As their bodies communicated in that dance, Manqoba eventually stopped when he felt tired and she threw her head back on his shoulder as his hands harmlessly kept themselves on the sides of her waist. He slowly stopped his lips on her neck.
"I'd never hurt you", he whispered, a whisper that coldly travelled in between her body hairs like a snake slithering in wet grass. She closed her eyes and he gently pushed her hair to her other shoulder. He lightly placed a feather-like kiss on the surface of her soft neck.
"I want to love you Sihle", he continued planting those kisses. A soft moan left and floated off her lips. His fingers travelled to her curves.
"I need you to trust me", his one hand was now on the strap of her dress, dropping it off her shoulder.
"Mbulazi...", she softly called out. He was about to speak when his phone rang and crushed that serenading moment. He sighed before taking it out of his pocket and answering it. Enhle was calling.
"Yes?"
He pinched the top of his nose bridge as he spoke.
"Ukhalelani?"(Why are you crying?)
"Does it have to be now?"
He exhaled deeply before saying "Okay".
"Kuzofanele ngihambe mama. But I meant every word I said. I just need to go and sort out a few things so we can start off our relationship well on a good note. Okay?", the last part came out in a hushed tone, a whisper. She nodded when he placed his hands on her upper arms. He put his index finger under her chin, pulled her closer and allowed his lips to embrace hers. He made sure their foreheads met when they broke the kiss and placed his hand behind her head, the other held her hand.
"I love how light my shoulders feel when I'm around you", he coarsely stated, staring earnestly into her eyes. She puckered her speechless lips, blushing. She tucked her lower lip in between her teeth and he shut his eyes briefly.
"Eish ithi ngihambe before ungifaka emilingwen maNkosi"(Let me leave before you make me fall into temptations), he said before he could squeeze his misbehaving member. She laughed as he hugged her, both feeling the deadly chemistry in between them that could ignite and set the sheets on fire if they allowed the reaction to occur. He pressed his lips onto her cheek for a lengthy moment and said his goodbyes. Their hands slowly untangled from one another as he walked in reverse. He then left.
...
"Mm! Look. At. That. A**!", Lwazi grimaced lustfully at the waitress walking away from their table after bringing another bottle of their cognac. The gents all laughed at their idiot of a friend.
"I thought we agreed that tonight is about us and catching up as igenge, not getting into trouble?", Mandla said as he sipped on his drink slouching lazily on the red leather couch rounding their table. The bar was dimmed but not too dark for them not to see what was going on around them, even things they were not supposed to see- well according to their wives.
"Haibo. I never promised that I'd lose my eyes in my vows mina", Lwazi defended. Muzi laughed under his breath and shook his head. He was on his phone with his drink in another hand, his back against the couch. He yawned and shut his eyes, trying to squeeze the tipsy out through his eyelids.
"Haaa ha. Look at you getting old...", Duncan said to him and they all laughed. Including Muzi.
"Eish mfeth. I'm exhausted I think I should head right home to my wife now"
"Exhaustion my left paralyzed foot. You just miss a** wena", Mandla mocked and they exploded in laughter again.
"Ah kuphi?"(I wish), Muzi said and Mandla downed his drink and frowned in curiosity.
"Eh bra. Trouble in paradise?", Duncan asked.
"See why it's no sin to go eat outside, wipe your lips clean and go back home?", Lwazi continued trying to get his point across.
"In which bible?", Duncan asked before he could laugh.
"The PDF I have on my phone"- Lwazi
"Ay se niyanya manje nina awuthi ngihambe izobonana"(You've started with your crap. Let me leave I'll see you guys), he said as he laughed it off and stood up. He picked up his phone, car keys and wallet from the table and they bumped fists.
"It's only going to eleven and you're already leaving? I'm disappointed", Lwazi complained as he brought his fist forward for a goodbye. Muzi laughed but did not reply.
"I blame uMandla for suggesting we come here. Remember the initial plan was to hit the club triple X?"
"I wasn't in the mood for that busy environment. We're too old for that shxt", Mandla stated and put empty glass on the table, amongst the many ones that had shots. A young waiter approached them with a single whiskey glass and serviette.
"Sorry sir, that lady over there says hi", he said to Muzi as he was about to leave. The gents all stopped talking to see the lady, including Muzi with a confused look on his face.
"Gaddamm!", Duncan exclaimed into his fist, trying to be discreet as possible.
"Yesses!", Mandla shortly went after him. Lwazi was just there with his jaw hanging. The lady crossed her long legs sitting on the high bar stool and waved at Muzi with a smile, cocking her head to the side. He didn't know which was longer- her single-strap snake skin stilettos or her flowy weave. The black, frilly see-through top she was wearing moved side to side as she waved. Her short leather skirt had climbed up her curves. Muzi was flattered but he had zero plans to indulge. The waiter was just standing there with a smile, waiting for him to react.
"Yise. Do the lady some justice", Lwazi said as he glared at her covetously. Muzi grabbed the drink off the tray, downed it all at one go, frowned at the sharp taste, placed it down and said to the waiter, "Tell her I said hi back", then left. The gents were roaring in disappointment as he smiled his way out, trying not to laugh at how Lwazi was roaring the loudest.
"At least take the number!", Duncan yelled waving the serviette in the air. Muzi could hear Mandla's irritating laughter behind him.
"Muzi! Bra!", Lwazi kept yelling. Muzi did the salute sign to his friends without looking back and kept walking.
He searched for his car amongst the many that were parked outside the bar and eventually found it. He unlocked the car and it notified that it was open. He was about to climb in when he heard a vomiting sound behind one of the other cars. He couldn't see where it was coming from but his senses assured that he could find its source if he followed it. He took out the one leg that was already in the car and closed it. He searched in between the spaces and eventually found the person behind the vomit. She couldn't stop. She was vomiting so much it sounded like she was running out of breath.
"Miss. Are you okay?", he asked and she did not reply. She kept gagging and vomiting without ceasing.
"Is she with you my guy?", a voice appeared from the side. He looked in that direction and just stared. Trying to decipher the whole situation.
"Why do you ask?", he questioned.
"No I'm just asking. We could take her home if she's not with you"
"Who's we?"
"Me and the gents", he said and pointed in their direction, sitting on the bonnet of a green tazz and smoking. The bunch appeared dodgy to him.
"Yeah she's with me", he kept a straight face.
"You sure?"
"Boy get the fxck outta my face", he said with severe irritation and the guy left. The lady had her hands on her knees trying to accumulate the strength she just vomited out back.
"Are you here with someone here?", Muzi asked.
"Please leave me alone. I'm not interested", she said in a throaty voice. The muscles around her trachea tired. Muzi raised his face to the guys at the car. When they saw him they turned they faces away pretending like they didn't and started a pointless conversation. He went towards her, putting her arm over his neck- her hand hanging over his shoulder.
"Come let me take you home. And I wouldn't be stubborn if I were you. That's if I still wanted to see myself live", he said and walked with her in that position. She was seemingly in pain when she placed her hand on her stomach, hissing in anguish. He led her to his car and put her on the passenger seat.
"So, where do you live?", he asked the lady as she grimaced in pain. She gave him the address off her head and asked if he doesn't have any water. He shook his head as he stared then looked for a bottle in the backseat, where he usually keeps his water. He twisted the lid open and handed it to her. She drank up slowly.
"You don't usually drink do you?", he asked as his speech lowered in speed, fixing his gaze on the side mirror. The guys were now inside their car but they weren't moving. He opened the glove box and took out his gun. She popped her eyes, slipping into panic mode. He could see her sobering up.
"Please. Please don't kill me. You can do whatever with me just don't hurt me", she begged and he shot her a look.
"Why would you--", he was about to ask why she would suddenly think he would do anything to her, before he could remember that he was a complete stranger to her, a complete male stranger with a gun.
"Look. I am not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure you get home safely. I don't want to wake up to you trending as a statistic tomorrow when I could've done something to prevent it. Alright?", he tried to make her understand. She swallowed hard.
"You could be working with them for all I know", she said.
"Okay. Let's say I am. Your best bet of survival is with me because the moment you run out of this car they'll be on your tail. There's three of them. I'm by myself. So what is it gonna be?", he asked and she looked back to see their car.
"Just take me home please", she begged when she felt herself backed tightly against a corner. He then drove off trying to keep a friendly face as possible, trying not to freak her out...
...
After the penalties at the end of the match, Melokuhle ran out of the soccer ground breathing like a dying horse and sweating like he just walked out of a waterfall. He got under the tree and found three of his teammates there complaining about how they lost the match.
"It's that stupid Genja lomjita holds on to the ball way too fxcking long and doesn't pass it. He plays like he makes up the whole team eyedwa! There wasn't going to be a draw had he used the opportunity he had to pass the ball to Fikani so he could score!", one of them hissed furiously as Melo poured down the remaining water on top of his head after drinking half of the one litre. They continued complaining while he tried to catch his breath. He dropped himself on the grass and laid on his back after taking off his soccer boots. When he looked to his side, he saw the girl he met at the shopping complex, the one he promised to call. He admired how she cute she looked in her simple all black outfit. Her jean tightly suffocating the curves that were the very first thing that pops into his mind whenever she walks across it. She saw him too but looked away without a wave or a smile. He immediately knew he was in trouble. Lungelo noticed he was staring at the group.
"The one in the short black dress right?", he said and Melo dropped his face and laughed at how his friend saw incorrectly through him. He shook his head.
"Black jeans"
"Bashisa boy'2 kodwa"(they're both hot), Lungelo said as he stood up after Melo. They walked towards the five girls and the lady in black tried to walk away at the sight of them. Melo paced up and held her by her wrist. Her face wasn't happy but she looked away.
"Ima kant yin?"(Wait for me what's up with you?), he said with a smile. She continued looking away.
"I know what I did wrong and I'm sorry. It's just, a lot of things happened since we met but I never forgot about you", he tried appeasing her.
"A lot of things like what?"
He had to think fast.
"Umsebenzi weskolo ngapha no kulusa iynkomo"(Schoolwork plus herding cattle)
She laughed at the exaggerated exhaustion in his voice.
"Mciim", she tried to fight the smile that was insisting on stretching her lips as she looked away. He gave a closed-lip smile too. Lungelo was busy chatting up the girl he thought Melo was admiring as the others gave the two couples privacy.
"I'm forgiven, right?", he said and stepped closer. She brought her face back and nodded.
"I'd hug you for that but...", he was referring to his sweat and water and situation by the trailing silence.
"Ja no. Rather don't", she said and they both laughed.
"Asambe ke ngiyogeza so you can get your hug", he teased. He was still holding onto her wrist.
"Haibo!", she laughed even harder.
"Kunani?"(What's wrong with what I'm suggesting?)
"So uzogeza phambikwami?"(You'll bath in front of me?)
"Bewufuna ngigeze nawe? Na lapho ayikho inkinga"(You wanted me to bath with you? There's also no problem there). He said and continued cracking up.
"Uyagula wena"(You're crazy)
"Ngiguliswa wuwe"(You're the cause of that)
"Mciim suka", she blushed.
"Ngizok'fonela namhlanje ebsuku yezwa?"(I'm gonna call you tonight)
"Would you have called if you didn't see me?"
"Hawu kant yin manje? Siyalwa mina nawe?"(What's wrong?)
"Ufuna ukulwa wena?"(Do YOU want to fight?)
"Angaz. Wena uyafuna?"(I don't know. Do you?)-Melo. He asked with his brow raised above a threatening smile.
"Ngizolwa if ngiyaphoxeleka"(I will fight if I have to)
"Iympi zami ngizilwa embheden phela mina"(I fight my battles in bed)
He said and immediately shut her up. She laughed and said, "Bye Melokuhle!", trying to pull away from his grip.
"Uyaphi manje? Angikhumbuli ngithi uhambe mina?"(Where are you going? I don't remember saying you should leave)
She jerked her face back.
"Ngeke ngizwe ngawe phela mina"(I don't take instructions from you)
"Ngempela?"(Really?)
"Ehhena!"(Yes!), she vehemently shot out.
"Soke sibone"(We'll see), he said and let her go with his charming smile. She clicked her tongue and laughed, then walked away.
...
Muzi arrived at the block of apartments that the lady directed him to. He got out of the car and helped her out. He handed her her shoes and locked the car. They walked in and took the elevator to her room. He did all the unlocking and asked her if she knew those guys. She shook her head and walked in languidly.
"What were you doing there by yourself anyway?", he asked in irritation as she climbed onto the couch and pulled the throw over her legs, also pulling the cushion and stuffing it under her face.
"I was waiting for my boyfriend. He stood me up as always"
"You and your boyfriend do dates in bars?", he asked in a surprised tone as he looked around. She nodded. He got the impression that she worked a decent job from all the appliances and furniture he saw in that place, unless of course the place was her man's. He thought to himself.
"Look. I have to go now. Stay safe", he stated and walked towards the door.
"Please stay!", she shot out, she shot out with her head raised from the cushion desperately.
"Unfortunately I can't. My wife is waiting for me at home", he informed and she fell back, disappointed with fear in her eyes.
"I can get someone to guard for tonight though?", he offered courteously.
"You'd do that?"
He huffed out a laugh.
"It's no big deal. But it's just for tonight. If you feel you're being followed go to the cops", he said as he typed on his phone.
"I'd really appreciate that"
...
Melokuhle walked home in his soccer gear bored out of his wits even though the soccer ground wasn't that far from his place. He didn't have his phone with him since he had nowhere to place it. Bringing it along each time would be too much admin. He raised his head and saw a familiar face. The girl was carrying two seemingly heavy plastic bags in each hand.
Londiwe Gumede? He questioned himself to make sure. He'd last seen her when she was in grade 7 and him 9. She looked a bit different. Plus the setting sun did no justice to his sight.
"Hawu Melo!", she also recognized him as they approached one another. She put her bags down carefully and she ran over to hug him. He was happy to see her but not about the hug and it showed. He still lifted her off the ground still.
"Hawu. Awujabulelanga ukungibona?"(Aren't you happy to see me?)
He laughed.
"No I am. It's just... I've been sweating and--"
"Hayisuka!", she slapped the air in nonchalance.
"Wow. You look... you look really beautiful", he complimented.
"Mus' ukudlala ngami wena. YOU look cuter than the last time I saw you!"(Quit playing with me), she shot out. He bowed his face and let out a single breath of a laugh.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's my grandmother's birthday so I thought I'd do something special for her. Plus shoot some vlog content for my YouTube channel", she explained.
"Are you here to celebrate her birthday or are you using her birthday as an excuse for content?", he teased and she hit him on the chest playfully. He laughed.
"No like seriously. I wonder about you vloggers sometimes"
"Uyabheda yaz. While we're at it, subscribe to my channel wena"
"Why?", Melo asked and she thinned her eyes at him.
"Convince me. Why must I subscribe to your channel? I don't do make up. I don't watch vlogs and what else do you girls do on your channels?"
"Storytimes. You'll watch those ke please subscribe? And tell your friends to subscribe also", she stomped her feet twice on the ground, consecutively, begging.
"I'll tell them. But count me out", he said and fetched her plastic bags, noticing that there's cake in one of them. She offered to take one but he refused.
"Ithi ngik'phelezele"(Let me accompany you home)
They then walked to her house while she rambled about how life is Limpopo, where her mother is married to a man from the Balobedu clan.
"Are those the people that speak--"
"Yoh I swear if I hear one more 'Khelo khela ka mabane khe omphileni khona' I will die!", she shot out and he laughed.
"Now what the fxck is that?!", Melo continued laughing.
"Arg. It's just something people like to say when you tell them you're from that side"
"Nah man I wanted to ask if they were the ones who emphasize their Ts when they speak"
"Nah that's Batokwa. There's too many types of Pedi in this country", she explained. He nodded. They got to the gate and he put the bags down. She took out her phone and asked him to save his numbers, which he did. After that, she stole another hug and he laughed.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you enjoy the smell of my sweat", he teased.
"Maybe...", she said with a bit of attitude and picked up her plastic bags, walking in. He closed the gate for her with a smile as he watched her walking in, feeling the crush he once had on her rising from its ashes.
UNEDITED