The bottom of Samson’s stomach became heavy as he kept thinking of Nothando, then he knelt down.
“Oh mighty God, I’m going home tomorrow. I wish to get there safely, I wish to find my wife and son alive and well. I’m nothing without them. I know, Father, that I’ve never spoken to you in my life and that’s not how my mother taught me. What kind of father have I become? I also don’t know, but my son and wife need you, I need you. I even lost my presence in them as a father because deep in me, I’m missing a piece. Without Siya our little family became incomplete. I’m bleeding both spiritually and physically, and only you, the creator of all things who heals the wounded, can help me. Father, please forgive me, but I’m also kindly asking you to make Nothando forget about everything that happened between us. Amen.”
He took a nap, giving goodbyes to the room. It kept his life hidden from the outside world more than anybody.
Nothando knocked the door, “Samson.”
He woke up.
“Samson!”
“Yes, I’m coming,” Samson said, walking to the door.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“I came to invite you over for dinner.”
“Oh, I also wanted to talk to you about something. I’ll follow you in a sec.”
“I’m in room five,” said Nothando, walking away.
“Okay!” yelled Samson after her.
Samson locked his door and followed her.
“Come in, Samson.”
Darkness filled its inside, only lit with candles, and there were roses on the floor. Nothing else but a round table with a red cloth, two chairs, a bottle of wine, forks and knives, two glasses and two dishes. One dish held a folded piece of paper on it.
She sat down, and offered Samson the chair on the side of the dish with the paper on it.
“I rented this room specially for the both of us.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Remember what we talked about last night?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, before you tell me your answer, please read the piece of paper on your dish.”
The paper revealed his teenage handwriting.
“You kept it all this time?” Samson asked.
“Yes, it holds a special gift. I’d go through it over and over again when I opened my love diary.”
“Love diary?”
“Please read it aloud.”
Dear Nothando, laSibiya, Ndaba, Gumede.
I cannot stop singing you praises just as I cannot stop loving you. To our love, nothing compares. With you my eyes have witnessed eternal beauty. When I bring you into my mind, the world becomes only for us. A second without you, it’s the earth without the sky. For when I look at it I think we’ve got a tomorrow together. Nothando, just by mentioning your name I keep falling deeply for you. And so for all of me, and all of you, please allow us to love each other as boyfriend and girlfriend?
“Yes, Samson, I agree. And for our tomorrow I’d like to become your wife.”
“Nothando.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, I’m afraid to say this but I’m someone’s husband. I’m married,” said Samson.
“And so?”
“I can’t, a lot has changed and we cannot happen. What we shared passed with time. I’ve got a family and they need me as we speak; one of them became a victim of poisoning. She was just a young girl out there fighting for her life alone. So like I said, we can’t really happen,” Samson said, sadly.
***
Tell us: How do you think Nothando will handle the rejection?