Mandla

Chapter 3: He and I

The facebook prayer group is on fire today and the testimonies are on another level. One girl was delivered from a spiritual husband of 8 years while another landed the job of her dreams in the U.S, I am still yet to give mine but my life is abit dry right now hence I'm still waiting on the Lord.

Mah and baba have gone to a home cell (prayer group) so it's Sphamandlas turn to cook. I know that whatever it is, it will probably suck so It's safe to say, I'll skip dinner tonight. I'm out of wine too? yeses! this thing of having unexpected guests over is costly. I'm thinking of investing on a "DO NOT ENTER" sign and hanging it outside my door in the near future. That ought to help me save a lot. I hear a honk at the gate, Are the parents back already? I run out to go open for them only to find a white fortuner waiting on the other side of the gate.

Ag! he makes a suggestive nod which is code for me to come out. I shake my head and begin to head back inside. He hoots again, again and again. This guy will be the end of me.

"You'll wake the neighbours!!!!!!!" I yell.
He lowers his car window "It's 7pm! trust me, they're all awake. come in the car Nokubonga. It's cold out"- He says, sounding rather calmer than I had anticipated.

What the heck, I have nothing better to do anyways. I get in and make myself comfortable on the passenger seat. He fakes a smile when he looks at me.
"Rough day at work?"- I ask
He smiles again, only this time it's real.
"Yes"- He sighs
"What do you do?"- I ask again
"I'm a politician"- He answers
wow! explains the ANC banner on the side of his car and here I was thinking he was just a fan.
"really?"- Me
You'd never say, I'm impressed.
"yes but don't fall inlove with me yet. There's alot more to me than just my job title"- He smugly states.
Okay, I take that back. The arrogance is still in full swing I see.

"So where do you want to eat today Na Maphumulo?"- He asks.
I wasn't even aware that I was going out to eat but since my little brother was hard at work in the kitchen; I'm going to have to take that offer. "I'm not really sure, what would you like to eat?"- Me
"You"- Him
"What?"-Me
"What?"- Him
He laughs hysterically. Note number 2, his sense of humor sucks but the guy has a cute smile and laugh and well...everything else. I find myself laughing too. We have a moment there for a second but I spoil it by clearing my throat.

"There's a restaurant called Billy G that recently opened here in Durban, want to go check it out?"-He asks
"Durban is an hour drive from here"- I say
"I'll have you back home in a jiffie"- He assures me.
I agree after sending Ma a text about my whereabouts, he seems impressed by that. He reverses out of the yard and off we go to Durban.

We get to a big stand-alone restaurant that already looks tooo out of my budget upon approach, I didn't even bring my purse but here I am walking behind this man as if he said he'd foot the bill. He has to though cause it was his suggestion that we go out in the first place and as he can see, there's no money on me. He pulls out a chair for me to sit when we get to our table. Is it me or the reception we're getting from people around us is a little weird, everybody seems to be staring but he isn't phased.

I take a seat and so does he then we talk, like really really talk. Come to think of it, I have never had a more enlightening conversation. He is smart, subtly funny and really does have a bright vision for his future. He seems like a breath of fresh air really. I don't think I have ever laughed like this with anybody before him. I catch him leaning in from time to time but I don't feed into it, he has to work for these lips.

We are two hours well into the conversation when baba calls me to "check if everything is okay", that's code for "you better get back home right now young lady", Mandla agrees to us finally leaving after that phonecall and he holds my hand while we walk out of the restuarant, only this time, I allow him.
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We get to the gate but I instruct him to park abit further down from it. Baba is probably waiting in the yard with his sjambok. He does that when we go out till late, just in case we come back home drunk. My older brother Zakhele used to do that all the time before he got married and moved out and baba used to punish him goet!. I guess he just got used to the habit and still practises it till today.