A HEART REPLACED chapter Sixteen
A HEART REPLACEDChapter Sixteen
Mkhuseli is perplexed as to why Nonhlakanipho placed pillows between them, yet she's now breathing heavily on his neck, her legs tangled with his. Her restless movements and constant kicking kept him awake most of the night. Irritated, he removes her legs from his and pushes her back to her side of the bed. Astonishingly, she's even commandeered his pillow! Mkhuseli can't fathom why he's been relegated to the edge of the double bed. He vows never to share a bed with Nonhlakanipho again. In fact, he's eager to leave his parents' house immediately, unable to tolerate another day. With a sore neck and body, Mkhuseli gets up, heads to the shower, and readies himself for departure, donning the same clothes from the previous day.
He walks out of the room and heads to the kitchen, where he finds the helpers preparing breakfast. He greets them and then walks to the fridge, taking out a can of Heineken.
“You look like a walking spook,” Qhawe says, joining him downstairs and also taking a can from the fridge. They walk out to the backyard.
“I didn’t sleep a wink at all,” he says, chuckling.
“What happened? Did you eat the poor girl all night?” Qhawe asks, and he frowns, annoyed by Qhawe’s suggestion.
“No! I didn’t have *** with Nonhlakanipho, nor will I ever have one,” he says.
“Come on, brother, what are you saying? Are you telling me you’ve never had *** with your wife?”
Qhawe asks, and he clarifies, “Nonhlakanipho is not my wife, she is my late wife’s sister.”
Qhawe rolls his eyes and says, “Even a bird knows that already, but your wife is no more, and Nonhlakanipho is placed to be your wife, as you should treat her like one.”
He shrugs and says, “You sound exactly like your father now. I didn’t say they should shove Nonhlakanipho down my throat, okay? I never said I need another wife.”
Qhawe responds, “Well, unfortunately, brother, it’s culture, and we both know that. So you should treat that girl right since she’s forced to be a wife to you, just like you are forced to be her husband.”
Mkhuseli drinks his Heineken and looks at the bright sun and singing birds on the trees. They sit in silence, sipping their beers.
After finishing their beers and chatting, they head back to the house. They find Nonhlakanipho assisting the helpers and regaling them with stories, causing them to laugh like carefree teenagers.
Qhawe smiles and turns to his brother, saying, “Now, don't you see that you have a beautiful wife right here? Your parents did you a huge favor by giving you a natural wife material. Stop sleeping on yourself, brother. I know you loved Londeka, but her passing has blessed you with an even more beautiful wife.”
Qhawe leaves Mkhuseli standing alone and joins Nonhlakanipho and the helpers. Mkhuseli sighs and walks over to the table, greeting the others, who respond in kind. Just then, Mr. Mbatha, his wife, Nomhle, Banele, and Hleliwe come downstairs. They exchange greetings and take their seats to enjoy breakfast together.
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After breakfast, his father, Mbatha, requests a private conversation with him before they depart with Nonhlakanipho. Similarly, MaMbhatha, asks to speak with Nonhlakanipho.
“Take a seat, son,” Mbatha says, leading him to his study. “What's this about, Baba?” he asks, already aware that the conversation will likely revolve around him and Nonhlakanipho, a topic he's not eager to discuss. However, he knows better than to argue with his father.
“I've noticed that you and Nonhlakanipho seem to be pretending,” Mbatha says, his tone inquiring.
“Pretending about what, Baba?” he responds, feigning ignorance.
“Don't play dumb, son. It's obvious that there's no romantic connection between you two. What's going on?” Mbatha presses.
“I don't know what you mean, Baba. We both know you're forcing us to be together, and we don't want that.” Mbatha counters,
“We're not forcing you, but we're doing what's right. Son, I know this has happened fast, but I expected you to be more understanding.”
He retorts, “Understanding? Are you hearing yourself, Baba? I lost my wife, and it's barely been a month. You're replacing her like she meant nothing to you, and now you're forcing me onto her sister, which is even worse!”
“That’s not true, son. Londeka was your wife and our daughter-in-law, even if we weren’t close to her. She was still our family.”
“Oh, please, you never liked her.”
“That’s true. We didn’t like her because she didn’t show us her capabilities. She didn’t demonstrate her intelligence or ability to handle the Mbatha business company. All she showed us was her love for spending money and shopping with her friends all day. Unfortunately, she fell ill and couldn’t give you children or us grandchildren. God took her. Now, there’s Nonhlakanipho. You need to treat her with the same love and respect you had for her sister.”
“I can’t, Dad. This feels like a betrayal to my dead wife. I feel like I’m betraying her by moving on with her sister.” “It’s not a betrayal, son. Don’t overthink this. Just be natural, learn to love her, and treat her well. Nonhlakanipho is a great daughter-in-law - smart and dedicated.” Mbatha says with a smile.
Mkhuseli chuckles.
“Are we done here?”
“We are. Don’t disappoint me, son. The Thubana trusted us with their daughter, so please do right by her.” With that, he gets up and hugs Mkhuseli, and they both head out.
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NONHLAKANIPHO ’S POV
We all bid each other farewell and head to the vehicle, the tension between us is still palpable, but she's indifferent to it.
She can't help but wonder what his father discussed with him. The journey to the house is tedious and uneventful; he loads the car, and she's the first to exit, eager to retreat to the house.
There's no way she's sharing a room with Mkhuseli; her own room is where she'll stay. After a refreshing shower, she slips into comfortable attire and reclines on her bed, lost in contemplation.
She hears the bedroom door open and gets up to face him, frowning because he didn't knock.
“Can we talk?” he asks, and she responds, “You're already talking, aren't you?”
He sighs, apologizing for not knocking, his red eyes suggesting he's been crying.
“Take a seat,” she says, and Mkhuseli sits next to her.
“Nonhlakanipho, I want to apologize again for what happened,” he says, but she interrupts, “It's okay, we've moved past that. You already apologized.”
He promises it won't happen again, and they sit in silence. Then, he drops a bombshell: “I need you to move to my room.” She's taken aback and refuses, citing her discomfort with sleeping in the same bed where he and his late wife slept. Mkhuseli offers to move into her room instead, which she finds puzzling.
“You don't have to,” she says, but he insists, “I'm not asking, I'm telling you. We have to start acting like a couple for our parents' sake.”
Nonhlakanipho remains quiet, realizing that Mkhuseli has made up his mind. He gets up and asks her to make space for him in the wardrobe, and she's surprised by his politeness.
“Please make some space for me on the wardrobe,” he says, and she thinks to herself, I didn't know he could say 'please.' I wonder what his father said to him.
She reluctantly gets up and starts making space for him in the wardrobe. As she's moving her clothes, she can't help but think about how strange this situation is. She's being forced to share a room with her late sister's husband.
Once she's finished, After a few minutes Mkhuseli comes back and thanks her and starts unpacking his bags. They don't speak much, and the tension between them is palpable. Nonhlakanipho can't help but wonder what his father said to him to make him change his behavior so suddenly. She can't shake off the feeling that she's being forced into this situation against her will.
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She's busy in the kitchen, making herself a fruit salad while catching up with Pearl on the phone.
“What kept you from joining us for dinner at your in-laws yesterday?” she asks Pearl,
Pearl:“Khulekani wasn't feeling well, so I had to take care of him.”
“Aww, how is he now?” she inquires. Pearl replies,
Pearl: “He's doing better, thanks. How was the dinner, though?”
“Honestly, it was okay. I actually enjoyed it,”she admits.
Pearl:(She chuckles and says, ) “Dinners are always a pleasure at your in-laws', especially with MaMbatha being such a lively and talkative mother-in-law!”
She agrees, thinking to herself, “That's an understatement - MaMbatha is definitely a chatterbox”
They chat for a while longer until it's time to say their goodbyes. She hangs up the phone and resumes preparing a fruit salad for herself. With her snack ready, she heads to the living room and turns on the TV. She scrolls through the channels, searching for something interesting to watch.As she flips through the channels, she comes across a cooking show that catches her eye. She watches intently as the chef prepares a mouthwatering dish, and her stomach growls in response. She's watching TV, she hears a knock on the door. She gets up to answer it, expecting it to be a neighbor or maybe a delivery person. But to her surprise, she finds her father standing on the porch, a warm smile on his face.
“My daughter,” he says, his voice warm with affection. She rolls her eyes and leaves the door open, allowing Bab’Thubana to follow her to the living room.
“How are you doing, my child?” he asks, his tone gentle.
“I’m still breathing, aren’t I?” she replies, her sarcasm palpable. Bab’Thubana sighs, his expression disapproving.
“That’s not a way to talk to your father, Nonhlakanipho.” She shrugs, her demeanor unyielding.
“Oh, so now you remember you’re my father? Please, Baba, spare me the act.” Bab’Thubana’s expression turns stern.
“I’m not pretending, my child. I’m here to see you, as a father should.” Nonhlakanipho raises an eyebrow, her skepticism evident.
“What do you want, Baba?” she asks bluntly.
“I wanted to see my daughter, and you’ve been ignoring my calls, so I thought I’d visit.” He pauses, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And I see you’re still upset about the arrangement with the Mbatha family.You should be happy because you've got job now in their company Mbatha told me that you are doing great too.”
Nonhlakanipho’s expression turns icy. “You think a job in the company would make me grateful for your manipulation?”
Bab’Thubana’s face darkens. “That’s not what I said, Nonhlakanipho.”
She cuts him off, her voice rising. “I don’t care, Baba. You got what you wanted – me married to your late daughter’s husband. Stop pretending you care about me now.”
Bab’Thubana’s expression softens, his voice gentle. “My child, please understand—” But Nonhlakanipho interrupts him, her words dripping with venom.
“No, Baba. I see clearly now why you forced me into this family. You don’t care about me; you only care about your own interests.” Mkhuseli walks down the stairs, his presence interrupting the tense exchange.
“Son-in-law, you’re home,” Bab’Thubana says, his tone warm. Mkhuseli greets him, his expression curious.
“Is everything okay?” he asks, noticing the tension in the room. Bab’Thubana nods, his expression reassuring.
“Everything is fine, my son. I just came to see my daughter and you.” Nonhlakanipho snorts, her disbelief evident.
“Won’t you make your father something to eat or drink?” Mkhuseli asks her, his tone polite. She shrugs, her response icy.
“I believe he knows his way to the kitchen, just like he knew a way to force me to stay in this house.”
She then climbs the stairs, leaving Mkhuseli shocked and Bab’Thubana sighing, shaking his head.
To be continued
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