THE ONE

Chapter Eleven: The One

Joseph opened another can of heineken, the third for the night. He sat on the floor, back rested on his bed, watching Dejen's stories. The posts from Johannesburg, & Cape Town, painted a picture Dejen was having a good time.

He put his phone aside, opening his laptop to catch on his gay web series. If he couldn't get his happy ending, he could at least watch guys in movies get theirs. He heard a knock on his door..

"Who is it?"
"Nze!" (Me), Max was on the other end

He pressed pause, standing up to open

"Nga otambude kiro!" (As you've travelled at night!), Joseph noted.
"Shya sawa essatu?" (Come on, 9:00pm?), Max walked in with his helmet. "Tugende out!" (Lets go out).
"Ahh leero nedda" (Today no) , Joseph closed the door, making his way back down.
"Oli fine?" (You're fine?), Max noticed the two empty beer cans with four more to go.
"Yeah", Joseph pulled up his laptop again.

Max pouted at the freeze frame of two guys kissing on Joseph's laptop. He'd never been a fan of romantic movies, much less gay themed.

"Buzibu ki.. Dejen?" (What's the problem..Dejen?), he sat up on his bed.
"Mmm" (Yeah), Joseph admitted.
"Ki ekibadewo?" (What happened?)
"Yafunye guy we" (He got his guy), Joseph sighed.
"Alina boyfriend kati?" (He has a boyfriend now?), Max asked.
"Eee. Bali bonna e South Africa kati" (Yeah. They're together in South Africa right now)　
"Sorry. Oba bba guy bawumulemu ogezeko ba chic?" (...maybe take a break from guys & try chics), Max added.

Joseph shot him a dirty look.

"Sorry. Naye osobola ogezako omulala" (....but you can try another guy)
"Aaa simanyi" (Nah I dont know), Joseph shook his head.
"Yye yekka?" (He's the one?)

Joseph nodded.

"Okay. Naye tugende out" (...but let's go out), Max stood up.
"Ah ah sili mu mood" (No I ain't in the mood), Joseph grumbled.
"Ahhh situka!" (Nah stand up!), Max dragged him up by the hand. "Togenda kwesibira muno paka!" (You're not going to lock yourself in here forever)
"Situkula nna tukula!" (I ain't even clean), Joseph whined.
"Sooka nno onabe. Atte ganyogoga!" (First shower. And cold!), Max pointed.

Joseph reluctantly dragged his feet to the bathroom

"By the way, natandise self defence classes" (....I started self defence classes), Max covered the laptop.
"Eki??", Joseph asked as he turned on the faucet.
"Self defence classes!", Max repeated. "Natandise ozisomesa" (I started teaching them)
"Eee okay", Joseph added.
"Njagala nawe obelemu" (I want you to be a part of it), Max added.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Damn you!", Jawadd grumbled, wiping his joggers with a towel.
"What?" Dejen chuckled.
"I wasn't supposed to. I thought we could leave this all last year"
"I know, I'm sorry. I just...I needed something"
"Dejen what if your family finds out? Nimrod would kill me"
"Ahh you worry too much. How are they going to find out? You gonna tell them?"
"No"
"Then how will they?"
"What's up with you anyways?", Jawadd sighed.

He went to collect two tusker lite cans from the kitchen, listening as Dejen narrated his woes..

"What about his twin?" Jawadd asked.
"What about him?" Dejen sipped.
"Is he?"
"No you idiot!"
"Haha you could date him", Jawadd chuckled.
"No he's not", Dejen shook his head.

The door opened, Anita walking in

"You're back early", Jawadd asserted.
"Yeah, the girls cancelled", she stared at Dejen.
"I should be heading back", Dejen got up.
"Drive safe", Jawadd added.

As he made his way to the elevator, he saw a video message from Anita. It took a while to fully download & by the time it opened, he was in the parking.

His eyes almost bulged out of his sockets. His heart started beating hard, Jawadd's words echoing in his ears. He looked up at their balcony on the fifth floor, pondering about heading back, deciding to give Anita a call instead..

"Anita..", he shuddered.
"Yes?", she smirked as she fried half a dozen sausages in the kitchen. Jawadd was in the shower.
"Anita, I'm sorry"
"Save it!"
"I'm sorry I won't do it again", he pleaded.
"You know I've always wondered about your friendship, you two always seemed so close. I thought you were setting up bitches for him so I decided to set up a camera. I knew sooner or later I'd find out & voila..."
"What do you want?"
"Ummm", Anita paused to think.
"Fifty thousand", Dejen suggested.
"Uhh...", Anita gaped a little. "Yeah. Yeah that should cover it".
"Okay", Dejen exhaled. "I'll have it wired to you".
"Alright"
"What about the video?"
"I'll delete it after I get my money", she hung up.

Dejen run his fingers through his hair. He checked his bank accounts, seeing he only had twenty two thousand dollars.

"Nimo", he muttered to himself, hitting the gas to drive to his penthouse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So have you thought about what you're going to tell your parents?" Zintle asked.
"Uhh", Alvin turned to Tendo "I don't know yet"
"I could take you to meet mine", Tendo suggested. "They're not far from here"
"Nah that's boring", Elliott interjected. "Better to get them all in one place"
"Yeah that'd be sick", Polo nodded.
"My parents are in Jozi", Alvin explained.
"Can you get them here?" Elliott asked.
"Let me try", Alvin pulled out his phone.

Their waitress approached, placing down the bill book

"Oh!" Elliott rested down his glass of red wine, to look through

They'd been drinking & chatting hard, only then realizing they were the last customers in the restaurant.

"Where did Dejen go?" Zintle asked.
"I don't know. He said he'll be back shortly but..", Alvin added.
"Call him because where are we going to spend the night?", Zintle sipped the last of her mojito.
"Its busy", Alvin dialled.
"You can stay at my place", Elliott offered.

The ladies took his spare bedroom, while he offered blankets for the boys to crash on his couches.

"Goodnight. Bro..", Tendo handed his brother a blanket with a smile.
"Goodnight", Alvin smiled, unsettlingly watching him follow Elliott into their bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Shit", Dejen groaned as he spotted the restaurant on the other side of the road.

He picked up his phone to call Alvin..

"Heyy, sorry I delayed. Are you guys still there?"
"No we left. We are crushing at Elliott's place"
"Okay. Sorry"
"No its cool. By the way, thank you"
"For?" Dejen asked.
"For everything man. You helped me find my brother"
"You're welcome"
"I'm grateful, although.."
"What?"
"Its just that...", Alvin headed to the living room balcony. "I'm not sure about him & Elliott..", he whispered.
"Oh!", Dejen lit up. "Why?"
"I just...I never expected him being gay you know"

Dejen's smile slowly left his face.

"You just found out you had a brother, not just any brother a twin, & now you're complaining he's not straight enough for you?"
"No, its-"
"Look dude. Ukasha, I mean Tendo is a good person. I think you should try to get to know him before judging him like that!" Dejen hang up, throwing the phone in the co driver's seat.

"Hey", Zintle approached Alvin as he got off the phone.
"Hey", he pocketed it.
"Who were you talking to?"
"Dejen"
"Where is he? Is he ok?"
"Yeah. He was detained somewhere"
"Okay. Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Okay....?"
"Yeah I'm good", he smiled, putting his arms around her waist.
"You still upset your twin is gay?"

Alvin exhaled, looking away

"I could see your dissappointment all evening", she added.
"Yeah", Alvin admitted.
"I think you should try & get know him first you know", Zintle added.
"Dejen said the same thing", Alvin added.
"Yeah, you should. Have you talked to your parents?"
"I'm going to call them", Alvin assured.
"Ok good night", she kissed him.