Chapter 3
The taxi dropped me at the rank and I had to walk my *** back home. Tommorow am not taking this shoes or their kind.
Am short anyway, it's not like god will increase my height the more I wear this kinda heels but rather am killing my feet and toes for office humanity.
Jabu's mother have been eying me ever since and now her head is peeping on the wall that her son built for her. I wonder what happened in my absence because this grannies always have something to fight over.
A smell of gravy salad and smoked chicken attacks me from the door before I could open it.
What's happening in here.? Did Nelisiwe rent the house out .? No, did she rent my room.?
" Maa !"
I started shouting the moment I walked in. I never knew she had an apron before.
" Oh, you are back. I thought your boss would bury you in work."
Back to sender.
He will choke to death the day he tries that stunt.
" I made dinner."
" You mean you wasted food Maa."
God of Bridgeton.!
We usually have a feast like this for Christmas or on New years. Nelisiwe saw it fit today to bathe a whole chicken in a pot full of hot oil and cook the last rice we had for Sunday.
" Who died ?"
I mean that can be the only reason to have so much food on the table for dinner and am not sure that even if a relative dies it should be our responsibility. Those people don't even know my last name.
" Poverty."
I beg to be pardoned here.
" Now that my child who I laboured and raised up for the past twenty six years is now working in a big company in SA it won't be a crime to eat nice food on weekdays."
Haibo Nelisiwe. !
" Am not working to feed the whole Bridgeton community Mama, am working to provide for my family and fund my younger sister who is in varsity and can't even afford a book ."
" Don't get me wrong there. It's not like they will pay you peanuts to take care of all that. There will be some money left too to spare for other things."
Says the very same woman who failed to support me everyday when I woke up going to look for a job. She never labelled any motivation for my sake rather listened to her friends who nearly drained my pride.
" Maa, stop this at once. I won't be able to get enough money for all this you are about to do. Stop it.! So this is why the whole neighborhood was looking at me simply because you want to show off."
" Oh that.? They are just starting. Soon they will know the real Nelisiwe."
Why me lord.? Why me.!
MBUTHO.
He pulled himself through and knocked on Skhosana's door. It's high time he talks with his friend and tell him what's on his chest that's about to burn him to death and get to know what is really going on in that big head of Skhosana.
Thandaza, the maid opens the door and when she saw that it's Mbutho she smiles letting him in.
" Is your boss in.?"
" Yes. He is upstairs in his study room."
That man.!
He worked all his life. He should get some rest now.
" Ok, bring a bottle of whiskey and two glasses to the study room."
" Are you also grumpy.?"
Mbutho awkwardly smiles at Thandaza.
" No offence but that's what your friend has been doing all this days. "
He grins.
" Get me what I asked of Thandaza. I'll be with my grumpy friend."
Thandaza laughed walking away to get the glasses and whiskey.
Mbutho went upstairs to the study room and yes it was true, Skhosana is fighting to solve the world's problems with those big pile of papers.
How many inks of pens does he uses per day.
" Don't you get tired. You need to rest that good body to stay healthy and prosperous my dear friend."
He grabs his pen out if his hand getting his attention.
" Am preparing for a presentation. Come on now, this is a big deal that I'll have to bag with my all."
" You always bag, whatever you go for. Relax. I know you got this."
Skhosana clicks his tounge irritated and breathed out finally resting his back on the chair.
" You sound evilly annoyed. What happened.? How was your day.?"
" I couldn't work straight in my office so that's why I came back home to stay focused. Am not sure if am going there again Tomorrow."
He doesn't trust women. That's gender is wild and crazy. He knows that, he has been through that. Many times that he ended up giving up on them and went solo all this years.
" Did Sizwe attack you with a new product.?"
" Far from that. I swear if it was Sizwe I wouldn't be in this state."
Mbutho sat down opposite his good friend here who is trying to confuse him without being on point .
" I got a personal assistant."
" Well that's good. That's what you always wanted."
" A female assistant.!"
Oops.!
That's a sad tragedy.
" Oh."
That's all Mbutho said, Thandaza walks in with a tray of two glasses and a bottle of whiskey and a small bucket of ice.
" Your order sir."
" Thank you T."
Mbutho says and open up to quench the thirsty devil in him.
Thandaza left.
He slowly takes a sip letting the sour bitterness of the drink play on his tounge and down it went through his throat making him take another sip of satisfaction.
On the other hand Skhosana just gulped the whole glass and put it down. He ain't in the mood for petty or wine tasting.
" But maybe that's not bad."
" Not bad my foot. She takes her shoes off in my office, chew a gun loud and she fails to put her phone on silence. Her ringtone is hello kitty on loud."
Mbutho cracks up.
Haibo, did he have to study the poor girl like that.
" Not everyone is perfect. And that's her life. That's what she does to stay on her lane "
" I gave her the same files am working on now, tomorrow we have a meeting for this presentation am working on. "
" What's the plan.? Sounds like there is a plan."
Skhosana smiles.
" If she fails to do a good presentation then she is out of my company for good. "
As a doctor he knows that it's not good to poison his best friend with this kind of thoughts. Whatever Skhosana is smoking this days is dangerous.
" So basically you refused to work in your office simply because a female assistant is in the same office as you.?"
" You of all people should know me better to ask that."
Mbutho raised his hands in defeat. He can never change for anything. Skhosana will always be Skhosana.
" What brought you to my house this night."
Skhosana stands up, he grabs his glass and stood infront of the pictures plugged on the wall. What a great collection he has.
" It's about your surrogacy thing. It's a good thing but it's pulling me by balls."
" What are you saying.? Don't you support a friend when in need. Is it a bad thing to want babies.?"
" It's the way you want to have babies. Bro, get over reality and see this through your eyes. Do you want to have a child with someone you know nothing of.? A total stranger.?"
" It's better that way than to face a lot on its own. Am done with women Mbutho and I value you to accept that."
" Winnie is done and dead.! Won't you accept that.?"
Mbutho crossed the line there. That's a mistake coming from him. His best friend that should be an understanding person not to put a judgement tag on him.
Skhosana stood up and walked out of the study room.
He won't do this with him, not now nor ever.
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