Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende

 

Losses    

The first time he made love to me, I was fifteen and Simon was eighteen. He visited me in Nkayi a few times before he introduced me to his uncle Mabhena and his family. Mabhena had two wives who were always fighting. Their children always got involved and the entire household would be chaos and noise. Mabhena would shake his head ruing the day he took on a second wife.

“Isithembo is the fastest and most efficient route to an early grave for a man.” He muttered.

On my first visit to his uncle’s home, I sat perched on the edge of a sofa in the sitting room and pretending that I was not disturbed by the racket coming from the kitchen. His wives had already come and greeted me along with seven children ranging in ages from about thirteen to a-few-months-old baby. They jostled and shoved as they waited to shake my hand. They had shuffled their way out of the sitting room, like cattle at the dipping post, shutting the door to the total anarchy in the kitchen.

Mabhena looked haggard slouched in a sofa with his belly sitting on his lap. His bottom lip looked heavy as it hung open exposing a neat row of yellowed teeth. Simon responded with mirth.

“Uncle, you made your bed and now you must lie in it.”

There was a loud clatter from the kitchen, as though someone threw a metal plate onto the floor. I jumped up, then quickly sat down. Simon roared with laughter and his uncle joined in. I did not see anything funny about the situation so I knew they were laughing at me.

I glared at Simon, got up and left the room. A few minutes later he found me standing under a mango tree at the back of the huge house. Mabhena had a borehole on his property so water for mango, orange, guava and peach trees was not a problem. He even had a lawn in front of the house and some beds bursting with yellow, pink and red flowers.

“I am sorry Thembi.”

He touched my cheek and I stepped back, looking around in panic.

“Ah wena, they will see us. It’s not proper.”

I crossed my arms and turned my face away from him. I was still smarting from having been laughed at.

“OK let’s go to my room.”

He had a room in a cottage beyond the fruit trees, where he stayed when he visited. Now he was living with his uncle and helping him manage his businesses while he waited for his A- level results.

“Wahlanya! Go to your room? No way. What will your people think of me?”

Of course, I wanted to go to his room and spend time alone with him. But this just seemed too whorish. His relatives would think I was a cheap girl, not marriage material and they would advise him not to take me seriously.

“Thembi where else can we go to just sit and talk? If we are seen at the shops the village gossips will get busy, someone will tell your aunt and the whole thing will become a big story about you sneaking around with men.”

“You talk as if you really care about me. Or is it that you are just trying to find a way to get me to your room?”

Simon smiled, looking shy.

“Both.”

We laughed and walked to his room.

“Your uncle is brave! To have two wives and their kids living in the same house? My aunt is a first wife and the second wife stays in the house in Bulawayo, eMpopoma. Here in the village, she has her hut at the homestead so when my aunt goes to the city she comes here. They are only ever in the same place when there is a ceremony or family gathering.”

Simon looked at me, a small smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

“That is very sensible. That is exactly how I will arrange my polygamy.”

I pouted and punched him on the arm:

“Hey wena! I don’t want to be a polygamy wife uyezwa!”

“Ah, but who says I will marry you?”

He laughed as he dogged another punch and opened the door.

  I had never been in there before. In the middle was a single bed with blankets rumpled up.

“You did not spread your bed.”

I faked disgust and started straightening the bedding.

Simon came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I froze, listening to the swooshing sounds hammering in my ears. He pulled me to himself and I straightened up trying to pull away, but not convincingly.

Simon kissed me just next to my ear and the sound made me shudder. I had never been with a man and he guessed this. He lay me on his bed and he kissed me gently until I became aggressive, demanding more depth. More than kisses. He was gentle and patient with me, asking me if I was alright the whole time as he undressed me. I stiffened for a moment when he entered me. But he kept still, sucking gently at my nipples until I moaned and wrapped my legs around his waist, rocking back and forth. He responded, matching my movements with his thrusts. The last thought I had as my body vibrated towards release was my aunt lecturing me about good girls with decorum not getting pregnant before marriage.

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