THE INCARCERATED STRANGER

 

Character 29

 

BRADLEY

 

 He doesn’t know what to say or do about all of this. God knows how much he loves his wife. He loves Lulama with every fiber of his being; there’s nothing he hasn’t done for her. She has given him beautiful, smart children, and he has always been there for her and the kids—well, maybe not always, since he spends most of his time overseas working. He works so they won’t starve or lack anything.

He never imagined that this day would come, discovering that his wife had lied about one of their children. The child who is so close to him isn’t really his; she’s actually his father’s daughter. Crazy, right? It’s insane how the people you love and trust can betray you like this. His own father slept with his wife and impregnated her, and he had raised that child as his own all these years.

But despite everything, that doesn’t change how he feels about her. She is still his princess, and she will forever hold a special place in his heart.

Last night, he asked his wife to leave, requesting some space and telling her to take the kids with her. He knew he wouldn’t be good company for them in his current state. The last time he had shed a tear was during the labor when Lulama gave birth to their youngest, their tenth child. Yes, they have ten children, and he loves each of them equally. 

But last night was different; he couldn’t hold back the tears. Alone in the silence of his home, he cried for the betrayal he felt from both his wife and his father—someone he had always respected so deeply.

 He packed the last of his clothes into his bag and zipped it up. Ayakha had already left, and he decided it was time for him to go as well. He planned to stop at his parents’ house today and catch the first flight out tomorrow. 

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and in walked Lulama, looking as though she were suffering from some kind of illness. He stared at her, feeling his blood boil. The woman he once looked at with love now made him want to puke! Her betrayal cut deep, igniting a rage within him that he hadn’t felt before. 

What stung even more was the fact that he still loved her, despite how she treated Ayakha, their fourth daughter. She had been treating Ayakha as if she weren’t her biological child, and that hurt him profoundly. Yet, despite everything, he still loved this woman.

 It didn't make any sense to him why Lulama hated Ayakha, but now it all clicked. She resented Ayakha because he was closer to her than any of the other kids. Although he loved them all, his bond with Ayakha was special, and Lulama couldn’t stand it. She feared he would eventually discover that Ayakha might not be his biological daughter. To her, Ayakha was a mistake—a reminder of her own recklessness. Instead of owning up to her actions and apologizing, she continued to blame the child for forcing her to reveal a painful secret. As they say, secrets never stay hidden forever.

“Bradley,” Lulama’s voice tremble  as she calls him.

He looks at her but don't  reply.

“You... you’re leaving?” she asks, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Yes, I’m leaving. I was supposed to leave tomorrow, but I’ve decided to go today,” he replies . She nods slowly.

“You’re coming back, right?” she asks hopefully.

“Why? So you can bring my father here?” 

“No! I never called your father here; that day he wanted you,” she insists

“And? Because I wasn’t around, you thought it would be better to seduce him, right?”

“Brad, I’m sorry. I was drunk that night and—”

“Save it, woman. I don’t want to hear that again. You couldn’t control yourself? You couldn’t behave around your father-in-law? Stop blaming alcohol!” he snaps. She sniffed and wipes her tears away.

“I’m sorry. Please, Qwane, don’t leave me. Ngiyakthanda,” she pleads.

He let out a bitter chuckle. 

“It’s getting late; I have to go.” He picks up his bag and walked out of the house. Outside, he calls for the kids playing nearby and said his goodbyes, promising to call them and let them know when he could visit as he always did. The children hugged him tightly and kissed him goodbye.

Ndabe walked him out of the gate while they chatted. She always spoke her mind freely, and he loved listening to her chatter—it brought a little lightness to his heavy heart.…

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MANGALISO

 

He just unpacked his clothes, and so has Ayakha. Now they are both done and chilling by the pool outside at the back of the mansion. 

“Babe, how did you live all by yourself in this big house?” she asks, tilting her head in curiosity. He shrugs.

“I don’t know how, but I do, my love. Who else would I live with? My friends have their own houses,” he replies. She nods, thinking that if it were her, she would definitely live with Pari.

“Wow! If this wwas mine, I would either share it with my best friend or have my siblings stay here,” she says, a smile spreading across her face. He smiles back.

“How many siblings do you have, love?” he asks.

“Nine!” she giggles.

“Don’t judge my father; his sperm is very much healthy and fertile,” she jokes, and they both burst into laughter.

“Wait, love, I’m not judging your father! I actually want more than ten kids when I decide to have babies,” he says playfully. She looks at him, a gasp escaping her mouth.

“Well, I feel sorry for the woman you’re going to impregnate!” she teases.

“What do you mean? You will be the woman I’ll have kids with!” he says confidently.

“I’m not giving you more than ten babies! In fact, not even three—two is enough!” she declares. He kisses her cheek.

“You don’t know what God could decide, love. He might work a miracle and put ten kids in that flat tummy of yours!” he laughs, and they both find it crazy.

“He wouldn’t do that to me; I’m his favorite daughter!” she responds with a grin. He chuckles.

“I’m kidding, love! But I do wish to have more than three or four kids,” he admits. She doesn’t answer; instead, she pretends she didn’t hear him, and he laughs again.

“At least you have nine siblings,” he points out.

“I have nine siblings from my father and his wife, and I have seven siblings from my mother and her husband. In total, I have sixteen siblings!” he exclaims, they laugh at the sheer number.They both sit in comfortable silence for a moment, letting the warm sun wash over them. 

“Wow, that’s a big family! How do you even keep track of all of them?” she asks, raising an eyebrow in playful disbelief.

“Oh, it’s not too hard!” he replies with a grin. “

They fall into a comfortable silence again, the warmth of the moment wrapping around them.

“Did you talk to your father?” he asks gently, and she nods.

“Yeah, I did. We're cool now. He said it doesn’t matter if I’m not his daughter by sperm; I will always be his Cupcake,” she replies, smiling brightly. 

“Cupcake, huh? I love the nickname!” he says, returning her smile.

“That’s what he always calls me,” she says fondly.

“I’m glad you talked. I can see you share a deep connection with him,” he observes.

“I do. We’re very, very close—like we’re actually brother and sister,” she says with a laugh, though a hint of hurt lingers in her tone. 

Feeling her vulnerability, he pulls her closer and gently lays her head on his lap, offering her comfort without saying a word…

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