PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

18

                               

Found him.
     
The message read and attached to it was the location of Tinashe’s whereabouts somewhere in Hillbrow. It was the last place he thought Tinashe would be because his brother knew no-one in that God forsaken place. In the past they usually found him in 5 star hotels with an outrageous alcohol bill and drunk enough to kill his liver with immediate effect.
     
He declined the incoming call from Kgomotso, she’d been calling since last night and he rejected all of them. What would he look like talking to her after she hung up on him to entertain her ex? He now had a more pressing matter to attend to anyway, there was no time for her petty tantrums.
     
Anesu, please answer your phone we need to talk.
     
“Mxm.” He pressed delete and took another look at the location, wondering if he’d find his brother dead or alive. Were his dreams a sign that he should prepare for the worst or were they just a way for his father to get through to him? He thought about calling his uncle, who was his father’s younger brother but then he would call his mother and alert her about his dreams. If his brother was no more Anesu wanted to be the one to tell his mother.

He wasn’t a believer and he didn’t waste his time thinking about divine intervention but if there was ever a time to change his mind it was now, he said a quick prayer before leaving his office and hoped to the God of miracles that people praised he wasn’t going to Hillbrow to collect a dead body.
     
He stopped in his tracks when he noticed another incoming call from Kgomotso and this time he chose to answer.
     
“Ufunai?” He demanded.
     
“Anesu.” She gasped, letting out the air trapped in her chest. She was both surprised and pleased that he had answered even though he sounded ready to rip her head off.
     
“Why do you keep calling me? I thought I made it clear when I kept ignoring your calls that I don’t want to talk to you.” The animosity in his tone was brutal and it was hard to believe she was speaking to the same Anesu, who was warm and kind two weeks ago.
     
Her mind instantly went blank and she failed to remember the words of her well-practiced speech and it didn’t help that he was so hostile, she really messed up. Now she wished Yolisa had stabbed Xola, she would’ve helped her get rid of his useless body. The Men Are Trash hashtag was created for lowlifes like Xola, there was no morsel of decency in him.
     
Damnit! She spent the whole night working on that speech because she gave up on sleep when the clock struck 2:00, and her heartburn got worse as he continued to ignore her calls. She was going to pour her heart out, apologising profusely for over-reacting, but now she couldn’t even string along two words and formulate a coherent sentence.
     
“Khuluma, Kgomotso.” Anesu snapped, his patience was running thin where she was concerned. He asked if she still had feelings for that rat faced ex and she lied when she said no, because yesterday she proved he’d always come second to that spineless man, just thinking about it awakened his anger again. 
     
Her hands started shaking and the sweat slid between her fingers onto her palms, a combination from hell because she struggled to hold the phone still.
     
“How are you?” She quickly asked before losing her nerve altogether.
    
His chuckle was reserved and disheartening. “What kind of question is that? How do you think I feel after you chose your married ex over me?”
     
“I didn’t choose him because I don’t want him.”
     
“You actually called me at a bad time, I have to go.” 
     
“Uhm, please, Anesu. I, I, I’m sorry.” She stuttered.
     
It wasn’t going well but it was too late to back out now, she had to solider on and give in to the tears later.
     
“Is that all?”
     
“No, can we talk face to face? I’ll come to your place after work.”
     
He sighed, struggling with his conflicting emotions. Tinashe needed him, he should be on his way to Hillbrow but a part of him was delaying his departure because he was afraid of what he’d find there.
     
“I’m busy.”
     
“Oh, okay.”
     
“Goodbye, Kgomotso.” He hung up.
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