Umfelokazi

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I was knocking off a bit late today. Just by 30 minutes and I didn't even call Thulani. I was not sure if I should and it is getting late so I would not want him driving in an unfamiliar environment at night. Highjacking happens and it would be an unfortunate thing if it happened at my cost.  I will just leave with the others and we will go together to catch a taxi to town. 
I get to the locker after I have changed out of my uniform and I put it in the locker and I close it and take my bag. I take out my phone and I sit on the bench in the room and I go to my contacts and I dial his number and it rings a few times before it gets answered. 
“NguNtaka Loh ngingakusiza ngani?(This is Ntaka, how may I help you?)”,the stern tone cannot be missed in there. 
“H..H”,I clear my throat.
“It is Nomvelo”
“Mvelo”,his voice becomes a bit softer.
“I thought you wouldn't call and my number would decorate your phone”,I laugh.
“I thought I should let you know that you do not have to fetch me, it is getting late. I will just get a taxi”,I mention. 
“Mvelo”
“Thulani”,I hear him let out a sigh.
“I offered to fetch you and I am not a man who goes against his word”
“Well I was just..”.
“I will be there shortly”,he mentions.
“Okay”
“Bye Mvelo”,He hangs up and then I put my phone away in my bag.
I have to inform the others to leave without me. 
I walk out of the locker room and I make my way out of my work place. I find some of my work mates waiting there.
“I didn't think you would come out”,I laugh
“No, I had a phone call. Someone is fetching me, I won't go to the rank”,I mention. 
“Okay then, travel well.
They all leave together and I also follow suite and stand near the building though. In a matter of a few minutes I see a car driving in and stands just infront of me.  He hops out of the car wearing tracksuit pants and a white t-shirt topped up. 
“I am sorry for making you wait”,He mentions. 
“No it is fine. I did not stand for long”,I mention. 
“We can go”,He mentions and he goes and opens the door for me and I get inside the car while he holds the door for me before he closes it. 
He goes around the car and gets inside. His perfume cannot be missed inside the car but it feels cool too inside the car and the aircon is open. I take the seatbelt and he stops me.
“May I?”
“Why?”,I ask.
“Just",He mentions and he takes the seat belt and he buckles me up. 
I then thank him and he nods. He gets on with putting his seat belt on and he starts the car before he drives off.  I hold onto my bag on my lap and I look around the outside as the car is moving. 
“How was your day at work today?”,He asks.
I turn to him and I catch him glancing at me for a second. 
“It was okay, I mean cleaning is cleaning. Nothing that different just different things to clean and places”,I say and he nods his head. 
“I hear you but it also depends on the way you clean.”,He mentions.
“Yes, it does. I like clean spaces”,I mention.
He turns to me a bit. 
“They are easy to work in”,I nod my head. 
“So what do you do when you are this side?”,I ask.
“I work from home most of the time. ”
“What type of work? Like technology wise?”,I ask and he chuckles.
“No Mvelo but it does involve technology. I am work at the harbour in an import am export and foreign exchange”,He mentions.
“I will not lie and say I know what it deal with or it is but nice.”,He laughs and throws his head a bit back and it exposes his Adam's apple that keeps on moving up and down as he laughs.
“Really? Nice. I guess it is nice since I can afford the things I like”,He mentions.
“You see?”,He chuckles lightly. 
The whole drive we were talking just about anything that popped from the top of our head to the tip of our tongues. 
He passes by Nando's and he gets some food there through the drive through.  He orders and turns to me.
“What would you like?”,He asks looking into my direction.
“Anything. I am not picky”,I mention.
He looks at me and shakes his head chuckling.
“Ayi angisazi ke(I do not know anymore)”,He orders for me and then he goes and pays.
We get our meals and I thank him.  
“I like food alot, I hope you are not annoyed by that”,He mentions.
“No,I am not.Thank you”,He smiles. 
We keep on talking and he drives me to my home.  I thank him for the ride and we depart after that.I walk inside the yard.  I get inside my room after unlocking the door and I lock it before I throw myself onto the bed and rest there. I am dead tired. 
.
It is the following day and today I have a day off.  I now have two days off in a week and I am grateful for that. I wish I can have them on a Saturday and Sunday. It would've worked quiet well with that. I decided that I am going to do some washing today and then I will do some little cleaning. I do miss having Rethabile around and it is so quiet with some of the children gone around here.  I get on with taking my washing out and then I go and quickly wash it before the sun has fully risen. I rinse it and get it on the washing line and then I go and clean my room and mop around as well.  I pack well my sewing material and fabrics and my place looks much neat now. My phone rings in that moment and I go and get it and answer it then sit on the bed.
“Hello”,I answer.
“Hi Mvelo, I hope I am not disturbing you”,It is Thulani. 
“No, you are not. I was just cleaning”,I mention. 
“Oh, I hope you had a great night”
“I did, I hope you did too”
“I did”,There is some silence between the both of us but it is not uncomfortable.
“I-I need you help”,He mentions.
“What help do you need?”,I ask.
“My mother sent me around to get some things for my brother's thing and his fiancee is at work right now.”,He mentions.
“Uhm, I do not mind helping”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes”,I mention.
“Okay, I will fetch you in an hour, is that okay?”,He asks.
“Yes it is”
“Okay, bye”
We both hang up and I get off the bed. I go and prepare some bath water while I am still finishing up with cleaning. I go and ask one of the people here to watch my washing as it is still wet and they agree. 
I go and quickly take a bath.  I finish and I moisturize and decide to wear one of the dresses I had made with its matching black doek.  It has some gold patterns on it so it will be okay.  It is short sleeved but still covers my shoulders and below my knees too. I will pair it up with sandals. 
I get done and then I find my phone ringing and I take it out.
“Hello”
“Nomvelo. How are you?”,It is Qophelo.
“I am good how are you?”
“I am good, I wanted to check up on you. We haven't talked in a while”,Yes we have not. 
“You are busy with the wedding preparations so it is understandable”,I mention. 
“Still.  I would like it if you meet my finacee that day”,He mentions.
“Ohw”,I say.
I do not think I am comfortable with that.
“I have not know you for long Qophelo to be introduced”,I mention
“Oh, I am sorry about that”
“It is okay”
A knock comes through my door and I go and open.  A child stands infront of me.
“There is someone asking for you outside”,The child mentions and I thank him.
I follow after him and I see Thulani by his car. He steps closer to the gate when he sees me and I wave.
“We will talk later”,I mention.
“Okay, I will call later.”,He hangs up and I shove my phone inside my dress pockets. 
I then go quickly to grab my bag and lock the room. I finish and then make my way to where Thulani is standing and he smiles when I approach him. 
“I feel like black was made to your perfection. You look beautiful”,he mentions.
“Thank you”,I smile.
He opens the door for me and helps me inside his car before closing the door.  He goes around and gets inside. He does what he does best and soon we are on the road. 
“I have never went shopping for these things before”,He hands over the list to me and I take it. 
I look through it and I know most of the things on here. 
“I know these things. We will get them”I mention and I look up from the paper and I find him looking at me before he quickly and shyly turned away. 
“That is great,are you hungry first?”,he asks. 
“I will eat when I get back home”,Yes I left without eating but I am not here for that.
Instead he goes through a franchise's drive thru and gets me some food and some coffee for himself.
“Thank you, do you love coffee?”,I ask and he looks at his cup.
“Yes”,I nod my head.
I eat my food and I didn't realise how hungry I was until I ate. I got done and I thanked him once again. 
We get to the shops and we go around with the shopping of what he needed and soon we got what we were here for. He offers that we go and buy some ice cream as we finished early and I do not protest. He goes to get us Ice cream and we stay in the car with the aircon on hitting the corners of my skin well enough. I eat the ice cream and lick on the little spoon as the syrup tastes good.
“How long are you in mourning?”,He asks when there is silence. 
“For a year”,I mention. 
“Why is it a year?”
“It is tradition. My husband's family is traditional”
“And you are?”
“Christian”,he nods his head. 
“I see”, he eats his ice cream and stops half way through it.
“This is too much sugar”,he mentions.
“Hawu but you bought it”
“I didn't want you to feel alone”,he mentions.
“Mmmh", he starts the car.
“If you still have some time to spare we can go anywhere you want us to go”
“The park please”,I mention.
“Sure”
He starts the car and drives off.
.
I am slightly swinging on the swing while watching families having picnics and children playing around games.  The man behind me stops pushing me a bit as I am staring around these families.
“They are beautiful huh?”,I nod my head. 
“I wish I have a family of my own.  A little one even”,he mentions. I tear my eyes away from the scene infront of me and I encourage him to push me again and he does. 
“Me too but I guess God has other plans for us”,I say and he stops pushing me before he starts all over again.
“He will give you one day and wipe all your tears away. That is what he does right?”,I look at him.
“Right”,I nod my head. 
He keeps on pushing me and I swing my legs. I feel young at the moment and care free. 
“How many siblings do you have?”,I ask.
“6, my mother has 7 children”,Wow!
“That is alot”
“I know”,he says and keeps on pushing me.
“I have a twin”,I say.
“Does your twin look like you?”
“Yes she does slightly though. You can tell the difference between us”,I mention.
“Wow, your mother is lucky”,He mentions.
“Yes”.I keep on swinging.
“You are going too fast now Nomvelo”,I giggle. 
“I do not know how I should stop”,I say.
He moves from behind me and he comes infront of me as I go back and forth. He stands infront and he opens his legs wide and he tries to stop and and I do come to a halt with me between his legs.  His cologne up close that I can smell it's particles on the tip of my tongue. I close my eyes and take in his scent. He smells too darn good.
“Mvelo”,I am brought back to life by him and he is looking down on me.
“Are you okay?”,he asks and concern is writing on his face. 
“Yes why?”
“You are crying”
I am ?
I quickly wipe my cheeks and indeed I am. 
“I am sorry about that. I just felt free for a moment",I say.
“You don't need to apologize. I understand”,he mentions.  I look up to him.
“I need a hug”,I say
He pulls me out of the swing and away from it so other children can play on it.
We get away from the swings and he hesitantly opens his arms before I could go in and embrace him.  I inhale his scent and I close my eyes. He holds me and doesn't say anything.  I wish that I can free the pain of loosing my husband away. 
Tears stream down my cheeks and he lets me be. He does not say anything.
”He has been gone for almost 3months but it feels fresh”
“Things like these take time to heal Nomvelo. You do not need to rush it”
“It is hard coping at times. Being alone, I wish I had gone with him.  I hate him sometimes for leaving me alone here because I do not know what I am doing with my life now”
“You will know. Don't worry”,He rubs my back.
“I am sorry”,He says.
He is apologizing for something he did not even do. 
After crying we broke off the hug and  he helps me wipe my tears.
“How do you feel?”,He asks.
“A bit better",I say.
“I am glad that you are able to cry, it shows how hurt you are and how much you need help innhealing”,He mentions.
“Yeah”
“Let’s take you home”,He mentions and I nod.
We leave the park and we go to the car. We get inside before he drives off going to drop me home. I unbuckle my belt when the car is parked.
“Go well”,I say
“You too”,He smiles. 
I open the door and get out of the car. I make my way inside and I take out my keys and open the door. I get inside and lock the door. I feel tired. I just want to rest a bit. I remember that I have left the washing outside. I go and collect it before I come back and rest.