Sqiniseko unzips his jacket. With a sick grin he takes out a long knife and places it on the table next to him.

“What did I do, Sqi? If I have wronged you please forgive me.” Tears flood Ntombi’s face.

“You better look at this blunt,” says Sqiniseko, “because when it goes out you will die.”

Ntombi looks at the blunt burning in Sqiniseko’s lips. It is halfway now; dagga smoke fills the room. She looks at her baby in the cot, getting choked by the smoke, and wails.

“Shut up Ntombi, or else I will end you before this goes out!” Sqiniseko points at the blunt. He shakes his head. “I don’t believe I left a good woman like Nobuhle and chose a Jezebel like you. How did you do it, Ntombi?”

“Do what, Sqi, my love?”

“Stop calling me that. What did you do to make me choose you over Nobuhle? Today you are going to tell me the truth.”

Ntombi looks at him with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, Sqi.”

“Look at how good you look. You eat what you like, dress in the best clothes, all with my hard earned money. You have me wrapped around your finger. Your muthi made me abandon the mother of my child. I nearly killed her!” Sqiniseko is up on his feet. He stands over Ntombi.

“Sqi, my love, please,” Ntombi begs with trembling lips. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me Ntombi! I found the muthi in your bag while you were in hospital giving birth. Where did you get it from?”

Ntombi shakes her head. “It’s not mine. I swear,” she says.

Sqiniseko drags the last puff of the dying blunt and stubs it on the floor. He picks up the knife. Without saying a word he plunges the knife three times into Ntombi’s belly. Ntombi screams and screams.

The neighbours would later say it was the loudest scream they ever heard. But Sqiniseko does not hear it at all. Sqiniseko also doesn’t hear the neighbours banging at the door, yelling for him to open. He doesn’t hear the newborn crying in the cot, or Sthembiso begging him to open the bedroom door. Or Ntombi begging for her life. When his rage takes over there is no sound, just deafening silence.

Sqiniseko is about to slice Ntombi’s throat when the crowd finally kick open the front door. As they stand appalled he pushes past, out of the house to his car, and races away. The neighbours gasp at the bloody scene.

***

Tell us: Does Ntombi deserve what has happened to her?