CHAPTER 9

My brothers finally left me to tend to their lives. Well, except for Mseki. Sometimes I wonder if he still lives at the apartment I pay for. He barely ever goes there.

Mseki was making eggs while I was making toasted bread. The smell of fish fingers lingered in the air. The way he was singing along to whatever song he was listening to on his headphones, you would swear it wasn't seventeen minutes till midnight.

I, on the other hand, was weighing the options of calling Zama or waiting till tomorrow morning. It had been six days since our dinner but I wasn't ready to swallow enough confidence to call her. After much hesitation I pressed the call button.

"Zama"

"Hello?"

She had a husky voice. To be honest, her morning voice was the opposite of cute.

"It's Nkosana"

"Oh, Nkosana. Hi and why are you awake at this time. "

"Just busy with a few things"

"And you decided to disturb my peaceful sleep while at it. "

"In my defense, I thought you were awake. It's too early to sleep."

"Do you perhaps have a watch, Nkosana?"

"I should be asking you that. Which manager in their right mind sleeps this early?"

"Me, Nkosana, I'm that manager. Who is screaming their lungs out to Drake at this time of the day?"

"My brother ,actually he's making our midnight snack. "

" I'm guessing noodles."

"No, he is making eggs with fish fingers and I am making toasted bread. "

"At this time of the day Nkosana."

"Yes. "

"Before I even forget. Why did you call me?"

"I don't know."

"Could you please consider calling me 7 hours from now?"

"Okay."

There was silence for a few seconds. Neither of us wanted to hang up. The call was filled with my brother's singing or yelling rather.

"Goodnight, Nkosana. "

And with that said she hung up. I later remembered that I was assigned to making toasted bread which I ended up burning, earning a disapproving look from Mseki.

I didn't call her. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't nervous or anything. I just didn't want her to think I was clingy or anything like that. But at least I called her two days later.

***********

We had three dinners at her house, our schedules tip-toed around Khetho's ins and outs. It was draining to be honest, her perception of me barely stung my being so if she saw me with her sister I wouldn't really care about what she would think of me.

Zama was sitting across me but she barely noticed my existence. She was nervously looking around the restaurant and drumming her fingers on the table. She suddenly froze "Nkosana", she whispered softly. I slightly raised my eyebrows waiting for her to continue.

"There is a lady on your left, wearing a tight navy blue dress with a black bag. She is Khetho's friend and she is literally staring at us. " She said with gritted teeth.

"Yeyi! Wena sfebe!" She she yelled while flashing pictures. With the way she was behaving, I instantly understood how she and Khetho were friends.

"Nkosana, can we please leave?" she pleaded

I quickly slid my hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeezed. For some unknown reason I wanted her to know that everything was going to be okay. I wanted her to be okay.

I hurriedly walked out of the restaurant, not minding the gawking eyes on everyone, wanting to know why this had happened.

Zama's eyes never left the floor,she fiddled with her fingers and her breaths were as heavy as a dog's.

I planned it out perfectly; I'd walk her to her workplace, not say anything, hoping we would somehow forget this memory, ignore her for days until I gathered enough courage to say anything through the rock hard awkwardness that resided between us.

But in this perfect plan that had spiralled in my head, I forgot the most important thing.

Things don't always go they way we plan them to.

We headed to the elevator, still hand in hand as we entered, we were faced with a coloured couple coming towards the elevator as well, the woman was pregnant which meant ,she walked as slow as a snail. The man next to her, carried a little who looked four years of age. The look in their eyes, I knew what they wanted. I wasn't going to stop the doors from closing, I wasn't prepared to be trapped in a confined space with a pregnant woman, even if it was going to be for a few seconds. I hate pregnant woman; they're fat, ugly and whine too much for my liking.

I let out a sigh of relief, thanking my ancestors for not letting my life become any more uncomfortable.

After a second or two, we were swallowed by darkness.

The elevator stopped.

Eskom.

The tiny hand that held onto mine started quivering.

The tiny four conored room was filled with soft sobs. What the flying fuck, she was afraid of the damn dark.

"Zama, are you crying?", it was a stupid question, I know.

"Yes." she said after a few moments of silence. The embarrassment in her voice was evident.

I tried my best to clog the little stifles of laughter down my throat. Do not laugh. I kept on chanting in my head.

"Why are crying?" I asked cautiously, I didn't want to be the reason behind her sobs becoming louder.

"I'm scared of the dark and in five minutes or so, I'm going to hyperventilate." she said casually.

I nodded in response not really understanding her words. After a minute or two, Zama tightens her grip on my hand. Her hand became damp, was she nervous?

My thoughts were interrupted by the loud inhales and exhales that filled the room.

I couldn't control the panick that had snuck into my skin. I needed to act fast, I could only do one of these four options:

a) perform CPR

b) encourage her to breathe, even if she was, at that moment, excelling in that department

c) step away from her and give her enough space to breathe

d)knock her out by punching her

In these four options, the most tempting was the fourth, do not judge me.

I pulled her body in my arms and did the most nonsensical thing; I hugged her. I whispered the sweetest lies, I told her that everything was going to be okay, I promised her that I would never leave her. The more lies I uttered, the more even her breathes became.

We stayed in that position for no more than half an hour. Her scent was strangely intoxicating. With every inhale,the air would take her scent with it, forcing me to take a whiff of her perfume. She smelled like a field of blooming flowers with a hint of boldness to it. I would occasionally bury my head deeper into the nape of her neck, my nostrils were slowly becoming addicted to her.

My hands were settled at the small of her back. My fingertips grew a mind of their own, slowly stretching themselves downwards.

Control yourself, Nkosana. She's sleeping for goodness sake.

The lights flickered and the elevator was moving again. The elevator opened revealing an angry looking woman ready to give us an earful.

Fuck.

Hi guys, I just want to thank everyone who is reading this book. And I do not hate pregnant women, I'm sorry to anyone I might have offended. But please guys bare with me.

Please carry on reading and vote and comment so I know how you feel.❤️