THANDEKA
It’s Thursday morning and that means the wedding is getting nearer. Lwandeka and I went shopping yesterday. Well she already had an outfit, she just needed shoes only. I on the other hand bought my whole outfit yesterday and the shoes. We also went to American Swiss to buy jewelry. She surprised me with a custom made necklace. It had a lioness crest design in the front and my initials at the back. I almost shed a few tears but I didn’t because she teased me about crying the day she woke up at the hospital. She is like a sister that I never had and even if things don’t work out between Luh and her I will make sure that our relationship doesn’t suffer.
Zethu knocks on my door bringing me back from wonderland. She tells me that there is a lady here to see me. I ask her to make my bed and I quickly head to the bathroom. I brush my teeth, take a quick shower and put on a loose dress and a beanie, I am in no mood for a wig today. I take my phone and head downstairs. I find Lwandeka’s aunt drinking coffee in the lounge. I sit down on the couch opposite her.
Me: “I am sorry for making you wait. I just don’t like meeting people while I still have the previous day’s stench.”
Thembelihle: “it’s okay. I came as soon as ikhambi was ready.” She hands me the potion which is in a small bottle. “It’s colorless so you can put it in water or any liquid. You have to use it now. It takes 12 hours or more for the poison to leave the body permanently and the withdrawal symptoms can be painful. I am going to be here with you every step of the way.”
Me: “let me make him coffee.”
I head to the kitchen and make Luh a cup of coffee. I pour the ikhambi on the coffee and stir it. After that I take the coffee to his room. I find him sleeping and I shake him a bit. He wakes up and sits up straight. He frowns when he sees me. He yawns and checks the time on his cellphone.
Me: “I brought you coffee as a peace offering. I know that I have been siding with Lwandeka and not supporting you on your relationship with Lilian. I have been a very bad sister and I am sorry.” He smiles and takes his coffee. He sips it and gives me an approving smile. “And I am sorry for punching you and kicking your balls.” He laughs.
Him: “apology accepted and I am sorry for being selfish and inconsiderate when handling the break up.”
Me: “water under bridge. So truce?”
Him: “truce.” He hugs me.
Me: “shower and come down for breakfast.” He nods. I return to aunt Thembelihle. “So what now?”
Her: “now we wait. Do you have a doctor that you trust and isn’t noisy?”
Me: “yeah.”
Her: “you might want him to be on standby. The withdrawal symptoms may make him go crazy. So just call the doctor and ask him to come with strong sedatives.” I take my phone and dial Khetho’s number. I plead with him and he finally agrees and tells me that he is coming. “Now let’s go check on our patient. Tell your housekeeper to bring the doctor to his room.”
I inform Zethu that and we head to Luh’s room. I send Lwah a text telling her that I had to rush to Cape Town early in the morning and that I will only return tomorrow morning. She replies with a thumps up, that means she is also busy. We find Luh kneeling near the bed with his jaws clenched. He is sweating as fuck. I rush to him and kneel in front of him. He gives me a death stare.
Him: “what did you do to me? Are you trying to kill me?”
Me: “the opposite actually. I am trying to help you. Lean on me so that I can help you sit on the bed.” He places his arm on my shoulder and I help him sit on the bed. “How do you feel?”
Him: “my body is heating up. I am burning from the inside.” I help him lay on his back and take off his pajama shirt. I sit on the edge of the bed and Thembelihle sits on the couch. He is groaning as if he is in pain, well he is in pain.
After an hour Khetho arrives and greets us. He sits next to Thembelihle. Luh starts breathing heavily like a person with asthma. Thembelihle says its part of the process. After 2 hours he starts being aggressive. Khetho sedatives him with a sedative that doesn’t knock him out but keeps him conscious. I go to my room to take cuffs so that we don’t fall victim to his withdrawal violent self. I cuff him to the bed and return to sitting on the edge of the bed. After a few minutes he starts sniffing, oh God don’t tell me he is crying.
Him: “if I don’t make it please tell Lily that I love her with my whole heart and I will always love her.” I roll my eyes. A few moments later he starts screaming out loud and trying to free himself.
Me: “stop moving or you might hurt yourself.”
Him: “you need to let me go. I need to go see Lily. I need to be with Lily. I need her, please call her for Me.” he starts sobbing out loud. Are you kidding me right now? He keeps quiet after a few minutes but the tears doesn’t stop falling down his cheeks.
After 3 hours Thembelihle tells Khetho to sedate him again, he does as instructed and she says we should go downstairs and have brunch. We get there and find Zethu done with setting up the table. We sit down and start eating. I send Soma a text telling him that we won’t be coming to work today, he should oversee the clubs and restaurant. Khetho asks Thembelihle how severe the poison was and she states that Lily used the perfume that had the poison daily so Luh fell in love with her deeper and deeper everyday.
When we are done eating we go back to Luh’s room. Thembelihle asks Khetho to inject him with something that will wake him up immediately, he does as instructed and Luh tries to sit up straight. He lies on the bed with his head facing the ceiling. He freezes like that for about 30 minutes and then unfreezes. He tries reaching his body with his hands so that he can scratch it. He does that to his face and immediately develops a rash. I turn to look at Thembelihle.
Me: “is that normal?”
Thembelihle: “what follows after this may be sensitive. You should leave if you won’t be able to handle it.”
Me: “it’s fine I will stay.”
Thembelihle: “doctor you should leave now. Your work here is done. But you can leave behind one of your sedatives.”
Khetho: “okay, I hope he gets better.” He hands me the injections and heads out.
After 2 hours Luh starts breathing heavily and begins screaming out loud again. He becomes aggressive again and starts shouting that we should free him so that he can go to his Lilian. This goes on for a few minutes and he eventually cries and sobs out loud. Yoh idliso bafethu. Bosisi yekani ukudlisa obhuti bethu. This is painful to watch. It’s like watching a pastor casting out an evil spirit from a possessed person. He stops crying and starts shaking vigorously. After that white foam comes out of his mouth, it looks like he is dying. I look at Thembelihle and she instructs me to sedate him and I do. He finally calms down and I wipe the foam from his mouth.
Thembelihle: “sleep next to him and talk to him. Plead him to come back to you, to Lwandeka. Try until you succeed. His recovery lies on your hands now.” She stands up and walks out. I cuddle next to him and place my hand on his chest.
Me: “remember the day of mom and dad’s funerals? You said to me that it was us against the world. That you will always be there for me even when I don’t need you. And I told you I will always be there for you and protect you. You laughed and asked what I would protect you with. I told you that I don’t need muscles and strength to protect you. I may not be able to protect you physically but I will protect you mentally. I kept my rape incidents from you because I was protecting you. You are the only close relative I have and I didn’t want you to end up doing things that might get you killed.”
“When uncle raped me, I kept that from you. You were hustling for the both of us and I didn’t wanna burden you. I protected you. When you found your soul-mate I stood by you because I knew that she was the real deal and she is the perfect woman for you. She loves you wholeheartedly and I know you do too. Don’t be blinded by glitter. She is your sweet rose. Remember her, remember the love you shared with her. Your love is strong enough to free you from the chains binding you now. Work on that and come back to us.”
I perk his lips and make my way out of his room. I am not a woman of many words so I hope that what I said is tangible enough to bring him back. I send T-bone a text telling him that I need Lily and Troy at the Aberton warehouse by tonight. He sends me an ‘okay’. I take out my weekend bag and starts packing for the wedding. It’s in uMzimkhulu so we will be leaving tomorrow midday.
Lwandeka wanted us to get there nge convo so yah we will be driving our sport cars. I will be driving a Jaguar C-X75 I won in a race back in 2018 with Fortunate; Lwandeka will be driving her Bentley; Nolubabalo will be driving her Alfa Romeo 4C, she has a collection of AR cars; Dakota will be driving her brother’s red Honda Acura NSX, Londeka will be driving her new baby and Vuyo will be driving his R8. After I am done packing I head to Luh’s closets and pack for him too.
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#myknight
