Читать книгу Into the Sun - Takalani M - Страница 7

THANDEKA

What is with the clumsiness though? I get down on my knees to pick up the sugar container. Oh, Lord! How am I going to clean up this mess?

Luckily the sugar fell all in one spot on the rug. It is not that bad, really. Oh, who am I fooling? It is bad. It is so bad.

‘Don’t worry about that, you can get that cleaned up later,’ Rudzani says while standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. I wish I could wipe that smirk off his face. It is his fault that I was startled.

What is he doing here anyway?

He is wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and brown chinos. Not your typical chinos though. They look like high-quality pants.

‘I will quickly go get you another bowl of sugar,’ I say while getting to my feet.

‘No, no, relax. I don’t take my coffee with sugar. I have my coffee with just cream, thank you,’ he responds.

Who takes coffee without sugar?

I stare at him. He looks very different in his work clothes. But I won’t lie to myself: He looks as handsome as I remember him. It has been three weeks – not that I was counting.

‘Okay then.’ I take a deep breath before placing his coffee on the table. I set down the cream and a side plate with rusks too.

Why am I shaking? My hands are trembling and my heart is beating so fast that it feels as if it is going to jump out of my chest. I was not expecting to see him here. I left him at his home back in the village.

‘You disappeared,’ he utters as I am preparing to push the trolley out of this enormous office. I take a second to look around. There are dozens of trophies in the glass cabinet in the corner of the room. Pictures of him in different suits at various occasions are hung neatly on the grey walls. He has the longest white desk and a white upholstered office chair.

It must be nice to be him.

I also notice a picture of that boy who passed away. The very same picture was on his small casket that day. I heard he was the eldest brother’s son. Rudzani must have really loved his nephew.

‘Where did you go?’ he asks. I forgot he was standing there, waiting for a reply.

‘I scored the job from Ms Diana. I had to jump on the offer without thinking twice.’ I wanted to get out of the village and when Maria told me about this opportunity, I grabbed it. I honestly didn’t know he also works at this company. And on the fifth floor, just opposite Ms Diana’s office. That means he is part of management. But I guess it makes sense: Ms Diana told Maria that she was at the funeral as a family friend. She must know the family through her colleague, Rudzani.

‘Who is running your business?’ he asks.

Business. He makes it sounds like something big.

‘My brother,’ I chuckle. I suspect Thulani will deliver only two buckets and then give up. I just don’t see him knocking on people’s doors and counting eggs in their kitchens.

‘You should ask him to go see my aunt … He should supply to my father’s restaurants. I don’t get how Ronnie didn’t think of empowering one of our own.’

Well, Ronnie was my ex’s friend so I had to cut ties with him when Vhonani left me. There was no way I could ask for a favour from him. I hardly knew him. But in all honesty, I didn’t think about supplying my eggs to restaurants. My customers were just my few neighbours.

I turn the trolley towards the door. I think we are done here.

‘Thandeka, do you mind joining me for coffee?’ he asks. We are not done yet. ‘Just coffee.’

We’ve hardly met again and he already wants to jump into my pants? I roll my eyes with my face turned away from his.

Men!

‘Unfortunately, I need to come back and clean your rug before heading downstairs to get the boardroom ready for a meeting,’ I say sweetly. There is no need for me to be rude – I am at work here.

He walks closer to where I am standing and stops right in front of me. He stares into my eyes, forcing me to catch my breath.

He is too close, I can smell him. Lustful thoughts are running through his head, I suppose. I stare back at him and our eyes lock.

Why does he have to be this handsome?

I clear my throat to remind myself who I am standing in front of. A serial cheater.

I know to play it safe when it comes to this man. What I heard after the funeral was worse than what Maria told me. I need to stay far, very far, away from him.

There is a soft knock on the door. We both turn our attention there. Ms Diana peeps around the door and frowns when she notices me. I suck in my breath and take a few steps back as she slowly walks into the office. Her long weave makes her look rich and glamorous.

‘What the hell happened here?’ she calmly asks, command noticeable in her voice. Her eyes are on the rug. And then back on me.

‘I … accidentally spilled the sugar but I am going to get it cleaned up,’ I quickly say.

‘What are you waiting for, roll that thing out of here and clean it up.’

‘Roll it out? Come on. She just needs a dustpan and a brush, no need to roll this huge thing out of here,’ Rudzani says in my defence.

He doesn’t have to.

‘Are you kidding me? I don’t want ants crawling in here,’ Diana retorts.

‘Yes, ma’am. I will roll it out of here and get it cleaned up.’

‘First bring me my coffee from my office,’ she orders and then turns to Rudzani. ‘We need to catch up on work, mister.’

I push my trolley out of the office and leave it outside the door. I cross the floor to get Ms Diana’s coffee from her office. Her PA sits next to her door, just like Rudzani’s. I grab the mug of coffee and take it to her.

‘Can I come back later to roll out the rug?’ I mean, they need to catch up and I don’t want to seem like I am eavesdropping.

‘You don’t have to roll this out, Thandeka,’ Rudzani says with emphasis.

‘Since when do you give orders to the cleaners?’ Diana enquires. Her gaze is on him.

‘Come on, Diana, that thing just needs a dustpan and a brush, that’s all. I can even do it myself.’

Diana swivels her head between Rudzani and I, in shock. What did I do? I am as shocked as she is.

‘I will take the rug out now,’ I jump in, my eyes pleading with Rudzani to let it go. I will drag this thing out of here, wash it and drag it back. Please!

Rudzani and Ms Diana start arguing about who gives orders around here. I am frozen, praying that I don’t get fired over this. It is just spilt sugar. I don’t know why Rudzani is upsetting her over this.

Lord, help me.

‘Since when do you argue with me in front of our employees?’ Diana spits. She is fuming. I am still frozen, waiting for them to decide what I should do next. My eyes dart between them. Diana stands up from her seat and walks out of the office. I am in trouble.

‘Get a dustpan,’ Rudzani whispers and I rush out of the office too.

Clumsy hands! He is sitting in his desk chair with a frown on his face, deep in thought, when I enter again. I clean the mess and wish him a good day before exiting. He smiles at me, distractedly, and nods.

The PA raises her eyebrows at me when I walk out of the office. I shrug. I also don’t know what just happened but I am worried about Diana, she looked pissed.

What was Rudzani thinking? I don’t want to be fired before I even get paid.

I drag my trolley to the kitchen and clean a few cups before cleaning the boardroom.

* * *

By lunchtime, I am exhausted. Maria is munching on her sandwich when I get to our little office. She is the one who dragged me here after I had an encounter with my ex at the funeral. I remember I couldn’t breathe when I saw him with his wife and child.

Maria had my back – as always.

That Saturday I was wearing one of the black dresses I once made when I was still mourning my baby. It is a very beautiful maxi dress with long sleeves – my favourite type. I felt good but the moment Vhonani stood in front of me, I felt out of place. He was wearing a perfect black suit matched with a black shirt and perfect black shoes. It was not your typical suit that people just throw on for a funeral. He looked great. His wife was in a pencil skirt and a white tucked-in blouse. Their baby was in the pram the whole time and I didn’t see him but I am sure he looked the part too.

All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe. I felt like digging my own grave next to Ronnie and that little boy. We didn’t speak at that time. He just glanced at me while the pastor was preaching.

The second time I noticed my ex was when we were serving lunch after the funeral. I was standing next to Maria who was serving the pap while I dished the gravy and a salad. He stood in front of me with two plates. I could feel his presence before raising my eyes to him.

‘How are you, Thandeka?’ he asked.

‘I am fine,’ I said as I threw the gravy and a salad on his two plates and called for the next person to step forward.

I wish that was our last encounter, but it wasn’t. Vhonani was with the other men for the after-tears while I helped wash the dishes. When I was done, I decided to go home to make a delivery of eggs before it got dark.

The jerk followed me.

‘Thandeka, can we talk?’ he asked right behind me. I wondered where his wife and child were.

‘What do you want from me?’ I increased my pace.

‘I wanted to see the baby,’ he said. I wondered, Is he mocking me or what? Doesn’t he know? The news was all over the village.

‘It died,’ I hissed, trying not to cry. I didn’t want to go back there. Ronnie’s funeral had already brought so many emotions. Watching Rudzani shed a tear, with a cold face, when they rolled out the caskets broke my heart. I had cried when I saw that. I didn’t want to cry again. It was enough for that day.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he asked.

Maria taps me on my shoulder, bringing me back to the present. I turn to her and blink a few times before rubbing my eyes. I was lost in my own thoughts, again.

‘What is wrong?’

I shake my head. We are not talking about this. We are not talking about my ex-boyfriend ever again.

Vhonani is a jerk and I think all men are.

I warm up my lunch and settle next to her. The two of us are renting a big bedroom together in a flat in Johannesburg CBD. This is just a temporary arrangement until we can afford to rent an entire flat. I don’t really feel safe in the room we’re renting now, but there’s nothing else we can do.

‘Have you seen the big boss?’ Maria sticks her tongue out. She winks at me and laughs.

Really?

‘I saw him. I am working on his floor, remember?’

‘I wish I was you. The first floor is not interesting,’ she says.

Liar! She wants to crush on Rudzani every day.

I choose not to tell her what happened in his office. It could be weird to try to explain it to someone.

Anyway, I don’t want to fight Maria for any man. I haven’t told her that Rudzani and I met before the funeral and that he is the one who changed my world for the better with the words that touched my soul. She liked him first, even though it is from a distance. I’m not going to interfere and ruin her fantasy – even if it is a fantasy involving a skirt-chaser.

The clock ticks half past one. It is time to prepare tea for the boardroom which is booked for a meeting. I throw my lunchbox into my locker and put my apron on.

‘Thandeka …’ Ms Diana is standing at the door.

‘Ma’am …’

‘I am changing your shifts to floor two,’ she says and turns to another lady who is also packing away her lunchbox in her locker. ‘What is your name again?’

‘Johanna.’

‘Johanna, I am moving you to floor five,’ Diana says, ‘with immediate effect.’

Hawu!