Unhinged Love

CHAPTER 7

Due to the meds I took last night, I ended up spending the night at Mbulelo’s house. Yeah, pain meds for an injury hit harder than normal pain blocks. I remember watching Episode 3 of The Great on Prime, but I don’t remember finishing it. I don’t even know how I made it to the guest bedroom because I was fast asleep. I only woke up this morning when Mbulelo placed new clothes and toiletries in the couch that is in this room.

I have an ensuite at home, but Nqobile always brings me water in a basin to wash while sitting on the bed. I am not as strong as I would like to be. I know asking for help from Mbulelo is going to take a lot of humbling myself, but I simply can’t stand in a shower or soak my leg in a bathtub. I am definitely not ready for that. I shout Mbulelo’s name and seconds later, he walks into the room. He frowns when he sees me sitting on the bed.

“Do you need something?”
I clear my throat and look down. I think this was what he was talking about. Me being vulnerable to him when we are not even dating or exclusive. “I need water in a basin. I don’t use a shower or bathtub with my condition.”

He sighs and comes to stand in front of me. “There is no need for you to be shy or embarrassed about that. You were injured and that small injury took away most of your abilities, one of them being moving around at your own will. Asking for help doesn’t take away anything from you. I don’t see you less of an intelligent woman that you just because you want my help. I actually feel honoured to serve you.”

I chuckle. “Serve me? Now you make it sound like I am royalty.”
“You could be. I may never know.” He shrugs and I laugh.
He leaves and comes back with a small basin filled with lukewarm water. He places it in an ottoman and walks off. I am grateful for that. I bath, more like wipe, my body and when I am done, I discard the water and brush my teeth. After all that admin, I head over to the kitchen and find him dressed and ready for work. He is wearing a golf t-shirt, some work jeans and Bova boots. He smiles when he sees me.

“I made breakfast. So come sit.” I sit at one of the bar stools and he places a plate of English breakfast in front of me. A guy that lives alone and knows how to cook, I applaud their mother for the teachings. All boys should be taught how to cook at the same age girls are taught, so they don’t depend on women to cook for them, unless they can afford a private chef.

“This is nice.” I complement as I dig into my food. He claps his hands.
“Coming from a certified chef, that feels like a major compliment. Thank you, my lady.” He does a mini bow and I laugh. He is amusing.

After finishing breakfast, he drives me to our headquarters and drops me off there. He promises to come see me during lunch. We are not even dating yet but he is already taking care of me. It is really cute. I find all the ladies there already preparing for the day ahead. Every day has its special and mornings are very busy for us because people are rushing to work, they want their meals delivered to their places, at the gym or at work. The team is not hangover, we have a special hangover cure drink that is one of our best-selling products.

“How was your night?” Nqobile asks as she packs up the orders in paper bags.
“I had good rest. When we got to his place just to relax for a bit, my ankle was killing me. So I drank my meds and slept until this morning. You know how strong they are.”
“Yeah. I can ship you off to another country and you wouldn’t even feel it.” She teases and I laugh. “If I ever feel insomniac, I will steal one of your pills and just swallow it.”
“Back to you. How was your night? Also, what is the situation with you and the rich doctor?”

She blushes and stops what she is doing. “So, he is so kind and considerate. He always makes sure my needs are met, sexually and generally. He is loving and just wonderful. I don’t know, but I think he is the one.”
I roll my eyes. “You always think they are the one.”
She laughs. “But this time I feel it, boss. Like there is this feeling deep inside me that I can’t explain. Your injury was a blessing in disguise. I met my soulmate and you met yours. Aren’t you lucky you tripped?” Only Nqobile would ask something like that and get away with it. I laugh and she wiggles her eyebrows before heading out with her orders. She will do deliveries with my car in Empangeni while Mitchy delivers around Richards Bay.

I go over some emails and start looking for vacant restaurant spaces in Richards Bay CBD. We also need a space in Fiveways at Empangeni but maybe we will open it after 6 months. All will be determined by the number of customers that we actually receive as walk-ins on a daily basis. I send out thank you emails to our investors, but I know we should invite them on a luncheon just to thank them properly. We will maybe do a mini-prelaunch for them the day before the actual launch of the restaurant just so they can get the feel of the restaurant and what is it exactly that we have to offer to the public.

I look for at least 5 local businesses that we can invest in just so we can have returns in maybe a year. I think that all rich people in townships can make a huge impact in local businesses. Investing maybe 20k in a local sneaker brand or local bakery can do a lot for that entrepreneur. But we are black people. We never think of a way to empower each other. And that is wrong, but we are not ready to have such conversations as a society.

×××

After a long day of brainstorming and sharing ideas, working to push orders, I finally retire in my bed. My injury is aching so bad. I know Dr. Mniki will give me hell if I inform him about this, but I don’t have a choice. I call his office before closing time and request to make an appointment for tomorrow. The receptionist squeezes me in, and I am grateful for her kindness. I should buy her flowers.

“What do you wanna eat?” Nqobile asks from the kitchen.
“Mac and cheese.” I respond.
“Great because I had already started boiling the macaroni.” I laugh. Why did she ask in the first place? “When do you think we will be ready for launch?”

“It will depend on finding the space for HE. As soon as we secure the space, everything will fall into place. Getting the necessary equipment and installing all the mechanics can take up to three weeks and the designing can take maybe a week. So it can roughly be two months before we are ready to open doors.”

“You see that space that had CNA at Boardwalk near Checker’s liquor? It is vacant, so I think it is a great spot for the restaurant.” I can see the spot she is referring to.
My main concern is the space. We need a huge dining area and also a huge kitchen since we are going to be serving vegan and non-vegan foods. There need to be a clean line in the kitchen between the two or else we can lawsuits or complains before we even get far in our business.

“I see it, but the space is going to be a problem. We need a space as huge as Spur. We will just go for our appointment with the building management on Thursday just to see which spaces they can provide for us that will meet our needs.”
“That also seems like a good plan. I am thinking of spending the weekend at Phele’s place. Pamela offered to come and be with you, but if you are uncomfortable with that, I can always reschedule my time with Phele.” Such a selfless young lady.

“It’s okay, Nqo. I am used to Pamela, so there will be no awkward encounters. Go and have fun with your man. You deserve it.”
She squeals. “I need new lingerie.” She sings and I laugh. Such a vibe bringer.