***
Kgaugelo Manamela
The next day...
The faint scent of Imari Corset Eau de Toilette made my eyes shoot open. I looked beside me to see Thabang lying next to me in his normal day clothes. I lean forward sniffing him because I did not use Imari Corset Eau de Toilette which meant it came from somewhere else. As I sniffed him lightly making sure that I didn't wake him up. I realized that the scent was on him.
"Thabang?" I let out.
"Yes." he hummed.
"Why do I smell Imari Corset Eau de Toilette on you?" I asked him calmly.
"Babe, what are you talking about?" he asked still asleep.
"You smell like women's perfume," I tell him.
"It's maybe from the work dinner I attended, yesterday." he responded as he turned away from me.
When he turned I saw his neck. There was a hickey in his neck.
"Thabang. Are you cheating on me?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"No." He said getting up and looking at me.
"You told me that you were meeting with your boss, yesterday and you said he was a man. You come back home with women's perfume and a hickey. And you want me to believe your no!" I shrieked out angrily.
Was he cheating on me? Did he cheat on me?
I felt my heart cracking and I felt tears in my throat.
My heart was pounding as I waited for him to clarify himself.
"Babe, I'm not cheating on you." He said calmly.
"This is probably from the scratch I got on my way home and my boss was with his wife," he explained as he kissed my forehead.
My heart suddenly went back to normal and I felt at ease. I should doubt him like this. We are a couple and trust is the most vital thing in the relationship.
' He would not cheat on me. He loves me. He cares about me. He is mine. My perfect boyfriend.' I chanted in my head.
Thabang got up and checked his phone. He looked at the time before he said to me,
"Babe, it seems I'm needed at work. I know I said today was my off day but the company I'm starting needs me."
"Okay. I love you." I replied as he got up changing his clothes and rushing out.
I laid back down on the bed and the hangover started to kick in. The hangover headaches felt like I was being hit with a hammer on the head continuously.
I turned onto my side hoping it would stop but my goddamn phone rang making my headache gnaw badly. I searched for my phone and I still couldn't find it. The ringing was extremely loud and ur only made my headache worse.
"SIRI!ACCEPT CALL!" I shouted.
I heard my phone ding and the ringing stopped.
"SIRI PUT THE CALL ON SPEAKER MODE!" I shouted again.
My phone dinged again and I heard Lerato ask,
"The hangover got you too?"
"Yeah. It got me so bad that it hurt like a bitch." I groaned.
"I don't even know where..." I stopped and looked in the washing basket and found my phone.
"Nevermind I found it." I told her.
"Found what?" She asked.
"My phone." I tell her.
"So that why you were shouting like that." she said scoffing.
"Listen, get ready we are going out for brunch." she added.
"We going to pick you up in an hour." she added again before hanging up the call.
I sighed and I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and to wash my face. I then started exercising and doing yoga afterwards. I then took a bath and started getting ready for my date with my friends.
As I got ready, my make-up brush fell down under my dressing table. I bent down to pick it up and I found a piece of paper.
It was a receipt from the most renowned jewellery store, Majestic Stones. An engagement ring with a five-point zero one-carat worth one million two hundred and fifty-five thousand rand.
My heart starts pounding in excitement and I feel butterflies in my stomach.
"His going to propose?" I asked myself as I held back tears.
Ding!
I looked at my phone and it was a message from Lebo
< Hey! We are outside!>
I grab my back and I head out excited. I couldn't wait to tell them the most exciting news ever.
"Why are you so excited?" Lerato asked amused.
"I will tell you. Let's get going." I replied smiling.
"You had morning sex right?" Lebo asked.
"Oh my God! No! It's even better." I squeal excitedly.
"Now I'm curious." Lerato said.
"Oh, thanks for yesterday." I let out in an attempt to avert their attention away from what I wanted to tell them.
"You win for now." Lerato lets out.
I stick my tongue out towards her and she rolls her eyes.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Morning Delight." Lebo answers.
"They have been the current rave." Lerato adds.
"Guess we gotta check them out then." I let out as I smiled.
I wonder how they would react if they heard it today. Will they be happy? Will day be as excited as I am?
My mind was filled with the thought of becoming Mrs Mathatho. Mrs Mathatho... It had a nice ring to it.
"We have arrived." Lebo spoke snapping me out of my thoughts with her voice.
We walked in and we ordered their special brunch. I got an iced Americano, Lebo got a Caramel chocolate frappuccino and Lerato got an iced Macha coffee. We sat in the centre and took pictures in the cafe. The cafe was beautiful. From the outside, it looked pretty normal, but inside it was aesthetically pleasing to be in. The bright white walls made it feel like heaven, and the brown tables and beige chairs gave it a comfy yet aesthetically pleasing place. The aroma of food gave it a homely touch and the beautiful green plants that were well-kept made everything in the Cafe seem like it was a fever dream that you did not want to leave.
The waiter brought out our drinks and soon after, our food. We took pictures of the food and drinks and ourselves. Two poached eggs, a slice of toasted bread cut into triangles into two pieces with avocados with salt and pepper, four bacon strips, two sausages and a green salad filled with lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, croutons with a quick balsamic vinaigrette. It was the sort of the brunch menu and it was what we ate.
The waiter brought out our drinks and soon after, our food. We took pictures of the food and drinks and ourselves. Two poached eggs, a slice of toasted bread cut into triangles into two pieces with avocados with salt and pepper, four bacon strips, two sausages and a green salad filled with lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, croutons with a quick balsamic vinaigrette. It was the sort of the brunch menu and it was what we ate.
"This Cafe reminds me of University." I said as I took a sip of my Iced Americano.
"The times we studied at the cafe near uni and forgot about the evening classes just because the owner of the cafe never minded us studying late in her cafe." Lerato let out a groan.
"I almost got disqualified from writing the bar because of that." She added laughing lightly.
"Don't blame the old lady. She was very nice and kind." Lebo told Lerato before lightly hitting her shoulder.
I laughed at them and we ate and talked about when we were in high school and university. I even almost forgot about the news I wanted to tell them until Lerato asked.
"Oh, You never told us about why you were so excited this morning. Why were you so excited?"
I blushed as I remembered this morning. I took my purse and I took out the receipt. They took the receipt from me and looked at me excitedly.
"Did he propose?" Lerato asked excitedly.
"Not yet, but I found this receipt under my dresser. " I told her excitedly.
"This receipt is from seven months ago." Lebo let out as she looked at the date on the slip.
"What? Really?"
"What? Really?"
Lerato and I asked surprised at the same time.
"Yeah, it's here." she replied showing us the date.
It was currently the third of November and the ring was bought in March. If he bought the ring in March why didn't he propose in the months that's followed up? Why would he keep the ring for seven months?
I took the receipt and took pictures of it before sending it to Thabang.
"He said it isn't his." I tell them feeling a bit sad.
"That is weird." Lerato let out.
"You wouldn't buy an engagement ring... Which only leaves him as the person who bought it." She added.
"He smelled like Imari Corset Eau de Toilette, this morning." I tell them.
"You don't use Imari Corset Eau de Toilette, Do you?" Lebo asked me.
"No." I answered.
"Do you guys think his cheating on me?" I asked nervously.
"That seems like a plausible explanation." Lebo responded.
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Kgaukie, call the Majestic Stone jewellery store and inquire about this." Lerato told me.
I nodded my head and I looked at the number online. I took the number and I dialled it.
"Hello, Majestic Stone Jewellery store. We make your dreams come true with our jewellery. "
"Hi, Hello. I'd like to inquire about a purchase my husband made seven months ago." I replied.
"Of course, would you please give us the serial number of the purchase?"
"Uhm... It is 953...112...061..313..." I replied telling her three numbers at a time.
"Ah! So you were the lovely lady the ring was bought for?"
"Yes, that was me." I replied nervously.
"Well, the ring was bought custom-made and your husband had asked us to engrave your name in it."
"Really? How sweet of him. What name did he ask should be engraved in?" I asked holding my tears back as I waited for her response.
"He asked that the name Stacey and Thabang be engraved together."
"Oh, Thank you so much." I croaked out before hanging the call-up.
"What did they say?"
"What did they say?"
Lerato and Lebo asked at the same time.
"It was for a girl named Stacey." I let out.
"Don't cry, Love." Lerato comforted me.
It was only when Lerato wiped my tears that I realized I was crying.
"God I'm pathetic." I let out softly chuckling.
"No, you're not." Lebo said.
"Maybe it's some other Thabang." She added trying to comfort me.
"You know what maybe you should go check with him." Lebo said after a while.
"Yeah, go and confirm it is true." Lerato encouraged me.
"Okay, let me go home."I said softly as I got up.
"I will take an Uber home." I add.
"Already called you one." Lebo said.
I got up and walked out... As I walked out I heard giggling and then I heard,
"It's her. "
I turned my head curiously and the girls looked away. They did that thing where mean girls would gossip and laugh at the weird kid. I brushed it off and went to my Uber. It was a blue Volkswagen Polo.
I got in and the Driver kept glancing at me. I assumed it was probably from my red swollen eyes and ignored him.