Chapter Thirty One

STRING OF PEARLS

THIRTY ONE

ONEZWA

I hate myself because I love Mcedisi, and as much as I want to give up on him, my heart doesn't allow me to. After getting ready, I decided to take a walk on the beach. As I sit down watching the waves, I feel a shadow hovering over me. I quickly look up to see my cousin, Lihle.

"I've been standing here for a while. What has you so bothered?" she asks, noticing my tears.

I get up and awkwardly hug her. "I know that you and I are not close, but..." she says before signaling me to sit, and she sits beside me.

"A problem shared is a problem half solved. Besides, I don't think it's healthy for you to stress in your condition," she says, and I frown.

"What condition is that?" I ask, surprised.

"Aren't you pregnant?" she asks, and I chuckle, shaking my head.

"I'm not pre..." I stop mid-sentence, realizing I've missed my period. With all the stress with Mcedisi and his jealousy, I must have been too preoccupied.

"You're not what? Pregnant? Oh, mzala wam, your skin is glowing, your cheeks are chubbier than usual. I know I haven't seen you in years, but I know, and this is pregnancy glow," she says, and I chuckle nervously.

"I'm using the detoxing aloe berry nectar, so it could be that," I say to her, and she laughs, looking at me like I've lost my mind.

I'm not pregnant, I tell myself. I just can't be.

"Anyway, what seems to be bothering you? Shouldn't you be over the moon since you're marrying the man you ran away from?" she asks with a slight chuckle while shaking her head.

"You have drama, shame," she says, and I sigh.

I forgot that the Mthethwas have already sent a letter, and I need to go home to help prepare for their arrival.

"How have you been?" I ask, diverting the attention away from me.

"I've been surviving. Your aunt is sick; I think she has cancer or something, but she doesn't want to seek medical care. You know how stubborn she can be," she says, shrugging casually.

"You should try harder to convince her, Lihle," I plead, and she nods.

"I'm married, by the way," she says with a smile, and I gasp in shock.

"Really?" I ask, and she nods with a smile.

"To Siya," she says before laughing, and I squint my eyes before reconciling the name to the face. I burst into laughter.

"The shoe repair guy? Mfana ka Khumalo?" I ask, and she nods.

"He owns his own shoe brand now," she says proudly, and I smile.

Lihle and I didn't get along growing up. She mistreated me, just like her mother, and often made me take the fall for everything. But that's in the past now. We're grown women.

After catching up, we say our goodbyes, and I head back to the hotel, stopping at the pharmacy to buy pregnancy tests. Five of them.

Arriving at my hotel suite, I go straight to the bathroom, and my worst nightmare comes to reality. I'm pregnant, and judging by my calculations, I don't know who the father is between Troy and Mcedisi. This is a disaster.

I grab my phone and send Mcedisi a "we need to talk" text before throwing myself on the bed, bawling my eyes out.

MCEDISI

I knock a couple of times before letting myself into the bedroom. She's on the bed, curled up like a fetus, crying her eyes out. "Sthandwa sam," I say, sitting on the bed, and she sits up, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry," I say before taking a deep breath. "I failed you. I don't want to lose you," I say, and we fall into silence.

After a while, she opens the drawer and hands me a flat box. I open it, take a stick, and look at it. It reads "pregnant...6 weeks." "What is this?" I ask, my heart beating fast.

"I'm pregnant, as it says there. I took four tests, and they all say the same thing," she says in a low voice. A surge of happiness erupts in me, and I pull her closer, giving her a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you, sthandwa sam. I'm finally going to become a father," I say, and she pulls away, bursting into tears.

"What's wrong? Is it because we're having challenges? Onezwa, I love you, and I swear I'll do better," I ask, trying to comfort her.

She shakes her head while wiping her falling tears. "It's not that," she says softly.

"Then what is it? Are you not happy?" I ask, and she buries her face in the palms of her hands.

"I don't know who the father is between you and Troy," she says, sobbing, and I feel like my lungs are deflating. I sit there, frozen, while she sobs silently.

After a while, I ask, "Have you eaten?" She looks at me, confused. "What?" she asks.

"Have you eaten? I don't want you to starve my baby," I say, trying to lighten the mood, and she heaves a sigh.

"Did you hear what I said?" she asks, and I nod.

"I did, sthandwa sam. We are about to get married, and that makes me the father of that baby. I love his or her mother so much; the paternity doesn't really change anything. Yes, I'm hoping it's mine, but if not, that doesn't change how I feel about you," I say, taking her hand.

"We are in this together," I say, and she looks at me, puzzled. I smile.

"Stop crying and let's feed you," I say, and she wipes her tears. Her eyes are puffy and red.

"Can you get me some pills? I have a headache," she says softly.

"Okay, what do you feel like eating?" I ask, and she shrugs.

"I'll run to the pharmacy and grab something to eat as well. Please stop stressing. Everything will be alright, and I'll be here every step of the way, okay?" She nods, and I pull her into my arms, and she holds on to me for dear life.

"I love you," I say, pecking her forehead.

"I love you too," she says, and I smile.

"I'm glad you still do," I say, and she chuckles.

"I swear I'll stop messing up," she says, and I nod.

As I get up to head for the door, she calls out, "Mcedisi."

I turn, smiling. "I...thank you," she says, and I smile.

"I'll be back soon," I say, and she nods. Heading out of the hotel, I have mixed emotions. I get into my car and drive off with a heavy heart.

I drive to the pharmacy, my mind racing with thoughts of the future. I'm going to be a father. The thought sends a surge of excitement through me, but it's quickly followed by worry. What if the baby isn't mine? What if Onezwa leaves me?

I push the thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand. I get the pills and some food, and then I head back to the hotel.

As I walk into the room, Onezwa looks up at me with tears in her eyes. "Hey," I say, trying to sound cheerful. "I got your pills and some food."

She nods, and I can see the gratitude in her eyes. I hand her the pills and a glass of water, and then I sit down next to her with the food.

"Eat," I say, encouraging her. "You need to take care of yourself and the baby."

She nods, and we sit there in silence, eating and thinking about the future.

After a while, Onezwa speaks up. "Mcedisi?"

"Yeah?" I reply.

"What if the baby isn't yours?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

I look at her, and I can see the fear in her eyes. "Onezwa, I told you. I don't care who the father is. I'm going to be there for you and the baby, no matter what."

She nods, and I can see the relief in her eyes. "Thank you, Mcedisi," she says, her voice filled with emotion.

I smile and take her hand. "We're in this together, Onezwa. Always."

NARRATED

MaSibiya sits on the bed, surrounded by her half-packed bags. She's been packing and unpacking for hours, her mind racing with thoughts of what could happen if she leaves. This morning, she impulsively decided to pack her bags and leave. She couldn't take it anymore - the feeling of being trapped in a loveless marriage, the constant arguing with Mcedisi, the lack of attention and affection.

But now, as she sits there, she's not so sure. What will her mother say? She's always been so proud of her marriage to Mcedisi, and she'll be devastated if she leaves him. And what about Mcedisi himself? Although the love was never reciprocated, she loves that man, and she fears that he might just put a bullet between his eyes.

And then there's Tiro. She barely knows him, but there's something about him that draws her in. Is it wise to risk everything for a stranger? She doesn't know.

She sighs and rubs her temples. She's so confused. Part of her wants to leave, to start fresh and see where things go with Tiro. But another part of her is scared, scared of the unknown and scared of what might happen if she leaves.

She looks around the room, at the bags and clothes scattered everywhere. She doesn't know what to do. She feels like she's stuck in limbo, unable to make a decision.

She takes a deep breath and tries to calm herself down. She needs to think this through, to weigh her options and make a decision. But for now, she just sits there, surrounded by her bags, feeling lost and uncertain.

Just then, "MaSibiya!" Carolina shouts outside her hut. She takes a deep breath and gets up to open the door for her. They exchange greetings, and MaSibiya offers her a seat.

Carolina's eyes widen as MaSibiya tells her about her dilemma. "No ways!" Carolina exclaims. "And you're still breathing?" she asks, shocked, because she knows how dangerous these men are. Although her husband has never shown her his mean streak, she does see how he is quick to react when anyone ticks him off.

She remembers the time they were on the road, and a police officer disrespected him. He didn't care that the officer was in uniform; he was ready to beat him up had she not intervened.

"I would say follow your heart, but then again, the heart is known to get us into trouble," Carolina says. "All I can say is that you should do this the proper way. Call a family meeting and tell them you want a divorce. Do not leave like a thief in the night. I also think you should take time before jumping into another man's arms. Get to know Amandla all over again, not MaSibiya, Mcedisi's wife."

A week later...