He promised. He promised her never to take any more lives. Betso sat around the lunch table with her sons with uncomfortable silence as a guest of honor. Mxolisi eventually felt compelled to ask, regardless of his mother's mood.
"Mom?", he poked.
"Hm?", she wore a fake smile and made sure to master it.
"Are you okay? You're too quiet"
"I am fine. I'm just tired. I tire easily these days",she lied.
"Is the baby heavy?", he asked and Lwandile laughed lightly, forcing Betso to laugh as well.
"Not really but they do affect how your normal body functions"- Betso
"Are you sad that we're leaving?", Lwandile asked.
"No and yes. Of course I'm going to miss you but it's only for the weekend", she tried to assure. The last thing she needed was them finding out that their father was arrested for murder. The sooner they left, the better it would get for her to think of a solution to get him out of there.
"Okay. I'm trying to text dad so he can be here when we leave but he's not replying", Lwandile informed as he checked his phone. Betso swallowed her juice forcefully down her throat before she could reply.
"He's probably in a meeting. You know he doesn't want to be disturbed", she smeared her lie with more, already exhausted with wearing her normal self over what she was really feeling. The intercom rang and she stood up to attend to it.
"That must be your driver", she said before leaving the table.
"Aren't you burning in that jacket?", Lwandile questioned Mxolisi and laughed.
"Ftsek", Mxolisi sneered before laughing as well.
"You look like one of those girls who hide pregnancies under oversized dry macs", Lwandile continued to mock him.
"Couldn't you wear denim instead of that bomber jacket?"
"This was the first thing I found. Besides, it hides the arm well so...", he explained and Betso came back.
"Your car is waiting for you outside. Off you go", she informed and they both stood up to hug her.
"But I think it's time we drove ourselves mom. Don't you think?", Mxolisi tested her patience intentionally.
"For what good reason?"-Betso
"We're old now. Re banna nnou"(We're men now)
"Not in this house baby", she said and they all laughed. She hugged them both at once and kissed their cheeks, wishing them safe travels. Mxo wheeled out their shared suitcase as Lwandile walked in front of him. Betso waited for them to be completely out of sight before taking out her phone and calling Manqoba.
"Makoti", he answered. She began explaining everything to him, everything that was said during the arrest.
"I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning"- Manqoba.
"He can't sleep in there please come today"
"Muzi is tougher than you think you know?"
"Still. I won't be comfortable knowing he's spending the night in there. I am begging you. Besides, you have to leave before the boys get there to avoid having to explain to them what really went down", she sputtered unstoppably. Manqoba exhaled. Then agreed. She thanked him and began looking for her car keys so she could go see Muzikayise. A picture of Bongiwe randomly flashed in her brain and she felt a cramp traveling down her tummy. She waited for it to end and continued with her business.
...
Enhle sat on her bed daydreaming about her stolen moments with the doctor. Some thoughts sent strong butterflies in her stomach and she pressed her thighs together to get her misbehaving lady bits in line. Manqoba walked into the room, gave her a loving "Hey baby" and went to the closet. Her explanation for her disappearance was that she had went to the hospital. He apologized for walking out on her and she accepted it. Her thoughts were rushing to be some place else. When she saw him walking in there, she followed him. She found him packing his clothes into a black gym bag.
"Going somewhere?"
"Yeah. Muzi has been arrested. I need to do some damage control", he divulged as he carelessly folded the clothes.
"Since when do you pack for yourself?"
"I do everything myself these days. Besides, your hand is hurt", he said and she was left wondering what the cold tone in his voice meant.
"You're sleeping at Betso's house?", she asked suspiciously as she learned against the door, wearing nothing but his shirt. He nodded and zipped up the bag. She admired how his muscles were flexing as he moved about. She walked closer to seduce him and he immediately said,"Not now". He then walked out and she marched to the bed to fetch her phone.
