Muzi pulled Bongiwe towards the couch in his office. He sat her down and she sobbed loudly. He pulled out his pocket square and handed it to her. She took it and wiped her face. In that moment, he trivially remembered where he'd left the handkerchief he was looking for. He thought he'd lost it when it was actually left in her office. Once she got a grip, she stood up and said, "I'm sorry for falling apart like this. I know it's unprofessional", she fixed her skirt.
"It's okay. I know exactly how you feel. I also have a fresh wound remember?", he said and fell on his back on the couch. The face of the late and fallen Chief Nkosenye Khumalo rose from his cherished memories like a phoenix. His father's straight and bright smile encircled his mind. The chief was not a man of many smiles but when he did smile, the whole house lit up. The man who taught him respect as the first lesson from a father. The man who taught him that hardwork makes the character of a man. The same man who taught him that a woman is an egg, and that as a man, you should be careful with it.
"You wouldn't want an egg to break would you", the chief's voice resounded in his head. He last heard these words when he was a teenager but he heard them afresh, clearly like they'd just been said. Bongiwe slowly sat back on the couch when she realized that it wasn't just about her from how lost he was in his own thoughts.
"Mr K?"
"Muzi?!"
"Hm?!", he answered, falling out of the memorial service he was hosting in his brain. "I'm sorry. I'm just... my condolences to you and your family", he added.
"You need to see someone", she mentioned.
"You mean a shrink?", he asked with his forehead furrowed.
"Yes. You've said it yourself, it's a fresh wound but here you are carrying on as if nothing happened. You do it as easily that we've all somehow managed to forgot what you're going through", she commented, wiping the corner of her eyes to get rid of the tears. Her nose was pink red.
"Life has to go on Bongiwe. Ayiqali ngami lento yokulahlekelwa ngumuntu engimthandayo"(I'm not the first person to lose a loved one), he stated and she kept quiet.
"That was insensitive of me I'm so sorry", he apologized wistfully when he realized that his statement somehow meant that Bongiwe was overreacting.
"It's okay. Let me get back to work", she said and stood up.
"Go home. You're in no state to be thinking about work"
"There's a lot of work to--"
"You'll delegate to your team"
She exhaled from defeat. She placed the pocket square on the couch.
"Let me go get my stuff then"
"Call me if you need anything"
Muzi always makes sure that his employees are taken care of it times of need. Be it being involved in a car accident, falling sick or losing a loved one. He's the boss that everyone loves but would never attempt to play skipping rope on the top of his head. She gave a halfhearted smile, clicked her heels and left. He stood up and went to grab his desk phone.
"Sawubona, I'm going to need transport for Ms Mdletshe?", he informed one of the company drivers, feeling like Bongiwe is in no state to be driving.
...
Enhle rested her head on Manqoba's chest as he played with her head. She was drawing invisible hearts, strings and circles on his chest as she enjoyed his presence. The moment felt so effortless and free-flowing.
"What does this mean?", she softly asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Do I still need to expect to be served with divorce papers 'no later than Friday' ", she asked and he laughed.
"If you pull one of your stunts then yes"
He said and she laughed.
"You shouldn't provoke me hoping that I'll keep quiet", she warmed and they shared a mutual laugh.
"So, I've been thinking baby...", she mentioned as she felt him wrap a few strands of her hair loosely around his finger.
"About?"
"Therapy", she said.
"You want us to go for counseling?"
"Yeah. I feel like we need it"
"I don't understand the concept of taking your problems to another person for fixing like they're a faulty refrigerator or something"
She knew she was taking a mammoth of a chance.
"Don't just shut it down. Think about it first", she pleaded and kissed his chest.
"Okay ke", he agreed to thinking about it, not the actual therapy.
"I have another request"
"Weeee", he exclaimed and she laughed. "Ufunani? Imoto?"(What do you want? A car?)
"No baby man. I just--", she got stuck.
"You juuust??"
"Please allow me to go back to work?"
He exhaled slowly.
"I thought sikhulumile ngalo lo ludaba?"(I thought we've already spoken about this?)
"It's necessary that I do. We fight a lot when I have nothing to do"
"I bought you a sewing machine?"
"That's a hobby!"
"You can always change that"
"Baby?!"
"Ha ah Enhle", he disagreed and her head fell back on his chest as she sulked.
