Nokukhanya (Chapter 27)

Chapter 27

● Langa Gumede

I never thought I would be standing up like this facing my brother over a girl. My daughters mother for that matter. Never in my life have I ever fought with my brother, I mean we always argue and all of that but no like this. My brother and I are not even talking because he took Nokukhanya’s side. I haven’t spoken to him for months now and this is killing my mother, it is also killing me inside. I love uLindokuhle and us fighting because of her is breaking my soul.  And him telling me that we were interrupting their family dinner felt like he was stabbing me straight in my heart.

I don’t know where Fikile went. I watch Nokukhanya as she takes my son from me. If it was another day, I would have appreciated the gesture but right now, I’m facing my brother who is breathing heavy in front of me.

“Lindokuhle.” I say calmy.

“What?” He challenges me.

“Get out of my face…” I say through greeted teeth.

“And if I don’t?” This boy challenges me.

“Langelihle, take your brother and go fight outside. You came in here and disturbed our dinner with your wife. We were here to meet this one and wena you just ruined everything.”

MaGumede says bored causing my mom and my aunts to laugh. Lindo looks shocked and confused all of a sudden.

“Gogo.”

“Hhai. Don’t Gogo me wena Lindokuhle. You youngsters think we don’t know anything and that we can’t see whats happening around us. I cannot not believe you made umakoti lie to us. Wena Gugu hlala phansi, we know you are here for him.” She say’s pointing at my brother. Now I feel bad for even thinking that there was something going on between my brother and her. Lindokuhle knows how I feel about uNokukhanya. So, him making a move on her would have broken me, and he knows this.

“But…but how did you figure this out? I mean my plan for Baby mama to meet up with my girlfriend without any of you knowing was tight?” I watch as he walks away from me and sitting next to the girlfriend, and she blushes. I just wish he can stop calling my baby mama his baby mama.

“She knows everything. Welcome to our family Gugu and I hope we will be seeing a lot of you. You should teach your brother how it’s done Lindo not for him to just send out a letter asking for Fikile’s hand in marriage without letting any of us know.” My mom finally opens her month.

“Mma are you ever going to let this go?” I ask.

“NO!” All of them say at once and I’m left speechless.

“Okay! I’m sorry.” I say raising both my hands and surrender. I take the seat where Nokukhanya was sitting, I know when she comes back, she will have to talk to me. Our talk is long overdue now and I need to apologise for calling her bitch. This food is delicious, mouth-watering. I didn’t know she can cook like this.

“Langa why are you here?” That’s my brother asking. I didn’t know one can choke on air until he said that. I was about to chew this delicious chicken. I see the girlfriend tries to talk him so he can show some respect but what she said to him goes in one ear and out the other ear.

“This is my house Lindokuhle. Engathi useyakhohlwa ukuthi ubani omdala between me and you.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if you acted your age sometimes? And this is Nokukhanya’s house now. Its hers.”

“Who gave it to her hm? This is my wife’s house and not anyone else? And how dare you speak to me like that?” I thought we were done with our fight when he went to sit down.

What is this now.

Before I could talk any further, I get up and he got up as well. I see he really wants to fight with me this one.

“Lindokuhle! This is my house do you hear me? MINE and not hers! Get that through your thick skull!” I seethed.

“When last did you even enter this house Langa? If it wasn’t for her ngabe asikho lana. Open your damn eyes and see whats in front of you before you lose it forever to someone who is lying to you!” He responded with the same tone I used on him.

“Lindokuhle that’s enough! Keep your mouth shut and sit down. I cannot believe we are listening to grown men arguing in front of my grandchild.” My mom says.

“Ukhuluma ngani?” ignoring my mother is never my intention, but I want to know what my brother is talking about. Who is lying to me that makes him angry and want to lash out at me and why would my mother tell him to shut up?

“I asked you a damn question Lindokuhle, answer me!”

“Fuck you Langa!”

“No screaming in my house please.” She says behind me. This is definitely her house. Fikile is right behind her with King.

“Langa, can we leave please. I have already had a talk with Nokukhanya, and we have reached an agreement.” She says with an innocent smile, but the frown on Nokukhanya says otherwise.

“What agreement did we reach Fikile” She asks.

“Remember what we spoke about?”

“Where?”

“Back in your room?”

“We've reached an agreement in my room?” She chuckles.

“Langa can we please leave.”

“Not so fast. What I remember is you threating me. Remember that? What were your words konje? Ohm that me and my bastard children should get moving and leave Langa because he is yours and that my brats will not ruin what you worked hard for. Is that the agreement that we reached in my room? If so, Mrs Gumede that was a threat and not an agreement reached. Am I wrong?” What the hell!

“You said what?” That’s my grandmother seething at my wife.

“She is lying. I never threatened her. Why… why would i? I’m the one with the ring.”

“Langa, I need you to take your wife with her boy and leave. I will not have her threatening people in my yard. Please leave in peace.” My gran said with her tone increasing with each word.

“Ma… Please…”

“Chabo, Maka Langa you will not stop me on this. I won’t have this woman coming here to threaten people. Your stubborn childish boys were at it just now, did you hear either of them threating the other? No! So, who the hell does she think she is to do that here?”

“Gogo please calm down.” Lindo.

“Shut up wena Lindo. Langa take your wife and leave.” I’m so speechless. I have never seen my grandmother angry like this. Right now, I don’t know what to think. I want to believe that she did not do what Nokukhanya is saying, but it's damn hard. I should be speaking on her behalf.

“Mzwandile…” I hear Nokukhanya murmurs to herself. What did he do now? My grandmother is busy chasing me and my wife out and yena ubusy ucabangana namadoda.

“What about him?” I ask her and she looks shocked that I heard her.

“Your son looks like him. The flat nose and point ears looks exactly like his. No wonder his face looked so familiar when I was looking at him then Fikile walked in disturbing me and my realization only to threaten me. Who the hell does she think she is? I have never dated uLanga mina for her to say that.”

Everyone gaps.

What the hell!

“Shit! Did I say that out loud?” She asks Lindo who nods at her. I turn and find Fikile shaking her head with tears running down her face.

My world stops.

He isn’t mine.

I should have open that damn envelop!

“What is she talking about?” I ask her, moving closer to her and she moves backwards.

“Anga…angazi?” She stutters.

“Khuluma kahle ngikuzwe. Yingane kabani le?”

“Eyakho Langa. King is yours.”

“Manje ukhalelani?”

“She is lying… she is lying on me.”

“And that makes you cry? Whose child is this? And I want the truth this time.”

“Yours. Can we… can we please go talk in our house please.” I watch her tremble and she can’t even look me in my eye.

“Guys come on… the baby.” Nokukhanya says behind me. She is always the one trying to get into people’s business and right now I like for her to just stay out of this. I should have opened that damn envelop.

“Ngisalindile njalo… whose child is this?”

“Langa… please… can we talk privately.” She pleads.

“What’s there to talk privately about? This is my family and I’m sure you would also like to prove her wrong right? This is my child angisho?” Instead of answering me she cries some more.

“Awusakwazi ukukhuluma? Stop crying and answer me damn it!” I snap and she jumps frightened causing King to cry.

“Seriously Langa? Couldn’t you speak to her without the child being in here? And mind you I did not say Mzwandile was your son’s father, I just said they look alike nothing else.” She takes King and asks Gugu to follow her with uNonjabulo. Nokukhanya is something else I tell you. She says something and turn around and tell you she didn’t mean anything about it.

“I’m waiting for my answer Fikile. Is this Mzwandile’s child?”

“I’m sorry Langa…she is lying… King is yours I swear. She just wants to ruin our marriage. She is lying to you. First, she said I threatened her and now this…please believe me have I ever lie to you?”

This is not how I wanted to spend my time here. I run my hands in my head and move back to take a seat. Everyone is still here looking at the free show between my wife and I and I bet my brother is ecstatic about this, he never liked her anyway.

I sigh.

“She’s lying Langa, please believe me.” She kneels in front of me.

“I just need you to tell me truth please.”

“King is our son. He is yours. Please believe me.” She cries some more. Irritating the shit out of me.

“Ooh for Fuck sakes! Tell my brother the truth. Just be honest. King isn’t a Gumede, and you know this. Everyone in this room knows this except for my brother of course. If you lie one more time, I am going to hit the truth out of you, do you hear me?” I raise my head and watch my brother fume at her. What did he just say?

“What?” I ask softly.

“Tell him the truth right now!”

“Lindokuhle stay out of this please,”

“No Mma! I am not staying out of anything; he deserves to know the truth and today. Wena start taking and fast.”

“Lindo…what do you mean? What do you mean everyone knows? All of you knew and never thought even once to tell me?” I’m hurt.

I’m deeply hurt. No one cared enough to let me know that I was raising someone else’s child. No one in my family cared to tell me that king isn’t mine. They watched me suffer with him in and out of hospital and they said nothing. Do they hate me that much that I don’t deserve the truth from them?

No one responds so I stand up and walk out.

This was a lot to take in to be honest.

I need some time.

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Yoh guys.... I'm sorry for going silent and all... I was finally getting everything working and moving then I lost someone dear to me and again my life took a left turn. But I'm here breathing and healing slowly but I'm hoping and praying for the best.

Please don't stop reading ❤

Thank you