Infidelity

6

Saturday morning comes with a cold breeze. The shower has calmed most of my nerves but not all of them.

My period started today and I am already a mess. I can't seem to find anything and I'm also slowly losing my mind. I still have to go through the dreadful event of asking for weekend shifts.

I lose myself in a trance of reminiscing about Sandile as I find things that remind me of him.

A loud banging noises on the door pulls me back to reality.

"It's me babe... Open up"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, well in my case; think of the devil...

Seeing him as I open the door surprises me but I don't know why.

He leans in for a kiss but I shift backwards.

"We have to talk." I demand.
"But I miss you." He ignores my request. "I want to make love to my love".

I fight my yearning and my need for him. It's a battle between my feelings and my hormones, my head and my heart.

"I'm on my period!" I try to keep a stern and straight face.

"I know when you're lying." In his defense, he does. I'm not lying about the period but I do want him.

"I'm not." My sigh is more frustration than it is annoyance.

"Seeing is believing." He tries to flirt but  my stomach churns and I flinch.

"Wait, what?" I feel a sharp pain on my lower abdomen but I try not to show the pain on my face. I've had period pains before but this is a bit too much.

"I need you, I want you." He speaks very softly.

My blood boils...

"Everything has to be about you right? When and how YOU want it. Why can't you just....aaaahhhh..." The pain intensifies and I feel like I'm on fire.

***
At the hospital...

I feel a lot better when I'm away from him. The doctor still takes my blood samples for testing even though I insist that I'm fine. He tells me to keep healthy and stay away from stressful things and I think about Sandile. But my life is still stressful with or without him.

I'm not really looking forward to seeing Sandile in the waiting room but I get mixed emotions when I don't see him there.

I go to work.

I take deep breaths, in and out before entering Bra White's office.

"What do you want?" He groans.

I remain silent.

He raises his head slightly, not moving his eyes from the newspaper."Speak," he says.

"I was wondering if I could work this week..."
"Fine." He cuts me off. He signals with his free hand, telling me to leave.

I'm very shocked but pleased nonetheless. I stop by at the kitchen to greet Nolitha.

"Hey. Do have any idea why he's so...(I can't find the right word to describe his behavior." I whisper.

"Nice?" She suggests.
"That's one way of describing it..." I nod repeatedly.

We both laugh at our boss's newfound kindness.

"But I still can't figure out why he's so 'nice'." I wave quotation marks in the air.

"I think he recently got some good news or something." She shrugs.

I'm still not convinced but I choose to let it rest.

When I get to the bar, I notice that the place is very quiet. This is quite surprising given that it's the weekend.

People do start coming in however as the time passes. In no time the place is jam packed, loud and very busy. This is what makes bra White happy.

When we're approaching closing time, the ache in my feet starts getting worse.

I decide to clear the tables since it's not busy anymore.

My worst nightmare walks in with his very drunk entourage.

I don't recognize a single face except for his.

One of the men clumsily walks towards me almost tumbling into me. He reeks of alcohol.

"Hello baby girl. Aw'funi ukuhamba nami? (Don't you want to leave with me?)" He asks me.

"No!" I firmly say as I push him away from me.

"Woza la! (Come here!)" He grabs me violently.

Keletso pulls him away from me and he almost takes me with him.

I feel something pulling me back. I only notice that it's Bra White when he asks if I'm okay.

I nod, still in shock. He leaves me to attend to the fight that has now broken out between keletso and his "friend".

I vouch for keletso when Bra White tries to kick him out. I explain to the very stubborn Bra White that he was helping me.

"The least I can do is to clean up his face." I add on.

Keletso orders a bottle of whiskey.
I protest with my eyes.

"It's for the pain." He says arrogantly.

After I'm done cleaning up, I remember that I didn't confirm any transport arrangements for today.

"Shit!" I swear under my breath.
"What's wrong?" He asks me.

"I just remembered I forgot to call my 'transporter'" I say.

" You can take my car." He quickly offers. "you can drive, right?" He asks with a mocking smug on his face

"Yes but I can't, what about you?"
"Do you have a better idea? I'll just sleep in the car."

"Outside?!" I ask hysterically.

"I've been through worse sweetheart." He winks in a weird way because of the bruises.

I get up and I clear the table. I trip and fall onto his lap. I quickly get up and a conniving smile dances on his lips.

"You should've just sat there from the beginning," he says.

"...And I was just starting to like you. You're very good at messing up your chances." I tilt my head a bit.

"So I do have a chance, that's something right?" He smirks.

I roll my eyes and I go and fetch my things.

I tell Bra White that I'm leaving. He helps with carrying Keletso to his car and he tells me to stay safe.