LUXOLO

I flip my eyes open, and jump out of bed screaming when I feel something moving down my legs only to find that it was TK, he was circling his belt on top of my legs, that time I thought that it was a snake or something. He laughs as I try to catch my breath.

“Tsek TK voetsek! You almost killed me!” He is still laughing. “Tsek maarn!”

“Wuuuuh, kanty? You should’ve seen your face bubbles, yerrr. Who would’ve thought that you are afraid of your kind? I mean, you, women & snakes are one and the same thing.”

Me: “Hhayi ndoda, noh. Vaya uyekakho, you want to kill me in my own home? You have a liver ha.ah. Wait, what am I even saying? This is your house do whatever you want ke!” He continues to laugh.

Him: “Nah. I don’t want to leave, and tsek I can stay here for as long as I want.”

Me: “So, uyakipita? You are doing vat & set?” He snorts.

Him: “Very much so, and it’s such a good feeling waking up in someone’s house, no wonder ladies didn’t want to leave my house once they come to visit me. Kumnandi emadladleni wabanye abantu skhokho,” (It’s nice in other peoples houses)

Me: “Mxm. Why are you talking about other women in my room? Uyang’delela uyazibona?” He chuckles.

Him: “Does it wound your heart when I talk about another woman in your presence?” He smirks.

Me: “Pfftttt, what? Oh, please. It doesn’t wound me or anything, and why would I give a fuck about you, and other women? What you do is none of my business.” Yeap, this is me consoling myself. But the truth is I’m jealous bafethu, I don’t know even know why because there’s nothing going on between us. We are just people who once slept together, raw, and now. Fuck, he melts me. I need to pull myself together before I turn into complete water, you guys know that I’m stubborn, but when it comes to him? Hhayi shame, the stubbornness in me shoots down my pussy, and fills my underwear, he pushes those buttons that makes me find myself submitting to him. Nah, this is a test. A test to see whether I’m a whore or what, no. I need to keep it together, but how when he is staring at me the way he is staring me right now? Like, hello? How can I not be a whore whereas he is an entire three meal course? Snap out of it Lux, you can do this.

Him: “So, how wet did I get you?” He grins.

Me: “Pardon? Not even a tiny drop.”

Him: “You are lying and you know it.”

Me: “Your opinion phela I will not dispute that. Anyway, thanks for keeping me company last night, but right now may you leave? I need my  space back,” he shrugs.

Him: “I said I’m not leaving. We are going to spend the day together, and annoy you even further.”

Me: “Don’t you have a girlfriend to attend to?”

Him: “Girlfriend? I have girlfriends bubbles, and no I don’t have to attend any of them.” I wonder how many girls saw his bedroom wall, and in which direction is his bed placed, I still can’t believe that I’m one of those girls, a whole Lux? Me? Miss radio station? Yazi, in all 3 of my relationships I always used the 90 days rule, but with him. 2 encounters, and I was already screaming his name, and fisting his sheets to top it all, I had raw sex with him. I didn’t even know his status, clearly I was risking with my life, by the way I’m clean, I did test for HIV I even asked the Dr to draw my blood, and take it to the lab just to be on the same side. Now, I don’t even want to imagine how I would’ve reacted if I was HIV positive, ishuuu but then I would’ve only had myself to blame, no one else. I swear the devil was the one controlling me.

Me: “Disgusting. Seeing that you woke up first, were you at least a gentleman enough, and made us breakfast?”

Him: “Breakfast? This ain’t my house bubbles,” he is busy with his phone.

Me: “Oh, okay.” I walk out of the bedroom, and go to the bathroom. I rinse my face & brush my teeth then I head straight to the kitchen. This man will know me very well, he will shame. Yazi, I don’t even know why I’m entertaining him, I honestly don’t.

I get done preparing myself breakfast, I even made sure that the smell with lure him to this kitchen in that bedroom he’s in. TV is boring me lately, but cartoons will do.

“Why didn’t you call me, and tell me that breakfast is ready?”

Me: “Ready where? This ain’t your house boy, go and eat breakfast in your own house,” he snorts.

Him: “Is this how it is now?”

Me: “It is what? Go to your house, and eat breakfast then you come back here.” He shakes his head, and settles on my lap.

Him: “As I said before I’m not going anywhere, and now we are going to share your breakfast whether you like it or not bubbles. Can we sit down on the carpet at least?”

Me: “No.” Picking up a strip of bacon, and throw it in my mouth. He chuckles, and he picks me up from the couch. “Uyenzani?” Hhayi nina, he puts me in the bathroom then he walks out quickly, I hear the key turning. Nigga just locked the fucking door, WTF? “TK open this damn door you piece of shit!”

Him: “I will after I’m done eating breakfast bubbles, enjoy your little breather in there so long,” he laughs then he whistles. Fuck! There’s no spare key here, shit. Now what? It was going to be better if I had my pin with, and there’s nothing to use here to open this door. God, must be testing me with this maniac. He will pay for this.

★»★«

NOMALANGA (Lux’s mother)

We finally arrived in our destination American Samoa, everyone is lost in their own worlds probably still traumatized from that shoot out that took place back there at the garage in South Africa. It’s 02:45am, and we are all tired all I need is some rest, but first I will have to freshen up. I put my bags in my assigned room, we will be staying here at Tradewinds hotel until further notice, this hotel is very beautiful I tell you even the rooms are big, of which makes me wonder how did Luxolo afford all this. Or maybe that dreadlocks guy pulled some few strings for her? No, man this ain’t making sense at all, not unless I’m really slow at catching up on things. Revisiting my conversation earlier on with my daughter it was very clear that she had no idea about all of this so-called “safety trip” of ours.

I’m still taken aback by what happened back there in South Africa. I never knew my daughter as someone who knows how to use a gun I was really shocked, and my heart stopped beating for a few seconds when I saw her in action, she wasn’t my Luxolo. She was not the daughter I gave birth to, she better not be a gangster or something along those lines because these things are dangerous I used to see the movies on TV they even end up killing each other, and I don’t want to lose her I’ve lost a daughter before because of all this gangster nonsense. Her name was Luxolo too, just like my current Luxolo she was hyperactive, but not talkative.

I’ve been watching her from a distance ever since she was 10 years old, the choices I’ve made in my past left me with no choice, but to give her up for adoption. I’m not really a saint I have my own skeletons too lurking around, and I might’ve lied a little about how my marriage with Eddie was, let’s just say I’m also to be blamed for my failed marriage with Eddie, all that glitters is not gold after all. But, I was doing all of this to protect her I didn’t want her to grow up without knowing me just like Luxololwethu. When I learned that she was a gangster, and had her own gang a decade ago I knew right there & then that I’ve failed her, she doesn’t even know about my existence and it’s best that way all the love I failed to give her I gave it to Luxolo, and now I need to protect her before she gets in too deep in this gangsterism. But how will I, when there’s a war coming and I’m far away from her? Doesn’t that make me a failer as her mother? I don’t know what I’m going to do, I honestly don’t, but I trust that Lee will protect her. Well, even though she did show that she can protect herself she still needs some protection herself.

I’m yet to process all that have just happened. The way I trembled after those gunshots went off I almost peed on myself, I was scared. I’m just glad that no one was harmed all thanks to my daughter who saved us, but either way I will still confront her she will tell me exactly who the hell is she, and what’s her story. I have no doubts that Lindiwe is involved in all of this that girl is very dodgy, I used to hear her sneaking in at night, sometimes she used to come home limping, and badly bruised, but will try to walk normal when her mother is around. See, this is what I fear for my daughter she will get mixed up in a rough mix, and end up getting hurt I’m not at ease honestly about all of this, I really am not.

Then there’s this woman that I came with, she made it very clear from the word go that she doesn’t like me, and she never will and to me that’s okay because I’m not money not everyone is going to love me. I wonder how our stay is going to be like here because crossing paths with her is not really on my to-do list, I guess it was going to be better if we were placed in different hotels to keep peace between us, it’s going to be a long stay here, I will just have to persevere until all is over. I also pray that the war doesn’t come this side because I don’t know what we will do seeing that we have no protection this side. Sighs, life life life why on earth don’t you have a manual?

★»★«

TSAKANI

It’s been over an hour locking bubbles in the bathroom this was me teaching her a lesson not to deny eating with me ever again. You see, I’ve never felt like this before with all the women I’ve been with

I’ve been in the dating industry for long, but no woman comes close to how bubbles makes me feel. She makes me feel alive, and brings that soft side of me effortlessly. She penetrated my dark & cold heart the first time I laid my eyes on her as she was working that pole, I wasn’t really focusing on her let alone all the girls working the pole, showing us their asserts, but the one residing within me who is unknown, the one who made my heart twitched forced me to look at her, he literally dragged my gaze to focus on her, her and her alone. I melted as my dick throbbed at her sight confirming that she’s my mine, she’s ours I had to act fast, and claim her, mark her and I did just that. She will never be with any other man, if she tries sleeping with any man they will die the following day. This marking/claiming of women was started by our unknown great-grandfather’s, I don’t even know why they had to go to Ghana to get that unknown thing that marks woman. We don’t even know what it is, but it definitely chooses women for us. All my brother’s marked their wives on their first encounters, but as for me hhayi shame I had to sleep with more than 30 women before I met the one chosen by the one residing in me, clearly it was not taking me serious. And we can’t take it out by ourselves, we will have to pass it on to our male children because if it is passed on to females they will die together with their partners, this is one fucked up shit, and unfortunately for us there’s nothing we can do about it, but to just accept it. At least it chose me a gintsakazi, someone who understands my line of work, someone who will be besides me through it all, even if she wants to leave me she can’t, because our bodies touched, and our body sweats combined. 

Anyway, I wonder if my family arrived safe there at Samoa. I wanted to take them to Spain or Argentina, but Lee told me not too I’d rather take them to Samoa that place is very much safe for them, and they will not be amongst a lot of people. I did my own research, and I liked it. Oh, all the gents took their families there too we want all of them to be in one place. My phone rings, I pick it up from the table and it’s my neighbor Martin, this man never calls me unless there’s something important he wants to tell me or there’s something suspicious going on in my house…

“Marty.”

“TK my man. Are you home?”

Me: “No, why?”

Him: “Oh, I thought you were around because I’m busy seeing people coming, and leaving your house.”

Me: “I’m sure it’s my friends Marty.”

Him: “It’s not them, your friends left a long time ago the people I’m talking about were with some woman, but the woman left them here.” I drop my legs on the floor.

Me: “How many are they?” I’m already on my feet.

Him: “About 3-4 if I’m not mistaken, and they are armed.”

Me: “I’m on my way, keep an eye on them,” I hang up, and go and open the door for bubbles I find her leaning against the wall eating her nails. She just looks at me, clearly pissed off but I have no time to waste. “I have to go something came up, something is going on in my house,” I’m already walking away.

Her: “What? I’m coming with let me go, and get something fast then we leave,” she hurries to her bedroom. She’s wasting time that I don’t have, I walk outside and toward my car, I step inside it. I bring the engine to life, and I’m about to drive away when she comes out of the house wearing a black jumpsuit unzipped, and black biker boots with spikes unzipped too, she has a small bag with her, I like what I’m seeing. I just stare at her mouth agape. She gets inside the car. “Drive.”

Me: “Wawu. Look at you. You look good, I fucken like you like this woman.”

Her: “I like myself too, and I’m ready for action,” I chuckle, and drive off. She looks at herself in the rear mirror applying black lipstick on her mouth. “So, you don’t have any idea who those people are?”

Me: “I don’t have any, but I know that this has Adelaide written all over it, she’s the only one whose after my blood as far as I know,” she nods.

Her: “Who is this Adele exactly, and what is she to you?”

Me: “She used to be someone I was fucking.”

Her: “So, she’s doing all of this because she wants your dick back?”

Me: “Clearly she wants it back, I guess the others are not satisfying her like mine does,” I see her nose flaring, and she squints her eyes at me.

Her: “Mxm.” I laugh. “Did you alert the guys?”

Me: “No, I haven’t. I first want to see whoever those men are invading my house without my presence, and without my permission.”

Her: “You should’ve gone back to your house the time I told you too, look now; people are doing as they please in your house.”

Me: “But I was keeping you company.”

Her: “I did not ask you too.”

Me: “I know. You were going to be bored mus all alone.”

Her: “I wouldn’t have because I was used to staying alone,” shrugging. As we are approaching my house I can see 2 SUVs parked outside my yard, and I’ve never seen them before they don’t even have number plates, I slow down my car. “Time to put my skills that I’ve seen in movies in action, and see if I’ve got the skills I’ve been practicing phela.” She opens her small bag, and takes out a balaclava with black gloves. She puts them on. “You can drop me off here,” she buckles the small bag in her waist.

Me: “What exactly are you planning to do?” She giggles.

Her: “I’m about to cripple some people hope your neighbors won’t have a problem with what I’m about to do. I got your back skhokho saarn noma unya sometimes,” she kisses my cheek, and step out of the car, I watch her walk toward Mavis grass, and on top of the wall she’s taking slow strides clearly trying not to fall, nc  nc nc. This girl is really taking risks.

I park my car just behind the cars, I step out of it, and walk toward the gate, my gate is wide open, I chuckle, and walk inside the yard. All the way from here I can hear laughter coming from the kitchen… I lean against the door frame, and watch all these 3 men making a party with my food. I whistle, and they all turn, and look clearly surprised seeing me.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“We are eating, can’t you see?” Responds one of the man, he looks really scary with his crooked lips.

Me: “I can see that, but what are you doing here?”

Him: “Well, we are here to get something for our boss, and now that you are here It’s a bonus because we will kill you too,” I laugh once, and keep my straight face on again.

Man 2: “I wonder what’s taking Alias so long he should be here by now.”

Him: “I’m sure he’s still busy trying to break the code.”

Man 2: “But Spikhili gave Adele the password.”

Man 3: “You are such a fool. Obviously this bastard changed the password,” he looks at me, and I’m focusing on him when all of a sudden I feel a cold metal behind my head, okay someone is pointing me with a gun.

“Give me the code to your safe, and we will spare you your life,” speaks the man who is holding me at gun point I don’t even know where he came from.

Me: “No. I will not give you any code, and I dare you to pull the trigger right now motherfucker,” I’m not even flinching I’m used too being pointed with a gun its nothing new, at all.

Him: “Don’t make blow your br…” Bang bang bang! That’s a sound of a gun coming upstairs, all the man gets up from their chairs, and my mind traces back to Lux, shit! While the others are running upstairs to see what’s going on, I take out my gun from my waist holster, and in one turn the gun comes in contact with the man’s stomach, I shoot him thrice, and push him away from me. I hurry upstairs when I hear more gunshots, 2 man on the ground, and one is aiming straight at my study whoever is in there is going to die. I’m about to shoot him when I see him going down blood coming out of his mouth. Shit!

I get to my study, and I find Luxolo still holding the gun pointing it toward the door hands shaking, and eyes opened wide in shock. I pull her into my embrace.

“It’s going to be okay bubbles, it’s going to be fine,” I assure her, and it will be fine. She will get used to it, but I Stan her bravery, and I wonder how did she get in here. She saved me, Adele have overstepped the line I need to call the gents, we must meet urgently.

“I- I killed them?” She asks more like whispering.

Me: “Yeah, you killed them all.”

Her: “I didn’t mean to I just wanted to cripple them, but when that man pointed me with a rifle I had to act, he would’ve killed me.”

Me: “I know, but you saved me, and I’m proud of you.”