Adjustments
“What’s on your mind sis?” Buhle asks Nothemba who is sitting by the pool drinking a fruit juice on a Saturday morning. She is thinking to herself, by the pool I feel a little closer to Q. It's been six weeks since Locker was arrested and Qhawe is still at that secret health facility but his recovery is progressing well, he is awake. She and the kids visit him every day.
“Arg, I just miss my husband a lot; being by the pool helps me feel closer to him because he loved sitting here in the morning and read paper,” Nothemba responds. Buhle comes and sits next to her with her cup of coffee in the hand. She is staying with Nothemba at the moment to keep her company since Zinhle and Themba have moved back to their home, Hlengiwe and her daughter Mbali have also moved back to their home. There still is security in the house because the trial hasn’t begun.
“I know sis, but don’t worry he is coming back home soon. It’s just easier this way to recuperates in a secure facility because he is a witness,” Buhle says
“This place is so quiet now,” Nothemba says as she turns and sees through the sliding door, Mholi and Naledi are in the lounge watching cartoons while eating breakfast. “Please don’t mess up my carpet there,” she shouts to her kids who ignore her, but she really doesn’t care.
“I miss Zinhle, Themba and Hlengiwe and all the busy people who moved around my home,” Nothemba says as she puts her feet in the pool. Buhle comes over to sit next to her and also put her feet in the pool, “Yeah, can you believe your house looked like something from the movies a week ago?” Buhle says as she gives her sister a tangle with a shoulder. “All of the sudden the place is so quiet. But we can’t complain about going back to normal life.
This has been a crazy time and I’m not willing to go through it ever again,” she concludes with a deeper voices accompanied by sadness in realization that things could have been worse.
***
Over at the Cele's things are quiet as well. They have been living at the Nkosi's for so long they had developed some sort of a routine, but now they are back in their big house with no one else but just the two of them.
“what are you doing there?” Themba asks his wife Zinhle who is sitting by the dressing table but not really getting dressed for anything. She holds in her hand a picture of her, Themba and the Nkosis at some function. She turns around and looks at her husband who has a worry in his face, “Yes love I’m okay. It’s just that I’m thinking…,” she pauses for a second, “It’s funny that the quietness which supposed to resemble peace seems be boring without all the crazy action we’ve had,” she says as she puts the picture down.
Themba comes over and stands behind her, “I know my love but, we have to look forward into rebuilding our lives again,” he says as he wraps his arms around Zinhle’s body. “Qhawe will soon be out and once that bastard, Locker and his friends are behind closed doors, things will be back to normal.”
He then comes around and stands in front of her, seemingly having something to say but not knowing how. He keeps quiet for a moment.
“So, tell me, what’s going to happen to you?” Themba asks, somewhat uncomfortably knowing this is one conversation that is difficult to have once the dust settles from the crazy couple of years. “what will happen with you and the state security department? Will you continue to work for them?” he asks but not looking at Zinhle, knowing how hard this is. That questions seems to bring an uncomfortable few seconds of silence.
Then Zinhle stands up and goes by the window without looking at Themba, “No babe. I'm done. Hlengiwe and I spoke about it and I thought its time I focus on my family,” she says as she turns around to lean against the window. Themba comes over to her and wraps his arms around her, “does this mean we can now start out family?” he says with a smile and Zinhle smiles back at him, “Yes Mr. Cele, it’s time. I’m ready to start a family.
Those words are so refreshing to Themba who starts kissing his wife passionately and they decide to go back to bed.
***
Somewhere in a place that has no name, deep in the mountain forest, Hlengiwe has come to visit Locker. “So, to what do I owe this visit Ms. Siba,” Locker says sitting behind a glass wall that separates him from Hlengiwe who, this time is dressed casually, not in her familiar serious look. She takes a moment and looks around the place, “Are you comfortable Jack? You know this place really suits you,” she says with a half-smile.
“Oh well I'm getting used to it, people are really nice here. I’m treated well. How is everyone? Mr. Nkosi? Is he recovering well?” he asks with a sarcastic humor which seems to irritate Hlengiwe who then changes in her face. “Don't worry about my people,” she says. “they are none of your concern,” she leans forward closer to the glass wall as if she wants to make sure that Locker hears that part. Locker also leans forward and they have stare showdown for a second or two.
“So what the hell are you doing here?” Locker asks with a changed voice, that has suddenly become serious. “I just wanted to see your face for the last time before your trial. They will lock you up for a very long time which is very ironic because your name is Locker,” she says as she stands up, turning to walk way but stops when Locker says, “well I hope you are wrong Ms. Siba.
You may never know; funny things have happened in the past.”
Those words seem to boil Hlengiwe’s blood, who quickly storms out of the visiting area, not wanting to spend a second more in the room with the man who had her son killed. She knows though that people like Locker have friends in high places which may work to his advantage but as for her, she is hoping justice will still prevail over this. She has little room to breathe because she recently burned some bridges with her own party when she exposed corrupt politicians and then continued to work for the new government. What must she do now? What does the future hold for her?
Meanwhile the upcoming trial of Locker and his associates had been on the news for few months since he was arrested. Will Locker be able to use his power and influence to escape what’s coming to him? He was refused bail because he was deemed to be a flight risk and should come as a relief to Qhawe and his friends, they want to regain their lives.
***
On Monday Themba had decided to pop into the office and check how things are going. He is not entirely ready to go back just yet but he thought maybe it’s better to do it gradually.
“Thank you for seeing me Monica, I was just passing by and I thought maybe let me check in with to see how things are,” Themba says to Monica who has been holding the fort all along. They are seated at the boardroom just the two of them because this is not an official visit. “Oh yes boss, Uhmm let me just get my laptop so that I can show you the books and the updates of everything,” Monica says as she stands up and going towards the door, but Themba stops her, “Hey don’t be silly Monica, there’s no need for that,” he says as Monica returns to sit down in the table.
“And don’t call me boss, since when that is?” Themba asks with a smile to which Monica returns with a blush. “we trust you 100%, we know you have done a great job.” That compliment is fulfilling to Monica as she blushes again, “Thank you, sir,” she says.
“So how, is everyone? Mr. Nkosi and the family? Your wife?” Monica asks curiously as she takes a sip at her juice that was accompanied by biscuit, brought earlier by Grace. “Umm, my wife is okay, thank you for asking,” Themba says as he leans on the swinging chair. He then takes a deep breath as if he is looking for words to say next, “Qhawe is recovering well, he will be out in a couple of days. Nothemba and the kids are okay as well and I’m sorry that I can’t go into details with most things at the moment, Monica,” he says as he drinks his juice.
“oh absolutely, I get it Mr. Cele. I’m glad everyone is okay,” Monica says as she let out a smile. “But I can promise you that things will get back to normal very soon. After the trial l think everyone can resume their normal lives again,” Themba reassures Monica who is surely happy to go back to heading HR department. Running a company is not easy, let alone a company that is constantly on the spotlight. “One more thing I need you to do for me Monica,” Themba says with a more serious face,
“Please make sure you double check every person entering the gates. We are this close to ensuring what happened before never happen again. We don’t want suspicious people entering the building and we don’t know what they are doing. They must have made an appointment prior and you must have approved of it and they must be escorted to the exact person they had come to see,” he says as he stands to shake Monica's hand.
“Well, let me be on my way. Thanks for seeing me, if you need anything just get me on my cell,” he smiles. “You are welcome sir. Please send my regards to the wife.”
She escorts Themba out the main door who has his car waiting for him already. She watches him as she drives away off the gate.
***
Noon day Hlengiwe is visiting Qhawe in a secure facility that has so many security personnel. This place cannot be categorized as an official hospital or clinic even though it has the equipment that the clinics and hospitals use.
“I’m glad to see you strong and I hear you are going home in a day or two,” Hlengiwe says to a visibly frustrated Qhawe as she sits on the bed next to him. Qhawe then puts down the laptop he was just busy with before Hlengiwe entered, on the bad side table. He walks and stands by the window, “I don’t know why they are still keeping me here in this place because I’m okay now. I want to go home,” he says with a rough voice. “What is this place anyway and where the hell are we?” he asks which makes Hlengiwe lets out a smile.
She understands his frustrations though. “aah, aah…that’s classified you know that,” she says as she comes over by the window to stand next to her friend who us starring at the tree forest. He can also see the mountains right at the end of the tall trees that seem to surround this facility.
He then looks at Hlengiwe who is smiling at him, “okay I give these people here one thing, the food is good, not the crap I was eating at the hospital, and I get to watch whatever I want,” he says as he reluctantly smiles back at Hlengiwe.
“Don’t worry Mr. Nkosi, soon you will be eating a home cooked meal,” Hlengiwe says as she gives him a pat on the back. They then both come back and sit on the bed. There’s a moment of silence as Qhawe picks up his laptop and reads something, “I was reading about Locker on the news, where are we with that?” he asks.
“Well the trial begins next week. We can just only hope it won’t drag for years. But our witnesses haven’t had a change of heart and I believe we have a strong case and as I recall, you are testifying as well, right?” Hlengiwe says to a visibly frustrated Qhawe.
He sighs, “of course I'm testifying. This bastard ruined my perfect life and put my family in danger and almost killed me,” he says and with every word he uttered his voice was raised.
“Okay calm down, I get you. I really do,” Hlengiwe says pouring water for Qhawe, trying to calm him down. “Easy Mr. Nkosi, it’s almost over now. Locker will get what’s coming to him. He has to pay for many things, he had my son killed, remember?”
At that Qhawe calms down a bit and looks at Hlengiwe, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to sound insensitive,” he says. “Have you had time to mourn your son though?” Hlengiwe takes a second and a deep breath, “I’ll find peace over my son once this bastard is where he belongs, then I’ll mourn my son Mr. Nkosi,”
Their conversation is interrupted the door opening, enters Mholi and Naledi accompanied by their mother, Nothemba. They run to their dad who has his arms open for them. He embraces them, “Hi kids,” he shouts, “Oh I’m so happy to see you.” Nothemba comes over to him as well and gets a warm embrace from her husband. At that point, Hlengiwe has moved away from the bed and stood at a distance.
“Well, let me leave you guys to have some time alone,” Hlengiwe says as she comes over to Nothemba and gives her a hug. After that she hugged the kids and then left the room.
“Where’s Buhle?” Qhawe asks as he looks around the room. “Oh, she’s taking care of some things she couldn’t join us,” Nothemba says, which makes Qhawe's face change, “I hope she’s not by herself babe, we can't afford to be alone at this time,” he says. Nothemba kisses her husband in the forehead as way of calming him down, “no baby she’s not by herself, there’s security with her. She’s going to be okay,” at that Qhawe smiles and then spent quality time with his family.
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