SIBLINGS-IN-LAW:LOVE & CONSEQUENCES

TWENTY-NINE

LUYOLO MAYIZA

I know that my wife takes long with her make up but, it was already done, she only needed to do touch ups here and there, nothing major but, she is taking forever to come back down, It’s been twenty minutes and she is not showing up. I am going to get her.

“Bro, I am going to check on my wife.” I get up ready to walk leaving Lubabalo, his wife and Mbalenhle, Ntombenhle's sister.
“Drag her here if you have to, tell her that my husband will be here any minute to get me so, I want to see her before I leave.” Mbalenhle calls out.

Just before I could leave, my phone rings, it is Yoniswa.

“Luyolo…” She cries immediately as I answer my phone. “Please come home.” She speaks very fast.
“Why, is Lindokuhle okay?” I ask starting to panic.
“No!” She wails over the phone. “His temperature is very high, he was not eating and he keeps complaining about his stomach, please Luyolo, I don’t know what to do.”
“Okay okay, calm down. I will be on my way right now.”

I hang up immediately. They look at me waiting for me to say something.

“That was Yoniswa, my son is not doing well. I need to find my wife first so that we can go home.”
“Do you want us to come with you?” Lubabalo asks.
“I will call you if it gets serious.” I run to the stairs and rush to Ntombenhle’sfather’s office, where I left her. The door is wide open.

“Baby, we need to go, where are you!?” I shout as I look for her all over the room and into the bathroom inside the office but I don’t find her. I notice that her clutch is on the table. I walk over to get it and I find her cellphone on the desk too.
“Khanyisile!?” I am trying by all means not to freak out. “Khanyisile where are you?” I walk towards the door and I step on to something that sounded like it cracked, I notice that, that is her pink lipstick. I pick it up as my body starts to heat up, I start breathing heavily.
“No, no, no…” I walk out and look both sides of the corridor until I see a cloth on the floor, I pick it up and see it as it has a wet black stain, I smell it, not too close to my nose and it definitely smells like chloroform.
“Fuuuck!!!” I cuss, running back down to where everyone is.

“Did she come back down?” I am really hoping that we somehow missed each other and she got back down here, they look at each other like I have just said something stupid. “I AM TALKING!” I feel raged.
“Bro, calm down. What’s up?” My wife is gone. I throw the things I found on the table.
“I think my wife is taken.” They gasp, I hold my head with both hands and close my eyes.
“Utsi kwente njani?” (Say that again?) Mbalenhle gets up from the chair, she probably was sitting on her ears. (Shrugs).
“Luyolo, what’s going on here? What are you fighting about?” Oh shit! Both in-laws and parents are here. How I tell them that my wife is missing? Even I cannot register that.
“Luyolo! Where is my sister damn it!” She bangs the table.
“What about my daughter?”

Ntombenhle’s father gives me a dangerous look, my mother chuckles as if someone said a joke.

“I think Ntombenhle is usurped. I found these in your office, baba.” Ntombenhle's mother wails.
“Not my baby, no! I want my baby.” The paparazzi gathers around us, taking pictures and trying to get information as they can. This is messed up, I am shuttered. Who would do this.
“I will call the police.” My brother says as he dials the emergency number on his phone.

Nobantu and Gift are helping the security to get the people out the building as calmly as possible, I am glad that they all abide without having to ask to many questions. My father, he looks so different, he has not said much ever since. Ntombenhle's mother, who looks much like her is crying as well as her eldest daughter who is embracing her and my mother is just there, looking… blank.