Turn Of Events

I wanted to tell you guys about a wedding I attended back home over the weekend. Especially the part where the bride was being told the rules of in a marriage by the elders. These were just small small kids getting married oo! 1982(groom) and 1986(bride). I winced at the part where they told her that she’s not supposed to ask her husband where he is coming from, if he comes late at home! Ha! Can you imagine? So my husband comes home in the wee hours of the morning and I’m supposed to keep quiet? Tufia! And when I get diseases like HIV/AIDS I’m still supposed to keep mum? Ehh? Maybe then(in those elders’ time), but not now! Not in our time!
But now there’s a situation.

Tia sent me an sms Sunday night, that the guy who impregnanted her is late! You remember that married guy? To my surprise, all along I had thought Tia will always tell me what could be happening in her life now,considering that she’s even pregnant. But goshh..she’s been seeing this guy again! Behind my back! Am I not a friend now? But I been there for her all this time! Why would she go see this guy again after he abandoned her when she told him about the pregnancy?

Immediately the sms went through I called. She was using a number I didn’t know. So I called her in her phone. She is crying and doesn’t wanna talk. She was with someone,and she gave that person the phone,some girl. I was even shaking myself,for what I didn’t know.I asked the girl on the phone, ‘’When?’’. ‘’Today around 12 noon’’. ‘’What was wrong?’’. ‘’We donno, but something to do with his heart and he was also asmatic’’.

I also came to learn that Peter*(not his real name) had problems with his wife two weeks before. The wife had mentioned she was divorcing Peter. Has she heard about the pregnancy or what? I got scared for Tia. You know in this country if you are caught messing with somebody’s husband(legal) it’s either you get a jail term or pay a fine of above P50,000. So I don’t really know why the wife was divorcing. What if Peter was doing somebody else and maybe the wife found out? What if she found out about Tia,and maybe not the pregnancy? Dammnn! But I told Tia now! With all the flings she was having and all….last nite we got talking…Tia couldn’t stop talking about their memories together…

‘’Jane, kana a kere I can’t go to the funeral. Even though he mensioned that his wife was leaving him, he died still a married man. His last sms to me was, ‘’hi love, I’m still in hospital and pennyless’’, when I asked for airtime. Then b4 going F/town, I smsed him saying, ‘’baby why are you quiet?’’. No response. A few days back when I was coming from Orapa we came together when he was going to one hospital in South Africa. That was the longest and last time I ever spent with Peter. We started from O/town at 9am and arrived in Gabz around 8pm. We went to his cousin in Palapye, spent three hours there, we left and stopped at Mahalapye for some drinks. Still on the way we stopped at Mosaditshwene, all the way, he was telling me about his life. He said he wished that he had married me instead. He checked in at The Grand Palm. We spent the night at the Mertcourt. He said to me that if my passport was fine we could go together to South Africa.When he asked if he could drop me off at my house in the morning, I declined, saying I’ll get a taxi home. He left and said when he came back I should go with him to help him choose a big mirror for his sitting room and that he wanted to buy ceiling materials for his new house. That was the last time I saw my Peter live. Next up was his sms saying that he’s been admitted in hospital in Orapa. That was two weeks ago. I told him that I think somebody was bewitching him. And he said, ‘’I’ll be fine my love’’. Jane I can’t sleep at night, I’ve never cried like this in my entire life ’’..

‘’Aaaagg shame..so many memories. But you’ll have to go.Traditionally we believe that when you pay your last repects to and looking at him in that coffin/casket, he’s also looking at you. So I gues he’ll be glad you came to say goodbye. Just go. For his sake. For your sake. I’m really very sorry too Tia. I didn’t even know that this guy was sick!’’

‘’It was an on and off thing. He was asmatic, sometimes felt dizzy,and he had high blood. Somehow I think he was saying goodbye to me that time we spent together from O/town. We spent 12 hours on the road-from Orapa to Gabz. Least he knew I loved him and was there whenever he wanted to talk. Last night I couldn’t sleep. His cousin and little brother said that I have to come to the funeral. Eish I donno…’’.

‘’Like I said. I think you also have to go. Lemme know when you’ve made up your mind. I can come with you. But it’s for the best. So that you may let go of him. Else you are not gonna lead a normal and healthy life. Remember how pregnant you are? If you don’t go you’ll stress your self up and it’s gonna affect the baby.’’

Guys it’s really hard for Tia. I’ve never seen her this distraught. It’s like she’s finished. It’s like her whole life has been taken swiftly like that from her. But again, this guy was harsh to my friend when she told him about the pregnancy. Why does she feel this way about him when he’s gone? Okay maybe they made up all the time that I didn’t know she was seeing him again. Maybe things got back to normal. Maybe the guy now came around and accepted the pregnancy. Maybe I don’t understand because I aint the one wearing the shoes.