I'll Love You Anyway

Nombuso unlocked the door to her two-bedroom apartment and entered. Once inside, she was greeted by the voice of absolutely nobody – the house was empty, just the way it had always been for the past three years. She tossed her briefcase to the side and headed to the lounge. She had decided that she would order pizza, and that is exactly what she did. Eating alone, again. Something in the back of her mind reminded her that it didn't have to be that way anymore, she had someone who was willing to spend forever with her, but she quickly shoved that voice aside by reminding herself that it was best for everyone if she just did not give in, besides, if he knew the truth, he would not love her then, she thought.

Her phone gave a message alert that startled her out of her thoughts, she looked at the screen and realised that it was a message from gogo. 'God bless you Buso, thank you my child,' the message read. Nombuso smiled, it was the end of the month, which meant that Nombuso had just gotten paid and sent money to gogo. It was one of the things that she loved so much about working, the fact that she could provide for her family back in Stanger.

She sent back a short message telling her grandmother she loved her. Nombuso thought that it was odd that gogo hadn't gone on to say that she will be blessed with 'a God-fearing man that will you like a queen Buso,' as the messages always said. Her phone sounded again with a message alert. Ah. She had thought too soon, there was that message. Nombuso just shook her head and laughed a little. If only gogo knew, such a man was already in her life, but Nombuso was not budging. Her pizza delivery came, and she ate absent-mindedly with the television on, yet no one watched it. She was daydreaming about the first time she had met the tall glass of caramel coated ice-cream that he was. Or was he all vanilla? Nombuso couldn't decide.

She had been at Mugg & Bean, where she usually spent her lunch time, drinking her favourite coffee with a delicious carrot cake. Carrot cake, yes, that's what he was. Anyway, she had been so engrossed by the newspaper she was reading, she refused to even look at the stranger who invited himself over to her table and sat down next to her. Her attention was all invested in who had made the headlines – Kamo, a friend from high school. Kamo was now a famous singer, and she was engaged! It was shocking because Kamo had a reputation for not wanting to be "tied down" by a man. 'How could Kamo be getting married before me?' Nombuso had started thinking, but her mind was quick to remind her why. Throughout reading the newspaper she ignored the man trying to speak to her, and when she was done, she left the restaurant without a single look back. When she left the office for lunch, she had planned to pick up her suits at the drycleaners, but that hour had sped by at the coffeeshop.

Hours after she got to work, she was called for to reception to collect a delivery. Deliveries were common at her firm, she suspected it was some documents she had asked a client to deliver. However, when she got to reception she realised that this was not quite the case. She eyed the delivery man suspiciously as she made her way to him.

"Ms Mthembu?" he had asked with a kind smile on his face.

"Yes?"

"Package for you Ms, please sign here."

Nombuso signed on the form and took the note that came with the delivery and read it to herself.

'All I wanted to do was give you the drycleaners receipt you dropped near your table -

Ignored Stranger'

Nombuso shut her eyes as though she had experienced a sharp physical pain. She was completely rude to the stranger a few hours prior to that moment, who turned out to have only wanted to help her. To make matters worse, he was obviously a kind person because not only had he paid for the laundry, he had it delivered to her too. How was she going to thank a man she had not even bothered to look at?