Karabo’s cellphone rang, waking her from a deep sleep. She checked the time: 1:45 a.m. Who would call her at this time? Her heart started beating faster, thinking it must be an emergency – her mother or Poppy – but the number was anonymous. Against her better instincts she answered.
“Hello?” There was only quiet on the other end, breathing and quiet. “Hello? Who is this?”
Nothing.
“Hello? What do you want?”
She hung up, but she was now wide awake. Her black Labrador, Butch, lay on the mat next to her bed and she reached down and ran her hand over his sleek fur to calm herself. What kind of person did that? Called people and said nothing, deep in the night?
She lay back and tried her best to get back to sleep. It took a long time for the adrenaline to stop racing through her veins. Finally she fell asleep only an hour or so before she had to get up for work. It was going to be a long, tiring day.
*****
“So I heard you’re Sexy New Attorney’s legal secretary. How lucky are you?” Marea said in the car, on the way into the office.
“I am not going to jeopardise things at work just for a fling with some cute guy,” Karabo said. “You should consider that advice too.”
“Always so serious,” Marea retorted, dabbing at her lipstick in the passenger seat mirror.
Karabo thought Marea should be a bit more serious. She loved dating and did a lot of it – maybe too much. She claimed marriage was not her thing, but a career didn’t seem to hold much interest either.
“So, someone told me DT’s out,” Marea said.
“Yeah, I know. He came to the office yesterday.”
“He came to the office and you didn’t tell me?”
“Yeah, so? You’ll see him. It’s not like he’s not around.”
“So? What? Are you two getting back together?” Marea sounded far too excited for Karabo’s comfort.
“No. We’re not getting back together. I don’t need those sorts of problems.”
“But his sister told me he got clean in prison. No drugs, no drinking. And he learned plumbing. She said he’s already got a job with a big plumbing outfit in the city. Wants to start his own business once he gets some money together. He’s changed Karabo. You should think about it.”
“Good for him.” Karabo kept her eyes on the road, pretending that the turn into the office’s underground parking was more difficult than it was.
“You can say everything you want, but I know you two. That kind of love doesn’t just stop. It’s forever. You can lie to other people, but not me.”
Karabo parked the car and got out without replying. Her phone rang, but before answering it she said, “Marea, I’ll see you inside, let me take this.” She waited for Marea to move out of hearing range then answered: “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s me.”
“Hi DT. I thought I made myself clear yesterday.”
“Yes, you did. But I thought … I thought maybe we could meet up, for dinner or something. For old time’s sake. Just this once. I won’t bother you after that.”
***
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