by Unknown
CHAPTER 24
Few days later, Lawrence was discharged from the hospital. He had quickly recovered but the wound will be treated at home and he will be coming back to the hospital for medical treatment. Joseph and Michael came to pick him up in the hospital and they took him home so that he could relax and think of something else he could do because he had already given up his dream of running for governor. Lawrence couldn’t believe Sadie could have done something terrible like that; he used to trust her until the moment she pulled out a gun. He was really disappointed in her and he regretted his love for her. After taking a long time rest at home, Lawrence informed the whole family that he had given up his dream of contesting for governor. Everybody in the family was happy to hear about that and they all want to protect their integrity. Joseph said to him, “I know how it feels, but I am very proud of your courage. I hope you have figured out what you want to do next?” “Thank you, dad, I am yet to figure that out. I want to make sure that I am alright before doing something else and also, I will let you know once something great has come to my mind”. Joseph was glad to hear that and he smiled at his son, Lawrence. Michael used that opportunity to let them all know that he will soon leave Hatton. He said he had made an arrangement with a friend in the city who had planned where he will live together with Chelsea. He said he will go to the school of Art where he wants to learn some more professional skills which will make him more professional in the field of art. Everybody was happy to hear that from him, but Mathew asked him about his doctorate degree, and he replied that he will do that after the program. “I can always do that anytime; I just want to take this advantage to learn this skill. Thank you, bro, I really appreciate your concern” Michael gave his intention. Mathew was happy to know his plans and he gave a huge smile on his face. It was almost getting dark and it’s time to eat dinner. Margaret entered the kitchen in order to get the food ready for them to have their dinner. After few minutes, the food was ready and it was served on the dining table. The whole family eats with a joyous look on their face. Joseph used that opportunity to apologize to children in case he had done something wrong. All the three children said he didn’t need to do that because he hasn’t done anything wrong, he acted like how a good dad should do when issues come up. Joseph was happy to hear that and he cracked a joke for them. They all laughed as they were listening to his joke. The next day, Sadie was charged to court and she was found guilty of Emily and Georgina’s murder. She was sentenced to death for killing to people and for attempting to kill the third one before she was caught. Lawrence was not present, but Michael and Chelsea were there to see how it goes. They left the court and both went out to get a couple of drinks. Chelsea was happy with Michael and she promised him to be always by his side. Michael was glad too and he promised her the same thing. They left the restaurant after having a couple of drinks. They couldn’t wait to get home before they started romancing themselves in the car. When they got to Michael’s house, they were in a hurry to get to his bedroom. They started kissing themselves as they were moving in until they got to his room. Michael pulled her cloth and she pulled his too. They had sex until they got tired. After many rounds of sex, Michael and Chelsea were relaxing on the bed when they started discussing their plans to move to the city. Chelsea said she will continue with her doctorate degree and Michael said he wants to go for a professional course in the school of Art. Chelsea asked him about his doctorate degree and he said the same thing he told Mathew when he asked, that he can always do that any time after completing the professional course. Chelsea was glad when she heard his response. They both slept off in Michael’s house until the evening time when Chelsea decided to go back home. Michael promised to take her home this time and he took her home. When thy got home, Antonia was peeping through the window when they drove in. She was glad to see her daughter happy. As they entered, Antonia welcomed them with a smile and she told Michael to take good care of her daughter. Michael promised her that he will always take care of her and he apologized in case he had done anything wrong to her. Antonia offered them a seat before she replied. They had their seat and she said to him, “I should be the one apologizing from you, my thought was wrong about you and very sorry for that”. “No! You shouldn’t be sorry for that, everybody thoughts I was the culprit” Michael replied “Thanks! You have actually done well and I really appreciate your courage” Antonia replied as they discussing in the living room, Colin, Bobby and Cecilia entered. They were amazed to see Michael in their house. Michael quickly stood when he saw Colin coming towards him. Colin shook his hand and they smiled at each other. Bobby also shook his hand and they both hugged themselves. Colin asked Michael if he has anything to say and he said to them, “I use this opportunity to thank this family for their love and support for Chelsea too and for me, I really appreciate you all. I will like to inform you that Chelsea and I have decided to go back to the city in two days’ time” “Wow!” Cecilia shouted and she started smiling Antonia and Colin looked at each other with an amazing look and they said to him, “No problem with that. We really appreciate your love for our daughter and we are glad to tell you that we are in support of that. You can take her to the city and we wish you two the best in life” “Wow! I am glad to hear that and I promise not to let you down. Thank you once again” Michael replied with a smile on his face. Everybody was happy and they all embraced themselves for the new beginning. Few days after, Michael had packed his things and had spoken with his family before he left. The whole family said they will miss him and he replied he will feel the same way too. Mathew cried when he was leaving and he also wept when he saw his lovely brother crying. He left the house and went to Chelsea’s place. When he got there, Chelsea had already packed her things and she has been waiting for him to come. She had had a lot of discussion with Cecilia and she promised to pay them a visit soon. Michael met them outside and without wasting much time, he dropped all her bags in the boot and they both said goodbye to Cecilia. Cecilia couldn’t take it any longer; she rushed to them and gave a hug before they left. She was crying as they were driving away. Chelsea and Michael left Hatton for the city and they lived happily ever after.
Jo'
CHAPTER ONE
Nobuhle Returns to Johannesburg
One chilly Sunday afternoon. An old Corolla pulled down a homeless ridden street in downtown Johannesburg. Crouched over the wheel was Nobuhle Phumlani, an intense black lady with fine figure and a cherubic face. Her name Nobuhle was a popular Zulu name given to her by her late father from a small town near Durban. She grew up with her mother and step family living in a big Shack at Gugulethu, a sprawling of informal settlements on the outskirt of Cape Town. As a good-looking young woman without her biological father and much protection, men took advantage of her vulnerability and wanted to sleep with her even though she was just fifteen. They would tell her mother, she was beautiful, and then try to touch and convince her to sleep with them. This got so bad that soon after high school Nobuhle decided to run away from her mother and step family. She moved to Johannesburg, the city of gold but perhaps she would be a happy woman if she hadn’t ran away from home and instead furthered her education. On that faithful Sunday afternoon, Nobuhle was on her way returning from a cheerless visit to her mother and step family in Cape Town. Once again, she found herself in Johannesburg, the city she lived and worked without much success in twelve years. As she drove down the streets, her mind was lost in thoughts of the many intriguing scenes in her life. She approached a traffic light and slowed down listening to local Kwaito rap music on the radio. Just in time, the traffic lights flashed green but suddenly Nobuhle was jerked backward unable to drive because her car had stalled again. Eventually Nobuhle made it home walking with her cute legs accented in a short skirt that cuts up on her perfect thighs. As she walked through the courtyard of her apartment building, a fat woman called out from a half cluttered balcony. "Hey Nobuhle! Where have you been? Two white men came looking for you!" she said Nobuhle ignored and
headed straight inside the house entrance. She loved her building, one of the most sought after in Hilbrow, a densely populated area of Johannesburg with a wild diversity of people from all over Africa and beyond, all with interesting jobs. Nobuhle’s profession was also interesting. She was a prostitute, a woman of pleasure, absolutely or put in black and white, a prostitute in her own unique with a healthy sense of her financial worth which means she was not exactly the type a man could easily pick up from the street. In fact, Nobuhle had the cozy apartment, well-sophisticated and ready for all her clients. Every piece of furniture, equipment or junk in the apartment suggested her intense personality. On the corner was a comfy chair propped up, not too far from the mantle where she had her photographs with friends, past colleagues and family. On one of the photographs was younger looking Nobuhle in between her mother and her late father, hands around each other, big smiles. Clearly all of the photographs showed a different Nobuhle from what she had become, a true South African woman, striped of dreams, happiness and her dignity. Shortly after arriving in the apartment, Nobuhle’s hunger for cigarette kicked in only for her to realise she had finished the last packet earlier in her car. She decided to head back outside into her often busy neighbourhood popularly known to be the heart of famous Nigerian drug ring in the city. As usual, Nobuhle walked inside a corner grocery supermarket, a small but very popular shop serving people in the area for nearly thirteen years. At his post was the crisp white man of sixty called Mr. Noel, a former schoolteacher who apparently was close to losing his entire life to drugs but was then a changed man. "How may I help you, young lady?" The man asked looking at Nobuhle, knowing very well she was the one lady who frequented his shop for two things only, cigarette and condoms. "Let me have the same as last time", Nobuhle replied standing across the counter. "Honey, you need to say exactly what you want. As you can see, it doesn't look like I'm getting any younger here," The old man muttered. "I see you're always alone. Do you have a wife?" Nobuhle asked in a very calm voice. Certainly not the kind of words Mr. Noel was expecting to hear from a lady as intense as Nobuhle. "To be honest, I've been single since I moved into this corner thirteen years ago. But I tell you what, having a wife is not as fantastic as most young men see it." He mumbled, and continued to tell Nobuhle about his long devastating marriage. Finally, the old man managed to get two boxes of Nobuhle’s usually preferred brand of condoms and cigarette and handed them over to her. "I think I'm going to need another one. Give me another box please," Nobuhle responded weighing the boxes of condoms. "Okay let me tell you. Each one of these condoms is quite elastic. You can actually wash and reuse them. Sure you're going to need all of it?" the old man asked trying to flesh out his knowledge of condoms from many years ago when he was lost. Without thinking twice, Nobuhle replied "Yes" urging him to get the third box of condoms. She paid for the items, received her balance and walked out of the shop. Soon Nobuhle returned to her apartment and lit a cigarette. Outside, a Mercedes Benz pulled to a stop in front of the building. Two fierce looking men climbed out. One wore a T-shirt with the words "I love mi job". A proper Nigerian man Jay-Jay, usually dressed in designer African attire and regular Jeans, led the men towards the entrance. Nobuhle heard knocks on the front door and quickly went over to open it. As she pulled the door unlocked, Jay-Jay marched in with his men smiling. "Nobuhle my sister", he said. "I'm not your sister" Nobuhle replied with her look showing nothing but the fact that she could never be a relative to any of the men, except maybe the purpose of their timely visit. "Okay let me give you something you want, White Chocolate." Jay-Jay placed a packet of cocaine on the table in front of Nobuhle. "This one is for you, and your people. You can pay me whenever it's finish. All of it". he said. "So how was the holiday with your family? You don't look happy," Jay-Jay continued, showing a bit of concern for Nobuhle. His men proceeded to get the packet of coke from her and began to cook up a storm. "All the time I go home, I come back feeling this way. No one cares. No one gives a fuck about me," Nobuhle mumbled leaning back on her chair. She remembered how her mother made her a laughing stock. How she was humiliated before her stepsisters who to her surprise had grown very happy with unbelievable stories about how men were driving them around in flashy cars and open doors for them. Moved by the tone of Nobuhle’s voice, a very unusual compassion, Jay-Jay responded shaking his big head. "No. I don’t want you to feel bad. You're like me. You just want different things. Relax." he regarded his men as they continued to cut the dope. "How about we go shopping tonight? Watch a romance movie, and then touch the body. What do you think?" he asked sliding his hand up her perfect legs. Unfortunately for him, the dismal look on Nobuhle’s face turned vicious. This worried the men and Jay-Jay decided then that it was time he and his boys left to attend to his other businesses. "Nobuhle I know you don’t have a man. Let me be the first to know when you need a man" He said chuckling with his boys, consoling his yet another failed attempt, a way of taking advantage of the co-depended relationship he had with the many prostitutes working for him. "I’ll be back for my money on Friday". He said and began to wonder off with his men leaving on the table a cocktail of well-prepared dope to help Nobuhle and her situation.
CHAPTER TWO
The Early-morning visitor
One week later, a man wearing a cheap black coat appeared entering Nobuhle’s apartment building early in the morning. He walked towards the entrance of her apartment like a lamb. Old but sturdy in the coat was Mr. Noel, the white man from the supermarket. He looked very calm as he entered Nobuhle’s flat and stood by the door staring at her. "It’s very early in the morning, but I suppose a man has to do what a man has to do" He said looking at his wrist watch and then Nobuhle who was sitting propped up on her comfy chair, wearing a top that outlined her body beautifully. The cloud of her cigarette made it difficult to tell if it was her Mr. Noel was talking to. "Come in. Have a seat,"Nobuhle offered with some respect for the old men. Not many like him would be able to run a supermarket without any support and be so successful. In spite of that, Mr. Noel continued to stare at Nobuhle out of fear and embarrassed that a man of his age was up early in the morning sneaking around for prostitutes. "So how long you’ve been doing this? This early-morning business, you do it for the fun or for a living?" He asked, taking a seat on the couch. Nobuhle got up from her chair and moved over to her CD player. "I thought you were going to ask, so what do we do now" She flicked through a stack of CDs and chose a soulful Afro-pop. "Now let’s talk about your money. How much do you make from the supermarket? I mean your profit. You know?" She wondered but with her music, starting to play, Mr. Noel got overwhelmed and felt it was unseemly for him to be talking about his money. "Should we not be talking about sex or actually doing it?" He asked dismissively. In response, Nobuhle sat on his lap and started to finger his coat, his chest and his neck. "Now, tell me about your wife?" She said in a soft voice. "My wife is gone. She’s gone away with some rich bastard." The old man replied trying to look at her face. "You mean your wife left you for another man?" "It’s been thirteen years" "So she doesn't care about you?" "No. All she cares about is the new man in her life." Nobuhle took his hand and squeezed it on her breast gently. The old man wasn’t expecting that. He managed to catch his breath. "Does your wife by any chance know how much you're making from the shop?" Nobuhle asked without a flicker of expression. "What shop?" "Your supermarket" "No she doesn't." "Then you should tell her. Let her know your income. Show her how comfortable you've been without her," Nobuhle suggested but clearly, the old man was not so sure. He could sense where the conversation was going so he opted to know Nobuhle a bit more. "You talk as if you have something in mind" He responded. Nobuhle didn’t say a word. Instead, she got up and moved back to her chair and lit a cigarette. "Yes. I have something in mind," She muttered. "What is it?" he asked. "My mother." "What about her?" "She thinks I'm a disgrace to her family." "Why's that?" "Because at 30, no job. No kids, nothing" "Does that mean you've been doing this business all the time?" Nobuhle sm
iled, and began to tell him about her last day-job working as an assistant at a law firm which relocated to Pretoria. This urged Mr. Noel to glance around and he noticed Nobuhle’s photographs on the mantle. Some of which, snap shots of Nobuhle and colleagues. Good times. "I use to wake up every morning, take a bath and go to work." She said, "But when my mother heard I'm looking for job, guess what? She tells me I lost my job because I can't keep a job." "Did you lose your job?" He asked "Like I said they relocated to Pretoria. I wanted to move need me" "So your mother doesn't believe that?” "She thinks I should be ashamed of myself." "Ashamed of yourself for what?" "My mate are all married and having kids. But what have I? Nothing." "So this is not what you wanted? Is that what you're saying? This is not what you really wanted" Mr. Noel asked looking at her very sternly. Suddenly, Nobuhle wasn’t willing to talk anymore about herself. To her, it was time for business. She got up and directed the old man to follow her inside the bedroom. She threw forward a recognisable box of condoms and got herself twisted into a very suggestive pose on the bed. "Come in" She called. Without wasting any more time, Mr. Noel pulled his trousers off and climbed inside the bed. "Please help me honey, I can’t remember the last time I was inside a woman", He mumbled trying to grab her. Nobuhle slipped her top off allowing the old man easy access to her breast, and the both of them continued getting very intimate till it was finally sunrise.
