Diary of a Side Chick – Makhwapheni Episode 451

“Live your life to the fullest because you don’t know what tomorrow has in store for you”

It is mostly during bad times that families get united. Siblings can fight but when their parents die they unite to give them a honourable send off. The same goes when a family member is terminally ill or facing death, families will unite and pray for the member’s recovery. But some family members are so cruel they will attack a widow in black in front of everyone. Their hatred cannot be filtered, they can even take it to the grave if needs be. Those are family members that have sad lives and they try to infect everyone with it. We all have such members in our families. I didn’t expect much from Mpho’s extended family because I wasn’t even close to them. The only person I had a close relationship with was Dick. He had his moments but most of the time he was daddy cool. The rest of the family members were parasites whose only contribution to my marriage was to milk my husband financially. Those are the people who will always try to paint you bad no matter how nice you can try to be to them. To them I was that girl that was going to stop their provider to stop providing for them. The little they knew was that I didn’t really have a beef with my husband helping them. I looked at Dick and shook my head. He looked at my mom and asked if she small bottle belonged to her. Before my mom could answer Mpho’s cousin interrupted and said “Malome, do you even have to ask? These people will not confess. They planned this thing all along. They are after Mpho’s money. This yellow one knows she stands to be millionaire should my cousin die. All you have to do is to kick her out of the house. My mom and I will stay there until Mpho is fine”. That girl and her mom had everything planned. It was at that stage that I realised I shouldn’t take what my mother said for granted. She warned me about the girl who brought the bag and I thought it was Makoma being the always paranoid Makoma. My mom gave Dick a stern look and asked him if she looked like the type that walked around with small bottles. The cousin interrupted again, “Malome, what are you waiting for? Tell these people to leave now before they wipe off our entire family? Should I remind you that my mom was in hospital not long ago because of them? Do you need a reminder that Mpho is fighting for his life right now? If you don’t act now you will regret this for the rest of your life. Well, you might not be alive to tell the story”.

I could see he was buying her story because the look he gave me was not that of daddy and daughter. I went “daddy, you know very well that I love my husband. Why would I want him dead on our wedding day? Please don’t believe what she is saying? This bag was brought by some girl who didn’t want to identify herself? What if she planted this thing in my bag? You know your sister’s family hates me”. My mom told me that I didn’t owe anyone any apology because I did nothing wrong. My mom was one of those women who didn’t believe in begging. Dick asked why my mom was so defensive as if she knew something. My mom looked at Dick and said “don’t you dare talk to me like that wena Pipi. I am not the girls you go around sleeping with in return for money. I will beat you right here. Your family brought nothing but pain for my daughter. I cant believe you are accusing us of something that you know very well was committed by your family”. The doctor that briefed me earlier appeared while my parents were still arguing. He asked to speak to me. Everyone kept quiet and looked at the doctor. He went “we tried everyone we could…..”. Before the doctor could finish whatever he was saying Mpho’s aunt appeared from nowhere and started crying. Everyone turned around to look at her direction. She was going “baloi ba Limpopo ba bolaile my nephew…..baloi ba Limpopo ba bolaile my sweet boy”. I was so mad at her but wanted to hear what the doctor wanted to say. My mom told the woman to shut up. The doctor continued “we tried everything we could to save his life but failed. I am very sorry, your husband is no more”. Dick fainted immediately after hearing those words. I felt like there was a boiling ice in my head. My throat got blocked that I couldn’t even cry my pain out. My feet got struck and my arms were shaking. I wasn’t sure if I was standing or walking. I couldn’t feel my weight. My mom kept wiping my tears but I couldn’t feel them in my eyes. My sense of hearing was not functioning normally but I heard Mpho’s aunt saying “ke thato ya Modimo”. Why do people love framing God when they do bad things. How can the Man we trust to be the security guard of this world be associated with killing of innocent people. Satan and his followers are responsible for killing good people.

When I finally regained the control of my lower limbs I ran to the machine-infested room that they kept my husband in. He looked so handsome even in his death. I cried like I have never cried before. I begged him to wake up and talk to me but he remained silent. The nurses tried to get me off him but failed. I went “no no no this can’t be happening. Babe, wake up please. People are waiting for us at the lodge. Let’s go there and finish our vows. I love you Mpho…. yhooooooo oh nooooo ….. noooooooo yhoooooo oh yhoooooo. I hate you for killing my husband. I hate you for stealing my joy”. As I was crying there Mpho’s aunt and some family members told me to stop pretending and leave their son alone. The hospital staff asked us to leave because of the noise we were making. More and more family members joined us at the hospital. I didn’t even know where they hailed from because some of them were not even invited to the wedding. I heard one guy saying “nna I don’t want his money. I just want his Mercedes-Benz. You can share all his belongings but please leave the Merc for me. That is lazy people for you. They wait for death to happen so they can benefit. Mpho wasn’t even gone for 30 minutes but they were already planning to take his property. One old man whom I had seen before came to me and said “my daughter, I know you won’t like what I am going to tell you but if you value your life you will listen to me. You are dealing with heartless people here. If you stand on their way they will eliminate you like they did to your husband. I suggest that you go home and stay with your mother. I will personally make arrangements for you to come and bury your husband”. My mom heard him and she fully agreed. I told them I couldn’t leave my husband alone. The guy told me it was my choice but I was putting my life in danger. Marcus appeared with some lady. My mom gave her a Baleka Mbete kinda look. Marcus told my mom that she was a counsellor. I told them I didn’t want to talk to any shrink. I felt like everyone was on my case unnecessarily. I so wished my husband was still alive to be with me in that situation.

With Dick fainted I didn’t anyone to protect me from that family. I finally gave in and drove with my mom to Pretoria. We couldn’t go back to the wedding venue because of what JT said. I was still not sure what she meant when she said things were bad. As soon as we got to Phillip Nel I went straight to the bedroom and looked myself in. I cried and cried for hours. My mom tried to knock and talk to me but I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was hurting inside. When you have dreams of spending the rest of your life with someone and they leave the way Mpho left, you are bound to be heartbroken. It is better if they die from a long sickness because they prepare you for the worst. Sudden death is the worst death ever. After hours of crying I finally opened the bedroom door. My mom was sitting by the door. I think she thought I was planning to commit suicide. Some girls cannot take pain. She gave me a hug and told me everything would be fine. I went “it hurts mama. I miss him. I want to be with him right now”. The motherly Makoma told me the pain will get better with time. I was still wearing my dirty wedding dress. Part of me thought Mpho would appear from the door and continue with our wedding. I was struggling to accept that the man I loved with everything I had was gone. I told my mom that I wanted to go to Midrand to fetch some of my jewellery and clothes because I didn’t trust Mpho’s family. With Dick struggling to cope with Mpho’s death, I knew his savage family was probably planning to take over everything. I didn’t want them to take my expensive clothes and other things. Luckily my mom agreed and she drove me to my house. We took Marcus along because we didn’t know who was at the house. My mom wanted to call the police but I told her she was overreacting. On our way to Midrand Marcus bought me food but I didn’t have any appetite. When you had just lost someone you love you will feel as if a mountain has developed in your stomach. You will feel as if you do not have any space for food in your stomach. That is how I felt at that stage. I didn’t have any thirst or hunger. When we got to the complex in Midrand I was met by the sight I didn’t expect.

“Eunice, what are you doing with him,” I asked with my eyes wide open.

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE END