Lion of Soweto

Chapter 23

"Are you okay?" Omphile says over the phone, having buzzed Molefi off from sleep at 5 am.

"I'm okay, auntie. Everything is fine." A question lingers in his mind: did she dream of him last night? Omphile only asks such early-morning questions after dreaming about her siblings and children.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm okay here."

Molefi sits back to the wall, thinking about last night's events which threatened to spoil his first night at the mansion. He'll later get to know that the laser rays were from security guys who usually swing into work-mode after 11 pm. They have access to every part of the building.

Ready to wow his boss again this morning, Molefi takes a shower, puts on a new grey shirt on the same pair of trousers he wore yesterday. He'll get some new clothes from neighbourhood stores later in the day. The volume of work here won't allow a visit to his favourite Mr Price store in Arcadia.

Molefi climbs the stairs but soon discovers that the boss is still asleep. Not until 8 am does the Soweto Lion get off the bed. Until then, he walks around reflecting over the peculiar nature of his new boss.

Bandele is a huge bunch of contradiction. He claims to be unschooled but oversees a mansion where the security apparatus can catch a motionless mosquito. Again, despite his immense wealth, ladies sometimes turn down his proposal. A man this wealthy should have them flocking around.

Despite Bandele's brashness, he keeps to his words. He's open to new ideas and will adopt them if found to be good. It shouldn't be hard to find oneself in his good books. If only one can work his way into Bandele's heart, the future will be bright.

Gratitude grips Molefi as he reflects on his improving situation. Just last week, he had gotten off the bed with no hope of where his future lay. The desire for a better tomorrow pushed him out to Johannesburg where he hopped across municipalities seeking opportunities he wasn't sure would come through.

Things are different today. A chance meeting with a big man fetches him a job within a week. He's the manager of a huge mansion and the personal assistant to the owner. Food is free and he doesn't have to pay for accommodation. Upon all that, he's given a grocery allowance and there's a 'budget' fund he can spend on whatever he chooses. This is indeed an opportunity to make some savings and turn his life around.

Molefi makes it a point of duty to make his boss happy always. But how does one achieve that? So far, one occasion when Bandele looked pleased the most was when the police officers saluted him yesterday, to which he quickly issued a bulky envelope of cash. The big man likes people who massage his ego.

Well, truth be told, Bandele does deserve accolades for all that he's achieved at such a young age. Whether or not he inherited the wealth is immaterial. Many of his ilks squander millions in a year or two after taking control of their father's wealth.

Molefi picks up a pen and starts digging into his intellectual reserves. He must look for a way to hail his boss since the man likes praises. Motivated by the swift turn-around in his finances, words soon begin to flow.

While Pono goes around with various household chores, Molefi scribbles on paper until Bandele switches on the lobbyroom TV at half-past-nine. Committing his write-up to memory, Molefi stomps up the stairs voicing a loud praise-rant characterised by a trembling voice. How will Bandele react to this idea?

The novel act catches Bandele unawares, prompting him to lower the volume of the TV. Who is making noise in the Polemann Castle? Alas, it's Molefi praising him.

All hail Bandele, the Lion of Soweto

King of Polemann, blesser extraordinaire

ATM in the kitchen, bitcoins in the wardrobe