Melokuhle dropped himself on the chair across where Mthokozisi was seated, who then raised his eyes from his phone screen with irritated eyes.
"Were you never taught any manners?"-Mtho
"Manners are subjective", he replied coolly and Mtho shook his head, raising his hand for the waiter.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned by Mthokozisi the great?"
His lunch partner released a heavy breath before speaking.
"I don't know. I just, can't we put everything behind us and move the fxck on? Like stop behaving lil bxtches?"
"You're the one with issues. Angeke ngidansele isiginci sakho phela mina"(I won't dance to your tune), Melokuhle stated and took out his phone.
"What issues?"
"Remember in grade 1 when--"
"Ahh!", Mthokozisi threw his hands in the air.
"No hear me out. I want to show you where your issues began", Melo said and couldn't stop himself from laughing.
"Show me"
"You dropped and broke my sharpener after I told you that my grandmother got it for me overseas. Remember that one with the glass container?"
"That was an honest mistake"
"If it was a mistake why did you not apologize for it? I actually don't remember you apologizing for anything"
"If I had apologized would it have put together your sharpener?"
"You're an a**hole Mthokozisi"
"So you're still holding on to a 12 year old grudge?
"My car? Was that also a mistake?"
"To be honest, that was purely intentional"
"Why?"
"I was hoping it was enough to break you and Busi apart. You never deserved her and you know it. You could've treated her better but you chose not to"
"Uyanya and unya in abundance. What the fxck do you know about Busi and I?!"
"You don't cheat on the people you love Melo. I hated being the one to always pick up the pieces each time you broke her heart. Fixing your shxt all the way from the friendzone!"
Melokuhle shot up from his chair and pulled Mtho up by his t-shirt. Mthokozisi grabbed him the same way and they shared a death stare. A waiter arrived trying to break the altercation and Melokuhle hissed that he shouldn't hear Busi's name from Mtho's mouth ever again. Mthokozisi kept the stare of intimidation for a moment before turning to the waiter who had his hands on theirs trying to pull them apart. Everyone in the restaurant was watching.
"So we have to fight first before we can get your attention?", he jabbed at him and the waiter cleared his throat, scratching behind his ear.
"What would you like to order Melo and Mtho?"
"We haven't decided. We'll call you once we do"-Melo said, still squashing the front of Mtho's tee the same way he was squashing his.
"Yoh rich kids!", he dramatically left the table. The two couldn't help but laugh at how they just took out their frustrations on the innocent waiter. They dropped back to their chairs. Melo signalled to him that he should bring two glasses of orange juice. His usual order. For a moment it reminded him of Busi but he shut down the thought before it could solidify.
"I'm starting to think you never liked me at all", Melokuhle confessed and Mtho pulled a frown.
"Me? Never liked YOU? You were the one who was always giving me a bad eye on the very first week of school because you definitely felt like I was competition. I never sucked up to you and licked your a** like all the other kids did just cause you're royalty. Until we had to pair up for that stupid numeracy activity and we were the only ones left without partners. If I hadn't come up to your desk you were never gonna come to mine. If there's anybody who never liked the other here it is you"
"Lies. I just loved working alone. I still do"
"Yeah msun whatever"
A light laugh escaped from Melo.
"So, this is your lousy idea of a truce?", Melo said with a mocking smile. The juice arrived and the waiter left with the black tray.
Mthokozisi stabbed him with a thin look before laughing.
"Yeah before that, I kinda need to get something off my chest. It's been bothering me for a while now", Mtho began confessing.
Melokuhle took a sip in his sunken position on the chair.
"Shoot"
"Don't get mad...", he said lowly and Melo sat up straight attentively.
"I'm not promising shxt. What is it?"
"Well, a week before Busi died, I kinda felt like I was running out of time or some crap. The feeling was mad weird like I was the one who was dying yabo? So, I... kinda shot my shot"
Melo laughed.
"What do you mean? You've been shooting your shot since third grade and she been rejecting your a** since then"
"If you weren't distracting her you know very well that she woulda been mine"
Melo huffed out a laugh.
"Keep telling yourself that charmer boy"
"But what I actually mean is, by shooting my shot... I... kissed her"
The friendly face Melo had on immediately disappeared before he sent all the juice in his glass flying to Mtho's face.
...
Mbalenhle continued trying to get through to her husband who wasn't having it. It felt like they spent a long time on the road. He adjusted his rear view mirror and kept grabbing a few glances when he saw the silver car that he was sure was following them. Enhle noticed this and realized that Muhluri was indeed following them. She began praying in silent Egyptian tongues that the whole situation does not get bloody.
"See anything interesting back there?", he sarcastically asked and kept his eyes on the road. She quickly shook her head in disapproval so much that her tears spattered sideways.
"Open that and load that gun", he further instructed, referring to the glove compartment.
"Why?", she voicelessly questioned in concern.
"Well, I was hoping he wouldn't dare me some more but I kinda knew he would"
"What do you mean?"
"Come on Enhle. He's a doctor. He's addicted to saving lives and he thinks yours is in danger so... and judging by your phone calls, he cares about you, which he had no business doing in the first place"
"But why--"
"Yekela ukungibuza into eyningi and do as I said"(Stop asking me a dozen questions...)
"Please don't involve him in this?", she begged.
"Me? Involve who? Your man insists on being all up in my business so I'm going to lay out the red carpet for him to the VIP section"
Enhle did not reply. She sobbed and wiped her tears.
"Khala wenza lento engithe uyiyenze"(You can cry and load the gun at the same time)
"But--"
"You had no buts when it came to juggling to men at once so why am I hearing one now?", he hissed and she opened the glovebox doubtfully. She slowly pulled out the heavy metal amongst the white envelopes and grabbed the bullets, still sniffing and sobbing at the same time. Manqoba digressed from the main road and drove towards the forest. He abruptly parked the car, opened the boot and got out. He pulled the boot door wide open and took out a new green spade. Enhle also opened the passenger door when she saw Muhluri's lights switching off after he parked behind them. Manqoba peeped in her direction and asked,"Us'shiyele bani leso sbhamu?"(Why did you leave the gun behind?). She slowly grabbed it from her seat and he closed the boot after taking the rope out. Muhluri stepped out of his car and stepped towards them.
"Are you okay?", he whispered when he got to Enhle. She nodded slightly, looking far from okay. If being okay was located in the North her emotions laid buried deep in the South.
"Man. I'm not here to start any trouble. I'm just pleading with you to let her go. She can take my car and drive away then we'll solve it without involving her. Please", he tried to negotiate. Manqoba was polishing the spade in his hand, occassionally blowing onto it for extra shine in the dark.
"Do you realise that this is MY wife? The mother of my kids?"
Enhle raised the gun with great doubt trying to scare Manqoba. A devious smile grew on his face and light bounced off his gold tooth. He spat on the ground and said,"Gabadiyakazi. Dubula..."(Shoot...). He waited.
She was trembling so the gun was unstable in her hands. He slowly stepped on the dried leaves which did not hesitate to make breaking sounds and approached her. He put his hand on the front of the gun, wrapped his fingers around it and calmly took it from her, their eyes glued in the pair of the other. He held the back of her head and kissed her hot forehead. It was burning from all the crying. Muhluri grabbed the gun from his careless hand and Manqoba pulled another one from the back of his belt, now both pointing to one another with the fatal and loaded weapons. Enhle began begging the both of them not to shoot. They weren't budging. She jumped in front of them without warning and a gunshot went off. All the birds in the trees flew off and away. She closed her eyes tightly hoping it was a miss. When she opened them, she realized that it was indeed a miss. Nobody was hurt.
"Enhle what are you doing? I almost shot you dammit"? , Muhluri was frustrated by this.
"Have you ever used a gun before? Give me that", Enhle said softly and tried to take it from him.
"I'm a lover Enhle. Not a fighter"
"I know. I shouldn't have involved you in my mess"
"Hey cut this Romeo and Juliet crap. Wena, walk!"-Manqoba
"I'm really sorry Muhluri", Enhle sobbed and suffocated on her tears.
"I said stoppeth thy bullshxt!", Manqoba said and dropped the hand that had his gun out of irritation.
...
After eating, Mxo stood up from the bed and walked in his socks to go throw away the empty plastics and cans, leaving Ndalo on the bed. He came back and dropped himself there, placing his head on Ndalo's thighs.
"You still good?", he asked. Ndalo nodded with a blush and played with his hair.
"Why did you tell your mom that I'm your girlfriend though? That was weird for me"
"Are you not?"
She laughed.
"I am but you could've said I'm your friend. I know that's what I would've said if that was my mom. Weren't you afraid she was going to take it negatively or something?"
"My mom is nothing like that. Yeah she is strict but she's realistic. She knows she can't stop me from dating but she doesn't want me dating multiple people at the same time. She'd also like it a lot if I was born hating sex", he explained and she laughed.
"She sounds cool. She also has an angelic voice. It was calming for me"
Mxo smiled.
"I know"
"She is hella pretty too. I remember seeing her in your kitchen for the first time. You look like her a bit", she complimented and he tried concealing a blush.
"That's one thing I can never be humble about. My mom is a flame", he bragged for her entertainment and she laughed.
"And your dad?"
Mxo raised his brow.
"What? You wanna know if he's a flame too?"
Ndalo exploded, laughing.
"No man. How is he? With your dating thing?"
Mxo laughed voicelessly.
"Who? Muzi? You mean the one who gives me tips on how to fxck you right?", he said in a high-pitched voice and Ndalo bursted out a laugh in disbelief, trying to pay no attention to the erupting butterflies in her belly. Something about how he said that had an effect on her.
"Hayi unamanga!"(You're lying)
"On God. My dad doesn't mind us having sex. By us I mean me and my brothers. He just doesn't want us getting anybody pregnant. But of course my mom doesn't know this"
"Your family sounds colorful and interesting", she says with a smile.
"I guess. And you? What's your mom like?"
"Uhm... she's loving and protective. Strictest person you'll ever meet but it all comes from a good place"
"Your dad? What was he like?"
"Yoh. A sweetheart. Ever-smiling. He was the guy that greeted and held conversations with everybody on the street. He was everyone's friend but he was MY bestfriend"
"Nca. Sounds like he was cool people"
"Yyeah he was. Are you comfortable?", Ndalo wanted to make sure after shifting her position a bit. Mxo kept his eyes on hers, which were intentionally avoiding him.
"What?", she eventually questioned.
"Are YOU comfortable?"-Mxo
She puckered her lips and nodded.
"Are you sure?", he got up and approached her face. She began growing nervous. He gave her a peck and continued staring at her to gauge if she was comfortable with him continuing. He was hovering over her, balancing his weight on his palms. Her eyes were all over the place but her body language was saying all the right things. He went in for another kiss and her lips entertained his. She felt her body taking decisions on her behalf, making her feel fluids and pulses in places she has never before. Her hands were just laying on the sides of her head uselessly. They were both beginning to heat up. Mxo lowered himself to unburden his hands of his weight and they began traveling down her sides. They found their way inside her t-shirt and she immediately put a halt to everything.
"What's wrong?", he hoarsely whispered.
"I can't go all the way there"
"Why do you always think I want to fxck you?"Mxo, still whispering. She kept quiet.
"I'm not going to break your vxrginity unless you want me to. Okay? We can do everything else except that", he tried to convince.
"What's everything else?", she asked breathlessly.
"Hard to explain. Can I rather show you?"
She swallowed.
"It won't hurt I promise...", he whispered directly into her ear, seducing and sensitizing her nerve cells. Her body betrayed her and she nodded. He travelled her lips and neck with wet, cold and patient kisses. He pulled her t-shirt upward and made his lips pay attention to her twins, his eyes lodged on her to ensure that she was still comfortable. His kissing trail went across her moving belly as he undid the button to her jean. She shot her eyes open and almost sat up.
"Please relax?", he begged. She was doubtful. Her kissed her below the navel and said another low "Please".
"Mxo..."
"I'm not going to hurt you baby I promise. Angeke ngab'thatha ubuntombi bakho ngaphandle kwemvumo yakho. I need you to be emotionally ready for that"(I'd never deflower you without your permission)
He defeated her verbally and she sat back, closing her shut eyes with her palms. He undid the button and pulled the zipper down. He then pulled the jeans off and she was left in her t-shirt, boy shorts and white half socks.
He kissed her thighs travelling up, still careful not to make her uncomfortable. He placed his fingers into the sides of the shorts and asked if she was ready.
A nervous giggle escaped her lips and she nodded twice. He took them out and lifted her legs, putting them over his shoulders, facing his second meal of the day.
UNEDITED.