By five to eight I was already settled in my office when Liz buzzed to say there was a Mr Ohara to see me. I told her to send him in.
“Take a seat sir.”
He did and I buzzed Liz to bring us two cups of tea.
“So Mr Ohara, what brings you here?”
“I need you to represent me about a matter very close to my heart.”
“And what is that matter, sir?”
“I think my partner disappeared with billions of Rands from our company.”
“Disappeared? What do you mean disappeared?”
“He is nowhere to be found.”
“I don’t understand then, how will I represent you if he is nowhere to be found?”
“Workers need to be paid; others are already threatening to take me to CCMA.”
“Who was in charge of your company account?” I was jotting down some notes.
“Both of us, until last Thursday when I got a call from our accountant telling me there is nothing left in our account. I thought it was just a prank. Since then, Sam October was unreachable and so is his wife.”
“Hold on, October? Do you know the wife’s name?”
“That is not important, sir, what is important is that you help me.”
Ever since he mentioned a Sam October I found my head buzzing. Could this October be the same one who threw a poor woman out of her house? We wrapped up the meeting, set up a date for our next appointment and Mr Ohara left. Soon after, there was a knock on the door. It was Sarah!
She was wearing dark sunglasses and a black Shawl covering up her face. She took a sit, silently and started crying.
“Hey, hey what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry for budging in here like this, I didn’t know where to go.”
“You’ve come to the right place sweetheart, what’s wrong?” I took out a Kleenex from the box on my desk and handed it out to her. She took it without even looking up. “What’s wrong Sara? Your husband again?”
She nodded.
“What did he do this time?”
“He is threatening to kick out my grandmother and kids out of the house he bought for us in Kimberly.”
“He wouldn’t, do you two have kids?” She nodded. “How many?”
“Three. The last born is just eight months old. I sent them back home when we started fighting, I don’t know what I’ll do. He demands I pay an amount of thirty thousands in his account or he’ll kick us all out. Where the hell am I supposed to get that kind of money when he froze all my accounts?”
“Isn’t there anything else you can do? Sell something or take a loan?”
“I’ve got a buyer for my car but he will only have the money on Friday.”
Just then her phone rang. She picked it up, spoke to someone who sounded like her grandmother and when she hung up, started crying even harder.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“My grandmother says there are guys who arrived at the house and ordered them to pack their things. What am I going to do? I have to go there now even if I go, what will I do Sbu?”
I knew it was stupid to think of giving money to a person I barely even knew. The truth was this woman made me feel things I never felt before in my life. I couldn’t let her go back to Kimberly. Since Mantoa was gone, we could have the house all to ourselves. With such a beautiful, elegant woman like her in my life, I wouldn’t even need the likes of Nomsa.
“No, please don’t go back, I’ll help you! Give me his account number and I’ll transfer the money right away. Call him and tell him you’ve got the money.” Thirty thousand was nothing, what could he possibly do with thirty thousand?
“No, I’m sorry. I can’t ask so much of you. Let me go back home and see what I can do.”
“No please,” I went to her, her sweet scent caressing me. It was like meeting a woman for the first time in my life. “Please let me transfer it.”
She jotted the account number down.
“Call him I’m about to transfer it.
“I’ll text him. I don’t think he’ll take my call. Thanks Sbu! Thank you honey, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just don’t go back to Kimberly please. Come and spend a few days with me in my house.”
“Your wife?”
“Let me worry about that.”
“I thank God a million times for a man like you.” She planted a kiss on my lips. Just then the door opened it was my firm partner Martin.
“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
Sara quickly put her shawl around her face and put her glasses back on. “I was just leaving.”
“Go and pack your things, we’ll talk. Don’t worry I just transferred it, he won’t do anything stupid.”
“Thanks again.”
She nodded at Martin as a form of greeting and left. Martin stood there for the entire five minutes staring at her.
“Beautiful isn’t she?” I said admiring her from behind.
“Is that Sara October?”
“You two know each other?” I asked with a tinge of jealousy.
“That woman is all over the news,”
“For what?”
“Her husband was found dead in his house, shot eighteen times. And by the look of things he had died a few days ago.”
I felt the familiar spurt of adrenaline as it kicked reflexes into high gear. This couldn’t be true.
“They say Sam October died on Wednesday, that was the last time he was seen.” Martin filled me in. “So you tell me, what the hell is Sara October doing in your office?”
“Martin, I think I just helped a criminal escape. I transferred thirty thousand in her account. She told me it was her husband’s account. Dammit!”
“You better be kidding, Sbu!”
I wished I was. In my entire life in this game I’ve broke a million hearts, hurt a few, loved a few but I have never been played for a fool. Dammit I’d been played!
***
Tell us what you think: Do you think that Sara had something to do with her husband’s death? What is she hiding?”