9

THE BRIDE

SVL18

###

INSERT 9

LISA

***I'm making dinner...umxolisi is not back yet...emvakokuthi ahambe umthoko ngvele ngahamba nami...ngiqambe amanga ku nonhle ngathi I'm not feeling well...even though ubukeke engangthembi ngoba indlela ebengiqhaqhazela ngayo! Sigh! ngzoytholaphi imali engaka mina?? ukumbona futhi umthoko kubuyise izinto eziningi...bengizikhohlisa ngithi mhlampe I'm gonna be fine njengoba sengsukile eduze kwabo kodwa kyacaca ukuthi bengidlala ngeskhathi sami because they always find me...my own blood, my own family...angazi ngampela ukuthi ngbenzeni engaka ukuthi bengzonde kangaka...ngizwe isandla ehlombe ngphenduke fast ngimkhomba ngo mese!***

Me:Don't touch me!

Mxo:Mashenge

***Angbuke, uphakamise ishiya elilodwa...ngehlise ummese and take a deep breath***

Mxo:Kwenzenjani?

Me:N..nothing...you scared me

Mxo:Ngyaxolisa

***Athathe i knife esandleni sami aybeke phansi***

Mxo:Unesqiniseko sokuthi u right?

Me:Yes

Mxo:Mhhhh

***Athule angbuke and i look away...aqede anyuke ngsale ngkhipha umoya...okay why did I react like that??! Ngqhubeke ngpheke bese eyabuya umxolisi eseshintshile...afike akhiphe amanzi kwi fridge bese ehlala estulweni e busy kwi laptop yakhe...khona sekthiwa ngimcela imali sengingafuna u R500 000??***

Mxo:Hlala phansi skhulume

***Ngihlale bese ekhumula iybuko engbuke***

Mxo:Ngiktholelile umsebenzi

***Ngimamatheke***

Mxo:i wotela eliphezulu kakhulu and by the taste of your food kuzokfanela uksebenza khona

Me:Ngyabonga

***Kuthi angsukume and hug him kodwa ngizibambe...angbuke***

Mxo:Unonhle ungitshele ukuthi ubungekho right namhlanje Kwenzenjani?

Me:Lutho

Mxo:Aksi lutho... ngyangena namanje uyathuka...kukhona ekmele ngikwazi?

***Umxolisi ungtholele umsebenzi...angfuni ukuphinde ngimthwese izinkinga zami...senginawo umsebenzi mangihola ngzomnika umthoko imali***

Me:I promise you I'm fine

***Angbuke and then nod...ngsukume ngyoqedelela ukpheka...kubekhona onockayo asukume ayovula and then i hear loud voices...i guess it's his brothers***

Langa:Koti

Sandile:Mfazi ka bafo

***I just smile and wave...bedlule benyuke beyephezulu***

Mxo:Ngyabuya

***I nod...anyuke naye ngsale ngphaka ukudla...after I'm done ngibahambisele phezulu...you should see their faces! Bayakthanda ukudla shame...ngihambe ngyogeza and just read a book... I can't wait to start working!***

* * * * * * * * * *

MXOLISI

***Kukhona okshaya amanzi and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it...ngbuka laba abadla ngathi kade balamba***

Me:Kanti niyalamba yini nina?

Langa:Kumnandi ukudla kwa koti

Nhlaka:Kwanuka kamnandi nje lana

***Angene avale umnyango***

Sandile:Wafika kabi sesqeda ukudla

Nhlaka:Haybo kuphi okwami?

***Aphuce ulanga i plate***

Langa:Wenzani manje?

Nhlaka:Yindaba ningashongo ukuthi ngyeza?

Sandile:Wena vele yini ekade ikuhlalisile?

Me:Kade bemnika

***Behleke***

Nhlaka:Unomona ngoba nakhu unama blue balls

***I chuckle while shaking my head***

Langa:Mana bafo, wena ugcine nini ukudla ikhekhe?

Me:Hhayi fuseg ngingenaphi mina?

Nhlaka:Akasalazi...umbona nje enolaka yingoba umzimba ugcwele usawoti

Nhlaka:Ulamba kanjani unomfazi?

Me:Hhayi fokof marn zinja! asenze into esiyzele la

***Akhiphe i laptop ulanga ayvule***

Langa:I got the CCTV footage...kukhona okshaya amanzi la bafo

***Aydlale...unonhle no lisa bahlezi bayaxoxa...asukume ulisa angene etoilet...emvakwakhe kungene umlisa ofake u all black...ayveli phakathi... some time later aphume lomuntu ahambe...aphume no lisa eseqhaqhazela***

Sandile:Kwenzakalani la?

Nhlaka:Uma ucabanga uyamazi lomlisa?

Langa:What if kukhona into ayenzile yingakho eqhaqhazela??!

***Fuck ngzobulala umuntu mina! ***

Nhlaka:Bafo hlisa umoya...

***Ngsukume ngthathe u beer ngiwuvule bese nghlala phansi ngyawphuza...ukcabanga nje ukuthi loyafezela uthunte umashenge ngizwa nginyanya okwangampela***

Me:Find him

Sandile:Khululeka somthola...i number plate yemoto abehamba ngayo siytholile

Me:Kukhona okwenzakalile...ngfika lana she was lost in thought..ngisho sengimthinta wavele wathuka

Nhlaka:I pray that motherfucker didn't touch her ngoba uzonya

***Ngphuze u beer wami...ngyazibuza ukuthi ulisa uhlanganisani nalomfana and why was she shaking that much**

* * * * * * * * * *

#Few weeks later

LISA

***I started last week emsebenzini...it's a big luxury hotel! Kufika ama celebrity lana shame...kumnandi futhi uksebenza khona...angazi ukuthi ngzombonga ngani ngampela umxolisi for ukungtholela lomsebenzi...anyways iskhathi sokuthi ngphume manje...ngthathe izinto zami ngphumele ngaphandle...ngine bodyguard..liyangihambisa linglande..angbuzanga imbuzo emningi ngoba kyacaca ukuthi they are involved kwizinto ezi dangerous coz why kmele ngibe ne bodyguard? Kume imoto enkulu emnyanga..ehlise iwindi angbuke...luthi heqe uvalo...kyaqala ukuthi nglande umxolisi emsebenzini..ngvule iscabha ngingene***

Me:Hi

Mxo:Unjani?

Me:Ngyaphila..where's the bodyguard?

Mxo:Ngthe akaphumule namhlanje ngoba bengingasebenzi

***I nod....asuse imoto ahambe...ufake iskhindi and a vest okukhombisa khona ukuthi he was home all day***

Mxo:Ufuna ukudlani?

Me:Kukhona ukudla endlini

Mxo:Ufuna ukudlani mashenge?

Me:Nandos

***Athule and we drive there..afike apake egarage bese eyehla and i watch him leave...no marnn...umxolisi is such a handsome man... I can't believe he's my husband? Well not husband husband kodwa niyangthola moss! amantombazane ajika naye ngisho lawa asebenza la egarage..ngizwe ngiba neskhwele and i realise that i have no right..abuye nokudla akbeke ngemumva***

Mxo:You okay?

Me:Mhh

Mxo:Ayikho enyinto oyfunayo?

Me:Cha

***Ngimbone esondela kimi ngbambe umoya...athathe ibhandi angfase lona...aqede adumise imoto sihambe...okay calm down lisakhanya... atleast he's not being cold towards you like last time...sfike endlini sehle...nginyuke ngyogeza bese ngyabuya ngilungise ukudla...ubukela ibhola ksofa and i just give him his food bese ngihlala phansi***

Mxo:Ufuna ukbukelani?

Me:It's fine ungabuka

Mxo:Akuwona umbuzo wami lowo

Me:Anything is fine kum... I'm not a fan of a tv

Mxo:You're a fan of what?

Me:Books

***Aphakamise ishiya angbuke***

Mxo:Really?

Me:Mhh

Mxo:Yintoni emnandi ngokfunda?

***I look at him and smile..***

Me:Ohh i love reading...yabona uma ufunda you forget everything and focus kleyoncwadi oyfundayo...uyadinwa, ukhale uphinde ujabule when your favourite character is going through stuffs...but ke ngyathanda ukfunda izincwadi

***He nods and then eat in silence...mayeqeda athathe izintsha zethu aziwashe bese ema eduze kwama steps***

Mxo:Asambe

Me:Syaphi?

Mxo:Uzobona

***Ngsukume ngimlandele...sinyuke...ngyakhohlwa ukuthi this house is big anf kunama rooms engingakaze ngawabona...singene kwi room enomnyango omkhulu...ngiwakhiphe onke amehlo ngoba kbukeka ngathi it's a library! Kugcwele izincwadi***

Me:Wow...that's a lot of books

***Ayamele etafuleni and watch me as i browse through..***

Me:It's yours?

Mxo:Yes

Me:Why do you have it?

***Ngphenduke ngimbuke..***

Me:You also like to read?

Mxo:Sometimes

***I smile to myself...akabukeki njengomuntu othanda ukfunda...ngikhiphe iybuko zami ngthathe incwadi eyodwa ngiyvule and smile...mangphenduka ngimthole naye efake iybuko and we both smile...sihlale by the couch lapho okunomlilo omncane khona...ngigoqe izinyawo zami bese englethela i blanket. Ahlale phansi naye ephethe i laptop yakhe...this is a romance book...ngbuke ngemumva ngbuka umbhali "Mxolisi Ngcobo" i look at him shocked***

Me:You wrote this?

***Angbuke and nod..ngimamatheke while paging the book***

Mxo:Uwena wokqala owaziyo and kuphelela phakathi kwami nawe

***I smile and nod... I can't believe umxolisi is a writer??! Ngiqale ngifunde lencwadi and ngyabona ukuthi I'm gonna enjoy reading it...we sit in silence while he works and i read...and at that moment all i fee is peace..the peace I've been searching for...***

* * * * * * * * * *