“This is the last chance I am giving you to use that vacant space between your ears. Do you honestly think you will amount to anything? Uneducated, no skills and nothing but a penis! You think you will survive without me?” She hurled more insults at him as the wine settled in.

Just like how he could not take her snoring, Sipho had reached his boiling point. He could no longer accept the blatant verbal abuse from across the table. The only difference this time is that he was not going to walk out the room. He placed the cutlery beside the plate and looked at his advisory who was waving her index finger at him.

“Clearly even in my smallness I still matter to you. If I am so worthless why do you still want me to stay in this house – your house?” He asked looking at her dead in the eyes.

“Look at you wena-na! Mr Carwash! Tell me what is the master plan? Are you going to take that street urchin of yours with the drawn-on eyebrows to paradise? And with what money? Uyisilima yezwa, you are such an idiot,” she said laughing out loud.

He got up from his chair and walked to her. He squatted besides her just like she had done to him before. He spoke to her in a lower voice mimicking her down to the very last detail. It was the first time that she had witnessed this side of him. She was used to the meek Sipho who took everything she said. Tonight however, a changed man was right in front of her face.

“Portia, that street urchin has a name and it is Pinky. You can actually learn a lot from her – like how not to just lie in bed like a sack of potatoes, making me do all the work,” he spoke so coldly.

“Hhayibo!” She screamed but he cut her off immediately.

“You are correct, unlike you I did not go to university; I did not even complete high school. But even with your fancy education you did not even think of getting a prenuptial agreement,” he said.

Silence.

“You were so full of yourself that you thought I would never leave. So, I thank you in advance so kindly for the funds I will receive from the settlement,” he said with a grin on his face.

In all honesty, she never thought the man that she created and overpowered would ever leave her. Hearing such words cut her so deeply and turned her rage into melancholy. Refusing to let him see her sweat, she carried on sitting in silence.

“Now, here is what is going to happen. I am going to walk out the door and leave you in your house. When you wake up tomorrow morning, I hope you enjoy the emptiness in your bed in your house,” he said and got up.

He gave her a kiss on the forehead and placed his wedding ring right next to her Merlot. He casually walked out of the dining room, leaving her sitting there. Once she heard the door close behind him, she threw the wedding ring across the table. She sat there all tipsy and began to cry softly.

“Uzobuya! You will be back!” She shouted and could hear her voice echoing in the dining room.

She reached for her handbag under the table and took out her cell phone. She scrolled on her phonebook looking for Nozipho’s number. She tried calling her but the phone was switched off. The sound of the automated voice mail made her so frustrated and she tossed her cell phone on the table. She did not need to wait until the following day to experience the emptiness that Sipho spoke of, it was there already engulfing her like a dark cloud.

She drank the rest of the wine and gave herself a toast, Welcome again to the crazy 30s, Nonhla.

***

Tell us what you think: What do you think will happen next?