[LARONA]
‘I got them matching outfits and they refuse to wear them’ I say to Kuli while she’s busy making dessert behind the kitchen counter and she laughs. We’re at the farmhouse and everyone is outside. I came to keep her company inside here. This is the only place she gets to be herself without carrying the royalty status on her head and its responsibilities. We decided to host the family because damn, we’ve been through a helluva lot. Of course some names were left out of the guest list because we don’t need drama here.
‘You were taking a fat chance and you know it. The boys have never liked looking alike even when they were still in kindergarten. What makes you think they’ll agree now when they’re ten?’
I’m so bored. They are always pulling in a different direction to mine.
‘I’m convinced they hate me and they’re conspiring to kill me’ I state and she laughs even harder.
‘Ever so dramatic’ – she slaps my hand when I reach for another peach half – ‘These are for dessert. You should be helping me but you’re sitting there digging into the ingredients’
She must leave me alone. Fatigue has me by the nipples and this was mostly her idea. Court was not a joke this week. I need a couple of days off.
AK throws himself into the kitchen and we both turn in his direction. Why does he look so panic-stricken?
‘What’s wrong papa?’ I ask.
‘I did something horrible’
‘What did you do this time?’ Kuli asks defeatedly and turns the oven off. I can’t get used to him being taller than me. When did he grow? When I wasn’t paying attention? Time really flies.
‘I… I didn’t mean to hit her’
‘You got into another fight?!’ Kuli loses it.
‘It wasn’t exactly a fight. We were arguing and I backhanded her. Now she’s on her way to the cops’
‘Who? Nkateko?’ I ask. He nods.
‘Akani, you hit your girlfriend???’ Kuli carries her hands over her head.
‘I didn’t mean to. I swear I didn’t’
I am shocked but he does look remorseful. He takes out his phone and says she just texted him that the cops are on their way to the royal house. I take it away from him when he attempts to type.
‘Don’t respond to anything via text. Why do you want to incriminate yourself? Was it just the two of you when it happened?’
He nods. Kuli looks at me with disbelief. I shrug, What?
‘I’ll handle this’ I assure and grab my car keys.
‘Must be nice having a defence lawyer as a mother’ Kuli jabs at me. She mustn’t start.
I wake up from the dream with a pounding heart. It was like talking to the teenage version of Kurhula.
That felt way too real.
…
Kago is finally here and I feel whole again, although she’s heartbroken and I have to pick up the pieces as always.
‘I knew he was too good to be true’ she wails even further. I hand her another sheet of tissue and she blows her reddened nose.
‘You didn’t, otherwise you would’ve known better. Stop beating yourself up about this’
I need to go to work but I can’t tell her that. She will think I’m abandoning her. I’ll give her fifteen more minutes of my morning and hope that Kurhula doesn’t have my head for breakfast. I already know he’s in a bad mood because I couldn’t reach him yesterday. He’s not taking the whole thing with Kuli being comatosed well, if I can call it that. I had to come back here for Kago and to get some work done.
‘But think about it couzzy. This man has it all; the looks, the perfect bank account and the charisma. Something had to be wrong with him. Same way with your husband. He couldn’t be yours ole one’
Ke tsena kae? Why am I innit?
I silently hand her more tissue paper because if I respond, I’ll end up dying for her ex’s sins.
‘You still haven’t told me what happened in Sandhurst?’
‘What more do you want to hear Lala? The guy is married with two ugly kids. They take after his beast of a wife, which makes me wonder what he saw in her to even choose her over me?!’
I almost laugh but manage to contain it.
‘Muffin, do you want me to tell you the truth?’
She raises her bloodshot eyes at me. I will tell her anyway.
‘Stop allowing these men to make you their trophy. Adjust your boundaries a bit and I don’t mean go lower’
She frowns and I stand up. I can tell when she’s about to spray vomit everywhere.
‘I need to go to work. I’ll see you later’ I steal a kiss from her cheek and pick up my tote bag. I hope I don’t knock off too late so we can go get some ice cream. In terms of mjolo, my girl has seen enough flames to grill a whole cow well-done. I receive a call from Kuli while I’m trying to unlock the door.
‘Look who’s back?’ I answer and she huffs out laughter.
‘Morning. Are you busy?’
‘I’m on my way to the office. How are you feeling?’
‘I’ll live. Is he there?’ I’m walking as I speak.
I can tell she’s not okay.
‘No. I have been trying to reach him since yesterday and he wasn’t answering my calls. I thought he was there with you?’
I hear her sigh. The only thing that convinced me he’s okay is his last seen on WhatsApp. We’re all going through a lot here and I have decided to give him the space he obviously needs. Him ignoring me hurts but what I am not going to do is chase after him.
‘He stormed out of here yesterday and I haven’t been able to reach him since’
I’m not sure if it’s my place to ask if they fought. Navigating polygamy is so difficult. Whoever decided that this was the fate suitable for me surely hates my guts.
‘I poked a hornet’s nest but I had no choice Lala but I’mnow realizing that my timing was completely off’
I stop in the middle of the road next to the lady who sells fat cakes. I greet her with a wave and she waves back with a smile. I had no chance to have breakfast because I was busy nursing my cousin’s broken heart.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I told him that his grandfather wants him to bury the hatchet with regard to everything that occurred between him and his father. He didn’t take it well’
My chest deflates. Why now?
‘Is it that necessary? You know very well how Kurhula feels about his dad’
‘I’m afraid it is. If he doesn’t forgive, Edward will succeed in getting AK to take his name and then that boy will turn into him. We all don’t want that’
The dream I had comes back to me in 3D.
‘Are you still there, Lala?’
I hear her voice and I remember that I’m still on the phone. I relay it to her and she goes dead quiet. Why am I suddenly feeling nervous? My hands are even shaking. The vendor lady asks me if I’m okay and I nod. I’ve even lost my appetite.
