Nokukhanya (Chapter 15)

15

●Langa Gumede

I always knew that my daughter’s mother was stubborn and very hard-headed also but not to this point. After that lunch we had and that bomb I dropped on her she has been avoiding me. I even went as far as permanently moving this side without my ‘wife’s’ approval of course and taking over the company just to be close to her and our daughter but she resigned the minute I walked in here. She upped and left the company immediately without following any correct procedures.

I have been trying to talk to her but she blocked me in every communication platform and that sucks. So she left me no choice but to go the legal route. That’s why I’m here now with my lawyer who is going to help me get full custody of my daughter. I just hope it won’t go that far without us getting to an understanding or some sort of agreement.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, please proceed and I want this to be delivered to her by end of business today,” I tell him.

I watch as he walks out of my office leaving me with my thoughts.

All my life I always thought I had it all you know the family and always got things my way till I met her. I cannot seem to get to her everything I think that I’m there then the wall is back on. There is no doubt that she is driving me crazy and what’s worse is that I cannot do anything about it since I’m married and my wife is due any minute from now to give birth. I pray to God that going through all of this she will come to play and meet me halfway before the matter can even go any further.

My brother walks in looking like shit. He went out last night and came back this morning I was so tired to even ask him or say anything to him.

“Good morning.” He says.

“Morning. Did you finish that report I ask you to do?”

“What report?”

“For all the properties Lindokuhle,” I say annoyed. He has time to party till he can’t even know who the hell he is but he cannot do a simple thing that I ask him to do.

“Oh, that one? I’ve sent it to you yesterday morning.” He says unbothered.

“What do you mean you have sent it to me izolo Linda? I did not get anything from you. How did you send it?”

“I have sent it to your email Langa, and on the same email I told you I was going out so this attitude you giving me angazi ibuyaphi, I’m old and I can do whatever I want and whenever I want. I think it’s time I moved out and got my own place.”

“What?

“Yes! I will start looking for a place then I’m moving out.” He says getting up and ready to exit my office. So he is old yet he cannot even give a chance to give my two cents on this.

“I applied for full custody for my daughter,” I tell him as he is about to bang my office door.

“Why would you do that to table girl.”

“Because she is not meeting me halfway. I have missed two years of my daughter’s life and I am not planning on missing any more time with her.”

“Langa have you thought what will this do to her? Have you thought about how this will break her? I won’t even be shocked should she decide to run away from you. Heck, I will even help her run away from you.”

“Lindokuhle!” I knew he was her cheerleader but not like this.

What is this?

“Haai Langa seriously I will. What did you think will happen if you tell her you to want Nonjabulo to use our surname just like that without sitting her down and putting everything on the table for her? First of all, you guys never dated but I know how you feel about her and now you are married to that woman and have another kid on the way but what about her? How will all of this work out for her? You know how your family is. Nonjabulo cannot just take your name without you doing all the rituals for her and you can only bring someone that you are involved with ekhaya. So tell me how are going to go about with all of this.”

“Dammit! Linda, you are my brother you should be on my side, not hers.”  I don’t like that he is right I know I should have discussed everything with her but it’s too late now that’s why I am looking for solutions to fix this and him going off at me doesn’t help it just makes me feel worse about myself.

“I’m being brutally honest with you because you are my brother and I love you. You messed up Langa! Fix it!” He says then bangs the door behind him not hard enough though since it's all glass here. I’m sure he will snitch on me to our mother right now then I will also get it from her.

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I have been trying to concentrate since he left my office four hours ago but it is very hard. He even ignored my invitation to have lunch with me. My brother hardly gets angry he is always happy and free-spirited and if he does get angry it’s the end of the word because he can ignore me until the kingdom comes.

“Mr. Gumede, your three o’clock is here for you.”

“Thank you. I’m coming.” Shit! How did I forget about this meeting?

I hurry to the boardroom and find them already waiting for me.

“Gentlemen.” I greeted and I did not miss the frown on one of them when he noticed that it was only me. I wonder who he was expecting.

“Mike Sithole and this is my business partner Joe Dlamini.” He says giving me his hand for a handshake.

“Langa Gumede. So how can I help you with today?”

“Where is Miss Ngwenya? I thought she will be chairing this meeting as she always does with all our meetings.” He ask disappointed

“She does not work here anymore.” I tell them.

“Ohh. Okay then.” I say not bothered. If they only want to work with her then that’s fine.

“Yeah, so we going to leave.” I open the door for them to leave and in badges Nokukhanya carrying an envelope that ends up being thrown on me.

“How dare you Langelihle!” She says ignoring those two men who were only here to see her.

“Miss Ngwenya are you okay.” Mike asks her and she breaks down and cries.

What have I done!

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●Nokukhanya Ngwenya

‘I want to change her surname’ he said and I asked them to leave my house after my daughter showed them a movie, she couldn’t stop crying after I dropped that plate, to even make the matters worse he kept coming and nagging me to a point that I ended up resigning at my work. I need the money I won’t lie but working for that man would have drove me to the mental health institution or worse we would have killed each other. What he doesn’t know that I’m still part of the company since Patrick gave me all his shares. He isn’t well so Samatha forced him to retire. I just need to get my head in game so I can announce my return. Now I just want to resolve all this enmity we have between us.

Before I lost my cool towards him I had to remove myself from the situation and leave. I still talk to his mother almost every day because apparently, my daughter looks like Langa’s late daughter, they even share the same name I’m still yet to see her pictures. She told me everything regarding his late wife which is very sad. The guilt I have been feeling for sleeping with him then thinking he was a married man has left my system. I don’t feel bad to breaking up someone’s marriage. The mother of ten came after me and with her, I cannot feel guilty because she wasn’t even in the picture when I lost my virginity to her husband.

Even that idiot brother of his calls me every day to speak to his niece. They get along so well which drives me crazy ngoba Linda is Langa's brother and he tells him everything that happens in my house.

He wanted to change my daughter's surname just like that and the reality is that he cannot do all of that without me. I got nervous when he mentioned it that day. I mean how can he just cough out something like that something so important without discussing it with me.

Langa was being so unnecessary and not fair to do that to me so I did what I do best and ran. I ran so fast that I ended resigning at work when I found out that he has permanently moved this side. I cannot be in his face all the damn time and ngapha he wants Nonjabulo to take his surname.

Today is a good day, I have been feeling miserable this past couple of days but today is a good day I can feel it. I wake and make breakfast and just prepare for my day. My daughter spent the day with her grandparents and didn’t want to come back home with me.

I get done with everything and start with my work. Patrick has been getting a lot of emails from clients threatening to pull out because of this new management and with me leaving the company, so I have been responding to them all day pretending to be him and promising them heaven on earth, at the end of the day I get where they are coming from people don’t do well with change and there is nothing we can do other than delivering a good service.  My house phone rings and I answer.

“Miss Ngwenya, there is a delivery for you.”

“From who?” I ask. I didn’t order anything. Samantha and Monica always let me know if they are going to get me something that’s how much I hate surprises.

“I don’t know Ma’am. Can I let him through?” He asks and I politely decline that and I tell him I will be there.

What if you are getting a car as your push present? You know he hasn’t even thanked you or bought anything for giving him a beautiful daughter. If I were you, I would demand a gift from my baby daddy, I mean you went through a lot when you had to deliver that baby. He wasn’t there for any of your cravings, your mood swings your doctor's appointment, anything Khanyo and here he is wanting our child to use his surname. How crazy does he think we are yeh? To even think that we are that stupid to just agree to his suggestion without marrying you. My subconscious rants in my head. I must agree with her for once in my life minus the marrying part though.

I deserve a Gift!

I get to the gate and I am welcomed by this hotness of a guy giving me a brown big envelope if it was just us here and the guards weren’t present I would definitely shoot my shoot. What? Do not look at me like that I haven’t had sex since the day my baby was conceived. That was the first and last time I had some and baby girl really do need some servicing.

Khanyo stop drooling! I know you are thirsty but please stop embarrassing me. I get scolded by this bitch. And I roll my eyes at her.

I get inside my house and get a shock of my life. This man is trying me! Seriously who does he think he is? He doesn’t know me and I definitely show him who the hell I am.

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I don’t know how I even got here I just took my car keys and drove out. I get inside the office and greet the guard at the door. He used to be my favourite guard, but today I don’t have time to wait and chit chat with him and I really hope he understands.

I make my way straight to his office without even talking to the girl at the reception, I don’t know her maybe she’s new plus she was busy flirting with my daughter’s uncle so I did not want to disturb them.

“Baby Mama Wait,” Linda calls after me but I keep it moving.

“Nokukhanya please wait!” He shouts at me again.

I open the door and notice that he was busy with Mike the opportunist. I want to roll my eyes but I end up throwing the envelope on his face.

“How dare you Langelihle!”I scream at him.

“Miss Ngwenya are you okay,” Mike asks me and I ignore him.

“What the fuck is this! You want to take her away from me?” I hear him asking Mike and the other guy to excuse us before I break down and cry.

This is stupid you look stupid you don’t cry and especially for a man. Get up and tell him to fuck off. This bitch!

“You want to take her away from me?” I ask him the moment I finish pulling myself together.

“She is mine too. So I have every right to get custody of her just like you do.” He says.

This man is trying me.

“Langelihle Gumede if you think by any chance you are going to get full custody of MY daughter only because I don’t want her to use your name you have another thing coming. Do you hear me?”

“Ooh so really you don’t want her to use my name?”

“Yes!” I scoff at him.

“Ooh well, then we will let the court decide who the right parent for her is.” He says unbothered and my hand lands on his face the same time his brother walks in.

“Fuck you! You will only get her over my dead body! Fuck you, Langa!”

I bang the glass door behind me and it breaks.

Oops!

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