After a while, Zenande’s mother starts understanding why her daughter is wailing when she remembers that Bulose does heists. “Don’t worry, he’s safe. He’ll probably go to jail,” she says, comforting her daughter.

“You’re not helping ma,” Zenande cries, then she desperately rings her husband’s phone, and it goes straight to voicemail.

After hanging up the call, it dawns on Zenande that Bulose is not coming home. He will not be able to meet his son, who resembles him so much. He will not be able to hold him in his arms, and his son was not going to know his father.

“What will you name him?” Zenande’s mother says, disrupting Zenande’s thoughts.

“Bulose,” Zenande responds.

“That thug isn’t coming,” her mother shouts.

“His name, Ma, is Bulose,” Zenande stutters.

“Why not choose a more modern name? Like, Enzokuhle?” her mother asks with a shrug.

“I like Bulose, Ma,” Zenande responds with an absent mind.

**********

Later that night, Zenande receives a call after midnight. “Zenande Hlophe, hello?” she says.

“Hi, Mrs Hlophe. This is Thembinkosi Thwala. I am calling about your husband,” the man on the other side of the line says.

“Yes?” Zenande says.

“Mr Hlophe is one of the three suspects who were shot dead during the heist. I’m sorry, ma’am,” Thembinkosi says.

Instead of responding, Zenande lets her tears fall as reality strikes her. It is confirmed, they had not even been married for a year, but now she is a widow.

“Are you still there?” Thembinkosi asks.

“Yes, yes I am,” Zenande responds, crying.

“Please come and identify his body tomorrow morning, around seven?” Thembinkosi asks.

“I just gave birth sir,” Zenande says. “May I come the day after tomorrow?” she asks.

“Oh, congratulations Mrs Hlophe. I’m sorry you have to deal with this,” Thembinkosi says.

“Thank you,” Zenande responds, then lets out a sigh.
“You can come to the state’s mortuary,” Thembinkosi says.

“I will. Bye,” Zenande responds, then she hangs up the call. She then wails and covers her sobs with a pillow because she does not want to wake up her child.

***

Tell us: What do you think is going to happen to Zenande now that Bulose is dead?