Umthandazo. (A Love Prayer)

c13.

The morning sun cast a golden glow over Kwenzo's small apartment, signaling a new day full of possibilities. He had just finished brewing a pot of coffee and was savoring the aroma when a knock at the door interrupted his peaceful morning routine. He opened it to find Mbalenhle, his ex, standing in the hallway with a determined look on her face.

"Kwenzo, we need to talk," she said, her voice firm but laced with a hint of vulnerability.

Kwenzo's instincts told him to be cautious, but he stepped aside, allowing her to enter. They had been on good terms since their last conversation, and he had thought they had closed the chapter on their past. Apparently, Mbalenhle had other ideas.

As soon as she walked in, the tension was palpable. Kwenzo offered her a seat, but she declined, her eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made him shift uncomfortably.

"ubekwa yini lana Mbalenhle " Kwenzo asked, trying to sound calm, but his mind racing with possibilities.

"You know exactly what this is about," she replied, her voice rising. "You think you can just move on with your life, forget about me, and pretend like nothing happened?"

Kwenzo sighed, feeling a familiar frustration creeping up. "Mbalenhle, we've been over this. We apologized to each other, and we agreed to move forward. asikwazi ukuqhubeka sigxile kokwedlule"

"Forward?" she laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "You call this moving forward? You're with someone new, and you're just ignoring me, like I never existed? Like our relationship never happened?"

The argument escalated, with both of them raising their voices, each trying to make their point. Kwenzo's emotions were in turmoil, and in a moment of anger and frustration, he made a mistake. He pushed Mbalenhle away from him, his hands on her shoulders, trying to create some distance between them.

The instant his hands made contact with her, Kwenzo knew he had made a grave error. Mbalenhle's eyes flashed with anger, and she shoved him back, her face twisted in a mix of hurt and fury.

"How dare you!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "You think you can just push me around like I'm nothing?"

Kwenzo raised his hands, palms up, trying to calm her down. "Mbalenhle, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Let's just talk about this."

But Mbalenhle was beyond reason. She turned and stormed out of the apartment, leaving Kwenzo feeling guilty, angry, and confused. He knew he had to make things right, but he had no idea where to start.

As he stood there, trying to process what had just happened, he realized that the past was far from buried. It was still very much alive, and it was going to take a lot more effort to move forward than he had thought.