INSERT 54
LUxOLO
{MONTHS LATER}
The club is doing very well, the turn-up is always on point the club makes 5x more than how much it was making when Sol was still the owner, a lot of things have really changed. Our club is nothing like these other ordinary clubs, it’s one of a kind. We even have chefs now, and we’ve managed to find professional strippers both male & female some of them are world-renowned strippers, and so are our escorts (sex workers). We needed to balance things, we even have female bouncers and bartenders. Zama & her squad once came to the club to beg for their job back they looked so washed up bo nyaope in the making, and boy did I not laugh in their faces at their despondency? They even had tears, but their tears didn’t move me shame, and besides, they are not the target market now. It’s in with the new, and out with the old. Rumors are that they are now working for Adele, and they are getting paid peanuts, their wish is to come back here. The worst of it all is that Mapule is pregnant! If I did hire them how was she going to work? Well, Adele hired her, hmmm. Oh, speaking of Adele? I haven’t forgotten about her, I’m still coming for him, then I will go for Nikolai. That one won’t even discern me coming, I will surprise visit him. I’m sure he thinks that I’m dead or something, hahaha. Funny.
Maxine is the one who runs the club on my behalf, I’m looking into buying another club to merge it with the one we have now, but that one will be a normal club for normal people. Zubenathi’s book “I am not my past” inspired me, especially when it comes to business ethics. That woman is a hard worker and most definitely knows how to make money, furthermore, I liked the fact that he included his husband in everything and their love story is beautiful to read. The husband was just a normal guy, with a normal life, and driving an average car.
He wanted to buy a certain restaurant, but he didn’t have the money that was needed, he exhausted all of his savings, and tried pleading with the owner to sell it to him with the half money he has raised so far, and he will pay the remaining amount once he has made enough money, but the owner didn’t want to hear any of it, he wanted it cash. That’s when Zubenathi came along, she was very rich, she was actually bathing in money, but never flaunt it around. Anyway, she wanted to purchase the whole restaurant, but the owner told her that there’s someone whose desperate to purchase the restaurant, but he doesn’t have the money. Moghel was such a nice person, she bought 60% of the shares and her husband (Bayanda) was given the 40%. Zubenathi, was a silent partner in the restaurant until things started going South at the restaurant when it started losing money, she stepped up and fixed the mess, and that’s how their relationship started. Baby girl never judged her husband because he was average, living in a four-room house and driving an i10 whereas she was driving a Jaguar and living in a mansion, love won after all. And ever since then, they’ve been busy buying & building companies, they have a construction company now. Yhey, but they went through a lot in their relationship, yet, they survived the storm. That’s what I wish for me & Tsakani, well, at least we do grasp some inspiration from somewhere.
My relationship with my mother is no longer the same, she’s still mad at the fact that I don’t want to meet up with Tsebo, and that all of her disgusting secrets are out in the open. Everyone at the Elite knows what she did, she told them freely without being asked. Yhey, that woman is dangerous maarn, I don’t even know what her reasons for doing all the disgusting things she did are. She was wrong for doing her fellow females the way she did. Thembeka left for New York, she left her son with Talon, and she’s never coming back, that’s what she wrote in that note, and that Talon mustn’t bother looking for her. I’ve never seen Talon that cheerful, he was very cheerful and even made a small braai to celebrate being free from “Satan’s claw” as he always called her, shame guess he was just tolerating her, and now that she’s gone. He got his freedom back, and his fridge is full of alcohol.
“Bubbles. What are we doing today?” Tsakani implores standing behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. Bakuthi, with each day passing my love for this man, grows rapidly, and sometimes it scares me, but I love it. I thought that Sanele was the one, but I was wrong, very wrong. I should’ve met Tsakani first, instead of wasting my time with Sanele, that small disrespectful boy.
“What do you want us to do?”
Him: “How about we go and have a mini picnic at the park? Then later on we will go to Batista’s, he has invited us for a chilling night.”
Me: “I’d like that, plus the park is quiet we can listen to nature in peace.”
Him: “Coming to think of it, I’ve never seen anyone in that park,” I giggle. “Don’t laugh. What if ghosts stay there?”
Me: “Ghosts? Are you scared of them?” I raise my and look at him.
Him: “What? No, I’m not. I’m just saying. Maybe white people dislike parks, yabazi abo tsotsi mus.”
Me: “I’ve seen a few though, and it mostly couples, but I like it. I mean, one can even have sex there and the neighbors won’t even mind us.” He laughs.
Him: “How sure are you? Maybe they are chilling in their balcony sipping on some red wine & eating oysters and prawns.”
Me: “Oysters & prawns, yuck. Those two are part of the seafood that I hate, including sushi. Sies.”
Him: “You don’t know anything babe, I should take you to one of the seafood restaurants, and trust me. You will lick your fingers once you taste their prawns.”
Me: “Don’t bother. I won’t even order anything, I wouldn’t even trust their water. Talking about prawns, and all. Why do spur call wings “buffalo wings? Does a buffalo have wings?” He laughs.
Him: “It beats me, but hey people love them.”
Me: “Least of my favorite, they lack something. I don’t know what, but they lack something.”
Him: “I’ve never eaten them, I wouldn’t know.” Silence befalls us.
Me: “You should try them, they taste better than your so-called prawns,” he chuckles and silence befalls us, but I want to ask him something I don’t know he will take it though, at least I would know where I stand. Let me just shoot my shot. “My love.”
Him: “Yes?”
Me: “Would you appreciate having kids in the future?”
Him: “Are you seriously asking me that?” He furrows his brow.
Me: “Of course, I am.”
Him: “I’d love to have kids, 5 kids to be exact. Want us to start now?” I laugh.
Me: “We are starting with two?”
Him: “That too,” I giggle.
Me: “But first we need to get our lives in order, remove all the things that will hinder us, eliminate some enemies, then we start making our South African squad. Let’s build them a legacy, something they will be proud of, and know that they won’t have to work to make ends meet. Let’s work hard for them now, then we rest, and they will take care of us once we are grown.”
Him: “I agree with you. Let’s get our shit together.”
Me: “So, about that picnic. Do you have snacks and all?”
Him: “Yeah. We will take the ones we have here in the house, I will replace them.”
Me: “Uyajabula.”
Him: “Blame it on you,” we laugh. “Let’s go and get ready.”
Me: “I wonder who’s going to cook at Maxine’s.”
Him: “Oh, about cooking. Maxine, suggested that each and every couple must bring something be it pap, chakalaka, salads, or snacks. Bhev & meat will be served by them.”
Me: “Tell him we are bringing snacks, carrots are expensive.”
Him: Laughing. “Thought you were going to say baked beans, we can always get carrots from the garden.” Yeah, we have a vegetable garden here in this very mansion.
Me: “Carrots will do, snacks are coming to the picnic with us.”
Him: “Thought as much,” we laugh with him leading the way upstairs. “Did I tell you that I love you today?”
Me: “No, you didn’t.”
Him: “You’re lying, I did say in the morning. Anyway, I love you.”
Me: “I don’t remember,” shrugging. “But I love you too.” He kisses my cheek…
Him: “Imagine if you were to break up with me. What would you do?”
Me: “I will stop imagining, simple.” He laughs.
Him: “That was unexpected.”
Me: “Yeah, I surprise myself too sometimes.”
Him: “Crazy ass.” Whatever.
★»★«
VUYO
The insurance paid out, I sold the house, and now we are staying in a new house, back in the burbs where I belong with my newly found family. Blessing love his new home, it has everything he’s ever wanted, the old houses we left them like that. Dineo, suggested that we make rooms and rent them out, it’s a good idea after all. Today, I’m going to Adele’s place to inquire about my daughter, Nandi
An hour later I’m parked outside club Vixen, I step out of my car, locking it, I hardly lock my car, but today I have no choice because this place is infested with amaphara, even the prostitutes are dirty and look like they take drugs. Damn, this is a whole new club Vixen to me or maybe Adele, sold the place to some rebellious person because this place is dirty, very dirty. I make my way inside the entrance dodging the girls who are trying to touch me, some of them even smell armpits. Hhe, if people here outside smell like rotten eggs. What about those who are inside the building? Thinking about it njer makes me nauseous. I push the door open, and release a breath that I was holding in when I notice how clean inside is, and it’s less packed.
“Vuyo, long time no see,” Adele says when she sees me, she’s busy wiping her countertop.
“Yes, I was very busy the past few months, I didn’t have time,” she nods.“How are you?”
Her: “Not good. The business is withering.”
Me: “What do you mean?”
Her: “I mean that the club is not generating enough money, we are losing money daily, and I’ve lost some of my important customers,” she sighs in defeat. You can feel the pain carried in her voice, I wonder what’s going on.
Me: “Why is that?”
Her: “The usual?” I nod. She prepares for me a shot of vodka, once done she pushes the glass before me. “There’s a new club that was opened months ago, well, it’s not really new. It belonged to Sol, and Sol sold it to that nonsense of a woman. I was gunning for it, but Sol never gave me the chance. And now it’s owned by that whore. She turned it into some exclusive lounge, I’ve never been there, but I saw the pictures in a newspaper. All my wealthy customers relocated to her club, now I’m left with people who are busy crediting beer and never come back to pay. It’s a catastrophe.” She pushes back tears.
Me: “And you are allowing her to snatch bread out of your mouth? You need to fight, Adele. Fight for your club, you can always do alcohol special.”
Her: “You think I haven’t tried all that? I tried everything, and it never helped, but I lost a lot of money instead, fucked up shit.”
Me: “Damn, that’s horrible, Adele.”
Her: “And if this keeps going on I’ll be forced to shut down the club that it took me years to build, all the relationships I made with my customers, all of it, it’s going to go down the drain. People will lose their jobs, and I’ll be forced to return home or start another business.”
Me: “Why don’t you copy her work ethic? Find out how they serve their customers, and how’s the service like.”
Her: “If only it was that easy, one needs a pin to get inside the club, without one you are doomed.”
Me: “What? That’s one high profiled club, I’m sure even the ministers go there.”
Her: “Obvious.”
Me: “Or better yet, why don’t you take her out? You are Adele, the best female mafia to have ever lived, I’m sure it won’t be hard for you to kill her, you’ve been doing it for years, and most men fear you, including me,” Shrugging.
Her: “That’s one thing I will not do, kill her. She will wipe my whole family without even flinching, I don’t want to lie to you, Vuyo. Plus, she has a lot of back if I were to poke her unprovoked, her gang will paint the town with crimson paint, my blood to be exact. That woman scares the shit out of me, just one glance from her, you will shudder even if you did nothing, that’s how powerful she is. I thought that Tsakani, was scary, but his girlfriend takes the cup, she’s a badass and for my own peace, I prefer to distance myself from attacking her. I will just have to find an inside man to fish information for me, you just gave me an idea.” If you can’t beat them, you can always join them.
Me: “That’s my girl. Now that this topic is out of the way, and I’ve cheered you up a bit. Where’s Nandi?”
Her: “She’s only coming back tomorrow, most of the girls didn’t come back with us, they opted to stay behind until they are ready to come back home. Why ask? You seem to be fond of her.”
Me: “She just reminds me of someone that’s all.”
Her: “If I didn’t know you, I’d say that she’s your daughter, but then I remembered that you have no kids of your own,” I shrug. If only she knew, but hey. “Tell you what; I will call you first thing tomorrow once they land, okay?”
Me: “I’d appreciate that,” she nods and disappear out of sight. I will have to make and go and check out this new club, it was like fun. Hmm…
★»★«
TSAKANI
Earned it x The Weeknd it’s what keeping us company as we drive to Batista’s house, our picnic was the best we really enjoyed ourselves. I think from now going forward this is going to be our new ritual, a picnic at the park every Saturday. The smell of something funny and very much familiar it’s what erases my daydreaming.
“Hhayi Bubbles, wenzani manje? Why uziphatha so?” I implore rolling down the windows. Her farts are always smelly, I don’t know how many times I told her to clean her stomach. Nakunguye yena she farts any time, she always says “why date if you can’t fart freely in the presence of the one you love?” Yazi, she doesn’t get it. I fart too in her presence, but not always like she does.
“Askies. I tried holding it in, but it didn’t want to be caged in. I had to release, I’m sorry my love,” she covers her mouth.
Me: “Why didn’t you tell me to stop the car?” I’m driving inside Batista’s yard, a lot of changes took place here, you can tell that there’s a woman living here. The others are already here, guess we are late.
Her: “I wanted to, but seeing that we were approaching Batista’s house I saw no need to tell you to stop, but askies.”
Me: “Nxa, tsek.”
Her: “Love you too,” a smile plasters my face. Bubbles is one crazy character.
Me: “Love you too,” I shake my head as we step out of the car. Maxine is waiting for us at the door, she gained some weight. “Erh, babe. Maxine has gained a lot of weight hey.”
Her: “That’s what happens when you are loved right, you can even see that my butt gets bigger & bigger daily.”
Me: “Your whole body actually, you are getting fat too. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” I look at her straight in the eyes.
Her: “No. You are the one getting thinner, I saw your friends even think that I don’t even feed you. Lindy, once asked me what’s making you so thin, and I said I don’t know.”
Me: “Excuse me? This has been my body ever since I was. You & your Lindy are crazy, insane. Tsekani futhi,” she laughs when I walk away leaving her leaning against the car. Nxa. “Maxine,” I greet making my way inside and not waiting for her response. I find the gents watching soccer, oh, and I passed the ladies busy in the kitchen.
“Manje wafufutheka?” (Why are you angry) Talon implores.
“Nxa, uBubbles ek’se.”
Him: “Kumasheni?” (What’s wrong)
Me: “Uthi ngiyafa ndoda,” (she says I’m dying, man)
Him: “Ek’se? Yini uyagula?” (Are you sick)
Batista: “She said you are dying when?” These guys are stupid.
Me: “Hhayi maarn, naba slow. She said I lost weight,” they burst into laughter.
Lee: “Hawu ndoda, I drama engaka because of weight?” He laughs. “You haven’t lost any weight ntwana, she’s just gaining weight.”
Talon: “So, awubhodi?” (You are not dying) I chuckle.
Leon: “Nex ndoda, he ain’t dying anytime soon.”
Him: “Eish, okay.”
Lee: “Is she expecting?”
Me: “No, she’s not.”
Him: “How do you know?”
Me: “Because she has an implant, and it will expire in two years.”
Leon: “I think I need one too.”
Batista: “For what?”
Him: “Saftey sake,” we all laugh. These gents are crazy.
Batista: “To work is to see, anyway, I called you because we have a mission to carry.”
Talon: “Nazoke. Mayelana?”
Him: “Car heist, it has been long since we pulled one.”
Lee: “Take us through the plan.”
“I’ll brief the ladies about the second one,” Maxine announces as she brings more beers. Second one?
Leon: “And which is the second one?”
Her: “A dangerous one, one that you gents can’t pull. Kidding, but this one is for strictly females.”
Talon: “The havoc team, makunyiwe,” I wonder what the second plan is, but I don’t worry much because bubbles will tell me, and her lying on my chest does all the trick.
Batista: “So, here’s the plan…