Name: KEPT
Author: Nana writes

CHAPTER 3

KEPT

CHAPTER 3

Being in this house reminds me of that day. There was a Sunday lunch when I lost my first child. Nzolo had left earlier that morning saying he's going to sign off things in the office. I should've known then that he's having an affair. Nzolo never worked on weekends. When he came back, he was so eager to have *** that I let him. 30 minutes later, I was bleeding, having cramps all over my abdominal area. I have that hate at the pit of my stomach. If he wasn't so careless, I would be a mother now.

I feel my father brushing my hand and I shake my head, getting out of my head. What's the use of hating a dead man. It doesn't help that even with that little hate, I love him, maybe more than I did before.

Zolani:What do you know about the dreams?

Diko:He wants her here at home. He wants to right his wrongs through his brother. When we went to consult, it was revealed that his former assistant had put idliso on him. She tried getting him to leave you, but it never worked, so the next best thing she could do is kill your kids. Why didn't you tell me Lilly? You know I would've helped.

Lilitha: I didn't know until two nights before the accident. He didn't come home so I thought I should bring him his supper in the office but he wasn't there. Then I bumped into some woman who told me there was something leaving in the womb. I thought she meant I was pregnant, but I wasn't. The scan didn't show anything, so I went to Tatsuya he told me the samething and helped me. He didn't want to tell me who was behind all this, but then it wasn't hard to guess who the person was.

Diko:I'm sorry, makoti. I'm so sorry my son put you through that.

Lilitha:I'm sorry I also led him to his death.

Diko:He was already a dead man walking. Whatever that girl used killed my son.

Zolani:The way forward mkhozi?

Diko:Ndyebo, they have to get married. He wants to give her the kids he killed. He wants her to be loved. I really don't know how these things are done. Ndilahlekile mpela ngoku.

Lilitha:I can't marry Ndyebo tata. I don't even know him.

Diko: I know sana lwam he was saying the same thing, and he's engaged to be married to someone else.

Diko:They have to get married whether they like it or not. My father used to say ancestors know best."

I doubt an ancestor like Nzolo would know best. He didn't know best while he was still alive. What best would he know in whatever hole he is in? I sighed, relaxing on the couch and telling me about a telenovela when I have such an eventful life.

I knew Nzolo had a brother by the name of Ndyebo, but I had never really met him since he was studying in New York he is some hot shot business man who is a ladies' man. I'm even shocked to find out he's engaged to be married.

When we finally leave, I ask my dad to drop me off in town, he does no questions asked. It's a sunday the streets are quite it's not as rowdy as other days of the week but the corner bar is opened always is. I get 5 shots and a cocktail relaxing to the smooth jazz playing in the club.

My phone vibrates a text from mom. I ignore her and put my phone on flight mode. I keep the drinks coming it's later in the evening when I request an Uber mom is going to kill me, that I am sure of. I walk out of the club it's already getting dark outside. I see a black car packed and walk towards it, opening the back seat and sighing down.

Lilitha:That was fast. Let's go. I have been having the worst day. Let's just say the day I met that lunatic my life just turned upside down. 3 years later, after his death, he's still haunting my dreams. He is indirectly making me isifebe. He wants me to hop from one brother to another. I'm not him. I would never do that to myself. Mxm bathi izinyanya zazi better. What does Nzolo know?! Other than sleeping with girls from Limpompo abatya abantwana babantu?

I keep mumbling at the back that I don't even notice we're already outside my yard. I take out R200 cash and put it on the passenger seat and get out of the car. I walk inside the house to find my parents sitting in a dark lounge.

Lilitha:Mama, don't I deserve my own happiness? Kids my age are happily married with kids, but mna my own husband thought it was best for him to cheat on me, batye abantabam nenkazana yakhe. Ngoku is dead as he is he's telling me to marry his brother. Isifebe ndim who has to sleep with brothers. Mama, tell me!! Say it! Say I told you so. Say it, Mama!!!!

She insisted that she takes me in her arms. I don't know why the gesture has me bawling my eyes out. My mother never liked Nzolo she told me time and time again to stay away from him besides him being older he was really manipulative, especially to me, a child.

Lizeka:Shhh, sisi, don't cry. I would never do that to you. You're human sthandwa sam, and you'll make mistakes. My job as a mother is to reprimand you and hope you learn from them, and you did, baby girl. Look at you know. You're your own woman now. I know even if you were to get married, you'd not depend on a man.

Lilitha:Don't want to marry his brother, Mama. I don't think I'm ready for that kind of commitment yet.

I say honestly, I don't think I want to ever get married, let alone to my late husband's brother. I thought those things were only done. KwaZulu is not here emaxhoseni for what?

Lizeka:I'm sorry, sisi, but you have to. I know I don't want you too but we can never not heed the ancestors' requests. They know best sthandwa sam. Tell you what we will pray about everything and take it from there, uyeva?

I nod, releasing a sigh. I was really hoping for Mama to fight all this, but now what? I can never say no to her again. I did once, and I ended up with two dead kids.

Lizeka:Go sleep it off. Tomorrow we have to have a meeting with both families to see where all this is going and how to go about things. Lelam, help your sister to her bedroom.

Lelam takes my hand into hers, and we walk down the passage to my bedroom.

Lelam:For all its worth, Ndyebo is the most handsome from his siblings and the richest minus the fact that he's a ladies' man. I feel sorry for that girl he promised to marry.

We both laugh, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Lilitha:I don't even remember meeting him when I was getting married to Nzolo.

I tell her the truth, Ndyebo. I've heard about him, but he just never met him.

Lelam:He was abroad he's an advocate and apparently into robotics. He did robotics engineering and then went back to do law. He's been practicing in some high end lawfirm in New York for years now. He also sells robotic designs. So uya emalini nje.