The day before the wedding, Nozimanga had been crying, she didn’t feel anything positive. The thought of everything going south on her big day had her dragged down, like rags ready to be thrown in the fire to be burnt. She had a son with her lovely husband to-be Luyolo. Their son had been in and out of hospital recently due to his illness. He was developing tumour cells in his brain and he was just about a year old.

Nozi was stressed out, she was frustrated and confused. Should she call off the wedding or rather proceed knowing her son wasn’t okay? She called Luyolo to inform him about how devastated she was.

Luyolo managed to calm her down and said, “Everything is going to be okay.”

Around 6am, everyone was awake except for the bride. She had slept late last night, it could’ve been her nerves taking the best out of her. Nozi left her room seeing people passing by holding pots and groceries, they were about to start cooking for her “Big Day”. She received a call from Luyolo admiring her beauty comparing it to a summer’s day. His voice, as he spoke, made her blush and she forgot all her troubles. It was evident she was in heaven.

Her mother called her to start preparing. Her dress was the most beautiful thing to be seen. It was white in colour, symbolising the sincerity of her love to Luyolo, embellishments shining brighter than stars, diamonds and one’s future combined. It was heart-warming.

Luyolo had arrived at the wedding venue and everyone was there waiting for the Queen of beauty. Nozi entered with the prettiest smile, her mother was behind her carrying her son Vuyo. As she took a step closer down the aisle to Luyolo her heart begun to beat faster than normal.

As Nozi and Luyolo held each other’s hands they smiled and turned back to look at everyone. By then they knew they’d made it against all odds and miseries thrown at them.

Just as they were about to say their vows a lady came in with a girl, she looked around eight years old. She resembled Luyolo, his eyes and the right side dimple. Mawande, Luyolo’s sister, recognised the lady. She was Luyolo’s first love, Siphosethu. Nozi was confused.

Siphosethu approached them and introduced her daughter to Luyolo, saying he was her father. Nozi fainted right away. She was taken into the rest room and when she woke up she started crying not only for herself, but for her son who was sick.

Her mom rushed into the rest room and said, “Vuyo is struggling to breathe! We have to go to the hospital.”

Luyolo didn’t know what to do. Should he stay behind to be with his long lost daughter or go to hospital? He was stuck. He chose to go to the hospital.

Nozimanga turned him away and told him to focus on his daughter as her son meant nothing to him. She reminded him of how his family insulted her when they found out Vuyo was ill, the maltreatment she had received was unbearable.

“I had to pretend to be the happiest of all “makotis” and go with the flow because I loved you,” she said.

She went on venting her anger, “Your family told me that I bewitched you. They treated me horribly when you were away on weekends for business. They made me do all the chores when I had to take care of our son as they didn’t want to and claimed Vuyo could never be your son because of his illness.”

She went on about how his family took whatever she bought and used it as theirs, but still never told him a thing because she believed all would be well when they got married.

Luyolo was crushed. He did a DNA test with Siphosethu’s daughter, Aphiwe, and yes he was a match. His family’s hate became evident. They made him choose Siphosethu and Aphiwe over Nozimanga and Vuyo. It was all because Nozimanga had a sick son and they couldn’t afford bringing “shame” into their family, and to make matters worse they had doubts that Vuyo was indeed Luyolo’s son.

Nozimanga returned everything that belonged to Luyolo, she wanted nothing to do with him. She was fed up of being emotionally abused.

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