It was morning. The rank was starting to get packed, the noise levels rising as everyone was getting ready to do their respective jobs; he vendors calling people to come and buy their products. I was listening to my Whitney Houston collection in my taxi. You know how she sings and manages to make you want to love someone?

Well, it had only been a week since I had last seen Thando but it seemed like a lifetime. I was looking at her through the rear view mirror as she walked towards me in disbelief as I thought to myself how wonderful God was. She was wearing a blue dress and amaqhoks, high heeled shoes. The taxi rank manager was still busy with other customers and there I was crossing fingers that she would just come to my taxi and not wait for the manager to finish with the others. This was going to give me enough time to talk to her and get her numbers. I had to get her numbers that day!

As I had wished, she came straight to me. I was assuming that she wanted taxis to Vosloorus again.

“Sawubona bhuti,” she said.

“Aw! Thando, hello!” I greeted back so enthusiastically but noticed that I was shaking.

Even with the shivering, I had to be strong and be a man. I looked at her walking towards me with her shapely figure and her glossy skin. Oh! The grin! Her halo-white teeth just completed her beauty. I was literally staring at the poor girl. Her crescent shaped eyebrows inclined slightly as she caught me staring at her. I smiled lightly at being caught. She was just too beautiful, I couldn’t help myself. I was very sure that she knew that herself.

“Vosloorus sisi?” I asked.

“Usungi khremile kanti, have you memorised me already?” she replied.

I turned to her and said, “Your beauty makes it impossible for me to forget you.”

Suddenly her face lit up and she smiled. I took the smile as a suggestion. It was suggesting a platform for me to say more.

“You know you would make a perfect makoti?” I was shaking, but I wouldn’t have dared let that show otherwise she would have thought that I was a coward.

“Oh yea?” she replied. I could not really comprehend where those feelings were coming from, but I knew then that she was the love of my life. I don’t know how but I knew somehow that I could sense that all her smiles were coming from a very warm place.

“Thumela izinkomo ekhaya if you love me,” (send lobola home if you love me) she said.

She loved me too! That was what I was thinking when she uttered those words. I then told her that my taxi was going to Vosloorus. I climbed off the taxi and walked her to the other side to open the front door for her. I trusted her with my change and plus, I needed to get those digits.

When the taxi was full, I started the taxi. I was a bit unsettled but I knew that I needed to find the right words for our conversation, phela I did not want to scare her off. As I was busy thinking, lost in my thoughts, someone decided to speak. It was Ma’am Mnisi!

“Ay! Nina bafana niyahlupha (you boys are troublesome), leave that lady alone. I can see you want to take chances there, you seem nice but I know you are not. Once you get it you will fly, that’s what boys do to young ladies.” That was Ma’am Mnisi, directing all that to Thando, making it very clear that she did not approve of our conversation.

Eish! You know those old grannies and their tendencies! They liked putting their nose in people’s business; our conversation did not concern her! I would not dare let her rub me off like that from my love. In response I laughed. Not that I found Ma’am Mnisi’s comment amusing, I was just trying to hide my anger. It would be bad for all of us if I were to show it.

“Ay Mama, do not worry, next week I am sending lobola to her parents. She is my wife to be,” at the corner of my eyes, I saw my jewel Thando smiling. Thanks to Mnisi, now she knew my true intentions for her.

When the taxi was a few minutes away from her stop sign, I reminded her that I needed her numbers. She handed me the money and asked for my phone.

“Give me your phone,” she said with her small squeaky voice. She smiled as she gave back my phone with her numbers entered.

I thanked her, “Ngiyabonga Nkosazana,” thank you princess.

***

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