***5 years later***

It is true what they say, time flies when you are having a good time, and before I knew it, I had completed my Honours degree and had started with my Master’s degree in financial accounting. I was doing all of that while I was working full time at the university, and I had finished my degree well within the two year minimum requirement. I was later promoted to senior lecturer because of my academic upgrade and the experience I held in the industry. But I loved teaching though, and it felt wonderful to pass down the knowledge I had to those who had a burning desire to know, and a willingness to learn.

Besides the academics and everything else, I had a beautiful life. This was because, sometime during my stay in Cape Town, I met a guy called Sonwabile. He was a handsome man with a beautiful smile, glowing skin, and he was what people called “a whole package”.

Sonwabile and I had met on a Friday afternoon, during my pay day, and I had driven to the mall that day to buy groceries and do a few other things. I always liked going to a restaurant to eat as soon as I got to the mall, so, on that day, I went to Nandos because I loved their well-prepared chicken. Just after receiving my order, this other cute guy came to me and asked to sit with me. Who was I to refuse a wonderful time with a guy, so I agreed.

Sonwabile was very a very chatty guy, and he was also a very good communicator. After finishing our meal at Nandos, he accompanied me to the supermarket to buy groceries and other things I needed, then he walked me to my car to help me offload the plastic bags. When we were done, he hugged me and said he would call me later that day, then I went straight to my apartment after that because there was nothing much to do for the day.

Nine months into our relationship, we still loved each other the same way we had on the first day we saw each other, and I was very glad and grateful to have met a God fearing man just like I was. I was also very proud to have met a man with ambitions, and one who was both supportive and loving.

One day, after a long day at work, Sonwabile visited me at my apartment.

“Hey babe, you didn’t say that you were coming,” I asked when he walked in.

“So I have to make an appointment to see my lover?” he asked while kissing me. “Hell no.”

“Yeah, you should have told me so I can cook for you, or make this place a little tidier,” I responded while looking at him. “It’s been hectic at work these past couple of days. The students are approaching their May/June examinations, so I don’t have much time for my house, or even for myself for that matter.”

“Argh babe, don’t worry about it. I’m sure we can order something while cleaning, or we clean the house first, then go out to eat after. You’ll choose between the two,” Sonwabile said with a happy face.

“Okay, let’s clean the house first, then go out to eat,” I said without hesitating.

Sonwabile was such a nice boyfriend. He sometimes cooked for us, and I was very lucky and blessed to have him in my life. He was the fourth son to his parents, and he had studied Law at the University of Johannesburg. He was then admitted as an attorney at the high court in Cape Town, and he was an entrepreneur. He was also doing his PhD with UNISA, and his research was mainly focused on women and children’s rights. The reason he had chosen the topic was because he had grown up in an abusive home, and his father used beat his mother up. When they tried stopping him, he never thought twice about beat all of his children up too.

I hate what alcohol does to humans because, when they are sober, they apologise until their lungs run out of air, and you would see them crying and begging you not to leave them. Most people end up not leaving them because they love them, and some of them stay because they have kids with them. But, that is not good for them or for their kids. They just need tell themselves that, if he raises his hand on the, it is over, because if he does it for the first time, what would stop him from doing it the next time?

***

Tell us: What do you think about Ndalo and Sonwabile’s relationship?