I can't believe my eyes, I sigh heavily in disappointment. Tears well up in my eyes and feel them roll on my cheeks. A part of me is broken. I had hoped to be wrong but...I sniffle and let my tears fall on the envelope. I wipe my cheeks and warm the engine. I make a call.
"Are you home? I mean your residence?"
"Yes..." Her voice was low. My heart sank more.
"I need you. I will pick you up in five minutes "
"Okay"
*
I get in the car with a gloomy face. I am unhappy but his aggrieved face is troubling me.
"Are you okay?" His voice is mellow
"Can you get inside?" I avoid eye contact, I don't want him to see my red eyes.
"Not in this condition. Let's head to my place" He warms his engine and drives off to his residence.
Our drive was quiet, it was obvious that both of us had a lot on our minds. The silence was comfortable but we were existing in different worlds.
They cuddle on the sofa in silence.
"I am not fine" I answer the question he asked in the car. I caress his arm.
" I am not well too. I guess we are both having a bad day" His voice sounded distant.
"What's bothering you?" I lift my gaze and peer at him.
"Tell me your problem first..." He looks troubled.
"No...you seem more...uhm you don't look good" I let out a faint smile.
"Okay...I am not disregarding yours. So..." He pauses. "So I told you weeks ago about the baby situation" He pauses and I glance at him suspiciously.
"What about it?" I gaze at him warily
"Well...I have done a secret DNA test" He lifts my body aloft and pull something from his trousers. He hands it over to me. I gaze at him warily. I take the white envelope. I peel it off. I take out the paper and read it. I gaze at him baffled.
"You seem not happy?" I gaze at him with a confused face but also concerned about him.
"I know it's conflicting. I felt that something was fishy, but I feel betrayed" His voice cracks. I wrap my arms around him.
"I understand that you feel lied to, but at least you now know the truth" I try to ease his tension
"Yeah, I know the truth now. But I have to prove it" He is getting more troubled.
"At least you have proof" I try to comfort him.
"Yeah, I do. But I will seem like I am the fishy one and went to cook the results to favour me" His body is agitated.
"Then they can conduct their DNA test. You need to relax babble, you got this" I peer up to him.
"I guess. I need to tell them soon before they are too invested" He sighs
"So it means the baby is Shudu's? " I ask curiously.
"That's the funny part. Although I don't think Shudu knows about this twist. " His voice was mocking.
"He is going to flip!" my voice is high pitched and leave my mouth open in surprise. "But wait, how did you get their..." I gasp at him.
"I got Tebogo, Lala's baby when he had visited home, Shudu's when I called him over to hang" He sounded casually
"So you and Shudu are fine?" I ask curiously
"We are working on it. So...the baby is neither ours. She lied to us both. " He heaves an exhausted sigh. "This girl is just too much drama. Let us let it go. Tell me what's bothering you?" He caresses my arm.
My heart sank at hearing his words. I need to get it done because it hurts holding things inside you.
"My mom wants us to break up because she found about us that day on Nandos. And..because, hmmm...your family has a scarring history with my mom. So she does not want me to associate myself with you..." My voice is cracking and my lips are quivering.
"Okay...that's a lot..." He keeps his silence.
"I am sorry, I know you weren't ready for this" My voice is soft at this moment, my tears are welling up in my eyes.
"It's okay. When I saw your mom that day, I knew soon or later it would lead to this" His voice is surprisingly calm, why isn't he sad or worried?
"That we will break up?" I jolt my head in shock.
"Oh no! Wait, we are breaking up because she said so?" He gazed at me in fear.
"Uhm..you said so" I stutter sitting upright.
"No, I didn't. I said I saw it coming, as in her not being supportive towards me because of my family, precisely Dad and Aunt" His is calming down and the glints of fear I felt are disappearing.
"huh?" I look at him baffled. "Why are you not surprised?"
"I answered you. Your mom hates my dad, especially my Aunt. Here's the funny part. My brother once told me, that mom told him that Auntie and your mom were besties. That Auntie was disappointed when dad fell for mom, because she wanted dad to date your mom, so that she can date your dad, I mean late dad, not your stepdad. And you will think that Old people don't have dirty laundry.." He shakes his head in dismay.
I gawk at him. Those were a lot of words he said, which give a little clue on why she dreads so much, but that's not a lot of information about her, about her father.
"Wow!... That is a lot of past. Uhm...but" I pause to think through the words I am about to say. "My biological father, how did he, Uhm the affair" I give him a desperate look because I could feel him pulling away.
"I don't...know" He creases his forehead. "How would I know?" His rise his eyebrow giving me a disbelief look.
"I thought..." I urge him with my eyes. I know something.
"I don't know, the only thing I heard is that he cheated with her and got your mom pregnant with you. It tore the family apart. You were a story, till uhm...I meet you this year. There was no picture of you, just your mom, which we accidentally saw from Uncle Mulaudzi's album book when helping Aunt clean her bedroom after his burial. The reaction she had, was unexpected. I think they really don't like each other" He stares in space in wonder.
"Then how is your dad involved in this?" I ask curiously. He seemed kind and welcoming
"I don't know either. Mom opens up to our older brother amongst her children" He pauses and he turns to stare at me in the eyes. "You want to know the truth?" He gapes at me with a compassionate look.
"Yes, mom does not want to talk about anything. She gets emotional and I see how it hurts her to talk about her past. But can anyone tell me about the dead and mysterious father" My voice cracks and tears roll on my cheeks.
"I understand. I would feel the same way if I knew nothing about my dead dad. So..." He pauses. He draws me close to him and embraces me. "I will help you" He soothes my back.
I sob uncontrollably holding back any sound from escaping.
"But we are not breaking up, right? I need to be clarified on that one before I get excited" He pulls my body from his peers at me adoringly.
"Will you still help me if we are not together?" I look at him adoringly and pout.
"Of course, I can not resist you" He propels my body to him and kisses me passionately.
"Stop it, we are still talking..." I pull away.
"Okay..." He draws back and plops his body on the sofa.
"We are not breaking up" I smile and he grins. "Not yet.." I push him back against the sofa and position myself on his lap. His body tenses up a little. " Relax, we are not breaking up" I smile warmly.
"I hope we don't " There's a glint of worry in his eyes although his lips are tearing a faint smile. I kiss him passionately and then gape at him.
Are we going to conquer the world? Does love conquer all?