by Dhasi Mwale
First Published in Great Britain in 2021 by
LOVE AFRICA PRESS
103 Reaver House, 12 East Street, Epsom KT17 1HX
www.loveafricapress.com
Text copyright © Dhasi Mwale, 2021
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
The right of Dhasi Mwale to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 9781005766788
Dedication
For Sozi and Papsi: They taught me that the world belongs to the courageous.
Blurb
“You don’t make it easy to love you, do you, Kitty?”
Six days to the music festival that will make her career as an events planner, Kitty’s meticulously scheduled life is thrown into chaos by the reappearance of charming but irresponsible Wezi, her deceased brother’s best friend.
It’s been two years since he vanished and abandoned her when she’d needed him most. She should be fuming. Right? But Wezi’s always been her weakness, and maybe this time, things will be different.
Chapter 1
Katenekwa Mwaba stared at the poster on the wall without looking at the man in it. She had learned the skill when the Keystone Music Festival’s promotional posters and billboards appeared all over town. Her sanity depended on it.
Every day that she refused to acknowledge Wezi Sichizya’s existence was a victory. Someday soon, she hoped, she’d be able to stare right at his face, feel no pain, and not force down tears.
Katenekwa sighed, rolled her shoulders, and turned her attention to her wristwatch. The minute hand marched steadily toward the hour.
She had scheduled her daily debriefing with Lillian, Media GQ’s events manager, at four-thirty. That was a half-hour ago. If she didn’t drive out of the premises by five-thirty, she’d be stuck in traffic and would lose two hours—the only two hours she had each day to do work for her other clients.
Although planning the Keystone Music Festival was the most significant contract of her career, she still had other clients to satisfy. The closer the festival got, the less time she had. Sure, she could ask her assistant Gwen to take up more responsibilities. Still, she had a reputation to uphold, and Gwen wasn’t quite there yet.
Lillian popped out of her office jack-in-the-box style.
“Hi, Kay. Sorry, sorry. Come in.” she said, all in the space of a breath.
Katenekwa crossed the threshold. What was supposed to be a stylish, modern office in minimalist style resembled a hoarder’s paradise. Well, if hoarders kept nearly pristine, shrink-wrapped bundles of fliers everywhere. She followed Lillian’s lead, squeezing past the stacks, and took a seat on the only unoccupied chair. “Did the printer run out of space?”
Lillian slid between a stack of papers and her desk to get to her chair. Fortunately, her size-six body could make the manoeuvre with only mild difficulty. Someone of Katenekwa’s size, however, would need a bit more wiggle room.
“The printer made an error and hasn’t come to pick them up. I put them in here so he’d have to face me. Busy talking about us covering the cost when it was his mistake. Idiot.” Lillian collapsed into her chair, ran her fingers through her honey-gold weave, and propped herself up with her arms.
This was Lillian in her most relaxed state. That printer fella better watch out. In the two years, Katenekwa had known Lillian, no one had ever won a fight against her. Lilian was a decisive woman who made her expectations clear and wasn’t above litigation if needed.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. It’s our busiest season. I wish I had you planning Zig’s album launch. The planner is a nightmare.” She waved her hands at the bundles. “Case in point.”
Katenekwa shrugged. “It would have been a lot to handle, even for me.”
At the very least, the rapper would have been. His larger-than-life persona drained Katenekwa even in their brief encounters—imagine hours with him. What’s more, most of her interactions with Zig involved him hitting on her and her refusing his company while wondering what it would be like to let loose with him.
She wasn’t going to lie. If she had to spend that much time with the way-too-charming and attractive Zig, she’d end up in his bed. She’d lose her mind. Give in to her basest of instincts and unhinge. She was no superwoman. She expended maximum energy keeping the animal caged, and men like Zig the Lyrical had the passcode.
“Hmm. That’s unfortunate. So, what’s the news?”
“I confirmed with all the vendors. We finalized arrangements for the booths, food, water, and merch. I just need the menu choices from the artists to give the caterer. Tomorrow,” She opened her day planner. “We’ll be setting up the marquee.”
“Wait. I thought tomorrow was the setup for the stages.”
“No, that can’t be right.” Katenekwa flipped through her binder. She scowled at her booking confirmations. Sure thing, she’d booked both set-ups for the next day. “How could I have made such a mistake?”
“Can’t you reschedule one?”
Katenekwa fought the urge to rub her temples. “Mike insisted that he needs the stages tested, and we booked rehearsals already. And I need the marquee erected if we’re going to have everything brought in and arranged in time for the gala. Besides, the marquee set up is in the morning and the stage in the afternoon. I’ll manage, somehow.”
“Don’t push yourself. Don’t you have an assistant?”
“Gwen’s going to be busy with another client tomorrow. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay, then, if you say so. I don’t have to remind you that we’ve both invested too much money in this.”
“It will work out.” It had to. Her career, reputation, and future depended on it.
Lilian leaned back in her chair. “When do you need the menu finalized?”
“The caterer is pretty flexible, but Thursday, latest.”
Lilian nodded, wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead, and reached into her drawer. “I have that invite you asked for.”
Katenekwa reached for it, but Lillian pulled it away. “What?”
“I recall you collecting your father’s invitation weeks ago. Imagine my surprise when you asked for this one. Bringing a date?”
Katenekwa snatched at the envelope in vain. Lillian leaned back in her chair and tapped the eggshell envelope on an armrest. “Is it the banker?”
Katenekwa shifted in her seat. First, Josiah was no banker. Second, it was none of Lillian’s business. Not that Katenekwa would tell her that. Lillian may not have been her boss per se, but she cut most of Katenekwa’s pay cheques these days. What was that about biting the hand that fed you?
Katenekwa sighed. “Yes. I’m bringing Josiah.”
It was a decision she’d made after months and months of internal debate. But, in the end, she hadn’t been able to find a reason not to invite him. Although when she’d asked him, some wicked part of her had hoped he’d say no.
Lillian tossed back her hair and pushed the envelope across the table. “Hmm. He doesn’t seem like the party type. Are you sure? Why don’t you bring Zig? He has a massive crush on you.”
“Aren’t you the one always telling me to stay away from the talent? And Zig? No. He’s not even my type.” Katenekwa palmed the envelope.
Lillian parted her full, plum-
coloured lips. “It’s one night. And I see you looking at Zig like he’s a forbidden candy bar. Besides, I’m starting to think you might need a little chaos in your life, missy.”
Kawana, Katenekwa’s twin and the Zed pop sensation known as Keystone, used to tell her that. Before…
“No one needs chaos.” Katenekwa shook off the memories and pushed herself to her feet. “I have to get back to my office. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Think about what I said.”
She did. All the way to her city-centre office. It wasn’t the kind of thing she was thrilled to let occupy her mind with, especially when she had work to do.
Was planning out her life so bad? Plans were good. She should know. She was a planner.
Nothing messed things up like spontaneity. And guys like Zig, they were all spontaneity and no structure. She didn’t need any of that.
Besides, technically she’d be working at the gala. What better place to make business connections than a party filled with all the Keystone Festival’s sponsors and then some? She needed to be at her best, and Josiah would make sure she was.
Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have it all back—the fun, the laughter.
Kawana had dragged Katenekwa out of her neatly folded lifestyle. Once upon a time, she’d dared to step out of herself. In the end, though, fun did what fun does: it took. It took Kawana, and it took Wezi. She’d stay in the slow lane, thank you very much. Life was safer there anyway.
Katenekwa pulled into her reserved parking space. She’d strong-armed her father into giving her the Toyota Spacio.
The parking lot was almost deserted at this time. Lusaka’s central business district had emptied over an hour ago. Although her office complex was secured, she needed to be out in under an hour if she planned to make it home before her overcautious neighbours locked the front gate.
She rummaged in the backseat for her Keystone day-planner. Nothing. She stretched and wracked her brain. Of course! She’d been so distracted by Lillian’s ridiculous suggestion that she’d left it on the desk. She’d have to swing by Media GQ before heading out tomorrow morning.
Just great.
She waved to the night guard and began the two-storey ascent to her office. Despite its shoebox size, rent cost a fortune. The uptown location did its part to attract customers willing to pay a little extra for her services. Not to brag, but she was the best event planner in the business. Plus, the security meant she could work late when the need arose. And lately, the need arose.
She wrinkled her brow at the laughter that met her at her office door. She checked the sign. Yep, this was her office, and that was Gwen’s I-like-this-man-so-much giggle. A deep, sexy-in-a-musical-kind-of-way baritone said something to make Gwen snort and then hiccup.
Katenekwa pushed down the rising irritation with a deep inhale and a short mantra, strode into the room, and met Gwen’s sheepish smile with a, hopefully, not-too-stern face.
“Hi, Gwen. You’re here late.” She hung her bag on the rack and turned to greet, or rather, inspect Gwen’s guest.
Her mouth became the Sahara, and she turned to stone.
“He insisted on waiting, and I couldn’t leave a stranger in the office,” Gwen said, her voice booming, as usual, oblivious to her boss’s sculpture-like pose.
Katenekwa stared at the man in her visitor’s chair. Behind him, leaning against the wall, an all-so-familiar navy-blue guitar case.
“Hi, Kitty. It’s been a while,” he said in a voice created for song.
“Wezi.”
So much for staying away from chaos.
Chapter 2
Wezi rubbed the back of his neck and parted his lips into that Wezi-specific half- enchanting, half-nervous grin.
It took a minute longer than she was comfortable with, but Katenekwa regained her cognitive functions and spoke. “Gwen, can you give us a minute?”
Gwen’s face registered understanding, and she slipped out the door.
Whatever Gwen assumed she’d understood about Katenekwa’s request couldn’t be right.
Wezi was, simply put, an undefined complexity in Katenekwa’s life. He didn’t qualify as an ex because they’d never dated. Instead, he’d been one of her closest friends. Almost family. He’d filled whatever role her life needed, but never the part of a lover. What they did was flirt. Yet, she felt him deep within her in a way that often disqualified the pretentious role of friend.
Wezi stood, closed the space between them with two strides, and gathered her in his arms. She stiffened, then melted, but before she could enjoy his warmth, he pulled away.
And so, they stood facing each other in silence and awe till he spoke. “You look amazing, Kitty.”
Wezi, always generous with compliments.
Katenekwa wrapped her tired arms across her chest. An ineffective move with her 38Ds. She fought the urge to drop her arms to her sides, lest he thought she was uncomfortable.
Of course, she was, but he didn’t have to know that. For all he knew, his presence here meant nothing. Made her feel nothing. And oh, how she wished it was so.
“You don’t look bad yourself,” she said and bid her racing heart to still.
Wezi never looked bad. He was attractive without needing to try. Athletic build, extra dark roast coffee skin, face chiselled as if by a sculptor. His effortless beauty sometimes made her feel inadequate about her own looks.
Her pear-shaped figure was at the wrong end of the BMI chart, and she was short, with skin that burned in the sun even though she wasn’t light skinned. Oval face, small nose.
In her own right, she was attractive but next to Wezi? Even when he came straight out of bed—drowsy, crusted eyelids, bed-head Afro—Wezi was a looker.
“You cut your hair!” she said with a gasp.
He ran a hand over his short fade. “Yeah. My agent thought I’d book more jobs.”
Katenekwa went around the table and collapsed into the chair. “I take it the modelling is going well.”
“It’s all right. It was weird at first.”
Not as weird as it had been for her to come to work one morning and find Wezi’s image everywhere. It had been Lillian’s idea to use him on the festival’s promotional posters. Pretty people grab people’s attention.
Katenekwa’s longing gaze swept over Wezi. Ain’t that the truth, she thought. She pulled her attention away from him and chose a spot on the wall behind him to focus on. “So, I saw your name on the program for the festival.”
His head bobbed in a partial nod. “Yeah. They called me way back when. I heard you’re planning it. Congrats.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his legs at the ankle.
“K pulled a few strings before he….” Her sanity strained at the memory, and she choked. She willed the unpleasantness away. “So, you waited all day? You could have called.”
He flashed his teeth. “I thought I’d surprise you, and I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me.”
Her gaze left the wall for a second. Wanting to see him had never been the issue. It was what she’d do once she saw him that was a problem. “Of course, I’d want to see you.”
“That’s cool then because I need your help.”
“Yeah?”
“Remember when you told me I exemplify the ‘starving’ in ‘starving artist’?”
“I remember saying something like that, yes.”
“Well, that hasn’t changed all that much. I need a place to stay this week, just until after the show. I won’t take much, I swear. I just can’t afford a motel room right now.”
Wezi went on to explain how he’d be an invisible guest. Sure. Because she could be under the same roof with him and not see him, hear him, or smell him. She’d know. Her body would know. Her heart would know. And thus, it thumped wildly, singing tales of woe. But God, he was so cute. She leaned into her hands and followed the rhythm of his pacing while he explained himself.
He came to a stop in front of her. “What?”
/> “You do this over-talking thing when you’re nervous. It’s adorable,” she said.
He tucked in his lower lip into what might have been a pout had not the corner of his mouth turned up. “I’m a man. You can’t use that word to describe me.”
“So adorable!” she said in a mock whisper.
She could refuse. However, that option would require her to confront and verbalize all the pain he’d caused her, and frankly, now was not an appropriate time to go digging in the past. Besides, it was just a few days, and then he’d disappear into the night as only he knew how.
“Okay. You can stay with me. But you know I live in a one-bedroom, right? You’ll get the sofa.”
“I’ve slept on worse. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re family.”
The light in his eyes went out.
***
Gwen and Wezi chatted endlessly about, well, everything. Katenekwa had never experienced such an easy connection with anyone. When she and Wezi had met, she’d taken a few months to warm up to the loud, overly affectionate guy who insisted on calling her ‘Kitty’. He’d come into her life chock full of hugs and kisses, and each time he left, her world froze over. He was her summer day. Had been. Guess she was no Gwen.
A little after ten pm, they dropped Gwen off at her flat after picking up pizza. Her exit left a conspicuous vacancy in the car that Katenekwa had not expected.
“So, you guys hit it off,” Katenekwa said.
“I’m shocked you hired her. She is so the opposite of you, Kitty.”
“Yeah, well, I needed some of that. People think I’m too serious.”
“Oh no, love. You’re downright scary.”
Katenekwa attempted a laugh to coax her heart back into her rib cage. As was its nature, it had taken a dive into her stomach when he called her “love.”
She needed him to say something else to warm the air that was rapidly dropping in temperature. She hadn’t been ready for this reunion. Not yet. So much had happened. And with Gwen’s exit, she was left with her uncomfortable and ill-defined emotions.
