LUXOLO

I’m finally in Mpumalanga, Engodini that’s where my mother is said to be according to google map of course. I get myself checked in- in some finest bnb near where my mother is residing, Sol paid for all the expenses I guess is his way of making sure, that I don’t escape him. Sighs, I need to refresh then go to the given address. I want to get there, and surprise them plus they don’t know that I’m coming, I want to catch them on the act if they’re mistreating my mother, yhey kuzonyiwa.

My palm is still painful from that slap I gave that girl back there at the mall, she deserved it though. Uyaphapha. I should’ve slapped her friend too, phela the lingerie was lying around carelessly, I loved it, and took it. So, I don’t know where did they get the audacity, the brave to come at me like that. Argh… I know that I’m not dating or anything, but I bought that lingerie because I love it, anyway who said that you wear a lingerie only if you’re dating? Hhayi nina. You sometimes need to spoil yourself, and look sexy for yourself not for a man who will tear it like its nothing, and besides since I’m a stripper it will come in handy one day, and I will still buy more & more phela it’s my money I’m using. I quickly freshen up, and wear something comfortable I’ve noticed a club nearby, I’ll check it out later when I come back from visiting my mother.

The driver, yes Sol hired me a driver too, his name is Lee. But there was a first driver who was driving me, I don’t know what happened to him because we were at the garage he said he needed to make a quick call, hawu jikijiki this Lee comes, and tells me that he will drive me because my driver suddenly started getting a runny tummy. I demanded that he must call him because I don’t trust him, he called him, and he did assure me that he is not feeling well, but he trusts Lee to drive me. He highly recommends him, and that with him I’m safe. Hehe, you see I’m the most expensive stripper around, kahle kahle I’m important in that club. I’m the Ramaphosa of that club, hha!

Lee parks right outside this huge house, a house bigger than Muzi’s house this house deserves to be somewhere in the suburbs, but it is located in the busy streets of the hood it doesn’t help that it’s a corner house. I step out of the car, and walk toward the gate, I make my way inside and around the house the butler is closed, but the door is slightly open, I knock twice, and a girl close my age or few years older than me appears she is chewing a bubblegum.

“Hello. Can I help you?”

“Hello. I’m Luxolo, and I’m looking for my mother.”

Her: “Your mother here?”

Me: “Yes. A woman named Bavumile came to fetch her months ago,” she scoffs.

Her: “You mean the burden that’s inside the house? I hope you’re here to fetch her because we are tired of taking care of her. Our lives have stopped because of her,” rolling eyes. Did she just call my mother a burden? Hhe, let me compose myself before I cripple her. Or send her to any early grave amncane.

Me: “Can I see her?”

Her: “Sure,” she unlocks the butler, and allows me in. “Right this way,” she leads me to the lounge where my mother is. I find her watching TV, and she looks so much better. “I wish I can leave you with her alone, but I don’t trust you, I might find all the furniture gone,” she chuckles, and sits down. Hmm, if only she knew.

“Mama,” she turns her head, and looks at me, the smile she is giving me, how I miss seeing it, she gets up from the couch, and attacks me with a hug.

Her: “Luxolo, my daughter. Is this really you?” She studies me.

Me: “In the flesh Ma. This is me.”

Her: “You look so grown up I almost didn’t recognize you,” I laugh. At least the humor is still there. “Please sit down.”

Me: Sitting down. “And you look so much better. Better than the last time I saw you.”

Her: “I feel better my child. Lindiwe, can you please make us some tea?” She rolls her eyes.

Lindiwe: “I’m not a maid wena mama ndini,” I chuckle, and shake my head.

Me: “Its fine Mama, I don’t want to die young I still have a lot to do for you,” Lindiwe shoots me a stare. “How are you holding up?”

Her: “Truly speaking, not good Nono.”

Me: “Why? What’s wrong?” I look at Lindiwe, and she is looking at us too.

Her: “Nevermind Nono, I’m just happy to see you.”

Me: “I do mind Mama, I really do.”

Her: “The medication is treating me good, but the treatment I’m getting in this place is not nice Nono. I’m being treated like a stranger, like I don’t deserve to be taken care off,” her voice is trailing, and she wipes the lone tear that’s rolling down her cheek.

Lindiwe: “Stop lying wena. You’re too old to be talking lies!”

Me: “Shut the fuck up. Weren’t you the one calling her a burden few minutes ago?”

Her: “I…,”

Me: “Don’t you start with me, don’t you dare fucken start with me. You are the one who said my mother is a burden, and your lives have stopped because of her presence her. Are you denying that you said that?” She shakes her head when she notices how serious I am, and my tone is not doing any justice to her.

Her: “No… No. I was  just…,”

Me: “You weren’t saying anything. Mama, please go, and fetch your clothes we’re leaving.”

Lindiwe: “You can’t leave with her without talking to my mother first, you can’t.”

Me: “This is my mother, you don’t get to tell me shit when it comes to her. You don’t, masingacabani plus we don’t know each other.”

Her: “What is my mother going to say when she learns that you’ve taken her sister without her permission?”

Me: “She will not say any shit, and she will be pleased to get rid of the burden just like you will be. Mama, get your bags we’re leaving.” I don’t want to lose it in front of my mother, I don’t want her seeing this bad side of me.

Mom: “Sh…,”

Me: “No. Get your bags Mama, or you enjoy being treated like a nobody?” She shakes her head. “Then get your bags,” she doesn’t wait for me to tell her again, she is already marching away.

Lindiwe: “How dare you come here, and throw your weight around this house as if you own it? Do you think this is your shack where you live?” I give her a backhand slap, but not that hard just enough to make her yelp. “What the actual fuck!” She attempts to return, I step aside, and her hand comes in contact with the wall making me to laugh.

Me: “You don’t want to go down that route with me baby girl, you just don’t,” she clicks her tongue.

Her: “You slap like a man, yoh. We should exchange numbers I have few people I want you to deal with on my behalf, I can handle them alone, but they will overpower me,” haibo! What the actual fuck? She’s weird.

Me: “You want to exchange numbers with me? As in, you want to call me?” I furrow my brow.

Her: “Of course. We can make a tag of mean friends, I like the fact that you can speak your mind without giving a fuck,” I nod at her. Well, I can exchange numbers with her, but friends? Nah. That’s out of the equation. “So, those numbers?”

Me: “Give me yours, I currently don’t have a phone.”

Her: “Don’t worry I have 2 phones, I will give you one, and I will call you since I know the numbers by my head. Don’t get me wrong, I just don’t trust that you will call me,” I chuckle, and shake my head. “Wait here I’ll be back,” she disappears in the passage. I laugh sitting back down, yazi she can also make a great candidate in this new era female cartel dream of mine, I can already picture her as my second in command.

“All set and ready to go,” my mother says wheeling her suitcase. I get up from the couch, and take it from her. “I hope you were taking care of the shack Nono,” I laugh.

Me: “Shack? Oh, no. We’re not going back there wena Sthandaswami,” giving her a smile.

Her: “What? Siyaphi me?” She looks at me confused.

Me: “You will see. Let’s go,” I wheel out her suitcase, and we walk out of the house. Haike, I will have to look for a place to stay before tomorrow comes.

“Hhayi hhayi uhamba njani without me giving you your temporarily cellphone?” I laugh, and stop in my tracks. “Here you go, I’ve already stored my numbers there you will see when I call you, I stored them as your big sister,” she grins. Hhayi Nina, this girl! She is almost like me shame. We walk out of the yard, and the driver step out of the car, and walk toward us, he takes the luggage from me. “Hhayi girl, why didn’t you tell me that you have a personal driver? Anyway, is he single?” She whispers in my ear. I laugh.

Me: “I don’t know, but I can ask him for you. Urh…m driver,” he turns to look at me. “This girl right next to me is asking if you are single, or what?”

“Single, and no I’m not looking,” he closes the boot, and Lindiwe scoffs.

Her: “Awusembi nje,” I laugh. My mother shakes her head, and steps inside the car. “Look, I’m sorry for how we’ve been treating your mother, but it was not that extreme, and it was peer pressure from my mother,” why is she justifying their shit? Mxm.

Me: “Argh

it’s cool,” no it’s not isazobonana with her mother. She hugs me, and I hug her back. 

Her: “Go well, and I can’t wait to see you again,” Lee hoots. “Mxm, uyadika lo,” she rolls her eyes. I chuckle, and step inside the car waving a bye to her. She pretends to be wiping her tears, she’s full of it, and funny too. Lee hoots then he roars the engine to life, and drives off leaving trail of smoke behind.

“She’s not that bad you know, she only treats me bad when her parents, siblings, and neighbors come by. But when we are alone we get along just fine,” my mother tells me.

Me: “That’s the pretending I don’t like. Is she scared of her mother?”

Her: “Everyone is, including the husband. That woman is evil Nono,” shaking head. “Hhayi ukhohlalakele, and she is going to throw a fit if she doesn’t find me in that house, but I’m happy that you came for me. So, how far before we get to the new place?”

Me: “We are going to spend the night at the bnb, and we will leave tomorrow I’m still looking for a good place to accommodate us, I’m sure the paraffin was the one making you sick, phela manje you look better.”

Her: “I think it is too,” I nod. No clubbing I guess. But this Bavumile woman, hehe Jrova ongcwele.

★»★«

TSAKANI

We are at Vixen with the gents discussing a way forward on finding out who exactly attacked Spikiri because it’s clear that it wasn’t Armor, but someone else did not unless he is two timing us.

“My guard tells me that he messed up with someone, and that someone moer him black & blue, but why did he go to TK’s house?” Batista tells us his theory.

“No. I think that maybe he was here at Vixen, and had his one way of the prostitutes and did not pay her, then the girl reported her, and Adele sent his men to moer him,” Rasta says his too.

Leon: “We all have different theories about this, and the only person who knows what really happened is Spikiri himself, and the parties involved.”

Me: “You’re right about that, but why did he lie about Armor attacking him? It doesn’t make sense.”

Kortes: “I would like to believe that he is not double-crossing us, but I would be lying. I think that he is working with someone else, he is an insider for that particular person,” we all look at him, he might be right. But why would Spikiri want to betray us? If that’s true; then who is he working for?

Me: “Spikiri wouldn’t betray us like that after everything we’ve done for him? He is who he is because of me, because of us,” Kortes chuckles.

Him: “He long broke the gang code. I don’t know how many times I caught him trying to hack my computer, and he will always defend himself by saying that he wants to check his Emails.”

Me: “Why you never said anything to us Kortes? Why you never mentioned it?” He shakes his head.

Him: “I didn’t think that it was a big deal, but after what you told us now more than ever I’m sure that he was trying to hack my computer,” shaking head.

Leon: “How much does that person he working for knows about or plans & deals? How much is he telling this person about our business? Phela if that’s the case, then that means that whoever he is working for knows that we did a heist with Armor’s cars,” I circle my finger around the top of the glass, I’m angry. I’m pissed off.

Talon: “Ngithi mina makancandwe afakwe esjezisweni Kube kanye, ngathi ukukhohliwe ukuthi ungubani wena,” (I say; let’s take him, and crucify him just once, he seems like he has forgotten who you are) clearly he has, and I will remind him. You see, all these 5 men that I’m sitting with here including Spikiri & Lee I take them as a family, I found them in the streets doing those petty stealing, pick pocketing, and stealing cellphones. But Leon aka Rambo I recruited him while we were still in university. I own them all, and they know that if you betray me, then you pay greatly, you pay with your life. One day I will tell you a story on how I became a gangster, how many lives did I take as part of the initiation, one day I will let you in my life.

Me: “Masivayeni,” (let’s go) we all get up from our chairs getting ready to leave.

“Leaving already?” Adele asks, standing before me the others walk out.

“Yeah. I have something to take care off.”

Her: “So, when will I see you?” Pouting.

Me: “I will tell you when I’m free, I’m really busy lately.”

Her: “But I miss you. And it’s been long since we last head sex, don’t you miss me?” Sighs.

Me: “I do miss you, but as I said I’m busy lately,” truth is I no longer want to sleep with her, she is boring me all of a sudden, and slowly but surely I’m losing interest in her, after 6 years of being fuck buddies I’m officially losing interest even her cleavage doesn’t excite me anymore.

“TK,” she calls my name dragging me out of my thoughts. “Did you hear what I said?”

Me: “Excuse me, I have an emergency to attend to, bye,” I walk away leaving her there.

“I thought that you were getting a quickie,” Leon tells me, and the others laugh.

Me: “Not today gents, not today.”

Talon: “Wena njayami uvimba ama jum jum? Wena wonke skhoskho sami?” (You, my man refusing sex? A whole you) he is shocked.

Me: “Imbayi ne mbayi ine sqalo kanye nesiphetho,” (everything has a beginning, and an ending)

Him: “Hhayi, ifike kahle kwezizwayo,” (I hear you very well)

Few hours later we are inside my house, and Spikiri is not where I left him. Something tells me that he is snopping around, and my first instincts takes me to my study. The door is slightly opened, and I left it close. I push it slowly, and lean against the door frame crossing my legs, and as predicted he is snooping around, in fact he is busy putting papers in his pants, the others come into a halt behind me. I watch him as he walks toward the safe, yeah he knows the code that’s how much I trusted him. He turns the switch around, and it clicks… He opens it, and takes out a stack of cash he looks really proud of himself, he takes all that he needs, and he stops on his tracks immediately as he turns around when he sees us at the door. Sweat starts dripping from his forehead, hands shaking, and lips quivering.

“Uyenzani skhokho? Uyenza maphi amasimba manjer? Why unginyela umlomo?” (What are you doing man? What shit is it that you’re doing? Why are you taking a poop in my mouth) he shakes his head.

Talon: “Feder feder awuna dankie ntwana yami, nex skhokho,” (you are not thankful my boy, nothing)

Him: “Ng… Nginga’bambisa majita,” (I can explain guys) his voice is breaking.

Me: “Bambisa yamasimba! E pontshi njengamanjer, ngizokukhombisa owaka nina ntwana yami. Uzozibhoshela straight,” Batista & Talon rushes toward him, and grab him plus they are big men.

Him: “Ngiyacela TK ungayitshuni daai dang ngiyintwana yakho TK,” (please TK don’t do this to me, I’m your boy)

Me: “Leon, makube I chillies.”

Him: “Sekwenzekile,” (it’s done) he walks away. I open my drawer, and take out my finger knuckles, cutter, and walk out, my phone rings, its Lee.

“Lee, Masha masinya,” (talk fast)

“Udinga idwadlo u girl noma oledi lakhe,” (She needs a place to stay together with his mother)

Me: “Batholele eli grand safuna ukujulukisa u Spikiri,” (find them a good place I need to make Spikiri sweat)

Him: “Kuhambeni?” (What happened)

Me: “Ngizokubeka nawubuya, (I will tell you when you come back) “make sure that ba safe,” he hangs up. Stepping inside the garage I find him already stripped naked, and tied in a chair. Batista offers me a chair, and I sit opposite this motherfucker looking at him sweating. “Hamba,” (talk) his body shakes in fear, but he refuses to tell me why he is doing what he does. He shakes his head. “Talon, do your job,” Talon nods, and walk up to him, he wears the knuckles, and punches him on the mouth, and blood oozes out of his mouth as Talon is busy punching him. “Stop,” few teeth just dropped to the floor. “Ngithi hamba wena!”

“A… A… Ngicishe TK, ngicishe skhokho,” (kill me) he tells me this through tears, and blood coming out of his mouth.

“Ek’se uSabelo no Kedi bazwakele,” Leon tells me stepping inside the garage, fuck! Bad timing.

Me: “Damnit! Keep him alive,” I get up from my chair, I wonder what do they want they never come here nus. I find them in the kitchen making food, I chuckle, and shake my head. “Welcome,” Sabelo shrugs without looking at me, and Kedibone gives me a smile she looks so much better. “And?” Sabelo looks at Kedibone.

“She wants to talk,” he says already walking away with the plate of food.

“I’m ready to tell you the story, let’s go somewhere private,” I nod, and lead her to the pool, finally I will get to know the truth, but Spikiri must stay alive.