THE CANE OF WEALTH Novel Chapter 2

MANDLA

On a typical Tuesday morning, he knew he’d find Mbatha with barely a customer in sight. As he walks into Mbatha’s tavern he is flanked by Boli his body guard and driver, and Funani the assistant. Two of his other detail stand guard at the gate. Funani is his wing man, the knowledge behind Mandla the man and therefore can’t be left behind.

As he had thought, Mbatha is in company of his wife and few of the lousy drunkard sharing a bottle of black label by the corner. His aura announces him before he makes appearance. Maybe it’s the cane in his hand. There is something about the sound that cane of his makes as it comes in contact with foreign grounds. It makes a commanding sounds that consumes the room and brings it to a standstill with each stamp sound he makes as he walks.

By the time he makes face, the room is clouded by heaviness and some of the drunkards become sober while some swallow nothingness down their throats.

“That’s his wife, her name is Joyce” Funani with an ipad clutched under his arms whisper to his boss. The boy is honestly the brains behind Mandla the notorious gangster. Funani’s job is to know who is who and what Mandla needs to know. And so far the poor guy is doing an impeccable job.

Funani keeps his post by his boss as they near the table where Mbatha and Joyce stands. He must always be present but not too far or too close.

“Shandu, Joyce” Mandla acknowledges the two who are just as stoned as their customers,

“Mhmm…….Mntungwa” Mbatha offers his sweaty hand for a shake but Mandla just stares at the hand until he drops it,

“What…what can I do for you Mntungwa?” Mbatha clears his throat,

“What can you do for me?” Mandla chuckles,

“Look at my shoes. What am I wearing?” Mbatha and Joyce both drop their eyes to his feet. He is wearing some terrible brown formal shoes with all kinds of details on them,

“Ehh you’re wearing…..Ehhh….” Mbatha doesn’t know what kind of shoes that is,

“This is Louis Vuitton, LV! You think I’d put on my extremely expensive shoes that can buy this Drink-o-Pop spaza shop of yours for you to ask me what you can do for me? Mbatha what the hell am I doing in your drink-o-pop spaza?” he asks, his tone calmer than the sea but the fury in him cannot be missed,

“You’re here to collect Mntungwa” Mbatha say,

A smile finally graces Mandla’s handsome face,

“Now you’re talking Shandu. And why am I the one collecting when I have Ndaba and Tsotetsi whom you’re supposed to be making payment to?”

“Because I’m two months behind with the payment” Mbatha,

“Haaa! Fantastic news. I like it when people are up to speed. Now give me a bottle of one of your most expensive drink-o-pops so we can talk business” he finally grabs a chair and sits,

Mbatha looks at Joyce to open their expensive bottle but Mandla stops her before she leaves,

“Sit down Joyce. Get one of your waitresses to open the bottle for me”

Joyce nods to their waitress who wasn’t far from the scene to do as Mandla demands.

As the three gather around a round table, Mbatha and Joyce share nervous glances. They wait for Mandla to have a glass of his Johnnie walker blue label scotch on two rocks.

“At least you have some real alcohol in this drink-o-pop establishment” he puts the glass down on the table after enjoying his liquor.

“Now business. Do you have my money Shandu?” he leans across the table and stare at the two opposite to him,

“I’ll have everything by month end” Mbatha say,

“That doesn’t work for me. I want something or rather someone today and you’re going to give her to me. Whether you like it or not”

“Someone? What are you talking about Mandla?” Mbatha frowns,

“Well, I hear you have a very beautiful daughter and I have a handsome handicap son who sees in darkness so…..”

“SO WHAT?” Mbatha barks,

“Easy cat, don’t be barking at a lion unless you want to burn alive”

Mbatha heaves a sigh to calm down,

“Good boy. As I was saying, Ntwenhle will pay your debt by marrying my son”

“GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, YOU’RE NOT……….” Mandla takes out his gun and puts it on the table. And immediately Mbatha scream turn into silent screams,

“Your daughter is marrying my son and that’s final. Do you have any objections Shandu?” he picks his gun and kisses it,

Mbatha shakes his head no,

“Good. Oh, and I’m taking her with today” Mandla adds,

“Mandla please. You can have anything, even this tavern I can give it to you for free but please leave my daughter out of our business” Mbatha begs,

“I don’t know the meaning of please but I’ll try and find out what it means but until then, Ntwenhle is coming with me today. Are you going to get the child, woman?!” he glares at Joyce,

“You can take me. Ntwe is just a young lady who is trying to figure life” Joyce offers and the two old men glare at her,

“I’m just trying to save Ntwe here” she shrugs at her husband. Deep down she knows it’s not just to save Ntwenhle,

“School your bean mfazi I don’t want your strawberry flavoured face anywhere near my son. Are you getting the child or should I get her myself!” Mandla drawls,

With a sigh Joyce stands up to get Ntwenhle.

“Joy?” Mbatha calls her before she exits the room,

When she turns he say “Please make it look convincing. Don’t tell her the real truth. I’m getting my daughter back by month end” he glares at Mandla as he say the last part,

“Hopefully my Zen would have knocked her up by then” Mandla pours himself another drink.

–

–

NTWENHLE

My father can’t even look at me and I don’t blame him. I have disappointed him a great deal. I wonder if Bra Mindlos told them the truth. I know this marriage proposal is fake, this man just wants me to pay his money and he is probably just going to sleep with me and get it over with.

“So this is the lovely Ntwenhle!” the smirk on Bra Mindlos’ face as I stand before them with my bag clutched tight under my arm…….

“You’re not pregnant, are you?” he asks and I pop my eyes. The pig is rude! Really rude! You don’t comment on a woman’s belly and worse part assume she is pregnant,

“What? I pressed a button?” he laughs. I guess my face betrayed me.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have you checked out and if you’re pregnant I’ll have that thing washed and flushed under the drain. The only seed that should geminate in that big stomach should be a Mabaso seed!” and the arrogant ass8hole stands up, when he grabs his cane I feel a shiver run down my spine. That cane……….I don’t know but something about it makes me feel unease.

The only reason I’m this quiet and letting him run his mouth is because I’m scared of him and I’m still trying to figure out why I feel so uncomfortable with a simple cane.

“Nice doing business with you Shandu” he offers my father a hand but my poor dad just looks at his hand,

“Suit yourself. You have a second to say goodbye to kaMabaso here” he collects his gun and throw couple of notes on the table “For the scotch”

Aunty Joy pulls me in a hug as my father stands “Don’t be scared. Being a Mabaso wife is every woman’s dream in this place” she whispers in my ear and I frown at her as she sets me free. I’m not sure about a Mabaso wife being every woman’s dream but the way she is eyeing Bra Mindlos, she is even showing her cold tooth and her retired used to be slay queen of the 80s skills.

“I’m sorry my child, I’m going to get you month end” my father whispers that in my ear as he hugs me and I frown. Why is he speaking like someone who got me in this trouble while I got myself in trouble?

“Time is up, let’s go Makoti” Bra Mindlos pulls me with my arm. I don’t fight him as he literally drags me out. I have made peace with my fate. The only thing I’m grateful for is that he didn’t hurt my parents.

The two guards who were standing outside jump into the range rover that was parked outside while bra Mindlos, the young guy and the other one I assume is his driver jump into the one that was parked inside the yard.

The drive is silent for a while. Bra Mindlos is attending his phone and smiling to it. We are both seated on the back seat but I’m literally glued to my side of the door. The space between us is big enough to fit two people in.

My eyes are trained on the cane between his legs. It’s just a cane but I feel a sense of pull to it and the same time I’m not comfortable with it.

I wonder what he is going to do to me. Stealing Ndaba’s money was the worst mistake of my life.

“You’re staring” he say without lifting his eyes from his phone.

I swallow and look out of the window but soon my eyes are on him again. He is not a sexy man, that I won’t give him. He looks like a typical minister. Tall, money skin tone, thick and that belly of his scares the shit out of me. I can already imagen his jojo pressed on mine….lord it’s going to be a disaster! Someone is going to suffocate someone. Hopefully I’ll be on top.

I think my nerves only kick in as realisation hits me that bra Mindlos might have me gang banged by his colleagues. I wouldn’t put that past him. He is known for all kinds of things and………

“How old are you?” his question catches me off guard.

“I’m…..I’m 24 years old” I stutter,

“Ten years difference, not bad” again he is not even looking at me but his phone. And what does he mean 10 years difference because he looks like he is pushing his 50s or something,

“You’re not on any contraceptives, are you?” again he is typing away on his phone without even sparing me a look,

“I….I’m on pills” I stutter,

“I can work around that. Funani call Doc and tell him to come see her. She needs to have her tested and give her something to do away with the pills fast” I learn that the young guy on the front is Funani. What baffles me is why this man wants me off my pills. He wants to impregnate me? But why?

As Funani makes a call to a doctor we drive through the Mabaso mansion that I know very well.

I have passed here too many times. The house stands out in Ivory Park. It doesn’t belong here but hey……. Two guards open the huge double gate for us and immediately as the car drives in the yard, I feel a shift that pulls and draws something in me I almost feel like I’m floating.

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. When I open my eyes, I know this is the beginning of something I can’t put into words for now.

For the first time my heart beats out my chest and I want to scream. My eyes grow blurry with tears as we near the huge door on the front. I don’t know what is happing to me but I have never felt so scared in my life.

“Haibo! Drama queen? You’re only crying now when you have been chilled all along?” Bra Mindlos asks as the car comes to a halt.

I’m suddenly shaky and nervous, and this is the first time this happens to me. I have been in situations that were supposed to shake me before but I never did. For the first time in my entire life, I’m scared and I know it’s not because I’m walking into the lion’s den. I’m scared because my spirit feels a sense of belonging that I have never felt before. I’m scared because my heart knows, my heart feels the pull and the grounding. Somewhere, somehow, I was meant to cross paths with the Mabasos. I feel it.

“Welcome home Makoti. If you give me what I want, this will be your house” bra Mindlos say as he opens the door for me.

Again, that cane of his meets the floors in the house and I swear it makes a different sound from the outside grounds.

My legs suddenly feels heavy but I drag myself in. I’m welcomed by beauty I have never imagined for myself but I’m too drained to take everything in.

We walk into an enormous dining hall that would take my entire house but I grow heavy and weary with each sound his cane makes as it meets the sparkling floors in the house. I’m suddenly dizzy but I walk beside the man.

“Don’t you want all of this to be yours?” his voice now sounds so far yet so close,

“HAI…EY….NTWENHLE!” I don’t know who or what catches me but those are the last words I hear before my body gives into darkness. My eyes closes looking at that cane…..that cane.

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