STRING OF PEARLS
THIRTY FIVE
ONEZWA
It's been a couple of days, and things have taken a turn for the worst. We live like strangers. Mcedisi has refused to tell me what's bothering him, and I'm quite tired of wrecking my brain. I'm still very young, and my son needs me; I won't be killed by depression because of a weak, pathetic man who can't handle his business.
"Good morning, sis Polina," I greet, grabbing a slice of toast and kissing Mpe on his cheek. He's having otees. "Good morning, madam," she says, smiling.
"I have an early meeting today; I won't stay for breakfast," I say, grabbing my car keys. "I love you," I say, kissing Mpe one more time. He has his eyes glued to his iPad. I chuckle, shaking my head.
As I head for the door, Mcedisi enters the kitchen, and we lock eyes briefly before I walk out. I have a meeting with Carolina. I opted to meet at Mug and Bean because I didn't want her to see my miserable life.
"Sorry I'm late," she says, pulling a chair. "It's okay," I say, smiling. "Did you order anything yet?" She asks, and I shake my head, raising my hand. A waiter comes and takes our orders.
"Thank you very much for agreeing to meet with me. I need your help," I begin. "Your podcast is doing so well, with over a million subscribers. I need to partner with you for my new collection. I need to create a buzz about it. Lately, I've been depending on my store, and I want to focus on the marketing side to bring more customers. However, I don't have the budget for it. I know I'm asking a lot, but I swear I will compensate you well if the collection is a success," I say, looking down, and she heaves a sigh, taking my hand.
"We are family, and I would love to help in any way we can. Things are a bit tough on our side too, but we are making do with what we have," she says, smiling, and I smile back.
"Thank you." We have a light breakfast before throwing around a few ideas on how to market and create a buzz around the collection I've been working on. We finally say our goodbyes and head our separate ways.
I decide to go to Woolies to grab a couple of things. As I'm pushing the trolley, grabbing useless stuff, I bump into someone I never thought I would ever see again.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he says, smiling, and I find myself smiling back.
"Hi, long time," I say, and he tries to lean in for a hug, but I step back.
"I'm sorry," he says, and I nod.
"Onezwa, it's been years, but..." I interrupt.
"But nothing, Troy. I don't want trouble," I say, and he nods.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I did to you. I took out my past pain on you; I brought my past trauma into our relationship, and for that, I deeply apologize. Growing up, my father was very abusive. He was an evil man who ended up killing my mother. I never really dealt with that pain. I was then cheated on by someone I loved and trusted. I should have dealt with things better, but..." He lets out a sigh.
"I am working on myself now, taking each day as it comes. However, I will forever regret what I did to you," he says, and I smile.
"It's okay, and thank you for apologizing. It's not like I was all innocent; I too had unresolved feelings for...yeah, and I cheated on you," I say, looking down, and he lifts my chin with his finger.
"It's okay. Are you happy, though?" he asks, and I know my all-cried-out eyes give me away.
"I have to get going. It was good seeing you're still alive and kicking," I say before walking past him to the checkout.
As I walk away, I can feel Troy's eyes on me. I'm not sure what to make of our encounter. A part of me is still hurt by what he did, but another part of me is grateful for his apology.
I finish my shopping and head home, lost in thought. When I arrive, Mcedisi is sitting in the living room, staring blankly at the TV.
"Hey," I say, trying to sound cheerful.
He grunts in response, not even looking at me.
I sigh and head to the kitchen to put away the groceries. As I'm unpacking, I notice that Mcedisi has left his phone on the counter. I'm tempted to snoop, but I resist the urge.
Instead, I decide to take matters into my own hands. I call Carolina and ask her to meet me again tomorrow. I need her help to come up with a plan to save my marriage.
As I'm getting ready for bed, Mcedisi comes into the bedroom. He looks at me with a mixture of sadness and longing.
"Onezwa," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I know I've been distant lately, and I don't know how to fix it."
I look at him, searching for answers. But all I see is a broken man, consumed by his own secrets.
"I need you to be honest with me," I say, my voice firm but gentle. "What's going on, Mcedisi? What's eating away at you?"
He looks at me, and for a moment, I think he's going to tell me the truth. But then he looks away, and I know that I'm still stuck in this limbo, waiting for him to come clean.
I turn off the lights and go to bed, feeling defeated and alone.
But as I drift off to sleep, I know that I won't give up. I'll keep fighting for my marriage, for my family, and for the truth.
The next day....
MCEDISI
I read through the letter one more time before folding it. Sitting in my home office, I stare at the wall, drinking. I know I'm as good as dead, and to end all this, I need to sacrifice myself for my family to live. There's no other way. There's no getting out of this, and no matter how much I try to stall, it all has to end.
I walk out of my study, heading downstairs to the kitchen, where I find my beautiful wife having breakfast with our son. I walk in slowly and pull up a chair next to them. "Sawubona, ndoda," I greet Mpe, and he smiles. He's a splitting image of his father. I dart my eyes to Onezwa, and she quickly looks away. "Ma ka Mpendulo," she nods before getting up to dish for me. "Thank you, my love," I say when she places the plate next to me, and she's a bit taken aback.
We eat in silence until Mpendulo's transport arrives, and his mother takes him after we fist-bump. "Can we talk?" I ask, stretching forth my hand. "Please," I plead, and she heaves a sigh before taking my hand. We walk to our bedroom and sit on the bed before I take both her hands into mine.
"I love you," I begin. "I love you too, so, so much," she says, warming my heart. I didn't expect her to be this calm. After everything I put her through these past few months, I expected her to cuss me out or give me attitude. However, she's here, looking at me with her big, beautiful eyes, searching for answers.
"I know," I say, and we sit in silence, just staring at each other. "Is there another woman?" she asks, and I shake my head. "Do you miss MaSibiya? Do you regret marrying me?" I let out a faint smile. "I regret a lot of things in my life, but marrying you isn't one of them. In fact, marrying you was the best decision I've ever made. I love you and our son so much," I say, and she nods slowly, not believing me.
"And I don't miss MaSibiya. I'm content with you," I say, and she shakes her head. "Then what's wrong, my love?" she asks.
"As a man, I pride myself on being able to take care of my family. When we lost the government project, we lost everything because we went legit, forsaking the crime world. We started losing taxis in mysterious ways, one after the other, and I felt like such a failure," I explain, and she sighs.
"What about the rest of the diamonds?" she asks.
"The hawks got a tip-off when I tried to sell them. I had to pay a huge sum of money to get out of being arrested," I explain, and she nods.
"Mcedisi, I love you. I don't care about the money. You should have confided in me instead of suffering alone. I am your wife; we are a team. My store is doing okay, and with the new line I'm working on, I'm sure we can make it work," she says, and I smile.
"I'm so sorry for everything I put you through," I say, and she smiles.
"I'm glad it's not another woman. I know you pride yourself on being the provider, but how about you pride yourself on being our protector? That's far better because I know you will protect us fiercely, not just physically but emotionally too. It broke my heart knowing that the very man who is supposed to protect our hearts is the one breaking them. Your son doesn't need a rich father; he needs a present, sober father." I nod before engulfing her in a warm hug. I know I didn't tell her everything, but this is the best way I know how to protect them.
"Make love to me," she says softly as I break the hug. I look into her eyes intensely before slowly taking off her clothes.
I hold Onezwa close, feeling her warmth, her love. I know I don't deserve it, but I'm grateful for every moment I have with her.
As we make love, I feel a mix of emotions. I'm happy to be with her, to feel her love, but I'm also sad. I know this might be the last time we're together like this.
I look into her eyes, and I see the love, the adoration. I feel my heart break, knowing I'm going to leave her soon.
But for now, I just want to be with her. I want to feel her skin, her touch. I want to remember this moment forever.
As we move together insync, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. It's like our love is the only thing that matters, the only thing that can save me. But I know it's not true. I know I've gone too far, done too much. I'm beyond saving.
All I can do is cherish this moment, this love. And hope that somehow, someway, she will forgive me, will understand why I did what I did.
As we finish, I hold her close, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I know I'll never forget this moment, this love.
"Thank you," I whisper, my voice shaking.
She looks at me, concern etched on her face. "What's wrong, my love?" she asks.
I force a smile, trying to reassure her. "Nothing," I say. "I just love you."
She smiles back, and I feel my heart break all over again.
NARRATED
After making love almost the whole day with her husband, Onezwa feels lighter, happier, and more hopeful about the future of her marriage. She gets up, leaving Mcedisi in bed, and hurries to take a shower because she made plans with her cousin Lihle. Just as she's singing in the shower, Mcedisi enters and joins her. The smile on her face is priceless; she has really missed this.
"I'll be back in time to make dinner," Onezwa says, grabbing her handbag and car keys.
"Ma ka Mpendulo," Mcedisi says before giving her a tight hug. "No matter what, please never forget that I love you. And...teach our son...to..." Onezwa interrupts him.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were planning to leave us. You teach your son yourself. Bye," she says before planting a kiss on his cheek.
Lihle's mother-in-law is always a pleasure to listen to. While Lihle is in the kitchen preparing a snack for them, Mrs. Khumalo starts talking to Onezwa about marriage.
"My dear, I want to share with you something that I've learned over the years about marriage. You know, marriage is like a string of pearls. Each pearl represents a moment, a decision, a choice that we make in our relationship," Mrs. Khumalo says with a warm smile.
Onezwa can't help but smile when she thinks about the gift she once got from her late husband Qhawe and how it ended up saving her from Mcedisi.
"I love that! A string of pearls is so beautiful and delicate," Onezwa replies cheerfully.
"Exactly! And just like a string of pearls, our marriage is made up of many individual moments that are strung together. Some of those moments are beautiful and precious, while others may be difficult and challenging," Mrs. Khumalo says.
"That's so true. I feel like my husband and I are already facing a tsunami of problems, and we've only been married for a few years."
"I know it's not easy, but that's where God comes in. You see, when we put God at the center of our marriage, He becomes the thread that strings all those pearls together. He's the one who holds everything in place, even when things get tough."
"I never thought of it that way. But it makes sense. When we're connected to God, we're more patient, more loving, and more forgiving with each other," Onezwa says, smiling.
Although she hasn't been much of a praying woman, she realizes that her marriage needs God more than anything else in the world.
"Exactly! And just like a string of pearls, our marriage becomes more beautiful and valuable over time. Each pearl, each moment, each decision we make, becomes a part of the larger picture of our relationship," Mrs. Khumalo continues, smiling.
Lihle walks in, placing a tray on the coffee table before joining the conversation.
"Thank you for sharing that with me. It's given me a new perspective on my marriage and how to keep God at the center of it," Onezwa says, feeling grateful and hopeful.
"You're welcome, my dear. Remember, marriage is a journey, not a destination. And with God as your guide, you'll be able to navigate even the toughest challenges and create a beautiful string of pearls that will last a lifetime."
Mrs. Khumalo adds, "You see why I'm a different person? My mother-in-law is the best," Lihle says.
"When she's not..." she signals Onezwa with a finger motioning (crazy), and Onezwa pinches her before they start laughing.
After a great morning with her husband and now a perfect afternoon with her cousin and Mrs. Khumalo, Onezwa drives back home in high spirits. She frowns when she finds a car she doesn't know blocking the driveway; she enters and finds two men sitting in the lounge.
"They've been waiting for you, madam," Polina says, and Onezwa nods before greeting them and taking a seat.
"I'm Detective Mosala, and this is my partner, Marawa. There is no easy way to say this, but your husband, Mcedisi Mthethwa, is no more. He was involved in a cash-in-transit robbery and was shot; he succumbed to death on his way to the hospital."
She shakes her head vigorously, not believing a word coming out of their mouths.
"You're lying!" she shouts. Mcedisi wouldn't do that to her. They just fixed things; she just made a promise to herself and God to go to church and surrender her marriage to God.
She lets out a gut-wrenching sob, feeling like she's swallowed deep inside the belly of pain
The end.....