6 March 2022, Sunday 

Dear Diary 

Today I decided to cook a hearty homemade meal since it’s a Sunday. David hasn’t had one since the December holidays. Thato just doesn’t like cooking so I thought why not? It has been long since I cooked a meal with so many different colours.  

I’ve made creamy spinach, mushroom sauce, chakalaka, potato salad, green salad, rice and roasted chicken and for dessert, I made the regular jelly and custard. The time now is 12 p.m. David will be here at 2p.m. I  can’t wait. I will tell you how it went. 

Dear diary 

The time now is 9 p.m.  

The lunch: 

I got a call from David at 2 p.m. saying he was 5 minutes away. I started dishing up but by the time I was done, he still wasn’t there. I then received a call from him saying Scelo wouldn’t allow him to come in even though visiting hours were not over. Thato and I went downstairs to find out what was happening. We asked Scelo why he wouldn’t let David in. 

He said, “I don’t want this guy here.” 

It was a funny answer diary, like you don’t want him? When he’s not here for you? 

He was like, “I don’t know this guy, therefore I don’t trust him. I told your sister that I will take care of you  guys and that is exactly what I’m doing, so I don’t want this guy.” 

“But we know him Scelo and so we trust him plus visiting hours are not over,” Thato said.  

The guy wasn’t budging till the senior caretaker came through. He asked Scelo what his problem was and  asked Scelo to stay in his line of work before he got a second written warning and he backed off. We went up to our room and had our lunch. It was great, they enjoyed the food.  

My mind kept going back to Scelo, I was getting really worried about his behaviour, and I still am worried. I  know for sure now that he is not looking out for us. He seems to be more on my case than he is with Thato, or any of the girls that live here.  

I opened up to David and Thato about Scelo’s behaviour and I told them that I think it might be more than what we think, an obsession maybe. They tried to assure me that Scelo was just like any other caretaker, a pain in the ass. I didn’t think so but I let it go. 

When I accompanied David down to his car, we passed Scelo at the front desk. He paid us no attention. He  was talking to one of the first years,  

“Umuhle (you’re beautiful), has anyone ever told you?” I heard him say to the girl.  

Yours truly 

Zanele M.