As soon as the bell went for the fourth round, though, Elizabeth could see Realeboga was in trouble. Kwabizani came out ready to box with the same high energy of the first three rounds, but it was obvious Realeboga was tiring. Twice he was up against the ropes with Kwabizani getting in a lot of punches to the stomach which looked to be causing damage. For the first time, Elizabeth accepted that there was the option that Realeboga could lose. He could lose and everything would have been for nothing.

A right jab and an unexpected left jab to the nose, and Realeboga was down. Elizabeth jumped to her feet. This had been too much for him and she was to blame. Was he hurt? She had to stop herself from running to the ring. From where she stood, she could see his left eye was already swollen shut and his nose was bleeding heavily. He got up, Felix wiped his nose, and Realeboga went back to the fight. Luckily the bell rang shortly afterward. At least he’d get a rest. Maybe that would be enough.

“He needs to stay down the next time he falls,” Elizabeth said. “He must just stay down and let Kwabizani win. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he survives, that he doesn’t get hurt anymore.”

She was scared that he had used up all of his energy reserves and Kwabizani would punish him for it. Though she loved boxing, she also never had to sit through a match where the man she loved was in the ring. It was a completely different situation. A frightening one.

“No, it’s not as bad as it looks. He’s still okay,” Zakes said. He seemed convinced and Elizabeth hoped he was right. “I think this may be part of the strategy.”

The bell rang and Kwabizani jumped to his feet confident the fight was his. He bounced around the ring as if it was the first round, flaunting his youth and fitness. Felix had managed to stop the nose bleeding, but Realeboga’s eye was out, completely swollen shut. He walked to the centre of the ring on flat feet. Kwabizani danced around him, taunting him with jabs. Realeboga blocked the punches but did little else. Then he began to move toward Kwabizani, slowly but steadily, with jabs and occasional uppercuts, none of them causing any damage, but they managed to put Kwabizani in a defensive position he hadn’t been in in the last two rounds.

Elizabeth felt something shift. Realeboga stood solid and waited. Kwabizani came in overly confident. Then out of the right came a powerful right hook that sent Kwabizani to the ropes and in seconds there it was- the left hook that garnered him the name The Hitman. Kwabizani was out, on the matt. The referee counted him: 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. The match was over! Realeboga won and he was the new IBF heavyweight champion!

Elizabeth was on her feet hugging Marea and Zakes. “He did it!! He did it! I knew he could do it! I knew it!”

*****

The next morning, Elizabeth was up early. She still felt horrible about everything that had happened, but she loved Realeboga and his win made her happy. Happy enough to get out of bed and walk the dogs, to get some fresh air, a bit of sunshine, the kind Joburg had in abundance. She had a bit of energy and decided to use it before she remembered Realeboga was out of her life for good and she was to blame and the depression re-took its place and she crawled back into bed.

“Let’s go guys!” Elizabeth said to Chompie and Bessie.

She attached their leashes and headed to the park five blocks away. She’d watched a press conference that morning with Realeboga and Felix. Realeboga’s eye was still swollen, but he looked happy and she was glad for that. An ESPN journalist asked him about his future. Would he box again?

“I just want to think about today. Last night was big for me. A lot has changed recently in my life, everything’s sort of moving faster than I can keep up with. I need to take a few days to catch up with things. Then I’ll let you know, I’ll let everyone know.” He smiled and Elizabeth’s heart was in her throat. How had she let such a wonderful man get away? Why had she been so stupid and careless with something so precious?

She suspected she was part of the change Realeboga was talking about. She wished it could be different. But, still, she was happy for him, and for now that was good enough. She wanted to be happy about that, the sadness could hold off for a few hours.

At the park she let the dogs off their leashes and sat down on a bench in the sun and watched them play. They certainly loved each other. She suspected Realeboga would be calling soon to make arrangements to collect Bessie. Then Chompie and Elizabeth would be lonely and sad together, but for now they had each other.

She thought about those first dates she’d had with Realeboga when he was just the handsome guy from dog school. The attraction between them had been so immediate. There was something about him, as if they were meant to have found each other. She didn’t usually believe in all of that, but it certainly felt that way for them. How would two dog lovers, two people so intricately involved in boxing have come together if not by some sort of divine fate? Were they meant to be together? Was he the man meant to be her soul mate and now she’d messed it all up? Did it mean she was meant to live the rest of her life alone and lonely?

Those first days were wonderful, before she found out who he was. He was funny and sexy and so lovely. And things were simple. She wished she could go back there. Go back and start over again. It didn’t matter if he still ended up being The Hitman and she still ended up being EB Diseko. But they’d arrive there on a different road. She’d learned her lesson. She was sure of it now. If she ever found another man, a man even half as wonderful as Realeboga, she would do things right. She wouldn’t mess it all up with lies and deception. Never, ever again.

Actually she was done with lies and deception all together. On Monday she was telling Rre Chako that there would be no more pseudonyms. “Punch Drunk” would be written by Elizabeth Boitumelo Nkala or it wouldn’t be written at all. No more lies. EB Diseko was history, he’d done more than enough damage.

Chompie ran up to her and sat down in his sloppy way at her feet. Bessie sat tidily next to him. They both looked up at her as if they had something to say. Maybe they knew their separation was soon to come. Did dogs sense such things? She thought maybe they did. “Don’t worry. I’ll try to get visitation rights with Bessie. We’ll come and take you out on a date every once in a while, won’t we Chompie?” The dogs wagged their tails.

“Back to dog dates now are you?” a voice said behind her. She turned to see Realeboga. He looked battered, his eye blue, but he was smiling. “Can I sit down?”

Elizabeth moved over to make some space. Realeboga sat down and bent over to pet the dogs. She was surprised to find that she was scared.

“So are you here to take her then?” Elizabeth asked.

“Isn’t it time she went home?” Realeboga asked. “The fight is over.”

“I suppose.” Elizabeth wanted to reach out to him. He was so near but he was miles away, far away where she’d never touch him again. The thought made her want to cry but she stopped herself. She needed to say something. She didn’t know where to start, but she knew she needed to apologise, to explain. She needed to tell him everything, even if it meant nothing got fixed. She needed to let him know the truth. She’d start with what she knew for sure.

“You were great last night. Congratulations.”

“You were there?” He smiled and she looked away. She couldn’t bear to see his beautiful smile right now.

“Yes, I wouldn’t have missed it. You were really good. I think everyone who watched that fight will be inspired for a very long time. I know I’ll be.”

“Thanks.” He looked down at his hands.

Chompie and Bessie ran off and they sat quietly. “I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said. “I never meant to lie to you.”

“But you did.” The hardness was still there, she could hear it in his voice.

“Yes, I did. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never ever meant to hurt you.”

“But you did.” Realeboga looked down at the ground and when he looked at her again his eyes were closed to her. “Was it all about the job? About the column? Is that why you agreed to go out with me? To go away with me? Was this some big plan from the very beginning?”

Elizabeth couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Is that what you think?”

“EB Diseko was very determined to make sure that fight happened last night. Maybe she’d do almost anything to make it happen. Even sleep with me. It certainly made you famous. Everyone’s reading Punch Drunk now.”

“No! God no, Realeboga! I can’t believe you’d think that. I didn’t even know who you were until a few days before you told me yourself. Honestly. Then all I wanted was for the fight to never happen. For the entire thing to disappear. I went out with you because I loved you. I love you! Don’t you know that? I would never ever have done something like that. ”

He looked at her with moist eyes. “Then why? Why didn’t you tell me? Why hide everything? Especially after I told you who I was. You should have told me.”

Elizabeth couldn’t stop herself, she needed to touch him, she grabbed his hand. She needed that connection. “I made a mistake. I’d do anything to take it back. I was scared. I didn’t want to lose you, I was sure if I told you the truth, you’d leave me but you left me anyway. It was all stupid. I love you, I can’t believe I hurt you like this. I never ever meant that to happen. You need to know that. You’re the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. Some woman is going to be so happy. I messed up, and now I need to pay the rest of my life for it.”

Elizabeth looked out at Chompie and Bessie running back and forth in front of the swing set. Just happy to be together. Why couldn’t human relationships be uncomplicated like that? She turned to Realeboga and saw he was watching the dogs too. “They love each other,” Elizabeth said.

“Yes, they do.” Realeboga’s eye was swollen, there was a cut on his mouth, but he was still as beautiful as ever. He turned to her and she felt weak. All she wanted was to be held by this man, to be kissed and made love to – to spend the rest of her life with him.

“Do you think…” he started then stopped and looked away. He looked back at her. “I love you. I never stopped loving you. I can’t, I know that. I was wrong not to have given you a chance to explain, I jumped to conclusions, wrong conclusions.”

Elizabeth put her finger to his lips. “No, please. If you apologise for my mistakes you might just break my heart again.”

He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “I love you with every bit of me.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. “Can we try again?”

Elizabeth put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “There’s nothing I’d like more.”