STRING OF PEARLS
TWENTY SEVEN
NARRATED
Carolina and her husband, Nkanyezi, just parked in the Mthethwa family yard with their adorable daughter, Nonka. Carolina hasn't set foot here since the disagreement she had with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She takes a deep breath before walking into the main house, where she finds both MaSibiya and Mthethwa having a conversation in the kitchen while cooking.
Carolina greets them with a nervous smile, and they casually return the greeting. Nkanyezi greets, sensing the tension. However, he has no interest in getting involved in women's squabbles. He has to meet up with his older brother and discuss business. He pecks his wife's cheek and promises to come back later to pick her up.
"Ma, I'm very sorry about how I reacted the last time I was here. I was wrong, and I apologize. You too, MaSibiya; I shouldn't have said what I said," Carolina says, sounding sincere.
Ma Mthethwa smiles warmly and signals Carolina to bring Nonka to her. MaSibiya, on the other hand, looks less than impressed.
"It's funny how you ask for forgiveness now, but on your YouTube channel, you were quick to not only ridicule our culture but also disrespect me," MaSibiya says, her voice firm but controlled.
Carolina looks taken aback, realizing that MaSibiya has seen her YouTube video.
"I'm sorry. The argument was still fresh then, and I was just venting out," she says, and MaSibiya chuckles.
"Oh," MaSibiya says before walking out, and Carolina follows her outside.
"Okay, then, tell me what to do to make things right between us," MaSibiya says, coming to a halt and turning before folding her arms.
"Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I enjoy watching my husband in love with another woman or my mother-in-law excited about getting her favorite daughter-in-law at last? I have invested so much into this marriage. I don't know who I am if I'm not Mcedisi's wife anymore," MaSibiya says, wiping her tears.
Carolina looks at her, taken aback by MaSibiya's words.
Just then, a boy walks into the yard carrying a bouquet of red roses.
"Sanibonani bo ma," he greets and hands MaSibiya the flowers.
"What is this?" MaSibiya asks with a frown.
"There was a man with a big jeep; he said I must give you the flowers," he says, looking at MaSibiya.
"Me?" She asks, surprised.
"Yes, he showed me a picture of you," he says before running off, leaving them puzzled.
"Is there a card?" Carolina asks with curiosity, and MaSibiya nods and fishes it out before handing Carolina the flowers to open the envelope.
MaSibiya reads the card inside; Carolina watches her face turn from a frown to a full-blown blush.
"And?" Carolina asks, and MaSibiya tucks the card back into the envelope before grabbing the flowers.
"I need to go iron my husband's clothes," MaSibiya says hastily.
MaSibiya walks into her heart and places the flowers inside a vase filled with water. She can't help but smile at how beautiful they look. She opens the envelope and reads the card over and over again.
TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN I'VE EVER SEEN, I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU. T. R
She smiles before sniffing the flowers, oblivious to her husband's presence.
"Those are beautiful," Mcedisi says, and MaSibiya's blood freezes, startled by her husband's deep voice.
"Oh, Nyambose, I didn't see you there. You're home. How is Onezwa?" She says nervously, giggling.
Mcedisi darts his eyes to the flowers and the card in his wife's hand.
"Where do these flowers come from?" He asks, his eyes boring into her.
"I...they are from...Carolina," she says, putting the envelope in her dress pocket.
"Mmm, how nice of her," he says before walking past her. Her first instinct is to run to the main house and beg Carolina to lie for her, but for some reason, she can't seem to move from where her husband left her.
Mcedisi walks back into the kitchen and grabs a can of beer before stepping out, whistling. Only then does it dawns on MaSibiya that her husband could be going to ask Carolina about the flowers.
She quickly runs to the main house and finds Carolina, Nkanyezi and her husband in the lounge playing with Nonka on his lap.
"Hahaha Nonka is so cute, be careful she doesn't puke on you....hahaha...she almost puked on me, but I was quick to move her away. Uhm...do you need me to take her from you," MaSibiya says to Mcedisi, who seems to be engrossed in his playtime with his niece, while Carolina is surprised at her sudden nervous rambling.
"Let me go help mama with...yeah, Caro, sis, thank you again for the nice flowers," she says to Carolina with pleading eyes, while her husband is not even paying attention to her.
Carolina catches on quickly and chuckles.
"Yes, apologies are costly these days," Carolina says, smiling, and MaSibiya heaves a sigh of relief before leaving for the kitchen.
MCEDISI
I know for damn sure that those flowers were not from Carolina. They are definitely from Tiro. He is sending me a message. A fatal one on his side, but what baffles me is my wife lying about it and the way she was blushing. What the hell was that?
Carolina walks out of the lounge, leaving only Nkanyezi, my niece, and me.
"I need you to tail that Tiro Ramokala," I say calmly.
"I'm on it," he replies, and I sigh.
"He is deliberately trying to get a reaction out of me by going after my wife," I say through gritted teeth.
"What? Has he contacted Onezwa again?" Nkanyezi asks, and I shake my head.
"He sent MaSibiya flowers, and now she's acting like your wife is the one who sent her the flowers," his eyes pop.
"How do you know it's him?"
"Yesterday he suggested I buy red roses for Onezwa, then the next day my wife has red roses. I'm not stupid, and he isn't either. He is provoking me," I say, and he nods.
The next day...
I'm with Onezwa at the hotel, and she's busy showing me sketches of her new line.
"I was thinking of designing for males too, and you can be my model," I frown, and she giggles.
"I'm joking; you should see your face," she says, getting up from the couch and coming to sit next to me.
"What's bothering you, baby?" I chuckle. I love how she's so free around me now.
"Tell me about Tiro," she heaves a sigh.
"Why? Did he make more threats?" she asks, and I shake my head.
"I just think he's after my wife. Can you believe he sent my wife flowers?" I say through gritted teeth, and she moves to another couch, roughly grabbing her sketch pad.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"Yoh Mcedisi Mthethwa, you are not the first man to have a wife. At some point, I was someone's wife too. My wife this, my wife that. You are with me, but your mind is with MaSibiya. Hai lo msangano we sthembu angeke shame," (this polygamy madness, I can't) she says, her voice raised.
"I..." she cuts me off.
"Please leave. I'm not in the mood to be around you. You make me sick, and while at it, call off the bloody lobola negotiations. You have a wife, mos," she says before bursting into tears.
I sit there, all confused, but she gets up and tries to pull me up, which is an epic fail.
"Hamba Mcedisi!" (Leave Mcedisi!) She shouts, and I chuckle, getting on my feet.
"I don't know what paint you smoked, but I hope by tomorrow you will be back to your senses. MaSibiya is also my wife; what must I call her? You better fix that attitude before we get married," I say, heading to the door.
"I might have smoked paint, but you're the high one. I said the negotiations are off," she says, and I glare at her once before shaking my head and walking out.
This one is seeking my attention, and I will starve her of it.