The relationship has been running for a full week and it is just like any other
relationship that i have experienced-ordinary. The first few days are filled with
flattery and all those sweet nothings that men read from novels. We usually go out
together. Out to the movies and other silly things that lovers do. A man's routines
are forever predictable, at least to me.
Antony called yesterday, telling me about some outing that he and his friends are
going to and he asked if I could join in and I gladly agreed, knowing very well that i
needed a getaway trip that would get my mind off the previous relationship and all
its pain. And there came a chance, presenting itself to me.
The outing was to be a three day event of fun and games, he had said. And i had fully
prepared for that event, which is to be held on a Friday and end on a Sunday at a
certain resort area. All I know is that it would be in the wild... the day of the outing
came and I drove to the venue, after refusing flat out to be taken there by Antony. I
am an independent woman and I can do things by myself. In the list of my
independence is me, driving my own cars and doing things my way.
I arrived at the venue and Antony was already there, together with some of his friends
I parked my car and got out, I stood there, surveying the vicinity with my curious
eyes, until at last, I see Antony walking up to me. He dressed in shorts, exposing his
hairy legs. He takes me into an embrace and leads me to the rest of the people. When
i heard the term 'friends', I thought he meant a reasonable circle of people but he
meant otherwise. There are a lot of people and children. Guess what, I was the only
black woman in the flock! He went from group to group introducing me and along
the way, I noticed that some of the people in this place are not just friends but family
members! And this idiot had said it's just his friends. By the time, I am done with
the introductions; my cheeks are now painful from all the smiling that i was doing.
"Can I please go and drop my bags in the room and change into something
comfortable?" i say to him.
"Yeah, sure. Here are the keys. The room number is written on the key holder." He
says to me as he hands me the keys and I disappear to the rooms. I have trouble
finding the rooms, until at last, I meet one of the cleaners who work in this place and
she gladly shows me the room. I unlock the door of the shale and I enter. It's pretty
dark inside, so I open the curtains and there in the interior of this stone and concrete
cubicle that is beautifully decorated and scented with expensive perfumes. The walls
are beautifully decorated with picture frames and sculptures, which depict the
African life. I put my bag on the double bed and I take a bath. After the bath, I dress
in a sleeveless knee high, white floral umbrella dress, sandals. Red lipstick and a
new perfume, add the final touch to my look.
I walk back to the crowds, but before I reach there, behind a thick hedge wall, made
out of ornamental vegetation, I hear people talking and I stand nearby to listen.
".....a black woman! And worse off, you decide to bring her when we are with all these
family friends, disgracing us in front of everyone!" a male voice says.
"To top it off, she looks far much younger than you are! She looks more like a
materialistic woman, with all that fake hair and waxed skin. I tell you this Antony;
she is no different from that Boer that you married. She is after your money and
nothing else and the bad part about all this is that, you are jeopardising our family
business!" A female voice says.
I stand there for a few minutes as I listen to the people quarrelling over the matter
at hand. I decide to change my route and i go and join the other individuals using
another path. I find a place to sit and i invest all my attention in my cell phone,
responding to messages on my social media pages. I am talking to Vimbai and
Chiedza.
"Hie" a feminine voice says to me, as the individual sits next to me.
"Hie, how are you?" I question as I turn my attention to the woman sitting next to
me.
"My name is Jade by the way." She says as she gives me her hand in a gesture of a
handshake and I take it into mine. Before i get the chance to answer, someone calls
everyone to come and have supper at the big table. Everyone settles at the long
rectangular table and from the way i see it, it is each to their own as couples and
friends are sitting in their pairs. Antony comes and joins me, his face looking flash,
most probably, his mood is dampened from the heated conversation that he has been
having with his family members. Conversations of various issues are being
constantly raised and almost every individual, especially the adults, throws in their
personal view of the matter at hand. from now and then people burst into hearty
laughter, enjoying themselves and yet I feel so out of place.
"So Red, tell us about yourself. You have been too quiet." Jade says as she turns her
attention to me, in the process causing the whole table to looks at me. All of them
fall silent and look at me with eager eyes and open ears, ready to hear the information
that i will dish out to every ear sitting at this table tonight. Information that would
spark endless questions and judgements about my personality. I open my eyes wildly
in absolute shock. My mouth opens but no words come out of my mouth.
"She is most probably some farm Julia, dolled up by my brother's money, which he
should be purposefully investing towards the future of his children" a woman says
from the far end of the table, her tone venomous. Full of malevolence and raw hatred.
"Elaine! Not infront of everyone!" An older woman barks an order.
"no, mom, we should not sugar coat things. Antony was literally seduced by this
underage girl with fake hair and loads of make up! She is not even his type! I mean,
a black woman! Antony would never settle for a black woman! He has never dated
them before and why should he start now?! Elaine says, her voice high and her face,
blush red in absolute anger and disgust of the black woman sitting amongst the
whites. I keep my cool and look at her as she insults me.
"Elaine! I don't think this is the place nor the time to talk about this!" Jade jumps
in. Stamping her authority with a stern low pitched voice that silences Elaine's big
mouth.
"can we talk about something else please." Jade says. For a moment, there is total
silence and someone starts a different conversation, which i don't pay much attention
to, as my mind is over working, trying to find solutions to the problem at hand. one
thing for sure, i am not going to quit eating and walk away from the table. It only
shows weakness and that's the last thing I want people to identify in me.... the meal
goes on pretty well and after it is done, everyone goes to sit around a fire and the
stories begin oozing out. As the conversations unwind, the hands of time also tick
continuously. All the children fall asleep and one by one, each parent takes their
child straight to bed. Only adults are left in the vicinity, still talking, laughing and
having a very good time in each other's company until most people are yawning
uncontrollably. I am the first adult to go to bed and Antony follows suite.
When I get to my room, I remove the dress that I was wearing and I put on a
nightdress. I remove the numerous pins that hold my hair in place and I put on two
long pins and after that I put on my doek, walk into the ensuite bathroom and I
brush my teeth. When i come back, Antony is already dressed in his pyjamas.
"It's been a long and dramatic day." He says to me as he gets into the covers and i
join him.
"Can I ask why you get us a room with one bed" I ask.
"Because I wanted to spend time with you." He says to me.
"How so?" I question. Just that question causes him to turn to me and since, I am
sleeping with my back on him, his hand strays to my breasts and he kisses me lightly
on the neck, sending electrified shivers down my spine and goose bumps creep onto
my skin. My heart beat increases. It beats so hard and fast that i can feel it in my
throat. His hands gently stroke the fabric on the area of my breasts and that causes
my nipples to harden. His hands move down further, traipsing my body on top of the
satin cloth of the nightdress that amplifies Antony's seductive touch. This causes my
breathing to take a sudden spike. When he reaches my hip bone, he lowers his hand
to the triangle of the bladder area and he teases that area, letting his hand slide
seductively towards my womanhood. I close my eyes and hold my breath as my
feelings rise from their slumber. Antony suddenly stops.
"Aren't you going to object?" Antony whispers into my ear, his words war,, ticklish,
slow and seductive. I fail to even respond to him verbally, so i decide to turn from my
sleeping position and i face him. When i face him, my hand strays to his pyjama
trousers and i go for the opening of the trousers, near his groin. I slide my hand into
his trousers then into his underwear and i gently massage his genitals. I feel his
penis erecting, in the process causing his breathing to scarlet dramatically, his
temperature to raise, his body to shiver and his eyes close half in response to my
hand that is gently touching his manhood. I watch him closely as he seems to enjoy
what i am doing. I suddenly stop and i take my hand out of his trousers.
"i also want it too." I respond. My voice comes out as a weak whisper, as my voice is
being disturbed by my heart beat, which seems to have move to my throat and also
my breathing which has taken a sudden spike. Antony attacks me with a hungry
kiss; my hands involuntarily start removing his shirt and he also helps. My hands
pull down his pyjama trousers, together with his underwear, in the process, letting
his stiff manhood spring out. When he is finally, stark naked, he attacks me with yet
another passionate kiss. A kiss that seems to want to taste the favours in my mouth
and lips. In the mean time, i let my hand stray to his stiff manhood and i play with
testicles teasingly. I move on to the head of the manhood and i play with it teasingly,
massaging it with my fingers and that solicitates a groan from Antony. On the other
hand, Antony's hands move from my head to my neck, down to my chest and his
hands get under the fabric of my nightdress. He caresses my breasts, causing my
tits to become more rigid and my breasts to swell a bit in complete erection. He
removes his hand from the interior of the nightdress and his hand traces my body
on top of the soft satin fabric of the nightdress, until at last he reaches the bottom
opening and he slowly traces my skin with his hand, exploring every inch of my
thighs, at the same time pulling up my nightdress.
His hand cups my womanhood and i shiver involuntarily and the little hairs at the
back of my neck stand on their ends in complete arousal. He uses his fingers to
explore my womanhood, going on to even insert a finger inside me, causing my heart
beat to accelerate in speed, almost reaping out of my chest. Antony suddenly stops
and he invests his attention into helping me to remove my nightdress completely. I
impatiently pull the nightdress upwards in an attempt to fast track the delaying
process.
Finally it's skin to skin. I can feel Antony's warm and hairy skin on mine. Antony
starts kissing me in trails, heading to my womanhood. I hold my breath involuntarily
as he starts kissing my stomach. By the time he reaches my womanhood, I am
already feeling lightheaded as the feelings build up. When Antony's war tongue enters
me, I moan in pleasure, in the process exhaling the breath that was trapped in my
throat, thence causing my voice to come out as more of a groan.
Antony goes on and on, his tongue changing directions, but each thrust that the wet
muscular organ does, drives to the edge. I grip the sheets and ball them in my hands
but even that action, does not give me the self control that i seek. I end up putting
my hands on Antony's head, ruffling his hair a bit, not even knowing what i am doing
as pleasure intensifies. His tongue thrusts more and more. Lingering more on my
clitoris and that drives me crazy. I bite my lower lip in attempt to stop the crazy
moaning that escapes my lips but it's all to no avail. I arch my back upwards as I
feel the build up to my climax and i tighten my grip on Antony's hair. The juices
inside me explode, causing me to shiver uncontrollably as indescribable pleasure
ripples through my body.
From then, Antony's wet kisses come upwards and they stop at my breasts. He seizes
one of the breasts in his mouth and sucks on it slowly. His tongue encircling the tit.
He takes the other breast into his hand, gently squeezes it and then he starts
massaging the other tit with his index finger and thumb, gently pinching it from time
to time. He vacillates from one nipple to the other, sucking and pinching, causing
me to moan like a little teenage girl. This man is really pushing me to the edge! He
stops the pinching and his hand strays to my womanhood. He slowly massages my
womanhood with his fingers and as I am starting to enjoy the massaging, he suddenly
inserts two fingers inside me, causing me to sharply gasp for some air. He thrusts in
and out of me rhythmically, slowly increasing his pace.
I turn my head to one side and i grip the sheets even harder as pleasure comes from
different directions and it drives me nuts! The fingering and sucking, drives me to
the age and for the first time, i call someone's name during sex. Something that I
hardly ever do. Antony is taking me from one stage of pleasure to another. It's as if I
am under the influence of some drug. The momentum to climax builds up, until at
last, my orgasm strikes and i literally scream in absolute pleasure.
For a moment, we sit in absolute silence, breathing heavily. After a brief moment,
Antony attacks me with yet another hungry kiss, at the same time guiding his
manhood with his hands and he slowly penetrates me. I gasp for some air as he
enters me. At first his thrusts are slow but he slowly gains momentum, making me
moan in pleasure. I literally scream as I can't seem to contain myself as his manhood
pleasures me. He moves his hips rhythmically as he thrusts in and out. I grip the
sheets harder. Antony constantly kisses me, blocking my moans. He suddenly stops
and he pulls me to his body. I hold onto him for balance as he gets off the bed and
stands on his two feet, my legs wrapped around his waist. I hold onto his shoulders
for dear life. He puts his hands on my buttocks and he thrusts into me mercilessly
and i moan loudly. I totally loose myself in the act as Antony thrusts mercilessly into
me. We go on and on for minutes, until Antony stops and puts me onto the bed, his
stiff manhood, still inside me. He gets on top of me, intertwines our fingers, pins my
hands on the bed and thrusts more and more, going harder and faster. His energy
never seizing. He constantly kisses me as he thrusts into me.
After going on and on for minutes, he suddenly stops and he pulls me on top of him.
He puts his hands on my hips as he thrusts upwards, he laying on his back, groaning
loudly, I am sure he is now about to reach his climax. I move my hips rhythmically,
spelling the words 'COCONUT' with my hips. Antony suddenly increases his pace
and he thrusts harder and faster, he raises up to a sitting position and attacks me
with a kiss as he suddenly pounds harder. He suddenly shifts positions, such that
he comes on top of me and he starts thrusting harder and faster until at last, he
tenses and shakes uncontrollably as he ejaculates. I feel him exploding inside me,
until at last he collapses tiredly on me, breathing heavily and his heart pounding like
crazy in his chest.
We sit in silence for a moment, both of us, listening to our beating hearts and trying
to catch our breath. Antony reaches out for some wet wipes, which he uses to wipe
us both and he goes to flash them down the toilet. When he comes back, he puts me
on his chest and we both fall asleep since we are beyond exhausted. I suddenly wake
up in the middle of the night and my mind strays to the conversation that I had
eavesdropped by the hedge and the drama that was caused by Elaine at diner.
Analysing the events i conclude the fact that i am an unwanted guest in their lives.
I will never be welcome and besides, it's not like i wanted a long term relationship
with Antony. But on the other hand, i like him. My mind continues to question itself
and i lay awake for a very long time, until at last, i decide to wake up from the bed,
gently removing Antony's hand from my naked body. I ease off the bed slowly, so as
not to get caught. When I get off the bed, I pick up my nightdress from the floor and
i put it on. After that i pack my things in my bag, pick up my bag and i tip-toe to the
door. I gently unlock the door, open it and I get out. I heard straight to my car at the
car park and i drive back home.
I arrive home at exactly five thirty. I unlock my door and enter into the dark unlit
house that has been my home for years. I switch on the lights and i head to my
bedroom, where i throw my bag in my closet and i get into the shower. I take a long
slow shower. Letting the warm water massage my exhausted body. After that i change
into another night dress, head to the kitchen, where i start preparing myself a greasy
breakfast. As I prepare my breakfast, I write a message to Antony.
Sorry for leaving without warning. I am safe, don't worry about me. I thought
it best to leave the way I did because I wanted to avoid having to say goodbye
and you begging me not leave. Tell your sister and parents that I am out of
the way now and I won't spend your money and they will never see the
black woman again. I wish you all the best in life. Meet the rightful woman,
marry her and have lots of children and a happy home. All the best. As
weird as it sounds~ I love you. I did this out of love.
I send the message to Antony and I switch off my cell phone and I continue cooking
my breakfast, when I am done I settle down and start eating. After breakfast, I retire
to bed and get engulfed into sleep. I sleep for a very long time, until I wake up at
around eleven in the morning, feeling much better. I sit in front of the television for
a very long time, watching movies. When the third movie is done, i take out my laptop
and get into social media, where I start answering my messages. I am chatting to
Chiedza and Vimbai, who want us to go out and have a breather but i refuse.
I spend the whole week doing nothing in particular and on a Friday i go to the air
port, where I am supposed to collect my little sister. Well, she is not as little as she
sounds, she is twenty four, but she sure is still a little sister to me. I depart for the
air port, where i sit patiently awaiting the drama queen to arrive. And she emerges
from the crowds, pulling from one side, her large suitcase with two other bags placed
strategically on it. On the other hand, she is holding my son. Both their faces light
up dramatically in smiles as they recognise me among the crowds of people waiting
for their loved ones. My son Smangaliso lets go of my sister's hand and runs to me
and i have to squat in order for me to be his height.
"Moooom!" he says to me as he hugs my neck.
"Hie, little man how are you?" I ask excitedly. I love this boy. My world revolves
around him. He is the reason why i go to work each day, the reason why i do side
hustles and above all, the reason why i smile when things are taking a turn for the
worst. I had missed him so very much. I mean, having had spent almost a full year
without having to see him. I pick him up and I help my sister Tariro with the bags.
When we get to the car, she loads her bags at the back and Smanga gets into the car.
I drive them straight to a food outlet since both of them are complaining about hunger
but i know that they just want to spend my money. These two are the worst enemies
to my purse, that's why I opt to see them at a chosen time frame.
"So how are you holding up?" I ask Tariro as we are driving back home.
"Life is good, especially now that I have finished my degree. The best thing about all
this is that I am done with this whole schooling thing. What's left is getting the job."
She responds as she invests her attention to her cell phone and smiles heartily, most
probably speaking to some man she met on the plane. This one!
"So, how did the graduation go" I question her again.
"It was so epic. Arnold and Miriam sent me money to buy clothes for the graduation
and they also made sure that I get a surprise after party but I was so disappointed
in you for not being able to call or text me about the graduation." She says, pulling
a dramatic sad face that is shot lived as she quickly invests her attention back on
the cell phone, most probably replaying to the someone very interesting.
"I am sorry for that." I say, giggling lightly to cover up for my sins. That event
completely slipped out of my mind, as I had other things to worry about. It wasn't a
nice week for me.
"As a token of apology, why don't you deposit a nice amount of money so that I can
spoil myself a bit? I deserve it don't I? I mean, who wouldn't after completing their
degree without any carries and getting their degree with an A 'class." she says,
flapping her eyelids dramatically, a fine manipulative smile plastered on her lips.
"I fulfilled one of your wishes, which is riding a plane and to me it came as a token
of apology for not congratulating you about your graduation." I respond.
"But an air ticket is not that expensive. I mean, with your salary and the side hustles
that you do, you can afford even better things than just an air ticket. It's not like I
am asking you to buy me a seat in heaven. " she protests.
"And that money has its own goals. One of them was educating you and making sure
that you are comfortable at that university of yours, regarding that the pension that
Mama and baba get could not afford any of your university expenses." I respond,
adding a smile at the end to show just how much she has been spending all along.
"You are so unfair!" she sulks dramatically.
"No, I am being realistic. At least you will understand the pain of dishing out money
when you start working. And for you, that will be very soon. Regarding that baba,
Arnold and uncle Jeremiah are well connected." I say to her, but this time, instead
of her replying, she just smiles again at something on her phone. I look up at the
view mirror to see what my little superman is doing at the back and I see him dozing
off tiredly, his sit belt strapped tightly across his chest. Luckily we are just a few
minutes from home.
When we get home, I carry smangaliso into the house so that he could sleep, but the
moment I unlock the door and get inside, he wakes up. Children! The first thing that
he does is to run to the television, turn it on and he switches on to cartoons. I leave
him watching cartoons whilst I help Tariro with her bags. After everyone has settled
down, I then start preparing supper and Tariro helps me out.
"So, when are you planning on getting married" she questions as she busies herself
with the cooking. I look at her with my eyes wide open in shock. I mean, why such a
nerve-touching question.
"Why do you ask?" I question her after a brief pause due to shock.
"Don't get me wrong, but this question is not coming from me exactly. It's coming
from your parents. They are worried. The good part about this is that at least they
have a grandchild to entertain them and bare testimony to the fact that you can
conceive but then, like all African parents, they feel like you have not accomplished
enough if you have not married." She responds.
"But that's old fashioned and to my world, more of an underestimation of a woman's
ability to accomplish and live life without a spouse to govern her." I reason.
"You are raising a son and one way or the other; he needs a fatherly figure in his life
if not his own father." Tariro responds.
"A lot of single women have over the years, raised some good boys who have turned
out to be worthy men in society. It all depends with the parent of the child. And
besides, the men in my life are enough. Baba, Arnold, Miriam's husband or any other
male in our family can become Simanga's fatherly figure if need arises. And this
marriage thing is all in God's hands. Some of us were meant to be single and stand
out. So let's drop this. It's not a very comfortable topic after all." I respond as I look
away from her. There is a deep silence, both of us busy with the cooking, sipping our
juices.
"I met a man today on my way here." Tariro says, her eyes glowing with fascination.
Tariro is a critic and she criticises and heavily scrutinises each and every man that
comes her way. This only means that this man, whoever he is, was able to tick all
the boxes thence securing a place in her heart.
"The one who was making you smile every time he sent a message. Regarding that
he is a man you met for a few hours; I might safely say that you might be heading
for disaster. He made you see and hear what he knew would appeal to you. So he is
more or less pretending. If I were you, I would forget about him" I respond in a
mocking tone.
"Don't say that!" Tariro sulks dramatically "anyways, that one. His name is Tatenda.
He is here to visit his parents ...." Tariro goes on and on about this charmer boy
that she met on the plane. From the way she is describing him, she is totally in love.
Love at first site is real but its results depend on how the person responds.
Personally, love at first site is the worst possible way a woman can get a partner. I
just hope Tariro won't get heart broken by this charmer boy because, i know what
usually happens if a woman is this obsessed about a man for the first time.
After we finish cooking, we serve the food and we settle down to eat. After eating,
Tariro and I do the dishes. As we wash the dishes, we are talking and laughing.
Having a really good time like sisters, being little girls, with me atoning for the
distance that i spent far. To tell the truth, i really needed being around my family. It
makes me feel good and happy. Especially when my son is around. Not that i ever
spend time with him, most people always take him away from me yet i am the boy's
mother. After we finish washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen, i take
Smangaliso to bed, since he has already fallen asleep whilst watching television. I
carry him gently to his room upstairs, where I remove all his clothing and dress him
in pyjamas and after that I put him to sleep. I watch him sleeping for a few minutes
and finally I leave his room and head to my room, where I take a bath, change and
get to bed.
I have barely closed my eyes when Tariro knocks lightly on my door and i let her in.
She sits on my bed.
"Wake up! Wake up!" soft words are being accompanied by me being pushed from
side to side, causing me to stir from my sleep.
"No, let mama sleep. Come on little man. Let's go and make breakfast" a deep
masculine voice says and i hear my door closing lightly. I again fall asleep peaceful,
until i wake up later. The thing that comes to mind as i get into the bathroom to
relieve myself is the deep masculine voice that said "no, let mama sleep. Come on little
man. Let's go and make breakfast." Just that statement sends shivers down my
spine. Who is the man in my house and what is he doing here. The last time i
checked, there were two women and only one child in the house and absolutely no
man.... I quickly brush my teeth, put on a satin gown and I rush to the sitting room
in curiosity. There are bouts of laughter in the living room. I make my way to the
living room and I find nothing, I walk into the kitchen and that's when i get the shock
of my life. Arnold!
"Someone is a heavy sleeper these days" my little brother Arnold says, as he looks at
me from across the room. He dressed in a pyjama trousers and vest, which clearly
shows his hard muscles. A bright smile plastered on his boyish face.
"First things first, how did you get here?" I question him.
"Good morning." Smanga says.
"Morning, how are you?" I ask him dismissingly as I turn to Arnold, a questioning
expression plastered on my face.
"I am good but very hungry." Simangaliso responds, trying to catch my attention. I
know I should be investing my attention to him but right now, I want to know how
Arnold got here.
"Tariro, can you attend to him please. I will finish off the cooking." I say to my little
sister, who is busy with the cooking, still dressed in her nightdress.
"Okay. Good morning." She says to me as she walks to the fridge, Smangaliso at her
heel.
"Good morning, how are you?" I respond, as my gaze is still concentrating at Arnold,
who is smiling warmly at me.
"I am fine." Tariro responds.
"So, are you going to stare at me the whole day?" Arnold questions me.
"You haven't answered my question yet." I respond, still maintaining my gaze that
takes in every detail of this thirty year old monument of a man standing in front of
me, staring at me with a lazy smile on his lips. He hasn't changed much, he still
looks like an overgrown school boy, with his fade and a clean shave and that one
dimple that shows whenever he smiles. If you don't know him, you would never tell
that he is thirty, he looks a hell lot younger though his body is big.
"Well, I arrived today at one in the morning. And yes, I still have the remote to the
gate and the spare key, so I didn't wake anyone up." He says as he turns to the
cooking pots on the stove.
"And why didn't you wake me up, to notify me about your arrival?" I question him.
"You were sound asleep and you looked tired, so I let you be." He responds, at the
same time, turning to look at me, with his lazy smile that rises from one corner of
the mouth. Seductive if you ask me.
"So, how have you been? It's been long. Any changes that you need to tell us about?"
I question as I also help him with the cooking, taking over from where Tariro left.
"I have been good. Just the job that's been showing me flames. I got my off yesterday
and I decided to drive here to see you." He responds.
"So, how is life back at home? It's been long since I visited." I respond.
"Life has been good. You where the missing puzzle piece." He responds.
"Get out of here. So tell me, how are you pulling up? Any women that you should tell
me about?" I ask him.
"He is dating this beautiful light skinned woman, she is a school teacher. They drive
each other crazy!" Tariro jumps into the conversation excitedly, earning herself a
warning look from Arnold.
"Is she the one? Or she is just like the rest of the women that you date for fun?" I
question.
"I can't really judge as yet, but if what she reels off is constant and true, she might
be the one." Arnold responds.
"Oh come on, she is the one! I mean, Arnold introduced her to Miriam and I. He never
introduced us to any of his women before. This only means that this one is special!"
Tariro jumps in, yet again.
"Tariro, come on! Stop saying false things. It just happened that we met each other
in the same shop. Was I not supposed to introduce you guys to the partner I was
walking with?" Arnold says.
"Let's drop this. We will not win this at all because Arnold will keep on denying! But
you know what I am talking about. You also know how denies things and then in the
end, it turns out true, much to everyone's horror." Tariro responds and she invests
her attention to her bowel of cereals and fruit as if she did not drop a bomb on Arnold.
"Don't believe anything that comes out of her mouth. She is exaggerating." Arnold
shoots back.
"Wait until she gets pregnant and you find her home, then you would believe that I
am telling the truth." Tariro shoots back and she hurriedly takes Smangaliso's hand
and walks out of the kitchen, leaving me giggling uncontrollably. I really love the
drama that Tariro and Arnold create. They are one set of siblings to have, typical
brother and sister, who constantly fight but are the best of buddies. Almost
inseparable. I mean, they even went on to choose the same type of profession.
"But she seems like she is telling the truth. Tell me, do you plan on taking her
serious?" I question.
"I am taking her serious, that's what I do with all the women that I date but then this
marriage thing is a bit off for now. I think it's still too early to put a verdict now.
People change you know." He responds.
"So, how did you meet each other?" I question him.
"Long story." Arnold responds.
"Smangaliso was the one who made this relationship possible. This woman is a
school teacher at Smanga's school. She teaches the infants. The ECDs in particular.
The thing is, I was held up at school, baba was away and mama was doing some
church duties so we couldn't collect Simangaliso. Mama asked Arnold to collect him
by car and Arnold found Simangaliso being the only school child left together with
that school teacher and then sparks flew with the school teacher." Tariro responds
as she places her bowel in the sink. A wicked smile plastered on her lips. Trust Tariro
to let the cat out of the bag that easily. The look on Arnold's face gets me laughing
uncontrollably. He looks really annoyed by Tariro's big mouth. We continue cooking
and Tariro helps us to dish the breakfast.
"One thing I am glad about is the fact that I did not have sex with the woman i met
in a matter of hours like someone here, during her graduation day. Worse off, he
didn't even respect you enough to take you to a room." Arnold blurts out as we are
still dishing the breakfast and he also smiles malicious. I look at Tariro in absolute
shock and she looks away from me, in shame. Guilty as charged! This is her weak
link. She just sells herself off when she is guilty.
"Tariro, what happened to your tongue?" Arnold questions mockingly, also smiling
triumphantly, having had silenced the drama queen.
"Tariro, aren't you going to tell me about it?" I question Tariro.
"I was drunk!" Tariro protests, throwing her hands in the air and rolling her eyes
dramatically.
"You drink?" I question her in absolute shock.
"Who wouldn't be when they are celebrating their success?" Tariro responds
defensively.
"That's why you end up being screwed by some idiot you met in one day. Worse off,
outside. She was holding on to mother's hedge for dear life." Arnold scolds Tariro and
again Tariro falls absolutely silent, causing me to snort and clap my hands in
absolute shock. This girl has so much drama I tell you!....Arnold and i serve the last
bits of the breakfast as Tariro goes to collect Simangaliso from the sitting room, where
he is watching cartoons. At the breakfast table, Simangaliso is sitting next to Arnold
and he is talking to him more. Their bond bonmd comes from a long way back. When
I was due We eat our breakfast and after breakfast, Arnold takes Simangaliso
upstairs so that he can bath him, in preparation for town and i am left in the kitchen
to do the dishes with Tariro, who seems too ashamed to even utter a word.
"So, getting screwed on graduation day. What a way to celebrate success." I provoke
Tariro, a lazy smirk plastered on my lips.
"It was a mistake okay! I was drunk and acting irrationally. I didn't plan it to be that
way!" Tariro responds, her eyes glossy with tears.
"Come on, it's just a joke. Can't you take a joke?" I tease her, pushing her lightly.
"It's so unfair. You and Arnold always gang up on me whenever I make mistakes."
Tariro responds, her voice heavy with emotion, at the same time, wiping off tears
with the back of her hand. The weaknesses of last born babies! I mean, who cries
about something they did willingly? It's not like she was forced or something... i
however pull her into my arms, hugging her whilst I rub her back comfortingly.
Comforting her for what she did willingly.... the crying however subsides and i head
upstairs to prepare for my journey to town.
I take a long shower, dry my hair using the hair drier and after that i dress in a white
knee high, sleeveless summer dress with red wedges and a brown summer hat with
a large canopy and after that i put on my red lipstick. I say goodbye to Arnold and
Smangaliso and we leave for town.
We spend the whole day doing shopping, moving from one store to the other, from
one block to the other, until finally, the shopping has been completed, with each and
every food stuff and gift having had been bought. I always do my Christmas shopping
in advance, so that I don't get to do last minute shopping. Tariro requests to be taken
to the saloon and I accompany her there. I sit patiently at one of the chairs reading
one of the many magazines that lay idle for the customers to read. Most of these are
about hair, fashion and celebrity gossip, nothing educative! I sit patiently and watch
these dolled up women, who work in the saloon doing their job, whilst chatting and
laughing at the top of their voices. The one who is doing Tariro's hair is the most
talkative of all the women. The gossip that comes out of her mouth is acidic I tell you!
I mean, who gossips about their fellow colleague, as soon as the colleague walks out
of the saloon to get a breather! She sometimes does Tariro's hair without even
looking. This is why I hate saloons. To tell the honest truth, I have never been to a
saloon to get my hair fixed. I am afraid of getting my hair messed up, that why I
bought all the machines that I need to fix my hair and i do it at home. For me, it's
safer that way.
After a very long time, we leave the saloon. Tariro complains of hunger and we go
and have some lunch at a fast food outlet. And like usual, she is glued to her cell
phone, in the process taking a long time to eat. After eating, we drive straight home.
Where I start cooking. I cook a light dinner, since everyone would have eaten. Tariro
and I sit and watch television patiently as we await the two gentlemen who are yet to
arrive. The two of them arrive late, Simangaliso already asleep. Arnold takes him to
bed and comes back for us to pack the grocery into boxes.
We start working. Arnold and I are packing the goods into the boxes and Tariro is
tapping the boxes.
"I am not going to travel with you guys tomorrow. I would like to travel by bus and
feel how it feels like to travel in public transport. It's been long." I say.
"Are you taking Simangaliso with you or he is going with us?" Arnold questions.
"He would prefer to go with you" I respond. We continue to work, packaging the
groceries into different boxes and finally, when we groceries into different boxes and finally, when we are done, we all retire to bed. I am exhausted, so I decide against continuing my novel.