Unhinged Love

CHAPTER 53

MELISIZWE MZIMELA

In all my life, I have never been caught in that situation by my children. I have always made sure I do my business privately so that I don’t make them feel uncomfortable in their own home. I am that type of father. The father who prioritizes his children over everything all the time. I may not be the best but I always want what’s best for my kids. But the one time I am selfish and only thinking about myself, I go for the unforbidden girl. I went for Hlengiwe knowing very well that our relationship might jeopardize the connection I have with my firstborn.

I was going to tell my children about Hlengiwe this weekend. That is why I invited them home. I was going to have a serious conversation with them and put everything to the table. But things went sideways. They discovered the truth themselves and my son stormed out. I don’t know how much I traumatized both him and my daughter. I am not going to comment about them barging into my room. No matter how old they are, children will always be children and curiosity will always lead them to seeing things that are not meant for their eyes. I know that image will always be imbedded in their minds but I just hope we will be able to move on from this as time goes by.

By the time I cross the Umgeni bridge, I realise I didn’t think this through. I should have brought my phone so that I can track the car that he left with. When I approach Astron garage, I slow down. My heart almost stops when I see my car next to the traffic light pole. The angle it is in is very weird because it is not on the road. The hazards indicate that something might have happened. As I stop on the traffic light, another car comes speeding and knocks the car that Mbulelo is in out of the road. The crash makes a sharp sound that block my ears. My body goes on auto pilot as I get off the car and run towards my son.
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NARRATED

Melisizwe rushed to the car Mbulelo was driving and when he got there, his legs nearly gave out. The side of the car that Mbulelo was in was very damaged. Both the cars involved in the crash were now in the middle of the crossroads. Melisizwe wanted to go closer to the scene but he knew that he had to wait for the cops to arrive before touching anything. Since it was Durban North, it didn’t take long for the police and ambulance to arrive. The paramedics got Mbulelo out of the car and when Melisizwe saw his son, he ran towards them.

“Is my son going to be okay?” he asked one of the paramedics and he got no answer. Instead, the medics were in a hurry to get Mbulelo to the ambulance so that they can assist him as soon as possible. Melisizwe asked again because he was worried and one of the medics answered.

“Sir, the patient lost consciousness. He might have a concussion. He doesn’t appear to have any severe wounds but we need to get him to the hospital now. Does he have a medical aid?” the medic asked.
“You can take him to Umhlanga Netcare. He has a file there.” Melisizwe asked.
“Do you know what happened?” The medic asked one again.
Melisizwe sighed. “I don’t know. when I approached the traffic lights, his car was parked next to the pole. It seems like he hit the pole first and then the second car hit him a few minutes later.”

The medic nodded. “Can I have his details?”
“Mbulelo Mzimela. Age 24.” Melisizwe asked and the medic nodded once again before walking away. One of the officers approached Melisizwe and inquired about the accident since he was one of the witnesses. He gave them all the answers and after he was done, he followed the ambulance to the hospital.

When he got there, his son was already admitted. He filled in some paperwork and sat at the waiting area for updates. His thoughts were driving him insane and he was starting to regret a lot his decisions that led to this moment. If Hlengiwe hadn’t come to his place, his son would still be healthy and happy. If his kids hadn’t caught them in such an uncomfortable situation, none of this would have happened. If he hadn’t courted Hlengiwe, none of this would have happened. He regretted a lot of things and when he thought about his family, he knew that they would blame both him and mostly Hlengiwe for this. His ex-wife was surely going to bring the war to his doorstep because of this. After 6 hours of waiting, a doctor came to him to give him an update.

“You are Mbulelo’s father?” The doctor asked and Melisizwe nodded, standing up. He hadn’t tried to contact anyone because he knew they would have so many questions. He thought it was better to wait until he saw them so that he can give them an update. “Your son is a very lucky man. The airbags protected him from further harm. If they hadn’t launched in time, the second collision would have caused severe damage to his right side. He did suffer a concussion and his right side was hit but nothing we couldn’t fix. He might need to use crutches for a few weeks but he is fine.”

Melisizwe exhaled loudly and slowly sat down. “Thank you so much, doctor.” He murmured. He was thinking of the worst-case scenario and hearing such news brought some relief to his mind. “Can I see him?” he asked, looking at the doctor.
“Only for a few minutes since it is past our visiting hours. Please follow me.” Melisizwe followed the doctor and they went to the ICU. The doctor showed him where Mbulelo was. Melisizwe looked at his son and a lone tear dropped. He quickly wiped it and sighed.

He touched Mbulelo’s hand. “I am sorry, son. I will try to make things better. I promise. I am sorry you had to go through this. I only hope that you can forgive me and we can move on from this.” he let go of his hand and thanked the doctor once again before leaving the hospital.

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MELISIZWE MZIMELA

The short drive from the hospital to my house is not enough to solve all my problems. Firstly, I have to tell my kids and my sister that Mbulelo is in the hospital fighting for his life because of me. Then I have to explain the whole situation with Hlengiwe whom I know they will blame for the accident. Then I have to find a way to avoid the brewing storm against Hlengiwe because she is going to get attacked in every direction. It is now that I understand why she was sceptical about giving us a chance. It wasn’t about Mbulelo alone. But public opinion played a major role. If this gets out, people are going to judge her harshly and she might be a strong woman, but I don’t think she can handle this. fuck. I am caught between a rock and a hard place.

It is almost midnight when I get home. The lights are still on in most rooms so I know Zama, Nozizwe and Hlengiwe are probably still awake. I hope the kids are asleep. I don’t need to worry them so late at night. Having kids who have emotional intelligence is not nice at times like these, I swear. I enter the lounge and I find my sister sitting on the couches and Zama is napping, but my entrance startles her because she wakes up. She looks at me with a frown and sits up.

“Where is my brother?” she asks straight up and I clear my throat. The third woman I was expecting to see is not here. I hope she didn’t leave.
“Where is Hlengiwe?” I ask, sitting down and Zama scoffs.
“Your actions chased my brother away and you are coming back without him. Excuse me if I am more concerned about the safety and wellbeing of my brother than your mistress.” She answers and I am taken aback. Zama has always shown me respect even when I have deprived her of things in the past. But she has never spoken to me in this manner.

“Zamadonda, I know what happened here today might have made you upset, but you must never speak to me like that. I am your father.” I tell her and she rolls her eyes. The audacity of this child.
“Just tell us where Mbu is, brother. Is he okay? Did he need some time to cool off?” My sister asks and I look at Zama who stares back at me stubbornly before she loses the starring contest and looks away, but not before scoffing.

“Please don’t overreact. He had a minor accident at Astron Garage and a car drove into him. But he didn’t have any intense injuries. The doctor assured me that he will be fine soon.” I summarize my evening and I am met with blank stares. I have to repeat what I just said before getting a reaction from Zama who starts sobbing.

“It’s all your fault. It’s all your fault, Melisizwe. If my brother suffers a permanent damage, just know it is on you and your sex partner.” She says in between her sobs and walks away. She has ever right to be mad at me but I am not going to allow anyone to belittle the relationship I have with Hlengiwe.

My sister looks at me and shakes her head. “If only you had come clean when I told you to. Now you have to deal with a crazy young adult and an unhinged ex wife. All because you couldn’t not taste the forbidden fruit, brother. Why did I choose to come to South Africa again?” she shakes her head and heads out. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I am screwed.