ENZO'S SURPRISE
2148 Words
NANDI MOOR
It’s been a month since Enzo was here. I really miss him so much it’s not even funny. I really appreciate him for sacrificing his time to come here and see if I am okay when I was attacked. I just wish that I got excited for him and cherish him more when he was here because I wouldn’t have to miss him like this. Worse, he left when I was asleep; I didn’t even say goodbye.
He has been quite distancing lately, I am not sure what he might be so busy with so much that he can go a day without talking to me or even when I text him, he says that he will get back to me, but it is probably work. I am lying on the bed because I am feeling so sick. I seem to be sick most of the time lately and my mother has been pestering me to go to the clinic. How can I leave her alone when her condition is getting worse? Yesterday, her body was trembling because she was feeling very cold and at that time, the weather was 30 degrees Celsius, which is very hot. My brother will be coming home sometime next week, and I really cannot wait for him to get here so that I can be a little relieved.
“Nandi, can I come in?” My mother asked, already in my bedroom.
“Ma, if you needed me, you could have called for me. Sit down,” I quickly made space for her next to me.
“No, I need to stretch my body,” She sighed.
“Is there anything wrong?” I asked, worriedly.
“Nandi, you deflowered yourself,” She started, and I choked on my saliva.
“Ma, what do you mean?” I asked, keeping my face down.
“Honey, I know that you handed your innocence to Enzo on a silver platter, even after I spoke to you about it. I was sad at first when I noticed, but it doesn’t matter anymore now,”
“Ma,” I call out, still keeping my head down. I feel my tears pricking to come out of my eyes.
“Ssshh, I am not done. You know, as a parent, I should have expected this to happen, then I wouldn’t be this sad. Maybe is because you have always been my baby girl and I treated you like a baby till this age. It would have been nice if you deflowered yourself to your husband after you got married but it’s okay and I don’t want you to feel bad about it,”
“Now, why are you crying, Ma,” I ask her as my tears also drop out of my eyes when I look up at her.
“Because baby I am happy. As sick as I am, I might not even make it till the end of the year, but at least I will make it to see the beautiful gift you will bring. You do not know how much that makes me happy,” She holds my hands and I feel dumbfounded right now.
“What are you talking about, Ma?” I asked.
She moved her hands to my stomach and looked deep into my eyes.
“Baby, you are pregnant,” She blurted out.
I gasped and jumped out of bed quickly, covering my mouth with my hands. I shook my head, vigorously and let my tears gush out of my eyes.
“I can’t be, mama. I am not pregnant,” I denied.
“I might be wrong, but baby it is no coincidence that we both had the same dream that involved a dove and water. The signs were all there and still are. Your nausea is the first sign of all. You just need to go to the clinic and get tested to get confirmation, but I will be happy if you are pregnant,”
“Ma, I don’t want to be pregnant. How will I take care of the baby when I am childish myself,” I cried out, pacing around my room, scratching my not-itchy hair in frustration. My mother laughed quietly with tears streaming down my face.
“It’s going to be okay, baby,” Why is she so calm?
“Mama I’m panicking,”
“Come and sit down, Nandipa. Do you know why I gave you that name?” She asked.
I sat next to her on the bed and shook my head.
“Your father was so happy that he was going to have a baby girl because he already had a boy. He shouted ‘Baba undiphile’ meaning God gifted me in Zulu. Unfortunately, he was shot dead in the army before he could come home to meet you on the day you were born. I then decided to give you the name Nandipa, meaning Gifted. You are the most precious gift your dad and I had ever asked for. The child in you is not a mistake, but something that will soothe you on your worst days,”
“Ma, we were not planning to have a child, I was not,”
“Don’t cry… Don’t think about it too much. Talk to Enzo and hear what he says,”
“What if the baby ruins everything between me and him? I’m scared,” I pull my lower lip between my teeth and suddenly get nervous at the thought. I cannot imagine losing Enzo; I’d die.
“The baby is not supposed to cause any misfortune between Enzo and you. It is supposed to bring you even closer and ten times better than you two were before the baby came. I trust he will do right by you, but if not, then he was never right for you, my girl. But I have faith and my faith is stronger because God saw purpose when he blessed you with this baby. You are strong and smart, God trusted you with a soul. You just need to take care of it,”
“Okay. I will go to the clinic today and find out if I am really pregnant. Please do not busy yourself and rest. You are too fragile, Ma,” I command her.
“Of course,”
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A week later, I am packing a bag for a possible sleepover. I am visiting my boyfriend at a place that I have never even been to before and I will have to catch the earliest bus so that I can get there on time. My brother is here and he will make sure that Ma is okay while I am gone. Oh, and the doctor did confirm my pregnancy.
After packing my bag and making sure that everything is in there, I went to the dining room to join my family for supper and settled next to my brother.
“I still don’t like that you are going to visit this boy, Nandi. I don’t want you to travel this distance all alone and especially with a bus when you are pregnant. You are fragile,” He said.
“I will be fine, Austin,” I reply to him, feeding my cravings with the raw tomatoes I asked for.
“Fine, but I want you back home On Saturday. I cannot stand my little sister cohabiting with a boy that didn’t even pay dowry. He still needs to pay for the damages he caused,”
“Austin, please. I said I will come back on Sunday, Ma, tell him,” I whine.
“I said Saturday, Nandipa Moor. Do not make me stop you from letting you go,” I looked at Ma, and she shrugged.
“Fine,” I said in an angry tone. “It’s not even cohabiting, it’s called visiting… visiting.” I made a statement as I ate.
The next day at around six in the morning, Austin dropped me off at the bus station and waited for me until I got onto the bus. The bus went off at seven. This is going to be a long ride.
I took my phone out to see if I have any messages from Enzo, but all I found was the last message I sent to him that he blue ticked me on. It hurts.
‘Morning, baby,’ I sent the message to him.
‘Hi,’ He texted back instantly.
‘Did you have a good night’s sleep?’ I asked, making a conversation.
‘Yes,’ He replied with only one word and I hoped he would ask about me but he didn’t. The way he talked to me really confused me.
“You are probably getting ready for work. Let me not keep you. I love you so much,” I sent the message with hearts and kiss emojis.
He sent me a blue heart and a hand making a peace sign or victory hand. What is going on? Why is he hurting my feelings like this? This is not how he and I used to talk; why am I getting a cold shoulder from Enzo.
Did I make a mistake getting on the bus to go and see him and tell him I am pregnant face to face? He does not even know that I am coming. I do not even know where he stays or works. I only have his work address, which I hope I get there on time before he knocks off so that he can take me with him to his place. I want to surprise him. Is he not so lucky to receive two surprises in one day? Me and the pregnancy but on second thoughts, is it too late for regrets?"
“Babe. Remember the beads you said you will take with you so that you can promote my business? Did you sell any?” I asked.
‘Yes. I forgot to tell you. Will transfer you the money a little later. Got to go, I am busy.’
He can’t even tell me he loves me. Am I too naïve to see the red flags or am I just in denial that Enzo is losing interest in me? God, let it be not true. What if he has found a girlfriend who is better than me? God, what am I going to do?
My tears dropped on my phone. I looked outside the window so that no one would see I am crying.
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After hours of traveling and making a stop somewhere halfway to Johannesburg, we finally arrived and I got into a taxi and gave the driver the address and he dropped me off directly at Cole’s Attorney, where Enzo works.
People around here are so classy and look very luxurious. I look out of place and the way I dressed is just a joke compared to how fancy everyone is wearing. People are looking at me weirdly like I am crazy. Some are even pointing at me and laughing at me. I swallow hard the lump trying to form in my throat until I got to the reception.
“Hi. Uhm… Is Enzo King available,” I say in my hoarse voice.
“Do you have an appointment with him?” The lady receptionist asks.
“No, but,” I try explaining.
“Then I can’t help you. He is about to knock off at 6 PM, you can sit there and wait for him, and he will attend to you if he wants to. But I don’t think Enzo would associate himself with someone like you,” She said, tilting her lips. I wanted to tell her that I am Enzo’s girlfriend, but I just turned and went to sit down when she got hold of the landline maybe to call Enzo.
An hour later, the elevator dinged and opened before people came out of it. I saw Enzo walking out, his eyes on his phone. He is so handsome and clean. I got up, so happy to see him but when he saw me, he froze on the spot and looked like he was seeing a ghost.
“Baby,” I said, smiling from ear to ear.
“Nandipa. What are you doing here?” He seems to be annoyed rather than excited to see me.
God, I really need you. But first, I am really hungry. I want to eat first before anything else.
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- Writer
