CINDY

My marriage with Vuyo is falling apart rapidly, and it’s all my fault. He doesn’t touch me let alone be in the same room with me for too long, this house is no longer that warm household filled with love it once was. Now it is cold and filled with sadness. I wanted to surprise him by making dinner for him last night, but he had to disappoint me by telling me not to wait up for him, he came back late. And again, he woke up early this morning, and left for work he is clearly avoiding me at all cost. Sighs. I browse through my contacts list, and my scrolling brings me to a halt in Sanele’s numbers I don’t know when was the last I spoke to him, I’ve been rejecting his calls of which is unfair to him, I take a breath, and dial his numbers his phone rings unanswered, what the hell is he busy with? Or maybe he is just returning the favour. Such a jerk he is. I feel like I ruined my marriage for nothing, Sanele never loved me he was only using me for sex. I was his booty call every time he needed to release his unwanted babies I was always available to welcome them, not once did I make myself unavailable for him, even if I was on my periods I made sure that I stop them for him. My phone rings and it’s my mother, I close my eyes before answering.

“Hello”

“Hey baby, how are you doing?”

Me: “Good Mom and how are you?”

Her: “I’m good too. I was wondering, but first; what are you doing this coming weekend?”

Me: “Nothing, why?”

Her: “I would like to invite you and your husband for some family lunch on Saturday,” not a good idea.

Me: “Urhm… I will have to talk to Vuyo first.”

Her: “I’m sure the husband won’t have a problem with coming for lunch, and besides he loves my cooking. And again, since when do you guys talk before coming here for lunch?”

Me: “He tends to work on weekend’s lately, so I will ask him how his schedule look like,” she heaves a sigh.

Her: “I’m not convinced Cindy. But I will take your word for it.”

Me: “I have to go now, talk some other time and I will tell him Mama.”

Her: “Is everything okay?”

Me: “Oh, yes Mom. Everything is just fine.”

Her: “Okay. I love you.”

Me: “Love you too,” I hang up and sit down, how am I going to tell Vuyo that my parents invited us over for lunch this coming weekend? We don’t even exchange 2 words for Christ’s sake! This is messed up. But then again, it won’t hurt to try talking to him right? I can only hope that he agrees to come with…

★»★«

LUXOLO

Today I decided to take myself out just to spoil myself it’s been long since I went out. I get to the mall, I need to get myself new clothes and maybe change my hairstyle to something wild & crazy. My first stop is at Mr price, I pick up some shorts & dresses, and some sandals I’m not a fan of sandals that show my toes I have ugly toes even nail polish doesn’t do any justice for them. After paying for the clothes, I go to the salon right next door Mr Price. I opt for a hair cut, but I cut on the sides then dye my locks blue, some prices here are ridiculous I tell you… I check myself out in the mirror and I’m looking beautiful maarn.

My last stop is at steers for lunch, I order for myself a double cheeseburger with 330 ml of coke and large chips. I browse through my phone when I feel some heavy presence standing before me, I look up and it is Sanele. He looks & smells so good, but ke I roll my eyes and continue browsing through my phone ignoring him.

“So awung’boni vele?” (You don’t see me) he asks me this settling on the chair opposite mine.

Me: “Ufunani?” (What do you want)

Him: Bengishaya is’jika nje,” (I was just passing by)

Me: “Chubeka ujikeleze,” (keep on passing by)

Him: “Umuhle yakena? Ng’bhayizile ng’yazi (You are beautiful do you know that? I messed up I know) but I will claim you as mine again,” I chuckle while shaking my head.

Me: “Ukuphupha emini (day dreaming in the afternoon) is very rare yazi,” he shakes his head.

Him: “Ok’salayo this is one dream that will come true, we can bet on that. Utshele lomshishi obhizi naye ukuthi ngizom’slyza kungabi indaba za nex,” (tell your boyfriend that you are currently busy with that I will hurt him real bad) he circles his thumb around my cheek. Some white girl approaches our way looking furious and she is beautiful I won’t lie.

“I’m done babe”, she kisses Sanele’s cheek and gives me a nasty look. Sanele will never change shame he still fucks anything that wears a skirt, his dick is just sies maarn I don’t even know what to say…

Me: “Ngizoku hlalamisa ngempama uyezwa, (I will slap you do you hear me) how dare you look at me like I owe you or I’m your friend?”

Her: “Are you talking to me?” Wuuhhh, her accent is so foreign hha.

Me: “Yes, I am talking to you it’s not as if like you’ll do anything to me anyway,” she chuckles. Oh hell no! She is being sarcastic.

Her: “Don’t let this pretty face fool you baby girl, I can make your life a living hell with just one snap and your world will turn upside down.”

Me: “Feisty I like, but then again by the time you snap your fingers you’ll be long dead,” she laughs.

Her: “Are you challenging me?” She puts her hands on top of the table and look at me straight in the eyes.

Me: “If you see it as a challenge then it is a challenge.”

Sanele: “Xolo, I think you must listen to her she will make your life a living hell.”

Me: “Both of you may go now, I need to eat in peace.”

Girl: “Always sleep with one eye open and always watch your back! You’ve just gained yourself an enemy.”

Sanele: “Michelle you don’t have to threaten her she won’t do anything to you, she is harmless,” she sneers.

Her: “Harmless or not she will feel my wrath!”

Sanele: “Luxolo you better apologize to her.”

Me: “I ain’t gonna apologize for shit! Michelle bring it on baby girl, I’m ready for you.” Am I? Hell no, I’m not.

Her: “Game on! Babe let’s leave and as for you baby girl you better ask around about me. Ask about Michelle Kruglov the daughter of Ibrahim Kruglov, get yourself good contacts that will find you everything they know about the Kruglov family, and don’t shudder by what you find. That’s if you will get the information.”

Me: “I don’t have to ask about you to know about you. You may be excused,” she clicks her tongue and walks away chuckling. Sanele remains behind…

Me: “And then? Masha nawe,” (leave)

Sanele: “Ngizoyenza sure ukuthy akaku fahlazi. Ngizokuvikela,” (I’ll make sure that she doesn’t kill you. I will protect you)

Me: “Ang’dingi,” (I don’t need) I security “ngizozilwela” (I will fight for myself)

Him: “Indaba u baba ka yinsimbi yama Russia,” (thing is Michelle’s father it’s a Mafia Russia) and “uyabulala akahleki,” (he kills he doesn’t joke)

Me: “Ngiyacava undendaba nami maar ungazi hluphi ngami ngine protection e bhaya,” (I know you care about me, but don’t worry yourself about me I have a lot of protection)

Him: “Seyavutha I tsotsi yakho nou, hhayi ngiyatheshisa straight,” (your tsotsi language is top notch, I’m such a good educator) I find myself laughing.

Me: “Impilo mfana,” (it’s life boy) go before your spitting fire dragon comes back.”

Him: “Ngisagcwele ngawe mami saarn,” (I still love you) he winks at me and walk away. I shake my head. Well, I have a task ahead of me googling Michelle Kruglov, yhey I’ve seen in movies how ruthless Russians can be. Ey

me & my big mouth haikhona. 

★»★«

TSAKANI

Kedibone is now awake and she is going to get discharged tomorrow. She’s been avoiding me since I got here, and that was like 20 minutes ago, she doesn’t even look at me straight in the eyes she is facing the window. My mother’s high blood went up when I told her about Kedibone being hospitalized she wanted to come and see her, but I told her that she must rest. I’m just happy that she’s not hospitalized too. “One way or the other you are going to talk,” I hear her sniffing. “Your tears don’t move me. It’s either you tell me what happened seeing that you lied, or I will tell Sabelo to come and talk to you. Wait, I can always switch off the machines plus you are covered insurance wise, and mom has a burial society that will cook on your funeral, you know I’m very much capable of switching it off without any care in the world, or flinch right?” She turns to look at me she is scared of Sabelo. Sabelo is very strict and he doesn’t take nonsense. Or maybe she is just scared to die so young, but whatever the case may be I can never kill her. Tears run down her cheeks I hold her hands assuring her that it’s okay.

“Can I please tell you everything once I’m discharged? I’m just not okay. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she says wiping her tears.

Me: “Take all the time you need and once you are healed I want the truth nothing but the truth Kedibone. I will come again, and see you later,” she nods and looks outside the window again, you can see it in her eyes that she’s broken, I’m about to leave when her friend Sihle steps in she has a box of chocolates and a basket of fruits with her.

“Hello Tsakani is she awake?” She asks, placing everything on top of her bedside stand.

“Yes she is,” I look at her, and she looks nervous.

Kedi: “Bhuti please ask her to leave and I don’t ever want to see her again”, she is still facing the window.

Me: “Why? She came to see you as your friend.”

Her: “She is not my friend It’s her fault that I’m lying in this bed. It’s her fucking fault!”

Sihle: “I’m sorry Kedi I didn’t know that things were going to turn out the way they did, please forgive me friend,” she is crying.

Kedi: “Leave. I don’t want to see you ever again and I will never forgive you for as long as I live, you’ve ruined me. You’ve fucking ruined my life! I hate you, I fucken hate you Sihle!”

Sihle: “Kedi I’m sorry I had no idea, I did not plan it I’m sorry friend, please try to understand where I’m coming from.”

Her: “I am not your friend. You are dead to me dead, do you hear me? And you are coming from nonsense!” I don’t remember when was the last time I saw Kedibone this angry, Ishuuu. Whatever transpired is huge for her to get this worked up.

Sihle: “I’m sorry,” she sinks down and cries.

Kedibone takes the glass that in on top of the cabinet and throws it at our direction, we duck it and it scatters on the wall. “Leave right now!” She roars and the machines starts beeping, the nurses come rushing in and they push us out. Now I’m curious curious to know what Sihle did to Kedibone moreover I’m more worried about her wellbeing, I pray she pulls through… We get outside and Sihle sits down on the chairs and cry, her legs are shaking.

“What did you to Kedibone?” I ask, looking at her straight in the eyes. She does not answer me. I feel my anger rising. “Come, I’ll give you a lift home,” She stands up and we walk to my car. I roar the engine to life, and drive off playing bone thugs & harmony x My way.

“This is not the way to my house,” she says. You can detect fear in her voice. I turn up the volume, and drive to the not so close to home bushes. She is crying now begging me to take her home. I stop the car in the most deserted bushes around, cars hardly pass by, I take my gun that is on top of the dashboard and cock it. “Now you’re going to tell me what you did to my sister or I shoot you right here, right now and go and deliver your body to your parents I’ll do it the Italian’s Dom style,” she just looks at me nodding. “Start singing,” I point the gun at her and I start counting “3…2…1…,” she still does not talk, I fire one warning shot right next to her seat,  and she opens her eyes in terror. “That was a warning next round I will shoot, start spilling the beans,” she nods while shaking.

Her: “I was invited to a party by some girls and they told me to bring a friend. I couldn’t think of anyone else but Kedibone, I called her and invited her, but she refused at first and I had to beg her she eventually agreed. Fast foward… We were in this other big mansion and there were old men there, drug lords, prostitutes and whatever illegal people you can think of. One of the girls came to me and told me that one of the man is interested in Kedibone I must make a plan that he gets her he is willing to pay a lot of money. Kedibone said she doesn’t feel comfortable we must go and I told her that we will leave now I first have to check the guy we came with.” she looks up, and suck in a breathe.

“The next thing Kedibone was nowhere on sight I started to panic and we started searching for her her to no avail, we went to ask one of the girls I came with and she told me that Kedibone left with her bidder, I didn’t know that they were auctioning girls I was clueless. Fear took over and I was thinking of the worst then the next thing a call came through telling us that a certain warehouse caught fire and little did I know that’s where Kedibone was taken to, I’m sorry it was never my plan,” I chuckle.

Me: “That’s bullshit and you know it!”

Her: “I’m telling you the truth Tsakani.”

Me: “Let me go and pay your mother a visit”

Her: “Please don’t. I’m begging you. I’m telling you the truth,” shaking my head. She kneels on top of the seat.

Me: “Do you know the damage you did to my sister? Do you have any idea how worried my mother was and her high blood went up?” She shakes her head.

Me: “Who are you working for?”

Her: “No one. I swear,” I tilt my head, and laugh.

Me: “Then we will deal with this my way, you will find your way back home. Oh, hope you survive this creepy bush. Any last message you would like me to convey to your mother?”

Her: “TK please,” I go to her side, and open the door and drag her out. She begs me to let her go, and I don’t take any of that. I tie her in a tree with a rope, but not tightly, and walk back to my car leaving her screaming. “You can’t leave me here TSAKANI you can’t!” she cries trying to wiggle herself free from the rope, begging me to untie her.

Me: “I’m giving you an hour tops to find me, and tell me the truth, because if not; I will do the finding, and kill you then feed you to the dogs. You have an hour, and it starts now.”

Her: “Tsakani, please. You can’t leave me here,” I laugh then roar the engine to life, and drive off leaving a trail of dust behind. Her story doesn’t add up, something is amiss with it. I will get to the bottom of this and whoever was involved they will pay greatly with their loved ones for that matter.