Melusi



Lying had become second nature to me. I spent my days with Zandile, talking, reminiscing, and doing forbidden things together, things we shouldn’t even be doing. With her, I found temporary peace, a drug-like escape from the reminders of my marriage and the weight of my infidelity.

We lay together on an outdoor bed, surrounded by nature as the sun rose. I had told Melokuhle that I was going for a jog, a lie she believed like all the others. I kept my wedding band hidden in my pocket, avoiding the burden of my betrayal.

I gently kissed Zandile’s nose while she held me tightly. She looked up at me with a smile, and everything felt right, as if destiny had planned it all along.

“I’m leaving in two days,” I whispered, kissing her forehead. She held me tighter, not wanting our time together to end.

“Do you think we’ll see each other again after we leave here?” she whispered with hope and longing in.

I lifted her face to meet my gaze and asked, “Do you want to meet?”

She nodded, her eyes filled with desire, and sealed her response with a passionate kiss. “I never want to lose what we have,” she confessed.

A smile formed on my lips. “Me neither.” We stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a few more minutes before I reluctantly went back to Melokuhle at the lodge.

“How was your run?” she asked, looking up from the pool as I approached.

“It was good,” I replied, hiding the turmoil inside me. I hurried inside, eager to wash away the lingering scent of Zandile.

When I returned, Melokuhle was still by the pool, enjoying a glass of juice and a fruit salad. I leaned down and kissed her, trying to suppress the guilt that threatened to consume me.