“I will lock up, cuz. Don’t worry about me,” I responded with an impatient smile. I just couldn’t wait any longer, I needed to see my plan in action. Palesa was the only person I wanted to see. Finally, Hlogi left, and I pretended to be locking up. I wished I didn’t have to hide things from her, but this was one plan I couldn’t bring myself to introduce to other people. What if she got jealous and decided to steal Katlego away from me like those two witches? I needed to make sure that I, and I alone, knew about this plan.

I waited to make sure Lehlogonolo was really gone. I picked up my bag, not forgetting my plastic bag of nuts, locked up from outside and prepared to leave for town.

I remembered her place as if I had been there yesterday. Katlego had picked Thateho and I up from the clinic and he had asked to go by his P.A.’s place to drop off some documents. If only I had known then that he was crossing me and that he was replacing me with her. Mmh, men can be cruel sometimes. It was a nice, cosy little apartment in town, not far from Katlego’s office.

I took a taxi to town, feeling very determined and I had had enough of that little home wrecker. I got off the taxi right at the coffee shop I needed the hot chocolate from. The weather was very cold outside, and hot chocolate was exactly what I needed. I bought a carrot cake to go with it and couldn’t have been more delighted after mixing the finely crushed nuts into the hot chocolate.

The coffee shop was not far away from her place, and in no time I found myself on her doorstep. After the third knock, the witch was at the door, and she didn’t look very pleased to see me.

“Mantoa? Can I help you?”

“Hao sisi, aren’t you going to let me come in?” I asked with a fake smile.

She moved away from the door but she still looked very uneasy. Once I was in, she asked me straight: “What do you want here? I’m sorry, but I stay alone here. I don’t need any help.”

Mmh, that girl really needed to get off her high horse! As if it was not enough that she was stealing my man, now she thought I would want to work for her? Really?

“I thought we could sit down somewhere and talk like adults…” I said calmly.

“This way then,” she said, leading me to her sitting room.

“Hao Sesi Pali. Don’t look so surprised to see me. I come here in peace. In fact, I desperately need your help with Mr Mangena. You are the only person he listens to…”

“You need my help?” She asked astounded.

“Yes, please talk to him on my behalf. I desperately need my job. I cannot afford to lose it, it’s just that I realised how important you are to him. How he keeps praising you. You are the only one he will listen to. Please, I …I don’t know what I will do… I… This job…” I started faking tears, and they sure came out in numbers, and that was where I got her. She suddenly moved closer to me to hold me in her arms.

“Okay, okay! I will talk to him…”

“Promise?” I asked, blowing my nose.

“I promise, sisi. You don’t have to upset yourself like this.”

“Oh thank you, Palesa! God bless you. I knew you wouldn’t turn me down, and that’s why I brought you this hot chocolate and carrot cake as my way of saying thank you…”

“Oh thanks. I was just about to go to the coffee shop! Those people make the best cakes! How did you know I love carrot cake? Let me have my hot chocolate before it gets cold, but in the meantime, let me get you water to calm yourself and you will see that everything is going to be okay.”

The little bitch had pretence written all over her face, but I didn’t care. She could pretend all she wanted. I was not leaving that house until I was sure she was dead.

She came back from the kitchen with a glass of water for me, picked up the hot chocolate and sipped at it… I loved every moment of it…

“Wow, it’s so tasty. To think I always ignore the hot chocolate menu. I always go for expresso, coffee and the like.”

The more she spoke, the more she gulped it down and then I saw her face start to change. She started swelling up, her mouth, her eyes, her nose! I bet Katlego wouldn’t want to see her looking like that! Then she started coughing uncontrollably, dropped the cup and started having what looked like a fit…

“Pl… please, ge… me… my… medication bag… nuts.., I am…allergic to n….”

“Oh, you are allergic to nuts, sweetie? Don’t worry! I knew all about that. Why do you think I’m here?” I asked with a very twisted smile on my face.

Poor, poor thing. She had now changed from pink to purple. I could see her slowly losing her breath, second by second…

***

Tell us: Do you know of anyone that suffers from a nut allergy? Do you know that they need an injection of special medication to stop the swelling?