Rumblings – Chapter Twenty Nine

People who still get shocked when a woman is hit in this country are really living in some fantasy world. Mothers like me who fight for their children often get hit and people blame us saying that we have too much drama for fighting to put food into the stomach of our babies. The irony is that it is other women that start the vilifying of you saying you must back off and let them be happy. How do you do that? Be happy when your child is hungry? No! I refuse! That is not how it should work. You get women who say “at least he tries” and that’s bullshit because he should not be trying he should be doing. What kind of a human is he if he has to be forced to court to realize that he has a duty to take care of his responsibility? What kind of a woman are you really to defend such? Men change. Your high school sweetheart, the man that used to suck up to you just to get laid will become this monster once you give him a baby he does not want. That was Mudenda. From the sweetest guy I had ever met to the monster that was going to ruin the rest of my life. Yes as single mothers we love our children dearly but when you put your emotions aside, your life is ruined. He kills that dream and innocence of having your child grow up with both parents! He kills that hope of your child having siblings and a roof over her as well actually saying ‘daddy’ to the right guy.
I blacked out for like ten seconds. Psssh I wish it was more! When I came to, my sister was rushing towards me with his sister too. His parents came outside just in time as well to see what the commotion was all about. His sister immediately shouted at him saying,

“How dare you hit a woman you moron? The mother of your child? What if you killed her?”

He stood there and seemed not to care. He had planned this! It was neither instinct nor a reflex action that had done this but a calculated move! He wanted to intimidate me and for that one moment I will not lie it worked! I was bleeding on the side because I had fallen on to some bricks they were using for the renovations taking place at their house. When he hit me I saw that a car had stopped into the driveway. I doubt actually he had seen it fast enough. I knew who owned the car and so did he! It was Meladi’s father. I had met him several times too because when girls are friends we go to each others houses. That’s just how it is. He had once hit on Aurelia but that’s a story for another day and Meladi does not know this. I won’t lie I would not have cried had it just been Meladi because that would have been a sign of weakness in front of the new enemy. With her father there however, this changes everything. It’s him they were trying to impress right. My turn. I started to cry. I did not wail but it was loud enough to be relevant and sorrowful enough to make everyone feel sorry for me.

“What is the meaning of this Mudenda?”

Meladi’s father asked angrily. It’s weird really I won’t lie because he knew my name.

“Faith, you must get that cleaned!”

He said talking about my bleeding wound.

“I am sorry sir, you were not supposed to… I mean it was aan accident!”

He looked my way I think hoping I would back him up. His mother immediately spoke up and started shouting at him. I don’t know if it was for show or for real but she told him that she had not raised him like this. Even his father was not impressed with him at this stage.

“What if you had killed her? Are you stupid boy?”

He shouted at him. Mudenda did look kind of stupid but that was not my problem. I turned to my sister and said in a hoarse low voice,

“Judith please let’s go. I don’t want to ge hit again.”

I turned to Mudenda and said,

“You hit me because I have a child with you really! God knows Mudenda!”

I knew exactly what I was doing.

“No child get it cleaned. You can’t go home bleeding like this. We are not animals.”

The mother said but I declined. I told them it’s ok, my mother was a nurse, she will do it when she gets back from work. Meladi’s father started shouting,

“This is nonsense! You want my daughter to marry a man who behaves like a boy! I saw you hit her and stand there like you had done well! How dare you?”

Her father shouted. Mudenda was frozen. Like I said, he was the last man he had expected to see there. Meladi could not look me in the eye. The bitch had betrayed me royally but it’s life.

I got into our car. My sister asked if I was certain about not getting cleaned up and I told her too just drive. In my head I knew what I was doing. I saw them fighting as we reversed and I smiled. Meladi could not even look at me. Amongst our friends I had always been the most reliable one. Zama was too busy partying whilst Aurelia was never available. That left me. When Meladi got pregnant, it was me that took her for her abortion and kept her secret. I was that friend you relied on in a fire to come in and fight through the flames to rescue you. Unfortunately and clearly that did not buy me my friend’s loyalty.

I checked my phone and I had an sms. In all the commotion of the day I had not seen it.

“I am sorry about all this. Please we need to talk to find a way to work together. I am afraid to come alone though because am scared you will hit me and I will lose my baby. Meladi!”

What did she want?

I was not sure when she had sent his, before or after she came with her father but that did not matter anymore to me because a lot more had happened since then. When she saw me on the ground she had done nothing to help me. I the friend who had gone through the trenches with her. Maybe I was the one with the problem. You know we all have friends whom we will do anything for but its not always true that they will do the same for us. Meladi was not the person I thought she was.

“Stay Away from me!”

I responded besides I had a plan for Mudenda!

*****The End*****

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Michael Nkululeko Maphoto (fb)

Dear Mike

My husband does not want to do anything with me. He prefers I stay in the house or go out with my friends. He goes out with his friends too but we never do things as a couple. It’s so frustrating, even grocery shopping. I used to think maybe he was having an affair but we moved to a new town because of work and still he does it. I have complained, shouted and pleaded but the man does not budge. Please help me find a solution to my problem.

Thank You