INSERT 55
It’s a bit long..
NOMALANGA
I’m at the restaurant where Tsebo said we will meet, and he ain’t here yet, but why am I even surprised? He’s never been punctual when it comes to time, and he knows how much I detest people who can’t keep time, it’s frustrating. This is my 3rd cup of Mocha coffee. People come & go, and I’m still here, I can’t even leave because that will only anger him, and when it does; he will put me in line. Or not because this ain’t 20somthing years back Era. I check the time on my phone, and his 30 minutes late, sighs, I might as well leave. I get up from my chair after settling the bill and someone pushes me back to the chair, Jesus, before I can even look who it is, Tsebo is sitting opposite me, hands clasp before him.
“When am I meeting my daughter?” That’s the first thing he asks. No greeting and no apology. Well, it’s not as if like he owes me any of the two, but a little humanity wouldn’t hurt anyone.
“I don’t know. She still doesn’t want to meet you.”
Him: “Why is that? Did you feed her ears with poison regarding me?” He clenches his teeth.
Me: “What? No. She just doesn’t want to meet with you, I had nothing to do with that.”
Him: “I don’t trust you. I know how manipulative and two-timing bitch you are, I wouldn’t be surprised if you fed her lies about me.”
Me: “Believe what you want, Tsebo. In fact, why don’t you try reaching out to her yourself? You want to meet your daughter right? Then, do some research and find her yourself. I’m tired of being a middle man between the two of you. Both of you are adults, if you really want to meet her, see to it that you make use of your resources.”
Him: “You know what, you are right. I need to reach out to her, and I know where she lives and where she works.”
Me: “Good then. You should’ve reached out to her the moment you learned about her whereabouts instead of wasting my time, excuse me, I need to go.”
Him: “Go where? I’m the one who called you here,” he hisses.
Me: “I know, and I’m telling you that I’m leaving. I’ve been here for a long time, I even missed my appointment. When you finally go, and see your daughter please greet her for me,” I get up from my chair and start walking away.
He knows where his daughter is, now all he needs to do is to find her and try mending their relationship, not that it was broken or something anyway. I hope Nono will finally agree to meet up with him, and fix things with him. Tsebo did nothing, after all, I’m the one that needs to be blamed. Like heck, he didn’t even know he had a daughter. Speaking of Nono, I know that she’s still mad at me for lying and keeping all kinds of secrets from her, but I miss her, a lot. I miss talking to her, and her telling me that she loves me towards the end of our conversation, but I can’t bring myself to answer her calls. She calls me 5x a day, but still, I feel like I’ve shamed her, hopefully, one she will find it in her heart to forgive me, and I will regain the courage to answer her calls. And now that everything is out in the open and people know about my deplorable past I feel lighter, guess the secrets were the ones weighing me down. Besides, we all have our flaws and not perfect. We all made some decisions we are not proud of at some point, but we learn, try to do better next time, and move on. That’s just about it. First things first; I must forgive myself before forgiving others, I must work towards myself to be a better person.
★»★«
LUXOLO
“What are they showing?” Lindiwe, implores leaning against the door frame biting her nails.
“I’m clear,” I tell her throwing the tests in the bin. She releases a sigh that she has sucked in.
Her: “Thank God. I was so scared thinking we will be down with two girls,” I laugh shaking my head. “Don’t laugh, Tammy. I’m being serious here. In fact, I think you & Tsakani must use condoms now.”
Me: “Why should we? It’s not as if like I will fall pregnant anytime soon, I have an implant.” So, these ladies of mine decided to buy me 5x pregnancy test because the gents thought that I was pregnant only because I’ve put on some weight. Like, who assumes such? Guess this means that one won’t put in some weight until they are pregnant. Some of us put in weight because we are dearly loved, and stress-free.
Her: “I don’t trust the implants or any prevention for that matter,” she sighs.
Me: “Do you & Lee use a condom?” She gasps. “Do you?”
Her: “No, no we don’t. We use the withdrawal method,” I laugh, sarcastically that is.
Me: “Honestly? You trust the withdrawal method more than prevention pills & injection? What a joke, what a Lmao.”
Her: “It’s been working for me so far,” shrugging.
Me: “Good for you.”
Her: “What are we having for lunch?”
Me: “What do you feel like having?”
Her: “Steak & chips with a green salad.”
Me: “If you aren’t lazy to cook you can prepare for the both of us, it’s okay.”
Her: “I don’t feel like cooking. Let’s go to Zweli’s. They serve some mean stake there, one that will have you drooling.”
Me: “You don’t say. Okay, let me get my car keys.”
Her: “I think Lee should buy me a car too, I’m tired of using Uber.”
Me: “Tell him to organize one for you, plus they have a car heist planned.”
Her: “How I love to be part of it, but ke.”
Me: “Why would you wish to be part of it whereas we have a better one?”
Her: “Robbing a bank is not my speciality, Tammy. I need to be on the streets, firing shots, and driving one of those sports cars leaving a trail of thick smoke behind me.”
Me: “Then tell the guys to squeeze you in, you can always act like a damsel in distress.”
Her: “That’s a good idea, I will talk to Lee when I get home.” I nod as we step outside the house. “Can I drive us?”
Me: “Yeah, sure,” I throw her the keys and settle on the passenger’s seat, I buckle my seatbelt for safety sake. Lindiwe is such a reckless driver, I must say. She drives like she’s the only person on the road, argh.
Her: “Ready?”
Me: “Yes, Frank. I’m ready.”
Her: “What? Frank the transporter? That fucker doesn’t have anything on me, I’m the female Schumacher.” I laugh, ae. Lindiwe is full of jokes yazi.
An hour later we are being served our food. I opted for quarter chicken & chips while she, Lindiwe, settles for the steak she was yearning for, and it looks appetizing, but I’m in a mood for grilled chicken. I might buy it for Tsakani to eat later on.
Lindiwe: “So, have you spoken with your mother recently?”
Me: “No. She’s not taking my calls.”
Her: “Why don’t you go and see her at the Elite?”
Me: “For what?”
Her: “To find out how she’s doing and all.”
Me: “No.”
Her: “Oh, okay.” We eat our food in silence, great food, I think this is going to be my new joint going forward. “Urhm, Tammy.”
Me: Lifting my head. “Sup?”
Her: “I’ve been thinking…” she takes a breath then looks at me. I wiggle my brow, she chuckles. “Urhm, I think it’s time I reveal my real identity to Lee.” I drop my fork and scan her.
Me: “Really?” Tilting my head.
Her: “Yes, since we are thinking of taking our relationship to the next level I think it’s time I come clean to him, and step into the new level with no secrets, and all that.”
Me: “So, how do you think he’s going to take it?”
Her: Sighing. “I don’t know, honestly. Listen, even if our relationship ends after my revelation to him, it will all be well, at least I would’ve told him the truth.”
Me: “It won’t end. Yes, he will be shocked in the beginning, but he will be fine in the long run, and he will be grateful that you told him the truth before taking your relationship to the next level. Better than starting a new journey with a secret.”
Her: “Exactly. Thank you for listening to me.”
Me: “No problem, cuz.” She giggles. “What? Oh, almost forgot. You ain’t my real cousin, but you are still my cousin. Wait, in fact, my sister. We’ve been through hell together.”
Her: “Tell me about it.”
Me: “So, when are you telling him?”
Her: “Tomorrow. Tonight we all have missions to carry.”
Me: “Tonight?” She nods. “Milan, managed to tamper with the cameras?”
Her: “Yes, and the back door too. We are going to do a clean job, no one will know that the bank was robbed until they open their money safes.”
Me: “At least we won’t be shedding any blood. And we can always join the boys afterward, more like surprising them.”
Her: “Sounds like a plan, but Maxine must be taken home we don’t want her losing the baby.”
Me: “I think she must not join us at all, she needs to stay at home.”
Her: “Erh, don’t you dare tell her that. She will lose all of her marbles, saw how dramatic she was because Milan, took a piece of meat on the tray as she was dishing up.” I laugh, shit was hell as funny.
Milan, didn’t hear the end of it, Maxine kept on reminding her about it every chance she got… “you are a meat stealer now? Is that how you were taught while growing up? Meat thief, can’t believe I even took you like my sister?” Milan was beyond pissed, she ended up leaving because she couldn’t take any more of Maxine’s tantrums. Batista couldn’t even control her, she was out of order. She then cried afterward, hmmm, drama. If being pregnant comes with such hormones then it can miss me shame, andizi.
Me: “Milan, really wanted to rough her up, but she held herself. Such bravery.”
Her: “I would’ve slapped the hormones out of her, bekatonya lakimi.”
Me: “I trust you.” We laugh, and get done eating. The boys are doing the heist in 3 hours from now, and we are robbing the bank in 2 hours time. Sighs, hopefully, we will make it to the heist before they even begin with it.
Her: “Let me dash to the ladies, I’ll be back now- now, you can order some beverages for us so long,” I nod. I ain’t ordering shit.
“Ya wena Luxolo, mnqundu,” the voice alone irks me. He comes into view, he still looks handsome I’m sure he came with some random whore, that’s what he specializes in mus.
“Sanele. What can I do for you?” I hold his gaze, waiting for an answer.
Him: “Nothing. You look fresh and glowing too. Le snai sakho sikuphathe grand neh?” I chuckle. Snai? He calls me a snai, it’s his insolence for me.
Me: “Snai? You are calling my boyfriend a snai?”
Him: “Grand sharp. Flopo?” (Problem)
Me: “Firstly, my boyfriend is not a snai, and secondly, he is 20x a man than what you ever was. He’s what we call a real man, not some guy with low hanging balls changing girls thinking that he’s the ish. Listen here, wena mnqundu wenja. Don’t you ever, and I mean ever call my boyfriend a snai or else I will rough you up.” He laughs and scans me from head to toe. I’m trying so hard not to lose my cool, not in a public place like this where people are busy with their phones, I have a reputation to keep.
Him: “You? Roughing me up? What a washed-up joke. I’m still saying it again, your boyfriend is a snai, he still eats snorts. A weakling nig…,” I don’t wait for him to finish talking. My hands are already on his T-shirt, his face leveled up with me. The shock on his face, priceless.
Me: “Don’t dare me, boy. I’m not the old Luxolo you know. I’m Tammy Guns now, and I aim my at my targets perfectly
“Time to go, Lux,” Lindiwe informs me, I nod getting up from my chair. When I scan my eyes around I see no sign of Sanele, bitch must’ve run away. Who does he think he is? Hhe, seyikhombene klaar.
★»★«
TSAKANI
I’m getting impatient now. Batista said that he was on his way here any hour ago, and he still ain’t here. Everyone is here except him. I ring him up again and his phone rings unanswered. He’s the one who came up with this plan, and now he’s ditching us. He better have not planned a set-up for us, but nah, he’ll never do us like that. Wait, he might. Spikiri, did it too. He betrayed us and broke the gang code, we are only left with an hour to navigate to the location of where the heist is supposed to take place. Talon, is busy pacing up & down. Leon, busy with his laptop. Lee, is busy making himself comfortable in my fridge, and Spike is sitting on the kitchen counter playing with his okapi, and whistling. Now, this man is what we call igintsa, he wears chuck Taylors, brand wood pants, necklaces around his neck, rings filling his fingers, scotched/striped long shirt and a worn-out dirty looking bucket hat folded on one side, topping it with a match stick in his mouth, and a roll of joint behind his ear. Spike only joins us when we do heists, he ain’t a full member of the squad, and he never wishes to be one. He has his own group that they do petty crimes with.
“Masivayeni ayikho le way,” Talon informs us.
“Sure. Let’s get our things and leave, Batista will find us along the way,” Leon says.
Lee: “I’m sure Maxine is scolding him because he forgot to refill the ice,” we laugh.
Talon: “Mxm, utshuna iMovie u lovey, uyazihlanyisa. Thembeka azanke anye kanje thana apethe lentwana yami, lo yena unya straight. Tsek, wenza ngamabomu u njandina.” (She’s making a movie, she’s making herself crazy. Thembeka was never like this when she was pregnant with my son, this one is shitting on us straight. She’s doing it deliberately)
Leon: “Don’t forget that Thembeka was a granny and gave birth 8 times. Maybe she was also behaving like Maxine when she was pregnant with her first child or second. For sho she was worse than her.”
Him: “Argh, kuyafana maarn, tsek.” I shake my head as we step out of the house, before taking off I check if all our stuff is still there, and it is. We will be using Leon’s van. We all embark into it, he roars the engine to life, and takes off.
Lee: “He still ain’t picking up, let me try calling Maxine, maybe she will pick up.”
Leon: “Isn’t she doing the bank heist with the ladies?”
Him: “Flip. I completely forgot about that one.”
Me: “I wonder if they are succeeding.”
Leon: “They are, that’s for sho. I trust that fearless squad,” I nod.
Minutes later we are at Dimitri forest hiding behind the bushes waiting for the trucks to approach, Batista is still unreachable. There’s something off about all this setup, but I can’t actually put my hand on it, but this is not good I hope the gents sense it too, I can’t be the only one.
Leon: “How many minutes left for them to pass by?”
Lee: “25 minutes, let’s prepare ourselves.”
Me: “Gents, are you sensing something unusual about all this heist?” They all look at each other, then back at me. Guess I’m the only one.
Talon: “Ngiphakimisa inombolo, igazi la gijima manje.” (I agree with you)
Leon: “Do you think this is some kind of a setup?” He narrows his brows. My hand tightens around my gun in my waist holster, the animal in me is sensing a thud of footsteps coming both sides, we are set up! Batista sold us, fuck it! How could he do us like this? Was he promised a lot of money?”
Lee: “Now that you are mentioning it, it makes sense. But, why would Batista sell us out? After all that we’ve done for him?” Leon, hits the steering wheel in frustration.
Spikes: “Igwebu phansi, izindlelebe phezelu. Batista azanke anenzele phansi inincwanya blind lebhari, mina ngithi esami isibonwa lo omkhuthulele ngale kgentsi wuye om’bhayizisile. Enhlek, bamenzele samagundwanwe watheleka phezu kwaso, niyang’bamba?” (Calm down, and listen to me. Batista didn’t do you guys bad, that guy loves you too much, my point of view about all this is that; the one who told Batista about the cars being transported is the one who dribbled him. They set a trap for him, and he fell right into it. Do you understand me) it makes sense now that he’s putting it this way, Batista was set up.
Leon: “It all makes sense. Fuck. Let’s leave, we came here for nothing.”
Me: “We can’t leave,” shaking my head.
Lee: “Why?”
Me: “We are trapped. We have nowhere to go, both sides are covered.”
Leon: “Now what?”
Talon: “Mazilime ziyetsheni.”
Him: “What if we are surrounded? What if there’s more of them?”
Me: “It’s either we cower and find our way around the bush, or we face them heads on. Which one is it going to be?” I look at all of them, and none of them is willing to cower.
Spikes: “Phambili.” (Forward) from a distance I can see luminous lights, guess that’s one of the trucks because the escorting cars don’t have the lone light. Leon snarls, and chuckles roaring the engine to life. I know what his plan is, I pray we come out of here alive.
The truck is nearing and nearing, but Leon is not going to take it, he will take the escort car. Plus, we changed the Avanza and took one of the tanks. The mini lights come to view, that’s the escort car. Leon starts moving the car, taking us out of our hiding habitat. Once into view, the escort car comes into complete view, and at an increased speed Leon, propels straight to it and the crash it making the truck to halt abruptly, the driver almost losing control. The car rolls over, and our tank remains standing in the middle of the street blocking the truck from crossing over. Another set of luminous lights comes into view on the right following 5 cars. Leon rolls down the window as they slow down, or maybe he’s taking out the smoke of whatever Spikes is smoking that’s making us dizzy, I don’t know.
Talon: “Babhaya maarn,” (they’re too many) he doesn’t even sound bothered.
Me: “Ngiyacava.” (I know)
Him: “Ek’se.”
“Step out of your car you are surrounded, you have nowhere to go,” one of them notifies us using a voice speaker. We all look at each other, and smile. “I said step out of your car, we have your friend with us here. If you don’t step out of that car, we will kill him.”
Talon: “Arh manje tsek ngabo, siyaya?” Leon, is already stepping out of the car, I shrug and the three of us join him, two on each side.
Spikes: “Yithi laba ngenyama nithi aqinisiwe yini amasende?” (Here we are in a flesh, what seems to be the problem) one-man appears behind the man who was calling us over a speaker he has Batista with him, and he looks roughed up, blood streaming down from his forehead, T-shirt torn and bloody, and he looks weak too. He can’t even stand on his own. You can see that they’ve roughed him up real bad using all sorts of weapons. The guy drops him on the street, and he coughs, his hands are in his stomach. Anger surges up from deep within me, my breathing becomes heavy, my hand finds its way in my gun holster, and I grip it, tightly.
Leon: Whistling. “Niyasukelana yeva, nigcwele ubudede kahle kahle,” (you like provoking people who did nothing to you, you are basically full of shit)
Man 1: “Boss!” A man in a wheelchair comes into view with a big grin plastered on his face, I chuckle. Mr. Big. He’s still alive, Armor shows up next to him.
Him: “And we meet boys but this time around under different circumstances. Look at how roughed up your boy is. Do you know how long we were looking for you? We’ve been looking for you for years without any luck, you stole my cars for years untraceable, but now we’ve finally found you, and we are going to kill you and bury you in these bushes. No one messes with me, and gets away with it. Guards, tie them down!” His men hurry to us, my gun is already on my hand firing the ones coming my way, and in no time shots ring out and bullets fly around.
Armor: “There’s more of us young men, within 5 minutes you will all be dead including your friend here!” Talon groans next to me, fuck, he has been shot. I watch him slide down with his back using the tank, hand on his chest. Shit! Armor bellows in the speaker.
Me: “Hold on njayami.” Leon groans, he too has been shot. Damn, it’s only the two of us now, we are dead, but we will die fighting. That’s until… Shrieks of men ring out behind us, cars exploding behind the others.
Armor: “What the hell!” I turn around and it’s the ladies. The rattling of leaves diverts my eyes to the bushes, which can only mean that Ludo, is here, but how did they… Argh, never mind. A new strength overcomes me… I look at Talon, and he has stopped moving. I crouch next to him, and feel his pulse, it’s shallow, no, no, Talon can’t do me like this. He can’t.
“What’s going on?” Bubbles voice comes over, she looks at Talon, and widens her eyes. “Let’s put him inside the tank, help him up.” We pick him up, and put him inside the car. “Shield me, I need to get Batista too.” I nod, and cover her, the bullets don’t even get me, I pick Batista up and take him to the car too.
Me: “And now? What the fu…,” Dr. Mashifane is inside the tank busy cleaning Talon’s wound.
Him: “I’ve managed to take out the bullet, if he doesn’t get the right help at the hospital within 20 minutes we will lose him.”
Bubbles: “Then what are you waiting for? Just drive them there already, and stop talking! We can’t afford to lose them.” He nods.
Me: “They will be fine, don’t worry.”
Her: “Are you okay though?”
Me: “Yes, you?”
Her: “Me too.”
Dr.Mashifane: “Are you guys coming?”
Her: “Yes, we are. The others will take care of the rest,” we get inside the tank and Leon is the one driving, he only got shot in the arm. Talon & Batista better survive, they better fucking survive!