[

3/11,
21:
45]I
nini
:CHAPTER60

MyauntissleepingwhenIgetbacki ntobed.Ipr obabl

ysmel ll
ikeEl
ikandIhopeshe
doesn'
tsayanythingwhenshewakesup.I tdoesn'
ttakelongformet ofal
lasleep.I’
m
wokenupatdawnbecauseappar entl
ythisismynewdawn.Anewbegi nni
ngf orme.And
whenthesunrisestodayIwillbereborn.I'
l
lcalli
tclosur
e;thedayIcl
osethatchapterof
mylif
eandletgoofallthatneverwas.

Ireallydon’twanttodothi
scl eansi
ngt hi
ng, Ij
ustwantt osl
eep.Buttradi
ti
onist
radit
ion.
Imaynotbebi gonitbutIrespectwher eIcamef rom soIwil
lgothroughwithi
t.That’s
therealr easonIcamedownher einthef i
rstplacesoIcan'tbackoutnow.Myauntsay s
i
twi llbequi ckqui
ckandt henmyunbor nki dswillbewiththeancestorsandmywomb
willber eadyformorechildren.Buttheirancestorsaresomewher einGhanasoal lthis
doesn' taddupbutIwon'tpointthatout.

Besides,ifIcoul d choose,Iwoul drat

hermy kids go t o heaven instead ofto
ancestor-
land.ButI’ m notwellv er
sedintheorderoft hespi r
it
s,sof oral lIknow
ancestor-
landandheav enareoneandt hesamething!Afterallmyaunti sauni f
orm
wearingchr i
sti
ansoIcant r
ustherwhenitcomestospir
itthings.Ireal
l
yt hi
nkshehas
goodi nt
entionsforme.

SoI ’m st
andingoutsi
deourcompoundandi t’ssti
l
lqui
tedarkoutsi
de.Themorni
ng
breezeistoocoldandI’
m shi
veri
ng.AtleastI’
m dr
essedi
nabikiniot
herwi
sethi
scoul
d
havelookedal otl
i
kewi t
chcr
aft
.Abikinij
ustmadesensebecauseit'
sdesi
gnedtodeal
withwaterandthat
'swhatwearedeali
ngwi t
hhere.

Butsometimeswebotherourancest
orsandgivethem headachesunnecessari
lyyou
know.Wenahowwoul dyoufeeli
fyouwereanancestorandy ouaredeadandy ouare
sl
eeping,t
henpeopl
ewakey ouupat4am aski ngforfavours!I
fmyancest orsare
anyt
hingli
keEl
i
kandhatebei
ngwokenup,thent
hisri
tuali
snotsuchasmar ti
dea.

Thisi
st hemostawkwar dthi
ngI’
v eeverdoneort hathasev erbeendonet ome.I magine
bei
ngwashedi nt hesmell
iestofherbsandhandi ngov erchildr
ent hatwereneverev en
bornt
oancest orsy ouarenotqui
tesureexist!Imean, I’
m ascienti
standIneedt hingsto
makepr act
icalsensebeforeIcanacceptthem ast r
ue.Andi ntermsofmyspi ri
tuali
ty,I
’
m
sti
l
lawor kinpr ogressandIdon'tknowifI'
llevergetthere.Somenev ergett
ocr ossthe
l
inebeforetheymakei thome!Imi ghtj
ustbeoneoft hem.

Ithi
nkoft heki
dsIsawinmydream l
astnight
.Ireal
lyt
hinkt
heyhadEl
ik’
sey
esori
smy
i
magi nat
ionplayi
ngtr
icksonme?Wel lthissi
tuati
onisalr
eadywei
rdsoIdon'
tthi
nk
anyt
hingIsaycanbeanyworse.

“Aunt
ie,
Ithi
nkIsawthem l
astni
ght
”,Iwhi
sper
.Iknowi
tsoundscr
azy
.Theywer
enev
er
bornsother
eisnoway.
“Whodi dy ousee?”
,shesay
s.
Itellheraboutthenight
mareIhad.Idon’tcar
eifshesaysI’m cr
azy
.Tomysurpr
ise,
she
l
istensattenti
vel
yandasksmet oretel
lherthedream wi
thoutski
ppi
ngany
thi
ng.

“Thengi
vethem names”
,shesays.
OknowIdon’tknowwhoi scrazi
erbetweenmeandher .Shesaysitmighthav
ebeenj
ust
adream ormaybetheancestor
swer ereachingouttomeandgi vi
ngmeamessage.She
saysei
therwayImustgiv
et hem names,ifnotfort
hem, t
henformy sel
f.

Shesay ssomet hi
ngsyouhav etodoforyoursel
f,tosootheyourheartandhealf
rom
wit
hin.Thatt
houghtiscreepyashel
l.I
fIdothis,nextt
hingI’l
lbebeli
evingi
nancestr
al
spi
ri
ts!Thennextthi
ngI’
llbeget
ti
ngcal
li
ngsfrom undergr
oundtobeasangoma( seer)
!I
havenodesir
ewhat soev
ertobeasangoma!

Iwouldmakeani nt
eresti
ngsangomat hough.I'dmor deni
sethewholethingandmakei t
styl
i
sh.Thegat
et omyhomewoul dbeatollgate.You'l
lpayent
rancefeethereandl
eave
yourshoesout
sidemygat e.ThenI’dbetherewi t
hmybonesonaPer sianrug,wear
ing6
i
nchheelsanda30i nchBrazil
ianweave.I'
llhaveaspeedpoi ntmachinesomycl ient
s
canswipewhenI'm donetal
kingtothei
rancestralspi
rit
sfort
hem.

Myauntsayst hereisnohar m,Ishouldgi

vet hem names.Shesaysthatfrom thet
imea
babyismade,althought hebodymaynotbecompl et
e,i
tsspi
ri
twouldalreadybewhole.
Soinaway ,
wheny ouloseapr egnancyit
’sjustli
kelosi
ngalivebaby.Idon’tknowhow
sheknowsal lthisbutl etmedoi tanyway s.Otherwi
sewewi llbestandingheretil
l
sunr
iseandhav etoexplaint
opeoplewhyI '
m wearingabiki
niandcoveredinherbs.

“
Cany ougivemet henames”,Iaskher.
“
Nomybaby .Theyshouldcomef r
om yourheart”
,shesay s.
Isearchmybr ai
nfornames.Jane,John,Mel i,Musa,Nt okozo,Qhawe,Sisa,Thuba,
Ntando,Nebuchadnezzar
,Malachi,St
rawberry
,Jupiter.Idon'tfeelanyofthem.Ikeep
l
isti
ngnamesi nmybr ai
nandst r
uggli
ngtofindonet hatspeakst omysoul.Final
l
yIfi
nd
t
heonesIwant .

Istandwithtwostonesinmyhands.Inamet heboyMl ondol

ozimeaning‘ t
heguardian’
,
becauseifal
lthi
sistrue,I
’llneedhimt obehi ssi
ster
’sguardi
an.Inamet hegirlNoxolo
meaning'motherofforgi
veness',becauseIcoulduseawhol elotofforgi
veness.It
hrow
thestonesandsaythewor dsI'
vebeent ol
dtosay .

Whent hatisdone,I
'mreadyt
ogobackhome.I’m sti
nkingfrom t
hatherbconcoct
ion.I
t’s
l
ikesomet hingcrawl
edundermyskinanddiedt here.Sies!ButIfeelmuchbetter,i
t’s
probabl
yallinmyheadbutIfeel
li
keaweighthasbeenl if
tedoffmyshoulder
s.

Wegobackhomeandi fI
'
m goi
ngtobat
houtside,Ihavetodoitnowbef
oreitget
stoo
l
ight
.Af
ter
war
ds,
Ijustwantt
osl
eeptobehonest.Ihaven’
tgot
tenmuchsl
eep.Whatwi
th
t
henight
maresear
li
er,beggi
ngforsomef r
om El
i
kandev
ent
ual
l
yget
ti
ngi
tandbei
ng
wokenupatdawnt
odistur
btheancest
ors!

Idon’tgettosleepmucht houghbefor
emyauntwakesmeupt ogoprepar
ebat hi
ng
waterf
orevery
one.Thenshegoesbackt osl
eep!Man!Thi
ssucks!Iwoul
dhavethought
myauntwouldcontinuebabyi
ngmebutIguessshedoesn’
twantmymot hershout
ingat
her
.Every
oneisscaredofmymot her
.

I
’
m sleepybutt
heyardneedstobesweptandt hefir
eneedst obemadeandwaterneeds
t
obeboi l
edandbunsneedt obef r
ied.Idoallthatquickl
y.Igr
ewupdoingt
hisallthe
t
ime,soit’
snotrocketsci
ence.WhenI ’m done,Iscoopacupofboili
ngwaterandsit
t
here,wai
ti
ngfortherestofthepeopletodecidetowakeupandj oinme.Idon'thave
l
emonsoIhav emyhotwaterasiti
s.

Myf at
hercomesoutofmyst epmot
her’shutandwal ksacrosst ohis.Il
ookaway.I
cannot
.Iknowhi
srout
inethough,hewil
lbeoutsoonwithatoothbrushandwill
comefor
acupofwat eri
nthekit
chen.Exactl
y15mi nuteslat
er,heemer gesjustli
keIsai
dhe
would.

“Morni
ngbaba.Howdi dy ousleep?”,
Isay.
“Morni
ng.Isleptwell.CanIgetacupofwat erpl
ease”
,hesays.
Ihandhim acupt hatIputnex tt
ome.Ial readyknewhewoul daskforit
!
Hethanksme.
“Baba,Eli
kandIhav etol eav
et oday.Igotaphonecal lfr
om schoolandtheyneedme
backurgentl
y”,Isay.
Myf at
heristheonl ypersonwhost i
llt
reatsmel ikeapri
ncess,al
thoughIt
hinkhepay
s
moreattenti
ont oEli
kthant omet heseday s.

Hesay sit’
sfine,Ishouldgoandt akecareofmybusi ness.He’sthankfult
hatIcamein
thefi
rstplaceandt hatI‘bought’hi
m acar .Hegoestobr ushhi
st eethandthencomes
backtogi vemebackt hecupandgoesbackt ohishut.Mymot heri supnowandsoi s
myaunt .Theyarealreadytal
kingsoloud.Soearl
yint
hemor ni
ng!

Mi
nutesl
atermyfat
hercomesandasksmetowalkwi
thhi
mtot
hekr
aalsohecanshow
mehowthecalv
eshavegrownandsowecantal
k.

“So,mychi ld,t
ell mesomet hi
ng. Umkhweny ana,Isawal ineonhisri
ngf inger
”,hesays.
Ikeepqui et.Ididn’tgetthequest i
on,allIheardwasast atement.Myhear tisbeati
ngfast
now.Ican' thaveany oneher e knowt hatEl i
kismar r
ied.
“Washemar ri
edbef ore?”,
hesay s.
Ididn’texpectt hisquestion.Icouldsayhewasandhi swi f
ediedinat ragi
caccident
manyy earsagoorhei sdivorcedorIcoul dsayt hatlineisabi r
thmarkort hathe'sa
godfatherofsomegangsowear saloyaltyring.Anythi
ngbuthei smar ri
ed!Idon’ twant
tokil
lmyol dman.Ihat ehowr ingsal
way sleaveamar kwheny outakethem off!Ihaveto
t
hinkf
ast
.

“Hewasmar ri
ed,yes.Hiswi f
elef thimf oranot
herman” ,Isay
.
Icanlieit’
sok,noonewi lleverknow.Ij usthopeIwi l
lrememberal
lthesel
iesItel
lone
day.
“That’
ssad.Hei ssuchagoodman” ,
hesay s.
Iagree.Theydon'tmaket hem liket hatanymore.
“Whatarey ourpl
answi t
hhi m? ”,hesay s.
“Idon’
tknowbaba.Wehav en'tdiscussedt hefutur
ey et
”,Isay
.
“Mmmm, Isee.Don’ twaittoolongt hough,Iwouldlovetoseemygrandchil
drenbef
oreI
die”
,hesay s.

That'
sjustsad.El
iki
snotavai
l
abletomakef utur
eplanswith.Heal
readymadehi sfut
ure
pl
answi thsomeoneelse.Asforgr
andchil
dren,Iwon’trul
ethatoneouty et
.I’
mf eel
ing
broodythesedaysandwhenIlookatpi
ctur
esofEl i
k’
skids,Ifi
ndmyselfwanti
ngmyown.

Wear eatthekr
aalnowandwest andwatchingthecowsandI’
m poi
nti
ngoutthatmany
ofthem haveti
ckssomay beit'
stimet otakethem t
othedi
p.Heagreesandalsosays
ther
e'sbeenreport
edoutbreaksoff ootandmout handheneedstov acci
nateal
lthe
cowsbuthedoesn'thav
et hebudgetf ori
t.Itel
lhi
mI '
l
lgi
vehi
mt hemoneywhenwego
backhome.

“Blom andhercalfarenowy oursmychil

d.I’
m givingthem toyou”
,hesaysfrom nowhere.
Blom isacow.Yeswenameourcows!Myf atherjustgavemeacowandi tscalf
!That's
abi gdeal!Mywealthjustkeepsaccumulat
ing.Ithankhim andgivehim abi
ghug.Hei sa
goodf ather.Iwi
shIcoulddomor eforhi
m.I ’
ll
gett hatPhD,getajobandgivehi
mt helif
e
hedeser ves.Int
hemeant i
me, hehastoacceptthehandout sIgetfr
om Eli
k.

Het el
lsmehowpr oudofmehei sandhowal thoughi
t’
sagainsttradi
ti
ontobri
ngaman
homewi t
hme, hehaschosentolookasidebecauseI’
veproventobet rust
wort
hyandhe
respectsmydecisions.HesayshewishesmeandEl i
kcanst aytoget
herbecause,“
I’
ve
seenhowt hatmanlooksatyoumychild.Helovesyou”.If
eelli
kecryi
ng.Hehasnoidea
howmesseduphi sdaughter
'sl
if
ereal
lyis.

Wewal kbackhomeasIinsistwehav etol

eaveassoonaspossi
ble.Forsomer
easonI’
m
exci
tedbytheideaofusgoi ng.IguessIwanttobewit
hElikandbej ustt
hetwoofus.
Besi
des,thewholesi
tuat
ionisgetti
nguncomfor
tabl
eandIneedtogetusoutofher
e.

Mymot herandauntst
artedbreakfastwi
thoutus.Zi
bul
o,Infl
ati
onandEli
karenowhere
t
obeseen.TheyarearoundthoughbecauseElik’
scari
sherenexttomyfat
her
’s.Igoand
f
indEli
k.Heissit
ti
ngont heedgeoft hebaseofthebedwithhisheadi
nhishands.The
matt
ressissti
l
lonthefl
oor!Helooksuptoseewhowal kedin.

“
Andt
hen?
”,Isay
.
“Baby .Ineedt ogoout sidebutI ’
m scar
ed” ,
hesay s.
Heact ual
lylooksscar edIcan'thelpbutlaughathi m.
“Youknow nooneel seknowsaboutt hati nci
dent.It
'sjustmot herandshedidn'
ttel
l
any one”,Isay .
“Sti
ll”
, hesay s.
“Don’twor ry.Wear el eavingrightnow.Packup.I ’
llgoandtellmotherandaunt”
,Isay.
Poort hing.He’ sstillterrif
iedofmymum andshedi dn'
tsayanything!Sowhatifshehad
givenhi mt he‘ tal
k’
?Hewoul dhav ecommi tedsuici
demos!
“Arey ouser ious?”,hesay s,l
ighti
ngup.
“Yep.I sn’
ty ousoldy ourselfforsexlastnight.I
’mjustpayi
ngup”,Isay .
Igivehi m aqui ckkissandgot otel
lmymot herandauntthatwear eleavi
ng.

I
ttakesalotofexplainingandmor el i
esbef or
etheyacceptt hatwehav etoleav
e.Ipack
upmybagsi nt
othecar ,gi
vemymot hermoney ,gi
vemyf atherthemoneyIpr omisedhim
andpackupapl asticbagofr oundnut s.Weal lst
andingnextt othecarnowwai t
ingfor
El
ik.Ii
maginehe'
sint her epacing,scaredt ocomeout .I'
m sorrybutIcan'
thelphimr i
ght
now.He'sonhisown.Hemakest hewal kofshamef r
om thehutt owardsus.Mypoor
baby.Hiseyesaregl uedt ot hegr ound.Myhi ghl
ightoft hedayi swat chi
ngEl i
ksay
goodbyetomymot her .Heput stheTi nt i
mid!He’sli
keachi l
dcaughtsteali
ngsugar .

Ithankmyauntf orev er
ythi
ngandpromisetosendhersomemoneyassoonasIgetto
Johannesburg.Shesay sther
e'snoneedbutI 'l
lsendheranyway
.I'm si
tt
ingi
nthe
passengerseat,readytogo,whenmymot hert
apsont hewi
ndow.Irol
ldownandshe
l
eansin. I'
mt hinkingshehassomethi
ngimportantt
osay.

"Nexttimedoi
tlyingdown, ony ourback.That'
showi t'
sdone",shesay s.She'
ssayingit
tomebutshesay si ti
nEngl i
shandEl ikisri
ghthere!Iseehim blinksof astfrom the
cornerofmyey e.Mygoodness,mot her!Why ?Idon'teventhi
nkEl ikisbreat
hingr i
ght
now.Mymot herjusthadtor emindust hatshesawus.Wehav en'tforgott
enandwear e
sti
llhugel
yembarrassedaboutit.I
t'
sevenwor seforEli
k.Heisterr
ifi
ed.

"
AndLast bor
n.Becar ef
ul.Don'tletamant reatyoul i
key ouarehi swi febef
orehe
marr
iesy ou.Ify ouar ebusygi vi
nghi m al
lthebenefitshewoul dgetf r
om awi f
e,why
woul
dheseet heneedt omar ryyou?Whywoul dheseet heneedtopayl obolaf
ory ou
wheny ouar eal readyhi swi f
ef orfree?Sodon' tbepl ayi
ngwi f
et here.Youarenot
marr
ied",shesay s.I'mjustgladshesai dt
hatinourlanguage.Iwouldn'
thav ewant
edEl i
k
t
oheart hat.Shepr obabl
yt hi
nksIl i
vewithEli
k!LikeIcook,clean,andanddoal lthose
wi
fel
ydut ies?That '
sbad.ButsheknowsI '
minCapeTownandhei sinJohannesburgso
whatisshesay ing?

"Yesmama.Byebye.Wereal
lyneedtogo.Keepwel
l.Iwi
ll
call
you"
,Isay
.
Weneedtoleavebefor
eshecont i
nuestal
ki
ng.I
fshestart
sthesunwil
lsetandwewi
l
l
sti
ll
beher
eli
steni
ngtoher!
El
ikbreat
hesahugesighofrel
i
efaswedri
veoutofthegat
e.Weheadedbackt
oJobur
g
now.Thenit
’sbacktoCapeTownformet
omorrow.
[
3/11,21:
46]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER61

Sowegotbackt oJohannesburgfr
om home, spentanightandIf
lewbacktoCapeTown.
Thatwasov eramonthago.I ’
vewor kedmybehi ndoffthi
swholemonthandthanksto
BrainandBunke,Ifi
nishedmyl abwor ktoday.Thatcall
sforacelebr
ati
on.I
'
ml i
ter
all
y
goingtot
hrowapartyhereandbuyt heseboyspresent
s.

I'
m notdonedonebutI 'm socl
oseIcansmel lt
hatdegr ee!From nowoni t
'sj
ustwr
iti
ng
anddiscussingr esul
tsandedit
ingthi
ngsI'v
ewr i
tteni
nt hepasty ears.I
’m hopi
ngtosend
Eli
kmyf inaldraftbyendofmont hforproofr
eading,t
henhav emysuper vi
sordoonefinal
edit
ing,
theni tcanbesentawayf orexaminati
on.Iawaitt hatdaywit
hr edeyes.

Ihardlyt al
ktoElik.He’sbeenext r
emelybusychasingt hatpapersincewegotbackandI
havebeenf ocusingonmyt hesis.Sowebar elytal
kandwebot hokwi t
hit.He'sababy
somet imest hough,sot omakesur eheknowsIhav en’tforgott
enhim,Isendagood
mor ningwhenIwakeupandagoodni ghtbeforeIsleep.Hedoesn' tal
waysr espondbut
that’sfine.That’swhatIwantact uall
y.Iwontbewant i
ngtohav eaconv ersati
on.Ona
gooddayhewi llcallandwest ayont hephonef orupt oanhour . LastweekIsky ped
withPet erandPaul .Thoseki dscant al
k!Yoh!Theyal wayshav esomucht osay !El
ikjust
sattherewi ththem laughingt heentir
etimeandt el
li
ngt hem nottobotherauntFierceso
muchwi ththei
rst or
ies.Ididn'tmind.Iadoret
hem.

Ipromisedmy sel
fIwon’tgotoseeEli
kunt
ilIf
ini
shmyt hesis.Thi
sist
helaststret
chand
Ican’taff
ordtogetdistr
act
ednow.Ineedtokeeprunningunt i
lIcr
ossthefi
nishli
ne.I
'm
al
mostt here,
Ijustneedtokeepati
t.Mygreat
estdesi
rerightnowistograduatewitht
he
otherguys.

Todaywast hel astdayofmypr acti

cal
s.SoI '
mt akingthedayof f
.I'
m notgoingtodo
anythi
ng.I'
mt akingabr eaktocelebr
atemy sel
f.Withev er
ythingthat'
shappenedtome,
I'
m shockedthatI'm st
il
lhere,
soldi
eri
ngon.Ican'tbeliev
eImadei tt
hisfar.Manyatimes
IthoughtIwouldf al
loftherai
lsandnevergetupagai nbutsomehowIdi d.I'
m st
art
ingto
beli
evethatmay bethere'
sahigherpowersomewher eabovet hatstr
engthensme.

Idriv
etoZev enwachtandgetacakebyLi mnosbaker yonmyway ,t
hengetdr i
nksand
snacksfrom Woolwort
hs.Idropthoseint hecarthengobackt obuygi f
tsfortheguy s.
I'
mf eel
ingquit
egeneroustoday.Mybankaccounti squit
ehealthytheseday sbecause
forsomer easonEli
kismakingupf orbeingtoobusyf ormebymaki ngi trai
nonmy
account.He’
ssentmesomuchmoneyt hi
smont halone,
thebankcalledmet overi
fythe
‘fr
equentdeposit
soflargeamounts’i ntomyaccount .Hisresponseeveryti
meIt hank
himis,“Iworkhardsoyoucanhav eeveryt
hingyouwant ”
.I'
m notcomplai
ning.

IgetNdi
vhuSkul
l
candyear
phones.Theoneshe'
susi
ngnowar
epoorqual
i
tyandwehear
whathe' sli
steni
ngto.I t
'sannoying,
soatleastifIbuyhi
mt hese,I
'l
lbedoingever
yonea
hugef avour.IgetBrainaNeedf orspeedgame.Hehasbeengoi ngonandonabouthow
he'sfail
i
ngt opirat
ei tbutreall
yneedsit
.Ican'tbeli
eveasimplegamei sR850!Ialway
s
thoughtit'
slikeR50orsomet hi
ng!Anyway,Idi
dsayI '
mfeel
i
nggener oustoday
.

ThenBunkeisthehar dest
.He'
smorethanj
ustalabmat etome.He’ ssomeonewhohas
alway
sbeengoodt omeandwhohel pedmecompl et
et heseexperiment
s.Besi
des,we
haveahist
ory.Idon'tknowwhatt
ogethim.Igethi
m aR2000mal lgi
ftcar
d.Thatwayhe
canbuywhat everhewant si
nanyshopinthismall
.Iknowi t'
sal azygif
tbutIcoul
dn'
t
thi
nkofanythi
ngt ogethim.

Theguy sar
esohappywi tht
hegift
sit'
smakingmyhear tdance.Youknowwheny oubuy
someoneagi f
tandy oucantellt
heyreall
yloveit
!It
'sf
ulfil
l
ing.Iexpect
edBunketoask
mewher eIgotthemoneyf r
om seeingthatIusedtobet heoneaskingformoneyfrom
them al
ltheti
me.Ialreadyhadananswert hatwouldmakehi mt akesever
alseat
s!So
thankf
ull
yhedidn'
task.Heactual
l
ysaid,“Thankyoumadam”andgav emeabighug.

Theminipartydi
dn'
tlastalldayaspeoplehadworkt odo.Alt
houghtheguysaredone
wit
htheirt
heses,
theysti
llhaveproj
ectst
odoandar t
icl
estowrit
e.Butthespi
ri
tsr
emain
l
if
ted.I
'
m stil
lmai
ntai
ningthatI'
m notdoi
nganyt
hingtoday
.I'
l
lspendallmyti
meonline.

I’
m havi
ngmycof feeat1:30pm,watchinganepi sodeofVampireDiar
ies,notbotheri
ng
anyone,whenther
e’saknock.Bunkegetst hedoorthencomesbackwi thaboxt hesize
ofashoeboxwi t
hmynameoni t.Iassumei t’sEli
kbutitcoul
dalsobeal et
terbomb
fr
om Koml awhoknows!Iopenitwithcare.IknowI '
mtoodramaticbutIactual
lyopeni t
i
naf umehood.Justincaseitact
uall
yisal et
terbomborav oodoodollfr
om Koml a.You
canneverbetoocaref
ul.

I
tcan’tbeEli
kbecausethenamesay s“ Lastbor
n”.I
fitwasEli
kitwoul
dsay‘Fi
erce’
.The
boxisempt y!Obv
iousl
y,someoneisplayingtri
cksonme!I ’
m aboutt
othr
owi tint
othe
bi
nwhenIseeanot est
icki
ngoutatthebot t
om.It’
saf ol
dedpaperl
i
keasti
ckynotebuta
l
it
tl
ebitbigger.

Ist
epoutsi
det
helab,
cal
lEl
i
kandaskwher
eheis.Hesayshe’si
nJohannesburg.Iaskif
hesentmeanythi
ngandhesay
sno.Sonow Idon’tknow who’sbehi
ndt hi
sbutI ’m
cur
ious.

Thenot
ereads,

“
Findme!Leav
eyourner
dyf
ri
endsoutoft
hisandl
et’
sseei
fyourbr
ainwor
ks”

Belowthati
s
“CLUE1:Thewr
it
ingi
sinC6H8O7i
nkandwi
l
lappearwhent
emper
atur
esr
ise”
.
Ihaven’
tfi
guredoutwhatexactl
yisgoingon,soItellt
heguysandshowt hem thenote.
“C6H8O7,that’
scit
ri
cacid!”
,Brainsays.Wel i
stallt
hecit
rusfrui
tsweknowunt i
lBunke
saysthecluemustbereferr
ingtolemonj ui
ceink.Andlemonjuiceinkonl yshowswhen
thepaperiswar medup.Wewar mi tupov erasmal lBunsenbur nerflameandv oi
l
a!
wordsappear.I
t'
sli
keaHar r
yPottermov i
eexceptit'
snotmagicit'
sscience.

Thewordsthatappearsay:
“Wel
ldone.Nowst opcheat
ingandwor
kal
one!
”

Howdidthisper
sonknowIwouldaskforhelpfrom mylabmat
es?Ihopewhoeverthey
aret
heyarenotwat
chi
ngmerightnow.That
'sjustcr
eepy
.ButI’
l
lworkal
onethat
’sfi
ne.I
candothi
s.

“
Forthenextcluegotoaplaceofwords,anabodeofknowl
edge
Whenyouthere,seektheguar
dianwhoseeyesi
ghtfai
l
s!
Hi
nt:
Lithi
um,Br omium,Ar
gonandYtri
um” .

Ireadthemessageasecondt ime.That’seasy.Whoev erwr

otethisgavetheanswer
away.ThechemicalsymbolsofLi
thi
um,Br omium,ArgonandYtri
um spel
lLi
BrArY.And
‘
abodeofknowledge’duh!NowIhavet of
indtheonewhoseey esi
ghti
sfai
li
ng,whatev
er
thatmeans.I
tsoundsl
ikesomethi
ngfrom anancientscr
oll
!

I'
m hal
fexci
tedandhal
fscaredbutIwil
lplay
.It
ellt
heguysI’
l
lber i
ghtback.Theytr
yto
convi
ncemenott ogobecausewhati fthepersonwantstokil
lmeorwor se.What'
s
worsethanbei
ngkil
l
ed?IsayI’
ll
bejustf
ineandpromiset
ocal
lifanyt
hinggoeswrong.

Igettot
heli
braryandpresentmyst udentcar
dtothesecur
ityguar
ds.Ineedtofi
ndthe
onewhoseeyesighti
sfail
i
ng.Ihavenocl uewhatt
hatmeansbuttheanswerisinher
ein
thi
shugebui
lding.Iwalkaroundallfl
oorsofthel
ibr
arytr
yingtodecodetheri
ddleand
l
ookingoutf
orany thi
ngsuspici
ous.I'vebeenupanddownandr oundandr oundbut
nothi
ng.

Youknowwhat ,scr
ewt his,I
’m nolongerpl
ayi
ng!Ihavemoreimport
antthi
ngstodo.I
walkbackdownandgr eettheli
brar
ian.I
’
vebeenattheuni
ver
sit
yforsolong,
Iknowalot
ofpeopl
e.Shesayshiandaskshowschool i
sgoi
ng.Isaygr
eat.

Whydidn’
tIf
igurethi
soutsooner
!She’
swearingspect
acl
esandi
sthe‘
guar
dian’oft
he
l
ibr
ary
,soobviousl
yit
’shert
heri
ddlei
sref
err
ingto!

“MrsAdams.I sity
ou?",Isay.
“I
sitmewhodi dwhat?”,shesays.
“Doy ouhav
esomet hingf orme?”,
Isay
.
Shesmi l
es.
“Ithoughtyou’dneverask.I ’
vebeenwat
chi
ngy
ougoal
lar
oundt
hel
i
brar
y!Her
e”,she
handsmeawhi teenvel
ope.
“Whogav eyout
his?”
,Iask.
“I
’m nott
ell
i
ng.Keepgoing,
youwi
l
lfi
ndoutsoonenough”
,shesay
s.

Soadult
salsohaveti
met oplaygamesli
kethi
s?Mywatchreads2:10pm.Iopent
he
env
elopeandi
t’
syetanot
herri
ddle!Howl
ongwil
lthi
sgoonf
or!I
treads:

“
I’
mimpr
essedy
ouf
igur
edt
hisoneout
!Soy
ourbr
ainwor
ksaf
teral
l
!”.

CLUE2:Api l
eofrocks670m of
ftheground.Theysayi
tresembl
esacrouchi
ngsphinx.
Areyouwil
li
ngtomaket hecl
i
mbt ocl
aimy ourpr
ize?Amanatthetopwit
hawhiterose
wil
lbeyouranswer
”.

Ithinktheri
ddler
eferstoLi
on’sheadbutIgoogl ej ustt
obesur e.Yes,i
t’sLi
on’shead.
Youhav egottobekiddi
ngme.Thi spersonexpectsmet ohikeupLion’shead!Midweek?
I
nt heafter
noon?Alone?That
’sjustri
dicul
ous.I
t’sanhourhi keandanotherhourdown.I
onlyhikeearl
ymorningonsomeweekendsandonf ullmoons!

Ihavetoqui
tthi
sgamebutmyhear tissoexcited.Hav i
ngsolvedthi
sli
brar
yri
ddleal
lon
ownhasmademeal lhy pedup.I’m onecuri
ousbei ng!SoIgot omyr oom,changeinto
runni
ngshort
s,agy
m T- shir
tandtrai
ner st
henmaket hedr i
vet
oLion’
shead.Icall
Eli
kon
mywayandhesay she’sbusysocan’ treal
l
ytalkandwi llcal
lmeintheeveni
ng.Idon’
ttel
l
himI ’
m chasi
ngafterast rangerbecausehewi l
lfreakoutandt el
lmet ogobackt o
campus.

It
’sal
most4pm whenIgett hereandt her
e’saf ewpeoplemakingtheclimb.Ihavetime
towasteshame!I’m sur
eIwouldhav efini
shedatleast1pageofmywr i
teupbynow.I ’
ve
putmyl i
feonhol dt ochaseafterclues!Half
wayup,asIwai tmyt urnt oascendthe
chai
ns,Ilaughatmy sel
f.Thisi
sr i
dicul
ous.ButI ’
vecomet hi
sfaralreadysoImi ghtas
well
.Ieventual
lygettothetopandi t’sasmal lspacereal
l
yupt heresoi tdoesn’tt
ake
l
ongt ofi
ndt hemanwi thawhi t
er ose.Hejustlooksli
keanotherhikertome.I ’
mt i
red
nowandt hankf
ull
yit’
snotthathottoday.

Isayhi e.Heasksf ormyname.He' ssati

sfi
edwi t
hmyr esponse.Hegi vesmean
envelopeandabottl
eofwat er.I’
m morethankfulforthewaterr eal
l
ybecauseIdidn’t
bri
nganyuphere.Themanr efusestotel
lmewhogav etheenvelopetohim orwhoheis.
Hej usttel
l
smethatthe‘pr
icei snear
'andIshouldn’tgi
veupnow.Youmeant otel
lme
thatIcli
mbedupamountainjusttogetanenvel
ope?You' v
egott obekiddi
ngme!

Irestabitandtal
ktothisst
rangerwatchi
ngRobbenIslandf
rom adistanceandt heblue
seabelow.Thev i
ewsar espectacul
arbutIhavetomakemywaydown.Ial waysthink
goingdowni shar
derthangoingupbecausey oureal
lyneedtobalancey ourkneesand
there’
sahi gherr
iskofsli
ppingwhengoingdown.Byt het
imeIreacht hebot t
om I’m
exhausted.I
t’
ssomethingto7.Thesunwi l
lsetj
ustbefore8pm anywaysoIcanaf ford
t
otakea10mi
nut
ebr
eakt
ocat
chmybr
eat
handsnackonapr
otei
nbar
.

Bunkecal
lst ocheckifI’
mf i
neandIassur ehim al
liswellandtel
lhim how I
’vebeen
runni
ngaroundli
keaheadlesschi
ckenchasingaft
ercl
ues.HesaysImustbecar ef
ul.
WhenIfeelwellr
estedIopentheenvel
ope.Ther
e’sapieceofpaperanditr
eads:

CLUE3:
GPScoor
dinat
es.

Ipunchthoseonmyphoneandt hedestinati
onisSignalHil
l.Wellatl
eastthat’
sj ust3km
upfrom hereandIcandri
v ether
e.Idri
veup, sl
owly,avoi
dingfall
ingoveri
ntot hedi t
ches
onther oadsideandcarefull
yaroundthemanybends.I ’m wonder i
ngwhocoul dhave
gonetosomucht r
oubl
et oseeme.I ’
ver ul
edoutKoml a.Ihonestlydon'
tthinkshecoul d
havethoughtofthi
s.Noway !Well
,exceptifshehi
redamadsci enti
sttosl
aught erme!

AndSignalHi
l
l?Ihaven’
tbeent
heresinceEli
kleftCapeTown.I twastoopainfulformeto
ret
urnther
e.Weusedt ospendmanyev eni
ngst her
et ogether
.Itwasourl i
ttl
ehangout
spotsowhenhel ef
tIcoul
dn’
tbeargoingbackalone.Itbroughtbacksomanymemor ies.
Evennow,Idreadwalki
ngdownt hatr
oadbutI ’
vealreadycomet hisfarwi
tht hesecl
ues
soImightaswell
.

I
’mther
einnotimeandIpark.There’
sacoupleofcar
saround,
noneofwhichIr
ecognise.
Iwalkaroundandroundandr oundbutIdon’ tseeanyoneIrecogni
se.Ideci
det o
appr
oachtheguyswhodothepar agl
i
ding.Theyar
epacki
ngupandlookreadyt
oleave.

“Sorr
y, hi
” ,
Isay .
“Hell
o”, t
heysay .
“Umm, I’
ml ookingforsomeone”
,Isay.
Ireal
iseIdon’ tknowhowt odescri
bewhoI ’mlookingforbecauseIdon'
tknowwhoI
'm
l
ookingf or!
“Who? ”,theysay .
“Idon’tknowact ual
ly
.Youknowwhat ,
nevermind”,Isayandthankthem.
Thiswasst upid.I’
m goi
ngbacktocampus.AsIgett omycar ,t
here’
sasti
ckynot
ebyt
he
window.Atf i
rstIthoughti
twasaparkingti
cket
.Itreads:

CLUE4:InLor
doft
heRi
ngst
heycal
l
edusEnt
s.Thi
spar
ti
cul
arEnti
syour
s.Fi
ndme
ther
e”.

Anothercl
ue!Hellno,I’
m done.Someonei shavingaf i
elddaywithme! Butmybr ai
n
wantstokeepplaying!TheEntsinLordoft heRingswer ethetal
kingtreesthathelped
bri
ngdownt hewizardSauroninthebatt
leofIsengard.Whoeverthisi
s,theymustr eall
y
knowmewel l.Maybetheyhavebeenstal
kingmef oralongtime.It
'
scr eepy.

I
'
llf
indtheEntthough.Butt
her
earesomanytreesaroundhere.Tree?‘Thi
spart
icul
ar
t
reeisy
ours’.Ir
emembermyt reewi
thEl
i
k,Ihadpickeditbecauseithadalowbranch
wherewecouldbothsi
tonandwat chthecit
yli
ghtsbel
ow.I
’l
ljustcheckthatoneout.I
di
al10111onmyphoneandposi t
ionmyf i
ngerovert
hecal
lbutton.I
’mreadytocallt
he
pol
icei
fanyt
hingsuspi
cioushappens.

Myhear tispoundingfasterandhardert
hanusual
.Ifi
ndmy sel
fdreadi
ngwhat ev
eri
tis
that'
swai t
ingforme.Thi sisusuallyhow hor
rormoviesstar
t.Ialwayslaughatthe
stupidi
tyofthecharact
ersinmovieswhentheywal
ktowardsdangerbuther
eIam fal
l
ing
forthesameol dtr
ap.

Ij umpovertheedgeandt hereissomeonesit
ti
ngunderourtr
ee!Whoev eri
tisisf
aci
ng
awayandr est
ingagainstt
het runkofthetr
eesoIcan'treal
l
yseet hem.Imakeav er
y
wideci
rcl
et ogeti
nfrontofthepersonsothatt
here’
ssomedistanceshouldIneedt
orun.

IswearI’
m goi
ngt
okil
lsomeoneoneoft hesedays!Iwillki
l
lthem wit
hmybarehands!
Hehonestl
yhadmegot hr
oughal lt
hosecluesandpuzzlesandr i
ddl
esjustt
ocomeand
meethim?Coul
dn'
thehavejustcomet ocampus?Besides,hesaidhewasJobur
g!

“Seriously?”,Isay .
"20hour sl ater,youfinal
lymakei t
!",hesays.
"El
ikplim! "
,Isay .
"Yesbaby ",hesay sandget sup.
I’
m exci tedact uallysoIruni nt
ohi sar ms.IwishIwasn’tsosweatybutwel
l
,it
’shi
sfaul
t.
Hehadmecl imbi ngamount ai
nf orhim, l
it
erall
y!
“Youcoul dhav ejustcall
edmey ouknow! ”,Isayandhughimt i
ght
er.
“Wher e’sthef uni nthat?
”, hesays.
“Howdi dy ouknowIwoul dcome? ”,Isay.
“Ididn’t
.Ihopedy ouwoul d.Whent helibr
ari
ancalledIknewyouwouldseet
histot
heend.
Iknowy ou.Youdon' tquit”,hesay s.

“AndifIhadn’
tcome?”,Isay.
“Wellt
hen,Iwouldhaveexecutedpl
anB”,hesays.
Her ef
usestotellmewhatpl anBisorhowhepul ledt
hisof
f.Ican’
tbel
ieveIspentmy
aft
ernoonchasingthewind,drovehal
fwayacrosstowntogethereandevenhikedupa
mountain!

Isuggestthatwegoandsi tont hewallrat

herandheagr
ees.
“Iknowy ouli
keachall
enge”,hesay s.
“Achal l
enge?Thatwashar dl
yachal lenge!Yourcl
uesweret
oosi
mpl
e!Tr
yhar
dernext
ti
me! ”,
Isayandpushhim alit
tle.
Hel aughsandwekiss.Heist oopreci
ous.

Heli
ft
smeupandsi t
smeont opofthewallandnowourey esar
elevel
.Hisbrowney es,
wi
ththosebushyeyelashesalway
smakei timpossi
bleformet ostopblushing.But
l
ooki
ngint
othem r
ightnowmakesmef eelli
keIhaveenteredaspacethatIwil
lalways
wantt
oli
vei
nforf
orev
er.I
t’
sli
keI
’
m home.

Whenwef i
ghtorcr yormakelove,healway
slooksint
omyey esandlooki
ngbackint
o
them makesmef eelsafe,l
ikeIbelong.Whoeversai
dt heeyesarethewindowsto
someone’ ssoulwaswr ong.Theyaredoors.Youwalkri
ghtthrought
hem!Seeingmy
refl
ecti
oninhisey esmakesmebl ushevenworse.I'
m sureIlooksosil
lyri
ghtnow
giggl
ingandblushi
ng.

Ther
eissti
l
lanumberofcar
sinthepar
kingl
ot.Pr
obablytour
ist
sandpeoplewaiti
ngfor
i
ttogetdarksot
heycanwatchtheci
tyli
ght
s.Eit
herwayIkeepki ssi
nghim andtel
l
ing
hi
m howmuchIlovehi
m.Thisi
sCapeTown.Publi
cdisplayofaf
fecti
onisnotaprobl
em
atal
l
.

“
Cybertr
on?”
,hesay s.That
’sour‘j
okesasi
de,beseri
ous’word.
“
Cybertr
on”,
Iagree.
Hetakesadeepbr eathandtakesmyhandsinhis.Hesayshereal
l
yneededtotal
ktome
t
hat'
swhyhe' shere.Ihopehe’snother
etobreakupwi t
hmeagai n!Iwi
l
lpushhi
m over
t
hehill
sidei
fhedoes!

Andthescavengerhunthesentmeon.Ithi
nkitwasthought
fulanddiff
erent
.Itwasni
ce
todo.He'
sfulloft
ri
ckstheseday
sIsee!Ineedtocomeupwi t
ht r
icksofmyown.

“Ihadt obri
ngy ouher ebecausethisusedtobeourspotandwehav esomanymemor i
es
here”,hesays
Alri
ght.Idon’tseewhywhat everhehastosayrequi
redmecomi ngall
thewayhere!ButI’
m Mi ssUnder standingsoIl ookathi m withpuppyeyes.Itellhi
mt ogetonwi t
hit
becausehe’ swear ingblackandi t’sget
ti
ngdark.SoonIwon’tbeabl etoseehim!He
l
aughsatt hat.Thenhej ustgoesf ul
lonseri
ousonmeandt el
l
smet ojustl
i
sten.

“YouknowIwantedtosaythi
stoy ouandIknewIwouldfor
get,soIwr
otei
tdown”,he
says.
Hepullsoutapi
eceofpaperf
rom hi
sbackpocket
,unf
oldsi
tandstar
tsr
eadi
ng.He’
stoo
much,Ican’
thel
pbutsmil
e.

“
DearFi
erce.

YouknowI ’veneverl
ovedanyonethewayIloveyou.Yougetmeinnowayanyonehas
everdone.Youlov
emeandy ouar
enotafr
aidtoshowit.Il
ovet
hatabouty
ou”
,hesay
s.

He’
slooksupatme.Whyi shebei
ngsoser i
ous?Andwhyishereadi
ngaspeech?Iknow
hewasalectur
erbutIdon'
tneedalect
ure.Butt
hoseeyes,
yoh!Theywi
l
lbethedeathof
me.

“
RememberwhenIf
ir
stmety
ouatt
hest
affdi
ner
?”,hesay
s.How canIf
orget
!“You
l
ookedbeaut
ifulandy
oukeptinsi
sti
ngongi v
ingmebackmymoney !Andyoukept
l
ooki
ngatmewhi l
ewai
tingf
ory
ourfood”
,hesays.What
?Iwasst
eal
i
nggl
ances,
howdid
heevenseet
hat!

“Thatbusi
nesscar
dIgaveyouthatday
,isthebestthi
ngI
’veev
ergiv
enawayi nmyl i
fe.I
t
gotmey ou”
,hesays.He’
sdoi
ngallt
hetal
ki
ngt odayandI
’
m doingal
ltheshutuppi
ngand
l
isteni
ng.

“Iknow Ihurtyoucountl
esstimesandwheni tcomestoy ou,Iseem t
oalwaysgetit
wrong.Ikeephurt
ingyouoverandov erandov er
.Butevenwheny ouswearyouar
edone
wit
hme, somehowyoualwaysfi
ndi ti
ny ourheartt
otakemeback.Idon’tknowhowyou
doit,
IjustknowthatI
’
m gratef
ulthatyoudo.Sot hankyoufornevergi
vi
nguponme” ,
he
says.

Awww,
ain’
twebei
ngov
erl
yemot
ional
today
!Iwonderwhathappened.

“
Irememberhowy ouwerether
eformethatti
meinGhana.Iwoul
dhavelostmymi
ndif
i
twasn'
tforyou.Youkeptmesane.Thankyoubabyf
orthatandforal
waysbei
ngt
her
e
f
orme”,hesays.

Iswearsomeonei
scut
ti
ngoni
onsher
eandsoonsoonI
'
llbecr
ying.Butst
il
l,he'
snot
done.

“RememberVenice?Ay earhadgonebywi t
houtseei
ngy ou.Yousaidyoudidn’
twantme
anymore!Butyouwereinmyar mst hateveni
ng.Iaskedy ouifyouwantedtoleav
eand
yousaidno.NotthatIwouldhaveletyouleaveanyway.Iwant edyouandseei
ngy ouat
thatconf
erencejustr
emi ndedmehow f ooli
shIhadbeent ohav eletyougo.Inever
wannabet hatf
ooli
shagain.

Ohandrememberthatt
imeyouweresomady ouhitthatgi
rlwhowasfl
ir
ti
ngwi
thme
wi
thabott
le?Youdi
dn'
twantany
onenearmeandthatwassocute”,
hel
aughsal
it
tl
e.

Icor
recthi
minmyhead.Thatwasn'
tcut
e,i
twasembar
rassi
ng!Butl
ethi
m keepr
eadi
ng.

“Il
ovethatyoulaughatmyunfunnyj
okesatt
imes,
thatyoulov
er hesamest upidmov i
es
asIdoandt hatyouplayvi
deogameswithme.Youareawesomel ikethat.AndIlove
how youfeeltheneedt odef
endme.RememberatTaboowheny ouwantedt ohi
tthat
bouncerbecausehewasshout i
ngatme?Thatwassobeaut i
fult owatch.Youactuall
y
tol
dthatbigguytoleavemealoneorhewoul
dexperi
enceyourfullwrat
h!Youwantedt o
prot
ectme!

Idon’tknowhowyoumanagetol
ovemehonest ly
.IknowI ’m af
ullblownmessandI
havesomuchbaggagebuty
ety
oukeeplovi
ngmeandhel pingmeanyway .Youmakeme
abett
erman.YoumakemewanttoworkhardersoIcangiv
ey ouev
erythingy oudeser
ve”
.
Ilookathi
m andI ’
m notsur
ewhatt osayr eall
y.Ij
ustnod.I'
m notsur
ewhethertosmile
orcryoraddont hi
semot i
onalroll
ercoast
er.Ithi
nkhelooksnervousormay behe’
sjust
feel
ingcol
d,Idon'
tknow.He’sjustmakingmeemot i
onalri
ghtnowwi t
hthi
slett
erofhi
s.

“
Ok, geti
ttoget
herEl
i
kpl
i
m”,
hewhi
sper
sunderhi
sbr
eat
h.It
hinkhemeantt
osayi
tinhi
s
mind.

Ican’
tst
opsmili
ngbutatt
hesametimetear
saref
il
li
ngmyeyes.Hemakesmesohappy.
Howcansomethingsobeaut
if
ulbesowrong?Iwi
shIcoul
dst
ayrighther
efort
her
estof
mylif
e,f
rozeni
nthi
smomentwi t
hhim.Heli
ft
smeoffthewal
landputsmeonmyfeet.

“Isti
ll
havesomuchIneedtosaytoyou”,
hesays.
Ithinkwehaveattr
act
edacr owdbuthedoesn’tseem t
omi nd.May
beheneedst
hese
onlooker
stohearaswell
.Ij
ustst
andther
enotsurewhattodo.

ThenhegoesdownononekneeandIcan’ tbel
iev
emyey es.Ican't
.Isthi
sr eall
y
happeni
ngorwhat?Maybehehasakneei
njur
yshameorhe'sjustt
ir
ed!Whyelsewillhe
bekneeli
ngdown?Andwhyononekneet hough?Now ev
eryonethinkshe'
sproposing
andtheyareal
lgoi
ng'
awwww'and'
ncooow'
.

“Fi
erce.Youareev
eryt
hingIwanti
nawomanandIwanttolov
eyouthewayyoudeserv
e
andt otreaty
ouli
kethequeeny ouare.Youar
etheoneper
sonIcan’ti
magineli
vi
ng
wit
hout.Theabsol
utel
ov eofmyli
fe.Mysoul
mat
e.Mybaby
”.

ThenhegoesallGhanai
anonme!Idon’
tknowmuchofhislanguagebutI
’v
epi
ckedupa
few phr
asesovertheyear
s.Most
lytoi
mpr esshi
m.Thatknowledgeiscomi
nginver
y
handytoday
.Hesoundssogenui
neandsosincer
eashesays,

“
Wokut am’akomamusafoaandmedowokopem mewuda.Woyemewiase,medone
m’adeenyi
naa(Youhol
dthekeytomyhear
tandIwi
l
llov
eyouti
l
lthedayIdi
e.Youar
e
mywor l
d,mylov
e,myever
ythi
ng)
.

“Youar
eal
lthatt
omeandmoreandnowI
’m aski
ngy
out
obemywi
fe.Last
bor
nFi
erce
Nkomo,wi
l
lyoumarr
yme?”
CHAPTER61

Sowegotbackt oJohannesburgfr
om home, spentanightandIf
lewbacktoCapeTown.
Thatwasov eramonthago.I ’
vewor kedmybehi ndoffthi
swholemonthandthanksto
BrainandBunke,Ifi
nishedmyl abwor ktoday.Thatcall
sforacelebr
ati
on.I
'
ml i
ter
all
y
goingtot
hrowapartyhereandbuyt heseboyspresent
s.

I
'm notdonedonebutI 'm socl
oseIcansmel lt
hatdegree!Fr
om nowoni t'
sjustwr
iti
ng
anddiscussingresul
tsandedit
ingt
hingsI
'v
ewr i
tteni
nthepastyears.I
’
m hopingtosend
El
ikmyf inaldr
aftbyendofmont hf
orproofr
eading,t
henhavemysuper vi
sordoonefinal
edi
ti
ng,
theni
tcanbesentawayf
orexami
nat
ion.Iawai
tthatdaywi
thr
edey
es.

Ihardlyt al
ktoElik.He’sbeenext r
emelybusychasingt hatpapersincewegotbackandI
havebeenf ocusingonmyt hesis.Sowebar elytal
kandwebot hokwi t
hit.He'sababy
somet imest hough,sot omakesur eheknowsIhav en’tforgott
enhim,Isendagood
mor ningwhenIwakeupandagoodni ghtbeforeIsleep.Hedoesn' tal
waysr espondbut
that’sfine.That’swhatIwantact uall
y.Iwontbewant i
ngtohav eaconv ersati
on.Ona
gooddayhewi llcallandwest ayont hephonef orupt oanhour . LastweekIsky ped
withPet erandPaul .Thoseki dscant al
k!Yoh!Theyal wayshav esomucht osay !El
ikjust
sattherewi ththem laughingt heentir
etimeandt el
li
ngt hem nottobotherauntFierceso
muchwi ththei
rst or
ies.Ididn'tmind.Iadoret
hem.

Ipromisedmy sel
fIwon’tgotoseeEli
kunt
ilIf
ini
shmyt hesis.Thi
sist
helaststret
chand
Ican’taff
ordtogetdistr
act
ednow.Ineedtokeeprunningunt i
lIcr
ossthefi
nishli
ne.I
'm
al
mostt here,
Ijustneedtokeepati
t.Mygreat
estdesi
rerightnowistograduatewitht
he
otherguys.

Todaywast hel astdayofmypr acti

cal
s.SoI '
mt akingthedayof f
.I'
m notgoingtodo
anythi
ng.I'
mt akingabr eaktocelebr
atemy sel
f.Withev er
ythingthat'
shappenedtome,
I'
m shockedthatI'm st
il
lhere,
soldi
eri
ngon.Ican'tbeliev
eImadei tt
hisfar.Manyatimes
IthoughtIwouldf al
loftherai
lsandnevergetupagai nbutsomehowIdi d.I'
m st
art
ingto
beli
evethatmay bethere'
sahigherpowersomewher eabovet hatstr
engthensme.

Idriv
etoZev enwachtandgetacakebyLi mnosbaker yonmyway ,t
hengetdr i
nksand
snacksfrom Woolwort
hs.Idropthoseint hecarthengobackt obuygi f
tsfortheguy s.
I'
mf eel
ingquit
egeneroustoday.Mybankaccounti squit
ehealthytheseday sbecause
forsomer easonEli
kismakingupf orbeingtoobusyf ormebymaki ngi trai
nonmy
account.He’
ssentmesomuchmoneyt hi
smont halone,
thebankcalledmet overi
fythe
‘fr
equentdeposit
soflargeamounts’i ntomyaccount .Hisresponseeveryti
meIt hank
himis,“Iworkhardsoyoucanhav eeveryt
hingyouwant ”
.I'
m notcomplai
ning.

IgetNdi vhuSkull
candyear phones.Theoneshe' susingnowarepoorqualit
yandwehear
whathe' sli
steni
ngto.I t
'sannoying,soatleastifIbuyhimthese,I
'l
lbedoingever
yonea
hugef avour.IgetBrainaNeedf orspeedgame.Hehasbeengoi ngonandonabouthow
he'sfail
i
ngt opirat
ei tbutreall
yneedsit.Ican'tbeli
eveasimplegamei sR850!Ialway
s
thoughtit'
slikeR50orsomet hi
ng!Anyway, Idi
dsayI '
mfeel
inggeneroustoday
.

ThenBunkeisthehar dest
.He'
smorethanj
ustalabmat etome.He’ ssomeonewhohas
alway
sbeengoodt omeandwhohel pedmecompl et
et heseexperiment
s.Besi
des,we
haveahist
ory.Idon'tknowwhatt
ogethim.Igethi
m aR2000mal lgi
ftcar
d.Thatwayhe
canbuywhat everhewant si
nanyshopinthismall
.Iknowi t'
sal azygif
tbutIcoul
dn'
t
thi
nkofanythi
ngt ogethim.

Theguy
sar
esohappywi
tht
hegi
ft
sit
'
smaki
ngmyhear
tdance.Youknowwheny
oubuy
someoneagiftandy oucantellt
heyreall
yloveit
!It
'sf
ulf
il
li
ng.Iexpect
edBunketoask
mewher eIgott
hemoneyf r
om seei
ngt hatIusedtobetheoneaskingformoneyfrom
them al
lthet
ime.Ialreadyhadananswert hatwouldmakehimt akesever
alseat
s!So
thankf
ull
yhedi
dn'task.Heactual
l
ysai
d,“ Thankyoumadam”andgav emeabighug.

Theminipartydi
dn'
tlastalldayaspeoplehadworkt odo.Alt
houghtheguysaredone
wit
htheirt
heses,
theysti
llhaveproj
ectst
odoandar t
icl
estowrit
e.Butthespi
ri
tsr
emain
l
if
ted.I
'
m stil
lmai
ntai
ningthatI'
m notdoi
nganyt
hingtoday
.I'
l
lspendallmyti
meonline.

I’
m havi
ngmycof feeat1:30pm,watchinganepi sodeofVampireDiar
ies,notbotheri
ng
anyone,whenther
e’saknock.Bunkegetst hedoorthencomesbackwi thaboxt hesize
ofashoeboxwi t
hmynameoni t.Iassumei t’sEli
kbutitcoul
dalsobeal et
terbomb
fr
om Koml awhoknows!Iopenitwithcare.IknowI '
mtoodramaticbutIactual
lyopeni t
i
naf umehood.Justincaseitact
uall
yisal et
terbomborav oodoodollfr
om Koml a.You
canneverbetoocaref
ul.

I
tcan’tbeEli
kbecausethenamesay s“ Lastbor
n”.I
fitwasEli
kitwoul
dsay‘Fi
erce’
.The
boxisempt y!Obv
iousl
y,someoneisplayingtri
cksonme!I ’
m aboutt
othr
owi tint
othe
bi
nwhenIseeanot est
icki
ngoutatthebot t
om.It’
saf ol
dedpaperl
i
keasti
ckynotebuta
l
it
tl
ebitbigger.

Ist
epoutsi
det
helab,
cal
lEl
i
kandaskwher
eheis.Hesayshe’si
nJohannesburg.Iaskif
hesentmeanythi
ngandhesay
sno.Sonow Idon’tknow who’sbehi
ndt hi
sbutI ’m
cur
ious.

Thenot
ereads,

“
Findme!Leav
eyourner
dyf
ri
endsoutoft
hisandl
et’
sseei
fyourbr
ainwor
ks”

Belowthati
s
“CLUE1:Thewr
it
ingi
sinC6H8O7i
nkandwi
l
lappearwhent
emper
atur
esr
ise”
.

Ihaven’
tfi
guredoutwhatexactl
yisgoingon,soItellt
heguysandshowt hem thenote.
“C6H8O7,that’
scit
ri
cacid!”
,Brainsays.Wel i
stallt
hecit
rusfrui
tsweknowunt i
lBunke
saysthecluemustbereferr
ingtolemonj ui
ceink.Andlemonjuiceinkonl yshowswhen
thepaperiswar medup.Wewar mi tupov erasmal lBunsenbur nerflameandv oi
l
a!
wordsappear.I
t'
sli
keaHar r
yPottermov i
eexceptit'
snotmagicit'
sscience.

Thewordsthatappearsay:
“Wel
ldone.Nowst opcheat
ingandwor
kal
one!
”

Howdidthisper
sonknowIwouldaskforhelpfrom mylabmat
es?Ihopewhoeverthey
aret
heyarenotwat
chi
ngmerightnow.That
'sjustcr
eepy
.ButI’
l
lworkal
onethat
’sfi
ne.I
candothi
s.
“
Forthenextcluegotoaplaceofwords,anabodeofknowl
edge
Whenyouthere,seektheguar
dianwhoseeyesi
ghtfai
l
s!
Hi
nt:
Lithi
um,Br omium,Ar
gonandYtri
um” .

Ireadthemessageasecondt ime.That’seasy.Whoev erwr

otethisgavetheanswer
away.ThechemicalsymbolsofLi
thi
um,Br omium,ArgonandYtri
um spel
lLi
BrArY.And
‘
abodeofknowledge’duh!NowIhavet of
indtheonewhoseey esi
ghti
sfai
li
ng,whatev
er
thatmeans.I
tsoundsl
ikesomethi
ngfrom anancientscr
oll
!

I'
m hal
fexci
tedandhal
fscaredbutIwil
lplay
.It
ellt
heguysI’
l
lber i
ghtback.Theytr
yto
convi
ncemenott ogobecausewhati fthepersonwantstokil
lmeorwor se.What'
s
worsethanbei
ngkil
l
ed?IsayI’
ll
bejustf
ineandpromiset
ocal
lifanyt
hinggoeswrong.

Igettot
heli
braryandpresentmyst udentcar
dtothesecur
ityguar
ds.Ineedtofi
ndthe
onewhoseeyesighti
sfail
i
ng.Ihavenocl uewhatt
hatmeansbuttheanswerisinher
ein
thi
shugebui
lding.Iwalkaroundallfl
oorsofthel
ibr
arytr
yingtodecodetheri
ddleand
l
ookingoutf
orany thi
ngsuspici
ous.I'vebeenupanddownandr oundandr oundbut
nothi
ng.

Youknowwhat ,scr
ewt his,I
’m nolongerpl
ayi
ng!Ihavemoreimport
antthi
ngstodo.I
walkbackdownandgr eettheli
brar
ian.I
’
vebeenattheuni
ver
sit
yforsolong,
Iknowalot
ofpeopl
e.Shesayshiandaskshowschool i
sgoi
ng.Isaygr
eat.

Whydidn’
tIf
igurethi
soutsooner
!She’
swearingspect
acl
esandi
sthe‘
guar
dian’oft
he
l
ibr
ary
,soobviousl
yit
’shert
heri
ddlei
sref
err
ingto!

“MrsAdams.I sityou? "

,Isay.
“I
sitmewhodi dwhat ?”,shesays.
“Doy ouhavesomet hingf orme?”,
Isay.
Shesmi l
es.
“Ithoughtyou’dnev erask.I ’
vebeenwat chi
ngyougoallaroundthel
i
brar
y!Her
e”,she
handsmeawhi teenv el
ope.
“Whogav eyouthis?”,Iask.
“I
’m nottel
l
ing.Keepgoi ng, y
ouwillf
indoutsoonenough”
,shesays.

Soadult
salsohaveti
met oplaygamesli
kethi
s?Mywatchreads2:10pm.Iopent
he
env
elopeandi
t’
syetanot
herri
ddle!Howl
ongwil
lthi
sgoonf
or!I
treads:

“
I’
mimpr
essedy
ouf
igur
edt
hisoneout
!Soy
ourbr
ainwor
ksaf
teral
l
!”.

CLUE2:Api l
eofrocks670m of
ftheground.Theysayi
tresembl
esacrouchi
ngsphinx.
Areyouwil
li
ngtomaket hecl
i
mbt ocl
aimy ourpr
ize?Amanatthetopwit
hawhiterose
wil
lbeyouranswer
”.
Ithinktheri
ddler
eferstoLi
on’sheadbutIgoogl ej ustt
obesur e.Yes,i
t’sLi
on’shead.
Youhav egottobekiddi
ngme.Thi spersonexpectsmet ohikeupLion’shead!Midweek?
I
nt heafter
noon?Alone?That
’sjustri
dicul
ous.I
t’sanhourhi keandanotherhourdown.I
onlyhikeearl
ymorningonsomeweekendsandonf ullmoons!

Ihavetoqui
tthi
sgamebutmyhear tissoexcited.Hav i
ngsolvedthi
sli
brar
yri
ddleal
lon
ownhasmademeal lhy pedup.I’m onecuri
ousbei ng!SoIgot omyr oom,changeinto
runni
ngshort
s,agy
m T- shir
tandtrai
ner st
henmaket hedr i
vet
oLion’
shead.Icall
Eli
kon
mywayandhesay she’sbusysocan’ treal
l
ytalkandwi llcal
lmeintheeveni
ng.Idon’
ttel
l
himI ’
m chasi
ngafterast rangerbecausehewi l
lfreakoutandt el
lmet ogobackt o
campus.

It
’sal
most4pm whenIgett hereandt her
e’saf ewpeoplemakingtheclimb.Ihavetime
towasteshame!I’m sur
eIwouldhav efini
shedatleast1pageofmywr i
teupbynow.I ’
ve
putmyl i
feonhol dt ochaseafterclues!Half
wayup,asIwai tmyt urnt oascendthe
chai
ns,Ilaughatmy sel
f.Thisi
sr i
dicul
ous.ButI ’
vecomet hi
sfaralreadysoImi ghtas
well
.Ieventual
lygettothetopandi t’sasmal lspacereal
l
yupt heresoi tdoesn’tt
ake
l
ongt ofi
ndt hemanwi thawhi t
er ose.Hejustlooksli
keanotherhikertome.I ’
mt i
red
nowandt hankf
ull
yit’
snotthathottoday.

Isayhi e.Heasksf ormyname.He' ssati

sfi
edwi t
hmyr esponse.Hegi vesmean
envelopeandabottl
eofwat er.I’
m morethankfulforthewaterr eal
l
ybecauseIdidn’t
bri
nganyuphere.Themanr efusestotel
lmewhogav etheenvelopetohim orwhoheis.
Hej usttel
l
smethatthe‘pr
icei snear
'andIshouldn’tgi
veupnow.Youmeant otel
lme
thatIcli
mbedupamountainjusttogetanenvel
ope?You' v
egott obekiddi
ngme!

Irestabitandtal
ktothisst
rangerwatchi
ngRobbenI slandf
rom adistanceandt heblue
seabelow.Thev i
ewsar espectacul
arbutIhav etomakemywaydown.Ial waysthink
goingdowni shar
derthangoingupbecausey oureal
lyneedtobalancey ourkneesand
there’
sahi gherr
iskofsli
ppingwhengoi ngdown.Byt het
imeIr eachthebot t
om I’m
exhausted.I
t’
ssomethingto7.Thesunwi llsetj
ustbefore8pm any waysoIcanaf ford
totakea10mi nut
ebreaktocatchmybr eathandsnackonapr ot
einbar.

Bunkecal
lst ocheckifI’
mf i
neandIassur ehim al
liswellandtel
lhim how I
’vebeen
runni
ngaroundli
keaheadlesschi
ckenchasingaft
ercl
ues.HesaysImustbecar ef
ul.
WhenIfeelwellr
estedIopentheenvel
ope.Ther
e’sapieceofpaperanditr
eads:

CLUE3:
GPScoor
dinat
es.

Ipunchthoseonmyphoneandthedesti
nati
onisSi
gnalHil
l.Wel
latl
eastthat’
sjust3km
upfrom her
eandIcandri
v et
her
e.Idri
veup,sl
owly
,avoi
dingfal
li
ngoveri
ntot hedit
ches
ontheroadsideandcareful
l
yaroundthemanybends.I’m wonderi
ngwhocoul dhave
gonetosomucht r
oubl
et oseeme.I’
verul
edoutKomla.Ihonest
lydon'
tthinkshecould
hav
ethoughtoft
his.Noway
!Wel
l
,ex
cepti
fshehi
redamadsci
ent
istt
osl
aught
erme!

AndSignalHi
l
l?Ihaven’
tbeent
heresinceEli
kleftCapeTown.I twastoopainfulformeto
ret
urnther
e.Weusedt ospendmanyev eni
ngst her
et ogether
.Itwasourl i
ttl
ehangout
spotsowhenhel ef
tIcoul
dn’
tbeargoingbackalone.Itbroughtbacksomanymemor ies.
Evennow,Idreadwalki
ngdownt hatr
oadbutI ’
vealreadycomet hisfarwi
tht hesecl
ues
soImightaswell
.

I
’mther
einnotimeandIpark.There’
sacoupleofcar
saround,
noneofwhichIr
ecognise.
Iwalkaroundandroundandr oundbutIdon’ tseeanyoneIrecogni
se.Ideci
det o
appr
oachtheguyswhodothepar agl
i
ding.Theyar
epacki
ngupandlookreadyt
oleave.

“Sorr
y, hi
” ,
Isay .
“Hell
o”, t
heysay .
“Umm, I’
ml ookingforsomeone”
,Isay.
Ireal
iseIdon’ tknowhowt odescri
bewhoI ’mlookingforbecauseIdon'
tknowwhoI
'm
l
ookingf or!
“Who? ”,theysay .
“Idon’tknowact ual
ly
.Youknowwhat ,
nevermind”,Isayandthankthem.
Thiswasst upid.I’
m goi
ngbacktocampus.AsIgett omycar ,t
here’
sasti
ckynot
ebyt
he
window.Atf i
rstIthoughti
twasaparkingti
cket
.Itreads:

CLUE4:InLor
doft
heRi
ngst
heycal
l
edusEnt
s.Thi
spar
ti
cul
arEnti
syour
s.Fi
ndme
ther
e”.

Anothercl
ue!Hellno,I’
m done.Someonei shavingaf i
elddaywithme! Butmybr ai
n
wantstokeepplaying!TheEntsinLordoft heRingswer ethetal
kingtreesthathelped
bri
ngdownt hewizardSauroninthebatt
leofIsengard.Whoeverthisi
s,theymustr eall
y
knowmewel l.Maybetheyhavebeenstal
kingmef oralongtime.It
'
scr eepy.

I
'l
lfi
ndtheEntthough.Buttherearesomanyt reesar oundhere.Tr ee?‘ Thispar
ti
cular
tr
eeisyour
s’.Iremembermyt reewithEli
k,Ihadpi ckeditbecausei thadal owbranch
wherewecouldbothsitonandwat chthecit
ylightsbelow.I’l
ljustcheckt hatoneout.I
di
al10111onmyphoneandposi t
ionmyf i
ngerov erthecallbutton.I’
mr eadytocallt
he
poli
cei
fanyt
hingsuspi
cioushappens.

Myhear tispoundingfasterandhardert
hanusual
.Ifi
ndmy sel
fdreadi
ngwhat ev
eri
tis
that'
swai t
ingforme.Thi sisusuallyhow hor
rormoviesstar
t.Ialwayslaughatthe
stupidi
tyofthecharact
ersinmovieswhentheywal
ktowardsdangerbuther
eIam fal
l
ing
forthesameol dtr
ap.

Ij umpovertheedgeandt hereissomeonesit
ti
ngunderourtr
ee!Whoev eri
tisisf
aci
ng
awayandr est
ingagainstt
het runkofthetr
eesoIcan'treal
l
yseet hem.Imakeav er
y
wideci
rcl
et ogeti
nfrontofthepersonsothatt
here’
ssomedistanceshouldIneedt
orun.
IswearI’
m goi
ngt
okil
lsomeoneoneoft hesedays!Iwillki
l
lthem wit
hmybarehands!
Hehonestl
yhadmegot hr
oughal lt
hosecluesandpuzzlesandr i
ddl
esjustt
ocomeand
meethim?Coul
dn'
thehavejustcomet ocampus?Besides,hesaidhewasJobur
g!

“Seriously?”,Isay .
"20hour sl ater,youfinal
lymakei t
!",hesays.
"El
ikplim! "
,Isay .
"Yesbaby ",hesay sandget sup.
I’
m exci tedact uallysoIruni nt
ohi sar ms.IwishIwasn’tsosweatybutwel
l
,it
’shi
sfaul
t.
Hehadmecl imbi ngamount ai
nf orhim, l
it
erall
y!
“Youcoul dhav ejustcall
edmey ouknow! ”,Isayandhughimt i
ght
er.
“Wher e’sthef uni nthat?
”, hesays.
“Howdi dy ouknowIwoul dcome? ”,Isay.
“Ididn’t
.Ihopedy ouwoul d.Whent helibr
ari
ancalledIknewyouwouldseet
histot
heend.
Iknowy ou.Youdon' tquit”,hesay s.

“AndifIhadn’
tcome?”,Isay.
“Wellt
hen,Iwouldhaveexecutedpl
anB”,hesays.
Her ef
usestotellmewhatpl anBisorhowhepul ledt
hisof
f.Ican’
tbel
ieveIspentmy
aft
ernoonchasingthewind,drovehal
fwayacrosstowntogethereandevenhikedupa
mountain!

Isuggestthatwegoandsi tont hewallrat

herandheagr
ees.
“Iknowy ouli
keachall
enge”,hesay s.
“Achal l
enge?Thatwashar dl
yachal lenge!Yourcl
uesweret
oosi
mpl
e!Tr
yhar
dernext
ti
me! ”,
Isayandpushhim alit
tle.
Hel aughsandwekiss.Heist oopreci
ous.

Heli
ftsmeupandsi tsmeont opofthewal landnowourey esar
elevel
.Hisbrowney es,
wi
tht hosebushyey el
ashesalwaysmakei timpossi
bleformet ostopblushing.But
l
ookingintot
hem ri
ghtnowmakesmef eelli
keIhaveenteredaspacethatIwil
lalways
wanttoliv
einforf
orever.I
t’
sli
keI’
m home.

Whenwef i
ghtorcr yormakelove,healway
slooksint
omyey esandlooki
ngbackint
o
them makesmef eelsafe,l
ikeIbelong.Whoeversai
dt heeyesarethewindowsto
someone’ ssoulwaswr ong.Theyaredoors.Youwalkri
ghtthrought
hem!Seeingmy
refl
ecti
oninhisey esmakesmebl ushevenworse.I'
m sureIlooksosil
lyri
ghtnow
giggl
ingandblushi
ng.

Ther
eissti
l
lanumberofcar
sinthepar
kingl
ot.Pr
obablytour
ist
sandpeoplewaiti
ngfor
i
ttogetdarksot
heycanwatchtheci
tyli
ght
s.Eit
herwayIkeepki ssi
nghim andtel
l
ing
hi
m howmuchIlovehi
m.Thisi
sCapeTown.Publi
cdisplayofaf
fecti
onisnotaprobl
em
atal
l
.
“
Cybertr
on?”
,hesay s.That
’sour‘j
okesasi
de,beseri
ous’word.
“
Cybertr
on”,
Iagree.
Hetakesadeepbr eathandtakesmyhandsinhis.Hesayshereal
l
yneededtotal
ktome
t
hat'
swhyhe' shere.Ihopehe’snother
etobreakupwi t
hmeagai n!Iwi
l
lpushhi
m over
t
hehill
sidei
fhedoes!

Andthescavengerhunthesentmeon.Ithi
nkitwasthought
fulanddiff
erent
.Itwasni
ce
todo.He'
sfulloft
ri
ckstheseday
sIsee!Ineedtocomeupwi t
ht r
icksofmyown.

“Ihadt obri
ngy ouher ebecausethisusedtobeourspotandwehav esomanymemor i
es
here”,hesays
Alri
ght.Idon’tseewhywhat everhehastosayrequi
redmecomi ngall
thewayhere!ButI’
m Mi ssUnder standingsoIl ookathi m withpuppyeyes.Itellhi
mt ogetonwi t
hit
becausehe’ swear ingblackandi t’sget
ti
ngdark.SoonIwon’tbeabl etoseehim!He
l
aughsatt hat.Thenhej ustgoesf ul
lonseri
ousonmeandt el
l
smet ojustl
i
sten.

“YouknowIwantedtosaythi
stoy ouandIknewIwouldfor
get,soIwr
otei
tdown”,he
says.
Hepullsoutapi
eceofpaperf
rom hi
sbackpocket
,unf
oldsi
tandstar
tsr
eadi
ng.He’
stoo
much,Ican’
thel
pbutsmil
e.

“
DearFi
erce.

YouknowI ’veneverl
ovedanyonethewayIloveyou.Yougetmeinnowayanyonehas
everdone.Youlov
emeandy ouar
enotafr
aidtoshowit.Il
ovet
hatabouty
ou”
,hesay
s.

He’
slooksupatme.Whyi shebei
ngsoser i
ous?Andwhyishereadi
ngaspeech?Iknow
hewasalectur
erbutIdon'
tneedalect
ure.Butt
hoseeyes,
yoh!Theywi
l
lbethedeathof
me.

“RememberwhenIf i
rstmetyouatt hestaf
fdiner
?”,hesays.How canIforget!“You
l
ookedbeauti
fulandy oukeptinsi
sti
ngongi v
ingmebackmymoney !Andy oukept
l
ookingatmewhil
ewai ti
ngf
oryourfood”
,hesays.What?Iwassteal
i
ngglances,howdid
heevenseet
hat!

“Thatbusi
nesscar
dIgaveyouthatday
,isthebestthi
ngI
’veev
ergiv
enawayi nmyl i
fe.I
t
gotmey ou”
,hesays.He’
sdoi
ngallt
hetal
ki
ngt odayandI
’
m doingal
ltheshutuppi
ngand
l
isteni
ng.

“Iknow Ihurtyoucountl
esstimesandwheni tcomestoy ou,Iseem t
oalwaysgetit
wrong.Ikeephurt
ingyouoverandov erandov er
.Butevenwheny ouswearyouar
edone
wit
hme, somehowyoualwaysfi
ndi ti
ny ourheartt
otakemeback.Idon’tknowhowyou
doit,
IjustknowthatI
’
m gratef
ulthatyoudo.Sot hankyoufornevergi
vi
nguponme” ,
he
say
s.

Awww,
ain’
twebei
ngov
erl
yemot
ional
today
!Iwonderwhathappened.

“
Irememberhowy ouwerether
eformethatti
meinGhana.Iwoul
dhavelostmymi
ndif
i
twasn'
tforyou.Youkeptmesane.Thankyoubabyf
orthatandforal
waysbei
ngt
her
e
f
orme”,hesays.

Iswearsomeonei
scut
ti
ngoni
onsher
eandsoonsoonI
'
llbecr
ying.Butst
il
l,he'
snot
done.

“RememberVenice?Ay earhadgonebywi t
houtseei
ngy ou.Yousaidyoudidn’
twantme
anymore!Butyouwereinmyar mst hateveni
ng.Iaskedy ouifyouwantedtoleav
eand
yousaidno.NotthatIwouldhaveletyouleaveanyway.Iwant edyouandseei
ngy ouat
thatconf
erencejustr
emi ndedmehow f ooli
shIhadbeent ohav eletyougo.Inever
wannabet hatf
ooli
shagain.

Ohandrememberthatt
imeyouweresomady ouhitthatgi
rlwhowasfl
ir
ti
ngwi
thme
wi
thabott
le?Youdi
dn'
twantany
onenearmeandthatwassocute”,
hel
aughsal
it
tl
e.

Icor
recthi
minmyhead.Thatwasn'
tcut
e,i
twasembar
rassi
ng!Butl
ethi
m keepr
eadi
ng.

“Il
ovethatyoulaughatmyunfunnyj
okesatt
imes,
thatyoulov
er hesamest upidmov i
es
asIdoandt hatyouplayvi
deogameswithme.Youareawesomel ikethat.AndIlove
how youfeeltheneedt odef
endme.RememberatTaboowheny ouwantedt ohi
tthat
bouncerbecausehewasshout i
ngatme?Thatwassobeaut i
fult owatch.Youactuall
y
tol
dthatbigguytoleavemealoneorhewoul
dexperi
enceyourfullwrat
h!Youwantedt o
prot
ectme!

Idon’tknowhowyoumanagetol
ovemehonest ly
.IknowI ’m af
ullblownmessandI
havesomuchbaggagebuty
ety
oukeeplovi
ngmeandhel pingmeanyway .Youmakeme
abett
erman.YoumakemewanttoworkhardersoIcangiv
ey ouev
erythingy oudeser
ve”
.

Ilookathi
m andI ’
m notsur
ewhatt osayr eall
y.Ij
ustnod.I'
m notsur
ewhethertosmile
orcryoraddont hi
semot i
onalroll
ercoast
er.Ithi
nkhelooksnervousormay behe’
sjust
feel
ingcol
d,Idon'
tknow.He’sjustmakingmeemot i
onalri
ghtnowwi t
hthi
slett
erofhi
s.

“
Ok, geti
ttoget
herEl
i
kpl
i
m”,
hewhi
sper
sunderhi
sbr
eat
h.It
hinkhemeantt
osayi
tinhi
s
mind.

Ican’
tst
opsmili
ngbutatt
hesametimetear
saref
il
li
ngmyeyes.Hemakesmesohappy.
Howcansomethingsobeaut
if
ulbesowrong?Iwi
shIcoul
dst
ayrighther
efort
her
estof
mylif
e,f
rozeni
nthi
smomentwi t
hhim.Heli
ft
smeoffthewal
landputsmeonmyfeet.
“Isti
ll
havesomuchIneedtosaytoyou”,
hesays.
Ithinkwehaveattr
act
edacr owdbuthedoesn’tseem t
omi nd.May
beheneedst
hese
onlooker
stohearaswell
.Ij
ustst
andther
enotsurewhattodo.

ThenhegoesdownononekneeandIcan’ tbel
iev
emyey es.Ican't
.Isthi
sr eall
y
happeni
ngorwhat?Maybehehasakneei
njur
yshameorhe'sjustt
ir
ed!Whyelsewillhe
bekneeli
ngdown?Andwhyononekneet hough?Now ev
eryonethinkshe'
sproposing
andtheyareal
lgoi
ng'
awwww'and'
ncooow'
.

“Fi
erce.Youareev
eryt
hingIwanti
nawomanandIwanttolov
eyouthewayyoudeserv
e
andt otreaty
ouli
kethequeeny ouare.Youar
etheoneper
sonIcan’ti
magineli
vi
ng
wit
hout.Theabsol
utel
ov eofmyli
fe.Mysoul
mat
e.Mybaby
”.

ThenhegoesallGhanai
anonme!Idon’
tknowmuchofhislanguagebutI
’v
epi
ckedupa
few phr
asesovertheyear
s.Most
lytoi
mpr esshi
m.Thatknowledgeiscomi
nginver
y
handytoday
.Hesoundssogenui
neandsosincer
eashesays,

“
Wokut am’akomamusafoaandmedowokopem mewuda.Woyemewiase,medone
m’adeenyi
naa(Youhol
dthekeytomyhear
tandIwi
l
llov
eyouti
l
lthedayIdi
e.Youar
e
mywor l
d,mylov
e,myever
ythi
ng)
.

“YouareallthattomeandmoreandnowI
’m aski
ngy
out
obemywi
fe.Last
bor
nFi
erce
Nkomo, wil
lyoumar r
yme?”
[
3/11,21:47]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER62

Myey espopwi deopenl ikewhatishappeninghere?MaybeIdozedoffandnowI ’

mjust
dreaming.Eli
kissti
llononekneewi thar i
ngsitt
ingper
fect
lyi
namar oonvel
vetbox.The
ri
ngisgor geous.I
'
mi nloveatfi
rstsi
ght.Ican'
tbesurebutitl
ooksli
kea2ctr oundcut
di
amond,seti npl
atinum,wi t
hwhi t
egol daroundthediamond.Gol
dandpl at
inum,my
el
ement s!Sohewast aki
ngnotesinSunCi t
y?

I
t’
sperf
ect.I
’mjustgladi
t’
snotgol
dgol d,y
ouknowyell
owgold,rosegol
disev
enbett
er.I
l
ovegoldasanel ementbutIhat
egoldenr i
ngs.Whi
tegol
disthewayt ogoandI
'm gl
ad
hewentwithi
t.I
t’
slikesi
lv
erbutbet
ter.Ial
waysli
kedspar
klyt
hings.

ThebiggestfearIhadofev ergetti
ngengagedwasthatsomeonewil
lbri
ngmethosebig
ri
ngsthatfital
mosthalfthefingerandI'
l
lwalkar
oundli
keI'
m agodfat
heroft
hemafiaor
something!Butthi
soner i
ghthere,thi
sone,thi
sistheone.Iti
stheLordofri
ngs!El
ik
real
l
yknowsme,I ’l
lgi
v ehimt hat.Andlooki
ngathi
m ononekneeaskingmet omarry
him,i
smaki ngmef eel
allkindsofemot i
onal.

Hesti
lll
ooksasgoodashedi dthoseyearsagowhenIfir
stlai
dmyey esonhim.AndI
l
ovemeabl ackman,notblacktheracebutblackt
heconcentrat
ionofmel
aninonthe
ski
n.Andthi
sblackchocol
ateofmineisjustt
heperf
ectshadeforme.Helooksl
ikehe
wasmadewit
hmeinmi nd.I
t’
spr
obablyj
ustl
ovethatmakesmel
ookathi
mli
kehe’
sGod’
sgi
ftt
oear
thbutst
il
l,
jeal
ousdown,hewaswellcr
eated.

Ashe’skneeli
nghereinfr
ontofme,Iwi shIhadacrownt opl
aceonhishead.Because
thi
smani sking,myking.Andmay beIshouldsayyessoIcancrownhi m aki ngevery
wakingday!Iwanttobetheonewhohol dshi
shandsoheknowshe' l
lneverbeal one.I
wanttobet heonet oremindhimt oalwayskeephisheadhelduphighsot hecrown
doesn'
tfal
l
.Iknowhei samanlyman, al
ltoughandmadeofsteel
,buteventhoseneeda
womant ogivethem ahugandhol dthem wit
hlove. Andmyhear ti
sj umpingupand
downjustfr
om seei
nghim onhisknee.

I’
mj uststandi
ngherewi t
hmybr ainwor ki
ngov ert
imet ry
ingtoprocessever
ythi
ngat
once,asf astaspossibl
e.Ineedtot hinkfast,Ican'
tjuststandher
eallnightl
ooki
ngat
Eli
kandnotsay inganyt
hing.Ifeelsoscar edandsoov er
joyedatthesamet i
me,it
’s
confusing.Int hatspli
tsecond,a t housand thoughts cross my mind and Iam
overwhelmedbyami xtureofdif
ferentemot i
ons.

If
eel
:

Joy-BecauseIlov
et hi
smanwithmybody,mi
nd,spi
ri
tandsoul
,andIt
hinkI
’lldo
any
thi
ngforhi
m asIthi
nkhewoul
dforme.

Confusion-Wonder
ingwhattri
ggeredthisproposal
.Whynow?Whathappened?Ihad
acceptedmyfat
eofbeinghissidedishforl
if
e.Nowt hatI
'
m bei
ngof
fer
edapr omot
ion,
I
'm notquit
esur
ehowt ohandl
ethat.

Anxi
ety-I
fIsayyes,wi
llIenduppar
anoi
dandbeatingupgir
lsl
i
keKomla?Whatexact
ly
wil
lmyfutur
elookli
ke?Wi l
lIhav
eamentalbr
eakdownalongal
ongthewayashegoes
ar
oundlovi
ngonslayqueensandendupi
napsy chward?

Hope-There’
saf utur
eformeandEl i
kaf
teral
landmaybewecanbethepowercoupl e.
Him a mul ti
-mil
li
onai
re Engineer
ing Prof
essor and me a multi
-t
housand-
inai
re
Engi
neer
ingDoctor.Ourki
dswoul dhavet
hebestli
fecanof
fer
.Theywi
l
lhaveevery
t hi
ng
meandElikneverhadgrowingup.

Anger-Howdarehethi
nksI'
m wort
hytobeasecondwi
fe!Howdar
ehenotdi
vor
ceher
fi
rstt
hentr
yandmarr
ymet hen!Howdar
ehe!

Relief-BecauseIneverthoughtt
hisdaywoul
dcomeforme.Inev
erthoughtmarr
iage
existedi
nmypat h.I
'dgiv
enupandmadepeacewithf
il
li
ngi
nmymar it
alst
atusassi
ngle
fortherestofmyli
fe.

Fear-Whati
fIacceptt
hisr
ingbutEl
ikdoesn'
tchangehissl
eepi
ngar
oundway s?What
then?Whati
fhemessesupagainandI’
ml ef
toutinthecol
d?Whati
fhebreaksupwith
meagai
n,whatwi
l
lIdo?

Doubt-Doeshereal
lywantt
omarrymeorishej
ustf
eel
ingsorr
yformebecauseIhav
e
gi
venhimthebestyear
sofmyli
feandhav
eshownundyi
ngloy
alt
y?

Uncert
aint
y-He'
sal
readymarr
iedsohowexactl
yisthi
sgoi
ngt
owor
k?DoIwantt
obea
secondwife?Wi
l
lImanage?DoIwantthatki
ndofl
if
e?

Terr
or-I
'mterr
if
iedbyt
hethoughtofwhatKomlaandherKi
ngKongsi
sterwil
ldotome
i
fIsayyes.Theywil
lpr
obabl
ycutoffmyfingert
omakesurenori
ngeversi
tsther
eever
agai
n.

Si
ll
y-I'm wonder
ingi
fIcankeeptheri
ngi
fIsayno.I
tlooksl
i
keaR100000upt
ypeof
ri
ng.Icandoalotwit
hthatki
ndofmoneyi
fIpawnt
hering.

Butaboveall
Ifeell
ove.
Love-Thatemot i
onaloneisover
poweri
ngalltheother
s.Iknowt hatEli
klovesmeandI
l
ovehim, sowhynottakethi
snextst
ep?Whynotcl osemyey esandt akealeapoffai
th?
AndhowcanInotbechar medoffmyf eetbyhowhewental louttopropose.Hecould
havetakenmeany whereintheworl
dt oproposebuthechoset hisplacebecauseit
meantsomucht ous.Ineedamanl ikethat
,andher eist
hatmanaski ngmet omarry
hi
m.

Andthatwholescavengerhunt
,thatwassodiff
erentanduni
que.Ismi
l
ejustt
hinki
ng
abouti
t.Dude!Ihi
kedamountai
nforanenvel
ope!

Ishoul
dsayy esbecauseIlovehi
m andhemakesmehappyandIwantt omar r
yhim
anywayandIdon’tseemyselfwi
thanyoneel
seever.ButIshoul
dsaynobecauseIhav
e
nodesir
etobewifenumber2.I'mfrom apol
ygamousfamilyandIdon'
twi
shthatl
if
eon
myself
.Ishoul
dsaynotosafeguar
dmyhear t
.

IfIsayyesthenI'
l
lbeupgr
adedfr
om sidechi
cktosecondwif
e.Thatj
ustmeanst
hesi
de
chickvacancyr
emainsempty
!Yoh!STRESSincapi
tal
let
ter
s!

Thisistoomuch.I t
’sfrustr
ati
ng.I’
m goingtotakeadeepbreathandshel
fmyt houghts
fornow.Youknow, openashel f,
putallofthem i
nther
e,cl
oseitandlocki
tup.I'
l
lopenit
whenI '
mr eadytodigestthem.FornowIneedt oliv
eintheri
ghtnowandIneedt omake
adecisionthatmakesmehappy .Soci
etycangot osl
eepforawhi l
eandallthejudges
shouldgetoffthebench.Ineedtodot hi
sforme.Ineedtobeselfi
sh.

Eli
klookssoner v
ousasIjuststandtherewit
hmyhandsov ermymout h,sayi
ngnot hi
ng.
I’
mt hinki
ng.Thecrowdkeepssay ing ‘sayyes,sayyes’.I
’veneverseenstrangersso
exci
tedbefore!El
ikhastoaskagainbecausehet hinksmaybeIdidn'
thearthequest i
on,
becausewhyel seam Inotsay
ingany t
hing?I
'veneverseenhim sounsur
ei nmylife.His
handsareshaki
ngshame.He'sreal
l
yscaredofmesay i
ngno?Helovesmethatmuch?
Thisi
stoohard!I
tlookseasyi
nmov i
es,
butthenagai
nthosepeopl
ewon'
tbehavi
ngthe
ki
ndofloveEli
kandIshare.

“Baby?Ify ouneedt othi

nkaboutit
,Iunderst
and.Foryou,I
’m wil
li
ngtowai t
.Nomatt
er
howl ongittakes.Youdon'
thavetogiv
eananswerr i
ghtnow”,hesays.Tear
sareact
ual
ly
buil
dinginhisey esandhe'
sbli
nki
ngthem back.

“Yes,I
’l
lmar r
yyouEli
k.I
’l
lmarr
yy ou”,
Igivehim myl ef
thandandhesli
desthatsparkl
eon
i
t.Idon' tknow how hegotthesizer i
ghtt hough!Thissneakyex-
convi
ctofmi ne!He
probablystol
eoneofmyf ashi
onr i
ngsandt ookittothejewel
ler
s!
Igivehim ahandandhelphim up.

“
Youwi l
lmarryme?”,hesays,asifhe'
snotsureheheardr
ight
.
“
Youwi l
lmarrymebaby ?”
,hesays,moreexcit
edthi
stime.
“
Yes.I'
l
lmarryyou”
,Isay.I
’m exci
tednowandIknowi nmyheartImadet
her
ightdeci
si
on.
I
t’
salwaysbeenEli
k.

Hepi cksmeupandswi ngsmear ound,thengivesmet het i

ghtestholdI'
veeverhad.I
can’tstopki
ssi
nghi
m andnowIcan’tst
opt hetears.Ihavetostopki ssi
ngbecauseit
'sal
l
salt
ynowwi ththet
ear
s.Isai
dyes.Iactuall
ysaidy es.I
’m engaged.Isti
llf
eell
ikeI'
mi na
dream.

I
'm notexpect
ingahappil
yeverafterwithEli
k,becausetherearesomanyobst acl
es
ahead.ButI'
m expecti
nganas- l
ong-as-
we-have-
each-
other
-we-wi
ll
-be-okev
erafter
.I
ref
usetothi
nkofal
lthethi
ngswrongwi t
hthi
s.I’
m all
forposi
ti
vit
yatthismoment
.

Tearsar eblocki
ngmyv i
sion,Ican’
tseeclear
ly.Every
thingi
ssoblurr
y.WhenIwipeoff
thetears,goodnessgr
acious!HolyMarywifeofJoseph!Icanseethi
srockonmyf i
nger
closeupnow!Tosayi t’
sperfectwouldbeanunderstatement
.It
’swhat
everi
sbet
terthan
perfect
.

Idon’tmindthestranger
sscreami
ngandcongrat
ulati
ngus.Theyareshoweri
nguswi th
hugsandsomear eevengivi
ngusmarri
ageadvi
ceal r
eady!OnesaystoEl
ik“Thesecret
toahappymar r
iageissaying‘y
esdear
’towhatevershesays”.Somearet
aki
ngpict
ures.
Peopleli
kethi
ngst j
o!AndIhopenoneofthesestranger
skissingmeonthecheekhav e
herpes!

Whent heyfinallyl
eaveusalone,Iputmyar msaroundEli
kandIlaymyheadonhi schest.
IfeellikeI'
m huggi nghimfortheveryfi
rstti
me.Hecouldn’
thavechosenabet terplaceto
propose.Thi si sourplaceandit’
sbeaut i
ful
.Ther
e’sthemountainsonourright,thevast
forestonmyl eftandtheoceandownbel owinfr
ontofus.There’salsoTableMount ain
overt here,l
ooki ngsomaj est
icinthiseveningli
ghtandthecit
yov erthatsi
de.I t’
sjust
perfect .
Everyt
hingseemssomagni fi
ed.Hisheartbeatsoundsl ouderandhisbreat
honmyneck
feel
smor eint
ense.If
eelli
keIwantt ol
ovehim hard,takecar eofhi
m hard,t
reathi
ml i
ke
akinghard,prot
ecthi
m hard.If
eelli
keIwanttogoal loutwi thhi
m andnotholdanythi
ng
back.Iwantt odoeveryt
hingforhim andkeephi m happy .Iwanttopickhim upwhen
he'sdownandputbackt hepieceseachtimehef all
sapar t.Iworr
yabouthim alotandI
j
ustwantt oalwaysmakesurehe'sok.

Icli
ngontohimli
keI ’
m af
rai
dhe'sgoi
ngtorunaway .Becausemay beI'
m afr
aidthi
sis
j
ustadream andI'
l
lwakeupsoonandI'l
lbealonei
nmybedatr ez.Butt
hatscentofhi
m
thatmakesmeding-dongi
sri
ghther
esomay beI’
m awakeafterall
.

Thesunisaboutt oset.Theci t
yisnowpai nt
edabeaut i
ful
orangehuefrom t
hesunray
s.I
l
ookatther ockonmyf ingeragainandt heraysofthesett
ingsundancethroughi
tasif
cel
ebrat
ingwi t
hme.I t’
sper f
ect,ev
eryt
hingisperfect
.Myheartfeel
ssoali
veandmysoul
i
sdoinggetdown.
“Il
oveyouElik”, Isayandl ookuptohim.
“Il
oveyoumor ebaby ”,
hesay s.
IswearEli
kwasdesi gnedf orme.Het i
cksalltheboxes.

Wej ointhemasseswat chi

ngthecit
yli
ghtsandI ’
mlookingdownatCapeTownfrom a
di
fferentper
specti
vetoday. Thi
scit
yhasmademewhoIam.Il ov
ewhoIbecamewhen
Imov edhere.Igoteducati
onandIgotlov
e.Iliv
ed.I’
m 26andengaged.I
fI’
m makinga
mistakethat
’sfi
ne,I
’l
lownitandknowthatIt
riedever
ythi
ngwithEl
ik.

Heisagoodguy ,hejusthasal otofchi l

dhoodt raumaanddi dn’tgetenoughhugsasa
chil
d.Hegr ew upwi thoutaf atherandhi smot herwhol aterturnedoutnott obehi s
mother ,wasint heci ty
. Al lhehadwashi saunt ,butshedi edt oo.Sohef eelsli
ke
everyonealway sleaveshim.Soher eplacesthem bef oretheyev enleav e.Hemadet hat
moneybuti twasn' tenought obuyhi ml oyal
tyandl ovef r
om hi sfami l
ysohedi sowned
them.Hehar bour sal otofhur tandscar sbutt heyar eallstoredsaf elyawayandy ou
wouldn'tseethem justbyl ooki
ngathi m.Ihadt oscr atchalittl
edeepert ofi
ndthem.He
grewupwayt oof astandinsteadofchasi ngpuppyl oveasat eenagerlikeevery
oneel se,
hewasbusydi sarmingalarm systemsandr unningf r
om thepol i
ce.

SoIguesst hat’swhyhehadt oseekt heattent

ionofwomen.I’m pr
obabl
ymaking
excusesforhispastbehavi
ourbutthat’
show Ialwaysvi
ewedit
.EachtimeItookhim
back,Il
ookedatitasheneededmeandhi spastwasmaki
nghim dowhathewasdoing.
Ilovedhimt oomucht owat chhim suf
feranddonot hi
ng.Weallhavetojust
if
yt he
acti
onsofourmeni fwearetostaysane.

Anywayi
t’
sget
tingdarkher
eandEli
kissti
l
lstandi
ngbehi
ndmewi
thhi
sar
msar
oundmy
st
omachandhischinonthetopofmyhead.
Wedecidetoleave.
“Wheredi
dy oupark?
”,Iask.
Hetakesmet oapol ovivo.Apolov
ivo!Helovesbi
gcarsandthi
sissmall
.Hesayshe
hadtogetacarthatIwoul dn’
tev
ensuspectt
obehis.He'
sri
ght
, I
'
dhaveneveri
magi
ned
hi
mi napolo.

“I
t’
ssoharddrivi
ngt hi
ssmallt
hing,ther
e’snospaceformylegs!”
,hecompl
ainsaswe
gettot
hecar
.
“I
t’
sokdearf
iance,youcantakemyJeep.I ’
ll
dri
vethi
ssmall
thing”
,Isay
.
Iwishweweredri
vingtoget
herthough.

Hisphoneri
ngsandit
’sLumka!
Idon’
thearhi
ssideofthel
inebutEl
i
ksays,
“Shesai
dyesbro!”
.
Ithi
nkImadesomeonev er
yhappytoday
!Thewayhe’
ssmi
l
ing,
Ideser
veanawar
d!

Hehandsmet hephoneandsay sLumkawant stotalktome.Weexchangehel losand

howar eyousandhowi sl
ifeandthecongratul
ations.
“ThankyouFi erce”
, hesays.
“ForwhatBhud’Lumka? ”
,Isay.
“Forsayi
ngy estoEl i
k.He’sbeenaf r
aidtoproposeallmont h,hehasbeencarr
yingt
hat
ri
ngaround, Ithoughthewoul dloseit
!Hethoughty ouwouldsayno” ,
hesays.
“Well
,I’
m gladhef inall
yasked!”
,Isay.
Iwalkawayf rom Elikandsitont hewall
,itdoesn’tseem l
iket hi
swil
lbeashortphone
call
.

“
Areyousur ey ouar ereadyforthisthough?
”,hesay s.
“
Readyf orwhatnow? ”,Isay
.
“
Youknow, mar r
iage,withKoml ainthepict
ureandal l
? ”
,hesays.
“I
’mtryingnott othinkaboutit.Atleastnottoday.IjustgotengagedandIwanttoenjoy
t
hatfornow” ,Isay.
“Al
ri
ght,t hat'
sal ri
ght.Congratulat
ionsagainsisi.I
’mr eall
yhappyf oryouandEli
k.You
t
wohav ebeent ohellandbackandIknowy ouwillmaket hi
swork”,hesays.
“
Thanky ou.That '
sthepl an”
,Isay .
“
Buty ouknowI ’
vecomet ocareabouty ouFierceasmuchasIcar eaboutEli
k.SoIdon’t
wantt oseet het woofy ouhur ti
ngeachot heragai n.Youneedt ot hi
nkthi
sthrough,
t
ogether”, hesay s.

Thi
sphonecal
li
sspoi
l
ingmymood.

“Ihav
et ogobhudi,I
’
llcal
lyousomeothert
imeandwecantalk”
,Isay
.
Hesay sthat
'sf
ine.Ihangupandgobackt oEl
ik.Het
akestheJeepandItaket
hepolo
andweagr eetomeetout sidemyrezoncampus.Hegetstherebefor
emebecausehe
dri
vesli
keataxidri
ver!
“Come,letsgo.Wesl eepingatreztoday ”
,Isay
.
Iknow hewi llneveragr eetot hat!Hesay smybedi stoohard,butInev erhearhi
m
complaini
ngwhenwemakeoutont hatbed!Hesworetoneversleepatr
ez.Hesai dhe
wouldrathersleepi
nhi scar.
“Getyourbag.Wesl eepinghere”,Isay.
“Eei
sh,dowehav eto?Ikindofbookedusahot el
suit
einWaterf
ront”,
hesays.
“No,wesleepingheretoday ”
,Isay.
“Eei
sh.Okf i
ne.That’sfi
ne.Letmegetmybag” ,hesaysandsi
ghs.

I
’m shocked!Heagr eedt
osleepi
ngatrez
?Hedidn'
tev
enputupaf
ight
!Thi
sengagement
r
inghassuper power smos!That
’si
ncr
edibl
e.
“
I’
m kiddingsil
ly.Letmegopackabagandwecango” ,
Isay
,
Helookssor eli
eved.

Thatquest
ionLumkaaskedmei shaunti
ngmenowasIpack.Am Ir eadyforthis?Orli
ke
I'
vedonemanyt i
mesi nthepast,I
'mlett
inglov
eblindme?Wel eavethepoloatr ezand
dri
vetoWat erf
ront.I
t’
st hefi
rstti
mehe’ sdr
ivi
ngmycarandhel ovesit.Hesay sit
'sso
smooth.It
'snew andi t'
saJeep,whatdoesheexpect !Heasksi fIwantanupgr ade
becauseapparentl
ythere’sanewJeep.Isayno,I’
m goodt
hanks,I’
m sti
l
linl
ov ewiththi
s
oneandwon’ tbechangingitanyyearsoon.

Wet alkont hewayandhe’ ssost i

ngywithanswers!Hedoesn’twantt otel
lmehowhe
pull
edt hescavengerhuntof f.Hesayshearri
vedyesterdaymorni
ng.Hesay shedecided
tomar rymewhenwewer ei nGhana.Hesaysthedayhet ookmet otheruinsofhis
home,hemeantt opr oposebuthewasanemot ionalwreckandf el
tthet i
mingwas
wrong.Hesay satSunCi tyhemeantt oproposeagainbutKoml ashowedup,weended
upf i
ght i
ngandev enaf terwemadeup,t heti
mingwasnow wr ong.Thehesay she
thoughthewoul dproposewhenwewenthomel astmont hbutaftertheuncomfort
able
i
ncidentwi t
hmymot her,hejustcoul
dn’t
.

Wegettot hehot elandIst i

ll
wantt otalk.I’
mtalkingtoomucht oni
ght
.
“
So,nowwear eengagedbaby ”,hesay s.
“
Yeswear e”,Ifl
ashmyr i
ng.
“
Lookatmyr ing.Don'tlookati tdir
ectly,itwi
ll
blindyou!”
,Isay.
“
Youlikeit?”
,hesay s.
“
Idon'tl
ikeit,Iloveit
”,Ikissmyr i
ng.
"
Youmakei tlookgood! ",
hesay s.
"
Ido,don'tI?"
, Igi
ggle.
“
So,canwet alkaboutwhatt hismeansf orusgoingforward?”
,hesays.
“
Nottodaybaby .Todaywecel ebrate”
,Isayandhenods.

“
Whatdoy ouwantt
odo?”,
hesays.
“
Idon’
tknow,wecouldgot
oLongstr
eetandgetwast
ed,
orwecoul
dgodownt
oShi
mmy
Beachher eandgetwast ed,orwecangotoanybarinWaterfr
ontandgetwastedorwe
coul
dst ayrighther
eandal l
owourbodi
estoal
sogetengaged.Yourpi
ck”
,Isay
.
“Mylit
tl
edr unkard!
”,hesaysandl
aughsatme.
Ibarel
ydr inkthoughbutsomet i
mesIjustgoalloutandgetst upi
ddrunkandforget
myself.

“Il
ikethelastopti
onbett
er.Wecanst ayri
ghthereandgetdr unkoneachot
herandwake
upwast ed”,hesays.
“Well,Ineedt oshowerfi
rst
.Icli
mbedamount aint odayyouknow!Comeshowerwith
me” ,
Isay .
Weusedt omakemostofourpl ansintheshowerbackt hen.
“So?CanIcal lyouwif
eynow?”,hesays.
“No,pleaseno!Allowmetoenjoybeingafianceplease!”
,Isay.

Wedecidetonotdiscussthefutur
eandIt ellhim how Ifini
shedmyl abworkandhow
ever
ythi
ngseemstobef al
li
ngintoplace.Wepr obablywastingwaterconsi
der
ingthe
watershort
ageinCapeTown,butwhocar es.Wekeept alki
ngaboutanythi
ngand
ever
ythi
ng.Weremi
nisceaboutthegoodol dday sandal lt
hethingswe’v
ebeenthrough,
l
ikethetimewelosteachot herinLondonandbecauseIdi dn’thaveaphonei twas
i
mpossiblet
omeetupsosoI hadj ustsatthere,wait
ing.

Whathadhappenedwas,wewer ehavi
nganar gumentwhi l
ewaiti
ngforthesubway .So
thesubwaycameandhegoti nandwasl i
ke,“Baby,jumpinlet’
sgo!”.Ihadsaidnohe
mustgetoutandl i
stent ome!Thedoor shadj ustclosedandthesubwayhadl ef
tme
standi
ngt hereont hepl at
form.Ididn’
thav eati
cketcauseitwaswi t
hhi m andIdidn’t
haveaphoneormoney .Ihadbeensoscar edandjustsatther
enotknowi ngwhattodo.
Hehadj umpedof fatthenextstati
onandtookasubwaybackandf oundmesi tt
ingther
e
30mi nuteslater
,almostcr yi
ng.Longstor
yshort,helaughedatmeandIl aughedandwe
didn’
tcontinuetheargument .

“Wheredoy ouwantust ogof orourhoney moon?”,hesays,

“Easyti
ger!Wenotev enmar ri
edyet!Wej ustgotengagedt oday”
,Isay.
“Well
,youcan’tblameabr otherf
orbei ngexcit
ed.Havey ouseeny our
selfi
nthemir
ror
?I’
m oneluckyman” ,hesays.
“Youjusttr
yingtogetintomypant s!
”,Isay.
“Always”
,hesay s.Welaughabouthowwe' veneverspentt i
met oget
herwit
houtget
ti
ngit
on,wellexceptwheni t
'sthewr ongt i
meoft hemonth.Ev enthenIalwaysputmymout h
toworkinstead.Hesay sitjustmeanswear ecompat i
ble.

“OkIhavetothi
nkaboutwher ewewoul dgof orhoneymoon.Wherehaven’twebeen?We
couldgototheMaldives,
theyhav ethi
sunder wat
erhotelt
hatI’
m dyi
ngt oexper
ience”
,I
say.
“Yesandwecanmakeababyt hereandcall
thebabyMal di
ves”
,hesays.
“HaaI’m nami
ngallourchil
dren!Idon'
ttr
usty ou”
,Isay.
“Noways!Looki ngatt henamesi ny ourfami l
yI’
llendupwi t
hchil
drencal
ledPopcor nor
CokeZeroorChi pRol l
!Orwor seAkon!Sono, Iwillnameourchildr
en”,hesays.
“Woosoy oumaki ngfunofmynamenow? ”
,Isay .
“Whichone?Last born?Whoi scalledLast bornwhent heyarenotev enthel astborn?
That'
snotev enaname!Whatwer ey ourpar
ent sthinking!
”,hest
art
slaughi
ngatme.
Thi
sman!
“Fi
ercei
sf unnyt oobutit’sgrownonme.Il oveitact uall
y.I
t’
ssouniqueandi tdescribes
youperf
ect l
y.Youar ef i
erce!Andisn’tyouar egoingt oshowmej usthowf i
ercey ouar e
assoonaswest epoutoft hi
sshower ”,
hewi nks.

Ican’tdealwi t
hhi m.Hel aughsatthatLastbornnameal lthet i
meandhenev erusesit
real
ly.Hesay ssomeZi mbabweanpar entsdon’ tdeservetonamet heirchi
ldr
en.The
chil
drenmustbegi venrandom namesatt hehospital
atbirt
h.
“Buty ounamedy ourki
dsPet erandPaul !Why?Thosear esuchl azynames.Youdidn’t
eventhink!”
,Isay.
“Thosear ebeauti
fulnames!Whaty outalkingaboutit
?”,hesays.
“Youpr obablynamedt hem aft
erP-Squar ehopingtheywillalsobef amouswhent hey
growup! ”.I
t'
smyt imetol aughathi
m now.
“Iact
uallydidn’
tnamet hem hey”,hesays.
That’smycuet oshutup.I ’m nottalki
ngaboutKoml atonight !Wedoneshower ing
anyway ,wewast i
ngwat ernow.

“Baby?” ,
hesay s.
“Yes?”,Isay.
“Areyour eadyt otryandhav ekidsagai n?”,hesay s.
Iwasn’ texpecti
ngt hat .Ididn’tevent r
yt hefir
sttime,itj
usthappened.
“Ithi
nkso.Why ?”,Isay .
“BecauseIcan’ twai tfory out ohav emychi ldren”,hesays.
“Idon’tknowbaby .Idon’ tthinkI’l
lmakeagoodmot her”
,Isay.
“Areyouki ddingme?I ’vewat chedy ouwi t
hPet erandPaul.Youwi l
lmakeagreatmot
her.
BesidesI ’l
lber ightt hereev eryst epoft heway ,tohelpyouandwewi l
lrai
seourl
it
tl
e
engineerstogether ”
, hesay s.

That’
strue.Icanalmostpi
ctur
ethem inmyhead.I’
m hopi
ngfortwinsinfutur
e.Iwould
l
ovethat.Irememberheaskedmesomet imeagotohavehisbabiesandIhadl aughed
abouti
t.Aftert
helobol
aandstuffisdone,wewi
llt
ryforababyorbabies.AndPeterand
Paulwil
lmaket hecut
estbi
gbrothersever
!

Butwai
t.It
hinkIj
ustagr
eedt
omar
rysomeone’
shusband!

Ohwell,mymi ndi
sonothert
hingsri
ghtnow,I
’l
ldealwit
hthattomorr
ow.
“Whatyoudoing?”
,Iask.
“I
’mtry
ingtoconnectmyphonetotheTVsoIcanpl aymusic”
,hesays.
HegetsitdoneandAkoncomesup.Akoni sourpersonandit’sj
ustfi
tt
ingt
hatwepl
ay
hi
smusi
ctoday
.Hi
ssongshav
ebeenwi
thust
hrought
hickandt
hin.

“Sowhatwast hatf ourt

hoptionyougavemeear l
i
erofengagingourbodi es?
”,hesays.
Igi
ggle.Hehast hatef f
ectonme.Igetall
giggl
yandbl ushyaroundhim sometimes.
“I
fyoubehav e,I
'
lldot hatt
hingyouli
ke”
,Isay.
Hehasst udiedmef ortoolongandnowknowsmel iket hebackofhishand!Heknows
how himl ookingi ntomyey esget
smeal lthetimeandhow br eat
hingdownmyneck
makesmykneessoweak.Andheknowexact l
ywher eandhowt otouchmet ogetmy
enginerev v
ing.Iguessi t’
stimetoconsummat eourengagementnow.Theonet hi
ngwe
neverdisagreeon!

Whenwef i
rststar
tedIhadzeroex
peri
ence.Icoul
dntevenki ssproper
ly.Heal
ways
bri
ngs uphowhel ovest
hathewasthefi
rstwit
hme.Het aughtmeev er
ythi
ngandhe
expl
oredmybodyandbowheknowseveryi
nch.HehasaPhDi npleasi
ngme.

Isti
l
lgetgoosebumpswhenhet ouchesmel ikethis.It
’sli
ketheveryfi
rstti
me.Hekisses
met henstops.
.He’steasi
ngmeIknow.Iwoul dlovet oplayhardtogetbuthe’
sgivenme
atasteandnowIcan’ twai
t,Iwantsomemor eandIwanti tnow.Igetonmyt i
ppytoes
andpulldownhi sneck.Hedoesn’tresi
st.Beforelong, hi
shandsar eevery
whereandhe’s
ki
ssingmehar deranddeeperlikehe’sbeenwai ti
ngf orthi
sallhisli
fe.Thewayhe’ s
ki
ssingmei smakingmer egr
etal lt
heki ssesIwast edonpastpeopl e.Theywereall
wrong.Thisishowkissingshoul
df eell
ike.

Ifeell
ikeI
’m melt
ingandI’
m nosurehowmuchl ongerIcanstayst
anding.Byt
hetimewe
upgradetolyi
ngont hebed,Let
’sJustFal
lInLov
e -Akon, i
splayi
nginthebackgr
ound.I
’
m gladforthesongbecauseIdon’thowsoundproofthesewall
sare.

IguessEliki
sj ustt
hatgoodbecauseI ’m her
ereal
isi
ngt hatsayi
ngy esisthebest
deci
sionI’
veev ermade.I
fhebr oughtamarri
agecer
tif
icater i
ghtnow andsai
dsign,I
woulddoitwit
houtasecondthought.He'
spul
li
ngofft
heki ndofpassionthatmakesme
suddenl
ythi
nkbeinghi
ssecondwi f
ewon'tbesobadaft
eral l
.

Ilovehowhi sskincontr
actsperfectl
ywithmineandhowhef eel
sabi theav yont opof
mebutIwoul dn’
thav ei
tanyot herway.It’
sapar adiseandabat tl
efi
eld,allwrappedin
one.Ineverwantittoend.Ourbodi esarej
ustdissol
v i
ngintoeachother.Igrabhisback,
pull
i
nghim closerandcloser.Ii
nhalethescentofhisperfumeandt hatextrascentthat
’s
j
usthim.It’
sthemostdel ici
ousscentinthewhol ewor l
d.Itmakesmewantt odri
nkhim,
l
ickhim,bit
ehi m,eathi
m upandhav ehi
mf ordessertaft
erwards.

I’
veneverwantedanyonelikeIwantEli
k.I
t’salwaysbeenhim.Ikeephol
dingon,pushing
mybodycl osert
ohisandpul l
inghi
m downonmesoourbodi escanbecomeone.Ij ust
wanthim cl
oserandcloserandali
ttl
ebitcloser
.Whenhel i
ft
shisheadfr
om myshoul der,
holdsthebackofmyheadwi thhi
shandandl ooksmei ntheeyeandtel
lsmehel oves
me,I '
m complet
elyfini
shed.That’sitf orme.Icoul ddot hi
sf oret
erni
ty!Ifeelso
connect
edt
ohi
m.He'
ssodeephe'
stouchi
ngmysoul
.

Icl
osemyeyesandl
ett
hesongnowpl
ayi
ngt
akemeawayasIr
idet
hiswav
e.Ii
magi
ne
i
t’
sEli
ksi
ngi
ngtome.

Thi
s,l
i
keat
housandsongsbef
orei
t,i
snowmyf
avour
it
esong.

‘
LOVEHEARTATTACK-AKON’
Iusedtobe,yeah,extr
emelylonely
Til
lyoucamear oundandbecamemygi rl
Andy oumademesee, yeah
Therealwoman
I'
mluckytohavef oundyouinthiscruel
worl
d

Causesomel iveforalif
etimeandnev erseehowwonder
ful
lov
ecoul
djustbe
Causey ou'
l
lalwaysbemyl ifeli
nethat
'swhy
Ibeli
eveyouthefluidthatmakesmyhear tbeat
,ohoh
Irat
herdiethanwat chyoul eave,ohoh
Causey ouarethereasonwhyIbr eat
h,ohoh
Ij
ustfeltmyheartskipabeat ,
ohoh
I'
m havi
ngal oveheartattack

Igetsoexcitedyeah
Ithappenswheny oucomearound
Getmybl oodpressureri
si
ng
Igetsodelight
ed,yeah
Especial
lywhenIlayyoudown
We'drathermakelovethanfi
ght

Neverwannaseemy sel
fwi
thout
Wouldn'
tdoitevenifIwasall
owedto
Li
fewouldn'
tbethesamebabywi thouty
ou
Mylit
tl
eheartdon'
twannabeatwi t
houtyou
[
3/11,21:
49]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER63

Elikdidn'twakemeupt hismor ningsoIonl ygotupaf t

er10am!If eelbetrayed. How
canhewakeup,showerandl ivef orov er2hour swi thoutme!Hesay shedi dn'twantto
disturbmebecauseIl ookedl i
keIcoul duset herest.He'ssoful
lofit!Thef i
rstthingIfeel
i
st heringonmyf i
nger.Itstil
lfeel swei rd.Hebr oughtmebr eakf
asti nbed.Wel l,t
he
restaurantprepareditandr oom ser vicedel i
veredit
, buthe'
sservi
ngi ttomesoI '
l
ltakeit
asi fit
'sfrom him.I'
m nothungr yr eall
y.Ijustwokeup!Whoeat sassoonast heywake
up?Ieatabi tthoughbecausef iancedear estinsi
stsandt henj
umpi ntot heshoweral one,
sincesomeonedi dn'
twai tforme!
Honeymoonphasei soverandreal
it
yiskicki
ngi nhard.ThetruthofwhatIagreedto
yest
erdayisnow dawni
ngonme.WhatIdi dy ester
daywasi mpulsi
veandit’
sgoingto
complicat
emylif
eev enfur
ther
.YouwouldswearI '
m possessedbyt hespi
ri
tofstr
ess
becauseever
yti
meI '
minahappyplacest
ressfindsmeorIf i
ndit.

Wehav etotal
ktoday.Ihat
eser
ioustal
ks.Theysomehownev ergowel lf
orme.El iki
s
toohonestsometi
mesandhehasnof il
ter
.Hemi ghtjusttel
lmehel ovesKoml abut
feel
ssorr
yformesohe' sdoi
ngmeaf avourbymarryi
ngme.Hecoul dsayt hatandsee
nothi
ngwrongwit
hit!Wemightj
ustendupbrokenbefor
et hedayends.That'
sscar y
.

YesterdayIwasexcitedaboutthi
swhol eengagementt hi
ngbutnowt hatIthi
nkaboutall
thelogisti
csandt hehurdleswewi llhavetoj umpover,I'
mterr
ifi
ed.I'm notreadyfor
marriage.Ihavenocluehowt obeawi f
e.Nooneev enknowsI'm engagedbecausewel l
,
Idon'thavefri
ends.I'
l
ltel
lmylabmat esinpersonandtheyaregoi
ngt obeshockeddead.
Theyal lt
hinkI'
mi nalongdrought,wellexceptBunke. Hewillj
udget hehelloutofme
andcal lmestupidusi
ngthemostpol it
eofwor ds.

Ithi nkI'
mt ir
edbecauseI '
m doingev
eryt
hingatsnai
lspeed. Itt
akesmeawhol e30
mi nutestofinishshowering.El
i
khadtocomeandchecki fIwassti
l
lali
ve.Igothr
ough3
di
f ferentoutfi
tsbeforeIdecidewhattowear.Eli
kisusel
ess.Hesays‘thatl
ooksgreat
baby’t oev eryoutfi
t!Byt het
imewel eavetheroom i
t'
spast12andt hecanonfrom
Signal Hil
lhasalreadyfi
red.

Forsomeonewho' sgoingtobeawi feI'

m showingwaytoomuchski n.Ihaveonshort
short
s,asmallT-shi
rt
,acapandt rai
ners.Il
ookl
ikeafir
styear
!El
iksaysIlookcut
ewhen
Itr
ytochangei ntooutf
itnumber4.Hesay sImustembracethi
sbodyIhav eandwear
whateverIwantsothatshouldIloseitwhenIstartpoppi
nghischil
drenIwon'tr
egr
et.I
guessthat'
sonewayt olookati
t.

Hesayswear egoi
ngdeepi nt
otheoceantotal
k.Itdoesn'
tmakesenseunt i
lwemakeit
tothesi
deofWater
frontwit
hboats.Heal
way sl
ovedt heocean,havi
nggrownupinCape
Coastandal
l
.Hesay sitsmell
sgoodandit
'ssofarfr
om thestressesofmainl
and.

Hegotusapr i
vateyachtsowecan ‘escapethenoi
seoftheland’andgoandtal
k.I
t'
s
j
ustustwoplusthehelmsman(dr
iver
)andt woatt
endant
stokeepbri
ngi
ngusdri
nksand
what
everel
sewewant .

Sheoffer
susoy ster
stosnackon.Ihatethosethi
ngs.Theyaresosli
myandyucky.The
fi
rstti
meIt r
iedonewasatadepartment alf
uncti
on.I
twentallthewaydownmyt hroat
thencamer i
ghtbackupandIhadt otakeitoutwithmyfinger
s.Thatwasgr
oss.Idon't
wantthem anywherenearmymouthev eragai
n.Lucki
l
yshehasmussel si
nbut
tercream
sauce.Nowthat'
swhatIlove.

Wesi
tatt
hef
rontoft
hey
acht
,faci
ngeachot
her
.Todayi
sjustaboutt
alki
ng.Wemake
smalltalkli
kear guingaboutthecolouroft hesky.Isaytheskyisblue, t
hat'
sanobrainer
.
Hesay sit
'sv i
olet.Iremindhimt hatt heatmospher escatter
sbluel i
ght mor ethanit
doesr edli
ghtt herefore-bl
ue.Hei nsistsi
t'sviol
etbutweseei tasbl uebecauseofhow
oureyeswor k.Hegoesont oexplainhowt heret
inaofourey eswor kandt hedi
ffer
ent
wavelengthsofl ightandtherel
ationshipbetweent hem andoureyesight.Whenhe’
sdone
Iknow he'sr ight.Theskyi sactuall
yv iol
etwej ustseei tasblue.ButI '
m notgoi
ngt o
admititoutloud!

Wenotheretohaveasciencef
orum t
houghandwebot hknowwehav
etost
artt
alki
ng
aboutt
heser
ioust
hingsatsomepoi
nt.Thankf
ull
yhegoesfi
rst
.

“So,
nana?Doy ouregr
etagreei
ngtomar r
yme? ”
,hesays.
“NoIdon'
t”
,Isayandplaywithmyring.Hehardl
ycal
lsmenana,buti
t'
salwayscutewhen
hedoes.
Igobacktomymussel s. Idon'
tknowwher ewearesupposedt
ostartt
alki
ng.I
’l
lwai
t.

“Doyouwantmor emussel s?”

,hesays.
“Nothanks”
,Isay.
“Doyouwantany t
hingelse?”
,hesays.
“Nohunn.I’
m good.I’
m notthathungr
yany
way
s”,
Isay
.
Anot
herlongpause.

“Alr
ightbabylet’stal
k” hetakesthebowlwi t
ht hemusselshel
lsandsignal
sforan
att
endanttotaket henmovescloserunt
ilourkneesar
etouching.Thenhedoesn'
tsay
anythi
ng.Hejustkeepspl
ayi
ngwi t
hmyhands.

Okf ineI’ l
lgof ir
st ,other
wi set hesunwi llsetandwewi l
lstil
lbeher emaki
ngsmall
unnecessar ytal
k.
“So,what’sthesi t
uat i
onwi thyouandKoml a?”,Iask.
“Nothing’
schanged.Wear est il
lmar ri
ed”,hesay s.
“Ok,whenar eyouget ti
ngadi vorce?”,
Isay .
“I
’m not”,hesay sitsoeasi l
y,Idon’ tunderstand.
“Whynot ?”,Iask.
“Becauseshei sthemot herofmychi l
dren.Idon’ twantPet erandPaulgr owi
ngup
withoutamot herlikeIdid.I’ml ookingoutf orthem.Besides, Idon'that
eherbaby”, he
says.
“Soy ouaremar ryingmeaswel l
?Howi sthatgoingt owork?It
’sill
egal!
”,Isay
.
Itakeadeepbr eath.Iwi l
lremai ncalm andwi llnotlosemycool .
“We'llmakeapl an” ,hesays.
“Whatdoy oumean?Youdon’ thav eaplany et?”,Isay.
“Noty et
”,hesay s.

Thewayhe’
ssocalmismaki
ngwantt
opunchhiminthestomach!Icoul
djustt
hrowhi
m
i
ntot
heseayouknow.Li
ke,
whyi
shesocalm aboutt
his?
“Youcan’tbeseri
ousEl i
k!”
,Iactual
l
yfeell
ikelaughing.
Thisisabi gjoke.I’
m goi ngtobeengagedf ortherestofmylif
eatthi
srat
e!Thisi
s
witchcr
aft.Heputar i
ngoni tsoIdon’tgettakenbyany oneel
se,
buthewon'
tmarryme
alltheway.SoI'
llbestuckinli
mbof oraveryl
ongt i
me.

“Beser i
ousbaby.What'
stheplan?”
,Iask.
“Idon'thaveany”,
hesays.
Alltheangelsandsaintsinheavenpleasecallanurgentmeeti
ngandst ar
tprayi
ng for
mebecauseIt hi
nkI'
m abouttocommi tmurder.Hecan'tbeser
ious.
ButI ’m keepi
ngmycool .Andclear
ly,Ineedt omaket hedecisi
onshere.Br
eathei
n,
breatheout.

“Ok,wecan’ tgetmarri
edbecausey ouar emar ri
edincommuni tyofpropert
yandy oucan’
tdivorceKoml abecauseshewill
takehal fofal
lyourest
ates.Isthatr
ight?”
,Isay.
“Nowemar ri
edoutofcommuni t
yofpr operty
.Weent eredintoanant enupti
alcont
ract
beforet hewedding.SoifIdivor
ceher ,shejusttakeswhatev ershehadbef orewegot
mar r
iedandt hat’
snothi
ngreal
ly”
,hesay s.
Idon'tknowwhyI '
mreli
evedbythatKoml awon'tbetaki
ngof fwithhal
fofev er
ythi
ng!
“Well,shecanhav ehercaratl
east”
, Isay .Imeanitasajokereally
.
“ThatFor t
unerisinmyname” ,
hesay s.

Wow!Sohegotmet heFor
tunerthent
heJeepandgav emefullownershi
pbuthe
coul
dn'
tdothatforhi
sownwife.Andshe'
sst
il
ldr
ivi
ngt
hatol
dFor
tunerwhi
lesomeofus
haveupgr
aded.Shame.

Outofcommunit
yofproper
ty.Thatmakesawholel
otofsense.That
’swhyKoml
awi
l
l
nev
erleav
e!Shewoul
dhavenothing!That
’swhy
!

“Sobaby ,yourpl
ani
sf ormet obeyoursecondwi f
e?Youwantpol
ygamy
?”,
Iask.
Iknowt heanswerisy esbutIneedtobesuresure.
“Somet hi
ngliket
hat.Iwanttomarryyou,off
ici
all
y”,
hesay
s.
Isigh.Yane!Whathav eIgottenmysel
finto.

“ImetwithClive(hislawy er)andhesai
dKoml aandIneedt oconver
tourmar
ri
agei
ntoa
customarymar r
iage, t
hent hatwayIwil
lbeal
lowedtomar ryyou”,
hesays.
Ikeepplayi
ngwi thther i
ng, wonderi
ngi
fImadetherightdeci
sionher
e.
“Haveyouspokent oher ?”,Isay.
“Nonoty et
”,hesay s.
“SoKoml ahadnocl uethaty ouaremar
ryi
ngme? ”
,I'
m shocked.
“Shedoesn't
”,hesay s.
Sti
llsocalmit'
sdr i
vingmecr azy.

Ineedascal
pel
tosl
i
ceopenEl
i
k’shead.I
’
m cur
iousabouthowhi
smi
ndwor
ks.Hei
snot
normal
.
“I
’l
ltel
lherwhenIgetbacktoJobur g”
, hesays.
“Andifsheasksforadivor
ce?”,Iask.
“Shewon’t”
,hesays.
I’
m getti
ngaheadache.Thisher eisthereasonIdr
ink!Ical
ltheat
tendantandaskf
ora
glassofwine,
thesweetesttheyhave.

“Wewi l
lbefi
nebaby ”,hesays.
“How?Youdi dn’tthi
nkaboutthis.Youj ustwantedtoproposeanddi dn’
tthi
nkofwhatto
doafterIsayyes!That ’
sselfi
shbaby .Idon’ tneedthi
s.Ican’tdealwit
hKoml afory
ou.
Sheisy ourwife!Ishouldn'
tbet hi
nkingf oryou.Youshoul dn’thaveproposedtome
wit
houtaplan!”,Isay.
“Pl
easedon’tbeupsetwi thme.Let ’
swor kthroughthi
stogether,
please?
”,hesays.

Thi
scall
sformetostand.I
’m gett
ingseri
ousl
yworkedup.It
’shardtoexpressmysel
f
usi
ngmyhandswhenI’
m seated.It
akealongsi
pont hewi
nethenwalktotheedge.
Hefol
l
owsandstandsbehi
ndme.I t
'sl
ikeweareint
heAfri
canver
sionofTi
tanic.

“Oklook, I’
m goingtomeetupwi t
hCl iveassoonasIgett oJoburgandI’
llt
alktoKoml a.
Wewi llchanget hetermsofourmar r
iagetocustomary,t
henwecangetmar ried”
,hesay s.
“Thatpr ocesswi l
ltakeupt o6mont hs!Andt herearesomanyst epsinv
olved!”
,Ididn’t
meant oshout ,butIjustdid.
“NotifIpayt heRegistrarofDeeds!Iknowaguy ”,hesays.
Thewayheeasi lypay shiswaythroughl i
fei
squitescar
ysomet i
mes.

“Youshouldhav et
houghtofallthatbef
ore!
”,Isay.
“ButI’
mthinkingabouti
tnow”,hesay s.
Iturnandgivehimtheeyeandhei mmediatel
ystartsapologi
sing.
“I’
m sorr
ybaby .Youareri
ght,Ishouldhavet houghtthi
st hr
oughf i
rst
.Youar
eri
ght
”,he
says.
Thisri
ghthere,i
swhatmyf uturelooksli
ke!Ain’
tIjustaluckygirl
!Si
gh.

Itur
nar oundsoIcanf acehi m.
“Whydoy ouwantt omar ryme? ”,
Iask.Justoutofcuriosi
ty.
“BecauseIlovey ou”,hesay s.
“You’vealwayslovedme, sowhynow? ”,Isay.
“Ishouldhav emar ri
edy oual ongti
meago.I t’
sjustl
ongov erdue.Il
oveyouandIwant
chil
drenwi t
hy ouandIwantt ospendther estofmylif
ewithy ou”
,hesays.
Her eall
ywantst hosechildr
enshame!

“Idon’
tknowhowIfeelthoughaboutbei
ngasecondwif
e,y
ouknow”
,Isay
.
“Comeonbaby .Youdon’thavetothinkofi
tthatway
.Youwil
lbemywife.Iwantt
hat
.
Don’ty
ouwantthat?
”,hesays.
Mxm!HeknowsIwantt hat!
Iturnawayagainandintothesea.Thisi
stoocompl icat
ed.Heturnsmebackar oundsoI
facehim.
“Hey,okIwil
lhandlethi
schangeofmar ri
agestatus.Iwanttopaylobol
af oryouassoon
aspossibl
ethough.Iwanty outobemywi feal
ready”,hesays.
“HowEl i
k?Youdon’ thavefamily!Who’
sgoingt odot henegoti
ati
ons?Andhowar ewe
goingtogetmarri
edwi t
houttheirbl
essi
ng?We’ll
justbesett
ingoursel
vesupf orf
ail
ure”
,I
say.
Sincehedisownedev eryone,Ihavenoideawhoi sgoi ngtogohomef ornegoti
ati
ons.
May behecanhiresomeuncl esinJobur
g.I'
m suretheyareposerswhowoul dappreci
ate
themoneyandaf r
eetri
pt oZimbabwe.

“I
’l
lmakeaplan”,hesay
s.Hel ooksabithurt.Am Ibei
ngunr easonabl
e?Andbringi
ngup
hisfami
lywasjustmestat
ingf act
s!Wasi twrongtopointthatout?Andi fhesayshe’
ll
makeapl anonemoreti
me, Iswearforrealt
histi
me, I
’m pushinghim ov
ertheedgeand
may behecanbeswal l
owedbyawhal el i
keJonahandr et
ur n3day slat
erwithsome
sense!

“I'
m sorr
yaboutbr i
ngingupy ourf
amil
ybabybutweneedtotal
kaboutthataswell
”,Isay
.
“Speakt oy ourauntfir
standf i
ndouthow manypeoplear
esupposedt ocomef orthe
negotiat
ionsthenIwillfi
ndthepeopl
e”,hesays.
Idon'tbeli
ev ethi
s!Iwasj oki
ngwhenIt houghthewoul
dhi
repeople!Wer eal
l
yneedt o
tal
kaboutt hisaft
erIcallmyaunt.

Thi
si st
oohard.Whydi
dn’thej
ustthi
nkaboutall
ofthi
s.It
hinkI
’
m goi
ngt
ocr
y.If
eel
li
ke
hedidn'
tgotheext
ramil
et omakesureev
eryt
hinggoessmoothl
y.
“Fi
erce,
lookatme”
,hesaysandtur
nsandholdsmychi nup.

“Baby ,i
fyoucan’tdothis,l
etmeknow.Iwi l
lunder
stand.Iknowyoudon’
twanttobea
secondwi fe.Iknow how youf eelaboutyourmotherandst epmotherandthewhole
relat
ionshi
p.Iknow.IknowI ’
m aski
ngfortoomuchf r
om youhere.Soi
fyoucan’
t,
it’
sok.I
’
l
l sti
l
l l
oveyouandy ou’
l
lstil
lbemybaby .Justtel
lme”,hesays.

Idon’tknowanymore.MaybeIneedt owalkawayrighther eri

ghtnow.He'soff
eringmea
safepass.Ican’
tseehowt hisisgoingtowor k.I
’m goingt obefi
ghti
ngKoml a,Ihavet o
l
ietomyf amil
yandIdon’ tseeKoml aagr eei
ngtot hem changingthest at
usoft hei
r
marri
agecontract. Andundercustomar ylaw, Eli
kwi llbefreetomarr
ya3r dwi feand
a4thanda100t h!Andhecanaf f
ordto!Andi fwegetmar r
iednow,how isitgoingt o
work?Wi l
lwehav ealongdistancemar r
iage?Meher eandhi minJoburg?I’m gett
inga
seri
ousheadache.ButIagr
eedt othis!

“CanyoudothisFierce,f
orme?Wi thme?Pl ease.Don’tgi
veupnowbaby
”,hesay
s.
Helookssosincereandinnocent,
y ouwouldn’tbel
iev
e.
ButI’
m wir
edwr onglyanyways,
soInod.
“I
’l
ldothi
swit
hy ou.We’l
lmakeitthrough.I
’
m notleavingyou”
,Isay
.
“Idon’tknowwhatt odowi t
hyouFier
ce.Howdoy oudothi s?Youar eeveryt
hing.Ican’t
affor
dt oloseyou”,hesay s.
IfIwasev ery
thing,
woul dn’thehavemarri
edmei nthefi
rstpl ace?Oratleastbedivorci
ng
Koml a?Weshoul dn'tbehav i
ngthi
sdiscussi
onwear ehavingr ightnow.
Igivehim ahug.Ijustwantt obeheldforami nute.I
’m afraidImi ghtj
ustfallapar
t.The
sit
uationwear einistoomucht odealwit
h.Ishouldlethi
m know.

“Iwantt obewi t
hy oubaby ,youknowt hat.It
’sjust,Idon’ tseehowwewi llgetthrough
thi
s.Idon’ thavetheener gy,Ineedt ofinishmyPhD.Ican’ taff
ordtobedi stractednow” ,
I
say.
“Lookatme” ,hesaysandcupsmycheekssoIl ookupathi m.
“I’
m goingt omar ryyou.Youar egoi ngt obemywi f
e.I’m goingtopayl obolafory ounext
mont h.What evernumberofcowsy ourpeopl ewantorhowmuchmoneyt heywant ,even
i
fit’sami lli
onrands,Iwillgi
v ethem.Iwi lldothingsright.I’
m goingtohandl eKoml aand
thewhol esituat
ion.Meandy ouwi llbel egall
ymar ri
ed.Youwi l
lf i
nishthatPhD and
graduateinApr il
!Doy ouunder stand?”,hesay s.
Hehast hatcommandi ngvoiceont hatmakesmej ustwantt osay‘ Yesdaddy !’
.
Inod.

“Sodon’tworr
yaboutany t
hing.Iwilltakecareofeveryt
hing,Ipr
omise.I
fyouwantabi g
assweddingandyouwantt oi nvi
tethewhol eofZimbabwe, Iwil
lgi
veyouthat!Iwil
lgi
ve
youwhateveryouwant.Youar eworthev er
ythi
ngIhave”,hesays.
Idon’
tknowwhatt osaysoI’ll
justthrowmyar msar oundhisneckandstaythere.

“Andwhenal li
ssaidanddone, whati
fKoml adoesn’
tacceptme?”,
Iask.
“Youar enotmar ry
ingher,youar emarr
yingme” ,
hesays.
Thisman!
“She’
sgoi ngtokillmeEl i
k!”
,Isay.
I
’m notf aki
ngit.I
’mtrulyscared.
“Lethert r
yifshewant stodeal wit
hme.I ’
l
lspeaktoher.Shewil
lnevert
ouchy
ouagai
n!”
,
hesay s.
Thatsoundswr ongsoIdon’ tknowwhyI ’
m smili
ng.

I’
mt ir
edofstandingnowsowegobackt osit.Wekeept alki
ngandhewant stoknow
aboutthewaywedoourl obolaprocess.Iactuall
ydon’tknowmuchaboutt hepr ocess
becauseit
sa ‘men’t hi
ngbackhome.Womendon’ tsiti
nt henegoti
ati
onsandnoone
hasgonethrought hatinmyf amil
ysoI ’m notsure.Itel
lhim whatIknow.Iwillhaveto
cal
lmyauntandt ellherI’
m engaged.Ithinkshewi l
lbeveryexci
ted!Shewil
lthentel
lmy
parent
sandwecant akeitfr
om there.Shewillknowwhatt odo.

“
Areyougoingtotellyourf
amilyabout ,
youknow,meandKomla?
”,hesay
s.
“
No”.That
’snotevenaquest i
on.I’m notgoi
ngtotel
lthem!
“
Ist
hatagoodi dea?Shouldn’
ttheyknowupf ront
?”,
hesays.
“
No,Isai
dI’m nottel
l
ingthem!”,Isay.
“
Comeonbaby .Theyareboundtofindoutatsomepoint,sodon’
tyouj
ustwantt
otel
l
t
hem y
our
self”
,hesays.
“
Dropi
tal
ready!Pl
ease.Isai
dno!
”,Ialmostscr
eam athi
m.

“Whatdoy ouwantmet ot el
lthem exactly?Thatal lthistimeIwasbr inginghomea
mar r
iedman?Thatmymot hersawmehav i
ngsexwi t
hamar r
iedmani nherhome?That
I’v
ebeensl eepingwi t
hamar ri
edmanal ltheseyearsandnowI ’m marryinghi m?That
thei
rbel oveddaught erwhocannev erdonowr ongismar ryi
ngamar ri
edman?I st hat
whaty ouwantmet otellt
hem?Howdoy out hinktheywi llr
eact?Huh?Yout hinkyouwi l
l
continuebei ngtheirpreci
oussonaf terthat?Yout hinkt heywi l
lacceptyourcowsaf ter
that?SonoIwi l
l nott
ellanyoneanythi
ngendofst ory!
”,I
’m upset.
It
’snothi m.It’
sthiswholesituat
ion.Mypar entscannev erf i
ndout.Theywoul dn’tsupport
thei
reducat eddaught erbeingasecondwi fe.Theyhav eal wayswant edthebestf orme
andal t
houghIknowEl ikiswhat’sbestforme, otherpeopl emightnotseeitt hatway!

“I
’m sorr
ybaby .Iwasj ustsaying”,hesaysandpul l
smecloser
.Toreall
yhughi
m,Ihave
tositontopofhi m,f acinghim,wi thmyl egswr appedar
oundhiswaist
.Tal
ki
ngabout
seri
ousthingsishard!Lov eisharder!
Ireal
isenowt hatImighthav ebeent ooharsh.HemeantwellandsomehowIthi
nkhe’s
ri
ghtaboutt el
li
ngthepar ent
sbutI ’m over
whelmed.Somuchi sgoingonandsomuch
needstobet akencareof .SoIcan’ttakeanymor e.

“Can’twejustelopebaby ?Goandgetmar ri
edonabeachsomewher einBrazil.Wedon’
t
needacer t
ifi
cate.Meandy ouwill
knowwear emar r
ied!
”,Isay.
I’
m seri
ouslyconsideri
ngit.Itwoul
dbesomucheasi eryouknow.
“Nonana,Ir eal
lyneedust odot hi
sr i
ght
.Please.Iwantt ofoll
ow yourtraditi
onsand
mar r
yyouright”,hesays.
Ifeelsorr
yf orhim.Myuncl esal
readyknowhe’ sl
oadedsoIwon’ tbesurprisedift
hey
chargehim hal fami l
li
on.Ihav et otel
lmyauntt otel
lmyf athertotellmyuncl esto
behave.Theyar enotselli
ngmeher e.Besi
dest heyhavebeensur v
ivi
ngonEl ik’smoney
thi
swhol eti
mesot echni
callyhehaspaidlobolaalr
eadyininstall
ments.

“Youknowbaby ,
Iwentt hroughthefi
rstweddingwithoutbei ngt r
ulyt
here.Ididn’twantto
got hr
ought hatweddingbutIendedupdoi ngitoutofobl igati
ont ofamil
yandsoci ety.I
waschat t
ingt oyouthatdayasIsatont hathightable.Idi dn’tenj
oymy sel
f .Mymi nd
wasn’tevent her
e!Iwasf eelingsoguil
tybecauset hewomanIwasmar r
yingwasn’ tt
he
oneIwant ed.Iwantedy ou.Soonaftertheceremony ,Ikepttryingtocallyou.Ineededt o
apologi
sef orbet
rayi
ngy ou.Yourphonewoul dn’tgothrough.Ikeptt r
yingallnight.Koml a
askedmewhoIwascal li
ngandIsai d,‘Theloveofmyl if
e’.Iknowi twasmeanbuti twas
true.WefoughtthatnightandIsleptwithLumkaandshesl eptalone”,hesays.

Ihav
enocomment
.

“
Soasmuchasourweddi
ngwoul
dbef
ory
ouast
hebeaut
if
ulbr
ide,
itwi
l
lal
sobef
orme
too.Iwanttoenj
oyit.Iwanttobeapar tofitandreall
yexperi
enceit,
youknow.Soi
twil
l
bey ourf
ir
stweddingandi twi
llbemi net
oo.I'
llf
inall
ygettomarrythewomanIloveand
sayv owsfr
om myhear tandnotrepeataf
terapriestl
ikearobot!
”,hesay
s.

Thi
sisgoi
ngt
obesoexci
ti
ng.

“Koml ahasal waysknownabouty ousoIdon’ tknow whyshe’ sbei ngsodi f

fi
cult
.I
actual
lytoldherthatIwouldmar ryyouonedayandt hati
fshedi
dn’twantt hat
,shewas
fr
eet oleave”
,hesays.It
’snicebeingElikne.Hegetst wowoment hatcan’tl
eavehim and
heget stokeepthem both.He’sactuall
ygoingtohav eusbothandI’m okwithit
.IguessI’
veshar edhimforsolongitfeelsnaturalt
o.Isti
llt
hinkKoml ai
sgoingtokill
me.Ineedt o
cal
l Avbobtomorrowandsi gnupf orfuneralcov
er.I’
m sodead.

“Howlongar ewesupposedt obehere?Whattimedoest hetr

ipend?”
,Iask.
“Whenev erwewant .Wear epay i
ngbythehour”,hesay s.
We.Ilikethesoundoft hat
.
“LookatmeFi erce”,hesay s.Why?I’m enj
oyingr est
ingmychi nonhisshoulder
.Ilook
anyway .
“YouknowIl ov
ey our i
ght?
”,hesays.
Inod.
“Youcant ellmeany thingbaby.Iwantyout obehappy .Soi
fy oudon’
twantthis,
please
tell
me.I’m beggingy ou.Iwil
lunderst
and.Ineedt oknowi fy
ouar et
rul
yinthi
sornot”,he
says.
Ilookaway .Ineedtof i
ndther i
ghtwordstosay .

“Iwanty ouEl i
k.Il
ov eyou,morethanany thi
ng.SomuchIdon’ tevenunderstandhalfofi
t
my self.ButItrustyou.Itrustyouhav ethoughtaboutt hi
s,wi thmeinmi nd.It r
ustyou
doingt hisbecausei t’
sthebestt hingforus.Ifmebei ngy oursecondwi feiswhaty ou
trul
ywant ,thenItrustandrespectyourjudgement.Let’
sdoi t”
,Isay.
Hej ustkeepsst ar
ingatme.Idon’ tknow.May beIsaidsomet hingwrong,Idon’tknow.
“Arey ouseriousbaby ?
”,heasks,witheyeswi deopen.
I
’m notqui t
esur ewhathei sreal
lyasking.

“Youaremymanandsoony ou’
llbemyhusband.Ihav etolistenyou.Itr
ustyoutomake
deci
sionsforthebothofus.I’
m wi t
hy ou,I’
m notagainstyou.Iwi l
lgothroughthi
swith
youbecauseasl ongaswehav eeachot herwe’llbejustf
ine.Soy esI’
m okwi t
hthi
s.It
’s
notsomethingIeverdr
eamedof ,butitiswhatitis.I
’
m notev enquitesur
ehowexact l
yit
’
sgoingtowor kbutl
et’
sfi
ndoutt ogether”
,Isay.
Iwantedtosaymor ebuthe’
skissingme.

“I
’m soluckytohaveyou.Idon’
tknowhowIhav eyoubecauseIdon’
tthi
nkIdeser
veyou”
,
hesay s.
“Youdeservemebaby .Noonecanev erlov
emet hewayy oudo.SoI’
m exact
lywher
eI’
m
supposedt obe.Iwoul
dn’ttr
adeyouforanythi
ng”
,Isay
.
Icantel
lheneedsreassur
anceandI’m wil
li
ngtogiv
ethat
.I’
m speakingfrom myhear
t.
Hejustkeepsst
ari
ngatmel i
keI
’m anal
ien.Ij
usthavet
ochangethetopic.

“Soaf termar r
iage,arey ougoi ngtoexpectmet owearadoekandl ongskir
tsandstart
cleaningt hehouse?”,Isay .
“Ofcour se.Youhav et owearbaggyt hingsandcal lme‘ baba’andkneeldownwhenev er
youseeme” ,
helaughs.
Irememberhowhel aughedatmekneel ingdownt owashhi shandswhenwewer eback
home.Ihadadoekonandal ongbaggydr ess.
“Ok,Iwi lldothat,youwi llsee.Youwillfeell
ikeyouarel i
vi
ngwi thyourgrandmother!
”,I
say.
“I’m ki ddingbaby .Youhav et okeepdr essingli
ket hi
s( short
s),usmenar ev i
sual
creatures.Mel ookingaty oul ooki
ngsof ineandsexyalldayi sfor
eplay.I
t’
samaj orturn
on.SowhenIgethomeIj ustwanttohitthat”,hesays.

“Theycal lwomenwhodr esslikethisprosti

tutesyouknow!”,Isay.
“No,that’sjustotherwomenwhosayt hat.Usmenwedon’ tcompl ai
n, weloveseeingthat
actuall
y ”
,hesay s.
“Well,i
nt hatcase,I’
llbekeepi ngmyshor tsthen”,Isay.
“Ofcour se.I twouldn’tbey ouwi thoutthem.Il oveyouexact l
yasy ouare.Andno,y ou
won’ tbecl eaningthehouse!Youwantt owakeupat4am andcl ean,thengot owor k,
thencomebacki ntheev eningandst artcooking!Bytheti
mey oucomet obedy ou’l
lstart
tel
li
ngmey ouar eti
redandI ’l
lnevergetany .Sono”,hesays.
“HaveIev ersaidI’
mt ir
ed* wink*”
,Isay.
“Nope.AndIi nt
endt okeepi tthatway .Iwoul dgomadi fIdidn'tgetsomeoft hat”,he
says.
He’sgr abbingmeandIf eelabitshybecauset heatt
endantsmi ghtbewat chi
ng.Ihav eto
quicklypul l
hishandsawayf rom me.

“Slowdownont hatbaby .Let’

smakeapactf ornow”,Ipropose.
“Alri
ght”
,hesays.
“Let’
spromisethatwewi l
lsupporteachother,wewillt
alktoeachotheraboutever
ythi
ng
andwewi l
lhel
peachot herthrought hi
s.Wewi l
lnotshuteachotherout
!”,
Isay.
Hegi vesmehispinkyfi
ngerandIgi vehim mine.
Pinkyswear.
Wheni tcomest osupporti
ngme, Ihavenodoubthewi ll
holdhisendofthebargai
n.Heis
verygoodinthatdepart
ment .

Ithinkwegoodnow. Wehav ebeental

kingf
orthelongestt
ime.We’velef
tthedi
ff
icul
t
stuffandarenow j
ustfooli
ngar
ound.Wecanr etur
nt otheWater
frontnow,wehavea
reservat
ionf
ordi
nneratthe12Apost
les.

El
i
kisleavingforJoburgtomor
row.Hemeanttostayher
elongerbutheneedstodeal
wi
tht
he‘ changethestat
usofmarri
agecont
ract
’assoonasyest
erday
.It
’saboutt
obea
bumpyr
oad,
Ineedt
obr
acemy
sel
f.

“Holdmeanddon'
tsayanythi
ng”,Isay.
Heholdsmetight
erandstayssil
ent.Wi t
hourv oi
cesnowsil
ent,Icanhearthesoundof
theoceanhi
tt
ingagainstt
hey acht.Thesoundi ssosoothi
ngandpeacef ul.Ineedto
prepar
emysel
fforthi
scomingjourney.Iwil
lneedever
ygram ofstr
engt
hifI'
mt osurv
ive.

Asweareneari
ngtheWat
erf
rontandnet
wor
khasr
etur
ned.El
i
k’sphoner
ings.I
t'
sKoml
a!
[
3/11,
21:
50]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER64

Somuchhappenedi nt hepast2weeks,I 'm exhausted,annoyed,shookandangr y

.You
wouldswearmeget ti
ngengagedt oEl i
kiswor sethanwhatgl obalwarmingisdoingto
theworld!Li
kecomeonnow,wehav ebiggerproblemsi nt heworldli
ket hewarinthe
middleeast,
starvi
ngchildreninIndia,Bi
tcoi
nlosingv al
ue,fuelpri
cesgoingup, y
ouknow!
Thingsli
kethat!Thosear erealproblems.Mebei ngengagedt oEli
kshouldn'tevenbean
i
ssue!

Butya,there’ssomuchnegati
vit
ygoi ngaround,Icannotdeal
!Ican'
t.Ourpeopl
ehave
beenpracti
singpol
ygamyforcent
uries,sowhyisitsuddenl
yanabominati
onbecausei
t'
s
me?Peopl earecomingatmefrom alldi
rect
ionswithgunsbl
azi
ng!

Myf i
rstmi stakewast ell
i
ngt heguysinthelab!Ithoughti
twasther i
ghtthi
ngtodoy ou
knowseei ngt hatI'
mr ockingthi
srockonmyf i
nger.IknewtheymightnotapprovebutI
wasnev err eadyforthebashingIgot.Iendedupat earf
ulmess.Ihadkindoflef
toutthe
partofEli
kbei ngmar ri
edandmebei ngawar dedthepositi
onofsecondwife.

ButBunke!Bunkechukwu!ThatNi gerian dar

k chocolatethatused t
o make my
temper
atureri
se,j
usthadt
otel
lthem Iwasmar ry
ingamar ri
edman!Andofcourset
hey
i
mmedi atel
yassumeditwasanoldblesserandtheydi dnotwit
hhol
dthepuncheshey
!
Theyshreddedmeandgrat
edmet opieces.I
'
m sti
llshook!

BRAI N
Brainwentoffatmel i
keIhadcheat edonhim orsomet
hing.Hesai dhedidn'tknowwhyI
wasgi venabr ai
ni nthef i
rstpl
acesinceIconti
nuousl
yrefuset ouseit!Hesay shecan
seenowt hattheonl yreasonIdidn’tdat
ehim wasbecauseI ’m agol ddi
ggerandj ust
want edanoldmanwi thmoney .Idi
dn’tev
engetwhyhewast akingitsopersonalwhenit
hadabsolutelynothingtodowi thhi
m!Youwoul dswearIhadpr omisedtodat ehimi
nt he
futur
e!

NDIVHU
Hesay sital
lmakessensenow.Thef acebookpostsonthatpage,thesuddenri
ches,t
he
al
way ssmi l
i
ngonmyphone,t hedr
ivi
ngofexpensivecar s,t
hemani nthesuitheonce
saw me wi th enter
ing rez,myWhat sApp st
atus pi
ctures i
n exot
ic pl
ace and my
unexpl
aineddisappearances!Hesay
sheshoul dhaveknown!
Idon’
tknowwhatt hatmeansorwher
ehegetsofftel
l
ingmet hat,consi
der
inghehasa
uni
ver
salpenist
hathasseenmoregir
lst
hanagynaecologi
st!Ithinkhesoundedj
ealous
nowthatIt
hinkofi
t!Whyelsewoul
dNdiv
hugooffatme?I t
'sunlikehim.

Asift
hatwasn’tenough,bi
gmouthNdivhuj
usthadt
ogoandt el
lProfthe ‘
youwon’
t
bel
i
evethi
s’andhecalledmeinf
oratal
k.Whendidmenst
artl
i
kingthi
ngsmara?

PROF( Super
visor)
Theol dmanpul l
edoutaBi bl
eonme!Hegav emeawhol elect
ureonhowt her
eareno
blessingsinsteali
nganotherwoman'shusband.Ididn'tstealhi
m!It'
snotli
keKomlawas
walkingintownwi t
hEliki
nherhandbagthenIsnatchedt hehandbagandr anaway!What
dopeopl emean‘ steal
’
?Ifshethi
nksIst
olesomet hingthatbelongstohersheshoul
dgo
reporttothepolice!

Andwequot ingthebiblenowser iousl

y?Rel
igi
ousblackmail?Arewegoingtoignor
ethat
polygamyi sinthebible?KingSol omon,Ki
ngDavid,FatherAbraham,Esau,Gi
deon,Ezr
a,
Caleb,Icouldgoon.Sowhycan’ tEl
ikbeall
owedasecondwi f
e?ButI’m notonefor
rel
igiousdebatessoIl i
stentotheol dmangoonandev eninvi
temeforapr ay
ergroupat
hischur ch!Overmydeadbody .DoIl ookli
keIwantanexor ci
sm perf
ormedonme!I
knowt hesepeoplethinkI'm possessed!

MYAUNT
Ohgl ori
ousaunt,whatwoul dIbewi t
houtyou!Myauntisoverthemoony ouwoul dswear
i
t'
sherget t
ingmarried.Ofcourseshedoesn'tknowt hewholestor
yandi nherheadI '
m
mar r
yingintoloveandmoney .Ar arecombinati
on,shesays.Shesaysev enifhebreaks
myhear tatleastI'
l
lbecr y
inginamansi oninSandtonanddrivi
ngaFerr
ar i.Shesaysshe
can’twai ttoseemesoIcant el
lherwordf orwordonhow herbelovedmkhweny ana
proposed.

LUMKA
IspentoveranhouronSky pewithLumkat heotherday.He’sassupportiv
eofEl i
kas
al
way sbutIkindagotthefeel
ingthathet
houghtIwassettl
ingf
orlessthanIdeserv
e.He
di
dn’tsayitl
ikethatbuthekeptaskingi
fI’
m sur
eaboutthisandthatI
’m st
il
lyoungIdon’
thavetodot hisandstuf
fli
kethat.

Ii
nsi
stedthatI’
m sureandt
hatIloveEl
ik,
whichheal
readyknows.Hesay
shewi sheshe
hadawomanasl oyaltohi
m asIam!Andhepr omi
sedt osuppor
twhateverEl
ikandI
deci
deandhewi l
lbet hebestmanagai natthewedding.Heevenoff
eredtobet he
godf
atherofourupcomingf
ootball
team.

ELI
K
Mypreci
ousbaby.Iwoul
dn'
ttr
adehi
mf orany
thing.Myloveforhi
missobadthatwhen
he’
snotaround,
Imissevenhi
sannoyi
nghabit
s, hi
slackofpl
anni
ngandhi
szerosense
ofur
gency
!

Wet al
kev erynightonthephonenowsi ncewegotengaged.Ineedi tconsi
der
inghow
annoyi
ngev eryoneelsearoundmeis.He’ssoexcitedaboutmebei nghiswif
e,i
tmakes
menotr egretmydeci si
on.Andwell
,he’sbusysohe’ sgivi
ngmehi satt
enti
onthebest
wayheknowshowt o.Byblessi
ngmewiththem Mandel as,event
houghIhaveoneofhis
bankcards!Wheni tcomest obei
ngsuppor t
ive,Eli
kt akesthetr
ophyshame.Itnever
takesl
ongf orhimtocheermeup.

KOMLA
Andont heseventhday,whi
leGodwasrest
ing,t
hedevi
lcr
eat
edKomla!DearKoml a!My
soontobesisterwif
e!Thatwomanhasenergyanddr
amathatIf
ail
tounder
stand.Idon'
t
getheratal
l.

Eliksai
dshecompl et
elylosthermindwhenhet ol
dheraboutourengagement
.Ithi
nkhe
contri
butedbecauseIknowt hatmancanbesocol dsomet imes.Hepr
obabl
yjustsaid,
“Heywi f
ey,guesswhat.IaskedyourarchenemyFiercetomar r
ymeandshesaidyes,so
cleantheguestroom,she’smov i
ngin”
.Iwouldn’
tputitpasthi
m!

Appar
entl
yshegoti nt
ohercaranddr ovestrai
ghti
ntothedurawall
!Wouldn’ti
thave
mademor esensei
fshecr
ushedEl i
k’scarr
ather
?Then,appar
entl
yshethr
eatenedt
okil
l
her
selfi
fEli
kmarri
edmetowhi chhesaid‘goahead’.Thenwhenallhert
antr
umsdidn'
t
workonEli
kshetur
nedherangertowardsme.

Shestarteddr
aggingmeonFacebookandpost i
ngsomepicsIdi
dn'
tevenremember.I'
m
j
ustthankfuli
t'
snotnudes!Ican'ti
magine!Shewentaslow aswrit
ingabouthow my
si
sterdiedhavinganaborti
onandhow Ihavehadsomanyabor ti
onsIcan'thavekids
anymore!Andtoaddvinegartot
hewound,Ihadtobe shownallt
hosepostsbyNdivhu!

Idon'tknow,maybeshenot i
cedthatI
'm notonFacebooksoshet ur
nedtoWhatsApp.
Aft
err eadi
ngherfi
rst4messagesIconcludedthatsheneedstoseeaspecial
i
st.Such
confusioncan'
tbenor mal
.Atleasthermessageswher eshortsoIdidn'
thavetogo
thr
oughpar agr
aphaft
erpar
agraph.Komladoesn'
tdeser
veint
ernet
!

1:Whyar eyoudisturbi
ngmyhusband?I 'm comingaftery
ou,fool.
2.Ihavewar nyoubef or enow t
oleavemyhusbandal one!Uglyandf ool
ishashawo
(Pr
osti
tute)
.Myhusbanddon' tmarr
yanugl ygirl
!
3.Youthinkmyhusbandl ov
esyou?Hehat esyou,hetel
lmet hat.Youareadisgr
aceto
womanhood!
4.Remov ethewitchcraftyouputi
nsidemyhusband.Remov eitItel
lyou.St
upidgi
rl
.You
don'
tlovemyhusbandy ouwantchop-money .Gogetaj obabegandl eaveusalone.I
f
youcallhi
slineagain,asweIgosound( sl
ap)y ou.

Eh!Thi
swoman.I
fyouar
einsul
ti
ngsomeone,woul
dn'
tyouwantt
obeascl
earas
possi
bleandusealanguagetheyunder
standsothatyouri
nsul
tshav
eani
mpact
?ButI
guessshewassoupset,evenEngl
i
shranawayfrom her
!

Idon'tknowifsheexpectedresponsesorwhatbecauseIdidn'tseeanyr easonabl
eway
torespondsoIt ookscr
eenshotsforfut
ureusethenblockedher.AllIknowissheneeds
met obehersi sterwif
esoIcant eachheraboutli
fe.Wecanst artwithhow toinsul
t
someoneov ertextmessages.

Whensher eal
isedshewasbl ocked,shest
art
edcalli
ng!Di
dshehonest
lyexpectmeto
answerhercalls?Pshh.Thenhersi st
eri
nter
venedandsentmeamessageIcoul dn'
t
quit
eunder
stand.Icouldt
ellshewasangrybutshe'
ssofunny!

‘
Youthi
nkbabaPaulleavespr
operwomanlikeKomlaforuselesst
wo-two (prost
it
ute)
l
i
keyou?Hemar r
yy ouandyoubel
ievet
hat
?Idiotl
i
keyoucan'thavegoodhusband.St
op
i
tnow!St
opitIsweartoyoul
it
tl
egirl
’
.

Ifoundt hatmessagef unnyandIdon'tknowwhat'

supwi ththeirEngli
shtoday
!May be
i
t'
sonst ri
ke!Ibl
ockedt hatonetoo.Thenanot
hernumberfoundmet el
li
ngmet heywil
l
beatmewi thawire.Awi r
e?Notast i
ckorashoeatleast
?Awi re?Ihopeit'
snotbarbed
wire!Ihadtouninstal
lWhat sApp.

Ididnotrespondtoevenoneoft hemessages.Ididn'tev
enlist
entothevoi
cenotes.So
whensher eal
isedIwasn'tgi
vinghernoti
ce,shegaveuponmeandpul l
edoutthebigger
guns.Shebookedaf l
ighttoGhanat ogoandr eportEl
ik!Thiswomanissocl ueless
aboutherhusband,i
t'
snotev enfunny.Shemustaskme.I fyouwantEli
ktol
ist
entoy ou,
thelastt
hingyouwouldwanti stotakehisbusi
nesstoafamilyhedi
sowned!

Sowit
hKoml agone,Elikwasleftal
onewi
ththetwi
ns.He'
sanamazi
ngf
atherbuthe
al
sogetsv
erybusy.Ineedtocoachhi
m onhi
stal
ki
ngskil
l
sthough.

Hewasl i
ke,“Whaty ouupt
o?”.
“
Sameol d”,
Isaid.
“
Howdoesy ourtomorrowl
ookli
ke?”,hesai
d.
“
Sameol d”,
Isaid.
“
Yout hi
nkyoucancomeandbaby si
tforme?”,
hesai
d.
“
Wher e'
sKoml a?”
,Iask.
I
'm worr
iedEli
kistryi
ngtof
orceustobei nonepl
acet
oget
her
.

“A,t
hatone.Sheleft.Shewentt
oGhanat othatfamil
yshelovessomuch!
”,hesays.
“Ohwow.Soar ey ounotgoingt
ofol
lowher?”,Iask.
“Fi
erce!Ihavemoneyt ochasebecauseIneedt obuyal otofcows.I
'm marr
y i
ngan
expensi
vegir
ly ouknow!Sono,Idon'thavetimet obeplayi
nghideandseekwit
hcr azy
people”
,hesays.
Ok.Noneedt obedr amati
cnow!
Iaskedi
fhecan'
tleavethem wi
thKomla’
ssi
sterandhesai
dshepoi
sonshi
schi
l
drenso
hedoesn'
twantheranywhereneart
hem.

Hehadt omeetupwithsomehi ghuppeopl einZambia.Thei

rcompanyisopeni
ngupa
branchther
e.Theyactual
l
ygotaconst ruct
iontenderalr
eady!How yougetat ender
beforet
hecompanyevenexist
sinthatcountrysur
passesmyunderst
anding.

"Fi
ne.I'
l
lbetheretomor
rowmorni
ng”,
Isai
d.
IneededtogetoutofCapeTownforabi
t.
[3/
11,21:51]I
nini
:CHAPTER65

Withthatsaid,I'
mi nElik’shouse,l
yi
ngonamat tr
essintheli
vi
ngr oom,wi t
heacht win
fastasleeponeithersideofme.Wear e‘ campi
ng’!
.I'
vehadav er
ylong3day s.Dealing
withkidsisexhaust i
ngshame!Idon' trestwhentheyareup.Theyar etoohy peracti
v e!
Partl
ymyf aul
tbecauseIal low t
hem toeatwhatevertheywant.Today,wewentt ot he
Zoo,thenhadapi cni
catZooLake,t henhadoursupperatMcDonal ds.Thenwehadt o
gopastGamet obuyat entbecauseapparent
lyweweregoingcamping.Ididn'
tgeti tbut
theytooktheirt
imet oexplai
n.

“AuntyFierceI'
mt ir
edofsl eepingonabed.CanIsl eepinatent
?”,
Pet
ersai
d.
Ilookedathiml ike,whatisthischildsmoking!
“Yesaunt yFier
ce.Wecangocampi nginthefor
est”
,Paulsai
d.
Whent heysayFi erceissoundsl iketheyaresay
ingFears.
Theywer eget t
ingexcitedandIwasget t
ingworri
ed.WhatisMcDonal
d'
sputt
ingi
nthei
r
burgerstomakechi l
drenwantt ogoandsl eepi
nthefor
est?

“Noguy s,wecan'tgotot heforest

.Ther eareli
onsthere.Theywi l
leatus”,Isay.
“Nowecangot otheforestbutathome.Ther earenol ionst her
e”,Petersaid.
From hisargumentIknewi twasPet er.Paul i
smor esoftspoken.
Att hi
spointIwast hi
nki
ng, El
ikwherear eyou?Comeandt akey ourkids.
Theyex plai
nedt omet hataf orestdoesn'thavetobeaf orestyoucanmakey ourown
forest.I
twasconf usi
ngashel landt heywer etalki
ngov ereachot her
.Butev entuall
y
Petermader eferencetothemov i
ewewat chedtheotherdaywher et hekidwassl eeping
i
nsi deatentinhisroom.

Sot hat'
swhyweendedupatGamebuy i
ngani ndoortent
.Wepitchedthattentri
ghthere
i
nt helivi
ngroom andwearesleepingi
ni tr
ightnow.Ihadtopul
louttheirchri
stmastree
from thestorer
oom att
heothersideofthepoolandplaceitout
sidethetent,t
ogivethat
forestlook.

Ican'
tsaynot othem.Theyganguponmeandar esocutewhendoi
ngi
t.Andt
heir
st
ubbornnessandsomesi l
lyargumentstheymakeremindmeofEli
k!Sonow I
'm
sl
eepi
nginsideat
ent,i
nthel
iv
ingroom pl
ayi
ngFar
m her
oes!
Bri
ngi
ngthemattr
essfr
om theotherr
oom toherewasami ssi
onandahalf
!It
hinkthey
putst
onesinsi
demattr
essesthesedays!Itwassoheavy!Anditdi
dn'
thel
pthatthese
twokeptt
ryi
ngtohel
pmebutwer eactual
l
ydistur
bingme.

Whichr
emi
ndsme.Ineedt
omaket
hem wearnamet
agsbecauseIcan'
ttel
lthem apar
t
st
il
l!

I'
vebeenrefer
ringtothem asmykidslatel
ytowhoeverasks.Wegetal
ongandIdon’t
know how t
heirmotherhasnottur
nedt hem agai
nstmeyet.It
’samir
acle.I
'
m act
ual
l
y
happyher
ewi t
ht hem.Ifeel
muchbett
er.

Eli
kshouldhav ebeenher eal
ready
.I’mt i
redbutI’
m sti
l
l up,wait
ingforhim.It
'sal
most11
pm nowandhe' ssti
llnother
e.Idon'teventhinkther
ear efli
ghtsatthistime!Hisphone
i
sof fandI'm dozingsoIguessI '
llseehi minthemor ningthen.Deali
ngwi thPeterand
Paultakesallmyener gy
,Idon’tevenknow how I ’m sti
llawaker i
ghtnow.ButI '
m not
complaini
ng.Ihatesleepingt
heseday s.Ihavenight
mar esofKoml acomi ngforme!

Imusthavedozedofft
houghbecauseI ’m wokenupbysomeonet appingmyfoot.Iki
ck
thehandsohar
dIhear‘ ouch’
.Serveshimr i
ght
.Whotapsotherpeople’sf
eetwhenthey
aresl
eepi
ng!I
ttakesawhi l
ebutIev ent
ual
lygetoutoft
hetent.I
t'
sElik.Hetakesmeby
thehandandl
eadsmet othebedroom.

“Whendi dy ougether e?”, Iask.

I'
m st i
llt
ryingt owakeup.
“Notsol ongago.What 'sgoi ngonwi t
hthetentandt heChr
ist
mast r
ee?”,
heasks.
“Longst ory .Apparentlywear ecampinginaforestsomewhere!”
,Isay.
“Seriously?I ntheli
vingroom? ”,hesays.
Irol
l myey es.
“Askt heboy s.Iwast heiridea”,Isay
.
Hel aughsatme.
“Youl etthoset wobul lyy ouintoplayi
ngthei
rgames! ”,
hesays.
“Idon'tmi nd.It'sf
unact ual l
y.Theyaregreatki
ds”,Isay.

“Doy oul ovet hem?”,hesay s.

Whatt ypeofquest i
onist hat!
“Ido.Al ot
”,Isay.
Iwantt osl eepbuthewant st otalk.
“Baby .Ineedt osleep.Let'stalkinthemor ni
ng”,Isay
.
“Wai t
.Ihav easur pri
sefory ou”,hesay s.
Iwonderwhathecoul dpossi blyhav ebr oughtmef r
om Zambiat hatcan'
twai
tti
l
l
mor ning.
“Pleasegi veittomei nthemor ning.Iwon'tbeabletobeexci
tedr
ightnow”.
AtleastI 'm beinghonest.I'
m st i
l
l hal
fasl
eep.
“
Alr
ight
”,hesay
s.

“Alr
ight
.Younotsl eepingwithme? ”,hesay s.
“No.Theycan'twakeupi nthemor ni
ngandI '
m notther
e!”
,Isay
.
Helaughs.
“Youareamazi ng!Youknowt hat?
”,hesay s.
Iwanttosmi l
ebutIwantt osleepmor e.
“Youcancomeandj oinus.It
'sa4mant ent .There'
splent
yroom”,
Isay
.
Idon'twai
tforhisr esponse.I
'm sosleepy.

Li
ke 10 minutes l
ater
,he getsintothe tent.I'
m maki ng him chil
dish shame!He
st
rai
ghtenstheblanketandcover
smeandt hetwins.Thenhel iesdownatt heoneend
wit
hhisarm aroundPeter(
Ithi
nk)andI
'
m sleepingontheot hersidewi
thmyar m ar
ound
Paul(
Ithi
nk).I
'
m sureKomlawouldhaveahear tat
tackifshewal kedi
nrightnow.

“
Goodnightbaby”,
hewhi
sper
s.
“
Nightl
ove”,Isay
.
I
'
m 3quar t
ersasl
eep.

****
****
**
Iwokeupat7am f eel
i
ngmuchbet ter
.Ihadaminipani
cat
tackwhenIwokeupinthe
tent
.Ittookawhiletofigur
eoutIwasn'ti
nacageorsomethingl
i
kethat.Wel
lIdi
dn'
t
wakeup, Iwaswokenup.Myl i
tt
ler
ascal
swant
edtowishmeagoodmorning.

“Byeaunt yFi erce.Iaskeddaddyf ory out ocomewi thusbuthesay sy oumustsl

eep”
,
Paulsays.
“Canwegot ot heZooagain?”,Petersay s.
“Wewi l
lgo” ,Isay ,r
ubbingmyey es.
“Wearesl eepi nginthetentagaintoday !Ri
ghtauntyFier
ce? ”
,Petersays.
Thischi
ldi sal readyadapti
ngthat‘ commandi ng’t
oeofhi sfatheratt
hisage!
“Youknowdaddycamebackandhesl eptinthetenttoo”,Peteragain.
“I
sit?Ididn'tseehi m”,Isay.
“Youweresl eepi ngbutheslepther eandhewokeusup” ,Paul says.

“Okguys,gety
ourbags,let
'sgo”,
Eli
ksayslooki
nginsidethetent
.
“Byeaunt
yFierce”
,theybothsayandbothhugme.I t
'snotahughug,moreoft
hrowi
ngof
armsaroundneck.Howt heyaresoawakeandaliv
esoear l
ybeatsme!

Theirhugsandsmi l
esar et hebestt hi
ngever.Ifeelsomuchl oveever
yti
met heythrow
thei
rhandsar oundme.El i
ksai dhewast aki
ngthem t odaycar
ebecausehewant smeal l
tohimselftoday.Idon'tknowhowt hi
sdaycar
et hingworks.Soyoucanbri
nginy ourki
ds
anydayy ouwant ,notcont i
nuously?Ialwayst houghtitwaslikeaschoolwher ethe
chil
drenhav etogoev erydayforat erm.
Iwentbackt osleepasoonast heyl
eft
.WhenIwokeupagaini twasaf ter8.Eli
khad
al
readytakenoutthetr
eeandtakendownthet
ent
,leav
ingmesleepi
ngt hereintheopen.
Howr ude!Iwokebecauseoft
henoisehewasmaki
ngwhi l
emakingbreakfasteven.

Ihadt
imet
oatl
eastbr
ushmyt
eet
handwashmyf
acef
ir
st.Nobr
eakf
asti
nbedpl
ease.

“Here’sy ourwar m waterwi

thlemon.I '
m almostdonehere”,hesay
swhenIr
eturnand
handsmeacup.
“Youneedahand? ”
,Iask.
“No.Justsi tbackandenjoyyourwater.I'
l
lbedonejustnow.
Ican'tstopsmi li
ng.Her eal
l
yisspecial.I'
m si
tt
ingther
e,sippi
nginmywar
m waterand
watchinghi m cook.I
t'
sabeautif
ulvi
ew.

TheZambi
andeali
scomingal
ongjustfi
ne.Hesayswewil
lberol
li
nginmoneysoon.I
l
ovehow heusesthe ‘
we’ f orever
ythi
ngtheseday
s.Ithoughtwewerealready
swi
mminginmoney
!

He'
sget
tingbet
teratt
hismaki
ngbreakf
astt
hing.Thebaconandt
heeggsar
ejustr
ight
andt
hetoasti
snotbur
ntandthecof
feei
sperf
ect!

There'
ssomuchbacononhi spl at
eIwonderhow hedoesn'tgainweight!Hekeeps
thanki
ngmefortaki
ngcareofPeterandPaul
.Hesaystheycan'
tstopt
alkingabouthow
muchf unt
heyhad.It
hinkIj
ustscoredmaj
orpoi
nts!

Assoonaswear edoneeati
ng,he'
smor ethanexcitedtogogetmemysur pri
se!Ashe
disappearsint
othebedroom andI
'mlef
taloneatt hetable,
I'
m prayi
ngthatit
'snotanew
car.Idon'twantanew car.MeandmyJeepr ecentl
ymetandar estil
lgett
ingtoknow
eachot her
!I’
m notr
eadyforanewrelat
ionshi
pwi t
hanot hercar
.Pleasehelpme.

Hehandsmeabi gbr
ownenv el
ope.Itf
eelslightthough.
“What'sthis?”
,Iask.
“Takeal ook.It
’sthereasonIcamehomel atel astni
ght.Ihadt
opickthem up”,
hesays.
Iopeni tandit'
sonly2pages.Ihav etoreadt hroughabi t
.
‘
Applicationofdissol
utionofmar r
iage’
.I
t'sdivorcepapers!
Wait!Divorce!Hecan'tdivor
ceme, wearenotmar ri
ed!Canhe?Canyoudivorceaf
iance?
I'
venev erheardsuch.ButIcan'tputanythingpastEl i
k!

“Youwantt odivorceme? ”
,Iask.
Ionlyrealiseaftertal
kingthatIsoundedsostupid.
“Don'tbesi ll
y”,
hesay sandpul l
smet osi
tonhi slap.
“So?I'm notf ol
lowingbaby ”,
Isay.
“I
'm divorcingKoml a”,
hesay s.
Hejustsay sitli
keit'
s,‘ I
'
m goingtobuybreadatt hetuckshop’
!Isn'tdi
vorceabigt
hing?
Whyi sn'thehur torcryingorupsetorwhat
ev eremotionaccompani esdivorce?
“Whyar eyoudivorcingher ?IsaidIwil
lbeyoursecondwi
fe.Sowhat'
stheprobl
em now?”
,
Idon’tunderst
and.
“Shebetrayedme” ,hesay s.
Iwishhecoul djusttel
l meev ery
thi
ngwit
houtmehav i
ngtokeepaski
ng!
“Whatdidshedo? ”
,Iask.
“Sheknowsexact l
yhowIf eelaboutt
hatfamil
yinGhanayetshewenttothem anyway
s
andtoldthem mybusi ness.Iv al
ueloy
alt
yFier
ceandshebetrayedt
hat.So,
I'
m donewit
h
her”,
hesay s.
“Justli
kethat?”
,Iask.
“Justli
kethat”
,hesay s.

Ithi
nkI '
m growi ngevi
l t
heseday sbecausethi
snewsjustmademesmi le.
“Wow” ,isallIcansay.
“Yes.Sof rom nowon, y
ouwi llbemyoneandonly.Icanfi
nal
lyconcentr
ateallmyenergy
ony ou!It'
slongov er
due” ,hesays.
Ilovet hesoundoft hat!Sonomor ehust l
esoftr
yingtoconvertthei
rmar ri
ageinto
customar yandIwon' tbeknownast hegir
lwhomarri
edamar ri
edman!Ther eli
ef!

“Havey outol
dhery
et?”,Isay
.
“Ya.IsentheraWhatsAppmessaget heotherday”
,hesay
s.
Ohwow.Hedumpedhi swi fet
hroughWhat sApp?Justli
ket
hat
?Nosi
tt
ingdownand
t
alkingaboutitl
i
keadult
s.That'
spuresavagetjo!

IknewwhatKoml adidwasstupidf
rom t
hemomentEli
ktol
dmeont hephone!Ihonestl
y
don'tknowhowshedoesn'tknowElikal
lthesey
ear
s!Andnowshewreckedhercar,the
onlythingshecouldhav
ewal kedawaywi t
h.El
i
kmighthavel
ethertakeit
.Ifshehad
seenhow br okenandhurthewasi nGhana,I'
m sur
eshewouldn'
thavegonet ohis
ex-
fami l
ytorepor
thi
m!

“So.Whenisshecomi ngback? ”,
Isay.
“Shesai
dshe' snotcomingback.Butshej ustwantsat
tenti
onandthinksI
'l
lfeelbadand
beghertocomeback!Idon' thavet i
mef orthat
”,hesay
s.
“Youdon'tf
eelbad?” ,Idon'tunderst
andhowhei ssookwi tht
his.Hespenty earswit
h
thi
swoman!Shoul dn’
thef eelali
ttl
ebad?
“Bad?No.Ifeel,
let
'ssee,fr
ee.Ifeelfr
ee.LikeforonceI
'm bei
ngtr
uetomy self
”,hesays.

“Divor
cest akelongthoughbaby ”,
Iknowf r
om theseriesIwatch.Theycandr agforupto
6mont hsormor e.
“Imar r
iedoutofcommuni tyofpropert
ysot here'
snodivisi
onofasset sandbesides,I
havethebestl awy er
,soitshoul
dtake4weeksmax” ,hesays.
“ButwillKomlasi gnthesepapers?”,
Iask.
“Evenifshedoesn' tsign,t
hedivorcewil
lproceed.Idon'
toweherany thing.Wejustneed
proofthatshehasbeeni nf
ormedoft hediv
orce.Cli
veishandli
ngthat”
, hesays.
Idon'
tknow whyIal way
st houghtbot hpart
ieshaveto si
gnt of i
nali
seadi vorce!
Appar
entl
ythat'
snotthecase.Ifyouwantouty ouwantoutandtheot herspousecan't
domuchabouti t.Andifyouhav eagoodl awyer,t
helaw al
waysbendst owhi chever
di
rect
ionyouwanti tto.Andal lthi
st i
meIt houghtt
heygotmar r
iedinGhana!But
appar
entl
ytheyhadthecer
emonyt hereandwenttoHomeaffai
rshere.

Thi
sisapleasantsurpr
ise.I
tjustmakeseveryt
hingsomuchsi
mpler.Komladidthi
sto
her
sel
fandsheshoul dn'tbl
amemef orit
.Inev ermeantt
odispl
aceher!Imean,I'
ve
al
waysbeenwill
ingtosharebutshedi
dn'twantandnowshe'
spushedherhusbandaway
andst
rai
ghti
ntomyar ms.

It
hinkIf
eelrel
iev
ed,y
ouknow.Eli
kisfi
nall
ymi ne.Allmine.I'
m soexci
tedIcan'
tev
en
hi
deit
.He'
sjustmademethehappi
estgi
rlwalki
ngthiscountry
!

West optal
ki
ngaboutKoml aandt
alkaboutus.Heasksthatwesetadat
eforthel
obol
a
negoti
ati
ons.Wegot hroughthecalendaronhisphoneandweset t
lefort
hesecond
Satur
daynextmonth.I
'
lltel
lmyaunttopassonthemessagetothepar
ent
s.

“So,wil
lweal
somar ryoutofcommunityofproper
ty?
”,Iask.
Ineedtoknowsot hatIcanaspi
retogetaj obandbuil
dmyownempi reforthedayIget
dumpedv i
aatextmessage.
“What?No!YoudeservehalfofwhatIhave.Whyelsewoul dIwor
ksohardifitwasn'
tto
keepmybabygirlsmili
ng?”
,hesays.
Well,hi
smoneydoesn'tmakemesmi l
e!Okf i
neyougotme,i tki
ndadoes.I
tmakesl i
fe
somucheasier.

Iaskifhe'sspokentoKomla’
ssist
er.Ikeptex
pect
inghertocometothehousei
nthe
pastdaysEl i
khasn'
tbeenar
ound.Hesayshehasdi sownedKoml
a’swhol
efamil
yand
wantsnothingtodowit
hthem!

Hebana!Thi
smanj
ustdi
sownspeopl
enj
eli
kei
t’
sdr
inki
ngt
ea!Andhedoesn’
tl
ookf
azed
abouti
t!

“Butwai t
.Whati fKoml aisseriousaboutnotcomi ngback?Whatwi l
lhappentoPeter
andPaul ?Whowi l
l t
akecareoft hem? ”
,Isay.
Thatthoughtjustcrossedmymi nd.Asmuchashel oveshischil
dren,he'
shardlyhome,
especi
allynowwi ththeZambi anexpansi on.Hecan' tt akecar
eofthem.
“Theywillst
ayherewi thme” ,
hesay s.
“How?Youhar dlyherebaby .Theyar etooy oung”,Isay .
“Well
,theywill
hav eyou.Youwi l
l takecareoft hem”,hesay s.
Ifr
eeze,myl i
psstayt her
epar t
edasi fI'
l
lsaysomet hi ng.ButIcan'
tfindthewords.

No.El
i
kno.Ihav
eenoughonmypl
ate.Ican’
tkeept
heki
ds.Icanbaby
sitf
oracoupl
eof
daysy esbutnotkeept hem i
ndefi
nit
ely
!WhatdoIknowaboutt aki
ngcareofchi
ldren?I
fedthem cerealandjunkfoodfor3day sst
rai
ght
!Whatam Isupposedtodowiththem?
Atreznogal!Andit'snotoneki
d,i
t'
stwo!
Yho!
Yane!Myl if
e!
Icouldwrit
e10books!
[3/
11, 21:
51]Ini
ni:CHAPTER66

Ihavetogobackt oCapeTownbecauseIhav etospeakata ‘WomeninEngi

neeri
ng
Symposium’
.Iagreedalongt
imeago.I
tjustmadesenseattheti
me,ast
heonl
ywoman
i
nal abofguys.Ihadbeenal
lpumpedupandfeel
ingli
keIcouldsav
ethewor
ldwit
hmy
words.

Asawomanandaf oreigner,Ial
wayshadt of
ightharderforbur
sari
esandopport
uni
ti
es.
Andasawomani naf ieldofmen, andbeingyoung,Ialwayshavetogotheext
ramil
et o
betakenser
iousl
y.I
t’shar derforusoutherei
naman’ sworldbutIvowedt
oconquerthe
worl
d,anddoitinheelsev en!

Ithadseemedl i
keagoodi deat henbutwi tht
her ecentturnofeventsI
'vebeengetti
ng
coldfeetandt hi
nki
ngI'
m nott herightpersont
ospeakaboutwomenempower mentand
gir
lpower .I
'
m weaksohowcanIt ellanyoneaboutstrength?It
hinkI’
m goingt
ocalland
cancel.Icouldsaymygr andfatherisdead.ImeanI 'v
eusedt hatexcusesomanyt imes
befor
eandi talwaysworks.

Al
so,I
’m worri
edthatmylabmateswon’
tattend,seei
ngthattheyl
ostrespectf
ormeand
st
uff
.IthinkIhav
ereli
edonthem f
orsolong,sodeepdownIcr avethei
rvali
dat
ion.Ihav
e
dr
aft
edt heemailt
otheorgani
ser
softhesymposi um t
ocancelmyspot.

“Hunn, cany oureadthisandtel

lmei fit
'spr of
essional
ornot
”,IaskEli
k.
“Sure”,hesay sandtakesthelaptop.
Afterreadingmyhar dwr i
ttenemail,
hedel etesit!
“What ?Why ?I sal
lofitwrong?”
,Idon'tbelievethi
s.Itt
ookmeal most30mi
nutest
ocraf
t
thatemai l.
“Sitli
ket hi
s” ,hesays.Hewant smet ot urnandf acehim.Hetakesmyhands.Hedoes
thi
sal ltooof t
enwhenheneedsmet oli
sten.

“Babe.Youwillgotothatsymposi
um, youwillhol
dyourheaduphi
ghandyouwillspeak!”
,
hesay s.
Idon’tknowwhyIf i
ndithotwhenhebor derli
necommandsmesomet imes!
“Idon'tthi
nkIcan.Theywantast rong,inspi
rati
onalwomanandlet
'sbehonestbaby ,I
don'tfi
tthedescr
ipt
ion!”
,Isay
.
“Fi
erce,l
ookatme” ,hesays.
Idoasasked.
“Youarestr
ong!Youaret hestr
ongestwomanIknow.Youar etheperf
ectexampleofa
womanwhost andsforwhatshewant s(that’shim,Isuppose),whodefiessoci
etal
beli
efsandnorms!How manywomenoutt herecanstandupandsayt heyhavegone
thr
oughthethi
ngsy ou’
vegonet hroughandstil
lmanagetoweart hesamesweetsmi l
e
asy ou?How manyoutt herewoulddoany thi
ngfortheonetheylove,evensayyesto
beingasecondwifewhent heyreall
ydon’
thav etobeandcansur vi
veverywel
lontheir
own?

Howmanywomenoutt herear
est r
ongenought oholddownamanasbr okenasmysel
f
foryears?Howmanywoul dkeepstumbl i
ngandfall
i
ngbutst i
llwantthatPhDandspend
sleepl
essnight
schasingthatdream?How manyhav eenduredtheamountofpai nyou
hav ebutsti
llholdt
heirheaduphi gh?How manysi nglehandedlytakecareofthei
r
parentsandsti
ll
maint
ainthesamer espectandhumil
ityyoupossess?Huh? ”
, hesay
s.

I'
mt ouched,
charmedandhumbledal
latthesamet
ime!Idi
dn'
texpectal
lthatf
rom hi
m.
Ifeell
ikeawarr
iornow!Someonepl
easepassmemyshiel
dandspear!Buthe'
snotdone!

“Fier
ce,youareaqueenandaqueendoesnotl eavehert hr
onet oaddressapeasant
throwi
ngstones!Youmustweary ourcr ownwit
hpride!Don'teverletanyonetr
yandt ake
thatawayfrom you.Don'teverfeell
ikey ouarenotbeaut i
fuloryouar enotsexyory ou
arenotgoodenoughory ouoweany oneanapology .Youdon' t
!Youar ethestrongest
womanIknow.Sogot ot hatsymposi um,walkontot hatstageandi nspi
reanothergir
l
whomi ghtj
ustneedit.Cany oudothatbaby ?
”,hesays.

Ij
ustkeepnodding.Myeyesar
eall
teary
.Myfi
ancei
sthebestt
hingi
nthewor
ld!El
i
kcan
bedeep!Excusethepun.Andthewordshesai
dbot
hr ev
ivedmeandmademewantt o
cl
ingontohim.

Heisahugemess,butheismymessandi fIhavetospendt
herestofmylif
ecleani
ng
up,t
henleti
tbe.Nooneel
sehasev erl
ovedmet hewayhedoesandIdon'
tthi
nkanyone
el
seevercan.I
nall
it’
swr
ongf
ulness,ourl
oveisever
ythi
ngtome.AndIwil
lgoandspeak
att
hatsymposium.

Soinconclusi
on,
he'
sgoingtoZambi aagai
nt omorrowandI ’
m goingbacktoCapeTown.
I’
mt aki
ngthetwi
nswit
hme.Don’ taskwhatI ’
mt hi
nking,
Idon'thaveananswertothat.I
don’tevenknowhowIagreedt oi
t.Eli
kbeggedme.Heact uall
ywentdownonhi sknees
andbegged.Hesaidhecan’ttr
ustanyoneelsewithhiskidsandwhenev erhe’
saway,he
needstoknow theyareingoodhands.Idon’ tthinkmyi nexperi
encedhandscanbe
descri
bedasgoodbutwell
,I
’ll
try.

He( hi
slawyerdidtheworkact
uall
y!
)grant
edmet emporaryguardi
anshi
poftheboys,
youknow,incasesomethi
nghappensorIneedtotrav
elwiththem ortheyendupina
hospit
aloranyt
imesomeoneneedstosi
gnovert
hatparent
/guar
dianspotonpaper
s.
InmyheadIwasjustthi
nki
ng,Ineedt hi
sconsentlett
erj
usti
ncaseKomlaopensacase
ofki
dnapagai
nstme!Soasi tstands,I'
mt echni
call
ythepar
entof2youngboys!Idon'
t
knowhowIgothereorhowIagreedt othi
sbutIdid.

IfoundaDay car
einCampsBaywher eIwi l
lbetaki
ngthem.Itcost
sanar m andaleg.
Butitcamehighl
yrecommendedandIcan’tri
skl
eavi
ngchil
drent
hatarenotevenminei
n
adodgyDay carecentr
e!Ican’tputapriceofthei
rsaf
ety.Ial
soneedt obegoingto
campusanywayandneedt oleav
ethem somewhere.

*
***
***
***
**

AsIsitonthepl
anewi
tht
het
wins,
Ican’
tst
opaski
ngmy
sel
f,“
Fier
ce!Whatt
hehel
lar
e
youdoing?
”.

Buttheki dscouldnotstayaloneandIhadt ogobackt oCapeTownsoher ewear e.

Somewher emidai
r,Paul
issl
eepingandPeterasksme,“AuntyFi
erce,
where’
smummy ?”
.
Idon’tknowwhatt osaysoIjustsayshe'si
nGhanaandwillbebacksoon.I
'm sur
eI'
l
lbe
gett
ingthisquesti
onalotandI'm notsur
ehowI'
lldeal
wit
hit.

ObviouslyIcan’ tstayatrezwitht hem soEl ikputusupi nar ent

edt wobedroom
penthousei nSeaPoi nt.Fr
om t
heai r
por twehadt ogotocampust ofetchsomeofmy
cl
othesandt heJeep. Thepenthousei sbeaut i
fulandthebal
conyfacesthesea.Il
oveit
.
Mychi ldrenandIspend2hour sgroceryshoppi ngandt henwegobackt oournewhome
andIcook.Googl esaidImustmakesur et heyeathomecookedmeal sr
ichinveget
abl
es.
Imakepast awi t
hcheeseandmi xedv egetables.I'
m qui
tetir
edsoIneedt omake
somet hingquick.TheywatchTVasIcookandpackawayt hegrocer
ies.

Wehav esupperatthetabl
e,TVoff.I'
mjustthankfult
hattheyli
sten!Ihav
eagl assof
cokezeroi
nfrontofme.After2si
psIfeell
ikei
t'
sthemosthor ri
blethi
ngI'
veevertast
ed
i
nmyl if
eandIr untothebathr
oom tothr
owup.If eelbet
teraft
erwardsbutI'
velostmy
appet
it
e.

“Yousickaunt yFi erce?

”,Peterasks.
“Nobaby ,somet hingmustbewr ongwiththatdri
nk.I'mf i
nethough”
,Isay.Wehavet o
sleepearlyandt heyaski ftheycansleepwit
hme.It hinktheyshoul
dsleepal
onebutthey
askedsoni cel
ysof ortoni
ghtonlytheycansleephere.I'
m cravi
ngchi
ckenfeet
.Iki
dy ou
not.IfIknewwher etobuythem atthi
stimeofthenight,Iwoulddri
vether
eri
ghtnow.

Ican'
treachEl
i
ksoIjustsendhi
m asel
fi
eoft
het
hreeofusand l
eav
ehi
m amessage
thatwearedoi
nggr
eat.

*
***
***
***
*

Ihadt
owakeupear
lyt
oday
.If
eltsonauseousandhadt
orunt
othebat
hroom t
othr
ow
up.May beIshouldseeadoct ori
fthisconti
nues.Ican'
taff
ordtofal
lsi
ck.Ihav
echi l
dren
tot akecareof !Wakingthem upi seasy.Iwasscar edtheywouldbediffi
cul
tlikethei
r
father,soI’m wellpleased.Ihelpthem bathandIdr essthem i
nidenti
calcl
othes.I'
ve
alway swant edtwinssoIcandot hi
s!I’m goingt ogetthem matchi
nghaircutson
Saturdayandt akethem shoppingforcl
othes.

AfterabreakfastofcerealIdropthem of fattheDay care.Thi

spl aceisli
kear esort
.The
ownert akesmeonat ourandshowsmear ound.Ther oomsar esparkli
ngcl ean,child
proofandhav ehighendf urnit
ure.Idon’tknowwhyt heneedf orallthi
sexpensi vestuff
forchi
ldren!Apparent
lythet winswillhaveact ual
l
ycl asseswheret heylearnwr it
ing,art
,
comput ersandothersubjectsthatculti
vatecreati
vi
ty.Inter
esti
ng.Atoutpr e-schoolback
i
nt hevill
age,allwedidwaspl aygamesunderat reeandt heneatsampandbeansf or
l
unchdai ly!

Shealsosaystheywi l
lhaveswi mmi ng,musicanddancel essons.Ont opoft hat
,she
saystheywil
lunwindwi thyogaatt heendoft heday!Yoga?Ok,I ’mj ealousnow.Al l
mealsarecater
edf oraswellsoIdi dn'tevenhavet opackt hem lunchboxesandIcan
tr
ustthatt
heywi l
lhaveabal anceddi etsoIdon’thavetost r
esswi t
hmealpl anning.I
wishIwasthem.Thisplacei
sni ceandt hestaf
fsv er
yprofessionalandfriendly
.

Ihugtheboys.
"Begood.Iwil
lbecomeandf et
chyouat4pm"
,Isayt
othem.
"Byeaunt
yFierce"
,theybot
hsay.
"Il
oveyou",
Ijusthadto.
"Il
oveyoutoo",t
heysay.

Theyal
way
stel
lthei
rdadt
heyl
ovehi
m.I
'
m gl
adt
oknowt
heyl
oveme.Ineededt
ohear
that
.

Idon'tknow whyI'
m wor r
ied.Theyareusedtodaycaresot heywillbefi
ne.Theowner
saysImustt r
yandbr i
ngthem ev er
ydayf
orconsist
ency.It
hinkIdidwellforthef
irst24
hours!I'
vebeenfeel
ingsohotsi ncemor ni
ng.I'
m almostboil
ing,eventhoughit
'scold
outsi
de!Ipr
obablyshouldgoandseeadoct ortomorr
ow.

Nextst
op-Sorbetformynail
sandmakeup.I
fI’
m goi
ngt
obet
alki
ngaboutwomen
empowerment
,Iwanttol
ookwomanl
y.

Nextstop-Campus.
Igettothelab,ser
iousf aceandal l
.Idon’
twantt ospeaktot heseboysatal l
!Howdare
theyjudgemesohar shlywithoutevenheari
ngmysi deofthest or
y?AndBunke.Bunke
hurtmet hemostbecauseIex pl
ainedmysituati
ontohim before!Hedidn’tsaymuchbut
het ol
dNdi v
huandBr ainthemar ri
edmanst orywhichhadt hem goingof fatme.They
mustbej udgingmeev enmor ebecauseI’
m dressedunapologeti
call
y.Ihadmymakeup
done,nailsdoneandmyPer uvi
anweav estyl
ed.Ihav ethatglow.AndI ’m weari
ngmy
engagementr
ingwi
thpr
ide!

Iknow Ilooksi zzli

ng i
nt hi
sbodysui t
,skir
tand heels.I'
m giv
ing t
het al
katt he
symposi
um thi
saf ter
noon.Thet hemeofmyspeechi s‘Lookl
iket
hethebeautif
ulfl
ower,
butbethefi
ercelionessunderneat h’
.SoIhadt olookhotandchall
engethenotionthat
sexywomenhav enobr ainsandbr ai
nywomenar enotsexy!Whycan’twehav eitboth?
Whycan’twehaveaboot yonf leekandabr ainonfleek?Whycan’
twebeal l
owedt ol
ook
l
iketr
ophywi vesbutspi tknowl edgewhenourl i
pspar t?TodayI'
m allaboutwomen
empowerment!Sol adi
eslet
’sgeti nformati
on!

I’
mf umingjustl
ooki
ngatBunke.Ihav easpeecht ofi
nishthough.Thatshoul
ddistr
act
me.Thesy mposium i
sat1pm!I ’
m almostdoneandEl ik’
swor dskeepechoinginmy
head,i
nspi
ri
ngmyspeech.Iwi shhecouldbet heretoli
stenbutmoneydoesn'tgrowon
tr
ees.Heneedstogooutt her
eandwor k.Andsinceitwil
lbeliv
estreamed,hepromised
towatch. Thatwasbefor
eIleftJobur
g,soIhopehedi dn'
tfor
get.

NdivhuandBr
aingetouttogobuyfrui
tsatthegat
e,leav
ingmeandBunkeal one.My
speechi
sdoneandIcan’
tst
andt
hisanymore.It
akeoffmyearphonesandwal
ktoBunke.

“Why ?”
,Iask.
“Whywhat ?”,hesay s.
“Quitpl
ay i
ngdumbBunke!YouknowwhatI ’mtalki
ngabout!
”,Isay
.
“Idon’t
”,hesay s.
“Whydi dyout ell
them El
ikwasmarri
ed!
”,Ishout.
“No,Ididn’tsayany thi
ngwrong.Ij
ustst
atedt hefactt
hatyourfi
ancewasmar
ri
ed!
”,he
says.

“Likehell
.Youwant edt ohurtme.Youwant edNdi vhuandBraint osayt hoseawfult
hings
theysaidt ome.Youwant edtohurtme.Butf ortheli
feofme, Ican’tfigureoutwhy
.What
didIdot oy ou?”
,Isay.
“Madam” ,hesays.
“Don’tmadam meBunke!Justdon’ t.Itr
ustedy ou.It
oldyouevery t
hingaboutmeandEl i
k.
Ididn’thav etobutIchoset o.WhatBr ainandNdi vhusaidhurt,buty ou,youcutmet he
deepest”,Isay.
“I’
m sorryIdidn’
tmeant o”,hesays.
“Oh!Sav ei t
!Idon’tneedy ourl
ousysor r
y.Ineedt oknowwhyy ouhadt obesocruelto
me! ”
,Isay .
“Isti
lll
ovey ouok!”
, hesnapsandmyj awdrops.
“Isti
lll
ov eyouFierce!Sowheny oucamewi t
hy ournewsIwashur t.Ithoughtmaybewe
hadachancet otryagainsomeday !
”,hesay s.

Yi
mihl
olay
ami
yini
ley
i?(
Haazi
mashur
aanguay
a!)(
Godf
orbi
d!)
.

Thi
s.Thi
sIhav
enot
imef
orr
ightnow.Ihav
eaf
orum t
ospeakat
.It
akemyLoui
sVui
tt
on
handbag,putmynotebookinsi
deandwalkout
.I’
m anhourear
lybutIhadtoleavethel
ab.
Ichooseaseatatthebackandt extEl
i
knottoforgett
owat chandtellmeaf t
erwar
ds
how Idid.Ther
eishighschoolstudent
s,uni
ver
sit
ystudent
s,lect
urer
s,indust
rypeopl
e
andwhoev erel
sewantedtocome.

Peoplear
esti
l
lpour
inginbutnoonesitsatt
hebackwit
hme.Whichisper
fect
lyf
inewi
th
me.ImakeaquickcalltotheowneroftheDaycar
eandshesaystheboysarefi
neand
havealr
eadymademanyf r
iends.ShesaysIshoul
dn’
tworr
y,t
heyarefi
ne.Ij
usthadto
check.

Thepr ogrammedirectorstar
tswit
ht hewhol
eexplanati
onofthi
sfor
um andwel
comes
everyone.Thekey
not espeakerisourViceChancel
lor
.Sincei
t’
sawoman,Iguesst
hey
j
usthadt o!Shereadsaspeecht hatwasclearl
ywr i
tt
enbysomeoneelseandshe'
s
butcheri
ngsomeengi neer
ingter
ms.It'
ssad.

Thenthefi
rstspeakergoesup.Ami ddl
eagedwomanwi t
hhugeboxbraids,dressedlike
ahippi
e,whogoesonabouti ndependenceandf
eminism!Bori
ng!Cl
iche!Anothermi ddle
agedwomangoesonst ageafterherandspeaksaboutherexper i
enceasaf emal e
engi
neeri
nindustry.Shespeakswithsomuchclass.Ili
keher
,shehasthatthing.

“Excuseme” ,someonesay s.
I
t ’
sNdi vhuandhe’ swithBr ai
nandBunke.Theyact
uallycametosupportme!Bunkesit
s
onmyr ightandt akesmyhandast hewomanspeaks.Iactuall
yholdhishandbackand
i
nterlockmyf ingerswithhis.ImaybeupsetandhurtbyhimrightnowandImaynotl ov
e
himl i
ket hatanymor e.Butheonceheldaspecialplaceinmybodyandheal wayswas
theper f
ectgentleman.Andpoorman!Hesai dhestil
llovesme!TheleastIcandoishol
d
hishand.

I’
m nex t
.IfeelnervousbutIgotthi
s.
Ididn’treali
sethisaudit
ori
um wast hisbi
gandIhadnoideaitwast hi
spacked!Iknow
somepeopl eareonlyherefort
her efreshment
saf
ter
wards,butst
il
l!Icl
earmyt hr
oatand
greetandi nt
roducemy sel
f.Peoplelookateachot
herasIsaymynames.I 'm usedtoi
t.

Istar
tbysay i
ngwhatitmeanst obeawomani nengi neeri
ng.Igoont ohowaPhDnot
onlychangesyourti
tl
et oDr
.butchangesy ourenti
relife.Thentohowl uckywear etobe
l
ivi
ngi nadayandagewher ebeingaf emaleengineeri sacceptabl
e,glorif
iedeven.And
whyaswomenweneedt omanupandcl aim ourtrophieswi t
houtapol ogies!How we
shouldn’
tbeaf r
aidt
ol ookl
ikeprincessesandqueens,becausewear e,butbeasf ier
ce
asahungr yt
igerwhenpursuingourdreams.

“Iwon’tli
etoyouandsayi t
’seasy.I
t’
snot .Butmaybei t
’sagoodthingt
hatthepathwe
walkistough,
foratougherpathismuchmor erewardingthananeasyone.Youneedt o
beli
ket hewol
fcli
mbingthehil
l,i
tishungriert
hanthewol font
opofthehi
ll
!Youjusthave
tokeepcl i
mbi
ng!Ifyoustumbleandf al
l,crawlf
orwardsunt i
lyoucanst
andagain.Just
don’
tst
opcl
i
mbi
ng!

Wear eluckybecausewearewomen,i
t’smor
eacceptabl
eforustocry.Sowhenthe
goinggetstoughandyouf
eell
i
keit
’st
heendofthewor
ld!Cry
.Cryhar
dthenwi
pethose
tearsawayandmanup.

Lif
ecanbebr utalandsav age.Itwil
lcrushyouandbeaty oudownfrom al
langl
es.Ask
me.I ’vebeent herebefore,atthebottom ofthebott
om.Atsomepoi ntIwasdownand
out,IthoughtIwoul dneverseeanot herday.ButIr
oseabovemypainandkeptstumbli
ng
for
war ds.Imadei tt
hroughallthestoneslif
ethrewbecausethef
ir
ethatbur
nsinsi
deme
i
sst rongerthant hestor
msbashi ngoutsi
deofme.

I
fIwasaskedwhatt hesecrettosuccessis,Iwouldsayit
’sknowi
ngwhaty ouwant
.Set
yourgoalandwalkt owardsit
.Anddon’tbeaf rai
dtolookpret
tywhil
edoingit
.Befi
erce!
Don’tapologi
se!Don’tbowdown!Don’ tbleat,y
ouarenotasheep!Wear enotinkraal
here,weareinaj ungle!Andyouareal ioness!Thequeenofthejungl
e!Don’tl
ett
hem
makey oudoubtthat!

Sokeepy oureyesonyourgoal,l
ear
ndiscipli
neandwor khar dandnothi
ngwillstopyou
from r
eachingt
hatgoal.Asforme,I’
m FierceandI ’
mf ier
ce!I’m comi
ngforev ery
thi
ng
theysaidIcoul
dn’thav
e!I’
m comingforwhat ’
sr i
ght
ful
lymine.ForwhenIsetmygoal ,I
clai
medi tandi
tbecamemi ne.SoI’
m comi ngforwhat’smi ne.Yougooutthereanddo
thesame.Goandgetwhat ’
sy our
s.I
tisyoursafteral
l
!”

Iendmyspeechwi
thmyf
avour
it
espokenwor
d.

“I
’m goi
ngtoendmyt alkwit
hthewor dsofaphenomenalwoman,May aAngelou.Thi
s
pi
eceiscal
led ‘
Sti
llIRise’anditspeakst omysoul.Li
fehaskickedmedownov erand
over
,whenIdeserveditandwhenIdi dn’t
,butst
il
lIri
se.Iknowthereisagi r
loutther
e
whohasseenthebot t
om ofli
fe’
sfootandhasbeenbur i
edundertheground.I
fthat’
syou,
j
ustremembery ouareaseed,soj ustsproutandgrow.Ineedy outonev erforgett
o
al
waysri
se.

Icl
earmyt
hroatandr
eci
tef
rom myhear
t:

“Youmaywr it
emedowni nhi
stor
y
Withyourbit
ter
,twist
edl
ies
Youmayt rodmei nthev
erydir
t
Butsti
ll
,l
ikedust
I'
l
lri
se.

Doesmysassinessupsetyou?
Whyar eyoubesetwi
thgloom?
JustcauseIwalkasi
fIhav eoi
lwel
l
s
Pumpi
ngi
nmyl
i
vingr
oom.

Justli
kesunsandli
kemoons
Withthecert
aint
yofti
des
Justli
kehopesspri
ngi
nghigh
Sti
llIr
ise.

Didyouwanttoseemebr oken?
Bowedheadandloweredey es?
Shoulder
sfal
l
ingdownli
ket ear
drops?
Weakenedbymysoulfulcri
es?

Doesmysassi nessupsetyou?
Don'ttakeitsohard
JustcauseIl augh
AsifIhav egotgoldmines
Digginginmyownbacky ar
d.

Youcanshootmewit
hyourwor ds,
Youcancutmewithy
ourli
es,
Youcankil
lmewit
hyourhatef
ulness,
Butj
ustli
keli
fe
I
’l
lri
se.

Doesmysexi nessoffendy ou?

Doesitcomeasasur pri
se
ThatIdanceasi fIhavediamonds
Atthemeetingofmyt hi
ghs?

Outofthehutsofhistor
y’sshame
Iri
se
Upfrom apastrootedinpain
Iri
se
Ablackocean,leapi
ngandwi de
Welli
ngandswel l
ing
Ibearint
hetide.

Leavi
ngbehindnightsofter
rorandfear
Iri
se
Int
oadaybreakmi racul
ousl
yclear
Iri
se
Bri
ngi
ngthegift
st hatmyancestorsgave
Iam t
hehopeandt hedream oft
heslav
e.
Andso
Natural
l
y
ThereIgor
isi
ng"
.

Igetast andi
ngov
ati
onandwipeat
earthat
'sthreat
eni
ngtoruinmymascara!Ihadn’
t
noti
cedhowmuchpassionwasinmyvoi
ce.Ithanktheaudi
enceandI
’m sohumbledby
thei
rreacti
on.

Ifi
ndmywaybackt omyseat.
“Youspokewell”
,Bunkesays.
“Thanks”
,Isayandlookfor
ward.He'
snotf
orgi
veny
et!

Iwon'
tsi
tforthewhol
esessi
on.Ihav
etol
eav
eat3.Ineedt
opi
ckupPet
erandPaul
at4.
[3/
11,
21:51]I
nini
:CHAPTER67

It
'sFri
day .I'
vebeenplay
ingmot herf
or13day snowbuti tf
eelsl
ike13weeks.Geez ,I
'
m
exhausted!I'm pul
li
ng48hourday s!Juggl
ingmyownal r
eadybusyl i
fewithkidsis
drai
ning.Iwakeupat5am becauseI '
m sti
l
lquiteslow wi
ththepr epari
ngthekidsfor
‘
school ’
.Theyarecall
i
ngitschoolandnotDaycar
esook, school iti
s.Thewhol ebathi
ng
them, dressi
ngthem andmakingsuretheyhavebreakfastt
hendrivi
ngt hem t
here,t
akes
awaymywhol emorni
ng.

I
'm sothankf
ulforthi
sschoolt
houghbecausewhatevert
heyaredoi
ngisgreat.Theki
ds
arehappy,wellf
edandt heyar
ealwaysexhaustedwhenIpickthem upat4pm,whi ch
meansIcookear l
yandtheygotobedearly.ThenIhavet
imetoconti
nuewor ki
ngonmy
thesi
s.

El
iki
sver
ybusy
.He'sbetweenJobur
gandZambia.Ihar
dlygethi
m onthephoneandwe’
vedoneavi
deocalll
iketwicesi
nceIgotback.Hecall
slateatnightbutt
hekidsar
e
sl
eepi
ngt
hensoit
'sj
ustus.

He'ssookwi thhisdi
vorcet
hing.Ij
usthopehe'
snotj
ustshut
ti
ngmeoutandbot
tl
inghis
feeli
ngs.I'
vebeent oobusyandtootir
edtoreal
l
yprobe deeper
.Whenhesay
she'sfi
ne,
Ileaveitatthat.

I
'vebeenf
eeli
ngsickalmostev
ery
daybutI'
vebeensobusyIhav
en'
thadt
imetogotothe
doct
or.Morni
ngsaretheworst
!It
hinkIhav
eabugorI'
m comingdownwi
thsomethi
ng.

Idrovearoundthetownshipyest
erdaylookingforchickenfeet!I
magi ne!AndwhenI
event
uall
ygotthem,Ididn'
twantthem anymore!I'
dlostmyappet i
te.Ifoundthatr
eal
l
y
st
range.I
t'
sprobabl
yjusthor
monal i
mbalancefr
om mybodyt akingstrai
n.I'
l
lli
ve.

Soit
'sFr
idayandI
'
ml eav
ingcampusat1pm.Ihav
eadoct
or'
sappoi
ntmentat2:
30.I
t'
s
ti
metomakeuseofthatmedical
aidIpayf
or!
“So.MsNkomo.WhatcanIdof ory outoday
? ”
,theki
nddoct orasks.
“Ithi
nkI '
m comi ngdownwi thsomet hi
ng. Igett hesehotf l
ashesandIwakeupsick
everymor ni
ng” ,
Isay .
“Ok.Whendi dyoust artnoti
cingt hesesymptoms? ”
,hesay s.
“Idon’tknow.Sat urday,Sundayl astweek,somewher ethere”,Isay.
“Anythingelsethat'sbeenof f
? ”
,heasks.
Idon'tthi
nkIcant ell
him aboutt hesuddencr avi
ngofchi ckenfeetandhowtheonl
ydr
ink
(CokeZer o)thatIhav ebeenloy al t
oforyearssuddenlytasteslikedomest
os!

“If
eel nauseousandgetheadachesev erynowandthen,butIt
hinki
t'
sonlyst
ress”
,Isay
.
“It
hinky ouarepr egnant”
,hesays.
“What?No!Thatcan' tbe”
,Isay.
I
'vethoughtofi tbutIguessIdidn'
twanttothi
nkofi
treall
y.I
tcan'
tbe.I
'
vebeenpregnant
beforeandIdi dnothav eanyofthesepr
oblems.

Heinsist
sondoingt hepregnancyt
estandIt
ryt
otel
lhi
m he'
swast inghist
ime.Iendup
agr
eeingthough.Becausewhycomet othedoct
ori
fIwon'
tli
sten,
right?Idoastol
dthen
wai
t.

“Ther
e.See?Youar epregnantMs.Nkomo.Congr atul
ati
ons!It
'sjustmor
ningsi
ckness
andhormonesacti
ngup.Youar et
otal
l
yf i
ne”,
hesay s.
Idon'
tknowhowIf eel
.Ifeel
numbsoIj ustst
areathim.
Hesaysitwi
llpassandrefer
smet o‘t
hebest’gynaecologi
stintown.

“Thankyoudoc”,I say, grabmybagandwal kout.

Isitinmycarandhol dontot hesteeri
ngwheelf orbalance.Ifeelli
kemywor l
dis
spinni
ng.Ican'
tbel
ieveI'
m pregnant
.Isti
llcan'
tdescr
ibehowIf eel
.I'
m ov
erwhelmedand
scared.WhatifIl
oset hi
sbabyorbabi es?Ican'tsur
viv
ethat.Itwassohardf ormethe
l
astt i
me.

Myhandsar eshakingasIdi alElik.Iknowhehasani mportantmeet ingbutIreal

lyneed
totalktohim.Again,Ir emembernowwhyIneedgi r
lf
ri
ends!Icall,itri
ngst i
l
litgoesto
voi
cemai l
.Ical
lagain.Andagai n.Thengi v
eup.Icoul
dcallOsh,Brain'sgir
lf
ri
end,butshe
couldtel
lBrainandhecoul dt ellNdivhuandBunkeandand.Ican' tdealwi t
hthatri
ght
now.Thingsarealreadyawkwar dbet weenmeandBunkeasi s.Anyway s,Ineedtorush
beforetr
affi
cgetshectic.Ineedt opi ckupPet
erandPaul.

ThetwinsandIar ewatchingMoana,eati
ngchipsandt heyaregoingonabouttheirday
andthei
rnewf r
iends.It
hinktheyr
eal
lyloveitatthat‘school’
.IknowI'
m abitof
ftoday ,
I
hopetheycan'
ttell
.Ihavebeentothemi r
rortwice,t
ochecki fmyt ummylooksbigger.I
t
l
ooksnormal t
ome!

I
'
m notcooki
ng.Wewi
l
lhav
epi
zzadel
i
ver
edt
oni
ght
.Myphoner
ingsandi
t'
sEl
i
k.I
excusemy
sel
fandst
epoutont
othebal
cony
.Thev
iewoft
heseaf
rom her
eisamazi
ng!

“
Baby .Iseveryt
hingok?Isawy ourmi ssedcallsjustnow.Iwasinmeeti
ngsal
laf
ter
noon.
I
sev eryt
hingok? ”
, hesay s.
“
Baby .Youar egoingtobeaf ather”,Iblurtout
.
MaybeIshoul dhav esaid‘again'seeingthathei salr
eadyafather
!
“
What ?Whatdoy oumean? ”
,hesoundssoconf used.
“
I'
m pr egnantbaby” ,Ismil
ef orthef i
rstt i
mesi ncehear
ingthenews.Say
ingi
toutloud
madei tsomuchmor ereal
.
“
Arey ousur e?”
,hesay s.
“
Mor ethansur e.Iwenttothedoct or”,Isay.
“
I'
ll
beont henextf l
i
ghtt oCapeTown” ,hesays.
“
But...
.”,
Istarttosay.

Buthe'
shungup.
Buthehasthatmeeti
ngwit
htheboar
dtomorr
owmor ni
ng,
hecan'
tbehere.Heneedsto
bether
e!Ohwell.I
twouldbegoodtohavehim her
e.I
'
vemissedhi
m andI'm sur
ethe
twi
nswill
bemorethanover
joy
edtoseehi
m.

Changeofpl
ans.Nomorepi
zza.MymaniscominghomesoI'
m cooki
ng.Ij
usthav
eto
gototownandbuyveget
abl
esatthet
rai
nst
ati
on.El
ikl
oveshi
spapandv egwit
hextr
a
meat.

Iknowtheboy
sar
ehungr
ybutt
heyhav
etowai
tabi
t.Wear
ehav
ingdi
nnerasaf
ami
l
y
today
!

That‘I'
m out
side’phonecallI
'vebeenwaiti
ngforf
inal
l
ycomes.
“St
ayhereguys, I
'
llberi
ghtback”,Isay
.
“Ok”
,theybothsay .
Theyaresosy nchroni
sed,I
'
m stil
lnotusedtoi
t.

El
iklooksdi
vineinasuit.Wow!Icannevergetusedtoit.Seei
nghim standingther
e,
out
sidehisr
entedcar,wi
thabouquetoff
lowersinhi
shands,makesmef alli
nlovewith
hi
m allov
eragain.Ir
untohi
m.I'
vebeenwait
ingfort
hepast5hoursforhi
m.

Iopent hegaragesohecandr ivei

n.It
'sati
ghtfi
tfor2carsbuti
t'
saf it
.Hehasto
squeezeoutoft hecar
.I'
m sogladhe'
sher
e.Ineedhimtohel
pmepr ocessthi
swhol
e
pregnancyt
hingandtodealwit
hallt
heemoti
onsgoi
ngoninsi
demeri
ghtnow.

West
artmaki
ngout,wenev
erwast
eti
me.I
t'
sal
lgoi
ngi
nther
ightdi
rect
ionwhenI
r
emembert
heki
ds!

“Baby.Notnow.PeterandPaularewait
ing.TheyarehungryandIcan'tkeepthem
wait
inganyl
onger
.It
'sal
mostthei
rbedt
imeandIst i
l
lneedthem toeatandbrushthei
r
t
eeth”,
Isay.
Hejusthol
dsmet her
eandstartssmil
i
ng.
“
Icanseet hey
'ver
epl
acedme! ”
,hesays.
He'
ssill
y.Wegoupt othehouseanyways.

“Daddy”,t
heybothruntohim aswegetintothehouse.Wat chingEl i
kwiththem isthe
bestthi
ngintheworl
d.Ther
e'ssomuchhappinessandl ovebetweent hem.It'
sbeauti
ful
.
Idishupastheyplaycat
chupandbombar dhim withstori
esoft heirnew ‘school
’and
themov i
esauntFier
cewatcheswiththem andthebedt i
mest oriessher eadstothem
everyni
ghtbefor
etheysl
eep.Theyaresopreci
ous.Ijustneedtot eachthem total
kone
atatime.

Ifany
onewal kedi
nhere,t
heywil
lseeaper fectfamil
y.Twopar
entswhokeepki
cki
ng
eachotherundert
hetabl
eandexchangingthe ‘Ican'
twaitt
ohaveyou’l
ookandtwo
manneredkidswhoknownott
otalkwit
hf oodinthei
rmouths.

“Gochangei ntoy ourpy jamasandbrushy ourteeth.I'

llbet
her
ejustnow tofi
nishthe
storyfrom yesterday”,
Isay .
“Ok”,theysay.
“Iloveyouguy s”,Isay.
Ijusthav eto.Ifeeltheneedt olett
hem knowev erytime.Imaynotbethei
rmotherbutI
genuinelylovethem wi thallmyhear
t.I
tjusthappened.
“Lovey outooauntFi erce”,t
heysayandeachgi v esmeahugbef orerunni
ngt othe
bedroom.

Eli
kisstar
ingatmewi thhisj
awdr
opped.If
eel
li
keIdi
dsomet
hingwr
ong!
“Wow.Baby ”,
hesay s.
“What?”
“Nothi
ng.I
t'sjusty
ou”,hesay
s.

Iclearupthedi shesandgotot hebedroom t

ot uckt hem inandr eadt helasthal
fof
“TsuroandGudo( HareandBaboon)”
.IreadAfr
icanfolklor
etot hem becausewellwear e
i
nAf ri
caandCi nderel
l
asandSnow whi t
esaret oofarf et
chedi fwear ebeinghonest.I
l
ov ekeepi
ngitclosert
ohome.Itdoesn'
ttakel
ongf ort
hem t ofallasl
eep.Theyweretir
ed
shame.Icoverthem upandswitchofft
hebedsi
del i
ght.

Ididn'tseeEl
ikstandi
ngbythedoor,watchi
ngmethi
swholeti
me.Thatf
eel
sawkwar
d
consideri
ngI'
vebeendoingv
oicechangessoTsur
oandGudodon'
tsoundt
hesame.

“
Fier
ce”
,hesays.
“
Shhhh!
”.Hecan'
tmakenoi
se.Theywi
l
lwakeupt
henIhav
etost
artov
er!

Wegototheotherr
oom.Ther
e'scl
othesal
lov
ert
hebed.Iki
ndofdumpedmycl
othes
t
her
eandhavebeenmeani
ngtohangthem.
“So,youar
ereal
l
ypregnant
?”,hesaysassoonashecl
osest
hedoor.
“Yesbaby.Iam”,Igetsoemot i
onal.Ihat
ethesehor
mones!Damn.Iwassmi
l
inga
secondago,I
'
m cry
ingmyey esoutnow.

“It
'sokbaby.Don'
tcry”,hesaysandsi
tsandmakesmesitont
opofhim.Ihavet
osi t
facinghi
m,wit
hmyl egsaroundhi
swaist
.Thatwaymyheadi
sonhi
sshoul
derandIfeel
soconnectedtohi
m.

“I
'm soscar edEli
k”,Isay.
“Why ?”
,hesay s.
“WhatifIloset hebaby?”,Isay.
“Youwon' t.Don'tthi
nkl i
kethat.You'l
lbefi
ne.I
'
llbewi
thy
ouev
eryst
epoft
heway”
,he
says.
Iknowhewi l
lbe.
“WhatifImakeat erri
blemot her
?”,Isay.
That'smybi ggestfear.

Mymotheral
wayssaidthewayIl
eavethi
ngslyi
ngar ound, Iwoul
dforgetmychi
l
di n
t
hebusoneday.Whatifshehadapoi
nt?Whati fIf
ailmychil
dorchil
drenorhowever
manyt
heyaregr
owinginsi
demyst
omachrightnow?

“Isaw youwi t
hPet erandPault odayandmyhear tjustbeathard.Thewayy ouar eso
l
ov i
ngandt hewayy ouhav eembr acedthem asyourownandt hewayt heylov
ey ouback
andtrustyou.I
t'
samazi ng.Youev entuckthem i
nandt eachthem mannersandy ouread
them bedti
mest or
ies!That '
sincredibl
eFier
ce.IknowIt hr
ewy ouinthedeependandas
always,youcamet hroughf orme.Forus.Becauseme,Pet erandPaular eyourfamil
y
now.Sot oaddressy ourfear,youwi l
lmakeanamazi ngmot her
!”hesay s.

“
Youthinkso?”,Isay.
“
Iknowso!”,hesay s.
“
ButI'
m scared”,Isay.
“
That'
sok.That '
swhyy ouhaveme.Youhav
enoideahowhappyIam ri
ghtnow.Todayis
t
hebestdayofmyl i
fe.Youarehav
ingmybabyFi
erce!Thankyou”
,hesqueezesmeso
t
ightIcan'
tbr eathe.Soment hankwomenforbei
ngpr egnantwi
tht
heirchil
dren?I
'
m
l
earni
nganewt hingevery
day!

“Sohowf arar
ewe?Isittwins?Howareyouhol
dingup?Isev er
ythi
nggoingwell
,wit
hthe
pregnancyImean?”
,hesays.
Easythere.
“Idon'
tknowhowf arIam andstuf
f.I
'l
lgot
othegy naesomet i
me.I'
m doingwel
lthough,
thedoctorsai
d.I
t'
stooearl
yanyways.Butt
hemor ni
ngsicknessiski
ll
ingme!”
,Isay.

Isti
l
ldon'
tknowhowIdidn'tgetmorni
ngsi
cknesst
hel
astti
me.
“Andcanyoubel
i
eveIcan'tstomachCokeZeroany
mor
e!”,
Iadd.
Helaughsatmeandsay she'
sheardt hatsomewomenstartcr
avingwei
rdthi
ngsl
ike
t
oastedavocadoandfr
iedwatermelon.Hesayshewil
lrunawayfrom mewhenIgetto
t
hatstage.He'
ssosi
ll
y!Ican'
tdeal
wi t
hhi m.

HesaysLumkawil
lhandlethemeet
ingtomor
row sohewi
l
lst
ayt
heweekend.Idon’
t
ev
enknowwhytheywouldhaveameeti
ngonaSaturday
.

“Baby.Havey ouheardfrom Komla? ”

,Iask.
Ineedt oknow.I'm keepingherchildrenandIneedt
oknowi fshe'
scomingfort
hem or
whatthesituati
onis.
“Shecall
ed,yes.ButItoldy ouI
'm donewithher
.Don'
tworr
yabouther”
,hesay
s.
I
t'seasyforhi mt osay‘ don'
tworryabouther!
’becauseit
'snothim whogetsasked
‘
Wher e'
smummy ?
’!

“What '
shersi tuationwiththechil
dren? ”
,Iask.
Irefusetobel ieveshewoul dabandont hem j
ustli
ket hat
.
“Shedoesn' twantt ocomebackFi erce.Shesay sshewi l
lonl
ycomei fIdon' tproceed
withthedi vorce.Whatki ndofamot herdoest hat
?Thedi v
orcei
sgoingonandshoul dbe
throughi nabout2weeks.Sol etherst aythereifthat'
swhatshewant s.YouandIwi l
l
rai
seourboy s” ,hesays.
Wewi l
lraisetheboy s?Discussi
ngsuchbi gissueswi thmewoul dbenice,youknow!
Idon'tsayany thingthough.Idon'twanthi m gett
ingwor kedup.Nottonight.Ihaveother
thi
ngsI '
dr atherhav ehim workon, i
fyouknowwhatImean.

“Thanky ousweetheart.Thanky ouf ort aki

ngcareofmychi ldren.Youareanamazinggir
l,
youknowt hat
?Idon'tdeserveyou” ,hesay s.
Hedeser vesme.What 'shetalkingabout ?
“Youknow,asIl istenedtoy out hatdayasy ouspokeatt hesy mposium,If
eltsoproud
thaty ouwer emine.Iknew t hent hatIwoul dn'thaveanyoneel sebemywi f
eandt he
mot herofmychildren.Youareev erything!
”,hesays.
Iblush.I'
dforgot
ten.Sohedi dwat cht heli
v est
ream aft
erall!

It
'sget
ti
nglatethoughandIneedtogetoffhi
m andclearthebed.Itel
lhi
m allaboutthe
daycar
ethetwinsaregoingtoandhowt heywinddownwi thyoga!Heisveryimpressed
withme.Ifeell
ikeIwasonpr obat
ionorsomethi
ng!Hesay sit
'seasytotel
lthem apart
.
HesaysPeterhasabi r
thmarkbehindhi
searandPauldoesn't
.Veryhel
pfulEli
k!SoI'l
lbe
checki
ngbehindthei
rearsev
eryti
meIwanttotellt
hem apart
?

Webot hagreet
hatIneedt ogetanannyor2.It el
lhimI '
vethoughtaboutitbutI
'
veseen
horr
iblevi
deosofnanniesabusingchi
ldren.Hesay sPet erandPaularegr ownsot hey
wil
ltalki
fsomethingisnotri
ght
.He'sr
ight.Icoul
duseal iveinnannytohelpmewi ththe
cookingandtopickthem upshoul
dIeverbeunablet omakei tontime.ThatwayI'l
lhave
ti
met ofocusonmypr egnancyandmyt hesi
sandst i
l
l betherefort
hetwins.
“How doy ousl eepwi thsomanyt hingsont hebed?”,hesaysandhelpsmef ol
dmy
clot
hes.
“Isl
eepi ntheotherr oom” ,Isay.
“Andwher edot heysl eep?”,hesays.
“Theysleepwi thme” ,Isay.
Helooksatmeandr aisesaney ebr
ow.
“Theyinsistedbaby .Iknowt heyshouldsl
eepalonebuttheywantedtosleepi
nmybed.
Soy a”
,Isay .
“No,Ididn'tsayitwaswr ong.Youjustneverceaset
oamazemet hat
'sal
l
”,hesays.

Hi
sshi
rti
sallfor
msofcr easednow.Andl
ooki
ngathi
m IknowImadet
her
ightdeci
si
on.
He'
smypersonalper
son.Tail
ormadeforme.

“Anyway.Tel
lme.Isittr
uethatget
ti
ngitonwithapregnantwomani
sthebestt
hing
ever?”
,hesaysandpul
l
smetowardshim.
“Idon'
tknow.Whydon'
tyouf
indoutandt
ellme?
”,Isay
.

I'
vemi ssedhi
m somuch.I '
vebeencel
ibat
eforalmost2weeksnow. Thatki
ndof
droughtisnothealt
hy.Andwit
hallt
hesehormonespumpi
ngthr
oughme,Icoul
duse
somest eamyhotlovi
ng.

Therestofmyclothesfindt
hemselvesonthefloor.Ihavet
obitemyl owerl
i
pextr
ahard
tost
opf r
om screaming.Thelastt
hingIneedisthoset wowaki
ngupandcomi ngtosee
i
fI'
m ok.Orworse,ift
heyhearusandstartaski
ngmeawkwar dquest
ionsint
hemorni
ng.
[
3/11,21:
52]I
nini:CHAPTER68

Iwokeupl at
eandIpani ckedt
hinkingPeterandPaulwoul dbelat
eforschool.Idashed
outofthebedroom andint
otheother,onl
ytofindt
hem notinbed.Ipani
ckedsomemor e
thi
nki
ngsomet hi
ngbadhadhappenedort hatmay betheywentoffalone.Thatcan't
happentome.Iscr eamedsol oud,Eli
kcamer unni
ng.Ittookhim explai
ningit'
sa
Satur
dayandt heyarefi
neandhedi dn'
twantt owakemeupbecausehewant edmeand
thebabytorest.

Iremembernow how heknockedmef l

atoutlastni
ghtwit
hhi sawesomeness!That
's
whyIcoul dn'
tgetupt hi
smor ni
ng!If eelst
upidbuthet hi
nksit'
scute.Hedoesn't
under
standthatIcan'
tletanyt
hinghappentohiski
ds.Theyarenotmineandhowwould
Iexpl
aini
tifanyt
hinghappenedtothem?

It
akeaqui ckshowerandjoi
nthem i
nt hel
ivi
ngarea.Thet
hreeofthem madeamessof
mykitchen,t
ryi
ngtomakebr eakf
ast!Ihav
enoi deahowtheybrokesomanyeggsand
l
eftt
hem thereorwhyther
e'sfl
ourev
erywhere.

Apparent
lytheki
dskeptbr
eaki
ngeggswhenEli
kwasn’ tl
ooki
ng,thi
nkingtheywere
hel
ping.Andthef
lourwasmeantf
orbaki
ngsoIdon'
tknow whyther
e'snothi
ngbaked
buti
t'
sev
ery
wher
e!These3boy
sofmi
near
etr
yingt
odr
ivemecr
azyIcansee!

Aft
erbreakfastIt
ell
Elikheandtheboysneedtocleanup.I'
m pregnant
,I'
m notsupposed
towork.Icantwaittostar
tthr
owingaroundthe'I
m pregnant
'card!Iknowhe'l
ljustgeta
maidonli
neany way,buti
twasniceheari
nghim say‘yesbaby,we'l
lcl
eanIpromise’.

Ineedt oquickl
ygot ocampustogiv
eProfsomer esul
tsofastudyIdi
df orhi
m.For
somer easonhet extedmeandsai dhe'
satthedepar t
mentandneedsthem.Whyhe
didn'
taskforthem yester
day,
beat
sme.Anyway,
I’
ll
goandgi v
ethem t
ohim.Hewillhav
e
tocaptur
ethem himselfthen.

Eli
kinsi
stsoncomingwi
thbutIassur
ehimt hatheneedsti
mewiththeboysandbesi
des
theyshoul
dbecleani
ngup.Ineedmyplacesparkl
ingcl
eanwhenIgetback!

Profbul
li
edmet ocapt
uri
ngthedat
aforhim soIonl
yleav
ecampusanhourl
atert
han
expect
ed.Thedownsi
deofbei
ngtooni
ce!

I
'm onmywaybackandjustj
oinedtheN2.Ther
eisn'
tthatmanycarsontheroadandI
'm
havi
ngachi
ll
eddriv
eont hesl
owl anedoi
ng100km/ h,li
steni
ngtoAkon’sShakedown
andfeel
i
nggood.Myli
fei
sgoinggoodandI '
minahappyplace.

Inthebl
inkoftheeye,IhearBOOM. Thewar ningalertcomesonmyscr een,fl
ashing
redandbeepingveryfast.Thealer
tsaysmyfrontlefttyrej
ustbur
st!I
tdidn'tdef
late
slowl
y,t
hesafet
ysystem wouldhavewar
nedme.Itjustburstl
i
keabal
loon!

WiththatBOOM,myhear tseemedt ohav est opped.It

'slikeI'mjustwat chingf rom
outsi
deandt hi
sisnothappeningt ome.Thecari sgett
ingof ftheroadandI 'm quickly
l
osingcontr
olofit
.Insti
nct
ivel
y,Isl
am t hebrakeshardandjer kt
hesteeri
ngwheelt ot he
ri
ght.Ohshit
.Ishouldn'
thavedonet hat.That'
sahugemi st
ake!HowcanIbesost upid!
Buthadthi
ngsnotbeenhappeni ngsof astIwouldn'
thavebraked.Iknowt hat'
sthewor st
thi
nganyonecandowhenat yr
ebur sts.Iknow that.ButIcan' tcontrolinvoluntary
acti
ons!

Mycarspi r
alsoutofcontrol
,getsofftheroad,br
eaksthr
ought
hebarr
iersonthesi
deof
theroadandov ert
urns.I'
m sureallthathappenedinli
ke5secondstops.Iseemylif
e
fl
ashrightbefor
emyey es.I
troll
s3t imesbeforeitcomestoastopatthebott
om ofa
dit
chont heroadsi
de,lyi
ngoni t
sroof.

I
tallhappenedsof astI’
m unabl
etoprocessit.Thesy stem i
swar ni
ngmet hatahard
i
mpactcr ashhasbeendetect
ed(AsifI
'
m notawar e!)andanalerthasbeensentout
.The
aut
omat edvoicef
rom thesaf
etysy
stem keepssaying,‘Hell
oFi
erce.Pl
easeremaincal
m.
Hel
pisoni tsway’
.

I
'
mthankf
ulf
ort
hiscar
.Atl
eastIdon'
thav
etodependonot
herdr
iver
sandhopet
hey
seemedownher
eandst
opandcal
lanambul
anceont
ime.

Idon'tknowwhathappenedt
oAkonbecausehe'
snolongersi
ngi
ngnow.Onl
ythatv
oice
tel
l
ingmet oremaincalmislef
t.I
'
m hangi
ngupsidedownandIcanfeelmysel
fsl
owly
dri
ft
ingaway.

Ihaveairbagsallaroundme.I ’
mt r
apped.IrememberaskingEli
kwhyt hiscarhadso
manyairbags.Imeani thasair
bagsonthesteer
ingwheel,si
deair
bagsandadr i
ver-
seat
kneebolsterai
rbag.NowIknowwhyandt hesemi ghtj
ustbetheonl
yreasonwhyI’m st
il
l
al
iver
ightnow.Andt hankful
l
ytheroofi
shardbodysoitdidn’
tcaveinenoughtosl
icemy
headopen.

Idon'tknowhowbadl yI'
m hur
tbecauseIdon'
tfeelany
thi
ng.MaybeI
'
m dead.Li
kehow
doy ouknow wheny ouaredead?It r
ytoshoutforhel
pbutmyv oi
ceisnotther
e.It
probablyfel
lal
ongt hewayasIr oll
eddownhere.I'
m waytoocal
mforthi
s!NotthatI
haveanopt i
onsincemybodyisrefusi
ngtomove.

Thankful
l
yt hi
sisCapeTown.I fthiswasJohannesburg,I
'm sureI
'l
lbel y
ingnaked
outsi
denowandI '
llhav
ebeenrobbedofmycl
othes,ever
ythi
nginthecarandwhat
'slef
t
oftheJeep!Cri
minalst
hatsi
dedon’
tplay
.

Ineedmyphone.IneedtocallEl
i
kandatleastt
ellhim howmuchIl ovehim,befor
eIdie.
Icanaskhimtotakecareofmyparentsaswell
.Ialsoneedt otel
lhimthatthekidslove
theBar
-Onecer
ealcrunchysoheshoul
dwarm upt hemi l
kfi
rstt
henaddt hecerealaf
ter
.

ButIhavenoi deawheremybagi sandt heseairbagsar

eobstructi
ngmyv i
ew.I'
m stil
l
hangi
ngupsi dedownatthemer cyofaseatbel t.Ihadnoi
deathesethingsar
esostrong!
Iweightaf ull56kg!Sohow gr avi
tyhasn'tdraggedmedowny et,Idon'
tknow.Idon't
know whethert otr
yandcr awloutorwhat .I
fmybacki sbr
okent henIknow mov i
ng
mightpar
alysemef orli
fesoIhav etostayput.

Ist
hechil
dgr owi
nginsidemeal ri
ght
?I'
ml osingtouchwit
hmy sel
fatanalar
mi ngr
ate.I
canfeelmymi ndwant i
ngtol eav
emybody . Att hesamet i
mei t
'sl
ikemybodyj ust
wantstof
allasl
eep.Otherpeople’
sbodiespanicandover
reacti
nthesesit
uat
ionsbutmy
l
azybodyjustwantstoshutdownandt akeanap?Justgreat!

I
'm notinpainthough.I
'm atpeaceandever
ythi
ngaroundmesoundssosereneand
di
stant.Thenoi
seofthecartumbli
ngdownandtheai
rbagsdepl
oyi
ngl
eftmet
emporar
il
y
deaf.

Myey esaresoheav ytheytoo,l

ikemybody ,wanttosleep.Butwhati
fIneverwakeup
agai
n?Whati ft
hisisitforme?Whati ft
hisi
slight
soutforme?Can'tIbegi
venachance
toatleastsaygoodbye.Ikeepthinki
ngofEli
k.Willhebealri
ghti
fIdon'
tmakeit?What
wil
lhappentoPeterandPaul?Theyneedme.
IthinkI '
l
lcr awlout.Iknow Iwon'tsurvi
vehangingupsi
dedownf orlong.It’sso
uncomf ortabl
e.Soontheoxygensuppl
ytomybrainwil
lbecutoff
,mylungswi l
lcol
lapse
andsal i
vawi l
lberunni
ngfrom mymouthintomynoseandI'l
lbedrowning.Besi
des,thi
s
rev
er sebloodflowwon'tl
astforl
ongandI'
l
lrunoutofai
rver
ysoon.

IneedtogetoutbutIcan’tfi
ndmyhands.Iwonderi fIsti
l
lhavethem.Ican'
tfeelanypart
ofmybody .May beI
'm deadafterall
!Butdodeadpeoplehav easenseofsmel l
?IthinkI
smellpetr
ol.Thecarmi ghtjustexplodeandburstintoflames,t
henthatwilll
eavemy
parent
snobodyt obur
y .That
'sunfair
.Thataut
omat edvoiceisst
il
lonandisst i
llt
ell
ing
me t o st
ay calm because hel pis on its way.Itsounds f ai
ntbecause ofmy
al
most -
deafness.

Mybrai
nisworkingsopainf
ull
yslowly
,ifIgetoutofhereIneedanewbr ai
n.I'
m sodone
wit
hthi
sone!Ilookout
sideandIcant ellt
hatthewindowisshatt
ered.Ican'
tseemuch,
j
ustdyi
nggrassandlit
ter.AtleastIwasgoingat100.Whati fIwasat160?I ’
llbean
ex-
per
sonbynowmos!

I
'm st
illdeci
dingwhatt
odo,att hesamet i
met r
yingtor
econnectmymindtomybody
andalsotryi
ngtounder
standwhatexactl
yisgoi
ngonwi t
hme.Mymi ndwant
stodet
ach
i
tsel
ffrom mybodysobad, i
t'
staki
ngall
thestr
engthinmysoultost
opit
.

Theparamedi csar ehereandpeopl e.Somanypeopl e,j

udgingbythescreaming.My
heari
nghasr eturnedtomyr i
ghtear.Mysy stem isstil
ltel
li
ngmet ostaycal
m.Iseethe
fl
ashi
ngl i
ghtsandheart hesir
ens.Andbesi des,myv i
si
onisdistor
tedinthisupsi
de
downposi t
ion.I'
m sur
ethisimageofmebei ngdr aggedoutofmywr eckedJeepisgoi
ng
togov i
ralonFacebook,postedbyast r
angerpr etendi
ngt ocarebutonlywant
ingli
kes!
Seei
ngthatpeopl epostanyt
hingthesedays!

Ok,nowIcanf allasl
eep.Ihavebeenawakeforfartool
ong.I
t'
stimeformet
osl
eep.My
l
astthoughti
st hebabygrowinginsi
deofme.Ijusthopei
t'
ssti
ll
inther
e.

*
***
***
***

Iwakeupi nawhiter
oom.If eelli
keIj
ustwokeupf rom ani
ghtmare.Whit
eroom.Am Iin
heaven?Thatquick?Imadei ttoheaven?ButIdon' trememberwal ki
ngthroughthe
pearl
ygatesandbeingtickedof ftheregi
ster
!Andt hi
smannextt omybed.I shean
angel?Buthedoesn'
thav
ewi ngsandwhyishef acedown?I'
m st
ruggl
ingtounderst
and.

Ishutmyey esandt r
ytorecol
lectmythought
s.IcanfeelmywholebodyandIcanmove
ever
ything.That
'sahugereli
ef!SomaybeIam inheavenaft
eral
l.Ial
l
owmymi ndt
oki
ck
star
tandpi ecet hepi
ecestogethersl
owlybutsurel
y.Ther
ewasaboom,t henmycar
syst
em wentcr azywit
halarmsandwar ni
ngs,thenIwasf al
l
ingsof ast
,thenIwas
hanging,surr
oundedbyair
bags.Thenthat
'showIdiedri
ght?
Butther
ewereparamedi
csandsir
ensandf
lashi
ngredandbluel
i
ght
snotangel
sand
heavenl
ymusicandwhitel
ight
s.It
'sal
lsoconfusi
ng!Ohyes!Mycarov
ertur
ned.I
remembernow!

Thetyr
eofanewJeep,withtheri
ghtal
ignmentandtherightamountofpressure,
dri
ving
onapropertar
redr
oad,
onacool day,
burst.I
tbur
st!Thatdoesn'
tevenmakesense.How?
Thereisnowayt hattyr
ewoul dhavej ustbur
stlikethat!Noway !Thel astthi
ngI
rememberisdangl
i
ngupsidedowninmycar .

Okt hi
sishospitalnotawaiti
ngr oom somewhereinheav en!Thent hefacedownman.
He’ssit
ti
ngont hesideofmybedwi t
hhisfacedownonhi shandsont hebed.Imightnot
beinheav enbuthei smyguar di
anangel.Mysav i
nggrace.I'
m gladhe'smyemer gency
contactandI'
m gladhejusthappenedtobei nCapeTownt oday.TheJeepsy stem would
havesentasignal t
ohim aswellt
hemomentIcr ashed.I
t’
si nt
ell
igentli
kethat.

“El
ik? ”
,Ipushhim wit
hmyf oot .
Iknowt hat
'swrongbutIneedhi mt owakeup.Healmostjumpsupshame.
“Hey .Youawake!”,hesays.
Therei ssomuchr el
i
efwr i
ttenalloverhi
sface.Hewasn'tsleepi
ng.Justdrowni
nginhis
sorrows.Heki ssesmeont heli
ps, onthecheek,
ontheforehead,ontheothercheekand
hugsme.He' ssoreli
eved.

“OurbabyEli
k.Isourbabyalri
ght?
” ,Iask.
Imustlookcrazyrightnow.Ipushhi m of
f,jumpof fthebed,takeofft
hegownandstart
searchi
ngmyst omachf oranysi gnofl if
e.Ineedasi gn,aki ck,abump,movement,
anythi
ng.Ineedsomet hi
ng.Butther e’snothing.Ikeepfeel
ingandsearchi
ngandpoki
ng
myst omach.Ineedsomet hi
ng.Pleasegi vemeany t
hing.

DeepdownIknow thebabyi snotevenababyyet

,it'
sjustabunchofcel
l
st hatcan'
t
mov eordoany
thi
ng.ButIneedthosecel
l
stost
ayinthereandgr
ow.Ihopetheyaresti
l
l
ther
e.

ThemoreIaskaboutthebaby,t
hemor eIpani
c.Ican'
tlosethebaby.Notthi
sti
me.El
i
k
saysI
'mfi
neanddidn'
tlosethebabybutIdon'
tbel
ievehim.Hemi ghtj
ustbewanti
ngt
o
tr
ickmei
ntonotworki
ngmy sel
fint
oafit!

Heholdsmef rom t
hebackbutI'mlosi
ngmymi nd.Bef
orelong,I
'
m havi
ngapanicat
tack
anditdoesn'thelpthatIj
ustwokeupsomybodyi snotreadyforwhat'
shappeni
ngri
ght
now.Mybr eathi
ngi shard,myheartisraci
ng,mypalmsar esweat
ingandIwantt o
scr
eam andpul loutmyhai r
.Iwantmybaby.

Eli
kshout
sforadoct
orandpressest
he‘hel
p’buttononthebedsi
deandtr
ieshisbestt
o
rest
rai
nme.Asadoct orandnursewal
kin,I
'm surenowtheyhaveseenital
l.Anaked
womangoingcr
azyandapoormantry
ingt
ohol
dheri
nplace.Thet
hreeoft
hem manage
t
ostabil
i
semeandt henur
segivesmeashott
hatgr
aduall
ycalmsmedown.Ittakesa
whi
lebutIbr
eat
handIgett
here.

Eversatther
enakedwith3peopl eintheroom?I t
'sactual
lynotthatawkwardwheny ou
havebiggerissuest
odealwi t
h.Youdon' tevenattemptt ocoveranyt
hing.Youjustsit
ther
e.Eli
kcov er
smewi thasheet.Icantellhedoesn'tl
iketheideaofthedoctorseei
ng
met hi
snaked.Butit
'sadoctorcomeon.I'm surehe'sseenthousandsandthousandsof
pair
sofboobs.It'
snobiggi
ereall
y.

“Doctor
.I'm pregnant
.Ismybabyal ri
ght?”,IaskwhenIcannowbr eat
h.
I
'm notyetthatcalm butIneedtoknow.
“Thebabyi sokandsoar eyou”,t
hedoct orsays.
“Mychildisfine?Asin,I'
m sti
ll
pregnant?Andy ouaresure?
”Iask.
“Yesma' am.I '
m cert
ainwithnodoubt .Youar ealsoalr
ight
.Thereisnobrokenbonesor
i
nternalbleedingoranyi nj
uri
es.Youj usthav eaf ewshall
owcut sfr
om thefl
yinggl
ass
butotherwisey ouaregreatandcangohome.Youwer ejustinshock”
,hesays.

Br
eat
hinFi
erce,
breat
hout
.Repeat
.

“Irespectyourcar,Imustsay.Idon’
tknowhowy oufellof
ftheN2andgotouti none
piece!
”,hesays.
Hesay sIwast empor ar
il
ypar
alysedbyt
heshockandpassedoutf rom thet
raumaand
from hangi
ngupsidedown.Andhesay st
hef i
rstt
hingEl
ikaskedwhenhegother ewasi
f
thebabywasok, soy es,
heis110%surethatmypregnancyissti
l
lint
act.

“Thenur sewil
lbr
ingyout henecessar
ypaper
work”,hesays.Hewi shesmewel land
l
eav es.
“Thankyou”,
Isay.
Thanky ougooddoctor,thankyounurseforthatshot
,thanky ouEli
kf orbeinghere
always,t
hankyoudearJeepforsavi
ngmyli
fe,t
hankyouGodI’m sti
l
lal
ive.I’
m gr
ateful
.

Il
iebackandletoutami nicryofvi
ctor
y.“Thebabyi sok!Ourbabyisok”.
Ifeell
i
keshoutingitf
rom arooftopsothewhol eworldcanknow.Ourbabyi sunhar
med.
ButfornowIjustwantEliktoremindmet hatI'
m ok.Iguessnowthatit'
sjustustwoleft
,
hedoesn'tmi
ndmynakedness!Hekeepsr ubbingmystomach.It’
ssti
lli
roningboar
df l
at
butIknowthere’sali
tt
leheartbeat
ingi
nther e.

“Whathappenedbaby ?”,hesays.
Hiseyesarer ed.Icantellhehadbeencr y
ing.Heprobabl
ythoughtIwoulddieorworse
ourbabywoul dbelost.
“MytyreburstandIlostcontrol
”,Isay.
“Yourtyr
ebur st?How?Wer eyouwar nedoflowpressurei
nthetyreorthepresenceofa
for
eignobjectinthety
reorsomet hi
ng?”,hesays.
“Nope.Nothing.I
tjustburstf
rom nowhere.Justli
kethat”
,Isay
.
Icant el
litdoesn'tmakesenset ohim aswel l.Imean,thatJeephastopclasssafety
feat
ures.Thisisacart hatwarnsmeaboutev eryt
hing.I
teventel
l
smewhenI '
m dri
ving
tooclosetot heroadmar ki
ngsandtell
smet ocentreali
gn!Sohowahugepr obl
em that
wouldhav el
edt oatyrebursti
ngwentundet ect
eddoesn'tmakesense.I
tdoesn'
taddup.

HehugsmeandIcan' thelpcr y
ing.Ihavebeeninanacci dentbeforebutitwasn'tthis
badandIwasn' ttheonedr i
v i
ng.Itwasbackhomeandt hekombi( taxi
)hadskiddedof f
theroadandhi tat r
ee.Ihadbr okenmyar m.Iremembert heonewomanwassot er
ri
fi
ed
andinshock,shekeptl ookingforherhead.Shehadbumpedherheadhar dshesai dit
had fal
len of fand she needed t ofind i
t. I twas sad t o watch then undert he
cir
cumst ances.IwasinZi mbabweandwehadcal l
edt henearesthospi
talandwer etold
theambul ancehadnof uel.SoIhadl ef
tthesceneandhi t
chhikedandcar r
iedmyhandt o
hospit
al.Myl azybodyhadpassedoutf r
om thepai
nt henaswel l
!

Thecarr ol
l
ed3t i
mes!How I'
m ali
veri
ghtnow,Idon'tunder stand.IgetupandI '
m
cl
ingi
ngontoEli
kandcryi
ngont
ohisshoul
der.I
sitpossi
blethatthischi
ldprot
ectedme?
I'
vehear
dstori
esofchi
l
dren,
bornandunbor
n,havi
ngunexplainedsupernat
uralpower
s.

Foronceinaveryl
ongt i
meIpray.Iaskthattheuni ver
sedoesn'
tpuni
shmesohar shl
y
foral
lthewr
ongsI'
vedone.Iaskforemotionalheali
ng.Iaskt
hatmychilddoesn'
tgetto
suff
erformycr
imes.Ibegfordi
vi
neprotecti
on.Ifnotforme,t
henformychil
d.Please.

Thenursebri
ngsthepapersIneedtofi
l
lin.What
?Iwr
eckedupanR8500bi
l
linl
esst
han
5hours!That
'sabsur
d!Butok,Ipaymedical
aidf
orar
eason.

“Wher earethekids?”,
IaskElik.
Ifeelsomuchbet t
ernow.
“Ilef
tt hem.Theyar ef i
ne.Irushedher eassoonasIgott heSOSfrom yourcar
.Iwas
comingt othescenebutt her escuet eam call
edandsaidyou'
dbeenli
ft
ed.SoIcame
hereinstead”,
hesay s.
“Youhav etogot hen.Thekidscan'tbeal one.I'
l
lfi
l
lint
hepaper
sandcomehome” ,Isay
.
Idon'tli
ketheideaoft hem beingalone.I'
drathert
akeanUberhome.

“Nobaby .I'
m notl eavingy ou.Youhav enoi deahow scar edIwasFi er
ce.IthoughtI
wouldlosey ou.Doy ouunder st
and?Ithoughty ouwer edying!Seeingy
oulyi
nginthi
sbed
tookmer ightbackt ot helastti
me.It houghty ou'
dloset hebaby .It
houghty
ou'dleave
meandIwasaf r
aid.Youcan' tl
eavemeFi erce.Youcan' t
!”
,hesay s.
“Well,
I'
m sti
llhere.I
'm notmadeofgl ass.Idon'tjustbreak”,
Isay.
Helikessayingthat,I'
mj ustquoti
nghim backathi mself.

Ineedt or emembert
ogetaphoneforPeterandPault
omorr
ow.Ineedt hem t
obeabl e
to calleitherme orEl
ikwhenevertheywantorneed to.I'
m pr obabl
ytaking t
his
mot herhoodthi
ngtooser
iousl
y,andt
hehor monesarenothel
ping.Andwiththisnear
deat
hexper
ienceIknowt
otakel
i
femor
eser
iousl
yandt
akeev
erypr
ecaut
ionpossi
ble.

Ican'tbel
ieveI'
mf ine.Thecut sonmyar mswer ecl
eanedandcl osedwithelastoplasts.I
havet odressupt hough.Nowt hatI
'
m selfawar
e,Ihatethethoughtthatsomest ranger s
undressedmeandsaw mebut tnaked!Ihopet heydidn'tdo itatt hescenewi t
h
bystanders!Iguesst hat
'
swhymymot herusedt
osay‘ youcan'twearadi r
typantyorone
withholes.Whatify oufaintandpeoplehavetoundressyou?’
.I'
m gladItookheradv ice.

I
'm sti
l
linshockaswedr i
vehomeandI'
m uneasyofbeinginacar.Ikeept
hinki
ng‘
what
i
fwehav eanaccidentandthi
stimeIdie?’.El
ikjustholdsmyhandanddoesn'tsay
anythi
ng.Andforoncehedri
vessl
owl
y.He'sact
uall
ydrivi
ngat60km/ h!

Iaskforamomenttogetittogetherbefor
eIgetintothehouse.Ineedtol
ookl
i
ke
not
hing'
swr
ongt
otheboys.Idon'
twantthem wor
ri
ed.Theyar
etooy oung.

“Youdon'thavetobaby.Youdon'thavetobestr
ong.Al
lowyour
selft
ofeel.I
'
mri
ghther
e.
I
'll
takecareofthem andI'
l
ltakecareofyou”
,hesays.
He'sri
ght.I
'm notsuper
woman.IjustneedalongnapandI'
l
lbejustf
ine.

Thedayi sal mostover.Theeggsandf lourar egone,soEl i

kact uallycleaned!Theboy s
arewatchingTVandt her
e'schipsev
erywher eont hef l
oorandj ui
ceal lov erthefl
oornear
thefri
dgeandt hefri
dgedoori snotclosed.Appar ent
lytheywant edt hechi pstheyleft
overyest
er daybutIhadputt hem onashel ftoohi ghforthem.Sowhent heyweretryi
ng
toreachfort hem,thebowlfell
.Thenthej ui
ce, Petersaysi t
'sPaul, Paulsay sit
'sPeter.I
watchthem ar gueandtheyaresobeautiful,
Ifeeltearsbuildinginmyey es.

“Sorr
yauntFier
ce”,Pauleventual
lydecidestoownup.
From hi
stoneIknowi t'
sPaul.
“I
t'
sokbaby .I
'l
lcl
eanup” ,
Isay .
Igetacleanbowl,fil
litupwi thcheesecur l
s,gett
woplast
iccupsandpouri
njui
ceand
givei
ttothem astheycontinuewatchingNar ut
o.
Igetadustpanandbr ushtocleanthechi psonthefl
oor
.

“It
'sokbaby.I
'l
lcl
ean.Come,let
'sputyoutobed”
,El
iksay
s.
Itrytosaynobutheinsi
sts.
“Iwanttotakeashowerfi
rst”
,Isay.
Ifeelsodir
tyandIwanttowasht heexper
iencef
rom me.

Eli
kgoestorunt hebaththencomesf orme,hel
psmeoutofmyclothes,wrapsmeina
towelandcarr
iesmet othebathr
oom.Het i
esmyhairinacl
umsyponytai
latthetopof
myhead,putsmei nthewaterandtakeshisti
mewashingme.If
eel
li
keasmal lchi
l
d.

“Howismycar?”
,Iask.
Ireal
i
seIf
orgotal
laboutmypr
eci
ouscar
.
“I
t'
sinascrapyar
d.I
t'
sprobabl
yawri
teof
f.Wecangoseei
ttomor
row.I
nsur
ancewi
l
l
payoutbuty
ouknowtheyt
aketi
me”
,hesay
s.
Inod.

“Lumkai
slookingint
ogetti
nganindependentaccidentinv
est
igat
ort
ofindther
ootcause
ofyouracci
dent.Don'tworr
yaboutthecart hough.I'
llgety
ouanotherone.Whichev
er
oneyouwant”,
hesay s.

I'
l
lthi
nkaboutthatt
omor
row.I
'
minnoposi
ti
ont
othi
nkaboutcar
sri
ghtnow.Oneoft
hei
r
ki
ndalmostkil
l
edme!

El
ik.Imostcer
tai
nlycoul
dn'
thav
edonebet
ter
.Heismylif
e.
Whenhe'sdone,hedri
esmeandcarr
iesmetobed.Hesayshe’
l
lsi
tri
ghther
ewi
thmet
il
l
If
allasl
eep.

“I'
m payinglobolaf
oryouinafewweeks.Ican'
twai
t”
,hesay
s.
Ismi l
eandt rytofi
ndsleep.
[3/11,21:57]I
nini
:CHAPTER69

Iwokeupar ound9am andmor ningsi cknesshadmebad.I f el

tli
kedeath.WhenI
fi
nall
yf i
nishedwi thmyshoweranddr aggingmy sel
far ound.Ij
oinedElikandtheboysin
theli
vingr oom.Andguesswhoel sewassi t
tingthereonmycouch!Lumka!Hesay she
l
ovesCapeTown, soanyexcusetocomeher ehet akesi t
.Hesay she’sheretomeetup
withtheacci dentinvest
igat
orandhel pElikwithstuff
.Ev eryt
imeElikandLumkat eam up
todot heset hingsforme,I’mlef
tf eeli
ngsot onguetied.Idon’tunderstandhowpeople
canbesogoodt o meanddoal lthisjustforme.

Ili
stentoLumkaasIst andbyt hefri
dgeandeathal fofacar rotcakewi
thmyhands.I
wasj ustsohungry
,Icoul dn'
tevenwaittogetaplate.Ijustkeepdiggi
ngi
n.Theyar
eall
l
ookingatmel ikeI’m crazy!What?Theyhavenev erseenany oneeathal
facakeallon
thei
rown?Iignorethem, theyhavenoideahowI’
m st ar
ving.

I’
m sti
llhungrysoIgetcornflakesandfi
llupabowlt henaddor angej
uice,someol i
veoil
,
abitofal mondmi lkandalotofhoneyandmi xi
tallup.Idon’
tknowwhybutt hat’
swhatI
wanttoeatandt hereci
pejustcamet ome.Iswearthewayt heseguysar elookingatme,
theythinkIhavel ostmymi nd.Ifi
nisht
hatthenrunt othebathroom andthrowi tal
lup.
After
war dsI’m backt ost
arving.Il
ookinthefri
dgeandi nt hepantr
ybutnot hingthere
says‘eatme’ .

“Eli
k,pl
easegoandgetmechi ckenwingsandpizza.Makesurethewingsar
eext
raspi
cy”
,
Isaybeforedumpingmy sel
fonthecouch.Ifeel
sot i
redandsohungry!
“Yousti
llwanttoeatbabyaft
erall
that?
”,El
iksays.
Ifoldmyhandsandgi vehimtheeye.
“I
’m sor
rybaby.Yes,I
’l
lgoandgetthem ri
ghtnow”,hesaysandgetsup.
“Yousai dt
hewingsmustbespicy
?Youdon’
tli
kespi
cystuff
!”
,hesays.
Ilookathim.Nowhe'sreal
l
ytry
ingme!I
’mthi
nkingofwordstotel
lhi
m of
fwi
thoutbei
ng
disrespect
ful
.

“ComeEl i
k,l
et’
sgo”,Lumkagr
abshim byt
hear
msandpul
l
shi
mtowar
dst
hedoor
.
Atleastoneofthem hassomesense!

Idon’tfeelli
kedoinganythingtoday,Ijustwanttositr
ightherewit
hmyt winsandeat
cheesecurlsandwat chcartoons.Sothat’sexactl
ywhatIdo.Idon’tknowwhyElikand
Lumkat akeforever
!It’
sli
ket heyhadt ogot othefarmsfir
sttoharv
estthewheat,t
hen
gri
ndittomaket heflour
,thenmaket hedoughf orthepi
zza!Theyonl
ycomebacklikean
hourlat
er!

“Doy ouwantthepi
zzaort hewingsfi
rstbaby?Orbot h?
”,El
i
ksays.
Hesoundssounsur e.
“I
’m nothungr
ybaby,thanks”,
Isayandcont i
nuewat chi
ngTVwi t
hPeterandPaul.
“Argh…”,
hestart
stosaybutdoesn’tsaywhatev eri
tishewantedtosay.IcanhearLumka
giggl
ingbutIi
gnorethem.Howi sitmyf aul
ttheytookthisl
ong?

“Anyway sbaby ,canItalktoy ouint hebedroom?Pl ease”,Eli

ksays.
Isighandf oll
owhi m.Idon’ tknowwhyhe’ sdisturbi
ngmesomuch.
“Ineedt ogety ouacar .Whichcardoy ouwant ?”,hesays.
“Idon’tknow” ,Isay.
“ComeonFi erce.Justpickany ,youcanal way schangei tlat
er.Buty
ouneedacaras
soonaspossi ble”,
hesay s.
“Idon’tknowEl ik.Whyar eyoushout i
ngatme? ”,Istar
tcrying.
“Iwasn’ tshout i
ngbaby .Ok, I
’m sorry.WhatdidIsay ?”
,hehugsmeasIcr y.
Idon’tev enknowwhyI ’m cryi
ngt obehonest .Thetearsjustcamef r
om nowhere.
“CanIgety ouanot herCher okeet hen?Pleasebaby ,Ineedt omakesurey ouhaveacar
beforeIgobackt oJobur g”,hesay s.
He’spr acti
cal l
ybegging.
Inod.Il ovedmyJeepsoIdon’ tseewhynot .

“
Ok.Don’
tcr
y.Ipr
omi
seIwon’
tshoutaty
ou”
,hesay
s.

Iwi pemyt earsandwegobackt ojoi

nt heother
s.Eli
kandLumkasayt heyhav etoleave.
I
t’saSundaysoIdon’ tknowhowmucht heycangetdoner eall
yoraretheyjustrunni
ng
awayf rom me?
“Baby ”
,Icall
.
“Yes”,Eli
ksay s.
“Pleasetaket hatpi
zzawithyou.I
t’
sstinki
ng.Thanks”
,Igobacktowatchi
ngt hecartoons.
Lumkal aughsoutl oudthist
imeasEl i
kgrabstheboxandtheygo.
I
t’snotmyf aultt
hatEveatetheappleandnowourent ir
especieshastopaytheprice!
Idon’
tknowwhatt odowit
hmyday.I’
mtiredofwatchi
ngthesecar
toonsalr
eady!
“I
’l
lbeinthebedr
oom.Shouti
fyouneedanythi
ng.Iwon’
tcloset
hedoor”,
Isay.
“Ok”,
theysay.

Itakeanotebookfrom mybackpackandst artmaki ngal i

stofallt
hepeopleIthi
nkwoul d
wantmedead.Ihav en’tseent heaccidentr eportyetbutI ’m wonderi
ngi fsomeone
wantedmedead.Iusual l
ydon’ tbel
ieveinwi tchcr
aftbutwhathappenedy est
erday
seemedal otl
ikeit
.Iplant
oappr oacheveryonewhowi llmaket heli
standmakepeace.I
don’twanttodie.I’
vealwaysthoughtofmy selfasagoodgi r
lbutIhadn’treal
isedhow
manyenemi esI’
vemadeal ongtheway!

BRAIN
Ihonestl
ydon’tthinkhewantsmedeadser i
ousl
y.Yes,hehashadacrushonmef r
om
dayone,buthehasOshandher eal
lyhasnoreasontowantmedead.Hejustmadethe
l
istbecausehe’sthesmar t
estpersonIknow.Soifanyonecantemperwi
thmytyreand
overr
idemycarsy stem,
it’
shim.

I’
l
l j
ustcallandsayI’m sor
ry.It
’speaceof fer
ingdayaf t
eral l
.
Hesoundsshockedt ohearfrom me.Iapol ogisefornotbei ngagoodf ri
endandformy
l
oosemor als.Iact
uall
ysay,‘ I
’m sorr
yt hatI’m marryi
ngamar ri
edman’asi f that’
sa
crimehecanf orgi
ve!Hesay snohe’stheonewho’ ssorry,becausehewastooharshon
meandhehadnor i
ght.Hesay she’sgladIcal l
edbecausei t
’sbeeneat
ingathi
m andhe
didn’tknowhowt oapologise.Headdst hathe’shappyf ormeandwi shesmet hebest
andhopeswecangobackt owhatwewer ebefore.Iagree.Sowegood.

NDIVHU
Whatdoesheknowaboutkil
li
nganyone!Hehasnoreasonwhat
soever
.Iwon'
twastemy
ai
rt
ime!Heowesmeanapol ogyfortal
kingt
omet hewayhedidlastt
ime!Ot
herwi
seI'
l
l
di
sownhim qui
ck,
Eli
kst
yle.Hehastil
lendofdayt
omor r
owtobri
ngmeanapology!

BUNKE
Itcan’
tbeBunke.Bunkehasal way
sbeengoodt omeandIdon’ tknowwhenhest ar
ted
l
ov i
ngmer eall
y.Hewasat t
ractedt
omebutj ustforsex.Soasforlove,
Idon’
tknowhow
wegott here.Heconfessedthathesti
lll
ovesmeandst i
llwant
edme.I st
hatenoughto
makehi m wanttokil
lme?I fhethi
nkstheremaybeaf ut
ureformeandhi m,woul
dn’ti
t
beinhisbestinter
esttohav emealiv
e?Exceptifhehasaghostf eti
shorsomethi
ng!I’
l
l
callhi
m anyway.

Wespendov er30minut
esont hephone.Ifeelbad.Her eal
lyl
ovesmeshame.He’ sgoi ng
alloutprof
essinghisundy i
ngl oveforme.Buthehasawi f
e!WhydoIat t
ractmar r
ied
mensomucht hough.Itellhim how whatwehadshoul dneverhadgonet hatfar.We
werejusthav i
ngfunandt hingsjusthappenedandt heygotoutofcontrol.Iassurehim
thoughthatIhadgreatti
meswi thhim andapologi
sef oranywrongIcouldhav edonet o
him.Hesay shewi shesmewel landisnol ongerupsetwi thme.Hesay sheact uall
y
missesspendingti
mewithmei nthel
ab.Ipromisetomakemy sel
fmor eavail
abl
efor
chatt
ing.Hesayshecan’
twaitforust
ograduateandsaysaf
terli
steni
ngtomyspeech
theotherday,
he’
ssorr
yhejudgedme.HesaysifEl
ikmakesmehappy ,t
henI
’m doi
ngthe
ri
ghtthing.

“DoyouhatemeBunke? ”
,Iask.
“What?Nomadam.Ilovey ou,ifany
thi
ng”
,hesays.
“Wouldyouwantmedead? ”,Iknowit’
sastr
angequest
ionbutIneedt
oheart
heanswer
.
“What?Hell
no.What?”
,hesoundssoshocked.
Ok,i
t’
snotBunkethen.
Next.

MBALIANDELI K’SSLAYQUEENS
IhaveMbal i
’snumberonmyphone,y ouknow,justincaseIneedi toneday .Icoul
dget
therestoft henumber sifIwantedtobutI ’m notgoingtowast emybr eath!Eli
khas
probablymov edont oother
sany waysincehedoesn’ thaveapr oblem hav i
ngoneni ght
stands!Thatupset smesoI ’
m notgoingtothinkaboutit
.Mbaliandherf ell
owsi desdon’t
stri
kemel i
ket heyev enknow whatacarsy st
em looksli
kesot ot emperwi thit
?Wi th
what?Al ipsti
ck?Theyknownot hing,allt
heyknowi sthepriceofSav annadr ysoIwon’ t
evengot here.Nowt hatI
’
vebeenupgradedtof i
ance,Iwonderwhohasoccupi edmypost
asheadsi dechi ck.Iwon’
teventhi
nkaboutit.Ihaveenoughstress,Idon’ tneedany more.

ATHI
Technical
lyAthiandIar eev en.Icheatedonhim andhehur tme.Sowear ef airand
square.Hehasnor easontohat emet othepoi
ntofwantingmedead!WellEli
kki ndof
hadhimt hrowninjail
.He’sactual
lynev
ersaidi
tbutIknow.ButAt
hidoesn’
tknowt hatso
thatcan’tbehi sr easonofwant ingmedead.AndIr ef
usetobeli
evehecoul dhav e
contactsoutsi
deofpr i
son.Hewasweak!

SinceIcan’tcal
lhim directly
,Iputmynumberonpr i
vateandcal lhisfr
iendMonde.I ’m
pleasantl
ysurpr
isedwhenheanswer s.Hedoesn’tsoundv eryenthusedtohearf r
om me
butatleasthedoesn’ tdropt hephone.Hesay sAthiisinPollsmoorandgot5y ears.He
saysIdi dhisfr
iendbadandt heyallthoughtIwasdi ff
erentsot heywer eallshocked
whenIt urnedouttobej ustanothercommonnei ghbourhoodwhor e.That ’
smycuet o
thankhim andhangup.Yho!Pol l
smoor .That’
samaxi mum secur i
typrisonandt hat’
s
wher eallt
henot or
iousgangmember sare.Athiwon’ tsurvi
v ePoll
smoorshame.He’ s
probablysomeone’swi f
et hereal
ready!

IfeelbadandIwonderifIshoul
dgov isi
thi
m andmakepeace.ButEl i
kmademe
promiset
ostayawayfr
om him!SoifIgoandhefi
ndsout,Idon’tthi
nkhewi llbet
oo
happywit
hme.Eli
kpuni
shesbet
ray
albydi
sowni
ng.AndIcan’
thavethatbecauseofAt
hi.

PROF
Noshame.He’
sjustont
hel
i
stbecauseIhadt
heacci
dentaf
terhecal
l
edmet
ocampus.I
callhim upany way .
“HiPr of”,Isay.
“HelloLast born.Youdi dnotcomet ochur ch.Iinvi
t edyouandy ousaidyouwouldcome! ”
,
hesay s.
“Yaaboutt hat.Imeantt ocomebutI ’
m notf eelingt oowellt
oday.Iwi l
lcomenext
Sunday ”,
Isay.
Iwillcomenev er.
“Alr
ight .Wewi llbewai ti
ng.Youneedt ogivey ourl i
fetot heLor
dLastborn.Heistheway,
thetrut handt hel i
fe”
,hesay s.
“Iknow Pr of.I ’
m wor kingoni t
.So,abouty est
er day,whydi dyouneedt hatdatathat
urgent l
y ?
”,Iask.
“YouknowI ’
m pr esent
ingatt henanotechnol ogyconf erencetomorr
ow.Ihadf or
gottenal
l
abouti t.SoIneededt opr eparemypr esentation”
, hesay s.
Ohy at hatconf erence.He’ sgotapoint.Soi tcan’
tbehi m.

KOMLA’SSI STER
Thatone.I’ v emett hatwomani nmyni ght maresandshewast hedev i
lincarnate,
complet
ewi thhor nsandabur ningfork!She’ saf emaleGoliat
handIf eell
ikerunning
awayjustthinkingofher.Shescar estheli
vingday l
ightsoutofme.Shewhoopedmeso
badwhenshef oundmeonEl i
k’
sbed.Wow!Shedi dnothol dbackt hattime!Shebeatme
upli
keadonkey !Ihavenodoubtshewoul ddoany thingforhersister.Evenkil
lme!Ican' t
cont
actthatoneev enifIwantedt o.MaybeIshouldsendheraphot o-shoppedpictureof
myselfi
nacof fi
nandsayI '
m deadandhasht ag#SoonToBeGhost Things.May beshewi ll
buyi
tandact uall
ythi
nkI'm deadthenstoptryingtokill
me!

KOMLA
Mysoont obef ut
urehusband’ sexwife.Iknowf oraf actthatt
hatonehat esmewi t ha
passionthatr unsallthewayt hr
oughherbones.Toher ,I’
mt hereasonfortheendofher
marri
age.Butam I ?Iwi shmeandhercoul dsitdownov erapotoft eaandt al
kl i
ke
womensoIcanexpl ainmy sel
ftoher.Inevermeantt or epl
aceher .Di
splacehermay be
butnotcompl etel
yreplaceher!Iwaswi l
li
ngt oshare,sheshouldgi vemecr edi
tforthat!
AndI’m keepingherchi l
drenforcry
ingoutloud.Ifshe'
st heonetryingtokil
lmeshecoul d
ki
llherchildren!Doessheknowt hat?AndI ’m str
uggl
ingbutI ’m doingthebestIcant o
makesur et heyarehappyandcomf ort
able.Iputthem fi
rst.

Nomatterwhosay swhat,Iwon’ttaket
heblameforwhathappenedbet weenEl ikand
Komla.Idi
dt hatforyearsandital
mostbrokeme.Iwouldsitinmyr oom feelingli
ke
Prov
erbs5waswr it
tenaboutme.I’
m overt
hatnow.Iwon’tapol
ogiseforl
ov e.Iwon’t
apol
ogiseforbei
ngwi thEli
k.I
fKomlaneedstobl
amesomeone,l etherbl
amet heman
whomadet heoathtoher.

It
akemyl apt
opanddr af
tanemail.I'
mt ooscar
edt
osendi
tbecauseI
'
m notsur
ehow
El
i
kwil
lfeelabouti
t.MaybeI
'
llsenditoneday.
“
DearKoml
a

IknowI ’
mt helastpersony ouexpecttohearf r
om butpl
ease,hearmeout . Letmest art
offbysay i
ngI’
m sor r
y.Iknowsor rywil
lneverbeenough.Butjustknowt hatI’
m sorr
y.It
wasnev erabouty ouorintendedt ohurtyou.Youknowmyhi st
orywi t
hEli
k, y
ouknowour
beginni
ng,youknow ourst ory,youknow ev er
ythi
ng.Pl
easeunder st
and,noneofi twas
meantt ohurty ou,Iswear .Wej usthappened,befor
eyoumar r
iedeven.Ijustlovehim
witheveryfi
breofmybei ng.Ican'thel
pit
.

Iwaswi l
l
ingtobeasecondwi f
ebecauseInevermeanttorepl
aceyou.It
houghtwe
coul
dbesi st
ersandbeuni
tedbyourl
oveforEl
i
k.Ithoughtwecoul
dmakeitwork,y
ou
know.Iwaswi l
l
ingt
otr
y.

Anyway s,I
’mlivi
ngwit
hPeterandPaulnow,I’
m sureyouknow.Theyar edoinggreatand
havemadesomuchpr ogressattheschoolIenr ol
ledthem in.Theyarehappyand
growing.Buttheymissthei
rmotherKomla.I
'm nottr
yingtostealt
hem f
rom you.I'
mj ust
taki
ngcar eofthem i
nthemeantime.Someonehast o.Ifonlyyoucoul
dcallthem ont he
phoneatleast,j
ustsotheyknowyoustil
lexi
st.Theyareforget
ti
ngyouandsoonI ’
llbeall
theyknowandt hat’
snotgood.Theyarewell
takencareofthough,Ipr
omise.

Ihopeonedayy ouwil
lfi
nditiny
ourheartnott
ohatemesomuch.Iwon’
taskt
haty
ou
forgi
veme,becauseIwil
lbeaski
ngfortoomuch.Pleasecal
lmesoy
oucantal
ktothe
kids.I
’
m beggi
ngyou.Theyneedt
oknowy ousti
lll
ovet
hem.

Si
ncer
ely
,Fi
erce”
.

Shepr obabl ywon’ tmakei tpastlineoneany way.

“AuntFi erce.Canwehav eouraf ternoonnapnow?”Pet ersay
srunningt
ome.Hej umps
onme,Ial mostdr opt helapt op.Ineedt ostopfeedi
ngthesekidssweetsbecausethe
energyt heyhav eist oomuch.
“Sure.Wher e’
sPaul ?”,Iask.
“He’ssl eeping”
, hesay s.
“Alr
ight, t
akeof fthatT- shirtfi
rstthengeti ntobed”
,Isay.
TheT- shi r
tiswetwi t
hj ui
ce, Idon’twanti tanywherenearmybedding.
Icoulduseanapt oo.I’mt i
redoft hi
nkingofpeopl ewhowantt okil
lme.Igoandcar ry
Paulf rom thel i
v i
ngr oom andputhi mi ntobed.Beingamot herissohard!Iwasnev er
ready.Iwonderhowwomenoutt heredoi t
.Andwiththenewbabycomi ng,Iwi
llneed5
nannies.
Ijoi
nt hem i nbedandweal ltryandgetsomesl eep.

*
***
**

I’
m wokenupbyEl
ik!Af
tert
hismorni
ngIt
houghthewasn'
tcomi
ngback.Hel
ookedl
i
ke
hewasreadyt
orunawayandnevercomeback.
“Doyouwantweirdthingsagain,l
ikemaybeheatedi
cecream?”,
helaughs.
That'
snotfunny
!
“Mxm.Leavemeal one”,Isay.
“So.Ihaveasurpri
sef oryou.Twoactuall
y.No,thr
ee.Whichonedoy ouwantf
ir
st”
,he
says.
Isheseri
ous?
“Iwantnumberonefir
st?”,Isay.
I'
m notsur
ewhatexact l
yhe'saskingme.

“Ok.Closey oureyes”,hesay s.
Idoandhol doutmyhands.Hepl acessomet hi
ngt hereandIopenmyey es.I
t'
sasmal l
box.It ur nitaroundandt here'sapaperst uckoni twr i
tt
eni nhishandwr i
ti
ng.Itreads
‘
Ant i
psy choticmedi cati
on’.
He'ssosi l
lyIcan'tdeal.
“Seri
ousl y?”,Isay.
“Well.Youki ndofshowedsi gnsofbi polart
hismor ni
ngsoy a”,hel
aughs.
He’ sr eal l
yenj oyingt hi
s!It'sactuall
yaboxofchocol ates.Myf avouri
te70% dar k
chocolat e.Ican'thelpbutsmi le. Heissosweetandt hought f
ul.
“Idon'tknowi fyouar egoingt oeatitnowory ou'
llkeepitforthecoming6mont hswhen
youar enor mal again”,hesays.
Ihithim wi thapi l
l
ow.Ihopet heremainingtwosur pri
sesarenotmocki ngthepregnant!

“Ok.Thesecondonei snotasurpri
sesurpr
ise.Comeandsee” ,hesay s.
Ifollowhi m outsideandi t
'sablackJeepGr andCher okee.Justl i
ket heoneIhad.Istart
crying.Thiscr yingbusinessneedst ostopser iously
.Ther e’swat ershortagesinCape
TownandIkeepwast i
ngit!Ij
umpi ntohi
sar msandkeept hankinghim.He' sthebest
thi
ngt hateverhappenedt ome.I fIhadnevermethi m Iwouldst i
llbedri
vingmyVW and
brokeatr ez.Wel lIwouldhavef i
nishedmyPhDal ongt imeagot hough!Goodt hing
aboutmei st hatIcryeasil
yandIst opeasi
l
y .
“Canwebl essi ttonight
?”,
Isay.
“Obv ious”,
hesay s.
Bybl essImeancanwegetourf reakonini ttonight.Idon'tknowwhati ti saboutcars
butwe' vealway slovedlovi
ngeachot heri
nt hebackseat .Backt henheusedt osayhe
l
ov edi tbecauset herewasn'tenoughspacef ormet or unawayf rom him.Heal wayswas
sil
ly!

“Where'sLumka? ”,
Iask.
Iassumedt heyhadgonet oget
her.
“Somewher e,Idon'
tknow.Hewi l
lbr
ingtheaccidentr
eportlat
erthough”,hesays.
“Youthinkhecant aketheki
dsforacoupleofhour st
hisevening?”
,Iask.
“Why? ”
,hesay s.
“Iwast hi
nking,si
nceI'
m goingtogetfatsoonandmyst omachi sgoingtobul ge.Iwas
thi
nkingIcandr essupf oryouwhileIstil
lcanandwecoul dhav esomef un.What ev
er
youwant .Frenchmaid?Nurse?Cop?Kitana?Naughtyschoolgirl
?Stri
pper?”
,Iturnonmy
seducti
vev oi
ce.
Hecanpi ckany ,
Ihav
eawholebagfullofcost
umeswe'vebeencollect
ingovert
hey
ear
s.
It
'sneverbeenasecrett
hatweareseri
ousaddict
sandwer edefi
nespicingi
tup.
Icantellf
rom thewayhe'
sbit
inghi
slowerli
pthathe'
sgett
ingideasinhishead.

“CanIcal l
himtocomeandf etchthem r
ightnow?
”,hesay
s.
“Idon'tseewhynot ”
,Iwinkandwal kbackintot
hehouse,del
i
ber
atel
yswi
ngi
ngi
tsohe
cangetav i
ew.
HedialsLumkaandf oll
owsmebacki nt
othehouse.
“Hereisthelastsurpri
se”,
hesay s.
Hepi cksanenv elopefrom t
het abl
eandhandsi ttome.Ihopei
t'
snotdi
vor
cepaper
s.
Youcannev ert
rustEli
k.
It
'saTi t
leDeedoft hi
shouse!How?When?

“Well
.Younotrenti
nganymor e.Youownt hi
splacenow.Youli
keit
?”,hesay
s.
Wow!Thewayhe' ssochill
edy ou'
dswearhej ustboughtmeapacketofbi scui
tsnota
house!Buthow.Ther egi
str
ationoftr
ansferpr
ocesstakesupto3mont hssomet i
mes.I
’
m havingahardt i
mepr ocessingthi
sone.Allinmyname?Al lmine?Heboughtmea
house?
“I
sthismine?When?How?Tel lmeeveryt
hing”
,I'
m soexci
ted.
Idon'
tevencareifthetwi
nswakeupf r
om myscr eami
ng.

“Well,Idon'tli
key oust ayi
ngatr ezsobef oreIpr oposedIpur chasedthishousef oryou.
Thet ransf
eronl ywentt hroughlastweekandIonl ypi ckedupt heTitl
eDeedt oday”,he
says.
“Why?Whyar eyoudoi ngal lt
hisforme? ”
,Iask.
I'
m ov er
whel med.
“Whatdoy oumeanwhy ?Youar emybabyandI '
vealway stol
dy ou,youdeservet hefi
ner
thi
ngsi nlife.Youdeser veaJeepandabeachhouseandsomuchmor e.Whydoy ou
thi
nkIwor ksohar d?Fory ou, I
'
lldoanythi
ng” ,
hesay s.
“Idon’tknowwhatt osay”,Ihonestl
ydon’t.
“Don’tsayany thing.Justletmet akecareofy ou”,hesay s.
“Thanky ou.Thanky ousomuch” .
Idon'tknowwhatt osayordo.Igotahousej ustbecauseand Il ostonecary ester
day
andwokeupwi t
hanot heronet oday.I
t'
stoomuch.I ’
m ov er
whelmed.
Wher eexact l
ywi ll
mymoneygot owhenIst artworkingwhenI '
llhaveeveryt
hing?

Lumkaev entuallygetshereandI ’
m stil
lholdi
ngont oEli
kandt hanki
nghim.He’ stoo
much. Wel eftthedooropenj ustforhim sohecant aket
hekidsandgo.I '
m straddli
ng
Eli
kinmysi gnaturepose,legsar oundhi swaist
.
“Geez!Getaroom y outwo! ”
,hesay s.
“Sorr
ybhud’Lumka” ,IgetoffElik.Wej ustsi
tti
ng!Forwhateverr
easonElikquickl
yput sa
cushiononhisl ap.Lumkaal readyknowswear emessedup.He’sbai l
edusoutf orbeing
caughtsexi
ngi nt hecarsoust hrowi nghim andthekidsoutsowecangeti tonshoul dn’t
beasur pri
se.
“Pleasedon’tgomeetagi r
lwithmychi l
drenbhud’Lumka!”,
Isay.
Lumkal ooksatmet henatEl i
k.
“Ya.She’sseri
ousman.Don’ t
”,El
i
ksay s.
“Youknowt heywillt
ellmei fyoudor i
ght?”,
Isay.
“Iwasn’tgoingtodot hat!Howmanyt imesshouldItel
lyouI’m achangedman?Tel
lher
Eli
k”,Lumkasay s.
“Leavemeoutofi tyout wo.Idon’tknowany thi
ng”
,El
iksays.

Igoandgetthekids.If
eelbadforwaki
ngthem upbuttheywil
lfor
giveme.AuntFi
erce
anddaddyneedsomequalit
yti
me.Ineedheal
ingfr
om theshockIsuf
feredy
ester
day
.
[
3/11,21:
57]I
nini
:CHAPTER70

Ifeellikemyst omachj ustgrew overni

ght!I
twasf l
attheotherdaybutnow t here'
sa
bump.Ij ustwokeupandi twast her
e!Iwashopingitwillwai
tabitatl
easttil
lafterthe
l
obol a.Mymot herwillgocr azyIknow.I '
m now t
erri
fi
edofgoinghome.Thatwoman
scarest heliv
ingdayl
ightsoutofme.Il ovehert
houghandy ouknowwhatt heysay ,you
don'tchoosef amil
y,youj usthav
et olearnt
odeal
.

I'
m quitehappyaboutmygr owingstomachthoughbecausei tdidn'
tfeell
ikeIwasreall
y
pregnantwithoutt
hebumpt obackitup.ButnowI f eelverypregnant.I
ntheweekEl i
k
washer e,hewental loutt omakesur ethetwinsandIwer esor t
ed.Hespenthour s
handli
ngmyacci dentreport
s,r
egist
eri
ngmynewcar ,fil
i
ngf orinsur
ance,heevendidthe
droppingoffofthekidsatschoolinthemornings.Andsi ncehewasher e,heli
nedupa
coupleofmeet i
ngs.Ont opofallt
hat,hest
il
lwouldhav eener gytocomehomeandpl ay
withthekidsbeforetheywenttobedandont opoft hat,sti
llhaveenergylef
ttolayme
good.

Ifeelbadformytantr
umsbuthewasunder standi
ngandwouldlaughatmeaf t
erwar
ds.
Thispregnancyt
hingishar
dyho!It'
ssobadI '
m evenbuyi
ngbookscalled ‘Pr
egnancy
101:Allyouneedtoknow’.He’sreal
lyexci
tedandt hi
sbabyi
sal lwetalkaboutthese
days.Iwishhecouldhav
estayedbuthehadt ogoandpushdealsandcashi n.Weneed
thatmoney.

Theaccidentr eportcamebackwi thther ootcauseanal y

sis.Apparentlytheycoul dnot
real
lydetectwhatexact lyhappened.Theysai dit'
sliket hetyrej
ustbur stfrom nowher e,
whichisex actl
ywhatIkeptsay ing!Andappar entl
ywhathappenedi ssor ar
econsi deri
ng
mycarwasnewandi tstopclasssafetyfeatureswer einperfectworkingcondition.That
meansI '
m par tofthe0.01%,yay!Ichangedt hestati
stics!NowJeepcannev erguar ant
ee
100%saf ety.Ifeel
likearevol
utioni
st!I
'm changingthest ati
sti
cs,onecaratat ime.

I'
vet
houghtlongandhardaboutmyaccidentandresearchedandeveryt
hing.I
'v
er eached
aconclusi
ont hatwhathappenedwaswi tchcraf
tsincescienceandt echnologycan't
expl
ainit
.Someoneisn'
tsleepi
ngatnighttryi
ngtokillme.Poorthing.Don'ttheyknow
sl
eepisprecious?Theyshoul dst opthi
snonsenseandgetagoodni ghtsl
eepl i
ke
ever
yoneel
se!Whodot heythi
nktheyaregoingtokil
l?Me?Theymustthi
nkagai
n!That'
s
j
usttheout
sidetalki
ng.Insi
deI'
m shiv
eri
ngandt er
ri
fi
edandprayi
ngtenti
mesadaynow.
Idon'
twanttodie.I'
m notRomeo’sJuli
et. Iwil
lnotdief
orl
ove!

Eli
kandKoml aareof fi
ci
all
ydivorced!Thedi vor
cefi
nall
ywentthroughandEl iksay s
Koml aisenragedbutt hat'
snothispr obl
em.See,mylovehassethimfree.It
oldy ouI'
m
arevoluti
onist!Helookedsor el
ievedandwepoppedabot tl
eofchampagnet ot hat.Of
courseIj uststoppedatt hepoppi ng,Ican’tdri
nk.I’
m nottryi
ngtogi vebir
tht oan
underdevelopeddrunkardbabywi t
hhal fali
ver
!

IsentKoml at hatemai laski ng fora truce,butshe di dn'trespond!Notev en an

acknowl edgementofr eceipt!Idon'tknowi fsheev enreadit.Whatever!Itr
ied.Thekids
don' task abouthert hatmuch any more.Theyar ev eryoccupied juggli
ng school
,
afternoonnaps,v i
deogames,wat chingcartoons,playi
ngwi ththei
rnew phones,eating
what evertheywant ,l
i
st eningtobedt imest or
ies,botheri
ngauntFi ercewitheveryt
hing
andspi ll
ingfoodal lovert hehouse.Theyar ev erybusy!Igotthem aphonet osharebut
Pet erwasbul l
yingPaulsoIhadt ogetanot herone.Theonl ycontactsontheirphonesis
Eli
kandI .AndEl i
kiscompl ai
ningthattheycallhim non-st
op!Hesay she’sgoingtoblock
them!Hecan’ tdot hat
.Iknowt heyjustdialf
ornor easonbutIf i
nditcute.

Theyseem veryf i
newithoutKoml a.That'
sworr
ying.I
'
m nother
etorepl
acethei
rmother
!
Andast heygr ow theywi llstar
taskingaboutheragainandIwon'thaveananswer.
Peterwassickear l
ieri
nt heweekandf ortwodayshecouldn’
tgotoschoolsoIhadto
st
ayhomewi thhi m andmakehi m soupandbabyhi m andwat
chcartoonswit
hhim
whenIwouldrat herbewat chingsomethingmoreadul
ty.

Ohandnoonehaski ll
edmey et
,di
dIment i
onthat
?If eell
ikeasurv
ivor
!I '
m st
il
lal
iveand
ki
ckingandmynewcarhasn’ tr
unawayf r
om t
her oadandgonet umblingdownasy et
.I’
m paranoi
dbutfi
ne.I'
m evenbackt
odr i
vi
ngnowbecausewhatopt iondoIhav e.Ineed
togetfrom Poi
ntAt oPoi
ntBsomehow.Yes,Ihav econsider
edwear ingahelmetand
shi
npadsandsaf et
yshoeswhendri
ving,
butIhaven’tyet
.

Eli
kgotmeal ive-
innannybeforehelef
tsi
nceIwasdr aggi
ngmyf eetaboutit
.Hesaid
Lumka’scousi
nhadanannywhosecousi n'
ssist
er-i
n-l
aw'syoungsisterwasavail
abl
e.So
that
’showIendedupwi thPelagi
a.Ihadneverheardthatnamebef ore.Shesai
dIcould
call
herPeggy,
sot hat
’swhatwecallher
. Peggy.WheredoIst ar
t!

Peggyisanol di
shwomanf r
om Zimbabwe.Ok,she' snotol d,she’
sj ustoldert
hanme.
She'sprobabl
yli
ke35-38y earsoldsomewher et here.I'
llcheckherpasspor tcopy. I
hatethewaywewer erai
sedyouknow!Wewer etaughtt orespectelders,soevenwhen
Peggydoessomet hi
ngwrongIcan'texactl
yshoutather !IendupcallingEli
kandv ent
ing
andhejustsays‘Tal
ktoherbaby,she’l
lunder
stand’.Mypr eciousman.
Peggy !Shecameher ewitht
hatthingof‘ I'
m olderthanyouandIknow chil
dren’
!Like
woman,I 'my ourbossandmeandt hetwinshavear outi
ne,youcan'tj
ustwal
tzinhere
withthatatti
tudeandt hi
nkyou'
l
l changet hat
!I’l
lfi
reyouquick!Imaynotbeamot her
yetbutI'm doinggreatwit
hthetwins,ifIdosaysomy sel
f.I'
vereadsomanybooksand
Googledsomanyt hi
ngsaboutthedodanddon' tsofraisi
ngt hem.EvenEli
kisidol
pressed. Hesai dhewasn'tsur
eI'l
lmanage.Thi sman!

Ok,soIhadt osi
tPeggydownandasr espect
ful
lyaspossi
blet
ellherthet
winsaremy
chil
drenandwhatIsaygoes.Iwasn’tsmil
ingwhenIsaidthat
.I’vecometoofarwit
h
theseboyssoIwon’
tletany
onedi
sruptourr
outi
ne!Shel
ist
ened.

Thefirstf
ourdayswithPeggy ,Iwasscaredformyl i
fe.Iwasconv i
ncedI’dcomehome
onedayandt hehousewoul dbebur ntdownorshewoul dhav eputthet winsinthe
washingmachineorsomet hi
ng.I’dassumedt hatsheknewev ery
thingbecauseshesaid
shehasov er10y ear
sexperienceinthisfiel
d.ButPeggy,dearPeggy ,shecleanedmy
Persi
ancarpetwithwaterandsunl i
ghtli
quidandamop.Iwant edtocry.Itwaswetand
soggyandshej ustl
ookedatmewhenIaskedherwhyshedi dthat.Idi
dn’tyel
lthough,
I
j
ustshowedIwasupsetandaskedt hatifshe’
snotsureaboutany t
hingsheshouldask.

Butdidshe?No.Iaskedhert omakesomemi xedvegetablessoIcoul daddi ttothe

couscousf ort hekids.Shesaid‘ Yesmadam’ .SoIsai dfineandwentt odomyown
thi
ngs.WhenIcamebackt oeat
,Iactuall
ylaughed.Idon’ tknow how Peggyconf used
mixedv egetableswithmi xedf
rui
ts.Li
kewhof r
iesfrui
tsthough.Shesay sthepackaging
confused her .Ikeep packet s offrozen mixed f r
uit
sf ormy smoot hies butthey
specif
ical
lysay‘ f
ruit
s’andev enhaveapi ctureoff r
uit
sont heout
side.Ey ,Peggyj
ust
fri
edthosef rui
tsandaddedspi cesandi twasjustamess.Ihadt oor
derpi zzabecause
couscousandf ri
edfruit
s!No.

Theonet hi
ngIhat eisthatshesai dsheknew how appl ianceswor kedandst uf
f.She
couldhav ejusttoldmeandIwoul dhaveshownherev er
y t
hingf r
om t hegetgo!Iwas
scaredforthefutureofmywashi ngmachi ne.Peggy!Shehaspot enti
al thoughandIt hink
I’
mt eachingherjustfi
ne.Wehav ehadonef i
ghtthisfar
.Firstsheusedmyf avourit
ef ace
washt owashherbody !Somor et hanhalfwasgone!Thenshewenti ntomycl osetand
sprayedandspr ayedandsprayedmyper f
ume!WhenIgothome, myr oom wassat urated
withperfume.Ilostitt
hatday!That’saR5000per fumefrom Isr ael!Itoldhertost ayaway
fr
om closet.May beIwasabithar shbutit
’snotme, it
’sthepr egnancy .

Shehast hebestjobi
nthewor l
dthough.Al
lshedoesiscometomyr oom inthemor ning
andgetthekidsreadyforschool
.ThenIgetreadywhentheyhav
ebr eakf
ast.ThenIt ake
them toschoolonmywayt ocampus,leav
ingherbehindtodowhatevershewant s.So
allshedoesreal
lyiscooksupper(si
mplemeals)andwatchTVallday.She’l
lgetthere.I
usedtober ur
altooonceuponat i
me.

Any
way
s,ont
ogoodnews.Goodl
uckhasbeenf
all
i
ngonmel
i
ker
ain.If
inal
l
yfi
nished
mythesi
sandPr ofwil
lsendi
toffforexaminati
onearlynextweek!Andbecauset heguys
i
nthelabandIar ecoolnow,
theycelebrat
edwithme.Bunkeespeci al
l
ywassuperproud
ofmeandwoul dn'tst
ophuggingme!I twasabi tuncomfortable.Youknowwhenaguy
youknowwantsy oukeepsholdi
ngy ouitgetsquit
euncomf ortable!Ismi
l
edthough.I’
m
notapar
typooper.

Ohhappyday !Ifi
nall
yf i
nishedmyPhD!Iknowy oucan'
tcel
ebrat
ebeforeresult
scome
outbutstil
l
,it'
sami lest
one.AndIknow t here'snowayI '
mf ai
li
ngthatt hesis.Eli
k
proof
readi
tbackt obackandboywashehar shwi t
hhiscomments!Idi
dn'
tspeakt ohim
for2days!Heact ual
lywr ot
einonesect
ion ‘WTF!Wer eyoudrunkwhenwr it
ingt hi
s
secti
on?Del
eteeveryt
hingandr ewr
it
eit
.Usey ourbrai
nthi
sti
me!'Wasthatnecessar y
?

Buthedidanamazi ngj obedit

ingit,Iadmit
.Iknow I
'm passing.See,ithelpsdati
nga
prof
essorafterall
.Toobadt here'
snomar kforPhD,i
t'
sjustpassorf ai
l.I'
m sureIwould
havebaggedadi sti
nct
ion.Iwassoexci t
edItookPeggyandt heboyst oanexclusive
seafoodrest
aurantinWat erf
ront.Iregr
ett
editt
houghbecauseIl ostmyappet it
eont he
wayandi twashar dtry i
ngtot eachPeggyhow t oeatpr awnsandmussel s.Itwas
missioni
mpossi bl
e.

Myonlypr
oblem nowi sthatI'
llbe7monthspregnantinApr
ilnextyear
.I'
l
llooklikean
el
ephanti
nmygr aduati
ongown.Thatj ustmakesmesad.Il ookedsogoodf ormy
Master
sgraduat
ionIwashopi ngtolookevenbett
erformyPhD.Butno,Elikjusthadto
knockmeupandspoi lmygraduati
onday!

SpeakingofEli
k,I
'l
lseehimt omorrow,I'
l
lspendadayt henproceedt oZi
mbabwe.El i
k’s
‘
people’wil
lbecomi ngdownf orlobolanegotiat
ionsandIneedt obehomesot heycan
‘
identi
fyme’.Ist
il
ldon’
tknowwhoex actl
yhi speoplearebutI’
vedecidedt ol
eav
et hatto
him.Hesnappedt helasttimeIpushedt hemat tersoI’m notbri
ngingitupagain.I'
m
dreadi
nggoinghomebutI '
l
lwearbaggyt hingsandhopenoonenot icesthesmallbump
onmyst omach.It
'snotreal
lyshowing.Il
ookbl oatedmorethananything.

IexplaintothekidsthatIwi llbegoneforlikeaweekandtheymustbegoodandtrynot
tomi ssmet oomuch.
“I
’l
lmi ssyouguyssomuch” ,It
ellt
hem.
“Canwegowi thyou? ”,
Paul asks.
“NoPaul .Wehav etogot oschool!
”,Pet
ersays.
Mycl everboy!
“So,whowi ll
takeust oschool ?”
,Paulasks.
“Ihavear r
angedf orthat.There’l
lbeadrivertot
akeyoutoandfr
om school
.AuntPeggy
will
beher ethewhol etime”,Isay.

Theyaresadf
orli
keasecondt hentheyf
orgetandarebacktoarguingwitheachother
.I
wishIwasachildsomet imes.Zerostr
ess.AfterIputthetwinst obedIf i
ndPeggy
packi
ngawaythedishes.Shefinal
l
ygothowt hedishwasherworks,thankf
ull
y.I
’m st
il
l
uneasyaboutl
eav
ingheral
onewi
tht
heki
dsbutEl
i
ksai
dthey
’l
lbef
ine.

“Peggy ,canwet al
kpl ease”,
Isay.
Shedr iesherhandsonherapr onandjoinsmeont hecouch.
“It
oldy ouI '
ml eavingt omorrowri
ght?
”,Isay.
“Yesmadam y oudi d”
, shesays.
“Pleasedon' tcallmemadam.Fi ercei
sfine”
,Isay
.
I'
m alway stell
ingher .Madam makesmesoundol d!Besidesi
tremi
ndsmeofBunkeand
Iwoul drathernotgot here.
“Yesmadam” ,shesay s.
HayIgi veup!

“IfanythinghappensPeggyoroneoft heboysget ssickorany thi

ngatal l,cal
lme
i
mmedi at el
y.Also,pleasemoni torPeter.He'sst
il
lrecoveri
ngf r
om thefl
u”,Isay.
I'
m worriedaboutl eavingthem.Ihav ebeenwi tht hem everysingl
edaysi nceIbecame
thei
rguar di
an.Thi sisthefirstt
imeI '
m goingtobewi thoutthem.
“Don'
twor r
y,everythi
ngwi llbealr
ight
”,sheassuresme.
I'
m notsur eaboutt hat.Icanonlyhope.
“Ihavemadeal istoft hi
ngsy oushouldmakesur ey oudo.Makesur eyour eadthem a
stor
yever ynightbef or
et heysleep.Here’sthebooky oushouldreadfrom”,Isay.
“Yesmadam” ,shesay s.

Shethi
nksEl ikismyhusbandandPet erandPaularemychildr
en.Sheassumedt hatal
l
onherownandIdi dn'tcor
recther.Ij
ustwentwiththeflow.Idontknow how shes
missi
ngt he'
AUNTFi erce'
.Ormabeshet hi
nksmynamei sAnt i
-Fier
ce?Techni
cal
lyshe's
notwrong t hough.Eliki smyhusband ( t
o be)and the twinsar e mychil
dren (by
associ
ati
on).ShemadeacommentabouthowImusthav estartedhavingsexatay oung
ageandhadt hesetwinssoy oung.Igav
eherthat‘wearenotfriendsli
kethat
’ey e.She
can'
tcrossthatline.

*
***
***
***
*

IgottoJobur gthismor ning.El i

k’sawayf ormeet i
ngsalldaysoI '
m aloneathome,bor ed.
Itr
iedwat chingTV, t
riedreadi ngabook, tri
edgoi ngforaswi m.Alldidn’
twork.I
’mt r
y i
ng
toreadupont hingstoweart ohideapr egnancywhenmyphoner i
ngs.Idon'
trecogni se
thenumberbuti tturnsoutt obeLumka’ swi fe.That’sunexpectedbutnotunwelcome.
Shesay sLumkat oldherI '
m El ik’snewwi feandshewaswonder i
ngifwecanmeetf or
coffeesowecangett oknoweachot her,sinceourhusbandsar ebest i
esandwewi llbe
hangingout .I'
m boredany way ssoIdon' tseewhynot .IsendEli
kamessaget hatI'
llbe
somewher ei nSandtonCi ty.Dr essingupisal r
eadybecomi nghard.Mybodyi sexpanding
andclothesar egetti
ngt i
ght .Idon'tblamet hem though.ImeanI'm eati
ngeveryhour!

Iwonderwhatshe'
l
lsaywhenshereal
i
sesI'
mt hatsamegir
lwhosleptatherhouset
hat
ti
me!Idon’
tknowwhoLumkasai dIwasthen.Ohwel l
,we’
llcr
ossthatbri
dgewhenwe
gettoSandton. Idon’tknowwhyshe’ sref
erri
ngt ohim ashubbybecauseLumkat old
met heyar
enotlegall
ymar ri
ed.Hesay shepai ddamagesaf terhegotherpr egnantbut
nevermarr
iedhersotheyhav ejustbeencohabiti
ngforthepasttenyears.If eelsorr
yfor
her.Lumkadoesn’tl
oveher,hehasn’ tforalongtime.Hesay shorr
ibl
et hingsabouther
andsayshejustkeepsherforconv eni
enceandforthechildr
enofcourse.I’mt ryi
ngtobe
fr
iendswit
hherheresoofcour seIwon’ttel
lherallt
hat.Besi
des,El
ikwoul dkillmeifIdid.

Wheni tcomest othosetwo,t

heirl
oy al
tytoeachot heri
sadmi r
abl
e.IrememberIwason
thephonewi t
hLumkaonet i
mewhenIasked,
“Where’sElik?”.Ihadmeanttoaskwher ehi
swi fewasbuthadmadeami stakeandsai
d
Eli
kinstead.
“El
ik’
sher ewithme” ,hehadsaidsosmoot hly!
“What?Letmet al
ktohim”,
I’
dsai t
ryingnottolaugh.
“Aaah!Eeish.Hej ustwentt
ot hebathroom.I’
ll
hav ehim cal
lyouback”,hehadsaid.
Ihadlaughedsohar dbecauseEli
kwasact uall
ylyingnexttomeatt hatti
me.

I'
veonlymetMr sLumkaoncebef or
e,inherhousef orli
ke10mi nutes.Shehadbeenni ce
thensoIhopeshest i
lli
s.Ifindheri nasmal lcoffeeshopint hemi ddleoft hemall
. I
knowourmenar efr
iendsbutj ustbyl ooki
ngatMr sLumka,Iknowwewon' tbef ri
ends.
Wedon' thav
ethatelectr
icit
ybet weenus.It’
snott hereatall
.She'sani cepersonandal l
,
butshe'sli
ke10y earsoldert hanmeandcar r
iesherselfli
keamot her.I'
m stil
lonthe
chil
dishendoft hespect r
um.Idon' tseeherpl ayingvideogames,wat chingVampi re
Diar
ies,wear
ingcharcoalfacemasksorgoi ngonspadat eswi t
hme.

I
'm dressedinawayt hatnoonecansuspectI '
m pregnant
.Ineedt oprotectmychi l
d.
Peoplear eevilouthere.Idon'twantKoml aknowi ngI'
m pregnantandsendi ngme
l
ightni
ng!Wef orcetheconversati
onatf i
rstbutitfl
owsast i
megoes.Shet al
ksatleast
andlaughsandi sverysweet.Itdoesn'
ttakelongformet oopenupt oher.Shet el
l
sme
thatshequitherjobbecausetheywer enottreat
ingherri
ghtandshedidn’tseetheneed
tokeepwakingupat5am whenhermanmakessomuch.

“Sosisi,whenar ey ouandEl i
kgettingmar r
ied?”,sheasks.
“Wehav en'tsetadatey etbutwear edoingt helobol
anegotiat
ionsonSatur
day”
,Isay
.
I
’m sureLumkahast oldhereverythinganyway .
“ThisSat urday?”
,sheasks.
“Yes”,Isayandsi ponmyhotchocol ate.
“Where? ”sheasks.
She'ssoi nter
estedinwher eexact l
yIcomef r
om andIt el
lher.Shekeepsaski
ngandI
giveheral lthedetail
sshewant s.Ienjoytal
ki ngaboutmyv i
ll
age.

SheasksaboutPeterandPaulbutI 'm notsurewhethertodiv

ulgeinfor
mati
onabout
them.SoIsaytheyarefi
net henquickl
ychanget hesubj
ectandaskherhow longshe
hashadherdreadl
ocks.Idon'tmentionhow thewayshepullsthem backhasfi
nished
herhai
rl
ine.Wenott
hereyet.Shereal
lyisint
erest
edinget
ti
ngtoknowme.Icant ellshe
thi
nksget
ti
ngaPhDi
spointl
essfr
om herr
emar
ksbutI
’
llf
orgi
vet
hat
.It
’smyPhDaf
teral
l
,
nother
s.Whocar
eswhatshethi
nks?

Byt heti
meImakei tbackt oMorningsi
de, i
t'
salmost4pm andEl iki
shome.
“Ithoughtyouwentshoppi ng.Wherearethebags? ”,hesays.
“No.Iwashav i
ngcof f
eewi thLumka’swife”,Isay.
“What ?
”,hesay s.
“Ya.She'sverynicehey .Ihadagreatti
me” ,Isay.
Ireall
yli
kedher .Genuinely.
“That'
sstrange!”Eli
ksay s.
“Why ?”
,Idon'tunderstand.
“Shedoesn'tappr oveofourr el
ati
onship!Besides,she'sKomla’
sfri
endsoI
'
m wonder
ing
whyshewoul dwantt ohav ecoff
eewi t
hy ou”,hesays.

Ohwell!Suchinformationmighthavebeenverynicetohavebef
oreIwental
loutandtol
d
heraboutmy self
.Butwhati fshe'
snowaccept edmeandEl i
k?Seei
ngthatI
'm notgoi
ng
anywhere.It
oldherEl i
kandIar epl
anni
ngat r
iptoCyprusandshesaidi
twouldbeniceif
sheandLumkacoul dcomeal ong.Sother
e,see,shewant stospendtimewi t
hmeor
maybeshet hinksI'
llgi
v eherdi
rtonLumka?Inwhi chcase,I
'
m sorr
y,myloy
altyli
eswit
h
Lumkanother .

I'
m notbi gonsist
erhoodorwomensticki
ngt oget
her!Evi
dentbymyl ackofgirl
fr
iends.
Womenwoul dbet hefir
sttothr
ow youundert hebus,soI '
m sorry,Igotofft hat
sist
erhoodtrai
nalongt i
meago.Womenwi llj
udgey ouandgossipaboutyouandcr uci
fy
youy ettheydothesamet hi
ngsasyou,ifnotworse!Idon’tneedsist
erhood.I
’m good
thanks.

I'
m goi nghomet omor r
ow andI'm worr
ied.Eli
kdoesn'thavef amil
yandhest i
lldoesn'
t
hav eanyonet onegot i
ateforhi
m andhesay sIshoul
dn'
twor ryhewi l
lmakeapl an.That'
s
exactlywhat '
swor ry
ingme.Hi m‘makingapl an’
.If
eell
ikekicki
nghi m ever
ytimehesay s
that.ButIwon' tpusht hi
sone,Iknow how sensit
ivehisfamilyissueis.Ijusthopehe
getspeopl eanddoesn' tshowupalone!
[3/11,21:58]Ini
ni:CHAPTER71

Iwantedtodr
ivehome.HireacarortakeElik’
scaranddr ive.Ihaveenoughgroceri
esto
feedthewhol
ev i
ll
ageandput t
ingt
hem inthebootofacarj ustmakesmor esense.But
Eli
kwon'thav
ei tandwe’ v
ebeenbackandf orth.HethinksbecauseI '
m pregnantand
becauseofmylastacci
dentIcan'
tdri
vesuchal ongdi
stanceal one!

“ComeonElik,Iwanttodrive”,Ikeepsayi
ng.
“Fi
ercel
ookatme” ,hesay s.
Ipoutbutl
ookathim anyway .
“Youareget
tingont hatf
li
ghtt hi
safter
noon,youwil
lpi
ckupacarrent
ali
nBul
away
oand
thendri
vehome.That 'sf
inal.Endofdiscussi
on.Nowgoandgetready.I
'
mtaki
ngyout
o
t
heairpor
t!”
,hesays.
What?Wheredoeshegetof ftel
li
ngmewhatt odo!
“
NoEl i
k!I
t’
sjust…..”
,Istartbuil
dingmycase.
“It
houghtIsaidendofdi scussionmylove?Wedonet
alki
ngaboutt
his.Comel
et'
sget
youready
”,hesays.
He'
smov edonfrom thattopicandIknowI'v
elost.

Ididn’
treal
lyunpacksoIjustpackmytoi
l
etr
iesandEl
ikj
ustsit
sther
ewat chi
ngmeand
tel
l
ingmet hatpregnancylooksgoodonme.He’ ssoexci
tedaboutthi
sbaby ,i
t’st
oo
much.I’
mr eadytogonow.

Hisyoungbr
otherisdoi
ngaMast er
sdegr eeinGermany.He'
scomingdownt omorr
owto
comeandsuppor thisbr
other
.Ihav en'
tseenhimi nyearsandIcan’twaittoseehi
m
agai
n.Hewast heli
feoft
hepartybackthen,IhopeGermanyhasn’
tchangedhim!

I
t'
sThur sdaysoIhav ethewholeoftomor r
owbef oreEli
k’speoplecomehomet o‘picka
fl
ower’
.Ipi ckupar entalcari
nBulawayoandpi ckupmyaunti nNkul
umanet henhead
home.I'
m exhaust edbyt hedriv
ehome.El i
kwasr i
ght!Iwouldn'
thavesurv
ivedthedri
ve
fr
om Jobur g!Butatl eastIgettositi
nt hecarandgetsomeal oneti
mewi thmyaunt.
She'
ssoexci tedformei t
’smakingmesohappy .Itallcomesdownt oEli
khav i
ngmoney!
I
t'
sallgoodt hough,hemakesmehappi erthanIcanev erbe,somemar r
yinghimisthe
bestt
hingIcandof ormy self
.

“Sowhat '
swi t
hthegl ow?Ar eyoupregnant ?”,myauntasks.
Inodt henf ocusont heroad.There’snopoi nti nl
yi
ng.Ineedheronmyside.
“AndGhanamani st hefatherri
ght?”,sheasks.
“Ofcour se!”
,Isay.
Howcoul dsheev enaskt hat.
“Justchecki ng,youknow.Wedon' twantdr amaal ongtheli
newhenyougivebi
rthtoa
whitebabywheny ourmanl ookslikecoal ”
,shesay s.
Ican'thelpl aughing.Didshej ustsayEl iklookslikecoal?Yesfi
nehe'
sblackbutcoal?
That'
sf unnyt hough.
“Comeon, he'snott hatdarkaunty”,
Isay .
“Youknowhei s.You' dswearhewasdr oppedonwett arwhenhewasborn!Hedoesn’t
evenneedashadowt hatone”,shesay s.
Iwon'twi nt hisoneIknow.He' snott hatbl ackthoughcomeon.He'sjustt
heperfect
shade, f
orme.

“Canpeopletell
I'
m pregnant?”
,Iask.
“Thosewhoknowt hesethi
ngs, y
es”,shesays.
Ohf l
ip!It
houghtwear ingthi
sdr essandaponchoontopwouldcoverev
ery
thi
ng!Ihad
evenconsideredwear i
ngacor setunderneat
hbutt
henagai
nIdon'
twantmychildt
obe
bornwithasquashedhead.
“Andumama?Yout hi
nkshewill
see”,Isay.
“Shewillandshewon'tbehappywi t
hy ouatal
l
.Youknowy
ourmot
herl
i
vesf
orpeopl
e!
Don'tworryt
hough.I'
l
ltal
ktoher”
,shesays.
“Youthebestaunty
”,Isay.
“Iknow!
”,shesays.

“I
st hatwhyyouaregettingmar ri
ed?Becausey ouar
epr egnant?”
,shesays.
“No.Hepr oposedbeforeIev enknewIwaspr egnant
”,Isay .
Ididn'tknowIwaspr egnantf orov er2months.Unl
ikeot herwomen,Ireall
ydon'
tknow
mybodyatal l.Anditdoesn'thel
pt hatmyperiodsar
eirregular
.Iignor
esubtl
echangesi
n
mybodyandbl ameitonj unkfood.

Myaunti smor ethanhappywi thme.Wi thmoneyf loodi

ngmyaccount ,Ihavebeen
sendingheray oungR5000ev er
ymont hwhenIsendmoneyhome.I ’mli
keherfavouri
te
niecer i
ghtnow.Wet al
kaboutt henegot iat
ion process,how itwil
lgo and what '
s
expectedofme.Sheassur esmet hatmyuncl eswillchargemoneywi t
hsomanyzer os
theycan'tevensayi t
.Shesay saftertheysaw how l oadedmymanwasatRepl ace’s
funer
al,theyhavebeenwai ti
ngforthi
sdaysot heycangetapi eceoft
hebanktoo.She
saysshewi l
ltal
ktothem thoughandt el
lthentober easonable.

“Aunty.There'ssomet hingIneedt ot el
l you”
,Isay
.
“What?”,shesay s.
“El
ikwasmar r
iedbefore”,Isay .
Shekeepsqui etforalongwhi l
e.
“Noaunt y.Hewasn' tmar r
iedwhenIf i
rstmethim.Hemarr
iedKomladuri
ngusandIki
nd
ofstuckar oundandt heydi vorcedev entuall
y.I
twasn'
tmyf
aultt
hough”
,Isay
.
Iwon'tment ionthattheydi vorcedlastweek.
“Oh!That'snotgoodFi erce”,shesays.

“Fier
ce.Havi
nganaf fai
rwi thamar ri
edmani swrong.Youj ustdon'
tdoi
t.Theancest
ors
frownuponitandbadl uckj ustfol
lowsyoueverywhere!Butallt
hatmatt
ersist
hatunl
ike
mostmar ri
edmenoutt her ewhoj ustwantt
oeaty ourcake,Ghanamanwant st
oeatthat
cakeandpayf ori
ttoo”,shesay s.
“I
smar ry
inghi
m agoodi dea?”,Isay.
“Yes.Whynot?Yousai dhe'sdiv or
cednow,i
sn't
?”,shesays.
“Yesheis”,
Isay.
Sheisthebest.

Butmyauntlovesst
oriesyho!Shemakesmet el
lherever
ythi
ngandmakesmer epeat
thepartKomlaandhersist
erbeatmeup.Shecan' tstoplaughi
ngandsaysthesame
oncehappenedtoher.Theonlydiff
erencebet
weenmeandheri st
hathermanwent
backtohiswi
feandmineisbri
ngingthecowshome.

Myf
ami
l
yisov
ert
hemoont
oseemeandI
'
m gl
adi
t'
sget
ti
ngdar
ksonoonecansee
thatI'
m pregnant.Myf at
herespeci
all
yisecstati
c.Hei sso happythathi
sgol
den
daughteri
scontinui
ngtoshineanddothi
ngsri
ght.Myf at
herl
ovesEl
ikl
i
kehisownson.
Hesayshe'srespectf
ul,
humbleandaboveal
l,
loveshisdaught
er.

Supperhasal readybeenmadeandweeat .Myt wousel essbrothersar

enothome.I
couldn'
tgetholdoftheonei nHil
l
browandt hedoctoronebl untl
ytoldmehewasn' tthe
onemar r
yingmesowhywasi timportantt
hathebet here.How rude!Theev erloyal
Zibuloishome.Iwi l
lbuyhim acarforthi
sundyi
ngl oyal
ty!Hedeser vesi
t. Inf
lat
ionis
sot al
lnow!Isweart hischi
l
deatsferti
l
iserf
orbreakfast,ser
iousl
y!Ihavebigplansfor
hi
m nexty ear
.Hewi llcomeandl i
vewi t
hmeandEl ik.PeterandPaulcanuseabi g
brother
.

Ican'ttellmymot her
'smood.Sheseemshappybuti tseemsfake.Idon'tknowwhat's
wrongwi thhersoI '
m goi
ngt osleep.I
'
mt ir
ed.Ijustwanttoli
edownandchatt oEli
k.
Lately
, Ij
ustcan'
tstoptel
l
inghim howmuchIl ovehim andhowheisev eryt
hingt
ome.I
thi
nkt hehormonesaremaki ngmeneedy .Hesayshelovesheari
ngitbecausewhenever
he'
shav i
ngabaddayhet hi
nksofmeandt hetwinsandt hecomingbabyandi tgets
better
.Hedoesn' thaveaf amil
ynow,afterhewentanddi sownedeveryone.Weareall
thefami l
yhe'sgotnow.

Ican’
tbeli
evehowexhaustedIam.Ij
ustsendan ‘
Igothomesaf
e,Imi
ssy
oual
ready’
messagebeforeIdozeof
f.
[
3/11,21:
58]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER72

Mymot herwokemeupat5am!Ser i
ousl
y!Thi
swomanhasnomer cy
!Shesayswhat
kindofwifesleepsunt
ilt
hesuncomesupandget si
ntohermouth!Shekeptt
alking
sayi
ngIwon'tsurvi
veaweekinmarri
agewit
hmyl azi
ness.Whot
alkssomuchsoearlyin
themorni
ngthough?Whereistheener
gycomingfrom.

Itr
iedtokeepsl eepi
ngandshel ef
tandIwasl i
ke ‘yeeesss,comeher
eblanket
!’
.Then
shereturnedandpouredwaterinmyear,
Iwokeupj umpi ngandbumpedmyheadont he
wall
.Itwasn’tfunnyatal
lbutagai
nshewasn’
tlaughing.Thisischi
l
dabuse!Thestr
uggl
e
i
stoor ealforme.

She’sluckyI’
m st i
llscaredofhertot hi
sdaybecausesometi
messhedoest hi
ngsthat
makemewantt oscr eam ather.I
'm surethatwoul
dbethedayIdie!Shewil
lburyme
al
ive.Youknow t here’sat hi
nl i
nebet weenfearandr
espectandusuall
yI'
m notsure
whichsideofthelineI'm onwit
hher.

Thef i
rstthingIdidwhenIwokeupwasr unbehi
ndthehouseandt hr
ow up.Itr
ied
bl
ami ngitonast omachachebutmymot herwasn’
tbuyingit
.Shehadmel i
ftupmy
dressandshowhermyst omach.Idi
dn'tknowyoucan'
tsuckinapregnantst
omach!But
boydidItry!It
ri
edsohardInear
lyf
aint
ed.Gosh!
“Youar epregnant!”,
shesay si nanaccusator
ytone.
“NoI '
m not”,Isay.
“Don'tactsmar twithmey oungl ady!Iwaspr egnanteightt
imes!Soy oucan'tt
ellme
anythingaboutpr egnancy!”
, shesays.
Eightt i
mes?Iknow ofsev en.Doest hatmeanshel ostanot
herchildatsomepoi nt
?I
can'taskhert hatnow thoughsoIj ustkeeplookingdownandf eel
i
ngliket
hrowingup
againasshegoesonaboutpr egnancyandhowshecanspoti tevenifyouar
eoneday
pregnant!

Iwon'twinthi
soneIknow.Imi ghtaswel
ladmi
tbef
oreshecut
smyst
omachopenand
checksforhersel
f!
“Areyoupregnant?”
, sheasksagai
n.
Inodandkeepl ooki
ngdown.

“YhoLast born!”shesays,carr
y i
ngherhandsonherhead.She' sact i
ngl
ikeIcommi t
ted
thewor stcri
mei ntheworl
d.I'
llneverheartheendoft hi
sshame.
“Whathappened? ”
,shesays.
Whatdoesshemeanwhathappened?Doesshewantmet oout l
inethepr
ocessthattook
placeformet oenduppregnantorwhat ?I’
m confused,soIkeepqui et
.
“Yhoo!Whatwi l
lpeopl
esay?Howwi ll
peoplelookatme? ”,shesays.
Howi st hi
sabouthernow?I '
mt heonewho' spregnant!She'stoodramati
cformyliki
ng.

“I
'm sorr
y”,
that'
sallIcancomeupwiththi
sri
ghtnow.I'
mjustsayi
ngthough.Inreal
it
yI'
m
sorr
yI '
m notsorr
y.Eli
kandIarehavi
ngachil
d.That
'sthebestt
hingt
hat'
sev erhappened
tome!SonoI '
m notsorryandIwi
shshecoul
dsupportme.

“Whendi dy oubecomet hi
simmor alperson?Whydi dyouevenspready
ourlegsfora
manwhohadn' tmarri
edyou!”
,shesay s.
Ok.Alri
ght.She’
sbeingdisr
espectfulnow!Breat
hein.Breat
heout.
“I
'm sorr
ymama” ,Isay.
“Savethatsorr
yforyourfat
her!
”,shesay s.
She'
ssoupsetIdon' tgeti
t.I'
m her eathomeai n'
tI?Todorightandhavel
obolapaid.
What '
sthebigdeal?

“Pleasedon'ttel
lhim, pl
easemamaI '
m beggi
ngy ou”,
Isay.
I'
mr eadytokneeldowni fshewant smeto.
“Whynot ?Heneedst oknowsohecanchar gethem damagesont opofthel obola”,she
say s.
“I
st hatnecessary?”
,Isay .
“Itis!Icanasky out hesamet hi
ngy ouknow!Wasi tnecessar
ytolieony ourbackand
countt hestar
sandgetpr egnant?
”,shesays.
Thiswoman!Countt hestarswherenow?I t’
snotlikeEl
ikandIwer eout
side!Ev enifwe
wer e,thelastthi
ngIwoul dthinkaboutwhileundergoi
ngmyget t
ingpregnantpr ocess
woul dbet ocountstars,t
rustme!
Ithi
nkIneedt
ost
andupformy sel
fforonce.Mymot
herhasbul
l
iedmeforf
art
oolong.I
’
m awomangrownnow!I'
m aboutt
obesomeone'swif
eandsomeone'
smother
,shecan'
t
keeptr
eati
ngmel
iket
his.

“Mama.Whyar eyoubeingli
kethis?I'
venev erdoneanythi
ngwrongt oyou.I'
vealways
l
istenedtoyouandrespect
ed(feared)y ou.Fi
ne,I'
m pr
egnantbeforemarri
age,Iadmit
that’
swrongofme.ButI’
m get
ti
ngmar r
ied.Iwi
llbemarri
edlongbeforet
hebabyisborn.
Sowhyar eyoubei
ngli
kethi
s?”,
Isay .

Shestopsandl ooksatmebutIholdthest
are.Ineedtost
andupf
ormysel
fseri
ously
.
I
'm scar
edshewi l
lstar
thitt
ingmet
houghinwhichcaseI'
l
lhav
etorunawaybecause
obvi
ouslyIcan'
thitherback.

“Ididn'
traiseaprosti
tut
eLast bor
n!Ididn'
trai
segirl
sthatsl
eepar
oundandjustget
pregnantrandoml
y!Youshouldhavekeptyourt
highscl
osedunt
ily
ouwer
emarr
ied.That
’
swhaty oushouldhavedonenott hi
snonsensey ouar
etel
li
ngme.Andsi
ncewhendoI
tal
kandy oualsot
alk?”
,shesays.

Idon'tgeti
t.Whenshesawmehav ingsexlastti
medidshethinkIremai
nedav ir
ginaft
er
that
?Orshet houghtIalwaysdi
ditstandi
ngsocouldn'
tgetpregnantwhil
estanding?And
i
sn'tmyownmot hercall
ingmea pr ost
it
uteabitext
reme? Ihonest l
ydon'tknowwhy
she’ssoangrythough.Shecoul
dbedi sappoi
ntedyes,
notangry!

“
I'
m sorr
ymama” ,Ijustwantustost
opt al
ki
ngaboutthi
s.
“
You'veembarr
assedmeshame.Nowt hewholev i
ll
agewil
llookatmeasaf
ail
ure!The
motherofpr
ost
itutes”,shesay
sandclapsherhands.

Ok.Icantakehercall
i
ngmeapr osti
tut
e.Ihaveat hickski
n.ButIwon'
tst
andhereand
l
ist
entohertrashRepl
ace!She'
sgonet oofarnow.Thepoorchildonl
yhadsexonceand
gotpr
egnant.Howdoesthatqual
ifyherasaprosti
tute?

“Youknowmama,i t
'stal
klikethisthatpushedReplacet oherdeath!YouhurtReplace
deepl
ywithy ourwordstoapoi ntshehat edhersel
fandwantedthebabyoutofher.Such
tal
kiswhatkilledher
!”,
Isay.
“EeeeLastborn!Whatdidyouj ustsayt ome?Ar eyousayingIki
ll
edmyowndaught er?”
,
hervoi
cejustwentf r
om zerotohundr ed!
“Youknowy oudi dmama.I ndi
rectl
yy es,butyesyoudid.Youshouldhavesupport
edher
l
ikeyoushouldbesuppor ti
ngmer i
ghtnow! ”
,Isay.

Ithi
nkbeingpregnanthasmademebol d.Ican'tbel
iev
eI'
m st
andingher
etal
kingri
ght
now!I’
vehaditreall
y.Iwon’tl
ethertr
eatmel i
ket hi
sanymor
e.I’
vedoneever
ythi
ngfor
herandI’
vebeenagoodchi l
d.Idon’
tdeser
vethis.
“
What'sal
lthi
snoi
sesoear l
yinthemor ni
ng?
”,myauntemergesandcomestowardsus.
I
'
lll
etmymot herf
il
lherin.I
'm st
il
lfeel
i
ngnauseousandIneedtosweepthi
syard,make
t
hefir
eandmakebr eakf
ast.Idon’
thaveener
gytokeepargui
ng!

There'
ssomucht odot oday.I’
m gladIboughtenoughgrocer
iesandwearekil
li
ngagoat
forthevi
sit
orstomorrow.Mymot herissti
l
lupsetwit
hmebutIdon' thavetheener
gyto
dealwit
hher.I'
mjustgladshehasn' ttol
dmyf at
heraboutthewholepr
egnancythi
ng.My
auntsaysImustignoreher,
she'sgoi ngthr
oughmenopauseandi t
'smessi
ngupwi t
hher
head.She'
sreal
lyki
ll
ingmyv ibeshame.Menopauseornot !

Ididn'
tknow peopl
egetinv
itedt
olobol
anegot
iat
ions.I
t'
sjustnegot
iat
ionsi
t'
snotthe
reall
obola!Butmyauntt
ell
smemypar ent
shaveinvi
tedever
yone.Theyaresuchshow
offsshame!

Igettotalktomyf atherbriefl
ybeforeI'
m cal
l
edbacktocomeandserveteatomyuncl
es.
Hesay s:
“Last
born.Youhav emademeaper son.Amanamongstmen.Icannowhol dmyheadup
i
npubl i
cbecauseofy ou.I'
m sopr oudofyoumychil
d.Thisi
sgood”
,hesays.
“Thankyoubaba” ,Idon'tknowwhatel setosay.
Theconv ersat
ionquicklygoest owardswhatheneedsforhi
sfar
mingandhowexpensi
ve
fueli
s.Itel
l hi
m Iwil
l gi
vehi m moneytotakecar
eofthat.

Ispendmostofmydaywor ki
ngwit
hmyauntandst eal
ingminutesinbet
weent ogoand
textElik.He'
sner v
oussoIneedt okeepassuri
nghimt hateveryt
hingi
sgoinggr eat
.I
don'ttellhi
m aboutmymot her'
smoodsbecausethatwillworr
yhim.Andifthere'sone
thingI
'm goodatwheni tcomestoEli
k,i
t'
sprot
ecti
nghisfeel
ings.Heandhispeopleare
i
nBul away oandwi l
lbecomi ngdowntomorrow.Ihopehe'snothavingabachelorpart
y
thereandblessinggir
ls.Thisi
snotawedding!

Peoplejustkeepcoming!Idon'tknowwhereal
lthesepeoplewillsl
eeporwhattheyare
comingt odohereint hefi
rstplace.Myel
destunclehasalreadytakenovert
hewhol e
homeandi sorderi
ngpeoplearoundandtel
l
ingeveryonewhattodo.Heorderst
woofmy
aunt
st otakemet oahutandt eachmehowt obeawi f
esothatmymar ri
agedoesn'
tfai
l
l
ikethei
rsdid.

Theydo ast heyar et ol

d. How exact l
yar ewomen who couldn'
tkeep t
heirown
marri
agestogethersupposedtoteachmewhatt odowithmine?Besi
desisn'
tthistal
k
gi
venbeforetheweddi ng?Thi
sisjustnegoti
ati
onsforcr
yingoutl
oud!Whyisev er
yone
over
react
ingsomuch!

Ifol
lowthem any
way.Myaunt ,ther
ealone,i
sn'
thereorel
seshewouldhav edismissed
thi
spointl
essmeeti
ngal ongtimeago.Ithi
nkthesewomenar et
ryi
ngtot eachmehow
tobeaslavenotawife.Theyaresayi
ngIshoul
dwakeupat5am ev ery
dayandcl eanthe
houseandmakesur ebyt heti
memyhusbandwakesupt here'
sbreakfastonthet abl
e
andhotwat
erf
orhi
mtobat
h.

ButI'
l
lhaveahel pert otakecareofbr eakfastandagey sertotakecareoft hehotwat er
i
ssue.Ikeepquietthough.I'mv eryr
espectful. TheysayImusthav eatleastsixchil
dren,
makesur eIdol aundr y
,ir
oning,dothedi shes,cookeverydayandtheyst ressoutthatI
shoul
dnev ereverrefusemyhusbandsexot herwi
sehewi llgoandgetitelsewhere!They
aremissi
ngonei mpor t
antpointinallofthis.Iwil
lhaveaf ul
lti
mej ob.An8t o5andI 'l
l
havethr
eechi l
drenpl usEli
ktot akecareof ,sowherewi l
lIgettheti
met osl aveaway?I
nodthoughandl i
sten.

Theoneauntsay sevenifmyhusbandbeat smeIshoul dn'

tleavehi
m becausesome
menexpr esstheirl
ovebybeatingyou.Shesay shim beati
ngmewi llmeanhecar es
aboutmeandi sjeal
ous,whi
chi sagoodt hi
ng.What?Saywhatnow?Wecan' thave
womenr aisi
ngyounggirl
stobel
ievethi
snonsense!Whatkindoflovei
sthat
?Amanwi l
l
ki
llyouandy ou'
llbebusysayi
ng ‘helovesmet hat
'swhyhebeat smeupl i
keadog! ’
.
Nonsense.

Whentheygett oteachingmehowt ohav esex ,Istar

tgiggl
i
ng.Theypr obablythi
nkI '
m
shybutI
'mjustlaughingatt hem.Nowondert heirhusbandslef
tshame.What 'sthi
sthey
aredoi
ng?IthinkIshoul dbet heonet eachi
ngt hem becausethisthattheyaresayongI
mustdowi l
lhaveamanr unningaway .Thisi
st ootimeconsumi ng.Ipretendt
ohav ejust
rememberedthatIf or
gottogi vemymot hersomepot sandaskt obeexcused.Wear e
donehereandIlearntabsolutel
ynothi
ng.

Ihavetwodistantcousinsofmi newhocameto‘accompany’me.Itwoul
dn'
treal
l
ybe
‘
picktheonethat'
syours’ifIshowedupal
onenow,woul
dit
?Ihaven'
tseent
hem i
nyear
s
thoughbutIf
orcetheconv ersat
ionany
ways.

Apparent
lythreeofmyunclesplusmyfatherplusZi bul
owillsitatthenegoti
ati
ons.I
for
eseechaos.Thoseuncl
esarechar
act
ersandt heylovemoney .Theywil
lbeaucti
oning
met omorrow inst
eadoftr
eati
ngitl
ikeapr operlobola.Besideshow willf
ivepeople
agreeonanything?

Myauntwi llactasthegobet
ween.Shei smydombo(myrepresent
ati
ve).Iknowshewill
causet roublei fmyunclesmi sbehav
esoIhopet heydon't
.Tomor r
ow wi llbever
y
i
nteresti
ng.I '
m scaredandexci
tedatthesametime.Iwanti
tt ogether
eal readysowe
cangett hisov erwit
h.
[3/
11, 21:58]Inini
:CHAPTER73

Todayi sthedayIt akethef i

rststeptowardsbeingEli
k'
swi f
e.Thedaywemaket he
ancestorsseehowser i
ouswear eaboutourloveandourdesi
retomarryeachother.I
'
m
havingmi nipanicattacksandI '
mt hankfulformyaunt.She'
skeepingmecal m andis
reassuri
ngmet hateveryt
hingwillbefi
ne.She'ssuchasuckerforl
oveshameandwhen
she speaks tot he people around here aboutme and Eli
k,she pai
nts us l
i
ke the
ambassadorsoflovesentt
orepr
esentbyCupi
dhi
msel
f!Shesay
shergr
eat
estmoment
waswatchingEl
iklovemeatRepl
ace'
sfuner
al.

Ireal
lyhopeev eryt
hingwil
lgowel l
.Ican'tdealwi t
hdr ama.Nott oday
.Mymot herisst i
l
l
i
naf oulmoodt odaybutatleastshe’ssmi l
ingandt el
lingmehowhar dbei
ngawi feis.I
thi
nkI '
mf or
giv
en.Wi thmymot herteachi
ngmet heway sofkeepingahometoget her,
t he
i
mpor t
anceofrespect,howt odomychor esandal lthatstuffandmyauntt eachingme
mat t
ersofthebedr oom,I
'l
lmakeagr eatwi f
eI'm sure.

Becausemyf atherfelttheneedt oshow offandi nvi

teeveryonewhoi sr emot el
ya
rel
ativeorwhosesur namesoundsl i
keitcouldber el
atedtoours,thewhol ey ardis
buzzingandI'
m upanddownwi thteapot
sandscones.I t'samess.Somanypeopl e?I
sti
lldon’
tthi
nky ouinvit
epeoplefornegot
iat
ions.Whatifthetwofamili
esdon'tagreeon
thetermsandt hegroom’speoplestor
m out,
whatt hen?Whatdoy outel
lthepeople?

ButwhenIr ai
sedit,myfatherinsist
edt hatI'
m aprincessandr oyal
tyneedst obe
honoured.It houghthemeantpr i
ncess,y ouknow,asi nhow f athersr ef
ert othei
r
daughters.Butno,hewasact ual
lyserious.Hegavemeal onghistorylessonandsay s
myancest or
swer ekingsbefor
et heyt r
ekkeddownsout hf r
om centralAf r
ica!Idon'
t
beli
evehi m atall
.Healwayscomesupwi thr
andom '
facts'aboutourancest ryandthe
stor
ychangeseacht ime!

Anywayswear ekil
l
ingacow now,agoati snotenough.It's9am andI '
m exhaust ed
al
ready.I'
vebeenupsi ncepast5andhaven’tev
eneat enanythi
ng.I
t'ssohotal
readybutI
can'
ttakeof fthisjer sey.I'
m ki
nda hi
ding mypr egnancyy ou know.Ihav et o eat
somethingthengoandchangebecauseI '
m sodirt
y,mygoodness.I t'
sli
keIcrawledout
ofadog’ smouth!El
ikwi lll
aughatmeifheseesmel i
kethisandprobablyt
akeapi cture
sohecankeepl aughingatme.

Eli
k.Iwonderwher etheyare!TheysleptinBul awayoyesterdayandt heyshouldhave
beenherealready.Hisphoneisnotgoingthrough.Ipraythathedoesn'tstandmeup.He
can'tdothi
st omei nf
rontofallt
hesepeopl e!Ifhedoesn’tshow up,hewi llknow me
today!Well
,Iprobabl
ywon’ tdoanyt
hingifwear ebeinghonest.Justcr
ymyey esout
.

I
'm busytr
yingtochangewhenmyauntwal ksin.
“HeeeeeeFier
ce!Yourmenar ehere!”,
shesay slaughi
ng.
"Yay.Fi
nal
ly!
",Isay.
NowIcanr el
ax.Onepr obl
em down!Butwai t
,whyi sshel
aughi
ng?What'
sfunnyabout
them bei
ngher e?That
'sagoodt hi
ngr ight?We'vebeenwai
ti
ngfort
hem al
lmorni
ng.I'
m
notdonedressingsoIjustpeekthrought hewindow.

Wow Elik.El
i
kpli
m Mawuf easiNkr
umah!Why ?Why?Why ?Why ?Ther
e'sfourident
ical
blackSUVsparkedout
sidemyhome!Four!Theyar
eparkedinsuchanorganisedway,it
's
l
iketheyareatacarshow orsomet hi
ng.Li
keser
iousl
ythough!Whywoul dtheseguys
comeflashingmoneyl
ikethi
s?Whyaret
heydoingthist
ome?Onecarwoul dhavebeen
enoughforalloft
hem!Whygoandhireal
lthesecarsnow?IswearEl
ikwasbroughton
thi
seart
ht odri
vemecrazy
!Ineedt
otakeadeepbreathbef
oreIgoi
nsane.

Myauntt hinkstheylookcoolthough.Shesay speoplealreadythi

nkI'm mar
ryi
nga
minister'
ssonsowhynotpr ovethem r
ight.Shesaystheylookli
ketheyaregoi
ngtoa
president'
sfuneral
.Howsheseest hatasacoolt hi
ng,Idon'
tknow.Thosecarsl
ookso
outofpl aceoutt her
e.Thi
si sadeep,ruralvil
l
ageandnow wehav ethesecar
sther
e
maki ngeveryoneruntol
ook!

I'
m sti
l
llooking.IhopeEli
kisnothere.Heknowshe' snotsupposedtobehere!Noone
comesoutoft hecarssoIgiveupandf i
nishdressingup.Ineedt olookdecentin
matchingclotheswithmycousins.Thosetwodr essedupal ongti
meagoasi fthi
sis
thei
rceremony !Adoekalwaysdidlookgoodonme,especi al
lywhenmyauntt iesitf
or
me.Andt hesewhi t
etommiesaresocomfort
able!Ilookver
ywifabl
eri
ghtnow.

Myaunti sst
il
lstandingbythedoorspyi
ngont he‘Peopl
efrom Af
ri
ca’asshe'
scal
li
ng
them.
Thewayshet al
ksaboutcount r
iesi
nAfr
ica,
y ouwoul
dswearZimbabweissomewher
ein
Europe!ToherAfri
caiscentr
alandwestAfr
ica.Shej
ustbur
stsoutl
aughi
ng!
“ComeseeFierce”,shesays.
Whatnow?

Youhonest l
y,sincerel
y,tr
ulyhavetobekiddi
ngmer i
ghtnow!Thisisaj okeofthehighest
order.Itol
dEli
kt heymustl ookpresent
ableandwearjacket
sforrespect,Idi
dn'tsaythey
shouldcomel ookingallexpensiveinful
lsuit
sandties!Andwhat '
swi ththemat ching
blacksuitsvel
e?Goodnessgr aci
ous,mercyfoll
owme!Dot heythi
nkt hisisarunway?Or
what?Abusi nessmeet ing?AcastingforSui
ts?
Ican't.I
'
m unable.

Myauntsaysit'
sf unnybutshest il
lthi
nkstheyl ooksocoolandcl assy.Shesay st hey
l
ookli
ketheyareher et oshootaJohnBondmov ie.Ithi
nkshemeansJamesBond.
El
iki
shereaswel l
!Why ?Why ?Whyisheher e?It oldhi
mt ostayaway !He'snotgoingt o
bepartoft
henegot iations.He'snotneeded,justhi swall
etshouldbet her
etor epresent
hi
m.Sowhyi sheher e?He' l
lsendmet oearl
yl abourIpromisey ou.Myaunthast ol eave
andgositwit
hthemenwhowi l
lbedecidi
nghowmanycowsI 'm wort
ht oday.Idressup
qui
ckl
yandcallforInflation.

“Pleasegoout sidetothosemenandt ellUncl

eEli
khecan'tbehere.Tel
lhimtodri
ve
awayorst ayi nt hecarorsomethi
ng.Hejustcan'
tbeseen”
,Isay
.
“Thatwillbe$5” ,hesays.
Eh!Thi schild!Ishoul dhav enevergot
tenhim usedtobeingbri
bed.I'
m encour
agi
ng
cri
mi nalbehaviour .
“I
'l
lgiveyoulat er.Fornow,runI
nfl
ati
on”,
Isay.
“
Makesur
eobabadon'
tseey
ou”
,Ical
loutaf
terhi
m.

I
t'sgoi
ngtobeav er
ylongday .Inowneedtofi
ndawayofj umpi
ngf
rom t
hishutt
othat
oneEli
kusedtosleepin,soIcanj oi
nmycousins.I
fEl
i
kseesmehecouldcallmeand
that
'st
hel
astthi
ngIneedr i
ghtnow.Cult
ural
l
yhedoesn'
tknowme!

I
'm gladInfl
ati
ongott ohi m andhel i
stenedandi snol ongeroutther
ewi t
hthef i
veguys
i
nbl acksuits.IrecogniseLumka,Cl iveandEl ik’sy oungbr ot
her.Ihaven'
tseenhimi n
years!Thisisapl easantsur pr
ise.Meandhi m usedt ogetalongandhi m beinghere
meanshesuppor tsthi
st hingofmeandhi sbrother.IcoulduseallthesupportIcanget
.I
havenoi deawhot heot hertwoar eorwher eEl i
kpickedt hem fr
om.Atl eastonelooks
oldersotheymi ghtactuall
ybet akenseri
ous.

AndCl i
ve?That'sElik’
slawyer.Whatdoeshet hinkthi
sis?Abusi nesscont
ract
?Si
gning
ofat ender ?Purchasi
ngofmer chandi
se?I '
m completelyfini
shed.A lawyeratl
obola
negoti
ations!That'
saf ir
st.I
'
veal waysknownEl ikt
oov erdot hingsbutcomeon.Don't
theyhav elobol
ainGhana?Al awyer!I
'm notevengoingt oment i
ont hi
stomyaunt,she
won'tstoplaughi
ngatme.Shet hi
nksallthi
sisfuntowat ch.Idon't!

Iemai l
edal i
stofmycl annamestoEl i
kbeforeIlef
tsot heycoul
dmemori
sethem and
cal
lt hem outwhi l
easki ngforpermissi
ont o ent
ermyhome.Icanhearsomeone
announcingtheirpr
esenceandaski
ngtobegr antedent
ranceandreci
ti
ngmycl
annames.
Atleasttheyaregett
ingthecl
i
cksright
!ThatmustbeLumka.

Iquickl
yrunt otheotherhutandj oinmycousins.Idon'tlookatt hemenoutsidethegate,
I'
mt ryi
ngnott obeseenher e.
"Cuz,youlookgood" ,cousinnumberonesay s.
"Thankscuz.Youguy slookgoodt oo"
,Isay.
Idon'tknowi ftheylookgoodornorbecauset heyaresi t
tingdown.Ij usthadt oret
urn
thecompliment .
Wet alkabitaboutnot hi
ngr eal
ly.
"YouknowThul aniwassohur twhenItoldhimy ouaregettingmar ri
ed”,cousinnumber
onesay s.
Ihav etothi
nkofananswer .Fi
rst,
whywoul dshet el
lhimt hat?Secondly,IdatedThulani
i
nhi ghschool!Whatbusi nessdoeshehav eget t
inghurtovermeget ti
ngmar ri
ed?Thir
dly,
whatwoul dhel obolamewi thi
fitwashim?Chi ckens?Noof fencebutit
'snotlikehecan
affordmenow.I '
m notthatgiggli
ng,i
nnocent,
olduniform wear inggir
lheusedt oknow.
“He’l
lbestrong”,that
'sallIcancomeupwi t
hrightnow.

Myauntkeepscomingtocheckonmeandt ogossipaboutsomewomenar oundthe

vi
ll
agewhoareeat
ingmeatasifi
t'
sfort
hef i
rstt
ime,andsteal
i
ngsugart
otaketothei
r
homesandsomesteal
i
ngsconesandput
tingthem i
nthei
rbras.

“
Theyhav
ebeenout
sidef
orov
er2hour
snow.Whenwi
l
ltheyl
ett
hem i
n?”
,Iaskmyaunt
whenshedr opsinagain.
Eli
k’sentouragehasbeenout si
deaski
ngt obeleti
ntothehomebutt heyaresti
llbei
ng
i
gnored.Culturet
hough!Why ?
“Theymightbehungr ynowaunty.Pl
easetel
lobabatolett
hem in.Pl
ease”
,Ibegher.
“Hungry
?Idoubtt hatverymuch.Theyaresor
tedthoseones.Theyarehereonvacati
on”,
shesaysandkeepsl aughing.
I'
m scar
edt oaskwhatshemeans.

“YourmenFi erce!Hayshameno.HayIgiveittothem.Aretheyalwaysl
i
kethi
s?”
,she
says.
“Whatdidtheydonow? ”,Iask.
Sigh.
Ihopetheydidn'tj
ustgetint
othey
ardwit
houtpermissi
onorworse,
driv
eaway
.
She'snotabl
et otel
lmebecauseshecan'
tstoplaughi
ng.

I'
l
lgoandseef ormyselfthen.Istandbyt hedoorwi thmymout hopen.Idon'tknow
whethertol
aughorcr
y.NowIseewhyt heysayi
nter-
cult
uralmarr
iagesarecomplicat
ed!
AZi mbabweanmanwoul dnev erhavedoneanyoft hi
sthatI'
ml ooki
ngatr i
ghtnow.I
expect
edLumkatoknowbet terbutIguessIwaswr ong.

Oneoft hemenIdon' tknowi sreadingoutmycl annamesout si

det hegat ef r
om at ablet
usingawi rel
essmi crophone!At ablet!Notevenapi eceofpaperatl east ?Andwhat 's
withthemi cr
ophone?Wher edidtheyev engetami crophone?Ort heythoughtt hereason
theyarenotbei ngl etini sbecauset heyarenotbei ngheardsot heypul ledouta
microphone?Iknow myhomei scr owdedbuti t'snotar all
y,there'snoneedf ora
microphone!Andthewayt hemankeepssay i
ng,“EkuhlebakoNkomo, sizocuntaifl
awuzi
egardeny enu(Hell
oNkomopeopl e,wear eheret opluckaf l
owerf rom y ourgar den).
Whatt ypeofNdebel eisthat?Whot ransl
atedthatfort hem?If eelli
kedy i
ng.Thisi sso
embar r
assing.

AndnowIswearI '
veseeni tal
l!Icannowdi eandr estinpeacebecauseI '
veseenitalli
n
l
ife.Thesemenar ecampedout sideandhavi
ngaf ullbraaigoing.Theyhav ecampchairs,
abr aaistandwit
hmeatal readyr oasti
ngandacoolerboxwi thbeers!Theylooksochil
led,
l
aughi ngwi t
hbeer sintheirhands,Ij ustwanttoscr eam andpul loutmyhai r. And
Lumkai samongt hem!He' stheoneact ual
lytur
ningt hemeatont hebr aaist
and!Ican't
waittohav eatalkwithhi
m whenal lthi
sisdone!Well,atleasttheyarenotplayi
ngmusi c!

Butwhodoest hat
?Itol
dEl i
ktheyshoul dbepr
eparedtowaitoutsidef
oracoupl eof
hour
sbeforetheyaregivenpermissiont oent
er.Iguessallhehear dwas'prepar e
your
sel
fandpackcampchai rsandmeatpacksf orabraai
!'If
eelli
kewalki
ngoutt here
andshout
ingateachandev er
yoneoft hem!Whataretheydoing?Theyarehumi
liating
me!NowI'
m sureever
yoneisgossi
pingabouthowuncult
ured‘mymen’ar e!

Andwhatt
hehel
lisI
nfl
ati
ondoi
ngt
her
ewi
tht
hem?If
eell
i
keal
lthemeni
nmyl
i
fear
e
conspi
ri
ngtodest r
oyme.I'
m ev
enscar
edt othi
nkofthef
inetheywil
lgetfordi
spl
ayi
ng
suchdisr
espect.MyauntsaysIshoul
dleavethem.Shethinksthi
sisfunnyandsays
that
'swhatIgetformar
ryi
ngaModelC(cheeseboy
).

Iguessit'
smyf aul
t.Idi
dn'
tful
lylectur
ethem onwhat'
sexpect
ed.How couldIhav
e
thoughwhenIdi dn'
tevenknow whowascomi ng!Besi
des,It
houghtsi
ncetheyar
eall
Afri
canshere,
theywouldknowwhatt odo.

El
ik’sphoneissti
llnotgoi
ngt hr
ough.Iwanttoscream athi
m andatal lofthem oneby
one.Theydon'thav eabrain,al
lofthem!He'sprobabl
ygoingtolaughwhenIconf r
ont
hi
ml aterandsay‘Itwasn'
tmebaby .Didyouseeme?MeIwassl eepinginthecar
.Itwas
Lumka’.
Ifeell
i
keIhavethreechil
drenalr
eady!Eli
kandthetwinsar
eallchil
dren!

Theyar ejustdoingev eryt

hingsowr ongIcan'twatchanymore.Ican't
.I'
m str
essingand
pacingupanddown.
“Okf i
nedearbr i
de,pleasedon'tgiv ebi
rthonus!Letmegoandl etthem i
n”
,myauntsay s.
“It
'sy ouwho' ssupposedt olett hem in?Whydi dy ouleav
et hem outsi
deforsol ong
then?”,Isay.
Shecoul dhav esavedmet hehumi li
ati
on!
“Why ?Andmi ssoutonf reeentertai
nment?Idon'tthinkso.May beIshouldleav
et hem
outforanotherhour ,I
'm curi
oust oseewhatt heywill
donext”,shesays.
"Noaunt ,pl
ease",Isay.
"Fi
ne.Ok.Rel ax!
",shesay sandleav es.
Ineedanewaunt .I
'm donewi t
ht hisone.

Ihonestl
ydon'
tknowhowt oreactwhenIwat chthroughthehalfopendoorasmyaunt
cal
lsthem.Theypackupthei
rcampchairsbutleavethebraaist
andthere.Thentheyst
il
l
haveti
met owashthei
rhandsandstr
aight
entheirsuit
s!Senseofurgencyequalszer
o!

Theyarekil
li
ngitthoughi nt
hosesui t
sImustadmit.Damn!Allt
hesepeoplei
nher
e
todayhaveneverseensuchfi
neness!It'
sli
kewat
chi
ngacelebr
it
yandhisgroom'
smen
stepoutofamagazine.Theyl
ookclean.

Ihavemyf i
nger
scrossedthatEl
ikstay
sinwhichevercarhe'
sin!Andthatbri
efcaseCl
ive
i
scar r
ying?Ist
hatwheret heyarecarry
ingthemoney ?Geez!Why ?Why ?Why ?Why ?
Theyarenother
etopurchaseawi f
e!Ineedtostoplooki
ngbeforeIgetaheartatt
ack.

Theypayt hemoneytobegr antedaccesshomeandmoneyt o‘ openmyaunt’smout h’

.
Cult
ureisfunny
.IwishIcouldbet herelat
ertoseethei
rreact
ionwhentheyaretol
dt hey
mustpaymoneyf orthe‘beard’(forplayi
ngwit
hf at
her'
sbeardwhenIwasy oung)
!They
areledtoahutandnowIdon' tknowwhat '
sgoingon.Icanonlyhopefort
hebest .My
cousinssayImustchil
l
,ever
y t
hingwillbefi
ne.
“SoCuz ,
yourper sonisri
chhant i
!”,cousi
nnumbert wosays.
I
'm notsureifthat'sast
atementorquest i
on.I
t'sphrasedi
naver
yconf
usi
ngway
.
“Notreal
lyCuz, heusedtobeat eacher”,
Isay.
Lectur
er,teacher,samething.Besides,ri
chisrelat
ive.
“Let
'sseehi m”,shesays.

Iscr
ollthroughmyphoneandf indaclearpictur
eofEl i
k.Hel ookedverydel
i
cioushere.
Hewasbackf rom ameetingandIcouldn'
tr esi
stforci
nghimt oposeforapictur
e.He
wasser vi
ngtoomuchsaucet hatday.Hekindofl ookedti
redandhi seyeswerejustt
oo
muchf orme.Ihadt ocapt
urethatl
ook.Ift
her e'
sanythi
ngI'm proudof,
it'
showmyman
l
ooks.I'
llshowhim offt
oanyonewhocarest olook.Hedoesi tformeshame.

“Wow.Doeshehav eay oungbr other?”

,cousinnumbert woasks.
“Matteroffacthedoes.He' sint herewiththeunclesrightnow”,Isay.
“Seri
ous?Pleasehookmeup” ,shesay sexcitedly
.
I'
m notsur eifshe'sseriousornot .Ineverknowi fpeopleareser i
ousornotwhent
hey
sayImusthookt hem up.
“I
'l
lhooky ouupCuz, youknowIgoty ou.He'l
l beyoursbeforesunset”,
Isay
.
Ithi
nksheact uall
ythinksI'm serious!

Thedayisgoingt oosl
owforme.I'
m uneasyaboutt
hewholeprocess.I
'
mt emptedt
ogo
tothecarsoutsideandfi
ndElikj
ustf
orahugandmay best
ealakiss,butwit
hallt
hese
eyesevery
wher eIknowthat'
sabadidea.Istayput
.It
'
sbeen3hour salready
!Whatare
theyst
il
lnegoti
atingi
nther
e?

Anotherdi
stantauntofminecomesandsay si
t'
sti
meforust ogosotheycanmakethei
r
pi
ck.Iguesst heyfinal
l
yr eachedanagr
eementnow thatwear eatthisst
age.I
'
m so
nerv
ousaswewal kintothehutthemenar ein,car
ryi
ngwov enpl
ates.Iwalki
nt he
middleandkeepmyheaddownandkneel opposi
tet
he‘visi
tor
s’.

“HeyFierce.Dude!Longt ime!Youl ookfunnyt houghf am!”,El

i
k’sbrothersays.
Ev er
yoneturnsandl ooksathim andhehast hatf acesay i
ng‘what ?
’.
JustwhenIt houghtt hingscouldn'tgetanywor se.Het rul
yisEl ik’sbrother
.Thi
sis
somet hi
ngEl i
kwoul ddo.
“Oh!Youknowher ?Wheredoy ouknowherf rom? ”,myf at
hersays.
Lumkaki cksElik’sbr
othersohardIf eelthepai n.
“Sorryel
ders.Hedoesn' tknowher .Whoi sFierce?Wear enotheref orFi
erce,weareher
e
forLastborn”,
Lumkasay swithaser iousface.
Ilookupabi tandcat chhiseye.Iwantt olaughbutI 'l
ltr
ynott o.
Wear etoldtoliftupourheadssot hestrangerscanpi cktheonet hat'
stheir
s.

Idon'tknow i
fElik’
sentourageisconfusedseei
ngthattheyknow meortheyarejust
playi
ngalong.Theyactual
lybri
ngtheirheadstoget
heranddeli
ber
ate!Thentheyagree
thatI
'mthemi ddl
eone.Seri
ousl
y?
Youshouldseet heirfaceswhent heyar
etoldtofi
l
l ourwov
enpl
ateswi
thmoney
.
“Forwhatnow? ”,Eli
k’sbrot
herasksLumka.
Heaskst ooloudt hough.
I'
m surenowt heyar ewishi
ngtheyhadlefthi
m outside.
“Tothankthem forbei ngborn,
Iguess”,
Lumkasay s.
Eli
k’sbrot
herlaughs.
“Areyoubeingforr ealbro?
”,hesays.
Ithi
nkhe'shigh,honest l
y!

“Youwi l
lpay$50f orthedi
srespect ”
,myel destuncl
e,t
hespokesper sonsays.
Thatshutsthem upast heypayup.
Theyf i
l
lourbasket swit
h$100not es.Iexpli
cit
lytol
dEli
kt hatheshouldgetloosechange
forpartsli
kethis.Butdidhel isten?Cl earl
ynot!Thisisn'tourcult
ureeven.Myuncl es
remixedourlobolaprocesssot heycangett hemostofit.Greedymuch?

MycousinsarethenaskedtoleaveandI
’mtol
dtositdown.
Myunclebreaksthesi
lence.
“Asyoucanseeourdaught erhereisagoodgir
l.Sheiseducat
ed,shehasaMasters
degr
ee!Plusshehasnochi ldr
enandmakesherownmoneyasy oucanseeshebought
herf
atheracar!Shealsobui l
tthi
shomefrom t
hegroundandsobyt aki
ngherf
rom us
youarecosti
ngusalot",hesays.

I
'
mli
steni
ngandt
hinki
ngwhati
sthi
smant
alki
ngaboutnow!

"Shedoesn'
tgooutatnightli
keimmor alwomendo, shedoesn'
twearminiski
rts,
lookat
her.Shegoest
ochurchev er
ySunday,shedoesn'thavechi
ldr
enandshewor ksveryhar
d.
Sot hisi
sagr eatwomanwear egiv i
ngy ou.She'
saf ul
lpackage.Forthat,wehav e
decidedt
oaddt hr
eecowst othel
ist
”,hesays.

Hehadmeatmi niskir
t!Iweart
heshortestbut
triderssometi
mes.I'
m sureLumkaand
Eli
k'sbrot
herbur
stoutlaughi
nginsi
deasmyuncl ewentt hr
oughhisli
st.Andwhatwas
thataboutmenotgoingoutatni
ghtandgoingtochurchever
ySunday?

“Ihaveaquest ion”,Eli
k’
sbr othersays.
Notagai n!Iwantt otakehi m byhandandpul lhim outsi
de.Thisisnotoneofhiscl asses
i
nGer many .Youj ustdoast old,noquest
ionsasked.
“Yes?”,myuncl esay ssoundi ngannoyed.
“Mybr other,Prof.Eli
kpli
m, ismor eeducatedt hanher.HehasaPhDi nRoboti
cssohei s
aDoct or.He' sapr ofessoract uall
y.Heal sogoest ochurcht hreetimesaweek( l
ie)
,
makeshi sownmoney ,doesn'tdri
nk(li
e),doesn'tgooutatnight( l
ie)anddoesn'
tdoany
ofthatst uf
f( l
ie)
.Sot hat '
sagr eatmant akingy ourdaughter.Somyquest ionis,dowe
sti
llhavet opayt hosel astthreecowsory oushoul dpayus?Imean,mybr otherisa
Professor!”
,hesay s.
Thewayhesoundssoser
iousr
ightnow.Iwantt
olaugh.ButIal
sowantt
ocr
y.

Everyone,mei
ncl
uded,st
opandl ookathi
mlongandhar
d.Helooksdownshame.He
thoughthe was def
endi
ng hi
s brot
herbutnow t
heyhaveto payanot
her$50 f
or
disr
espect.

Myuncl eresumestalki
ng.
“AsIwassay i
ng.Ourdaughterherei
spure.She'
sav
irgi
nandweal lknowhowr ar
ethat
i
st hesedays",hesays.
Eli
k'sbrot
herchucklesandqui ckl
ydi
sgui
sesitasacough.Idon'
tknowwhyt heydidn'
t
l
eav ehiminthecarwi t
hEli
k!

"Shecant esti
fytothat”,myunclesaysi nconfi
dence.
Wai t
?Whatnow?Wher edoadultsgetthisvi
rgi
nit
yideafr
om?
“Askher”,myuncl einsist
s.
Lumkacl earshisthroat.It
hinkhewant stolaughbutiscont
rol
l
inghi
mself
.
“Lastbor
n, ar
ey ouav i
rgin?”
,hesay sl
ookingatme.
Ilookbackathi m andIcant el
lhe'sl
aughinginsi
de.HeknowsIhaven'
tbeenavi
rgi
nfor
years!
“YesIam” ,Isay.
Thisisaguywhobai ledmeoutf orbeingcaughthavi
ngsexinacar!AndheknowsI'
m
pregnant!

Thi
sist
oomuch. Butcl
ear
lyI
'
mthenewmot
herMar
ymos.Pr
egnantandav
irgi
n!

“See.Itoldyou.Addanothercowtot hel
ist
”,hesay
s.
Ithoughttheywer edone!I
'
m surenowt heyhave50cowsont hatl
ist!Zibul
oisthescr
ibe.
Addingcowaf tercowtothelist
!I'
m excusedandtoldtheywil
lcallmewhent heyneed
me.Theyneedt omakeahandwr i
tt
encopyoft hel
obolal
ett
erthenbot hparti
escansi
gn.
I'
m offi
ciall
ysold.

Me?Av i
rgin?That'st
hefunni
estjokeI'
vehear
dallday.Butwell
,consider
ingt
hatEl
i
k
t
ookmyv i
rgi
nit
y,maybei
t'
snotsobad.Iknowawomani snotsupposedtoknowhow
manycowsshewasexchangedf oratherl
obol
a.ButEl
i
kwi l
ltel
lmeIknow.
[
3/11,
21:59]I
nini:
CHAPTER74

Igobackt ot hehutandj oinmycousi ns.Phew!It'

saci r
cusinthere!Idon'
tknowhowmy
unclesar estil
ldealingwi ththem.ButI ’m surethesmel lofmoneyi steachi
ngthem
toler
ance.Eli
k’sbr ot
herist ooextr
a.He’salwaysbeenl i
kethatthough.Weusedt ospend
nightsplayi
ngv ideogamesandt hatannoy edthehelloutofEli
kwhenhewoul dbetryi
ng
towor k.He'saphot ocopyofhi sbrother
!Hesay st hemostr andom thi
ngsatthemost
i
nappr opri
ateti
mes!ButIj ustl
ovehim andI ’
m sogladhe’shere.Itmeanswegoingt obe
clubbingSandt ondownandchoppi ngEl i
k’smoneywhenwegetbackt oJoburg!He
mademydayt hough, Ican'twai
ttotellEl
i
kaboutit.
“Socuz, whichoft hosemeni smi ne?”,
cousinnumbert woasks.
“They oungeronewhowasf inedf ortal
kingtoomuch” ,Isay
.
“Thatone?He' sver yhandsome” ,shesay sandblushes.
“Heis, i
sn’the? ”
,Isay .
Howcanhenotbewhenhel ooksl i
kehisbrother
?
“He’squi tedarkthough” ,shesay s.
“Heis, i
sn’the? ”
,Isay .
Thiscompl exiont hingisgettingol dnow!Theymaybedar kerthanusbuttheyar
enot
thatdar k!Thenex tper sonwho' l
lraisei
twill
getar esponsetheydon'
texpect
.
“Ya.Isthatbad? ”,shesay s.
I
sshebei ngforr ealrightnow?Whatdoesshemean ‘ i
sthatbad?’whenmyownman
l
ooksl ikecoal accor di
ngt omyaunt !

“Idon’tknow.Toeacht heirowncuz.Dar kskindoesi tforme”

,Isay.
“Oht hen,dar
kskindoesi tformet oo!
”,shesay s.
Irollmyey es.Idon’tev enknowwhyshe’ ssoexcited!It’
snotli
kewear
ebei
ngser
ious
here!
“What '
shisname? ”,
sheasks.
“Kofi”,
Isay.
“Coffee?Asintea-coffee? ”
,sheasks.
“Pronouncedsomet hingl i
ket haty
es,butK- O-F-
I”
,Isay .
“Ohok.Youwon' tf
orgett ohookusupr ight
? ”
,shesay s.
“Iwon't”,
Isay.
Iwill
.

Inev ergott ohangoutwi thmycousi ns.Iwasal wayst oobusywi thchoresori nthe

fi
elds.Besidesmymot herbeli
evedt hatever
yonewasoutt obewi tchussoInev erreally
vi
sitedourr el
ati
ves.Ili
kethesecousi nsofmi nethough.Iwi shIhadf emalesinmyl i
fe.
There’stoomucht est
oster
onear oundme.I nthel
abi t’
sBunke, NdivhuandBr ai
n,thenat
myhousei t’sEli
kandt hetwinsandinmyf amil
y,i
t’
smyf ourbrothers,
I’
mt heonlygirl
left
.
Whenwegoont ripsit
'susuall
yElikandLumka.See, toomucht estost
eronearoundme!

Mycousi nsupdatemeonwhat ’sgoingoni nthev i

l
lage,whomar r
iedwhoandwhogot
pregnantbywho.Wel aughatagirlwhowasal lhoi
tytoit
yinhighschoolandact
edlike
shewasal lt
hatinabagofchips.Apparentl
y,l
i
f egotli
tt
leprett
ymissbadandherlobola
wasonl ytwocows.Sheusedtowal karoundli
keshewaswor thahundredcowsonl
yt o
comedownt otwo!That
’sf
unny.Ineverreal
lyl
ikedthatgir
l,shewasabully
.

Turnsoutoneofmycousi nsher
eisav ir
gin.Shesayssheiswaiti
ngformarri
age.Good
forher,Ihopeherfut
urehusbandisalsowai ti
ngandnotouttherespreadi
nghislove
thenwhenhe’stir
edhe’
ll
comeandr estonher.Orworse,i
maginesheendsupmar ri
edto
someonet err
ibl
einbedandonlydiscoveronherweddingnight.How wil
lsheli
vewith
thatfortherestofherli
fe?Badsexi senought omessupar el
ati
onshi
p!Butont he
posi
ti
ve,shehasnowayofknowi
ngwhat’
sgoodorwhat’
sbadsi
ncet
heoneshewi
l
lget
wil
lbetheonl
yonesheknowsandwon'
tcomparei
ttoanyot
her
.

Myauntcomeswi t
hmoregossi
p.Shesaystheyareal
mostdonet
her
eandbot
hpar
ti
es
ar
esati
sfi
ed.That
'smusi
ctomyears.Myheartcannowset
tl
e.

“Sot hatonewhol ookslikeyourmani stheyoungbr other

?”,sheasks.
“Yeshei s”,Isay.
“Thatboycant alk!Hewasquest i
oningev erythingandbusysay i
ng ‘
holdup,hol dup’
afterev erypointmade!He’ sapieceofwor k”,shesay s.
Ican’thel plaughing.Kof ir
eall
yisapieceofwor k.
“Butt oday ,Icouldn’tstoplaughi
ng.HayFi erceno.Wher edidy ougetsuchpeopl e?”,she
say s.
“Theyhav eneverdonet hi
sbeforeauntysot hat'swhyt heyareget t
ingi
tallwrong” ,
If eel
theneedt odefendt hem.
“Wr ongi sanunder stat
ement!Buttheymademyday .I'
m enjoyingwatchingthem!And
thatone, Lumka.He’ saproperman,thatone” ,shesay s.

Atleastshe'senj
oyingt
his.I
'
m not.
“Andwher e'
sGhanaman?It houghtIsawhim whentheyfi
rstgother
e?”
,shesay
s.
“I
'm notsure.It
hinkhe'
sinoneofthecarswait
ing”
,Isay.

“Isev
erythi
nggoi ngwellthough? ”
,Iask.
“Despit
ey ourpeople'signorance,yesit'
sgoinggreat.It
hinkt heypai
dmor ef i
nesthan
theactualmoneyf orintr
oductions!
”,shesaysandstartsl
aughing.
Theyreall
ymadeherdayshame!
“Whatdidtheydoi nthere?”,
Iask.
“WheredoIst art!Fir
st,theywer esupposedtositont hefl
oor ,i
sn’tyouknow,butt hey
showedupi ntheirmi l
li
ondol l
arsuits!Whentheywer etoldtosi tonthefloortheyall
cameupwi thallsort
sofexcuseswhyt heycan’
t!Thatsmal lonesaidhehasachr onic
backpainandisnotal l
owedt ositdownont hefl
oor!Sowehadt ogivethem chai
rs”,
she
says.

Itr
ustKofit
obet hatdramati
c!Idon’
tknowwhycul
tur
efeel
stheneedt
omakegr
own
mensitonthef l
oorthough!
“Whatel
se”,Iask.I’
m curi
ous.

“Thent hatboy,yousai
dhisnamei sKof i
?Yes,heaskedi fweacceptbankcardsor
acceptpaymentv i
aEFT!Yourunclesdon'tevenknowwhatEFTi s!Whenwesaidno,he
sai
dwemustconsi deri
tnexttimebecausei t'
ssaf
erandeasierforal
lpar
ti
esinv
olved.
Thent heyaskedforwaterandwegav ethem ajugandnoneoft hem woul
dtouchour
water!Theywantedbott
ledwaterFier
ce!”
,shekeepslaughi
ng.

“
Andt
hatKof
iofy
our
saskedf
orar
ecei
ptaf
ter
war
ds.Thatboy
!Whatdoeshet
hinkt
his
i
s?Ohandt hatman,t heonewhowascar ryi
ngt hebri
efcaseear
li
er(
Cli
ve)i
sbusynow
conv
ert
ingthatlobol
alet
tert
oalegalcont
ract!Youshouldhaveseeny
ouruncl
es’f
aces!
Whoisheany way?”,
shesays.
She'
shavi
ngt heti
meofherlif
ebutI'
m soembar r
assed.

“He'sEl
ik’
slawy er”,Isayinalowv oi
ce.
“Lawyer?”
,shesay s.
Shecan'tstoplaughi ngandsay i
nghowexaggerat
edmymenar e.
Shesayswhent heybr oughtt
hem meat,oneoftheguy
saskediftheyhadtof
ubecause
he'svegan( That '
sCl iveagain!
).Lumkat henhadtoexpl
aintomyuncl esinbroken
NdebelehowanAf ri
canmandoesn' teatmeat.

Shesaysshehast ogobackandmakesur enooneki ll

sany one.
“CanItalktoKof i
aunt
y.Pl
ease? ”
,Isay.
Ineedtot alktosomeoneont heinsi
deandsi nceLumkai sthespokesper
sonIcan'task
himtocomeout .
“Iwanttosaynobecauset hat'
snotall
owedi nourcult
ure.Butyourmenbr oughtawhole
newcul t
uret odaywher
eany t
hingispossi
ble,soI'l
lfi
ndawayandsendhi m her
e”,she
saysandl eaves.

NowI 'm exci

ted.Ihaven'
tseenKof ii
nal ongtime!
“Cuz,yourboy f
ri
endiscomi ngheresoon” ,Isay.
Shebl ushesandIcant ellshe'
sexci t
edandner vous.May beshebel
ievesinarr
anged
marriagessomay beIshouldstopgivi
nghert hisfal
sehope!
Whenhewal ksthroughthedoor ,
Ijumpandgi vehimthebiggesthugev
er.It
'ssogoodto
seehi m andhest i
lll
ooksgoodwi ththatflawlessskinofhis.Ist
andbythedoorandtel
l
him weneedt okeepourv oicesdown.He’ snotsupposedt obehere.

“Dude!It'
sbeenforever”
,hesays.
“Kofi
!Wow, l
ookatyou!Whoknewy oucouldcleanupsowell!”
,Isay.
“Youknowme!Looki nggoodismyt hing!Andy ou?How’
veyoubeen? ”
,hesays.
“Greathey,asyoucanseehowawesomeIl ook” ,
Isay
.
“Nahf am.Youlookol di
nthatdress!
”,hesay s.
He'ssosi l
ly
.
“Sohow' sGermany ?How’stheMast ersgoing?How'sever
ythi
ng?Newgi r
lfr
iend?Come,
fi
llmei n”
,Isay.
“Ihaveal ottotel
ly ouhey.I
tneedsussi t
tingdownovercoffeeformet otelly
ou”,he
says.

“Soyoustuckitoutwit
hElik!Yougogi
rl
!Ihearyouwerealmostasecondwif
e!”
,hesay
s
andlaughsatme.
That'
snotfunny!AndIwishhewouldn'
tsaythi
ngsli
kethati
nfrontoft
heset
wo.
“Whereyougoingtodoitthough?Behi
ssecondwife,Imean?”
,hesays.
“Yep.I
'dal
readysaidy
es”,Isay.
“Wow!That’ struel
over i
ghtt her
e!Eli
kinspir esmethough.How didhemanaget o
convi
ncey outosayyestot hat
?Heneedst ot eachmesoIcanmar r
yallthegir
lsIwant”,
hesays.
“Canyouaf for
dthem?”
,Isay .
“Ther
e'st
hatbyt heway.I'
m workingonit.I
'
llaffordt
hem oneday,
you’l
lsee”,hesays.
Iknow hewi ll
.He’sbr i
ll
iantandl ooksupt ohisbrotherandwant st obeequal l
y
successf
ul soIknowhe'l
lgetthere.

“Ididn'tknowy ouwer esoexpensi vebro.Allthosecows!”,hesays.

“Don't.Don'tsayt henumber!”,Isay.
Mycousi nscan'tknow!Hecant ellmelateri
fEl i
krefusestotel
lme.
“Youruncl esareunbel i
evable!Theyar ebull
iesbr o.Youcan'tsayanythi
ngwit
houtthem
fi
ningy ou!Aret heycopsorsomet hing?
”,hesay s.
“I'
m sur etheythinkingthesameabouty ouguy s!Youareunbel i
evabl
e!Whoseideawas
allt
his?Sui t
s,cars,braaiandcar r
yingmoneyi nabr ief
case?”
,Isay.
“Whoel se?Yourhubbyofcour se” ,
hesay s.
Iknewi t.

“Where'
sEli
k?”,Isay.
That'
sonethingIreal
lyneedt oknow.
“He'
sinthecar.Whenwel efthewasgoingov ert
hedocument soft
hei
rZambi
anpr
oject
.
Youknowhim andwor k!
”,hesays.
Iknow.Hewor kshardandpl ayshard.
Myauntcomesandsay sweneedt owrapitup,we'l
ltal
klat
er.

“Ohbef oreIfor
get.Igotyouagirl
fr
iend.Her e”
,Ipoi
ntatmycousin.
Shebl ushessomuchIcan' thel
pgiggling.
Hel ooksatme,It hi
nktr
y i
ngtoseei fI
'm seri
ousornot.He'
sani ceguythoughsohe
greetsbot hmycousi nsandkissest heirhandsandtell
sthem how beaut
if
ultheyl
ook.
Suchachar mer!

“She'sav ir
gin!”,IwhisperasIwal khim out .
“Av i
rginvirgi
norav irgi
nli
key ou?”,hesay s.
Islaphisar m.He' stoosill
y!
“Av i
rginvirgi
n!”,Isay.
“Idon'tdov ir
gins,theygetclingy.Idon'tneedt hat”
, hesays.
Shamehe' spi ckedupbadhabi tsfrom LumkaandEl i
k.Iwoul dn'
tbeshockedifhehas
fi
vegi r
lfr
iendsnow!
“That'
snott r
ue.Iwasnev ercli
ngywi t
hEl i
k!”,Isay.
Hel aughsatme.
“Youwer e.Youar e.Dude,youwer eev enwi l
li
ngt obeasecondwi f
e!”
,hesays.
Iwonderwhyt heytoldhimt hat.
“So,yourv i
rgingi r
lf
ri
endher e.Whenar ey oumar r
yingher?”,Isay.
“Youpeopl ear eexpensive!I'
dratherbuymy sel
fahouset hanmar r
yhere!Iwantawi
fe
f
rom acul
tur
ewi
thoutl
obol
a”,
hesay
s.

Hesayshehast ogobef or
etheyfi
nehim becausemyuncl
esar
etooupti
ghtandharsh.
Somepeoplenev erchangeshame.He'ssti
l
lthesame.Heusedtodr
iveEli
kcrazywit
h
hi
slackofser
iousnessandI'
dlaughbecauseEli
kisj
ustt
hesamesometi
mes.

Mycousini
ssold.Shesayshesmel l
ssogood,lookssogood,soundssogood.She'
sso
i
nfat
uatedi
t'
ssadt owatch.I
'
m sureKofihasf
or got
tenaboutheral
ready
.Anyways,she
won'
tseehi
m aftert
odaysoletherenj
oythi
sdream whil
eitl
asts.

I’
m start
ingtof
eeldrainedsoIthinkIshoul
dtakeaquicknap.
“PleasewakemeupwhenI '
m needed.Iwokeupveryearl
ytoday
,Iwannarestabit”
,Isay
tomycousi ns,t
henliedown.That '
sthebadpartaboutbeingpr
egnant
!Youj ustwantto
sleepatrandom t
imesoft heday!

Theyt hi
nkI’
m sl
eepi
ngandt heyar
etalki
ngabouthowbeaut if
ulIlookandhowmyski nis
glowingandhowIl ooksor i
chnow.Mycousi nsaysshewonder sifshe'
lllookasgood
aftershemarri
esKofi. She'sact
uall
yserious!Theykeeptal
kingandI '
mt ouched.They
actuall
ylookuptomeandt hi
nkI’
ml ikethestandardofsuccess!Ifonl
ytheyknewhal f
thethingsIwentt
hroughtogethere!

*
***
***

“Cuz,wakeup.Peoplear efi
ght
ingout
side”
,mycousi
nsaysshaki
ngme.
Iwasn'tfastasleep,fastasl
eep.Iwassomewhereinbetweenbeingawakeandbeing
asleep.Att hatstage when you don'
tknow ifyou act
ual
lydreaming ori
t'
sreall
y
happening.Ifor
cemy selft
owakeup.

Isweari
fpeopl ear
efightingoveralcoholandspoil
ingmydayIwi l
lki
llsomeonet oday
wit
hmybar ehands!ElikandIhav ecomet oofartohavesomelow-li
fedrunkar
dcome
andmesst hatup.Andwor setheyhav edist
urbedmynapsoI 'm goi
ngt oshow them
fl
amestoday!Icanhearthenoisefrom here.Whywer esomanypeopl
einvit
edinthefir
st
pl
ace?Idon’tneedt
hisstress.

Istorm outoft
hehutandI'
m metbychaos.Ever
yoneisshout
ingandt her
e'sacrowdi n
fr
ontoft hehutwher
et henegot
iat
ionswerebei
ngdone.Icanf eelmyhear tsi
nking.I
don'tknowwhat'
sgoi
ngonbutIhaveaf eel
i
ngthatsomet
hingi
st er
ri
blywrong.Icanfeel
i
t.

Eli
k?Couldhehavedonesomethi
ng?Ihopenot .Ormay bemyaunthaspi ckedaf i
ght
withsomeoneormymotheri
saccusingsomeoneofwitchcraf
tagain?OrdidKof
ioffend
someonewithhi
scornyj
okes?Whateveriti
s,i
tbett
ernotbeserious.Todayi
sallabout
meandIneedthingst
oendingoodspiri
ts.
There'
sawhi t
eRangeRov erwithGPnumberplat
esparkedout
sideneart
hebl
ackcars.
Lumka’scarhere?Howdidi tgether
e?Orisi
tjustanot
herwhi
teRangeRover
?Eey,I'
m
soconfused.Whatexact
lyisgoingonher
e?IsitLumka'
swifemaybe?Whoinvi
tedher?
DidLumkainvit
eher?

I'
m notall
owedtofinishmyt hought
sasIcanhearwomenhav ingascreamingmatch
somewhere.It
hinkit
'smyauntandmot her.Why?Whatnow!Ican'
tdealwit
hmyf amil
y
youknow.Whyar et
heydoingt hi
s?I'
mtr
y i
ngtoaskmycousi
nswhat'sgoi
ngonbutthey
alsodon'
tknowsoitlooksl
ikeIhavetof
indoutformy
sel
f.

Ican'tseeEl i
kanywheresoIhav etofi
ndLumkaandj ustmakesurethet roubl
eisnot
from theirsi
de.Ineedanswers.Ineedhel
p.IpushandpushbutIcan'tmakei tthr
ough
thecrowd.Whyar eal
lthesepeopleher
einthefir
stpl
ace!IwishIcouldthrowthem al
l
out!I
'l
lgoar oundandseei fmaybeIcangetinontheothersi
de.Peopl
et herear
enicer
,
theyact uall
ymakewayf orme.It hi
nktheyneedmet oseewhat everitistheyare
watching.

Itt
akesmet engoodsecondsofbli
nki
ngf
astforitt
or egi
sterthatthi
sisreal
.Kolmais
here.WhenIt ol
dpeopl
ethatKomlawascr
eat
edbyt hedev i
ltheydidn'
tbel
i
eveme!She's
actuall
yhereinthefl
esh!Ihav
esomanythoughtsrunningthroughmymi ndrightnowI
can’tdescr
ibehowIfeel
.
[3/
11, 21:
59]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER75

Thisti
meIgi veittohershame.Sheout didherself
.Shehitmewher eithurtsthemost .
Myf amily.Buthowt hehelldi
dshef indmeher e?Howdidsheev enknowhowt ogethere?
Andshe' ssuchacl assact!Ihavetocl aphandsf orher.She’sdressedl ikeaproperwi fe
youknow andi slookingalli
nnocentt here.IfIdidn'
tknow anybet ter,Iwouldal sofeel
sorr
yf orher !Shecat chesmyey eandgi vesmeasubt l
eev ilcornersmi le.Ihav eno
words.Ican' tevenopenmymout h.Ihav enowor ds!Somewomanf rom aroundthe
vi
ll
aget akesthelibert
ytofil
lmeinaboutt hispoorwomanst andingher eonourdoor st
ep.
I’
m halfli
steningtoherandhalftr
yingt opr ocessthi
sasquicklyasIcan.

Apparent
lyMi ssKoml aherehast oldevery
onet hatshefoundoutthatherhusbandi s
marryi
ngsomeoneel sesoshe'sheretocleartheairandstopthatfr
om happening.She
saysshehadnoi deaaboutthisotherwoman( me)andi ssorr
ytobedoingthisbutshe
hadtodoit,tosav ehersel
fandtheotherwoman!Shehast hem all
convi
ncedandf eeli
ng
sorr
yforher.Hayno, Igivei
ttoher.Shedeservesanawardforthi
sshowshej ustputup.
She'
sdivorcedforcryingoutl
oud!She’sthepast!

Idon'
tknowwhatot hernonsenseshe'
stol
dev eryone.I
fIkeepl ookingather,I
'l
lkickher
fl
atbehindbackt oAccr a!Soi tmightbebesti fIst epawayf oraf ew minutesand
recol
l
ectmy sel
f.Ineedfreshair
.Ineedtobreat
he.Butf i
rstIneedt oconfr
onther.What’s
theworstt
hatcouldhappen?Imeanshe’ stoldthem everyt
hingright?
“Koml a?What ’
sthis?Whyar eyouher e?”
,Iaskandst andinfrontofher.
Imeantt oshoutbutmyv oi
cecameoutsopi ti
ful
lythin.
“MyhusbandFi erce!Pleaseleavemyhusbandal one.Wehav ekids, I
’
m beggingyou”
,she
startscryi
ng.
Iclapmyhands.Whati sthisinfrontofme!Shet hinkswear eindramaclasshere?
“Koml a”
,Isay .
“Ijustwantmyhusbandback” ,shesay s.
Yane.
Ijustwantedt otalk.Butno.Dr amaqueengoesonandt hr
owsher sel
fdownonherknees
andst art
scr yi
ng.Gosh!She’ smaki ngmesoangr yrightnow!Clearl
ythere’
snotalki
ngto
herandal ltheseey esl
ookingatmel i
keI '
mt hemot herofsatanarenothelpi
ng.

Ikneelnexttoherandt ouchhershoulder.
“Forwhatit'
sworth.I'
m sorryKomla.Itwasnev ermeanttobel i
kethi
s.Youdi
dn'
thaveto
dot hi
syouknow” ,Isay.
Shekeepsf akecr yi
ng.Oknow she'sj ustpissi
ngmeof f
!Ineedt oputheri
nherplace
soon.WhenI ’m donewi thher,she’
llbesomewher ei naplantat
ioni
nGhanaharvest
ing
bananasbarefooted!
“Ihaveyourkids,
doy ouknow?You' l
lnev erseethem agai
n!”
,Isay.

Herheadshoot sup.It hi
nksheforgott hatshe'
ssupposedt obecryi
ng!Shereal
ly
neededtol ookinmyey e.Toseemyr eactionIguess.I
'
m blank.Iwon'
tgiv
eherthat
sati
sfact
ion!Shewantst
oplaythe‘
hurtFiercegame’?Well
,It
hinkweshoul
dtryt
he‘get
l
ostKoml agame’fir
st.

Ican’ tst
andbeingher easecondl ongerorI’
m goingt obeatherup!I'm seri
ous.She’s
l
uckyI ’
m pregnantandcan’ triskherpunchingmei nthestomach!Ihav etoremov e
my selffr
om thi
sspacer ightnow.Ileaveandwalkar oundthehut.Ineedtof i
ndmyaunt .
Onlyshecansav eme.Thankf ull
ynoonest opsme, theyjustkeepsaying “yhooo”.They
alllooksoshockedandIwoul dbel yingifIsaidI ’
m nothumi l
iat
edr i
ghtnow.Iam
thoroughlyembarrassed.Idon’tknowwher etohide.

Justaroundt hehut,ther
e’sLumka.JustwhoIneedt otalkto.Thi
sisthefir
stti
meI 'v
e
seenhimt hi
sangr y!Ifr
eeze.He'sshouti
ngandt alkingwi t
hhi shands!Peopl
ei nthi
s
vil
l
agelov ethings!They’veheardthenoi
seandt heyhav eallrunandarecrowdingme
watchi
ngt henewscene.Iwi shpeopl
ecouldjustleaveandgohome.Can’ ttheyseewe
aredealingwithacr i
sishereandweneedt ohandlet hisasaf amil
y!Butbythelooksof
thi
ngs,theyaregoingnowher e.Lumkakeepsyell
i
ng.Ineedt omov easi
detoseewhohe’
sshoutingat.

Oh!Isee.Thi sconni
vingbi
tchwit
huglydreadl
ocks!Iactual
lylaughatmy self!GoshI'
m
sostupid!Soshe'stheonewhobr oughtKomlahere!Shesl i
theredherwayi ntomyl i
fe
l
ikethesnakeshei sandIwassogulli
ble,
Iactual
lyfel
lfori
t.Thatcoffeedatewasj usta
geographylessonforhersoshecanl
earndir
ecti
onsandcoor dinatest
omyhome!
I'
m boi
l
ingwit
hsomuchangerIcan' tspeak,Ij
ustst
andther
ewonderi
ngifIpul
lthose
l
ockshardenoughwil
ltheycomeoutandl eavehol
esinherhead?Herbr
aincoul
duse
somefreshai
rmaybeshewil
lstar
tthi
nkingri
ght
.

“Li
keser iously,whatt hehel larey oudoinghere?”,
Lumkashout sather .
“I
'm doingwhat '
sright!”,shesay swithanatti
tude.
“Andwhati sthatexact ly?”,Lumkasay s.
“Ihadt obr i
ngKoml aher e!Idon' tbeli
eveyouar ealsosupporti
ngt hi
sr ubbishLumka!I t
's
wrong!”,shesay s.
“Andwhaty oudi disr ight?Thi sisr i
ght?Lookaroundy ou!Lookwhaty ou'v
edone!I sthi
s
whaty ouwant ed?”,hesay s.
“Ofcour senot.Butt hatgi rlhasnor i
ghttotryandmar r
yKoml a’
shusband! ”
, shesays.
“Arey ouev enl i
steningt oy ourself
?Whathusband?Theyar edivorced!”,hescr eamsat
her.
I
'm soscar edhewi llhither .Alt
houghIwon' tstophimifhedoes, somepeopl edeserv
eto
bekickedar oundabi tt oresett heirbrai
ns.

“What?Divorced?Whatdoy oumean? ”,shesay s.

“Oh!Soy ourfri
enddi dn'
ttel
ly outhatpart?Andy out ookmycarwi thoutmypermissi
on
anddr oveacrossbor der
sallthewayher et odot his?Yousof uckedup, youknowthat
?”,
hesay s.
Heact ual
lyl
aughs.Notl aughlaughbut‘ Idon'tbelievethi
s’typeoflaugh.
Shekeepsqui et.Isteptowardsthem andf oldmyar ms.Ijustwanttolookatthi
ssnake’
s
face.Lumkadoesn’ tevenseeme.

“Ican'
tbeli
eveyoudidthis!Givememycarkey s!
”,hesnatchest
hem from herhand.
“Buthowwi l
lIgetbacktoJobur g?”
,shesay
s.
Theknow- i
t-
all
,I
'm-r
ightatti
tudeisgonenow.Wedownt oalmostbegging.Idon'
tpi
tyher
atall,notevenal it
tl
ebi t.Ijustwanttostepupt oherandsl apt hatthi
cklay
erof
foundati
onoffherface!

“You'
llmakeapl an.Youandy ourf
ri
endaregoodatdoingthat
,cl
ear
ly”,
hesays.
“Butbaby…”,shesays.
“Don't
.Don'tbabyme!Don' teverbabymeagain!”,hetur
nsandwalksawayt henst
ops
andturnsback.
“I
nfact,youknowwhat ,getyourassbacktoJobur
gassoonaspossi bl
eandgetthef
uck
outofmyhouse! ”,hesaysandwalksaway.
Micdrop!
Who’sthefool nowsoon-to-
beexMr sLumka?Huh?Ican’theary
ou.Speakup!

Shejuststandsther
elooki
ngatmeli
ke‘dosomethi
ng’andIlookbackatherl
i
ke‘nahB,
Iai
n'
tdoingnot hi
ng!
’.
Shereall
ythinksIwouldhel
pher
?Issheoutofhermind?Shedugthisgr
avesonowshe
mustr
esti
npeacei
nit
!I'
m mor
ethanwi
l
li
ngt
obuyherat
ombst
one!

WoulditbewrongifIpoi
ntoutthatherhair
li
nei srunningawayfr
om herface?It
hinkshe
f
orgoti
tinJoburg!Isi
tbadtiming?It
'sreal
lybotheringme.Nowt hatLumkaisgone,she
t
urnstomeandsi ncewealreadyhaveanaudi ence,whystoptheshownow?

“LookFier
ce,I
'
m sorryalr
ight
.Ididn'
tknowtheywerediv
orced.Koml
adi
dn'
ttel
lme!I
t'
s
j
ust,Ihateitwhenmencheatanddot histouswomen.Youar eawomansoy ou
underst
andri
ght?Ij
ustthoughtIwashelpi
ngafri
end”
,shesaystome.

Whatdr ugsdoesthiswomant ake?Theyaremessingupherbr aincell

s!Sheshould
comet omei nCapeTown,I '
l
lhookherupwi thproperdeal
ers.Canshehearher sel
for
hermout hjustr
unswi t
houtanyconnecti
ont oherbrain?I
ssher eal
lygoingtostand
ther
eandt ryandactli
keshehadgoodi ntent
ions?Andwhat'sshet al
ki
ngaboutsay i
ng
shehatesi twhenmencheatwhenLumkai smakingadi ffer
entgirlscream ever
y
weekend?She'snotser
iousaboutlif
e.

“I
'm sorryFierce”,shesay s.
“DoIl ookl i
keIneedy oursorry?Youknewexact l
ywhaty ouwer edoingsodr opt
heact
alr
eady !I
t'spatheticreally.Lumkai ssodonewithyou!I
’l
lpersonall
ymakesur eofi
t.This
i
st heendofy ou.Youar edone! ”
,Isay.
“Youcan' ttel
lmyhusbandwhatt odo!”,
shesays.
“Can'tInow? ”,Isay .
“Yousof ullofitlittl
egi r
l!Iknow Lumka.He'smyhusband!Yout hi
nkhe'l
lchoosey ou
overme? ”,
shesay s.
Ohsowest i
l
lhav esomeat t
it
udeleft
,dowe?Wel ll
et'
stakecareoft hatr
ightaway,shal
l
we!

“That'swher eyou’rewrong.See, IknowLumka!Andmay behewon' tchoosemeov eryou.

Buty ouknowwhohewi llchoose?El i
k!AndElikandme, dot heMaths”,Isay.
Herj awdrops.I tactuall
ydr opslikeitwil
lfal
lont hegr ound.YouknowI ’
vebeensot imid
allt
hesey ears,thesewoment hinkI’m adoormatt hattheycanjustwal kallover!They
havet akenashotatmyf ami lysoI’m comingfort hem withgunsblazing.WhenI ’
m done
witht hem theywi l
lregretev ercrossingpathswithme.I '
m notthatgiggli
nggirlshehad
coffeewi t
hi nSandt on.I
'm FierceandIplant oli
veupt omyname.

“Andwai t,what
'st
hataboutLumkabei ngyourhusband?It hi
nkIdi dn’theart hatpar
t
ri
ght.Youar enotmarriedsisi
!Wakeup!Youstay edwithhimf orwhat ?10y earsand
neverthoughtofmar r
iage?Doy ouwanttoknow whyhenev ermar ri
edy ou?Letme
guess,het ol
dyou ‘
mar ri
ageisover
rat
edandhel ovesyousot hat'senough! ’andsill
y
youfellforit
?Nowdoy ouwanttoknowtherealreason?”,Isay.Iactual
lylaughather.
Thispartofthej
okeisonher.Sherui
nedher
selff
orKoml a!

Shel
ooksatmel
i
keI
'
mtr
anspar
ent
.It
'sasi
fshe'
slooki
ngr
ightt
hroughme.
“Ok.I
'
lltelly
ouanyway.Hethinksyouarenothi
st y
peandy oul ookold!Themany oucal
l
'
husband'say syou arenothi stype!He’sj ustkeepi
ng y ou becausewel lyou’ve
vol
unteeredfreemaiddut
iesandeveryhomekindaneedst hat!Sot here,nowyouhavei
t”
,
Isay.
Foreveryblowthesewomenar egoingtot
hrowatme, I
’m prepar edtot hr
owtwoback.

“Thatcan’tbe!Helovesme” ,shelooksli
keshewillf
aintshame.
Icouldn’tgiv
earat’
sassaboutt hat
.Letherf
ainti
fshewant s.I
t'
safr
eecount
ry.Shecan
dowhat ev
ershewant s.Arethosetear
s?Whocar es!Shecrieswatermosnotbl
ood.Soit
’
snotl ikeshe’sgoingt odie.Ineedherali
vesoIcanmakeherpayf orever
ytearIwil
l
shedt oday!

“Hewhatnow?Hel ov esyou?Yousof unny,youknowt hat

!Newsfl
ash,hedoesn' tl
ove
youatall!I
fany thi
ng, heresentsyouandsay sy ouarenaggingandannoyingashell!And
pleasedon’ttellmey ouf el
lforthewhole‘thedoct orsaysIhaveaprost
ateproblem and
mustst ayawayf rom sex’st oryhetoldy oul astyear
.Itoldhimtotellyout hat.He
neededanexcuset ost ophav i
ngsexwithy ouandgeni usmet ol
dhimtouset hatli
ne.So
yousee, i
t'
sby e-by
ef oryoucupcake.Youar edone” ,Isay
.
NowIt hinkshewi llf
aintforreal.

IwalkawayLumkast yleandtur
nar ound.
“Oh.Youstil
lhere?Don'
tyouthi
nky oushouldstartwal
kingbacktoJoburgnow?”
,Isay
.
I'
m cal
m.Toocal m.ButgodsI'm sopissed!I
'm soangr
yt hatI
'
m smil
ing.
Shekeepsst ar
ingatmewi t
hherjawdr opped.Whatdidsheexpect?ThatIcl
aphandsfor
herforbr
ingingKomlahere?Allt
heseadul t
sneedt ogr
owup!

“AndOh!Onelastthi
ng.Icanseey ourhai
rl
inehasgoneal
lthewaybackto1990!And
youthi
nkyoucankeepamanl ooki
ngliket
hat?Ncncnc!You'
vegotj
okes!
”,Isay
.Ijust
hadtopoi
ntoutherhai
rl
ine.I
t'
sreal
l
ybeenbot her
ingme.

Ijustneedt of i
ndmyaunt ,she’ l
lhelpme.Idon' tmakei tfar
.Ther eisabsolutechaos
everywhere!Peopl earescreami ng ‘st
ophi m,stophi m’.Inst
inctivel
yIassumei t'
sElik
abouttoki l
lsomeonesoIr unt owardsthesour ceofcommot ion.Iwantt olaugh.This
dayissobi t
tersweet ,
Ican’t
.Ther e’
smyel destunclerunni
ngawaywi t
hthebr i
efcasethat
hadmoneyi nit!Isupposeithadbeenl eftbehindwhenpeopl egotoutt ol
istentoKoml a.
Thenmyuncl eseei ngthati
twast heendoft henegot i
ati
onsdeci dedhecoul dnotletso
muchmoneygoback.Thepr oblem nowishehasapr oblem withhisr i
ghtlegsonowhe’
sr unni
ngwi thal i
mp.I nfacthe' sgall
opingandhedoesn' tev enmakei ttot hegat e
beforetheycatchhi m.Het r
iestohol dontot hebri
efcasebutmyot herunclesmanaget o
takeitf
rom him.Todaywewi ll
seet hi
ngsshame!

IspotEli
katthebackofthecr owd,
he'sfumi ngandwantst ogett
oKoml abutLumkais
hol
dinghim back.Ij
ustwanttogettohim butIcan't
.Idon’
twanttostophimfrom ki
l
li
ng
Komla.Iwanttohelphim!Butmycousinsar estoppi
ngme, Idon'
tevenknowwhy.Idon’t
evenknowwheretheycamefrom!Iwanttocr
y,Iwantt
oscream,Iwantt
ohi
tsomeone,I
wanttocutoffKomla'
sheadandf eeditt
othedogs.ButIremai
ncalm,wi
thangerj
ust
boil
i
ngfrom mytoesal
lthewaytothetopofmyhair
.

Myauntfinal
lyshowsuptosavetheday.She'scar
ryi
ngasaucepanandt hewayshe
goesatKomlawithi
t,I
'
mli
ke‘Yes!
’
.Komlamakesherwayt owardst
hegateatf
ullspeed.
I
t’
slikeweareinacomedyshowseri
ousexcepti
t’
snotthatf
unnybecauset
hejokeison
me.

Koml arunsoutandt owardsLumka’ scar,butit'

slocked.Myauntdoesn'tst op.She
chasesherdownt heroad.OkIcan’
thelpbutl
aughal it
tle.Wi
thKomlaoutoftheway ,my
auntretur
nsforLumka’swife.Shehasmoresenset hanherfri
endandshestartsrunni
ng
beforethepantouchesher.Somyauntt hr
owst hepanatheranditgetsheronherback
andshef al
lssohard,Il
augh.Shegetsupthoughandf indsherwayout
.Idon'tknowwhy
I'
ml aughi
ngsohard.Ithi
nkit'
stheangermakingmel augh.

“Idi
ots!Whatdot heythinkthisi s?Azoo?Theycan'
tjustcomei nhereandst artt
alking
nonsense” ,sheshouts.
“Andt herestofy ou!Whatar ey oul ooki
ngat
?Don'
tyouhavehomes?Showt i
mei sover!
Getout !Go!”,shescreamsatev eryone.
Somedon' tneedt obet oldtwicebutsomeneedasaucepant oencouraget hem towal k
away .It'
slikeshe'sguidingcat tl
eoutofhomeassheheadst hem towardst hegate.A
few peoplel i
ngeraround,out sidet hehomewai
ti
ngtoseemor eofthedr ama.Atl east
there'
snotsomanypeopl elefthereandIcanseeLumkast i
l
lholdi
ngElik.

Itr
ytorunt owardsEli
kbutmymot herseesmeandst opsme.
“Wheredoy outhinkyouaregoing?Hav en'
ty ouembarrassedusenought oday?”,she
says.
Idon'thaveananswert othat
.Ist ayputt hough.AtleastElikiscomposednow but
Lumkast i
llhashim bythearm.Ev ery
onei stalki
ngatonce,t r
yingtounpackwhatjust
happened.Laughingisover
,I'
m backt obeinghumi l
i
ated.IjustwanttohugElik.I
sthat
wrong?Ineedt ofeelt
hesaf
etythatonlyhisarmscanpr ovi
de.Isthatsowrong?

IcanseeKofiatthefarend, onhi
sphone.Whyi sherecordi
ngthis?Doeshethinkt
hisis
funny?Doeshethinkwewantamemor yofthi
s?Any way,I
'l
ldealwithhiml
ater
!Inf
lati
on
l
ooksscared.Shamemypoorbabybr other
,he'
ssopr ot
ectiv
eofmebutatt hesamet ime
he'ster
ri
fi
edofmymot her
.Ican'tbl
amehimt here!Aren'
tweal lscar
edofher!IwishI
couldhugandlethim knowI'm al
ri
ght
.

Idon'
tknow wheremymot herhasgonetonow butI'
m af
rai
dtopr
oceedtowar
dsElik,
j
ustincaseshe'
swatchi
ng.I’
m stuckher
e.I’
m af
rai
dtotakeasi
ngl
estep.Myaunthas
got
tenri
dofmostpeoplewhoarenotfamil
y.

Onoursi
det
her
e'smyf
ather
,he'
sleani
ngagai
nstt
hewal
landl
ooksf
rozenwi
thshock.
Then there'
st wo ofmy uncl es t
ryi
ng to getthe r emaining peopl
et oleave.My
bri
efcase-
steal
inguncleissit
ti
ngonthegroundstillcat
chinghi sbreat
handlooki
ngl i
ke
someonej ustdied.Thenther
e'smytwocousi nsandaunt s,thewayt heyar
elookingat
me,what evertheyaresayingcan'
tbenice.Andt hent here'
smyauntaski ngeveryone
whattheyarelookingatandscreami
ngateveryonet ogetlost
.

Ont heotherside, there’sEl i

k.Mylove,helookssohur tandangryit
'sbreakingmyhear t
.
Thent here’
sLumkamai ntaini
ngatighthol
donEl i
k’sarm andlooki
ngequallyangr y
.Then
there’sCl i
vel ookingl i
kehedoesn' tknow whathe' sexpectedtodo.He’ sprobably
wonder i
ngi fmay bet hisi spartofthecer emony.Thent here'
sthetwost rangersthat
camewi t
hEl i
klooki ngall ki
ndsofshocked.Thent here’
sZibul
oandI nf
lat
ion,Idon’tknow
whatt heyar edoi ngont hatside!Andofcour set hepar t
ywouldn'tstartwi t
houtour
belovedEl i
k’
sy oungbr other,Kof
i,r
ecordi
ngev er
ythi
ng.

Thenthere'
sme.I'mf r
ozeninti
meinbet weenthetwosides.Myt earshavedeci dedt o
fal
lnow butI'
m notcryi
ng.Ther
e'sahugel umpstuckinmyt hroatthatkeepsgr owi ng
andgrowingandt hr
eateni
ngtoexplode.Myhandsar eshakingandI 'm notthinking.I
can'
taff
ordtothi
nkrightnowandcomet otermswit
hhowembar rassi
ngallthi
sis.

TothinkIwasal mostEli
k’swife,theri
ghtway.Tothi
nkt
hatIwasonestepawayf r
om
j
umpi ngoverthefi
nishli
ne.Thatwej ustal
mosthadit
.Al
most.Weweresoclose.Ij
ust
missedthepromisedlandbyani nch.NowIknowhowMosesf el
twhenhedidn'
tmakeit
i
ntoCanaan.

Eli
k’simagei
sruinednow.Idon’tknowifmyfamilywil
laccepthim af
terthi
s.Ihopethi
s
i
sn’ttheendoft heroadforus.That'
sthereasonforthetears.Thebrightfut
ureIhad
thoughtwewouldfinal
l
yhaveislooki
ngquit
eblurr
yri
ghtnow.Justlikethat.

Ikeepmyf acedown.Ican'tlookatany onerightnow.Andwhyi snoonecomi ngt oat

l
easthugmeandseehowI '
m doi ng?Ar etheyt hatdi sappoint
edinme?Dot heyhateme?
Doesmyownf amil
ydespisemenow?Il ookupbr i
eflyandf i
ndElik’seyes.Thoseey esI
l
ov elooki
ngintosomuch.Theyl ookrednowbutt heyar estil
lgor
geous.Ikeepl ookingat
him.Iknowhe' sblaminghimsel fbutt hi
si sn'
thi sfaul t
.Ineedhimt oreadmyey esand
knowt hatwhateverhappensfrom her e,heshoul dn'tblamehi mself.Helooksatmewi th
I'
m notsureifit'
spit
yorpainorgui l
torsadness.Ican' tseem toreadhim wel lt
oday .I
t'
s
probablybecauseofthetear
scl oudingmyv i
sion.

Hest ar t
st owalktowardsme.Ishakemyheadno.Heshoul dn'tcometome.Notnow.
Notl iket hi
s.Thesituati
onisalreadytoov olat
il
eandemot i
onsar efl
yi
ngal loverthe
place.Ineedt omov ebecauseI'm somehowi nthemi ddl
e.I
t'
sasi fIwasplacedhereon
purpose.Li keIneedtopickasideorsomet hing.Ya,t
odaystartedofff
unnybutallthat’
s
changed.I ’
m sohumi l
iat
ed.Ican'tevenr
eallycry,t
heonet hingIdobest!Ifeell
ikeifI
continuest andi
nghere,I'
l
lgi
vebirth.
[3/11, 22:
00]Ini
ni:
CHAPTER76
OksoI ’
m st andi
ngheret hinki
ng, mymot heri
sgoi ngtokil
lmeandI ’
mt hi
nkingElikwas
ri
ghtwhenhesai dImustbeupf rontwithmyf amil
yregardi
ngt hewholeKoml aissueand
I’
mthinki
ngatl eastmyf atherwi l
lbackmeupbecauseIt oldhim El
ikusedtobemar ri
ed.
Itwasal i
et henbutit’st ruenowandt hat’
sal lt
hatmat t
ers.I’
m alsowonder ingifmy
uncl
eswi l
lf i
neEli
ksinceheki ndaf oundhiswayi nt
ot heyardwithoutinv
itat
ionort hey
wil
lleti
tgoconsi deri
ngt heci rcumstances.Also,wherearethoset wowitches?Idon’ t
knowhowt heywillmakei toutofthev i
ll
ageconsideri
ngthere’
sonlyonebust otownper
dayanditleftthi
smor ni
ngal ready.

I
’
m wonderi
ngwhynoneoft heuncleshavecalledaf amil
ygather
ingsowecant al
kabout
t
hisandIcanexplai
nmy sel
f.Whyar etheyjuststandingandsit
tingt
herelooki
ngatme
l
i
ketheyhaveneverseenmebefore?Fine,I
’l
lcallt
hemeet ingmyselft
hen!

Mymot herwasmi ssi

ngandsheemer ges.Okpr obl
em solv
ed,she’
scomingt
ot akeme
sowecanal lsi
tanddiscusst his.Atfi
rstI’
mreli
evedbecauseIcoulduseamotherri
ght
now.Nottheusualholleri
ngandshout ingatmemot her
.No.Ineedacari
ngandl ov
ing
mothertohugmeandt ellmei t'
snott heendoft hewor l
dandt hatwewil
lmakei t
thr
oughthisasafamily.Ijustneedashoul derandsomeonet oconvi
ncemethatthere’
s
l
ightatt
heendoft hetunnelafterall
.

I
'm holdi
ngont ot hathopeuntil
Iseewhatshehasi nherhand.Shecomesst rai
ghttome.
Actuall
yshechar gesatme!Shehasasj amboki nherhand!Iknowmyf atheralwayskept
asjambokunderhi sbedbuti twasnev ertohitus.Heusedi ttot hr
eatenpotential
boyfri
endsandt hatwasi t
.Atf i
rstIthi
nkit'
smeantforKoml aunti
lIreali
seKoml aisnot
her
eany more.She'sprobablyoutthereintheroaddoingwhocar eswhat !Ormay beit'
s
tohitEli
k’speople?Nowt hatwoul dbebad.Ormay beit’
sforme?Noway s.Shewoul dn’t
dothattoherpr eciousdaughter.It
urnawayf r
om her,
justi
ncase.

Atfir
stIhearmyl it
tlebrotherscr
eam j ustbeforeIfeelthewor stpainIhav eev erfel
tin
myent ir
eli
fe.I
t’
ssosuddenandpai nfulIdon'tgetthechancet oduck.Iwasn' treadysoI
j
ustst umbl
ef orwardlikeaf al
li
ngmannequi n.Sheact ual l
yhi tme!Dot heymaket hi
s
thi
ngoutofr azorblades?BecauseIsweari tjustcutallthewayacr ossmyback.Iwas
notready.Whyi sshehi tt
ingmet hough?IknowIembar r assedheri nf r
ontofev eryone
andIknowt oherthat'
sabi gdealsinceshe'ssuchashowof f
.Buti sn'
therhit t
ingme
withasjambokabi tmuch.Yho!Ihonest lywasn'texpectingt hat.Andt hepain,Ifeelli
ke
someonest abbedmei nt hebackwithaspeart hendraggedi tar oundandar oundcut ti
ng
offchunksofmymeat .Itsti
ngssobad.

Assoonasthatwhiplandsonmyback, Isuddenl
yhavebodyguards!Idon’
tknowwhenit
happenedsi
nceIwast oobusyscr eamingoutloudandatthesamet imetry
ingnottol
et
thetear
sfal
l
.Ahardcombi nationi
fy ouaskme.Mymeni nsuitsarestandi
ngaroundme.
Eventhetwostr
angersIdon'tknowgeti nt
oformati
on.El
i
kpullsme, putsmyfaceonhis
chestandwrapshishandsar oundme.Hedoesn’ tevensayany t
hing.Hejusthol
dsme
andIf eelli
kecry
ingnow.I
treal
l
yhur
ts.ButIwon’
tcr
y.I
sEl
i
kpr
otect
ingme?Ar
eal
lof
them protect
ingme?

Thesj
ambokcr acksagainandsinceIdi
dn’tf
eelt
hestingthisti
me, It
hinkmymotherj
ust
hi
tEli
k!Ifel
tthei mpactofhisbackcavinginonmyf orehead.Thiswoman!She'snot
pl
ayi
ngmos.She' sgoingtohitallofusnow?Butwhyhi tElik?Thatupsetsme.Noone
hi
tsEl
ik!Noone!Idon’tcar
eifyouaremymot herornot,y
ouj ustdon’
t!

Itrytobreakfreefr
om Eli
k’shold.Noonehi
tsEl
ik!Notonmywat ch.Heholdsmein
pl
acet hough.He’savoidi
ngmybacksooneofhi shandsisholdi
ngmyneckandt he
othermyl owerwai
st.Ican’tbr
eakfreeandi
nhi
ndsightI
’m gr
atef
ul.Mymotherwoul
d
havebeatenthehel
loutofme!

Ontheplusside,atl
eastonedaywecansitar
oundthef
irepl
acewi t
hourchil
drenandtel
l
them how t
heirgrandmotheroncebeatusupwit
hasj amboki nfrontofevery
one!We
canspicei
tupandmakei tseem l
i
kewewereRomeoandJul i
et,
fighti
ngforourl
ove.

Butr
eal
l
ynow?Whohi tsumkhwenyana?AreweinDjangounchai
ned?Whyisshehit
ti
ng
hi
m?Ihopeshedoesn'tor
derthathetakesof
fhisjacketandshi
rtsoshecanhithim
somemore,
thi
sisnot12year
saslave!Mymotherhaslosthermi
nd.

Ican'tr eall
yseewhat '
sgoi ngonbecausewell
,I'
m shel
tered.There'smeni nsui
tsall
aroundmeandIf eelsol ovedandsafe.Awei
rdfeel
ingconsider
ingthecircumst
ances.I
canhearmymot hershout ingatthetopofhervoi
ceandpr omisi
ngt ocauseamass
mur derandmyauntt akingt hesj
ambokfr
om herandtry
ingt ocalm herdown.Myaunt
keepst ell
inghert
hatthi
si saboutmeandtheyshoul
dbeonmysi de.

“It
hinkweshoul
dgonow”,Kofikeepswhisper
ing.Apartofmewant st olaughathim.He
doesn'
tknowwhent obeseri
ousbutagai nhe'sgotapoint.May betheyshouldgoand
l
eavemet odealwit
hthi
swithmyf amily
.We’ l
ltr
yal obol
ar e-
runnexttime.I'
l
lprobabl
y
bebeatentoapul
pbytheti
meIgot obedbuttomorrowmi ghtbeabet t
erday.

Ineedtof acemypeopl e.IpushEl ikbackandher esi

stsbutIbeghim unt ilhelet'
sme.
Theseguy sactuallyformedaci rcl
ear oundme!Ev enZibuloandInflationar eher e!At
l
eastIknowt wopeopl einmyf ami l
ysti
llhavesomesor tofloveforme.That 'sconsoli
ng.
Thiscir
cleofblacksuitsaroundmei sbeauti
ful.If
eelli
keaqueen.Ifindmywayt hr
ough
them andmaket hem movebackwi thmyhands.Ihav etodot hi
sonmyown.PoorEl i
k.
Mysweetl ove.Hel ooksdefeated.Iknowhe’ sr eadytodefendmei fany onet r
iestohit
meagai nbutheal soknowshi m beinghereismaki ngthesituati
onwor se.Sohedoesn’ t
knowwhatt odoandhej uststandstherelookingallki
ndsoflost.

“Mamapl
ease.Canwesi tdownwi
ththeuncl
esandtal
k?I'm sor
ry.Icanexpl
ain.That
womanwaslyi
ng”,
Isay.
Mybacki
sinflames.Thatsj
ambokgotmebad.Icanfeelbl
oodtrickl
i
ngandmydr ess
sti
cki
ngonbutt hat'
snotofconcernr i
ghtnow.I '
m notgoingtocr
y.Ican'tcry.She
doesn'
tli
stenandkeepscall
ingmeeverynamei nthebook.Youknowwor dshurtmore
whensaidinyourl
anguagethaninEngl
ish!Shesli
cesmeandchopsmewi thherwords
andshowsnomer cyatal
l.ThemoreIsaysorry
,themoreshev omi
tsi
nsul
ts!Yho!

She’sjustrunni
ngof fli
keat ruckwi thoutbrakes!Shekeepsgoing!Ihadnoideashe
knew somanydegr adi
ngwor ds!Eachwor dhurtswor sethanthel
ast.Andwhathurts
mor eisthatthi
si smyownmot her!Awomanwhocar ri
edmef orninemonthsand
suff
eredhoursoflabourtobirt
hme, asshealway ssays!Thewordscutsodeepbecause
theyarecomingfr
om her .Icantakethem from anyoneelsebutnotf
rom myownmot her
.

Ican'tbelieveshewentandmadet hi
sal labouther!It'
sallabout‘you'
veembar r
assed
me’,‘ whatwi l
lpeoplesay’,‘
peoplewillbegossipingaboutme’ ,nywenyweny we!How
aboutme?HowabouthowIf eelri
ghtnow?Doesn' tshecar e?Notev
enal i
ttl
ebitmaybe?
I’
m mor eembar r
assedthanshecanev erbeandI ’m hurt.Ineedmymot her.Buti
t’
sfine,
l
etherkeept al
king,I
’
m notgoingtocry.Eli
ktri
estot akemyhandbutIpul lmyhandaway .
I’
m goi ngt ofaceheralone.I’
m asoldier.Shemi ghtnotknowbutI ’vefoughtsomany
batt
lesandIbearscar ssodeep,Tshakawoul dhavemademeacommanderi nchi
efof
hi
sar my .Sowhat ’
saf ewmor ecutsonthebackofawar r
ior?

She’sdumpingallthehurtandpainshef el
twhenmyf at
hermar r
iedasecondwifein
tr
uckl
oads!She’
slookingather
sel
fasKoml a,measmyst epmotherandEli
kasmyf at
her!
Whyam Ibei ngpunishedformyfathermar r
yingasecondwifeallthoseyearsago?I
wasn'
tevenbornyet!Ift
hisi
showshef el
twhydi dshest
aymarriedtohi
mt hen?

Youmeant ot el
lmeshe'sbeenthisangr
yallthesey ears?Wow!AndIj usthappent obe
sounluckyt hatshedumpsi tal
lonme?Andwhyar eal ltheseel dersherenotst opping
her
?Theyar ealljustl
ooki
ngdownl i
kesmallchil
drencaughtst eali
ngsugar !Iknowt hey
don’tappr ov eofwhatshe’ sdoingforthei
rownsel fi
shr easons.She’ scostingthem
money .I
tal lcomesdownt omoneyhere.Noonecar esaboutme.Icanf eelEli
kcracking
hi
sknuckl es.Ican’ thel
phimrightnow.I’m stil
lfacingar adicaldemonher e,Ican’t
mult
itask.

Myauntt ri
est otalksenseintoherandsayi t
’senoughnow,butmymot hercutsher
downsoqui ck.
“Ofcoursey ou'
llsupportherbecauseshe'
sj ustli
key ou.Sl
eepi
ngaroundwithmar r
ied
men!I'm st
arti
ngtothinkyouaretheonewhot aughther!
”,mymothersay
s.
Myauntl aughsandcl apsherhands.Icant ellshehasnowor ds.I'
m gl
ad.Idon'twant
them goi
ngati t
.Thisismybat t
le,
letmetaket hestabs.

Ikeeptryi
ngt
oapologise,
event
houghIdon’tfeell
ikeIdidanyt
hingwronghere.Il
ookto
myuncl espl
eadi
ngf orhelpwi
thmyey esbutal lofthem ar
el ooki
ngdownwi t
hthei
r
headsinthei
rhands!Wow!Theyhaveforsakenmesof ast?Great.Nextt
imesomeone
saystheywantmoneyt obuyanewplough,I’
llremembert oholdmyheadi nmyhands
andkeepqui
et!

“Wait.Hol dup!I ’m sor rymama,Idon’ tunderstandwhaty ousay ingbutwhat everitis,i

t
can’tbeni ce.Whyar ey oushoutingatherl i
ket hat?That ’
snotcool !Can’tyouguysl i
kego
i
nsideandt alkl i
keadul tsorsomet hing?”,
Kofisay s.
Mypr eci
ousbr otheri nlaw.
“Whati sthisonesay i
ng? ”
,mymot hersays.
Ihav emyf i
nger scr ossedt hatshedoesn’ thi
thi m!Shecan’ tbet r
ustedt oday.
“I’
m ser i
ous!YouseeEl ikandFiercehav elovedeachot herforav erylongt i
me!Theygi ve
someofushopet hatt r
uel ovesti
llexist
s.Whycan’ twej ustallsuppor tthem?Ithought
that’
swhatf ami l
yi sf or!”
,hesays.
AwwwwwKof i!It’sref r
eshingtohearanot herv oicethat’
snotmymot her’s.
“Whyi sthisonest il
ltal
king?Whosai dhecanspeak? ”
,mymot hersaid.
ToobadKof ican’ tunder standher.Shegoesof fathim andt hreatenst okil
lhiminallsort
ofway s.Hej ustst andst herelookingatherwi thwideopeney es,notunder standing
anything.
Wel l
,atleasthet ried.

Ican'tlist
enany more.I'
l
lgoandt akemyhandbagandaskEli
ktotakemet oBul
awayo.
I'
llreturntomorrow whent hestorm hasset
tl
edthenmaybewecant al
kaboutt
hisl
i
ke
adul t
s.Eli
ktri
est ost
opme.Idon' tknowwherehethi
nksIwanttogo.
“I
t'sokbaby .Ij
ustwantt ogoandgetmybag.I '
ll
beri
ghtback”
,Isay.
“Arey ousure?”,
hesay s.
Inod.
“Shoul dIcomewi thyou?”,
hesay s.
“Noy oucan’t.I
’l
lberightback”
,Isay .

Mymot herisnotholdingbackthepunches!Igoint
othehutandkickthedoorbehi ndme.
Iholdont othewal landhangmyheaddown.Damnmybackhur ts!Andmyhear tisso
sore,Iwantt otakeitoutandgi v
eitamassage. Iwantt oscream outloudandcr ymy
eyesout .ButIcan’t.Ineedtostaystr
ong,I’l
lcr
yonmypi ll
owsomet i
met onight
.Istar
t
speakingtomy sel
ftot r
yandconv i
ncemy sel
fthatIcandothi
s.Icanhav et hecourage
towalkawayf r
om mymot herandcomebackt omorrow.

“Fier
ce.Youcandot hi
s!Youarefierce!Letherburnyoudown,i t
’sok,manyhav edone
thattoyoubef or
e,butli
keaphoeni xy ou’
llri
sefrom theashesli
key oualwaysdo.You
needt ohol
dy ourheaduphi ghandwal kaway .Youneedto.Youhavet o.Youmust!”
,I
say itoutloud so Ican heari t.Somet imes Ineed a r eal
i
ty check and a l
itt
le
encouragementfrom my sel
ftomysel f
.Istandupst r
aight
,wipeawayt hefewtearsthat
aretryi
ngtoleavemyey esandgrabmyhandbag.

Aft
eraf ew si
ghsanddeepbr eaths,Iopenthedoor.Thesepeopl
earest
il
lher
e!I
somehowhopedtheywouldleav
eorjustdi
sappear
.
Mymot heri
snotdonebutIam.Clear
lyt
herewil
lbenor
easonabl
etal
ki
ngt
oday
!
“I
’l
lcomebackt omorr owsowecant al
kandIcanexpl ai
n.I’
mtr
ulysor
ryaboutal
lthis”,
I
say.
“Yout hi
nky oucanjustgolikethat?Whosai dy
oucango?What ’
swrongwithyou?”,she
screamsatme.
It
’sami racl
eshest i
llhasavoice!
Iexplainaspolit
elyasIcant hatmel eavi
ngisforthebest.Iwi
l
lcomebackt omorrow.I
j
ustcan’ tbeheretodayanymor e.Thesit
uati
oni
st ootoxi
cforme.

“Idon'
tknowwhathappenedt oyouLast
born.Idon'tknowwhatSout
hAf ri
cadidt
oyou?
You'vebeensleepi
ngar oundandprosti
tut
ingandnow y ouar epregnant!Whoeven
knowswhot hefat
heris!
”,shesay
s.
Justwow.Nowev ery
oneknowsI ’
m pr
egnant.Justgreat
!

“Ialwaysknew youwer esleepi

ngwi t
hpeople'
shusbands.Icoul
dj usttel
l.Iknew i
t!I
don'
tknow whoy outookaf t
erbecauseinmyf amil
ysuchhasnev erbeenseen!must
havebeenfrom yourfather
'sside. Doy ouhaveanyideahowembar r
assedIam right
now?Howwi llpeoplel
ookatmeLast born?Huh?Everyonewi
llbet
alkingaboutme!How
coul
dy oudothistome? ”
,sheconti
nues.
Justwow!

Iwalkandstandnextt oEli
k.Ireal
l
yneedustoleav
ebef or
eI’
m knownast hechil
dwho
beatupherownmot her.She’spushingmetot
helimit
snow.Ev eryonei
sstar
ingatme
andmymenf rom Afr
icaarestandingbehi
ndme.Ithi
nktheyar
er eadytost
epinshoul
d
anyonedeci
det omincemybackagai n.

Ican'ttakemymot her'
swor dsanymore.Whyi smyf at
hernotsayingany thi
ngthough?
Doeshef eel
thesame?I ’l
lapol
ogiseonel astt
ime.
Youknowwhat ,Idon’tcareanymore.ItakeEli
k’shandandholditt
ight.I’
m suremynails
arediggingintohi shandandI ’
m sorr
yaboutt hatbutitcan’
tbehel pedrightnow.Who
caresaboutr espectandpr ocedureandthedo’sanddon’ t
sofcul
tur
er i
ghtnow?

“Mama.I 'm sorry .Thisisabi gmi sunder st

anding!Icanexpl ai
n.Youdon'thavetoinsul
t
mesohar shly”
, Isay .
“Icansaywhat ev erIwantt oy ou.Icarriedyouforninegoodmont hs”,shesays.
“Whyar eyoudoi ngt hi
s?”,Isay .
“Becausey ouhav ebecomeawor thlesswhor eLast born,st
eal
ingpeople'
shusbands.
That '
swhy .You’veembar r
assedme” ,shespit
s.
Awhor e?Me?Idon' trecogniset hiswomani nf r
ontofme.I '
vealwaysknownshewas
extremebutInev erthoughtshewoul dsayhal fthet hi
ngsshe'ssaidtomei nthepast20
minut es! Icani magi nethet hingsshesai dtoRepl ace.Nowondert hepoorchil
dtri
edto
abor tthebaby .Noonecant akesuchwor dsandr emaint hesame.

“Butmamayouareembarrassi
ngyour
sel
fev
enwor
ser
ightnow!
”,Isay
.
Ican’
tbel
i
eveIsai
dthatoutl
oud.
“Whatdi dyouj ustsay?”,
shesays.
IletEli
k’
shandgoandst eptowar dsher.
“Afterever
y t
hingmama, you'
ll
standt her
eandcal l
meawhor e?Afterev
erythi
ngI'
vedone
fory ou?Fort hisf ami
ly?Youknow Iusedt osendy oumyl astcentandgot obedon
breadandpi l
char ds.Isentyoumoneyev er
ysingletimey ouaskedmet o.Ibor r
owed
from people,atonepoi ntIowedsomanypeopl emoneyjustsoy oucouldbuythatdress
andl ookbetterthanmyst epmot heratthatwedding!Ievensenty ousomemoneyIhad
meantf ormyf eesatsomepoi nt.Idideveryt
hingforyou”
, Ihavetoswallowtostopfrom
cryi
ng.
I’
m notgoingt ocr y.

“SoyesImetEli
kandIf el
linlov
ewi thhim andt hr
oughev er
ythingwest ay
edtoget
her.
Yeshehadmoneyandt hatwasv eryfor
tunate.Isentyouthemoneyev er
ysingl
emonth
anddeepdownIknowy ouknewi twasfrom him!It ookcareofev er
ythi
ngonmyown.
Andmamanev eroncedidyouaskmewher eIgott hemoneyf rom orcaredifIwasfi
ne
andhadanymoneylef
tformy sel
f.Nowy outreatmel i
kethi
s?”,Isay.

Fort hefi
rstt
imeIunderst
andhowEl i
kfel
twhenhisfamilywasbashi nghimy ethehad
religi
ousl
ysentthem money.It’
sthewor stf
eel
inginthewor ld.Youf eell
ikeyoudid
ev ery
thi
ngandsacr i
fi
cedforsomeonethentheytur
nar oundandspi ti
nourf aceand
treatyouli
keapieceoftr
ash!Nowit
’smytimetotal
k.Ican’tbot
tlei
tinany more.

“Soy es,Imaynol ongerbeav irgi

n.Ihav en'
tbeenav i
rgi
nin5y ear
s!Sother
e,I’m sorry
I'
m nott heper f
ectdaught eryout houghtIwas.Andy esI'
m pregnantnow andIdon' t
regretit
.Il
ov emychi l
dandIl ovethef at
her.Iwaspr egnantbef
oreyouknow?Wi thtwins.
AndIl ostthem.Youhav enoi deahowt hathurtme.Ineededy oubutIcouldn'ttel
lyou
becauseIwasscar edofy ou.Ilaydyinginhospitalwheny oucall
edmet oaskformoney
fory ourst
okv el
.IsaidIwasf i
nebutIwasn' t
.Ifyour eal
lycar
edy ouwouldhav eheard
from myv oicethatIwasn’tok.Iwasbr okenanddy ingbutIsentyouthemoneyany way ”
,I
sayandst op.
Ihav etoswallow.

“
Baby
…”,Eli
ksay
s,tr
yingt
ost
opme.
“
NoEli
k.Letme”
,Isay.

“Mama.Ihadacaracci dentaf ewweeksbacky ouknow.Ialmostdi edbutagainIdidn't

telly
oubecauseIcoul dn't
.Isai dI'
mf i
newheny oucall
ed.Youneededmoneyf oryour
churchuniform.Isentit
.Ikeptt el
li
ngy ouI'
mfine.ButIhaven'
tbeenf inef
orav erylong
ti
me.YouknowIhadt ofi
gur emenoutonmyownandy ouhavenoi deahowt hatwent .I
wasr apedmama,Iwasbeat enup,t hatmanalmostkill
edme!ButIt oldyouIwasf i
ne
whenev eryoucall
ed.Youdi dn'treall
ycare.Al
ly ouwantedtoknow waswhenIwoul d
sendy ousomemor emoney .It
'salwaysbeenaboutmoney !
”,I
’m shouti
ngnowandI ’m so
closetotears.
“Andy esI'ml uckyIfoundEl i
k.He'sbeenpat i
entwit
hme, he'
slovedme,he'sbeenthere
formeatmydar kestmoment s,he'ssatonmybedsideeveryti
meIwasi nhospital
.He
boughtt hatcar( Ipointatt heFor t
uner )andt
heoneIdri
venow.Hedi dthiswholesolar
thi
ngf ory ou.Hebuy sallthegr oceriesIsendyou.Heboughtmet hehouseIli
vein.He
l
istenstome, heunder standsme, hesupport
smeandhe'st her
eforme.Nooneel seis.
He'sallIhav e”,
Isay .
Ineedt ost optoswal l
owagai n.There'sahugelumpinmyt hr
oat!

IknowIpr
obabl
yshouldn'
tbesayingalloft
hisi
nfr
ontofal
lthesepeopl
ebutIdon'
tcar
e
anymor
e.Whathasn’
tmymot hersaidanyway!

“Mama.WhenRepl acedied,whost eppedup?Wheny oudi dn'thav

emoneyt ogoony our
EasterandPassoverchurchtr
ips, whopai d?WhenI nf
lati
ondi dn'
thaveschoolshoesand
hi
sl evi
esweren'
tpaid,whosteppedup?Whenev eryouneededany t
hingory ouwant edto
outdotheneighbours,whodidy oucal l
?Andt odayy ou'l
ltellmeI '
v ebeenpr ost
itut
ing
myselfinSouthAfri
ca?Andcal lmeawor thl
esswhor e?Al lyouev erwantf r
om mei s
moneyandmor emoney .Idon’tev enhav eajobf orcryi
ngoutl oud!I’m atschool.How
aboutmemama?Howaboutmyf eelings?Howabouty ourdaughter?”,Isay
.

IknowIsaidIwon'tcr
ybutIcan'
tcont
roli
tnow.IbreakdownandEl
i
khast oholdme,
caref
ulnott
otouchmybackbecauset
hebloodi
sseepingthr
ought
hedressnow.

“Howdarey ouspeakt omel i

kethatLastborn!
”,shesay
s.
Justwow!
Soshedidn'thearanythingelseIsaid?Allsheheardwasmebeingdisrespectf
ul?
“I
'myourmot her!
”,sheyellsatme.
“Thenactli
kei tdamni t!Beamot hertome!Ineedmymot hernotthiscruelandbi
tt
er
womany ou’vebecome! ”,Iyel
lback.
Ineedtobreatheandst opcr yi
ng.I
'velostmycomposur e.

Shey ell
sandscr eamsandcal l
smemor enames.Ican'
tt akeitany more.
“Ifyouar ethisangely ouareclaimingtobe.Thenexplainhowy ouaretry
ingtomar r
ya
mar r
iedman! ”,shey el
ls.
Isn’
tthisthefirstthi
ngsheshoul dhavesaidtome?Bef oreallthi
s?
Igetof fEli
k’
sar ms.
“Geezmama!He' snotmar ri
ed!Notany more.He'
sdiv
or ced!”
,Iy ellandhol
dupEl i
k’sl
eft
hand.
“See,there’
snor ing!Heisdivorced!
”,Iscr
eam.
BreathFierce.
Ican'tbeher eany more.I’
mlosingitandmightendupsay i
ngthingsImi ghtregr
etl
ater.

“Let'
sgoEli
k”,
Isay.
Mostofmyuncl esaresit
tingdownnow, wat
chi
ngafreereal
i
tyshow.Icanfeelmyhear
t
breaki
ng,
piecebypiece.Ineedtogetoutofher
enow.I'
l
lcomebacktomorrow.
“
Areyousureweshoul
dleav
enow? ”,
Eli
ksay
s.
“
Yes.Pl
easegetmeoutofhere”
,Isay.

Myauntcomest omeandEl i
k.
“
Don'twor r
ybot hofy ou.Iknowt hi
si shar dbutwewi llresolvethi
s.Fornowj ustbet
her
e
f
oreachot her.Thiswi l
lpass.Yourmot herisjustcoocoot hat'
sall
”,shewhispers.
“
Ican'tdothisanymor eaunty.I
'
llseey out omor r
ow”,Isayandgi veherahug.
“
Okmybaby .Andy ou,Ghanaman, takecar eofher,pl
ease” ,shesaystoEli
k.
Myauntiscal l
inghim Ghanamant ohisf acenow?Ser iously?
“
Iwil
l.Ipromise”,hesay s.

Mymot herisstil
lunforgi
ving.Shest il
lwantstoshr edmet opieceswi t
hherhandsand
myaunti sbackt or estr
aini
ngher .Soshej ustfoundoutheronl ydaught erhasbeen
raped,abused,sufferedami scarr
iage,hadacaracci dentandallthatbutshe' ssti
llnot
sympat heti
c?Ican'ttakeanymor eofher .I
t’
sawr apf ormef ortoday.She'sevenbringing
uphow embar r
assingitwast hatIbr oughtamant oherdaught er'
sf uneralandhow
peoplegossi pedaboutherf orweeks!Butshewasher ecelebrat
ingandenj oy
ingt he
money !
Justwow.
[3/11,22:00]I
nini
:CHAPTER77

I
'l
l dealwitht
hist
omorrow.I'
m doneandoutt
oday
.Itel
lEli
kthatwe'rel
eavi
ngandI ’
m not
asking.It
'ssoqui
et!Whyisn'
tanyoneel
sedoi
nganythi
ng?Myuncl es?Myfather
?Any one?
Please?Ok.Noone.Aretheythatscar
edofmymot her
?Ortheyjustdon’
tcareaboutme?

"Ithinkit
'sbestifweleave.Let'
smeetatt heRainbowhoteli
nBulawayoandr egroup”
,Eli
k
say stohisguy s.
“Youdon' thav etotel
lmet wicebro.I’
m outofhere”,
Kofisaysandisthefirstt
omakei t
out .
Theyal lfoll
owandmakei tsof asttowardsthecars.Ithi
nktheyarescaredmymot her
mi ghtrunaf t
erthem wit
hhersjambok.Ihopet heydon'tf
orgett
hei
rbraaistand.It
’sbeen
standingt her
eallday!

OnlyLumkastaysbehind.Hegiv esmeal onghug.He'skindofpressi

ngonapar
tofmy
woundatthebackbutit'
salri
ght.
“I
'
m sosorryFi
erce.I
'
m sorryforthis.I'
m sorr
yforever
ythi
ng”,hesays.
“I
t'
sOkbhud’Lumka.Noneoft hisisyourfault
.I'
l
lbealri
ght”
,Isay.
Idon'
tknowifI'
l
leverbealri
ght,butI'l
ltr
ymybest .

Lumka,Eli
kandIgol ast
.Ihaven'
teventakent
hreestepswhenmymot herscr
eamsat
me.
“I
fyouwal koutofthatgateLast
bornNkomo,don'
tyouever
,evercomebackhereagai
n!
Doy ouhearme”,shesays.
Ifr
eeze.Whatthehelliswrongwit
hher?
“Whatdidshesay ?
”,El
iksaysandLumkaqui cklytr
anslat
esforhim.
Eli
k’
sZuluisquit
ewobbl ybuti
t'
sthere,
itcomesoutwhenhe’ st r
yingtobechar
ming.And
hisaccentplusthatdeepv oi
ce,t
here’snowayy ouwon’ tbechar med!SoI'
m surehe
heardwhatshesaidbuthewant edtobesure.
“Nobaby,thenyoucan'tdothi
s.Youhavetost ay.I
'm notwort
hit”,hesay
s.
Isqueezehishand.
Itur
ntowar dsmymot her.Nowshe'
sgonet oof ar
!

“Mama.Soy ouwillexil
emef r
om home?Isthatwhaty ouaresaying?”,Isay
.
“YouheardwhatIsai d!Iwon'
trepeatmyself
.Wal koutofthatgateandnev erwalkback
i
nagain!”
,shesays.
Ithi
nkshe'
sserious.
Myf at
hertr
iestosaysomet hingbuthehaslethiswomanr unhermout hforsolong,he
thi
nkshecancont rolhernow?Sheshutshi m downsoqui ckIcringe.She'
sr unni
ngthis
showtoday,al
lofthem shouldjustt
akeseveralbackseat
s.

ActuallyIjusthadat hought
.Itakeoutt heenv el
opewi thmoneyf rom myhandbagand
walkt owardsmyf at
herandhandittohi m.Imeantt ogiv eittohi
m any way.“Here'
sthe
moneyy ouneedf oryourf
armingandforf uel
”,Isay.
“Don'tgoLast bor
n.Youknowhowy ourmot heris.Shedoesn’ tmeant hesethi
ngsshe's
saying.Pleasestaymychi l
d.Ihadnoi deay ousufferedsomuch.I ’
m sorry
.Let'sal
ltal
k
aboutt hi
s”,hesays.
Talkaboutt his?Wher ehashebeenf ort helasthourwhenhi swifehasbeent hr
owing
daggeraf terdaggeratmeanddr aggingmynameal lov erthemud?He' sjustbeen
standingherequietsomayheki ndl
ycont inuestandi
ngpl ease!Thankyou.

“I
'm sor
rybaba.Atleastyou'
l
lhaveagrandchildbefor
ey oudie.I
'
m pregnant”
,Isay
.
Hemusthav eheardwhenmymot hermadet hepubl
icannouncementbutIr emembera
chatIhadwi t
hhim wherehehadsaidIshoul dn'
twaittoolongtogiv
ehi m gr
andchil
dren.
I'
l
lgivehim hi
sfi
rstfrom meinabout5mont hs.

Eli
ki sst
illgluedwhereIlefthim.Ij
oinhi
m.Ijustwantt ogetoutofhere.Idon'
tthi
nkmy
mot herisser i
ousaboutmenotcomi ngback!I
'llbebackt omorr
ow.Fortoday,Ineedto
remov emy sel
ffr
om thi
ssit uat
ionandgettoahot elsomewhereandhol dontoElikand
crymyey esout.Iwalkt owar dsthegatewit
hmyheadboweddown.I '
v ehadmany
dif
ferenttypesofwalksofshamebutt hi
sone.Thisonet akest
hetrophy.
Koficomesbackf rom t
hecar .Whatnow?Idon’thavetheenergytodealwithhi
m.

“
What’
sgoi ngon? ”
,hesays.
“
Weareleav i
ng.Comel et’
sgo”,El
i
ksay s.
“
Nowait.Arey oucomingback?Arey ousti
llgoi
ngt
ocont
inuewi
tht
his?
”,hesay
s.
“
Idon’
tthinkso”,Eli
ksays.
“
Nope,i
t’sneverhappening.Thi
sisit
”,Isay.
"Soiftheydon' twantEl i
kandt hisisn'
thappeni ngany moret hent heymustgivebackt he
money !",Kofisays.
"NoKof i.It
'sfine.Theycankeepi t.I
t’
sj ustmoneycomeon" , El
iksay s.
"NoEl i
k.That 'sashi tl
oadofmoney !Theycan' tkeepit!Whyshoul dtheykeepi t
?”,he
says.
He’sraisinghisv oicenow.
“Let
’sgo, it’
sfine”,Eliksays.
“NoEl i
ki t
'snotf i
ne!No.Peopl ealway st akeadv antageofy ouandI '
m sickofit
.Allyou'
ve
everdonei stakecar eofev eryoneandpeopl ejustkeept akingfrom y ou.Sonot heycan't
keepy ourmoneyaf tertr
eat i
ngy ouandFi er celi
ket hi
s!Theycan’ t!Iwon'tlett
hathappen",
Kofisay s.
"Kofiplease.Let '
sjustgo" ,Eliksay s.
"No!Iwon' tletanyonedot hatt oy ou.Scr ewt hat.I'
mt aki
ngy ourmoneyback" ,hesay s.
“He’sright.Theycan' tkeepy ourmoneyaf terthi
s!”,Lumkasay s.
Ican'thelpbutsmi leabi t
.It'scut ewat chi ngthem st andupf orEliklikethi
s.

Wewat chasKofistrol
lstotheunclesandhav eabackandf ort
hwi t
ht hem.Ikeep
t
hinki
ngmyeldestunclewillf
aint.Hecannev erbethesameagainifhel et
sallt
hat
moneygo.He'
stal
kingsoloudandt hr
eateni
ngtohi
tKofiwit
hhi
sknobker
rie.He’
ssayi
ng
"
Oncemoneygetsintothehome,itcan'
tl
eave!"
.It
hinkhe'
smaki
ngthatupnow.

Cantheygiveupt
hemoneyalreadysowecango!Kof ii
snotbackingdownbutIcan'
t
hearwhathe'
ssay
ingfr
om her
e.IholdEli
kti
ght
.Iknowhemightfeelt
heneedt
ostepin
i
fsomeonedoesanythi
ngt
ohisbrother
.But,
no.He’
snotgoi
ngthere!

Myf atherdi
sappearsint
othehutandret
urnswithabagoff l
ourwitht
hemoneyandthe
bri
efcase.Theystuffedthemoneyint
oaf l
ourbag?Now itwi l
lcomeoutal
lwhiteand
dusty!Andt hebri
efcase?Sotheywerekeepingt heremaini
ngmoneyaswel lpl
usthe
bri
efcase?Theyshoul dbeashamedoft hemselves!Kofit
akesit,say
ssomethi
ngthen
walkst owar
dsus.

"
Let
'sgo",
hesay
sanddoesn'
tev
enwai
tforus!
Wefol
low.

Butmymot herjustwon'tstop!Whatnow?Whathasn' tshesaidyet?Iturnaroundtolook

ather.
“Soyour eallygoingtowalkoutoft hatgateLast bor
nwi t
htheseunrulymen? ”
,shesays.
“Yes.Iwillbebackt omor r
owmama” , Isay
.
“Noy ouwon' t.I
fy ouwalkoutofthatgat eneversetyourfoothereagain!
”,shesays.
“Thi
si smyhome!I '
m comingbackt omor r
ow!”,Isay.
Youknowt odayIunder stoodwhatt heymeanwhent heysayitneverrai
nsbutitpours.I
’
venev ermetany onewhohasasmuchbadl uckasme!
Ineverthoughtt hiswasev enpossible!
"Soy oureall
yl eav i
ng?”, shesay s.
“Yes!",
Isnap.
“Fine.Goi fy ouwant .Ngi kuf ungelaij
oyi!(Isweartoyouthedeat
hspell
).Idareyouto
wal koutofthatgat e”
, shesay s.
Thatescal at
edv eryqui ckly!Ididn'tseeitcoming!
We' vereachedapoi ntofnor eturn.
Ifeelthebl oodr unni
ngi nmyv ei
nsturnicecoldandmyhandsar eshiver
ingsobad.I
thi
nkI '
m goi ngt ocollapse.El ikholdsmyonear m andLumkamyot her
.That'
sallt
hat
's
keepingmeupr i
ghtr i
ghtnow.

“Whatdidshesay ?”,El
iksays.
Itel
lhim becauseIneedt orepeatitoutloudtoletitsinki
nmy sel
f.
“Shejustswor etomet hedeathspel l.I
t’
sswor ntosomeoneofy ourbloodl
ine.Ifbroken
thebreakerdies.Sot hatmeansIcannev erreturnhomeort al
ktoherev eragai n.I’
m
deadtoher ”
,Isay.Thatjustgotwayoutofcont rol!Igotdi
sownedi nthecruel
lestofway s.
I'
m notevensur ewhatexactlyiti
st hatIdi
dthatwassowr ong.Idon'
tdeservethis.

“What?Nobaby .Youneedt omakepeace.Comeon.Pl ease.Youcan'

tdothi
sbecauseof
me.ComeonFi er
ce.I’m beggingyou”,hesays.
Helookst erri
fied.Hepl eadsandev enkneelsdownt obegmet ostay.
“I
t'
snopoi ntbaby .It’
stoolate.She’smadeuphermi nd.There'
snogoingbacknow.It
's
done”,Isay .
I'
m sounf eelingr ightnow it'
sscar i
ngevenmy sel
f. Thet earsarefal
l
ingbutI'
m not
cryi
ng.I'
mj ust, athingexist
ing.

There'schaosbehi ndme.Li kealmostev ery

onescr eamsatonce.Nooneev ert hought
wewoul dliv
et oseet hedayany onef r
om ourf amilyutter
sthosewords!Itf
eel
ssounr eal
becauseweal wayshear dstori
esofsoandsoswear i
ngthedeathoathateachot her
.It
wasal waysol dwomenwhodi dt hat.Iactuallywonderi fthatoat
hthingisrealorit’s
supersti
ti
onlikemostt hings.I
t'
sj ustwor dsmossohow muchwei ghtcant heyhav e
real
ly.Idon'tthinkit
'strue.Thef actt hatmymot herchosethesideofawomanshe
doesn'tknowov ermei swhathur tsmet hemost .

Idon'tevenlookbackasIwalkoutofthatgateandwaitf
orEl i
ktoshowmewhi choft he
blackcarswewi l
lbeusi
ng.Mybi gbagandev eryt
hingelsecanst aybehi ndi
t’sf i
ne.I
havemywal let,
myphoneandpasspor t
.I’
m good.Ineedtogof arfarfarawayfrom her e.
Lumkat akeshisRover
,Cli
veandthetwost r
angerseachtookacar .Isti
llhavet
her ented
carthatneedstoberetur
ned.If
indthekeysinmybagandf i
ndElik’
sbrotherinCli
ve’scar.

“Dude,pleasedomeaf avour
.Pleasegogetthatcaranddr
ivebehi
ndus.I
tneedst
oget
backtoBul awayo”,Isay
.
IthoughtIhadleftEliki
nthecarwewi l
lshar
ebuthe’sbymysidenow!Howhegother e
soquickIdon’tknow.
“Idon’
twantt odie!Youwantmet ogointher
ealone?Yourmotherwi
ll
chopoffmyhead.
Ican’
t”,hesay s.
Heact uall
ylookster
ri
fiedshame, I
’m st
arti
ngtofeel
sorryforhi
m.
“Okfine.I’l
lcallt
herentalagencytomorrowandseei ftheycancomedownandpi
ckup
thecar”,Isay.
Theywi l
lchargemeal otpr obabl
ybutli
keEliksai
d,i
t’
sjustmoney.

“Kof
i,t
aket hesekeysandgogetthatcar
!Now! ”,El
iksay s.
Usuall
y,t
heycoul dhavegonebackandf or
th,arguingformi nut
es!Buthi
sbrotherknows
bett
erthant ocrossEli
kwhenhe’sinsuchast ate.Het akesthekeysandrunsfullspeed
i
ntothey ard.Everyonejustst
opsandstaresathi m.Heget sint
othecarandj umpsi n
andreversessof astIthoughthewouldrunsomeoneov er.He’shooti
ngforpeopl eto
getoutofthewayt hiswholeti
me.OnedayIt hi
nkI ’
lll
ookbackatt hi
smomentandl augh
athi
m.

Ithoughtmyuncl esandbr otherswoul dber unningt ome,beggi ngmet ost aybutI

thoughtwrongclearl
y.Idon’tblamet hem though.Wi t
hmymot herstandingt her
ewith
herhandsonherhi psnearthegat e,noonecanwal koutandl i
vetot el
lthetale.Shewil
l
disownthem onebyone.Idon’ tev enwanttolookatherdi rectl
y.Idon’twantt olookat
anyofthem.Noonehadmybacki nthere,t
heyjustletherspiraloutofcontrolandnowI
haveadeat hcur sehangingov ermyhead!Il ookatt hehomeIwor kedsohar dto
renovat
eonelasttimewiththatniceFortunerparkedoverthere!

Eli
kandIshar eacar .Irecl
inemyseatal lthewayback.Het akesof fhi
sjacketandput s
i
tonmyseatsomybackcanr estoni t
.Iki ndofhav eacutonmybackf r
om t hat
sj
ambok!Icov ermyf acewi t
hmyhands.I 'vejustbeencutofffr
om myf amil
yandIf eel
sohurt,Ican’tevencr y.I’
m quietont heoutsidebutinsi
deI’m screamingsol oud,my
spir
iti
swailingandmysoulhasbeent ornintopieces.Myli
feisatragedy,al
waysbeen, I
j
usthadt oteachmy selftolaughthroughit
.Itwast heonl
ywayt osurviv
e.

“Dr
ive”,IsaytoEli
k.
Hedr i
vesandt heothercarsf
oll
ow.
Wellhisbr otheri
sal readyoverther
edownt
her
oad.Her
eal
l
ydoesn’
twantt
obe
anywher enearmyhomeany more!

Theysayy ourdar
kesthourcomesbefor
ey ourdawn,butIguessthatwasnev ermeant
forme.Ithinkmyclockgotst
uckatmydarkesthourandnowI ’
m stucktheretoo.Dawn
wil
lnevercomef orme.Ev ery
timeIthi
nkIseeagl i
mpseoft hemor ni
ngl i
ghtint he
hori
zon,Isoonreal
iseitwasj
ustashooti
ngstarpassi
ngbyandI '
m backt omydar kest
hour.

Eli
kandIareonourownnow.Hedoesn' thaveafamil
yandIdon'
tanymore.I
t'
sjustus
now.
“Komlawon'tgetawaywit
hthi
s!”
,El
i
ksaystohimsel
fandbangst
hesteer
ingwheel
.
“Shebet
ternot!
”,Isay
,bef
oreal
mostchoki
ngontear
s.
Hel ooksatmeshocked.Usual l
yIwoul dstophimf rom plot
ti
ngt odestroysomeoneno
matterwhatt hey’
vedone.Butt oday,I’m sor
rydearKoml a,I’
llencouragehi
m.I’l
lmake
surehedest r
oy sher
.I ’
llhel
phi m even!Sheandt hatnohai r
linefr
iendofhersdeser
ve
everythi
ngthat'
scomi ngt othem.Iwonderwher etheyar erightnow?Iwonderwher e
theywi l
lsl
eeptoni
ght!Actual
ly,Icoul
dn’tcarel
ess!

Ihavetoli
eonmysi debecausel yi
ngonmybacki st hreateningtoparal
yseme.Myt ears
arenowf l
owingli
ketheVict
ori
aFal l
s.Ican’
tanymore.Istartscreamingandpul l
ingatmy
hair
.Eli
khast opul
loverthesideoft hedustr
oadandr unoutt owar
dsmysi deandt ake
meoutsohecanhol dme.Theot hercarsweredri
vingbehi ndusandhav est oppedtoo,
probabl
ythinki
ngwehav eaproblem.Themenj uststandther easIcryli
kesomeonedi ed.
Someonedi edact
uall
y.Mymot herisdeadtomeandI ’
m deadt oher.I’
velosteveryt
hing.

Iwor kedsohardonmai ntai

ningar el
ati
onshipwithherandIal
waysmadefunofhow
meanshewasbecauseIt houghti
twascomi ngfrom agoodpl
ace!Myscr
eamskeep
gett
inglouderandl
ouderasmymot her’
swordsr unthr
oughmyhead.I
’
mlosi
ngitandal
l
thepainI’
vebeenharbour
ingallday
,nowI ’
ml et
ti
ngout.

“Pleasego.We’ l
lfi
ndy ouguy satRai nbow”,El
iksay stotheguy s.
Iknowhedoesn’ twantt hem toseemel i
kethis.I’
m atot alwreck.Hisbrot
herinsistson
stay i
ngbehi ndandEl ikdoesn’tfi
ghthi m.
“FierceI ’
m sosor r
yf orwhatt heydidt oyou.Youdi dn’
tdeser veit.Youdon’tdeserveany
ofi t.El
iklov esy ouandhewi llt
akecar eofy ou.Wear ey ourfami l
ynowandwewoul d
nev erturnourbacksony ou.Don’tcry.Youwillbealri
ght”,hesay s.
Ithinkthisist hef i
rsttimeev erI’
vehear dhi
m soundt hisser i
ous!Butunfort
unatelyIcan’
t
stopcr yingy et.Myhear tisbl
eedingandt hepain!
Ijustwantt ot hrowmy selfonthegroundbutEl ikwontletme.Hekeepst ryi
ngt oholdme
upr i
ght.Iknowhebl ameshi mselfandI ’
m sorryformaki nghimf eelwor
sebutI ’
m notin
cont rolofmy selfrightnow.Thepai n!

Itrytocalm downbutIcan’t
.Wehadn’ tevengonethatfarfr
om home.Peopl
elikethings
andt hosefrom nei
ghbour
inghomesar enowgathering.IknowIhavetogetittogether
butIcan’t.I
’m unabl
e.Ij
ustkeepscreamingandcryingatthetopofmyv oi
ce.Myel dest
brotherZi
buloshowsup.Idon’ tknowhowheescapedmymot her
.Hejoi
nsusneart he
car.

“I
’m sor rybr o.Thingsjustgotoutofcontrol
unnecessaril
y”,
he say st
oEl i
k.
“Noty ourf aul
t”,Eli
ksays.
“Sisi.I’m sor ryforthewayumamat r
eatedy ou.Youneedt ogonowt hough,peopl
eare
wat ching” ,hesay s.
Hepr omi sest ocallmeandwecant al
kaboutal lofthi
s.He’sagoodbrother.
“Cany out aket hatcarbacktoBulawayotomor rowplease?Wewi l
lbethere”
,Eli
ksay
s.
Zibuloagr ees.
“Babyweneedt ogonow.Pl easemylove.Please”,hesays.
Ther
e’ssomuchpai
ninhi
svoi
ce,
itaddsont
omypai
n.

Kofii
snowgoingt odriv
eus.Idon’ttrusthi
sdr i
vi
ng!Hedr i
vesl i
kehisbrother
!Likeataxi
dri
ver
.Healmostki l
l
edusoneni ghtwhenwewer ecomi ngfrom clubbi
ngi nLongstreet
aft
erEli
khadthrownusoutf ormakingt oomuchnoi sewhilehewast r
y i
ngtowor k.We
hadtakenhiscr edi
tcar dandcarandgot tenwast ed.Thenl i
tt
lebrotherherewas
convi
ncedhewasst i
llsoberanddroveusback.Wecr ashedEl ik’
scarandhehadbeenso
upset
!Thosearegoodmemor i
esthoughandmybr ai
ndoesn’ thavespacef orthem ri
ght
now.Todayi
t’
sjustgloom andmi seryanddarkness.

IcurlupinthebackseatandputmyheadonEl i
k’sl
apandconti
nuesobbing.Hecradl
es
myheadl ikei
t’
sanewbor nbabyandkeepstel
li
ngmehowmuchhel ovesmeandhow
sorr
yhei sandhow hewi lltakecar
eofme.Kof idr
ivessi
l
entl
y.Histalkat
ivemouth
doesn'tsayanythi
ng.Idon' tblamehimthough.Whatcoul
dhepossi blysayint hi
s
si
tuati
on?

Aswepassbyt heshops,Kofipull
soverandIlif
tmyheadt oseewhy.Ther
e’sKomlaand
herfri
endfl
aggingdownt hecar!Theyarenotev enstandingcl
osetoeachother
,Ican
onl
yassumet heirl
i
ttl
efri
endshipisover
!Obv i
ouslyLumkaandt heot
herguyslef
tthem
ortheywoul
dn’tbeherest
ill
.Theylooksori
dicul
ousrightnow!

“CanIjustgoanddeal withthem onceandf

orall?
”,Kofisays.
Wow, hesoundspi ssed.
“No.Drive”,
Eli
ksays.
Sowel eavethem thereandwat chthem t
hrought herearvi
ew mirr
or.Thetwopeople
whosingl ehandedl
ydestroyedme.Theywil
lmakeapl an.Andsi
ncetheyarenotcar
ryi
ng
handbagsIassumet heylef
tthem inLumka’scar.Let’
sseehowt heygetbacktoSouth
Afri
canow!

Eli
kt ell
shisbr othertoconnecthisphoneandpl aymusic.Hekeepssay i
ng ‘
next’and
skippingtracks,somet hatIwishhecouldletpl ay!Hesays‘ l
eavethatone’at‘Eachhis
own’ .Ilovethissongandheknowsi t.It'
sgent leandsoothingandhasamessaget hat
speakst omyhear t
.Iusedt olist
ent oital otaf t
ermysi sterdi
ed.Akon’svoicehas
alway scomf ortedme.Icl osemyey esandl etthesongi ntomyhead. Any thi
ngt o
displacethethought stor
mentingmeint here.

Eli
k’
shandf i
ndsmineandhehol dsi tt
ight.Hisotherkeepsmassagi ngmyhead.Wel l
,my
motherisdead!Sheact ual
lydisownedme!Idon’ tbeli
eveit!Shedi dn’tevengi vemea
chancetoexplai
nmy selfsoshewi l
lnev erknowmysi deofthest ory!Shedi sownedme
formychoicesyetshe'sinapol ygamousmar ri
age!Doublestandardsmuch?Any way,t
o
eachhisown.Meandherar ewal kingindi f
ferentdir
ecti
onsfrom todayonwar ds.Mylif
e
i
swi thEl
iknow andt hetwinsandt heupcomi ngbaby.Toeachhi sown.I '
vefoundmy
ownandmyowni sEli
kpli
m Muf aesiNkr umah!Thi ssongmakesmecr ysomuchandi s
makingmysobbinggr aduatetofullblowncr yi
ng!Ifeelateardroponmyf ace.Ithi
nkEli
k
j
ustshedat
earort
wof
orme!

‘
EachHi
sOwn’

Every
bodywant s,indif
ferentdir
ect
ions
Thewhol eworld'
srunningtoeachhi sown
It
'saplacethatjusti
fi
esitall
Andnobody '
sev erwrong
Iguesswegot taagreetodi sagr
ee
Evenifwe'r
esingingthesamesong

Youcan'
ttr
ytochangeali
fet
hatdon'
twannabechanged
I
fweallseeeyet
oey et
hewholeworl
dwouldbegrey

Solet
'skeeprunningt
oeachhisown
I
fweal l
keepr unni
ngthenwecantoast
Toeachhi sown
Andwe'llbeal
right
Andwe'llbeal
right
.Al
right
.

Ever
ybodylongsforsuccesswhateverthati
s
Thewholewor l
d'
sl ongi
ngforeachhisown
I
t'
saplacewher ethet r
uthst
aysintheli
ght
Causenobodyev erli
es
Andwef oll
owourhear tsi
ntotheni
ght
Wakeupt hankf
ul t
obeal i
ve

Youcan'
ttr
ytosaveal
i
fethatdon'
twannabesaved
I
fweallseeeyet
oeyethewholeworl
dwouldbegrey

Iam whoIam
Andy ouarewhoy ouare
Icouldwishonacl oud
Andy oucanwi shonast ar
Sti
llwe'l
lbealright
We’llbealr
ight.Alri
ght
[3/
11, 22:
01]Inini:
CHAPTER78

Iwasamesswhenwegott oBul
awayo.Iwascompletel
yshattered.Ev ercri
edsomuch,
yourv oicegoesawayandy outhr
ow upandf eelsi
cktothest omach?I t'
sthewor st
!I
cri
edt il
lmyt earsr
efusedtokeepfl
owingbutIkeptcryi
nganyway .Ifelthurt
,conf
used,
angry,upset,sad,gui
ltyandscar
ed.Imeanmymot herser
iouslytol dmeIwasdeadt o
her!We’llsee.East
erisinafewmonths,l
et’
sseehowshemakesi tt oherchurchtri
ps!
Ididn’teatorany thing.Ijustl
aythereinEl ik’sarmst ryi
ngt okeepmysobst oabar e
minimum becauseImaybehur tbutI’
m st i
llconsider
ate.It’
sahot elandthere’
speoplein
otherroomst ryi
ngt osleepordowhat ev eritispeopledoi nhot elr
ooms.Elikheldmei n
i
nterestingway s.Consi der
inghecouldn'tholdmybackbecauseoft heparti
nggiftonmy
backmymot hergav eme.Hewascr yingsi lent
lytoobecauseIcoul dhearhi m sni
ffi
ng
andt earswoul dfallonme.If el
tsorr
yforAkonatsomepoi nt,hemustbet i
redofsinging!
Hesangt hewhol eFr eedom album tousbackt obackandi twasawkwar dwhenour
favourit
esongswoul dcomeupanddeepi nsidewef eel
ingt hesongbutcan’ treall
yget
upandst artdancing.Becauseyoucan’tdanceandcr yatt hesamet i
mey ouknow.

WhenIev entual
lyst oppedcr yingandst ar
tedlivi
ngagainIst artedabusingEl ik.Ichecked
hisbackt oseehow badt hesj ambokgothi m. Hehar dlygotscr atched!Ei t
herhe's
madeofst eelort hesui tprotect edhi m ormymot herdidn'thi thim hardenough!ThenI
threwmy sel
fonhi m!Iwant edt osl eepandsi ncesleepwasn' tcomi ngeasyIt urnedto
theonlywayt hatwasguar anteedt ogi vemear estednight.Itt ookawhi l
et oconv i
nce
himt haty esIwassur eIwant edt hat,consideri
ngIdi dn'
thav eav oi
ce.Andhenev er
reall
ysay snosohegav ei nev ent uall
yandt ookmeonanemot ionaltr
ipt oheav en.But
him hav i
ngtoav oi dt ouchingt hewoundonmybackmadet her i
dequi tetrickybutwe
kindofhav edistinctionsi nthatdepar tmentsowemadei twor k.Thebodywant swhatit
want safterall
.Besi desEl ikandIar esexuallypervert
ed.We' lldoi tatat i
menonor mal
personwoul dev enconsi deritandsomet imesi t
'stheonlywaywecommuni cateandlet
eachot herknowwewi l
lbeal r
ight .Besidestheycallissexual heal i
ngforar eason.

Iwokeupt henextmor ni
ngandIwashappyf orthefi
rst30secondsorsountilmy
mother’
swor dscamer ushi
ngintomybrainandIr ememberedIwasdelet
edyest
erday
.
Shetoldmet onevercomeback!Ohwel l!Suchi sli
feandtoobadwecantallwalkon
rosepetal
s,someofushav etowalkont
hor ns.Andontheplussi
de,i
tmeansformoney
forme.AlsoEli
kisst
il
lhereholdi
ngmyhandsoI ’
m asgoodasanyonecoul
dbe.

Hecal l
edZi bulothenextmor ni
ngandt oldhimtot el
lKomlaandherf ri
endt hatthey
wouldfindtheirhandbagsatt hereceptioni
nRainbowhot el
.If
oundthatst
rangebecause
Ithoughtwewoul dbraaitheirpassportsanduset hei
rashesasfacescrub!Buthesai d
“Trustmebaby gi
rl
”.Hesai dthatsoni cel
y,Ihadnochoicebuttotr
usthim.Ididn'teven
haveav oi
cest i
llsoIcouldn'tar
gueev enifIwantedto.

Ist i
lldon' tknow wher ehegott hosetwoment hatwer eatt helobolanegot i
ati
onsor
whent heyl ef
tbecauset heywerenotontheplanewi ththefourofus!Wi t
hev er
ythi
ng
happeni ngIhav en'thadthechancetoask.Iwasf eel
ingmuchbet terandmyangerhad
comedownabi tsoIhadachatwi thLumkaandt oldhimifhesti
llwantedhiswomanhe
shoul dn’ tletthi
ssi t
uat
ionstophim.Hesaidhe’sy oung,bl
ackandr ichplushandsome
toosohedeser vedsomuchbet t
erthanthatskank.Eh!Hesai dt hissi
tuationwasa
blessingi ndisguisebecausefi
nall
yhecangetr i
dofherwi t
houtanygui l
t!I’m gl
admy
situationbenef i
tedsomeoneatleast.
Wehadt oleavethenextdaybecauseIneededt ogetasfarawayf rom homeaspossi bl
e
andIwasf astsinki
ngi ntodepression.Icoul dn'
tbethereanyl ongerandIwonderi fI’
ll
evergoback.Thepai nIf el
twast oomuchandIcannev erfacet hatwomanagai n.The
painisstil
lhereobviouslybuti
t ’
ssleeping.Itwakesupatsomet i
mesoft hedaybutIdon’
thavet heoppor t
unitytomopar ound.Elikhasmadei thismi ssiontomakesur eIdon'
t
feelit
.I ’
m notr esi
sting.I'
veallowedmy selftobel ovedandl ockedt hepaininabox
somewher edeepi nmyhear t
.Ohandt hebestt hingeverhappened!Icandr i
nkcokezero
againwi t
houtpuking!Ijustcel
ebr atedandEl i
kwentandbr oughtmet hreecasesofcoke
zero!Mymani sapr oi noverdoingthings.Whatam Isupposedt odowi th72cansof
cokezer othough.ButIsmi l
edandsai d‘thanky oubaby’
.

Nowwear ebackinMorningsi
de.HowI'
m stil
linthi
shousethatEl
ikusedt
osharewith
Koml a,Idon'
tknowandfrankl
yIdon'
tcare.Ispentmostofmyl i
febeingt
imidandtoo
apologeti
c.Thater
aispastnow!I’
m goi
ngt oloveEli
kwhichev
erwayIwantandIdon’t
carewhof rownsonus.Theirf
rownsdon’
tbuymecokezer osowhyshouldtheybot
her
me?

Ithasn'tev enbeenaweekbutsur pr
isi
ngl
y,Ifeelsomuchbet t
eralready.Ihealprett
y
quicklymay beI ’
m amut ant
!It’shardnottowithElik,Kof
iandLumkai nmyf aceev er
y
secondt reat i
ngmel ikeanewbor nbabywhocan’ tdoany t
hingforhersel
fandhandl i
ng
mel ikeI'
m madeofgl ass.NotthatI'
m complai
ningthough.I'
mlovingtheattent
ionandit’
snicet obel ov edandsupported.

Ont hedaywegotback,El i
kandIwer elyi
ngont hecouchdoi ngnothi
ngr eal
ly
,him
rubbingmyst omachandmepl ayi
ngwithhi shand.Heaskedi fmaybeIwant edto
slaughterabl
ackgoatorbr
ewbeerorwhatevertogoandappeasemymot her.Imadeit
clearthatmymotheri
sdeadandIhavenobusinessspeaki
ngt
ot hedead!I
'm notaspir
it
medi um!Hedroppedi
tandwewentbacktodoingnothi
ng.

Thenf r
om nowher ehesaid,
“Wouldy ourat
herhav eKomlainjailordeport
edbacktoGhana?”.
Toanor malpersont hatquesti
onwoul dhavebeensomewhatoddorscar yev en.ButI'
m
farfr
om normal .Sot hatwasagenui nequesti
onandIansweredgenuinely.
IsaidIwoul drat herhaveherdeadbuthesai dwedon’ tki
llpeopl
e.Ihadn’ tmeanti t
though.Ofcour seIdon’ twantherdeaddead.Idon’ twantthetwinsaskingmeoneday
wheretheirmot herisandhav i
ngtosay ,“Oh!Yourmot her
?Ihadherkil
led.Sorry”.Idon’
t
thi
nkthatwoul dsi tv
erywellwiththem.SoIsai d,
“Deported”andhesai d,“Consi
deritdone!”.
Thewaywewer esochi ll
edyou'dswearwewer etal
ki
ngaboutwhattoeatf orsupper!

Ifi
guredt
hat’
swhyheneededKoml atohav eherpasspor
tsoshecouldbeflaggedas
soonasshegetstotheborderorai
rportinSout
hAfri
caandbesenttoGhana!Ijustwish
Icoul
dbether
et oseeherface!Idon’tknowhowEl i
kdoesthesethi
ngsbuti
fI’velear
nt
anyt
hingi
nthepast5y ear
s,it’
sthatanythi
ngispossibl
ewithhi
m.Heget st
hingsdone
andI
’
m notgoi
ngt
oaskhow.

Thewoundonmybacki sheal
ingbutt
heoneinmyheartmightneedanotherdecadeor
sotogetbet ter.Mymot herkil
l
edme.Shewasr i
ghtwhenshesaidI'm deadt oher
becausesheslaughter
edmewi t
hherwor
ds.Iref
usetoeventhi
nkaboutitbecausethe
tear
sjustst
artfall
i
ngwheneverIdo.

Alt
houghshehasnoi deawhatapr i
cel
essgiftshegav eme!ShepushedEli
ktoredefi
ne
l
ovet omei nawayIdidn’tthi
nkwaspossi bl
e.I’
mt hor
oughl
ylovedfr
om theti
meIwake
uptot heti
meIgotosl eep.He’sbuyi
ngmeanewhouseher einJoburgbecauseIdon’
t
l
ikethishouse.I
twi
l
lbeour sbuthesaysev eryt
hinghehasisminesoitwil
lbemyhouse.
ThisoneremindsmeofKoml aandI'
dratherfor
getthatwoman.

Eli
kgav emeapasst obuywhat everIwantwi t
hhiscreditcard.Any thingIwant ,hesaid.
AndI '
veboughtnothingsofar.Idon' twantanythi
ng.I
’m notexact lyinat akingcl
othest o
thefit
tingroom andt r
y i
ngthem onmoodsoKof ihasbeendoi ngal ltheshoppi ngf or
himselfanddr aggi
ngpoormewi thhi m.Hemademegetaf ew cl othest houghsinceI
l
eftmybagbackhome.Idon’ tenj oywal ki
ngt
hemal l
st heseday s.Buthecan' tl
eav eme
behindbecauseEl i
kmadei tcleart hatIshoul
dnotbel eftal
one.It hinkhet hi
nksImi ght
j
ustkillmy sel
f!I
fonlyheknewt hatdy ingandmear enotf ri
ends.I tneverev encrosses
mymi ndt ohangmy selfordri
nkr atpoisonorsleeponar ail
wayl inewai ti
ngf oratrainto
gri
ndmet opowder.No.Ilovebei ngalivenomat t
erhowhar dthegoi ngget s.

Buthe’ sjustlooki
ngaf termeandIshoul dn'tcomplain.Hehasbecomesopr otective
Lumkasay sit’
sunnatural.Ifeell
ikeasmal lchi l
dtheseday s.I’m stil
lnotcomplaining.I
l
ov ebeingl ov
ed.Kofimadeaj oketheot herdayabouthowI ’m bulgingli
keaballoonand
willbeahi ppobythetimeIgi v
eabi r
th.Elikdamnnearl osthismi nd!Het ol
dhisbr other
thatIlookjustperf
ectthewayIam andev eryoneshouldl ear
nt or espectmeiftheydon’ t
wantt odealwi thhi
m!Kof ihadtoapol ogisev eryf
astandsayEngl ishisaproblem,he
didn'tmeant osayI'm bulginghemeantI ’m beaut i
ful
,hej ustgott hewor dsconfused.I
wasn’ tevenof f
endedt houghbutEl i
kwasandhest ormedof fleavingusalll
ooki ngat
eachl i
ke‘whatjusthappened? ’.

Whenhesai dhewoul dtakecareofmeIhadnoi deahemeanthewi l

lgoalloutandbuy
meal lthethi
ngsIdon’tneed!Ihavesomanyflowersi
nt hehousei
t’
sli
keIsaidIwantto
star
tagar den!Idon'tevenlikefl
owers!ButIsay ‘t
hanky oubaby’,smi l
eandf i
nd
somewher etoputthem.Andwhatex actl
yam Isupposedt odowit
halltheseboxesof
chocolates?HeevenboughtmeanewphoneandIdon’ tneedanewphone!Ireall
ydon’t
needany thi
ngbuthekeepsbuy i
ng.

I’
m gett
ingsomanyt hi
ngsIdon’
tneed.I
'm st
il
lnotcomplai
ning.I
'dratherbegiv
enthi
ngs
Idon'tneedthannotgetanythi
ngatall.Ipoint
edouttohi mt hatthepairofheelshe
boughtmei sv er
yprett
ybutit'
salsoveryhighandsinceI ’
m kindofpr egnantIcan’
t
exact
lyr ockstri
pperheel
satt hemoment .Thenhel ef
tandbr oughtmet hemost
beaut
if
ulpai
roft
rai
ner
sIownt
hisf
ar!I
'
m cr
yingal
ott
heseday
s,t
ear
sofj
oyt
hough.He
j
ustkeepsgoi
ngall
out
.

He’
salsobuyingmeahousei nNewlandsbecausewit
ht henewbabycomi ngI’
l
lneedat
l
east4bedrooms!SoI’
m sell
ingmySeaPoi ntpent
house.Thenbabyaskedifweshould
j
ustgoaheadandgotocour tandgetmarri
ed,Isai
dI'
m notinan‘Ido’spacerightnow
andaskedthatwehav
et heseconver
sati
onagainnextmonthmay beI’
llbefeel
ingmore
weddi
ngythen.

AndIdon’tmeant obr agbutdamnmymanhasaPhDi nmaki ngmybedr ock.He’s

al
waysbeenanaddi ctjustl
i
key our
st r
ulybutt
hesedays,haycha,he’ sbr
ingingonthe
ty
peofsteamylovi
ngt hatmakesmel ookatmywatchalldaycountingdownt obedt
ime.
Iact
uall
ylookforwardt ohi
m cominghomeandwakeupembar rassedeverymorning
wonderi
ngwhohear dme.Somet imesIthinkEl
i
kjustl
oveshearinghisnamet hat’
swhy
hekeepsdoingt
histome.

Loveandsuppor tisfoll
owingmear oundlikeashadow!Lumkaof feredmehi sRange
Rovertouse.El i
kwasgoi ngtorentmeacarbuthei nsi
sted.Hereal
l
yf eel
sbadf orwhat
hisex-persondidalthoughIkeept el
l
inghim,it
’snothi
sf aul
tatall
!Ifanything,it’smy
faul
tforev eragreei
ngtohav ecoff
eewiththatwoman!Any way
s,sonowKof iandIhav e
acartodr i
vearoundandhopef ul
lynotcrash.Nott
hatitwouldmatterreal
lyasl ongas
wedon’ tdie.

Kofiisst i
llKofi
.Alway shappy ,alwaysnotser ious,alway sreadyt osaysomet hing
i
nappropr i
ate.Hegivesmel i
fe.I
t’sgoodt ohavehim around.Buthe’ sharassingme,i
na
goodway .Allhewant sisust ohav eagoodt i
meandsi nceIr efusetopar tywenow
spendingal ldayshoppingandt r
yinganew r estaurantev eryday.Hesay si fIwasn’t
pregnantwewoul ddot hegardenr outeanddoabsei li
ng,r ockclimbing,tr
eeclimbi
ng,
bungeej umpingandal lthoseext r
emeact ivi
ti
es.Hesay snot hingbeatsanadr enal
ine
rush. He’ samazing!IsaidI’m notthatpregnantsomay beweshoul ddoi t.Hesai
dhe
wasn’treadytohaveElikchopof fhisheadsonot hanky ou.

Ihaven’thadtheti
met opr ocesswhathappenedbackhome.I ’m honestl
ynotal
lowedt
o
thi
nk!I’m wokenupandf edbr eakf
astthenaf t
ershoweringElikhandsmeov ertoKofi
,
thenafterworkEli
ktakesmebackagai ntoremi ndmeexactlywhyIhav ebeensohung
uponhi m allt
heseyears.Ihav en’
tbeenalonef ormorethananhoursi ncewegotback!
Themenar oundmear et reati
ngmel iketheyar eaf
raidIwillbreakorsomethi
ng.Kofi
,
LumkaandEl i
kareoncal l24hour saday !It’sami r
aclethatI’m notputt
ingonmuch
weight!Theykeepfeedi
ngmeandIkeepeat ing!

Eli
ksuggestedthatIseeatherapi
standIsai
dI ’
l
lthi
nkabouti
t.Idon’
tthinkIneedone.I
fI
start
edtalki
ngaboutmyl if
et hepoorther
apistmightneedtherapyt hemsel
f!I'
vebeen
throughthemost.AndIdon' tseewhyIhav etopaysomeonet ol i
stentomypr obl
ems
and star
tasking mest upi
d questi
onsand t el
li
ng meIhav echi l
dhood traumaand
mommyi ssuesandal lt
hat
!IfIwanttotal
k,t
here'saCatholi
cchur chdowntheroad,I'
l
l
goconf esst oapriestandbetoldtopr
ay10HailMar ysand5Gl oryBesandconsider
ing
thewei ghtofmysi nsImaybebeor der
edtopraytherosarydail
yforaweek.Thenboom,
I
'llbesinlessandwhi teassnow.IftheFat
herreall
ywant stopunishmehecoul dorder
met orefrai
nfrom sexualpleasur
esandalldesir
esoft hefleshforaweek.Hewoul d
hav egottenmet here!

Ihavesomuchonmyt odol i
standsoonI ’l
lbesobusy ,Iwon’tevenstoptot hi
nkabout
anythi
ng.Ineedt ofi
ndschool sforInfl
ati
onandt hetwins.I
’m wor r
iedbecauseinsome
ofthesepri
v at
eschools,kidsareregist
eredbeforetheyareevenborn!SohowIwi llgeta
pl
acenowf orJanuar
yIdon’ tknow.Ihopemymot herl
et’
sInfl
ationcomeandnotl ether
grudgeonmespi l
lover.I
nf l
ati
onthough!Allthesepriv
ateschoolsar emodelCt ypeand
myl i
tt
lebrother’
sEngli
shdoesn’ treall
yexist
.Iwasnowconsi deri
ngputti
nghi m upi na
publi
cschool somewherebutEl i
ksay sweshoul dputhiminapr i
vateboardi
ngschool ,he’
l
lsurviv
e.I’
m notquit
esur e.

Thet winsaregoingt oGradeRi nJanuar yandI ’

m soexcited!Ican’twaitt
oseethem in
theirunif
orms!Imi sst hem somuchandIcr iedlastnightwhenIcal ledthem.I’
m so
rel
ievedthatPeggyhasatl eastkeptthem ali
veandshesay stheyarewell.Imi
ssthem
thoughandIdon’ tcarewhatEl i
ksay s,I’
m goingtoCapeTownnextweek.Mychi l
dren
needme.Ial soneedt odecidewhet herIwantt ocont i
nuest ayi
ngi nCapeTownori fI
shouldmov edownt oJoburg.Bigdecisionsahead.I’
ll
shelfthem fornowandgetbackt o
them someot herday .

I
fIt houghtEl
ikwassav age,Ir
eali
sedhehadnot hingonLumka!Assoonaswegotback,
heshi ppedhi
skidst oEaster
nCapef ortheholi
days.Thenhehadal ocksmithchangeal
l
thelocksaroundhi shouse.Theny ester
daythefourofusspentthedayer asi
nghisex.
Wemakeanev i
lteam!Wepackedev ery
thi
ngthatbelongedtoherinblackbagsli
kethe
trashsheis.Wellthatwasmyi dea,andwhatIsaygoest heseday
s!I’
vekindofbecome
verymeanandspi teful
.

Eli
k’sphonerangandhehadt ostepout side.Whenhecameback, hegav emeabi ghug
andsaid,“Komlagota10y earban!She’llbeonherwayt oAccraandwon’ tbebother
ing
usany t
imesoon”.Thefourofusactuall
yhi ghfi
vedeachotherandlaughed!Goshwear e
soev i
l
!IdidsaythoughthatwhenI’m donewi t
hKoml ashewillbeharvesti
ngbananasin
Ghana.Shebetterbewrit
ingmeat hanky oulett
eronthatpl
ane!Shecoul dbeonherway
tojai
lri
ghtnow!

Thenthener veofLumka’
sex!ShesentmealongWhat sAppmessaget al
kingabouthow
shewassor ryandwantedustobefri
endsandthatKomlali
edtoherblabla.Unt
ilIgotto
theendandr eal
isedthewholepoi
ntofhermessage.Shewasaski ngmet ot al
kt o
Lumkaf orherandaskhi mtomeetwi t
hhersot heycanwor kthi
ngsout!Irepl
iedand
saidIwillt
alktoLumkaalri
ghtandremindhi
m whatahor ri
blehumanbei ngsheisand
thathedeservessomuchbetter
!Ir
eall
yam becomingverymean!ButthewayI ’
m oky ou
wouldn’
tbegi
ntoimagi
nethatIgotdi
sownedaf
ewday
sago!I
’
mfi
ne.
[
3/11,22:
01]I
nini
:CHAPTER79

It
’sSat
urdayandwearechil
l
ingbyt
hepool.Eli
kandKofil
eav et
ogogetussomet hingto
eat.It
hinktheywant
edtotalkasbrot
hersyouknow withoutusout
siders.Sothatlef
t
Lumkat obemybodyguardandwegott otal
kabitandlaughathowEl i
ki st
reat
ingme
l
ikeababy.

“Her eal
l
yl ovesy out houghFi erce.I'
veseenEl i
kwithmanygi rlsinthepastandf r
om the
wayhet reatedt hem Idi dn'tthi nkhewascapabl eoflov i
ng.El ikiscol dandhasno
problem j
ustt akingagi rl
,sleepingwi t
hherandl eavi
ngherr ightthereint hehoteland
pretendi
ngshenev erexisted!Ev enwithKoml a,hewasjustt hereandnev erdidanythi
ng
forherreally.Wecoul dstayoutal lweekendandhewoul dswi tchoffhisphoneandnot
giveadamn! ”
,hekeepst al
kingandI '
mlookingathimlike‘seriouslybro?’
,doy ouhonestl
y
thi
nkIwantt oknowaboutal lthis.AndwhatdoeshemeanEl i
khasnopr oblem taki
ng
gir
lsandsl eepingwi t
ht hem?Andwhyi shenotusi ngpasttenset here?

May beI
'mreadi
ngtoomuchintothingsandapartofmewant st
olaughbecauseshame
Lumkat hi
nkshe'
sputt
inginagoodwor dforhisfr
iendbutal
lI'
m hear
ingi
s‘ youarei
n
l
ov ewit
haman- whorewhoj usthappenstolovey ouback’
.ButLumkacan'tseemy
thought
ssohekeepstalki
ngandIkeepsippi
ngonmyl emonade.

“Wow!Real ly!Iwonderhowhe' snotbrokeyet

.Itmustbequit
epri
ceyblessi
ngallthese
gir
ls!”
, Isay.
Hel aughs.
“El
ikisst ingy.Thosegi r
lsdon'tgetacentfrom hi
m.AskKomla!Hetol
dhert ogetaj ob
andbuyherownt hings!
”,hesays.
Eli
kst ingy?If i
ndt hathardtobeli
eve.Heboughtmeacarandanot heroneandanot her
onei nahear tbeat!Andheal wayssay s‘Gobuywhateveryouwantbaby’.Sostingy?I
don'tthinkt hat'
sawor dt odescri
behim.Exceptifhedoesthatj
ustforme?I nwhi ch
caset hissmi leI’
m wearingri
ghtnowi sinor
der.

Idon'
tsayanythi
ngthoughbutt hisconver
sati
onisnotsitt
ingtoowellwi
thme.YesI
knowmymanhasquest ionablemoralsbutIdon'
tli
kehear
ingitandIknowi
fit
'scoming
fr
om Lumkait
'sveryt
rue.Idon'tknowwhyt hathur
tswhenit'spr
obabl
yint
hepast.But
Lumkaisobl
i
viousofmyt houghtssohekeepstalki
ng.

“Then you Fier

cehappened.Idon'tknow whatyou gavehim becausemyboyi s
somethi
ngel sewhenhecomest oyou!I
nthebegi
nni
ngIthoughti
twasaphasebutI
soonreal
iseditwasreal
.Her eal
l
ylov
esyouyouknowthat
!Hewouldkillf
ory
ouwi
thout
asecondthought!”
,hesays.

Wel
latl
eastthi
slastpar
twasbeaut
if
ul.I'
m st
il
lhunguponthatf
ir
stpartthough.How
manygi
rl
sexact
lyarewetal
ki
ngaboutther
e?WasEl i
ksl
eepi
ngwit
hadiff
erentgirlev
ery
ni
ght?Wherewashegetti
ngt hem fr
om? Andsomay beal
lhisli
fehe'
ssl
eptwi
th
hundr
edsofgi
rl
s?Whyam If
eelingsojealousri
ghtnowwhenIdon'
tev
enknowt
hegir
ls.
Fi
neletmetr
yandbr
ushthethoughtaside.El
ikl
ovesme!

“Ineedy ouradvi
ce” ,
Lumkasay s.
“Ok.Shoot ”
,Isay.
“I’
m kindofbackwi thThandoand. .
”,hesay
s.
“Wait!WhichThando? ”,
Iask.
“Thando.Thando”, hesay s.
“No!Youdon’ tsay!Soy ouar er
ecycl
ingnow?”
,Ican’tst
oplaughi
ngathi
m.
EeishandThandoi sbr utal
.Thelastti
meIsawher ,sheputmei nmyplaceandt
oldme
tomi ndmyownbusi ness.

“Ok,sowhatdoy ouneedmyadv iceon? ”,Isayaf t

erlaughi
ngmylungsout.
“Don’tlaugh.I’
mt r
yingt osett
ledownher e!”,hesay s.
He’sgotj okes.Settledown?Whoar eweki dding?
“Doy out hi
nkitwoul dbeagoodi deatomov eheri ntomyhouse?”
,hesays.
“Arey ouserious?Whywoul dyouwannadot hat?”,Isay.
Hecaughtmebysur pri
se.
“Iki
ndaneedsomeonet ocookandt akecar eoft hehouse,wit
hyou-know-whogone”,he
says.
He’ssof ullofjokes!
“Thengetachefandahel per!Problem solv ed!”
, Isay.
Hecanaf forditsowhynot ?
Hej ustlooksatmel i
keI’m bei
ngunr easonabl e.Okmay beIwasn’
thandlingt
hewhol e
advisorrolewel landmyt onewasst i
llofffrom t hinki
ngofEli
kbeddingallt
hosegir
ls!So
Icomposemy selfandbecomeser i
ous.Imaynotl i
keThandobutLumkai sfami
lyandwe
takecar eofoneanot her.

“Alr
ight.Tellme, whatdoy ouloveabouther ?”
,Isay.
“Wel l
”,hethinksandt hinksaboutitforawhileandIshakemyhead.
“She’sagoodl ay!
”,hesay sevent
ual l
y.
Irollmyey es.Whor eferstosomeoneasagoodl aythough!Theyar enotachi
ckent
hat
l
ay sal otofeggs!Thedi sr
espect
!ButI '
m notjudgi
ng.Whoam It ojudgewhenmymani s
auni versall
ay !
“Whatel se?”,Iask.
“She’shot !
”,hesays.
I
’m done!
“Don’tmov ei nwithher.Youdon’tlikeheratall
.Leaveital
one”,Isay.
How heev enwant stomov einagi rlwhenhisexhasn’ tevencollect
edhertr
ashbags
beatsme.ThewayLumkaandEl ikjustmov eonisscary!

Thebrot
herscomebackanddist
urbourtal
kaboutThando!I’
m notlooki
ngfor
wardt
o
hangi
ngoutwit
hherbutf
orLumkaI’
m wil
l
ingtoputourdi
ffer
encesasidei
fhe’
sact
ual
l
y
ser
iousaboutherandi
fhedi
scov
erssomet
hinghel
i
kesaboutherapar
tfr
om herski
l
ls
i
nbed!

I
'm notokthough.ThatthingaboutEli
kandhi ssleepi
ngaroundnessisreal
lybotheri
ng
me.Idon'thavegr
oundst oaskthough.Wherewoul dIstar
t?SoIrefi
llmylemonadeand
havemypast asal
adwithbaconandav o.El
ikkeepsaskingifI'
mfineandIassur ehimI
am.Isayt hehormonesar eactingupandI '
mf eeli
ngquitelow.Iblameev er
ythingon
pregnancyt
hesedays.I
t'
sni cebeingpr
egnant.

ThedaygoesandIf akeasmil
eeverynowandthenbutI'
m sonotok.Ihavetogotobed
ear
lyandIdon'
tknowwhati ti
swit
hsleepbecauset
hat'
swhenallmyt hought
sint
ensi
fy.
I pret
endtobesleepingwhenEl
i
kfinal
lycomestobed.Hetr
iest
ogetwi thmebutnope.
Nottodaybooboo.

I
t'
sli
ke12mi dnightandIstil
lcan'
tsl
eep.Ihavetogetthi
soutofmychestbefor
eIdri
ve
mysel
fcrazy.I'
vebeendoi ngtheMat hsinmyheadandwonder ingexact
lyhow many
gi
rl
sEli
khassleptwi t
h.100?200?500?Isitpossi
blef
orsomeonetohavesleptwi
tht
hat
manygir
ls?Ihavetofindout.

Gosht hismanhat esbeingwokenup!He' sgr umpyashel lbuthewi

l
lli
ve.Ihav
emore
pressi ngi ssuesher e.Iwaitforhimt ostartup.
“What ? ”, hesay s.
“Canwet al k? ”
,Isay .
I'
m si ttingatt heedgeoft hebedandhe' sr ubbinghi seyesandIcantel
lhewantst
ogo
backt osl eepsol etmemakei tquick.
“Youal readywokemeupsogetonwi thit”,
hesay s.
“Cy bertr on” ,Isay .
Ineedt het ruth.
“Finewhat ev er.Cybertr
on”,hesay s.He'ssogr umpy ,
he'sadorabl
e.
“Fine.Howmanygi rl
shavey ousleptwi t
h? ”
,Isay .
“What ?Whatdoy oumean? ”,hesay s.
“Imeanhowmanygi rl
shav ey ousleptwith?”,Irepeat.
Isn'tthatsel fexplanatory?Idon'tthinkIcanmakei tanysimpler.

“Wher e?Inmyl if
e?Whaty ouonabout ?”
,hesays.
Hel ooksshocked.
“Yesiny ourlif
e!Howmanygi r
lshaveyousleptwit
h?”
,Isay
.
“Wher e'
st hi
scomi ngfrom? ”
,hesay s.
Atleasthe' swakingup!
“Itdoesn'tmat t
erwher eit
’scomingf r
om.Justanswermealready
.Howmany
?”,
Isay
.
“Well.Idon’tknow.Al ot”
,hesay s.
“Howmanyexact ly?
”,Isay.
“Idon'tknowFi erce,i
t'
snotlikeIwascounting”,
hesays.
“100?”,Isay .
“
May
be.May
bemor
e.Iwasn'
tcount
ing!What
'swr
ong?
”,hesay
s.

He’skiddi
ngmer ight?Wher edoy ougetov erahundredgirl
st osleepwi
th?Andwhat
exactl
yisoverahundr ed?At housandi soverahundred!I’m gett
ingaheadachej
ust
l
ookingathim.I
'
veonl ysleptwit
h2.5guy sall
myl i
fe!WhatAthiusedtodotomedoesn'
t
quali
fyasawhol enumber .Soit’
sj ust2.
5f ormeandov erahundr edf
orhim?That
numberissohuget hough,Ican'
thelpit
.Istar
tcry
ing.

“What'swr ongbaby ?”
,hesaysandtri
estohol dme.Ishrughi
m off
.Thosehandshav e
heldov er100womenIdon' twantthem nearme.Andwhycan' thef i
gureoutwhat's
wrongonhi sown?Whydoesheneedmet ot el
lhi
m?Icouldaskhimri
ghtnowifheslept
withany onewhi l
eIwasi nCapeTownandIbett heanswerwouldbey essoforthat
reasonIwon' task.Idon'
twanttoknowforaf act
.Icandealwi
thgi
rl
sinthepastbutI'
m
notreadyt odealift
here'
sanyonei
nthepresent.

“Morethana100woment houghEl ik?

”,Imanagetosay.
“I'
m sorr
ybaby.Mostofthem wer ebeforeyouthough”,
hesays.
I
st hatsupposedtomakemef eelbetter
?Hedi dsay‘most’werebeforeme.Idon'
tthink
hehearshimselfsometi
mes!Sot heremainingwhereduri
ngourrel
ationshi
porwhatever
thatwaswewer edoingallthosey ear
s.Hishonestyistoomuch.Hecoul dhav
ejustsaid
10andImi ghthavebeenfinebutawhol ecent
uryofwomen! Wow!

“Youknowsomet imesFi erce,youj ustgoandl ookf orstressunnecessari

ly!Whywoul d
youwakemeupt oaskmet his?”,hesay s.
Oksonowhet hi
nksI’m si
lly!He’sbeingi nconsi
der at
e!I’m goi
ngtocr ycrynow.
“Hey”,hesaysandact uall
yhugsmebyf orce.
Itryt
or esi
stbuthedoesn' tletgoandev entuall
yImel tinhisarmsandsobi nhischest
.
“LookFi er
ce.I'
m sorry.Babydon' ty out hi
nkIknowt hatIputyout hroughhell
?Iknow.
Andt hef actthatyoust il
lr i
ghther ewi t
hme,meansal ot.Ilovey ou.Iknow what
happenedbet weeny ouandy ourmum wasmyf aul
t.Icannev erapol ogi
seenoughf or
that. Andt hosegirl
sy ouaski ngmeaboutnev ermeantany thi
ngtome.Not hingatall
!
Butyoumeansomet hi
ng.Youmeanev erythi
ngandI 'm goingtospendt herestofmylife
l
ov i
ngy ouandmaki ngitupt oy ou.Lookatme” ,hesay s.

DamnIlovehim.Heal
way sknowswhattosay
!Heli
ft
supmyheadgentl
yandIlookat
him.Hewipesawaymytearsandki
ssesmegentl
yont
hel
ips.Ihat
ehi
m.He'
sjustt
ryi
ng
toconf
useme!

“LookatmeFi erce”
,hesays.
Idoascommanded.
“You'v
emademe!You’ vechangedmyl if
e.You'vekeptmegr ounded.You'
vegivenmea
purpose,awilltodobetterandtobebet t
er.Soyes,Iusedtoplaywi t
hallsort
sofgirl
s
andallthatbecauseIdi
dn'thaveareasonnotto.Thenyou.Youshowedmet hatIcanbe
l
ov edandIcandobet t
erandal lI
'
m doingislovi
ngy oubackandhopi ngonedayIcan
l
oveyout
hewayy
oudeser
ve.Il
ovey
ouwi
thal
lmyhear
tFi
erce.Pl
easeal
l
owmet
o”,
he
say
s.

“Il
ovey outoo”,
thewor dsjustfl
youtofmymout h.Il
ov ehim.
Ido.
“Andnow t hatI’
m al r
eadyawakeandwet alkingallow met ot hanky ouforevery
thi
ng.
Thanky ouforagreeingtobemywi fe,forcar r
yingmychi l
d,formaki ngmef eel
li
keaman.
Andt hanky ousomuchf ormakingmel ovemychi l
dren.Ial waysl ov
edthem butI
resent
edt hei
rmot herandsoasar esultIjustwasn' tthereforthem asmuchasIshoul d
havebeen.Buti nt hef ew monthsthey '
vebeenwi t
hy ou,y ou'
vebr oughtmecl oserto
them.Thanky ou”,hesay s.

OkIjustwantedt
oknowhowmanygi rlshe'
dbanged.Iwasn'tprepar
edf
orthi
stouching
tal
kandhowdi dhecomeupwi thal
lthatsolateatnight
?Ithoughthewashalfasl
eep!
Thatwasgoodt ohearandt hat’
sal
lthereassuranceIneeded.HowcanInotlovethis
mant hough?How?It'
simpossibl
enotto.Besides,Ial
waysknewhewasqui t
et heskir
t
chaser,
whoam Ikiddi
ng.IknowwhoI'minlovewi t
h.

“Sodoest hismeany ourplay boyday sareover?Nomor egirls?”

,Isay
.
“Nomor egir
ls.I t
'sonlyy ounow.Idon’ twantanyoneelse.IpromiseIwon'tevercheaton
you,again.Ipr omi se”,hesay s.
“Promise.Promi se?”,Isay.
“Yes.Ipromise” ,hesay s.
Nor mall
yIwoul dn'tbel i
evehi m butsomehowIdo.Ther e'
st r
uthinthoseprettyeyesof
histoni
ght.
I'
m gladIhadt histalk.I’m evenf eel
ingsil
lyforcryi
ngint hefir
stplacebutI’m smili
ng
nowandpl ayingwi t
hhi sfi
nger s.
“Andsi ncey ouwokemeup.I t'sonlyfairt
hatyouputmebackt osleep”,hesaysandI
knowexact lywhatt hatmeans.Idon' tseewhynot .

*
***
***
***
***
***
***

I’
m maki
ngiceteaandt al
ki
ngt oKofiaboutGermanygir
ls.Hesayshedoesn’
thav
eagirl
hehasgir
lsbecausethegir l
suptherelovethei
rcoff
eeextrablacksowhydenythem.I
thi
nkheneedstostoplookinguptoElik!Heneedsj
ustonegoodgi r
landset
tl
edown!

Any way s,wekeept al

king.
“Nowt hatit’sDecember ,cany outalktoEli
ksowecanal lgotoGhanaf orChr
ist
mas.I
tri
edt heot herdaybuthedoesn’ twant.Pl
easeconv
incehi m,weallknowyouhaveahold
onhi m andhe’ l
lli
stentoy ou”,
hesay s.
Ilookupathi m.
“Youshoul dcomet oo.Ithinkthefamilywil
llov
eyou”,hesays.
Iputdownmyt eastrai
nerandl ookathi mlongandhar d.Whatdoeshemean?Her eal
l
y
thinkshi sfamil
yhasf orgivenmet hisfast
?Andnowwi t
hKoml adeportedt
heywil
lki
llme
mos!Andwhywoul dIwantEl i
ktogot oGhana?Whywoul dKofievenwantt ogot o
Ghanaaf t
erev er
ythi
ng?Isher eal
lysuchahappysoult hathedoesn’ttaketheset hi
ngs
seri
ousatal l?
“Youkiddingright?”,
Isay.
“Why?No.I ’m seri
ous!Ihaven’
tbeenhomei nyearsbroandImi ssi
t.Imissmymum.And
i
twillbeni ceifElikcomesal ongandy ouandmynephews.Wecanhav eaproperhuge
chri
stmas” ,hesay s.
“NoKof i
!Youcango.El i
kisnotgoingthere.Don’
tevensuggestthi
stohim again!
”,Isay.
Hecan’tbeser i
ous.
“What?Whynot ?
”,hesays.
Mybr ainwor kssosl owlyIonlyreal
isedthatmeandKof iwer
eondi ff
erentplanesway
aft
erthefact .

“Whosesidear ey ouonKof i
?Yousupposedt obeonEl i
k’sside!Thosepeoplel i
edtoyou
allt
hesey earsandy ougoingtopi ckt heirsi
deov erEli
k’s?Comeon,hedeser vesbetter
thanthat!
”, Isnap.
“Whaty out al
kingabout ?YouknowEl iklovesourmot hermor ethanany t
hing.Nomat ter
whathewi llwantt ogoandseeher .Sowhywoul dy ousaythingsli
ket hi
s?”,hesaysand
comest ost andopposi temeont heot hersideofthecount er
.
“Kofi
,Idon’tbel i
ev eyousometimes!Whywoul dyoudot hattoElik?Whywoul dyouwant
himt ogot hrought hatagain?Iwast her eonthedayhef oundoutt hatwomani sn’ty
our
motherand…” , Isay.
“Holdup.Backupabi t.Whatdidyouj ustsay?”,hesays.

Fli
p!Onl ynowdoesi tregisterthatmay behedi dn’tknow.Shoot !Mybigmout hwillbemy
undoing.
“Whatexact lyhappened?Whatdoy oumean?Pl easetellme”,hesay s.
“Ithi
nkit’sbesti fEliktel
lsy ou”, Isay.
“No.It hinki t’sbesti fyout ellme!Ican’ twaitf or5pm forEl iktocomeher e,sostart
tal
kingFi erce!”,hesay s.
Idon’tknowwhatt odo.Ican’ tsayany more.I’
veal r
eadysaidtoomuch!
“Ican’
tKof i
.It’snotmypl ace! ”
, Isay .
Ifeelterrible.Wegobackandf ort
h,himi nsi
stingthatItellhim everyt
hingandget t
ing
angryandmesay ingIcan’ tandapol ogisi
ng.
“Youknow whatFi erce.Fine.I fy oudon’ twantt otellme,fine.I’
llgofindtheanswer s
my sel
f”,hest ormst ohisroom andIdi alEl
ik.Hehangsupandt ext
s‘ I
nameet i
ng’.

Koficomesbackmi nuteslaterwithat r
avelbaginhishands.
“Wher eyouof fto?”,
Isay
“Wher edoy out hi
nk?I’
m goi ngtofindoutthetruth”,
hesays.
“Youcan’ tj
ustgot oGhanal i
kethat?Wai tf
orEli
kt ogethomepl
ease”,
Ipl
ead.
“No.Act uall
y,ifEli
kknewt hiswhol eti
met hatourmot heri
snotourmotherandkepti
t
from me, howdi ff
erentishef rom her?”
,hesays.
Hest ormsoutandIdon’ tev enhavet heenergytofoll
owhim.
El
ikisgoingt
ohat
eme.Hedoesn’
tcompr
omi
sewheni
tcomest
ohi
sli
tt
lebr
other
.I’
m so
fi
nished.

BythetimeIhavetheener gyt
ogoout
side,
Kof
iisgone.Damn!Ther
e’stoomanyUber
s
aroundthi
sarea!ItextEli
ktocal
lmeassoonashecanandheonl ycall
sli
ke2hour
s
l
ater.I
nthose2hour sI’
vebeenbl
owi
ngupKofi
’sphoneandapologi
si
ngandaski
nghim
tocomeback.

“
Baby ,areyouok?I ’m sorr
yIwasi nameet i
ng”,Eli
ksays.
“
Kof ii
sgone.El i
ky ouneedt ocomehomer ightnow”,Isay
.
“
What ?Gonewher e?”,hesay s.
“
ToGhana” ,Isay.Myv oiceisshaki ng.
“
What ?Younotmaki ngsensebaby .Calm down.Whathappened?”,
hesays.
“
Ididn’tknowt hathedoesn’ tknowaboutt hesituat
ionwit
hyourmother
,soi
tsl
i
ppedof
f
myt ongue.I’
m sosor rybaby .Ididn’tknow”,Isay.
I
’m soscared.Elikisgoingt obur ymeal ivetoday.
“
Yout oldhim what?Damni tFierce!”,hesaysandhangsuponme.

Imightaswellst
artpacking.I
’mfini
shed.
Ikeepcal
lingandhekeepsi gnor
ingme.ItryKof
iagai
nbuthi
sphonedoesn’
tgot
hrough.
Wow.Fiercewhathavey oudone?

Eli
kstormsi nsome30mi nutesl
aterandIdon’
tgetmyusualki
ssesand ‘
Ibr
oughty
ou
something’I’m nowusedt o.
“Gopackabag.Wel eav
ingri
ghtnow”,hesay
s.
“ButEl
ik..
..
”,Istar
t.
“NowFi er
ce!”,hesnaps.
[3/
11,22:01]Inini
:CHAPTER80

Wegotaf l
ighttoGhanaandEl ikwasi nafoulmoodt hewholeway .Hewassoangr y
wit
hmeIcoul dn'
tevenapologise!SoIjustkeptqui
etandfel
tbadt hewholet i
me.Ithi
nk
hestartedfeel
ingalitt
lesorr
yf ormebecausehehel dmyhandt hroughtur bul
ence.He
wouldjustgetupandwal kupanddownt hepl
aneasifthatwoul
dmakei tflyfast
er!Li
ke
j
ustchillmyguy ,wehav e4longhour stogo!Hedi dn'
teveneat,onlydrankgl assafter
gl
assofwi neandev ensnappedatmewhenIwant edtopassandgot ot hebat hr
oom!
Andbecausehehadbeendr i
nking,poormehadt onowbaby si
tat i
psy,angrymanwhen
welandedinAccr a!

IhateGhanamor eandmor eeacht i

mebecauseev eryt
imeI '
m her ei
t'
snev ergood.
Lucki
lywear eput ti
ngupatt heHolidayInnbytheair
portsoitwasn'tmuchofahust leto
gethere!Wel andedl at
elastnightandi tt
ookalottoconv i
nceElikthatweshouldsleep
andwai tt
il
lmor ningbefor
ewegol ookingforhi
sbrother
.Heagr eedbutIthi
nkthatmade
hi
m ev enangrier.Hesleptont hebedandIsl eptonthesleepercouch.Icoul
dn'tbearto
sharethebedwi thhim.Hisr eact
ionwasbr eakingmyhear t
.Imean,Idi dn'
tdot hi
son
pur
pose.

Hewakesmeupt hismor ningandhast heaudaci

tytoaskwhyI '
m sleepi
ngont hecouch
whent here'sabed!Unbel ievabl
e!He'sshoweredandev er
ythingandi salr
eadysmell
ing
divineandi sr eadyt ogo!
“Arey oucomi ng? ”
,hesay s.
Nogoodmor ning.Not hing!
“Comi ngwher e? ”
,Isay.
“Wher eel se? ”
, hesay s.
Sigh!I t'
sgoi ngt obeal ongdaywi t
hsomeonei nthi
smood!
“May bet akingmewi t
hy oui snotsuchagr eati
deababy.Don'tyouthink?
”,Isay
.
“Fine.What ever .Stayify ouwant !
”,hesays.
Iknowt hatmeans' comewi thmeorI '
m goi
ngtobeupsetwi t
hy outhiswholetr
ip!
'
“Alright.Letmet akeaqui ckshowert henwecango”,Isay.

Idragmy sel
fint
ot heshowerandwhenIgetouthe'sgone!Sowhyt hehel
lwasIwoken
up!I'
m consi
deringgetti
ngi
ntobedwhenher et
urnswithacupofcof f
eeandhandsitto
mewi thoutevenlookingatme.Idon'twantcoffee,I'
mf eel
ingabitsi
ck.Mybabyi s
acti
ngupandmyhor monesareever
ywhereandIf eelnauseous.I
'
llmaskmysickness
thoughandpretendtobeok.Itwi
ll
getbet
terIknow.

Hej ustsi
tst
her
easIl ookforsomethi
ngtowear .Ikeepaskinghim whereexact
lywear
e
goingandifhe'
sreadytofacehismotherandhow' she'sfeel
ing.
“Fi
ercecanyoujustshutupforaminute.I
'
mt r
yingt othinkhere!
”,hey
ell
satme!
Ishutup.

Ievent
uall
ygetdoneandf ol
l
owhi m quiet
lyt
ot hecarandwedr i
ve.Wenottalkingand
manhe' ssoangry!Ij
ustlookoutsi
det hewindowandpl aywit
hmyr i
ng.ThisringIgot
thatev
eningonSignalHi
llwhenIsaidIwi l
lmarryyou.I'
m wonder
ingwhatexactlyIsai
d
yestothatdayandwonderingifmaybeIshouldhavejustsai
dno.

Ihavenowi sht oreturntoEli

k’sfamilyafterthatwedding.Butwhatopt i
ondoIhav e
si
nceI'mt hecauseofal loft
his.I
t'
sami raclehehasn'tdisownedmey et
.OnthatdayI
walkedintothestaffdi
nerandsawt hi
scharmi ngblackki
ngi nasuit
,IhadnoideawhatI
wassigningmy selfupfor.HadIknown,Iwoul dhavenev erboughtthatR5air
ti
meand
cal
ledthisman!Iwonderhowmyl i
fewouldhav et
urnedoutt hen.

Wear r
iveanddr
amaticEli
kparksoutsi
dethegatealt
houghthere'
splent
yofyardaround
thehouse.I
t'
satypi
cal2-3bedroom t
ownshiphousepaint
edani nter
est
ingbl
ue.There'
s
shouti
nginsi
dethehouseandEl i
kwalksinleavi
ngmei nthecar!Idon'
tknowwhatI 'm
expect
edtodo.DoIfoll
owhim ordoIstayhere?Isi
ghandfoll
owi n.

Kof
iisscreamingandbreaki
ngthi
ngs.Iguesshejustgotherebecauset
here'
shisbag
onthef
looroverther
e.Anoldenoughwomani ssi
tt
ingther
elooki
ngemotionl
ess.El
i
kis
tr
yingtoturnonhisbigbrot
hernessandcal
mt hesi
tuat
ionbutKofii
shav
ingnoneofit
.
Thet wooft hem endupjustshouti
ngandtal
kingovereachother
.Thewomanisjust
si
ttingt
heredoingnothi
ngsoIalsodonothi
ng.

Eventual
lytheybecomecal mer ,asint heyarest i
l
lshoutingbutatleastoneatat i
me.El i
k
takesKofibyhandandf orceshi mt osi twithhim onasof aoppositethewoman.Ij ust
standbehindt hedoort hinki
ngmay beIshoul djustgo.Theyar enotpay i
ngmeany
attent
ionany waysandt heywon' tnot i
ceI'm gone.I '
m scar edthoughsoIst ayput.
Besides,I
'm curi
oust ohearwhatt heywi l
ltalkabout.Butno,Ihearnothing.Theygof ull
blownGhanai anwi t
hbarelyanyEngl ishwor dintheirsentences!It
'sli
keI'
m watchinga
Chinesemov iewi t
houtsubtit
les!Icant el
lt hatKofiistheupsetandi sont hevergeof
tears,
Eli
kisfumi ngandwant stokillsomeoneandt hewomani sj
ustquiet.

Aft
erawhi l
esheclapsherhandsandt heybot hfallsilent.Waitcl
appingyourhandsi
sall
youhavetodot omakey ourchildr
enshutup?I '
l
lpr acticethatwit
hthet wi
nswhenIget
back.Shestar
tstalki
ngandshe' ssocal m,Ir eal
lywi shIcouldunderstandwhatshe'
s
sayi
ng.Whatevershe’
ssayingisbreaki
ngEl i
kapar t.Iwat chaspainfeelshi
seyesandhe
openshismouthtosaysomet hingbutclosesitagai n. Iwantt oruntohim andwraphi
s
handsaroundhim andtel
lhimI'
m hereandhewi ll
beal ri
ght.Ist
ayhere.

Hestandsup,sayssomet hi
ngthatcan'
tbeniceandst ormsout .Kofidoesn'tlookupset
now,helooksmor econcernedandalsohurt.Herunsaf terhisbrother.Well
,whatam I
sti
l
ldoi
nghere.Ihavetogonow, Ihavenoreasontobeher e.Theyforgotmei nhere.The
waythi
swomani ssocalm,Iwanttotaket
hatpotov erthereandhitheront heheadwi th
i
t!Whatdidshejustsayt
omymen?

“Si
t”
,shesaysasIturntostepout.
Ihesi
tat
ebutIdecidetositandhearherout.Mymindisnotal
lheret
hough,I
'
m worr
ying
aboutEl
ik.Hedidn'tl
ookfineatall
.She’ssowellspokenandhasauni f
ormtonethat
doesn'
ttelly
ouhow exact lyshe'
sfeeli
ng.Shewasn'tpartofthemobofwomenof
womenwhoat t
ackedmeatt hatweddi
ng.

ShesayssinceEli
kisseri
ousaboutdisr
espect
inghi
sf ami
lyandconti
nuingwithme,I
shoul
dtakecareofhi
m becausehe'
sonhisownnow.Idon'tknowwhatthatmeans.She
can'
tdi
sownhim!Hedisownedherfi
rst
!Howcany oudisownadisownedperson?Asshe
tal
ksIj
ustkeepthi
nki
ng‘Yho!’
.

Soitturnsoutt
hisisthewomanEl i
kusedt othi
nkwashi smot herbutturnedoutnott o
be.Shestart
soffbysayi
ngEli
kisjustl
ikehisfat
her
.I'
m notsureifthat'
sgoodorbad.So
shesay sbackinthedayshewasmar ri
edtoherhusband,t henherhusbandst ar
ted
cheati
ngwithmanywomen.Theni nhischeati
ngspreehegotahi ghschool girlpr
egnant!
Theparentsofthegir
lthr
ewheroutandherhusbandwasf or
cedt otakeheri n.Sot hi
s
womanher ehadtostaywithherhusbandandherhusband'spr egnantmistress.Sonow
thatpr
egnanthi
ghschoolgir
lgavebirt
h.Butasshegav ebir
th,shedied,l
eav ingthechil
d
mot
her
less.Thent
hehusbandf
orcedt
hiswomani
nfr
ontofmet
otakecar
eoft
hatchi
l
d.

Shesai dshewassot empt edtothrowt hechi l

ddownt hetoil
etandordumphi mi nthe
ocean.Butshecoul dn'tbecauseshef eltl
iket hewholev i
ll
agewaswat chingher .Sot o
keepthatchi ldaliv
esheaskedhery oungersi st
ertocomeandt akecareofi t .Thatchil
d
i
sEl i
kandt hathighschool girlwashismot herandt hewomanwhot ookcar eofbabyEl i
k
i
st heaunthegr ewupl i
vi
ngwi th.Thenshesay sherhusbanddi edandshewasf reeto
l
eav ethev il
lageandcomet oAccra.Shesay sshehat edElikanywaybecausehewasa
constantremi nderofherhusband’ sinfidel
itysoshel ef
thim withhersisterbacki nCape
Coast.Thenshemetanot hermani nAccr aandhadKof i,whosheal soshi ppedt oher
youngsi st
er .Soinconcl usion,Eli
kandKof iarenotrel
ated! Shesay swhenhery oung
sist
erdied, shehadt otakei nKofiandcoul dn'tleav
eElikbehind,sooutoft hegoodness
ofherhear tshet ookhi mint oo.
Ihonestlydon' tknow whatt osay .I
'm dumbf ounded.Zerowor dsjustawi deopeney e
stareandast abthroughmyhear t.Thisi salot.

“I'
veneverforgi
venElikpl
imy ouknow!Itri
edsohardt
ocuthim of
fwhenhewasgrowi ng
upbutt hatboydidev ery
t hi
ngtoimpressmeandt omakemyl i
febet
ter
,Icoul
dn'
t”,she
says.
“Forgi
vehimf orwhat?”,t
hat'st
hefir
stti
meIspeak.
“Forhiswhor eofamot hersleepi
ngwi t
hmyhusband!”,shesays.Shesaysitl
i
kei t'
s
j
ust i
fi
ed.
Ihonestlyfeell
ikeslappingheracrosstheface.NowonderEl
ikissomessedupint he
head!Hewasbr oughtupbyt hi
swoman!

“Butwhyaf terallt
heseyears?Whydot hi
stohim?Whenhef oundoutaboutt
hishewas
real
lyhurt”,
Isay.
Shenev eroncecalledaft
erthatwedding!IaskedEli
k.
“Becausehe'snotmychi l
d!”,shesays.
Ifeelthepain.
“Didyout el
lhim al
lthi
s?”
,Isaystandingup.
I'
m doneher e.
“No.Ij usttoldhimt hesummar yofit!He'
snotmychi ldandhecameupher eathi
s
cousin'sweddingwi t
haprost i
tut
ewhi l
ehewasmar ried! Whatkindofmandoesthat
?”,
shesay s.
I'
lll
etthatprosti
tut
ecommentpass!Nowi snotthet
imef ormyfeeli
ngs.

“Butmama,af terev ery

thing,whydidy oukeepthissecretfr
om hi
m?Cl earlyyouhadno
reasonnott otellhim. Youdon' tseem toli
kehim much” ,
Isay.
“Thefami l
ydeci dedt okeepitasecret.Idi
dn'
t”
,shesay s.
Themor eshet alks,themor eIunderstandwhyElikhassomanyi ssues. Ifthiswoman
spoketohi mliket hi
sgr owingupitmusthav emessedhi m upbigt
ime.
“Goodluckwi t
hEl i
k.Koml ahastoldusabouthi slooseway ssoyoulooklikeyou'
llneed
alltheprayersy oucanget .He'
sjustlikehi
sfather!Apatheti
cwomani serandgoodf or
nothi
ng.PoorKoml
a.She'stheonlyonewhocouldhavehel
pedhi
m buthemessedt
hat
tooli
kehemessesever
ythingupinhisl
if
e”,
shesays.

“Whyar eyoutell
ingmeal l t
his?”,
Isay .
“BecauseIknowy ouwi l
lrunandt el
l hi
m soIdon'thav eto.Iknowy ourty
pe.Youf oll
owa
manar ound,tr
yandpl easehi m al lyoucan,y out earhisf amil
yapar tandy ouget
pregnanthopinghe'lll
ovey ou.Hewon' t
.Eli
kcan'tloveany one.Hecan'tbel oved!He’ sa
bastard,bornofsin!Howcanhel oveany one?”shesay s.
Wowpeopl eareev i
louthere.I'
ml osingfait
hinmot herseveryday .
“Sonextt i
mey oudeci det ocomei ntomyhome, don't.Bothofy oujustdon't.Andcome
tothinkofit,t
het woofy ouactuall
ydeser veeachot her.Komlat ol
dmeev erything.You
areabr aveandbr ainl
essgi r
l.Andy ouandy ourEli
k,leavemysonoutoft hisdi sgraceof
yours.Gobackt oSout hAf r
icaandst aythere”
,shesay s.

Ijustl ookather .She' ssosof tspokent houghi t'

sconf usi
ng.Herwor dsandtheir
meani ngdon' tmat ch.El ikrai
sedKof i
whatdoesshemeanhemustl eav ehim al
one?
“Youseemama, youar ewr ong.Eli
kcanbel oved.Hei slovedandhe' st hemostamazing
mani nt hewor l
dandasonanymot herwoul dbepr oudof .Sonomat terwhatyousay,
that'
st hehonestt ruth”, Isay.
“Lietoy ourselfally ouwant ,deepdowny ouknow El i
kisnot hing.Andy ou,I'
l
lnever
accepty ouasadaught erinlaw!Lookaty ou” ,
shesay s.
Ilaugh.Ther e'
snot hingwr ongwithmebutt here'
sev erythi
ngwr ongwi thher.
“Youar enotEl i
k’smot hersoobv iousl
y !Iwouldn'twanty ouforamot herinlawanyway!”
,I
say.
Don'tpeopl eknowIt alkbackt heseday s?Iwal koutbecauseIr eall
yf eelli
kehit
ti
ngthis
womanwi t
ht hatpot .Sheandmymot herwoul dmaket hebestoffriends!

I'
vemetmanywomeni nmyl i
feandmosthavesharedmenandr emai
nedbitt
eratthe
otherwoman.Inev ergetitreall
y.Thewomenstaywiththemanbutbecomeev i
l
creat
ureshat
ingev
eryonewhoev endar
esl
ookt
hedir
ecti
onofthei
rman!It
'ssadreal
l
y.

Thatwomanbr okemyhear t
.Howi sanyoft hi
sElik’
sfault
?Theyjustkeepbreaki
nghim
andIhavetost artov
erandbuil
dhi m backup.It'
snotf ai
r.Ihat
eitwhenhe'sinpain.I
cantakehi
m bei ngangr
ybuthur t
,Ican't
.Ithurt
smemor ebecauseIalway
sf eell
i
keI
havetopr
otecthimf r
om emoti
onalhurt.I
'm hi
sarmour.Andmost ly,
whenEli
kishurt,he
hurt
smeandweendupj usthurt
ingeachot her
.It
'snotfair
.

Eli
klockedhi msel
finthecarandKof iisbangingont hewindow askinghi
mt oopen.I
l
ookt hroughthewindowandEl i
kisjustst
aringblankl
yahead.There'savei
nr unni
ngon
thesideofhisfaceandIcant ellhe'
sgri
ndinghisteethandit'
stakingever
ythingi
nside
him nottocryortoki
llsomeone.Ihat
eseeinghiml i
kethi
shonestly
.

“
I'
m sorr
yKofi
foral
loft
his”
,Isay
.
Helooksatmeforawhil
ethengivesmeabi
ghug.I
'
mjustt
hinki
ng‘
pleasedon'
tcr
yon
me.Notr i
ghtnowwhenIhav eEl
i
kt otakecareof’.Thankful
lyhedoesn'
t.
“No,I
'm sorr
yFier
ce.IwassoangryandIwasn' tthi
nking.Ishoul
dhavet r
ust
edEl
ikwhen
hesaidwewer en'
tcomingdownforChr i
stmas.HadIj ustdonethatal
lthi
swoul
dn'thav
e
happened.Inst
eadIactedi
mpulsiv
elyandl ookathi m now.Lookwhatmyact i
onshave
done”,hesays.
“Thetrut
hwoul dhavecomeoutonedayany ways.I'
mj ustsorr
yitwasmewhot al
ked”,I
say.

Kof isit
sdownandl eansagai nstthecarandIsi tnextt ohim.Af ewpeopl epassbyand
sayhit oKof iandwal kal ong.Let '
sjusthopeEl i
kdoesn' tgomadandst artthecarand
knockusof f.
“Eli
ki snotmybr otherFi erce!Thatr eall
yhurts.Thatj ustcutmyhear topen!Whathur ts
mor ei showeasi lymymot hersaidit.Shetreatedhim sobadl yIdon'tknowwhy ”,hesay s.
“He' sstil
lyourbr otherKof i.He'l
lalwaysbe.Youknowhel ovesy ou” ,Isayandhol dhi s
handi nmi nebutkeepl ookingf orward.
“Ij
ustwantt ot al
kt ohim.Iwantt oapologise.Ican'timagi nehowhe' sfeeli
ngr i
ghtnow.I
feelsobadbecausehe' sonl yherebecauseIwentof fr unningher einsteadoft alki
ngt o
him” ,hesay s.
“It
'sokKof i
.What 'sdonei sdone.YouknowEl ik.Heneedst imet opr ocessthis.He’llt
alk
toy ouwhenhe' sready ”,Isay .
“Ican'tlosehi m Fierce.He' sev er
ythi
ngt ome” ,Kofisay s.
“Iknow.Hecan' tlosey out oo.Youar eev ery
thingtohi m andr ightnowhe’ sscar edthat
he'slosty ou.I'
llt
alkt ohim andy oucancomear oundt ot hehotellater.Ok?”,Isay.

Il
ookathi m andit
'sli
kef oronceIreal
lyseehi m.Ialway sthoughthelookedlikeEli
kbut
her eal
lydoesn't
.Theyjustbot hdarkskinnedbutt hat
'swher etheresemblanceends.Hi s
eyesar eglassyandl ookgui lt
y.Healway sl ooksli
kehe' sdonesomet hingwr ong.The
bonest ructureonhisf aceisamazi ng!Heshoul dseriouslyconsi
dermodel l
ing.Unlike
El
ikwho’ sgotar oughishlookandt hat‘ Imi ghtbeinasui tbutIcouldalsostaby ou’
fi
nish,Kofihasapr ett
yboyf ini
shli
kehe' sreadytowal kar unwayandbeGhananextt op
model .Andr i
ghtnowhej ustlooksli
kehe'sgoi ngtocr y.Whathast hatwomandonet o
myboy s?She'spi
ssingmeof f!

“Don'
tyouwantt ogobackt othehousesoIcandealwi t
hEli
k?IsyourWhatsapp
worki
ng?
”,Isay
.
HenodsandIpromiset
ot exthi
ml at
er.Heget
sup,hel
psmeupandIgivehim abi
ghug.
Dotheyhavetobesotallthough!Huggingt
hem i
sami ssi
on.Il
ethi
m goandhegoes
backtot
hehouse.

Onlythendot hecardoorsunl ockandIjumpin.Eli

kdri
vesof ft
othehotelandwhenwe
park,heleavesmebehi ndagai n.Ifi
ndhimi ntheroom andIknow heneedsme.He' s
pacingandlookssoangr y.Iholdhim buthepushesmeof fbutIj
usthol
dhim anddomy
besttopushhi mt owardst hebed.Hecoul dhavepushedmeawayhar derbutI'
m
pregnantsoIknowhewon' t
.Ipushhim andhesitsandIstandbetweenhisl
egsandhol
d
hi
mther
e.Event
ual
l
yhestopsresi
sti
ngandrest
shisheadonmystomachandwr
apshi
s
ar
msaroundmybum.Ihopehecanhearthehear
tbeatofl
i
ttl
ehi
m.

Wedon' tsayanythingandwej uststayther

e.Ineedhimt ocryital
lout.Hej
usthol
don
tomeandIst aythere.hecant
akeasl ongashewant s,
I'
m notgoinganywher
e.
Onlyaft
erforeverdoeshesay ,
“Thankyoubaby ”.
Isitonhislapandhol doneofhishandsinmi ne.GoshI
'm soangryatKofi
’
smother
!How
couldshe!

“Areyoumadatme? ”,Iask.
“Iwasbutnotany more”,hesay s.
“Ididn'
tmeant ot el
lKof i
.YouknowmeEl ik,Iwoul
dn'tdothat.Idi
dn'tknowheknew”,I
say.
“Iknowt hat
.Ij
ustneededsomeonet oblameIguessandIbl amedy ou”,
hesays.
Thanky ouforthat.
“Whydidn'tyoutellKofithough? ”
,Isay.
“Iwantedt oprotecthim.I t
'salwaysbeenmydut yto.Idi
dn'twanthimt ofeelt
hepai
nI
fel
twhenIf oundout ”
, hesay sandbur i
eshisfaceonmyshoul der.

He’sfall
i
ngapar tandIhopeIcankeephi mt oget
her
.Ihopehecanl etme.Henev er
wantedtoretur
nt oGhanaeveragai
nandnowhehadt oforhisbrot
her,becauseofmy
bi
gmout h.Ihopehecantrul
yforgi
veme.Thatwomanwasr i
ghtaboutonething.I
'
m not
goi
ngt okeepwhatshesai dtomef rom El
ik.Andmay beI'
m beingwrongher ebutI'
m
goi
ngtotellhi
m nowsohecanpr ocessever
y t
hingatonce.

Imakehi ml ookupsoIcanlookathim.Godshel ookssowounded.ButheknowsI '

m not
allaboutthat'amandoesn'tcr
y'nonsense.Mymancr i
esandIencouragehimt oandI
holdhim whenhecr i
es.Hedoesn'thaveareasontomanupar oundmeandactal l
strong.
I'
m hiswomanandIknowhi sstr
uggl eandifhedoesn'
tcryandleav
esthatangerbottl
ed
i
n,he'llendupi njai
lformurder.Ican'thavethat
.Soheknowst oletdownhisguar d
aroundmeandbehuman.

“Whatdi dshesaytoy ou?”,Isay.

“Dowehav etotal
kaboutt hisnow?”,hesays.
Inod. Yeswedo.Ineedhi mt oprocessallofitatoncenoti
nbi tsandpieces.Let'
sface
thisGoliat
honceandf orall.
“Shesai dIwasahotheadedspoi l
tbratandI '
mr adi
calandI'
m abadi nfl
uenceonKof i.
Shesai dshe'sKofimot herbutnotmi ne.Thewayshewassocol dandcr uelFi
erce!She
saidshecant el
li'
m desper atebecauseIgoar oundtryi
ngtobuyev ery
one'slove.She
refusedt otel
lmewhathappenedt omymot herorwhomyf atheris.Shejustmadei t
clearthatKofiandIarenotr elat
ed.How?He' smybr ot
herFi
erce”,hesay sandhisv oi
ce
breaksal i
ttl
e.
Hecomposeshi mselfthough.
“Butbaby.Ialway sthoughtyouandy ourmotherwerefine.Imeanbackt hen.Younev er
spokeil
lofher ”
,Isay .
“Ichosetot hinkofi tthatway.Ithoughtshewasst ressedbecauseshewasasi ngle
motherraisi
ngboy s.Evenwhensheputmeoutsomet imesandlockedmeoutal lnight
andsaid.cruelt hingstome,Ialway sint
erpret
editasloveandt r
yingtodi sci
pli
neme.
ShelovedKof ialotbutIalwaysthoughtthat'
sbecausehewasy ounger.Ijusti
fi
edal lher
acti
ons.ButwhenIl ookbacknow,Ireal
isesheactual
lyhatedme!”
,hesay s.

“
Iknowwhathappenedtoyourmotherandwhoyourfat
heris”
,Isay.
Hi
sey espopopenandhelooksatme.
“
Tell
me” ,hesay
s.
"
Youhav ethemostgor
geouseyesinthewhol
eworld",
Isay.Okthatwassorandom but
t
hoseey esmademesayit
.Hesmi l
esalit
tl
eandputshisf
oreheadonmyshoulder.

Inasmuchast hatwomanspokesocal mlyandemot i

onless,Ican'tadoptt hesame
strategy.I'
m av eryemot i
onalbei
ngandIcanf eelthelumpi nmyt hr
oatgrow.Ihav et o
stopbl inki
ngsot hatthetearsdon'
tf al
l
.Itellhim ever
ythi
ng.Byt het i
meI '
m donehi s
eyesar ef ul
loftear sagai
nandIhav etostandandt akehimi nmyar ms.Hej ustfound
outhi smot herdiedandhisonlybrotherisnothisbrot
herandt hatnooneev erl
ov edhim.
That '
senought obr eakanyoneint
oami l
li
onpieces.Ithi
nkI'
mt heonecryingmor e.Iki
nd
ofr eall
yknowhowt ocry.I'
m weak.Andt heonet hi
ngIcan' tstandisseeingEl ikfall
i
ng
apar t
.

*
***
***
**

I'
mf eeli
ngabitsicksoIhadtoliedown.Theplanwast hatEli
kl i
esdownt oobuthe
couldn'
t.I
t'
sev
eningwhenIwakeupandEl i
kisjustsi
tt
ingthereblankl
y.Iknowwhathe
needsandwhatcoul dhelphi
m butIcan'
t. I
'm ki
ndofpr egnantandcan'tr eal
l
yoffer
my sel
ftoberapedr i
ghtnow.SoIcan'
thelphi
m.Iwi shIcoulddosomet hingthough.
He'sbreaki
ngmyheart.

Ihaveal otofmessagesf r
om Kof iaski
ngwhichhot elwear eatandthatheneedst otalk
tohisbrother.
“Baby.Youneedt otalkt
oKof i
”,Isay.
“No.He'snotmybr otherandhismot hermadei tcl
earthatImustst ayawayfrom him”,
he
says.
“Butbaby ,Kofidi
dn'tdoany t
hingwr ong.He'sav icti
m ofcircumstancesherejustli
ke
you”,Isay.
Hekeepsqui et.Hecan'tdisownKof i
!He'sj
ustmi sdir
ecti
nghi sangerhere.Wer unni
ng
l
owonf amily
.Heneedst otalktohisbrother
.ButElikisstubborn,
mygoodness!

“
Kof
iandhismothercangohang.Idon'
tneedthem”,hesays.
“
Nobaby.Don'
tbeli
kethat
!Kofii
ssti
lly
ourli
tt
lebrot
her.He'
sinnocenther
e”,
Isay
.
“Fi
erce,whosesi deareyouonhere?Ifyouthi
nktheyaresori
ghtandI
'm sowrongthen
whydon’ tyoujustl
eaveandgot ot
hem? ”
,hesays.
OkIwasn' texpecti
ngthat.
“Go”,heshouts.
Istayput.I'
m sti
lli
nshock.
“Fi
ne.Ify oudon'twanttogo,I'
l
lgo”,hesays,gr
absthecarkeysandwal
letandstor
ms
out.He'shandli
ngt hi
ssit
uati
onsobadly.

Whatj
usthappened?Di
dIsaysomet
hingwr
ong?DoIr
unaf
terhi
m?I
'
m soexhaust
ed.

I
t'
sal most10pm andElikhasbeengoneforalmost4hoursnow.Ican'
treachhim
becausewenotroamingandhedoesn'tseem tohav eaWiFisi
gnalwher
everheis
j
udgingbymyonet ickmessagesonWhatsApp.ItextKof
ithehot
elnameandr oom
numberandheget
sher e30minut
esl
ater
.

Wet al
kandIr eassurehi
m everyt
hingisfi
ne.Wewai tandwaitandwai t
.Ifal
lasl
eepat
somepoi ntandIwakeupat5am andKof ii
ssleepi
ngont hecouchandEl i
kissti
llnot
back.Itrycall
i
nghi m onWhatsApp,sendmessages,evensendemails!Nothi
ng.NowI '
m
real
lyreall
ywor r
ied.MaybeIshoul
dcallthepol
icebuthe'l
lbeupsetwit
hmeev enmor eif
hestartsbeingknownasami ssi
ngperson.

7am.NoElik.Kof
isayshe'l
lgoandl
ookforhim athi
scousi
n’splaceandf
indaphone
andmakecall
s.Thatsoundsli
keapl
an.I
’l
ljustsi
ther
eworri
edsickandwaitf
orhi
mt o
comeback.

10am.El ikwalksinanddoesn' tevenl ookatme.Heundr essesandt hr

owshi scl
othes
ont hefl
oorandheadsst r
aighttotheshower .Isi
gh.Atleasthe'sali
ve.Iwasstart
ingto
thinkhewaski dnappedorwor se,kill
ed.Igot hr
oughhisbagandt akeoutanewsetof
clothest
hathe'llwearwhenheget soutoft heshower.Ithenpickuphi sclot
hesont he
fl
oorsoIcanf oldthem.Somethingf all
soutthebackpocketofhi sjeansasIpicki
tup.

A3-packpacketofcondomswi thjust1condom i nthere.Isi

tdownandkeepl ooki
ngat
thi
sbluepacketofGoalKeeper s.Oh!Wow.Whonamescondomsgoal keeper
s?ImeanI
getthepunbutst i
ll
.There'
sjustonei nheresowhathappenedt ot heother2?Isit
possi
blethathegotr obbedandt hethievestookthem?Okt hat
'sabsurd.Andwhat'she
doi
ngwi t
hcondomsany way?Wenev erusethose!Isighandputt hepacketbackint
ohis
pocketandfoldhiscl
othesthenjustsitther
e.I'
m notsurehowt ofeel
.
[
3/11,22:01]I
nini
:CHAPTER81

Iknow st
eppi
ngouti snot
hingnew f
orElikbutitjustnev
erget
sanyeasier.I
talways
hurt
stoknowhe'llshar
ehi
sbodywithsomeoneel se.Andwhat’
sthathi
s‘ mother
’ifI
cancal
lherthatsaid?He’
sawomani ser
.Ifeelsomuchpai ni
nmyheartandIhav en'
t
deci
dedyetwhatI'
m goi
ngtodo.
“
Wherewereyoulastnight
?”,Iaskassoonashestepsoutoft
hebathr
oom.
“
Fier
cepl
ease.I
'
mt iredandIjustwanttosl
eep.Pl
easedon'
tst
art
”,hesay
s.
“
WherewereyouElikpl
im?”,
Irepeatmysel
f.
I
'
m calm.

Hestopsandl ooksatme.Notl ookmei nt heey ebutlooktowardsme.

“
Iwentbackt otalkthi
ngsov erwithKofil
ikey ousaidIshould”
,hesays.
“
Andwhathappened? ”,Isay.
“
Whatdoy oumeanwhathappened?Wet al ked!"
,hesays.
"
Andt henaftert
hat?",Isay.
"
What ?Ist
ay edthenightthereandsleptl
ikenor malpeopledoatnight”,
hesays.
He'
sreall
ygoi ngtobecor nyandgi vemeat ti
tude!I
'
llstaycal
mt hough,Ineedt
okeepi
t
t
ogether.
“
Soyoust ayedthenightwi t
hKof i
?”,
Iask.
“
Yes.Geezwhat 'swiththe21quest i
ons!”
,hesnaps.

Idon'
tknowwhet hert olaughrightnoworwhat .Kofispentt
heni
ghther
ewithme!He
wasri
ghthereont hecouchal lnightl
ong!Couldn'thehavecomeupwithabet
terl
i
e?He
getsi
ntobedandsl eepsandIf eelli
keboil
ingwat erandgivi
nghi
sfaceahotbath!He
l
iedwit
houtevenblinking!

Sowhi l
eIwasouther estressedoutofmymi ndabouthi m hewasbusyget tingi tonwith
somegi rlsomewhere?Andwej ustgothereandhehasn' tl
ivedinGhanainlikef oreverso
wheredi dhegett hi
sgirlfrom?Anot heronenightstand?Apr osti
tut
e?Andnowhehas
thegutstot el
lmehe'stiredandwant stosleep!Ti
redfrom workinganothergirlwhi l
ehis
pregnantfiancéstay
edupwai ti
ngforhim?Lov i
ngElikisthehardestthi
ngI'veev erdone
i
nmyl i
fe.Thinki
ngaboutt hi
sismakingmesoangr y.Yerrr
!

ButIknow t hedevilIsleepwi th.Whenhe' shur t

ingheneedsr oughsexorhedr inks
himselfdrunkorboth.Wi t
hmebei ngpregnantandal l
,Iguessroughingmeupwasof f
thetablesoheturnedtowhoev erwasunl uckyt ohavehi mlastnight
.Iknowit
'sbadand
I
'm sti
llangryathi
m butdoesi tmakemesi cki ntheheadt hatIunderst
and?Iactuall
y
understandwhyhedi ditbecausei t
'snothi
ngnew.I 'mj ustangrybutI'
m notshocked.
AndisitalsobadthatI'
mr eli
evedt hathe'satleastusingprotect
ion?

Itakeoutmyl apt
opandst ar
twr it
ing.Mylifedeservest obedocumented.I'
v enevermet
anyonewho'sbeenthroughhellandheav enandev encampedi npur
gatoryforawhi l
eli
ke
me. Myl i
fei
sahugemessandi fI'mtost aysaneIneedt olaughatmy selfandwr i
tei
t
down.Ineedt owr i
tedownal lthepain,thebetrayal,theli
es,thehurt
,thedamage,t he
dramaandt hestr
essthatcomeswi thmyl i
fe.I
fIdon' twri
tei
tdownI '
m scaredI'
llendup
i
npsy chiat
ri
chospital
!Ikeepwr iti
ngwi thAkonpl ayinginmybackgr oundandIcr y
si
lentl
y.Thepain!

Hal
fthet
imeIt
hinkI
'
m st
ucki
nadr
eam unt
ilIl
ookupandEl
i
kisr
ightt
her
e,v
eryr
eal
.
Andnowhe' ssleepi
ng, r
esti
ngf
rom thewildnighthehad.Justgr
eat!Can'tIjustki
llhi
m
ri
ghtnow andendt hi
sv i
ci
ouscycl
eofhappi nessandpain.Whenit'sgoodwi t
husi t
's
amazingbutwheni thurtsi
t'
sabit
ch!I'
m sotempt edt
ograbhisphoneov erthereandgo
thr
oughitbutforthesakeofmypoorhear tIwon'tdot
hat.
I
'm exhaust
ed.

WhenPr ofNkrumahdearestfi
nal
l
ywakesuplikeanhourl
ater,
I'
m sti
l
ltyping.Het r
iesto
talktomeandi snicernowbutIkeepty
ping.IputonAkon's(andLonelyIsland)IJust
HadSex .I'
m hopi
nghewi llgett
hemessageandIt hi
nkhedoesbecausehel ooksso
guilt
y!Thi
sisasongheshoul dbesi
ngi
ngalongtori
ghtnow!Heknowswhathedi dlast
night!

“I
'm goingt
omeetupwi t
hKofi”
,hesays.
“Sure”,
Isay.
“Wannacome? ”,hesay s.
“No”,Isay.
“Lookbaby.I'
m sorryaboutstormingoffl
astni
ght”,
hesays.
“Idon'twannaheari t
.GomeetKof iandbeabi gbrot
hertohim.Heneedsyouandy ou
shutti
nghim outisnothelpi
ng.Got al
ktohim”,
Isay.
Ihopehegoest ot herealKof
i t
histi
meseeingthathewaswiththewr
ongoneyest
erday.

AssoonashestepsoutItakeapill
owandcovermyfaceandscream andscream and
scr
eam.Whywouldhedothisthough?Nowofal
lti
mes?Whatdoesheex pectmetodo?
Icrymysel
ftosl
eepandhewakesmeupl i
ke2orsohourslaterwhenheget sback.
Cry
inghel
pedmethoughbecausealt
houghI
'
m sti
l
langr
y,I
'
mi ncontr
olofmysel
fnow.

Henow knowsKof istay edthenightwi t

hmesohe' sforcedt oconfessexcepthel i
es
again!Hewokemeupt ol i
einmyf ace!Nowhesay shewentoutwi t
hanol dfri
endofhis
andt heywentoutdrinkingt henwenthomeandheov ersl
ept.Hesay shej ustsai
dhe
spentthenightwit
hKof ibecausehedi dn'twantmewonder i
ngwhatf ri
endhe’stalki
ng
about.Il
ist
entohim andev enaskt hefr
iend'snameandnameoft heclubandwher ethe
fr
iendstays.Ij
ustwantt oseehoweasyi tisforhimtol
ie.Hecan'tevenl i
eproperl
y!He
can'tmaint
aineyecontactandhehast ot hi
nkev er
yti
mebef oreheanswers.

“Ihearallthatbul l
shityoujusttol
dmeEl i
kpl
im andIappreciatet
hetri
al.Nowtellmet he
trut
h”,Isay .
“ButIjustdid”,hesay s.
“Stopi nsult
ingmyi ntel
li
gence.Youknow what ,Idon'
tev enwanttoknow!Iknow y ou
werewi t
hagi rlorgirlsorwhat ev
er.Isawthecondoms!Isawt heli
pstickst
ainony our
T-shir
tandr ememberIknowy ou!Iknowwheny ouarel
ying!Sodroptheactalready
!” ,I
say.
Hel ookslikehej ustsawadeadper sonandhelooksatme.Igetupt ost andandIguess
hethinksI '
ml eavingsohebl ocksmywayandst ar t
sapol
ogi si
ng.
Thismanandsor ry!
“Icanexpl
ain”,hesay s.
“No.I'
m goodt hanks.Ireal
lydon'
twantt ohearhow mymanwaspl easuri
nganother
womanwhi leIwasupi nhereworri
edsickandcarr
yinghi
schil
d.Sonot hanks”,
Isay
.
I'
mt oocal
m.Notsol ongagohepr omisednevert
ocheatonmeagai nandsi l
l
ymehad
actual
l
ybelievedhi m.Andt hatover100girl
she'ssleptwit
hnumberj ustwentup.I '
m
surewepr obabl yat300or2000now whoknows!Thatj ustmakesmesoangr y!He
mightaswel l
wal karoundnakedmossi ncehi
spartsarepubl
icnotpr
ivate!

Idon'tknowhowI '
m okwi t
hthis.I'
m notokokwi t
hitbutI'
m notleavinghim andIdon't
knowwhy .I
'
m sti
llherei
nt hi
shot elr
oom.Fr om theti
meIf oundout,I'
vebeenangr ybutI
didn'
tevenconsiderleavi
nghim.I tneverevencrossedmymi nd.It
hinkIforgi
vethisman
toomuch.Idon' tev enknow how Idoi tsomet i
mes.I'm soupsett houghandI '
m
wonder i
nghowmanyot herpacketsofcondomshe' shi
dingi nhisbag.SoIgot hrough
histhi
ngsandt hr
owt hem onebyoneont hefl
oor.Idi
dn'
tseet hebottl
eofper f
umet here
soitfal
lssohardandbr eaks.

“Fi
erce”,hetr
iestostopme.
“Don'tyoudaretouchme! ”,Isayt
ohim andhebacksof fandst
andsagainstt
hewal
lwit
h
onel egdownandanot herbentatthekneebalanci
ngont hewallandhi
shandscr
ossed.
Hej ustwatchesmegoi ngmadandt hrowi
nghi sthi
ngsaround.OkIsaidhemustnot
touchmebutIdi dn'tsayhemustj ustst
andthereandlookatmel i
keI'
m cr
azy!

Ifi
ndnot hingandIf eelst
upidnowwi t
hhim watchingmel ikethat.Isitonthebedand
cryintomyhands.I thurt
ssobad.Hehol dsmeandIt ellhimtoletmegobuthedoesn' t.
Istandandst arthi
tt
inghim andki
cki
nghim butheholdsmyar mssoIcan' tr
eal
lyhi
thi
m.
Hepi nsmyar mstomybodyandhol dsmet here.Ican'tst
opcr yi
ng,I'
m cryi
ngsohard
I'
m shaking.How couldhedot hi
s?Now ofallti
mes?Idon' tunderstand.WhatdidIdo
wrong?

Ievent
ual l
ycalm downandonl ythendoeshel oosenthehold.Ibr
eathinandoutandi n
andoutunt i
lIcanfeelmymi ndqui et
en.
“Iwanttogobackt oCapeTown” ,Isay .
“Ourfl
ightsarefortomorrowandt oJobur g”,hesays.
“Thengetmeaf li
ghttoCapeTownf rom Joburgont heverysamedaywel and!
”,Isay
.
I'
m wayt oocalm now!Itcomeswi thy earsofexperi
ence.Ican'
twaittogiv
ebi r
thsoIcan
star
tdrinki
ng.Ihatealcoholbutsomet imesIneedi tt
ohelpmedeal wit
hElik.

"I
'm sorrybaby"
,hesays.
“Ilovey ouEl i
kbutIhatey ou.Youmakei tsohardt oloveyou.Whaty oudidisso
i
nconsi der
ate.YouknowI'm st
il
ldeal
ingwi t
hwhathappenedwithmymot her
.Youknow
I'
mi nabadspaceandIcan’ thandl
eallthisri
ghtnow.YouknowhowI ’
m worri
edabout
thi
spr egnancyandIkeepwonder i
ngifI’l
lmakeitto9mont hsornot.Youknowallthat
!
Buty ou’vebeenmaki ngmef eelbadf ortell
i
ngKofiaboutthi
salthoughIreall
ydidn'
t
meant o.I’m humanandImakemi stakes.Iwouldnev erintent
ional
lyhurtyoul i
kethat
.
Youknowt hat! Youdr aggedmedownher etoAccraf orwhat ?Soy oucouldleaveme
herealoneandgof i
ndsomegi rlorgirl
sorwhat evernastythingyougoti nt
olastnight
?Is
thatyourwayofget ti
ngbackatme?Ar ey oupunishingme?Al lIwast ryi
ngtodowas
makesur ey oudon'tloseyourbrother?YouknowIal waysputy oufir
standt hat'
sexactl
y
whatIwasdoi ng!Yout ookitli
keIwasat tacki
ngy ousoy oudecidedt ogof ucksome
random gir
loutt her
e?Doy ouevert hi
nkofmeorhowanyoft hesethingsyoudomake
mef eel?
”,GoshIt hi
nkI '
m goi
ngtocr yagainbutIwon' t
.

He'
sjustl
ooki
ngdownandnotsay
ingany
thi
ng.Fi
nei
fhewon'
tspeakIwi
l
l.

“SoifIhadn'tf
oundt hosecondomsyouwoul dbeactinglikeev
eryt
hingi
snormal,ri
ght?
Asifeveryt
hingisperfect
.Howexactl
ydoy oudot hat
?Youmeant otel
lmethatnothing
i
nsideyouf eel
sanythingwheny oudothesekindofthings?Nothi
ngatall
?I'
m pregnant
youknowandIr eall
ydon'tneedthest
ress”
,Isay.

I
'mreallynotgoingtocrybecauseI'
llbev ul
nerabl
eagainandhewillcomeinandsave
meandl i
etomeandconf usemesomemor e.Theworstwi
llbeifthi
sendswithhi
m
f
uckingmeont hisbed!Iwon'tal
low thattohappen.Hekeepstry
ingtoapologi
seand
f
ranklyhe'
sannoy i
ngmenowsoIneedt ogetoutofher
e.

“Ihopewhat evergi r
lt hatwas,shewaswor thi t
.Youknowt heonl yreasonI '
m st anding
ri
ghther ehalfwayacr ossAf ri
caisbecauseIl ov eyouandIsuppor tyouandIwanty out o
beok.Butgoshy oumakei tsohar d!I
'
ml ookingaty ouri
ghtnowandIhat ey ou.Ihat e
whaty oudo.Ihat ewhatI ’
m becomi ngbecauseofy ou.Andy ouwannaknowwhat '
ssad?
It
'st hatI'
m goi ngt of orgi
vey ouany wayandI '
m goingtokeeponl ovingy ouany way .I’
m
goingt of ightfory ouandnev ergiveupony ou.I ’
m goingt olookoutf ory ouandkeep
l
ov i
ngy ourchildren.I '
m goingt okeeppr ay i
ngt hatonedayy our eali
sewhaty ouhav ein
frontofy ou.Ijusthopewhent hatdaycomesi twon'tbet oolate.Iknow y out hinkI '
m
nev ergoingany wher eandt hat'
smadey ousocomf or
tabl
e.ButIpr omi sey ou,keepdoi ng
thisandonedayI 'l
lwal kawayandnev erl ookback.Buty ouknowwhat ?Whent hatday
comesIwon' tfeelbadbecauseI '
llknowt hatIt r
iedeveryt
hingwi t
hy ou.I '
vegiv eny ouall
ofmeandmor eEl ikplim”,Isay.

Hel ooksdownandpl ay
swi t
hhi sfinger
s.Goshwhydoeshi sguilt
yf acelookso
handsome!Andwhenhe' slookingdownt hosebushyey el
ashesj
ustmakehi ml ookl
i
ke
thebestthi
ngsincesl
i
cedbr ead.Andthoselips.OkIneedtogetoutofhere.Thewayhe
l
ooksi sconf
usi
ngme.Andhel ookssosadnowI '
mf eel
i
ngbadsoIr eal
l
yneedt ogett
he
hell
outofhere.

Igetupandf i
ndaT- shi
rtdressthatj
ustgi
vest
hei
ll
usionthatI
'
m plumpandnotexact
ly
pregnant
.Iwalkt
ot hemi r
rortobrushoutmyweaveandputonabi tofmakeupandput
onj ewel
l
eryandgladiat
orsandal sandwearsomeperfume.Ithi
nkIlookcuteandI'
m
readytogo.Nomorecr yi
ngf ort
oday.
Butwher eshouldIgoto?May beIcancallupKofiandwehav eadr i
nkanddrownour
sorrows?Buthe'snoti
nagoodspacer i
ghtnowandhewon' tdomucht ocheermeup.
Hemi ghtevenmakemef eelworse.I
'
m notinastatetogooutaloneandhopetohook
upwi t
hsomepeopl eoutt
here.IguessI'
m st
uckherewitht
hisbadboyofmine.Il
ookso
cutethough,Ideser
vet
ogoout !Idon’
twanttobearoundEl
ikri
ghtnow.
Sigh.

Speakoft hedev i
l!Kof isay she'soutsi
deandI '
venev erbeensogl adbecauseIneeda
buffert
ohel poutt hist ensionbetweenmeandEl ik.Iopent hedoorandhecomesi n.He
l
ookssost ressedoutandl ooksl i
kehecouldusesomesl eep.
“HiKofi
”,Isay .
IknowIlookequal lydrained.
Thef l
oorisf ullofEl i
k’scl othesandt hi
ngs.Ireall
ywentcr azyt
here.Kof
ilooksatEli
k
thenatmet henbackatEl ikt henbackatme.
“Youalri
ght?”,hefinallysay s.
“I'
m not
!Thankst oy ourbrot herhere”
,Isay.
“Whathappened? ”
, hesay s.
“I'
m sur
eElikwi llt
ellyou” ,
Isayandgetahai r
brusht ostr
aightenastr
andofmyweav e.

“SorryFiercebutcanIspeakt omybr otheraloneplease”,Kofisays.

“Noshe' snotgoingany where”, Eli
ksay s.
“It
'sfi
neKof i.I
'm goi
ngoutany way s”,Isay.
“Wher ear eyougoingto?”, Eliksay s.
“Youdon' tgettoaskmet hat”,Isayandl ookatmy selfonelastti
meint hemirror.
Heget supandhol dmyar msandmakesmef acehim.Ishr ughim offsohar dandtel
l
himt ost epawayf rom mebef oreIsmackhi m upsi dedownwi t
hthishairbrush.Whyis
hest i
lltalki
ngwhenIt ol
dhimt oleavemeal oneandgi vemespacet ot hi
nk!WhereI'
m
goingt oisnoneofhi sbusiness.
“Cash”,Isayandhol doutmyhand.
I
’m notaboutt ogoaboutswi pinghi scardandl eavingat r
ailofevi
dence!Hehandsmeal l
themoneyi nhiswallet.
“It
’sabout1000cedi ”
,hesays.
“Fier
cewher eareyougoing?”,hesay s.

“Lat
er ”
,Isayandgetmybag.
BeforeElikcanaskmeanymor equest i
onsIshuthi
m downbyt hr
owingwhathedidat
hisface.
“Iwon'tbegoneforeversodon'tbr
inganygi r
lsi
nher
e.Atleastr
espectmethatmuch”
,I
say.
Het r
iestostopme.
“Don'tyoudareEl
ikpl
im!Leavemeal one!
”,Isay.
HelooksdownandI '
m outofhere!
Isi
tinthefoyerdownstai
rswonder
ingwhereIcango.IrememberaboycalledJay.A
ni
ceboywithabeautif
ulhear
tandatal
kat
ivemoutht
hatIdancedwi
thatShakaZuluand
hadagreatdaywith.Hewassosweetandl ookedl
ikehewasdescendantfr
om Masai
warr
ior
s.

Honest lyifIwasn'tpregnantIwouldcal lhim upandf i

ndouti fhewantst odomef or
closurepur poses.I
'
llhavefoundbetterwor dstouseobviousl
y!ButsinceIam Isendhim
amessageandaskt omeetupf orachat .It
'sj
usta “HieJay.Fier
cehere.I'
m probably
thel astpersony ouexpecttohearf rom.I '
mi nAccra.Canwedol unchplease.Iknow
thingsdi dn'
tgosowel lbetweenusl asttimebutcany oupleasegivemeachancet o
explainandapol ogi
seinperson.Please.XoXo.Fierce”
.

Ican'
tleav
et hehot
elbefor
eher esponds,i
fherespondsatall,becauseIneedtheWiFi
.
Hereadmymessage10mi nut
esagobuthasn'tresponded.Idon'tknowwhethertocal
l
orsendanothermessageorkeepwaiti
ng.Iwai
t.

I
'm aboutt
ogiveupandgobackupt otheroom soIcancovermyheadwi thapill
ow
whenJayresponds.“
Sur
e.MeetmeatShakaZul
uin40minut
es”.Myhear
tjustski
ppeda
beat.

Iaskr eceptiont ocal lmeat axiandIheaddownt oShakaZul u.It

'sclosedsoIwai t
out sideabi tbef oreJayf i
ndsme.He' ssti
llveryni
ceandgi vesmeaki ssont hecheek.I
thinkhel ooksl ikeKof ibutwellIusedtothinkKofilooksabitli
keEli
ksomycompar ison
skillscan'tbet rusted.Hesay shesaidShakaZul ubecauseheknowsIknowt heplaceso
hej ustwant edaconv enientpickupplace.Hehashi sfr
iend'
scarsowepi ckupsome
fruitsandt akeaway satal ocalmarketanddr i
vedownt ohi suni
versi
ty.Iapologisefor
l
astt imeandpr omiset oexplainlat
er.Hesay shewasj ustdisappoint
edbutr eall
y
neededt oseemeagai n.Hesay sheneverforgotaboutmebutcoul dn'
treachme.That '
s
becauseI 'dbl ockedhi m butletmenottellhimthat.

He'sstay
ingatreznow.Thei rrezr oomsar emuchnicerthanour sbuti
t'
salsoabar e
minimum room.He'samaz ing.I
fhe’ sstil
lupsetwit
hmef orlyi
ngtohimlasttimehe
doesn'
tshowit.I
t'
slikewej ustpickedupwher eweleft
.JayremindsmeofKofisomuch.
He'ssofreeandtalkst oomuchandmakesj okes.Thi
sisthekindofboyIshoul dhave
endedupwi t
h!He'sjust2y earsolderthanmeandt hat'
sperfect
.May bet
he10y eargap
betweenEli
kandIist heproblem!Het reat
smel i
keachildsometimes!

Midwayi ntoourlunch,
Ifindmy sel
ftel
li
ngJaymyl if
est
ory.Hemustt hi
nkI'
m somessed
up.Iact uall
ytellhimthet rut
haboutEl i
k,Komla,mymot herdi
sowningmeandEl i
k
repeatedl
ycheatingonme.Ofcour seIl eaveoutmoreseri
ousthingsli
kemiscar
ri
ages
andr apesandal lt
hatgruesomest uff
.I '
m nott
ryi
ngtoscarethepoorguyaway,Ij
ust
real
lyneedt ovent.

He'
ssuchagoodl
i
stenerandhesay
sIdeser
vesomuchbet
terandmoneyi
sn'
twor
thi
t
i
fI'
ml osi
ngmysouli ntheprocess.Hesaysitlooksli
keal
lmypr
oblemscomedownt o
El
iksomay beIshoul
dlethim goandf i
ndmyselfwit
houthi
m.I
'
m cry
ingandheholdsme
andtell
smei t
'sok.Ican'tgetoverthefactthatEli
kwasact
ual
lydoingsomeonelast
ni
ght!WhenIfinal
lypul
lmy sel
ftogetherI
'
m suremyf acei
samesssoIhav et
ogoand
fi
xmy sel
f.

Ilostmyappet i
teal
readysowegobackt otal
king.Hetell
smehisfutur
eplansandhe's
sosweet .Hesay shef el
li
nlovewithmet hefi
rstti
mehesawmeandIadmi ttohimthat
i
fci r
cumst anceswerediffer
entIactuall
ywouldhav egiv
enmeandhi m achance.Idon'
t
knowhoworwhenbutweendupki ssingandmaki ngout.Damn,heki
ssessogood.Like
theonlylipsIrememberonmi neareEl i
k'
sandt hisisdi
ff
erent
.He'
staki
nghisti
mewi th
thekissi
ngandI '
mtryi
ngbyal l
meanst ogetElik'
sfaceoutofmyhead.

Ican'treal
lygoanyf urt
herbecauseoft
hispregnancythi
ng.ButifIwasn'
tIwoul
dhave
giv
eni tupt oJayrighthereri
ghtnowandrevengecheatedonElik!MaybeIwoul
dhave
fel
tbetterafter
wards.Icoul
dgodownonhi m IguessbutIj
ustateandIdon'
tknowwhen
helastshower edsomay benot.

ItellJaywehav etostopbeforethi
ngsgetoutofcontrol
.Hesay sweshoul djustgowi th
thef l
owandi fthingsgetoutofcontrolt
hensobeit.Ii
nsistwecan'
tandhesay sIshoul d
rel
axev erythi
ngi sfi
neandhecant el
lIwanthi
mt ooasmuchashewant sme.Ihav et o
pullouttheol destexcuseinthebook.Itel
lhi
mi t
'sthatti
meoft hemont handonl ythen
doeshest op.Wegobackt okissi
ngthoughandhe'staki
nghi st
imewi t
hmyl ips.It'
sjust
sendingel ectri
ci
tythroughoutmybody .Hedoesn'tpushf oranyt
hingf urt
hert hough,
thankfull
y.

After
wardswej usthugandIt hankhi
mf orli
steningtoallmywhi ning.Wegetbackt o
hangingout.HeturnsouttobeaDCComi csfanandI '
m al
lthewayMar v
elsowespend
therestoft
het i
mear gui
ngaboutwho’
sbett
erbet weentheAv enger
sandJust i
ceLeague.
Likeseri
ouslyhesaysJusti
ceLeagueisbet
terthant heAvengers.Ican'
tstoprol
li
ngmy
eyes.

“SeeJust i
ceLeaguehast heBatandSuper man!Comeon,y ouhavetoadmi t
,thosear
e
thecoolestsuperheroesofal
l t
ime”,
hesay s.
“Comeondude.Real lyBat
man?Whol ovesBatman?Noone!He' sajer
kandSuper mani
s
anal i
enandl ooksfunny!Justi
ceLeaguei sunrealandt
oof arfet
ched.Supermanisan
ali
en,WonderWomani sanAmazonpr incessandademi-goddess,Aquamaniswhat?An
Atl
anteanr oy
alty
?Gr eenLanterni
sfrom space.Andwhatexactl
yisCyborg?Arobot?We
don'trel
ateatall
!It
'sli
kewatchingcart
oons”,Isay
.

“Well
Thorisalsoagod!”
,hesays.
“Butthat
'
saboutit.Onl
yThorisfrom outofear
th.Therestoftheavengersarehuman.
Andbehonestnow Jay ,thestory
li
neoft heJusticeLeaguejustlooksf or
cedand
crammedt oget
heragai
nsti
tsownwi l
l.AndhowthehelldoesAquamanf i
ghtsogoodon
l
and?Doesn'thi
ssuperpowersliei
nwaterandintalki
ngtofi
sh?Andpleasedon'
tgetme
star
tedontheFlash!He'
saSpidermanknockoff”
,Isayandroll
myeyes.
“Noitsjustt
hemov i
ewasmadebadFi erce.Thecomi cbooksar
esomuchbet t
er”,he
says.
He'ssolosi
ngthisargument
.

“I'
vereadthecomi cbooksaswel landst il
lAvengersarethebest!Ihaveamil
li
onmor e
reasonswhy ,
ify ouwanttohearthem” ,Isay.
“Alri
ghtIgety ou.Buttel
lme,ify ouhadt ochoosebet weenbeingWonderWomanand
beingBlackWi dow.Whowoul dyouchoose? ”,
hesay s.
“Psshh.Wonderwomanofcour se!”,Isay.That'
sanobr ainer.
“See.YoujustchoseDC.SoIr estmycase” ,hesays.
He'ssosill
y.Hej ustt
ri
ckedmet hisone.
“Youareadorabley ouknowthat?”,hesay s.
No, heisadorable.HemaynotbeEl i
kbuthehast hati
ntell
igenceandlov
eofSci
-Fit
hatI
l
ikeandhel ooksgood.

Ilookdownandhehol dsmyhands.Iwi shIcouldfreezethismomentf orawhi l

e.I'
m
genuinel
yhappyandnotcar ryi
ngElik’scrossforonce.IloveElikbuthehassomuch
baggageitweighssoheav i
lyonmesomet i
mesandt hecheat i
ngjustdoesn'
tstop!It'
s
toomuch.Ineededt hi
s.Ineededtof or
getforali
ttl
ewhi l
e.Butanyway,whenallissaid
anddone,I'
l
lchooseEl i
kalloveragainandr i
ghtnowIneedt ogetbacktohim.I'l
lstay
another30minutesorsoandmay begetinaf ewkissesfortheroad.

I
t'
sgettinglat
ethoughsoIhav etoleave.IcountthemoneyEl i
kgavemeandi t
’sli
ke
1600cedisoIgiv eJay1500cedi.He’shesi t
antbutIassurehimt her
e’ssomuchmor e
wherethatcamef rom soheshouldjusttakeitandnotfeelbad.Wegett oki
ssi
ngsome
moreandIpr omisetokeepintouch.Hedr opsmeof fatthehotelandI’
m act
ual
lysadto
watchhim dri
veoff.

Ifi
ndEli
kfumingandpaci ng.Hetr
iest
oshoutatmeforbei
ngoutt her
ealoneinafor
eign
cit
ywhil
eI'm carr
yinghischil
d.Thewayhekeepstal
kingaboutthischi
l
dy ou’dswearI
wascarryi
ngthepr egnancyinmyhandbagandhewaswor r
iedsomeonewoul dsnatch
thebagawayf r
om meandr unawaywit
hourunbor
nbaby!

Hesay sI'
mr ecklessandwhatIdi dwaschi l
dishandIcan' tj
usttakeoffanddisappear
l
ikethatforhoursinacit
yIdon’tknow.Wel latleastnowheknowshowi tfeel
sli
ketobe
worri
edsickaboutsomeone!Idon' thav
etimef orthis.Ii
gnor
ehi m,takeoffmyclothes
andgoi ntotheshowerandj uststandunderthest r
eam ofwater.Ineedtowashof fthe
smellofJayf r
om mebecausei fEli
ksmell
sanot hermanonmehewi l
lki
llmeandt hen
huntdownt hatmanandki l
lhimt oo!

Iwantt
ocrysobadandI'
m bi
ti
ngmylowerl
i
pt ost
opt het
ears.Iwonderwhatmyl
if
e
coul
dhavebeenhadInevermetEl
i
k.Ihearthebathr
oom dooropenandIgr abt
he
spongeandqui
ckl
yputsoapandpr
etendt
obebat
hing.El
i
kjoi
nsmeandIi
gnor
ehi
m.At
l
easthe'
sdoneshout
ing.

“Letmehelpy ouwi
tht
hat”,hesaysandtakest
hespongef
rom myhandsandtur
nsme
aroundt
owashmyback.
Hecan'tseeitbutmytear
sar efal
l
ingnow.Hehurt
smesomuchIdon' tknowwhyhe
doesn'
tseethat.

“I'
m sor
ryforwhatIdi dlastni
ght”
,hesays.
Istayquietunt
ilhe'
sdonewi t
hmybackandIcant urnar ound.
“DoIdeser v
ethis?Doy ouenjoyseeingmeliket
his?I sthislove?”
,Iask.
“No”,hesays.
“Thenwhybaby ?Whydoy oukeepdoingthi
stome? ”
,Isay .
Hekeepsqui et.
“Iwasrighthere.I
fit
'ssexy ouwantedyouknowI'l
l havegi venitt
oy ou”
,Isay
.
Hekeepsqui etsti
ll
.

“I
'm sorr
ybaby ”,
hesay s.
Irol
lmyey es.I
t'
sawast eoft imet alki
ngaboutthi
si fallhe'
sgoingtosayissor r
y.He'
s
alwayssor r
y!
“Baby.Ikeephur t
ingyouov erandov erandIhatemy sel
ff ordoi
ngthist
oy ou.Iknowyou
arehurtrightnowandIcant ellyou'v
ebeencr yi
ng.May beIshouldleaveyoualonefora
whil
eandt r
yandf ixmyself
”,hesay s.
I
shegoi ngt oignorethefactthatI'
m pregnant?Hewoul dwantust obreakupr i
ghther
e?
I
nGhana?Buti fthat'
swhathewant sIwon'tfi
ghthim.

“I
st hatwhaty ouwant ?”,Isay .
“Ofcour senot .Whatwi l
lIbewi t
houty ou?Il ovey ouFi erce.Iknow If uckupal otbut
pleasebel ievet hatIl ovey ou.Ij ustkeephur ti
ngy ouandIf eelsoterri
bl eaboutit”,he
says.
“Soy ouwantust obr eakup? ”,Iask.
“No.Iwantt ost aywi thy ou.Iwantt ot r
yanddobet t
er ”,
hesay s.
“Theni nt hatcaseI '
m notgoi ngany where.We' l
lfi
xy ouup,t ogether
.We' llworkthisout
andI 'l
lbewi thy ouev eryst epoft heway .We'llgett hrought his.We'vebeent hrough
wor seandt hi
sl i
keal lthoseot heroneswi ll
comet opass” ,Isay .
“Whyar ey oul i
ket his?Whyar ey ousogoodt ome? ”
, hesay s.
“BecauseIl ovey ouwi thallmyhear tandIdon' tknowhowy oucan'tseet hat.Youar ea
wonder fulmanEl ikandy ouneedt ogivey ourselfmor ecr edit
.Ijustwishy oucouldstop
l
ooki ngf orlovei nt hewr ongpl aces.Iwi shy oucoul dcomet omewheny ouarenotok
i
nst eadofgoi ngar oundsl eepingwi thrandom gi rl
s.Wear eraisi
ngPet erandPaulbaby
andwe' llhav eanot herbabysoon.Weneedt ogetitt ogetherifwear egoi ngt osur
v i
ve”,
I
say.

Hej
ustgi
vesmet
hebi
ggesthugev
erandwest
andt
her
eundert
hest
ream ofwat
erl
i
ke
wear einamov ieorsomet hing.
“Thanky ouforlovingmeFi erce.Shealwaystol
dmenoonewi l
leverl
ovemeandIwasn't
goodenough.It hinkwi t
ht i
meIbegant obeli
eveher ,t
hat'
swhyIwentf rom gi
rlt
ogir
l
l
ookingf orthatlove.Ineverfoundit
.ButinyouI'v
ef ounditandI'
m afool
fortr
eati
ngyou
thewayIdo” ,
hesay s.
“Yesyouar eaf ool!”
,Isay.
I
'm probablyabi ggerfoolsowewi llbefool
stogether.

Youseenowt het hi
ngaboutlosi
ngyourmindandthrowi
ngthi
ngsaround!El
i
k’scl
othes
ar
estil
lonthefloorandnowIhav et
opickthem upandfol
dthem andpackthem back
i
ntohisbag!Thissucks.He'stryi
ngtohel
pbutIt el
lhimtostopbecauseIdon'
tknow
whatt
ypeoffoldingthi
sisthathe'
sdoi
ng!

Ghanai snotmyf avour i

tecountryanymor eformanyr easonsandI '
m gladwe’ rel eav
ing
tomorrow.Idon'tt hinkI'l
levercomeher eagai
n.Andy esEl i
kcheatedyetagai nandy es
I'
m stayingwithhimy etagain.Manygi rl
sI'
vespokentohav ebashedmef orstayingwith
amant hatcheats.Idon' tknowwhyIst aytobehonest .Ithurt
sbutmay beI '
m sousedt o
him doingitIexpecti tormay beIknowt hegirl
sjustgetsexandnol ove?OrIknowt he
sextheygeti snott hegoodoneIget ,theygettherapeyonebecausehe' llbebl owingoff
somest eam?Idon' tknow.May beI'
llhaveanansweroneday .Fornowlet '
sjustsayI ’
m
stupi
d.Il ov
ehim.Besi deshowcoul dIleavehim whenhe' sgoi
ngt hr
oughal lt
his?

Hesay sther
e'sbeenaf amil
ymeet i
ngcall
edt odiscussthi
swholemesswi thKof
i'
s
motherandtotal
kabouthissituati
onwithKoml aandallthat
.Iaskifhe'
sgoi
ngandhe
says,“
I'
vebeendonewiththatfamilyforalongtimenow.Theonl yr
easonIcamedown
nowwasKof i
.Ist
il
lwantnothi
ngt odowi t
htherestofthem”.
Inod.

“Fier
ce,doy oureali
sethatyoutheonl yoneIhav elef
t?Thingsmi ghtneverbethesame
againwithKof i
.SoyouareallIhaveleftnow.Ihav enooneel setotur
nto”,hesays.
“I
'm nevergoinganywherebaby.I'l
lal
way sberighther eforyou.Meandt hetwinsandthe
babyarey ourfamilyandwear epr oudtohav ey oui nourlife.Icoul
dn'
taskforabet t
er
fi
ancéandt hetwinswouldn'taskf orabet t
erf ather.Ilov
ey ouandalwayswi l
l.AndI
knowy oucandobet t
erandI'
llwalkthatpathwithy ou”,Isay.
Iknow al waysi sforev
erandf oreverisav eryl ongt imebutIpl anonkeepi ngmy
promise.CHAPTER81

Iknow st
eppi
ngouti snot
hingnew f
orElikbutitjustnev
erget
sanyeasier.I
talways
hurt
stoknowhe'llshar
ehi
sbodywithsomeoneel se.Andwhat’
sthathi
s‘ mother
’ifI
cancal
lherthatsaid?He’
sawomani ser
.Ifeelsomuchpai ni
nmyheartandIhav en'
t
deci
dedyetwhatI'
m goi
ngtodo.

“
Wherewereyoulastni
ght
?”,
Iaskassoonashestepsoutoft
hebathr
oom.
“
Fier
cepl
ease.I
'
mt ir
edandIjustwantt
osl
eep.Pl
easedon'
tst
art
”,hesay
s.
“
Wherewer
eyouEl
i
kpl
i
m?”
,Ir
epeatmy
sel
f.
I
'
m cal
m.

Hestopsandl ooksatme.Notl ookmei nt heey ebutlooktowardsme.

“
Iwentbackt otalkthi
ngsov erwithKofil
ikey ousaidIshould”
,hesays.
“
Andwhathappened? ”,Isay.
“
Whatdoy oumeanwhathappened?Wet al ked!"
,hesays.
"
Andt henaftert
hat?",Isay.
"
What ?Ist
ay edthenightthereandsleptl
ikenor malpeopledoatnight”,
hesays.
He'
sreall
ygoi ngtobecor nyandgi vemeat ti
tude!I
'
llstaycal
mt hough,Ineedt
okeepi
t
t
ogether.
“
Soyoust ayedthenightwi t
hKof i
?”,
Iask.
“
Yes.Geezwhat 'swiththe21quest i
ons!”
,hesnaps.

Idon'
tknowwhet hert olaughrightnoworwhat .Kofispentt
heni
ghther
ewithme!He
wasri
ghthereont hecouchal lnightl
ong!Couldn'thehavecomeupwithabet
terl
i
e?He
getsi
ntobedandsl eepsandIf eelli
keboil
ingwat erandgivi
nghi
sfaceahotbath!He
l
iedwit
houtevenblinking!

Sowhi l
eIwasouther estressedoutofmymi ndabouthi m hewasbusyget tingi tonwith
somegi rlsomewhere?Andwej ustgothereandhehasn' tl
ivedinGhanainlikef oreverso
wheredi dhegett hi
sgirlfrom?Anot heronenightstand?Apr osti
tut
e?Andnowhehas
thegutstot el
lmehe'stiredandwant stosleep!Ti
redfrom workinganothergirlwhi l
ehis
pregnantfiancéstay
edupwai ti
ngforhim?Lov i
ngElikisthehardestthi
ngI'veev erdone
i
nmyl i
fe.Thinki
ngaboutt hi
sismakingmesoangr y.Yerrr
!

ButIknow t hedevilIsleepwi th.Whenhe' shur t

ingheneedsr oughsexorhedr inks
himselfdrunkorboth.Wi t
hmebei ngpregnantandal l
,Iguessroughingmeupwasof f
thetablesoheturnedtowhoev erwasunl uckyt ohavehi mlastnight
.Iknowit
'sbadand
I
'm sti
llangryathi
m butdoesi tmakemesi cki ntheheadt hatIunderst
and?Iactuall
y
understandwhyhedi ditbecausei t
'snothi
ngnew.I 'mj ustangrybutI'
m notshocked.
AndisitalsobadthatI'
mr eli
evedt hathe'satleastusingprotect
ion?

Itakeoutmyl apt
opandst ar
twr it
ing.Mylifedeservest obedocumented.I'
v enevermet
anyonewho'sbeenthroughhellandheav enandev encampedi npur
gatoryforawhi l
eli
ke
me. Myl i
fei
sahugemessandi fI'mtost aysaneIneedt olaughatmy selfandwr i
tei
t
down.Ineedt owr i
tedownal lthepain,thebetrayal,theli
es,thehurt
,thedamage,t he
dramaandt hestr
essthatcomeswi thmyl i
fe.I
fIdon' twri
tei
tdownI '
m scaredI'
llendup
i
npsy chiat
ri
chospital
!Ikeepwr iti
ngwi thAkonpl ayinginmybackgr oundandIcr y
si
lentl
y.Thepain!

Halft
heti
meIt hinkI'm stuckinadream unt
ilIlookupandEl i
kisri
ghtther
e,veryreal
.
Andnowhe' ssl
eeping,r
est ingf
rom thewi
ldnighthehad.Justgreat
!Can'
tIjustki
llhi
m
ri
ghtnow andendt hisviciouscycl
eofhappinessandpain.Wheni t'
sgoodwi t
husi t'
s
amazingbutwhenithur
tsit
'sabi
tch!I
'
m sotemptedt
ograbhi
sphoneov
ert
her
eandgo
thr
oughitbutf
orthesakeofmypoorheartIwon'
tdot
hat
.
I
'm exhaust
ed.

WhenPr ofNkrumahdearestfi
nal
l
ywakesuplikeanhourl
ater,
I'
m sti
l
ltyping.Het r
iesto
talktomeandi snicernowbutIkeepty
ping.IputonAkon's(andLonelyIsland)IJust
HadSex .I'
m hopi
nghewi llgett
hemessageandIt hi
nkhedoesbecausehel ooksso
guilt
y!Thi
sisasongheshoul dbesi
ngi
ngalongtori
ghtnow!Heknowswhathedi dlast
night!

“I
'm goingt
omeetupwi t
hKofi”
,hesays.
“Sure”,
Isay.
“Wannacome? ”,hesay s.
“No”,Isay.
“Lookbaby.I'
m sorryaboutstormingoffl
astni
ght”,
hesays.
“Idon'twannaheari t
.GomeetKof iandbeabi gbrot
hertohim.Heneedsyouandy ou
shutti
nghim outisnothelpi
ng.Got al
ktohim”,
Isay.
Ihopehegoest ot herealKof
i t
histi
meseeingthathewaswiththewr
ongoneyest
erday.

AssoonashestepsoutItakeapill
owandcovermyfaceandscream andscream and
scr
eam.Whywouldhedothisthough?Nowofal
lti
mes?Whatdoesheex pectmetodo?
Icrymysel
ftosl
eepandhewakesmeupl i
ke2orsohourslaterwhenheget sback.
Cry
inghel
pedmethoughbecausealt
houghI
'
m sti
l
langr
y,I
'
mi ncontr
olofmysel
fnow.

Henow knowsKof istay edthenightwi t

hmesohe' sforcedt oconfessexcepthel i
es
again!Hewokemeupt ol i
einmyf ace!Nowhesay shewentoutwi t
hanol dfri
endofhis
andt heywentoutdrinkingt henwenthomeandheov ersl
ept.Hesay shej ustsai
dhe
spentthenightwit
hKof ibecausehedi dn'twantmewonder i
ngwhatf ri
endhe’stalki
ng
about.Il
ist
entohim andev enaskt hefr
iend'snameandnameoft heclubandwher ethe
fr
iendstays.Ij
ustwantt oseehoweasyi tisforhimtol
ie.Hecan'tevenl i
eproperl
y!He
can'tmaint
aineyecontactandhehast ot hi
nkev er
yti
mebef oreheanswers.

“Ihearallthatbul l
shityoujusttol
dmeEl i
kpl
im andIappreciatet
hetri
al.Nowtellmet he
trut
h”,Isay .
“ButIjustdid”,hesay s.
“Stopi nsult
ingmyi ntel
li
gence.Youknow what ,Idon'
tev enwanttoknow!Iknow y ou
werewi t
hagi rlorgirlsorwhat ev
er.Isawthecondoms!Isawt heli
pstickst
ainony our
T-shir
tandr ememberIknowy ou!Iknowwheny ouarel
ying!Sodroptheactalready
!” ,I
say.
Hel ookslikehej ustsawadeadper sonandhelooksatme.Igetupt ost andandIguess
hethinksI '
ml eavingsohebl ocksmywayandst ar t
sapol
ogi si
ng.
Thismanandsor ry!

“
Icanexpl
ain”
,hesay
s.
“No.I'
m goodt hanks.Ireal
lydon'
twantt ohearhow mymanwaspl easuri
nganother
womanwhi leIwasupi nhereworri
edsickandcarr
yinghi
schil
d.Sonot hanks”,
Isay
.
I'
mt oocal
m.Notsol ongagohepr omisednevert
ocheatonmeagai nandsi l
l
ymehad
actual
l
ybelievedhim.Andt hatover100girl
she'ssleptwit
hnumberj ustwentup.I '
m
surewepr obablyat300or2000now whoknows!Thatj ustmakesmesoangr y!He
mightaswellwalkaroundnakedmossi ncehi
spartsarepubl
icnotpr
ivate!

Idon'tknowhowI '
m okwi t
hthis.I'
m notokokwi t
hitbutI'
m notleavinghim andIdon't
knowwhy .I
'
m sti
llherei
nt hi
shot elr
oom.Fr om theti
meIf oundout,I'
vebeenangr ybutI
didn'
tevenconsiderleavi
nghim.I tneverevencrossedmymi nd.It
hinkIforgi
vethisman
toomuch.Idon' tev enknow how Idoi tsomet i
mes.I'm soupsett houghandI '
m
wonder i
nghowmanyot herpacketsofcondomshe' shi
dingi nhisbag.SoIgot hrough
histhi
ngsandt hr
owt hem onebyoneont hefl
oor.Idi
dn'
tseet hebottl
eofper f
umet here
soitfal
lssohardandbr eaks.

“Fi
erce”,hetr
iestostopme.
“Don'tyoudaretouchme! ”,Isayt
ohim andhebacksof fandst
andsagainstt
hewal
lwit
h
onel egdownandanot herbentatthekneebalanci
ngont hewallandhi
shandscr
ossed.
Hej ustwatchesmegoi ngmadandt hrowi
nghi sthi
ngsaround.OkIsaidhemustnot
touchmebutIdi dn'tsayhemustj ustst
andthereandlookatmel i
keI'
m cr
azy!

Ifi
ndnot hingandIf eelst
upidnowwi t
hhim watchingmel ikethat.Isitonthebedand
cryintomyhands.I thurt
ssobad.Hehol dsmeandIt ellhimtoletmegobuthedoesn' t.
Istandandst arthi
tt
inghim andki
cki
nghim butheholdsmyar mssoIcan' tr
eal
lyhi
thi
m.
Hepi nsmyar mstomybodyandhol dsmet here.Ican'tst
opcr yi
ng,I'
m cryi
ngsohard
I'
m shaking.How couldhedot hi
s?Now ofallti
mes?Idon' tunderstand.WhatdidIdo
wrong?

Ievent
ual l
ycalm downandonl ythendoeshel oosenthehold.Ibr
eathinandoutandi n
andoutunt i
lIcanfeelmymi ndqui et
en.
“Iwanttogobackt oCapeTown” ,Isay .
“Ourfl
ightsarefortomorrowandt oJobur g”,hesays.
“Thengetmeaf li
ghttoCapeTownf rom Joburgont heverysamedaywel and!
”,Isay
.
I'
m wayt oocalm now!Itcomeswi thy earsofexperi
ence.Ican'
twaittogiv
ebi r
thsoIcan
star
tdrinki
ng.Ihatealcoholbutsomet imesIneedi tt
ohelpmedeal wit
hElik.

"I
'm sorrybaby"
,hesays.
“Ilovey ouEl i
kbutIhatey ou.Youmakei tsohardt oloveyou.Whaty oudi di sso
i
nconsi der
ate.YouknowI'm st
il
ldeal
ingwi t
hwhathappenedwithmymot her.Youknow
I'
mi nabadspaceandIcan’ thandl
eallthisri
ghtnow.YouknowhowI ’
m wor r
iedabout
thi
spr egnancyandIkeepwonder i
ngifI’l
lmakeitto9mont hsornot.Youknowal lthat
!
Buty ou’vebeenmaki ngmef eelbadf ortell
i
ngKofiaboutthi
sal t
houghIr eall
ydi dn'
t
meant o.I’
m humanandImakemi stakes.Iwouldneverint
ent
ional
lyhurtyoul i
ket hat
.
Youknowt hat! Youdraggedmedownher etoAccraforwhat
?Soy oucouldleav eme
herealoneandgof i
ndsomegi rlorgirl
sorwhatevernastyt
hingyougotint
olastnight
?Is
thatyourwayofget ti
ngbackatme?Ar eyoupunishingme?Al lIwastryi
ngtodowas
makesur eyoudon'tloseyourbrother?YouknowIal waysputyoufir
standthat'
sexactl
y
whatIwasdoi ng!Yout ookitli
keIwasat t
acki
ngy ousoy oudecidedtogof ucksome
random gir
loutther
e?Doy ouevert hi
nkofmeorhowanyoft hesethi
ngsyoudomake
mef eel?
”,GoshIthi
nkI '
m goi
ngtocr yagai
nbutIwon' t
.

He'
sjustl
ooki
ngdownandnotsay
ingany
thi
ng.Fi
nei
fhewon'
tspeakIwi
l
l.

“SoifIhadn'tf
oundt hosecondomsyouwoul dbeactinglikeev
eryt
hingi
snormal,ri
ght?
Asifeveryt
hingisperfect
.Howexactl
ydoy oudot hat
?Youmeant otel
lmethatnothing
i
nsideyouf eel
sanythingwheny oudothesekindofthings?Nothi
ngatall
?I'
m pregnant
youknowandIr eall
ydon'tneedthest
ress”
,Isay.

I
'mreallynotgoingtocrybecauseI'
llbev ul
nerabl
eagainandhewillcomeinandsave
meandl i
etomeandconf usemesomemor e.Theworstwi
llbeifthi
sendswithhi
m
f
uckingmeont hisbed!Iwon'tal
low thattohappen.Hekeepstry
ingtoapologi
seand
f
ranklyhe'
sannoy i
ngmenowsoIneedt ogetoutofher
e.

“Ihopewhat evergi r
lt hatwas,shewaswor thi t
.Youknowt heonl yreasonI '
m st anding
ri
ghther ehalfwayacr ossAf ri
caisbecauseIl ov eyouandIsuppor tyouandIwanty out o
beok.Butgoshy oumakei tsohar d!I
'
ml ookingaty ouri
ghtnowandIhat ey ou.Ihat e
whaty oudo.Ihat ewhatI ’
m becomi ngbecauseofy ou.Andy ouwannaknowwhat '
ssad?
It
'st hatI'
m goi ngt of orgi
vey ouany wayandI '
m goingtokeeponl ovingy ouany way .I’
m
goingt of ightfory ouandnev ergiveupony ou.I ’
m goingt olookoutf ory ouandkeep
l
ov i
ngy ourchildren.I '
m goingt okeeppr ay i
ngt hatonedayy our eali
sewhaty ouhav ein
frontofy ou.Ijusthopewhent hatdaycomesi twon'tbet oolate.Iknow y out hinkI '
m
nev ergoingany wher eandt hat'
smadey ousocomf or
tabl
e.ButIpr omi sey ou,keepdoi ng
thisandonedayI 'l
lwal kawayandnev erl ookback.Buty ouknowwhat ?Whent hatday
comesIwon' tfeelbadbecauseI '
llknowt hatIt r
iedeveryt
hingwi t
hy ou.I '
vegiv eny ouall
ofmeandmor eEl ikplim”,Isay.

Hel ooksdownandpl ay
swi t
hhi sfinger
s.Goshwhydoeshi sguilt
yf acelookso
handsome!Andwhenhe' slookingdownt hosebushyey el
ashesj
ustmakehi ml ookl
i
ke
thebestthi
ngsincesl
i
cedbr ead.Andthoselips.OkIneedtogetoutofhere.Thewayhe
l
ooksi sconf
usi
ngme.Andhel ookssosadnowI '
mf eel
i
ngbadsoIr eal
l
yneedt ogett
he
hell
outofhere.

Igetupandf i
ndaT- shi
rtdressthatj
ustgi
vest
hei
ll
usionthatI
'
m plumpandnotexact
ly
pregnant
.Iwalkt
ot hemi r
rortobrushoutmyweaveandputonabi tofmakeupandput
onj ewel
l
eryandgladiat
orsandal sandwearsomeperfume.Ithi
nkIlookcuteandI'
m
readytogo.Nomorecr yi
ngf ort
oday.

Butwher
eshoul
dIgot
o?May
beIcancal
lupKof
iandwehav
eadr
inkanddr
ownour
sorrows?Buthe'snoti
nagoodspacer i
ghtnowandhewon' tdomucht ocheermeup.
Hemi ghtevenmakemef eelworse.I
'
m notinastatetogooutaloneandhopetohook
upwi t
hsomepeopl eoutt
her
e.IguessI'
m st
uckherewitht
hisbadboyofmine.Il
ookso
cutethough,Ideser
vet
ogoout!Idon’
twanttobearoundEl
ikri
ghtnow.
Sigh.

Speakoft hedev i
l!Kof isay she'soutsi
deandI '
venev erbeensogl adbecauseIneeda
buffert
ohel poutt hist ensionbetweenmeandEl ik.Iopent hedoorandhecomesi n.He
l
ookssost ressedoutandl ooksl i
kehecouldusesomesl eep.
“HiKofi
”,Isay .
IknowIlookequal lydrained.
Thef l
oorisf ullofEl i
k’scl othesandt hi
ngs.Ireall
ywentcr azyt
here.Kof
ilooksatEli
k
thenatmet henbackatEl ikt henbackatme.
“Youalri
ght?”,hefinallysay s.
“I'
m not
!Thankst oy ourbrot herhere”
,Isay.
“Whathappened? ”
, hesay s.
“I'
m sur
eElikwi llt
ellyou” ,
Isayandgetahai r
brusht ostr
aightenastr
andofmyweav e.

“SorryFiercebutcanIspeakt omybr otheraloneplease”,Kofisays.

“Noshe' snotgoingany where”, Eli
ksay s.
“It
'sfi
neKof i.I
'm goi
ngoutany way s”,Isay.
“Wher ear eyougoingto?”, Eliksay s.
“Youdon' tgettoaskmet hat”,Isayandl ookatmy selfonelastti
meint hemirror.
Heget supandhol dmyar msandmakesmef acehim.Ishr ughim offsohar dandtel
l
himt ost epawayf rom mebef oreIsmackhi m upsi dedownwi t
hthishairbrush.Whyis
hest i
lltalki
ngwhenIt ol
dhimt oleavemeal oneandgi vemespacet ot hi
nk!WhereI'
m
goingt oisnoneofhi sbusiness.
“Cash”,Isayandhol doutmyhand.
I
’m notaboutt ogoaboutswi pinghi scardandl eavingat r
ailofevi
dence!Hehandsmeal l
themoneyi nhiswallet.
“It
’sabout1000cedi ”
,hesays.
“Fier
cewher eareyougoing?”,hesay s.

“Lat
er ”
,Isayandgetmybag.
BeforeElikcanaskmeanymor equest i
onsIshuthi
m downbyt hr
owingwhathedidat
hisface.
“Iwon'tbegoneforeversodon'tbr
inganygi r
lsi
nher
e.Atleastr
espectmethatmuch”
,I
say.
Het r
iestostopme.
“Don'tyoudareEl
ikpl
im!Leavemeal one!
”,Isay.
HelooksdownandI '
m outofhere!

Isi
tint
hefoy
erdownstai
rswonder
ingwhereIcango.Irememberaboycall
edJay.A
ni
ceboywi
thabeaut
if
ulhear
tandatal
kat
ivemoutht
hatIdancedwi
thatShakaZul
uand
hadagreatdaywi
th.Hewassosweetandl
ookedl
i
kehewasdescendantf
rom Masai
warr
ior
s.

Honest lyifIwasn'tpregnantIwouldcal lhim upandf i

ndouti fhewantst odomef or
closurepur poses.I
'
llhavefoundbetterwor dstouseobviousl
y!ButsinceIam Isendhim
amessageandaskt omeetupf orachat .It
'sj
usta “HieJay.Fier
cehere.I'
m probably
thel astpersony ouexpecttohearf rom.I '
mi nAccra.Canwedol unchplease.Iknow
thingsdi dn'
tgosowel lbetweenusl asttimebutcany oupleasegivemeachancet o
explainandapol ogi
seinperson.Please.XoXo.Fierce”
.

Ican'
tleav
et hehot
elbefor
eher esponds,i
fherespondsatall,becauseIneedtheWiFi
.
Hereadmymessage10mi nut
esagobuthasn'tresponded.Idon'tknowwhethertocal
l
orsendanothermessageorkeepwaiti
ng.Iwai
t.

I
'm aboutt
ogiveupandgobackupt otheroom soIcancovermyheadwi thapill
ow
whenJayresponds.“
Sur
e.MeetmeatShakaZul
uin40minut
es”.Myhear
tjustski
ppeda
beat.

Iaskr eceptiont ocal lmeat axiandIheaddownt oShakaZul u.It

'sclosedsoIwai t
out sideabi tbef oreJayf i
ndsme.He' ssti
llveryni
ceandgi vesmeaki ssont hecheek.I
thinkhel ooksl ikeKof ibutwellIusedtothinkKofilooksabitli
keEli
ksomycompar ison
skillscan'tbet rusted.Hesay shesaidShakaZul ubecauseheknowsIknowt heplaceso
hej ustwant edaconv enientpickupplace.Hehashi sfr
iend'
scarsowepi ckupsome
fruitsandt akeaway satal ocalmarketanddr i
vedownt ohi suni
versi
ty.Iapologisefor
l
astt imeandpr omiset oexplainlat
er.Hesay shewasj ustdisappoint
edbutr eall
y
neededt oseemeagai n.Hesay sheneverforgotaboutmebutcoul dn'
treachme.That '
s
becauseI 'dbl ockedhi m butletmenottellhimthat.

He'sstay
ingatreznow.Thei rrezr oomsar emuchnicerthanour sbuti
t'
salsoabar e
minimum room.He'samaz ing.I
fhe’ sstil
lupsetwit
hmef orlyi
ngtohimlasttimehe
doesn'
tshowit.I
t'
slikewej ustpickedupwher eweleft
.JayremindsmeofKofisomuch.
He'ssofreeandtalkst oomuchandmakesj okes.Thi
sisthekindofboyIshoul dhave
endedupwi t
h!He'sjust2y earsolderthanmeandt hat'
sperfect
.May bet
he10y eargap
betweenEli
kandIist heproblem!Het reat
smel i
keachildsometimes!

Midwayi ntoourlunch,
Ifindmy sel
ftel
li
ngJaymyl if
est
ory.Hemustt hi
nkI'
m somessed
up.Iact uall
ytellhimthet rut
haboutEl i
k,Komla,mymot herdi
sowningmeandEl i
k
repeatedl
ycheatingonme.Ofcour seIl eaveoutmoreseri
ousthingsli
kemiscar
ri
ages
andr apesandal lt
hatgruesomest uff
.I '
m nott
ryi
ngtoscarethepoorguyaway,Ij
ust
real
lyneedt ovent.

He'
ssuchagoodl i
stenerandhesaysIdeservesomuchbet t
erandmoneyisn'
twort
hit
i
fI'
ml osi
ngmysouli nt hepr
ocess.Hesaysitlooksli
keal
lmyproblemscomedownt o
El
iksomay beIshouldlethi
m goandfi
ndmy selfwit
houthi
m.I'
m cr
yingandhehol
dsme
andt
ell
smeit
'sok.Ican'
tgetoverthef
actthatEl
i
kwasactual
l
ydoingsomeonel
ast
ni
ght
!WhenIf
inal
l
ypullmysel
ftoget
herI
'
m suremyf acei
samesssoIhavet
ogoand
fi
xmysel
f.

Ilostmyappet i
teal
readysowegobackt otal
king.Hetell
smehisfutur
eplansandhe's
sosweet .Hesay shef el
li
nlovewithmet hefi
rstti
mehesawmeandIadmi ttohimthat
i
fci r
cumst anceswerediffer
entIactuall
ywouldhav egiv
enmeandhi m achance.Idon'
t
knowhoworwhenbutweendupki ssingandmaki ngout.Damn,heki
ssessogood.Like
theonlylipsIrememberonmi neareEl i
k'
sandt hisisdi
ff
erent
.He'
staki
nghisti
mewi th
thekissi
ngandI '
mtryi
ngbyal l
meanst ogetElik'
sfaceoutofmyhead.

Ican'treal
lygoanyf urt
herbecauseoft
hispregnancythi
ng.ButifIwasn'
tIwoul
dhave
giv
eni tupt oJayrighthereri
ghtnowandrevengecheatedonElik!MaybeIwoul
dhave
fel
tbetterafter
wards.Icoul
dgodownonhi m IguessbutIj
ustateandIdon'
tknowwhen
helastshower edsomay benot.

ItellJaywehav etostopbeforethi
ngsgetoutofcontrol
.Hesay sweshoul djustgowi th
thef l
owandi fthingsgetoutofcontrolt
hensobeit.Ii
nsistwecan'
tandhesay sIshoul d
rel
axev erythi
ngi sfi
neandhecant el
lIwanthi
mt ooasmuchashewant sme.Ihav et o
pullouttheol destexcuseinthebook.Itel
lhi
mi t
'sthatti
meoft hemont handonl ythen
doeshest op.Wegobackt okissi
ngthoughandhe'staki
nghi st
imewi t
hmyl ips.It'
sjust
sendingel ectri
ci
tythroughoutmybody .Hedoesn'tpushf oranyt
hingf urt
hert hough,
thankfull
y.

After
wardswej usthugandIt hankhi
mf orli
steningtoallmywhi ning.Wegetbackt o
hangingout.HeturnsouttobeaDCComi csfanandI '
m al
lthewayMar v
elsowespend
therestoft
het i
mear gui
ngaboutwho’
sbett
erbet weentheAv enger
sandJust i
ceLeague.
Likeseri
ouslyhesaysJusti
ceLeagueisbet
terthant heAvengers.Ican'
tstoprol
li
ngmy
eyes.

“SeeJust i
ceLeaguehast heBatandSuper man!Comeon,y ouhavetoadmi t
,thosear
e
thecoolestsuperheroesofal
l t
ime”,
hesay s.
“Comeondude.Real lyBat
man?Whol ovesBatman?Noone!He' sajer
kandSuper mani
s
anal i
enandl ooksfunny!Justi
ceLeaguei sunrealandt
oof arfet
ched.Supermanisan
ali
en,WonderWomani sanAmazonpr incessandademi-goddess,Aquamaniswhat?An
Atl
anteanr oy
alty
?Gr eenLanterni
sfrom space.Andwhatexactl
yisCyborg?Arobot?We
don'trel
ateatall
!It
'sli
kewatchingcart
oons”,Isay
.

“WellThorisalsoagod!”,hesays.
“Butthat'
sabouti t
.OnlyThorisf rom outofeart
h.Ther estoftheavengersarehuman.
Andbehonestnow Jay ,thest ory
li
neoft heJusticeLeaguejustlooksf or
cedand
crammedt ogetheragainsti
tsownwi l
l.Andhowt hehelldoesAquamanf i
ghtsogoodon
l
and?Doesn' thissuperpowerslieinwat erandi
nt al
ki
ngt ofi
sh?Andpleasedon'tgetme
star
tedont heFlash!He'saSpidermanknockof f”
,Isayandr ol
lmyeyes.
“Noit
sjustt
hemoviewasmadebadFi
erce.Thecomi
cbooksar
esomuchbet
ter
”,he
say
s.
He'
ssolosi
ngthi
sar
gument
.

“I'
vereadthecomi cbooksaswel landst il
lAvengersarethebest!Ihaveamil
li
onmor e
reasonswhy ,
ify ouwanttohearthem” ,Isay.
“Alri
ghtIgety ou.Buttel
lme,ify ouhadt ochoosebet weenbeingWonderWomanand
beingBlackWi dow.Whowoul dyouchoose? ”,
hesay s.
“Psshh.Wonderwomanofcour se!”,Isay.That'
sanobr ainer.
“See.YoujustchoseDC.SoIr estmycase” ,hesays.
He'ssosill
y.Hej ustt
ri
ckedmet hisone.
“Youareadorabley ouknowthat?”,hesay s.
No, heisadorable.HemaynotbeEl i
kbuthehast hati
ntell
igenceandlov
eofSci
-Fit
hatI
l
ikeandhel ooksgood.

Ilookdownandhehol dsmyhands.Iwi shIcouldfreezethismomentf orawhi l

e.I'
m
genuinel
yhappyandnotcar ryi
ngElik’scrossforonce.IloveElikbuthehassomuch
baggageitweighssoheav i
lyonmesomet i
mesandt hecheat i
ngjustdoesn'
tstop!It'
s
toomuch.Ineededt hi
s.Ineededtof or
getforali
ttl
ewhi l
e.Butanyway,whenallissaid
anddone,I'
l
lchooseEl i
kalloveragainandr i
ghtnowIneedt ogetbacktohim.I'l
lstay
another30minutesorsoandmay begetinaf ewkissesfortheroad.

I
t'
sgettinglat
ethoughsoIhav etoleave.IcountthemoneyEl i
kgavemeandi t
’sli
ke
1600cedisoIgiv eJay1500cedi.He’shesi t
antbutIassurehimt her
e’ssomuchmor e
wherethatcamef rom soheshouldjusttakeitandnotfeelbad.Wegett oki
ssi
ngsome
moreandIpr omisetokeepintouch.Hedr opsmeof fatthehotelandI’
m act
ual
lysadto
watchhim dri
veoff.

Ifi
ndEli
kfumingandpaci ng.Hetr
iest
oshoutatmeforbei
ngoutt her
ealoneinafor
eign
cit
ywhil
eI'm carr
yinghischil
d.Thewayhekeepstal
kingaboutthischi
l
dy ou’dswearI
wascarryi
ngthepr egnancyinmyhandbagandhewaswor r
iedsomeonewoul dsnatch
thebagawayf r
om meandr unawaywit
hourunbor
nbaby!

Hesay sI'
mr ecklessandwhatIdi dwaschi l
dishandIcan' tj
usttakeoffanddisappear
l
ikethatforhoursinacit
yIdon’tknow.Wel latleastnowheknowshowi tfeel
sli
ketobe
worri
edsickaboutsomeone!Idon' thav
etimef orthis.Ii
gnor
ehi m,takeoffmyclothes
andgoi ntotheshowerandj uststandunderthest r
eam ofwater.Ineedtowashof fthe
smellofJayf r
om mebecausei fEli
ksmell
sanot hermanonmehewi l
lki
llmeandt hen
huntdownt hatmanandki l
lhimt oo!

IwanttocrysobadandI '
m bit
ingmyl owerl
iptostopthetears.Iwonderwhatmyli
fe
coul
dhav ebeenhadInev ermetElik.Ihearthebathroom dooropenandIgr abthe
spongeandquickl
yputsoapandpret
endt obebathi
ng.Eli
kjoi
nsmeandIi gnor
ehim.At
l
easthe'
sdoneshouti
ng.
“Letmehelpy ouwi
tht
hat”,hesaysandtakest
hespongef
rom myhandsandtur
nsme
aroundt
owashmyback.
Hecan'tseeitbutmytear
sar efal
l
ingnow.Hehurt
smesomuchIdon' tknowwhyhe
doesn'
tseethat.

“I'
m sor
ryforwhatIdi dlastni
ght”
,hesays.
Istayquietunt
ilhe'
sdonewi t
hmybackandIcant urnar ound.
“DoIdeser v
ethis?Doy ouenjoyseeingmeliket
his?I sthislove?”
,Iask.
“No”,hesays.
“Thenwhybaby ?Whydoy oukeepdoingthi
stome? ”
,Isay .
Hekeepsqui et.
“Iwasrighthere.I
fit
'ssexy ouwantedyouknowI'l
l havegi venitt
oy ou”
,Isay
.
Hekeepsqui etsti
ll
.

“I
'm sorr
ybaby ”,
hesay s.
Irol
lmyey es.I
t'
sawast eoft imet alki
ngaboutthi
si fallhe'
sgoingtosayissor r
y.He'
s
alwayssor r
y!
“Baby.Ikeephur t
ingyouov erandov erandIhatemy sel
ff ordoi
ngthist
oy ou.Iknowyou
arehurtrightnowandIcant ellyou'v
ebeencr yi
ng.May beIshouldleaveyoualonefora
whil
eandt r
yandf ixmyself
”,hesay s.
I
shegoi ngt oignorethefactthatI'
m pregnant?Hewoul dwantust obreakupr i
ghther
e?
I
nGhana?Buti fthat'
swhathewant sIwon'tfi
ghthim.

“I
st hatwhaty ouwant ?”,Isay .
“Ofcour senot .Whatwi l
lIbewi t
houty ou?Il ovey ouFi erce.Iknow If uckupal otbut
pleasebel ievet hatIl ovey ou.Ij ustkeephur ti
ngy ouandIf eelsoterri
bl eaboutit”,he
says.
“Soy ouwantust obr eakup? ”,Iask.
“No.Iwantt ost aywi thy ou.Iwantt ot r
yanddobet t
er ”,
hesay s.
“Theni nt hatcaseI '
m notgoi ngany where.We' l
lfi
xy ouup,t ogether
.We' llworkthisout
andI 'l
lbewi thy ouev eryst epoft heway .We'llgett hrought his.We'vebeent hrough
wor seandt hi
sl i
keal lthoseot heroneswi ll
comet opass” ,Isay .
“Whyar ey oul i
ket his?Whyar ey ousogoodt ome? ”
, hesay s.
“BecauseIl ovey ouwi thallmyhear tandIdon' tknowhowy oucan'tseet hat.Youar ea
wonder fulmanEl ikandy ouneedt ogivey ourselfmor ecr edit
.Ijustwishy oucouldstop
l
ooki ngf orlovei nt hewr ongpl aces.Iwi shy oucoul dcomet omewheny ouarenotok
i
nst eadofgoi ngar oundsl eepingwi thrandom gi rl
s.Wear eraisi
ngPet erandPaulbaby
andwe' llhav eanot herbabysoon.Weneedt ogetitt ogetherifwear egoi ngt osur
v i
ve”,
I
say.

Hejustgiv
esmet hebi
ggesthugeverandwestandt
her
eundert
hest
ream ofwat
erl
i
ke
wear ei
namov i
eorsomethi
ng.
“Thankyouforl
ovi
ngmeFierce.Sheal
wayst
oldmenoonewil
lev
erl
ovemeandIwasn't
goodenough.It hinkwi t
htimeIbegantobeli
eveher ,t
hat'
swhyIwentf
rom gi
rlt
ogir
l
l
ookingforthatlove.Ineverf
oundi
t.Buti
nyouI'v
ef ounditandI
'
m af
oolf
ortr
eati
ngyou
thewayIdo” ,
hesay s.
“Yesyouareaf ool!
”,Isay.
I
'm probabl
yabi ggerfoolsowewil
lbefool
stogether.

Youseenowt het hi
ngaboutlosi
ngyourmindandthrowi
ngthi
ngsaround!El
i
k’scl
othes
ar
estil
lonthefloorandnowIhav et
opickthem upandfol
dthem andpackthem back
i
ntohisbag!Thissucks.He'stryi
ngtohel
pbutIt el
lhimtostopbecauseIdon'
tknow
whatt
ypeoffoldingthi
sisthathe'
sdoi
ng!

Ghanai snotmyf avour i

tecountryanymor eformanyr easonsandI '
m gladwe’ rel eav
ing
tomorrow.Idon'tt hinkI'l
levercomeher eagai
n.Andy esEl i
kcheatedyetagai nandy es
I'
m stayingwithhimy etagain.Manygi rl
sI'
vespokentohav ebashedmef orstayingwith
amant hatcheats.Idon' tknowwhyIst aytobehonest .Ithurt
sbutmay beI '
m sousedt o
him doingitIexpecti tormay beIknowt hegirl
sjustgetsexandnol ove?OrIknowt he
sextheygeti snott hegoodoneIget ,theygettherapeyonebecausehe' llbebl owingoff
somest eam?Idon' tknow.May beI'
llhaveanansweroneday .Fornowlet '
sjustsayI ’
m
stupi
d.Il ov
ehim.Besi deshowcoul dIleavehim whenhe' sgoi
ngt hr
oughal lt
his?

Hesay sther
e'sbeenaf amil
ymeet i
ngcall
edt odiscussthi
swholemesswi thKof
i'
s
motherandtotal
kabouthissituati
onwithKoml aandallthat
.Iaskifhe'
sgoi
ngandhe
says,“
I'
vebeendonewiththatfamilyforalongtimenow.Theonl yr
easonIcamedown
nowwasKof i
.Ist
il
lwantnothi
ngt odowi t
htherestofthem”.
Inod.

“Fier
ce,doy oureali
sethatyoutheonl yoneIhav elef
t?Thingsmi ghtneverbethesame
againwithKof i
.SoyouareallIhaveleftnow.Ihav enooneel setotur
nto”,hesays.
“I
'm nevergoinganywherebaby.I'l
lal
way sberighther eforyou.Meandt hetwinsandthe
babyarey ourfamilyandwear epr oudtohav ey oui nourlife.Icoul
dn'
taskforabet t
er
fi
ancéandt hetwinswouldn'taskf orabet t
erf ather.Ilov
ey ouandalwayswi l
l.AndI
knowy oucandobet t
erandI'
llwalkthatpathwithy ou”,Isay.
Iknow al waysi sforev
erandf oreverisav eryl ongt imebutIpl anonkeepi ngmy
promise.CHAPTER82

Myhighli
ghtoft hetr
ipwaswat chi
ngElikandKofimakeupandpromisetobet her
efor
eachotherandt onotletthi
snewinfor
mationcomebetweenthem.Theyactual
l
ysaid‘I
l
ovey ou’and ‘Iloveyout oo’
.Thatwastoobeauti
ful
.I'
m gl
adwegett okeepKofi.He
getsmesoIl ovehimv erymuch.Hesaidhewantedtostaybehi
ndinGhanaforabitand
sortsomet hingsoutandwoul dcomedownt oSout hAfri
cabeforegoingbackt o
Germany.

Hethenpul
l
edmeasi
deandwaslike,“
DudeIknowdeal
ingwit
hEli
kisalotbutplease
st
ickwi
thhi
m.He'
sagoodguyandhereal
l
ylov
esyou.Pl
easebroI
'
m beggi
ngy ou.Take
careofhi
m”.
IsaidIwoul
d.He'
sahotmessbuthe'
smyhotmess.Asexyhotmess.

Thef l
i
ghtbackwasbet t
er.El
ikwasallovermeandgi vi
ngmeal otofattenti
onand
checki
ngi fIwasalri
ghtever
yminuteandcover
ingmeupwi t
htheblanketevenwhenI
wascov eredandreadytodoanyt
hingtomakesureIwasextr
acomfortabl
e.Andt ell
ing
mehel ovesmeev er
yti
meourey esmet.Hewasj ustdoi
ngt
hemost.Iguessher eall
y
feel
sguilt
yforwhathedid.

Hewasj ustextral
ovingandalltouchyandj usttreati
ngmel i
kehe'safr
aidhe’
lll
oseme.
Becauseheact ual
l
yt hi
nkshemi ghtloseme.Wel lnowt hatI'
m notsoangryanymore,I
saidi
t'
sfine,I
'l
lgogett heki
dsandwecanj ustallspendt heholi
daytoget
heranddrive
downt oKrugerNat i
onalPar
kf orChr i
stmas.Theyl ovet heideaofcampingandsince
theyal
way smakemecampi ndoors,I'
l
ltaket hem pr opercampingplustheycangetto
seetheBigFiveonthegamedr ives.Imissthem somuch.

Idon'tunderstandhowKof i’
smot herhat esEliksomuchbecauseofwhathi sfatherdid.I
couldnev erhatePet erandPaulal thought heirmotheri
sthespawnoft hedev i
l
!May beI
can'that ethem becauseIl ovet heirdadsomuch,Idon' tknow.Besi des,Eli
ki snot
perfectbuthe'st r
yingtogeti ttoget herandt hismanhaslov edmeatmyl owestandI
plant olovehim athi slowest.Hehasdoneev er
ythi
ngformeandal lcheati
ngapar t
,he
hasl ovedmet horoughly .Wearet oxicbutIl ovehim,wi
thallhisf
lawsbecausehel ov es
mewi t
hal l
ofmi ne.

Iwentandfet
chedthekidsfr
om CapeTownsowecoul dbewi ththem overtheholi
days.
El
ikandIaregoodagainandnowt hatit
'sthefest
iveseasonhei sn'
tworkingmuch.We
havefor
gott
enallaboutGhana.Wear ebackt oplayi
ngvideogamesandwat chi
ngour
mov i
esanddoingthebestwecantobegoodpar entstoPeterandPaul.I'
m playi
ngthe
goodwifealt
houghI ’
m notwifedyet.Iactual
lycookev er
ydayandst i
llreadbedtime
stor
iest
othekidsandsti
ll
servi
cemyaddi ctofafi
ancéatnight
.Lifei
sgood.

Ihaven’tdecidedwhet herIwantustojustgetmarr
iedi
ncourtandthat’sitorifIshould
haveasmal lbeachweddi ngorhav eadesti
nati
onweddingorifIshouldgoal loutand
haveahugeweddi ngr i
ghther
e.I’my ett
ot hi
nkaboutit
.Eli
kwantsaweddi ngt hough
becausehesay shewant stoseemewal kdownt heaisl
einawhi t
edr ess.I
t'
sj usttoo
complicatedt houghbecauseofourf amili
esandwhowi l
lbemybr i
desmaids?Idon' t
havefriends.It'
sstressf
ulsoI'
llputadayasideandthi
nkaboutit.I
thast obeaf t
erthe
babythough.

Wehadt orusht
oadoct ortheot
herdaybecauseIwashavingcrampsbutitt
urnedout
tobenothi
ng.Thedoctorsaidi
t’
snormalandt hebabyi
sper f
ectl
yfi
ne.ThenEli
kwas
aski
ngthemostrandom ofquest
ionsandsi
ll
ymej oi
nedhim andwemadet heoldman
uncomf
ortabl
e.
“Doc, canIhav esexwi thhert i
llt
hedueday ?”,Eli
ksaid.
“Thebabywi llbebor nwithsper msoni tsheadbaby ,eeewww”,Isai
dandwel aughed.
“ActuallyDocy oupr escribesexev erydayf orpr egnantwomenr ight
?Pleaset ellheritwil
l
helphergi vebi rthbetter.Shedoesn' tbelieveme” ,
Eli
ksaidlookingseri
ous.
“Docpl easepr escr i
besomet hingf orhisbr ain.Ithinkhehasashor tcir
cuitsomewher ein
thehead” ,Isaid.
“Whi chhead? ”
,hesai d.
“Both”,Isaidandwej ustcouldn'tstopl aughing.
“Sodocpl easepr escr i
beadai l
ydosef orher ,please”,hesai
d.
“Prescribedornot ,youknowy ou’l
lbeget t i
ngitbaby .Youjusthavetoaskni cely”
,Isaid.
Ifeltsor r
yf ort hepoordoct or.Hel ookedatusunsur ewhattosay ,Iguesswonder ing
whatki ndofhumanbei ngsthesear e.Hesai dy esasl ongasIwascomf ort
abl ewecoul d
hav eittil
lbeforebi r
thandwecoul dhav ei tanywaywedesi redaslongasi tdidn'ti
nvolve
sleepingont hest omach.

Ohbyt heway!El
i
kandIar ehavi
ngaboy .I'
m soexcit
edIcan'twaitforhi
mtogethere
al
readysowecanspoilhimrott
en.I'
veevenstar
tedbuyingbabycl
ot hesandt
hinki
ngup
names.Icoul
dcallhi
m Eli
kJnrbutI'm worr
iedthatImightbecursingmychil
dandhe
growsuplovi
ngwomenlikehi
sfather?Idon'
twantmychi l
dtobeli
ket hat
.

Komla’
skidsaresohappyandt heyhaven’tonceaskedaboutt
heirmother.El
ikthi
nks
maybeIshouldl
ett
hem cal
lmemum i nsteadofaunti
eandIwasli
keIdon’tknow.Idon'
t
mindwhattheycal
lme.TheycouldcallmeFi erceIwoul
dmindreall
y.Wegetal ongso
wellEl
i
kt hanksmealmostev erydayfortakingcareofthem.I'm anat ur
alatt hi
s
mother
ingthi
ng.

Thet winsaregoi ngt oanel ementaryschooli nRondeboschf orGr adeRwhenschool s

open.Thef eesi sR240000perst udentpery ear !Sowef or
kingoutR480000i nschool
feesandt hat
'sex cludingtheschooluniforms, spor t
sunif
orms,numer ousextracurricul
ar
activi
ti
esandunnecessar yschoolt ri
ps.It
'sal otf orki
dsdoingGr adeR!WhenIsatEl i
k
downt osayIhadf oundaschool ,Iwassoscar edhewoul df r
eakoutaboutt hef eesbut
hejustsaid,
“Isthatwherey out hi
nkweshoul dputt hem? ”
.
Isaid,“Yes.I
t'sagoodschoolandi t'
sclosetomynewhousesoI 'l
lbeabl etodr opt hem
offandpickthem upwi t
houtsuff
er i
ngthrought raffi
candtheywi l
llearnmuchmor et han
j
ustschoolknowl edge.Theywi lllearnlifeski ll
s,mannersandj ustl ear
nhow t obe
outstandi
ngmember sofsoci et
y. Theywi l
lal sohavemor eoppor t
uniti
esi nter msof
discoveri
ngtheirtalents”.
Hesai d,“Alr
ight.Justt ellmehowmuchi sneededandgi v
emet heaccountdet ail
s,I'
ll
maket hepayment ”.
Itwasahuger eli
efandIcan' twaitforthefir
stdaysoIcandr essthenupi nuniformsand
takephotosoft hem f ormywal l
.Eli
khast obet hereonthatday.It
'sahugest ep.

*
***
***
***
***
***
***
Wheni tcomest obeinglov
edandsuppor tedIknow El i
kandLumkahav egotmyback
anyday.Thekidswerealr
eadyinCapeTownwi ththehelperandIwentbacktoJoburgto
spendsomet i
mewi thmymanwi t
houttheki dsaround.I’m movi
ngtoanew housei n
NewlandssoEl i
kandLumkacamewi thme.I t'
snotlikewe'lldomuchanyway,we'
llj
ust
betelli
ngthemov er
sweretoputthefur
niture.Thatdoesn'tneedt
hreepeopl
ebutLumka
i
nsisted.It
hinkhehasagirl
fr
ienddownher e!

Ihaven’tseenthehousey et,Eli
kkindoftookcareofal lofthat.Wegett oCapeTown
around9pm andheaddownt oSeapoint.MyplanisthatLumkawi l
lsl
eepont hecouch,
thenElikandIwillsl
eepwiththet wi
nssincePeggywi l
lbeusingt heotherroom.Lumka
remindsmet hatther
e’ssomethingcall
edahotelbutjustbecausehephr aseditl
ikethat,
nohot elforhim!He’ ssleepingont hecouch!Hedoesn’ tfightme.Appar entl
yt hi
s
pregnancyhasmademev erymeansot heyareallscaredofme.Idon’ tthi
nkit’
st r
ue.I
thi
nkI’mv er
ynice.

WegettothehouseandIt ell
them t obequi
etandt hatI
’mjustgoi
ngt ocheckonthekids.
I’
m sor
rybutI’
m goingtowaket hem.Imissthem somuchandIcan’ twaitt
il
lmorni
ng.I
swit
chonmybedr oom l i
ghtandIswearI ’m goingtokil
lsomeonet oday.Whatthehell
!
Peggyissl
eepi
nginmybedwi thaman.Thankf ull
ytheyarenotdoi
ngt henastybecause
Idon’
twanttoseet hat
.Peggyget supandshej umpsoutofbedwhensheseesme.She’
sweari
nganightdress.Whodr essesupwhensl eepingwit
htheirman?Ialwaysassumed
al
lwomensleepnakedwhensl eepingwit
haman!Iwaswr ongIcansee.

“Whatthehel
l!
”,Iscr
eam andEli
kcomesr unni
ngandal lIhearhi
m sayis“ Yho!”before
heleavest
heroom andgoest othel
ivi
ngarea.Iquickl
ygot otheotherroom.Whathas
thi
swomandonewi t
hmychi l
dren?Shemov edPeterandPaulf r
om mybedr oom t
ot he
otherr
oom andthey'
vebeenshari
ngthebedwithtwootherkidsthatIdon’tknow!Ohhell
no!

“Iwakethetwinsandt heyaresosl eepyshame.ButIneedt oscream atpeopl

enowandI
can'
thavethem witnessingthat.Idon’tbel
ievethi
s!
“Bhud’Lumkacany oupleasetaket hekidstothecar,Eli
kandIhavetotakecareofthi
s”,
Isay.GoshI’m somad!Hedoesn’ targuebuttakest hetwinsandgr
abst hecarkey
son
thecounterandgoes.Idi dn’
twantt hem toseemegoi ngmad.Istor
mi ntomybedroom
andfindPeggystil
ltryi
ngt oputadr essov erhernightdr
ess.Themani suptoonowand
i
swear i
ngboxers.InmyEgy pti
ancot t
on?Ohhel lno!

“What’
sthisPeggy?
”,Iscream ather.
“I
’m sosorr
ymadam.Pl easemadam” ,shesays.
“Getyourt
hingsandgety ourpersonandyourchi
ldr
enandgetthehelloutofmyhouse!
”,
Isay.
“Ohbutmadam.Thi sisami st
ake.I’
m sor
ry.Pl
ease”
,shesays.
“I’
m giv
ingyou5mi nutestodisappearfr
om myhouse.OtherwiseI
’m call
ingt
hepoli
ce!
Whatt hehell!”
,Isay .
Shel etast r
angeri nt
omyhouse.Ther e'st
wokidshere!Ispeci
fi
call
ytoldhernovi
sit
ors
whenI 'm away!
“Pl
easemadam” ,shesay s.
Andwhyi sthismanst i
l
linmybed!
“Andwena?Getoutofmybedr i
ghtnowandgetoutofmyhouse! ”
,Iyel
lathim.
Ican’tbelievethere’safullgr
own,hair
ymaninmybed!Hej umpsoutinhisboxer
sandI
actuall
ychaset hem outofmyr oom li
kegoat
s.Ihaveabitofmymot heri
nmeaf t
erall
.
Whoknew!

Eli
kisstandingbythedoort hewhol eti
medoi ngnothing!I’l
ldeal
wit
hhimlater
.Whyishe
herethenifhe’snothelpingmewi ththisevi
cti
on?
Themani swakingupt hechil
drenandPeggyi sstil
lbeggi ngme.
“I
’m sosor r
ymadam” ,shekeepssay ing.
“Peggytakeallyourstuffandgetoutofmyhousenow! ”,Isay.
“Every
thing?ThenIwoul dhavetocomebackwi t
hmycl ot hestomor
row?”
,shesays.
“Comingwher etomor r
ow?Youar ef i
red!Getout!”
,Isay.
Iactuall
yhearElikl
aughi ngali
ttl
e.What ’
ssof unnyher e?Thiswomandisrespect
edme!
Shemov edherboyfr
iendandt wokidsi nt
omyhouse!

Ihadn'
ttoldherI
'm comi ngbecausewhyshoul dI?I
t'
smyhouseIcancomeandgoasI
pl
ease.
Shewassl eepi
nginmybedwi thherman!Si es!How disrespect
ful
!Andshemademy
ki
dsshar ethebedwi t
hki dsIdon’tknow!Iwantt hem outofmyhouser i
ghtnow.Elik
doesn'
tsayany t
hing.Thi sman!Theyf inall
ygetev er
ythingandIushert hem outsi
de.
Peggy!Thiswomanpushedmet othel
imi t
s.Onlybecauset heyhavechi
ldr
enwit
ht hem,I
wil
lcall
anUbertot akethem t
owher evertheyaregoing.

Whent heyar egone, It

urntoEl i
k.
“Andy ou?Whydi dy oujuststandt here?” ,
Isay.
“Whatdi dIdo?Youhadev erythingundercont rolmadam” ,hesaysandl aughs.
“Youwantmet ot hr
owy ououtaswel l?YouknowI ’
ll
dothat!
”,Isay.
“Butwear eoutside!Howwi l
lyout hrowmeout ?
”,hesays.
“Youthi nkI’
m crazyne?Yout hinkt hi
sisf unny?You’l
lsl
eepoutsidetoday,you’
l
lsee”
,Isay
andwal kaway.
“I
’m sorr ymadam! ”,hesaysandl aughs.
Yerr
rrrr!Ineedtowal kawaybef oreIstranglehimt odeat
h.
Iseehet hi
nksthisisf unny.Peggyandt hatmani nmybed!

Justgreat!NowIhavetochanget hebeddi
nginallr
ooms.Ican’tbel
ievethatwoman!
Peoplereall
ymist
akemyki ndnessforst
upi
dit
y.Lumkaret
urnswithEli
kandt heki
ds.I
j
usthav eenoughti
met okissthekidsandhugthem andapol
ogisefordist
urbi
ngthei
r
sleep.Theyaresosl
eepythoughshamesoIhav etochangethei
rbeddingfir
standput
them tobed.
“Si
siwhydon’
twej ustcheckintoahotel?”
,Lumkasays.
“He’
sri
ghtbaby
.Don’ tworryaboutt
his.There’
stheWi
nstonMansi
onsj
ustdownt
her
oad,
Icanmakeacall”
,Eliksays.

IstopwhatI ’
m doingandputmyhandsonmywai standl ookatthem.
“Iseewhat’shappeni nghere!YouEl ik,
wi thy our4bedr oom houseandyouBhud’Lumka
withyour5bedr oom house, youthinkmyhousei snotgoodenoughf ory
oune?”,Isay
.
Theylookateachot her .
“Youknowwhat .Got oahot el
.It'
sfine,go” ,
Isay .
“Well
,thi
scouchi sv erycomf ort
ablesoIt hinkI’
llsl
eepr i
ghthere.Idon’
tknowaboutyou
Eli
kbutmeI ’
m goodher e,Idon’twantt ogot oahot el
”,Lumkasay s.
“Menei t
her.Iwanttosl eepr i
ghther ewi t
hmybaby .Actuall
yIneedtohelphermaket he
bedrightnow.Comema, let
'sgomaket hebedandsl eep”,Eli
ksays.

Theyar esof ullofiti

t’snotev enfunny!IgetLumkabl anket
sandEl iktri
estohelpme
maket hebedbutIt el
lhi mtogost andtherebythedoor,isn’
tthat’swhathedoesbest .
Hedi dn’thel
pmewi thPeggy .Hejuststoodther
esoheshoul dgoandst andther
esome
mor e!Hel aughsal it
tl
e.Ihonestlydon’ tseewhat ’
sfunnyher e!Ist r
uggletoturnt he
mat tr
essandI ’
mt oopr oudtoaskElik.
“Youneedhel pmadam? ”
,hesays.
“Whatdoesi tl ookli
ke?” ,
Isay.
Hehel psmeandIact uallyl
ethim helpmemaket hebed.I’
m sti
llupsetwi thhi
mt hough.
Whywashel aughingandwhyi shecal li
ngmemadam?He’ smaki ngfunofmyscene
withPeggy .Ifhecal l
smemadam onemor eti
meI’mthrowinghim out !

Igo and checkon t he twi

ns,checkt hatt he windows ar e cl
osed and ever
ythi
ng.
Everyt
hingi sf i
nesoIcangot obed.Lumkai ssleepingont hecouchandhe’ sonhi s
phonebutt heT. Vison.
“ShouldIswi tchof ftheTVf oryou”,
Isayni cely .
“Ohnopl ease.Idon’ twantt ohearyouandEl ik.Leavei tonal
l ni
ght”,hesaysandlaughs.
Whyi severy onel aughingatmet oday ?Andi fonl yheknewt hathisfri
endwillbegett
ing
noneforav erylongt imehewoul dswi tchofft hatTVandsl eep!
Ishakemyheadandgot obed.
Eli
kisinbedal readyandonhi sphone.
“Moveov er.Youar esleepingonthef arendt oday ”
,Isay .
“Why?Whatdi dIdo? ”,hesays.

“Youknowwhaty oudid”,Isay.
“Ididn’
tdoanyt
hingmadam.CanIsl eepinthemiddl
eofthebedpl
ease?
”,hesay
s.
Itakeapill
owandt hrowithardathim.He’ssoannoyi
ng!
“Yousocut ewheny ouaremad” ,hesays.
Aaaaagggghhhhh!He’ sdriv
ingmemad.
Igetoffmyclothesandsl eepattheedgeofthebed.
“Eli
kpleaseswi
tchof ftheli
ghts”,
Isay.
“Butbabyy ouwerestandi
ngri
ghtt
her
ebytheswit
ch”,hesay
s.
“Eli
k!"
,Isay.
“I’
m sorrybaby.Okletme”,hesay
sandgetsoutofbedandgetst
hel
i
ghtt
hent
urnshi
s
sidelampon.

I
’ml yi
nghereandI ’
m mady esbutIwanthi
mt oholdmebutIcan’
taskbecauseI
’vebeen
goingoffathimt hiswholetime.
“Youawake? ”,Isay.
“No,I’
mf astasleep”,hesays.
See,todayhe’ sr eal
lytr
yingme.Ikickhim onhisleghardandhesaysfinesi
nceI ’
ve
decidedtobeaf ootbal
lplay
erhe’
sgoingtosleepattheot
herf
arsi
deofthebed.
“Iknowwhat ’
swr ongwithyou”
,hesays.
“What?”,
Isay ,
noti nanicetone.

Hestar
tsplayi
ngAkonandheroll
stowar
dsmeandwespoon.Ican’
thel
plaughi
ngashe
si
ngsalong.Thi
sissuchacoolsongt
hough,
it’
scal
l
ed‘
YouWantSome’buti t'
smaki
ng
meblushsobadt oni
ght
.

“Youjustwantsome
Icant el
lwheny ouwantsome
Got osleephalfnakedthr
owi nghi
ntst
haty
ouwantsome
Start
ingfight
sinthenightforatt
ent
ion
Girl
,youwantsome
Oh,nowy ouj
ustplayi
ng?
Youjustwantsome

Theregoesal
lthoset hi
ngsthatyouwassay
ingwhenwewer
eleav
ing
Theregoesal
lthatfighti
ngwewasdoingthi
seveni
ng
Whathappenedtot heshitt
hatyouweresay
ing?
Oh,nowy ouj
ustplaying?

Ooh,
youi
ntr
oubl
e,gi
rl

Causewhi lewespooni ng,youkeeptwer

kingy
ourboot
y
If
eel youmov i
ngandget ti
ngclosert
ome
Andwhyy ouact i
ngall mad?
Gir
l,youknowy ouwannadoi t
Yougethor nyt oofast
Gir
l,Icanfeel yourfl
uids
Can'
tbemadatmef or ever
Gir
l,causey ouwannacome
Oh,nowy ouj ustplayi
ng? ”

Hal
fthet
imeIt
hinkourr
elat
ionshi
pisbasedongr
eatsex.Butt
henIr
emembert
hat
that'
sj ustthecr eam ont op.Lovei sourfoundati
on,thethi
ngswe’ vebeent hr
ough
togetherst r
engthenus,thetwinsbringusclosertoget
her,t
hepregnancymakesuslove
eachot herevenmor eandbecausewehav esomanyt hi
ngsi
ncommonwej ustenj
oy
beingwi theachot her
.He’sri
ghtthoughIcouldusesome.

Okf ine.IknowIsai dhecan’thitt

hattoni
ghtbutImeanhe’ sal readyr i
ghthereandhi s
handsar eal readyteasi
ngmesohemi ghtaswel l
.Iturntofacehi m becauseIt hi
nkI ’
ll
automat i
callygetsomeaf terthi
ssongbutnoI ’m madet oapologi seforbeingmeanand
forshout i
ngathi m andI’
mt oldtobegforitifIwantit.Idoallt
hatandI 'm bl
ushinglikea
bri
de.Ican’ tbeli
ev ehest i
l
lmakesmebl ushafterallthesey ear
sandIgett hose
butterfl
i
esi nmyst omachandhi stouchst
illmakesmewantt oj ustgetal it
tl
ebi tcl
oser
tohim.He’ sthebestt hi
ngthateverhappenedt omeandIj ustreallylovehim.

“Youar ebeautif
ul”,hesay s.
Iblush.
“Il
ov eyoubaby ,withal lmyhear t
”,hesays.
Iblushsomemor e.
“Soy ouwantsome? ”,hesay s.
Inodmor ev i
gor ouslyt hanIint
ended.
“Socanwedot hatonet hatIli
ke?”,hesays.
Iblushsomemor ebutgi ggl
eandgetoutofbedany
way
s.
“Youcan’tdropmet houghbaby ”,Isay.
“HaveIev erdroppedy ou? ”,
hesays.
Lumkawasr ighttol eav etheTV
CHAPTER83

Wef i
nall
ymov edtoournew housei nNewl ands.LikeIpr edicted,LumkaandEl i
kdi d
abso-bloody-
lut
elynothing!Ihavenoideawhyt heywer eherei nthef ir
stplace.Theyjust
sharedabeerbyt hepool si
deandkeptsay ingt heyhadpr essingbusi nessissuest o
discusswhenIaskedt hem forhel
p!Idir
ect
edt hemov ersallbymy sel
f.I
’m surethetalk
hadnot hingt
odowi t
hbusi nessfr
om thewayt heywerel aughing.Sot hishouseismi ne.
Nothi s!Apar
tfrom buyingitandprovi
dinghi
sf inancesforfurnishingit,whatelsedidhe
contri
bute?

Itt
ookal mostaweekt ogett hehouset oexact l
ywhatIwant edi tt obe.I t'
sbi gand
fur
nit
urehadtobeboughtandal lt
hatstuff.El
ikhir
edani nt
eri
ordecor atorwithouttel
li
ng
mebutt heydidanexcel
lentj
obsoIwasn' tangry.Inev eroncedr eamedI 'dev erowna
housewi t
h5bedr oomsand3bat hr
oomsandal ongdr i
vewayand3gar agesanda
swimmingpoolandagarden.Foroncei nmyl ifeIfeltr
ich.Ifel
tliket hisisit
,I'v
emadei t
i
nlif
e.WhenEliksaid‘
doy oul
ikeit?’Ithoughtwhat ?Howwoul dn' tany oneli
ket his?

Eventheai
rblowscoolerandfr
esherthissi
deoftown.AndIkidy
ounot,t
heroadsare
washed.Li
keat ruckgoesbyatnightandsweepst heroadandwashesi
twi
thwat er
!
Wow!It’
sniceleavingwi
thri
chpeople.ImeanIhavemanicur
edtr
eesandaguywhose
onlyj
obi st
ocl eanthepoolandkeepthel
awngreen.Il
ovet
hattheki
dsgettoplayand
runaroundoutside.Theyhav
ethei
rfat
herf
orthat
.I'
m her
ebusybei
ngpregnant
, Ican'
t
berunningar
ound.

Thenei ghboursarenicealthought heyarepret

tyolder.Theybroughtusacasser ol
ewi th
macar oniandcheese.Howcheesy !NowIdon' tknowwhet herIret
urnthecasser ol
edi sh
empt yorifI'
m expectedtomakesomet hi
ngaswel l.Justgreat
!Theyhadt ogi ftmewi th
str
ess!Thecot tageatt hebacki saf ul
l2bedroom house!I twil
ltaketi
mef ormet oget
usedt othishouse.I
'm sti
llover
whel med.Just10y earsagoIwassl eepingont hefloorin
amudhutandnowI ’
m cruisi
ngi nNewlands.Vil
lagechildit’
spossibl
e.IwishIcoul dsay
i
t’
st hroughhardwor k.Butwell,El
ikishardworksot echnical
lyIworkedv er
yhar dforthis.

El
ikisaroundal ottheseday s.Hefli
esoutt oZambi astil
lbutalway scomesback.He' s
busyshameandi ssti
lltr
yingt ogainmyt rust
.Helefthisphonest rategicall
yrightnextt
o
met heot herdayaf terhehadbeengoi ngonabout‘ I
'
lljustmakey ournamemy
password.ThatwayIcannev erf
orgetit
’.Igott
hehi ntandIcoul dt ellhewant edmet o
gothroughit.Idi
dn'tthough.Ichooset ot akehi
swor dforitwhenhesay she' l
lcometo
mewi thproblemsandnotf indagi r
ltomakehi mf eelbett
er.Wear einahappypl aceso
whygodi gginginagr aveyardandexpectnott of indskeletons?Imi ghtbest upi
dbut
tr
ustmeI '
m notstupid.BesidesIhav etoomuchonmypl ateasitis,Idon’ tneedstress.

Theki dsstart
edschool.Gosht heyar esocut e!Theyspeaksowel landEl
ikthinksI'
m
doingagoodj obwi ththem.Somet imesIdon' tthi
nksobutI '
mt ryi
ngmybest .You
should have seen how t he other parentsl ooked at me at t he openi
ng PTA
(Parent-
TeacherAssociat
ion)meeting.Oneact uall
yhadtheaudaci t
ytosaytheywant ed
parentsoft hechil
drenandnotsi bli
ngst owhi chIsaid‘ t
hat'sexactl
ywhatIam.I '
m
probablyyouragebutwel l,whatcanIsay ,goodgenes’.Ithi
nkI ’
vebecomer ude.She's
probablytwicemyagebutshedoesn' tknow t hat
.Theywer ealljudgingmef orbeing
young!Likeisthatevenathing?Tooy oungmyf oot
!Theyarejustoldandsour
.

I
t'sjustsadt hatInfl
ationisn'there.Mymot herwouldn'
tlethim.Idon' tseehow she' s
l
ettingherhat redofmedepr i
veInflat
ionofabet t
erfut
ure!Itryv eryhardnott ot hink
aboutmymot herbecausei tneverendswel lformyhear t
.Herwor dssti
llhauntme.I 've
foundmy selfal mostsendinghermoneybutj ustendupsendi ngi ttomyaunti nstead.
I
'm sousedt osendi ngmoneyhomeIf eellikeIlostahugepar tofmewhent hatwas
takenawayf rom me.Somyauntandel destbr ot
heraremynewbenef i
ci
aries.Imissmy
mot hersomucht hough.Shewasn’ tperfectbutshewasmymot herandshewasal way s
funnyandt herewer eti
messheusedt oencour agemeandact uall
yshowmel ove.Iwi sh
Icouldjustgetont henextpl aneandgohomeandbegf orherf orgiv
eness.I ’
m goingt o
haveababysoonandIwi shshecoul dgot hroughthisj
ourneywithme.Unt i
lthen,restin
peacemum.

Ical
l
edheronceinamomentofweaknessbuthaycha,she'
sreal
lydonewi
thme.She
di
dn’tev
ensayanyt
hing.Justhungupl
i
keIwasanannoyingper
sontryi
ngt
osel
lhera
phonecont ract
.I'm aghostt oher .ThenIcal ledmyf at
herandhegav emeawhol e
hi
storylessonandcul t
urallessonaboutt hewei ghtofmymot her '
swor ds.Appar entl
y
whatshedi dhasbeenpr acti
cedov ergenerationsandi t’sbelievedt hatutteri
ngt hose
wordsi sthesameascast i
ngabi ndi ngcurse.Hesai dIcannev ertalktoheragai nand
shouldn'
tevent ry
.Hesay st heonlywayt he‘ curse’canbebr okeni sifmymot herandI
makepeaceandwhat 'sthathesai d?Wemusteatash?( Sikhumel aneuml otha).I'
m not
eati
ngash,I'm sorry.Hesai dhewi llcallafami lymeet i
ngsot heycandi scussthewayI
disr
espectedev eryoneandappealt omymot hert of or
giveme.Heact uall
ysaidt hat!He
blamesme!Hi mtoo?They ’veall
turnedagai nstmet hateasily
?

Itoldhim nott obot herwitht hemeet ing.Idon' tneedany one'

sf orgi
veness.I
'm Cat holic
theseday s.Ther e'
sawhol econf essionr oom wi thaboot hdedicatedtoforgi
vingsins.I fI
needf orgi
v enessI'l
lgot here,t hanky ou.YesI 'm goingtochur chnow.Sur pri
sesur prise.
Wel lIwentoncesof arandIi nt endt ogonextweekagai nsoIt hi
nkIcanconf identl
ysay
I’m abel ievernow.Ichoset heCat hol i
cchur chbecausei t
'snothect i
candnoonei s
screamingatmei nchur chort ryi
ngt oexor cisemeormaki ngmef eelguiltyfornot
offeri
ng.It'squiet,it
'schill
edandt her e'
sasetpr ogr
am f orthemass.Idon’ thav et o
spendal ldayi nchur ch.Andt hepr iestwasv er
yni ceandl ookedlikehewasf r
om
somewher ei nthepast ,fr
om t heer aofcr usades,i nthatdressorr obehewear s.They
maket hepr iestsyoungandhott heseday sit
’sungodl y!

Itr
iedtoconv i
nceElikt ojoi
nmei nmynewl yfounddesi r
et ogotochurchandhesai dhe
doesn'thavetogobecauset hebi bl
esay sift
hewi f
egoest ochur
chshe'srepresenting
thewhol ehousehold.Idon' tknowwhi chbiblehereads.Tobehonest ,theonlyreasonI
got ochurchnowi sf orthekids.Ineedt hem t
ogot oSundayschoolandt ogrowupwi th
amor alcompassofsor ts.ThelastthingIwishupont hem istoenduplostsoulsli
ket he
menar oundt hem.Andwhyexact l
yKoml ahasn’tcomef orherki
ds,Idon’tknow.OkI
know shecan’ tenterSout hAf r
icabutshecoul dcal lmey ouknow!I t’
slikeshej ust
abandonedt hem andi salri
ghtwiththat.Somemot hersdon’tdeser
vetoseeheav en.

Theyaregr owingupandmay bewhent heyt urn18andcannowt r

avelal
onemay bet hey
cangot oGhanaandaskherwhy .I
nt hemeant i
me,t heywi
llstayatschool.Thankfull
y
theschoolhasaschoolbusandIdon' thav etowakeupanddr opoffthekidsorpi ck
them up.Lifei
sgoingintherightdi
rection.Beingpregnantsucksthough. Can'tIhav e
thi
sbabyt akenoutofmeandputi nani ncubatorfortheremaini
ngmont hs?Ifeell
ikeI'
m
carr
ying5kgswi thmearoundandi t
'sexhausting!

Now I ’m al
lthemot herthetwinsknow.Icouldn’tmanageonmyownsoIgotanew
nanny, El
i
zabeth.Thi
st i
meIhadst ri
ctrequi
rementsandhadintervi
ewsandf or
cedEl i
kto
si
tint hem andIwasbadcopandhi m goodcop.Iwon'tgothroughwhatIwentt hr
ough
withPeggy !Andnowt hatwehav eabi ghouseit
'sbett
erbecauseshegetst ostayinthe
backhouse.She' sreall
ygoodatt hiswholecleani
ngandcooki ngandt akingcar eof
chil
dren.Ilikeherbutwe’ l
lsee.Asl ongasshedoesherj obmeandherwon' thav ea
probl
em.Isetboundar ies wi
th herf r
om the word go and made itcleart hatour
r
elat
ionshi
pispur
elypr
ofessi
onal
.

Besidesbaby i
ngthetwinsandEl i
k,IhavetobabyKof iaswell.He’sbackinGermanyand
he'
sf i
nishi
ngupt hatMast er
s.It hinkhe'snott akingtheEl i
knotbei nghisbrot
her
si
tuationsowel l
.Wecan'tendaconv er
sat
ionwithouthim askingifEli
khateshi
m.Ain'
t
weal lscaredofbei
nghatedbyEl ik!Hedoesn'tj
usthat ey
ou, hedeletesyoufr
om hi
sli
fe
andwr apsyourcoffi
nwi t
habow.Youar edeadt ohim.Theyar egoodwi t
hEli
kstil
l
.
Maybeunl i
kebefor
ebutIbel i
evewi thtimetheywi l
lgetthere.I'
l
lmakesur eofit
.They
aremyboy sandIwantbothoft hem tobealri
ght.

Any ways,I’
m backt ogoingt ocampusev eryday.Althoughmyt hesiswassubmi t
tedf or
exami nat
ionIst il
lhaver esearchtodo.I t'
snotj ustanexam mar kt hatmakesadoct or.
Therear eresearchout putsexpect ed,Ihavet oconvertmyt hesi
stoatl eastfourjournal
arti
cles.Ihaven’tpublishedany thi
ngi nthepast6mont hs.I
t’sbad.I t
'sprettyhotthese
daysbutI '
m wear i
ngboy fr
iendjeansandj erseysallthetime.I'
m hidingmyst omach.I t
's
quiteembar rassingbeingwi thchildseeingt hatnooneknewIwasdat i
ngt henIturned
upengagedt oamar r
iedmant hennow It urnuppr egnant!Nope.Nothappeni ng.And
theseguy scan' ttel
lI'
m pr egnant!How blind!Ndi v
huj ustsaidI'
m gai ningweight.How
rude!

Ifel
tawkwar dthefi
rstti
meIwal kedint
ot helab.Like,Ithoughttheydidn'
tlikeme
anymore.ButIwaswrong.ItwasasifIneverl
eftandwewer eallhugsanditj
ustf eel
s
l
ikeoldti
mesnow.Mi nusmeaskingformoneyofcour se.SotheChemicalengineeri
ng
PhDfoursomeisbackagai
nandmyday sarebri
ghter.

Ndivhu isst il
lNdi vhu.Hehason t het ypeofhai rcutthatlooksl i
kehewasata
barbershopt hent herewasapowercutsot heycoul dn'tf
ini
sh.Iwonderwhatheev en
saidtot hebar bert odescri
bewhathewant ed!Ican’tev endescr
ibeitbutI
’veseensome
footballplayerswi thit
. ThenBr ai
n.Brai
nybr ain.Hebr okeupwi t
hhisgirl
fri
end.Hesays
she'sbeencheat i
ngonhi mtheirwholerelati
onshipandheact uall
ywast hesi deni
gga
doingmai nniggadut i
es.Hayshame.He’sani ceguy ,hedoesn’tdeservethat.Butt
hat’
s
l
ov efory ou.Itkicksy ouinthenutswheny oul eastexpectit
.

ThenBunke.Myhoodie-wear
ingtalldrinkofwat er
.Heisexceptional
lyni
ceandisbackto
madami ngmeandmaki ngmelaughwi thhispidginEngli
sh.Hisacti
onsmakemebel i
eve
thatIlef
tahugeimpressi
ononhim andmay bedeepdownhet hi
nkswe’l
lgobacktothe
goodol ddays.Hewasal waysapl acehol
derany way
s,keepingmecompanyunt i
lthe
ri
ghtfulownerofmecamet ohissenses.At enantcan’treal
l
ycompl ai
nwhenaskedt o
mov eoutsotheownercanmov ein.It’
sjustthewayi ti
s.

Hegav emet hebestacademi cgifteverandhepr esentedi tasaninsultcoat

edi n
chocol
ate.Iaccept
ednonet hel
essandgav ehim alongt hanky ouhug.Hi
swor dswer e,
“Despi
tewhaty outhi
nk,Istil
lcarealotaboutyou.Sowhi ley ouwereouttheremaking
onebaddecisionaf
teranother,someofuswer ebusywi t
hr esearch.I
'
vewri
tten2papers
thi
sfarandIputyournameont
hem becauseshoul
dyoudeci
detocometoyoursenses
andmay beappl
yforapost
docf
ell
owshi
p,you'
ll
needpubl
i
cati
onstobacky
ouup”.

Icoul
dhav ef
li
ppedandshownhimthemiddlefi
ngerbutIt hankedhimi nst
ead.It
'st
he
bestthi
nganyonecandoforyouatanacademiclevel
.Iforgivehisinsultsbecausehe
knowsnotwhathespeaket
h. Healsocan'
ttel
lI'
m pregnant!Oraret heyallpret
endi
ng
nottosee?Whatever
,I’
mjustgl
adthi
ngsarebacktonor mal .I
t’sourl astfewmonths
toget
her.

Theirthesesar ebackal r
eady .Beenbackf orawhi l
enow andt heyjustwaiti
ngf or
graduati
on.I '
m abitj
ealousbutIknow Idi dthistomy self
.Theywer efocusedwhenI
wasbusyr unningaft
erElik,helpinghi
m messupwi thhi sfami ly,messi
ngupwi thmy
famil
y,playingsweetstepmot herandget t
ingpr egnant.Thef actthatIevenfini
shedi n
thefir
stplaceisami r
acle. It makesmesosadt hought hatt heyaredoneandI ’
m not.
Ndivhu’st hesisfr
om theexami ner
slooksper f
ect.Tooper fect.I ’
m utt
erl
yshocked.I
guessIshoul dn’thavej udgedhi m sohar shly.Atleastf ort heguy sgraduat
ioni s
guaranteed.Asf orme,I'
m stil
lhopingmyt hesesf i
ndst heirwaybackbef oretheli
brary
cutoffdate.

Icongr
atulat
edtheguysthough,
withasmi
leonmyface.AndsinceI’
m somoniedt
hese
daysIgav ethem l
i
keagr andeachtogobuysomethi
ngnice.Andtheytooki
t!Bl
oody
hypocr
it
es!Theywer ebashingmenotsol ongagobutaregoi ngtoenjoyt
hefrui
ts!
Hypocr
ites!

CHAPTER84

Imakeitt
ocampusar ound10am.Abi tl
atebutit
'snotl
ikeI
'
mr ushi
ngf
orany
thi
ng.Isay
goodmorningsandcomplai
nabouteveryt
hingasusualasImakemywaytomydesk.
“Pr
ofi
slookingforyoumadam”,Bunkesays.
Whatnow!Igotof i
ndhi
m whil
eIstil
lhav
eenergy.

I
t'
smyt hesi
s!Allthreecopi
esarebackandProfwaswaiti
ngforalloft
hem togetback
beforehecoul dgivethem tome.Iactual
lyl
etoutay oungvict
oryshout.I
'
mr el
ieved,
happy,emot i
onal,exci
tedatthesametime.Ipassed!Iact
ual
lymadei t
!I’m aDoctor,
ungraduatedyetbutstil
ladoct
or!I
’
m soovert
hemoon.

Myf i
rstt
houghtistocal
lmymot her.She'sbeenwaiti
ngforthi
sdaylongerthanIhav e.
I
'm abouttodialwhenIr
emembert hatIforf
eit
edthatpri
vi
legeawhileago.Ican'tshare
thi
snewswi thheroranynewsf ort hatmat t
er.Ical
lEli
kandhesay shenev eronce
doubtedme.Andhesay sourweddi ngisgoi ngtobelitbecausethat'
sthedayPr of
Nkrumahwi l
lwifeDrNkr
umah.Thatmademesmi l
eeartoear.I
'
m easil
ycharmed.

Wel
l
,Imi
ghtnotbesl
ayi
ngonmygr
aduat
iondaybecauseoft
hisgr
owi
ngst
omachbutI
wil
lhavethetimeofmyl i
fe.Iheaddownt othecafeteri
awindowandaskf orachi
pr ol
l
andacanofcokezer o.Foodalwayswasmybestf r
iendandsincefir
sty
ear,achi
pr ol
l
andcokezerohavebeenmyf oodofchoice.BackthenitwasallIcoul
daff
ordandnowi t
’
sjustaloyalt
ything.Theyhav esenti
ment alval
ue.Thiswasmyl if
ebefor
eEli
kcame
al
ongandi ntr
oducedmet ochampagneandl obster
.Iheadt omybenchandsi tthere
watchi
ngstudent
swal kby.Theseducksar eastil
lher
e!

ThisPhDi stheonet hingthat

'str
ulymi ne.OnethingEli
kdidn'
tbuyf ormeorhadnot hing
todowi t
h.OnethingIf oughtnailandtoothtoaccompl i
sh.I'
l
ldri
nkt othat
.AsIsi there
reminisci
ngandt hinkingofcouldhav esandmi ghthaves.Ithi
nkoft henow.IgotEl ik
from anotherwoman.Andi fI'
m beingt ruetomy sel
f,doIr egretit?Theansweri sa
resoundingNO.Idon' tregr
etEli
k.Everythi
ngwewentt hroughmademewhoIam t oday .I
l
ostsomuchal ongt hewaybutIgai nedsomuchaswel l
.Somyuni v
erseremai ns
balanced.IsoundsosadwhenIshoul dbecel ebrati
ng.
Sigh.

Themostunexpectedcallev ercomest hr
ough.Ikeptst
ari
ngatmyphone,unabl eto
answer
,unt
ili
tgoest ov oicemail.Hecall
sagain.I
t'
sButholezwe,mymedicaldoct
or
brot
her
.Thi
sisafi
rst.Ihaven’tspokent
ohiminav er
ylongti
me.Iansweri
tthi
stime.

“Butho? ”,Isay .
“Fier
ce.Howar eyou? ”
,hesay s.
Wespend agood3mi nutesaski ngeachot herusel essquesti
onsaboutoutheal thand
wor kandov erallwel lbeing.Webot hest ablishthatwear efi
neandal li
sgood.
“Ihear dwhatmamadi dt oy ou”,hesay s.
Ikeepqui et.He'smybr ot her .Heabandonedmeal ongtimeago.Iusedt olookuptohi m
growingupandusedt owr itehiml et
tersbackt hen.Il ovedhim andalway sspokeso
highlyofhi m butt hatdi dn’ tst ophimf r
om abandoni ngme.
“I'
m sor rybutI '
m notshocked.Thi sisumamawear et al
ki
ngabout”,hesays.
“Whatdoy oumean? ”,Isay .
“Whydoy out hinkInev ercamebackhome? ”
,hesay s.
“Idon'tknow.Youf orgotwher ey oucamef rom! ”,
Isay .
Mymot herusedt osayt hatabouthi m.
“YesIf orgot.Ichoset of orget.Thatwomani sbi tt
erandwhenIgotmar r
iedshe
disappr ovedofmywi feandsai dt hingst hatmademenev ert
owantt oseeheragai n.
Thatwast hel astst rawf orme.It riedtoi mpr essher .WhenIwasdoi ngmyi nt
ernship,I
sentheral mostal lmymoneyandshej ustcompl ainedandcompl ainedandnev eronce
saidt hanky ou.Itdr ainedt hel i
feoutofme.Andt hecomment sshewoul dpass,Idon’ t
evenwantt otalkaboutt hat ”,hesay s.
Ihadnoi dea!

“Babysis.Lookatthi
sfrom t
heposi
ti
ve.Shehasf
reedy
ouandcannev
erhur
tyouagai
n
withhervil
ewords.Don'
tbesosad”,
hesay s.
Ican'
tnotbesad.Ilostamother
.
“Idon'
tknowhowy oust
uckitupwi
thherforsol
ong!That
'scommendable!
”,hesay
s.
Ikeepquiet
.She'
smymot her
.Iwaswi
ll
ingtosti
cki
toutwithhert
il
lki
ngdom come.

“Any
way.Icall
edtosayI'm sorr
ysi s.AndIwast hi
nki
ng.Si
ncenow webothout
casts
maybewecouldbeoutcaststoget
her .Imissedoutsomuchony ourl
if
eandIwoul
dlike
t
ogettoknowy ouagai
nandbeabi gbr ot
hertoyou,i
fyou’
l
lhaveme”,
hesays.
“
Iwouldl
ovethatver
ymuchBut ho”,Isay .
Hehasnoideawhatthi
smeanst ome.

Thatwasapl easantsur pri

se.Todayi ssl
owlybecomingmyday !Igobackt othelabt o
bewi thmyf riendsandt oshar et hatI'
l
lbegraduati
ngwi ththem af terall
.Myl i
feisa
comedyt hough.Ihav enogi r
lfriendsandt heonl
ypeoplear oundmear emen.Theonl y
peoplesur roundingmear eLumka, whohappenst obeElik'
sbestfriendsoi feverIbreak
upwi thEl i
kourf ri
endshipwi llceaset oexist
.IhaveKof i,samest oryasLumka.Hi s
al
legianceiswi t
hEl i
k.IhaveBr ain,aguywho'swantedmef orthelongestt i
me.Howy ou
buil
dasuccessf ul
fri
endshipwi thsuchaguybeat sme.Ther e’sNdivhu, butIwoul
dn'tcal
l
hi
m af r
iend.He' sjustal abmat ethatone.Thenlat
elytheonef ri
endIhangar oundt he
mosti sBunke,anexwhost i
l
lt hinkshecangetintomypant s.Somywhol esquadisa
mashedpot atowi thalotofmi lk.Suchamess.

Eli
kisinZambi aatthemomentandwi l
lonlybebackl at
ertonight
.Wheni tcomesto
chasingthatpaper
,hewi nstherace.Iguessi fyouhaveaf ianceandt wokidsand
anotherki
dcoming,youhavetoputinthehours.Besi
des,t
aki
ngcar eofpeopl
eisallEl
i
k
knowssoheget scarr
iedawaysometimes.

Itoldhim hecanst aytheresi

ncehehasanot hermeetingin2day sanywaysbuthe
i
nsistson coming back.Hesay shedoesn'twantt o stayawayf rom meand my
pregnant
nessandwant stobetherewithme.Idon'tbuythat.It
hinkhedoesn'twantme
thi
nkinghe'
swi t
hsomeoneel sether
e.Frankl
y,Ifor
gavehim completel
yandI'm soover
thatGhanagir
l,whoevershewas.IfI'
m beingtr
uetomy selfIknowhemi ghtdoitagain
andagainandagainagai n.Sowhywast ethi
shappyt i
mewhenIknowst r
essmi ghtbe
coming?

Thedayj ustgetsbett
erand better
.I'
dthoughtofgoing outfordi
nnerbutIjust
rememberedthatEl
ikmightcomelatesoit
'sfi
ne.I
'
llt
ellhi
mt ofeedhi
mself
.Thekids
andIwi
lleatwhatev
erLi
zzyfeedsus.

Iquicklymakeal lt
hecorrect
ionsonmyt hesis.Theyaren'tt
hatmany .It
'st
oocleanand
mypl agi
ari
sm reportwas2%.Idi dn'tev enknow itcouldbet hatlow!Ican’tsayI'
m
surprisedbythequalit
yofmyt hesis.Itwasedi tedbyPr ofEl
ikNkrumahhi msel
fwit
ha
fi
net oothcomb.Nowi t'
sreadyforpr i
nting,bi
ndingandlibrar
ysubmission.

I
'm si
tti
ngonBunke’sdeskandhe'saskingmesi
ll
yquest
ionsli
kewhyam Ialways
weari
ngajer
seyinthi
sweather
!Ineveraskhi
m whyhe'
salwayswear
inghoodi
es!So
whyi sheaskingme?I'
m busykickinghim andhe'
stel
li
ngmeast oryaboutsomethi
ng
thathappenedwhenhewasinFlorida.Forsomeoneabouttobesomeone'swif
e,I
'
mt oo
playful
.Andri
ghther
emypl ayf
ulnesscouldpassasf l
i
rti
ng.Idon’
tknow,Ikindofli
ke
attenti
on.

I’
m stari
ngatBunkeandt hi
nki
ng‘ Butheusedt odomesogoodgoddamn! ’
.Hecatches
myey eandwehol dt hestar
ef oraf ew secondsbeforeIlookaway.DoIst il
lhave
feeli
ngsf orhi
m?Can’tbe.That'
smycuet oleave.El
i
kandIar etoohappyformet obe
doingthis.Besi
desI
'
m pregnantsoev enifIwantedanightofclosur
ewithBunkeIcan'
t
haveit.

Thekidsareputtobed,Lizzyisgonetohercot
tageandI'
mlyingonthecouchchatt
ing
tomybr ot
herButhoandt r
yinghar
dt ocat
chup.I’
m wai
ti
ngforEli
ktogethome.I'
mt oo
l
azytogot hebedroom.Idozeoffevent
ual
ly.

“Hey”,
Eli
kwakesmeandIdon' tevenopenmyey es.
“Moveoverbaby,l
et'
sshar
et hecouch”
,hesays.
Imov ebutstaysemi-
asl
eep.Hecov er
suswi t
habl anketandsqueezesnextt
omeand
putshishandonmyst omach. I'l
lseehi
mi nthemor ni
ng.Let
'sseeifIcangetbackt
o
thatdr
eam ofmehav i
ngdinneronaboatwit
hAkon.

*
***
***
***
***
***
***
**

Thekidswokeusupandaskedwhywewer esl
eepi
ngonthecouch.Il
etEli
kanswerthat
.
Ispendtherestoft hemorningtal
kingaboutmebagf i
ngthatdoctorar
eandt r
yingto
fi
gureoutwhatcolourdresslooksbett
erunderaredgown.Eli
ki shappi
erthanme.He
sayshe’sreal
l
ypr oudofmeandIi nspir
ehim.How exact
lyIinspi
rehim Idon’
tknow
becausei
fanythi
ng,heinspi
resme.

Butobvi
ouslyt
heuniver
sewouldn'
tdar eseemehappyf orl
ong.I
talwayscomesaround
toremi
ndmet hati
tgavemeEl i
kandcant akehim backanyt
imei fi
twanted.I
t'
slike
bei
ngdangledontopofthefi
resofhellwhilelooki
ngupt ot
heheavens.Youhavebeauty
ri
ghti
nfr
ontofyoubutyouknowasi ngledropwi l
ll
andyouinthefi
res.I
t'
smadness.

I
t’smidmor ningandElikistaki
ngmeshoppi ngbecausemyclot hesdon'
tfitany
mor e.I'
m
becoming a hi ppo l
i
ke Kof ipredi
cted.I'
m stilla babyhippo though buta hi ppo
nonethel
ess.Hei nsi
stsIlookgreatbuthesay sthatal
lthet
imenomat terhowIl ookso
he’snotatrustedsource.Ikeepcomplaini
ngandwhi ni
ngabouthowpr egnantIlookright
now.Hesay ssowhat ?Hesay sIshoul dbeproudt obecarr
yingal i
feinsideme.Yeah.
That'
seasyf orhimtosay .It
'snoteasycarr
yingtheevi
denceofsexwi thyouev er
y where
yougo!

I
'
mi ntheshowerandtaki
ngmyti
mewhenEl
i
kopenst
hedoorandsay
s,
"
Babe.Yourphonekeepsri
ngi
ng"
.
"Answeritbabyandtell
whoev eri
tisthatI
'l
lgetbackt
othem in30mi nut
es"
,Isay.
Iconti
nueshower i
ng.I'
m gett
inglazi
erandslower,ev
enbat hi
ngtakesmef orev
eranda
day.
I
'm sti
llbusyshoweri
ngwhenIhearasmashi ngsoundli
kethatofaglassbreaki
ng.Then
anothersmashandanot hersmash.It
'sli
kesomeoneisbreakingt
hings.

"Youalrightbaby
?",Icall
out.
Nor eply.
Iquicklygetthesoapof fmeandj umpoutoftheshower
.Itt
akesmef or
everbutIf
ini
sh
eventually
.
Thel iv
ingr oom isamess.Thet al
lmirr
oronthewallisbroken!TheTV screenis
shatter
ed!Abi gportr
aitofEl
ikandIisbr
okenandlyi
ngonthefl
oor
.

Whathappenedher e?Iscream forElikbutnothi

ng.Irunoutandaroundt othegarage
withjustmyt owelonandmyJeepi sgone.Weki ndofhav ebeenshar i
ngt heJeep
becauseIinsi
sted.It
hinkwewer ejustrobbedandmay beEli
kwaskidnapped.Irunback
tothehouseandbyt het i
meImakei ttothedoorI'
m havi
ngapanicattack.Icanbarel
y
breat
heandmyhear tisbeati
ngsof astandmypal msaresweatingandIf eelsoli
ght
headed.It
hinksomeonet ookEl
ik.

[
3/18,
14:
13]I
nini
:CHAPTER85

Iknow Ineedt ogetittogetherandcal lthecops.Iclosemyey esandfocusonmy

breathi
ngunti
lIcanatleastst andwi thoutfeel
i
ngl i
keI
'l
lfal
lfacefir
st.Myphoneisri
ght
therenextt
ot hebrokenpor t
rait.Carefulnottostepont heglass,Ir
eachformyphone
thengot othebedroom.Thescr eeniscracked,l
ikesomeonet hrew i
thar
dagainstthe
wallorsomething,
butit'
ssti
llonatl east.

10111i sthenumberIdi alandtryItost

abi
lisemyshakyv oi
ce.Irepor
tabreakinanda
possiblekidnapandast ol
envehicl
e.Theoper atorsaysImustr emai
ncalm andmust
l
ockmy selfint hebedroom i
ncasewhoev erbr okeinretur
ns.Idot helocki
ngoft he
bedroom butt heremaini
ngcalm par
tishar
d.Ineedt ocal
lEl
ik.Iopenmychatwithhim.
There'samessagef r
om him.ThankGod.Iquicklyopenitwit
hshakinghandsanditsays
'
Washegood? '
.

Whatdoeshemean?Waswhogood?I t
'sprobablyt
heki dnapperri
ght
?Textingwit
hhis
phone?Aretheyaskingi
fEl
ikwasgoodwhenbei ngkidnapped?Butwhyar etheyt
exti
ng
me?Itdon'tmakenosensebutalotoft
hingsdon'tmakesenset omerightnow.Ipani
c
somemor e.Wil
ltheycomebackf
orme?

Thecopsareout
sidealr
eady!Thr
eecars!Talkaboutfastr
esponse!Thi
sisNewl
ands.I
'
m
sur
eeachhousehasadesi gnat
edpolicemanandcaronst andby.Imeanwepayt he
mosttaxesint
hissideoftown.Eli
kdoest heactualpayi
ngbutmeandhi m ar
eoneso
WEpay .
I'
m stil
lwr appedinat owelandIt el
lthecopswhathappened.Theyaskmei ftherewas
anyoneelsei ntheyar
dandIsaymyhel perisinthecot t
ageatt heback.Twooft hecops
l
eaveandgot oaskheraf ewquesti
ons.Theoneaski ngmet hequestionsdoesn'tseem
tothinkt her ewasabr eaki n.Hesay swi t
hal lthealarm sy st
emsandcamer asand
remotecont rol
ledgate,italldoesn'
taddup.Hesay si t
'sbroadday l
ightandsomeone
wouldhav eseensomet hi
ngandcal ledthepoliceiftherereall
ywasabr eakin.Duh!I'
m
someoneandIal er
tedthepol ice.What'
shet al
kingabout!Itrytotel
lthem thatcri
minals
areclevert hesedaysbutt heytellmetheyknowcr i
minalsbetterthanme!

TheythinkEli
kandIwer efi
ghti
ng!Theydon'tevent akeastatement
!I'
m soupsetI'
m
goingtocall10111agai
nandaskf ormor eseri
ouspol i
ce!Theydon'
ttakemeserious
eventhoughtheycanseeI'
m abouttohaveament albreakdownandcanseethebroken
thi
ngsont hefloor
.Mymanwast akenhere!It
ellthem thatifany
thi
nghappenstomy
fi
ance,I
'm sui
ngthewhol
eSAPS!

Theoneswhowentt oquestionLizzyretur
nsandasksmet onev ermakeapr ankcallto
thepoli
ceagai n,
it'
si l
l
egal!TheysayLi zzytol
dt hem thatshesawt hemanI '
m descri
bing
asmi ne(herboss)l eavingaloneandget ti
ngintot heJeepanddr i
vi
ngoff!Li
zzyislyi
ng.
Eli
kandIwer ecool .Hewaswai tingformet ofinishshoweringsowecangot ot heMall
sowhywoul dhej ustl eave?Whywoul dhedot hat?Andwhobr okeallt
hesethingsthen?
Itdoesn'
tmakesense.Theonef emaleasksmei fI'
m marri
ed!Likewhathast hatgotto
dowi t
hany t
hing.Isaynowi t
hanat ti
tudeandshegi vesmebackmor eatt
it
ude.Mxm.

"Youknowwehav erealcri
mi nal
stocat chma’am",t
hetalkat
iveonesays.
Idon'tunder st
and.What'sgoingonher e?
"Let
'sgo.Shedi dt
hisherselfandherpar t
nerdrov
eaway .Youcanseeshe’sabitpsycho.
Thesey ounggirl
sandbl essers!Therewasnobr eakinorhijacki
ng"
,thefemalewit
ht he
sti
nkingat ti
tudesays.Ir
eallydon'tunderst
andandI'minshockast heyal
ljudgemewi th
thei
rey esandwal kout.

There'
sami ssedcallonmyphonef rom Jay .Idi
dn'
tevenhearitri
ng.Iopenmycalllog
soIcanr edialEli
kandthere's5mi ssedcal l
sfrom Jay.SowhenEl i
ksaid'
babey our
phone'itwasJaycal l
i
ng?Ohshi t
.Oht hat'
sbad.Real l
yreal
lybad.WhatdidJaysayt o
hi
m?Iqui cklygot omyWhat sAppandt here'
snewmessagest hathavebeenreadt
hatI
di
dn'tread.Itj ustpi
ecesi
tselfup.Elikreadabi tofmychat swithJay.Sohewasn' t
ki
dnapped!I '
m sodead.

I'
vekindofbeenf l
ir
ti
ngwi t
hJaysi ncewegotbackf rom Ghana.Notexpli
citfl
ir
tingbut
moreof' Heyhandsome','
ni
cepr of
il
epictur
e',‘Imissy ou’,‘
blushi
ngemoji
s’andsubt l
e
stuf
flikethat
. WeWhat sAppcalleverynowandt henj usttocheckuponeachot her.
Nothi
ngexpl i
citr
eall
y.Thentodayofal ldayshehadt owrite'Ir
eal
lyenj
oyedy outhat
ti
me.Can' twaitt
oseey ouagain!'
.Eli
kobviouslyassumedt heworstwhenhesawt hat.
I'
m soscr ewed.Myhandsar eshakingandIdon' tknow whatt odo.IcallEl
i
kandt he
phoneri
ngsandhehangsup.It
ryagai
nandi
tgoest
ovoi
cemai
l
.Canhepl
easeal
l
owme
toexpl
ain.Icanexpl
ain.

IcallLumkaandhesay shel astspoket oEliky esterday.I

'm hystericalandhewai t
st i
l
l
I'
m calm.
“Whathappened? ”,heasks.
Itellhim.Iment iont hatmay beJaycal l
edandmay beElikmi si
nterpretedthehar mless
messages.Hel aughs!
Likedot hesepeopl enotknowwhent obeser i
ous?
“Youcal ledthepol i
ce? ”,hesay sandi slaughingatme.
Honest l
ywhat 'ssof unnyher e!Mxm.
“I'
m serioushere.El ikisgone! ”,Isay .
“Yousayy oudidn'tdoany t
hingwi ththisguy,right?”,hesays.
“Ididn'
t.Itwasj usthar ml essf l
irti
ng.Iswear ”,Isay .
“Thenf i
ndEl ikandt ellhimt hat .He'l
lbeal ri
ght .Your eal
l
yt hinkEli
kwoul dbreakupwi th
youov ert hi
s?Comeonnow.He' sjustthrowingt antrums.He' l
lbefine.Wel l
,exceptifyou
actuall
ydi dsomet hingwi t
ht hisguyt henElikwi llf
indoutonewayoranot her.Theny ou
arescrewedy es”,hesay s.
IwishIhadt hesamecal mnesshehasr ightnow.IknowEl ikwouldbr eakupwi t
hmeor
probablycutof fmyheadi nthepr ocess.Whent here'sanothermani nvolvedheturnsinto
somet hingelseIdon' trecogni se.

“ButnaweFi erce!Whywoul dy ouleaveevidencel

yingaroundli
ket
hat
?Youdelet
ethese
kindoft hings!”
,hesaysandl aughs.
Ishesay i
ngwhatIdi disfi
ne?Ij usthadtodeletet
hemessages?Suchafr
iendheis!
“Bhud’Lumka.Thi si
sn'
tfunny!”,Isay.
“Iknow.El ikisgoingtoki
llyou”,hesay sandconti
nueslaughi
ngatme.
I'
llgethim,he' l
lsee.Isher eall
ygoi ngtolaughatmewhenhecanhearf r
om myv oi
ce
thatI'v
ebeencr yi
ng?
Itellhi
m Ihav etogo.

Idon'
tthi
nkEli
kwillf
orgi
veme.I
t'
sami r
acl
ehedidn'
tki
l
l meal
ready
.He’sthi
nkingIsl
ept
wit
hsomeoneel seandhewil
lneverfor
giveme.Whoinvent
edphones!Li
fewassomuch
bett
erwit
houtthem.Andthi
sWhat sApphasal
waysbeenanenemyofmyr el
ati
onshi
p.

Ineedt ofi
ndhi m.ExceptIdon' thaveacarsoIor deranUberandr undownwheni t's
her
e.I'
llchecktheairportfi
rst
.Hemi ghtbeheadedbackt oJoburgorZambia.Ican'
tlet
hi
ml eavewithoutexplai
ningmy sel
f.Heneedstoknowi t
'snotwhati
tlooksl
i
ke.

Whent heUberishereIrunoutsi
deandt hedri
verl
ooksatmefunny.
“Aaa.Youarenotdressed”,hesays.
Ohsugar !I '
m st
il
lwrappedinat owel
.IaskhimtowaitandIgoandputonsweatpant
s
andaT- shi
rtandgrabmyf all
i
ng-apar
tphone.Thedri
verl
ooksandme.Isti
ll
haveatowel
aroundmyhead.It akeitoffandaswedr i
ve Itr
ytodrymyweav e.I
t'
sfarfr
om dr
yby
t
het
imewegett
otheai
rpor
tsoIl
eav
eitt
odr
ip.That
'st
hel
eastofmywor
ri
esr
ightnow.

IthinkIlef
tmymi ndathomebecauseIaskt hefi
rstsecuri
tyguar
dIseeifhehasn'
tseen
at al
lblackguywearingal
lbl
ack.Thatquest
ionhadmel ooki
ngthef
ool.WeareinAfri
ca
andt hemajori
tyofthemenareblack!

Ilookl i
keahoboi nt hesesweat pantsandcar r
yingat owelsoIbecomeabitsel
f
consciousandabandont hemission.It
'spointl
essreal
l
y .IgobackhomeandI'
vebeen
pacingandpacingandpacingandt ryi
ngElik'
sphone.IthinkI'
m goi
ngmad.Myey
esare
swollenfr
om cr
y i
ngandmyf aceispuffy.Imessedupbigt ime.

Myphoner ingsandIj umpbuti t’

stheschoolsay ingIhav etocomeov erbecauseoneof
chil
drenhasbeeni naf i
ght.Likecomeonnow!Theyar einGradeR.Ofcour setheywi l
l
fi
ghtot herchildr
en.Whyshoul dIgoallthewayt here?IsayIwi l
lbetherei nami nut e.I
j
ustpowdermyf aceandgo.Si nceIdon'thav eacar ,IUbertotheschool .Thet eacher
l
ooksatmel ikesheunder standswhymychi l
drent urnedouttobewr estl
ers.I'
m al way s
onpoi ntwhenIcomet otheschoolandl eavet heot herparent
swonder inghow Ihav e
twinsal r
eadyi nGr adeR.Butt odayIl
ookl ikeIwaschewedandspi toutbyadonkey .
Yeses.ButI 'm alreadyheresol et'
sgoseewhi choneoft hetwinsisinspiredbyJohn
Cena.Todayofal lday sthi
shadt ohappen.El i
kisst il
lmissi
ngsomymi ndi snotal lhere.
It
'soutt her
ewonder ingifEli
ki sonhiswayt oGhana,ort oZambi aortoJobur gort oa
brothel
.

Idon'
tknowhowt eachersofsmal lki
dsstaysane.Theseli
tt
lehumansar etooenerget
ic!
Apparent
ly,t
hekidPaulbeatuphadmadef unofPeterorsomet hi
nglikethatsoPaul
wasjustdefendi
nghisbrother.Howt heteacherdoesn'
tseethatascuteIdon'tknow.I
thi
nkit'
dsupercutebutobv i
ouslyIdon'tvoi
cethatout!MisssaysPaulapologisedand
hasmadepeacewi ththebeatenchildandtheyarecoolnow.Sogreat!Wastedmyt i
me!

Shesay s,“Youneedt oteachthem toresol

vet hei
rprobl
emsbytal
ki
ngandnotby
vi
olence”.IsmileandsayI'
m sor
ryanditwon'thappenagainbl
abl
abutal
lI'
m say
ingi
s
yeahwhat ever
.Theyareki
dslett
hem be!

Igobackhomei nabadmood.Myt i
mewasj ustwasted.Imusthav ecall
edEli
ka100
ti
mesnowbuthi sphoner i
ngsandgoesonv oi
cemail.Assoonast hekidsgetbackfrom
schoolIqui ckl
yt el
lthem Idroppedthi
ngsandt heybrokesot heyshouldstayfaraway
fr
om t heglasses.IthenaskPet ertocallhi
sdadandt el
lhi
m he'ssick.I
'
m notgoingto
discussthef i
ghtPaulwasi n.Nottoday.Idon'
thavetheenergyreal
lyandIdon'tthi
nkhe
didany t
hingwr ongtobehonest .

“
Pleasecal
ldaddyandaskhimt ocomehomesonny .Tel
lhi
my ouaresi
ck.Canyoudo
t
hatformebigguy?”
,IaskPeterandbrushhi
shai
rwit
hmyhand.
“
ButI'
m notsi
ck”,
hesays.
“
Justsayyouaremylove,pl
ease.Tel
lhimtocomehome.I
'l
lmakeyoucust
ard”
,Isay
.
“Ok”,
hesay s.
Hetakeshi sphonef r
om hi sschoolbaganddialsEl
ik.
AndElikanswer s!Soher eall
yisignor
ingme!
“Hidaddy.Howar eyou?”,hesays.
Man, t
heseki dsareadorable!
“Daddy.Pleasecomehome.AuntFi er
cesai
dIshoul dsayI'
m sick”,hesays.
Wow!Justwow!Andt henhel ooksatmewi t
ht hat‘
didIdowel l?
’look!Iwanttopi
ckhim
upandt hrow himint hebi n.Hel ookssocut efli
ppingthosebushyey el
idsoverhi
s
beauti
fuleyes.Andthat’stheonlyreasonIwon’tthr
owhi m awayr i
ghtnow.

I
t’sli
kelooki
ngatasmallEli
kandmyhear tcan’ttakeit
.Ijustst
artcryi
ng.I
’veal
ways
beencaref
ulnott
ocryi
nf r
ontoft
hem butIcan’
tstopmy sel
ftoday
.It’
stoomuchforme.
El
iklef
tandIdon’
tknowifhewil
lcomeback.Iactuall
ydoubtifhewil
lcomeback.

“Arey oucr ying? ”,Paulsays.

He' sthequi eteronet hat'
swhyi twasev enmor eshockingt hathe'st hefi
ghter
.Icant el
l
them apar tnow.Ihadt olearnsi ncet heyar emychi l
drennowandKoml ahasnotshown
i
nt erestinclaimi ngthem back.
“I'
m notcr yi
ngsweet i
e.Somet hinggoti ntomyey ethat'
sall”,Isay.
“Buty oul ookl i
key ouarecr yi
ng”, Peterjoinsin.
“No.I '
mf iner eal l
y.Come.Let '
sgowat chNar ut
ointhebedr oom” ,Isaytothem.
“It
'sokt ocryy ouknow.Myt eachersay sitmakesy ouf eelbetterandi tcl
eansy oureyes
andsay swhensomeonei scr yi
ngwemustgi vethem abi ghug.Soar eyoucr yi
ng?Do
youwantahug? ”,Paulsays.
“Ineedahugy es” ,Isay.
That '
ssosweet .Inodandt heygi vemeahug.Idon' tthinkit'
sgoodt hatI'
m cry
ingont he
shoul derofki ds.Ipr omisedmy selfI'dnev erlett
hem seemeweak.Iwantt obet hei
r
strengt handshowt hem onl ythegoodsi deofme.Iwantt obet heirguardi
an.Andt hey
toomi ghtbet akenawayf rom mei fElikisdonewi t
hme.

Ileavethem i
ntheirbedr
oom watchi
ngNarut
ofr
om mylaptop.Theysleepalonenow,
El
iksaidhecan'taffor
dtobecomi nghomeatni
ghtandfindmei nbedwi t
ht heki
ds.
Theyneedtosleepinthei
rownrooms.It
ri
edtoar
guebuthewasn'taski
ngreal
lyandhis
decisi
onisusualf
inal
.

IcouldaskLi zzytocomeandcl eanupbutei therI

'm embarrassedanddon' twantherto
seet hisothersideofmyl i
feorIwantt okeepbusyt ostopf r
om thinking.Itel
lhershe
shouldn'tcomet ot
hemai nhouset oni
ght .AllIknow isIneedt ocleanupt heglasses
beforesomeoneget shurt.Ittakesmef oreverandIbat tl
ewi ththebr oom throughthe
tears.Ihav etokeepcleaningt hough.WhenI '
m doneIdoal lthedishesbyhand.Al lof
them, Itakethem outf
rom thecupboar ds, cl
eanast heyareandwasht hem onebyone.I
washev erypl
ateandeveryglassandev erycupi nt
hehouse.Af terthatIcookupast orm.
WhenEl i
kcomeshomeIneedhi mt ohav efoodandt obeablet ochoosewhathewant s
toeat .ForonceIal l
ow thet winst oeatint hebedr oom.Thehousei sv erycleanbutI
cl
eanitanywayfr
om t
optobot
tom.ThenIdolaundr
y.Any
thingthatl
ooksl
i
kei
tcoul
dbe
di
rt
y,Ithr
owinthewashi
ngmachi
ne.Ij
usthav
et okeepworking.

WhenI 'm donei

t'
salmost12mi dnightandElikissti
llnothomeandst i
llnottaki
ngmy
cal
ls.It
'spurebl
azi
nghel
l.I t
'storture.
IcallLumkaandhedoesn'tanswer .I'm sur
ehe' ssl
eepingatthi
sti
me.Ikeept ryi
ngEli
k
andt hephoneri
ngsandr i
ngsandgoest ovoicemail
.Imusthav et
ri
edov erathousand
ti
mes.Ikeepsending ‘I
’m sorry’andi t'snotwhaty out hi
nk’and ‘
babypleasecome
home’messages.Icanseehe' sonlinebuthe'snotopeni ngmymessages.

Ieventual
l
yf allasleeponthecouchbutI '
m upagainat3am.Ihadni ght
mar esofElik
put
tingmeoutandt aki
ngbackthehouse,thecar,t
hekidsandhisbankcar dthatIuse.I
wasl ef
tbroke.Thenmymot herwasstandingther
elaughi
ngatmesay ing‘Itoldyouso’.
Iwokeupsweat ing. Hecan'tdothatthough.Thehouseandcarar ei
nmyname.AndI
haveenoughmoneyi nmybankaccounttokeepmeal iveforawhil
e.Butthi
sisEl i
k.I
fhe
wantedtohewoul dfindaway.

Idon'
tevenwanttothi
nkofwhathe'sdoingri
ghtnow.Mybestbetist
hathe'
swithsome
gi
rlbutIhavemyf i
ngersandtoesandintest
inescr
ossedt
hatthisonce,j
ustt
hisonce,
he'
snotgoingdownthatrout
e.Hepromisedhewouldn'
t.

Igothr
oughmymessageswit
hJayandtryandr
eadthem f
rom El
i
k’spoi
ntofv
iew.I
keepr
ereadi
ngt
hem andt
hemoreIr
eadt
hem t
hewor
setheyseem.

“Heybeaut iful”..
.Jay.
“Hey”.
..Me.
“Ican'
tst opt hinkingabouty ou”...
Jay.
“Lol”
..
.Me.
“Whaty ouupt o?”.
..
Jay.
“Nothingmuch.Justgoi ngt hroughsi l
lyYouTubev ideosandy ou?”.
..
Me.
“I'
m study i
ng.Ihav eanexam onMonday ”.
..
Jay .
“Goodl uck.Yougott hi
s”.
..
Me.
“Ilovey ouFi erce.Canwet alkaboutuspl ease?Youknowt hatjer
ki snotgoodf
ory
ou.
Youhav etol eavehi m.Pleasesweet heart”.
..
Jay.
“Nottodayboo, please”.
..
Me.
“Comeonsweet hear t
.Iwantt obewi t
hy ou”..
.Jay.
“Ihaveaman.Remember ?”
...
Me.
“Sowhat ?He' snotamount ain,hecanbemov ed!”
...Jay.
“*l
aughingf ace* ”..
.Me.
“Gost udyboo” ..
.Me.
“I'
l
lwai t
.Fory ouI '
l
lwait”.
..
Jay .
“I'
m dozing.Ny tandsweetst udies.Chatt omor r
ow* kissemoji
*”.
..
Me.
“Goodni ghtsweet heart
.I'
llt
akecar eofy ouIpr omi se”...
Jay
.
Wellthat'
snotsobadr i
ght?I
t'
ssuspecty
esbuti
tdoesn'
tscr
eam cheati
ng.I
’m guil
tyof
fl
ir
tingyesbutIdi dn'
treal
l
ycheat.Idi
dn'
tsl
eepwit
hhim!Idon'
tknowwhoI '
mt ryi
ngt o
conv i
ncehere.Fine,i
namomentofweaknessIki
ssedJaybutIdi
dn'tsl
eepwit
hhi m soI
onlyhalfcheated.Ri
ght?

Thesearet
hingsIneedt
oexpl
aint
oElik.Hecoul
dhavewai
tedformetogetoutoft
he
showerandtalkt
omel i
keanadul
tinsteadofbr
eaki
ngmyt hi
ngsher
e.Ineedhimto
l
ist
entome.

AndJayhasjokesfordays!Whatdi
dhemeanhe’ llt
akecar
eofme.Takecar
eofmewi t
h
that
?Wi t
hpolonyandbreadonasi nglebedinrez?Anddrivemear
oundinhi
sfr
iend'
s
car?Youknowsomet i
mesguyssaythingstheydon'
tunder
stand!

I
'mt r
yingtobeangr yatEl
ikbuti
tjustkeepscomi ngbacktomewor r
yingabouthi
m.I'
m
upsetatmy self
.EventhewayIbehav edwit
hBunkey esterdaywaswr ong.It
hinkt
her
e's
awhor einmet hat
'
ssuppressedbutjustpopsupatr andom times.Imessedupbigti
me
thi
stime.I'
mt hi
sclosetohavi
ngament albreakdown.Ican'tl
oseEli
k.

Ican'
trememberwhatIusedt obelikewi thouthim.Ican'
trememberbeingaloneand
whatli
fewasbackthen.I
'
m notfi
nanciall
ypr epar
edtodealwithl
if
eandbil
l
s.Ihavebeen
pamperedforsolongandhavehadev er
ythinghandedtomeonasi l
verplat
ter
.Where
wouldIevenbegi
n?Icoul
dgetajobIguessl i
keevery
bodyelse.

Butmost l
y,I
'm notemot i
onall
ypreparedtobeonmyownr ightnow.He'sbeenmybest
fr
iend,mypil
larofstrengt
h,mygot oper son,mylov
erandnowmyf i
ance.IknowI'
mt oo
dependentonhi mf orevery
thingandt hat'
snotsuchagoodt hi
ng.Butitiswhatitis.
Everymemor yIcherishisti
edt ohi
m andev er
ypai
nIharbourwassharedwi t
hhim.I'
m
afrai
dthatImightl
osehi mforgoodt hi
st i
me.

Howcoul dIbesocarelessthough!Ishoul
dhavechat t
edwi t
hJayonSnapchatsothat
themessageswoulddisappear!I
'
m sof ool
i
sh.Ist
il
lcan'tsl
eepandI
'mfeeli
ngabitsi
ck.
Myey esareswol
lenandwhenLi z
zycomest owaket hekidsupandgetthem r
eadyfor
school,
onlyt
hendoIsleep.

“Madam.Doy ouwantcof f
ee”,shewakesmeupwi thagentl
etap.
I
sshef orr ealri
ghtnow?Whyt hehell
didshewakemeup?Geez !
“Youalri
ght ?Youlook..
.puff
y”,shesays.
“I
'mfine”,Isay.
“Where'sbaba? ”,
sheasks.
How iswher eElikisanyofherbusi ness?Thesearethekindoft hi
ngsthatmakeme
upset.
“It
'sjustwhenIsaw hi ml eaveyester
day.Helookedsoangr ythenthepolicecame
aroundy ouknow” ,shesays.
Whyi sshepoki nghernosei ntomybusiness?DoessheknowIfir
epeoplequickqui
ck?
“He'
sfine.Nowlet
'snott
alkabouti
t”
,Isay
.
See,I
'
m ni ce!

I’
l
lmakemyowncof f
eethanky ouverymuch.Bythet
imeImakei
ttot
hecoffeemaker
,I
don'
twantthecoff
eeany more.Igobacktolyi
ngonthecouchwi
thmybrokenphonein
myhand.I
'm sonotok.Ineedsomet hi
ngtoknockmeout.

Ifi
xmy selfupabi tsot hatIdon'
tlookli
keI'
m acocainejunkie.Ther
e'saphar macydown
theroadsoIwal kdownandt el
lthepharmacistthatIhaveabadt oothacheandwould
l
ikesomeMy bulenpai nkil
ler
s.Hesmi l
esandsay stoothachesareani ghtmareandgiv
es
thepil
lstome.Toot hachesar eonlyagentl
epinchcompar edt oahear t
ache.Thesepil
ls
aremeantt osoothemyhear t,eveniff
orli
tt
lewhil
e.
[3/
18,14:14]I
nini:CHAPTER86

I
'm sitt
ingont hecouchwi th5pai npill
sinmyhandcont emplati
ngandt r
yingt odosome
quickMat hs.Ican' tdot hesepill
sany mor e,
Ilearntthei
rsideef f
ectsthehardwaysodoI
reall
ywantt ogodownt hatroadagai n?Buttheyusedt ohelpmesomuch.Iwoul dsleep
l
ikeadeadbody .Theonl yr easontheyal mostki l
ledmel astt i
mewasbecauseImi xed
them wi t
hal cohol.Soi fIhav ethem ont hei
rIshoul dbef i
ne.Igot hr
ought heleafl
etand
i
tsay s‘ Safetyinpr egnancyandl actati
onhasnotbeenest abl
ished’
.Oksoi fsafetyhasn’
tbeenest abli
shedt hatmeansunsaf et
yhasn’ tbeenest abli
shedalso.Iknowhowt hese
pharmaceut i
calpeopl ewor k.Tobesaf etheywi l
ljustsay“ safet
ynotestablished!
’
.

OkIgett hatbutwhathar m canonceof fdor eall

y?It
’sthedoset hatmakesthepoi
son
aft
erall.Sot hisoneti
meonl y.NowI '
m conf
li
cted.Iwanttotaket hesepi
ll
ssoIcanfall
i
ntoadeepsl eepandforget.Ont heotherhandIcan' tr
iskharmingmybaby .SoIdon't
knowwhatt odo.Onceuponat i
meIwasaddi ctedtopainpil
lsandonceuponat imeI
overdosedandhadami scarr
iage.Butwi t
hallthatinf
ormati
onandmyconsci ousyel
li
ng
‘
throwt hosepi l
lsawayFier
ce’,Ican’
t.Sotheysitinmyhandst i
l
l.

Ther e’
smybabygr owingi nmystomach.Itdoesn’
tseem fai
rtopoisonhi m.Whatki ndof
womandoest hat?Thent here'
sPeterandPaultoconsi
der.Theyneedme.Ineedt okeep
i
tt ogetherf
orthem.Theydi dn'
tknowwhatt odowhent heysawmecr yingyester
dayand
theyhuggedmeandal l.SoIdon'twantthengoingthr
ought hatagain.AndElik,i
fthere’
s
anychanceofhi mforgivingmenow,shoul danythi
nghappent ot hisbabyt henhewi ll
nev erf
orgiv
emef orreal.Thisi
shard.

I
'm st
il
ltr
yingt
odecidei
fIshoul
dmay betake4pil
l
sinsteadoftheusual5ormay
be3.
5
whenmyphoner i
ngs.Ij
ump.Iwashopingit
'sEl
i
kbutit
'sonlyLumka.
Sul
k.

“
IsEl
i
kback?”
,hesays.
“
No”,
Isay.
“
Wherei
she?Hisphoneisof
f”,
hesay
s.
“Idon'tknow”,Isay.
“Schucks!Ineedt otal
kt ohim urgentl
y.WehaveacrisisandIneedEli
k’
sbrai
nri
ghtnow!
”
,
hesay s.
“Idon'tknowwher ehei s.Iwashopi ngyouwoul
d”,Isay.
“Tell
himt ocallmeassoonasy out al
ktohi
m”,hesay s.
“Ok”,Isay.
“Yousai dhetooky ourcarright?
”,hesaysli
keathoughtjustoccur
redtohi
m.
“Yes”,Isay.
“Thent r
ackitsisi
.Igottago” ,
hesay s.

Howdi dn'tIthinkofthi
sbef ore!Seri
ously.Icanbesodumbsomet i
mesi t
'sshocki
ng!I
cantrackmyJeept henI'
llknowwher eEl i
kis.IgototheUconnectVehicl
eFinderAppon
myt hings-f
all-
apar
tphone.Icl i
ckon ‘ Locati
on’t of i
ndoutwher emycari s.It’
si n
Matj
iesfontein!Wherethehel li
st hat
?Iclickon ‘Navigat
e’.That
'sal
most3hour sfrom
her
e.Whati sEl i
kdoingthere?

Ihavetogett hererightnow,buthow?Eei sh.Iputbackthepi

ll
sinthei
rcontai
nerand
pushthem behindthecushi on.Igoonl i
neandrentacarfr
om Avi
sandaskthem tobring
i
ttome.I '
m notev engoingt ochange,Idon'thavetheener
gyatall.I
'
m sti
llwearing
pyj
amashor tsandEl ik'
sT-shirtf
rom lastni
ght.Iat
temptt
obrushmyweav eandbraidit
atthebacksoi tl
eav esmyf acealone.It
'sj
ustamessybraidwhenI'
m donebutatleast
i
t'
sbehindmenow.

There'
sthekidsthough!Ican'
tjustl
eavebutal
soIcan'
twaitt
il
laf
terschoolthendr
iveto
Matji
esfont
ein.I'
m pregnantanddrivi
ngalonesoImightnotwantt odot hatatnight
.
WelltheyhaveLizzy.Ihavetogo.May beEli
k’sdonewit
hmebutI '
m noty etdonewith
hi
m.Ihav etomaket hisri
ght.
Damny ouJay !

IgiveLizzyspeci
fi
cinstruct
ionsandtellherI'
l
lbebacksoon.
“Youdon' tl
ookalr
ightthoughmadam” ,Lizzysay
s.
“I
'mf i
ne”,Isnapather.
Ijustmadeherpoi nt.I
'
mf arfrom f
inebutIcandriv
e3hoursI'
m sur
e.Al
lIneedi
sal
otof
RedBul l,
driedf
rui
tandwat er.

Istopmidjourneyandmybacki ski
ll
ingme.Icandot hi
sthough.Ihavetodot hi
s.Ineed
togettoEli
k.I'veleftthegreeneryoftheWester
nCapeandnowi t
'sj
ustdryar i
dlandof
theKaroo.I
tkindofr emindsmeofNami bi
a.Ihavetokeepmov ing.Ikeepcheckingmy
Appt omakesur et hecari ssti
l
lthereanditi
s.Idon'tknowwhatt oexpect.Ihopehe's
notwithagirltherebecauseweal r
eadyhavethistodealwithsoIcan'tbedeal i
ngwith
thataswell
.Ican'tbesay ingsorr
yandasking'
whyEl i
k?'att
hesamet ime!

I
'
minMatji
esfont
eint
ownbutGPSkeepssay
ingIhaveanot
her4km t
ogo.Thi
spl
aceis
l
i
keadesertandther
e'snol
i
feher
e.Onl
yoldbui
ldi
ngsandaf ewcar
sher
eandther
e.I
dri
ve.Ithi
nkI '
mleavi
ngthet
ownandt hisl
ooksl
i
kemostbegi
nningscenesofhorr
or
mov i
es.Ihavetotr
ustmyAppthough.Ileav
ethet
arr
edr
oadandjoinagravelr
oadsoI
havetoproceedsl
owly.

IthinkI'
m ent
eri
ngaf ar
m ofsortsbutt
hegateiswideopensoIdon' tknow.Iendupata
cabinnearasmal lri
ver.Horr
ormov i
eloadi
ng.Iapproachslowlyandthevoi
ceinmyGPS
say s‘You’vearrived’.There'
smyJeepont heot herside.Phew!Atleast.Butdoubt
attacksme.Whati fheleftt
hecarhereandlef
t?Whati fheiswithsomeoneinther
e?

Ipullupandgetoutofthecar .It
'ssoqui etandpeacef ulinascarywayher e.Thesound
ofthewat erfl
owingoverrocksandf all
ingonmor ewat erissosoothing.Istaybythe
bankofther i
verabitt
opr eparemy selfandthinkofwhatexact lyI
'm goingtodo.Cryi
ng
worksallt hetimeandEl i
kmi ghtf eelsorryf orme.Butt hatwil
lmeant heprobl
em
remainsunsolvedandhe'
llsti
llhatemeaf t
erthet earsdry.Ial
wayspreacht al
ki
ngabout
thi
ngsandbei nghonestsomay beIshoul dpracticewhatIpr each.Iknockont hedoor
butnothi
ng.Ikeepknocki
ngbutst il
lnothing.NowI '
m worri
ed.

Itryt
hedoorandi topens.I
'
m notsur
ewhethert
ogetinornot
.Youknowwheny ouknow
yourmani sverygenerouswit
hhisbodyy
oumi ghtnotwantt
ojustwal
kin.Icanfor
give
knowinghedi dABCbutIcan' tfor
giv
ecatchi
nghim doi
ngtheABC!How woul dIever
erasethati
magef rom mymind?

Idon'tknowwhet herIshouldkeepst andinghereorgooni northat'sastupi

dmov e.But
meandst upi
dar ebestf ri
endssoIgoi nanyway .It
'sprett
yneatf orasmal lpl
acewith
mini
mal f
urni
ture.There’sacouchatleast.Imakei ttowardswhatIt hi
nkisthebedroom.
There'semptybot t
lesofalcoholsprawledalloverthef l
oorandElikispassedoutont he
bedt her
ebyt hecor ner.Myheartjustbreaks.Ididthistohim didn'tI
?Ihadonej ob,to
keephi mtogether,andIfai
led.

Istandtherewatchinghim andIcanf eel

tear
sburni
nginmyey es.He'
stoplesssoIcover
him wit
haf leeceblanketandplantakissonhisf
orehead.Iwanttosl
eepnexttohim but
he'
sst i
nkingofalcoholandit'
smakingmewantt ot hr
owup.Besides,Idon'
twanthimt o
wakeupandpani candpushmeof fthebed.

IleaveandgotothatcouchIsaw.Ithr
owdownt hepi
zzaboxoni
tanddr
agthecouchso
thatitbl
ocksthemaindoort henli
ether
e.Idon'
twanttowakeupandhe'
sgone!Ican
sleepabitnow.Atl
eastIfoundhim.

Iwasver
yti
redandwhenIwakeupitt
akesaminut
etoregi
sterwher
eexact
lyIam and
whatI
'
m doi
nghere.El
i
kisst
andi
ngt
herel
ooki
ngdownatmeasIsitupandrubmyey es.

“
Fierce?”
,hesay s.
He’slookstir
edandisn'
ttopl
essany
mor
e.Hi
sT-
shi
rtl
ooksdi
rt
ybutatl
easti
t'
sbl
ackso
i
tdoesn'treal
lyshow.
“Whatar eyoudoingher e? ”
,hesay s.
Hedoesn' tsoundt oopleasedt oseeme.
“Where'
st hebathroom? ”,Isay .
Hej ustpoint sandIgot here.It aket hetimei nther
etowakeupandr ecol
l
ectmy
thoughts.Ijustl
eftthehousel ookingl i
keI'm goi
ngtobed.Howam Isupposedtoseduce
him now lookinglikethis?I ftalki
ngf ail
sImi ghtneedtoappealt
ohisweaknessbutI
don'tt
hinkthatwillworkl ookingl i
ket his.

WhenIgetout ,he'
ssti
llstandi
ngwher eIlefthi
m andhe'snotsmilingatall
.Iseehe
mov edthecouchbackt oitsposi
tion! Ifeelsosmalli
nfrontofhi
m.It ryt
ogivehi
ma
hugbuthest epsback.
Ouch.
“Whatarey oudoi ngher
e?”,hesays.
“Ihadtofindy oubaby.Canwet al
kaboutthis,pl
ease”
,Isay
.
“Ihav enot hingtosayt oy ousoy oucangobacknow.How di dy ouevenfi
ndme
any way?
”,hesay s.
“Tracker
”,Isay .
“Oh!Tracky ourwaybackt oCapeTownt hen.Ineedmypeace”,hesays.
Surelyhedoesn' tmeanthat.

“Doy ouhateme?”,Iask.
Ineedt oknowbeforeIstartexpl ai
ningmy self.
“Whatkindofquestionisthat?”,hesay s.
“Pl
ease.Ineedtoknow.Doy ouhat eme? ”,Isay.
“Hatey ou?Don’taskmedumbquest ions.Nowi fyoudon'tmind.Getyour
selfbackto
CapeTownbef oreitgetsdar k”
, hesays.
Iswallowhard.
“I
t'
snotwhaty outhinkbaby .Pleasegivemeachancet oexplain”
,Isay.
Hel ooksatmeandhi sey eslookl i
kehe' sreadytoeit
hercryort okil
lme.I
'm notqui
te
sure.Hesighsandwal ksintothebedr oom andsi tsonthebed.Ifol
low.

“Ohyouwannatal
k?Fine.Startt
alki
ngthen.Whatareyouwaiti
ngf or
?Anddon'ty
oudare
thi
nkofly
ingtome”,hesays.
Ikeepqui
et.Hecl
oseshisey esandtakesadeepbreathandclencheshi
sfist
s.
Whatopti
ondoIhav e?Ineedt otel
lthetr
uthbecauseli
esrequir
emor eli
esanditnev
er
endswell
.

“Who'sJay?”,
heget sstrai
ghttot
hepoint
.
“Someguyi nAccra”,Isay.
“Awesome!Mygi rli
sasl ut!WewereinAccr
aforwhat
?3day
sandy
oual
readyf
ound
yoursel
faman?Wel ldone!”
,hesays.
“Nobabyit'
snotlikethat”,
Isay.
“I
t'
slikewhatthen?”,hesays.
Ikeepquiet
.
“Speakdammi
t!
”,heshout
s.
Hegr absmebytheshoulderandforamomentther
eIr
eal
l
ythoughthewasgoi
ngt
o
beatmeup.Helet
'smegot houghandst
art
spaci
ng.

“Whoi she?DoIknowhi m?”,hesays.

“Yes”,Isay.
“From where?Cany oujustspeakalr
eady!”
,hesnaps.
“He'sthatguyfrom ShakaZuluthatcamet ousl
astti
me”,
Isayandl
ookdown.
Hepunchest hewoodenwal lsohar dIt
houghtitwouldf
all
. Icantel
lhe'
sfumi
ng.I
'
m
surethistal
kwon'tendwi t
houthim beat
ingmeup.

“Soyoumeant otellmethatkidthatIl
eftyouwi thhasbeensl eepi
ngwi
thyoubehi
ndmy
back?Ilef
ty ouwithhim Fi
ercebecauseIt rustedy ou.Iknew thatmygi
rl
,mywoman,
wouldnevercheatonme.Boy ,Iwassowr ong”,hesay s.
Hepicksupanempt ybot
tl
eandt hrowsitatt
hewal l
andIcr i
nge.

“NoEl ik.Ididn'tsleepwithhim Iswear ”

,Isay.
“Youar epr egnantwi t
hmychi ldFi ercebutyouwentandf uckedanot herguy?Howl ow
canany oneget ?Howt hefuckdoy ouex pectmetofeelaboutt hat?”
,hesay s.
“Ididn't.Iswear ”,Isay
.
Hecomest owar dsmeandI '
mt hi nkingmay beIshouldpr aybef or
eIdi e.Ithi
nkt hisis
whatmyendi nglooksl i
ke.Hel i
f tsmychi nupsohar dithur tsandl ooksmest raightin
theey eandhol dst hestare.Idon' tknowwhathe' slookingf orintherebutIkeepl ooking
backathi m.
“Didy ousl eepwi thhim?”,hesay s.
“NoIdi dn'
t”,Isay.
Hesi ghsandIt hi
nkhel ooksreli
ev ed.Sohebel i
evedmej ustbyl ooki
ngi nt
omyey esasI
spoke?Al ri
ght,Icanwor kwi t
h t hat .Hewalksoutandsl ouchesont hecouch.

“Come” ,
hesay s.
Igo.Idon'tknowwhathemeansbutIgot ohim anyway .Hesitsandf ol
dshislegsonthe
couch.Igetitt houghsoIsi tont heotherend,foldmyl egsandf acehim.
“Sot el
lmeev er
ythinganddon' tev enthi
nkofl yingFierce.Everyt
hing.What'
sgoi ngon
betweeny ouandt hisJay?”,hesays.
“Ihadhi snumberf rom lasttime.Sonow whenwewer einAccr aandIf oundthe
condomsi ny ourjeansandIf oundouty ouhadsl eptwi thsomeoneel se,Icouldn'
tbe
aroundy ou”,Isay.
I'
ml ooki
ngdownandpl ayi
ngwi thmyf i
ngers.Ifeelsoguiltyandit'
sembar r
assingforme
tosayoutl oudwhatIdi d.Can'thejustfor
givemewi t
houtmaki ngmenar ratemyshame?
Willheforgivemei nthefir
stplace?

“Oh.Soyouwentouttogety ourr
evenge?Isthati
t?DamnitFi
erce!Youcamebackthat
eveni
ngandwet al
kedandy ouletmef uckyouknowingf
ull
ywellthatanot
hermanwas
all
overy
ouearl
ier!
”,hesay
s.
Idon’tli
kehistoneorhi schoiceofwor dsbutI’l
lletthatsli
defornow.Besi
des,he'
sthe
onewhohadsl eptwi t
hsomeoneel setheprev
iousni ghtnotme!
“Idi
dn'tsl
eepwithhimt hough!”,Isay.
“Thenwhathappened? ”,hesays.
Ikeepquiet.
“Youknowwhat .I
'
m notgoi ngt okeepaski
ngy ouquest ionsandbeggi
ngforanswers.I
f
youdon'twanttotalk,getout”
, hesays.
Idroveallt
hiswaysoget ti
ngouti snotanoption.I
'dr at
hertal
k.

Itell
him ever
ythi
ngfr
om theti
meIlef
tthehotelt
otheti
mewegott oJay’
sroom atr
ez.I
keepl ooki
ngdown.Iactuall
ycheat
edonhi m andIfeelsoterr
ibl
eaboutit
.Hekeeps
quietandkeepslooki
ngatme.I'
mlooki
ngdownbutIcanf eel
hiseyesbor
ingt
hroughme.

“Youst i
llhav en'
texplainedwhathemeantwhenhesai dheenjoyedyou?”hesay s.
He'ssomuchcal mernoworIt hi
nk.
“Weki ssed”, Isay.
Ilookupandcat chhisey eandI '
mt er
rif
ied.He’
sf arfrom cal
m.Hei sboili
ngwi t
hanger .
“I'
m sosor rybaby .Iwashur tandangr yandmyemot i
onswer eallovert heplace.I'
m
sorry
.Ididn' tmeani t
”,Isay .
“Didyouenj oyi t?”
,hesay s.
What ?HowdoIanswert hat?Isthatat r
ickquesti
onmay be?
“Ohwel l,
umm, nonotr eally
”,Isay.
Thatquest ioncaughtmeof fguar d.
“Wasi tgood? ”
,heasks.
Thesequest ionsthough!HowdoIanswert hat
?Iact uall
yenj
oy edki
ssingJaybuthowdo
Ilookatmymanandt ellhimt hat?
“I
twasabr i
efki ssbaby .Just2seconds.I twasn'
taser i
ouskiss.Hejustkissedmef rom
nowher e.Idi dn'
tfeelany thi
ngr eal
ly”,
Itellmyfir
stlie.
Hesighs.

“May beIshoul djustbuyy ouaonewayt ickettoAccr asoy oucangoandbewi t

hyour
boy fr
iend.It hinkIshoul ddot hatact ual
l
ynowt hatIthi nkofit.It
oldy ouIwannamake
youhappy .SoI ’
l
lmakey ouhappyandsendy outoyourl overinAccra” ,hesays.
Thef actt hatIknowhewoul dact uall
ydoitmakesmej oltandsitup.
“NoEl i
k.Idon' twantt ogetther e.Iwannast ayherewi thy ou.Imadeami stakeandI'm
sorrybaby .Pleasef orgi
veme” , Isay .
“I
st hatnotwhaty ouwant ?Di dn'ty ouandhim agreet hatheshoul dr eplaceme?Hewent
allpoet i
cony ousay ingI’m notamount ainIcanbemov ed!Andt hatmadey ouhappy
ri
ght ?Someandhi m sharet hesamev i
sion,makingy ouhappy .I
’llmakey ouhappyby
l
et t
ingy oubewi thhi m”,hesay s.
Wel l
,Idi dn'tsayanyoft hoset hi
ngs.Jaydi dbutIdi dn'tsayy esIjustl aughed!Itwil
ldo
mewel ltoshutupt houghrightnow.

“
Giv
emeal
lhi
sdet
ail
s.Ineedhi
mfound”
,hesay
s.
Ifeelashi v
errundownmyback.Ican’ tletanythinghappent oJay.Il
edhim onandIcan’
thav ehim punishedorwor sekil
ledforthat.Ican’tletthathappen.
“Pleasebaby .IknowIdi dwrongbutpl easedon’ tdoany thi
ngtohim”,Isay
.
“Hav eyouev erseenmedoany thingtoany one?Don’ tbesill
y”,
hesays.
Isheser i
ousorj oking?Ican’tt
ell
.
“Givemeal ltheinformationonhim orgetout ”,
hesay s.
Ikeepqui etandIst ayput.
“I
’m notgoingt oaskagai n”,
hesay s.
“Butbaby …”,Isay.
“Noact uall
y,youknowwhat .Getout.I’m donet alki
ng.Ican’tlookatyouri
ghtnow.Just
getout”,hesay s.

Ithoughtweweremakingprogress.Justgr
eat
.Fi
ne.I
’llgetout
.I’
m sti
l
lholdi
ngmykey s
anywaysoIgetoutandsi tinthebackseatofmyhiredcarandj ustl
etthetear
sfall
.I
needtodecideri
ghthereri
ghtnow.DoIgobacki nthereandbeghi m ordoIjumpinto
thedri
ver’
sseatanddr
iveaway?

CHAPTER87

I
'mtootir
edtodri
vesoI '
llt
akeapowernap.Besi
desIneedmyemotionstosett
ledown.
I
t'
spast4nowsoI '
llbeupat5andmay bef
indahotelcl
osebyt
ochecki nfort
henight
.
CapeTowni stoofar.Forsomeoneolderthanme,Eli
kissuchachild!Igetthathe'
s
angr
ybuthe'
sbeingunreasonabl
e.I
'
veforgi
venhi
m somuchofhischeati
ngbuthewon't
l
etakissgo?Andthewayhespoket ome! Thener ve!

Halfthet i
meIwant edtolaugh.Ican'
tbeli
evehe'
ssoupsetwi thmeov erasimplekiss.
He t reatedmel ikeI'
m whoreoft heyear
!AndI'
m worry
ingforpoorJay.SinceEli
kcan't
exactl
ypuni shme,hewi llwanttopunishhim.Iwon'
tletthathappenthough.Thankf
ully
Jayisn'thisreal
namet obeginwi t
h,it
'sj
ustani
nit
ial
.

Ican'tsleep.Ikeepfeel
inglikegetti
ngbacki nther
eandgoingonmykneesandbeggi ng
him.Ial sof eelli
keget t
ingi nthere,pi
cki
ngupabeerbot t
leandhitti
nghi
m wi t
hi t
continuouslyunti
lheapol ogisesforleav
ingourhome.Ialsof eell
i
kestayi
ngri
ghthere,
feel
ingsor ryformyself
,ifonl yIhadchocolate. Sleepi
sjustnothappeni
ngatal
l.The
guil
twon' tl
etmecat chabr eak.

Ihavetositup, growupandmakehar ddecisions.Icouldchoosetobeashotheadedas

heisanddr i
veawayorIcanbet hebiggerpersonandswal l
owmypr i
de.Icant el
lmyself
thetr
uthit'
sf ine,Iwon' ttel
lany
one.FirstIneedt oestabli
shwhyIl oveElik.I'
vebeen
askedthi
squest i
onbef oreandmyansweri susuallyashortlaughand‘Ijustlovehi
m’ .I
havesomanyr easonst houghsomet hatonlymakesensei nmyhead.I nnopar ti
cul
ar
order
,Ili
stallther easonsIlovehi
m.I '
m actual
lytal
kingoutloudbecauseIneedt ohear
thi
sbecausei twillaff
ectthedeci
sionI'
llmake.
1.Hehasmoney .
Lot sandl otsofi t.Idon' tr ememberwhatbei ngbr okef eltlikeandIdon' twantt o
remember .
2. He’ shot .
Thoseey es, thosel ips, thatcompl exion, thatphy sique!He’ sadar kchocolatethatIcan’t
stopcr av ing.Addt hatv oi ceandI 'm downonmykneest hankinghi mf orbeingborn.
3.He’ sasexgod.
NeedIsaymor e?Het ot allyrewr itest heKamaSut ra.Atl eastI'm gettingsomethingout
ofhi swhor ingway s.Hebr ingst heexper iencehome.Okt hat'
sj ustmessedup.DELETE.
4.He’ smyv irginityt aker .
Onawoodendesk, onel at eaf ternoon, Icriedouti npai nandIemer gednotav i
rgin.
5.Hesmel l
sgood.
Damnhesmel lsdi vine!
6.He’ sfut urehusband.
Hewant st omar r
yme.Heact uall
ywant st o.
7.He' stheguar dianofmygal axy .
He’ spossessi veandov er protective.Hehadamant hrowni njailandawomandepor t
ed
andbannedf r
om t hecount ryforme.Nowi fthat'snotl oveIdon' tknowwhati s.
8.Hegav emehi schi ldren.
Thosechi l
dr enar emyl i
fe!Thebestgi ftKoml aev ergav eme.
9.Het alks.
Heopensupandhebr eaksdownt hewal ls.Ineedt hat .Het r
iesv eryhar dandtryi
ngisall
Ineed.
10.He' samanl yman.
He' snotapushov er.Whenheget sser i
ousheget sv eryser i
ous.Whenhemakesa
ser i
ousdeci sioni t '
sf inal .Whenhecommandsmei tssexy .
11.I '
m ki ndapr egnant .
Andsi ngl emum t hings, nah.Notf orme.
12.Hedi sowned, Iwasdi sowned.
Andi nourl ackoff ami l
ywear euni ted.Inourbr okenness, wear ewhol e.
13.I '
m hi ssav i
nggr ace( OrIt hink) .
Ifeelt heneedt osav ehi mf rom hi msel f.He'sawhol ebombofemot ionsandchi l
dhood
traumaandcoul dsel fdest r
ucti fyour strulydoesn' trescuehi m.
14.He' smyBl ackPant her .
He' smyki ngandpr ot ect or.Hemakesmef eellikeI '
m saf eandsecur einWakanda.
Thr oughmydar kestt i
mes, hewasmywar ri
orandhest oodt herebymeandhel dmeup.
Ev eryt
imeIwokeupi nhospi tal,hisfacewast hef ir
stoneIsaw.
15.He’ ssuchachar mer .
Hechoosesmeev eryt ime,wel lexceptt hatonet i
mehechoseKoml a.Thatwasa
bummer .
16.We' vebeent oget herf orsol ong.
Ican' timagi nef i
ndi ngsomeoneel seandst ar ti
ngf rom zero.Ican' trememberwhati t
wasl ikebef orehi m.Ev er ymemor yIhav ei sti
edt ohi m.
17.He' sgoodandbad.
Despite hi
s cheat i
ng (whi ch I'
ve gracef
ull
y made peace wi th,j udge me not )and
somet i
meshi st emperandhi sselfi
shnessandhi smor onicbehav iourandhi srunning
awayf rom si
tuationsli
kehedi dnowandhi slackofser i
ousness,he' sav erygoodguy .
Hekindofwal kst hatfi
nel ineinbetweengoodandbadwi thaper f
ectst r
ide.Imeanhe’ s
asgoodascokezer opairedwi t
hachi prol
landasbadasper i
odpai ns.
19.He'sgotmoneyf orday s.
Iprobablymentionedthatal readybuthe'sgotsomuchmoneyIhav et oment i
onittwice.
20.Ilovehim.
Withev er
ythi
nginme, Ilovehi m.He'smyexciting,wonderful,gl
orious, chaotic,
stressful
messt hatIsomet imeslov etohateandhat etolove.He'smyhear t
beat .Inasmuchashe
giv
esmeheav enonear t
h, hishel
lalwaysdrawsmecl osertohim.

Thinki
ngishardandsoexhausti
ng!Icoul
dsithereandjust
if
ywhyIshouldn’
tbewithhi
m
orblamehimf ormyf ucker
y.Ihavemanyexcusesl i
nedupf orwhatIdi
dwi t
hJay.But
bottom l
i
ne,IcheatedandIwassloppyaboutitsoIgotcaughtandthat’
sthat
.Ihaveto
facetheconsequencesl
ikeabiggi
rl
.

Buthet hr
ewmeout !Thathandsomej er k!Thisthinki
ngbusi nessi sreal
lyt
ir
ing.Imight
aswelldriveawayandl ookf orthathot elandmay begetsomesl eep.GPSsay sthere'
s
one,16km f rom here.Idriveallthewayt ot hetarredroadt henImakeaU- turn.Ican'
t
l
eav el
ikethis.Ifeelsot err
ibl
eandsoangr yandsogui l
ty,Ijustwantt otal
kt ohim.It
takesmeagood30mi nutesoutsidewitht heenginesti
llrunning,decidi
ngwhet hert
ogo
i
nornott ogoi n.Hewassopi ssedearlier !

May beIcoul
dfi
ndanAkonsongonmyphoneandt hr
owmyphonet
hrought
hewindow
atthebackandhopehet hinksi
tcut
e.Okbadidea.Myphonei
sal
readybr
okenandI
don'tt
hinkev
enAkoncansingmeoutofthi
smesstoday.

Fi
neI '
l
lgoin.Thisi
sElik.What'
stheworstthatcouldhappen?Techni
cal
ly,awhol
elot
couldgowrongbutwhat ever
,he'smypersonalpersonandI '
m notscar
edofhim.Oh
great
,hedi
dn’tl
ockthedoorsomay behewantsmet ocomeback?

Iwasnev erreadyforthesightthat
'si
nfrontofme.Ithoughthewouldsti
l
lbeangryor
dri
nki
ngort hrowi
ngt hi
ngsar oundorpunchi
ngwall
s.Buthe'ssi
tt
ingontheedgeofthe
bedwithhisfaceinhishands.

“El
ik?
”,Isay.
Nothi
ng.
“Baby?”
,Isay.
Nothi
ng.
Ohmanwhat ever
,Il
i
ftuphi
sheadup.Heneedstomanupandlookatmeandlist
en.I
alr
eadydealwitht
ant
rumsfr
om hi
schi
ldr
en,
Ican’
tdeal
wit
htant
rumsfr
om hi
m aswell
!

Hi
sey
esar
eredandhel
ooksl
i
kehi
spuppyj
ustdi
ed.Hel
ooksupatmeandsay
s
nothi
ng.Ikeepl
ookingathim.Iwanttohughim andhol
dhimforalongtime.Iwantto
openupmyhear tsohecanseehowsor r
yIreal
lyam.Iwantt
otimetrav
elandgoback
tothepastandundothataft
ernoonwi
thJay.Iwanthi
mtobealri
ght
.Andrighther
e,he'
s
notok.He'
shurtandangryandit'
smyfaul
t.

Her et
urnstohol
dinghisfacei
nhishandsandlooki
ngdown.Iwalkedi nher
emeani
ngto
giv
ehi m apieceofmymi ndandcallhim outofhisnameandar guemycase.I'
ma
rel
ativ
elygoodgir
l.NexttohimI'
m anar ch-
angelandhehasnor ighttomakemef eel
thi
sbadf orj
ustakissandchat
s.Butlooki
ngathim,I'
m atal
ossofwor ds.

“Baby.Lookatme” ,Isay.
Helooksup.
“Weneedt otalkaboutthis.IneedyoutohearmeEl ik”
,Isay.
Henods.Wow.Al r
ight.
“Gotot hecouchbaby .I
'
llcomet al
kt oyoujustnow,Ij
ustneedamomental one,ok?”,
he
says.
Wow!Whoi sthisni
ceper sonhereandwhatdi dtheydotomyangr yEli
k?
Ili
fthisf aceupandgi vehim aki ssont helipsandt hankf
ull
yhedoesn'tresi
st.He
doesn'tki
ssbackbutheal sodoesn'
tresist
.Ineedhimtoknowt hatIst
il
ll
ovehim.

Acoupl
eofminuteslat
erhej
oinsmeont hecouchandwesi
tfaci
ngeachot
her
.Hesay
s
nowhe'
sreadyt
ot al
kandhepromisest
or emai
ncalm.

“Am Ihol di
ngy oubackFi erce?Doy ouwantt ogoandbewi t
hsomeoneel se?Am I
standinginy ourway ?”,hest art
s.
“Nobaby .Iwantt obewi thy ou.Idon'
twanttobewi thanyoneel
se”,Isay .
“Thatidiotofy ourscal l
edmeaj er
kandy oulethim!Thatmademef eelsodisr
espect
ed
byy ou”,
hesay s.
Well t
hat'showhef eltbutthat '
snotwhatitwas.
“I
'm sorryaboutt hat.Thewhol ethingshoul
dn'thavehappenedbaby .Itmeantnothi
ng”,I
say.
“Sowhydi dy oukeept al
kingt ohim?Idon'tunderstand!I
fitmeantnot hingwhydidyou
keept al
kingt ohim?”,hesay s.
Sigh.
Letmebr eakitdownf orhim.

“Idon'
thav eanyoneEl ik.I
ncasey ouhav en'
tnot i
ced,Idon'thavefamilytotalkto,Idon'
t
havef r
iendst oturnto.Ionl yhav ey ouandLumkaandKof i.Andt hosetwoar ey our
peopleandt hei
rloyalt
yl i
eswi t
hy ou.SoIdon' thaveanyonet oturntowheny oucheator
youdisappearorwhenwef i
ght.Sot hatday ,Iwasi nthatsit
uationandIwasal lalone.I
hadnoonet ocall.I
'djustfoundoutt hatyouhadsl eptwithanotherwomanandIwasso
hurt
.Andsi nceIcoul dn'texactl
yt alkt oyoubecausey ouknow,y oudidthat,Itur
nedt o
Jay.Ineededt ov entandhewaswi l
lingtolistensoIspoket ohi m.Itwaswr ongofme
yesbuty ouhav enoi deahowbr okenmyhear twas.Idon' tmeant oshiftt
hebl amebut
theonlyreasonIwentr unni
ngt ohiminthefir
stplacewasbecauseIkeptseeingy ou
gett
ingitonwi t
hanothergirli
nmyheadandi twasdrivi
ngmecr azy.Icoul
dn'
tlookat
youandIwassomadaty ou.Ineededt
ovent.Ineededtobehear
d”,Isay.
Hekeepsqui et
.Ikeepquiet
.

“
I'
m sor
rybaby
.I'
m sosor
ryf
ort
his.I
twi
l
lnev
erhappenagai
n,Ipr
omi
se.Pl
easef
orgi
ve
me”,
Ipl
ead.

Igetofft hecouchandkneeldownnextt ohim andthrowmyhandsar oundhim.Ican' t

l
osehi m.One, becauseIlovehimtoomuchtobewi t
houthim.Two,becausewe'
vecome
sofartogetherandhav ebeent ohel
landbackhandinhand.Thr
ee,becauseaft
erallthe
panelbeat i
ng,thestit
chi
ng,themending,t
heplast
ering,t
hepatchi
ngandt herepairi
ng
I'
vedonewi t
hEl i
k,Ican'
tlethi
m goandhaveanotherwomanpi ckhim upasaf i
nished
product!Iputalotofworki nt
hisman!

“Il
ov eyouEl ikplim.Onlyy ou.Iwouldn'tt
radeyouforany thi
ng.Idon'twantanyot herman
besidesy ou”, Isay .
Her ubshi shandst ogether.It
hinkhe'stryi
ngnottogetangr ywi t
hmeagai n.
I'
mj ustgladhe' sl i
steni
ng.
“Ididn'treadal lyourmessages.Ir eadenought ogi v
emet hei deathaty ouwer ever
y
comf ortabletalkingt ot
hisguy .Het ol
dy outoleav
emeandy oudi dn'
tsayno.Youbar ed
apar tofy oursoult osomeoneel seFi er
ce.Toanot herman!Thatr i
ghttherepushedme
overtheedge.I ttookmebysur pri
sebecauseIcoul dn'tgethowmyper fectFier
cewho's
l
oy altodeat hcoul ddot histome.Whybaby ?Helpmeunder stand”,hesays.

SeewhatImean?I
ttakesawhil
ebutwhenhewantst ocommunicatehedoesandI
woul
dli
ketot
akecr
edi
tfort
hat
.SoIcan'
tgi
vehi
m upaf
termoul
dingli
kethi
s.

“It
urnedtoJaybecauseI '
m al
waysafrai
dthatyou'
l
lgocheat
ingonmeagai nandIguess
Ineededsomeonet ov enttoandmakemef eellov
edwhent hathappens.Ineeded
someonet omakemef eelli
keImat ter
edshouldyougoandbewi thsomeoneel sefor
thenight.Ineededanescapebaby .Ihadnoi nt
enti
onsofpursui
ngar elat
ionshi
por
anythi
nglikethatwi
thhim.IjustwantedtoknowIhadsomewheretoturntoshouldy ou
deci
det o,youknow”,
Isay.
Helooksatme, t
henl
ooksaway .

“IwaswrongthoughIadmi tandI'm sorry

.Pleasebaby”,Isay.
I
'm kneeli
ngandhol di
nghim.It hi
nkI 'm beggi
nghi m andmay bei
tlookspat
heticbutI
don'tcar
ewhatitlooksli
ke.Eli
khasseenmeatmywor st
.Pri
deisnotsomethingIhave
aroundhim.I
'
mt rulysorr
yandI'm will
ingtobegf orhi
sf orgi
venessi
fIhaveto.

Hej
ustl
etsmeapol
ogi
seandhol
dont
ohi
m andhej
ustl
ooksatme!

“
No.I
'
m sor
ry”
,hesay
sev
ent
ual
l
y.
IlookupandI '
mt hi
nki
ngwhat?Iguesshe'
ssaidsorrysomanyt i
mest hewordscome
outnatural
ly.Ordoeshemeanhe'ssorr
yhecan'tdothi
sanymore,wear eover
.Thatlast
thoughtstabsatmyhear tli
keadoubleedgedswor dandIact ual
lyletoutashallow
scream beforethetear
sfi
l
lmyeyes.Ohbother
!IsaidIwasn'
tgoi
ngt ocry.What'
swrong
withme!

“Youar emineFi erce.Allmine!Idon'twantanymant ouchingyou.Doy ouunderst

and
that?Thethoughtal onedri
vesmemad.Youar emygi r
l.All mi
ne”,
hesay s.
Hehel psmeupandmakesmesi tont hecouchinbetweenhi slegsandal l
owsmet o
l
eanbackonhi m.
“Don’tcr
ybaby .I
t’
sok” ,hesays.
Myhear tdoesay ounggwar agwar a.Thisismor el
i
kei t.I'
m ont her
ightpatht
owards
beingforgi
ven.Myt earsaremagical.Everyt
imetheyf
allElik’
sheartmel
ts!

“Li
sten.Iknowmay beIoverr
eacted.Butwhenitcomest oyoubabygirl,Ican'
tcontr
ol
myself.Youalonehavethepowert omakemeandy oualonehavethatsamepowert o
destr
oyme” ,hesay
s.
Thosewor ds!Ihav
ethatmuchpowerov erhi
m?How t hough?I'
m soweakandal ways
cry
ingandal wayshol
dingontohi m anddependi
ngonhi mf orev
eryt
hing.How couldI
havethatmuchpower?
Iholdontohisarmsandsnugglecloser.

“Youknow baby .IwassoangryIcouldn'

tthi
nkclear
ly.Thethoughtofanotherman
sl
eepingwit
hy oumademesof uri
ous.Ihadt
oleav
esoIwoul dn'
thurtyou.ButIcansee
cl
earernow.Thisismyfaul
t”
,hesays.

I
nsi
deI
'
mthi
nki
ng‘
yes,
goon,
pleaseSi
r’
.

“Ihavethi
sonegoodgirli
nfrontofme.Onethat
'salwayshadmybackandwhost ands
bymenomat t
erhowmanyt imesImessup.Onet hatIknowwithoutasi
ngl
edoubtt
hat
shelovesme.Thensheloseshersteponeti
meandwhatdoIdo?If li
pandpuni
shher.I
wasangr yatyoubutIthinkactual
lyIwasangr
yatmy sel
f.Thisismyfaul
t.Youjust
react
edtomyactions”
,hesays.

Yesit
'syourf
aul
t!Ev
ery
thi
ngisyourfault!Iagr
eewit
hhi
minsi
demyhead.ButIj
ustl
ean
i
ncloserandkeepmyli
psz i
pped.West aythere,
qui
etf
orawhi
le.I
tfeel
sgoodt
hathe'
s
gent
lerubbi
ngmyarm.IknowIstil
lhavehim.

“IguesswhatI'mtryi
ngtosayisthatI'
m sorryI'
m makingy outobecomet hisperson.I
don'twantt
hat.Idon'
twantyoutobecomel i
kemeandIendupdat i
ngmy self
.Itwouldn'
t
work. Ilov
eyoubabybecausey ouareeveryt
hingI'
m not.Youhaveabeaut i
fulheartand
youarepati
entwithme.Ival
ueloyal
tyFi
erce.Youknowt hat.Ican'
tshar
ey ou.Iwon't”
,he
says.
Ikeepqui
et. Ineedevery
thi
nghe'
ssaidthi
sfart
osinki
n.Ineedtodeci
deifhe'
sbei
ng
genui
neorifhe'
sjustwant
ingt
hisf
ightt
oendalr
eady
.Ideci
dehe'sbei
nggenui
ne.

“I
'm goingt otal
kt oJayandtel
lhi
mt hatmeandhim can’
tchatanymor
e.I
'
llcutal
l
contactwit
hhi m”,
Isay.
Hekissesmeonmyhead.
“I
'
llappreci
atethat
”,hesays.
Wej ustsitthereanditfeel
sgoodtoknow he'
sst
il
lher
eandstil
lwantsmeandisn'
t
goingtothrowmeaway .

I
'm goingtogrow upandst opseekingf orat
tenti
onfrom ot
hermen.I
t'
schi
l
dishand
uncal
ledfor
.Sowhatifhecheats?Wi llmecheatingbackbal
ancet
hescal
eori
twil
ljust
destr
oyus?Ineedtorespecthi
m,he'sr i
ght.

Iapologi sesomemor eandhesay shehasf orgi

venme.Hepoi ntsoutthathadIslept
withtheguyt hough, wewoul dbedone.
“IthoughtIwoul df i
ndy ouherewithsomegi rl
.Iwassoscar ed”
,Isay.
Her ubsmyar mf orawhi lebutI'
m patient,soIwait.
“Iwon'tsayIdi dn'tconsiderit
.Iactuallyt
houghtofhooki ngupwi t
hsomeoneandt aking
them toahot elsomewher etodest r
ess”,hesay s.
Yane!Somehonest y!WhenIsayIwanthonest ysometimesImeanIwanti taft
erit'
s
beenf il
teredandr eworded.
“Ithoughtl ongandhar dabouti tthough.AndasmuchasIwasangr ywithyouIreal
ised
thatwewer einthatsi tuati
onbecauseofmeandt hesegirl
s.SoIcouldn'
t. Ipromised
youI '
dst opandI 'm gladImanagedt oresistthaturge”
,hesays.
“I'
m gladt oo”,Isay .

“Howdi dy ouendupher e?Whosecabi nisthi

sanyway?”,It
hinkIcanasknowt hatthe
fi
reisdyingdown.
“I
t'smine”,hesay s.
“Weownacabi nnow?HowcomeIdi dn'
tknowthat
?”,
Isay.
Iturnmyf acear oundtolookathim.
“No.WEdon' towni t
.Iownit.It
'smine”
,hesays.
Myf aci
al expressi
onsay s‘what?’
.
“Lumkaownspar toft hi
sf arm andhegav emet hiscabiny ear
sago.It'
smysaf e
hideaway.Isomet i
mesdr i
vedownf rom Jobur
gtobealone.Ihaven'
tbeenher
einal ong
ti
met hough” ,hesays.
“I
t'si
nthemi ddleofnowhere!”,
Isay.
“That'
sthewhol epoint
”,hesays.

SoLumkahasaf arm now!Howmuchmoneyexact l

ydotheseguy shave?
“Doyoubri
nggirl
sher e?”,Ibl
urtoutt
henqui
ckl
ycov ermymout h.Thatjustcameout
.I
wasthi
nki
ngitandIdidn'tmeant osayi
toutl
oud.
Hemakesmet urnaroundandf acehim.Ey
econtacti
severyt
hingtohim.
“I
'v
enev erbr
oughtany onehere.Thisi
sMYspace!Imeanev enyou,Idi
dn'tbringyouhere,
youbr oughtyoursel
f”
,hesay s.
Ibeli
ev ehim.Butthatlastparthadmeblinki
ngfast
.DoesEli
khearhimselfwhenhet alks?
“NotthatI '
m complaining.I
'm gladyoucame.Iwasi nsomuchpai nImi ghthav edone
somet hingstupi
d.I'
m gratef
ul t
hatyoucamet osav
emeonceagai n.Thanky ou”,
hesay s.
Isqueezehi shandt osay ‘ it'
sallgood.Iknow I'
my oursav
iourandy ouar enot hi
ng
withoutme’ .

We'v
ebeent alki
ngforsolong,I
'm st
arv
ingnow!Butsi
nceIwaswr
ongher
eIcan'
tjust
say‘Endofdiscussi
on’andchangethetopi
ctof
ood.

“Baby.Doyouknowwhyt hosemessagesupsetmesomuch? ”
,hesays.
Ishakemyheadbutkeepmyey esonhi m.
“Theymademer eal
iset
hatyouactuall
ycoul
dleaveme.Thaty our
eal
lycouldwalkaway
from meandbewi thsomeoneelse.Ican’
thavethat
.IfIl
oseyouI'
l
lhavelostev
eryt
hing.
Nogi r
lhasevermeantwhatyoumeant ome”,
hesays.
Ilookdownandmyhear tsmil
es.

“Allthosegirl
sIsl eptwithmeantabsol utelynot hi
ngt ome.InfactIhat edmy sel
f
every
t i
meIgotwi tht hem.Itjustprov
edev eryone'sopini
onofmer ight.Butforthe
l
ongestt i
mebaby ,
Icouldn'
tstopandIwasbegi nningtoaccepti
tasfunjustformyown
absoluti
on.If
uckedthem yes,anditwasjustthat.ButI'v
eonlymanagedtomakel oveto
you”,hesays.

Ijustkeepl
ookingathi
m andhedropshiseyel
i
dsandlooksdown.Heknowst hatlast
partwasunnecessar
y!May
beitmadesenseinhi
sheadbutnopei
tdoesn'
tsoundrightat
al
l.

“Ipromise,I '
m goi
ngt otryashar dasIcant onothur tyouany mor e.I'
m grownupnow
babyandIknowwhatIwanti nli
fe.Iwanty ou.Ilearntal otfr
om myt i
mewi thKoml aand
nowIknowwhatIdon' twantinlov e. I'
m notgoingt obesel fi
sh, orimmat ureorallthat
stuf
f.Iwantt obeopenwi t
hyouandt el
lyouev er
y t
hingl i
keyoual way sencouragemet o.
Iwanttol i
st entoyouandmakedeci sionswithy ou.Youknowt hatIl ookatev er
ythi
ngI
haveasour s,ri
ght
?Fi ne,Iputi
nt hewor kbutthemoneyandev erythingthatcomesf rom
i
tisours.Wear eat eam nowbaby .Youmeanev erythingtomeandmyonl ywi shisthatI
makey ouhappyandt reatyouri
ght .IknowIpr obabl yhav ealongwayt ogoandImi ght
makemi stakesalongt heway.ButI 'l
ltryhard.Pleasekeephel pi
ngme”,hesay sand
l
ooksatme.
Thoseey es!Thoseey esmakemewantt otakeof fthisT-shir
t!

He'ssopreci
ous.Andatleasthesayshe'sgoingt
ot r
yandnothe'sabsolutel
ygoingto
do.Idon'
twantstatementsofact
ionthatarenotseenthroughsoIpreferapromiseto
tr
y.He'
sawor kinprogr
ess.Wheneveryoneseesahorri
blehumanthatIshouldrunaway
fr
om,allIseei
samanI'
ddoanythi
ngforandIwoul
ddr
iveacr
osst
hekar
ootofi
nd.He's
adiamondcov er
edi
nmud,Ijustneedtokeepwashi
ngthemudawayt ogettothat
spar
kle.

AndIlovetheturnofevent
s.He'st
heoneapologisi
ngnow!Thisi
sgood.Isi tatanangle
andwr apmyar msaroundhim.Ift
her
e'sonethingI'
mt hankf
ulf
ori sfi
ndingamant hat
all
owedmet ot eachhi
mt otal
kandtoopenup.Somet i
mesthethingsthatcomeoutof
hismout hl
eavemewonder i
ngabouthisstat
eofmi ndbuthet alksandt hat
'sal
lI'
m
thankf
ulfor
.Thatwaywegett oworkt
hingsoutfast
er.

Hehandl
edthi
sbettert
hanIthought
,Imustsay
.It
houghtI
'
dbedodgi
ngbeerbot
tl
es
andpr
obabl
ygett
hrownint
othatsmallr
iver
.

“Anywayhunn.Pl easecallLumka.Hesaidheneedsyourbr
ain”
,Isay
.
“Doesn'thehaveabr ai
nofhisown? ”
,hesays.
“Probablyoneofhi sgir
lsstol
eit
”,Isay.
Atleastwel aughingnow.Thewaywel aughatLumkaandhisgir
lsyou'
dsweardearEl
i
k
hereisn'tt
hesamei fnotworse.

Thesunhasalreadysetbyt
hetimewest
epoutsi
de.Hel
aughsatmeforhav
ingblocked
thedoorwit
ht hecouchearli
er.Wel
l
,agir
lhadt omakesurehermandoesn'tleave
wit
houthear
ingherout!

Ibri
ngupmyhungerandhesayshe'sst
arv
ingtoo.Hesay sthere'
snofoodint
hecabi
n
thoughsowehavet
odriv
eouttoseeifwecangr absomet hi
ng.Ican'
tbel
i
eveImadei
t
allt
hiswayi
npyj
amashort
s!Tal
kaboutt
emporaryinsani
ty!

“
Youstinking”,Isay.
Hi
sT-shirtsmel lsofbeer.
“
Isti
l
llookbet t
erthanyoui nthatT-shi
rt
!”,
hesay s.
Mxm.Idon' tlookthatbad, he'sl
yi
ng.
“
Youcanhav et hatT-
shirt.Itl
ookscuteony ou”
,hesays.
HesaidIlookbadi nitasecondagoandnowhe' ssay
ingIl
ookcut
eit
?Andwhatdoeshe
mean Icanhav etheT- shirt
?Icanhav eanyofhisT-shi
rt
sandI'
l
lwearwhi
chev
eroneI
want
.Idon' tneedper mission.

Wedr iv
edownt othef arm quart
ersandt hetuckshopi sclosed!Ther e'
snothing!Weask
andwear etol
dt otodr ivedownt hemai nroadt oagar ageki osk.Some10km l aterwe
getagar agewi t
hat i
nyshop.Al ltheyhav eist helastloafofbr ead.Youcant el
lby
l
ookingatt hi
sbreadt hatit'
sbeenher efordays.I
t'
snotf reshatal landt hecrustissodry
.
Webuyt hatthoughandacanofbakedbeansandt hecl osesttheyhav etoadr i
nkis
DrinkO’
pop, t
hesweet -ai
dpowder eddr i
nk.Igetthecream soda.Wej usthavet omakedo
today.Whywedi dn'tdrivetheotherwayt otown,onlyElikknows.
Wemakei tbacktothefarm andit
'sgett
ingdar
kbutther
e'sst
il
ldi
mli
ghtonthehor
izon.
Becausether
e'snocut
leryhereorplat
esoranyt
hing,
Iuseanempty1Lbott
leint
heboot
ofthecartodi
lut
ethesweetaid.

Wesi tbyt heriv

erbank,behindthecabinandhav eoursupper
.Sincethebreadis
unsl
iced,wehavetobreakitwi
thourhandsthentaketheopencanofbeansandpouron
thebreadtheneatandpassthe1Lbottl
eofdrinkbetweenus.

“Ishouldwr
iteabookaboutevery
thi
ngwe'vebeent hr
ough”,
Isay.
“Youwantpeoplet ohatemeforbeingsuchademonandf ortr
eat
ingsuchanangelso
badly?”,
hesays.
“Comeon.Younott hatbad.Wel
lmay beali
tt
le.Butonaseriousnote,
whatdoyouthi
nk?
”,Iask.
“Goaheadandwr it
ethebook.Peopl
ewouldn'tbel
ieveyouanyway”,
hesays.