THE OTHER WOMAN

CHAPTER 3

|YOU AGAIN|

Lihle

I'm so fucking late, I really need to check my emails more often. There's 3 other students standing at the lecture hall door, k'ngcono ngoba it's not just me. Bameleni ke laba, bebanga isidina? "Why are we standing outside? Are they not letting late comers in?" I asked them and they turn around. "No, but the guest has started speaking and he looks like he would bite your head off if you walked in," one of them replies. Awu ngeke phela, songafundi ngenxa nje yendoda. "Excuse me," I said and pushed past them in to the lecture hall. "... why accounting is important in the legal field," the speaker says. I try to find a seat while keeping my head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "Can I help you?" he asked and my eyes shot up. Him. "Uhm, no. Apologies for interrupting," I say and sit down in the front row. There's silence as I try to settle in by taking out my laptop and notebook. I can feel his unwavering glare as I get all my materials out. He slowly moves his eyes away from mine when I look up then resumes speaking.

"Someone's having a rough morning," I turn around and see Olwethu, one of my classmates and friends. "Bro. I didn't see that the class had been moved up until I was on the bus," I said and she laughed. "Ehhe, I tell you everyday. Check your fucking messages," she says and I roll my eyes. When I've finished packing everything up, I put my bag over my shoulders and walk out. "Yho, I thought he was going to bite your head off," Olwethu says. "Broooo! Me too. What's his name?" I asked hoping I don't come across as desperate. "Uhm he introduced himself as Mr Bhengu," Olwethu replied. Finally, a name to to the face. Why do I even care, eyi kodwa Lihle. "I have to go," Olwethu says. "Where? I thought we were going to have lunch together," I said. "I have someone I have to meet," she said and smirked at me. By someone she meant her new boyfriend she won't tell me about. I watch as she skips away then go find a place to eat. I take out my book of the week, To Kill A Mockingbird and my lunch. "Uhm, excuse me. I think I may be a little lost," a voice says and I look up. "If I didn't know better, Mr Bhengu, I'd say you were stalking me," I said and he laughed. "No, believe me I'm not. I was trying to find my way to my car but I think I made a wrong turn somewhere," he said. "Evidently," I replied and he laughed once again. He was dressed in a suit today and boy oh boy did he look fiiinnneee. I gave him the directions to the parking lot and he thanked me before sitting down. "This is the part where you leave, Mr Bhengu," I said. "It gives you an unfair advantage when you know my name but I don't know yours," he said. "You don't say, " I asked. "It's only fair you tell me your name," he said. "I don't know your name either," I said. "Spoken like a true lawyer," he said and I laughed. "Gumede," I said and he smiled. "Ngiyajabula ukukwazi, MaQwabe," he said and I couldn't help but smile. "If I tell you my name will you tell me yours?" he asked. "You know the answer to that," I said and he shrugged before reaching over and taking one of my wraps. I watched as he took a huge bite of it and chewed. Yes of course, go ahead. Once he had swallowed he said, "It's good. Did you make it?" he asked and I nodded. "Don't you have lunch made by your wife to eat?" I asked. "I do, but it's in the car. The one I can't seem to find," he replied taking another bite of the wrap. "Can't seem to find or don't want to find? " I asked then realized how harsh I sounded. "I have a feeling you don't want me here so I'm going to leave now," he said and got up. "Thank you for the lunch, and I'm sorry if I once again made you uncomfortable, it wasn't my intention. My name is Nkosi by the way- Nkosingiphile," he said. Nkosingiphile Bhengu, it suits him. He rebuttoned his suit jacket before offering me another knee buckling smile. "Usale kahle MaQwabe," he said and turned to walk away. "Nkosingiphile," I shouted as he walked away and he turned. "Lihle," I said, not looking up from my book. Is it weird that I could sense his smile?