When You're Bound To Love

Chapter 165

SPHO**

After the initial shock, Sandile grabbed the wheelchair. Sands: "You either wheel out or you fly out. Hope you never see me again." He moved closer. Sands: "Because it will be the last thing you see." Dumi started and rolled out the house. Lakhe: "This true?" He looked at me. Me: "Yes." He walked down the passage but came back immediately like he'd forgotten something. Lakhe: "Why." He demanded. Me: "I would've given it back-" Lakhe: "How about not stealing it in the first fucking place!?" Me: "I didn't steal it. I bought it!!" Lakhe: "With WHAT. The money you took from me?" Me: "That was MY settlement!!" Lakhe: "You said you wanted nothing! Yet you saw this opportunity and took it!" Me: "Are you serious right now?" Lakhe: "Not as serious as you are deceiving my entire family. Fine, you 'bought' the company then why hide it? Why not show your face at board meetings, at the launch or anywhere else? Why not talk to me Spho?" Me: "So you can bully me into giving it back forcefully? After dragging my name through mud like that?" Lakhe: "Please give us a moment." Me: "Tata-" Lakhe: "No. You don't get to manipulate my family again. Leave." Me: "I want to speak to your fathe-" Lakhe: "You're not speaking to anyone in my house. You lied to me Spho. With so many opportunities to talk to me, you lied instead." Sibu: "Lets go Spho." He was carrying Lam in one arm, his hand holding Chris. Nosi appeared from the passage dragging a suitcase. Nosi: "I'm coming with you." Lakhe: "You're not going anywhere." Nosi: "I am. I'm an adult and legally not bound to any of you anymore." She stood by the door. Me: "Nosi, stay with your family." Nosi: "I don't want to. I'm coming with you. Sooner or later they'll go back to their lives, my guess is that'd be tomorrow. I'd be by myself again." Me: "You won't be alone. You'll go to school. This is where you belong." Nosi: "You don't want me in your house either?" Me: "Of course I do. I can't let you abandon your family for me." Rob: "Nosi put your bag back in your room." Nosi: "Andifuni tata." (I don't want to dad.) Me: "Nos-" Nosi: "If you don't want me in your house I'm going to Trevor." Lakhe: "Who the fuck is Trevor! Nosiphiwo Sobekwa. Get your ass back in that room!!" Nosi: "NO." Sibu: "Lets go." He lead the way out of the house to his car. I carried Chris on my hip, grabbed my pot plant, plus voucher and went after him. Nosi followed behind me. Sandile and Liz got in their car as well as Graham and Niny. Lakhe probably kicked everyone out. I hate how this ended but speaking to Lakhe while he's still angry is futile. It can only anger him more. Sibu: "You okay?" Me: "I'm fine. Nosi?" I was in the back seat with the kids. Nosi in the front. Nosi: "Much better. I love my family but they can get pretty much self absorbed. I can't deal with this alone." Me: "Okay." Sibu drove us home in silence.

narrated**

Lukhanyo and Soso were in the race track for their Sunday chill. Luks: "Wife threw you out again?" Soso: "Khayeke Luks sani." (Leave it alone man.) Luks: "You a piece of shit. I don't know why Zol puts up with you." He sipped a beer. Soso: "What's up with you? Where's your girl?" Luks: "With her ex." He sucked his teeth. Soso: "No wonder you're in a sour mood." Luks: "I'm not in a sour mood. They have kids. There's a party going on there. It's nothing." Soso: "Want me to kick his ass for you?" Luks: "No." He stared at his ringing phone. Soso: "You know sooner rather than later he's going to come looking for you right? He's been blowing up my phone for three days straight. Honestly, Lukhanyo I can't do this anymore. Answer him!" Luks slid the screen with his phone. Luks: "Hello." Lubb: "Well there you are!! I've been calling you for days! Where have you been!" Luks: "I've been busy." Lubb: "Busy? With what!" Luks: "What do you need?" Lubb: "Lukhanyo. What's going on?" Luks: "Nothing. Why?" Lubb: "You're acting weird. You didn't answer my calls two nights in a row. I haven't spoken to you in days. I was just about to get on the jet to fly me back to PE, honestly expecting to find your body slowly rotting on the kitchen floor. You know, for a triplet, you're a problem. I cannot keep working and keep my parents sane and still worry about my second piece which is YOU." Luks: "Lubabalo. I'm not your girl. Leave me alone. We don't need to talk every night." Lubb: "You made a PROMISE!" Luks: "I did." Lubby gasped. Lubb: "You have a girlfriend." Luks: "Stop calling me." Lubb: "Oh my Gaaaad. You do. Who? Who is it? Do I know her? Of course I do. Do I?" Luks: "Bye Lubby-" Lubb: "Wait.. wait. Are you home?" Luks: "No. I'm at the track." Lubb: "Did you feed Mathew?" Luks: "Lubby, Mathew is a horse. You got him a horse sitter. He's with him right now. I am not going to baby a horse." Lubb: "Is it because he kicked you? Lukhanyo I told you to stop frowning your face, it scares him." Luks: "I'm done with this conversation." Lubb: "Hold on.. did you visit Thuli?" Luks: "Still no guilt naming your dog after your brother I see. Thuli is fine with Remy and Lihle. I'm not going there." Lubb: "We had these pets together Lukhanyo. You promised to be a good dad to them. Our kids together. Without other people. But I have to make arrangements when I leave town because their dead beat dad is too busy." Luks: "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll try to be better." Lubb: "Thank you. I gotta go okay?" Luks: "When you coming back?" Lubb: "In about two days. I love you okay?" Luks: "Lubabalo." Lubb: "Lukhanyo." Luks: "Love you too." He hung up. Soso was laughing silently. Luks: "He's so clingy." Soso: "To have and to hold." Luks: "He bought the horse and told me it's our "baby". A whole horse. I honestly don't know what goes through his mind sometimes." Soso: "Why didn't you tell him to send it back?" Luks: "Then I'd have to deal with an emotionally unstable Lubabalo and I'm not ready for that." Soso: "It's been two years since he bought it." Luks: "Yeah. Two years." Soso: "You know Lubby bought the horse and dog for you? After you split with Lihle. He got Mathew just to distract you. Then when she started dating Remy, two days later Lubby brings home Thuli. Your twin loves you more than himself. If we could swap." Luks: "I didn't need a distraction. Especially not high maintenance pets." Soso: "You pushed everyone away Lukhanyo." Luks: "I needed time alone." Soso: "Either way, that boy is crazy about you." He sipped his beer. Lukhanyo stared at his phone. Soso: "What?" Luks: "Spho isn't responding." Soso: "Maybe she's busy." Luks: "Maybe." Soso: "You gonna tell him?" Luks: "I'll tell him when he's here." Soso: "Really? Or you'll just sneak out like a teenager when you have to see her?" Luks: "Soso. Can we just have a beer and watch our cars race in peace? Good, here's your twin finally. Oh God." Soso: "What?" Luks: "He's high." Soso: "Somangaye!!" Soma: "Heeeeeyyy." Soso: "What the hell! How did you drive here!" Soma: "With my good friend the Holy Ghost." He sat down. Luks: "Give me your phone." Soma pulled out his phone. Luks: "You were talking to Lubby? About?" Soma: "Shoes." Luks: "You spoke to Lubby for 34 minutes about shoes." Soma: "Nice shoes. Yes." Luks: "Somangaye." Soma: "Lubabalo." Soso: "Why is your girlfriend a secret?" Luks: "She isn't-" Soma: "You have a girlfriend?" Luks: "I just don't want chaos. Spho will meet Lubby. I will introduce them soon and we'll be fine." Soma: "Are you scaaaared?" Luks: "I'm not scared." Soma: "You real scared." Luks: "You're the one that's gonna get scared if you don't keep your mouth shut." Soma: "I'm haaaaappy. Look at you." Luks: "Soso talk to your man." Soma: "I'm haaaappy." Soso: "Thandie is gonna whoop his ass. Let me take him home. You coming?" Luks: "Nah. I'm going to my dad for a minute. We'll link up later." Soso: "Shot. Let's go duplicate. Get up." Soma: "Bye Lubby." Luks: "Crazy how you only see Lubabalo when you're high." Soma: "Lubbbby." He hung on his arm. Lukhanyo laughed. Luks: "Fuck off. Soso take him." Soso: "Hold on." He positioned his phone to take a photo. Soma smudged a peck on Lukhanyo's cheek. Luks: "That is Disgusting! Suka kum!" (Get off me!) Soso: "Done. I'll send it on the group email." Luks: "Delete that!!" Soso: "No can do. Brotherly love. Send." He locked his phone. Soso: "Lets go Soma." He pulled his twin to the car. Lihle walked in carrying a box of supplies. Lihle: "Mr Mzinyathi." Luks: "Hi Lihle." She stared at him. Lihle: "That's new. I usually get a "Mrs Mzinyathi" back. Giving up?" Lukhanyo laughed. Luks: "You've been begging me to." Lihle: "True. So who is she?" Luks: "Who?" Lihle: "Obviously you're seeing someone. Who?" Luks: "Can I just get my relationship up and steady before I introduce everyone?" Lihle: "This one is serious." She put the box on the counter. Luks: "Later." Lihle: "Don't you walk away from me!" Luks: "Bye." He walked out.