When You're Bound To Love

Chapter 44

I woke up and looked around me. Lakhe was next to me and Dabawo. I suddenly remembered what had just happened. Except why I landed in bed. Me: "I collapsed again didn't I?" Lakhe nodded. Dubs: "Ewe sisi." Lakhe: "Baby what's wrong?" Me: "I also don't know." Lakhe: "You keep fainting Spho." Luckily our fathers knocked and peeped in. Rob: "How are you angel?" Me: "I'm fine tata. Are you alright?" Rob: "I'm fine." Lakhe: "tata, what is mama talking about? Is this true?" Rob: "Yes. Please come to the lounge so I can explain myself." Lakhe: "Yes. Please. Because I'm very confused now." we all went to the lounge. Sandile, my mother, Sibu, Dumi, Vuyiseka, and Nosi were sitting there quietly. Rebecca was in the kitchen. We all sat down. Mama: "How are you my baby?" Me: "I'm okay mama. Just the headache again. Where is Stella?" Khaya: "She's gone." Sands: "Dad, I'm not understanding what just happened." Lakhe: "Tata, you said to me you left home at an early age. How come early age is 46 years? How?" Sands: "And tata how do you do that? At home? I mean your sister? Really tata?" Rob: "I left home young like I said. I had my boxing career, I'd finished school. I went to live in East London to focus more on the boxing. I'd never met Nomfundo before, she was my father's daughter outside his marriage with my mother. All this time I thought it was only me and my brother to my father. Every time I went home I would arrive and our dad wouldn't be home or on his way out. He was never home. We sort of got used to it as a family even though it affected our mother. She never told us anything. Years went by, I had my companies, I got Lakhe and Sandile. I was mostly focused. Until I met a woman in one of the offices, cleaning. She helped me with directions and a cup of tea. I started to talk to her more and took her out a few times. We got involved for about 6 weeks. Then she disappeared." he kept quiet. We waited patiently as he collected his thoughts. Rob: "I'd fallen in love with her." he whispered. Rob: "I was ready to lose everything I had. I just couldn't find her." Sands: "This is not awkward." he muttered. Rob: "I went back home a couple of months later to speak to my dad. I needed his advice. I told him everything at first he wasn't surprised that I wanted to leave my wife but he didn't know for who. After spending a few days at home, he tells me that he's expecting a child. I congratulate him, thinking maybe he's taking a second wife. The next day, the child arrived carrying her belongings. It was her. I can't begin to explain the pain that I felt. My dad put two and two together and threw me out. He disowned me because of his faults. Had I known I had a sister, I would probably had looked for her. That was 19 years ago and I'm not allowed back home." Sands: "So do you still have feelings for Dabawo?" Rob: "Not in that way. No." Lakhe: "How does mama know all this?" Rob: "When I went back to my house obviously I couldn't pretend anymore. I had anger and didn't want anything." Lakhe: "I remember that time. I was in grade 9. You never attended any of my sporting events. Always claimed you were busy or sick." Rob: "I'm sorry, my son. Your mother called home and they told her that I'm a disgrace to the family and betrayed them and so forth. She was beyond angry." Lakhe: "Why didn't she leave?" Rob shrugged his shoulders. Rob: "Who knows what happens in Stella's head?" Sands: "So Dubs you never knew about dad before you met?" Dubs: "uTata watsho ukuba unabantwana kodwa akazange asinike amagama abo. Wayesithi siyoze sidibane. Yafika ke imini, ndafika kwakhe, ndothuka kwaye yonke into yenzeka ngokukhawleza. Emveni emnkile uRobert bendiyayazi ndiyalandela kuba kaloku besendinzima inyanga ziyi 4. Bendingafuni uxabanisa family sendivile noba utshatile. Ndahamba ke ndayoziqalela ubomi." (My father had mentioned that he had children but never told me their names. He would say that one day I will meet them. The day I arrived, I was surprised and everything happened so fast. After Robert left, I knew I would be next because I was four months pregnant by then. I didn't want to break up a family, when I heard he was married so I left to start a new life.) Sands: "So, dad how do you feel having another blood child?" Rob: "All of you are my blood Sandile. I'm also happy that I finally got to meet her even though I didn't know she existed. Why didn't you tell me?" Dubs: "hayi kengoku. Bingeyo good idea lonto. Fact remained that siyazalana. Wena buzofuna ubayi family and bingasoze isebenze lonto." (No. That wouldn't have been a good idea. Fact remained we are related. You wouldv'e wanted to be a happy family and that wouldn't work.) Rob: "At least I would've been truly happy." he got up and walked out. Khaya: "We all make mistakes in life no one is perfect. There's nothing wrong. We're all still family and none of this should make us feel any different." I got up and went outside to Rob. He was standing in the garden alone. I could tell that he was really ashamed of what he had done. Me: "Its okay tata. We all understand. You don't have to be feel bad about it. It was 19 years ago." Rob: "It feels like it was yesterday Sphosenkosi. How could I do this to my own blood? Its as though I forced her. I can't forgive myself." I hugged his arm. Me: "Its okay. People have done worse things in life. You're a strong, brave man tata. It took guts to sit there and tell the truth when you don't have to explain yourself to anyone. You're honest. You're apologetic and that makes it forgivable in my eyes. Anyone who judges you is nothing short of a devil themselves." he chuckled. Rob: "You're a great daughter. I wish I'd just had one of you and stopped. My life would've been 10 times better." Me: "Thank you tata. You're also a great dad. All of your children appreciate you and love you just the way you are. They'll be a little spicy because they love you. There's nothing to be afraid of, the whole family has your back here." he wiped his eye. Me: "Don't cry." Rob: "I'm not crying. Just an eyelash stuck in my eye." Me: "Tata. You barely have eyelash hair. Come. Stop fibbing. Let's have our lovely dinner and plan your son's wedding." Rob: "Speaking of wedding. Any chance you guys could speed up grand daddy time?" Me: "You're still young tata. You've got enough time. Come." I pulled him back into the house. Everyone was busy with the setting up and carrying on as normal. Me: "See? All forgotten. You have a new daughter you need to get to know." Rob: "Thank you my princess." I smiled. Lakhe stood by the table drinking his cognac. He was in a bad mood. I could feel it. Me: "Hey baby." Lakhe: "He looks happy. What did you say to him?" Me: "He just needed some support. Nothing much." Lakhe: "I need a little support understanding whether I call this girl my cousin or my sister. He said he didn't want more children and I've never seen him happier." he emptied his glass down his throat and stared at them viciously. Me: "Baby....I understand why you're mad but your father loves you very much. You're his first son." Lakhe: "Love, you're sweet but that's not going to work on me. He had a child with the love of his life." Me: "But they can never be together. He knows this." Lakhe: "But they have a child. It's not just a child. It's a love child." Me: "So you're jealous?" Lakhe: "I'm not jealous." I scanned the room for Sandile and I found him walking over to us also with a glass in his hand. He stood next to his brother looking equally unhappy. Sands: "So what now? We're just garbage." Nosi: "Look at her squirming and giggling at his jokes." she joins us too. Lakhe: "He's not even funny." Sands: "Sometimes." Nosi: "So I'm not his little girl anymore." Lakhe: "We're nothing of his." Sands: "Replaced like dish washing liquid." Me: "Guys-" Sands: "Spho, don't give that 'He loves you very much' speech. We're not him." Me: "Okay. Reality check. You're not children!! His maybe, but you're adults that lived a very expensive, good life with him. He can't stop being your father but the way you're acting, I wouldn't blame him if he did. Stop being entitled brats. Support him and welcome your new sister. Good grief!" Sands: "Haibo Spho, I'm your favorite. Why are you yelling at me?" Me: "Act your age." Rob: "What's wrong?" Sands: "Nothing dad. Did we disturb you? Leisure time?" Rob: "What are talking about?" Lakhe: "We didn't mean to interrupt you and your love child." Rob: "My What?" Nosi: "Yeah dad. We apologize." Rob: "Okay, I see we have a problem now." Sands: "A problem? Where?" Lakhe: "Spho would understand, maybe you could huddle up in a corner and whisper about it and hug and advise each other to shut the rest of us out of your lives. Our perfect Daddy Daughter couple." Me: "You are so bitter." I chuckled. Rob: "Masilakhe, are you drunk?" Lakhe: "I'm not drunk tata." Me: "Are you mad at me?" Lakhe: "Why would I be mad at you? You're perfect." he took his keys and walked out. Rob: "Sandile. Get your brother back in the house." Sands: "Why? So you could try and butter us like bread? No, thanks dad. You can spend as much time as you like with your baby girl. I'm out." he walked out too. Nosi: "Don't even try me. I'm not here for you." she took out her IPhone and started clicking on it. I have never seen adult spoilt children until today. Imagine being jealous of a new sibling? They're ridiculous. Me: "Ignore them. Sooner or later they'll come crawling back to you. Go to Vuyi. She hasn't had a dad for all her life, your focus should be on her. These 3 are my babies for the night, I'll fix them." Rob: "Thank you Spho." I went to the kitchen for a snack. Rebecca was taking the food to the lounge.