It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is out and the sea breeze is blowing. Nothando is feeling lonely and lost. She is sitting in a public play park, trying to think of what to do next.

Let me check my emails. I might find responses from some of the jobs I have been applying for on Careers 24 and Gumtree, she thinks, swiping her phone. But there are no new emails. She feels like sobbing.

Then she remembers her college friend Precious, who lives at South Beach in a flat. Maybe I can squat with her while I think about the next chapter in this miserable life of mine, she thinks.

She sends Precious a WhatsApp message and then takes a taxi to the beachfront where Precious lives, and waits at the gate of her block of flats. Precious is not there but has said she is on her way home.

Nothando looks at all the cars dropping people at the gate. But Precious is in none of them. Now a brand-new VW Golf 7 with tinted windows comes swerving in and parks at the kerb. Nothando watches, curious to see who will get out of it.

To her surprise, it is her friend who pops out of the car. A few seconds later an old man opens the driver’s door and follows her. Nothando is too far away to see him clearly and not too interested anyway; her attention is on Precious.

The old man opens the back door and takes out a lot of clothing store shopping bags, which he gives to Precious. He kisses her on the cheek, gets back in the car, and with a ‘vooooooommmmmm!’ he pulls off.

“Chomi wam (my friend), Nothando! It’s been a while, bra.”

The two friends hug each other.

“So I heard your story about your mother kicking you out; I am very sorry, friend. But who kicks out a well-mannered girl like you anyway?”

“Yes, it’s an unfortunate situation, but I will pull through. Can I stay with you for a few days as I try and sort out this mess?”

“Sure! No problem. You can stay as long as you want; you know I’ve got your back like that.” Precious winks at her sad friend. “Let’s go inside. You must be tired and hungry.”

Precious leads the way to the lift.

“So where have you been, and who is the guy that brought you home?” Nothando asks.

Precious giggles. “Chomie, intombi ayibuzwa (You don’t ask a grown woman where she has been). What’s important is that I’m here now, and I’m safe and super-excited! I wish I could re-live my weekend all over again.”

“Woza nazo, chomi, tell me everything. Take me through what made you so excited. Maybe your stories will cheer me up.”

“All I can say is: I’m sold on older men. Damn, but they know how to treat a woman,” says Precious, as she tangles her finger in her new super-long Peruvian weave, rolling her eyes as she speaks.

“My blesser is a real gentleman. Look how much shopping I did with his credit card. And he’s promised to buy me a car if I keep him as happy and satisfied as he was during our weekend stay at Beverly Hills Hotel in Umhlanga.”

“Your blesser? A car?” asks Nothando in shock.

“Yes – brand new wheels,” says Precious with pride, as she takes the shopping from the bags and starts fitting the clothes on. “Lucky I got my license when we were at college.”

The clothes all look so good on her; Nothando is envious. Her friend is beautiful and sexy, and the clothes complement her hour-glass, Kim Kardashian figure and her yellow-bone complexion perfectly.

Nothando can’t stop staring at her friend and admiring the beautiful clothes – very different from the old gown and slippers she has changed into.

“But all these clothes look so expensive, mngani wami, and your hair is on fleek! I think I’ll be getting my own blesser soon, chomie,” says Nothando jokingly.

“All the best finding a good one like mine, without an STI,” Precious jokes back.

They both laugh as Precious packs up her clothes and Nothando goes to the spare room to unpack hers.

***

Tell us: What do you think of blessers and their blessees?