The Love Complex: Part 20 Palesas uncle and her mother made it blatantly clear that it had not been a social visit they had came for. They were in and out of her apartment in just a matter of a few minutes. It had been a decade since she last saw uncle Sechaba, but he still commanded the same authority as she remembered him to; still the no nonsense taking disciplinarian than her late father ever was. And even as a fully grown woman at the age of 26, she could not help but listen when he spoke. When her excited friend, Thandeka, called to share the details about her own life, it only dawned upon Palesa 10 minutes into the phone call that she had no idea what their conversation had been about. Her uncle and mothers visit had caught her way more off guard than she had anticipated. It was the smell of her burning pots which finally brought her back to her full senses. She lit a cigarette and poured herself a full glass of wine, wishing she was not alone, but neither Phiwe nor Sibusiso could be reached. She was all alone with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. The following day in hospital, one of the doctors chased her out of the theatre after she repeatedly handed him the wrong tool he asked for during a crucial operation. Your younger sister even passed away, and we didnt even know where to find you or whether you were even alive or not. The words kept ringing in her head, and for the first time in years, the reality she had managed to build for herself away from everybody she loved but convinced herself to not care about had seemed irrelevant. She tried to think of the last memory. The time had come, and she knew she could not stay away from home any longer. It was time to go back home and face the demons she had left behind along with her roots. And the more she thought about it, the more anxious and depressed she became, but it was something that had to be done. Later that evening, she called her friend, Thandeka, and they headed out clubbing. She needed an escape. **** When Sibusiso arrived at the jail, there was a thick unpleasant stench which instantly choked on his throat and made him feel sick to the stomach meters before he would even approach the holding cell he was to be kept. He wanted to vomit the moment he approached the caged, but he had to hold it back at all costs. His reality sank in when the officer uncuffed his hand and released him into a cell filled with a dozen men who all suddenly went quiet the moment he entered and gazed at him with eyes which sent chills down his spine. He walked towards the corner that was unoccupied, and the moment he sat down on the vacant bed, a heavily scarred man who spoke in an intimidating tsotsi taal approached him and demanded to know who had given him the permission to sit there. Sbusiso was felt terror come over him, but he had to keep a brave face or risk being everybodys pawn from the first day. He got up and respectfully apologized for taking the mans bed. He had never felt more out of place in his entire life. When he looked down on himself and at the men surrounding him, he had never felt more insecure because of dressing well. He didnt belong there. When his lawyer came for him a few hours later, he became frantic the moment he saw him and begged that he gets him out of the hell hole he just came from as soon as he could, and at all costs. The following morning he was released on bail. *** On the day of the funeral, it seemed as if half the nation had came down to pay their last respects to Pastor Victor Mzwanele. Dressed in black, Zianda, Zinhle, Nomzamo, and her mother in law were sitting under a tent listening to the crowd singing Holokile as the coffin began to descend below the ground. They were paralyzed with grief; and Zianda became inconsolable. It was as if it had all been a dream, but no one was coming to wake them. Sbusiso stood next to her fathers twin, and they both silently watched as the coffin of the man they both dearly loved descended to its final place. As the sound of song intensified within the crowd, Peter saw the face of a man he had not seen in decades amidst the crowd. When he and the family members queued up towards the grave and throwed their last handful of dirt onto the coffin, Peter went into the crowd and headed directly at the man he had spotted from the mourners tent. What are you doing here? You were not welcome then, and you are still not welcome now. Please leave. And the man left without a scene. *** After the funeral, Lerato received a call from Phiwes sister who informed her that he asked only to see her the moment he came to a wake. Without wasting anytime, Lerato got inside her car and headed straight to the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital and asked where Phiwe was, the Dr said Oh, you are lucky he has just woken up, but he is still in a very critical condition. Please dont do anything to upset him. Ill only give you 10 minutes with him, the nice Dr had allowed her to go in and see him. She found herself more nervous than she thought she would ever be as she slowly tracked her feet towards the room where he was being kept. The first person she saw when she walked into the room was Sindisiwe, Phiwes sister. Lerato? And there was surprise on her face, Wow. I havent seen you in forever. And the 2 ladies stood up and hugged each other like old friends. How is he doing? Lerato asked immediately, but it was Phiwe whom, to both their surprise, responded to the question. Im better now that you are here. And his voice came out under a lot of labour. When Lerato looked at her ex boyfriend, she was shocked to see what Sibusiso had done to the man she once loved. His head was wrapped around with bandages, his face badly swollen. Oh my Lord Simphiwe. I am so sorry. And Lerato felt grief as she saw the state he was in. She sat down next to him and stretched her hand out to where his had been resting upon the bed, and she kissed it. Phiwe then asked for his sister to excuse the 2 of them for a few moments, Thank you for coming, Lerato, and in the few minutes that followed Phiwe reminded Lerato of how good they used to be together, and just how much he had never stopped loving her even after she left him. You gave me a reason to live when I had lost it all, Lerato, and even after you left, you still remained all I lived for, and if I wont ever have you back, I would rather have the Drs switch off these machines and die. Come back to me Lerato. You are all Ill ever need, will you please be mine again?, and when Lerato listened to the tone in his labored pain cluttered voice, he knew that he had meant every single word he uttered. He sounded like a man who had been tired of living, and only she could give him that reason once again. When she heard the words that came out of his mouth, Leratos mind froze and she knew not how to respond to his request. Her mind instantly populated with thoughts and memories of the happiness they once shared just a few years prior. A few seconds later, just before Lerato would find words to respond to him with, Phiwe slipped back into unconsciousness, and the machines sounded with tones which she knew to not mean anything good. When the doctors came rushing to the room, they asked Lerato to go out and frantically began working on saving his life frantically. *** After the funeral, and the crowd had begun to disperse from the Mzwanele household, Victors mother was with her daughter in law and 3 other family members in the mourners room when she called Peter to the room and began speaking to Nomzamo, Now that my son has left, I believe you will also begin packing your bags and leave my sons house. We all know that you were married into this family because you fell pregnant, but there is no reason for you to be here anymore. The family will decide what gets done with the inheritance. You are not welcome here any longer. And Nomzamo felt an arrow instantly pierce through her heart without a single warning. The dark cloud which had been luming above her and her familys head was starting to pour. *** Welcome to #TheLoveComplex Stay Tuned. Stay Intrigued.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 19:06:58 +0000
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