Thabo stood at the school gate looking at me and my new fancy ride. He was obviously confused. Bet the little bugger wasn’t expecting to see me driving, let alone such a beast. I hooted for him as I pulled up. The look on his face was priceless.
“Yoyoyo! Ntoana!” he shouted as he opened the passenger door. “Boy you are on fire! You my friend are on another level. Let me guess, Sugar mommy’s car right?”
“Dude, her name is Julia and this car right here is regarded as mine for as long as I’m a good boy. So tell me boy, where do you want boss Thaps to take you?” I asked with a smug look on my face.
Before Thabo could say anything in response, Hazel decided to let herself into the car without an invitation.
“Hello boys!” she greeted us with an attitude.
“And then wena? Who said you were allowed to enter my car–”
She cut me off with an evil, shrill laugh, then replied, “You mean Julia’s car? Hoooo…shame. It’s such a pity you know. Boys are really wasting their time on sugar mommies. How old is she? Sixty? Seventy?”
Thabo looked ready to throw her out of the window. “Eish ntoana, just give me permission to throw this thing out.”
“No my man. Let me handle this,” I replied with a smile. Turning to address the evil witch that had climbed into my car uninvited. “Hazel nunu, you need to stop making a fool of yourself. You and I are done. All this sneaking around, threatening my girlfriend, is really not cool. Look, I don’t care if Julia is a hundred. The fact remains that she has me and you don’t. Why don’t you do us all a favour and get your small behind out of here.”
For the first time in my life, I witnessed defeat on her slimy face; she had tears in her eyes. It served her right for threatening the love of my life. All the while, Thabo was laughing so hard, making it even easier for me to humiliate her. But instead of her bugging out of the car, she sat there and folded her arms, refusing to budge.
“Hazel please, we need to go now,” I said with a soft voice.
“Are you done? Hmmm? Are you done humiliating me in front of this voo-doo you call a friend? Shame! It was nice ne? It was very nice when we slept together, but you forgot one thing you fool… protection. Well guess what, I’m pregnant. Julia better have money for nappies, you jerk ass.”
She stormed out of the car, slamming the door behind her. I was just about to call after her when Thabo said, “No man…no. Don’t tell me you buy into all that bullshit. That girl is like cancer boy, just like the rest of the girls in SESHEGO. The only way for them to keep a guy is to tell him they are pregnant. Fuck all that bra! Let’s go have us a good time bra.”
Hazel’s outburst kept me thinking for a while, but the ten grand in my pocket quickly removed her from my thoughts.
The first thing I did when we got to the mall was deposit three thousand rand into Aunty Matlaka’s account as a way of thanking her for taking in my little sister. We had lunch at Spur and I couldn’t stop laughing at Thabo, who was already promising some girl a lift back home. And when they denied him, he started telling them were to get off; “
“Okay boy, stop. Better finish eating because I need you to help me pick something up,” I said, pushing away my plate.
“Ntoana, are you crazy? You are leaving all this food behind? Hell no boy. I’m eating all this food, bra. I’m tired of magogo’s chicken feet boy.”
So I watched him wipe his and my plate clean at the same time. Afterwards, he called a waiter over, demanding a beer. After paying the five-hundred-rand bill, he was finally ready to go.
I dragged him to a jewellery store. I needed him to help me pick out something nice for Mimi. I was not willing to back down, no matter how hard she pushed me away. We came across a very nice necklace with diamonds splattered all over it, and it had matching silvery diamond earrings too. I didn’t care what they cost; I was buying them for my baby.
Thabo kept complaining about me wasting so much of my money trying to impress a girl, but all that mattered to me was finding a way to apologise to the one girl I loved with all my heart. The necklace and earnings cost me R2 500. Next to the jewellery store was a florist’s shop and they wrapped gifts too. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Mimi’s face when she opened her present. Just after paying for the gift-wrapping, my phone rang. It was Julia.
“Hi babes,” I said.
“You better get your ass here if you know what’s good for you,” she screamed over the phone.
“What’s wrong love? Am I in trouble?” I asked, feeling a bit confused. When I left her house this morning, everything was in good order.
“Just get here Thapelo before I do something I’ll regret later! I’m giving you ten minutes.” Then she hung up.
“Thabo mfethu, looks like there’s trouble in paradise boy. I have to rush back home.”
“Heya! So her house is already home for you, boy? Tell me, when should I move in? Even the garage is fine, as long as I can be home,” he said teasing.
“Boy quit playing and listen to me. I need you to do me a huge favour, please. You have to take these things to Mimi my friend. I trust you on this one. Don’t disappoint me.”
“Dude, what is the real story here? Did that girl dump you or what?”
“She did bra…”
“So why are we spending so much money on her, son?”
“Because she is special. Look magogo be spitting fire. We have to rush. I’ll drop you at your place but, please boy, don’t disappoint me.”
“I don’t know what’s so special about that girl. It’s like she’s bewitched you or something,” he said, snatching the gifts out of my hands.
“Don’t worry,” I said, “One day you’ll understand. For now, let’s hit the road my man.”
As I drove Thabo home, I kept asking myself what could have rattled Julia’s cage like that, but I was not prepared for what I found when I got to her house.
***
Tell us what you think: What do you think was awaiting Thapelo at Julia’s house?