When You're Bound To Love

Chapter 63

I looked at him and laughed. Me: "Come inside, let me make you breakfast." I went to the kitchen leaving him at the door. Me: "How was Tokyo?" Lakhe: "Spho. Why did you leave home? I want you back in that house in an hour." Me: "No sweetie, I'll be in church in an hour." Lakhe: "I'm not fucking playing with you." Me: "What will you do? Drag me? Go ahead. I won't stop living because you magically appeared because apparently you're a magician. Apparently it's Wednesday today." he breathed and turned around walking out then the revving then a swoof sound. He was gone. I sighed in relief. I really did have to go to church. I was scared. But at the same time angry. Does he think he's a king? Mama: "Who are you talking to?" she walked in the kitchen with her gown on. Me: "Masilakhe. Wants me to go home. He said to me he'll be back on Wednesday." Mama: "Well Spho, maybe he felt guilty and came back earlier. Go to your husband and talk. All this rebellious behavior and being angry for no reason is childish." He started this. Me: "What if I don't want to?" Mama: "Is this about Siyanda?" Me: "No....I genuinely don't trust Lakhe. I get scared." Mama: "Why do you get scared?" Me: "He has these moments where he's so angry I can't recognize him. What if he hurts me?" Mama: "He would die before he ever touched you that way. He knows that. Go to your husband, talk to him." she boiled water in the kettle. Me: "What do you mean he would die?" Mama: "I would kill him if needs be, nobody gets to hurt my daughter unless they have a death wish." Me: "Mama...why you acting weird?" Mama: "I need to be alone." Me: "Oh..." so basically I was being chased out. I went to my bedroom looking for a dress for church. I would go straight home after the service. I got dressed, packed all my things. After saying goodbye to my mother I drove to church. I was angry. It wasn't because of Lakhe. My anger was deeply rooted. I was angry because I had a comfortable life before all this drama. I had a great job. I had a house. I had a boyfriend. Why did he have to be so weak? Why was he a jerk? Why did he cheat? Simphiwe was a comfortable person. I wouldn't have to be testing blood on t shirts with guns and running away from crazy psychotic family members. Money really cannot buy happiness. Nothing about all of this is real or happy. I parked my car at church attending service. "Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side. Ten thousand at your right hand but it will not come near you." Psalm 91. I sat in one of the benches at the back listening quietly until the service was over. I drove as slow as I possibly could until I arrived. From outside it looked as though no one was home. I stopped the car and took out my bags going in. Indeed no one was home. Yet. I calmed a little walking to my bedroom. When I opened the door, there he was. Masilakhe. Standing by the window with his phone in his ear. Lakhe: "Tengo que ir. Hablaremos despues." he hung up and looked at me. Me: "Hey." Lakhe: "Hi." I put my bags down. Lakhe: "Have you eaten?" Me: "No, I'll make a sandwich. I wasn't feeling well." Lakhe: "Okay." Me: "I'm taking these to the laundry room. Lakhe: "Spho..." Me: "Hm?" Lakhe: "I'm sorry." Me: "for what?" Lakhe: "For leaving you. For being rude. Being angry. You didn't do anything wrong and you didn't deserve it." Me: "Oh." Lakhe: "Do you forgive me?" Is he bipolar? Me: "No. You spoke to me like I was rubbish. You come to my home and demand me like I'm your possession. Then you had the audacity to accuse me of stealing a t shirt and threatening me? That is Not okay." Lakhe: "But you took it." Me: "I didn't!!! Why would I!" Lakhe: "Why are you lying? I'm trying to be reasonable here." Me: "You're accusing me of lying!" Lakhe: "Because you are. Just tell me truth, I won't get mad." Me: "I didn't take the t shirt." Lakhe: "I hate being lied to." Me: "Wow." I took my bags and went to the laundry room putting clothes in the machine and switched it on. I went to the kitchen to make food. I couldn't stomach anything at all though. Where is Dumi? Tata Rob? Nosi? Sands? Where did everyone go? Maybe they'll be back soon. I made a quick peanut butter sandwich and drank mango juice. He walked into the kitchen and looked at me. Me: "What?" Lakhe: "I'm not violent to you Spho. I never have been. I don't abuse women. Why can't you tell me the truth? What are you scared of?" Me: "Wow." Lakhe: "Sphosenkosi, I'm asking nicely. I'm giving you till tomorrow afternoon. Bring back that t-shirt. In the condition that it was in, exactly where you found it." Me: "I didn't take your t shirt." Lakhe: "You are aware that there are cameras in that closet right? And in all the other bedrooms of this house." oh....fuck. It would've been nice to know that. Lakhe: "Did you really think I'd leave my house without knowing what's happening inside it? I want my t shirt." I swallowed. Me: "I can't." Lakhe: "Why not?" Me: "I sent it away." Lakhe: "Away ? How?" Me: "Why do you ask if you already know?" Lakhe: "I'm not a witch, I can't know what you do outside the house." Me: "I just sent it away." Lakhe: "All I'm saying is. Bring it back." ......

I spent my whole afternoon trying to call Bulelani. His phone was off. Why was his stupid phone off! I had to go look for him. But I couldn't use my car. Me: "Baby. Can you check my car. Its making a noise." Lakhe: "What noise?" Me: "I don't know. Its like.... Krrrrrr. Please check." Lakhe: "I'll call a mechanic." Me: "But I want to go to Steers." Lakhe: "Why?" Me: "I crave Steers. Sibu always gets me chocolate milkshakes." Lakhe: "Oh." I 'accidently found' one of his favorite shows playing on TV. By 'accidently', I mean on purpose. And by 'found' I mean searched. His focus level was on 26% now. Me: "I'll get an Uber then." Lakhe: "My car doesn't make sound." Me: "I'm scared to drive your car. Can we go together?" Please bite. Lakhe: "Uber baby." Yayy! I requested my Uber. Waiting patiently. Me: "You want anything?" Lakhe: "No." Me: "Okay. I won't be long." Lakhe: "Ok." I went to the cab waiting outside and we drove off. I'd switched my phone off on purpose so that I'm untraceable. When I reached Bulelani's house, it looked locked and unattended. I knocked on the gate, rang the bell and finally he came out. Me: "hey!" BN: "What's up. Why are you here so early?" he rubbed his eyes. Me: "Its 4pm. I need to get the stuff back." BN: "Why?" Me: "Its a matter of life and death." BN: "I'm not done. I said by Friday." Me: "All you had to do was get samples of the blood or traces or whatever." BN: "its a lot more complicated than that. But if you want it, you'll get it. For 2k of course." Me: "Are you fucking serious?" BN: "I broke the first rule, this is the second and I'm going to break the 3rd to get the results for you in days. Do you realize I've put this issue of yours in top priority? People wait weeks for results. Months even. Do you want to wait that long?" Me: "I don't. Just give it back." BN: "No problem. Come back tomorrow. Around 10." Me: "Okay. I'll be here." I went back to the cab and we left for Steers buying my take aways. I finally went home. When I walked in the door, he looked at me. Lakhe: "You really went to Steers?" Me: "That's what I said." I sat down and started eating. Me: "Where's everyone?" Lakhe: "I sent them home." Me: "Why?" Lakhe: "This is our house. We will live together only from now on." Me: "Why?" he just looked at me. Me: "We were fine." Lakhe: "And we'll continue to be fine. I don't want crowds in my house. I want to come home from work, finding my wife cooking supper for us both." Me: "I'll be at work too." Lakhe: "Then we'll be cooking together. How is my baby? Is she kicking?" Me: "We need to talk about the baby." Lakhe: "Talk about what?" Me: "Before you left, I went to the doctor." Lakhe: "What for?" Me: "For a check up. I wanted to surprise you in Tokyo. Turns out the baby has an echogenic focus on his heart." Lakhe: "What's that? Some kind of disease?" Me: "Not really... Usually they mean nothing, but there is a test we could take to make sure nothing is wrong." Lakhe: "Usually? And if its not usually?" Me: "The baby may have problems after birth." Lakhe: "How safe is this test?" Me: "Its safe.....the only risk may be a miscarriage but its unlikely to happen." Lakhe: "So, let me get this straight. There is something on my child's heart, that may or may not be a problem. Whereby taking a test to make sure, actually risks his life all together?" Me: "Well-" Lakhe: "We're not doing that fucking test. My child is fine. This child stays undisturbed in your belly until he's ready to come out. I don't want nothing to disrupt his growth. Please don't go behind my back." I looked at the TV. Lakhe: "Are you hearing me, Spho?" Me: "I heard you." Lakhe: "Spho, honestly. Do you really want to risk the life of our second baby?" Me: "Why would you even think that?" Lakhe: "You're mad at me." Me: "Lakhe, I'm tired. Can you give me some space alone please?" Lakhe: "Space? Why?" Me: "I'm tired." Lakhe: "Then what do you need space for?" Good God. Why couldn't he just bloody disappear!

I woke up a couple of hours later. He was on the bed, staring at me. Me: "What you're doing is creepy." Lakhe: "There is number that keeps calling you on your phone, when I answer, they hang up." Me: "Why did you answer my phone?" Lakhe: "then you received a message..." Me: "And you read it didn't you?" Lakhe: "You switched off your on screen notifications and changed your password. What are you hiding, Spho?" Me: "I could ask you the same question." Lakhe: "It can't be an affair. I know you're not that stupid. What is it that you're hiding?" Me: "Nothing." Lakhe: "Then why the change." Me: "I just felt like it." Lakhe: "That's not it. I know you're hiding something. I know it has to do with me. I will look for it and when I find it... All hell will break loose." Me: "Are you threatening me? Again?" Lakhe: "This isn't a threat. Regard it as a notification." Me: "Good....because you wouldn't be that stupid." Lakhe: "What's that suppose to mean?" Me: "If you keep on threatening me, I will urgently show you something to be threatened of. I have been patient enough with your ass. You're irritating me now. I dare you one more time to make an empty threat." Lakhe: "Empty?" he got up and walked out the bedroom with half a chuckle. I heard him whisper a tune all the way to the lounge then all of a sudden.....he kept quiet.