Sindiswa

My name is Sindiswa Msomi. I am a mom, a wife and most importantly, a boss. I own a franchise of beauty and health bars, Zoe. These beauty bars specialize in make-up consultations and make-up applications. We also do nails, massage treatments, facials and aesthetics. I make a business out of beauty and healthy living. An extension to my franchise of beauty and health bars is a fitness centre that hosts tournaments on a quarterly basis for various sporting activities. 
I further own a franchise of stores that sells underwear, lingerie as well as sports and gym underwear.  

My husband, Mthunzi Msomi, funded my business when it started. Now, it is one hell of a force and we can more than live on it. 

I have a business partner who is also a handsome investor. I like working with him because he lets me be. I just tell him what I need and he brings it to me. Mthunzi was not this supportive. When he was involved, he wanted a say in everything and I hated it. He knows nothing about beauty, health or female lingerie. All I wanted was for him to let me be. I had visions, plans… I was prepared to take a business loan with a bank because I believed in my products and services. He insisted on pumping money into my business then reminded me every chance he got that his money grew my business. 

Now, I’m in the process of developing a skincare line. My brand, Zoe, is doing well. 

My marriage and business became complicated when I met my big investor, George Maluleke. George is involved in illegal dealings and I know that he uses my businesses to clean his money. But to start getting money from him to expand, I had to sleep with him for the money. I was able to keep the sexual business relationship a secret until George went to my husband, Mthunzi, and gave him the R15million that Mthunzi had given to me to start Zoe. Mthunzinever forgave me for that. I see it in his eyes. He despises me. If it were up tohim, we would be divorced by now. But, I love my husband. I’m in a bind with George because my business has to work. I need to be successful. Walking away from George means walking away from everything that I have ever worked for. I cannot do that. 

However, I miss Mthunzi’s love and it pains me deeply that he sees other women. I know that I have no right to say that because of what I am doing with George, but it’s true. 

I am having lunch with my best friend, Pearl, today. She is married to Thomas Ramaru, a corporate Guru in the construction industry. I order some wine while I wait for her to arrive. I just got back from Dubai and I am finalizing Zelda’s contract. That girl is good, I underestimated her because she was my domestic worker and nanny. I can make good money out of her in one of my Zoe beauty and health bars. I don’t want to take her out of the house though. She is incredible with my kids and when she is there, my kids forgive me for not being around. Puseletso and Sonto are useless with my kids. Plus, if I keep Zelda close to me, she will come and work for me when she graduates instead of becoming a competitor in the beauty industry. I could do more with that girl in my camp. 

“Hey darling, I hope I’m not too late”, Pearl finally arrives. 
“My love, you look gorgeous. I haven’t been here for too long”, I say. 
We hug and settle at our table. 
“How was Dubai?” She asks me.
“It was good. The skincare line is coming up nicely. It’s costing me a lot of money, but George has never been one to complain about spending money”, I tell her. 
“And he hasn’t been one to complain about putting his hands on you.” Pearl reminds me. 
I look at her. 
“You don’t have to be with that animal, Sindi. Your marriage is falling apart right before you. Your husband thinks you are cheating on him and all you are doing is sleeping with an animal just to keep your business numbers afloat. How do you even measure how well your business is doing if eighty-percent of its cash flow is George pumping illegal money in it?” Pearl. 

Pearl is the kind of best friend that makes herself feel better by weighing you down. I hate this about her. But sadly, she is the only friend I actually trust. 
“Pearl, can we please not do this? Not now.” I say. 
She keeps quiet.

“How are things with Thomas?” I ask her. 
Her face drops. 
Thomas is always sticking his penis inside his assistants’ vaginas. Then the poor girls are fired straight after that. Pearl is a very insecure wife. I’m pretty sure she is about to tell me that Thomas is cheating again. 

“Thomas… there’s a new girl”, she says. 
“The new assistant? But you hired an elderly white woman. He’s into old white women too?” I honestly give up on Thomas. 
“No, not the PA”, she says. 
I look at her. Now I’m interested. 
“It’s some intern. Because of Palesa’s damn incompetence in on-boarding an intern in her area, that girl ended up in Tom’s sight and caught his attention with coffee, full calves and stilettoes”, she says. 
“Coffee, full calves and stilettoes?” I ask. 
We both burst into laughter. 
“Yes, imagine.” She says, still laughing. 
“But man, that coffee is good.” She says, then she goes quiet. 
She gets a bit emotional then says, “Sindi, I think he’s falling in love with this one. In the past, it was just sex. But with this one, they are talking. They are sharing coffee. They are actually connecting without the sex. I gave Palesa a written warning for that fucken incompetence. Now that idiot is making this intern present a turnaround strategy that we asked Palesa to manage. This is a project very close to Tom. I don’t need that girl around my husband”, she says. 
“Tell Palesa that as the head of department and Blake, as her managing executive, you expect them to run with this project and all presentations themselves. An intern shouldn’t be presenting it”, I say. 
“But this girl has done such a good job on this project. Palesa gave her a deadline that was aimed to set her up for failure and she delivered. I viewed it myself. She knows her stuff and she shows up. I love Thomas, but I love a good business mind, too.”

“If she doesn’t mind doing all the work, let her. Then you keep her close, get her work and present it. It’s for the company anyway.” 

She looks at me. Pearl is a bit of a business nerd. I am just trying to help. The situation can still be saved.  

“I don’t need Tom to know that girl put it together. If we put Palesa in that presentation room, she won’t be able to talk to that presentation the way that this intern can. It will only expose Palesa before Tom and Tom will see this intern a better person to go to when needing feedback on this. It works against me in the long run”. 
“Damn”, I say. 
“Thomas is going to make me go crazy. How can I feel this way and plan to sabotage people just because he cannot keep his penis in his pants? Surely this is not normal. I mean, the only reason Thando is still my PA is because she is the only one who understands boundaries and doesn’t even look at Tom. She keeps the whores away from the fifth floor..” Sindi says. 

We sit in silence for a while. 
…
I will be working from home for the rest of the afternoon. The lunch with Pearl just made me feel emotionally drained. My two domestic workers are working. 

“Sonto, where is Zelda?” I ask Sonto. She is the slowest of the three. Puseletso is so quiet, you’d swear she’s mute.
“She went to the mall to get a few things that Mbali needed”, Sonto tells me. 
I just walk up the stairs. I start in my daughter’s room, Mbali. She thinks these domestic workers work for her and it irritates me. I need Zelda here right now. She needs to plan the launch of my skincare line. 

I don’t knock.  

“Mbali, can you please just stop sending Zelda on your errands? She works for me.” I say.
She is lying in her bed.
“I needed a few things”, she says.
“Why couldn’t you ask Puseletso or Sonto to go for you? You know very well that I need Zelda”, I say. 
“I like Zelda too, mom. And I needed her for – “, she says. 

She looks sick. I want to enquire, but maybe she is just being a teenager. 
I just close her door and go into my office. I phone Angela, my assistant. 

“Mrs Msomi”, she answers my call. 
“Phone Zelda and tell her that I need her in my office in the next twenty minutes. Tell her to drop whatever she is doing and come see me in my office at the house immediately”, I say then hang up. I don’t need to give her time for a response. It was a command, not a question. 

Indeed after twenty minutes, Zelda comes pouring into my office. She was away on Friday taking care of something at home in Mafikeng. I’d ask her if everything is okay, but I don’t need her thinking we are friends.

“You asked for me, Mrs Msomi?” She says while standing at the door.
“Please sit down”, I say. 
She does as I say. 

Her phone rings. She pulls it out and puts it on silent. An entire iPhone 12? I didn’t pay her enough to buy it cash. 
“Nice phone”, I say. 
“My mother bought it for me. My phone was giving me problems”, she says. 
“Your mother who lives in the homelands of Mafikeng bought you an iPhone twelve because your whatever-branded cellphone was giving you problems?” Me. 
She doesn’t answer me. 
Let’s move on. 

“I have an event I’d like you to manage for me, please. Here are the details”, I say as I give her documents. 
“Let me know what you need and I will organise for you. You know the rules. Don’t embarrass me.” I say. 
She accepts the documents and nods her head. 

My cellphone rings. It is George. She is still sitting in front of me. 
“That will be all, Zelda. Thank you”, I say. 

She gets up and leaves. 
My phone stops ringing. 

I call him back. 
“Why didn’t you take my call?” George asks as he answers his phone.
“I was in the toilet. Sorry”, I say.
“I see. I need to see you. “, George says. 
“I’m not feeling well, George. I was thinking that I’d go see a doctor.” I say. 
“You can see your doctor tomorrow. I want you at my house in the next hour”, he says then hangs up before I could even say anything else. 
I just need Mthunzi’s hug right now. 
…
I arrive at George’s house and find him drinking whiskey in the dining area. 
“George – 
He waves a finger at me as if shushing me. 
“I have a business deal to seal. You were promised as a reward upon sealing that deal”, he says to me. 
“Excuse me?” I enquire, shocked really. Since when am I a trade-off between George and his illegal associates? 
“Upstairs, guest bedroom. He is waiting for you”, he says. 
“George, I’m not your whore. My vagina does not belong to you. Who do you think you are making deals and promising me as a reward in your deals? What the hell do you take me for?” I am so offended and upset. 
“Upstairs, Sindi. Now!” He shouts. 

I am scared and pissed off at the same time. Knowing George, the sooner I do what he asks of me, the sooner I can get the hell out of here. 
I make my way to the guest bedroom. My journey there is filled with my mind accepting that now I am no longer just sleeping with George to keep my business going; I now have to sleep with his friends and associates too? I want to cry. I need to cry. This ball of hurt that has formed a lump in my chest is weighing everything inside of me down. I want Mthunzi. I want him next to me. I want him to love me and just be kind to me. 

This associates of his is on top of me. He is huffing and puffing and sweating all over me. This is the worst sex I have ever had. It is not painful, just the worst. In South Africa, we would call this rape. But I am not ready to call it that. I just feel like if I name this thing that is happening to me, my psyche will not allow me to move on. The only thing I need to do is get it over and done with, name it as a once off that will never happen again, then move on from it. That’s how I deal with sleeping with George. I name having sex with him “a necessity for the funding of my business” then it is easy for me tame any emotions that I have towards the act. 

As soon as his associate is done pounding my little body, I get dressed and leave. I do not even shower or wait for George to see me out. I just get into my Bentley and go home. I stop at a petrol station and cry my entire heart out. I spend a good ten minutes just crying. Sadly, it is not helping me at all. My heart is still heavy. I sit here for a while before I drive back home. 

I see Puseletso, Sonto and Zelda walking down the road to catch taxis as I drive up the road leading to my house. I do not hoot at them or greet them. I am not in the mood for small talk really. I just want to get home, shower and get into bed. I want to erase this day from my memory all together. 

When I finish showering and get into my room, I find Mthunzi on his phone, sitting on our bed. He is sitting in a relaxed manner and smiling so beautifully at his phone. He seems lighter. He seems happy. 
“Hey”, I greet him. 
“Hey”, he says. He does not look at me. 
“How was your day?” I ask. 
“It was okay. Work was busy and all but hey, that’s why we get paid the big money.” He says. 
I nod my head. 
“Are you okay?” He asks me.
I want to open up so badly, but there is far too much that is riding on my silence. 
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m just tired. I was hoping I’d just hit the sack early today”, I tell him.
“I understand. Listen, I am traveling to Prague tomorrow to visit a client. There are a few errors with an account that I am working on and I think it will be best if I go there and meet the client myself instead of thinking that a call will do it”, he says. 
“Okay sure. I’ll get Zelda to pack for you first thing tomorrow morning when she arrives”, I say. 
“Thanks. Sleep tight”, he says. 
“You going somewhere?” I ask him. 
“Yes, I am”, he says, standing up from the bed. 

I lost my right to ask him where he is going a long time ago so I don’t ask. Anyway, I was kind of hoping he would leave tonight so I can have the king-sized bed to myself. 
“Be safe”, me. 
“Could you also get Zelda to align with my PA regarding my flights and my Uber to the airport, please?” He says.
“Don’t worry, Zelda is very efficient. You will be sorted by the time your flight is ready for take-off”, I say. 
“Cool”, he says this then leaves. 

…

Today is a new day. I have not exactly healed, but I feel better than I did yesterday. The sleeping healed me where it could. Now, I face a new day. My plan today is to keep my cellphone off the whole day. I need to avoid George the whole day. I need one full day without talking to him or looking at him. I will be checking in on all my beauty and health bars as well as my underwear stores. 

I have a meeting with my HR manager and Employment Law manager. We need to go through a few contracts and performance discussions. I have a few contractors that I need to make a call on whether I making them permanent or I’m letting go of them permanently. According to my HR and EL managers, I’ve reached my maximum point of just renewing their contracts. 

As I get into the kitchen, Mthunzi walks into the house, returning from wherever it is he comes from. 
“Sonto, where’s Zelda?” I ask. 
“She is helping Siya get ready for school”, Sonto tells me. 
“Please call her and tell her that I need to talk to her right now”, I ask Sonto. 
“But she’s helping Siya”, Mthunzi says to me. I just look at him. The home staff is my area, not his. And how dare he try to reprimand me in front of these domestic workers. Mthunzi better not try me – not today. 
“Sonto, call Zelda, please”, I emphasize. 
Sonto heads upstairs to call Zelda. 
Mbali comes down the stairs screaming as if something is chasing her from her bedroom. Mthunzi and I look up at her running down the stairs with a dress in her hands. 
“Puseletso! Puseletso! Puseletso! I told you this dress should be dry-cleaned ONLY! LOOK AT HOW YOU HAVE RUINED MY DRESS!” She yells. 
Puseletso looks at Mbali, mute and confused as always. 
“Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Mbali enquires. 
“I’m sorry, Mbali”, Puseletso says. 
Mbali is not impressed at all. 

Zelda and Sonto come down the stairs. Zelda has Siya holding onto her one hand. I did say that she’s incredible with my kids. 
“Zelda, please look at this! Just look at what Puseletso did to my dress. I told her that it is dry-clean only. She put it into the machine and now look at what she has done to my dress.” Mbali tells Zelda. 
“Mbali, calm down, babe. I’m sure it was an honest mistake. Give it to me, I’ll try and see if I cannot fix it before I go home okay”, Zelda calmly says to Mbali. 
“Zelda, you are honestly the best. Thank you.” Mbali says this then hugs Zelda before giving her the dress. I catch Mthunzi smiling at them. 
“Zelda, I’m the one who called you down here, not Mbali”, I say. 
She focuses her attention on to me. 
“Mr Msomi is leaving for Prague today. Make sure that he is all packed and ready. Connect with his PA and get his traveling arrangements sorted. Make sure he is where he needs to be when he needs to be there. Are we clear?” I say to her.
“Yes, Mrs Msomi”, she says. 
“Good.” I say as I sit down to have breakfast. 

The day went by all right. My store managers and beauty bar managers were able to take me through numbers and operational reports. The highlight of my day was to see my places full of customers. Now, I am confident that I can launch my skincare products. 

I am in the office of my main beauty and health bar. This bar was the first one that I opened and it holds a very dear place in my heart. My assistant sits here then runs around each bar and store for me daily. My operations manager, HR manager, Employment Law manager as well as my Brand and Marketing manager sit here as well. The office space here is very big. For a while, I used to think that this would be the only bar I’d have. I’m proud of what I have achieved. 

After a long meeting with my HR and EL managers, we decide that of my 32 contractors, I will hire 12 permanently and will let go of the rest. Then, I say: 
“I want to give Zelda a more events and administrative role in the company. But I want her to set up office at home. I want to keep her close to my kids. She’s so much more than just a domestic worker and nanny. I want her to still be the only one allowed access into mine and Mthunzi’s office. She is the only sensible one with good administrative skills to clean it and sort everything out accordingly. I can live with Sonto cleaning my bedroom. I want Zelda to still help my kids. But, I also want her in charge of things like events and possibly do mine, my friends’ and my family’s beauty routines. She’s studying for it and she’s good. The last event she did, people are still complimenting her and telling me how much their skins are still glowing from that event. They want her number. If we don’t reel her in now, she will become a dangerous competitor. Especially because I have now introduced her to a high-end clientele.” 
“We will draft a contract for her. She will manage events and all personal beauty needs for yourself and your family exclusively. We will put a restraint clause in the contract as well so that she cannot be working for you and for herself. Should she decide to leave, she cannot work for a competitor or start her own business in the beauty industry for three months”, my HR manager says. 
“That’s not enough”, I say. 
“We cannot ban her from doing her own thing or choosing where she gets hired”, my EL manager says. 
“Then offer her a good salary. Give her an incentive that will keep her working for me. Put her on a management band and pay her that.” I say. 
Both their eyes widen. 
“And get my assistant to set up an office for her in my cottage at my house.” I say.