Gabsile

chapter 18

Duduzani Buthelezi

The last time a woman walked in with a suitcase in my house she left me unable to sleep for a month straight and while I get mild flashback I assure myself that she is just here for the night and she will go to Pretoria to find the person she came all the way for . She doesn't even look like the person that broke up with me so I should stop thinking negatively.

I call my private chef and ask him to do a three course meal for us and I hop into the shower.I haven't stopped thinking about her , she looked tired in that car , like she was hanging by a thread and then she fell apart when she heard that Detecrive Khumalo is based in Pretoria. I'm curious and I want to snoop around but that's just wrong so I wont or maybe I will I don't know.

I slap on grey sweat pants , a different pair I promise and some t-shirt , no need to look fancy and then I sit on the bed. I type a text to my brother and delete it because its just wrong but then this is my house & you can never trust SAPS employees . She might last be seen at my house alive and kicking. I don't have a good feeling about Khumalo so I  call my brother.

'Ufunani manje ?' He asks.and I hesistate before answering.
' soo uhm who is Detective Khumalo?' I ask lowering my voice.
' what's going on ? Is Mpilo in jail ? Or are you under investigation?" He asks
' No I just want to know about him , I'm  just curious" I say knowing well that he will question me further
'What's her name?"
' its not important "
' there's a girl involved or in jail right ? There's always a girl with you "
'Okay she is looking for him or her ?"
' I 'll make a call and this is the last time I make calls for your girlfriends. You should leave that uggly empty shithole you live in and make friends" he says before dropping.  What a bitter man

****Siyanda Khumalo****

I make my way downstairs for water when I see a chef. He looks cute and we maintain eye contact as soon as I land down the stairs. I have seen two men today that excited me which means I should stay away from any alcohol before I wake up in the wrong bed tomorrow. I get my water and he introduces himself. His name is Athembele , he has been a private chef for 5 years and Duduzani is his regular client. His eyes stay on my body and my body does this wierd thing , my knees become weak and my lady bits?they scream out his name.

Duduzani walks downstairs in grey sweat pants again and Athembele winks at me before he starts explaining the different dishes to  us. Everything looks and smells delicious , I really don't think it was necessary but then again not everyone is plain jane like me.

Before we have dinner I ask that we hold hands and say our grace . I have felt like my life is in shambles because I am no longer a praying girl and I'm intending on involving prayer in everything I do , starting with this mouth watering dinner. We then have dinner is comfortable silence and when I push away my clean plate he breaks the ice. 'where do you come from?" He asks staring at me .' Kwa mashu, I'm actually a qualified teacher , I teach second graders english and I...I was married " I say and he looks at me for a moment before throwing a long list of questions to me that I answer. ' I was married for 3 years,at a tender age of 23 and after being in a relationship with the man for a year"
'I didn't sign at home affairs he only paid lobola and we had a traditional wedding and wore our rings , things went sour from the day I met his mother which was the day after my traditional wedding"
' we were still living together in Kwa Mashu but he left because he was given a transfer and said he was going to look for accomodation. Two weeks later here I am in Krugersdorp because he said he was going to start working here"
'I want to see him and then discuss terms of paying back the lobola and return his ring"

I offer to wash his dishes and he takes the plates to his kitchen and he tells me that he will rinse them and pack them away. We tidy up the dining table and head over in the kitchen , cracking jokes , laughing and at some point he brakes into a very funny dance . I laugh out loud and even snort and that makes him laugh out loud too and it feels soo good to laugh, this is what a home should feel like.

He switches off the lights and we walk up the stairs together , arms brushing , him singing a gwijo song that sounds like a song from a Bollywood movie because of his voice and inability to sing .