# ~Truths_of_the_heart~
51
Naomi sat quietly as Jefferies addressed the staff meeting. He had returned to work acting as if nothing had happened between them. If anything, he was treating her everyone else. The meeting lasted 30 minutes. Kasiwe sat next to Naomi, ma-king comments about the people around. On most days Naomi laughed and commented with her. Today was different. She wasn’t in the mood to gossip. Her mind was preoccu-pied by what had happened with Jefferies over the weekend. He had not called nor texted backed since he left her at her house after the failed weekend. Naomi was worried whatever happened could affect their work relationsh!p. Jefferies looked over at her direction and win-ked. Naomi found herself smiling, relived that he seemed cool with her.
“We can all go to our stations.” Jefferies said closing the meeting. Naomi and Kasiwe waited for the majority to leave before standing up.
“Kasiwe, I nee-d to see you in my office before you get to the kitchen.” Jefferies looked over at Naomi. “No PMS today I see.” He told her before exiting the room before she could respond.
Naomi blu-shed in embarras-sment. Luckily there were very few people in the boardroom, none of whom seemed to have heard Jefferies’ remark.
“What was that about?” Kasiwe held on to her hand as they walked out.
Naomi shook her head. “My periods started when we arrived at Chaminuka.”
“Ha” Kasiwe g@sped. “You lie?”
“Nope. It was embarras-sing.” Naomi rolled her eyes. “But to be honest, I was kind of relieved. I was dre-ading having to spend the weekend with alone with him.”
“Eh, then why did you agree to go?”
“I dont know.” Naomi admitted. “I thought i could go ahead with it but after we got there i just panicked.”
Kasiwe sighed loudly. “Come one? Like seriously? Dont tell me this is to do with Mwamba?”
“I haven’t been with any other man ap@rt of him. Not counting Lwipa of course. But it’s been him alone. And the thought of doing it with another man is… is terrifying.”
“Even though he’s probably having S-x with other women? He did file for divorce you know.”
“You dont have to ru-b it in.” Naomi protested.
“ru-b what in? The truth? You are busy saving yourself yet you know for a fact that he’s been scre-wing that neighborhood girl.” Kasiwe hvgged Naomi’s shoulder. “You nee-d to accept that your marriage is over and move on! You’ve said that there are better men out there. So st©p holding on to nothing.”
Naomi sighed de-eply. “Yeah.”
“Cheer up girl. Drinks on me later. First I nee-d to see what the boss wants with me. I’m hoping it’s about the new equipment i ordered.” Kasiwe left Naomi near her office and walked off to see Jefferies.
“You owe me big time.” Jefferies said the minute she closed the door to his office. “I would lock the door if I were you.” He smiled mischievously.
Kasiwe looked at him expectantly. “I thought she bailed immediately you arrived?”
“I still managed to get a video of me onto of her k!ss!ngand working my magic hands.” Jefferies stood up to stand with Kasiwe near the door. He handed her his phone as hisl-ips found her n£¢k.
Kasiwe giggled beneath him. “I won’t even ask how you managed to get this.”
“Your laugh just turns me on.” He pu-ll-ed her legs around his w@!st and dug his ton-gue de-ep into her mouth.
***********
“Peter! Milda! Lunch is re-ady!”
Mwamba was seated at the table when the two entered the house.
“Wash your hands from the kitchen sink plea-se. Make sure you use the soap.”
Peter and Milda washed their hands then joined him at the table. Mwamba had dished out the food from the kitchen to avoid using more dishes than necessary. It always made cleaning up after a meal easier that way.
“Dad, where did you learn how to cook?” Peter asked.
“Mum made sure everyone who lived in her house knew how to cook.”
“You cook like a woman.” Peter tea-sed getting a mouthful of nshima and gravy. “Better than aunty Viki.”
“Ha, I’ll tell her you said for her!” Milda threatened.
“I said for her? Is that even english?” Peter tea-sed ma-king Mwamba laugh.
“Hey you two, st©p fighting!”
“But he’s fighting me!” Milda whined.
“Eat your food, and I’ll make sure he st©ps fighting.” Said Mwamba.
“I’m full!”
“Milda, you have ba-rely t©uçhed your food. Ok lets make a deal. Whoever clears their plates will get two scopes of icecream!”
“For real daddy?”
“Yes for reals!”
Mwamba’s phone beeped on the table next to him. Thinking it was probably an email concerning work, he decided to ignore it until they were done with their lunch. If it were urgent, he would have received a call prior to receiving the message. The meal was hearty with alot of laughter going around. He silently thanked Naomi for her last minute plans that enabled him to take the time off and work from home so as to look after the children.
When they were done eating, Peter and Milda cleared the table. Peter washed the plates while Milda packed them back In place. Mwamba prepared their icecream which they ate from outside. The three of them sat on a swing he had bought the day before and enjoyed the breeze.
“Can we stay here forever?” Milda looked up at Mwamba.
“But you come here all the time, so it’s the same as staying here forever right?”
“So can mummy come stay here forever too?”
Mwamba felt a tug at his heart. “No sweet pea. Mummy cant come and stay here because she has her house. So you now have two houses, isnt that fun?”
“So you are getting divorced right?” Peter asked.
“What’s def0rç£d?” Milda raised her brow.
Peter responded before Mwambacould say anything. “Its when a mummy and a daddy st©p loving each other and st©p being married”
“Hey, I still love your mother very much ok. But there comes a point sometimes where if we stay together we become sad. Then if we become sad, you guys end up also becoming sad. So we have to live away from each other.” Mwamba scratched his head, trying to best explain the situation. “And know that your mum and I love you two very much! Ok! But we have to sort out some issues first.”
“If you sort them out, will you come live with us again?”
“I’m hoping for that.” Mwamba said truthfully. Speaking with his children made him realise that somehow de-ep within him, he hoped that Naomi and him could go back to the way it was in the beginning. He hoped that the thought of the divorce might let Naomi realise her role in the demise of their marriage and give her perspective on what should really be important. Mwamba immediately decided that he would call her to see if she would be free over the weekend for them to discuss the fate of their marriage. He took out his phone and saw a message had come on WhatsApp. The number was not saved in his contacts but he felt the urge to see what the message could be about. Mwamba regretted his decision instantly. A video pla-yed of Naomi lying beneath her boss, giggling as he ca-ressed her b©dy.
“DAD!”
Mwamba was snapped back yo reality. “Huh? Yes?”
“Dad, are you ok?” Peter asked with concern. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. ”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just eh.. I just have some urgent work I nee-d to attend to. When you’re done with icecream, go watch tv with your sister ok. I’m going to the be-droom for a bit.”
Mwamba rushed to the be-droom. He felt sick to his stomach. He pla-yed the video again. Though short it told him everything he had feared was true. Naomi was having an affair with her boss. Mwamba had received some pictures of Naomi and her boss in what could have been interpreted as compromising situations but Mwamba alwas felt that it was just Kasiwe trying to get un-der his skin. Of course he knew Kasiwe was behind it all. Having rejected ~her se-duction on countless occasions she had vowed to make him suffer until he gave Into her, often pointing to te fact that Naomi was not as innocent as he made her out to be. Mwamb~ a nee-ded to speak to Naomi immediately. He packed the children in the car and drove off arriving this first destination within 20 minutes.
“Wow, that was fast.” Tamara grinned at her kitchen door. She too had moved out of her mother’s house.
“Aunty Tam!” Milda ran into her extended arms.
“Hey baby girl. There’s some snacks in the livingroom. Why dont you go help yourself.” Tamara hvgged Peter next. “I hope you’re not too big for hvgs.”
“Nope.” Peter grinned embr@cing Tamara back.
“Are you ok?” Tamara went closer to Mwamba when both Peter and Milda were inside the house.
Mwamba took out his phone and showed her the video. “I know I asked for a divorce but I feel like.. I feel betrayed. I saw them k!ss!ngbefore. In her office. He had k!$$£d her. I saw them. That’s when I finally s£nt the divorce forms. But..” he sighed de-eply. “They are slee-ping together Tam. Seeing this has hit me differently.”
Tamara hvgged his shoulders. “The video doesn’t show them actually having S-x.”
“They are in a lodge or something. What else would they be doing there? This is why she wanted me to keep the kids for the week.”
“Who s£nt you the video?”
“It’s most likely Kasiwe, her friend.”
Tamara raised her brow. “Why would her friend be s£nding this to you?”
“She’s a psycho bit-ch trying to get me to have S-x with her!”
“Wow” Tamara shook her head.
“Thank you for watching the kids. I’ll be back later to pick them up.”
“Take all the time you nee-d!”
*************
Mwamba found Naomi on her office. Without bothering with any greetings he handed her his phone, pla-ying the video for her. He could see the. Blood draining from her face as she watched it in horror.
“Where did you get this?”
“Is that what you are worried about? It wasn’t enough that I found you k!ss!ngthe man. Now I have to watch you scre-wing him too? Yet you refuse to sign the divorce papers.” Naomi could hear the hurt in her voice.
“I didnt sleep with him!”
“Oh really? You just went into a room with him to just k!ss. Wow, he’s such a saint.”
“I couldn’t do it..”
“Where did he take you?”
Naomi put down the pen in her hand. “Chaminuka lodge. But we didnt even spend the night I swear. I started my period and was taken home minutes after we arrived.”she added quic-kly.
“Ah, so it’s your period that got in the way!”
“St©p trying to make me feel guilty. Its not like you are innocent. You have been cheating on me with tha Tamara for the longest time.”
“You know what, you’re right. Not the cheating p@rt. But the one where you think I have a relationsh!pwith Tamara. I think I should. She has turned out to be there for me during my darkest moments, whereas you were busy mocking me and salivating for your boss.”
Mwamba walked to the door then turned to face Naomi. “I loved you from the very first day I saw you. I was so sure I had met the woman of my dreams, the one I would spend forever with. Maybe it’s my fault for loving you too much, that I couldn’t see that I merely a convenience for you.the minute my luck turned, so did your attitude towards me. Yet there I was foolish me, believing you would still be the same Naomi I fell for. But I guess money is what you nee-d to be happy. And looking at the state of this h0tel, I bet you and Jefferies will be very happy!” Mwamba shook his head, as if finally realizing the end. “Sign the papers. I tired of these games. And tell your friend to st©p s£nding me pictures and videos of you and your b©yfri£nd. Also tell her not to come to my office again otherwise I’ll have her arrested for trespas-sing.”
“Mwamba..” Naomi’s voice trailed off as tears fell freely down her face. She thought of following him out but he legs remained rooted, too heavy to be lifted. It took some minutes before she was able to get herself together. That is when the last p@rt of what Mwamba had said hit her. Whom he did mean by friend that had been s£nding pictures and videos? Or visiting him?
Tbc