Mahamba tilted her head and kissed her very softly on the lips.

“Does that answer your question?” His voice was low and husky.

“I suppose it does,” she said softly when he finally released her.

As soon as she arrived home, Juliet texted Precious and Bonny to tell them that she’d had a romantic date with Mahamba. They were both thrilled for her.

But that night Juliet’s sleep was disturbed by a vivid dream. In the dream she was dancing in a garden with Mahamba. The air was soft with summer and scented with roses. It was night but the moon and the stars caused the flowers that bloomed everywhere to take on a silver hue. Her fingers stroked the petals of the white roses that lay strewn about.

“I love you, Juliet. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” He bent his head and began kissing her, pulling her tightly into his arms.

In her dream her heart bloomed like the flowers. He was everything she had ever wished for and more. He was her dream man, her knight in shining armour.

Suddenly the dream shifted, the way dreams do. Mama Pinky stood hovering over her, her face creased in anger.

“You’re an impostor, Juliet Sathekge. I hired you to work for me – not to woo my son. You’ve turned him against me. I hate you!”

“Mama Pinky,” she protested, as her eyes filled with tears. “How can you say that? I love Mahamba.”

“How dare you answer me back with that cheeky tongue of yours, missy! Have you no respect for your elders?”

Juliet hung her head in shame. She was shaking uncontrollably.

“You’ve stolen my son’s heart. It doesn’t belong to you. Get out of my shop now and never darken my door again.”

Juliet woke up in a cold sweat. Normally she only remembered tiny fragments of her dreams, but in this case she recalled everything.

Juliet was happy to be busy at work the following day. She kept remembering the dream she had had. It felt like a heavy weight on her chest.

Now Mama Pinky had gone out to deliver some flowers. Juliet was happy to be alone with her thoughts. She was so absorbed in making a bouquet for a wedding that she didn’t hear the shop doorbell ring.

“Mama Pinky! Are you back there? Hello.”

A tall, very attractive young woman suddenly appeared in front of Juliet. She gasped and looked up in surprise.

“I’m sorry – I startled you. I was looking for Mama Pinky. Is she about?”

“No, she’s out making deliveries,” Juliet explained as she went over to the sink. She washed her hands under the tap.

“That’s OK,” the woman smiled at Juliet. She walked across to the table where Juliet had been working on the flowers. She stood for a moment, looking at all the arrangements that Juliet had carefully laid out.

“You’re really good,” she said, with genuine admiration in her voice. “I love the way you have mixed the colours together. Roses are my favourite, and I like red best.”

“Thanks.” Juliet was pleased with the compliment. “Was there something you needed from the shop?”

“No thanks. I just popped in to see Mama Pinky. I’ve been away in Johannesburg on a training course for the last week. I just wanted to touch base with Mama.”

“She’s out delivering flowers all morning,” Juliet explained. “I’m not sure what time she’ll get back. Can I give her a message?”

“Sorry. I should have introduced myself. My name is Mpho Jele. I’m soon to be Mama Pinky’s daughter-in-law. In fact I wanted to speak to her about the flower arrangements.”

All the time she spoke Juliet’s eyes were fastened on the huge diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand.

This young woman was engaged to Mahamba! Mama Pinky had told her she had three daughters and one son.

As soon as Mpho left she rushed to the toilet and threw up. Somehow she pulled herself together. She wasn’t going to make a fool of herself over a man who was engaged to somebody else.

Were all men the same? Was it in their nature to lie, cheat and deceive the women they supposedly loved?

As soon as Juliet arrived home she made herself a cup of tea and sat down at the kitchen table. Reaching into her bag, she took her cellphone out and switched it on. It rang immediately. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Mahamba phoning her. She let the phone ring out and saw that there were three missed calls from him.

Her stomach clenched tight. She felt the anger building up in her again. What type of man was he that he could go out with her, when all the time he had a fiancée?

Her head started spinning. She felt clammy and really sick. She took a few deep breaths and then exhaled them slowly.

She thought back to the night she asked him if he was married. She recalled the anger she saw burning in his eyes.

“I should have asked you were you ‘free’,” she said out loud. “I should have asked you did you have a fiancée.”

She shook her head in disbelief and tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Why did you make me believe you were available?” she whispered.

Juliet thought of her Ma. They were very close. Ma had been married to her father for nearly thirty years when he cheated on her. Many nights Juliet had stayed over with her. Ma seemed to cope OK during the day, but Juliet heard her crying every single night.

Then Juliet dropped her head on the table and began to sob. A few minutes later her cellphone rang again. She ignored it. Then she heard the bleep of a message coming through. You rat, scoundrel, liar! Are you going to tell me more lies? she thought.

She just couldn’t deal with him tonight. He had built her hopes up so very much. She really liked him – a lot. She felt that they would have been good together.

But, she felt grateful that she had found out about him so early in their relationship.

* * *

Tell us what you think: Should Juliet have taken Mahamba’s phone calls?