Her Fate

Chapter 6

The FNB bank is packed with people and it isn't even month end yet. I dont join the long queue for depositing money instead I went straight to the banker who assists me all the time. The money I got from the buses this month is less than the money dad used to receive from these
Buses. There is no resonable explanation every time I ask the drivers so I might need to get new drivers.

After I deposited the money I got from the buses and went to the salon to get my hair done.

I have had one loyal hairdresser for 2 years now. Ndapewa knows how to tame my natural hair and she never dissapoints me. She knows how to get my hair poppin'.

I drove to the Hans and Louis hair salons that were near town square. I had already made my appointment so Ndapewa's sit was empty. We exchanged greetings in fluent Oshikwanyama (no one speaks English in this hair salon) and she started with my hair. She unplaited me from my Brazilians, washed my hair and rolled it up in rollers. I don't use any heat with my hair so she couldn't blow-dry them. After a few minutes, she removed the rollers and started to plait me.

The salon is packed and the gossip here is lit. The hairdressers find great pleasure in talking about people, especially wealthy people. I wonder what they say about me when I leave.

I fished out my iPhone from my purse to check my messages. One text message caught my attention:

Gone to Katima to get my things. I'm moving in with you in less than a week. Kisses.
-Simata

My blood started to boil. What does this Simata guy want from me?! I continued to read several messages on watsapp and didn't bother reply to Simata's text.

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"Is this everything? Did you double check to make sure you didn't leave anything? " i asked Yvonne as I loaded the last bag of hers at the boot of my car. Yvonne was moving out today. After spending 3 weeks at my place I decided she has overstayed her visit and it was time to leave.

"Yes I'm sure thats about everything. Thank you for your hospitality. I'll forever be in debt. " she said Hugging me.

"Its nothing Yvonne. That's what friends are for right? Come on let's get going. I am travelling to Swakopmund in a while. " I said.

I drove her to her flat in Ombili. She rents in one of my father's flats and she pays half the price because she is my friend and well, because she can't afford the full amount. Yvonne works at her aunt's nursery. She didn't manage to pass grade 12 so she never had a decent paying job. I met her through uncle Hendrick because she was once their maid.
After I dropped Yvonne I hit the road to Swakopmund. Swakmopmund Is roughly 350kms from Windhoek which means I had less than 5 hours.

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"Shiveli! How are you? You don't visiting us anymore. Tweku djuulukwa nee. Opo ngoo wuli waa ?" My uncle's wife Peingelao, said to me when I arrived in Swakopmund . She is a typical Kwanyama from Ohalushu village and she speaks broken English. She has been a policewoman from the time I was young until now. I never understood why she never got a promotion. She is however a nice lady. She is amiable and very caring.

The rest of our conversation was in fluent Oshikwanyama. She asked me how I was doing, how Sharon was doing and how the businesses were going.

My uncle came home a few hours after I did. He was thrilled to see me and he wouldn't stop talking about how much I have grown. It's only been 3 years without seeing them but they are acting like its been 3 decades.

Hans and Frans were not in town so it was just me, uncle Hendrick and aunt Peingelao in their cosy home. They were curious why I decided to visit them and how long I intended to stay.

I came to Swakopmund to clear my mind and just unwind for a minute. I needed a change of scenery to think Cleary and focus on the issues at hand. My businesses aren't doing that well and its frastuating. Simata cannot stop texting me and worse, he is back in Windhoek and says he wants to move in with me.

Aunt Peingelao cooked a lavishing dinner. We ate in awkward silence, not knowing what to say to each Other. They didn't have questions to ask me and I didn't have questions for them either.

I went in my room (guest room technically ) and changed into my pyjamas. My uncle and aunt were still In the living room, I could hear the tv and I could make out that there was definitely news on the NBC channel which they were watching.

"Melago! Ila wutale eenews divadiva. Oku na Obesa yimwe yili oku ya kandoma ndee oyafaike dinya Doye.!"
(Melago! Come watch news real quick. There is a bus that had an accident and it looks like one of your buses. )

My uncle called for me, from the living room. He calls me by my second name all the time because apparently he has no idea what 'Lorraine means' , were as 'Melago' means 'inluck' so he calls me that.

I quickly went out of the room and went to watch the bus he was talking about. It didnt just look like my bus, it was 100% my bus. My bus had an accident and no one cared to tell me.

The news reporter continued to report that the accident happened between Otavi and Tsumeb, around 13:00. The driver survived and two passengers out of the 20 that were on the bus. The bus driver apparently lost control of the bus and drove off the road and fell off the bridge thats a few kilometres from Tsumeb.

I didn't know what to make out of the news. I know better than anyone that this was no accident. I told my uncle that, that wasn't one of my buses and went back to the room. There were two text messages on my iphone:

Watch the news on NBC tonight. There is a surprise for you.
-Simata

Oh and by the way, thats nothing yet. Things could get far worse if you try to hide from me.
-Simata

I wasn't surprised at all. Ofcourse it had to be Simata. He probably thinks I came to Swakopmund to run away from him. Well he's wrong. I'm going back to Windhoek first thing in the morning to face him. He just started war.

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I arrived in Windhoek around 11 AM. I went to get Spensor from Sharon
( she babysits her when I'm out of town) and drove home. I was starving because I left Swakopmund without having breakfast. I fixed my self a sandwich and poured my self a glass of orange juice

I need to clear this mess. Thought to my self as I ate hungrily.

I took my phone and dialed Devil's number and waited for him to pick up. After three rings he picked up.

"Hi. I need help." I said

" Hi Lorraine. how have you been? " Devil said.

"Fine fine. Listen I need help urgently. Someone crushed one of my buses. " I said

"Oh that. I saw. I'm truly sorry. You want it fixed or? " Devil Said.

"No. It's ruined beyond repair. I want the person who did it to pay. He has been troubling me telling me he had a deal with my dad.... ah and its complicated. All I need is for him to go away. Far from me. Can you do that for me?" I said

He took a long pause.

"Who's this person again ? " He asked
" Simata Matengu. " I said.

He took another long pause.

"Lorraine let me do my research and get back to you okay ? " he said.

"Yes please. Thank you ." I said.

I am glad I got that out of the way. I went to my room which I missed dearly and got comfortable. Spensor jumped into my lap as I opened my MacBook. My phone "puuured" and I read the text message:

"I have a new case for you."
-Detective Williams.

I sighed. Oh can't I just relax for a minute without having absolutely nothing to do?! Unfortunately not.