Noma and Kea

CHAPTER 2

Thursday again I wake up take a shower and get ready for work. I should really undo these braids, I will do that someday, just not today or tomorrow, some day. It’s half past 6 I should go, I start walking to the bus stop it’s should be here in about 10 minutes. I leave Ntokozo is sleeping on the couch, she and Simphiwe fixed things they had sex, ja neh. SMH. I walk out the apartment and walk down the stairs haven’t seen those boys throughout the week. I mean, I am not saying I want to see them, but since Thursday last week, I haven’t. I asked Ntokozo about it and he says the boy who lives on the floor above us, moved in a few weeks back. Ha I guess that’s all that needs to be said.
I walk up the street and make a turn onto Stanza Bopape street and walk about a meter and stand at the bus stop. There it comes, I hold my bus card out and it stops a few steps away I walk to it and the doors fling open and this is not the bus driver I like, this is Favour, they call him that because he always shows favours to beautiful women only. Reason he does this is because he wants to try and rizz them up. It’s actually pathetic an old man trying to holler at women who are not only half his age but could be his daughter. I quickly connect my earphones and plug them in. The door flings open and I step in and give him a cordial smile and wave, tap wait for it to show how much I have, R10. That is only gonna get me to work, I should refill this card, I sit at my usual empty seat looking at the windscreen. listening to Alicia Keys’ Unthinkable, she can always calm me down and make me feel like everything is gonna be alright. I mean when she says, ‘A Moment of honest, someone’s gotta take the lead tonight who’s gonna be’ One day just watch after an argument with Bae imma sit in front of him and be like, ‘A Moment of honesty’ and knowing the way God works he probably gonna send me a man just as hard headed as I am. Unfortunately for now there is no bae, plus I am 28 I still have time to get the life I have always dreamed off.
I always wanted to feature some of my pain’tings in an Art Gallery, but for now they sit all lounged in my room hording the place. I should go down to the Art Museum and ask them if they aren’t having an opening night. I know in Johannesburg they have one in 3 weeks at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. I have sold about 3 pain’tings since Ntokozo pushed me to hand in some of my work.
The bus reaches Pretoria Central and turns into Pretorious Street and my stop is a few stop’s away. It’s crosses Andries Street time for me to get off, I walk to the machine, tap R5 is left. Yeah I am not getting home with that much, the bus stops doors fling open, “Dankie” and hop off good thing I wore Air forces if I am gonna stand in that refill line, but now I have other fish to kill like Peterson who for some reason gets angry if you arrive at the office at 7 o’clock. The air in Pretoria compared to Johannesburg’s is a lot more real, I don’t know how to describe it, like you can tell what that smell is unlike in Joburg where you have to wrap your brain around what that might just be, you don’t know if it’s pee or what kore it’s just mixed all over bathong. I walk through a public store tunnel which connects the streets well one formally known as Church and Madiba street. I stop at the pedestrian walk and wait for it to turn red so I can walk. I am still waiting, finally. I walk across and as I was about to take another step some VW driver zooms past me, “What the Fuck” I shout. “Voetsek msunu kanyoko” I am not proud of such but seriously what the fuck. I walk into the building, “Ekse Nomazz dingstang”(Yo Noma what’s up) says Karabo, he’s the only security guard that treats me normally and not like some prize to be won. “Bro some dumbass nearly ran me over when the light gave me right of way” I say a bit ticked off. “Eh that’s crazy but you nchaa mos” he asks concerned. “I am” I say and walk off into the elevator and press 15th floor and it moves up and up. At this point I am listening to, Too Late for Mama by Mpho Sebina, which is the cover for the Brenda Fassie song this one personally to me is more intimate unlike the Brenda one which is more tragic not taking anything from the Brenda one I still love it. I walk onto the floor and take out one Earbud so I can hear if someone calls me, “You’re late” says Peterson. “I am the first one here, plus it’s only 06:59” I reply. “No I am the first one here and now it’s 7 o’clock meaning you’re late” she says. “No I am still on time cause my feet are on office floors, you didn’t see that coming huh” I say and walk around her, she really thought she had me. I walk to my cubicle and put my handbag down and switch on my Work computer and swing to side to side while it loads the elevator dings and everyone else rolls in, “Hey Noma” says Tshego, he is tall and a bit skinny. “Hey” I say looking up. “What you eating for lunch” he stutters a bit. “I don’t I will be having lunch just gonna thug it out, because I need to go and fill my bus card” “I could come with you” he says. “Nah I’m good” I say. “OK” he nods and walks away. He has been asking me out ever since I started working her and that was 3 years ago and he still hasn’t gotten the hint that I am not interested.
I type out the documents that are needed for right now and the clock strikes 12 it’s Lunch now, I send the document to the respective department and stand up with everyone and walk to the elevators. I get in as we are all squashed like a can of sardines. One day this thing is gonna fall with us in it cause no way we aren’t above the weight limit it lands on the ground floor and we all walk out. there are those gossiping, and those on their phones I am one of those. I walk to the door and open it connect my earbuds and off I go. Good thing I wore this leather jacket, I walk up the straight then take the short cut into Church park and finally and to my surprise there isn’t a queue like there usually is. It’s just 2 people in front of me by the time Sexy Love by Ne-Yo ends I will be at the front. I am just jamming in my little world, I mean what could go wrong in this little bubble of mine, literally nothing. “Hi” I greet cheerfully, “Can I please fill up with R350”. She nods and I pull out my bus card and bank card insert and pin. She hands me my receipts and off I am again. Maybe I should get a little something, I am feeling quiet PECKISH. I walk past this bakery called Cake Zone and as I look down a man wearing Tan chino pants and white air forces walks around me. I get a look at the back of his head and his hand he’s holding a Muffin. That’s what all I am getting, now the flavor, uhm, “Can I get the Bar One muffin” I say. They place it in a packet and hand it to me. I smile and leave the bakery and back to the office I walk. “Noma and then nna”(Nna-Me) says Karabo. “Ah hade boy, next time” I say and step into the elevator and up I go earbuds still in. I walk to the kitchen, grab my cup and boil water and make a cup of coffee, head to my desk. I unravel the packet and mh, I am about to eat this shit UP.
It’s that time of the day it’s time to go HOME, I start packing, earphones in and walk to the elevator. I get to my bus stop early and there’s few people there Thank God cause last week and the past 3 days it’s been the same queue of long people and those damn annoying and loud school kids fucking little bastards. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, I just hate loud ass bratty bastards that are in High school and have no understanding of the way the World works. The bus arrives on time and as per usual the doors flung open and once it’s time to leave the doors slap together and off he drives. Bus is on Stanza Bopape street and nearly at my place my sweet place where all my problems fade. My stop is next I stand up and tap my card. The bus starts slowing down I hang on and it stops the doors swing open, “Dankie” and I step off. It’s me and my music, listening to It’s You by Black Motion and it’s me and my little world it can always be this perfect. “When you’re around I feel safe in your arms, I don’t need to panic” I sing. I wait for the robot to turn red so I can cross, I am swing side to side, moving my shoulders up and down. The robot turns red I cross and I am on the pavement. I decrease the volume a bit and still swaying, “Its you nobody else can have my heart, only you can have my heart”, there they are again this time they came with a Black Gusheshe, the same loud boy from last week is shouting, but looks back to that boy with the eyes that struck me, “Don joh, waitse keng Mandla onale masepa elke tyd eretla heso re emela yena”(Don bro, you know Mandla is full of shit, every time we come here we have to wait for him) says the loud one. “Eh Lucas yehliso umoya”( Lucas calm down) He looks at his friend smiling and then sees me walking down and he looks at me and I am just looking at him too. He is kinda good looking ok light skin brother, I see you. I open the gate and get in he is still looking at me, I can feel those piercing eyes I close the door behind me and head up to my apartment. I grab my keys and open the door and I get in.
I don’t know why but I look outside the window and I see him enter the passenger he’s wearing tan pants surely not it’s impossible. The loud one smacks Mandla’s head and he gets into the driver’s side and they speed off. My question is why stop in the middle of the street like literally in the middle where the concern of safety? I mean I don’t care but still you know SAFETY.