TOO FAR TO REACH 6

February 06, 2022

TOO FAR TO REACH 6

TOO FAR TO REACH

CHAPTER 6
Soon it was 8am and the company was busy, almost everyone in my department was on call talking to clients but I was having a slow day myself. Literally every call that came through on my screen was picked by somebody else and I knew the day would end without meeting my daily target of at least taking every call I saw. I was looking for strength, my whole body was drained and I felt sick. Martin noticed I was not too well as I got up to have my tea break; he was the only guy in my department who had eased up to me from the new guys. As I was waiting for the electric kettle to hit up I sensed someone presence behind me, it was Martin.
“You are not bright today my favorite sales lady… what is wrong?”
I smiled as I fought back the tears, I do not know I suddenly felt so emotional.
“I am just beginning to feel the exhaustion” I said as I rubbed my tummy.
“I can imagine… but ho is everything with you?”
“well all is well… we thank God” I responded.
Now listen, Martin was one of those guys who could be close like a brother if you allowed him to but I just didn’t want to have any one like that at my work place. I opted to keep it professional and it worked out well for me. Hover, I needed someone to talk to, I felt like something was chocking me, I just didn’t know whether Martin was the best bet. He was kind though and he was always having my back especially when I even sneak out of work for a particular reason, he was just always there but I never really cared much about his friendship.
Looking straight in to my eyes, Martin said “You can always talk to me, I care”
I watched Martin walk away while I remained longing to reach out to him for a hug, my heart was torn in many places. Jeff’s engagement affected me in a way that crippled the very core of my existence in this company. I just wanted to leave but that would be an irrational decision. I needed this job but then again I was also not just trying to run away from a mare fling, Jeff was the father of my soon to be born children and I would have to keep seeing him, this was not easy either way.
I had my tea quietly while I went through my phone, I thought of my family and how I would tell them everything. Just as my thoughts came together, a call started coming on my phone. It was Musha, she rarely called. I often did. Musha was my aunts first born daughter.
“Musha….” I said.
Musha was hysterical on the phone, she screamed and sobbed all at once.. I was traumatized that I felt my womb shake,
“Musha ninshi?” I asked in panic
I didn’t realize I had screamed and Martin came running. He stood wanting to hear what had happened as I tried to process the information Musha was saying.
“Ba mum naba fwa Pumulo… ba mum naba fwa” (Mum is dead Pumulo, mum is dead”
I was confused as at no point did I think she was reffering to my aunty even though I always called her mum. 
“Pumulo iwe!! Ba mum naba fwa” she cried bitterly..
I could not connect anything… nothing made sense. Soon aunty Febby grabbed the phone and explained to me everything.
“Pumulo… your aunty has died in a car accident in Mozambique…. Your uncle is unstable… It is unfortunate my daughter”
Aunty Febby was a woman from the neighborhood, she was always kind to me, I could not imagine the confusion Musha was in as aunty Febby grabbed the phone. I could not say much apart from saying I was powerless. I have no memory of what happened after that but I was in hospital when I opened my eyes and Jeff was by my bedside reading a book. I was confused and all I could think of was getting home to be with my family. I began to weep uncontrollably and it was then that Jeff noticed I was awake and he held my hand. No emotions were attached at that moment, I did not even care about his presence, I was just in so much pain. I needed to go home. At no point did it even occur to me that this was really the father of my children holding my hand. As far as I knew this guy was supposed to be in Cape Town with his fiancée .