Midnight Kiss
7
The following morning just after 5am, Arefa parked her car outside Ofentse’s house. She took a deep breath swallowing her guilt, then opened her car door. Her phone rang. She paused, then picked it up.
“Aone.”
“Refa, I passed by your house last night. Where were you?”
“I had a work thing. What did you want?”
“I came to drop off the meat. Papa had it sent over.”
“Mmhmm…”
“Refa?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you really have a work thing?”
“Yeah, I-”
“Refa?”
Arefa breathed out emotionally. “My contract may not get renewed. I heard them talking about letting go of some people. I need to secure my source of income.”
“Refa, please don’t tell me Rragwe Ofentse is-”
“He promised me twenty cows. As soon as I get those, I promise-”
“Do you even love Ofentse?”
“I do. You know I do. But I also need to look out for myself.”
Her sister breathed out and spoke softly, as usual.
“Ofentse is a great man. You sleeping with his father, or rather allowing his father to manipulate you like this feels dumb. Even for you. Your CV is great. You can always find another job, and Ofentse already takes care of you. Right now, you are just being greedy, which is sad to even watch. It’s one thing to hurt someone, but another to do it with his father.”
Tears filled Arefa’s eyes.
“You can do better than this. I promise you can.”
The front door opened and Ofentse stepped out. Arefa cleared her throat. “I have to go. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
She hung up, pulled herself together and stepped out of the car.
Ofentse smiled at her as she walked over. She went straight into his arms and breathed out.
“Hi.”
He kissed her neck then her lips. “Hey. You are early.”
“I thought I would make you breakfast.”
She walked inside the house then paused looking at Lesedi sleeping on the couch. She turned back to Ofentse.
“What is she doing on the couch?”
“For now she will sleep there. I will gwt a bed and move the things in my office so she can sleep in there.”
“But she can sleep on the floor. Isn’t she a maid?”
“We left the hospital late and I just thought-“
“Ofentse, this girl is a maid. She doesn’t need any special treatment. She is nothing but a maid. She will sleep on the floor! You got this couch from coricraft. It was too expensive to have someone with cracked feet sleep on it. The P600 salary we are going to be giving her can’t even cover the cleaning fee for this couch.”
Arefa walked over to Lesedi and shook her hard. “Hey!”
Lesedi opened her eyes and quickly sat up. She looked at Ofentse’s girlfriend.
“You sleep on the floor. Do you know how much these couches were? Get off the couch.”
Lesedi quickly stood up. Arefa pointed at the floor. “You sleep on the floor. You are a maid, nothing more. And by this time you should have already woken up and started cleaning.”
Lesedi glanced at Ofentse then back at Arefa.
“Ee mma.”
Arefa sighed. “I will make you breakfast babe.”
She walked to the kitchen. Ofentse followed her while Lesedi fearfully folded the blankets she had been given and sat on the floor behind the couch in complete silence listening to them laugh in the kitchen.
***
That same morning, Kgosiemang turned in his sleep. He blinked still drowsy then jumped when he caught his wife staring at him.
“You scared me!”
Mmagwe Lesedi continued staring at him. “Why haven’t you told me how it went?”
“I told you, she is fine. Her husband is also fine. She will adjust.”
“There are rumors going around that Tiro went after her. Apparently, he sold one of his father’s cows and went after her.”
“He won’t find her.”
Mmagwe Lesedi breathed out. “I feel like we sold our daughter to a stranger.”
“You are overthinking things. And that is my friend’s son.”
“Isn’t he the same friend whose wife once caught him with a schoolgirl? What if-”
“Woman of God! It’s too early for this nonsense. Can’t I rest in this house?”
Mmagwe Lesedi fell silent and watched him turn the other way to continue sleeping. She quietly walked out rubbing her eyes.
***
Two Months Later
At Transport in Maruapula, Gaborone, Happy waited nervously with Tiro’s driving school instructor. The instructor glanced at her and laughed.
“That man is smart. He is the smartest student I have ever had. I’m sure he has this in the bag.”
Happy laughed. “I hope so. He wasn’t even nervous this morning.”
“Because he knows his thing. Some people are just fast learners.”
They both turned as Tiro walked over with a straight face. Happy’s heart pounded harder.
“And?”
Tiro smiled. “I passed.”
The instructor jumped. “That’s my man!”
Tiro laughed. “It was easy.”
Happy smiled emotionally and hugged him. “I was so scared.”
Tiro pulled back laughing. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
Happy smiled. “This deserves a celebration. Let’s go home so I can freshen up first.”
He nodded and fist-bumped his instructor.
“Thank you.”
“Sure.”
He got into Happy’s car, and she started the engine.
“So let me see it!”
“He took out the license and showed her.”
Happy smiled proudly.
“Perfect. I will call my brother and let him know you passed. The job is already yours anyway. He loves you already.”
Tiro nodded as Happy reversed and drove off.
“Does your brother have any progress on Lesedi?”
Happy slowed down at a red traffic light.
“Not yet, but he’s looking. You know this is not an official search so he needs to be careful.”
“I know, and I’m grateful he is helping me. He doesn’t have to.”
Happy smiled. “We will find her.”
They arrived at her house and walked inside. Tiro took off his shoes and sat down while Happy walked to her bedroom. She thoughtfully called her friend.
“Chomi.”
“Mma, he is still talking about his village girl!”
Her friend burst out laughing.
“I still don’t know what you are trying to do with that man. Fair and fine, he’s handsome and has good manners but his heart is already elsewhere. I know you feel like you can custom-make him into the man of your dreams but not with his heart somewhere else. He will never stop mentioning his village girlfriend.”
Happy swallowed. “I haven’t tried one trick.”
“Happy!”
“We will talk. Sharp.”
She hung up, undressed, and grabbed a large towel. She wrapped it around her body, took a deep breath then stepped out of her bedroom.
Tiro glanced at her and turned back to the TV.
Happy walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She took out a bottle of water then looked over at Tiro.
“Help me open this. My hands are oily.”
She walked over and handed him the bottle. Tiro sat upright taking the bottle. He twisted the lid and Happy loosened the towel just as he opened the bottle. He looked at her while handing it back. Happy reached for it and the towel slipped, falling to her feet and leaving her nude.
.