The message finds the doctor: it is time

DUTY AND DESIRE.
STORY BY BELLA ROYALTY.
P2/02.

[PRECIOUS ZUNGU, FIRST LADY]
I'd be lying if I said I was able to sleep, I couldn't sleep, my husband was lying on a hospital bed, chained to tubes and machines, they said he was out of danger but the next 24hrs were crucial, as if that wasn't enough, I just found out that my husband has been using me to warm the space in his heart reserved for somebody else, Imagine!

Melusi: Madam President!
Me: Don't madam President me, Melusi!
Melusi: Okay? We are in a foul mood so early in the morning, cheer up, the president is awake.
Me: Really? That's great news!
Melusi: Is it? You don't sound convinced.
Me: Who is she?
Melusi: I am not sure I follow.
Me: Who is the woman that you had to drag across the world in order for her and Nkosinathi to not be together and do not lie to me because I heard you and Leo yesterday.
Melusi: Madam President, it's time to go and see your husband, we will be leaving in 10.

He blatantly ignored me and attempted to walk through the door, excuse me?
Me: Melusi Hopewell Shozi don't you dare!!
Melusi(gritted teeth): I saved your marriage! You should be thanking me and not questioning me!

I held my chest.
Melusi: All of you people are ungrateful! I saved your fuckin' marriage! That's all you should know and Secondly, you do not want to know who this girl is, trust me! Now go and be a good wife, your husband has just woken up! Some questions are better left unanswered!

He walked out and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, he is right, he did save my marriage.

10 years ago, Nkosinathi didn't want anything to do with me, we had agreed on an open marriage, but a few months after my father died, he came back home drunk as hell and that night we made love, I was so surprised you should have seen my body go into shock.

It never stopped there unfortunately, we fucked like rabbits, I never asked what changed because last time I checked the man wasn't attracted to me sexually, but I could tell that he was going through something, some days he wanted me and some days he didn't.

And then uhm…I fell pregnant and I guess that changed things between us, he tore the marriage amendment contract and we became a real, happy family even though sometimes I caught him in the middle of the night staring at something or someone on his phone…perhaps that was the other woman?

I know that 3 kids in the space of 10 years is a bit diabolical, our firstborn is 8 years old(Siphesihle)secondborn is 6 years old(Mvelo) and our lastborn is 3 weeks old(Luyandiswa), all boys and he's an amazing father to them.

Melusi is right, whoever this girl is, she shouldn't be brought back, she could ruin everything that Nkosinathi and I have tried to build over the past 10 years.

_____
I was driven to the hospital and unfortunately the press was there. The news of 5 world leaders being shot had gone viral, people couldn't believe it and there were all sorts of conspiracy theories flying around already, getting inside the hospital was a nightmare.

When I got inside the ward, they were helping him drink his medication, the nurse nodded and left, he seemed really well except for the bandage around his chest.
Me(smiles): Hey.
Nkosinathi: Hi
Me: How are you feeling?
Him: In pain.

I laughed a little and kissed his cheek.
Him: How are you? How are the kids? You guys shouldn't have flown here.
Me: And why is that? Nkosinathi you were shot, we didn't know how serious it was, I couldn't just sit by…
Him: I know, I'm sorry.
Me: I just… I don't understand who was the real target, was it you or was it someone else? It doesn't make any sense.
Him: I don't know either, I am just as confused as everyone else, the Parisian police are doing everything they can to catch these people.

I exhaled.
Me: I'm just glad you are okay, you gave us quite a scare.
Him: I didn't mean to, please tell me my family didn't fly here as well?
Me(laughs): No, they didn't, they remained behind..
Him: Thank God!
Me(laughs): Nkosinathi!

We laughed.
Him: You know how mom gets Precious, I don't need the drama.
Me: Is it her that's a problem or…it's your brother?

He didn't respond, Nkosinathi has two brothers and a sister, when he first got elected as the president, they chose to remain private, so they were kept out of politics and the media, not everyone wants to be known as the President's brother and we respected their choice, we protected their privacy.

Unfortunately, that all ended when his brother, Nkosikhona, got himself into trouble and needed his brother to bail him out, the story caught attention and they went from private to public.

There's Nkosinathi(Nathi) who's the oldest,Nkosingiphile(Ingiphile) who's currently serving in the military, Nkosikhona(Nkosi)the troublemaker and Nomakhosazana(Khosi).

As I was about to ask him about the girl, Sean walked in and acknowledged me with a nod and whispered something to Nkosinathi and he looked at me briefly.

Me: Uhm…do you need me to step out?
Nkosinathi: That would be lovely baby.

I kissed his cheek.
Me: I will go and get myself some coffee.

I walked out, Melusi was with Zamani, Leo was out of sight, I wonder where he is.
Me: I need a name, I'm sorry but I can't let this go, I need to know how much of a threat she is to my marriage.
Melusi: Don't worry, I doubt she even cares about a man who made promises he couldn't keep.

Me: You don't understand Melusi! I cannot have this marriage fall apart not when I've sacrificed so much for it to work! That girl better not reappear! And you will make sure of it or else I'll do it myself!

I walked to the coffee machine and made myself a coffee, my phone rang.
Me: Mah, sanibona.
Nkosinathi's mom: Zekhethelo, hi how's everything?
Me: Well he's woken up and he seems okay.
Her: Oh thank the lord heavens, are you okay though?
Me: Uhm…
Her: Zekhethelo?

I walked away from the crowd.
Me: I have just stumbled on some information that could potentially hurt my marriage mama and I am left shaken.
Her: What? Is it Nkosinathi?

Me: Yes, turns out there's a girl he was once involved with, Melusi broke them apart I think, sent her to study overseas, I'm not sure, anyway there was a timeline set for them to reunite, the time has come and I fear she's the threat to my marriage.

Her: Listen to me very carefully, you will have to be smart about this, you need to find whoever this woman is and deal with her, the advantage you have here is that nobody is willing to tell you something so if something happens to her they wont look your way, use whatever connections you have and find this girl and deal with her otherwise everything we've done in the past 10 years would have been for nothing!

I swallowed.
Me: Yebo Mah.

She dropped the call, how am I supposed to find this woman? They probably dated over 10 years ago, all I know is that she's in New York, working as a doctor and that's it. I need more. Melusi is a brick wall, he won't tell me shit, Leo seems to be the only other person who knows, maybe Zamani? No, that's Melusi's guy, Sean? I can handle Sean, he's the weak Link out of the 4.

[DR APHIWE P. BHENGU]
Every morning before I head to work, I go on an hours worth of jogging, that's the only way I keep a clear mind and stay in shape, I would have loved to join the gym but due to my long working hours I can't, so jogging everyday for an hour is what I do.

This morning I hoped it would help me clear my mind so that I would be able to come to a decision about what my future looks like after this residency ends.

One thing about me is that I've never made a decision based on a man. Men have a tendency to disappoint you when you're all about them. I am one of those Miss Independent girls…well at least I try to be.

So I really don't know what to do. I want to go home but I also want to stay here and it's not about Idris, he's cute and I love him but I mean… I was able to get over someone whom I thought was the shit to me so, who's Idris?

When I got to the apartment, I noticed the door was slightly opened. That was odd because Idris had left already as usual, so who was in my house?

I got in slowly and looked around.
Me: Hello? Is anyone here?

A man in a black suit appeared from my…is he coming from my bedroom? He seems awfully familiar as well.

Me: Who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?
Man: Dr Bhengu, you've grown, still beautiful as well.
Me: You know my name?
Man: I know who you are and you know who I am.
Me: Uh…no I don't.
Man: Leonardo Saunders.
Me: Leonardo Saunders?
Leo: Yes, president's personnel, President Nkosinathi Zungu's personnel.

I swallowed.
Me: Uhm..wha…what are you doing here?
Leo: It is time.
Me: It is time? For what?
Leo: For you to come back home.
Me: Excuse me?
Leo: It is time, Dr Bhengu, he made a promise and now he is fulfilling it.

I laughed a little.
Me: And I'm assuming that the video problem has been sorted right?
Leo: It doesn't exist.

Me: I don't really care at this point, his right handman threatening me with it so that I could break up with him was a blessing in disguise, so no, I'm not going anywhere with you, him and I don't exist, we never did, it's been 10 years, he promised me 4 years, he said he'd wait and then he went on to make 3 babies with her, so no, go and tell him to die for all I care, I'm happy now, okay?

He looked at me for a while and then walked out. As soon as he walked out, I held my chest, feeling my heart beating way too fast. I sat down on the floor feeling an anxiety attack creeping in…

I suddenly couldn't breathe, I had to calm myself down, beat by beat, I must have sat there for a while because I was startled by my phone buzzing.
Me: Laura hey.
Laura: You sound off, what's up?
Me(chuckles): I do not sound off.
Laura: Girl this is me we are talking about, what's up?
Me(sighs): Can you come and fetch me, I won't be able to drive.
Laura: Oh my God, I'll be right there.
Me: Okay.

I dropped the call and went to take a quick shower and got dressed, I heard Laura calling me.
Me: Be right there!

I finished up and grabbed my bag and went to meet her.
Laura: Oh honey, what's wrong?

She engulfed me in a tight hug and I breathed heavily.
Me: Let me grab some fruit and yogurt, I'll tell you on the way. Laura is one of 3 friends I have made here in NYC.

She nodded, I grabbed an apple and banana, a bottle of water and some yogurt and we locked up and went to her car.
Me: Remember that guy I told you about? The one I said was powerful, married and older than me that I was once with?
Laura: The one I said he's a Zulu prince?

I laughed.
Me: Yes him, uhm…he was involved in some accident, he's currently in hospital.
Laura: Oh my God, is he okay?
Me: I think so, anyway the day we broke up, if you can call it that, he said he'd one day come for me, that he'd come for me when I'm done with school and stuff.
Laura: Did he come?

Me: Yes, he just sent his people to come and fetch me but I refused, I mean Laura it's been 10 years, he said he needed 4 years to be able to divorce his wife, I waited, the news never reported a divorce, instead, the news reported a child, I told myself that maybe it's the open marriage thing he said he was in, but my friend in South Africa who works at the PPO confirmed that the open marriage contract was dismantled, he now has 3 kids, the last one was welcomed 3 weeks ago.

Laura: Damn and I know how you feel about guys with children.

Me: I don't see how we can be together even now, I've sorted out my life, I kept my end of the deal, he never did, he's still married and he has kids now, I don't see how we can make it work, I can't play second fiddle to anyone Laura, not when there's guys like Idris who are willing to give me the world.
Laura: Do you still love him?

I kept quiet.
Me: I don't know, it's been 10 years.
Laura: Even still, it looks like he doesn't have his shit together and you can't drag yourself in the middle of that, if he was serious about you, he should have kept his promise, waited for you, okay maybe not waited for you, but the kids are a bit much.
Me: Exactly, that's one of the reasons why I can't move back home, I won't be able to resist him Laura, I know myself, I just won't, I will stall for a few months maybe and then I'll find myself under him and I don't want to be known as anyone's mistress or stepmother.

She nodded.
Laura: I get you, I think you should give this some thought, it's obvious you still have some feelings for this guy and the only thing that's stopping you is the fact that he's still married and now has kids.
Me: It's not only that, I just learnt that he knew who threatened me with the tape but he kept asking me to tell him, he made it seem like I didn't trust him but he knew and that hurts, Laura I was traumatized…

I said getting emotional.
Me: That man went as far as shooting someone right in front of me so that I'd know what he would do to me if I didn't do what he had asked me to do, I couldn't even deal with that because I was trying to act normal in front of everyone even though inside I was unraveling, I was disturbed mentally, if there's anyone who gave up on me, it was the same guy that said loved me.

Laura: Oh babe, come here, it's going to be okay, everything is going to be okay.
Me(crying): I was doing okay until Leo showed up, Laura!

[NKOSINATHI ZUNGU, MR PRESIDENT]
The door opened and Leo walked in, I tried to sit up as he reached me, well that was fast, I wasn't expecting him back so soon.

Leo: Sir, Good to see you alive and awake.
Me(groans): I'm just grateful to be alive Leo, how did your trip go?
Leo: It went as we had expected it.
Me: Mmh is it?
Leo: Yes sir.
Me: How is the good doctor?

He handed me her pictures and I flipped through them, my fine shit, I couldn't help but smile.

Me: That fucker of a detective is treating her well?
Leo: He knows what will happen if he doesn't treat her well, the mission was simple.
Me: I just hate that, that mission involved him having his way with her.
Leo: But it grounded her and he didn't impregnate her so…
Me: Jeah, I bet she thinks we don't stand a chance because I'm married and have kids.

He chuckled.
Leo: I badly wanted to laugh when she mentioned that part.

Me: I don't blame her, she's not the only one who thinks I have kids, I also thought I had kids as well, I cannot wait till I drop the bomb, Madam President fell right into the trap, not once, or twice but three times, getting out of this marriage will be a breeze.

Leo(smiles): I have to say sir, at first I didn't understand this method of yours, but now I see it.
Me: Leo, you've got to have faith in me, I wouldn't mess my chances of being with the good doctor like that, however I know that I have a lot of answering to do, a lot of groveling as well.
Leo: Idris, you being intimate with the wife, tearing up the open marriage contract, not divorcing her….(whistles)
Me: Don't forget that I knew about Melusi threatening her with the tape.
Leo: Sir, good luck, the doctor is no longer that 18 year old high school girl that we once knew.
Me: I know Leo, I know.

I looked at the pictures again, while running my thumb on her face.
Me: It won't be long now sthandwa sami…