Nostalgia

DUTY AND DESIRE.
STORY BY BELLA ROYALTY.
03.

[NKOSINATHI ZUNGU, MR PRESIDENT]
So it turns out the President of North Korea was the actual target of the assassination and we were just collateral damage. Me and the other 3 presidents that were shot as well, the terrorists have been found and will be dealt with the full force of the law.

I am a bit better now, as a result I have been discharged from the Parisian hospital. I sent Precious and the kids back home two days ago while I flew to New York with Marcus, Leo and Sean. It was time the good doctor and I met, sat down and talked.

I also asked to see Idris, he's done his part, now it's time for him to go back to his life. He's done a good job taking care of Aphiwe for the past couple of years. Idris and I met through my father, our fathers were close friends.

Me: Detective Jackson.
Idris: Mr President.

We shared a tight hug.
Idris: Are you sure you're supposed to be out and about?
Me(smiles): Oh this little scratch? I'm fine my friend.
Idris: You had me worried there a bit.
Me: Apparently it was touch and go for a while but I'm okay now, and you?
Idris: I'm good.
Me: What about her?
Idris: She's been good, however she's been conflicted, you know not knowing what to do next since her residency is ending soon, she's gotten way too many offers from here and back at home.

I nodded.
Me: I guess you are also in the mix of that indecisiveness?

He laughed a little.
Idris: I can assure you that I'm not part of that indecisiveness my friend, ever since I've met Pearl, she's never made any decision based on a man, obviously there's a bit of hesitancy because of what we have but I've assured her that whatever decision she takes, I will support her.

Me: I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me, taking care of her, being there for her when she needed someone to take care of her emotionally, physically and sexually and thank you for not impregnating my woman, otherwise I would have had to kill you.

We laughed.
Idris: It's not like she wanted kids, when we first met we had that discussion and we agreed that we would hold off on having kids for a couple of years.

I nodded.
Me: She's always had a good head over her shoulders.
Idris: I agree, so I guess you're here to see her?
Me: Yes, it's time.
Idris(nods): It's really time, although I will have to warn you, you will be met with some resistance.
Me(chuckles): I'm counting on that resistance, I have a lot of groveling to do.
Idris: So are we telling her about us?
Me: I wouldn't like for us to start our relationship with lies.
Idris: Mmh she's going to hate me.
Me: I don't think she will hate you more than she hates me.

We laughed.
Idris: You need all the luck you can get my good friend, so how are we doing this?
Me: I will have to sit her down and explain everything, I know she will want to talk to you once we are done.
Idris: Okay, she should be on her way home now, so I should disappear.
Me: Okay.
Idris: Are you nervous?

I laughed.
Me: Man, I'm freaking out, I haven't seen her in years, I've just seen her pictures.
Idris(smiles): You'll be fine, let me leave you to it.

He walked out, in fact they all walked out while I remained behind, pacing up and down, I was nervous actually, she could actually reject me.

After a while, the door opened and she was on a call. She looked so beautiful in her blue scrubs and white coat, she wasn't aware that I was in the apartment.

Aphiwe(laughs): Oh my word please don't remind me Sky, it was a disaster! I actually wanted to…

She turned and froze at the spot, literally dropping her cellphone on the floor, her hand flying to her chest.

Aphiwe(trembling): Mr President…
Me: Is that what I am to you now?
Aphiwe(swallows): W-What are you doing here?

I walked closer to her and as I had hoped, she held her breath, good to know that I still have that effect on her after 10 years.

We had a full circle moment, dating back to the night we first met, the night that started with me pinning her against the door.

Me: This seems awfully familiar, you against the door, me trapping you…
Aphiwe(swallows): Mr President…
Me: Say my name Aphiwe.

She shook her head and I placed my hand on her waist and she closed her eyes as I moved it slowly up her back as I studied her reaction.
Me(low voice): Say my name, Aphiwe.
Aphiwe: Nathi.

I closed my eyes, I haven't been called 'Nathi' In years, everyone either calls me by my full name or Nkosi.

I wanted to kiss her but I didn't want to confuse her at the same time, she opened her beautiful eyes.
Me(smiles): Hi.
Aphiwe: Hi.
Me: Can I get a hug?

She nodded and we shared a tight hug, I had to soak in the moment, 10 whole years! She's a whole woman now, no longer a teenager, a full grown beautiful woman.

Aphiwe: Nathi, let me go.

I chuckled and let her go as we went to sit down.
Me: How are you?
Aphiwe(shaking her head): No, you don't get to do that, you don't get to just one press play and we continue when we left off Nathi.
Me: I know sthandwa sami, I know that's why I'm here even though I'm not a 100%.

She looked at me.
Me: I'm sorry.
Aphiwe: That's not good enough Nathi, that's not good enough!
Me(sighs): Babe nginike ithuba phela ngichaze.
Aphiwe: Make it quick, my boyfriend will be here and he's into politics, he will immediately recognize you and you're a subject that I've never discussed with him.
Me: Ouch.
Aphiwe: No offense.
Me: You signed an NDA so I understand.

She kept quiet.
Me: I'm sorry for the way things ended between us, Melusi threatening you the way that he did, I knew and I—
Aphiwe: You gave up on us!
Me: Baby listen, at the time we both needed to grow and—

Aphiwe: No, I was a distraction to you! You believed that I was a distraction as well that's why you let him dangle with my life and future like that! He went as far as killing someone in front of me to make sure I got the message loud and clear and you… Nathi you, you came to me and begged me to tell you who had threatened me yet you knew exactly who did!

I looked down.
Me: I got my confirmation when I was asking you that day Aphiwe, I then went to confront Melusi and he didn't deny it, babe I understood why he went to such extreme measures, his heart was in a good place, he meant well he just went about it the wrong way, he knew that I was never going to leave you alone, so he made you leave me alone because you feared that he'd leak the sextape, Aphiwe you were just a child sthandwa sami, I had just taken office, I was stuck between duty and desire, I didn't want you to be my dirty little secret, my mistress, you didn't deserve that!

She wiped her tears.
Me: It had to be done sthandwa sami, I had to allow you to be a woman, an independent woman, I'm sorry.

I held her hands.
Me: I'm really sorry, but we had the right love at the wrong time and I've never stopped loving you.
Aphiwe: You made promises to me.
Me: I know and I kept them.

Aphiwe(crying): No, you didn't Nathi, you didn't keep your promises, you are still married, you have kids with her, where do I fit in, in all of that?

Me: My only crime was getting in bed with her, that's all I did and I had to do it in order for everyone to believe that I had problems impregnating Precious.
Aphiwe: I don't understand.

I wiped her tears with my thumb.
Me: So a couple of years ago, my sibling's lives went from being private to public, so I invited them to come and stay with us at the Unity House, things between Precious and I at the time were bad, I had done something terrible to her father and I was going through a breakup if I call our separation that, only to find my brother making googling eyes at Precious, nobody knew that her and I were in an open marriage, so technically I was Precious's husband yet my brother didn't care about that and he certainly didn't respect me at all, under my roof, he was making advances at someone they knew as my wife and she was entertaining him so, a wicked plan came into my mind when I saw that they really liked each other.

She nodded.
Me: I had Leo stay on them, watch them and report to me, they started dating under my roof Aphiwe, in a way they both betrayed me, Nkosikhona is my brother, Precious was meant to be my wife, yes we were in an open marriage but that didn't give her the right to sleep with my brother under my roof, so…I figured, they must really like each other right? For them to not even think about the consequences of being together under my roof, so I gave them a chance to be together.

Aphiwe: How?

Me: I went to have a vasectomy, after I was healed, I came back home drunk and high on viagra and slept with Precious, she was so confused, didn't know what was happening, because the last time we talked, I wasn't sexually attracted to her, so every time we were together I would drink pills to get horny, to a point where I asked her if we could try and make this work, she agreed and then came the pressure for her to have a child, Melusi also advised her that you know a child would bring us together, my mother wanted a grandchild as well, I convinced her that I wanted a child as well knowing very well that I couldn't give her one, so one day she confided to my brother, told him I might be infertile, they agreed to take tests without my knowledge so they would determine if indeed I was infertile.

She was listening to me attentively, her beauty was a bit distracting for me but I tried to not look at her for long.

Me: The plan was to take a sample of my semen on the condom or wherever, she took it to a doctor I'm well acquainted with, he called me and told me what was happening, I asked him to tell her that I wasn't fertile, she went on to disclose this to my mother and brother, who then came up with an idea, traditionally when something like this happens, another brother steps in to help him, without his knowledge of course, so they began sleeping together and she fell pregnant, my mother was in on it as well, the pregnancy announcement was well received but I knew the child wasn't mine.

Aphiwe: Oh my God, they never stopped did they?

Me: No, they never stopped sleeping together, another child was conceived, and another one, all three of them being said to be mine, there were even private talks to have me killed so that they could be together freely Aphiwe, that's how deep this whole thing is, I don't know why my brother, my own flesh and blood would do this to me, hate me like this, but I knew I had to find ways to defend myself, so I gathered evidence, enough evidence to get them both out of my life, so everyone will know that my own wife, the first lady, cheated on me with my own brother and went on to have three of his kids, when I ask for divorce, people will be on my side, they'll feel sympathy towards me, they'll encourage me to move on, they'll love whoever I'm with next because their beloved first lady would have shamed and embarrassed them by not conducting herself well.

She took a deep breath, processing everything.
Me: In a way I did set Precious up, but she started this by sleeping with my own brother under my nose, what I did was play match maker, they love each other, they have 3 beautiful kids together, it only makes sense that they end up together, it only makes sense that they are allowed to love each other loudly and be able to raise their family freely without being scared of me and all that.

Aphiwe: That is just…I don't know what to say actually.

Me: I kept my promise sthandwa sami, I said I'd look out for you, that I'd open doors for you, I sent you to study in China, I brought you to America, I made sure you fulfilled your dreams, but now I need you, I want you, it is time for us to be together, I will be filing for divorce soon and we can be together.

She looked down.
Aphiwe: I have a…
Me: Idris?
Aphiwe: Of course you know.
Me: I know because I sent him to look after you.
Aphiwe(shocked): What? Nathi, you did what?

Me: It was the only way I could keep you safe, keep you from moving on and possibly starting a family with someone else, Idris was meant to provide and cater to your needs.

She stood up, visibly angry.
Aphiwe: Excuse me? So you mean to tell me that the past 3 years together have been a lie?
Me: Yes.
Aphiwe: And you're not even ashamed!
Me: No, I'm not.
Aphiwe: I cannot believe you right now!!! Nathi, how could you do this to me! I loved him!
Me: Did you?

I asked, looking her straight in the eye.
Aphiwe: I did! I mean I do!
Me: No, you don't.
Aphiwe: I felt something for him! And it was all fake? Nathi these are my feelings that the two of you played with! How could you do this to me? Where is that son of a b— anyway? He needs to answer for his actions! The 3 years that I thought were the best 3 years of my life were actually fake??

I tried to touch her but she wouldn't let me.
Aphiwe: Don't touch me! You had no right to play with my feelings like that Nathi! That was not okay! You know what? Get out!
Me: Aphiwe…
Aphiwe(screams): Get out!! Get out of my house!!
Me: I will be flying back to South Africa in a day, I will be expecting you on that flight with me.

I walked out, sending a text to someone.
'Leak them.'

[MELUSI SHOZI, CHIEF OF STAFF]
There it was, staring at me in bold large letters, accompanied by pictures of the first lady in bed, with the president's brother.

'BREAKING NEWS: First Lady has been having an affair with the president's younger brother, Nkosikhona Zungu, it is believed that this affair has been going on for the past decade, leaving questions hanging, are the three children that the first lady gave birth to, the president's or the young brother's?'

Me(curses): You've got to be kidding me!!

I walked to the main bedroom where Precious was sprawled on the bed, sleeping peacefully as if she hadn't just set the whole country on fire, I yanked her blindfold off her eyes and she screamed as I slapped her with the newspaper.

Precious: Melusi what the heck! This is the president's private chambers. You shouldn't be here!

I grabbed her by her throat and she was so surprised as I pinned her against the headboard.
Me: You've been sleeping with the president's younger brother?Are those kids even his?

She struggled to get a word out and the door opened.
Mrs Zungu: We heard noise— Melusi what are you doing?
Khosi(gasps): Bhuti Melusi!

I let her go and she gasped for her clutching her neck.
Mrs Zungu: What on earth is wrong with you!!
Me: She has been sleeping with Nkosikhona! And it's everywhere!!!
Khosi: What??? That is not true! That can't be true!!
Mrs Zungu: What do you mean it's everywhere?
Me: It's everywhere! Pictures! Everywhere! The president will find out about his wife cheating with his brother on the papers!!!

I roared, I was so angry!
Precious: It's a lie! Those pictures were probably photoshopped or it's AI! I would never cheat on him!
Me: Your mother in law's silence proves otherwise.
Khosi: Mom? You knew about this? Nkosikhona has been sleeping with Bhuti Nkosinathi's wife?
Precious(crying): Its not true I swear!!
Mrs Zungu: They didn't cheat, it was tradition, what we did was tradition, your older brother couldn't have kids and tradition states that his brother can step in and give them those kids!

I laughed a little.
Me: You think I got this Chief Of Staff title by being stupid? There are time and date stamps on these pictures that suggest the affair began way before the children were born!

Bonnie knocked and let herself inside the room and we turned to look at her.
Bonnie: Uhm…it's a nightmare out there sir, our phones have been ringing nonstop, we need to release a statement or something, also everyone is asking, where is the president?

I exhaled, I've just aged a 100 years, this is a nightmare!
Me: Tell the media crew that they should meet me in my office right now.
Bonnie: Yes sir.

She walked out and I turned to look at Precious.
Me: How could you? After everything we've done to make sure that this presidency wasn't some house of scandal, you go and hand these people the biggest scandal yet!!
Mrs Zungu: Melusi–
Me: SHUT UP!

She looked at me stunned.
Me: Do you know what I've done to keep you in this house? Do you know? You've just made it easy for you to get out!! He will not forgive you! They will not forgive you!!
Precious(crying): Melusi please you have to help me! I did it for us! He couldn't give me children and—
Me(roars): So you slept with his brother instead?
Precious: We can spin this, Melusi we can spin this—
Me: You are done!

I walked out banging the door behind me, and right on cue, the president was calling, I hesitated and cleared my throat.
Me(stuttering): Mr President…
Nkosinathi: Melusi? Melusi what the hell ???
Me(calmly): I know sir, I'm on it, I'm on my way to the team now, we will find a solution, we will release a statement…
Nkosinathi: She cheated on me with my brother!!

I closed my eyes as he roared in my ear. He's angry, understandably so.
Nkosinathi: Under my roof Melusi! Those kids…are those kids mine?

Someone snatched the phone from my ear, I looked at Mrs Zungu, the president's mother in shock!
Mrs Zungu: You will listen to me now, Righthand man, by the time my son gets back from Paris, this will be sorted!

This woman, wtf!