Chapter 15: Out of control
A few weeks have passed and Sbu is out of the Hospital. He is still using a wheelchair or crutches to move around as there's still a very long way before he could walk again. Today on a Saturday afternoon his friends have come to his home to visit and have a few beers with him outside by the pool since it's a weekend. In the house Buhle has her friends Lerato and Lindiwe visiting."Hey man, how are you feeling? We see you got yourself a new ride, huh?" Tsepo teases Sbu as he looks at him sitting on the wheelchair. At that everybody just laughs at the joke as they sip on heir beers. But Sbu's friends can read that apart from the fact at the he can't walk on his at the moment there is something else that could be bothering him. "Hey brother, how are you feeling? You know that you will walk again, right?" Jabu says as he looks at his friend but Sbu just nods without saying a word. "Yeah man, Jabu is right and we are also here to ensure that you get back to your old self again" Tsepo says as he lifts his beer up, which Sbu smiles and also lifts his.
"Hey you guys, look" Sbu says as he looks to the skies as if to say Where do I even begin with this? "Uhmm, there is something i have to tell you and I just don't know where to begin hey" he says with a trembling voice, which makes his friends look at each other wondering what could that be about.
"Yeah, man what's up?" Jabu says curiously. But that brings a little bit of silence as Sbu takes a huge sip of his beer and suddenly this gives his friends some worry. "Come on man, what is really going on? You're beginning to scare us a little bit" Tsepo says as he looks at Jabu. No they are waiting anxiously to hear what their friend wants to say. "Look guys, what I'm about to tell you, can it really stay between us as the guys and please don't tell anyone, especially those ladies in the house?" Sbu says as he looks at his friends with a face that looks like it is full of regret. "Please guys I'm begging you" his voice is trembling and his eyes look like he will cry.
"Oh okay bro, you got it man, it stays between us, right?" Jabu says as he looks at Tsepo wanting him to confirm. "Oh yeah sure man, definitely it stays between us" Tsepo says. "What is it that is bothering you man?" he asks curiously.
"Guys, uhmm, I cheated on my wife" Sbu says as he finally finds courage to spit it out. This comes as a shock to his friends as become wide-eyed looking at each other. "What?" Tsepo says as he tries to whisper in case someone in the house is listening. "Wait man, let him explain" Jabu jumps in as he looks at Tsepo even though he is just as shocked at this. "Yeah man, not once but a few times" Sbu says as he looks down. "And now I really regret all this and i feel so bad about it. It first happened before Buhle cheated with Tendai, so I can't use that as an excuse for my actions. I started first'' as he takes another sip of his beer. But he is struggling to make eye contact with his friends, he's ashamed.
"Oh wow, I honestly didn't expect this man, honestly" Tsepo says as he looks at Sbu who looks away. "Not that I'm judging you or anything man but...I mean; did you tell your wife this?" he asks curiously to which Sbu shakes his head in some shame.
"Well man, you will have to tell her before someone else does and then you will be in a very serious problem" Jabu says while looking at Tsepo who nods in agreement. " Yeah man I know" Sbu says with a low voice. "But here's a part will shock you guys both. The woman I cheated with is Buhle's friend, Katlego" he says to which his friends almost fall off their chairs, more so Jabu, for obvious reasons. "You what?" Tsepo shouts. This time he's not trying to whisper. "You did what, man? Are
you crazy or something? Her best friend?" as he puts his hand in his mouth in shock or perhaps he's upset over this. At this moment Jabu is so confused he is lost for words at all this, I suppose for obvious reasons.
In his mind there's so many questions he has as this revelation by his friend can mean so many things. But Sbu is not done with dropping bombs, "Guys it gets worse" he says to which Tsepo becomes wide-eyed as he is asking himself, what could be worse than what you have just told us man?
"Well, Katlego is pregnant and the baby could be mine" Sbu says as he is now feeling more embarrassed than he was before. To Jabu, even though he had already put it all together, but to hear Sbu saying that he could be the father just sends some shock down his spine. This is a real dilemma. This thing here is messy, how do i deal with this? he asks himself but his thoughts are interrupted by Tsepo who asks, "Could be yours? Who else could this baby's father be man?" This brings a little bit of silence as Tsepo awaits the answer from his friend who looks down in shame. He is struggling to find words for all this.
"Look, Katli told me that she was seeing another guy and she *** with him the same night she and I had ***. She said she left my office and went to this other dude" Sbu says as she puts his hands over his head. He realizes how messed up this whole situation.
"Wait, she had *** with two guys on the same night?" Tsepo asks in shock. "How messed up can a person really be? Isn't Katlego a doctor? How can she be so dumb? She put your life at risk, as well as the other guy's. She put herself at risks as well. Damnit, stupid b*tch!" he is really upset over this. "Yeah, man it is messed up" Sbu says as he shakes his head. "But still man, there's no excuse for what I did. My actions may have cost me my marriage and I don't know if I'm willing to live without Buhle" as tears start to roll down his face. "Yeah, man but look you got to tell your wife this" Tsepo says as he looks at Jabu who looks like he is lost for words with shock. "Maybe it's already too late for your marriage or maybe it is not but you definitely have to tell her before someone else. That may give you a slight chance to discuss this with Buhle and maybe she may listen" he says.
As soon as Tsepo says that Sbu snaps out of it as he attempts to leave his friends right there. "Hey where are going man?" Tsepo asks as he is surprised that his friend is leaving them just like that. "Come on man let's talk about this a little more, please don't leave" he begs looking at Jabu as if he's saying, Dude say something.
"Look man, I got to talk to my wife right now. Like you were saying, you were right. I have to talk to her before someone else. And right now is the right time" Sbu says as he turns around with wheelchair, heading towards the house. But Jabu tops him as he says, "Hey man, don't leave. I want to tell you guys something" which makes Sbu turn around curiously. He is wondering what could his friend be on about. Tsepo too is wondering what could Jabu be wanting to talk about that makes him look so nervous. "Are you okay man?" he asks his friend who too now looks like he's guilty of something.
"Yeah man, look, I got to tell you guys something" Jabu says as he breathes heavily. "That other guy Katlego was talking about is me" This almost sends Sbu to fall over his wheelchair in shock. "What?" Tsepo says in shock too. "What the hell is going on here? What are you guys..." he doesn't finish as Jabu cuts him off, "Wait man, please let me explain okay?" he says calmly.
"Look, I swear I didn't know about Sbu until now. What Katlego said to me was that she is pregnant and I could be the father, or not because she was seeing another guy whom she slept with the same night she slept with me" he says looking at Sbu who is lost for words with shock. He is looking away
trying to avoid eye contact with Jabu. He also looks a little bit if not a little more upset, even though it's not clear who he's upset with. "Whoa, whoa, whoa man, can you please just start this from the beginning because I’m so confused right as to what is really going on here" Tsepo says as he also now looks upset at both his friends. He just can't believe what is going on here.
"Look, man okay, alright..." Jabu says nervously. "Katlego showed up at my place one night, it looked like she had few drinks. She told me that she has long had feelings for me and always wanted me. All of this caught me off guard and had had a few myself. The next thing she was on top of me like a hungry lioness" as he tries to make contact with Sbu who avoids it.
"And then?" an impatient Tsepo asks. "But she suddenly went cold after that without any explanation really" Jabu says with a sad and disappointed voice. "Well, a few weeks later she comes to my place telling me she is pregnant and that I could be the father. She tells me that she had been seeing some guy before she slept with me. That they had *** with him but had a bad fight which led to her coming over to my place. So I could be the father as well" as he empties his beer in one go. "Oh man, this is so f*cked up, do you know that?" Tsepo says in shock, while Sbu keeps quiet without saying a word.
"Well, look guys, she begged me to not tell anyone about this until she's sure about what she wants to do with the pregnancy. I begged her to not terminate the pregnancy as this could be my baby too. I just didn't really expect that the other guy she was talking about was my best friend" as he looks at Sbu who finally makes eye contact.
"Sbu, were you and Katlego in a relationship, ongoing affair or it was just a once off?" Tsepo asks his friend, this time with a straight face not showing any emotions at all. "Look, it was a couple of times" Sbu says as he's embarrassed. "Three times to be precise. The third time is the one Jabu is talking about. We fought about it because I made it clear that I am never leaving my wife and that this affair must end and never happen again. She stormed out of my office very upset. I suppose that's when she decided to go your place" as he looks at Jabu who looks upset. This is followed by a very uncomfortable silence amongst the friends. It is as if someone had died.
"You guys really f*cked didn't you?" Tsepo says, and he's not even joking about it. "Whoa, wait,
what did I do? I didn’t cheat on anyone here. If anything, I was the one who was wronged" Jabu says as he looks at Sbu who is less than impressed over that statement.
"Why just don't you say what you want to say Jabu and stop running around" Sbu is upset. "I am saying, Sbu that I did nothing wrong here. I have no reason to feel guilty about anything. I didn't cheat. So that the statement by Tsepo that I f*cked up, I reject it" Jabu says as he is also beginning to look upset himself. "If anything, I'm the one who was played here. Katlego didn't tell me she was sleeping with my best friend. Worse of all she was coming from him when she showed at my door" as he pulls away from eye contact. "Oh so you are saying I'm the one who f*cked up, Jabu? Is that what you're saying?" Sbu asks as he raises his voice a little bit.
"Oh come man, you really want us to spell it out for you" Jabu says as he raises his voice as well, "Of course you f*cked up, big time. You really don't have any luxury to be upset at me right now for saying this. If Katlego was married, yes I'd have messed up big time. But she is not and I am not married as well. But can you say that about yourself?" as he looks at him in the eyes.
Seeing how this situation is quickly threatening to get out of control, Tsepo decides to jump in, " Whoa, hey guys. Can we please just calm down a notch here? I think this will soon get out of control if we are not careful" he says to his friends who are looking at each other in the eyes. "Look, Jabu is right bro. His situation is not the same as yours. You cheated on your wife and you're the one who
has to deal with that. Jabu wasn't bound by anything but this is on you and Katlego. One thing is guaranteed is that if you don't tell your wife, she will definitely tell her" as he looks away.
As these three friends are having this heated conversation, they are not noticing Katlego who had come through the gate and went straight to the house. The last thing Sbu wanted was to have Katlego tell his wife first before he did which will deny him a fighting chance.
***
In the house Buhle is hosting her friends Lerato and Lindiwe who had come to check on her since she had been busy these days looking after her husband, Sbu. They have been here for quite a while having a great time. Buhle was actually enjoying the break for a change and to see her friends refreshes her. Also seeing her husband visited by his friends helps her to keep her mind at ease as he needs to people who will encourage her to fight to walk once again.
The last thing she expected though was the doorbell from her other friend Katlego, because she hasn't seen her in a little while. She may even be upset at the fact that she never told them about the pregnancy they had to figure it out on their own. Nonetheless she is still a friend so she let her in.
"Her guys, you look who found my doorstep today...the stranger herself" Buhle says as she comes to the lounge where Lindiwe and Lerato are chilling having wine. To say that her friends are surprised is an understatement. The first thing both of them looked at was Katlego's tummy which is beginning to show. This moment is a little discomforting more to Lindiwe than to Lerato. She knows it will become a very awkward day. But before Buhle could point to where her friend she will sit Katlego says, "Buhle can I please talk to you in private?" whispering, which puzzles Buhle. But as soon as Lindiwe sees that, she can figure out what's about to happen and then looks at Katlego as if to say, now this is not the right time Katli.
"Uhmm, okay. Are you alright friend? Something wrong?" the oblivious Buhle asks. Lindiwe wants to stand up and stop Katlego from doing what she thinks she's about to do as she looks really nervous. "Hey Katli, long time girl. Why don't you come and sit down so that we can catch up?" she says with a nervous smile.
But Katlego ignores her as she says, "Can we please go somewhere else to talk? Please, it's important." as she looks at Buhle with a worried face and eyes full of guilt. "Uhmm oh okay, let's go upstairs" Buhle says anxiously. "Ladies we will be right back okay? Please continue there, don't wait for me. See you soon" she says leaving the two at the lounge with Lerato more puzzled of the two. So Buhle and Katlego go upstairs into one of the guest bedrooms which is unoccupied. It is really big and well furnished with beautiful bedding. They go in and sit down but Katlego is sitting on the edge of the bed with nerves.
"So what's wrong my friend? What's wrong with you?" Buhle asks curiously. "Oh and you still owe us an explanation about that" as she points to Katlego's tummy. "Why didn't you tell us were pregnant? And then you disappear on us like that? I mean, seriously who is the father?" as she looks at her friend.
Katlego's eyes begin to turn red as she really doesn't know how to explain this to her friend. She decides to cut her off as she keeps asking many question, "Buhle, I slept with Sbu, your husband" she says to which Buhle smiles as if she didn't hear right. But she looks at Katlego's eyes and sees that
she probably heard right. "What did you say?" she asks, paying attention this time. "I slept with Sbu, Buhle" Katlego says as tears start falling down her cheeks. At that very moment Buhle's heart almost stops with shock. For a moment there she feels like she's transported into another world, like in a
dream. It's like she's somewhere beautiful by the sea with her family which is Sbu and daughter Naledi. Like they are having the best time of their lives.
At this moment she can't really tell which is a dream and which is real. But then suddenly she snaps out of it and in front her sits Katlego and she recalls her saying she slept with her husband. "What are you...What...I mean, what are you talking about Katli?" she asks in panic, but Katlego doesn't respond to that except that her tears are just falling down her face.
But then as soon Buhle looks at Katlego's tummy, it dawns on her. Her body almost goes to paralysis as shiver goes down her spine. "Katli, what the hell did you say to me? You what?" she starts shouting. "Uhmm, I'm really sorry about this Buhle. I really didn't..." Katlego says but she doesn't finish as Buhle slaps her so hard across the face that she falls to the floor on the carpet. She gets up and holds her face. She is still crying. "So you b*tch sleep with my husband and then he gets you pregnant?" Buhle shouts even louder this time so much that it draws the attention of her friends down stairs. "What kind of sickness is this b*tch? Huh? Sleeping with your best friend's husband to a point of getting pregnant?" as she gives Katlego another clap which sends her to the floor once again.
This time her friends Lerato and Lindiwe come charging upstairs, into the room and find Katlego on the floor. "What the hell is going on here?" Lerato asks as she helps Katlego up from the floor. She has sustained a small cut on the face, probably from Buhle's ring.
"Did you two know about this?" Buhle shouts at her friends but Lerato is puzzled as she says, "Know what? What the hell is going on here?" she looks at Lindiwe whose eyes are filled with guilt. "I said, did you know that this b*cth was sleeping with my husband and that she is pregnant with my husband's baby?" Buhle shouts once again and this time with tears falling down her face. But Katlego cuts her off, "No Buhle they didn't know okay?" she says as she is also crying. "That's why I distanced myself from all of you, I didn't want any of you to know, she says looking at Lindiwe. She then turns to Buhle and says, "I am really sorry about this Buhle. I never meant to hurt you and I wish..." she doesn't finish as she has to try and avoid another smack from Buhle who gets held back by Lerato.
"Get the f*ck out of my house b*tch, you hear me? Get the f*ck out of my house" Buhle screams as she cries uncontrollably. At that moment, Katlego rushes out and leaves Buhle's house in tears. As she heads for the gates she looks across the pool and her eyes meet Sbu's eyes and he can figure it out on his own what happened in the house.
Back in the house the three friends are still upstairs and Buhle is crying inconsolably. But as she wipes her tears, wanting to go down stairs to find her husband Lindiwe stops her. "Uhmm, my friend. Uhmm..." she says as she is lost for words and not knowing what to say. "It's not true that nobody knew about this. I knew." she says nervously, looking at Buhle. "I found out about it I didn't know how..." Lindiwe doesn't finish as Buhle cuts her off, "Lindi, you knew about this all along and never told me? You helped keep that b*tch's secret and pretended to be my friend? How could you do something like that to me, Lindi?" she screams at her friend. "You are not a friend Lindi. You betrayed my trust so bad" as she collapses on the floor and cry.
"Please get out of my house, both of you" she shouts. "Get out of my house" she screams even louder and Lerato and Lindi hurry up and leave the house. On their way out they meet Sbu who is coming back in the house on a wheelchair. He can tell that things don't look good for him. They don't say anything to him except saying whatever they need to say with their eyes as they walk out the door.
***
"Honey, are you there?" Sbu shouts as he comes in to the lounge but he sees that there is no one there. He then goes to the kitchen and still, she isn't there. She then towards the stairs that lead to the bedrooms. He obviously can't climb up there since he currently can't walk on his own.
The temporary arrangement they have is that they had moved to the ground floor bedroom in order to make it easy for Sbu since he can't climb the stairs because of his injury. Upstairs are just bedrooms, laundry room, bath rooms and gym. Downstairs it's the kitchen, lounge, dining room, rest room and study rooms. So everything Sbu needs is down stairs. So as he looks upstairs wondering how he's going to get there he hears a distant voice of his wife, she's crying inconsolably. Suddenly he's overcome by guilt. He really wants to get up there but he knows he can't so he calls out, "Baby" as he shouts. "Baby can you please come down so that we can talk, please" he begs as shouts.
His plea is not helping as he continues to hear the voice of his wife crying. He then moves to the lounge and figures I will just sit here and wait for her to come down, even if i have to sleep on the couch! So he goes and sits on the couch with T.V. off though.
After two anxious hours of sitting in the lounge quietly and sick with worry, Sbu sees Buhle coming down to him. He wants to go to her and maybe try to hug her or something, if he could he would. Even if it means to go down on his knees he would. He stares at Buhle as she comes towards him but he's terrified of the inevitable, the conversation they are about to have. "Baby, I don't know what you have heard today from..." Sbu says to his wife who sits on the couch opposite him, whose eyes are red, filled with disgust, resentment and hate. She cuts him off before he goes even far, "What exactly do you think I heard, Ndimande?" she asks with a sort of defeated voice.
This question catches Sbu off guard and he doesn't know how to answer it. "I asked, what the hell did you think I heard Sbu" Buhle screams on top of her voice but still Sbu can't find the words to utter as he sits there opposite his wife and he can't even look at her in the eyes.
"I'm so sorry my love, I really didn't mean..." Sbu says with a trembling voice but he doesn't finish as his screaming wife cuts him off, "You are sorry for what you bastard?" she says "Sorry for what, huh? Sorry for sleeping with my best friend and impregnating her? Huh?" at this point tears are just falling off her cheeks. "How could you do this to me Sbu, huh? Why did you do this to me?" she's inconsolable. But Sbu just sits there ashamed and not having any answer to the question. He really wants so bad to say the baby may not be his but he knows that won't make things any comforting, so he keeps quiet. He takes another look at his wife and his heart is torn at the pain he sees from her eyes.
"Sbu please leave my house" Buhle says with allow voice that's even struggling to come out. "Wait, please baby don't do this okay? Can we please talk about it?" is all that Sbu can say with a begging voice. "Uhmm, honey I'm sorry..."
He doesn't finish as his wife reaps to him once again, "I said, get the hell out of my house damnit" she screams even the louder. "But baby, where can I go? It's 18:30, where am I going to go? Look at me, I can't even walk. Baby, can we please talk about this?" Sbu pleads but this seems to make Buhle angrier as she says, "Sbu if you don't want to leave, fine. I will go!" as she storms out of the room going upstairs without giving her husband a chance to counter that. 20 minutes later Buhle was downstairs with her bags. She walks passed Sbu who is shocked at seeing this. "Please Buhle, don't go I beg you, please" he says as his eyes are now teary himself.
But Buhle keeps walk without turning back while Sbu follows her with a wheelchair. "Please my love, let's talk. I'm begging you" he begs even more albeit to deaf ears. If he had means to grab her by the hand he would but his wife is moving so fast heading towards the door. So Sbu watches on as she opens the door and shutting behind her without even turning back. He is devastated.
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