My Sisters Keeper

65

MY SISTERS KEEPER

SIXTY FIVE

It's been a sad couple of days. The kids have been quiet and I've caught Princess crying a few times. I cant blame her though. Loosing a father must be heartbreaking. Not that I would know since our father left when we were barely four years old. I've been trying to get a hold of the

I got to the kitchen to get some water and found Bontle sipping on some hot chocolate and eating muffins. I decided to make myself the same thing too. I sat down next to her.

"Why aren't you sleeping? Everyone else is asleep." She shrugged her shoulders.
"I cant sleep. Princess keeps having nightmares, waking me up. She's heartbroken."
"I can imagine. So how are you feeling?"
"About what?"
"Paul dying. You're allowed to be hurt too you know."
"I dont know if I'm hurt or not. Shocked maybe, but hurt, no. I know he is my father and I should be crying but I dont know the man, it's hard for me to even feel for him, I dont hate him, I used to be angry at him but I let that go a while back, so I really have no feelings for him."
"I guess I understand." She finished her hot chocolate and muffins and washed the cup and saucer and sat back down.
"Results are coming out in a few days. I've been checking out new phones online." I chuckle a bit cause I know that's her changing the subject.

"So which one do you like?" She shows me the phone on her phone. It's an iphone 8plus. Its beautiful.
"Do you think Bab'Lungelo will buy me that one?" She asks and I can tell she's a but nervous too.
"He made you a promise and he keeps his promises. So you're confident about your results."
"Of course. I've been preparing for this since grade ten. Theres no way I will fail." A huge grin made it's way to my face. Her confidence is refreshing.
"I'm glad to hear that. And I can't wait for you to go to varsity. So where have you decided to go?"
"Well my plan has always been to go to Wits to study medicine, but when I was in Joburg I ran into Paul, I guess I realised then that I'd always run into him or his family so I decided to go to UCT. But now that he's dead I can go to Wits in peace."
"Oh okay. I'm happy to hear that. Now go to bed, it's late."
"Yeah, yeah. Goodnight." She kissed me on the cheek and went to sleep.

I finished my hot chocolate, then washed the cup and put it away. I put the muffin back in the cake tin and went to bed.

I got up in the morning to someone banging on the door. My mum was fast asleep next to me. I got up and went to open the door. I almost had a heart attack seeing Paul standing there. I didnt even notice the kids coming in from the bedroom. Princess and Prince rushed over and hugged their dead while I stood there mute.

"I thought you were dead!" Princess said with her arms around her dead, crying.
"I know. I'm sorry about that." I finally snapped out of it and invited him in. He sat down on the couch with both his kids on either side of him.

Mum came in too and sat on the opposite couch looking at him with Bontle next to her.
"What happened?" I asked after the shock wore off.
"Uhm..... there was an explosion, mum was cooking and she left the gas stove on, the candles from the dinner table ignited the flame and everything just went up in flames." He answered. He had a bandage on his arm and a few scratches on his face.
"So how did you get out?" Bontle asked.
"I dont know. I just woke up in a hospital bed. The last thing I remember is the fire igniting. I dont know when I passed out or who got me out."
"Wow. What about your mum and brother?" Mum asked.
"Unfortunately they couldnt get them out."

While he sat there narrating his story I felt a rush of relief, not just because he was alive but because his children atleast had one parent around. I have no problem with being in the kids lives and I know I would have had to raise them if Paul was dead but the fact that he is here is just a load off of my shoulders. As kind and helpful as Lungelo has been with Bontle it would not be fair for me to pile another responsibility on him because even though my mother would have insisted the kids stay with her, they still would have been my responsibility.

I heard a knock on the door as we were talking. I opened and Lungelo stood there looking rather handsome. I'd even forgotten that I have a doctor's appointment today.
"Hey, come in." He gave me a hug and kissed me then walked in and greeted everyone. He seemed surprised to see Paul too.

"I'll go make breakfast for everyone." I said walking to the kitchen. Bontle followed me and helped me. I heard mum excuse herself before she headed to the bedroom. We finished dishing up and Bontle took food to my mum in the bedroom. I called the kids to come and eat in the kitchen then I went to give Lungelo and Paul their food.

The tension in the lounge was so thick I'm sure it had hips and a butt like Faith Nketsi. I handed them their food and went back to the kitchen to get my cup of tea. I came back and sat down and to be quite honest I didnt know what to do or say. I just sipped my tea.

"Did you call Dr Mseleku?" Lungelo asked looking at me.
"No, I even forgot we had a doctor's appointment."
"Are you sick?" Paul asked, earning himself a deadly stare from Lungelo.
"Not really. Just a routine check up." I answered.
"Oh okay. Thank you for breakfast, I'll come back in a couple of days to get the kids for the funeral."
"Sure. I'll let my mum know."
"Okay. Let me go."
"I'll walk you out." I got up and followed him out. I called the kids to say their goodbyes.

His car was parked outside the gate and there was a driver waiting for him inside. He hugged the kids and told them he would see them in a couple of days. The kids said their goodbyes and rushed back into the house leaving me with him. I turned to walk away after saying my goodbyes. He called my name and I turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry. For everything."
"Its okay."
"No it's not. I shouldn't have put you through half the things my family and I pit you through. I'm sorry."
"Thank you."
"I should get going, I have a funeral to plan. By the way, Congratulations on the baby."
"What?"
"Your nose gave it away." He said chuckling. I held my nose trying to figure out what's wrong with it.
"What's wrong with my nose?"
"You had the same nose when you were pregnant with Bontle." He said getting into the car and driving off.

I stood there touching my nose trying to figure out what was happening there but I found nothing. I went back to the house and my mum was now in the lounge.

"Is something wrong with my nose?" Lungelo and mum looked at me like I was crazy.
"Nothing is wrong with your nose. Why?" Mum asked.
"Just asking. Let me go bath so we can go."

I went to the bathroom and took a bath. When I was done I lotioned and wore Jean's and a white tshirt. I put on some sneakers then got my bag and went out. Lungelo said his goodbyes and we left.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong with my nose."
"Babe, you're fine. Your nose is fine." He held my hand and kissed it. "Besides, you're pregnant, your body is bound to go through some changes. And your nose is cute. Stop obsessing over it."
"Okay." Not that I believed him.

When I was pregnant with Bontle my nose was so huge I didn't think it would go back to its normal size. I just hope mother nature is kinder this time around.

We got to the hospital and headed straight to the doctor's office. We were twenty minutes early for our appointment so we decided to go and wait in the waiting room. We found the Radebe clan also waiting. I didnt even know they were coming.

"Hi!" I greeted looking at them. They were so loud I'm pretty sure the whole hospital heard them. I went to sit next to MaMtolo.
"Makoti. How are you? Hows the baby treating you?" She asked soon as I sat down.
"So far so good. The nausea is slowly wearing off but the weird cravings are really taking over." She laughed and rubbed my little bump.
"Dont worry about it. Take everything as it comes. As soon as the baby is here it will be all worth it."

The came in and told us the doctor was ready for us. We went in with the pack behind us. The doctor did her tests with everyone watching and posing questions. Sometimes I think my life is way too good to be true.

After the sonogram everyone requested a copy for themselves. I dont know why but the doctor gave them each copies. We walked out of the office walking behind them as they kept looking at the sonogram pictures. I held Lumgelo's hand as we walked and rested my head on his shoulder.

"This is real right?"
"What?"
"This. Everything. I sometimes feel like this is a dream. That I will wake up one day and be surrounded by steel bars and small walls." He stopped and looked at me, holding my face in his hands.
"This isn't a dream baby. It's all real, and you deserve it all. Now let's go home,  I missed you."