The Unloving Mate

Chapter 1 - Collin's Ideal Family

“I think I got one!” She said, shouting from the kitchen as she dragged the little girl hiding inside the cupboard under the sink.

“I got the other one.” He said, hauling the little boy over his shoulder after he found him hiding in the attic.

The two met in the children’s bedroom, placing them gently on their respective beds. Catherine ran out of bed as quickly as she touched the sheets.

“Catherine! Get back here. Now!” She could feel the irritation in her mother’s harsh tone.

“I was going to brush my teeth because I am a good girl.” Her mother wanted to start arguing but she couldn’t argue with her own logic.

“Collin, what are you waiting for? Go brush your teeth. And don’t swallow the toothpaste.”

“Yes mommy.” He said, chasing after his little twin sister into the bathroom.

“Everything okay honey.” Her husband finally got a chance to ask as the kids were in the bathroom.

“I’m sorry. Was I the only one who spent an hour chasing after those little brats?” He laughed, which just seemed to drain her energy even more. She also joins in laughing.

“Did something happen? What did that jerk say to put a frown on my beautiful wife’s face?”

“We’ll talk.” She simply said.

“Mom, please tell us a bedtime story.” Catherine said as she came out of the bathroom, not caring that her mother looked drained.

“Yes, please mom.”

“If I tell you a story, will you go to bed?”

“Yes!” All three said at the said time.

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl. Kind, respectful and very shy that people barely knew she existed. Now, grown people knew that the girl was for keeps, but in today’s world her friends refused to see her good-natured character, mistaking her for a stupid, timid and dependant person. You know when someone bullies you, at least they notice that you exist and that you are beautiful. They are merely expressing their jealousy. With her, nobody bullied her, and nobody recognised her presence at school. Just nobody cared enough about her existence to voice their concern, praise or any other emotions towards her.” the children stared confused and trying to get the meaning or scene. They were only seven years old.

“But Mommy, Patricia has everything. She is pretty and she is rich.” Catherine, the smart one answered, trying to apply the story to her life.

“Whose Patricia?”

“Collin’s school bully.”

“I’ve only been gone for three days. Three days.”

“And nothing is new. Are you disappointed?”

“Okay Catherine, we’re not using the threatening method anymore. I'll warn the teacher first. If they say I should have reported it before you go beating someone up, we will have evidence that they are good for nothing. But first listen to me honey…money, status and fame are not everything, my love. She is simply jealous of you.”

“Jealous of Collin?”

“Yes. Jealous that he gets to spend time with you. But if you get angry, then you will also spend time fighting with her. So just ask first why she’s doing what she’s doing and…you’re too young to understand why don’t we have a parent’s dictionary for this…”

“Okay mom, don’t strain yourself. Just finish the story.”

“Mom, what happened to the girl?” Collin asked, confused as the story missed a lot of action. He couldn’t tell who the villain was and who was the hero.

“An Alpha Prince noticed her.”

“And they lived happily ever after.” Catherine finished the seemingly boring story.

“In a fairy-tale sweetheart…yes…”

“What about in real life?” It was Collin who asked, still hopeful he would get what was going on.

“In real life too, honey.” Full-stop. That was the end of the story and, like it or not, we were ordered to bed.

Little did they know that the story was true and only on her deathbed did she complete it:

“The girl marries the Alpha Prince, who was then the Alpha King, the strongest of all werewolves. I married the Alpha King. I was never invisible again, as I was worshipped by thousands of people, crowds, and nations. I was loved for my compassion, my love for my people. I was the total opposite of the strong and ruthless King, your father. He became soft and kind over time, so much that he didn’t see his brother’s falling. His brother, now known as Alpha King Zeera, killed him. He was being manipulated by his mate, Precious. My late husband never liked her, but I thought he was being unreasonable. Their ruckus caused a rapture between him and his brother. Family is the one thing you should always value above anything else, my children. Please.”

“Don’t talk like that, mommy. You will be fine. The doctors will do something so you will survive this.”

“Of course, sweetheart, don’t worry, but I want to finish this story.”

“Okay.”

“I found that I was pregnant and that the people would fight the current king and Queen if there was an heir to the throne, meaning your lives were in danger. Therefore, I ran. I had two beautiful children whom I love so much” That was that, but it did not apply to us. Our father. Nicolas Smith loved us so much and we were missing nothing that would compel us to dig into the past. Besides, she left no details of location or names. No one had the right to interfere with the structure of this family.

MaMsomi and MaDlamini's Family

She strutted down the stairs with nothing but the secret straps that covered her essentials. Her long legs playing to a rhythm in her head as if she knew what she was doing was a sin and she was the devil, proud of her work. Without a care in the world, she took the jug with juice in the presence of twelve family members, which included visiting aunts, uncles and the head of the house, MaDlamini. With two glasses in her hand she struts back upstairs without as much as a greeting.

It was MaDlamimi’s turn to curse in whispers as she knew her daughter’s wedding was at stake. She did not understand why she was so gentle with her step-son-to-be. This behaviour had been a pattern so much that everyone just looked at Nobuhle the gorgeous bride to-be without a word.

“Ma. Just a few more days and everything will be fine.” She calmly replied to the cold stares. When everyone’s stares did not budge from her face, she continued. “I will talk to him.” Even with that excuse which has been heard for the hundredth time this week, nobody budged from their position. “Ma, please. Besides that, he is leaving soon.”

“When?” MaDlamini demanded to know.

“Soon. He doesn’t want to be here as much as nobody wants him here and he wants to leave.”

“Mtanomntanami…”

“No Ma, just let it be. I failed as a wife, I failed my son and I failed my whole family and I’m not even married yet.” MaDlamini's tongue burned with a befitting reply by her motherly comfort held her lips shut.

“Not everyone.” She tries to calm herself as she can’t bare to see her good girl in trouble. “I am proud of you my child. We are proud of you and if your fiancée cannot see that, then he is the biggest i***t ever.”

“Thank you Ma.” Nobuhle replied, unconvinced.

“You are welcome, my child.” MaDlamini replied, defeated.

With such pleasantries exchanged, they continued with a prayer for a fresh breakfast and it wasn’t long until a knock came through the door.

“I’ll go open the door.” Nobuhle stood up, knowing that they were still contemplating her situation in their heads. She could see the troubled valleys of their facial expressions. Soon her emotions of frustration were wiped out by the overwhelming joy of her elder brother returning from New York. “Bhuti. Oh my God! How are you? Ma! It’s Dumisani!” Screams of joy overwhelmed the house as the long-gone son had finally returned home. Nobody even asked for how long, but it was obviously thanks to the wedding that he took time off his busy schedule to entertain his traditional-rooted family. MaDlamini started ululating to praise the ancestors for the gift of keeping her son safe so as to meet them today. The celebration was mixed with many elements; joy, jealousy, frustration, tears and the blood of a four-legged animal. MaDlamini had to invite her best friend and neighbour MaMsomi. She was sure her friend had returned from her vacation the previous day. Unfortunately, her lovely daughter did not join the celebration as she was working. Soon MaMsomi raised this concern as the sun had sunk over the horizon.

“Eish, MaDlamini. I don’t know what is taking that child so long. We just arrived yesterday afternoon. What’s the need to work the following day?”

“She is a hard worker, MaMsomi let her be. At least she is keeping busy, unlike some of the things that hang around here all day long.” Her tone was poisoned with annoyance and some might say slight hatred.

“Are Nomusa and Siyabonga giving you trouble?” MaMsomi asked about the newly teenaged members of the house.

“I wish.”

“What is wrong, MaDlamini?”

“Come closer.” She said in a whisper, but MaMsomi did not need to be told twice as she did as suggested. “I have been meaning to tell you. Nobuhle’s fiancé’s son is living with us. It would have been fine if he was just lazy or culturally inappropriate, but this is straight out disrespectful in any culture, any language and in any human perspective.”

“What did he do?” She said, intrigued.

“Nothing. Nothing except bringing girls in and out of my house like it’s a 24/7 brothel, I tell you. Once he even took three girls into his room at the same time. Thank God it's sound proof, because I don’t even want to know what he does with them.”

“Three girls! You lie!” MaMsomi exclaimed with her eyes wide open.

“Not so loud.”

“Okay, sorry. MaDlamini, you are mature and wise. You’ve been playing the game of life for a long time, surely you have some trick up your sleeve.”

“What can I do now without jeopardising my daughter’s wedding?”

MaMsomi paused before she confessed her confusion. “I’m lost.”

“You know that I am a single mother and in my struggle through this journey, Nobuhle has always been the adult I needed to support myself. She has endured far beyond what I can even comprehend and this is the first time I feel I can truly do something for her in her life.”

"You did everything for her. You fed her, clothed her, educated her.”

“Yes but…in the days when I stayed out late working for the survival of my children, she would be the one to make sure that my children had a good meal before they went to bed and she’s not even my eldest child. I have done all I could for Dumsani, Thabisile and Mlungisi, but I feel this is what I need to do for her.”

“I don’t get this guilt of yours. You built an empire for your children. Nobody expected you to be perfect…”

“If you could do anything for…your eldest daughter.”

“I would knock some sense into her.” She said angrily. As MaDlamini was about to reply, MaMsomi raised her hand. “We are supporting our daughter Nobuhle. And that’s your final verdict. The verdict I respect as you did when I kicked my daughter out.” With that said, they continued to chop their vegetables, but it wasn’t long until a new topic brought laughter between the two. And that’s where the magic lies between the two. The support and understanding.