Noma and Kea

CHAPTER 5

It's Saturday, and we need to go and buy groceries at Woolworths. The one thing I love about about where I live, everything I need is in walking distance. If Ntokozo wants Alcohol, there’s a bottle store 2 blocks away. If want to buy groceries right around the block. I take a shower first and then she does, I comb my hair twist it a bit so it's all compacted together. I put on some jeans and a white jersey and sit on the couch waiting for her. She walks out wearing black leggings and a black top. I saddle my mini purse and we walk out and walk down the street.
“So you ready for tonight?” she asks.
“For” I answer surprised.
“We going out with Simphiwe, he said he is bringing a friend”.
I stop walking, and look at her, “Why would you do that?” I ask. “It wasn’t me he just said he was bringing a friend with him, and that maybe the 2 of yall could keep each other company. I swear it wasn’t me” she says, “Look bae I know how much, you love your work but come on you are only in your 20s once and this is the time you could be meeting the love of your life”.
“I already found the love of my life and it’s the numbers in my bank account” I say.
“Babe money won’t keep you warm at night” she says as she tries to seduce me with her hands trying to pull me closer. “Hai man” I smack her hands away
We get to Woolworths and walk into the food aisle. It’s time to do some shopping. We walk into the shop, I grab a trolley, I grab some, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, onions, and some garlic and ginger. We push to the Meat aisle, “Grab some milk, Spaghetti and Pasta” I say. She leaves and I go to the freezer and grab, Chicken and beef. Now to the kitchen, “Can I please get a Rotisserie chicken and 2 steak and kidney pies… Thank you” I grab and place them in the trolley. Ntokozo comes back and places the Milk and the pastas in the trolley and head to the tills there’s a long line. Ntokozo leaves the till, and comes back with 2 bottles of Wine. Places them in the trolley and smiles at me. Finally we are at the end of the line, “Next customer to till number 4” say the intercom we move and start loading the groceries and we get our total and we pay. We leave Woolworths with our grocery bags and now it’s time to wait for our Uber.
The Uber arrives and he helps load everything into the car and we drive off it was only a 5-minute drive since it wasn’t that far. The car makes the last turn and we start paying, Cash R25 as the car turns. There they are again. This is interesting this time they came in a Black G Wagon. This is really interesting, the Uber finds a street parking and helps us unload, today they looking clean. He was wearing black slacks with a Pink plain sweater and black Oxford shoes and a Gold chain. He’s sitting on the hood of the G Wagon. I can feel him looking at us and he hops off and Mandla walks past us, “AH SHOWE, ASHO BIRTHDAY BOY”(There he is, there’s the Birthday Boy) says the loud one. He greets the loud one. He daps and hugs the one with the eyes and he kisses his cheek. “Happy Birthday my boy” he says. We head into the building, because you know I have to do my usual tradition. I place the food down, this was a first, he throws the keys in the air and Mandla catches them. He gets in the passenger, this is the first time I have seen Mandla drive, he is also a speeder Oh My Days. They pull off, well, I guess happy birthday to Mandla.
We have the pies for lunch, after eating we sit and chill and watch TV. Time flies and it’s already 7pm, now I have to change, I put on high leather boots and an oversized long T-shirt, with some shades I tie my hair into 2 buns YES, YES BADDIE time. They do say ‘fake it until you make it.’ Ntokozo gets a call from Simphiwe, right it’s time to leave. Bye bed, bye paintings, bye comfy couch, bye warm kitchen. We step out Ntokozo wearing a mini skirt with fishnets and a shirt on top. We head down stairs and she practically runs to the gate. “Hey baby” she squeals.  He catches her and says to me, “Hi I’m Simphiwe and this is my friend Thabang” he says. OH YOU HAVE TO BE SHITTING ME, Thabang looks like he has mad bills to pay what the fuck man. I’m not saying he is Ugly neh, I am just saying he doesn’t look like any 20 something year old at all. Fuck am I saying, he UGLY. I look at Ntokozo who looks at me just as surprised, remember Noma just be casual, “Hi I’m Nomakhosi, but I prefer Noma.” “Shall we” he says and opens the passenger for Ntokozo and Thabang opens the door for me. I step in holding my mini purse. Ntokozo better have a fucking good explanation for this, because what is this? Her and Simphiwe are chatting it up; I thought I would be 3rd wheeling? Oh NO I am 4th wheeling. How does that happen? Good thing I brought my earbuds, I plug one in my right ear. I am listening to ‘Let it all go’ by Birdy and Rhodes. Yeah this is my new comfort song. I am looking outside the window. I need to find out that guy’s name there’s no way. Next time I see him, I am walking up to him and asking what his name is, AND THAT’S ON STEVE IRWIN, RIP CROCODILE HUNTER.
We make a turn and I already know where we are going, Hatfield. The home of swallowed babies, and you see that McDonald over there that’s where they take your girlfriend to eat, after groove, before they go and devour her in one these residencies next to it. LOL. Ja that’s Hatfield for you. Since it’s Saturday, they all have the same idea, GROOVE. I should be at home watching TV, but no I am here at Groove accompanying my friend and her boyfriend who she keeps insisting he isn’t her boyfriend. Oh Jehova.
We make a corner and the car starts slowing down, and stops at a club, the Valet opens our doors and I step out and look at the building, it has a Lightning Bolt on the entrance. We walk in and there are people standing in line. We walk into the building and we walk through a corridor with Strobe and LED lights giving the image of lightning bolts striking each other and then the words, ‘Welcome to Motion’ are before my eyes. I must say this is really nice, it’s not like your usual clubs, it’s definitely new. It doesn’t accommodate the old rules of what a club is supposed to be like, oh my days it is WILD in here. There are pole dancers and people dancing on the dance floor, the DJ Is playing a mixture of all Genres like right now they are playing ‘So into you(Remix)’ by Tamia. AHHHH. How many clubs can you go to that play RnB? NONE, exactly there is no club that plays RnB like I said this club is where you wanna be. We standing at the entrance, and I am looking around. I didn’t expect him here, he is looking over the club from a balcony and he stops someone and he is giving orders and he points at the bar, looks like someone has passed out.
I look at him, this is my turn to pierce him with my eyes and he is somehow piercing me with his eyes. WTF. We walk down the steps through the crowd and find a table. “What can I get yall?” asks a Waiter.
“Some Hot wings.”
“What about drinks?” asks the Waiter.
“6 Pack Ice Tropez, and Mango Cîroc, that’s it for now” says Simphiwe.
“Can I get a glass of wine?” I ask.
“What Vintage and Cultivar” asks the Waiter.
“Red any kind” I say. He nods and walks off, I can’t believe they know what Vintages and Cultivars are. I am swaying as I enjoy my glass, now they playing Michael Jackson, whoever owns this place has just become my favorite person they playing CHICAGO by Michael Jackson. I don’t think people even know how good Chicago is especially when he says, ‘She lied to you, she lied to me. Cause she was loving me’. If there was ever a G.O.A.T it has be him. I look up to my left and there he is again staring and surveying the club, the loud one is with him and they are talking into each other’s ears and laughing. That must definitely be his best friend look at how they act. There’s Mandla they hug him and he has a bottle of Corona in his hand. The loud one is holding a Savannah and The quiet one is also holding a Corona and my Piercing eyes mystery man he’s hold a glass of whiskey. If you are wondering what happened to Thabang he is dancing with some chick, I hope she likes him, because I wasn’t about to entertain him at the slightest.
“Alright. Alright. Are we having a lovely time” asks the loud one. When did he get a Microphone? They all shout, “Yes”. “Listen today is a very special day, it’s our boy Mandla’s birthday and we would like you all to please sing him Happy Birthday. 1.2.3. Happy Birthday” he starts. “To you, Happy Birthday dear Mandla, Happy Birthday to you. Hip Hip HOORAY. HIP HIP HOORAY”. “I love you my boy” he says, Mandla raises his drink and creates a heart sign with his hands. Some party girls start walking up with some cake, sprinklers and drinks. I wish my friends could do that for me and just when I look around Bite(She’s nowhere to be found). Ntokozo is gone and she left me a text message, ‘Please catch an Uber home, because Simphiwe and I are spending the night together’. OK WOW. Let me just chill a bit, because it is nice in here, great music, great vibes. The club starts calming down before I know it, it’s near Midnight. I order an Uber it’s 10 minutes away. I stand up and look back at where they were standing and he isn’t there anymore. I should get moving. I walk in that corridor and the lights are still flashing, I walk out and the cool air hit’s me. The streets are empty, there’s a group of guys standing at the corner up the street.
“Ekse Mamas”(Yoh Mama) one of them shouts. Ahg cat calling it never works, I wonder if they know that. I stand outside, he walks up to me, “Mami, what’s your name?” he says. Who the fuck does this boy think I am, “I am not your mom dawg” I reply. “Ah why you being so cold, it’s cold already come on” he says. He is definitely a Varsity student, because Katlego was exactly like this.
“Ah mama’s don’t do that” he says. I ignore him and look at my phone Uber’s 5 minutes away. I should meet it at the corner. I start walking and the boy is following me still trying. I can see his hand his giving some form of signal. What the fuck is going on, I look back and there’s 4 of them. Now this is exactly why I don’t go out to parties, to avoid shit like this. We walk past the door of Motion club. “Ekse”(Yo) I hear boom through the street and they all look back as well and so do I. There he was walking towards us “Shit” I hear one of the guys say with a hint of fear.
“Weralang?”(What’s going on) he asks. I’ll tell what’s going they tryna rob me that’s what’s going on.
“Ah nix, neh refeta”(Nothing we was just passing) says the Cat caller.
“Oh nele feta?”(Oh yall was just passing through) he asks. They are definitely scared.
“Yeah” they all agree nervously.
“Oh Voetsekang kge”(OH Piss off then) he says and they comply running away and it’s just me and him. Those eyes looking through me, “You alright?” he asks. I nod, deep down my knees are about to give out. “Want a ride home?” he asks. The Uber pulls up, “Nah I got an Uber” I say. He nods, “OK, get home safe” he says and opens the door for me and closes it, bangs the car roof. The car starts driving.
That’s how he sounds, DAMMMNNNN That voice sexy almost made me forget about all the shit that nearly happened. I get home safely and somehow the Uber driver says, “The ride is free, OK” “But I didn’t use a promo” I reply. When I grab a looksee at his phone it says unpaid, “Don’t worry about it, OK” he says. Well I ain’t one to deny free rides. I step out and head inside, Oh my sweet bed, my sweet kitchen. I will see yall tomorrow for now I must sleep. Sleep like a baby.