Zekhethelo: Love redefined.

chapter 9: reality check

It's the beginning of November, meaning I've been jobless for the past 3 months, I've been applying, I've went on interviews and I've honestly knocked on every door, at this point I really feel helpless. My family has been helping and supporting me but I don't want to burden them like that. My mum sometimes sacrifices her car so that I can be able to drive to work, my brother sends me money in secret without his wife's consent, I know this because he refuses whenever I want to call his wife to thank them.

My sister is looking for her own place now, I can't help but feel like an intruder, I mean she has comfortably lived here before I moved back and suddenly now she is moving out. Being jobless is the most depressing place to ever find yourself in, especially when you were once at the top.

Today I had an interview at Mr Price in Sandton city, I thought I nailed the interview but sadly not, I was told on the spot that I am over qualified for the role with zero experience in retail so chances of being considered are slim as compared to other applicants who hold the relevant experience.

I'm in a taxi right now and I've been trying to suppress my tears for the longest of times. We are slowly approaching my neighborhood when heavy rain starts, I mean can this day get any worse?

It's almost time for me to get off and this rain just isn't backing down. Now I am pretty underdressed for a rainy day, I'm wearing a black court block heel, a white button up shirt, and a black pencil skirt. "Short right" I say, and this guy sitting next to me looks at me with remorse, I mean what else can I do?

I decide to take my weave off, thank God for the fresh cornrows that Nelly hooked me up with. Now it's quite a distance from the taxi stop to home. I just surrender and start walking in the rain, there isn't much that I can do right now.

As I am walking i just simply let the tears fall, if God is trying to teach me something, then this has to be the most difficult way to learn, I'm not used to this life, I'm used to stressing about which car I'm going to drive to a particular client on a rainy day, not walking up a long road to my mother's backroom, this isn't the life that I studied for so many years for.

While in my thoughts, a range rover slows down next to me, the window rolls down but I'm just focused on my long walk, "MaNgcolosi, asambe", I look at him and I'm shocked to realize it's him, how does he manage to always show up in my worst moments?

"I'm dripping wet, I'll mess your seats, it's okay" I keep walking, "I insist please", who am I kidding, I'm even feeling cold right now so I just decide to take this offer, he opens the frontseat for me and as soon as I'm in, he turns on the aircon to warm then starts driving.

I'm glad that we're driving in comfortable silence, he's playing umaskandi, I'm surprised because he doesn't strike me as your typical zulu guy. We are now parked outside my house, "Thank you for rescuing me, not just today but the other day as well, I cannot thank you enough"

He smiles, he has a beautiful smile, imperfect, but beautiful. "I think I have an idea of how you can thank me", I keep quiet waiting for him to finish his statement before I jump into conclusions.

"Have lunch with me, I'm free today and If that's okay with you, I can wait right here while you freshen up" I sigh, "not today, and you seem to be here to visit your family though" he smiles again, "you seem to have a lot on your mind, and when I have a lot on my mind, there's this place I usually go to, it helps clear my mind, I think it might help you too, and yes I was here to see my family, well not really, I'm here to drop off a few things"

Well at least one of us here is chatty, I could do with a bit of fresh air, it's 14h30, I usually fetch Athi from school at 15h30 then I need to prepare dinner. "Look, I'd love to have lunch with you but today won't work, I have to fetch my daughter from school at 15h30 and i have other motherly responsibilities as soon as she gets home, I also have a 3 year old son to take care of"

I thought this would scare him off, he seems unphased. "How about on Saturday?" It's Thursday today, meaning I have at least a day to prepare myself for all of this. "I think that could work", he takes out his phone and hands it to me, I look at him puzzled, "ngicela ufake iNumber yakho mama" I chuckle a bit, zulu men definitely have their own way around romance hey. I type in my number then save it, I hand back the phone, before he puts it away, he dials my number. "Ngifuna ukwenza is'qiniseko" I laugh, "why would I give you the wrong number after I've committed to going out with you?"

"You'd never know how women operate hey" we both laugh, and my laughter dies down as I notice my mums car driving up the road, "oh crap, I think you should leave, my mum is home early today" I'm panicking, he looks very amused, I try to open the door but it's locked, "Haibo Mthokozisi please let me out" he chuckles, "ngivalelise kahle Nkosazane", "thank you for today, I'll see you on Saturday uhambe kahle" he still looks very amused by all of this.

By the time he finally opens the door, my mum is already parked by the main gate, walking out of that car I feel so embarrassed, I open the gate for my mother then she drives into the garage, I wait for her so we can walk into the house together.

"Umfana kaMahlangu loya?" She doesn't even greet me now? I just nod my head, "hmm ok" and that's all she says, we walk into the house and I walk straight to my room, I don't want to undergo more interrogations.