“Welcome to your home for the night,” Samkelo said.

“Thank you, Mr…”

“My name is Samkelo.”

“Nice to know you. I am Siphe.”

Samkelo led her to the sitting room. The interior was painted white, with white couches and a black wall unit. The wall was hung with black and white themed paintings and a few family pictures. A sparkling chandelier swung above her head. Siphe admired the view while Samkelo ordered food.

While they were waiting for the food, Samkelo showed Siphe her room. They walked down a long corridor with a million doors and turns, like it was a mall. They finally stopped in one of the rooms with a ‘guest’ tag on it. It opened to a white-linen queen bed, a built-in white wardrobe, and a black wall-mounted TV. It also had its own bathroom with a toilet, a bathtub, a shower, a basin, and a small chest of drawers. Siphe felt like she was in heaven.

“This place is so stunning. Thank you so much once again for allowing me to crash for the night.”

“It’s a pleasure, Siphe,” Samkelo replied as he put Siphe’s small bag on top of the bed.

Siphe was impressed by how beautifully he said her name. As a result, she was staring at him. When he turned around, their eyes locked, and they both smiled. Their moment was interrupted by a ringing doorbell.

It was the guy delivering their pizza, drinks, and ice cream. Samkelo went to get some plates and glasses, then set up a table in the living room.

They sat down to eat, and a conversation started. They talked about anything and everything, from their hobbies and fears to their dreams for the future. With each passing minute, they seemed to be more impressed by one another.

As the evening grew longer, they drifted into a conversation about childhood and from there to family history, the names of their family members and such like, as strangers meeting for the first time must do.

***

Siphe needed to use the bathroom, and Samkelo gave her the directions.

Quickly, Samkelo pulled out his phone and made a phone call.

“Mr. Galeka, how are you?” Samkelo said.

“Hey, son. Good, good… how are you?” Mr Galeka, Samkelo’s late father’s partner in the drug dealership business, replied.

“I’m good, sir. And I have some news for you,” Samkelo said.

“I hope it’s good news, son,” Mr. Galeka jokingly said.

“Do you still remember Mziwethu Ncoko?” Samkelo asked.

“Yes, I do. How can I forget that snake? The guy’s been stealing all of our international customers and dragging our business to the ground?” Mr. Galeka replied.

“Well, I have a link to him. To cut a long story short, I found his daughter stranded, and she was spending the night here. We can use her to get to her father, right?” Samkelo enquired.

“Mziwethu has kids? We are lucky to find such a link. Keep her around while we devise a plan,” Mr. Galeka replied.

“Alright! I’ll see you tomorrow uncle and we will find our strategy!” Samkelo said, and Mr. Galeka thanked him for the call before they said goodbye.

At that moment, Siphe came back from the bathroom and sat at the table once again. They cleared the table, still chatting and laughing. Siphe was about to wash the dishes, but Samkelo told her that someone would come in in the morning and do that.

They stopped outside the door to her room. “Goodnight Siphe,” Samkelo yawned.

“Goodnight, Sam,” she said with a smile. Samkelo went to his own bedroom, more than five rooms down the passage.

Siphe gave herself some time to admire the room once again. There was a sliding door leading to a balcony. She looked through the open curtains and saw a beautiful night sky with stars. Deep down, she wished she and Samkelo could just sit out there and continue with their conversation – just like how the people in the movies do it. But she closed the curtains and buried herself in the fluffy white blankets. She was out immediately, having her much-needed rest.