Oyama: Her Story

CHAPTER 60

The candle flickers, casting long shadows on the walls. I glance at the cracked family photo on the mantelpiece. Umama’s eyes seem to look right through me, her smile both comforting and haunting.
“Ngiyaxolisa, Ma,” I whisper, “But I’ll keep them safe. I promise.”
The next morning comes too quickly. I’m up before the sun, my nerves buzzing. I wake the gents up and Lucas is the first one to take a both. Tips in what used to be our mothers room, also bathing in a Vaskom.
Mandla is still asleep, “Eh vuka wena” I say and his eyes shoot open, “Keng osa lapele” he nods. Mh ja neh.
The boys all leave to catch the school transport.
One thing, I have always loved about my brothers we never ask too many questions.
‘You not going to school?’
‘Yes’
‘OK, we’ll bring your homework’ that’s it.
But now its time for my job, I get dressed in my school uniform, but just the shoes, trousers and white shirt.
That way, I wont stick out with my school jersey.
The streets are quiet.
I catch the taxi to Sammy Marks, my heart pounding with every bump in the road. The address James gave me is tucked into my pocket, and I clutch it like a lifeline.
When we finally reach Phelindaba, I step off the taxi, my legs shaky but my face calm.
I walk down the streets looking for the street name, “Ah bafana and then why osele sgila?” asks a young man maybe late 20s.
“Eish letona, marago are ketimisa pleke tse kaofela” I say shaking my head.
He releases a long whistle, “Ako kgo judge, le nna keya da” he says and we both start laughing and walking in opposite directions.
If you know anything about Attridgeville or its suburbs then you’ll know about Pheli, it’s the center of all its vibrancy. Every street I have walk on to get to this place has had a person blasting music and people dancing with Alcohol.

Tell me why this street is completely different, there’s no music and everyone is inside. the streets are empty not even some broers sitting at the corner just chilling or rolling a blunt. Nothing.
Something is wrong.
Every single one of James places are your average places maybe one or 2 office looking building but those that are in neighbourhoods are your simple houses, theres nothing you could say is at fault, here there’s a lot wrong. I walk down the street, and I’m 3 houses away from the house. I try and keep a calm face but deep in me something is telling me this is wrong, there something wrong here. I’m one house away from the house, I look back and see someone peaking through their curtain. It’s a set up. I look around keeping the same pace.
I clench my fists, my heart pounding like a war drum. Every instinct is screaming at me to leave. But if I do, James will know, and worse, he’ll know I suspected something. That’s how you get killed—looking like you don’t trust the game. Fuck it if he set me up, I’ll get to him first. I keep walking and walk past the house. I keep walking and pull out my phone and pretend like I’m talking to a girl, smiling and speaking that, I’m around the corner.
When I make the corner joining another street, I dash for it and stop a taxi driving past, he drives towards me, “Ka tropong?” I ask.
He nods and I get in. when the taxi reaches Pretoria central, I walk through Church street and walk till I reach the Reserve Bank.
I stop another taxi and open the door, “Le kae” I say.
“Reteng” they all answer.
I sit back my nerves on fire. I look back and there’s nothing wrong. Maybe they never noticed me, maybe they were waiting for someone else

------

I’m sitting in James’ office, waiting for him to come, he needs to answer me why did he set me up. I took out the Pistol he keeps in his safe behind the Flat screen TV. All you have to do is just slide it to the side and there’s the Safe.
He’s coming up the stairs, he walks in and I pull the Hammer of his M1911.
He pauses, “You know how to use that?” he asks.
“Nope, figured, I get one or two shots off, one of them will hit you” I say, “You set me up”
“The fuck you talking about?” he asks, he takes a step forward, I turn the safety off, “Safety is off”.
“What are you talking about?” he asks.
“You set me up, if I wasn’t smart enough to recognize all the red flags, like the streets are empty and there was no music playing, I would be in Prison now, for Possession and Intent to distribute” I say.
“I didn’t set you up, Gods honest truth”
“Motherfucker, you don’t believe in God” I say.
“On my wives lives then, I didn’t set you up” he says. James’ face is blank, but his eyes flicker with something—fear? Anger? I can’t tell. The man is unreadable, and that’s what’s kept him alive this long. I don’t lower the gun.
My hands are steady, but my heart is racing, “On your wives’ lives?” I scoff, my voice tight, “Funny how a man like you swears on something sacred. You must think I’m stupid.”
“I swear on everything, kid. I didn’t set you up. What’s the play here? You shoot me, and then what? You think the streets will just forget a Saint? You think my people won’t come looking for you?” His voice is steady now, but his body stays still.
Not even a twitch, “I’m not stupid, James. You wanted me to deliver that package so I’d get caught” I lean forward, the gun still aimed at his chest.
James finally moves, just a fraction, raising his hands slowly, “You’re right. I used you.” He answers sarcastically, “But if I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be sitting here. You’re smart, kid, but you’re green. You don’t know how this game works yet.”
“I know enough,” I snap, “I know you sent me into a trap today. Empty streets? No music? Everyone hiding? That’s a setup if I’ve ever seen one. So don’t give me this ‘you’re smart’ nonsense. I know what I saw.”
James sighs, his hands still raised, “Listen. I’ll admit, something doesn’t add up. But I didn’t send you there to get caught. You think I’d waste you like that? Let me make it right”

“How?” I ask.
“Let me call Kabelo, to show you I wasn’t setting you up” he says, and pulls out his burner phone.
The phone rings and rings and places it on Speaker, “Yo James wassup” says the man on the phone.
“Wassup KB, what you doing?” he asks.
“Ah just watching Heat with my family” he replies.
James face drops, “Ah say less, I’ll catch you later” he says and picks up the phone and snaps it into 2 pieces and throws it in the Dustbin.
“What?” I ask.
“You were right, it was a set but not by me, he got picked up by the police”
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Looks like you don’t know everything about my operations” he smirks, “Heat was a movie in the 90s about this guy who wanted to do one last job, Heat also means police, he was with the police, but didn’t give himself off or me” I nod, “Look you’re a smart kid, there’s better ways to make money”
“Not for a kid like me” I say lowering the gun, “You should really stop using, your birth year as the pin for your safe” I say standing up.
“I was born in 1980, that’s not my pin”
“0891, it’s the year backwards” I say.
“Wait” he says, I turn around, he pulls his TV to the side and pulls out stacks of R200 cash held together by elastic bands.
“Here” he says.
“What this?” I ask.
“Your commission” he says.
“3 Bricks, 30Gs each, here’s 90Gs an extra 20g for your trouble” he says pointing at the coffee table.
“Whats this?” I ask, “I didn’t get the job done”
“You’re a good kid, smart, killer instincts, if you want to still, you can still work for me” he says.
I reach for the table and grab the money, and stuff it into my gym duffle bag and zip it close.
I stand straight, “When’s my next job?” I ask.
“Saturday” he says, “Now go to practice”
I walk to the door and we look at each other for the last time before I head to the changing room and change into my gym clothes, and stuff the bag into a different locker than the one I use.