A HEART REPLACED, chapter Twenty one
A HEART REPLACED
Chapter Twenty One
NONHLAKANIPHO ’S POV
She's clueless about Mkhuseli's recent behavior, but he's been acting weird for days. They've stopped sharing a room since his girlfriend objected to their sleeping arrangement, despite no romantic involvement between them. Now, she realizes it was an odd setup. Typically, friends of opposite genders don't share a bed while in relationships with others. They only shared a bed when Mkhuseli's parents were present. Anyway, she's content. Why wouldn't she be? She has a new boyfriend who treats her wonderfully. They're in a great place, enjoying each other's company. Is it called the ‘honeymoon phase’? They're still in that blissful period, and she hopes it lasts.
Her last encounter with Menzi was when she agreed to be his girlfriend. As a doctor, he's been away on a work trip, though she's not familiar with the details. They keep in touch through occasional calls, with him reaching out when necessary and her calling when she feels the need.
“Oh my god, Nonhlakanipho!” Pearl exclaims in the kitchen, prompting her to rush over.
“What's wrong, Pearl?” she asks, concerned.
“My water just broke! Grab the hospital bag quickly, and I'll try to call Khulekani.” She dashes upstairs to fetch the bag and returns, panting heavily.
“Get my car keys, Nonhlakanipho. We need to rush to the hospital. Khulekani will meet us there!” Pearl cries out in agony.
“No need to yell at me, okay? Let me assist you.”
She helps Pearl walk to the car, unlocks it, and opens the door. Pearl's clearly in distress. After loading the hospital bag, she starts the engine, nervous since this is her second emergency hospital trip and she tends to get flustered in such situations. Following a stressful drive with Pearl crying and swearing as if she's responsible for her pregnancy, they arrive at the hospital and summon help. Nurses rush over with a wheelchair, gently seat Pearl, and transport her to the delivery ward.
After a few minutes, the nurses return with a doctor, and Pearl is whisked away to the delivery room. She's left waiting anxiously, wondering what's happening..
Khulekani bursts in, followed by Mkhuseli.
“How’s Pearl doing? Has she delivered yet?” he asks, out of breath.
“Calm down, I’m not sure yet, but she’s still in the ward. I’m sure the medical team is attending to her,” she replies. Khulekani nods, taking deep breaths. Mkhuseli greets her with a simple “Hey” and sits beside her.
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After a lengthy wait, a doctor finally emerges from Pearl’s ward. Khulekani quickly rises to inquire about his wife’s condition.
“How is she? How are my babies?” he asks, not giving the doctor a chance to respond.
“Please relax, she’s recovering well and gave birth to healthy twins – a boy and a girl. You can go in and see her now,” the doctor says, but Khulekani is already heading into the ward, beaming with joy.
The babies are taken away for bathing, and soon, a nurse returns with them.
“Here are your babies,” she says, handing one to Khulekani and the other to her. She holds the boy, who resembles Pearl, while Khulekani holds the girl, who looks like him. They’re so cute! she love babies.
They departed the hospital with Mkhuseli after seeing the newborns, allowing Khulekani and Pearl to cherish quality time with their twins. The journey from the hospital to their residence was lengthy and uneventful, marked by an uncomfortable silence between her and Mkhuseli. However, she managed to stay engaged by scrolling through her phone, passing the time.
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PEARL ’S POV
She slowly opens her eyes to find Khulekani gazing lovingly at their twins in his arms. As she sits up and fully awakens, she's met with a heartwarming scene of her husband cradling their babies.
“Hey, love, you're awake,” he says, noticing her struggle to sit up and offering a gentle smile.
“Hey, yeah, I'm awake, love. Can I hold them?” she asks, her eyes shining with excitement.
“Of course, love,” he replies, carefully handing her their tiny bundles of joy.
“Thank you, my love, for giving me such beautiful children,” he says, his voice filled with gratitude as he kisses her forehead.
“They're so small,” she marvels.
“I know, and they look just like us,” he adds, beaming with pride.
“We need to choose names for them. Have you thought of any?” she asks.
“I've always loved these names,” he says. “How about Sphesihle for the boy and Sphokazi for the girl?”
“I love them, love. Sphesihle for our son and Sphokazi for our daughter,” she agrees, enchanted by the names that suit their precious gifts.
After a while the doctor walks in, smiling warmly at the happy family.
“How are you all doing ?” she asks, her eyes scanning the room.
“We’re doing great, doctor,” Khulekani replies, beaming with pride.
“The babies are so beautiful,” the doctor coos, examining them briefly.
“Yes, they are,” Pearl agrees, gazing lovingly at her children.
“Well, I have some good news for you,” the doctor says, turning to Pearl.
“You and the babies are all doing wonderfully. I think we can discharge you all tomorrow morning.” Pearl’s face lights up with excitement.
“Really? That’s amazing!” she exclaims.
“Yes, really,” the doctor confirms, smiling.
“Just make sure to get plenty of rest tonight, and we’ll get you all set to go home tomorrow.” Khulekani nods, helping Pearl settle back into bed.
“We can’t wait to take our little ones home,” he says, his eyes shining with joy. The doctor nods, smiling.
“I’m sure you’ll all do just fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” With that, she exits the room, leaving the happy family to bask in their joy.
Mr. and Mrs. Mbatha visited their grandbabies, beaming with joy at becoming grandparents. They were thrilled to see their son, Khulekani, and daughter-in-law, Pearl, thriving as new parents. The proud grandparents spent a delightful hour with the family, cooing over the twins and showering them with love. As the visit came to a close, they bid farewell, allowing Pearl to rest and prepare for the exciting day ahead - tomorrow's discharge and the journey home with her precious babies.
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MKHUSELI'S POV
He's been attempting to brush off the emotions he's developing for Nonhlakanipho, but it's proving to be a challenge. He can't fathom why he's starting to have feelings for her, especially since he thought they had drifted apart. Sharing a room with her was supposed to help him shake off these emotions, but it's only intensified them. The feelings seem to be growing stronger by the day, and he finds himself randomly thinking about Nonhlakanipho - it's as if he's losing his mind! He can't possibly be falling for his late wife's sister, can he? That's unthinkable.
In an effort to suppress these emotions, he's been spending more time with his girlfriend, Nomathemba, hoping that his feelings for Nonhlakanipho will fade away. However, they persist. He genuinely cares for Nomathemba and doesn't want to hurt her, so he's determined to ignore his feelings for Nonhlakanipho and focus on loving his girlfriend, who deserves his affection. Lately, he's been using intimacy as a distraction to avoid thinking about Nonhlakanipho, and it's been somewhat effective.
“Where’s your head at, babe?” she asks, shaking him out of his trance.
“Huh? Oh, sorry love, what were you saying?” he responds, confused. She lets out a frustrated sigh.
“I’ve been talking for an hour, and you’re telling me you didn’t hear me?”
“I’m sorry, love. I did hear you... you were talking about...” He trails off, scratching his head.
“Argh!” she exclaims, getting up and pulling away. He grabs her hand.
“Baby, please, I’m sorry.”
“What should I do with your sorry, Mkhuseli? You said you wanted to spend time with me, but you’ve been distant all day. What’s wrong with you? This isn’t the first time.”
“I know, baby. It’s just work, okay?” He doesn’t finish his sentence.
“Work! Work! Always that’s your excuse. It’s getting old. Tell me the truth – it’s her, right?”
“Who?”
“That girl, Nonhlakanipho. Are you thinking about her?”
“Why would I think about Nonhlakanipho? She means nothing to me, baby. Come on.”
“If it’s not her, then who are you thinking about? Is there another woman?”
“No, not at all. I would never cheat on you, love. Stop with your ideas, please. I already said it’s work stressing me out.”
The room falls silent, and he feels guilty for suggesting they spend time together when his mind is preoccupied with someone else.
“I don’t believe you,” she says, her voice shaking with emotion.
“I know something’s going on, Mkhuseli. You’re not the same person I fell in love with.” He sighs, feeling trapped.
“Nomathemba, please listen to me...”
“No, I won’t listen! You need to tell me the truth!”
She pulls her hand away and walks to the other side of the room, tears streaming down her face. Mkhuseli feels a pang of guilt and regret. He knows he’s hurting the woman he loves, but he can’t bring himself to confess the truth – that his mind is consumed by thoughts of Nonhlakanipho.
“Nomathemba, please come back,” Mkhuseli says, getting up from the couch and walking towards her. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he admits, feeling defeated.
“You know exactly what I want you to say,” she replies, her voice firm but trembling. “I want you to tell me that you’re not in love with her. I want you to tell me that I’m the only one for you.” Mkhuseli takes a deep breath, trying to find the right words. But before he can speak, Nomathemba continues.
“But you can’t say that, can you? Because it would be a lie.” She turns to face him, her eyes blazing with tears and anger. “I deserve better than a man who can’t even be honest with himself.” With that, she turns and walks away, leaving Mkhuseli standing alone in the room, feeling lost and unsure of what to do next.
Mkhuseli stands there, frozen in uncertainty, as he hears the door slam shut behind Nomathemba. He knows he's hurt her deeply, and the weight of his secrets is crushing him. He thinks about going after her, but his legs won't move. Instead, he collapses onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. ‘What have I done?’ he whispers to himself.
As he sits there, he can't shake off the feeling that he's lost Nomathemba forever. He thinks about Nonhlakanipho and how his feelings for her have caused so much pain to Nomathemba. He doesn't know what to do or who to turn to.
To be continued...
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