CHAPTER 64

CHAPTER 64

She's exhausted and completely drained. It feels like she's been running a marathon that never ends. The minute she steps inside her house, she notices immediately that Sbo isn't here. Sbo is hardly ever around; he only comes when she calls or asks to see him. Sometimes she wonders if she even did the right thing by taking Sbo from Nikky and ruining their relationship. He can be so draining, so cold, so distant, nothing like Hlumelo, who was warm, loving, and made you feel safe. She drops onto the couch, dressed in clean clothes. Her aunt and mother had come through for her. If it weren't for them, she might have been arrested, or worse, still stranded in the middle of nowhere with Ndumiso's body.
They had taken Ndumiso's body and disposed of it deep in the wild, somewhere they knew only animals would find it. There would be no trace of him ever. His car had been left in one of the abandoned mines, the Zama Zamas' playground. They knew leaving it there meant it could be stolen, stripped, or destroyed by the criminals who roamed that place. They made sure all fingerprints were wiped clean.
Sno had taken everything that belonged to Ndumiso: his laptop, his phone, his paperwork, even the gun. She had wanted to burn the car herself, but her aunt stopped her. If the police found the remains of the car, it would raise too many questions. If they discovered a fire had been set, they would immediately know a crime had taken place.
Now, finally, she can breathe, for now.
She knows she has taken someone's life. That is not something anyone can ignore lightly; it will stay with her forever. Yes, Ndumiso deserved to die. He was a horrible, vile man. Everyone hated him. No one liked him as a person. Of course, he was good at his job, but overall, no one will miss him.
She knows that in the morning she has to destroy his phone and laptop. If anyone notices Ndumiso missing, they will start tracking his devices. She feels relieved that whenever she and Ndumiso do business, it was always face to face. No phone calls, no SMS, just in person. That way, nothing bad can trace back to her. Not even Nikky would know she was the reason Ndumiso went to her that night.
The next thing she needs to figure out is how to get into Ndumiso's house. That will require careful planning. She looks at her watch. 4 a.m. She needs to sleep, though she isn't sure if sleep will come. She has to try. To be honest, she feels lonely. Completely alone. She wants to call her friends, but she can't trust anyone with something this big.
She is also mad at Nikky. She needed her, and all Nikky did was watch her TV and ignore her calls. She knows Nikky loves her series and movies. That must be why she had heard voices and giggling earlier. If Nikky has a man, she would have told her. Nikky tells her everything. It can't be that she has someone she is seeing… right?
But to be 100 percent sure, Sno knows she has to ask Sylvia or Ntobe. She is helping Sylvia with that stupid funeral, and she will have to tell her a thing. She also feels she needs prayers after what she has done. Sylvia's church can help with that.
Sno closes her eyes, ready to drift off, silently praying she doesn't see Ndumiso's lifeless body in her dreams.
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.
.
She has been trying to get hold of Sboniso, but his phone goes straight to voicemail. She doesn't even know where he stays. She will deal with Sboniso later. Right now, she has to call Sylvia. She knows Sylvia is at work.
She sips her coffee, but it tastes bad. Everything tastes bad. At least she didn't see Ndumiso in her dreams. That feels like a good sign. Maybe she is not completely losing her mind.
She needs to meet up with her aunt and her mother. She feels safer with them. And her mother wants to go back home.
Sno clears her throat the moment Sylvia's phone starts ringing. It only rings three times before it is answered.
"Hello, my child," Sylvia says happily on the other side.
Sno rolls her eyes hard. She sometimes wonders why Sylvia dislikes Nikky so much. She has noticed it a lot. Ntobe and Futhi are her favourites, not Nikky. Nikky was always closer to her father.
"Hello, Ma. How are you doing? How are the funeral preparations?" Sno asks, sounding polite and sweet. That catering company does not come cheap. Sylvia better spill the beans.
"Oh, you know, it's very stressful, but at least everything is in order. Tomorrow is the funeral," Sylvia says. "We are going to miss our pastor, hey," she adds sadly.
"I know. Can I also come? I need some prayers. I need to connect with God. My life needs God," Sno says. Of course her life needs God. After what she did. Even though it was self-defence. Ndumiso was going to shoot her first.
"Oh, praise the Lord! You know you can come anytime. Why don't you come tonight?" Sylvia asks. "There will be a vigil at the church. Lunga is here. She has been annoying me," Sylvia adds with a huff.
Sno frowns. Lunga? That is Nikky's aunt. The one who beats people. Sno doesn't like her. She prefers Hlengiwe, the other aunt.
"Oh, I'll come. No problem, Ma," she says softly and sighs. "Will Nike come? She's been distant lately. I've been trying to talk to her, but she ignores my calls," she adds, sounding sad on purpose. She knows that will irritate Sylvia.
Sylvia clicks her tongue harshly on the other side.
"Don't tell me about that friend of yours. She has been very scarce lately," Sylvia says, irritated.
"I wonder why. You would swear she's dating someone," Sno says jokingly, but she is digging for information.
Sylvia scoffs loudly.
"I doubt it. She once lied here and said she was seeing someone when I mentioned Sphephelo. I think she was just trying to stop me from talking about him," Sylvia replies.
Sno blinks slowly. That could be true. Nikky hates Sphephelo with everything in her. Lying about having someone would definitely stop Sylvia from pushing that topic.
"And Ntobe told me she also asked about this man, but Nike just shut her down. Apparently, Nike wants to focus on her job and her life," Sylvia says, cutting through Sno's thoughts.
"Oh, that makes sense. She did say the clinic is being extended. I think she got a raise or something," Sno says with a shrug. She wants to pass by Nikky's workplace today, but she is not even sure if Nikky is working or not.
"Not for long. Nike won't stay at that clinic for long," Sylvia says, her voice turning cold.
Sno raises her eyebrows.
"Why is that?" she asks curiously.
"I will talk to Letsatsi about it. Nike has grown wings now ever since she started working there. She forgets she wouldn't have any job if it wasn't for Letsatsi. And what qualifications does she even have to be working in admin? Nothing. Ntobe told me Nike is struggling to pay for that little course she is doing," Sylvia says sharply.
Sno scoffs silently. Struggling? While she is busy spending money recklessly on that Durban trip?
She cannot help but wonder where Nikky would be in life right now if she had not lied to Sphephelo about Nikky cheating on him. Sphephelo had wanted to take Nikky to culinary school. Nikky was going to study and work alongside one of the best chefs in the country and internationally. That did not sit well with Snothando.
Nikky did not deserve such a breakthrough.
So Sno went to Sphephelo and lied.
A few days later, Nikky cried to her and told her she was no longer going to culinary school.
And that gave Sno immense joy.

•••

Nikky didn't expect the clinic to have so many patients today. She thought she was going to knock off early and go see Aunt Lunga. She knows that Aunt Lunga is aware of Mnotho, so she wanted to take her out and have a proper conversation about this new man in her life.
She has been checking up on Mnotho. She knows he is not really okay after he introduced her to his brother, Bangizwe. She feels bad about it now, but at the same time she feels relieved that Mnotho stood by her. That meant everything to her.
She knows now that Bangizwe doesn't like her at all. She just prays that the whole Mlambo family does not turn out like Bangizwe and hate her for no reason. But there is always a reason. Even though Mnotho didn't tell her why Bangizwe dislikes her, her first thought is the age gap. Maybe that is the reason. And of course, the money issue.
Just like Pinky, Nikky thinks maybe Bangizwe hates her because he believes she is a gold digger. Maybe he thinks she is only with Mnotho for his money and status, nothing else. That thought hurts her deeply.
But she knows the truth. And so does Mnotho.
She has fallen in love with him deeply. It scares her because everything happened so fast. It feels beautiful but also risky. The idea of Mnotho's family hating her stings. She does not want to be the reason Mnotho fights with his family. She does not want to come between him and the people he loves.

At least Jobe likes her. He was sweet and kind to her, unlike Bangizwe. The warmth he showed her made her feel seen and accepted. It gave her a little comfort, especially after the tension with Bangizwe.
Tomorrow he will be heading back to Nquthu, so she needs to do all of this tonight. She doesn't want him to leave without tasting something she made with her own hands. It feels important to her. Almost like a small way of saying thank you for welcoming her so warmly.
She wants him to leave with a good impression of her. She wants him to remember her as more than just "Mnotho's girlfriend." She wants him to see her heart.

Talking about Pinky, she walks into the storeroom and ignores Nikky completely while packing the suppliers' stock. Mnotho is not the one delivering today, only his workers are here. Nikky ignores Pinky too. She doesn't even mind anymore. She is tired of Pinky's behaviour.
Pinky has not gone through with her plan of getting Mnotho to her house, and that frustrates Nikky. She is thinking of going to Amo to dig for information. She doesn't want to do that, but Pinky is being very disrespectful towards her.
When she is done here, Nikky makes a mental note to go and blackmail Amo if she has to. She does not like the idea, but she feels pushed into a corner.
Everyone is at work today, including Zola. There are interviews taking place for doctors and nurses, so the clinic is extremely busy. It is one of those days where no one even gets time to sit down properly.
Pinky picks up a box and walks away without saying anything. Nikky notices that immediately. Pinky was supposed to inform her before taking that box. Nikky writes it down. She is not going to let small acts of disrespect slide anymore.
.
.
.
The moment she steps out of the elevator, she bumps into Zola.
"Girl, have you seen the cleaners? One of the children spilled their food on the floor," Zola says tiredly.
Nikky laughs a little.
"Why don't you clean it up?" Nikky jokes.
"Clean? If you see that mess yourself, you'll cry," Zola complains dramatically.
Nikky presses the button for the second floor.
"I saw one of them on the second floor," Nikky says. "Is Pinky at the reception?" she asks as Zola steps inside the elevator.
"No, I'm sure she's helping out on the other floors," Zola replies as the elevator doors close.
Nikky sighs softly. She needs Pinky's signature before giving this copy to June or Du Plessis.
As she reaches the reception area, she notices the mess Zola was talking about. Food is spilled all over the floor, and there is juice everywhere too. It looks sticky and unpleasant.
She ignores it and heads straight to the desk. Amo is alone.
Good. That works perfectly for her. She needs to dig for some information.
Just as she is about to sit down, someone calls her name. She raises her head.
It's Letsatsi.
She smiles warmly.
"Hey, what brings you here?" Nikky asks softly.
Letsatsi smiles back.
"I'm here to see you. Can we step outside and talk?" he asks.
Nikky looks around. Most of the patients seem to have been attended to. She glances at Amo, who is looking at Letsatsi curiously.
"Amo, I'll be back. Shout if you need anything," Nikky says.
Amo nods repeatedly.
Nikky leaves the reception desk and walks outside with Letsatsi. The last time she saw him was two days ago, after that Zorro drama.
She points at the benches outside.
"Let's sit there," she says.
The moment they sit down, Letsatsi looks at her carefully.
"How are you feeling?" he asks gently. "Aunt Lunga told me everything that happened about Zorro and the church," he adds kindly.
Nikky sighs heavily. Zorro is one of the topics she hates talking about. Even in his death, Zorro is still haunting her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to reopen your wounds," Letsatsi says quickly when he notices her reaction.
"No, it's okay. Zorro will always be… he will always be a reminder in my life," Nikky says softly.
Letsatsi shakes his head, annoyed.
"You were just a child, Nikky. The church failed you. The fact that nothing happened to him all those years makes me angry," he says, clicking his tongue. "And Ma and Baba just believed the word of a drunkard and a pedophile over yours? That was wrong. It must have hurt a lot," he adds.
Of course, in that whole Zorro situation, her parents are the ones who hurt her the most. But she also understands that Pastor Zacharia played a huge role in making them believe she was lying.
"Yes, it's all in the past now. Zorro is gone, and I don't have to feel triggered every time I go see Mom in Pimville," Nikky says. She finds it strange that both Zacharia and Zorro died a few days apart.
"You've been through a lot, Nikky. You know I know people who can help. People you can talk to," Letsatsi suggests kindly.
Nikky smiles and nods.
"There's no need for that. After Sphephelo and the miscarriages, I did attend some counselling sessions. I talked about everything, my childhood and all of it. It helped a lot because I was suicidal too," Nikky says truthfully. Counselling did help her. Joining those support groups lifted some weight off her shoulders.
"Wow, that's good. Are you still attending?" Letsatsi asks.
"No, I haven't gone there for two months now," Nikky replies. She didn't see the need for it anymore. She felt fine.
"You should go back now. Or I'll get you a therapist," Letsatsi says seriously.
Nikky shakes her head slowly.
"There's no need for that. If I see myself going back to that dark place, I'll attend counselling again," Nikky says firmly.
Letsatsi keeps quiet for a moment and nods slowly.
"I hear you. But always remember, my door is always open if you need help," Letsatsi reminds her gently.
Nikky knows that. She truly does. But sometimes she doesn't want to be seen as someone who takes advantage of him. Her mother even told her not to bother Letsatsi too much. She doesn't want people to think she depends on him for everything.
"So, what are your plans now? Since the clinic is going to be very demanding, I'm sure the pay will increase too," Letsatsi says, shifting the conversation to something lighter.
Nikky giggles softly.
"I want to do my driver's licence now," she replies.
She enjoys Mnotho and Mtho driving her around, but she knows she needs to drive herself sometimes. She has been thinking about getting her licence for a long time. She already knows how to drive, her father taught her when she was younger.
"That's good. Maybe after you get it, I'll give you one of my old cars," Letsatsi says casually.
Nikky's eyes widen immediately, and she shakes her head quickly.
"No, no. I'll get a car for myself," Nikky says, feeling uncomfortable.
She cannot accept that. She wants to buy her own car. If Letsatsi gives her one, it could cause issues and unnecessary drama. She doesn't want people talking or making assumptions.
Letsatsi chuckles softly.
"We will see…"
His phone suddenly rings, cutting him off. He checks the screen and sighs heavily.
"I have to rush somewhere. We will see each other more often now, since we are back here in Johannesburg," he says as he stands up.
Nikky stands up too.
"Yeah, and Ntobe mentioned that we should go get dresses soon," Nikky says.
Letsatsi smiles and nods. He pulls her into a warm hug.
"I'm here for you, okay? You don't have to do this life alone," he says softly, patting her back gently.
Nikky nods slowly.
She knows. She knows she can count on him.

As she waves Letsatsi goodbye, she notices a familiar face.
It's Mtho, carrying a brown paper bag. He walks toward her and stops right in front of her.
"Malumekazi," Mtho says and chuckles softly.
Nikky huffs and shakes her head. She recently found out that Mtho will be turning 30 years old soon. That makes him older than her by two years. So him calling her malumekazi does not sound right at all. And she knows Mtho will never stop calling her that.
"How can I help you, Mtho?" Nikky asks with a smile.
Mtho hands her the paper bag.
"This is your lunch. I was sent by Uncle," Mtho says.
Nikky takes it and smiles warmly.
"Thank you. I'll tell him you gave it to me," she says, already peeking inside the bag.
Her phone suddenly vibrates in her pocket. She smiles to herself, thinking maybe it's Mnotho.
But when she takes it out, she sees an unknown number.
She frowns slightly before answering.
"Hello," she greets politely.
"Hello, lady. You are speaking to Julia," The voice says on the other side.
Nikky's eyes widen in shock as she looks at Mtho.
"Siyabonga's mother," Julia says, her voice filled with irritation.
"Oh… how can I help you?" Nikky asks, keeping her voice polite.
Julia scoffs loudly.
"Why are you filling Bonga's head with nonsense, huh? Who do you think you are?" Julia hisses.
Nikky blinks in confusion. Mtho is staring at her, trying to understand what is happening. Nikky pulls the phone slightly away from her ear and puts it on loudspeaker.
"Ma'am, I really don't know what you are talking about," Nikky says calmly.
"Don't act innocent. You told Bonga not to have a launch party for his company," Julia spits angrily. "Do you even know how hard my son worked to be where he is? And you come and tell him not to celebrate his wins?" she adds furiously.
Nikky gasps softly. She never said that. She never said Bonga should not celebrate his wins. All she said was that he must think twice before hosting the launch party because it might drag and waste money. She told him he should focus on getting contracts first. That's all.
"I didn't say that. Bonga must have heard wrong. All I said was…"
"I don't care!" Julia cuts her off. "I'll be done with this conference soon, and I will deal with you. I don't know why Mnotho allowed…"
Suddenly, Mtho snatches the phone from Nikky's hand.
"Hey! Hey! Who do you think you are, talking to her like that?" Mtho says coldly.
Nikky gasps, completely shocked and in disbelief.
"Mtholephi?" Julia says, surprised. "Oh, she gave you…"
"Shut up! Shut up! Don't you ever speak to her like that again, or you will learn to know me," Mtho warns darkly before hanging up.
He hands the phone back to Nikky.
Nikky takes it with shaky hands, still trying to process everything that just happened.
"I'm sorry about that. I'll talk to Bonga about this. And don't worry about that woman," Mtho says softly before walking away.
Nikky stands there, feeling overwhelmed. She sighs deeply. Her eyes burn, and her heart sinks.
This moment makes her realise something painful. Her honeymoon phase with Mnotho is over. Reality has just stepped in.
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.
.
Nikky is at the cafeteria, having the lunch she got from Mtho. She has been feeling lightheaded and stressed. She still cannot believe that Bonga told his mother about their private conversation. Zola is supposed to join her soon.
She stands up to grab a bottle of water so she can take her Ashwagandha pills. They help her stay calm. There are some nurses having lunch nearby too, and seeing them makes her think of Rendani. She hasn't seen her the whole day.
"You are here? Having lunch? Who is supposed to stay at the reception and work?" Pinky asks with an evil smirk.
Nikky just looks at her and ignores her.
"So we must work for you while you eat?" Pinky pushes again.
Nikky stays silent and grabs the bottle of water. Pinky steps right in front of her, blocking her way.
"I wonder what Mnotho will say when he finds out you were busy hugging another man here," Pinky says cockily and chuckles.
Nikky looks at her, feeling herself getting angry.
"Maybe I should send the pictures so he can see for himself," Pinky adds happily.
Nikky scoffs and glares at her.
"Go ahead. Send it. Show him that picture," Nikky dares her. "What? You think after seeing that picture he will leave me and fuck you? Really?" Nikky taunts her boldly.
Pinky's eyes grow wild. Her hands shake slightly.
"Mnotho will never sleep with such a loser of a woman, a gold digger like you," Nikky says sharply.
"You are the gold digger here, you little shit, walking around like you are better than us," Pinky fires back.
Nikky giggles softly, but her eyes are cold.
"Yes, Pinky. I'm better than anyone here. I'm even twenty times better than you. So go on, send Mnotho that picture, you witch," Nikky dares her again. She is tired of Pinky's disrespect and constant remarks.
Pinky gasps and suddenly slaps Nikky across the cheek.
The nurses nearby gasp loudly.
Nikky is too angry to let it slide. She slaps Pinky twice, hard across the face.
Then everything breaks loose.
They start fighting. Pinky grabs Nikky's weave tightly and pushes her hard against the table. Nikky hits the edge of the table and falls to the ground.
The room starts spinning. The noise around her becomes loud and distant at the same time.
"Nikky, are you okay?" She hears Zola's voice nearby.
"Are you crazy, Pinky?" Zola shouts loudly now.
There are voices all around her.
Nikky's body feels light and weak.
.
.
.
Nikky can hear Pinky crying nearby and Brian's angry voice. She doesn't understand what he is saying because he is speaking in Afrikaans. He does that a lot when he is angry, he switches to Afrikaans without even noticing.
Nikky slowly opens her eyes and frowns. She is not in the cafeteria anymore. She is in a ward.
She doesn't remember passing out.
She moves her head slightly and sees Brian standing in front of Pinky, who is now crying. Nikky doesn't even know how long she has been unconscious.
She closes her eyes again.
She feels sleepy. She is hungry too. This has been the worst day. First Julia's call, and now Pinky attacking her.
"I'm sorry, please don't fire me," Pinky's voice says desperately.
"Well, you should have thought about that before attacking Nikky!" Brian roars angrily.
Nikky feels uneasy. How can she continue working here after this? Everyone now knows what happened.
She wants to open her eyes, but she keeps them closed instead.
She suddenly hears the door opening loudly.
Then a familiar cologne fills the air.
Her favorite scent.
Mnotho is here.
Her stomach drops instantly. She knows this will not end well.
"Ngiyalingwa, niyangilinga (I'm being tested here)," Mnotho says, his voice heavy with frustration.
Nikky can hear Pinky crying even louder.
"Pinky, go wait outside," Brian says firmly.
Nikky can feel Mnotho coming closer. She feels his hand gently caressing her cheek.
She wants to open her eyes.
She does open them slightly, but she feels embarrassed now. Maybe she shouldn't have fought Pinky. But she was too angry. She felt disrespected.
"I'll leave you with her," Brian says.
Mnotho doesn't respond.
Nikky hears the door close.
She opens her eyes fully, and they land on Mnotho. He looks calmer now, not angry.
Nikky sighs softly. That is a good sign.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack her," Nikky says quietly. "I was defending myself. She attacked me first," she adds, her voice breaking slightly.
Mnotho just looks at her, still calm, his face unreadable.
"I don't want to work here anymore. I'll go to culinary school," Nikky says, sniffing softly.
Mnotho raises his eyebrows, clearly shocked.
"Really? You are resigning?" Mnotho asks, a small smirk forming on his face.
Nikky nods slowly. She feels emotional, but also strangely sure about her decision.
"With immediate effect," Nikky says firmly.