When I woke up the following morning, Lunga was not there. I looked downstairs, but he was nowhere to be found. His car was in the garage, but mine was not, so I guessed that he had taken my car. When I was done looking for him, I bathed the boys and myself, then I made them breakfast. It was Sunday, and I had to get started with the pots. So, after cleaning, I cooked.

**********

Lunga did not come home until after twelve at midnight. I heard a car driving in while I was waiting up for him. After that, I heard two voices, a male and a female voice, and they were talking and laughing. I stood up, and they walked in.

“You’re still up?” Lunga asked.

Instead of responding, I stood beside Lunga, and he was in a black trouser and blue shirt. The lady, or rather the floozy he was with, was in a glittering silver dress, huge earrings, and she had a cheap wig on. I could also smell her cheap perfume as soon as they walked in.

“Who’s this, Lunga?” I asked him.

“And now? Lungs?” the woman asked, but they were both so drunk, they could not even stand.

“Relax, I’ll fix this,” Lunga responded, then he got closer to me. “Go to sleep,” he said.

“Not without you,” I responded.

“Go!” Lunga shouted, then he slapped me.

“This floozy is not going to sleep in my house,” I shouted.

“She is. She’s sexier than you,” Lunga said, laughing while kissing the girl’s neck. I looked away. “Come, Christall, baby,” he said, and they both walked towards the stairs.

“Where are you going? Not in my house,” I shouted, following them.

While I was talking, Lunga turned and slapped me again, and that time I almost fell. I let them go upstairs because I did not want to lose my baby over it. When they were gone, I went to my room, got into my bed, and tried sleeping. Lunga and his mistress, on the other hand, were in the guestroom, which was actually the room next to mine.

Lunga had never done something like that before, and I did not know what was wrong with him. As I tried getting some sleep, I heard everything they were getting up to in the next room. The woman’s moans and screams were loud enough for the whole neighbourhood to hear, and Lunga’s huffs, grunts, and insults stabbed at me like a spear. I was just glad that my kids were not up to hear what was happening.

***

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