True Love's Bite

45 // Now, Forever, & Always

If someone had told me this would be my life a year ago, I would have probably thought they were mocking me. I felt like I lived through a lot, experienced so much, and just felt a lot.

My stay at the hospital was bittersweet, I've had some scary moments. Turns out being a mother takes a lot more than just caring a baby in your womb, these past two weeks proved that there was a lot that went into parenting. I was officially initiated into motherhood.

The trauma of seeing him being rushed to the emergency room for suctioning on a few occasions because the food came out through his nose, to witnessing the mother next door devastated because her baby was rushed back to ICU and realising that I was on a thin ice. Coming to understand and interpret Mpilo's different cries and learning how to act in every situation.

Nonetheless, I learned to appreciate the good that came with the bad. My heart filled with warmth at the rate he was growing. Maggie's secret did the trick, Sy gave Mpilo a drop of his blood whenever he got the chance, his weight picked up much quicker than expected and he reached the required target.

Now we could finally go home.

I was ecstatic and nervous altogether, because I feared that I wouldn't have anyone to help me at home, especially since I was advised not to expose my baby to a lot of people. I felt much safer in the hospital because the nurses were always just around the corner to help.

We were both discharged, we were just waiting for Sy to fetch us. It was already getting late and he was still not here after sending a text at 12p.m. saying he was on the way.

Imagine my surprise when Karabo came instead. "Hi," she greeted awkwardly.

I just stood there, drained of the energy to even ask why she was fetching me instead of Sy, I was already exhausted from the wait alone. She grabbed my suitcase and the baby's bag, and I trailed behind her as she led us to the parking lot. Thankfully, Sy had bought a new aber for Mpilo, which was handy since the nurses advised me to continue to Kangaroo him at home.

I was surprised when the man who was with Karabo when she accompanied me to my aunt's house exited the vehicle to get my door, and I did not miss the blush on Karabo's face when he looked at her. If that was not proof enough, their behaviour during the drive said everything, they were holding hands, and only ever let go for a second to change the gears.

Karabo honestly deserved to be happy after everything she's been through, I was truly glad for her.

"Yvonne, do you mind if we stop somewhere before heading home?" She asked thirty minutes into the ride.

Do I have any other choice? I wondered. All I wanted after the long day I had was to go home. I couldn't even call Sy because my phone was flat. I didn't get to answer because Mpilo chose that moment to be restless and squirmy. In the process to calm him, I ended up falling asleep too from the exhaustion.

"We are here!" When I heard that announcement, I expected to find myself outside our gate, but I was disappointed to see that we were pretty much still in the city. "Come on, let's get inside, I will be a while, plus it's much warmer. Besides, Daniel still needs to refill the petrol, so we will wait here."

I dragged my breath, unable to hold it in anymore. "What was so important that Sy had to send you? I would have been home long ago! I am exhausted, I need a bath, a change of clothes, a homecooked meal, and if possible, my bed too. Mpilo will wake up any time, and I need to express milk before then. If Sy knew he wouldn't be able to pick me up from the hospital, he should have said so, I would have requested a cab much earlier!" After all that talk, the last thing I expected was to be greeted by utter silence.