Umendo Chapter 41

Umendo Chapter 41

When I woke up the next morning, Siya was sleeping in the spare bedroom. He joined me in the kitchen when l was making breakfast. I asked him why he slept in the spare bedroom and he told me that he got into the house late, so he didn't want to disturb me in my sleep. "Njenganini Siya?", l asked him. He just kept quiet and went to take a shower. I shook my head in disappointment and anguish. It broke my heart to see him like that, what made it even worse was that l couldn't help him. I wanted to, but he just kept shutting me out. That made me gloomy, Langa and Mike had noticed, I guess l couldn't hide my sadness. I met up with Zandie for lunch, I needed someone to talk to, maybe l was approaching this whole thing from a wrong angle. I needed someone else's perspective. Zandie looked glowing

Sme: Heheh, is there a little bun in the oven or have you met someone?

Zandie: Hahahah, why mfazi?

Sme: You are glowing, like the time you were pregnant

Zandie: Hahah, hayi suka! 

Sme: Have you met someone? 

Zandie: Kinda...

Sme: I knew it! Well, at least one of us is happy. Tell me all about him

Zandie: One of us? Is there trouble in paradise? Is that why you look depressed? 

Sme: I wouldn't say depressed, but yes, there is trouble in paradise

Zandie: What has he done this time? Hayi Siyabonga nkosi yam! 

Sme: (I explained everything to her)

Zandie: Tjoo, that's a tough one mfazi. Try to convince him to go to the men's clinic

Sme: I mentioned it and he said he said he would go, but l doubt that he will

Zandie: Qina ngomthandazo mfazi

Sme: I know l should, but l am ashamed to say that my faith is weak lately. It's not that l have lost my faith, it's just that when it comes to praying, I just don't know what to say anymore. Maybe l feel like l have said everything there is to say....hayi, l don't know anymore mfazi. It's really stressing me out

Zandie: Shame mfazi, I don't know what to say. But l will keep you in my prayers. Don't worry too much, kuzolunga. 

Sme: (deep sigh) Anyway, enough about me, tell me about this new guy responsible for this lovely glow

Zandie: Ermm..

(My phone rang, it was my cousin Faith)

Sme: Fefe

Faith: Evie (Evelyn is my middle name, Faith is one of the few people who used it)

Sme: How are you my long lost khazi

Faith: Not good l'm afraid

Sme: Kutheni?

Faith: I broke up with Didi (Faith's on and off boyfriend) and l don't have a place to stay. 

Sme: Ohhh

Faith: Can l come and crush with you until next month please. I'm stranded

Sme: Let me speak to Siya first then get back to you

Faith: Ok, l don't mean to rush you but it's sort of urgent as l don't have a place to sleep khona namhlanje

Sme: Ok, let me call him

(Zandie worked out what was going on from our conversation)

Zandie: Mfazi, l don't mean to pry but don't you think it's a bad time to have a relative staying with you when you guys are going through a rough patch?

Sme: I know it's not ideal, but ngeke ngimyeke elala estradeni mina ngikhona. And maybe an extra person will get us talking again cos we hardly ever talk anymore. You know with other couples that are going through a rough patch, you hear them saying bahlanginiswa ngabantwana, that's the only conversation they ever have. Manje thina we don't have them, so there is very little  that forces us to converse. 

Zandie: I hear you mfazi, but watch out, your cousin is very wild. She might add more trouble to your troubles.

Sme: Let's hope she won't, and anyway she said she will be moving at the beginning of next month, so she will only be with us for two weeks

Zandie: Ok

I called Siya to let him know about Faith's request, and he just said "ok". Usually Siya would make a joke if a relative was coming to visit, be it a relative from his side or mine. He would say something like "if they overstay, we will chase them away by having loud rampant sex", or "we can tell them that we have a holiday booked for the whole week, that way they would be forced to go". But none of these would work on Faith because first of all we were not having any sex, even if we did, Faith would tell us to keep it down next time and if we said we had a holiday to go to, she would definitely tell us to enjoy and extend it if we wanted to, we will find her waiting. It's something l just thought to myself, I missed my husband, I wished he would say something funny like he always did in these situations, but he just coldly said "ok". You know things are very wrong if you miss someone who lives under the same roof as you. 

I found Faith waiting for me by the door when l arrived home after work. She had a small suitcase, a tshangan bag and two overnight bags. Forever blunt, Faith told Siya that he looked like someone who had emerged from a hole and that he needed to shave and eat something when he arrived home. Siya laughed an awkward laugh and went to warm up his food. That was the first time I had heard him laugh in a long time. When he came to the living room where Faith and l were, Faith got up from where she was sitting and went to the single recliner, so Siya had no choice but to sit next to me. Faith talked about anything and everything engaging both me and Siya in her conversations. It was good to hear him speak even though it wasn't about our problems, nje ukuthi he was making conversation was good. Hopefully he would eventually talk about what was going on. He went to bed shortly after eating, I went to join him. He held me in his arms as we spooned for the first time after the weeks and weeks of sleeping alone and apart. I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe having Faith over was going to be a blessing in disguise!