LONDEKA
I wake up, bath get dressed and head downstairs. Last night I finalized almost everything about the party. I ended up contacting my invites’ friend last night and sent him all the details of the party. I figured that I should just send the director of my mom’s hospital the invite and her secretary can pass on the message. It will be easier that way. Anyways today I am off to see Lebo. I have been postponing for too long. I look at the kitchen and lounge and there is no sign of my siblings. I sit down at the kitchen barstool and the helper hands me my breakfast and informs me that my siblings have left, apparently Sizwe is taking them out, lucky them.
I finish my breakfast and head out after requesting an uber to take me to a hotel that Lebo suggested we meet at. I arrive there and he says he is at the restaurant. I head there to meet him. I find him sitting at a table and quickly stands up when he notices my presence at the door. Well the guy is fine. He has a slim body, no muscles but he is handsome. He is wearing black jeans, white tee and white Nike kicks. He hugs me and opens a chair for me.
Him: “my beautiful stranger.” I blush.
Me: “my perfect stranger.”
Him: “I really think we should now come up with different pet names.” I giggle.
Me: “yeah because we are no longer strangers.”
Him: “so how are you Rasta lami?” I laugh at him.
Me: “don’t call me that. Just because I have dreadlocks doesn’t mean I am a Rasta. Well will you be happy if I call you skrr skrrr because of your hairstyle?” he also laughs.
Him: “no, no baby girl. Well I think Miss Fierce will fit you perfectly. It is self-explanatory.”
Me: “it is perfect. Well I am still think of a good one for you.”
The waiter comes and we order our food and drinks and desert. We talk about a lot of things but we don’t mention our partners in our conversation. After eating and settling the bill we head to his hotel room and the rest history…
NARRATED
Noluh is busy finishing her cake which someone ordered, a birthday cake at her home. Besides working at Mondisa Diner she also take orders outside the restaurant. She has a Facebook page and an Instagram account where customers find her quickly. She finishes putting icing sugar and gives it time to dry and after she takes pictures of it. Thabi comes on the kitchen, holds her from behind and kisses her neck. She giggles and turn back so they can kiss fully on the lips.
Thabi: “Lwandeka invited me to her mom’s birthday celebration. She said the theme is Crème with a touch of Gold. So you my love will have to look for outfits for the both of us.”
Noluh: “when is it?”
Thabi: “Christmas Day my love.”
Noluh: “that means you will have to go on the 24th and I will follow on the 25th.” Thabi sits on one of the barstools and Noluh takes the cake and put it on the box.
Thabi: “y por que nos iriamos por separado? (And why would we leave separately?)”
Noluh: “babe Christmas Day, I have deliveries to make individually and there are also orders from Mondisa Diner customers. On Christmas Eve I will be working overnight to make sure I finish on time and the cakes must be perfect.”
Thabi: “how about we not just go? We stay here and I help you where you need assistance.”
Noluh: “no Mphemba we are going to attend this event and I am finally going to meet you family. Aren’t you looking forward to that?” Thabi scratches her head.
Thabi: “I am, they have been dying to meet you just that our lives are so busy we hardly find time to go down there together.”
Noluh: “entonces esta resuelto (then it’s settled). I will go to our boutique tomorrow to look for the perfect outfits.”
Thabi: “also don’t forget to buy gifts for Lwah’s mom.”
Noluh: “what kind of a woman is she?”
Thabi: “a very classy woman with style. She has a slim and fit body. You’d argue that she is 45. It’s true what they say, black don’t crack.” Noluh laughs then her phone beeps, a text from her customer saying she is outside the gate. One of the guards help her by carrying it and they go outside. The guard carefully hands over the cake to the client. They say their goodbyes and the client leaves. Noluh and Thabo met 5 years ago and started dating a year later. They stayed in Mexico for 2 years before returning to South Africa so they are very fluent in Spanish.
LONDEKA
I am seated at Lindy’s crib and we are sipping on red wine.
Lindy: “I want all the details mnganam, so tell me how was it?” I cover my face with my both hands.
Me: “what a waste of time chomam. I regret wasting even my outfit mngan. The data I wasted chatting with him.”
Her: “why? Were you guys disturbed or something happened?”
Me: “bad performance mngan. I was even embarrassed to be seen with him after the deed. Yoh. How does Aviwe survive with such an under-performer? Like such people shouldn’t be allowed to breathe. Deprivation of orgasm is a serious crime. Even his foreplay is 1 play mtase. I was defeated.” She can’t stop laughing. This woman is actually laughing at my problems.
Her: “mngani I understand that you don’t want anything to do with him but you have to help him with his problem down there. Suggest men’s clinic to him. Or sex therapy oe. Badmouthing him won’t help.” I shake my head.
Me: “what will Aviwe do then? And I can’t help an old man on how he should satisfy a woman. That ain’t my job mngan.”
Her: “there are many men who get cheated on by their partners because they lack in the bedroom. By helping him you will be helping the statistics decrease. Do good nje mngan. Look at the bigger picture. Helping a brother in need. Mngani this is like umuntu onukelwa ikhwapha or umlomo (this is like a person who has a stinking armpit or mouth). Your help will be very much appreciated even though it might be embarrassing to accept it or he might get all defensive but at the end of the day you would’ve tried.”
Me: “but he doesn’t realize that he has a problem.” She stares at me intensely. I finally give in after a minute of a starring contest. “Fine, whatever. Anyways how do I do this?” she starts telling me ways to help a man who can’t perform his bedroom duties properly and telling me about a nearby men’s clinic.
THANDEKA
We are all gathered at the main warehouse for Khwezi’s memorial. The rents refused to host her night vigil so we be having the memorial the gang style. The gangs from all the cities arrived. I am talking about the PE gang, the Durban gang and the CT gang. Cleo arrived looking like a queen that she is. She is a very beautiful woman who is rich with melanin. I really like her because we are the same. They organized the booze, the meat and some drugs. They planned to have a little program so anyone who wishes to say something can be free. The boys fixed the meat while chatting, vibing. The atmosphere was warm you’d argue that it is a memorial, it was rather a celebration.
Cindy commands attention and the deejay switches off the music, we all give her our undivided attention.
Cindy: (before she starts talking we all chant ‘ISANDO’ which means a ‘HAMMER’. That’s her name because she likes using a hammer when punishing or torturing someone)
Cindy: “Khwezi bekayisosha. Bekangena yonkindawo. Abanye bethu ubesinika amandla, la esi lacker lona behlezi ekhona kuzosifukula. This one time I was taken luckily bengifake amacici angipha wona on my birthday ane tracker. So I pressed one of them and she rescued me ayedwa and she never rubbed it in ukuth she once saved my life. Namuhla sivumelekile ukukhala ngoba silahlekelwe iqhawe, akekho ozokubona as a sign of weakness ukuba emotional komunye wethu Lana ngoba u Khwezi uthinte izimpilo zabantu abaningi. Ngivulela lelithuba for wonke umuntu ozizwayo ngaphakathi athi qhaphu-qhaphu kodwa ngingalandi phela nani silambile futh somile. Kube bekakhona la ngabe ulapha ekhoneni ugodle ibhodlela lakhe le Glenfiddich 15.” Everyone laughs. Till date I don’t understand the relationship she had with that whiskey.
Scar: “that chick, yoh.” he chuckles and shakes his head. “I am known to attract psychos and Khwezi always pointed them out before they could even breathe a word. This other day I was sitting with this psycho on our first date. Besincokola kwangena u Khwezi ehamba no T-bone beza etafuleni Lethu. Babingelela kahle u Khwezi wayncoma lethekeni wajika kimi and she mouthed ‘she is also a psycho’” everyone laughed. She once rescued me from a crazy ex-girlfriend. She actually waited until I recovered and beat the shit out of me.” I laugh when I remember how Khwezi was mad that day. She was spitting venom.
Me: “she was like ‘akezwa u malume scar’’ everyone laughs. ‘Yazi uyokholwa mhla lama psycho awa attractayo ambulala’ everyone continues laughing.
Scar: “bekayi legend lamtana and I will always miss her. Lala ngokuthula skhokho.”
Nolitha: “she broke my jaws when she found me with the enemy in bed. Like we went out partying and had amazing sex with the guy. The next day I woke up and my house had no furniture. She was the first one to arrive at the scene. Instead of comforting me she went MMA on me.” Everyone laughs. “Yoh she had no mercy. What I liked the most about her is that she was so blunt many didn’t like chilling with her because she was a straight talker. Rest in peace Mbazo.”
Boss: “she was the first and only woman to actually slap me.” Everyone laughs. She was very short-tempered, she hits first and explains later. “I respect that woman. How she dies is really questionable because she was always 10 steps ahead. She always sensed danger ahead. Something tells me that her death was premeditated. If so then her death will be avenged.”
What boss says got me thinking. I have never really put much thought into her assassination. What if it was a set up? Everyone knows how smart Khwezi is and she is irreplaceable. Ayy let me stop cracking my head and focus on burying my friend.
