“Baby, are you okay?” I ask her, as she’s sleeping faced down.

“I’m fine,” she sobs.

“I’m sorry about my mom,” I stroke her back.

“It’s okay. I wonder how she’ll feel because I am pregnant,” she says.

I stand up, “what?” I shout.

She turns to face me.

“Four weeks,” she says.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask her, as I pull her in for a hug.

“I wanted to tell you today at the restaurant,” she mumbles.

“Thank you! Thank you!” I spin her around the room.

“I’ll pay damages, the lobola will come shortly after.”

“What about your mom?” her face goes dark.

“I love you, that’s all that matters,” I reply.

As I watch her sleep, I wonder how I’ll do this. I’m just a regular miner. I have to pay damages, lobola then build a house for our family. I know I can’t possibly ask her to stay with my mother in the same house. I wish people could just understand that Vitiligo isn’t a curse.
I walk to the living room, and my mom is sipping her Rooibos tea. I head for the kitchen and make food for me and Zandile.

“I don’t know what you see in her,” mother tells me.

“Mama, she’s a good girl. She’s a qualified primary school teacher. She’s well mannered. What more do you want?” I carry our plates to the living room.

“I just can’t stand her,” she sighs.

“Well, you’d better learn how to stand her, cause she’s pregnant,” I walk into my room.

“Baby, wake up. I brought food.” I wake her up.

She sits up on the bed.

“Thank you,” she takes the food, and starts eating, “I heard you telling your mom I’m pregnant,” she looks at me.

I nod, with a smile, “I can’t wait to have a beautiful daughter with you,” I feed her.

She nods, “daughter?” she laughs, for the first time today.

“Yes, a beautiful daughter who’ll look exactly like you,” I tell her.

She nods, then looks down at her hands.

“Don’t worry,” I put my hands over hers.

***

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