21
TWO QUEENS IN MY CASTLE 21ORATILWE
It is surprising to get home and not find my brother there. The windows are closed and the heat inside the house suffocates me immediately when I walk in. I free myself from the heavy backpack and open all windows wide. It's unlike him not to open his stall so whatever he's attending must be serious. I'm still trying to soften him up after everything that has happened so today I'm going to cook. It's already 16:00 so I need to defrost the meat immediately if I want to cook before loadshedding strikes.
I know how much Kabelo enjoys his vegetables so I'm going to cook something enjoyable. I'm in a good mood today but I can't really explain why. I've grown to take each day as it comes and try to accept that my mother is no longer here and that she would have loved to see me move on.
A whistle from outside takes my mind off the deep thoughts. It's Kabelo with a huge smile on his face and a some takeaways. He places the plastics on the table and gives me a warm hug, how strange.
"And then? Who landed from heaven and gave you a happy pill?" I ask him, returning the big smile.
"Is it wrong to be happy?" He does a 360 turn and takes out a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Where have you been? The house was too hot when I came here so I suppose you've been gone for a while," I say.
"I've got the best news ever today. But, I'll share with you over dinner and a bottle of champagne," he takes a sip from the bottle.
"I was about to start cooking," I show him the chopping board and the knives.
"Relax, sis. The news will just make you ecstatic that you'll never want to cook for the whole week," he says. I'm feeling excited all of a sudden. I'm having all sorts of thoughts and it's delightful because he said it's great news. I would have been uneasy if he didn't clarify.
I put away the vegetables and meat away, take out two plates to dish up. It's only now that I'm noticing the bottle of bubbles that we're going to celebrate with. I have an ice bucket taken out of the cupboard and immediately fill it with ice. I haven't tasted alcohol in a while and this just excites me.
****
[A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER]
YOLANDA
I've just knocked off and about to head to my place. Working as a waitress is exhausting and sometimes I just want to quit but who's going to take care of me? We're living in a time where us as women need to stop depending on men because it's outdated. I'm outside at the parking lot, still checking if I have enough money for an Uber. It's late for a taxi plus it's very inconvenient. I walk closer to the exit to wait there, it's 10mins away.
A black car with tinted windows pulls over, I step back and prepare to make a run for it incase he's a criminal. The window rolls down and a man calls out for me.
"Hi," he says.
"Hello," I return my focus to my phone.
"You don't remember me, do you?"
"Umm..am I supposed to?' I'm trying to take a careful look at him but it's dark, despite him having his lights on inside. He finally steps out of the car and comes closer.
"Raymond?" My jaw drops. I never thought I'd see him again, especially not here.
"In the flesh," he leans forward for a hug.
"You're alive? I thought you died in that bus accident," I'm still in shock. From what I heard, he was on his deathbed.
"God works wonders. I thought I saw you when I was driving past," he continues to smile while looking at me from head to toe.
"It's lovely to see you. Nice car by the way."
"Thanks. Life has really taken a positive turn for me ever since RAF paid out. You still look gorgeous as ever," he places both his hands on his waist.
"Where are you headed?"
"I'm headed home. I can drop you off if you like," he says. I can save some money if I take him up on this offer so I immediately cancel my ride.
"I'd love that," I say. He opens the passenger door for me and I climb in. The leather seats are so comfortable that I could take a nap right now. The interior smells like lemon and it's so refreshing. He opens his GPS and I give him my location. It's true when people say that no one is really ugly, they're just broke. The Raymond I knew back then is definitely not the Raymond I'm sitting next to now. He has transformed and you can tell just by his skin that life is good.
"So you work here?"
"Yeah I've been working here for some time now," I say.
"I guess I should start eating here so I can see you every time," he laughs.
"You'll eventually get tired of me."
"How can one get tired of seeing such a beautiful face? Yoli you're a catch and it's not the first time you hear this from me. It's just unfortunate that you and I never got a chance to explore our feelings," he says. Honestly, he was the one in love and I was just not interested for a number of reasons. Looking at him now might make me reconsider everything and I might sound like I'm chasing money but I'm not. He's just more cleaned up and organized now, worthy of being someone's man.
"Yeah I know but I'm certain you've already found someone. I mean it's easy, considering your status."
"It's not easy to find the one you love. Many women out there just fulfill sexual fantasies and nothing more."
"I get what you're talking about. Same applies to men who can only fulfill financial needs," I say.
"Listen, give me your number and take mine. I'll call you when I'm free. We could grab lunch and catch up," he takes out his phone. I'm about to take out mine when it actually vibrates from my bag. It's Kabelo calling, I pick up.
"Hey," I clear my throat.
"Hey. I was checking up on you since we haven't spoken all day. Are you home yet?"
"I'm on my way."
"Oh! So are you still coming tomorrow? You said you'd be available for lunch."
"Yeah sure. I just hope Thandeka won't be there because this arrangement is beginning to get uncomfortable," I say.
"No, It's just you and I. We have a lot to iron out and I can't really hold myself any longer. I love you, Yolanda."
"I'll be there. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Alright text me when you get home."
"I will. Sharp," I hang up.
"Is everything okay?" Asks Raymond.
"Yeah everything is perfect," I fake a smile. I really want to fix things with Kabelo genuinely but here I am, riding with a temptation.
Please log in to submit a comment.