Unhinged Love

CHAPTER 1

I don't hate rain. I swear I don't. I love the sound it makes when it falls gracefully on the paved floor or even the road. The magical way it drips down the window and the smell of soil before or after a rainy day. It is my favourite weather, but I love it more when I literally have nothing to do but stay indoors, comfortable, dry and warm. Not when I have to go out all dressed up for a very important pitch. Honestly, how does one make sure she doesn't get wet in this weather? This ain't no K-drama where an admirer is going to show up out of nowhere with a huge ass umbrella that is not going to let even a drop of rain fall on you.

I hardly slept preparing for this presentation, so I know that Bio-plus is needed for me to nail this pitch. My whole company is depending on me and I can't let them down by yawning in the middle of this presentation. I can yawn later all I want, but not now. Passing a petrol station early in the morning is never a good idea because it is always full with people filling up their tanks before rushing to work. I don't even find a parking space next to the door and now I am forced to park a couple of meters away from the garage store. Fuck me, now I am really going to get wet.

Switching off the ignition, I rush inside the store with only my bank card in my hand. I purchase a bio-plus sachet and end up grabbing a giant bran muffin from the cafe. It was just so irresistible. I suck on the bio-plus sachet and throw the paper in the trash can. I make my way out and now the rain is pouring harder than before. Fuck. I don't need this right now. This much bad luck. I know rain is seen as blessings and all, but this one is just the devil's work. Why should I get wet on my way to such an occasion? You know what? Screw it. Everyone can see the rain, even a blind man. I sprint like Usain Bolt to my car but halfway there, I feel the heel of my shoe break before my whole body crushes on the road. Sharp pain shoots towards my right ankle and knees. Did I just fall? Did that just happen or I am imagining all this? As I try in all my might to stand up, my whole body recoils and that knocks some sense into my head. I did fall and now I am soaking wet from head to toe. I wish I can cry but I am an adult. Who the fuck is going to save me from this? I have to woman-up and carry my sorry ass to my car. As I struggle to get up, I feel my body being lifted from the floor and I look up to see this guy carrying me to a black Ford Ranger. He opens the passenger door and carefully helps me sit before going around and settling in the driver's seat. 

He looks at me as he wipes his face with a towel. "Are you okay? I saw you fall down and I swear I would've caught you if I was nearby but I was still inside the store. Does your ankle hurt?" He talks so fast and he also stutters in some of his words. I take out my left heel which is damaged and I wince as my hand comes into contact with my ankle. Fuck. That hurts.

"It's safe to say that walking out of this car is going to be one difficult task. Thank you for rescuing me, though. I appreciate it, even though my day is officially ruined."
He frowns. "Besides the obviously strained ankle, what ruined it?"

"I have this huge presentation at the Premier Hotel in Waterfront and if I miss it, I might never get a chance to present my idea. My team and I have been preparing for this for a very long time and I can't let them down because of a mere sprained ankle. I should put on my best mask and see this morning through."

He looks at me for longer than a minute before nodding. "Which one is your car?" I point at my red BMW 1 series. "I will grab your things and then drive you to Waterfront. What do you need from there?" He asks for my car keys and I hand them to him before instructing him on what to take out from my car. He comes back with everything I asked for and places them in the back seat. He starts the car and drives away from the garage. "Where do you work? I can have your car delivered there?"

My car. Yeah, my cherry. "I will ask one of my crew members to come and fetch it. Thank you for doing this for me."
His lips tilt for a moment before he stares on the road ahead. "Today is my little sister's birthday. I bought her this outfit that she loves but I don't mind lending it to you since you really need it. I will just buy another one on my way home."

He is so generous and sweet. How did this happen? How did I fall and get picked up by an angel? Or maybe he is a devil disguising himself with selfless acts? What if he is driving me to the port to get shipped to another country? My God. I pray that's not the case. How would my people track me? Who even cares about a woman who live in Esikhawini? God, I hope he is not kidnapping me.

"I am Mbulelo Mzimela by the way. And who might you be or should I keep on calling you the fallen angel?" I shouldn't laugh, especially while in this pain, but what he just said makes me giggle a little. Fallen angel? The irony there since I am calling him a devil in my head.

"Hlengiwe Mabuyakhulu. Where do you stay and what do you do?" Yeah, I am curious. Kill me for looking out for myself.
He chuckles. "You are awfully curious for someone in pain."
"There is nothing numbing it, so talking might help me get my mind off it."

"Fair. I will take you to the doctor after your meeting. Anyways, I am 24 years old. I am a safety officer and I officially reside in Meerensee but I also have a home in La Lucia." Wow, such a young man and yet he has made it in life. He is 3 years younger than me. Are all 2ks this successful or he is just mocking me? "Your turn to answer. Talking helps, right?" He teases and I just chuckle. I see him mocking me in real life now.

"I am 27 years old. I am a nutritionist and I also happen to be a professional chef. I reside in Esikhawini J section and I have a small company called Healthy Eats which has been running for a couple of years. We focus mainly on vegan foods because not many people cater on that. We bring in the fun from eating healthily but we also do cater for non-vegan people."

"Are you a vegan?" He asks and I quickly shake my head.
"Not really. I love meat but I live like a vegan. All my life, I have never went to an all vegan-eatery that has really tasty treats. Which is why I was encouraged to open my own establishment which is really vegan friendly, not just on paper but in reality."
"You are really ready for your presentation." I smile at him and look ahead.

***

"Whoever said that vegan foods should be boring and stale clearly hasn't tasted any of the treats that we serve at our restaurants, Healthy Eats. I am Hlengiwe Mabuyakhulu, a nutritionist and certified chef. At Healthy Eats, our primary goal is making sure that vegans and people who live a healthy lifestyle are comfortable with ordering whatever delicious item on our menu and actually enjoying it. You wouldn't believe that we even sell vegan chocolate muffins for those with sweet tooth. This is all about inclusion. We are tired of vegans having just a small portion on the menu. We want them to own the whole menu and have a variety of delicious dishes to choose from. In Richards Bay, we don't have a restaurant like that. This will not only cater to vegans and health freaks but also people who suffer from diseases and have been ordered by their doctors to eat healthily.

"The reason why I think you should trust me with your hard earned money is not only because of my qualifications and experience in the catering industry. For the past five years, we have gained a lot of clients and new customers every day. And also exposure. With over R850 000 annual turnover, I believe that this is a worthy investment. We will not only cater to every day clients but also open our space for events so that people can book and bring in lots of profits. That will also get people talking, and word of mouth is a great marketing strategy. We plan on having different promotions at least once a month and even have a specific charity that we donate 1% of our profits to them. Before I conclude my presentation, I would like to serve you with our delicious plant based treats which I am sure you will enjoy. We can even bet on it." I wink and that earns me a chuckle from the investors. I open the cooler bags on the table and start serving them.

I watch as the investors nibble on the samples. My ankle aches like hell and I wish I can cry out but I have to put on my big girl panties. It is even swollen now and I am sure walking out of here will be a job and a half. I am so grateful for my knight in shining armour, Mbulelo. I am not badmouthing the other gender but I doubt 60% of them would have done what he did. Not only did he bring me here but he also gave me tracksuits which he had bought for his sister as a birthday present. He made sure I get to this boardroom and even bribed one of the cleaners to help me set up for my presentation. By the time the investors came in, everything was in order. One of them questioned my attire and walk when I got up but I just brushed him off with a Cinderella joke.

One of the women, Athandwa Pina, clears her throat and wipes her mouth with a napkin. She closes her takeaway and looks at me. "Girl, you had me at vegan desserts." I chuckle nervously. "My daughter was diagnosed with a heart disease at a young age and has had more hospital trips than any of you here. I hired a nutritionist just for her and most of the time, we ate what was prepared for her just to show our support. All that crap we tasted doesn't come a mile close to this. Young lady, this is next level shit. Master Chef Level. If I was selfish, I would hire you for my daughter only but I know there are people out there like her, so huge loss for me. I am most definitely going to invest. I am happy with this." She winks at me and I feel a bit of relief. Mrs. Pina is worth billions. Her late husband left her monied and her current one is an international business man. Her investment alone would help us a lot.

"Miss Mabuyakhulu, thank you for such a lovely presentation. We will have a discussion here with our panel and then get back to you before the week ends." Mr. Dunston states with a straight face and I nod.

"Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. Good bye." I stand up, collect my things and head out. I have done my part. I hope God comes through for me now.