Umendo Chapter 29

Umendo Chapter 29

Lumki stood up and left without another word with tears filled in her eyes. She was nearly running as she left the restaurant. I felt a little lighter, now l could focus all my energy on things that really matter. I moved back home and went back to work. I spoke to my lawyer who was representing Siya against the guys who stabbed him. He told me that they were not going to mention any involvement with Lumkile, and that they were going to be tried for stabbing him only because there was not enough evidence that tied them to the theft of my car. The trial was set to start in a fortnight. 

I was coming from work one evening when Zodwa, one of my neighbours came over to talk to me. It was a bit awkward because we only ever had small talk about the weather and how the world is changing whenever we bumped into each other. She asked if she could come in for a little talk and l invited her in. 

Zodwa: The things we have to put up with as women, shame, l can imagine what you are going through.

(In my head l was trying to figure out how she could have found out about my husband being in hospital because l had never told anyone around the complex about it)

Sme: Yeah, it's not easy khona

Zodwa: l am here to let you know that there is nothing to be ashamed of, you are not the first woman to be cheated on. 

Sme: Oh..ok (puzzled)

Zodwa: My ex husband impregnanted a teenager as well and left me and our two children to live with the girl who broke our marriage. I was raised a Christian and my faith was tested the most at that time. I was very angry and bitter and l contemplated suicide. Suddenly my husband stopped caring about me and our children, he never called nor visited. I would call begging him to come back home, but he would insult me and tell me to leave him alone to be with his new family. Sometimes he would even put his makhwapheni on the phone when l called so she could insult me. I was depressed , l stopped working. It broke my heart everytime my children asked me where their father was and when he was coming back home. We had to move into a one room because l couldn't afford anything, he wasn't paying child support or anything. Eventually l gathered the strength and went back to work. Slowly but surely l began to heal, when my children saw me happy, they too were happy. That's what kept me going most of the time, things got better and l accepted that everything happens for a reason. After a year, my ex husband came crawling back begging me to take him back, l guess the grass wasn't greener on the other side as he thought. I forgave him but l didn't take him back because l knew that l derseved much better than him, so did my children. I guess what l'm trying to say to you is that, l know you are hurting right now that your husband left you for the girl he impregnanted. 

Sme: Ermmm, my hus....

(She came closer and held my hand) 

Zodwa: It gets better with time, you won't always feel like this. You are a very beautiful woman and you are still young, most man will kill to be with you. 

Sme: But ...

Zodwa: I want you to know that l am here if you want someone to talk to because l understand exactly what you are going through. Here are my phone numbers (she handed me a piece of paper)

Sme: Thank you very much Zodwa but my husband has not left me

Zodwa: I understand that you may still be in denial just like l was when my husband left me. But trust me, the sooner you accept it, the better because then you can begin to deal with the emotions that come with it all

Sme: What makes you think my husband left me?

Zodwa: I saw people come to remove furniture after umakhwapheni wakhe showed up here pregnant and l've not seen him for a while. It's all for the best believe me, and once he starts physically abusing you, there is no going back, the abuse never stops 

Sme: Oh nkosi yam, Lindo told you all of this?

Zodwa: lt doesn't matter who told me, we are just worried about you?

Sme: We? Who is we? 

Zodwa: Me and a few ladies ecomplexini, so we decided that l should come talk to you since l have been through what you are going through

Sme: Ok Zodwa, l appreciate your concern about my marriage, but things are not the way they seem. My husband does not physically abuse me and he has not left me for anyone, he has gone away for a little while and will be back home soon. 

Zodwa: Ok then, if you say so. You have my number if you need to talk 

Sme: Ok, thank you

(She peaked into my kitchen as she was leaving)

My neighbours were starting to annoy me, and Lindo, hayyi, l had no words for him. I had serious issues to deal with, so l put that at the back of my head. 

I received a call from Nicole that night before l went to sleep, she was asking me to help her with a place to live because her mother had thrown her out and she had nowhere to go. I hung up on her, but she called me again begging me to hear her out. She told me that she had been staying at her aunt's house for the past few days but they weren't getting on, so her aunt told her to look for some place else to live. I asked her why she hadn't asked Mapetla, she explained to me that he had gone AWOL ever since Lumkile found out about them and confronted him. Mapetla told both of them to stay away from him because they were causing friction between him and his wife, so he wanted to work things out with his wife and wanted nothing more to do with them. Lumkile was scared of losing her job, so she didn't want to push the issue any further. Was this a test from God?