Lungi

Thandi was feeling less emotional and started gaining her strength and weight everyday. Her breast became fuller and her skin was glowing. S’bu found his wife irresistible and became worried that he won’t be able to restrain himself and feared hurt his baby. He had initially thought Thandi would stop him but he soon found out that while some women wanted nothing to do with their husbands during pregnancy, some became more attracted to them and Thandi was in the later group. He decided that is was safer if they slept in different bedrooms. When they went to see Dr Dube again, their baby was now twenty weeks and growing well. S’bu couldn’t believe it when she told them that making love would not hurt the baby in any way. That was an old myth that unfortunately most people still believed. As long as Thandi was comfortable and willing they were free to love each other.

“I can’t believe you asked Dr Dube that!” Thandi exclaimed as soon as they were out of the consultation room. S’bu actually asked Dr Dube such a private and sensitive question. S’bu really was the most shameless person she has ever met, she thought.

“First of all, she already knows that we are having sex otherwise you wouldn’t be her patient. Secondly, you are my wife, there’s no shame in us making love. You should be glad that now you can have all of this” he said pointing at his body and moving his waist in a sexual manner.

“Shameless!” Thandi exclaimed.

They wanted to be alone after their consultation with Dr Dube but at Jobe home, everyone was waiting for them to arrive so the wedding plans could be finalised. Amahle ran to Thandi’s arms and started chatting to her as soon as she got off the car. S’bu had gotten used to his daughter ignoring him completely when Thandi was around. You could swear that he was the step Father and Thandi was her real Mother. He didn’t mind it though and regarded himself lucky as many man struggled to get their wives to get along with their step children.

“S’busiso, how can you walk in alone and leave your pregnant wife behind?” Mrs J scolded.

“Relax Ma, she’s with Amahle outside. You know how those two get with their unending conversation” he explained. He was also getting used to being scolded by his Mother for not taking proper care of Thandi ever since they found out that she was expecting.

“Welcome to Fatherhood son, I remember being scolded like this when your Mom was expecting you” Mr Jobe said laughing and hugging his son.

When Thandi finally came in she was updated about the progress of her wedding preparations. Thandi looked at everything and was impressed by the detail and work her Mother and Mrs J did to plan her wedding. She did not believe it when S’bu promised that he would make sure their wedding would be what she wanted it to be.

“This is all amazing, thank you” she said getting emotional. What she did not know was that S’bu had threatened to hire a wedding planner if his Mother and Thandi’s Mother did not stick to everything Thandi wanted. Not wanting a total stranger to plan the wedding they had no choice but change everything that was not on Thandi’s list. Everything was sorted except for few challenges. When the news that the president will be attending came out, everyone who had not responded suddenly confirmed their attendance to the wedding. Thandi’s whole village was invited but now the neighbouring villages wanted to be invited as well. Since Thandi was part of the group of girls that attended virginity ceremonies, all the girls that attended with her and those that joined after felt that they should be part of her wedding too. The challenge now was that there was no venue big enough to accommodate all the guests. The original venue that was deemed huge could accommodate 1000 guests. They never had to expand as there was never a wedding or event that exceeded that number of guests before.

“There is no venue around here that can accommodate everyone who wants to come to the wedding” Mrs J explained.

“We have to tell the other villages and the girls not to come then” Noli suggested.

“Those people are important to Thandi, we rather remove the president and ministers” S’bu suggested.

“That’s crazy, you can’t remove the president and ministers to fit people from villages and girls that were not invited in the first place” Lungi said. She was S’bu’s Aunt, youngest from his Father’s side. She did not understand why everyone was fussing about village people so much. To her, Thandi a girl from a village was lucky to be marrying into her well known rich family.

“Then there will be no wedding” S’bu said decisively. He knew how important village people mattered to his wife and anticipated that his Aunt’s comment would hurt her.

“The stadium could accommodate everyone” Thandi suggested. She did not want to turn away anyone from her wedding especially when they could afford it.

“Are you being serious right now, where have you ever heard of a wedding in a stadium? Our family is very well respected, you want us to be a laughing stock? Do you even know how much all of this will cost or you trying to bankrupt us? As it is, your lobola costed us a lot of cattle” Lungi shouted scolding Thandi. Thandi was a daughter-in law whose role was in the kitchen and had no business talking to them in a family meeting.

“You should come and collect your family’s cattle then. The Dlamini’s will be expecting you” Thandi said standing and pulling her Mother and Noli dragging them towards the door.

Mr J shook his head and looked down embarrassed. He had hoped that his old fashioned opinionated sister would keep her opinions to herself. This was the reason they did not inform her about most of their family events but Sbu’s wedding was very well publicised, there was no way of keeping her away.

“Thandi wait!” S’bu said jumping and standing in front of her blocking her exit. “Don’t mind Auntie, the stadium is a good idea.”

“It does not matter, I’m going home and I want divorce” Thandi said angrily. She felt so insulted and could not suppress her anger.

“Thandi, you don’t mean that, we have a baby on the way and our whole life ahead of us” S’bu pleaded.

“Let her go, there’s millions of women from appropriate families that want you” Lungi shouted.

“Shut up Lungi, just shut up! This is why you don’t get invited in family events” S’bu roared at his Aunt.

Thandi was so angry she felt like she would explode any minute, her heart was racing and her breathing became faster. “I will not keep the child away from you, we don’t have to be married for the sake of a child” she said, breathless and pushing S’bu away from the door. She suddenly felt so dizzy and fainted on the floor. By the time S’bu realised that Thandi was fainting, her head had already hit hard on the floor.

“Thandi!” everyone shouted in horror. S’bu was panicking and had called her name several times but Thandi did not wake up. He picked her up, ran with her to his car and placed her on the back seat. After strapping her with the seat belt he drove like a crazy man to the emergency room.

In the Jobe home, everyone headed to their cars without saying a word and drove after S’bu.