The Perfect Guy
#5
Neelo quickly put her hands up.
“We don’t keep cash here. I just have two phones and my car keys.”
He stared at her. “Okay. Where is the storeroom?”
Neelo pointed at the other door, shaking.
“Let’s go.”
She broke down crying. “Please don’t hurt me. I will give you anything. My car keys are here. You can take my car. Please.”
“You are wasting time and you are starting to irritate me. Let’s go to the storeroom.”
Tears rolled down her neck as she imagined being sexu.ally violated at g.unpoint. She slowly walked over and opened the door. Perhaps if she didn’t fight him, he wouldn’t ki.ll her at the end.
He looked inside and put the bag down.
“Is there another key for the storeroom except this one?”
She looked at the one on the door and shook her head.
“Okay. I am going to leave my bag here with you. You will keep the door locked. Should my bag disappear, make sure you disappear along with it. Am I clear?”
She quickly nodded. “No one will take it.”
“If you call the police… I will go after everyone you love. And I am not joking.”
She nodded, still shaking.
“What’s your name?”
“Neelo Edwards.”
He took out his phone. “Give me your number.”
She said it out loud and he saved it.
“I will call you later to get my bag. Remember, if you call the police or tell anyone about this-”
“You will hurt everyone I love. I swear I won’t tell.”
His phone rang and he answered.
“What? … This time I am not rescuing you. You are on your own. I am not going to keep doing this. This was the last straw!”
He hung up then looked at Neelo.
“Back door?”
“We don’t have any.”
“Okay. I will call you.”
He put away the gun, fixed his cap, and walked out of the store.
Neelo quickly closed the storeroom door locking it then took out the key. She walked to the front desk and the door opened again. Her mother’s employee walked inside.
“Hey, sorry I am late.”
Neelo nodded.
“Someone blew the ATM outside. Waitse ke mathata. Imagine, during the day on top of that!”
Neelo listened while walking to the door then locked it.
“The police still haven’t arrived and people are taking some of the money for themselves. I want to take some, but I am scared! What if we are all arrested for theft? Gatwe some of the thieves ran off in a white Demio. Who runs off in a Mazda?” She shook her head. “The other one ran away on foot. The security guards are looking for him.”
Neelo stared at her then quickly walked back to her ringing phone.
“Hello?”
“Neelo, it’s Mom. I heard there was an ATM bombing there. Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not safe. Close up and go home. I will see you later.”
“Okay. Uh, Maria called looking for you.”
“Who?”
“Maria.”
“What did she say?”
“That you should call her.”
“Oh, it’s an old friend. I will call her back. She is probably asking for money.”
“Okay.”
“Go home. If she calls again, don’t answer her.”
Elizabeth hung up and Neelo looked at the employee.
“Mama said we can knock off. It’s not safe.”
She jumped. “Really? Thank God. I am going to pass by the scene and pick a few P200 notes.”
Neelo watched her grab her bag and walk out. She took a deep breath and walked back to the storeroom where she unlocked the door. She looked behind her and quickly opened the bag.
Her heart skipped as she looked at the money inside.
She closed the bag and picked it up walking out with it.
*
At the parking lot, Neelo threw the bag in the boot then jumped into her car, shaking. Different thoughts swam through her head. She could just take the bag to the police station. It wouldn’t take long for the police to catch the thief. But the chances of him catching her before the police caught him were too high.
She started the car and drove off.
Her phone rang just as she joined the main road going past two police vans. She reached for it and picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Kgosi, what is it? I blocked you for a reason. I don’t want you anymore.”
“Are you still upset?”
“Your wife has started to get close to my mother. I cannot be talking to you.”
“I have an upcoming trip to Jwaneng. I want you to come with me. You can tell your parents you want to visit your cousin in Jwaneng. It’s just for the weekend. Maybe we can talk through our issues.”
“I am going to hang up and block this number.”
“Neelo-“
“Bye.”
“I tested positive for HIV.”
Neelo paused then frowned. “So?”
“You need to get tested as well.”
“I don’t have HIV.”
“I have it. Chances are that-“
“Hey! I said I don’t have it! Your friend tested me that day-”
“Maybe it wasn’t showing in your system yet. You know how it works. I just want you to be safe.”
Neelo pulled over on the side of the road shaking. “You were the only one I was sleeping with!”
“O kae? Let me pick you up and we can-”
“You had other women you were sleeping with besides your wife and me?”
“Babe, all that doesn’t matter now. What matters is getting tested.”
“It matters! It matters you asshole! I hope you rot in hell! Do you hear me? I hope you d.ie!”
“Please get tested.”
“Fuvk you!”
“Neelo-“
“You pig!”
She hung up and tears rolled down her cheeks while her entire body shook. Minutes passed and she finally rejoined the road speeding off.
***
Kgosi walked from the clinic and got into his car. He took a deep breath wondering how he was going to break the news to Amo.
He thoughtfully called his uncle while starting the car.
“Kgosi.”
“Malome, can we talk?”
“Yes. What is it? If it’s about Amogelang, I spoke to her father and he said he will talk to her for another meeting. She is going to forgive you because you are still newly married and this is your first offence but she is coming back with an untrusting heart. That is what happens when you cheat. You open room for mistrust and other things.”
“Eerra. I…” He cleared his throat. “I am HIV positive. We had a health day yesterday at work and I tested there just for the sake of it. I just retested now to be sure and I am positive.”
His uncle whistled.
Kgosi swallowed. “I don’t know if-”
“How many women were you sleeping with without protection? Because you couldn’t have gotten it from the one who is your neighbor. Didn’t you say she was just finishing high school?”
“I didn’t think the ones I was just having sex with needed mentioning as it wasn’t anything serious.”
“What are you saying? Kgosi, how many affairs did you have?!”
“One serious one with Neelo, and then others were just flings.”
“How many?!”
Kgosi swallowed. “There were five more, but it was just flings.”
“Faefi? Faefi hela wa mma faefi?”
“Eerra but-”
“But? You are still saying but? I can’t believe this. This one your father will have to handle. It’s beyond me now. What other diseases do you have?”
“Just that.”
“I have tried to help you my boy, but this is beyond me. I will tell your father what you just told me. I can’t deal with such idiocy. How do you sleep with seven women without protection on top of it? How many of those are pregnant? Do you even know? Kana wena you were just dipping your dic in like a teenager who just discovered sex? Goodbye!”
Kgosi took his phone from his ear and the pit in his stomach grew even deeper.
***
At a private clinic, Neelo paced in the doctor’s office while her heart pounded hard and fast. The door opened and Dan walked back inside the office. Neelo stared at him.
“Am I positive?”
“Let’s sit.”
Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. “Am I positive?”
“Neelo, being positive doesn’t mean you are going to die.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Dan moved closer.
“There are many people out there living with the virus.”
“I don’t want to live with the virus.”
“You are going to be fine. You will start with your medication and no one will know unless, of course, you announce it to the world.”
Neelo’s heart constricted with hurt as she stared at him. Dan wiped away her tears.
“You are going to be fine.”