and stands on another leg and starts drumming his fingers against his thigh. "Anathi," he growls lowly. He's losing his patience and is getting agitated. I won't lie, I'm scared. I expect a reaction from Anathi but not what she gives me, or us. She hums. Yep. She breaks into a soft melody and hums to Lina. My eyes are roaming erratically around her and over her body to see if she has any weapon on her which she can use to harm Lina but from where I'm standing, I can't tell. Banzi loosens his locks and frustratedly runs his hand across his face. If Anathi is not careful this man is going to kill her in front of her son whom she's using as a shield. I've seen Banzi lose his cool with her, so I know the only reason she's still alive is because of Lina in her arms. "Anathi, I am not going to repeat myself," he growls, louder and this time she flinches but doesn't look at us. Is this woman okay? I highly doubt it because if she was, she wouldn't be sitting there, pretending to not see us standing in front of her; no sane person would. She's poised and collected but one can see clearly that the screws are not all tight in her head. Intambo ayifiki e-parafinini. (She's crazy) Ai. Banzi and I continue to stand there, me paralysed, him I think uncertain what to do next since his next move might probably send her to the ER or to her death bed.

"He's grown so much," she utters after a while of us just staring at her and her ignoring us.

We remain silent and continue to watch her. I mean, what can we say, "yes he's grown"? Nah.

"He's got a beautiful smile..." she trails away, smiling down at him adoringly.

My heart slightly breaks at hearing her say that. He smiled at her; but then again, why wouldn't he? Anathi is his mother; she carried him for nine months so of course he'd recognise her.

"... Just like his father," she says giggling.

It's clear that she's having a monologue by herself because Banzi and I aren't engaging with her.

"He already looks like him. I thought after carrying him for nine months he'd at least have some of my features, but I guess Luba doesn't only have strong sperms but strong genes too."

She giggles yet again and finally raises her head. She'd better stop calling my man Luba or talk about his sperm. Those are my sperms now! Her eyes lock with mine and I don't know what I was expecting to find in them, but it was definitely not this... peace.

"You know, I never had the best of upbringings but... I always told myself that the day I had my own family, or a child at least, I'd be the best mother to them," she chuckles bitterly.