JOYS OF LIFE -2 [NOT EDITED]

58

#NARRATIVE

After tirelessly searching for his wife, he finally found out that she was at her best friend's house. He didn't waste time driving there. He didn't even care that it was the middle of the night. He lets himself in the property and gets out of the car hurriedly. He knocks on Thoba's door.

Thoba: "Yini wena? ufunani kwami?!" he seethes as soon as he yanked the door open and came face to face with Lizwi.

Lizwi: "I know you probably hate me too-"

Thoba: "You got that one right." he cut him off.

Lizwi: "Please let me see my wife and I need to talk to her."

Thoba: "No! Come back in the morning. Do you know how hard it was to get her to sleep after the crying she was doing?!"

Lizwi: "Please? I will leave afterwards."

Thoba: "No! Come back in the morning." he shuts the door on his face, making sure to lock it. Lizwi walks back to his car, he reclines his seat and closes his eyes. His phone rings,

KaMajola: "How is everything coming along?"

Lizwi: "I'm not continuing with this crap mina. I'm loosing my wife and it's all for what?! ULetho thinks i'm sleeping with that b*tch and she doesn't even want to see me. She didn't even bother coming home tonight so no, I'm not continuing."

Nxumalo: "I told you that this plan is stupid and risky."

Lizwi: "Who is that?"

KaMajola: "I understand Lizwi but we are so close to finding the truth nje!"

Lizwi: "I think what we found is enough and if you still need more then maybe capture that b*tvh yourself and force the truth out of her because I am not spending another minute with her. I am serious, I'm not losing my wife over some nonsense mina and if not finding the truth means losing all the taxis then so be it."

KaMajola: "You cannot speak like that wena! Those taxis were an inheritance that your father left for you guys!"

Lizwi: "I don't care. Look where those taxis got us today. I almost died, my wife and sister got kidnapped and now I have to run around chasing some dead woman, and risk losing my wife?! No!"

KaMajola: "Yewena!"

Lizwi: "Ey mah. I'm a man now, with kids and grandkids. I'm not doing this. Oh, and you have about two days to force the information out of that b*tch because I'm ending her!" he hangs up, tossing the phone on the passenger's seat.

___________

Just as the sun started rising, he was already knocking on Thoba's door again. Thoba opened the door looking annoyed.

Thoba: "You really want me to kill you neh?!"

Lizwi: "I'm here for my wife, please." Thoba finally lets him in. Thoba stops him before he can go looking for Letho in the bedrooms.

Thoba: "Listen to me Lizwilenkosi Majola. Ukufika kwami la eGoli, ngafika ngoLetho which means she is the only person I knew when i came here. Nonke nganazi ngaye and I accepted y'all in my life for her sake."

Lizwi: "Okay?" he enquires confused as Thoba pulls out a knife from his gown pocket.

Thoba: "What I am trying to tell you is, I'm not scared to hurt anyone who hurts Letho, including you! Letho is not only my best friend but she is my sister. Right now, you are really forcing my hand. I told you on her graduation party that ngizobusutha lobuhle bakho if you ever hurt her. She cried all night because of you!" he scolded him softly but in a stern way. The knife slowly grazing Lizwi's chin, making sure to leave a cut.

Lizwi: "I know I flopped but can I have a chance to talk to her then you can kill me?"

Thoba: "Nxn! Third door on your left." he said pointing out the direction for Lizwi. Lizwi slowly opens the door, finding his wife holding tightly onto a pillow. As he got closer, he notices that she isn't sleeping.

Lizwi: "Hey." Letho glances at him and nods.

Lizwi: "Ngicela sikhulume?" he pleads kneeling by her side. Letho silently sits up, still holding onto the pillow.

Letho: "Talk." she whispered wiping her eyes.

Lizwi: "First of all, I'm sorry for the disrespect when you walked in on me and Mandisa kissing at the hospital. I also want to apologise for not being very honest with you and not being open too. I know this is lame and it doesn't cut it but I had to make my act believable to her. They have been following me around and I had to make sure that they think they have got me."

Letho: "Listen, I don't want to hear all this nonsense about how you didn't mean to hurt me and whatnot. I just want you to let me be."

Lizwi: "But I can't baby. I really didn't mean to hurt you-"

Letho: "If so then why are you here? Aren't you scared they are following you right now?"

Lizwi: "F*ck them Letho! I'm not losing my family because of them! I don't care about them right now. Not when I am losing you Letho. Also, during that time I had to do it to get information out of Mandisa."

Letho: "Did you sleep with her while trying to 'get information' out of her?!"

Lizwi: "What? No! I would never sleep with another woman ukhona baby. I have told you this a million times and you know it too, you are the only woman for me. You are the only woman I could ever dream of sleeping with, I would never even look at another woman twice or even ever think about another woman like that." Letho just looks away from him. He pulls her by chin making her look at him.

Lizwi: "Ngiyaxolisa ukuthi iqunga lami lokuziphindiselela lenze kwaze kwafika esigabeni sokuthi uzinyaze ngothando lwami kanye nezinhloso zami. Ngiyazi akukho engingakusho ngokwanele ukukuthembisa ukuthi konke lokhu ebengikwenza bengingakwenzi ngezinhloso zokukulimaza nokukucekelela phansi. Ngiyaxolisa ngempela MaKhumalo wami omuhle." he pleaded kneeling on the floor.

Letho: "You really hurt me Lizwi. You neglected me when I needed you the most. After my kidnapping I was happy to know that you had woken up and I had hoped that I would get time to rest and just be with my man but no. You went out there spending time with the same woman who inflicted pain on me. You continuously lied to me and went out with that woman despite my constant complaints to you. On top of it all, I had to find out last week that I was pregnant. I have been carrying a dead foetus for months unknowingly. I needed you that night Lizwi but you were busy out there with that woman. I was up all night crying and grieving our baby while also having to deal with the process of cleaning my womb. My heart would shatter with each clot that left my body as it reminded me that, that would have been my baby. You weren't there for me Lizwi. I needed you so much. That experience was so traumatic and I don't ever wish it on my biggest enemy." she cries softly.