Diary Of A Mafia King's Wife

Dear Diary: Mlondi slaps me again

For the past two weeks. I've been spending time with Mlondi. We take turns in cooking and we sleep on the same bed. I told him I'm scared to sleep when the family isn't here and the guards. We always sleep in my room. I don't know why but I want to see his room. He cooks most of the time and I do the dishes. When he's working on his study I join him and draw. Even though we spend so much time together, I still don't know a lot of things about him. I shared a lot about my life, leaving the abuse out of the conversation. He's still secretive. When I'm standing by him he closes the laptop lid. When he makes or takes calls, he leaves the room. The guy hardly ever talks. Manqoba and MaNgubane check up on me a few times a day. I wish they could just come back. It's time for bed. I secretly look forward to sleeping next to hubby. But the guy doesn't even kiss me goodnight. Not even a peck on my forehead or cheek. I just don't know how to bring up the subject. I'm always tempted to ask maNgubane and Manqoba but what if they tell him?

So tonight I turned to look at him. I lean forward for a peck in the lips. He jumps off bed like I did something dirty. He says no shakes his head it might fall off. He tells me to sleep and he goes to the chair.

I'm so hurt, I cry silently until I can't keep my eyes open. Sometime during the night when I need to use the bathroom I find him sitting in one of the chairs looking at his phone. He doesn’t even look up. When I'm done I go back to sleep. For the first time in two weeks, when I wake up he's not here. I look at the time it's six AM. I take a quick shower. Pack a small bag. MaNgubane will pay for the ride. I ask for her address via a text. She calls me 4 times, I don't pick up. She ends up sending the address and tells me where to find a key to the small gate.

Twenty minutes later I'm at her gate. If I thought Mlondi's house was huge, it's because I never saw this house. These people are sick. Who builds a gigantic house and lives with her grandson. She pays for the taxi and takes my bag. I wasn't really expecting her to fetch me from the gate. I look around there are so many cameras and I bet there are some invisible ones.

When I get to the house. Everyone is here. This family is strange. Why would they build massive houses but live together? Even if they are mad at each other I bet they can go for months without seeing each other. This house is that huge.

When I walk into the sitting room, I see 5 men. They all go mute when I walk in. I've seen some of them before, but I can't remember from where.

MaNgubane introduces them as her sons. I don't see Mlondi's dad here. He must be the black sheep of the family.

I can't remember their names but it's okay because I won't be using their names. But I do remember one of the names. The first born. He has a Sesotho name. I wonder why. He looks a little shy. While the other 4 are arguing with their mother, he's just sitting there laughing. He hardly says anything. I wish he was Mlondi's father. And I'm curious to know why he was given a Sesotho name. But I won't ask now.

Just after supper Mlondi calls me and I let it go to voicemail. I'm mad and embarrassed. MaNgubane tells me I have to talk to him at some point. I know I have to. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow. I still haven't forgiven him for hitting me. But for some stupid reason, the rejection hurts more. He doesn’t bother to ca again. I see his grandmother texting and I get the feeling she's texting him. At least he knows I'm okay, not that it's important to him.

Around nine PM, I can't keep my eyes open any longer, so I ask them to show me where I'll be sleeping. Manqoba gets up to help me but the look Simphiwe gives him stops him dead. I wonder what's up. This is not the first time. But I don't ask. MaDlamini volunteers to show me.

I quickly brush my teeth and head to bed. Hmmmm the cover smells nice. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I must have been tired because I didn't even use the bathroom during the night. I just finish bathing when I hear some noise just out the door. A few moments later. Mlondi budges in looking super mad. He roughly takes my hand and drags me towards the door. I keep asking him what the problem is but he doesn't answer me. I wonder where everyone is. We drove to his place.

"What's going on between you and my brother?" he asks, shoving me into my room.

"Which brother?"

"Don't play dumb" he slaps me so hard I almost loose balance.

"I'm not going to ask you again. What is going on between you and Manqoba?"

"Manqoba?" What is this guy talking about? He slaps me again and this time, I lose balance and I fall on my butt. I'm too shocked to even cry.

"Mlondolozi stop it" maDlamini walks in screaming.

"Sebenzile. Leave"

She tells him he's not leaving.

"You know how much it hurt not only me but the whole family when your dad abused me. Yet you are doing this to her. There's nothing going on between them and you know it"

"Simphiwe wouldn't lie"

"He didn't say there's something happening between them. He said Manqoba has fallen for her. So why are you blaming her, not your brother?"

So, all of this is happening because Manqoba likes me? I don't even like the guy. But here I am on the floor because a guy likes me. MaDlamini takes my hand, pulls me up and pulls me out. I don't even know what to say.

" Sebenzile what happened?" MaNgubane asks as soon as the car stops. Simphiwe is standing by the door watching us.

"I don't want to see you, " maDlamini tells her oldest child. I just follow behind. When we walk into the kitchen, Manqoba rushes towards me but his mom stops him. Mpilo is standing there speechless.

"What happened?" he asks. I tell him what happened and his mom tells him the reason.

"Simphiwe told Mlondolozi?" he asks, shocked. I thought we agreed that we won't tell Mlondolozi instead we are going to talk to Manqoba. Mlondolozi is such a bustard, why did he hit her? It's not like they had an affair. I leave the room before he starts with the debates. I head to the room I used last night.

Manqoba sends me a text saying he's sorry. I don't respond not because I'm mad. I just don't know how to respond. I don't want to say 'it's cool' or 'it's okay' because it's not.