NKANYISO MADIDA
“And then? Why do you look like someone who just got a call from a loan shark?” Mazwi asks.
Before I can answer him, my phone rings in my trouser pocket. I need to get Nandi out of this place without Mazwi seeing her. What is she doing here? Did she have to mention that she is my woman to Luke? Now Luke will be looking at me weirdly since he knows my wife. Now he will know I am doing something behind my wife’s back. I just hope he doesn’t spread the news to other workers. The last thing I need is my workers talking about me.
“Your phone is ringing? Have you lost your senses?” Mazwi snaps me out of my train of thought. I curse when I see the caller ID. It is as if everything is against me today.
Me: Hey baby!
Leah: Does that mean you are no longer mad at me?
Me: My love I am in the middle of something, can l call you back?
Leah: I am at your office. I will be up in five minutes. I don’t care if you have a meeting, cancel it!
Me: Lee come on I am busy. Can you give me thirty minutes?
Leah: See you in three minutes. I love you!
“I need your help,” I shift my attention to Mazwi. I have no choice but to tell him this, “My wife and side chick are both here. I cannot have them see each other. Especially Leah, she would kill me.”
He stands, “You are cheating on Lee?”
“It’s complicated but I need you to go get the girl out of here without Lee seeing her. I can’t leave this place. Leah would be mad if she doesn’t find me here.”
He claps once, “Are you listening to yourself? You are cheating on your wife.”
“Mazwi are you helping me or not?”
“You want me to help you cheat on your wife? With a woman I don’t even know about?” he questions.
“We are running out of time. Leah is on her way and I will explain everything later. Please brother I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important.”
He shakes his head and his disappointment is visible, “I am doing this because I don’t want to see Leah hurt. What do you want me to do?”
I look for Nandi’s photo on my phone, “This is her. Just get her out of here, as long she is not here. Think of something.”
He whistles, “She is not bad.”
“Too soon… now is not the time. Please go get her out of here.”
“Just to put it out there, I don’t support this and our brothers will hear about this,” he says.
“Mazwi come on! Didn’t I say I will explain everything?”
“That doesn’t change the fact that you are a married man. If you don’t stop all this, I am telling Leah,” he tells.
“Tell Leah what?” Leah walks into my office.
“That…that he should give you the car he bought for you. He is thinking of keeping it for himself,” Mazwi says with his eyes fixed on me. Really, a car? Couldn’t he think of something else?
“Baby! You bought me another car?” Leah hugs me, “Maybe we should fight more often.”
“I was leaving,” Mazwi rushes out as soon as my work phone rings. I know it’s Luke and I am not getting it.
“Are you not going to answer it?” Leah asks.
“You are more important. You look amazing.”
She smiles, “I am coming from my interview and they said they will call me but Samantha already told me that I got the job.”
“I still don’t like this idea of you working.”
She pecks me on the lips, “You will get used to it. So where is my car?”
“It’s not here yet. It’s coming from China.”
Great! Now I have to buy her a new car when I did that four months ago.
‘You owe me.’ – Mazwi.
‘I have done favors for you before, let’s call it even??’
‘I will bring the side chick to your office if you play with me.’ – Mazwi.
‘Fine, I will give you whatever you want. Just get her out of here.’
“What is her name again?’ – Mazwi.
‘NANDI.’
“Who are you talking to?” Leah asks and I quickly shove my phone into my pocket.
“It’s Mazwi… him and Nomhle had a first. He slept in the car.”
“Those two are always fighting. Are we going?” she asks.
“Let me get my jacket.”
NANDI MYENI
I look at the rude secretary and shake my head. Firstly, I don’t like how he weighed me with his eyes when I told him that I am looking for my man who is the owner of the company. Or maybe he wanted me to call him by his name. He should have known who I am talking about when I said the owner of the company. He called him but still, I am being told to wait. Some people are being helped but I am told to wait. He owes me an apology when Eric gets here.
I stand up and walk to the secretary, “Is Eric coming or not?”
He pops his gum, “Who the hell is Eric.”
“I got her, Luke,” a man I don’t recognize pulls me a little further away, “Hello!”
“Don’t touch me, you don’t even know me.”
“I would be a little nicer if I were you. I am the brother of your lover,” he replies very calmly.
I gasp, “You are…I am so sorry.”
“Come with me,” he grabs me by my arm and leads us out of the building. He lets go as soon as we are out. Where is he taking me and where is his brother? I also cannot believe I said that to Eric’s brother. He leads me to a car and opens the door for me.
“Wait! How do I know you are Eric’s brother?”
He scoffs, “Eric huh? People say we look alike.”
“There is a little resemblance but…”
“Just get in the car Nandi…isn’t that your name? How would I know that unless my brother told me?” he says and I get into the car. He closes the car door and goes around to also get in. I quickly send Tiana my live location in case this man kidnaps me.
“Where are you taking me and I didn’t get your name,” I say to Eric’s so-called brother.
“There is no need to know my name. Give me the directions to your house.”
“Not to mean any disrespect but I was there because I wanted to talk to your brother,” I say trying to call Eric but his phone goes to voicemail.
“My brother is busy and if I were you, I would stay away from him starting today.”
I fold my arms, “And why is that?”
“Just stay away.”
I chuckle, “Is that why you are driving me? So you can tell me to stay away from your brother. That is very mature of you.”
“Just give me directions to your place.”
So he is those type of family members. Well, I am dating his brother not him and as long as Eric loves me then I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I give him directions to my house and he drives me there in silence. I keep trying Eric’s number but it is not going through. I am also bombarding his WhatsApp with messages. I want him to know that his brother is harassing me.
“He will not answer,” says the brother that did not bother telling me his name.
“What is your deal? You don’t even know me yet you have already drawn some sort of conclusion about me.”
He answers, “I just don’t like girls like you.”
“What is that supposed to mean and what are girls like me?”
He scoffs and keeps his focus on the road then asks which turn he must take. What does he mean by girls like me? Does he have a problem with me? If he does then he must stop being a coward and say it out loud. I know this could be my man’s brother but he is being rude to me. He drives me to my place and parks his car outside the main gate.
“I hope this is the last time I see you,” he says after unlocking the doors.
“Do you have a problem with me, sir?”
“I do… who in their right mind would date a married man?” he utters sullenly.
“Married? Who is married?”
“Stop acting dumb. You know very well what you are doing and you should stop it,” he retorts.
I am confused right now, “Eric is married?”
“His name is Nkanyiso, not Eric and yes he is married. Is the ring on his finger invisible?”
Is this a dream? My boyfriend of two years is married. Nah maybe this man is just pulling my leg, “You are lying.”
He takes out his phone and then shows me a picture. It’s Eric with some lady wearing a wedding dress. He is married. Eric or is it Nkanyiso is married?
