Unmasked

I am meeting up with Leo for lunch at his favourite chicken place. I don’t know how he discovered this place but if you ask me, it is heavenly and I don’t blame him. I have finalized my papers for the trip so I decided to see him before we can leave.

I see his car drive into the yard. The place has an outdoor arrangement set up and I keep insisting and telling Leo that the owner isn’t very smart because in the rainy season it means they have slow business but Leo keeps insisting that the outdoor arrangement is the charm for the place and no one can take that away from them.

‘I have never seen a more beautiful pregnant woman.’ Leo says coming to join me. I don’t even bother standing up. I have been using the last of my energy to keep going.

‘We both know Sasha carried her pregnancy well, no one can beat that.’

‘Oh she surely did.’

I am happy that he can finally talk about her without any reservations. He doesn’t sound angry but just like a man having a conversation about a woman he once shared his life with.

‘But you really look good friend.’

‘Thank you friend.’

‘And I am mad at you that you have decided to cut yourself off from the world. What’s that nonsense you texted me that you want to go to India with Thando and his mother?’

‘Leo it isn’t nonsense.’

‘It is nonsense.’

‘He is still my husband you know that right?’

‘On paper. Isn’t my life example enough for you to learn from? How much did I take from Sasha before finally calling it quits?’

‘You were giving her enough rope to hang herself Leo, which she eventually did. I know we have done some things but then we still have good in us.’

‘Not me.’

I roll my eyes.

‘By the way, how is your girlfriend?’

‘What girlfriend?’

‘Phalesi of course.’

‘She is not my girlfriend.’

‘You sound sad, I thought you guys had something solid going on.’

‘It’s complicated. I last saw her on Sunday, we went to church together then came here for lunch but then we had to go home because her Aunty kept calling.’

‘And?’

‘Her husband was home.’

‘Leo today is Wednesday, have you tried calling her? What if he took her back home? What if she didn’t go and doesn’t want anything with him?’

‘All those are possibilities but at the end of the day the decision is for Phalesi to make, and I don’t want to be there making her feel like she has to make a decision based on what we both feel for each other. I want her to be of sound mind when she makes any decision.’

I smile.

‘What?’

‘I guess when life deals you a certain way, growth is inevitable right?’

He frowns before responding.

‘What?’

‘Sasha has been calling, I don’t know what she wants.’

‘But how are you supposed to know if you don’t pick up?’

‘We haven’t spoken since the divorce, what could she honestly want? We have nothing to talk about.’

‘Pick up.’

‘Okay.’

He does and puts the phone on speaker.

‘You know how small the world is Leo?’

‘Small enough that we ended up together right?’

‘Anyway, I am here minding my own business and guess who I run into? My former maid.’

‘Okay.’

‘This is a woman who mysteriously disappeared the day I went to the hospital and now she is all made. As if that isn’t enough this woman from what I heard is doing very well at a farm somewhere and has her life in order.’

‘Why are you telling me all this Sasha?’

‘Leo she couldn’t just have disappeared then reappeared just like that. You too are not suffering and I don’t know what you are even doing with your life.’

‘Let me get this straight Sasha, you have been buzzing my phone since morning just to tell me that people can’t move on, people can’t do well for themselves? Is that why you are calling me?’

‘Leo eventually I will know what you are doing.’

‘And then what will you do?’

‘I will sue you.’

‘For what? I left you everything I had didn’t I? Do you want my life too? Should I get a restraining order?’

‘Leo I had my life in order, I had everything in place.’

‘You messed up on your own Sasha. You made your bed I think it’s only right that you lay in it. You can’t go round being upset with everyone over the mistakes that you single handedly made. The maid decided to leave and I am pretty sure she had her reasons. If you were a decent person, you would have asked her why and not start wondering why she is doing better than you. Who told you that once someone is at a lower stage in life than you are then they will always be like that? What made you think that I would always be the same? You found me made, and I made a few wrong moves but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have the brains to pick up. Stop blaming everyone but yourself for how your life has turned out and just maybe you can be a better person Sasha. At the rate at which you are moving your life will continue being the same if you are not careful. I hope this is the last time you are calling me.’

He says this and cuts the line.

…

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏾‍♀️