Nokukhanya (Chapter 23)

Chapter 23

●Nokukhanya Ngwenya

The fact that I’m kneeling and crying my eyes out as if I have been abandoned make it so damn hard to get up and go back in. I’m sure everyone is expecting one of us to go back and explain what hell happened in there. Yet, this baby daddy of mine drove away after dragging me here, such a coward.

I make my way inside to face all these people who took their time to come here and watch a free movie, I film I tell you. Why in hell did I agree to marry him… ‘because you love him and you…’ damn my subconsciousness. This bitch has been quite all along and now she shows up.

When I get inside everyone is going out and that woman who happens to be married to my man bumps into me on purpose.

Damn!

“Watch where you are going. Homewrecker!” Ohh Gosh.

“I’m sorry.” I say and walk away. She is looking for a fight and I don’t have time for that. I need to speak to the judge. She needs to explain to me why the hell would she take my daughter from me and give Langa full custody. What reason did she have to get to that decision?

“Langa is MINE! Do you hear that! He is mine!” She screams behind me, and I show her my middle finger then keep on moving.

She can keep her man. No one got time for time for that… well not now.

I get to the reception and ask to see that woman and I’m told she is busy on a call and that I must make an appointment for tomorrow because after her call she as another case she needs to attend. I’m sure if I wasn’t desperate, I would have given this bitch a peace of mind. Who the hell does she thinks she is telling me I need to come tomorrow?

Nxah!

I turn around to take a seat waiting for her, I am not leaving this place till she hears me out. Sitting here makes me wonder if my parents were still alive will all of these be happening to me. I miss my nana, I know I have Sam and Patrick, however the space and longing I have for my parents and my grandmother no one can ever fill it, no one can ever replace them. I’m pretty sure I still had my parents with, I wouldn’t be here fighting for my daughter. I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself like that, asking a man to marry me, telling him in front of all those people was me basically asking for marriage …what a shame.

I watch her smiling with whomever she is speaking to on her phone with her perfectly manicured fingers and heels so high as if she wants to touch the sky. She is beautiful, no doubt, her skin is so perfect, perfect melanin is what they call her, I must find out which skin products she is using, phela after my daughter everything changed, my boobs, skin, ass everything nje.

I can’t help but stare at her.

She is gorgeous.

“Thank you.” Dammit! I said that out loud.

“Too bad you play for the other team.” She says smiling at me, probably showing off her perfect straight teeth as well. Her teeth are so white you would swear nothing goes in her mouth. Everything about this woman is perfect…

‘Yet she still gave him your daughter.’

I watch as her lips moves while she is standing in front of me.

If I wasn’t into men and their long and thick stick between their legs, I would be asking her out right now.

‘I think she is talking to you! Stop looking like a stalker and answer the damn woman’

What did she say to me?

“Nokukhanya. Can I help you with something?”

What?

“Nokukhanya…”

“What?” I clear my throat and stand up.

She smiles.

“Can I help you with something? I am told you are waiting for me.”

“Uhm…yes…I need to know what your reason was to take my daughter away from me? you don’t know me. why did you do that?” I ask her and she smiles. I don’t even know why she is smiling like this at me while I have this bitch face look on me.

She frowns, then smiles.

“Follow me please.”

I follow her to her office, a big office that would accommodate ten more people, but it’s only hers. I look around and there’s a picture of her and another gorgeous woman next her, probably her sister or maybe a friend, I mean if you look like someone like her you will only want to keep and have beautiful people close to you. Her office is dull though. It’s just wood all over and I wouldn’t have put that clock there. Its looks so weird next to that beautiful portrait of the moon and stars.

“Nokukhanya!” She calls out and I roll my eyes at her for disturbing my thoughts, I had to find something negative on her.

She smiles, again.

“You know, he did tell me you were interesting. So, what can I help you with?” I frown.

“Who told you?”

“Langa. Anyway…” That man!

“Why would you speak with him before the court case? Isn’t that bias?”

“Langa is a good friend of mine.” This bitch.

“I don’t understand. So, you are telling me that you gave him my daughter because you are sleeping with man? Couldn’t you guys find something else to bond with, instead of taking my daughter from me? This is bullshit seriously! What kind of a judge are you?” I scream at her when I finish my rant and find her smiling at me again.

Whats wrong with this woman.

“Nope… I am not sleeping with your baby daddy, mina I date woman and plus my friend, Langa only has eyes for one woman and that is not me. As a good and best judge that I am, I will simply advise you to speak with him, no one is taking your daughter from you.”

“What is this?” Is this a prank show, fool Nokukhanya day or what?

“Speak to him and this time listen to him without interruptions…” I leave her while she is still talking. She can talk to herself for all I care.

That man doesn’t know me, and I think it’s time he knew who I am. Who the hell does he think he is discussing our lives to everyone but me? what did she mean when she said, ‘I must listen to him without interruptions vele?’

I mean i always listen to him.

I do, right?

●Langa Gumede

This is messed up.

I watch her as she breaks down and cry before I drive away. I just need a minute to breathe. This shouldn’t have turned out like this. All my plans are ruined. She wasn’t supposed to do that in front of my family, especially my wife. That woman neh. I honestly don’t know what I am going to do with her. She keeps messing up everything for me, if it wasn’t for my boy, I would have left her ass long time ago and go where my heart belongs.

My phone rings through the speaker.

“Hello.”

“Are you okay?” She asks.

“I will be, I just needed a minute. Sorry for wasting your time.”

“This is not what we agreed on.” Sigh.

“I know. I just didn’t think she was going to do that you know; I did not expect that from her.”

“You did say she was unpredictable. I just wish she waited till I finished my sentence.” She chuckles again.

“Yeah, so what now?”

“Aai angazi mina Langa. You need to tell her truth though; I mean she deserve to know what all this was about. I’m sure if you tell her everything she will understand. But please make sure that my ass is not on the line because I do need my job mina, do you hear me?”

“I hear loud and clear. Thank you”

“Anytime.” She says and hangs up.

I arrive at the hospital to check on my kids. I have no idea what I did to deserve all these bad things happening to me all at once. Maybe it’s because if haven’t visited my wife and daughter in a while.  Before Nokukhanya and Fikile I used to go check on them all the time and not anymore maybe that’s my life is like this, I’m being punished.

I check on my son first and there are no changes on him, still breathing through the machines and at this point I don’t even know if he can breathe on his own.

“He will get better; he looks strong compared to other pre-mature babies we had.” Pre-mature?

“Pre-mature? What do you mean pre-mature? My son isn’t pre-mature, his mother carried him full term.” I tell the doctor who seem to have lost her mind. What kind of a doctor is this? Fikile has been coming here for her check-ups and everything was fine. And who the hell is she. I don’t know her.

“Who are you? Where is Doctor Zulu?” This woman must not start with me. Today is not a good day.

“Ohh, I’m sorry Mr Gumede. I’m Doctor Monica Pillay, I’m standing in for Doctor Zulu he had to rush to theatre. I checked your wife’s file, and your son is pre-mature. He was born at seven months, and he is going to be fine. There is so many babies that are born before their time and they are just fine, you have nothing to worry about.”  She speaks.

“My son is not pre-mature.”

“I’m sorry this must be hard on you and the mother; however, he was born at seven months, Mrs Gumede knows this, and I can show you his records to confirm this. Follow me please.”

Fikile lied to me.

“Eerr… Doctor…” She turns and looks at me.

I think I know her from somewhere.

“Yes, Mr Gumede?”

“Can you help me with an urgent DNA test please.” I whisper.

“Right now?”

“Yes, please. The sooner the better.”

I don’t want to have this doubt that has been on my head to consume me and if she is correct that my boy is pre-mature that means he isn’t mine. Believe it or not I haven’t been sharing a bed with my ‘wife’ ever since she got ‘pregnant’. I only woke up naked next to her and that was it, that is all that I remember from that night, no wonder it was very easy to bed Nokukhanya when we met again because I haven’t been intimate with anyone else besides her.

“I know it’s not my place to ask this but why do you need a DNA test done?”

“My son cannot be pre-mature, if that’s the case that means he isn’t mine.”

“Mr Gumede aren’t you married?”

“For my son.” I tell her and she frowns as she puts the blood sample into an envelope, she just took from me. she tells me that the result will be back within three days. I don’t have three days. I need to take this children home.

“Can this stay between us?”

“Yes of course. Do you mind me asking? Why don’t ask your wife about this, I mean if you thought that the baby was full term which is in correct, that means she lied to you.”

“Do I know you from somewhere?” I couldn’t help but stare at her as she clears her throat looking at everywhere but me.

“You look very familiar as if I have seen you somewhere. Do I know you from somewhere Doctor Pillay?” I ask again.

“Uhm… yeah we have met before. Back at my practice when your wife came for a check-up. I’m also Nokukhanya’s doctor and friend of hers. She is like a daughter to me.”

I widen my eyes at her revelation.

“I love my job Mr Gumede I would never do anything to jeopardize that. If you feel like you will need a second opinion regarding your son, you can wait for Dr Zulu or better yet find another one.” I think she saw the panic in my face hence the need to explain herself to me.

“I will take my leave now.”  She nodded in agreement as I left her office.

***

Seeing my daughter here breaks my heart. And there is absolutely no doubt in my heart or mind regarding her paternity, this one is a Gumede, no blood test needed here. I have been here for a long time now, way past visiting hours but if you have money and you are well known you always get what you want.

The door opens while I’m busy battling with my thoughts.

“Are you sleeping with her Langa?”  Her voice is so low, almost like a whisper. I know who she is talking about. In fact, I was waiting for her to come to me with this, since I drove away from her. I knew she was going to go straight and enquire about this.

I take a deep breath just letting what she just asked me to settle in my head before turning to look at her and I can’t help the gasp that comes out of me looking at her beautiful self in front of me in plain jeans and a white t-shirt that reveals her grown breasts, she's fuller now. She finally took a bath after so long. Her afro is so rich, so black and beautiful. She’s beautiful.

I am staring. I can’t help it.

“Is that why she gave you full custody? Because you are sleeping with her?”

“I am not sleeping with anyone.” But you.

“Don’t bullshit me Langelihle. I know you are sleeping with her; she is your friend with benefits, and she gave you custody of our daughter because you cannot keep it in your pants. Aren’t you married to that woman?”

“I do not appreciate your tone and your accusations. Why would I sleep with her so I can get full custody of our daughter?” I ask her calmly and she rolls her eyes.

“You, tell me Langa. I know she is your friend, a friend with benefits I wonder what your wife will say when she hears this. And vele ufunani lana? Shouldn’t you be giving me time with her before you take her away.” I am going to ignore this question from her.

I watch her going to the other side to check up on our daughter. She lost weight these couple of days. This is not the woman I met months ago. A part of me blames myself for her pain. Nokukhanya deserves nothing but the best and me taking this road has led nothing but misery for her. I don’t know why she never got back to me when I sent her emails for this issue we have now. If she never blocked my number, we wouldn’t be here.

“You know, I never gotten any response from you.”

“What response were you waiting from me?” She asks me but still looking at our daughter.

“I sent you emails Nokukhanya with a proposal and you ignored them, like always.” I stand up and go next to her.

“Ukhuluma ngani lani?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Seriously, I have no idea. Enlighten me please. Even your side said the same thing. Maybe it was something you guys spoke about during your pillow talk. Does your wife know that you go around asking your baby mamas to marry you and you are cheating on her? Mhh? Does she know? Does your wife know.”

“Do I know what?”  When we both turn, we find Fikile looking at us, ready to murder me for being next to my all, I guess.

“Langa, what is this? Why are you holding her like that? You do know that he is married angithi. Let me remind you girly. You see this man that is standing next to you, who is holding you in such a way that he should be holding his wife. Is taken. He is married and not available. Langa what is this? Why are you here and not with our son?”

“Langelihle please take your wife and leave me with my daughter”

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To be continued!