Sun. Dec 8th, 2024

Episode Eight

 

 

 

‘Opps! I am sorry for just barging in on you like that, I didn’t know you had company,’ she says

 

‘Hey Lulu!’ Wes exclaims.

 

‘I will come back some other time,’ she turns to leave.

 

‘No it’s okay, come on in.’

 

‘You are sure?’ She asks

 

‘Yes,’ he responds

 

She walks to where we are sitting and I can’t help but admire how beautiful she looks, she is wearing a midi spaghetti strap lace dress that hugs her body perfectly.

 

‘Zaria! Meet Lulu,’ Wes says

 

‘And Lulu, meet Zaria.’

 

I manage a smile, ‘It’s very nice to nice to meet you,’ I extend my hand to shake hers.

 

‘Good to meet you too,’ she shakes my hand firmly.

 

She turns to Wes, ‘I brought you lunch,’ she smiles placing the plastics in her hands on the table.

 

‘Thank you. I was actually about to head out for lunch,’ he responds

 

‘So do you work here too?’ I ask her even though I have never seen her here before.

 

‘No,’ she shakes her head.

 

I turn to Wes, ‘Babe you left the introduction hanging. Who is she?’ I ask

 

He gives me an awful stare, ‘I thought I said she is Lulu, you want her full name? Luyando Mweene.’

 

Lulu laughs,’ I am Wesley’s friend,’ she responds ‘and I know you are his girlfriend, Zaria Nel.’

 

‘Oh.’

 

‘How long have you guys known each other and how come I don’t know anything about you?’

 

‘Must you know all my friends?’ Wes snaps

 

I look at him and shake my head, ‘Why are you being so rude?’

 

‘Quit asking my guest so many questions can’t you see you are making her uncomfortable?’

 

I shake my head before I stand up and grab my bag, ‘I think I will get going, see you at home.’ I march towards the door hoping he will stop me but he doesn’t.

 

I walk to my car dishearten, I feel like screaming but I don’t. Tears begin to settle in my eyes like a puddle of water. I open the door climb in and slam the door shut.

 

And then the tears finally fall.

 

How could he just humiliate me in front of that woman and who is she? Why does she know so much about me? Lord my heart aches and my head hurts. I have so many questions that only he can answer.

 

I drive out of the driveway and as I start to drive down the road that leads to my work place, I feel my body begin to shake uncontrollably as the tears continue to pour from my eyes.

 

 

Unaware of how much time has passed, I release that I have pulled up into the parking lot at work. It’s even a miracle that I didn’t cause an accident because I am a mess.

 

I sit in my car for a few minutes to gather my emotions then I wipe my tears. After I calm myself down, I walk in, heading straight to my office. I put my bag on the table and sit down.

 

‘Babe!’ Melanie walks in a few minutes later

 

‘Hey,’ I respond without looking up at her, I pretend to be busy on my phone.

 

‘Are you okay?’

 

‘Yes.’

 

She walks over to me and sits on my table then she lifts my face so our eyes can meet.

 

‘You have been crying?’ she asks

 

I am reluctant to admit that I have been crying because I don’t feel like talking about what happened.

 

‘What happened?’ she asks

 

‘Nothing,’ I quickly respond

 

‘Babe?’

 

I sniff, ‘I don’t wanna talk about it.’

 

I am glad she doesn’t push me for information but instead she pulls me to her and wraps her hands around me.

 

‘Whatever it is, this too shall pass,’ she says

 

I cry silently on her shoulder as she slowly rubs my back. Eventually I stop crying and I pull away from her.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

‘Anytime for you babe,’ she smiles

 

She tells me some funny stories and I end up smiling before she goes back to her office. The rest of the day I try so hard not to think of Wes as I work on the financial reports.

 

Finally its 4 o clock and I don’t feel like going home.

 

‘Aren’t you going home?’Melanie pecks her head into the door way

 

I shake my head, ‘I need to finish this and email it to madam boss.’

 

‘Okay. I won’t wait for you, I have a date with bae,’ she winks

 

‘Which one?’

 

‘What do you mean which one ai?’

 

‘I don’t even know who your current bae is, you keep changing men.’

 

She rolls her eyes, ‘Dah! I better get out of here.’

 

I laugh, ‘See you later my favourite goat.’

 

‘Fool,’ she says and slams the door.

 

I spend the next three hours engrossed in my work, going through the reports, editing and making sure the figures are accurate.

 

At about 19:20, I stand up and stretch my arms slowly above my head I guess it’s about time I go home. I pack my stuff in my bag and shut down my computer then I walk out of the room letting the door close behind me.

 

When I finally get to the car park, I slid into my car and immediately drive home.

 

***

 

It’s 20:00 when I finally walk into the house, I am hungry and tired, I just need a good meal, a cold bath and then I can call it a night.

 

I notice Wes in the living room watching foot ball, a bottle of castle in his hands. He barely spares me a glance as I head to the bedroom.

 

I place my things on the table and change my clothes then I head to the kitchen. I don’t feel like cooking not after what happened last night and this afternoon.

 

Working my way around to one of the cabinets over the sink, I open it and reach inside grabbing a box of corn flakes then I make my way back to the tale and pour some in a bow. I walk to the refrigerator and pull out a gallon of milk and carry it to the table.

 

I pour the milk all over my cereal and later dump some sugar onto it. Then I sit down at the table to enjoy my supper.

 

‘Cereal for Supper?’ Wes asks startling me, I didn’t even notice him standing in the door way.

 

I nod my head.

 

An awkward silence settles between us but I can feel his eyes on me as I eat.

 

He clears his throat, ‘We need to talk,’ he says in a voice that makes me freeze.

 

I look up at him his face is blank and expressionless.

 

‘Let me just finish up here, I will join you shortly,’ I respond, my heart beating faster than usual.

 

‘Okay,’ he walks out of the kitchen

 

That sinking feeling I have been feeling at the pit of my stomach suddenly comes back and I suddenly lose my appetite. I stand up and pour the remaining cereal in a bin and put the bow on the sink.

 

I take a deep breath before I walk into the living room, Wes seems to be in deep thoughts he has his face bowed to the ground.

 

I sit on the couch from across his, ‘Babe.’

 

He looks up at me with guilty eyes and I can tell that he did something that he shouldn’t have been doing.

 

He takes in a sharp breath and lets it out slowly.

 

‘It’s that bad?’ I ask

 

‘What?’

 

‘What you did.’

 

He looks at me and gives me a half smile then he stands up.

 

‘Zaria Nel!’ he begins

 

‘Zaria Nel?’ He hasn’t called me that in years, my palms suddenly become sweaty and my heart is beating fast, it feels like it’s about to pop out of my chest. This is serious.

 

‘I love you, always have always will. You met me at my lowest and picked me up. You believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, you stood by me through thick and thin, you have truly been a great companion throughout the years….,’

 

‘But?’ I cut him short.

 

He shuts his eyes for a brief second and quickly opens them, ‘ I just don’t know where to start from,’ he says.

 

His voice is dry as if he is nervous he can’t even look at me.

 

‘What’s going on?’ I ask my voice a bit shaky.

 

‘I know things have been rocky between us the past few days and I know it’s also my fault. I know this hasn’t been fair to you.’

 

I lean back on the chair, wondering what in God’s name he is driving at, afraid to interrupt.

 

‘I never meant for anything of this to happen, well you know we can’t always predict what the future holds and….,’

 

‘What the hell is going on Wes?’ I snap at him, I can’t take it anymore.

 

‘I have fallen in love with someone else and she is carrying my child,’ the words finally escape his mouth before he can stop them.

 

****

 

A gambling Heart

 

 

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