15
THE BRACELET 15 [FINAL][HOURS BEFORE GIVING BIRTH]
WARONA
I'm not a doctor but I can tell that something is definitely wrong. I can see panick on the doctors' faces but I can't put my finger on the exact problem.
Me: Will my baby die?
Doctor: There has been some complications, ma'am. We cannot save both you and the baby so we need your go ahead to save you
Me: No!
Doctor: No?
Me: I've had pains alone and none of you were there. You don't know what I went through to get here so you don't get to make that decision for me
Doctor: You have to understand that we can't...
Me: Save my son
Doctor: Are you sure?
Me: Where do I sigh?
Doctor: Should we perhaps speak to your mother and...
Me: You will do no such thing. Get me whatever document I need to sign to keep my baby alive
Doctor: This is a huge decision to make. Are you sure?
Me: I am not a child so I don't need my mother's consent to make decisions regarding my life. If I have to die for my son to live to see the sun then so be it
[TWO DAYS LATER]
I still can't accept the death of the woman I thought would be mine forever. Okay I know I was going to die for the second time but at least I would have been happy to see her raising the baby with the real Tumelo, the man he fell in love with. I'm packing the stuff she left at my place and taking them to her mom's house. I just wish I could change a body right now and have my mind erased of the things I had to go through this past year. I am more than willing to face new struggles of another Tumelo as long as I can be free from the pain I'm feeling now.
Katso: It's no use crying. You won't be living for long either
Me: I ruined someone's life
Katso: You ruined a lot of lives. What about mine?
Me: I apologized
Katso: At least I will also rest when you rest
Me: I guess so
Katso: Have you made up your mind about the bracelet?
Me: I'm not passing it over to my son
Katso: It's not your decision to make anymore
Me: What's that supposed to mean? A man is allowed to change his mind
Katso: Not in out world. You agreed to the deal
Me: We will find another solution
Katso: The baby is already here and there's no turning back
Me: I'd rather continue living like this than burdening my son with such a curse
Katso: The burden was already with him when he was conceived
Me: That's nonsense
Katso: Unless of course the baby isn't yours then the bracelet won't be passed over to him
Me: Are you hearing yourself? How could the baby not be mine?
Katso: The same way your brother thinks Ofentse gave him a daughter not knowing it's not his seed
Me: That's nonsense. I didn't make Ofentse pregnant
Katso: We shall see. Eventually your child will inherit the curse and there's nothing you can do about it
[A WEEK LATER]
TUMELO
He's so tiny, I'm holding him in my arms for the first time. When Warona was pregnant, I had all these fears in me and thought maybe I wouldn't be able to be a good father. I was scared of wronging my baby and bringing him bad luck but now, all that has vanished. I'm so happy even though Wawa isn't here to share the joy with me. I wouldn't have allowed her to save the baby if I was given the opportunity to choose but I guess I didn't feel the pain she had to go through.
I'm having all these voices in my head as I'm sitting on the couch and watching my son sleep. His grandmother, Wawa's mom is in the other room preparing food. The bracelet on my wrist itches and I know it's time to keep my end of the deal and pass on the curse to him. What kind of a father would that make me? Will I be at peace knowing my son will spend all his life paying for the sins he never committed? I know if I take it off I'll put my spirit to rest and the real owner of the body will have full control but without recalling what happened a year ago.
Me: You're the best blessing I've ever got ever since I've been alive. What kind of a man would it make me to do this to you, my boy? I can't do this. I can't burden you and for that, I'm willing to keep this bracelet even if it means hurting other people in the process. At this point I'd do anything to protect you and that's what your mother would have wanted me to do. I can't let her death be in vain like this as if I never loved her.
Ma: You can put him inside his cot, the food is ready
Me: Alright
I take him to his bedroom that took a while for Wawa to decorate. She was so excited for this and was always online looking for inspiration for the perfect baby bedroom. I place him on his bed and kiss his hand, he's peaceful. I make my way to the kitchen to wash my hands before pulling out a chair to dig into the food that smells so great.
Ma: I'm sorry, Tumelo
Me: For?
Ma: For not treating you right when you were with my daughter. She loved you so much and it was selfish of me to want her with someone above you
Me: It's totally understandable. My life was pretty much stuck in one place and I'm happy Wawa gave me the push I never knew I needed
Ma: You're a good father
Me: I'll do anything for my son
I grab a fork then notice that the bracelet is no longer on me.
Ma: Is everything okay?
Me: My bracelet, it's gone
Ma: Maybe you dropped it
Me: How because it was tight?
Ma: Tumelo are you seriously going to panick because of a bracelet?
I get on my feet and rush to my son's room. I check his wrists but it's not on him. It's a bit of a relief but I'm still trying to understand how it vanished and where it went. I'm panicking so I take my phone and give Ofentse a call. We haven't spoken for months now and I didn't think I'd ever have to see her again
Ofentse: Tumi, what a surprise
Me: Are you good to talk?
Ofentse: I guess so
Me: Is my brother there?
Ofentse: I'm alone Tumelo speak
Me: I need you to do something for me
Ofentse: What?
Me: Is the baby mine?
Ofentse: No she's not yours. If your brother hears you saying that he'll kill both of us
Me: It's no use lying to me
Ofentse: Leave me alone
Me: Check her wrist
Ofentse: What for?
Me: Just do it
Ofentse: Okay but what exactly am I looking for?
Me: Anything unusual
Ofentse: I only see a... bracelet. Your bracelet
The phone falls to the floor, waking the baby that he starts crying. I can't even pick her up because I've just found out that Warona lied to me and I'm actually fathering the child my brother thinks it's his
Ma: Tumelo what's wrong with you? Can't you hear your son crying?
Me: He's not my son
Ma: What do you mean?
Me: Please excuse me
I pick up my phone and leave the house. I get to place and just strip naked and soak my body into a tub. Tears start rolling down my face as I think of all the things that has happened.
Me: What now? What now, Tumelo?
The snake appears in the bedroom after weeks of being MIA.
Me: The bracelet is gone, please put me out of my misery
I shut my eyes and feel myself drifting away. Every last breath I take feels like the last.
****THE END****
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