We were enjoying married life. Everything was easy and we understood each other. We had no complication and we never fought. That was until I got an offer at work and had to go to China and work there for six months on a project. The money was good and it was a good learning experience for me. It was going to be my first time abroad or even on a plane for that matter, but the wife, Mummy, was against it.

She didn’t want me to leave. Six months was a long time for her to be alone. We didn’t need the money as we were both financially stable. But it was not about the money, it was about me going abroad and seeing new people and learning new things. I never dreamt of leaving the country or touring the world but now that the chance had brought itself to me I had to take it. Eventually Zandile agreed even though she was not entirely happy about it, but she agreed.

I left for China I was one of eight people leading a R2.6 billion project. Working there was different from home. The project had complications along the way but we managed to successfully finish it. After seven months I was excited when it was time to go home. Going to see Zandile after all this time was like those first days when we just met.

I got home and instead of finding my lovely wife, I found Zandile’s aunt. She told me that Zandile was in hospital. I asked why, what was the problem? She said to me she was having complications with her pregnancy.

“What pregnancy?” I asked in astonishment. “She’s not pregnant.”

“Yes, she is she. She’s in the final stages of her pregnancy.” Zandile’s aunt said. She wasn’t surprised that I was shocked; almost like she expected me to be.

I rushed to hospital and got there to find her in a ward with the doctor. I asked if she was OK and the doctor said she will be fine, along with the babies.

“Babies? What you mean babies? She is carrying twins?” I asked and the doctor smiled and nodded.

I didn’t know what to say. She was eight months pregnant at the time. When the doctor left I asked her why she didn’t tell me.

“I wanted it to be a surprise and I couldn’t tell you over the phone,” she responded lovingly.

A few days later she was discharged and we went home. I took leave at work so that I could be with her during the final stage of her pregnancy and to be there when our babies were born. Thandolwethu and Luthando were born on the 6th of February.

Our house was small so I had to have it extended. While it was being rebuilt we moved to a nearby suburb. I had cash for everything; the China project paid well. After our house was built, we moved back in. We now had a very big house almost the same as the one we were living in at the suburb. We had new furniture, new cars, a different way of living.

Since we both worked, Zandile’s aunt came and stayed with the babies while we were at work. For her hard work she was handsomely paid even though she was family.

We were new at being parents, so we had to change our way of life. There was no more going out with friends: after work we came straight home and stayed with the kids. Life was different.

In the middle of our second year in marriage, Zandile was the one who had to leave now. She was to go to Nigeria for two weeks. I had a problem obviously with it. When I was left for China we didn’t have two new people in our lives, but she didn’t see it in that way. She saw it as me being selfish. She decided to go, even after I told her not go, but she did.

***

Tell us what you think: How do you think Kamu will cope with new-born babies to care for?