Noma and Kea

CHAPTER 27

August 11th. About a month after my driving lessons with Kea. Today has to be the worst day of my life.

“Kea please stay, don’t do anything stupid, just calm down. Ok he kissed me, I didn’t kiss him. Even Mandisa was there she can vouch for me, he just pulled me and kissed me”.
He stands up and scoffs, he walks to the door.
“Baby Ngiyacela”(Baby please) I plead. He goes down the stairs, I can hear him laughing, this isn’t good. A man laughing at such News is never a good thing, if Series’ have taught me anything.
He’s walking to his car, “Kea standwa sam, ngicele sikhulume ngalokhu.”(Kea my love, please let’s talk about this) I say pleading. He is just shaking his head, and steps into his car and speeds off. “KEA!” I shout on the side of the road.

OH Bazalwane. How did we get here, YOH

*A few hours earlier. *

“So chomie, what’s happening today?” asks Mandisa standing at my Cubicle.
“Well, I don’t know how, but they got Kabza to come and perform at Motion” I say.
“What! can you get me a ticket?” she asks.
“Why didn’t buy a ticket when they were online?” I ask.
“What are friends for, if not for moment like these” she says, we both laugh, “How’s Don though?”
“He’s good, really good. I couldn’t ask for a better partner” I say.
“Ncaw and how is Lucas. Is he still single?” she asks.
I give her the, ‘Are serious’ look, “We both know, the answer to that question”
“Ok then, why can’t I be missus Lucas. Same way you gonna be Missus Don?” she asks. The thing is, I know Mandisa. She needs constant attention and taking care off, these boys work hard; I’m talking sleepless nights, empty beds. It’s hard and especially if you have Lucas, eleng Sfebe(Who’s a Whore). She’s gonna be calling me all day, asking why are they not coming home tonight? Like bitch, I’m in the same boat as you. At least Kea, will call and text, Lucas is the type who will leave you guessing.
“Because Don doesn’t want you dating his brother” I say.
“Well why not?” she asks.
“These are his words, I promise. He said you talk too much and he doesn’t like people who talk too much.” I say.
“What?” she snaps.
“Yeah, plus imagine now, you guys break. I’m not leaving my man, because you guys couldn’t work out some problem” I say.
“Ha, what happened to Sisters before Misters?” she says.
I give her a side look, “Will you keep me warm at night, you see the Winter this year is pulling all its Guns”
“Ah mara we could work something out, in that event” she says.
“No, no. Angidlali uma kukhulunywa ngomuntu wami”(I don’t play when it comes to my man) I say shaking my hand. We are both laughing.
We keep chatting some more, “So you think you can get me the Kabza tickets?”
“I’d be lying if, I said I knew the answer to that” I reply

Tshego pops up at my cubicle. OH JEHOVA, I forgot this guy exists, “Hey can we talk?” he starts off.
“Speak” I say. Mandisa watching over.
“In Private” he says.
Mandisa scoffs and I chuckle, “In Private?”
“Yes, I just want to apologize” he says.
“I mean, you can apologize, with her here. She’s not disturbing your apology. Are you disturbing him Mandisa?” I say sharply.
“Nna, I don’t how I could. I’m just standing here” she says.
He stands there, “Hai chomie let’s leave, because others are here to talk nonsense” I say and stand up, grab my handbag and start walking. He pulls me around and I snatch my arm away from him.
“Noma, I’m sorry. My emotions got the better of me, that day OK. I’m sorry”.
He genuinely looks like he’s sorry, “Apology…” before I know it his lips are pressed on mine for a split second, before I pull away and slap him across the face, “WHAT THE FUCK?”
He stumbles a bit, “What’s your fucking problem?” asks Mandisa, “Chomie you alright?”
“I just thought, since I apologized…” he tries to reason.
“Since you apologize what…” I say and spit, then wipe my lips.
“I’m sorry” he says.
I march towards him, “Chomie Don is waiting for you, he can’t see you this angry” Mandisa says.
She leads me to the bathroom and tears are rolling down my face, “What am I gonna tell Don?” I frantically panic.
“Ok look chomie, this wasn’t your fault OK. Don will understand, Tshego kissed you not the other way. If Don wants proof, I saw the whole thing” she says, “Wash your face”
I splash my face with water and look in the mirror. I pull myself together and we walk to the elevator.
“When are you going to tell him?” she asks.
“When we get home, so he isn’t distracted when driving” I reply, we reach the ground floor and he walks towards me and looks at me.
“Hey, you alright?” I nod my head.
“Chomie call me, OK” says Mandisa and she hugs me.
“Is everything ok” he asks again.
I nod my head, “I just wanna go home”, he nods and opens the door for me. I step into the Skyline and we speeding off, the whole car ride we are quiet. He sneaks glances at me. He probably thinks, it’s just period cramps. How do I even start telling him what happened? I’m the one who said we should practice Radical Honesty. Should I even tell him? If I don’t, and he finds out some other way he’s gonna be angry and he’ll leave me. If I do tell him, I don’t know what he would do. He could still leave me, because he would ask, ‘How could I let him get that close in the first place?’ How could you let him get that close nawe Noma? STUPID. STUPID. What do I do?
I would want him to tell me if something like this happened to him. If he leaves, because of this? Well then I guess that’s that, between that… I’m lying, I don’t want him to leave.
I need him, he’s everything, I need. He helps me sleep at night; helps me do my hair. We do cute things like, him doing my nails and my hair sometimes. I taught him how to plait my hair, so we can bond. He taught me how to drive and how to punch correctly without hurting my hand. I look up at him, my head on his lap, he’s watching TV. The sun has set so any minute now, he’ll have to leave for the club.