Amukelani's POV
"When are you going to visit my daughter?" asks Kuhle. I'm currently sitting with Kuhle in his office having lunch and catching up as friends. Please note the key word friends. "I'm going to visit her this coming weekend. I'm no longer busy and i have all the time in the world but I will confirm Friday." I answer. "You guys broke up?" "No I'm not linking up with him." "Mesengisho."
"How has life been for you?" I ask. "It's been okay you know. The work is overloading." he answers. "No girlfriend on the side." "I don't have time for girlfriends." "Is your baby mama still living with you guys?" "No she moved out we just co-parenting. I had a nice talk with her and established our relationship." "That's nice."
"Yeah and we also moved out of the mansion cause Michelle ended up moving out and i wasn't about to live in a big mansion all alone." he says. "So many things have changed." I say. "Yeah things have changed including things in your life." "You ain't wrong about that part." He chuckles. "So how is your boyfriend?" "I don't like you asking me about him."
"I'm just checking up on the guy's wellbeing." he says. "I can send you his phone number and call him so you can check how he is." I say. "Don't be like that." "Uright yena." (He is okay.) "He isn't treating you badly right?" "No he treats me well." "You should tell me should he ever off ramp." "I will tell you and then at least you can try do something about it." "Yeah."
"So has your baby mama forgiven me or in this case moved on from her jealousy?" I ask. "I haven't talked to her about you ever since that disastrous meeting. I don't want to start an unnecessary fight with her." he answers. "Am I permitted to see your daughter?" "Yeah you are." "Okay at least we don't have to sneak her out." We chuckle.
"Have you met Jessica's baby?" I ask. "Yeah I have he is a little cutie." he answers. "At least he has outgrown the ugly stage cause I wasn't ready to tell her the baby ain't all that." He chuckles. "But babies are cute from the day they are born." "Nope Kuhlekonke don't lie. Babies aren't cute when they born overtime they become cute." He chuckles.
"Clearly asiboni ngokufana njengabantu." he says and i chuckle. (We don't see the same as people.) "Of course for beauty is in the eye of the beholder and i as the beholder don't find babies cute." I say and we chuckle. I stand up and throw the empty containers in the bin and I go to the bathroom and wash my hands and wipe them with the towel.
"Let me get back to my office some of us make money for a living." I say. "You talking as if I'm an unemployed person. he says. "Nah man I don't mean it like that. What I mean is that running a law firm while being an attorney isn't easy." "I know but are you coping?" "Yeah I am coping and I'm actually enjoying it cause it's giving me a chance to learn about business a bit." "Tell me if it gets too much." "No i won't." He chuckles.
"Go back to work boss lady." he says. "My name is Amukelani Mngomezulu not boss lady." I say and he chuckles and i roll my eyes. "I shall see you during the week and actually confirm my date with your daughter this weekend." "No problem." "Sharp." I go back to my office and continue with my work.
£
"Mtasekhaya you called me." I say. "I had to check up on the prodigal child." says Aphiwe. "Oh well the prodigal child is alive and doing average I guess." "Why average and not good?" "I would be doing good if I didn't have to play pretend house with a certain someone." He chuckles.
"I love how you labelling your relationship." he says. "It's pretend house not a relationship wena Aphiwe." I say and he chuckles. "Okay i love how you came up with a name for this thing of yours." "That's how you were supposed to phrase it from the beginning." "What you cooking cause I can hear pots sizzling?" "I'm making a simple lamb curry with basmati rice."
"Let me switch to face time then." he says. "If you ever wonder why I died in a fire just know that's its your fault." I say and he laughs. "Check the pots and not me." I roll my eyes. He switches the call to face time and his chilling in his office.
I start chopping the peppers and add them to the pot. "Melunjani usuku lakho?" he asks. (How was your day?) "Meli right elakho?" I ask. (It was okay and yours.) "Nelami meliright." (Mines was okay.) "So how's business going?" "It's going good though. I'm trying to come up with more ideas. Yes I'm happy with the profits I'm making but I don't want to get to comfortable with the numbers that i see i need to see them grow." "I'm glad that you think like that."
"Help me come up with ideas." he says. "You produce alcohol and sell to shops and restuarants etc." I say. "Yeah that's what I do." "Why don't you open your own shop where you can sell your own alcohol instead of having to sell it to other shops?" "I have thought about that idea but I'm not feeling it cause I'm used to supplying to others but maybe one day." "In business its not about what you feel its about making the best desicion to benefit you and your company. Sometimes you must think outside of the box."
"I get what you saying but no I don't want to do that for now." he says and i nod. "Okay then why don't you start supplying something else besides alcohol or maybe start a new company." I suggest. "It seems like a good idea but what else can i supply to people besides alcohol?" "You can maybe buy your own farm and start growing fruits and vegetables so you can sell to the markets and shops." "That sounds like a good idea."
"Everything that comes out of my mouth is good." I say and we laugh. "What should i name my new company should i go with that idea?" he asks. "Well you can name it something that starts with an A and has a deep meaning." "Like what?" "Kind of think about this as giving back to the community and also donate those vegetables and fruits to those in need. Like start a feeding scheme."
"So you want me to buy a farm so I can start growing my own fruits and vegetables so I can sell to markets and also donate to the less fortunate." he says. "Yes. Like you know there are people out there who don't have everything so you donating could change their lives forever." I say. "That's a splendid idea." "Please I need those profits." He rolls his eyes.
"You shall get something." he says and i smile. "So like while giving back and donating to organizations also create your own and make that name have a deep meaning." I say. "My mom gave birth to smart kids." "Oh well she is also a genius so it was bound to pass down to us." He laughs. "I'll think about your suggestion."
"You better act on it. I like this idea that i came up with and once its big enough turn it into a franchise." I say. "Okay i will." he says. "What else did you want to talk about?" "I wanted to talk about your novio." "Haibo why is he the talk of the town manje?" "He has to phela this thing is about to end very soon so I need to know as much as possible before it ends."
"You had all the time in the world to get to know him and you want to know this person quarter to death." I say. "Yeah so at least i know you were well taken care of before we die and i won't have to haunt someone." he says. "Oh wow I love your excuse." He chuckles.
"So have you been happy these last couple of months you've been with him?" he asks. Have I been happy with these last couple of months? The answer to that is yes and no. I would have been the happiest girl if I didn't have any sort of hidden agenda but he somehow someway managed to make me happy.
"I guess i have been happy but not really cause like I'm here on a mission not a happiness quest." I answer. "He never ill treated you?" he asks. "Never. He really is a great guy and has a nice personality." "At least you didn't have to seduce a narcissistic man." "Yeah he is genuinely a nice person and the fact that I'm using him actually like kind of makes me feel guilty."
"Guilty that you playing with his feelings?" he asks. "Yeah phela his ex-girlfriend also pretended to like him kanti she had malicious intentions and look now I'm following her footsteps. What if this thing causes psychological setback for him?" I ask. "I don't know mtasekhaya but I see your point of view and all that stuff but there is nothing you can do about it cause like we nearly at the finish line." "You right."
"Don't worry everything is going to be okay. Should we live after this war you can always focus on yourself and don't get into any relationships." he says. "I wasn't planning to get into one anyways." I mumble. "Kanti when are you going to open your heart again?" "Hello my feelings never last and i don't want to hurt another guy the same way I hurt the previous one."
"Who knows this time it might be your luck?" he asks. "Oh well it shall come when its ready I don't want to go searching for love." I answer. "Do you like him?" "Who?" "Your novio." "No i don't like him." "You there on a mission not a soulmate quest." "Exactly." "If things were different and like you didn't have to play pretend would you have opened up your heart to him?"
"I would have cause his a really great guy and he knows how to treat a woman and make her feel special," I answer and he nods. "But me and him being together is in another universe cause we not meant to be in this universe." I add. "Hai ke enjoy your last moments with him." "When are you guys landing?" "A few days before the event. Your mom asked me to talk to you to talk to her."
"Aphiwe it's best you don't get involved if you know what's best for you." I say. "What happened between you two?" he asks. "It's none of your business Aphiwe stay out of it." "Okay fine." I sigh.
I take out a plate and dish up for myself. I pour myself a glass of wine and take the stuff and go sit in the living room. "Sowuyadla?" he asks.(are you eating?) "Yeah I am." I answer. "Okay let me leave you. We'll talk another time." "Sharp mtasekhaya. Thanks for the call I really needed it." "The pleasure is all mine and i love talking to you." I smile.
"Greet my kids and big sister for me." I say. "I will." he says. "Ngiyakthanda mtakama." (I love you my mother's child.) "Thandwa yimi." (You are loved by me.) I drop the phone and sigh.
Maybe in another universe we would be meant to be and i would be a better version of myself than I am now so I can love him properly because he deserves a person that will love him and make him happy and that person is not me...