The Financial Clock

Mmeli

It was a rainy evening as Mmeli stood by the floor to ceiling window of his fiancé's flat and slid his hands in his pockets allowing his mind to run wild.

A whip of lightning crackled the sky and she shuddered behind him as the thunder screamed, roaring across the town all the way to the horizon. Raindrops fell softly following one another as she snuggled closer resting her face on his back.

She has always been scared of thunderstorm whilst him on the other hand wasn't fazed by it, if anything he preferred rainy days like that. Weird but thunderstorm or not when there was rain he was content, in a way it comforted him in a way nobody else could understand.

Rain started getting heavy, he looked at the time and sighed removing her arms off him and pulled the curtain closed. He had to leave in a few minutes and the rain was making things hard for him. He was aware of her phobia against thunderstorm and he felt bad for her but that had to be done.

He held her hand and led her towards the dining table.

He forced a smile looking into her eyes as she smiled back exposing her vampire teeth as her eyes sparkled her love for him radiating visibly in her eyes making things more harder for him.

He rubbed his sweaty palms together and breathed into his hands gaining some courage.

Thabile: Is everything okay? You're acting strange.

Mmeli: I'm sorry.

Thabile: Okay, what for?

Mmeli: I love you, so much but sometimes people just happen to want different things...

Thabile: Babe, what is this about?

He exhaled and reached for her hands across the round table between them. He rubbed them softly catching a glimpse of the diamond ring he put on those fingers a few months back.

Why did he allow things to escalate to that point? At that moment he was a perfect example of the phrase, 'Men are trash.'

Mmeli: I'm sorry my love but I can't do this anymore.

Thabile:(confused) What? What do you mean you can't do this anymore?

Mmeli: This relationship, I can't do it anymore. I thought I could try but I can't.

Thabile: When did you realise that? 5 years of my life has been wasted only for you to miraculously can't do this anymore?....Don't try and shit on me Mmeli Kubheka don't!!

He swallowed and stood up as she rose up too.

Thabile:(calming down) Okay...Okay...Babe, it's the nerves we all get those. You can't call everything off right now, not with the lobola negotiations starting next week. My family is ready and everyone is looking forward to this.. Don't do this. If it's money then I'm willing to settle for a small wedding...

Mmeli: It's not about money....I just can't do it. I'm sorry....It's not you, it's me. I'm nowhere near ready to tie myself down to marriage...I...I'm sorry.

Her lower lip trembled as the thunder roared louder. The lights went off and the lighting slashed across the living room and she jumped towards him.

He swallowed hard and gently pushed her off and then reached for his phone lighting his way out.

Thabile:(crying) You can't leave me Mmeli please.

Mmeli: You'll be fine Thabile.

He reached for his suit jacket on the armrest and left as she fell on her knees in the dark crying painfully.

He walked towards his car and stepped inside. He deeply exhaled settling on his seat. He didn't want to do that but God was his witness, he wasn't ready for marriage. Infact, he shouldn't have proposed in the first place but what was he supposed to do when all she spoke about was her ticking biological clock and how much she wanted to settle down and have kids?

He didn't understand what was the rush, she was the same age as him, 27 years what ticking biological clock was she talking about?

Nonetheless he did what he thought was going to rescue him from the endless marriage talks. Stupid yes, but he was out of options because he loved her and he still wanted to be with her.

It was only then that he realised that he messed up, maybe if he broke things off before engaging her the breakup was going to be easy for them. For a qualified CA he sure made bad decisions!

He rubbed his face and started the ignition driving back to his home where he stayed with his family in the small village called KwesakaMthethwa next to KwaMbonambi.

A part of him felt like hitting the club but another one wanted to get under the blankets and allow the sadness he was feeling blanket him and probably suffocate him to death whilst at it.

THABILE

She finally gathered the strength and slowly got up from the floor. The rain was still raining hard outside, probably crying with her.

His reasons didn't make any sense. They were happy or she thought so, that abrupt breakup literally ripped her heart out and stepped on her windpipe depriving her the ability to breath. Why her?

She was looking forward to their union. Everyone closed to them was, why would Mmeli embarrass her like that?

She tightened the robe around her and wiped her tears then searched for her phone and turned on the torch.

She went to her room and quickly got under the blankets bringing them closer to her chest. The shadows lurking in the corners wasn't making things easier. Or maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her.

She scrolled through her contacts and dialed her male friend, Sambulo.

Thabile: Hello.

Sambulo: Hey, You good?

Thabile:(crying) I'm not good. I need you.

Sambulo: Whoah! Is everything okay? Are you crying?

Thabile: Please. I need you.

She hang up and covered her face crying.

An hour later Sambulo walked into her bedroom.

Sambulo: Thabi...

He kicked off his shoes and got on bed embracing her.

Sambulo: Don't cry, I'm here.

Thabile: He broke things off.

Sambulo: That's heavy.

Thabile: Apparently it's not me it's...

She started crying all over again as he slowly rubbed her back breathing into her neck sending tingling sensation to the rest of her body.

She lifted her eyes to him and held his neck kissing him. He kissed her back and untied her robe cupping her breasts.

She was an emotional wreck and that was wrong, his subconscious scolded him but he ignored it and had sex with his lady friend. The lady friend he assured his wife that nothing was going on between them.

F*ck that! She needed him and he was going to comfort her the best way he knew how.

.

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He dropped next to her breathing heavily as she caught her breath.

The lights came on and she looked besides her. Now that she was back from her euphoria, it dawned on her what she just did. Hours after her fiancé made love to her for the last time.

Thabile: What have we done?!

Sambulo:( quickly got up) I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened. I love my wife and...I need to leave.

He put on his clothes and practically ran outside the building.

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