Deadly obsession ,Chapter 13
SUKOLUHLE
The Easter holidays are just around the corner, and my friend and I have been busy planning something fun to do together. Zibusiso, Noma, and his friends are all part of the plan, and we're all trying to come up with ideas. We're still in the brainstorming stage, so nothing is set in stone yet. But we're excited to see what we come up with!
Zibusiso fetches me afternoon and we just got home hanging around enjoying each other's company,since Zamo is at Noma's place.
It was around 7pm when we hear the gate being buzzed.
Him: "who must be that? "
Me:I don't know,I'm not expecting anyone . He goes and answers the intercom.
Him: wtf!
Me: "What?!"
Him:"They never told me they are coming"
Me"who?"I ask confused
Him:"Its my parents "he says
Me:"WHAT??!"I say shocked
Him: "Okay Relax, just be yourself."he say cupping my face ,I nod
I'm freaking out a little,atleast imI'm not wearing inappropriate clothes
Me: "Okay I'll try to act normal. "
He opens for them.
Mrs Khoza : "ngane yani yolahleko"
Him: "Ihaba Mahna?Its not like I don't always call you nje"
Mrs Khoza: "well, calls are not enough. That's why I asked your father and your brothers to fly me here"
Zibusiso chuckles
Mrs Khoza: "Woza ipha umawako uhug phela(Just hug me son.)"
Him:" okay okay mother".
He greets his father .
Mrs Khoza:"Hawu Zibusiso who is this beautiful young lady here.Ntombazana kunjani?(how are you my child?)"
Me: "Yebo Mah, Sawubona" I say shyly
Mr Khoza:" unjani ntomabazane?(how are you )"
Me: "Ngiyaphila baba.(I'm fine baba)"
Him:"Mom, this is Suku," he says, then looks at me and winks. "She's a special friend of mine," he says with a smile.
His mother looks me and then asks,
Mrs Khoza: "A special friend, huh? Where are you from, Suku?"
Him:"I'm flattered by the introduction, but maybe we should get settled first," Zibusiso say, gesturing to the seats around the table. I sit down next to Zibusiso, and his mother sits across from us.
Mrs Khoza:"You can continue, my child," Mrs. Khoza says. I clear my throat, trying to find the right words.
Me:"Well, Mrs. Khoza, my name is Sukoluhle Nxumalo," I say. "I'm from Midrand"
Mrs Khoza"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but how did you and Zibusiso meet?I mean Midrand is far where are your parents,do they know where you are & stay?" Mrs. Khoza asks.I shake my head
Me:"My parents don't know where I am or where I'm staying," I say, my voice shaking a little. I can feel Zibusiso's hand squeezing mine under the table, giving me strength. "I met Zibusiso under strange circumstances. Me and my little sister were both running away from home in the middle of the night, onthe way we met Zibusiso he helped me and my little sister."
I take a deep breath, gathering my courage to continue .
"We were both in a bad situation, and we didn't know where to go. Zibusiso took us in and helped us out.
Mrs khoza:"I understand, my child," Mrs. Khoza says. "I just wanted to get to know you better."
Me:"That's okay, Mrs. Khoza," I say. "I'm glad you're curious about me."
Mr khoza:"So you're a Nxumalo?" Mr. Khoza asks, looking at me. I nod, wondering what his next question will be.
I get up and head to the kitchen to let them just catch up and chat.Atleast the food I cooked will be enough.
I set the table.
I make a sign to Zibusiso that food is ready.They should come to the dinner table.
Him:" Rants looks like food is ready, let go grab a bite."
They get up and walk over the table.We sit down.
Mrs Khoza:"Did you cook all this? Now I see why my son gain manly weight, it's because the Special friend is feeding him with real food "
I nod smiling
Mrs Khoza: "My son has really gained heyi. Special friend umphethe kahle."
Him: "Qha Mah kahle kancane"
We just laugh & we start eating
Mr Khoza:"So, Suku, are you still in school?" Mr. Khoza asks.
Me:"Yes, I'm still in school," I reply.
Mr Khoza:"Which grade are you in?" he asks.
Me:"I'm in grade 12," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. I'm not sure how he'll react to that information.But he just nods and looks around at the house and asks,
Mr Khoza: "So, Zibusiso, this house is yours?" Zibusiso nods, a proud smile on his face.
Him:"Yes, it's mine," he says.
Mrs. Khoza turns to Zibusiso and says, "It's beautiful, son! I'm so proud of you. I was expecting to find you in a tiny apartment, living with a girlfriend who had a bad attitude. But I was wrong!" We all laugh
Mr Khoza:"Speaking of that, Zibusiso," Mr. Khoza says, "When are you getting married? Do you even have a girlfriend?"
I look at Zibusiso his expression changes, and he looks uncomfortable. I can feel the tension in the room.
Him:"Dad, can we not talk about that now?" Zibusiso asks, his voice strained.
Mr Khoza:"Why not?" Mr. Khoza asks, his voice rising. "Can't you see that you're not getting any younger? Do you want to die alone, with no wife and no kids?"
Mrs. Khoza cuts in before Zibusiso can respond.
Mrs khoza:"Khoza, please calm down," she says, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sure this is not the time for this conversation. Can we save it for tomorrow?"
Mr. Khoza takes a deep breath and looks at his wife.
Mr Khoza:"No Mkami we can't Zibusiso has grown now he should be married at this time"he looks at Zibusiso"Your wife is waiting for you back in Kzn"he says,Zibusiso frowns
Him:"What do you mean?what wife?"he asks
Mr Khoza:"I have found you a girl you will marry,she's from a good family and she is educated well and not touched "he says Zibusiso laughs
Him:"Tell me you are kidding Baba"
Mr Khoza:"I'm not you need to come back home to marry that girl,That is why we came all this way to tell you this"
Him:"No, I'm not getting married," Zibusiso says, his voice rising in frustration. "I'm not going to-"
Mr. Khoza interrupts him.
MrvKhoza:"That's enough, Zibusiso," he says, his voice firm. "You've been disobeying me for too long. Whether you like it or not, you're going to marry the girl I've chosen for you. I'm not going to argue about this anymore." He gets up and walks toward the door.
Zibusiso looks angry and upset, and he gets up and leaves the room without saying a word. Mrs. Khoza excuses herself and follows Zibusiso , leaving me alone at the table. I can feel the tension in the air, so I get up and start clearing the table, trying to keep busy and stay out of the way.....
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ZIBUSISO
I can't believe my father is doing this to me, How could he arrange a marriage for me without even talking to me about it first? It's like he's starting up his controlling ways again. He's never been one to listen to what I want or need, and now he's taking it to the next level by trying to force me into marriage. I feel my anger rising, and I can't seem to calm down.
Mrs Khoza:"Son," my mother says, sitting down next to me. I brace myself, expecting her to try and talk me into the marriage, but instead she says, "I'm not here to tell you to agree to this. I'm here to try and help you understand your father."
I scoff.
Me:"Why should I understand him, when he's never bothered to try and understand me?" I ask, my voice full of frustration.
My mother looks at me, her expression softening.
Mrs Khoza: "I know it's not easy, but I think it's important that you try to see things from your father's perspective. I'm not saying you have to agree with him, but maybe you could try to understand where he's coming from."
I sigh, knowing she's right. I've always been at odds with my father, but I've never really tried to understand his point of view. I've just been so angry at him for being so controlling.
Mrs Khoza:"Maybe if we could talk to each other openly and honestly, we could start to mend our relationship," my mother suggests. "It might be difficult, but I think it's worth trying."
I nod, agreeing with her.
Me:"Maybe you're right. Maybe it's time for us to start communicating better."
My mother reaches out and takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Mrs Khoza:"So tell me is there a woman in your life?"she asks I smile looking at her and thinking about the woman in my life.
Me:"There is someone," I say, a smile forming on my lips as I think about her.
Mrs Khoza:"Oh, do tell me more!" my mother says, leaning forward with interest. "I'm your mother, you can tell me anything."
I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words to describe her.
Me:" She's amazing. She's funny, smart, and incredibly kind. She's also the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
My mother's eyes widen, and she gives me a knowing smile.
Mrs Khoza: "What's her name?"she asks smiling I shake my head
Me:"No I'm not telling you Mom"I say smiling she frowns
Mrs Khoza:"Come on tell me,please my handsome son"she holds my cheeks like I'm a little boy"Do I know her ?atleast tell me that"she says I nod
Me:"Well you know her now"I say
Mrs Khoza:"Now you've got me curious!" my mother says, her eyes bright with excitement. "What do you mean, I know her now?"
I can't help but laugh at her eagerness.
Mrs Khoza:"Wait..." she says, her eyes going wide with realization. "Is it the person I'm thinking of? Is it Suku, the girl who is downstairs?"
I smile at her, unable to contain my excitement any longer.
Me: "Maybe you're right," I say, trying to maintain my cool.
Mrs Khoza:"Son!" she exclaims, hitting me playfully on the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me us? And why did you introduce her as a friend?"
I let out a long sigh.
Me:"I haven't told her how I really feel," I admit. "I'm scared of rejection, and I don't want to risk our friendship. But I can't stop thinking about her, and I think I'm falling in love with her day by day."
My mother listens to me with a sympathetic expression on her face.
Mrs Khoza:"Oh, my sweet boy," she says, pulling me into a hug. "Love is always a risk, but it's worth taking. You never know what could happen if you don't try."
I hug her back.
Me:"But mom, I'm so much older than her," I protest. "She's still a young woman, just starting her life. I don't want to burden her with my feelings."
My mother gives me a knowing look.
Mrs Khoza:"Age is just a number, and you can't help who you fall in love with," she says, her voice full of wisdom. "And besides, you're not asking her to make a decision right now. You're just telling her how you feel."
Me:"But what if she doesn't feel the same way?" I ask, my voice shaking with fear. "What if I ruin everything?"
My mother takes my hand in hers and looks me in the eye.
Mrs Khoza:"You'll never know unless you take the risk," she says, her voice calm and reassuring. "And even if she doesn't feel the same way, at least you'll know, and you can start to move on."
Me:" what if I can't?" I ask, my voice breaking. "What if I'm stuck loving someone who doesn't love me back?"
My mother gives me a sad smile. "It will be hard, I'm not going to lie," she says. "But you can't let the fear of rejection stop you from living your life. You deserve happiness, no matter what."
I sit there in silence, absorbing her words. The fear of rejection is still there, but her words have given me some hope.
Me:"I'm scared, but I know you're right," I say, my voice soft. "I have to at least try."
My mother nods, a look of pride on her face.
Mrs Khoza:"That's the spirit," she says, a wide smile spreading across her face. "You never know what could happen if you take that leap of faith. It could be the beginning of something beautiful."
Me:"You really think so?" I ask, my heart feeling a little lighter.
Mrs Khoza:"I know so," she says, her voice full of conviction. "I know it's hard, but you have to take a chance on love."
I take a deep breath, letting her words sink in. I know she's right, but the fear is still there, nagging at me....
To be continued
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