At the hospital
Ally pecked Sami's forehead and held her arms.
Ally: I'm leaving now, are you sure you're going to be fine?
Sami: Yeah I'll be fine. Please call me when you get there.
Ally: I will and call me too if you need something or if someone is troubling you.
Sami: Okay.
Ally: Ngyakthanda yezwa please be strong for Zayna.
Sami: Ngyakthanda nami.
He smiled and hugged her then pulled out wiping her tears with his thumbs.
Ally: Goodbye.
Sami nodded and Ally took a deep breathe and walked out without looking at her. She rubbed her eyes and went to her brother's ward.
In Neli's ward
Her parents stood by her hospital bed looking at her with eyes full of pity.
Neli's mom: What happened?
Neli:(softly) I started the fire thinking we'll all die, Sbani was leaving me for another woman.
Neli's mom: So you chose to burn yourself? Yazi uyislima wena?
Neli's dad: Don't say that, maybe she had her reasons.
Neli's mom: What reasons? She burned people inside a house. What if Sbani press charges against you? Will you be able to deal with that njengoba uyisgoga nje? It serves you right for killing an innocent person. Nomatter what wrong Sbani did to you but your son was innocent. You should've brought him to me and go to your precious boy and burnt each other in peace.
Neli: Mama, Sbani abused me and promised to kill me if I ever left him.
Neli's mom: You took your sister's ex what were you expecting? You rejoiced on your sister's misery and posted nasty things about her on your phone. You made her a laughing stock, everyone knew she was planting sugarcane trying to make ends meet for her baby whilst you were living a nice life with her ex spreading your legs for him. Now you want us to feel sorry for you? Never dali! Never!
Neli's dad:(shouting) Hey! Shut up, she has heard you. This is your child you don't cast stones to her when she's already down. She's the one who did all of that reminding her is unnecessary. Why are you crucifying her? Are you a saint? Have you forgotten how you tried to kill yourself just because you heard hearsays about me cheating? Should we insult you about that? If you don't have anything better to say, shut it. Safa bo!
He held Neli's bandaged hand "It'll be okay my baby, everything will be fine. Focus on yourself and forget about that boy. What happened to your son was meant to be and we can't change it."
She slightly nodded with tears falling off her eyes.
In Sbani's ward
Sami placed her handbag on the floor next to the chair.
Sami: How are you doing today?
Sbani: In pain.
Sami: I mean about the baby.
Sbani: I'll be fine Sami, I'm not losing a person in mylife for the first time.
Sami: Sbani, don't say that. Losing a baby must've been a traumatic experience for you.
Sbani: I'll be fine, really. How is Zayna?
Sami:(sighed sadly) She's fine.
Sbani:(wheezing) And...(blinking his eyes) How is your Ndunakazi boy?
Sami: He's fine. Have you heard anything about Neli?
Sbani: She still alive right?
Sami: Hawu! Cha.
Sbani: I see.
The doctor walked in her stethoscope hanging around her shoulders and her hands shoved in her pockets.
Doctor: Miss Khambule how are you doing today? How are you doing Mr Khambule?
Sami: I'm fine thanks.
Sbani: Better except for my eyes and lungs. My eyes are itchy and my vision is slightly blur, my chest feels painful when I inhale.
She nodded and placed her stethoscope in her ears then placed it on his chest.
Doctor: Breath in...breath out.
She blinked her eyes thoughtfully and removed the stethoscope.
Doctor: When they were rescuing you did they by any chance squeezed the fire extinguisher next to your face?
Sbani: They did.
Doctor: That might be the cause, the extinguishing agent of a powder extinguisher can cause breathing problems and affect your eyes. I'll run some tests though to confirm.
Sbani: Is it serious?
Doctor: If they blew it directly to your face, yes it is serious but it nothing deep.
Sbani: I see, when am I getting out of here?
Doctor: Tired already?
Sbani: I need to leave tomorrow. If you aren't discharging me I'm discharging myself.
Doctor: You can't go home as yet we still need to make sure...
Sbani: Hey! You want to abuse my medical aid I know private hospitals. I can bet my last cent, my bill is already close to a million.
Doctor: No it not.
Sbani: So I should stay here until it becomes a million? Give me my medication I'll treat myself at home.
Sami: Doc, thank you please excuse us this one is not going anywhere believe me.
Doctor: I'll come back and check up on you later.
Sbani: Please bring a wheelchair for me if you don't mind, I want to see Neli.
Doctor: Aren't you going to hurt yourself?
Sbani: No.
Doctor: Ok, Miss Khambule please come with me.
She nodded and followed her.
After a few minutes she came back with a nurse wheeling a wheelchair. They helped Sbani sit on it and wheeled him to Neli's ward...
Sbani: Please give us some privacy.
Neli's parents looked at each other and walked out leaving both of them behind.
Sbani:(smiling) I heard the good news, they're amputating your legs cause their badly burnt. Without amputation they'll decay. You know you should've packed your bags and left me but no you had to play God with our lives. Udakwa utshwala udakelwa kithi.(faked a smile) You know I begged you, I pleaded with you to let my son go and deal with me heads no but no the angel of death had to drag my son into this shit. He's dead, you killed him and had your legs removed. I hope you live your whole life in misery knowing that you killed one person who could've stood by you through it all. Your own person, your child, the person who gave you 9 hours of painful labour you killed him with your own hands. I hate you so much. I agree I broke your heart and hurt you but my son was innocent.
Neli:(crying) Please stop.
Sbani: I'm done anyway. You killed my son so go and take him from the morgue and eat him umthosele ukumudla vele angithi?
My baby died such a painful death. The fire fighters had to blow him up with their fire extinguisher cause his little body was(tears filled his eyes and he sighed swallowing a lump in his throat) covered in flames. I hope you live with that....
He called her sister...
Sbani: Please take me back.
She wheeled him back to his ward and they helped him with a nurse climb on the bed.
Sami:(to the nurse) Thank you sisi.
She mouthed "okay" and walked out. Sami looked at her until she disappeared then turned to his brother.
Sami: What started the fire?
Sbani: I don't remember.
Sami: Sbani!
Sbani: My vision was blur I'm serious. Please buy a simcard and do a swip swap then make a money transfer to your phone. My price plan was Power Bonus and I last loaded R55 airtime.
Sami: Why?
Sbani: Check an affordable place to rent. It must be child friendly and don't choose an expensive place cause I still need to rebuild my house.
Sami: Okay I'll do that, Is Neli coming with us?
Sbani: No she's not so make it a two bedroomed house.
Sami: About Neli I think...
Sbani: I'm tired I need to rest, bye I'll see you tomorrow.
Sami:(sighed) Ok, uberight yezwa?
Sbani: I will.(whispered) Love you.
Sami:(whispered back) I love you too.
He faked a smile and she picked up her bag hanging it's straps over her shoulder and walked out.
He closed his eyes as tears filled his eyes. His one and only son left him. He looked at his left arm and it was like his son was still there covered in flames as he cried until he took his last breathe. His painful screams became clearer and sharper, How he kicked his little legs gasping as smoked choked him until they both fell and his little body caught fire.
He didn't want to admit that his little innocent boy with his lazy looking eyes was gone. He wasn't going to attend that funeral, he refused to believe it.
He wheezed and his chest tightened as pain choked him. He slowly swallowed spit and grunted fighting back his tears. A man doesn't cry and he's not going to cry. People has been losing kids since forever there was nothing special about him.
A knock sounded on the door and he cleared his throat blinking his eyes and turned to the side with his bandaged face.
Ntokozo: Morning. It me Ntokozo.
Sbani: I can tell, what do you want here?
Ntokozo: I came to check up on you yesterday but you were still sedated, How are you doing?
Sbani: I'm good just tired.
Ntokozo: Look man I know we've been at each other's throat this past few months but if you need anything call me.
Sbani: I don't...(thoughtfully) wait actually I do...unfuck Nomonde and unpregnant her.
Ntokozo: That's impossible!
Sbani: Then get out!
Ntokozo: I'm sorry Sbani.
Sbani:(shouting) HEY! Ouch..(he grinned closing his eyes taking a deep breathe) Get out Ntokozo.
Ntokozo: Ok I'll leave.
Sbani: Hamba phela.... Nxx
Ntokozo walked out and Sbani closed his eyes as pain shot through his whole body.
TO BE CONTINUED
4 MONTHS LATER
