Lilia’s Weekly Dose: Unexpected Turns (Part V)

(…cont. from last week)

“Duwa, this could be dangerous. One thing I know about the Moyos, they respect their family traditions and I am scared for you. You might get hurt my love.” Sabrina begged her daughter.

“Mother, Bongani loves me and I am certain that we can fight this.” Duwa assured her mother. “You might be out of hospital in time to see me maybe marry him.” She joked.

“Baby, I love you and I have one simple advice from someone who has been in this situation before, run, get out while you still can before you fall in too deep and Bongani’s father pays you a visit. It will hurt more than letting it go now.” She advised her only daughter.

Duwa was quiet, thinking, weighing her options. Her life would change, it would never be this sweet ever again. She had been happy ever since they made love for the first time, her and Bongani. He loved her, and she loved him. The past two months had been so good there was no mistake about their relationship.

Bongani was calling off the wedding soon after Sandra gave birth to his child. She was almost due he couldn’t break the news to her, she could go into premature labour or worse. She was too dramatic to deal with while heavy with child. They were waiting till they could make it known that they were in love. And tomorrow, Bongani was going to tell his father about his love and that he was not marrying that psychopathic woman carrying his child.

“No,” Duwa said, looking firmly at her mother. “No, I will not run mother.” She emphasized.

“Duwa please,”

“I will not be like you mother.” She said.

Sabrina was wondering what her daughter meant that the look on her face revealed it.

“I will not run and end up like you, unhappy and uncontentious. You think I didn’t see it? How father loved you but you never returned his love?” Duwa dropped a tear.

Her mother and father’s marriage was nothing to admire. Emotions were unbalanced and it was painful to see her father go through that. Now she knew why her mother was emotionally distanced from her father.

“But that poor man loved you any way knowing deep down you loved another man from your past. I won’t live like that knowing I could have fought for my love and maybe be together with him. Bongani loves me, and he will tell his father about us. I won’t, we won’t go down without a fight mother.” She proceeded.

Sabrina was speechless. She instead looked away in guilt, fighting her tears. Her daughter was right about it all. She had never forgotten Chiza, the love of her life.

“I’m sorry mother, please bless us. We will need it.” Duwa begged, reaching for her mother’s hand.

***

“Your mother said you wanted to see me.” Chiza showing his son a seat across his desk.

“Yes dad, we need to talk.” Bongani calmly said.

“I’m all ears son, what’s going on? You seem conflicted.” Chiza asked.

“I was, but I no longer am.” He paused, looked his father wondering whether this was the right time to say what he was about to say.

His father was a serious man, always about business. Left home early, came back in the evening, spoke less, especially to his mother but loved to make jokes with him. He hated nonsense and he was one man that could not easily be changed once he set his mind and made a decision.

“It’s about Sandra,” Bongani paused again as his father looked at him lifting his left eyebrows giving him full attention.

“What about Sandra?” The old man asked, looking over his reading glasses.

“I can’t do this father, I can’t marry Sandra.” He studied his father’s reaction and it was not good but he didn’t care. He focused on Duwa, thinking about her made it easy for him to tell his father what he felt.

“Don’t you think it’s too late for that? The girl will put to birth soon, the arrangements for your wedding has been finalized. Tell me son, have you lost your mind?” Chiza asked furiously.

“Actually dad, I just found my sanity. I don’t love that girl and I will not try and pretend I can stand her, let alone live in the same house with her. I will not marry her. Cut me off, I don’t care. I love someone else and I am willing to give up everything for her.” Bongani fired away.

“You will not embarrass this family like this. Her father is one influential man and very important to this firm.” Chiza’s voice was starting to raise. “The family traditions and values you are ignoring are what keep this family strong, Bongani. What will people say?”.

“Which one is more embarrassing? I cancel the wedding now or you drag me to the alter in cuffs, because I won’t show. People will wonder why I am being dragged, what will you say?” He asked firmly, playing his father to his will. “Like I said I am in love with someone else, I don’t love Sandra. I’ll take care of the baby but I won’t marry her.” Bongani continued.

“Who in the world is this girl driving you crazy? Whose daughter is she?” Chiza asked his son, angry, in disbelief. He had never seen his son dare him, challenge him. This girl must be one of a kind. But she had to go, otherwise his relations with Sandra’s family would be salty.

“I won’t tell you, why should I? So you can pay her a visit and threaten her like grandfather did to poor miss Sabrina?” He finally hit his father’s weak point.

The old man was suddenly quiet and avoiding his sons eyes. How did he know about Sabrina? Annetta, it had to be her. Who else knew about their painful past?

“You know exactly how it feels to be forced into unwanted marriage and you want to do the same to me? Your relationship with grandfather is very bad, now I understand why. Sabrina, she left after grandfather threatened her to leave you alone. You live with mum but you don’t love her, I now can see why you people keep it casual. No emotions, just housemates, sharing a bed and a son.” Bongani was now angry too.

“How did you know about Sabrina?” Chiza asked in a low voice, defeated by the truth in what his son was saying.

It was torture pretending to care about Annetta, and the poor woman was hurt. He couldn’t blame her if she had an affair because he was dead on the inside. The moment Sabrina disappeared, his heart went with her. Having a son with Annette was the only good thing that came out of that forced marriage.

“I won’t end up like you and mother, I’ll do something you never did all those years ago. I’ll fight for this woman that I love, even if it means you disown me. Do your worse. I’m done here.” Bongani said and stood up, headed for the door.

“Bongani, come back here!” Chiza commanded but his son ignored him. He took a deep breath as he watched his son walk away.

*****

Chiza walked into his bedroom furiously. He dropped his laptop bag on the bed, took off his tie and dropped it on the floor. Looked at his wife, he could have slapped her but he would never lay a hand on her, on any woman.

She knew what was going on, she ignored him. It was far too much of a beautiful afternoon to have her husband ruin it. She concentrated on her novel.

“You told Bongani about Sabrina? Why?” He tried to be calm but to no avail. “We agreed our son will never know how you and I ended up here.” He yelled.

“And I kept it a secret, until you decided to turn into your father. The man you hate and despise for ruining your happiness.” Annetta calmly answered.

“I am not my father Annetta.” Chiza denied, slowly allowing himself to breathe.

“Oh, you should look into the mirror then.” Annetta rudely laughed and stood up, headed for the door. “You have turned into the same man you promised your son not to become when he was just a day old. You carried him and told him that he will live to be anything he wanted even though he was just too little to know what you were saying. Are you living up to that promise you made to our only son?” She slowly opened the door.

“Annetta, some things have to be done for a greater good.” Chiza said.

“Just like your father said on our forced wedding day. I will not let you turn my son into you and your power hungry family. My son will be happy and you will not ruin him with your stupid family values. My son will marry whoever he pleases and in this case he has found love and she is a wonderful girl. Do your worse, I’ll stand by my only son.” Annetta cried, closing the door again but stood there.

“You know this girl? Who is she? How special is she?” He asked his wailing wife.

“Calm, humble, smart, beautiful, well mannered than that trash of a girl you are forcing on our son. She is the perfect girl for Bongani, so you better get with the program Mr Moyo.” She opened the door again, and left the room banging it behind her.

He sat there, staring into nothing. How was he going to tell his long time family friend that his son will not marry their pregnant daughter? Annetta was right, he had become his father, power hungry, stuck with old fashioned values and very shallow forcing his son to marry Sandra. He was lost in thoughts that he did not hear the door open.

“You are coming with me.” Annetta commanded. “You might want to see this.” She seriously said making her husband curious.

He slowly picked himself up and walked towards his angry wife. He followed her outside to the car and did exactly what she told him to, get into the car and just let her drive. They drove to a hospital, he wondered why she took him there. If Sandra was in labour, her father would call him to break the news himself. He followed her lead, walked down a corridor taking them to ward number eight. She opened the door and allowed him in.

There was a lady lying on the bed, facing the window.

“Sabrina?” Annetta called.

Sabrina? No way. How?

The woman turned around and there was his love, older but still so beautiful. He almost had a heart attack seeing the love of his life lie there, alive. He never thought he’d see her again.

“Sabrina? It’s really you.” Chiza said bursting into tears.

(To be continued next week)

*For the complete Unexpected Turns series, click here