NANDI MYENI
“Hey,” I greet Tiana, “Come in.”
“Is this a bad time?” she makes her way into the house. I close the door and then show her the couch.
“Would you like anything to drink?”
“Sure but you don’t look happy. What is bothering you?” she asks.
Where do I even start? There is a lot to say. I miss the time when Tiana was just down the block. Now I don’t have anyone to talk to since Tiana is always at work. We hardly go out as we used to. She works Monday to Saturday and usually, I spend Sundays with Nkanyiso since he is also always busy. I feel lonely. Maybe to should make more friends. Or maybe I should start visiting Bontle and Nomhlekabo. I need something to keep me busy.
This huge house gets lonely at times. I wouldn’t be this lonely if Nkanyiso spent more time with me. I get that his job is very demanding but if he could give me and his wife the attention we needed then why can’t he do the same with me alone?
“Hey?” Tiana snaps her fingers in my face, “Is everything okay?”
“I am lonely in this house?”
She chuckles, “Then find something to keep busy with.”
“Like what?”
“You could find a job or maybe do an online course. You know what they say, we never stop learning,” she says.
“Nkanyiso has everything covered so I don’t need to work and studying sucks.”
“Then what do you want to do?” she asks.
“I don’t know but I miss the times when we would spend time together and have time.”
She laughs, “Nandi I was unemployed back then. We can still hang out when I am not at work.”
“It’s not the same. I am very bored it is not even funny.”
“You live in a big house, you could spend the day cleaning or maybe read a book,” she says.
“Do you see how big this house is, I could never clean and finish it. Plus, I have Aphiwe for that. She does a great job.”
She sighs, “Read a book or watch TV. I don’t know what to say, friend.”
“TV also gets boring at times. Nkanyiso already shouted at me for that. He says I must do things around the house. I am not a maid.”
“But that is your duty as his woman. It is your job to cook and clean for your man,” she says.
“This house is big and I am always lazy to clean it. Nkanyiso has money, why do I need to do stuff when he can hire people to do that?”
She shakes her head, “You are letting money get to your head and it’s not right. Nandi you used to do these things by yourself. What has changed?”
“I still do them but you know I don’t know how to cook. You are the one that usually helped with supper when Nkanyiso was visiting. I survived on take-outs.”
“Take cooking lessons. You are bored so use that time and learn how to cook. No man wants a woman that only knows how to boil water. And Nandi you need to stop all this nonsense. Don’t look at me like that, this is nonsense. You being lazy and not wanting to do anything should stop before you lose your man,” she tells.
“Nkanyiso loves me.”
“Are you forgetting how you got this man? He probably got with you because there was something his wife wasn’t doing. Trust me he will get another one to give him what you don’t give him. Why are you acting like this?” now she sounds angry.
