Shrivelled Roses 2: Iyana Kleinbooi

23

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆

-Buhle-

After giving Zwelethu his breakfast she started preparing lunch, an instinct told her to prepare food enough to feed a soccer team and she did exactly that, by twelve-thirty, she was done. For the entire morning, he had not left his room and she had not bothered him. Just as she was finishing up, Phathuxolo called. She quickly closed the pots and plugged in headsets, it was a video call. He was the only person allowed to video call her without booking.

Buhle: mXhosa, saw'bona mntaka baba?

Phathu: Nkosazana, kunjani?

Buhle: Ngishadile mfethu, kunjani k'wena?

Phathu laughed, shaking his head.

Buhle: Bengisho nje.

Phathu: You can be an ass when you want to!

Buhle: Aw Tshawe, bengisho nje.

Phathu: I miss you, when can I visit KZN? Or when are you free to spend a day with an old friend?

Buhle: Haaaa! You actually miss me?

Phathu: Oh God!

Buhle: Haha! You can come any day nkosana, you know I can clear my diary for you.

Phathu: Okay ke... I will tell you when I'll be coming.

Buhle: I need a favor... thank God you called yazi.

Phathu: I hope I'm not going to regret agreeing to whatever favor you're about to ask.

Now Buhle laughed, she knew he could never say 'no' to him.

Buhle: I need you to attend the Khumalo Logistics launch for me in East London.

Phathu: What? Hell no Buhle! No!

Buhle: Awume kancane nge drama bo, do you really want me to travel all the way to East London and see ama girlfriend wabo Zwelethu and be disrespected there? Is that what you want for me?

Phathu: Buhle... how far are you with the plan?

Buhle: I'm still working on it, but now we are here. The launch.

He didn't answer her...

Buhle: Look, I don't want to go, okay? But I can't say that to Zwelethu, and I actually need him to have my back for when the plan manifest. You just have to dress up, smell nice and attend the launch. You don't have to befriend him, I know you cannot stand all of the Khumalo men.

Phathu: Yet you are sending me to their territory? Do you want me dead?

Buhle: You are much clever than that mfethu.

Phathu: I hate myself right now...

Buhle: I love you, and I know you love me. Be nice to the boys, but most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Phathu: Yeah whatever, bye bye futhi!

Buhle laughed and hung up

Later on, when she was done cooking she went to knock on Clive's door, but he opened before she reached the door, stopping her on her tracks.

Buhle: Ay cha, uyakwazi Mntungwa ukumziba umuntu kini.

Clive: Hawu MaSheleza, noma bengithi ngiyafuna uk'ziba beng'ngekhe ngikwenze lokho. I had two zoom meetings to attend, I'm sorry for neglecting you. Do you want to come in?

Buhle: Cha bengit-

Clive: I don't bite, come in.

She blushed, and walked in. He closed the door, but she was still standing very close to it. As the click sound on the door went off, his lips found hers and they kissed. He gently pushed his body against hers as her back grinded up against the wall. He grabbed her one love-handle and she squirmed under his touch. With both his hands working magic on her body, his lips and tongue worked magic between her lips and her neck. That was probably the first time she had allowed a man to touch her after the incident and for some reason she felt safe with him. The incident... when that thought traveled back to the front of her mind, she almost panicked, but also remembered that Clive wasn't the perpetrator and so she gently tried to end the kiss and he got the drill. He kissed her lips, and held the kiss for a moment longer before stepping back and just looking at her.

Buhle: I uhm... I came to tell you that I have prepared lunch.

Clive: Thank you. I was actually coming to ask if you could prepare lunch, my brothers are coming.

Buhle: Already done.

Clive: Ngiyabonga.

Buhle: Right... so I uhm... I will freshen up and disappear. Your brothers know how to plate up, right?

Clive: Hawu, uyakuphi manje? Are you not joining us for lunch?

Buhle: Cha... ngisayobona u ma.

Clive: Is she okay?

Buhle: She's fine, I just haven't been home lately and because you are here now and you will have company, I might as well go and visit home too.

He nodded, at the back of his mind he could tell that she was running away from Kuriyata. He couldn't ask her straight forward because he felt that was a sensitive subject. His brother had previously denied the allegations but Buhle's actions whenever the brothers were around proved otherwise. She always found a reason to not be around them and he actually wanted to find the truth, just didn't know how to bring the conversation up without offending her.

Clive: I know you have a car... but can I drive you?

Buhle: Zwelethu...

Clive: When you want to come back, you will text and I will go and fetch you.

Buhle: What if I only want to come back when you lot have returned back to your Eastern Cape?

Clive: Kwaze kwakubi ke loko ngoba mina ang'hambi la ungekho, bengikufice ukhona.

Buhle: Weeh khandakhulu!

He burst out into a contagious laughter, she joined in and left him standing there.

She packed a weekend bag, wore a denim dress with sneakers and wore a short deep wave Brazilian weave. She locked her room, and then went to find Clive. As she passed the lounge, she heard the voices outside and one voice in particular caused her to panic. They were home. They probably arrived while she was bathing and packing.

Nairota: Hawu, waphatha ii bag koti uyakuphi?

She turned around and saw him... she faked a smile, because she was nervous and her anxiety was already kicking.

Buhle: Saw'bona bhuti.

Nairota: MaSheleza, saw'bona Nkosazana. Uyaphila kodwa?

Buhle: Ngiyaphila bhuti, wena uyaphila?

Nairota: Ngiyaphila, manje, is'khwama lesi...?

Buhle: Ooh, hay cha, ngisayobona uma.

Nairota: Oh.

Buhle: Yah, is'khathi esiningi angikwazi uyakhona ngoba ngibhekane nento e'ningi la ekhaya kwa Khumalo but ke u Mntungwa ma ekhona I think it is only right that I also just go and check if basaphila yini ekhaya.

Nairota: Uqin'sile Nkosazana... is Zwelethu aware of this? He didn't say anything outside.

Buhle: He is aware bhuti, I was actually going out to look for him because he's supposed to dri- uh, there he is.

Clive walked in carrying his big brother's bag... he stopped and frowned at his other brother.

Clive: Weh Mntungwa, what are you gossiping about nomkami?

Nairota: Ngiyamtshela ukuthi abe khefuli when it comes to you ngoba you like women very much.

Clive: Weeh bhatata, nang'muntu eng'jwayela emzini ka baba.

Nairota: Ngimtsheleli ke nokuthi she must take her time and not rush into giving you babies. She needs to know and be sure that you are hundred percent in this with her. We are not fighting angithi?

Clive: Mina angilwi nabantu abangashadile, abantu abohlulwa ukukhipha iinkomo basilethele umuntu wokuvusa umunzi kababa. Cha bafo, angilwi nabantu aba single e Home Affairs mina.

Buhle just laughed at them and walked out, she went straight to Clive's car and put her bag in the trunk then waited for him to take her home.