LUXOLO

The day finally came to an end, and I must disclose, I had a lot of fun with the girls hearing them telling me about their crappy crazy lives made my day. But now it was time for us to go back to our places, and do what we know best, but first I need to pass by the club and see how far are the builders with the renovations. I yearn to see the club up & operating in a month time, and yeah, my warriors (homeless) finally decided to leave on their “own” as the caretaker told me when I implored, but I doubt that they left on their own, Tsakani, had something to do with it. My phone rings and Luxolo’s name flashes on the screen.

“Biggie,” I answer the phone is connected to the car.

“Hey, Smallie. So, I’ve found out where Thembeka is,” my eyes lit up.

Me: “Say what? Where is she?”

Her: “Dr.Mashifane’s practice. Tsebo Mashifane practice.”

Me: “That’s a good thing, I guess we back in the game, I was so worried thinking that you weren’t going to find where she is phela we have no time to waste. So, what time are you abducting her?” She heaves a sigh.

Her: “Well,” she pauses. “We can’t abduct her whilst she’s still at Dr.Mashifane’s practice.”

Me: “What? Why?”

Her: “That place is highly secured, and Tsebo is not only a Dr. But he is a very powerful man, and not to be messed with. We can’t just trespass on his practice. So, we need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new strategy, and that will take us weeks to come up with a tangible plan. Not unless we wait for her to return back to Elite then we will go ahead with the abduction as planned.”

Me: “Come on, biggie. Can’t you at least bribe him or something?”

Her: “That will only mean signing our death warrant. In fact, we will be handing ourselves to him on a silver platter.” I sneer.

Me: “I thought that you guys are powerful and untouchable. What is it that you’re telling me now?”

Her: “We are powerful, yes, but Tsebo is beyond powerful. He’s the greatest underground gang of this game, he’s not someone you mess with it and get to tell a tale. Much as we want to help, but this is beyond us. There’s nothing we can do for now, and I highly suggest that you don’t get involved too. I just found you and I’m not willing to lose you, but be rest assured that we will deal with the culprit when the time comes. I promise you.” I nod as if she can see me, I need to do my research about this Tsebo Mashifane character and find out who he really is. But then if I can ask Tsakani about him I’m sure he will tell me all that I need to know about him, and all that he executes. “Still there?”

Me: “Shaking my head. “Yes, I’m still here.”

Her: “Heard what I said?”

Me: “Crystal.”

Her: “Good, don’t do anything absurd smallie.”

Me: “I won’t, I promise you.”

Her: “Because if you do then you will leave me with no choice but to kill you once you get caught,” she ain’t joking that’s for certain.

Me: “I believe you.”

Her: “Excellent. How’s Nomalanga?”

Me: “She’s a whole lot better than the last time you saw her, she can do things by herself now, but she still need to be monitored.”

Her: “That’s a relief.”

Me: “You care about her, don’t you?”

Her: “No. I don’t care about her,” sneers. “I’m only apprehensive because she’s your mother,” I chuckle shaking my head, I wonder who is she trying to convince because I know for a fact that it’s not me, or maybe she’s trying to convince herself I don’t know. However, she might not admit it, but she deeply cares about Nomalanga and I pray that they try mending things, and we be one big happy family before I tie the knot. I don’t want bad blood between the two of them.

Me: “I understand.”

Her: “You sound as if like you’re driving. Are you?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m heading to the club to check how far the builders are with the renovations and if they aren’t short of any materials.”

Her: “Oh, okay. Let me not waste any more of your time.”

Me: “You weren’t but thank you, and I’m already here. Chat you up later, yeah?”

Her: “Of course. Love you.”

Me: “Love you too, biggie” she hangs up.

I step inside the yard, and it seems as if like these builders haven’t done anything yet, the scene still looks the same as I left it a day ago, sighs. I jump the bricks that are scattered carelessy on the ground and make my way inside the club and to my surprise, I find the builders drinking beer, drunk, extremely intoxicated, I’m shocked. Hhe, the nerve! Yabona abasebenzi ba local banjani? And when you hire foreign individuals to do the job they argue that you hire outsiders, and not bother looking their way. That’s black people for you. I chuckle as I saunter to where they are settling, kicking one of them with a powerful impact on his ribs, and him yelping like a little girl is what makes the others scramble on their feet looking rather alarmed by my presence.

“And then? What’s blathering on here?” I ask looking around at the mess they’ve created.

“Ah-ah, ses’teri,” one says scraping his head.

Me: “Tsek! Don’t nyeteri me, kuhambani la?”

Him: “Ah, well-” a slap lands on his face, but not the painful slap just a light one. More like patting his cheek. The others gasp.

Me: “You see if none of you is willing to tell me what’s going on then I might as well kill all of you right now, but I’m a good person, I will give you guys one last chance just one. What’s going on?”

Man 2: “Well, some foreign lady came here, and told us that she was sent by you- she explained that you told her to tell us not to work because you won’t be able to reimburse us,” I angle my head to the right and look at him confused. I don’t remember sending anyone here, and I doubt it’s one of the girls because we were together almost all day long. Then who might it be?

Me: “Care to explain to me how this woman looks like?”

Him: “I don’t know really but she doesn’t look African. Body wise she’s a full-figured woman, and has a lot of tattoos covering her arms that’s all I can remember,” he shrugs. I don’t even who that is even the description doesn’t fit any of the women I know, and certainly, this woman knows me.

Me: “And you listened to her?”

Man 3: “She was very convincing, she even showed us your chats on Whatsapp.” Excuse me? What the actual fuck? This doesn’t make sense because I don’t even use WhatsApp. So, basically, this person stole my picture wherever she stole it from, then created a Whatsapp account using my name and my picture. Sent herself back to back texts pretending that she’s texting me, the time she has though. Hmmm, interesting.

Me: “And the bhevs? Where did you get it?”

Man 2: “She came with it and said is from you, it’s an apology” I nod. I look at the time on my wristwatch and it’s almost 18:30.

Me: “I see. You can knock off, I want all of you here as early as 05:00 am tomorrow morning, I’ll be here too. Don’t be unpunctual. Clear up your jumble and be excused,” they quickly nod. I head out confused, guess I’ll never find peace, sighs. I wonder who the woman is, and what is her story with me. Anyway, tomorrow I’ll be here to observe things, I’m sure she will stop by unware that I’m around, but I must be in a very secluded area and catch her off guard. No rest…

★«★»

CINDY

This place is very creepy, and cold too. It makes my blood rush, but I need help so I have no choice but to step inside. I take off my shoes and look around if there aren’t any people lurking around in the silhouettes and luckily for me I see no one, sighs. It’s now or never, the door opens by itself as I’m about to knock. My heart rate is pumping faster than it normally does, I swallow at my own saliva as I step inside the creepy looking rondavel. The scary noise of differents animals comes to life, a part of me wishes that I can turn around and take off without even seeing Mam’Nandi. But the smoke emerging from the ground says otherwise, it lures me to where Mam’Nandi is and she’s sitting comfortably in her pitch-black chair that has horns on either sides wearing all black, her face too yellow than usual days.

“Hlala phansi,” (sit) she orders, her voice is full of evil. I sit down without asking any questions. “Soyathakatha wena manje?” (Are you witch now) haibo, this woman. What nonsense is this now?

“Akufuni wena loko. Ungakhona ukusiza ngale nkinga yami?” (That doesn’t concern you. Will you be able to help me with my dilemma) she laughs so loud that the rondavel shakes, and her laugh echoes all around the rondavel even though she has stopped laughing.

Her: “Wakhuluma nami ngathi ukhuluma nonyonko. Ujwayezwa yini?” (You’re talking to me as if you’re talking to your mother. What’s getting you familiar with me) I quickly shake my head. “Angikhulumi ngedwa njalo, kumbe sowuyisimumu manje ndodakazi?” (I’m not talking alone on that note. Or are you a mime all of a sudden

my daughter) yoh, her voice is deep now for sure a man has taken over her body. 

Me: “Ch- cha.” (No)

Her: “Kahle ke phambi kokuthi siyekude. Unyoko uyazi ukuthi u la?” (Wait before we go any further. Does your mother know that you are here) I shake my head.

Me: “Cha akazi,” (she doesn’t know)

Her: “Umuhambe ngaphambile noma akukhalimile. Yini? Yingoba wena ucabanga ukuthi uhlakaniphile wena njengoba ufundile? Umthetho wakho uyeyisa wena,” (So, you still came here even though she reprimanded you not to come here. What is it? Is it because you think that you are clever seeing that you are educated? The thing with you is that you are very disrespectful) geez, this yellow moloi is wasting my time busy chattering about things that don’t concern her.

Me: Sighing. “Look. I didn’t come here for you to question me, ngize la ngoba ngifuna usizo lokubuyisa umyeni hhayi le nonsense that you’re telling me now,” she growls. “Uyang’siza noma ngindlulele phambili?” (Are you helping me or must or must I go elsewhere)

Her: “Ndlulela ndodakazi, uyeyisa wena.” (You can go elsewhere you are very disrespectful)

Me: “Kube uvele washo ned so kwasekucaleni hhayi lijikajikisa bowungenzisa yona,” (you should’ve told me that from the beginning rather than taking me in circles with your bullshit)

Her: “Hamba la njengamanje ntombazana! Phuma uphele, angeke ngidelelwe ingane mina emsamo wami, hamba!” (Leave at this instant girly. Leave and never come back, I will not allow you to disrespect me in my private space, leave) I click my tongue getting up from the floor. Yasis, this woman.

Me: “Sala mthakathi ndini!” (Stay here you witch)

Her: “Ngiyafunga ng’yagomela ngithi ngeke ufike e freeway uzopetuka ngale moto yakho. Hamba!” (I swear to you, you will not get to the freeway you will swerve with your car and rollover. Leave) She roars. Mxm, as if I care about her weak threats, nxai. I step out of the rondavel and look up at the sky and the clouds are starting to form indicating that it will pour shortly, I need to get home before the rain begins.

I step inside the rented car and roar the engine to life, and take off. Mam’Nandi really disappointed me, but I’m not giving up. I’m sure other witches can help me with my dilemma, powerful ones for that matter. Futhi nje, where did she get the audacity to talk to me & question me the way she did? Uyaphapha lo mthakathi o yellow. I’m not even going to bother passing home because my mom will infuriate me even further, and vele we won’t see eye to eye. Rihanna’s Anti album is what’s keeping me company as I navigate to the garage, my all-time favorite track in this album is “kiss it better” followed by “love on the brain” and the rest follow suit. The clouds are gathering faster than I’ve anticipated, I’m still hoping that I get to the garage before it starts raining. I pick up the speed, I’m 10 minutes away from the garage.

I give one of the petrol attendance the car keys, and he gives me back my money. I step inside my car bringing the engine to life, and off I drive. Well, it might start pouring seeing that I’m 2 hours away from home, sighs. If it happens that it rains as I’m driving I will have to drive with vigilance because the road can be slippery, and that magogo has cast a spell on me, rubbish. Off to the freeway, I’m cruising, and the rain starts pouring but I pay no attention to it, it was not until I see a huge rock in the middle of the road that rocked out from nowhere. I try swerving my car trying not to hit the rock seeing that I’m driving straight at it, but my brakes and clutches are not working. What the actual fuck? I look on either side of the windows and I see nothing, there’s too much fog surrounding my car. Dammit, I try unlocking my door but it ain’t budging tears veil my eyes, I’m in the shit. I knock on the windows hoping that someone will see me, but it appears as if like I’m wrong and it’s a little too late because the front of my car hits the rock making my head going forward, and I knock the steering wheel with my forehead as my car comes into a complete halt. The headache that I suddenly have is intense, shit! I lift my face from the steering wheel, and throw it back to my seat, my eyes shutting off, I feel weak…

★«★»

TSAKANI

I’ve been trying to call bubbles for the past hour, but her phone is taking me straight to voicemail I wonder where she is because when I spoke to Batista 2 hours ago he told me that Maxine is home, and she’s long gotten home. Plus, the rain is not having any mercy it’s pouring. I hope she’s unharmed wherever she is, let me just go and look for her once and for all. The door ripples open, and bubbles steps inside not looking happy, in fact, she’s pissed off I wonder what got her angry.

“Good evening my love,” she kisses my cheek.

“Evening. What got you so mad?” She takes off her shoes and settles in one of the vacant stools.

Her: “Well, I know that you were worried sick about me, and that’s kind of cute. Anyway, I passed by the club to see how far the guys are.”

Me: “How far are they? And yes, I was worried sick about you, I was going insane. You should’ve at least called me and notified me that you will be running late.”

Her: “I ran out of battery I forgot to charge my phone, sorry.”

Me: “Accepted. So, how far are they?” She chuckles shaking her head.  “Babe?”

Her: “They haven’t even started. I found them intoxicated,” shrugging. “They were sitting in a circle, laughing and drowning themselves with the bhev. Can you believe it?” She shakes her head, not believing that she actually found her workers having fun.

Me: “What? But how?”

Her: “Well,” (she narrates everything to me) then she snarls. “I need a beer, yeerrr.”

Me: “Ek’se, have any idea who it is?” I open the fridge and take out one can of Belgravia since I’m standing closer to it, I open it then hand it to her.

Her: “Thank you. I honestly don’t know is she, all I know is that she’s described to be covered in tattoos, fully figured, and she’s definitely not a South African.”

Me: “Is that all?”

Her: “Yeah, that’s just about it, and no one with a description like that comes in mind,” I nod.  The only person who comes to my mind right now with the description that bubbles gave me, it’s Adele. Now, the biggest question is, what does she want from bubbles because bubbles don’t even know her? not unless she’s afraid of the competition since she’s busy renovating her club too. She will try by all means to bring bubbles down, and hinder her from completing the renovations ngoba it seems as if like the builders are easily influenced once they are given something. Hhe, the bravery. “Or maybe it’s one of your expired goods,” I laugh.

Me: “Ah never. I don’t date ratchets. I wonder who that person is, but don’t worry we will get to the bottom of this, I promise you.” She nods. Well, I do suspect who that person is but I need assurance that it’s really her. No man, it’s really her…

Her: “I know. What are we eating?”

Me: “Pap & cow heels,” she squirms in excitement.

Her: “My favorite. You are such a husband material, I need to pay Lobola for you urgently, you deserve to be hitched!” I laugh.

Me: “Right, but let me not beat you to it first.”

Her: “Really?” She raises her brow.

Me: “Yeah. Want to bet on it?”

Her: “Urhm, let me go and freshen up then I will come back with a response,” she disembarks the chair.

Me: “Don’t worry, I already know the answer,” she pouts then giggles.

Her: “Whatever, nobubi.”

Me: “Say that again?”

Her: “Nobubi, mnyamane!” She’s already taking off, I laugh shaking my head, and shame I won’t even run after her. I might as well dish up for her… Adele, what game are you playing? My phone rings, and it’s a number I’m unfamiliar with… I answer and not say anything. The person is breathing heavily on the other end, more like they want to say something but it seems like words are stuck in their throat…

“Ts- Tsakani.” Her voice comes out as a whisper. Erh, I’ve completely forgotten about her existence kaze uvumbukaphi.

“Kedibone! Where the hell has you been?!”

Her: “Ni kombela uni rivalela,” (please forgive me) sniffing.

Me: “Rivalela? Forget about that. Where the hell is you maarn!”

Her: “I’m sorry-,” she hangs up. I try calling her again, and she doesn’t pick up. Dammit, Kedibone. Ai, let me not stress myself about her. She’s a grown woman, and very much alive. I’m just glad that she’s alive, that’s all that matters… Surely Bulelwa will be very delighted to know that her daughter is alive…