Life above all episode 12-13

LIFE, ABOVE ALL

Episode 12

“Mothers don’t fear death. They are afraid of leaving behind their children knowing that nobody will love and care for them like she will do.”

***
“What the hell is going on here?’ he demanded.
Stella rolled her eyes, ‘what do you think is going on?’ she asked
‘Why is my sister kneeling with her hands raised up?’
‘Don’t ask me silly questions.’
Ganizani shook his head and walked towards his sister, he stretched his hand to her. ‘Come,’ he said.
‘Don’t you dare stand up,’ Stella hissed

Thoko stared at her step mother then back at her brother, she didn’t know who to listen to, she was scared Stella would hit her if she stood up.
‘She won’t do anything to you,’ he assured her.
Stella laughed, ‘You know me better Thoko, just stand up and see what I will do you.’

He angrily lifted her up and into his arms. Then he wiped the tears in her eyes with the palm of his hand.
‘Put her down,’ she yelled
‘Thoko is not your child Stella, you have no right to punish her,’ Ganizani said, his voice was calm but cold as ice.
‘I have the right to punish her, she lives under my roof hence she must follow my rules.
‘This isn’t your house, you are just an intruder.’
She laughed out loud, ‘I am your father’s wife, whatever he owns is mine. Your stupid mother is never coming back so deal with it.’

He put his sister down and stood in front of Stella.
‘My mother wasn’t a stupid woman,’ he said through gritted teeth and clenched fists, he looked like he was about to smash something.

Stella laughed again she loved how he behaved when she talked about his mother.
‘Your mother was not only stupid she was illiterate. I hope she rots in hell.’

Hearing her talk about his mother in such a manner made Ganizani furious, his anger flared and he lost his temper.

He grabbed a heavy loaded glass vase of flowers that was on the table and threw it towards her, luckily it didn’t hit her.
The glass hit the wall and shattered to pieces.
‘How could you?’ she shouted. ‘You wanna kill me?’

Ganizani held his sister’s hand and left the room with quickness and moments later, she heard the door slam shut.
“Bastards,’ she hissed, ‘You fucking stinks.’
Ganizani sat on the bed next to his sister, he was still angry.
How could a woman be this heartless and mean? What had his father actually seen in such a woman?
He could take anything from Stella but he would not allow her to mistreat his sister.
‘I miss mother,’ Thoko said softly, ‘Auntie Stella is mean.’
‘I am sorry I wasn’t here to protect you baby, I swear I won’t allow her to mistreat you again.’
She nodded her head.
***
Stella stared at the glass on the floor Ganizani had just crossed the line she wasn’t gonna clean up the mess, she would wait for his father to get home before doing so.
If only she and her husband had gotten together before he had children, her life would be better.
If she could have everything just the way she wanted, it would just be her, Celine and her husband in this house.

It wasn’t long after the incidence with Ganizani when Stella heard a car drive into the compound.
She knew it was her husband so she quickly sank to the floor.
Then she picked up a sharp piece of the glass with a sharp pointed end, without hesitating she slit her left wrist. Afterwards she closed her eyes and forced the tears out.

‘Darling!’ Her husband called out when he walked into the house

She began to cry a little louder as more tears streamed down her face.
‘Stella! Are you okay?’ he ran towards her and got down next to her.
‘What happened?’ he worriedly asked
‘Your son,’ she cried, ‘your son almost killed me, he threw the vase at me just because I told Thoko to take her plate to the kitchen after lunch.’
‘Where is he?’ he asked
She sniffed, ‘he is in his room,’ she said
He stood up and marched towards his room, she smiled before she stood up and followed him.
**
Ganizani was reading to Thoko when the door burst open and his father walked in.
‘How could you?’ he asked pointing a finger at him
Silence
‘How could you do this to her?’
More Silence
His father grabbed the book from his hands and threw it on the floor.
‘I am talking to you,’ he yelled
‘She had no right to punish my sister,’ he yelled
‘She is your mother she has every right to punish her for misbehaving.’
‘She is not our mother, she didn’t give birth to us she doesn’t even love us. This woman you married is evil.’
‘This woman you are insulting is my wife, if you can’t be in the same house with her then I will ask you and your sisters to leave.’
‘Leave?’ he asked surprised
‘Yes, you will have to leave.’
‘To where?’
‘I don’t know and I don’t even care, you can find some of your mother’s relatives and live with them, I will not have you in my house if you can’t respect me.’
Stella flashed an evil grin, her plan was working perfectly she had this man exactly where she wanted him to. If she played her cards right, the brats would be out of the house soon.

Ganizani shook his head, how could a grown man not notice that his children were being maltreated by his wife, he knew his father could see that Thoko was scared but he just didn’t care.

How could he take her side, they were his children and he chose to be on her side, unbelievable?
‘I am giving you one week to put your act together, you will have to respect her and treat her like your mother or else you will leave my house.’
With that said, he left the room.
‘See, I told you I would have the last laugh,’ Stella stuck her tongue out before she followed her husband.
***
‘Darling, you shouldn’t have been that harsh towards him, he is just a child,’ she said as he bandaged her wrist.
‘I am tired of these kids being rebellious, I can’t take it anymore.’
‘It’s okay.’
‘It’s not okay, see what he did to you, he needs to learn how to control his anger.’
He stared at her.
‘You always see the best in them even though they treat you like trash.’
She faked a smile, ‘they are just kids, I am a mother too so I understand how they feel. I am sure they will come around.’
‘I love you.’
‘I love you too,’ she responded.
****

Episode 13

MR. PHIRI

I walked into the room and found my wife curled up on the bed in her purple dress, reading the Bible.
She looked up at me and smiled.
‘I just got off the phone with Erica’s sister,’ I said as I sat on the bed next to her.

Erica is my late wife. I just called her sister (Elena) to see if she could take in the children. I want the children out of the house so my wife and I can have some peace.

She put the Bible on the bed and looked back at me, ‘What did she say?’ she asked

‘She said she is going through a rough patch and she can’t take them in.’
‘Oh,’ was my wife’s incredulous reply
‘Maybe I should take them to my mother’s farm,’ I suggested.
She shook her head, ‘That’s not a good idea, your mother doesn’t like me, if you take the children to her, she will hate me even more, she will think I asked you to kick them out.’
‘But these kids are disrespectful, see what Ganizani did to you I don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘I will be fine,’ she said
‘You are sure?’
‘Yes.’
‘You are such a good woman I wish the children could see that and stop fighting you.’
A slight smile crossed her lips.
‘They are still dealing with their mother’s death, let’s just give them time.’
I cupped her face gently in my hands and made her meet my gaze, ‘You are such a good woman. I know I made the right decision when I chose you.’
She blushed.
I lowered my head and kissed her slowly. Flames flared through me as her arms came up to encircle my neck while she kissed me back.
As the kiss was getting heated, her phone rang and she pulled away from me.

She grabbed her phone and walked towards the window to answer it. I watched her intently as she talked I wondered what it was about her that drove me so wild.
Everything about this woman amazed me, my life felt complete with her.

Stella walked into our lives about three years ago my late wife actually introduced us, they met at church. We didn’t really start talking until she split up with her husband.
Unlike Erica, Stella brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed and she made me feel things I didn’t know were possible.

The truth is that I didn’t love my ex wife- not one bit, I was miserable and lonely with her. I always felt like something was missing.

My late wife was my mother’s choice of a good wife and not mine.
I still remember the day my mother introduced her to me as my wife. She had walked into my house some years back with Erica and some unknown people.
After I welcomed them and ushered them into the house, she pointed at Erica and said
‘This is the woman you will marry.’
At first I thought she was joking, I even laughed about it.
‘It’s not a laughing matter, I have brought you a wife from the village and you must marry her,’ she had said
‘This is insane!’ I had angrily told her.
‘My decision is final.’
‘Mum, I have a girlfriend and I deeply love her why don’t you allow me to marry her?’
‘I don’t like all these city women that parade themselves like prostitutes you must marry the one I have brought for you.’

There was no arguing with my mother, she had made her decision.
I knew I should have put my foot down, I shouldn’t have married her but I did because I didn’t want to offend my mother.

‘You will learn to love her with time,’ mother had said but she was wrong.
I hated Erica with everything in me, everything she did irritated me. She was a good wife she just wasn’t good enough for me - I wanted more.

I hated her even more when we started she kept getting pregnant, the children were her way of tying me down to her and she succeeded.
But even though I hated her and the children she birthed, I did my best to cater for all their needs.

Most nights I would lie in bed at night next to her dreaming about how I could end our marriage. Sometimes I used to dream about her possibly dying so I could be free.

Finally she got sick and eventually died, you don’t know how relieved I was when I received the call that she had died, I felt free and alive, her death was the beginning of something beautiful.
I didn’t shed a tear for her I just couldn’t wait to bury her so I could get on with my life and I did.

I know it’s been a few months since she died but I have completely erased her from my mind.
Stella makes me very happy, I couldn’t have wished for more, I won’t allow these kids to ruin my chance at happiness, they must leave my house if they continue being rebellious, I want to enjoy my marriage.
I was ripped from my reverie by the Stella’s arms she had wrapped them around me.
‘You are done?’ I asked
She shook her head.
‘And who was that you were talking to?’
‘Celine’s father.’
I turned to face her, ‘what does he want?’
‘He says he wants to spend the weekend with Celine. He wants to introduce her to his new girlfriend.’
‘And?’
‘I am not comfortable with that idea I don’t want him introducing my daughter to different women.’
‘I think Celine is old enough to decide if she should go and meet up with him or not.’
‘Celine loves her father she might decide not to come back.’
‘Talk to her communication is key.’
‘You are right.’
‘You know I am always right,’ I laugh
‘Whatever!’ she hits me playfully. ‘What do you want to eat tonight?’ she asked
‘How about we go out?’
‘I love the sound of that.’
‘Let me just make a few phone calls while you get yourself ready for dinner.’
‘Alright,’ she lightly kissed my lips and rushed for the bathroom.
***

To be continued