"Look at you!", Betso cheered to Muzi while standing by the open door, watching him study the A3 mall plan he had pinned to the board, standing by the side of his desk. He turned at the sound of her voice and smiled.
"This is a nice surprise", he said as he approached to hug her. He pecked her lips with his hands on her waist.
"Sawubona mama", he greeted in a hoarse whisper.
"Hi daddy", she greeted back and gave him a peck also.
"Have I ever told you how sexy you look in these?", she complimented and ran her hands down the sides of his black vest. He bowed his head and shook his head, trying to suspend a blush. She was referring to the navy blue worksuit he was wearing with lime highlights around the knees. Along with black work boots.
"Is it?", he asked flirtatiously.
"Mm-huh", she affirmed and inserted her hands into the knot created by the sleeves of the matching jacket he'd tied around his waist.
"From now, this is an equivalent to lingerie", he said and she laughed.
"Am I not disturbing you?"-Betso
He checked his wrist watch.
"You can disturb me freely for the next 15 minutes", he informed. She gave a celebratory smile and turned her head when a knock sounded by the door.
"Come in", Muzi said to Bongiwe and kept his hands on his wife's waist. She walked in while paying all of her attention to her iPad.
"Oh. Hi Mrs K", she greeted Betso, who in turn greeted with a smile.
"I see you're all tied up. I'll come back a bit later yeah?", she suggested while taking reverse steps in her red bottoms.
"I'mmm only going to be back in the office tomorrow morning. From here I'm off to the site"
"Still okay", she said and left with a smile.
"Nidlile?"(Have the two of you eaten?), Muzi asked Betso.
"Yeah I was at Tasha's just now. I like this lady", Betso said to Muzi who raised his brow in subtle surprise.
"Uban? UBongiwe?"
"Yeah. She's nice. She has this warm vibe about her. Every single time I see her. ", she added. Muzi gave a snorty,brief laughter.
"Are you sure you're straight?", he asked and they both laughed.
"Mciim is it a sin to appreciate a fellow woman?"
"No but the way you say it... hayi", Muzi said and Betso playfully hit his chest.
"Anyway, what exactly does she do around here?"
"Uhm, ngiyibeke njani... her company is in my company, which is also my company. Well half of it", he explained and placed his forehead against hers.
"Why are you explaining like you're speaking to a fifth grader?", she questioned and gave a muffled laugh.
"Because you're here to see me kodwa sibusy sikhuluma ngo Bongiwe. Why?"(We're busy speaking about Bongiwe), he squeezed her bxtt and pulled her towards him. Betso tried to respond but he devoured her lips instead. They heard somebody clear their throat by the door and broke the kiss. Muzi puckered his lips in a smile and said,"Yes?"
"Are we still leaving together or you'll catch me there? Apparently there's problems with two of the TLBs?", said the man in formal wear with a yellow helmet on his head.
"That's something they should be able to sort out by themselves though?", Muzi grunted with his hands still on Betso's bxtt. She had her head on his chest as she listened to them speak.
"Well?"
"I swear this is the very last project I'm working on with these guys. Hamba ngizokufica khona"(Go I'll find you there)
The guy tapped the wall on the inside twice as he nodded then left. Muzi stole another kiss from Betso's lip before she could speak.
"Let me not keep you any longer", she said and pulled away. He exhaled deeply and said,"Suddenly I don't feel like going there anymore". She laughed and walked, flaunting her a** for her lustful husband, rotating her car key on her left index finger. When she got to the door, she turned back to catch a glimpse of his displayed torture and shot out a quick laugh.
"You're gonna pay for this...", he threatened and went to unpin the plan from the board, rolling and securing the cylindrical shape with a rubber band.
...
Bab'Bayede came back to the royal house and asked for Manqoba. After he was called, he came down the stairs and found him in the living room with his suede hat on his knee, his green Brentwood slightly pulled back for comfort.
"Mbulazi"
Manqoba sat on the single couch after he greeted him.
"Yebo Mntungwa", Bayede greeted back.
"Sa vakashelwa kabili evikin elilodwa inhlanhla engaka madoda"(Two visits in one week. Such luck)
Bayede laughed.
"My week starts on a Monday so it's two weeks", he said and they both laughed.
"Ndodana. Ngize ngodaba olubalulekile la. Remember ubab'wakho wanted to cross breed with the Bonsmara le...", he clicked his fingers trying to remember
"Ka Schoeman?", Manqoba came to the quick rescue of his fossilized memory.
"Ehhena. Manje ke--"
"Hayi angifuni uku sebenzisana nalel' bhunu mina. Unekhanda eliqine kabi uSchoeman"(I don't want to work with this boere farmer. He has a hard head)
"Lalela. Bavumelana phela labantu ngeke manje sijike sithi thina--"(These people had an agreement. We can't just turn--)
Bayede's jaw dropped to the carpet when he caught sight of Enhle coming down the stairs rummaging through her handbag looking for her car keys.
"Haibo haibo haibo! Inkosikazi ephelele yase bukhosini iphumele ngaphandle iqgoke kanje? Mameshana!"(An entire royal wife going outside dressed like that?!), Bayede ranted from shock and Enhle licked her upper teeth in shame. She was wearing a different version of the dress she had worn the previous day, only, this one was tight around her bxtt and had a front slit.
"Sawubona baba", she greeted shamefully and placed her hand behind her neck. Bayede turned his widened eyeballs in Manqoba's direction, who then exhaled from exhaustion and threw his head back on the couch, looking out the veiled window.
"Nathi!", Bayede shrieked. Enhle took quick steps back upstairs while holding on to her dress so she doesn't trip. She had no idea he'd be there and he's the very last person she'd disrespect. Manqoba tried his level best to pay no mind to the whole incident that had just erupted but a fire was rising in his chest.
...
After the call she received from the twins' school, Betso dumped herself on the couch trying to pull pieces of her scattered peace together. She put both her hands on her bowed and frustrated head.
"Waitsi ngwana ke yo! NGWANA KE YO!"(Here's an unruly child!)
She forced herself to empty and fill her lungs since she felt her brain needed some fresh oxygen to function better. She then took her phone and called Mxolisi. It rang for a while before he answered.
"Sthandwasami", he answered cheerfully.
"Kopano...", he statement trailed off with a breath of anger.
"I can explain"
"Where are you?!"
"I had a few errands to run. I promise I'll be home by school out", he explained as promised. Betso was at a complete loss for words. Her temples were throbbing.
"Okay?", he said softly trying to pacify her, which in turn poured a litre of diesel into the fire.
"MAN! MAAN!", she yelled out with her fist clenched. She cut the call and said,"Aowa dammit hle!", lashing out some more and gulping down the glass of milk she had placed on the coffee table.
"Trouble in paradise?", the tattoo artist asked with a tight lipped smile, an edge away from laughing as he continued running the machine on Mxolisi's lower arm.
"Naahh. That was my mom. I was hoping they wouldn't call her", he stated as he endured the inking pain.
"Who's they? Your school?", the guy asked as he wiped the surface of Mxo's skin with spirits and continued drawing with diligence and concentrating.
"Yeah. We weren't doing much today so I left. In her eyes it's gonna seem like I skipped classes"
"Eish batswadi"(parents), he concurred and continued with his job. Mxo laughed lightly, with a little bit of unease. He'd never heard her that mad before.
"I'm guessing she hasn't seen the one on your chest?"
Mxo laughed.
"Nah she hasn't"
"And this one? How are you planning to hide it then?"
"Ke godile nnou. That was two years ago. Now, if I die, I'll just die"(I'm grown now). The guy laughed. Mxo continued scrolling on his phone.
"Can I ask you a question?"-Mxo
"Anytime bafanas"
"Say you dated a girl neh? Then yall happened to break up. Then you date another one. Then later find out that they're friends. What do you do you?"
"Girl code never crosses anywhere with the guy code. You continue with the relationship. It would've been a different case if she was YOUR friend's ex"
"Flopo keore mastene ha itsi waboh?"(The problem is that my girlfriend doesn't know)
The guy stopped inking and placed his hands with black gloves on his knees.
"Wai wai wait. The girlfriend doesn't know that you were in a relationship with her friend?"
"Yes"
"And you love this girl? Mastene?"
"Yes"
"Ayayaya. Mjitaka omo mpyeng"(You're in shxt my guy)
"You're the second person to say that"
"That's because you are"
"As in shxt shxt?"
"Multiply that by 4. You're in the kaks", he said and went back to drawing. Mxo fell deep in frustration, trying to figure out a way to get through to Ndalo without putting their relationship in jeopardy.
...
After the sangoma left, Melokuhle went back into the house, leaving Manqoba and Evelyn outside with the tub full of the black liquid that was used to cleanse his blood. He had a grey towel around his shoulders and black shorts on his lower body, barefoot. He eyed the USB on the table that he had been avoiding since the previous night. He took a shower to get rid of the foul smell. After he was done, he sat in front of the laptop and inserted the flash drive. There was a single item in it, a video. He curiously pressed play and leaned it to watch. Busi appeared on the screen with her short hair neatly combed.
"Baby. I would've probably been gone by the time you see this", she looked calm and decent. Collected.
"First of all, I already owe you an apology. A deep and sincere one. I am deeply sorry for the pain I'm about to cause you. I know how much you love me Makhosonke and I will die loving you just as much. I've... I've just reached and went way past my threshold. I don't see how life can continue from here. Even if I decided to stay alive for your sake, I'd just be a wound that will need constant dressing and nursing in your life. My depression will grow to become an infection and I believe that if I love you as much as I say I do, I shouldn't allow that to happen on my watch", she continued speaking as Jhené Aiko's 'Party for me' (feat. Ty Dollar $ign) played in the background.
"I'm going to leave this in an envelope in Gogo Nkambule's mailbox and write that it's from me. I know it will get to you somehow. I want you to be happy. I want you to continue laughing. Smiling. Should you want to move on, which I so much wish for you, don't allow my ghost to hold you back. I love you. Okay? If you feel you can't cope, find my grave and bring a LunchBar with", she winked.
"Farewell, my nxgga", she then took a lengthy kiss from her lips and placed it against the screen. Salty waters were burning behind Melo's eyeballs. He shut his eyes and tears fell from to the top of his table.
UNEDITED.
