“Hey man, can you stop that stupid “sir, sir” of yours? You think because you are a teacher so you want to teach me how to live my life? This is my house with my rules and not your rules. Yerrrr. Sir, sir, you think I don’t get what you mean? Watch out ma’am, mistress or madam, whatever the learners call you.”

“You are thinking this has to do with teaching? No, it has to do with cheating. I am talking about good morals and good values. You manipulated Grace because of her academic status? Oh, that is why you always sing that educated women are a problem. Why did you marry me? Were you expecting to de-teach all I have in me? Or you wanted to control me and my money? You will never again, minister of finance. My money from now on, belongs to my two boys and myself. As for your pregnant wife, Pardon and yourself, you will enjoy dad’s money. By the way, don’t scratch my two boys from your budget. They are your blood. I didn’t cheat like you did to me.” Pretty said this with boldness which shook Lovedale a bit.

“Are you divorcing me or what Pretty? Is that a threat?”

“What do you think yourself? Who said I am divorcing you? Is that what you want? Stop putting words in my mouth, one step at a time. At the moment let’s deal with the Grace saga.”

“What more do you want to know about her? What is wrong with you woman?”

“I don’t want anything more about her but to just know if the two of you are aware that HIV/AIDS is real. A couple is danger enough to cause death through HIH/AIDS, worse a trio. As an educated woman, I won’t say anything more. I better…”

“Better what Pretty? Divorce me?”

“Give me a chance to speak please. As an educated woman like you always say, I did the right thing. I got tested when I discovered about your secret affair with Gee.”

“And what did they say? Tell me please. Are we safe? Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to get tested?”
“Why, so you could stop me? Tell you what? My results are my secret. It’s up to me to disclose or not. Besides, when you cheated with Gee, did you tell me? For the bloody twenty years, I lived a lie, and then today you tell me to share my status with the entire universe. Why? So that you run to your beloved Gee and laugh over my status? Okay, let me tell you. Run to her; thank her for me that I am positive because of her. That is what she wanted. Go tell her to move in to this Borrowdale mansion, her dream house. As for me and my poor kids, we are moving to the Mbare four roomed house my parents left for me.”

Pride is a sin. With all the evidence given out, Lovedale still had the guts to stand and say, “No child of mine is leaving this place to be raised in a semi squatter camp. You go alone. It’s your choice because I didn’t divorce you.”

Pretty got angrier and told Lovedale to either kill her. Other than that, she was taking the children with her. She argued that if Grace was unable to be trusted as a friend, how could she be entrusted to raise those children?

“If it was me cheating with your best friend for twenty years and say please understand, how would you have taken it? Were you not going to shoot me? Answer me damn it. The two people I trusted with my life have taken my life to the grave and you want me to leave my kids. Keep dreaming. I am not leaving them. I am leaving you. Have a good life with your Gee.” She burst out of anger.

She left the sitting room and went to their bed room to pack her clothes.

***

Tell us: Do you think Pretty should leave Lovedale? What would you do? Why?