Unmasked

I decided to pass through the supermarket before going home. I have been craving Pork Trotters the past few days so I decided to buy some. I guess weird food cravings have now gotten the best of me.

Thando’s car is parked in his spot when I get home. He has been coming late these days I didn’t think I would find him. Once parked, I carry the plastic bags out of the vehicle and walk to the house.

‘Good afternoon ma’am.’ The house help greets me.

‘Good afternoon.’ I respond with a smile.

‘Should I put your food on the table?’

‘What did you cook?’

‘Uncle cooked rice and mince meat.’

‘He cooked?’

‘Yes ma’am, he came a few minutes after you left.’

‘Okay. Wash the trotters that I have come with and put them in the pressure cooker. Let me take a bath then you can serve me.’

‘Alright.’

‘You are back.’ Thando says when I walk into the living room.

‘Yeah. I went to see Zac and then passed through the supermarket. I was craving for trotters, I hope I will be able to eat them.’

‘I hope so.’

‘So how did your visit go?’

‘Not so bad, Musonda and Celine were there. I haven’t seen them in a while it was refreshing to see them.’

‘Oh yeah?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Let me take a bath, I am starving.’

‘Anything I can do to help.’

‘Nothing babe.’ I respond with a smile.

We are both still walking on egg shells and I know we have a lot of things that need to be addressed but at this point I choose not to get into things that will only depress me.

I take a quick shower and change into a short loose dress with house slippers. I tie my hair into a neat bun and join Thando in the living room.

‘You look good.’ He says creating space for me to go and sit next to him.

‘Thank you.’

Once I sit, he holds me in his arms, I honestly missed him. I missed this. I missed us. But again I am trying to be careful because I know that we have pending issues.

‘I interviewed Lona today.’

‘Oh, how did it go?’

‘I don’t know.’ He says kissing my hair.

‘What do you mean you don’t know?’

‘Well she talked about Plot 15.’

‘Okay.’

‘She wants me to dig into your past.’

I breathe out deeply. I am not shocked.

He locks his fingers with mine.

‘Babe is there anything that I need to worry about?’

I open my mouth to say something but then close it.

He makes me face him.

‘Zara I am not sure if you know that I love you and that I will do anything to protect you. But if you keep lying to me then I will have no choice but to stand against you. And honestly I don’t want that. So help me help you.’

Silence.

‘Let us do this a different way.’

‘Did Zac ask you to abort the baby?’

‘Yes he did.’

‘Do you want to tell me why?’

‘Because this marriage was supposed to be a way out for us.’

‘So that I never investigate you both right?’

I swallow hard.

‘I will take that as a yes. Now why didn’t you want me to investigate you?’

Silence.

‘Zara do you have anything to do with Gabriel’s death?’

More silence.

‘Babe you need to help me.’

‘I know. But it’s a lot.’

‘Then let us break it down.’

‘You will never see me the same Thando.’

‘I know. But at least I will see the real you.’

‘Do you have anything to do with Plot 15?’

‘Yes I do.’

‘Okay. What exactly? Were you a partner? Did you have shares?’

‘I am a Masochist Thando. I was a member of Plot 15 for years.’

I notice that his body language changes.

‘After being raped through and through by my father, after the many abortions I didn’t know how else to handle myself and so I derived pleasure in sex. Harmful sex.’

‘Okay.’

‘Zac always knew about it and he cared enough to kill and destroy anyone that was out to hurt me.’

‘Like your parents?’

‘Yes like my parents.’

‘When I interviewed you three years ago.’

He pauses.

‘I was about to break, Zac knew this so he quickly had to come up with a plan.’

‘To frame Lona?’

I nod my head.

‘So for three years we have kept an innocent woman behind bars?’ he asks standing up.

‘I convicted the wrong woman.’ He says again this time not looking at me.

‘Everything Zac has ever done was to protect me, everything has been to make sure that I didn’t go back to the life that I had. And if there is anyone who is guilty here it’s me.’

He comes and sits back where he was seated earlier.

‘Who else knew about Plot 15? Someone that could have sold you out?’

‘Gabriel, Celine. Musonda never knew anything. Leo just recently found out.’

‘So we have Celine and Leo. What do you think their motives were? Or are? What reasons do they have to hurt you?’

‘Thando I just told you that I am the reason all this happened.’

‘What you just did was free yourself from all this information, I am your husband and partner and I am not watching you go to the pits of hell on earth. We are going to get to the bottom of this. Someone is playing you and Zac, and Lona’s attitude in jail just gives me shivers. She has a strong alibi. We need to find out who that is.’

‘No.’

‘What?’

‘Thando you are a good man, I am not allowing you to get your hands dirty.’

‘I did when I married you.’

‘Thando.’

‘Let me help you babe.’

…

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏾‍♀️