28

THE BRIDE

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INSERT 28

LISA

***Umxolisi ufike wangbeka embhedeni ngalala phekwakhe.. he's waiting for me to stop crying...ngimubambe ngamqinisa...i shirt lakhe limanzi because of my tears...he's slowly brushing my hair and kissing my forehead***

Mxo:Ngikhona mama khuluma nami

Me:Akasekho... she's gone mxolisi

Mxo:Ubani?

Me:Enhle...they killed her...they burried her kwi basement

***I feel his body tense up...angphakamise engenza ngihlale kuye bese eyangbuka***

Mxo:Ukuzwephi konke lokho?

Me:Ukhethiwe ungtshelile before she kidnapped me, no enhle ufikile kimi wangtshela

***I sigh***

Me:She's really gone...

***Angsule izinyembezi***

Mxo:Ngyaxolisa sthandwa sami

Me:She want me to free her

***He nods***

Mxo:Ngzobiza amaphoyisa...sizmbeka endaweni yakhe yokugcina

Me:Ngyabonga

***Abeke isphongo sakhe kwesami and sigh***

Mxo:I thought i lost you there themba lami

***Ngimubambe isihlathi and kiss his lips***

Me:I would never leave you mapholoba

Mxo:Ngcela ungaphinde ungthuse kanje mama, angboni ukuthi ngingakwazi ukphila ngaphandle kwakho

***Angsondeze kuye and kiss my forehead...i smile to myself coz i can feel his fear of losing me...angkhumbuli nginomuntu ongthanda kangaka***

Me:I wonder obani abazali bami bangampela

***Angbuke***

Mxo:Sizobathola...

Me:What if they don't love me?

Mxo:Bazobe bekwenzelani lokho?

Me:Angazi...ukhethiwe uthi bangcosha...maybe they didn't want me

Mxo:Ungaykholwi into ephuma emlomeni ka khethiwe... I'm sure abazali bakho basakcinga namanje

***He sigh***

Mxo:Okwamanje let's focus ekufihleni usis wakho

***I nod***

Me:Ngyabonga mapholoba...angazi ukuthi ngingayini ngaphandle kwakho...ngyakthanda kakhulu futhi

***Amamatheke kuvela isfaca and i find myself smiling...no guys ukuthi aningizwa... ngathi you don't understand my assignment! Muhle lomuntu***

Mxo:Phinda futhi

Me:Ngyakthanda, kakhulu futhii

Mxo:Nami ngyakthanda mama

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#1 Week later

MXOLISI

***Indlela engnamathela ngayo kumashenge angyazi...bengimkhumbule kakhulu...baphumile nama girls beyokwenza amakhanda... it's been a tough week kuye njengoba sizofihla usis wakhe ksasa...yabona umndeni wa shenge ubungcolile...nimbulala kanjani umuntu niphinde nimugqibe khona lapho?***

Nhlaka:Bafo

***Angene, ngisendini kwi office lami***

Me:Mmmh

***Uphethe utshwala..akfake kwi bar fridge bese ehlala phansi...kungene no langa no sandile...ulanga uphethe i bowl enokudla***

Langa:Upheka kamnandi umkakho bafo...yazi besengimkhumbule nokudla kwakhe

Me:Uphakelwe ubani?

Langa:Ngnezandla phela mina ngyazenzela

Me:Uzenzela ekhishini la mfazi wami?

Langa:I gugu la mfazi...sonke snabafazi lana

Me:Hambodla kuye phela wazomosha ukudla laykhaya

Langa:Nxxh! Avuthanda wena ukukhulumela ukudla

Sandile:Ungshiyele lapho bafo

***Ngnikine ikhanda...unhlakanipho akhiphe idocument aybeke phambikwami***

Nhlaka:The result

Me:Athini?

Nhlaka:Angiwafundanga...vula

***Ngvule, luthi heqe uvalo...the resemblance is there yikho ukuthi i wanted to confirm...i sigh***

Langa:Bango sisi?

Me:Yeah

Sandile:Yeses...

Nhlaka:Sekmele sqale phansi and deal with khanya!

Langa:Worse i wele la koti...cha kodwa ulisakhanya is nothing like her

***Ngsukume ngfake izandla emaphaketheni***

Nhlaka:Uzomtshela?

Me:Right after the funeral

Langa:Uzozizwa kanjani uma ethola ukuthi uyiwele le ex yakho? phela nino khanya you didn't just date...wamcela ukuthi akshade, you guys lost a baby futhi

Nhlaka:Kahle bafo

Langa:Ngikhuluma iqiniso...lento is deep and angboni ukuthi unokukhanya uzoyvuma nje kanjalo le yokuthi usuthandana no sis wakhe

Me:Akanayo i choice...mina naye saphela 4 years ago when she cheated...sayvala leyo chapter...umashenge is my future manje

Nhlaka:Uqinisile lapho

Sandile:Kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi ulisakhanya owakwa buthelezi kanti no khanya owakwa buthelezi?

Me:Kycaca ukuthi bantshontsha ingane enesbongo sabo vele

***I sigh...angazi ngampela ukuthi uzothini umashenge ngayo yonke lento***

Sandile:Eiish....sivika lokhu kuqhamuka okunye!

***Bekhiphe iyphuzo bephuze...ngi right mina...ngiphume ngyekhishini ngyophuza amanzi...uvuleke umnyango angene umashenge looking so beautiful...bamshayile ekhanda angfuni ukungasho...isphongo sakhe siphume sonke...amamatheke uma engbuka bese eza kimi ngfike ngincabuze***

Me:Waze wamuhle mama

Lisa:Ngyabonga...

***Namanje ngsazibuza ukuthi bangamawele kanjani? Ulisakhanya is a whole different person...***

Me:Are you ready for tomorrow?

***She sigh***

Lisa:I have to...

Me:Ngikhona eduze kwakhe

Lisa:I know...thank you

Me:Ungangbongi mashenge...konke lokhu ngikwenza ngoba ngyakthanda

Lisa:Uzongkhalisa

***Esho ecweba izinyembezi and i just smile...my crybaby shame...ngimsondeze and hug her...i can feel that uthando esengnalo is dangerous***

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LISA

***Ngizibuka esbukweni...ngfake ingubo emnyama ende with black boots ngase ngafaka iskhafu...i take a deep breath...today is the day...honestly, if it's wasn't for mxolisi angazi ngabe ngikuphi ngampela...that man was sent by god himself...ngthathe iskhwama sami...avele ngemumva angcabuze***

Mxo:Usulungile?

Me:Yes

***Angbambe isandla siphume sihambe...sihambe iskhathi and I'm just thinking about what me and enhle use to do sisakhula...she would always protect me...sfike emangcwabeni and the whole ngcobo family is there...umangcobo ezekimi afike angihage...i stay in her arms...afike no ngcobo angihage***

Ngcobo:We're here for you

Me:Thank you.

***Sisondele..ibhokisi lakhe lihle, just like i chose...ekhulume umfundisi ekhuleka kodwa amadlebe ami ngathi avalekile...lishone phansi ibhokisi and so does my tears***

Me:Enhle...

***Umxolisi angbambe as i cry...i cry for what they did to her! ehlukumezeka! Ukubulawa abazali bakho! ngyacabanga nje ukube yimi lona!***

Me:No!!

***I feel mxolisi holding me tight ngoba ngphelelwa amandla kuthi angiwe phansi***

Me:Akakwazi ukungshiya kanjalo nje!!

Mxo:It's okay my love

***I cry so hard...unonhle asondele angbambe naye and i just cry...i refuse to accept that she's gone!! All these years ngithi mhlampe ukhona kanti ngyazikhohlisa!! bengithi mangbuya ngzomthola kodwa bengizikhohlisa...why??? Whyy benza lento??? Why kill her like and burry her like a dog?? All these years???!! Umxolisi angqukule ahambe nami...afike anghlalise emotweni and wipe my face bese engnika amanzi***

Mxo:Mama ngcela ungakhali kangaka, ungphula inhliziyo

Me:She's gone mxolisi...she's gone...

***Unonhle afike angbambe ngkhalele kuye...umxolisi afake izandla emaphaketheni angflathele...ngbone obhuti bakhe beza kuye bemubamba ihlombe..***

Nonhle:It's gonna be okay... I'm here for you lisakhanya

***Ngimuhage and cry in her arms...ohh god it's hurt so bad...***

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