Ntandwenhle : If Only Yesterday Was Tomorrow

Chapter 10

I faked a stomach bug for about a week, avoiding going to the police. Mlungisi bought pills for me from the pharmacy and I'd flush them after every meal. My heart wouldn't let me. I had a soft spot for Ndumiso. As much as he had wronged me, he didn't leave with the love I had for him. He made himself a part of me and I let him. I wasn't ready to feed him to the dogs like that. Love isn't love if it's not painful. Someone has to get hurt in order to learn to love for real. Mlungisi wasn't perfect himself. So, why would Ndumiso be?

Another week ended. Mlungisi had let go of the 'case issue'. I had just finished eating when he came in with a new phone and said it was mine. I thanked him and did a sim swap. After it was approved plenty of messages flooded my phone. Most were from Ndumiso, Pretty and a few from Mlungisi himself. I called Pretty first. She had to put in a good word for me with Morgan. I had been gone for a month already. Luckily for me she already knew about my 'accident'. Perks of befriending a receptionist I tell you. She even asked when I'd be returning to work.

"Yoooooh. You've missed out shame. Apparently, Dr Bhengu messed up and was sent to Malawi," she whispered.

"No ways! You're joking, right?" I asked totally shocked. How could he? He didn't even bother bidding me farewell. Maybe this was his way of apologising. He was giving me space.

No, she wasn't. Ndumiso really was gone. I saw that myself when I went to work. His office. That's where I went first, for closure. It had pictures of women in saree. I looked around, a tear escaped. Remembering the last time we made love here, on his birthday. How he showed his affection towards me. I missed him. My moment of contemplating was short-lived when that old woman walked in. She swayed her hips as she entered the room with a plate of pancakes steaming hot. I couldn't help it. I vomited there and then.

"Hey, watch it!" she shouted moving her plate away from me. I ran to the bathroom with my hand over my mouth. I went straight to the toilet seat and let it all out. She came to me in the bathroom with a mop on her hand. "You're going to have to clean your mess up girlie. I can't work there with all the filth you left. Here, hurry up," she said throwing it at me. I looked at this old Indian woman and shook my head my head in disbelief. She irritated me. And her replacing Mlungisi made matters worse. I asked one of the cleaners to clean up for me and went downstairs to Pretty.

"Whoah girl! You're so plumpy!" Pretty said hugging me. Her fragrance, it made me nauseous. I quickly backed away from the hug. I faked a smile and then ran outside. It was too much to handle. I vomited again. What could've been the matter? For a while there I thought I was pregnant but I brushed it off. I washed my hand and then went to the car. I drove home. I had to talk to Nobuhle about Mlungisi. I said a silent prayer, hoping she was home. Lately she had been so glued to that thuggish boyfriend of hers I hadn't even got a minute of her time.

"I told you I could pull this off. Just give me two more days. She has just returned to work. I'll get her on her way home. That way neither the hospital nor her family will know her whereabouts. Yeah. Exactly! Don't worry sis. We'll sort her out, like we did with the rest. Oh, come on MaMlotshwa! I want to come back home. I miss my wife and kids too. I'm tired of acting all lovey dovey with this bitch."

That was Menzi on the phone. He was in the kitchen with his back facing me. I took a step back, preparing to run. He was obviously talking about me. I had to run. Just as I took the second step, my phone rang. I've never been so scared in my life. I stood there frozen.

"Looks like my work here is done," he said hanging up. He slowly made his way to me while taking a gun from his pants. I screamed and turned to the door. He caught up with me and pointed the gun to me. "Say hello to daddy," he said brushing it on my face. I was shivering. Mlungisi had beat me up plenty of times but he had never pointed a gun at me.