UNCOVERING SKELETONS

Chapter 4 (Musa's POV)

Me: Jabulani, I need you to investigate this girl, her name is Yanda, and she works at J&Js restaurant. Anything you can find on her, what she eats for breakfast, who she talks to, everything.

I gave Jabu the instructions, my right-hand man and best friend. One thing about Jabu, he had eyes and ears everywhere which was always helpful in staying ahead of our competitors but today I needed his expertise for my own personal reasons.

Jabu: No smoko mata (no problem, mate), but shouldnt you be more focused on finding the girl you father asked you to find, its been 2 years. He is getting impatient, and you know how he is when he loses patience.

Me: Jabu, please do what I am asking you to do and leave my father and his ghost girl to me.

Jabu was right, my father had tasked me to find a mystery girl who betrayed our family years ago. Rumour has it she moved to the city and now father was to punish her. But it seemed almost as if the girl did not exist, maybe the old man was losing it. Or she died, either way this girl couldnt be found and. In less than an hour later Jabu returned with the information I needed for Yanda, the future Mrs Ndaba.

Jabu: Yaz Musa, le ntombazane (you know Musa, this girl) seems to have been a ghost until about a year ago. The only thing tangible I could get is her matric certificate and her current life. Yanda Mkhize, an A student, doing her second year in medicine. No known relatives. I wonder what her story is.

This information baffled me. The only thing we gathered about intokazi yami was her current life. Nothing from her past. Who was this gurl and why was it so difficult getting her background information? She was much younger than me, but I didnt mind.

Ive had several sleepless nights thinking about intokazi yami (my lady), wondering if she thought about me as much as I did her. Probably not. She rejected me when I made a move and the concept of rejection was very much foreign to me, every girl I desired came on to me very effortlessly but the one who seemed to have captured my heart did not give me the time of day. I admit, she was much younger, but a 10-year age difference was not that bad. I did look a bit older probably due to the stresses of running my companies and my father. There was something special about Yanda, she was not like any other female I had laid eyes on. I couldnt quiet put my finger on it. It felt like we had met before, maybe in a different lifetime, I dont know. But the energy Ive seen her possess from afar has been something I carve to have close to me. The way she laughs and carries herself, everything about this girl was unique. I had to know her. But how, she seemed to be afraid of me.

My father and has mission would have to wait. I had finally found true love and would stop at nothing to ensure that she sees it. That she sees me, not my dark scars and secretes but me. Musa. The ordinary guy who is missing a piece to complete him. Yanda was that piece, I could feel it deep within. But what do I teel my father? Uhm sorry old man Ive decided to turn my back on family and chase after a young girl. He would never understand, knowing him, he would just have her killed best keep this to myself until she becomes my bride. Jabu would handle our other issue, the ghost girl. I spent the entire week watching romantic movies trying to get ideas on how to win over my future bride. Flowers, chocolate, public display of affection. This may be a lot more difficult than I had imagined. What do females even like? What did my future bride like?

I ended up deciding on sending her flowers to work every day accompanied by handwritten poetry pieces to hopefully get her smiling. One thing I had learned about her is that she hated extravagance, simplicity was the way to go. Or so I thought. As much as she was not aware that I had been the one sending her the flowers, every time I saw he throw I all in the trash bin, my heart sank. I thought that if I could be persistent shed eventually appreciate the gesture, but the day never came. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement, but I knew what I needed to do, it was time.

I got dressed in simple Grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt that hugged my biceps and paired it with the latest pair of Jordons and drove over to her apartment where she lived with her loud friend, Iviwe if I am not mistaken. I wondered if she was aware she was dating an ex-con who served 10 years for rape and kidnapping, his rich parents got him out, little thwart deserved to stay there a few more years. I was not comfortable that she was bringing him around my future bride. Sandile Mdletshe. That boy was bad news who had so many people fooled. I knocked on the door and watched as the colour on her face began to pale as she stood there, surprised, seemingly out of breath. I began to panic as this was not the reaction I had anticipated. What did I expect? For her to throw her arms around my neck and hug me? Gosh! When did I become so foolish? Speak, say something Musa. Shes probably wondering why you are just standing there. Say something.

Me: Sawbona Ntokazi.