When You're Bound To Love

Chapter 110

SPHO**

My marriage has been rocky for the past few weeks. Lakhe was stressed with work and spent most of his times buried in paperwork. It was a Tuesday afternoon. The week before the hotel event. Everything was crazy. This morning I had to take Chris to day care, then go to the doctor for my weekly check up after that, meetings all day. I was 8 and a half months now. Soon I'd have to pop. Hopefully after the event because I could not afford to miss it. It was getting more difficult to get up from bed, I had to roll around like a whale. After my shower, the next athletic activity was putting on lotion then getting dressed after that. Not to mention shoes. I've given up on lace ups, all I wore was slides. After getting dressed I took my things. Lakhe was still sleeping and from the snarl I got a few days ago for waking him, I was not going to do it again. I paddled like a penguin to the lounge where Sandile was sitting watching TV. He was already dressed. All black as usual. Sands: "There you are." Me: "Morning." I sneezed. Sands: "What's that?" Me: "My bag." Sands: "No, what's that sneeze?" Me: "Probably dust. Where is Chris, its time to go." Sandile was my chauffeur since yesterday. His explanation was that he didn't want me to give birth while driving because that is something that would happen. He saw it on TV and is convinced it will happen to me. Sands: "Chris is eating his porridge. Sit and eat yours." Me: "I'm not hungry." Sands: "I didn't ask." he sat me down on the table. Chris came out of the kitchen drinking his yogurt. Sands: "Are you done?" Chris: "Yeah. Hello mama." I hugged him. Me: "hi sweetie." Chris: "You not gonna forget tonight is my play date with Julie." Me: "Of course. Did you let daddy know?" Chris: "Yes." he went to sit on the couch. Chris: "He told me to have fun." Me: "He's not coming?" Chris: "Nope." I stood up. Sandile pushed me gently back down. Sands: "Eat." Me: "I'm tired of his attitude. I need to talk to him." Sands: "Yeah, but you're gonna eat first." Me: "Fine." I ate my breakfast and drank my water. Sands: "Let's get moving guys, we're late." the gate buzzed and Chris jumped up to go open. Me: "Who is it Chris?" Chris: "I dunno." I'm gonna hand that one over to Julie. Only she can fix someone's grammar. Me: "Please check Sandile." I took my bowl to the kitchen. I was getting a little dizzy now and my back already hurt. Slowing down was a much needed option but at this point, I really couldn't. It was a crucial time. I walked back to the lounge and found Komander standing there with Sandile and Chris hanging on his leg. He looked down at the boy. I hadn't seen him ever since that day. Me: "Hi." Kom: "Hi." Now it was a bit awkward. Kom: "Is Babalo here?" Me: "I guess. I've barely seen him since his training started." Kom: "He's hanging in there." Me: "That's good." silence again. Sandile folded his arms and looked from him to me. Kom: "So its almost time huh.." Me: "Time for what?" Kom: "The baby." Me: "Oh yeah.... That. Yeah." Kom: "That's good." Sands: "Oh fucks sake!!! TALK !" he took Chris to the bedroom. Kom: "So when last were you at the hospital?" Me: "Yesterday." Kom: "I saw the decorations in his room. Its beautiful." Me: "Thank you." Kom: "Is everything okay? With you and Lakhe." Me: "I think you and I came to an agreement that this isn't going to happen. We're not that close." Kom: "You're right." Me: "Should I call Babalo for you?" he didn't respond. Dear God am I going to have to go through this again? Me: "I'll go call him." Kom: "Spho." I stopped half a step and looked at him. My heart just gave away. I had to look down. Kom: "Look at me." Me: "I can't." Kom: "You know you can block me right?" Me: "I don't want to." I took a step away. Me: "How is Sibu?" Kom: "He doesn't want me near him. He will be back here this evening though. You'll be giving birth soon." Me: "Is there anything you want me to do?" Kom: "Spho, things don't have to be like this between us." Me: "Like what?" Kom: "Cold." Me: "I'm confused now. You don't want me to care about you and you don't want me to be cold?" Kom: "That's not it." Me: "That's what you said. You said you can't give me what I want and I understood. Now I must continue giving you love and affection knowing fully well you don't want to reciprocate? Let's talk about that for a second." Kom: "I can't." Me: "Is it difficult for you?" Kom: "Yes." Me: "Alright and I respect that. Now you can understand that its difficult for me too to go all this extra for someone who doesn't want to give me the same energy. One thing about me, I don't linger where I'm not wanted. Its hazardous to MY health. I understand your situation, please understand mine." Kom: "That's not going to happen." Wow. I walked to Babalo's room, knocking slightly on the door. Was he still sleeping? I know Hlumi leaves the house at 6:30 so she was already gone. I knocked again a little louder. Silence. Was he even home? I opened the door and walked in. Me: "Baba- Oh my God!!" Why does this keep happening to me!! Hlumi: "Hi Spho!" Me: "NOOO!!!!" I ran out of there. What the fuck sex position was that!!! NEVER in my life have I seen it? Was Babalo wearing her wig? Oh Dear Lord the visuals!! Me: "Sandile!!!" I stood with my bag by the door. If I witnessed one more sexual encounter, I would be labeled a pervert. Why don't they put on signs on the door. We have a kid in the house. Parents! Me: "Sandile!!!!!!" Kom: "Is everything okay?" Me: "No!!" Babalo came out the bedroom dressed in a gown. Oh dear Lord here he comes! Balo: "Spho!" Me: "No!!" Balo: "Why do you keep saying No? Look at me." Me: "N O !!!" Lakhe: "Is there any way in this house I can get some peace and fucking silence!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed down the passage. Okay. What was that for? He slammed the bedroom door shut. Kom: "What is going on this house?" Sands: "I'll tell you what's going on. Everybody is ready for this baby. We about to give birth-" Me: "Let's go!!!" I took Chris' bag. Balo: "Spho." Me: "No, absolutely not." Balo: "Its normal. Its okay. There's no need to be embarrassed." Me?? I must not be embarrassed? Okay. Its time to get out of this ridiculous house. I walked to my car. Chris followed me and Sandile. We drove to drop Chris off. I had to take him in to class as normal and I saw Stacy. She had a new hair cut. Chris stared at her and fell down laughing. I wanted to laugh so bad but I had to be a parent. Me: "Christian get up and apologize." I tried to say with a semi straight face. Chris: "I can't mama, there's a turtle on her head." It took all of my self control to hold in laughter. Me: "Chris that's not funny. Get up." Chris: "Turtle Stacy." he dragged himself up from the floor. Me: "I'm sorry about that." Stacy: "I expected no less from Christian Sobekwa." Me: "He's just a child. He doesn't know better-" Stacy: "Oh he knows a lot. It will get him into trouble." Chris: "Your last hair style was better and that barely looked like a hairstyle." Stacy: "You said you liked it." Chris: "Was I not clear?" Chris crawl to his desk and buried himself in his arms still laughing uncontrollably. Me: "You look nic-" Stacy: "Don't." I signed the register and walked out. Once in the car I let out the bubble of laughter. Sands: "Mind sharing the joke?" Me: "Chris' teacher has a new hair do and Chris laughed and called her Turtle Stacy." he laughed. Sands: "Kids are cruel creatures." he drove off. On the way, I sorted out the paper work. Sands: "So....Lakhe is going to meet you at the doctor?" Me: "No, he said he'd be busy with work. Do you have a stapler or paper clip?" Sands: "None. And you're okay with that?" Me: "I'll just put them in a plastic sleeve, its not a big deal. Don't worry." Sands: "I'm talking about him not coming to the doctor." Me: "Yeah its fine really." he stopped at the robots. Sands: "Is it? This is your first born together. I'd probably go with you to the toilet. Why are you not asking him?" we were close to the doctor now. Me: "because Sandile. I've turned his life upside down by resigning and he's taking strain already and overloaded with work." Sands: "So why hasn't he hired someone? You would've gone on maternity leave still. What would he have done then?" Me: "I don't know. Can we stop talking about this please? And from here on, I'll drive myself." Sands: "I'm trying to take care of you." Me: "I can take care of myself." he parked the car and looked at me. Me: "Can I have my keys?" Sands: "After the doctor's appointment." Me: "You're getting an Uber to your hotel right now. I'll be there in 45 minutes." Sands: "Fine." we got out the car. I took my bag and went around to take the car keys. Me: "Thank you. For your help." I went inside the building and signed to confirm I've arrived. In 5 minutes the doctor was ready for me. Luckily Paul was back so he was attending to me.