26

THE BRIDE

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INSERT 26

#FEW DAYS LATER

LISA

***I just woke up…I hate being awake coz I'm reminded that angkhumbuli lutho ngami! All I know ukuthi ngingu Lisakhanya…ngingene kwi shower and just let the warm water hit my body…I cant stop thinking about what Mxolisi said…the hurt in his eyes was so visible…and when his hands touched me I felt something…I sigh bese ngyaqeda ukugeza and wrap a towel around my body…I'm thankful for Nonhle, even though uyabona ukuthi naye she's hurting ngoba angimkhumbuli kodwa she's trying to keep it together….I sometimes wonder how my life was…what happened to me?? Abazali bami bona baphi?? Bayangthanda kodwa? Or maybe abasaphili? ***

Nonhle: Lisa

Me: Mhh?

***Angene angbuke and smile***

Nonhle: How are you feeling today?

Me: Better

Nonhle: We're going out today, you wanna come?

Me: Uma ucabanga kuwumqondo omuhle ukuthi ngize?

Nonhle: Of course! Why would you even ask me that?

Me:Wonke umuntu ulindele ukuthi ngkhumbule yonkinto Nonhle

***Nghlale phansi and sigh…azohlala phansi naye***
Nonhle: As much as we miss you lisa kodwa yonkinto izokwenzeka ngeskhathi sayo…sizofika iskhathi and you will remember everything. Don't rush, take your time
***I nod…asukume avule uwadrabe akhiphe ingubo e cute e brown. ***

Nonhle: Ngiklindile ezansi

***Aphume ahambe…ngsale ngigcoba bese ngyagqoka…I fix my hair ngibophe kahle…this dress is actually cute! Ngfake nama baby heels bese ngthatha iskhwama sami ngphume***

Nonhle: You look good

Me Thank you

***Sphume sihambe singene emotweni ngemumva since kuno driver***

Me: Nomhle

Nonhle: Lisa

Me: What was I like before?

***Angbuke emamatheka***

Nonhle: You were just lisakhanya, ubungakhulumi kakhulu kodwa unenhliziyo enhle…unothando and you really care…into engiythanda kakhulu ngawe ukuthi uphansi…umuhle, unenhliziyo enhle…you're my little sister

***Angbambe isandla and I stare at her…idk but I feel this deep bond with her…sfike kwi masion enhle nje enkulu***

Me: Sikephi?

Nonhle: Don't worry, this is my home…were just having a braai since we've been through a lot kleziynsuku ezidlule

Me: Is he here?

Nonhle: Yes

*** I sigh and nod. singene ngaphakathi and all I hear is laughter…I take a deep breath***

Sthah: Lisa!

***Bezongihaga and I smile***

Mandisa: Ngyabonga ukuthi uze wafika! Ustha cishe wasidlisa amafutha wodwa

***We laugh ***

Stha: Ohh usuhlekisa ngami manje mmh?

Nonhle: Baphi laba?

Stha: Bar

***Ahambe…ngsale ngfaka I apron ngsiza la engsiza khona***

*********

MXOLISI

***Sihlezi ebar no bafo...bayaphuza and mina angphuzi…akvumi ngisho ukuthi ngphuze…kyacaca ukuthi unkulunkulu akafuni ukuthi ngibe happy emhlabeni…when I finally found someone after ukuzivalela kangaka wavele wathi ngzokphuca yena…even though ekhona ngokwenyama kodwa kimi akyena…she's not my wife; she's not the woman I fell for***

Langa: Bafo awfuni ukuphuza kancane nje?
Me: Cha

Nnhlaka: Uma ucabanga uzoza?

Me: Angazi

***Angboni, kade elokhu ezivalele engafuni ngisho ukphuma….I haven't seen her for days and inhliziyo yami iba buhlungu everyday…ngi strong impela kodwa uma sekfika ku mashenge ngiba weak…uye kphela umuntu owenza inhliziyo yami inyakaze***

Sandile: Uyamthanda mmh?

Me: Kakhulu bafo, sengsaba nanokuthi ngzohlanya
Langa: Udokotela uthini kanti?

Me: Uthi simnike iskhathi…singamjahi ngoba lokho kuzophazamisa ingqondo yakhe

Nhlaka: Mkhulu umonakalo abawenzile Labantu

Me: Ngathi ngingaqala phansi ngbabulale!

Sandile: Mnike iskhathi bafo

Nonhle: She's here…

***Ngphenduke ngimbuke...umile emnyango uyangbuka***

Nonhle: Just be nomarl please

Me: shes here?

***Yiyo into engiyzwile leyo kuphela***

Nonhle: Yes, kodwa I need you to relax…ngyazi you haven't seen her for days Mxolisi…uma sfika iskhathi uzokukhumbula

Me: Does she remember you?

Nonhle: No

***Aphume ahambe and I sigh…ngthathe I glass ngithele into e strong ngiyphuze***

Nhlaka: Ohh manje usuyaphuza?

Me: Shut up

***Ngphume ngyekhishini ngphethe I glass…my eyes land on her…wearing a beautiful brown dress…waze wamuhle umuntu lapho angikwazi noksondela kuye ngimcabuze and tell her how pretty she looks***

Sthah: Kukhona okudingayo mxo?

***Aphakamise amehlo umashenge angbuke bese ebuka phansi…unonhle uyangkhuza ngamehlo***

Me: Bengzo washa I glass

***Ngyeku sink ngfike ngiyiwashe***

Nonhle: I invited sihle

Me: Usihle muphi?

Nonhle: Yena yedwa

***I give her a death stare and she laugh…usihle is my childhood friend…we were close kodwa wayohlala ekapa…wangagcina lapho wangtshela ukuthi she has feelings for me…ngngimbona njengo sis wami omncane so ngamtshla ukuthi angeke. ***

Nonhle: Kade samgcina…ubuyile futhi

Lisa: Ubani usihle?

Me: No one

Stha: Akyona intombyakho?? I mean, she wanted you
***Ulisa is frowning…okay ngyabona ukuthi benzani. ***

Me: Uzofika what time? Or ngimlande?

Mandisa: Ohh, usujahe ukuthi afike mmmh?

***I chuckle…ngphume ngbuyele ebar…unonhle is always up to no good!***

*********

LISA

***Sqedile ekhishini…wonke umuntu ubheke e backyard lapho esizobe sidla khona…ngfike ngbeke I salad etafuleni…mangphakamisa amehlo uyangbuka umxolisi bese enza ngathi akangbuki…befike abantu behlale phansi sidle***

"Hi guys"

Langa: Sihle

Sihle: Ohh my gosh guys! It's been so long

***Besukume bemuhage…umxolisi asukume naye and they hug…ngbuke ukudla kwami…okay why do I feel this way when I see him hug her?? Ngathi kukhona into ekhona emqaleni wami***

Nonhle: This is lisakhanya, usis wami omncane

Sihle: hi, wow…waze wamuhle

Me: Hi, ngyabonga

Langa: Asidleni bakwethu ngfuna ukyongena olwandle mina

Sihle: Sye bhishi??

Langa: Yes!

Sihle: Uyakhumbula sisakhula Mxolisi?? We use to take walk olwandle

Mxo: Mhh…kusho umuntu owayehlezi engi forca

***Ngizwe ngshawa ikhanda kancane…ngvale amehlo ngiwavule***

Nonhle: Are you okay?

Me:Mhh

***Sphake sidle…bayazixoxela nje…sihle is too close to Mxolisi…I mean I know angkhumbuli lutho kodwa ngokuzwa kwami umxolisi is my husband…right?? Ngsukume***

Stharh: Uyaphi?

Me: Bathroom

***Ngihambe...nalelikhanda alifuni vele ukungyeka! Ngfike ngingene ebathroom ngizibuke esbukweni and take a deep breath...ngphume and bump into mxolisi ephethe amanzi***

Mxo:Phuza

Me:I'm fine

Mxo:Phuza mashenge

***Ngiwathathe nguwaphuze***

Mxo:Kwenzenjani?

Me:I said I'm fine mxolisi

Mxo:Akyona impendulo leyo

Me:What are you doing here? Akmelange ngabe uno sihle wakho?

***Okay bekungamele ngikusho out loud lokho! lisa nomlomo wakho!***

Mxo:She's just a friend

Me:Ok

Mxo:Hawu mashenge

Me:Besishadile mina nawe?

***Afake izandla emaphaketheni and nod...i sigh***

Me:Angboni ukuthi ngzokhumbula mxolisi...you should just move on

Mxo:Move on kanjani mashenge? Ngishilo ngathi ngzoklinda

Me:What if I don't remember?

Mxo:Engikwaziyo ukuthi if uthando lwethu was real...even if you lost your memory kodwa ama feelings azohlezi ekhona...you might not remember me or izinto ebesizenza kodwa ama feelings yinto eyohlezi ikhona

***Asondele and my body shivers...ngiyamele odongweni ngimbuka emehlweni***

Mxo:Tell me that you don't feel anything for me mashenge

Me:Mxolisi

***Asondele, pressing his forehead on mine..my breath quickens...umzimba uvele ushise wonke***

Mxo:I need you back mashenge

***Angcabuze isphongo bese eyahlehla...engshiya ngiphefumula phezulu!***

Mxo:We're going for a swim...are you coming?

***Ebuza ngathi ubenganyakazisi inhliziyo yami a few mn ago...i just nod***

Me:Ngyeza

***Ahambe and i just sigh...***

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MXOLISI

***Ngyehla ngyezansi ko bafo...ngbafica bahlezi bayabukana...bebuke mina uma ngqhamuka***

Me:Kwenzenjani?

Langa:Sisandakthola umndeni ka lisakhanya wangampela

Me:Izindaba ezimnandi phela lezo...pho why ninje?

Nhlaka:Bafo

Me:Yini?

Nhlaka:Silitholile newele lakhe ulisakhanya

Me:Okay?

Langa:Ncono uzibonele wena

***Ulanga ajikise i laptop...ngiwakhiphe wonke amehlo...ohh fuck no!***

Me:The fuck?!

***Unhlaka anikine ikhanda***

Nhlaka:Yenzeka kanjani lento??!

***Athele i whiskey ayphuze...ngfake izandla emaphaketheni while sighing...bengingaklindele konke lokhu!***

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