LUBANZI

Chapter 3

LUBANZI

Chapter 3

𝐋𝐔𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐙𝐈

I'm heading to the lecture hall. I'm one minute late and I'm always preaching about how being punctual is the key to success. You'll be curious to know how a person who doesn't love talking is a lecturer. Well, lecturing is one of the things I enjoy doing. Feeding young curious minds with the right information to succeed is one of the best things. Plus my students are clever so they barely ask questions.

I hate being questioned like how that lawyer was busy questioning Liyema. It can never be me.

I walk inside the lecture hall and my students aren't even making a single noise, that's how behaved they are.

"Straight to business. We have an assignment today." I address the class. I'm not gonna apologize for being late to a bunch of kids.

Class is over and I'm busy marking their today test.

Someone clears her throat and when I look up, it's this young girl.

I give her a ‘can I help you look’.

"Uhm sir, I kind of need help with the assignment." She talks in a tiny voice. She's feigning innocence but there's nothing innocent about this girl.

"Do I look like a tutor?"

"No sir. You look like a professor."

"Then get out of my class."

"But sir—" I give her a dead stare and she runs out of class.

I know that she didn't need any help. She's not the only female student who tried to flirt with me, they always do that's why I never do after-hours lessons.

I would help the male students but it would be discrimination that's why I hired tutors for them. I pay for them with my own money.

After marking all the papers, I drive to my club. It's Thursday but my club is always full. I take the private elevator to my office.

I have a manager here but I overlook the paperwork most of the time. I'm a workaholic and I don't have a hobby. I used to have hobbies but now I just keep myself busy with work. I don't have a tangible reason why I abandoned most of my hobbies because I just did.

I sit down on my chair take my telephone and call Lungi, she's the manager.

"Sir." She answers.

"Bring me the usual." I hang up. Whenever I'm here I always order some food and brandy. That's my stuff.

I start checking up on the paperwork as I wait for Lungi.

𝐇𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐥𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐨𝐬𝐢

I forced my brother to take me out to the mall. I'm planning on sneaking out this Friday. As the head cheerleader at school, I need to make an appearance.

"Hlelo are you done?" Liyema ask. He's impatient but I know my brother. He's going to wait for me, no matter what. Liyema is not like Lubanzi. Banzi would have dragged me out of here because I was wasting his time. That's why Liyema is my favourite brother.

"Not yet. I'm still fitting." I'm at the fitting room while he's outside and of course, I only show him the decent outfits that I have chosen. The indecent ones, I just take pictures but I'm still paying for them.

After what seems like an hour, I'm done with shopping for clothes.

"Finally. You'll swear you're buying the entire mall." He's exaggerating now.

"Ha? Stop exaggerating bro. Anyway, I need shoes."

"Shoes? Didn't you buy shoes? All these bags and you haven't bought shoes?" He's annoyed and I laugh at him. I love pissing him off.

"The shoes there are ugly. Let's just buy sneakers then." I head to a sneaker store and he follows after me.

𝐊𝐀𝐘𝐀

I'm in the kitchen scrolling through my phone. I get a WhatsApp notification from the grade 11 group.

"A party? You're going?" That's Amber standing behind me reading my messages and when I stay in my room the whole day they complain.

"Of course not." I place my phone on the counter.

"Why not? I'll be deejaying there." She sits on the stool next to me.

"It's hosted by the elite students. Students from privileged families besides I hate noises."

"Kaya, you need to get out more. You need to be comfortable in your own body and wear clothes that show off your pretty body. Not these hoodies and oversized tees." She points at my clothes.

"I love them. End of discussion." She takes my phone.

"Amber, give me my phone." She's annoying me now.

"Not unless you agree to come with me to the party. If you're getting bullied at school, people will start loving you because your sister is a deejay. I need to introduce my little sister to the whole world."

"Who would bully Kaya Jali? Nobody messes with me at school. Just bring my phone before I fight you for it."

"No." She stands up and starts running around the kitchen with it. I chase after her.

"What's going on here?" Here's mother hen Afeziwe.

"Your other half has my phone. Tell her I want it back." I tell her.

"Say please," Amber says.

"Never!" I yell at her.

"Amber give her the phone," Afeziwe tells her.

"Ask her to come with me to the party first."

"What party?" Feziwe ask.

"A party hosted by one of her schoolmates."

"Fez, tell her I don't want to go."

"Amber, she doesn't want to go. You can't force her. Give her the phone back. Kaya will spend tomorrow's night with me watching movies." Feziwe says. Bossy as much?

"No. I'll neither spend tomorrow with any of you." I tell them.

"Amber keep her phone," Fez says and turns around to leave.

"Wait—" She turns around. I sigh.

"I'll watch the movie with you." She smiles.

"Give my baby her phone back. She's an introvert like me." Fez tells Amber.

"I can't believe we are related." Amber places the phone on the kitchen counter and leaves. I take it.

"Thank you but I'm spending tomorrow evening alone," I tell Fez.

"Try me, Kaya." She gives me a dead stare. Feziwe is the type of person who can drag you to come and watch a movie. Plus she has the spare key of my room even though she never used it.

I head to my room.