Yoh, the work here at Keith’s office! It’s a lot! And with him still scouting a PA, I’m also that too. We had to phone mzala to come stay with us for a while so she could help us with Risuna. My mom said she’d come up, but she still has work. Mzala needs the money. Now my mom lives with Mzala’s kids while mzala is here helping us with Risuna. We work longer hours and the board meeting preps are insane. Last week, I made notes and talking points for Keith for his first board meeting, and he had their faith instantly. Now, he wants me to do that with all his meetings. People actually like me around here. I have a desk where I sit with everyone else in the open plan. But Keith obviously calls me into his office sometimes for love, hugs and sex. People say he’s more bearable when I’m here. His executives love how I manage his time and his office. So there have been no complaints about me being here. There was even a vote about me getting paid. So now, I get a nice salary shame. But I don’t want this job permanently. I don’t even want to lie. It’s a lot. And I really miss my son. 

I’m at my desk right now doing some heavy admin exercise that needs to be submitted by 4pm today. I’d work in Keith’s office for peace, but he’d be undressing me by now. Our sexual appetite for each other has shot up and I don’t understand why. I once read that a couple working together is not good for marriage… but us… we’ve become closer and more sexual with each other. I keep telling him that he will impregnate me again. He just laughs and says that wouldn’t be a bad thing. 
“Mrs N”, Leticia says to me. 
She’s Keith’s secretary. The PA is gone. She’s someone else’s problem now. So Leticia and I now figure out a way to fill her role while recruiters look for another PA for Keith. I’m kind of the PA for now.
“Yes darling?” 
“I’ve put together some brief files for Mr N for his meeting with his executives. Please give these a second pair of eyes before I take these to him?” 
“Sure babe”, I say.
Keith is not nice at work. But I try not to tell him how to be a boss. He’s run a successful company before. So he clearly knows what he’s doing. But people are so scared of him. Now, I’m their vetting board. Things go through me before they go to him. And this just adds on unnecessary work for me. 

I’m going through these files and putting together some corrections when some HOT lady walks right past me, headed to Keith’s office. I’m instantly intimidated. I will not lie. 
“Excuse me! Can I help you?” I say.
“I’m here to see Keith.” She says.
“Do you have an appointment? Is he expecting you?” I ask.
Everyone is looking at us and the looks that they are giving us tells me that ho na le taba mo.
“I’ve heard about you… the rude PA that doesn’t even deserve to be here. You were just hired because you are a board member’s blessee. Surely, you are not expecting me to take you seriously as a human being.” This woman says.
“That would be the previous PA. She’s already moved on. I made sure of it. I am Keith’s wife, Basetsana Nkuna… and unless you want me to make sure that you move on to, you’ll tow the line a little bit.” 
She stares at me in shock. 
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise –
The people around us are giggling. 
“I’m sure you didn’t. I wouldn’t expect you to. Now, do you have an appointment to see Keith?”
She clears her throat and says, “It can wait.” 
“It’s okay. It doesn’t have to. I’m sure you didn’t come all the way here in your short dress and designer heels for nothing. I’ll just let him know that you are here and have an urgent matter to discuss with him. Who are you again?”
She clears her throat, suddenly pulling down her dress and holding herself as if uncomfortable. Then she says, “Diana.” 
I nod my head then head to Keith’s office.

Luckily, he’s not in a call. But he is focused on something.
“My love”, he says.
“Diana is here to see you.” I say.
He also gets uncomfortable.
“So ujola komsebetseng now?” I ask him.
“Jola? No baby. It’s nothing like that.” 
“So what’s it like?” I ask him. 
“Maybe we can both meet with her. You’ll understand.”
“I don’t want to be blindsided. Ke mang motho oe? And why is she coming to see you in short dresses and designer heels?”
He takes a deep breath. 
“Well?” 
“She’s Noria’s cousin.” He says.
My eyes! 
My heart! 
My disbelief! 
I need to sit down.
“And you hired her?!” I ask him.
“She was already staff when I joined.” He says.
“And you didn’t tell me?!”
He’s silent. Now he has nothing to say. 

I see him going to call that woman in. 
They walk back in together. She sits on another vacant chair in here. Keith sits in his chair. I straighten my face and not let this woman see me sweat. She doesn’t deserve to see me worried or sweat. 

“Diana, I see that you’ve met my wife.” Keith says.
“I have. And I’m sorry about the way that I spoke to you. I genuinely did not mean to disrespect you. I had no idea that you are Keith’s wife.” 
I just look at her. And my look makes it very clear that we are not going to be friends.
“How can I help you, Diana?” Keith.
Diana clears her throat. 
“Whatever you have to say, you can say it with my wife present. We are partners in every sense of the word.” Keith says.
Diana nods her head then says, “I have been speaking to my aunt, Ria’s mother.” 
I look at her. 
She looks at me. 
Keith is looking at both of us. 
“What does this have to do with Keith?” I ask her. Because really, why must Keith know that?
“I think it’s something that the both of you need to know.” Diana says.
I look at her.
“Ria has been kidnapped.” She says.
Heh! 
“Kidnapped or she escaped from prison?” Me.
Diana takes offence then says, “my cousin could be in danger! She’s not a hardened criminal, you know! She’s been kidnapped by someone who kidnaps female prisoners for zama-zama miners to rape and sexually enslave. I know you don’t like her, but some sympathy would be nice.” 
Hai khona! 
“Isn’t your cousin the same person that kidnapped my son from an accident scene? The same person who’s been charged with more than five accounts of murder? That’s not a hardened criminal to you? That’s not someone who is capable of practically staging a kidnap whereas she actually escaped from prison?” 
She looks at me with so much anger. 
“The point is, Keith, she’s in trouble. We don’t even know if she’s dead or alive. And with her father in prison, he can’t even use his connections to try and find her or help her.” 
“So what do you want Keith to do? Because my husband is not lifting a finger to help that animal!” I say.
“Keith, can we have this conversation without her?” Diana.
“Askies?! SIBITI!” Me.
Now there’s silence.
“I’m sorry this has happened to Noria, Diana. I really am. But I have to echo my wife’s question here… what do you want me to do?” Keith.
“After everything that our family has done for you, Keith? You can’t even help us when we tell you that a woman you were married to – before this black witch came along – could die in the hands of danger?!” 
“Who are you calling a black witch, wena?!” 
“You! You sleep with my sister’s husband, use a bastard of a child to separate them, and now you pounce around here like the queen of Sheba, sitting on your high horse and judging my cousin! Who do you think you are?!”
“Keith! Kgalemela ntja eh! Before ke mo bontsa sibunu!” I’m actually angry now.
“Keith, phone a contact or two and help us find Ria! Please! She could be anywhere! And she could be in serious danger! Anyone who can kidnap someone out of a prison without anyone seeing anything is clearly dangerous! And yes, that prison warden is now arrested, but he can’t even tell authorities where he took Ria and what happened to her! She could be trafficked for all we know. Please, Keith! This family has never asked you for anything before. This is the one thing that we are asking. We are asking for your help to find Ria. Please! Even her father is on his knees on this one, begging you. He specifically asked me to beg you himself. And you know my uncle doesn’t beg. He’s too proud. We can’t lose Ria, Keith. Aseblief.” She says.
I look at Keith. 
“I need to talk to my wife, Diana.” Keith says.
“Every three seconds, a woman across the world is being trafficked or raped. Noria Nkuna – a woman you once loved and probably still love… she’s now become a statistic, Keith. There’s no time on our side. She could die. Surely, whatever hatred you feel for her doesn’t run deep enough for you to wish her death, or allow life to kill her.” Diana.
“It will be good karma for the families that have mourned their loved ones because of her. I say good riddance to bad rubbish. This will probably make the world 2% better than what it was when she was fully operational and untouchable.” I say.
I don’t know what to make of Keith’s reaction. But Diana is on her feet ready to attack me. 
“Just so we are clear… if you ever put your hands on me, I’ll use the connections that you expect us to use to find your sister, to make sure that you join her at whatever rape camp that she’s at. Am I clear?” I say.
She’s instantly scared. 
Even Keith is a bit…
“Le ntlwayela masepa le dushu le!” I say as I get up and leave this office.

…

I’d be lying if I said that I’m not worried about Noria. Truly. Diana is not lying when she is saying that their family did a lot for me. They did! 
I didn’t exactly come from a background of unending opportunities or an education that set me up for life. When I met Noria, I was the son of a drunk man and an abused woman. They’ve both never really had formal employment, so the education that I did have is the best that my mother could do on the salary of a temp worker and sometimes donations from people who were kind enough to remember us. My father had no interest in supporting us, so one cannot even include the peanuts that he got paid in my upbringing. 
Noria and her father put me through formal university education – I even did a course at Harvard University. Yes, I lived there and all with Noria. They made Keith Nkuna, the reputable CEO. I owe them a lot.
But telling this to Bassie would be pointless. When it comes to Noria, Bassie hears nothing. 
And I understand Bassie’s position. Noria not only hates Bassie and is not afraid to show it, but she also kidnapped our son. I understand why Bassie doesn’t want us to have anything to do with this mess. Noria should be in prison. And if she finds the slightest way to be safe and out of prison, she could come for Bassie and me. 
When I was with Noria and I knew that Bassie needed my help, I helped Bassie without Noria’s knowledge. But I don’t know if I’d get away with it if I helped Noria behind Bassie’s back. Also, it just doesn’t feel right. 

“I’m going home. I want to catch Risuna before bedtime”, Bassie says, peeping through my door. I check the time. It’s 7pm. 
“We drove here together though”, I say.
“I’ll request a private taxi.” She says. 
“Can you give me ten minutes? I’ll leave with you.” 
She nods her head then closes my door. 
She’s distant. Off even. I just know that this has everything to do with Diana’s request.
I pack up my bags and shut down my system, preparing to go home. 
After a few minutes, I’m ready to leave.
I leave my office. 
Bassie is already waiting for me, chatting on her phone. She’s probably on the WhatsApp group with her friends where they interact and gossip everyday. 

The drive home is a bit quiet. She’s still busy on the WhatsApp group. 
“Your day is quite busy tomorrow. Your meeting with the supplier CEOs will only end at 8pm.” She tells me.
“Thanks for sorting that out for me.” I say.
“Ja, but I’ll use a different car tomorrow. That way, I can still make it home early. How long until they find a PA for you?” She asks me.
“You don’t want to work with me anymore?” I ask her.
“It’s not that. It’s just that… I don’t want to see the Dianas of the world coming and going as they please in your office. I don’t enjoy the humiliation”, she says. 
I’m silent.
“So maybe we should just be husband and wife… nothing more than that.” She says. 
“Bassie, I try my best to be a good husband to you. Where am I not doing okay?” I ask her.
“I didn’t say that you were a bad husband. Those words have never come out of my mouth. Ever!” 
“Ja… it’s just the treatment that you give me. I mean, what did I do wrong today? Why am I being punished?”
“I’m just telling you that I don’t want to bump into women walking in and out of your office dressed in short dresses and heels. Being a jealous wife is not professional. So I shouldn’t put myself in those positions because I cannot help myself. Then to find out that you are working there with your ex’s relatives? I’m just not prepared for such things… especially at a work place. People don’t even look at me professionally. It’s as if people are waiting to see how long it takes for me to snap and react at the nonsense that no wife would tolerate in that setting.” She says.
I take a deep breath. 
We just drive on.

We get home. She puts her bags down and makes her way to Risuna who is just laughing as he speaks to mzala while eating. 
“Mzala, ujwang?” Bassie greets mzala as she picks up Risuna and smothers him with hugs and kisses.
“Ke shup mzala. Wena?” 
“I’m good thanks. I just missed my little boy so much! Hello baby! Hello wena handsome one”, Bassie goes at Risuna. I watch them, falling in love with her all over again. Risuna is laughing and happy to see his mother too.
“Mzala, ushup?” Me.
“Ke shup, mzala.”
“You can knock off now. We will take it from here. Thank you for everything, mzala.” I say. 
She smiles, says thank you then retires to her nanny flat. 

I chill with Bassie and Risuna. He’s in his playpen. Bassie is outside of the playpen playing with him. I sit on the other side of the playpen and join in the fun.
Bassie looks at me with a smile. I smile at her too.
“We made an incredible human being, hey”, she says.
I laugh and say, “we did. We should make more.”
She just shakes her head.
“How was school, papa?” She asks Risuna.
“School is always boring. But at least I have friends now.” He says.
“Really? Who are your friends?” I ask.
“Ryan the naughty monkey. Jarred the dirty dog. Lethabo the weird one.” And then? The adjectives? 
“Risuna, why are you calling people monkeys, dogs and weird?” Bassie.
“It’s not me. It’s our teacher. She calls people these names when she shouts at them. She even calls me Risuna the thief.”
I see Bassie get angry instantly. 
“You are not a thief. And don’t ever allow anyone to call you that.” I say.
“Can I tell that to my teacher?” 
“Yes. In fact, I insist you tell that to your teacher!” Bassie.
“I won’t get into trouble?”
“Not with us, no.” I say.
“And I’m going to talk to your teacher and your principal tomorrow morning.” Bassie.
Okay, it’s going down at the school tomorrow. She will probably even ask for the teacher to get fired. 

…

I’m living in a house that houses prostitutes. I’m not a prostitute though, thank goodness for that. I just need a hideout place. What better place to hide than a hijacked house owned by someone who’s not even legally in this country, housing people that are also not legally here and are selling sex? Plus, they have cops on payroll to not raid this place. They sell drugs and sex here. 
I ended up living here because I deliberately went into Durban town and looked for a sex work kind of place. When I found it, I asked to see the owner of the house. After hassles and jumping through hoops, I finally met him. His name is Immi. I don’t know what his real name is and I frankly don’t care. I asked him if I could rent a room in his house. He asked me how I’d pay for the room. I told him I had the money. I have enough money that could pay rent for two years. He took a long stare at me then said, give me six months rent upfront then. I gave him the whole year’s rent up front. He gave me the second biggest room in this house and it has its own bathroom. He has the biggest room. I’ve never been in there, but I know that a lot of shit happens in there. 
So I’m staying here until I figure out my next move. I’ve obviously hid my money. I’m living in a drug and whore house. Of course my money is not protected, especially because they know that I have it. But I try to “buy” my protection. Like I buy groceries and I cook for everyone every day. Which I don’t mind. I love cooking and I miss cooking for my family and Keith. So here, it goes a long way. When people are out during the day, I clean the house. I clean the common areas but stay out of the bedrooms. Yerrr! These people live in filth. Ha! 
Then when they get to work, I lock myself up in my room. I have a TV in here. I bought it off one of Immi’s friends. He even illegally connected DSTV for me so trust me, it keeps me entertained. 

Yoh, I miss Keith so much. 
Also, my escape from prison is nowhere on the media. I knew they’d delay putting it out there to the public, but this is too quiet. I wonder why… are they really THAT committed to not exposing their corrupt prison official who let me out in the first place? 
I’m in disbelief! 

There’s a knock on my door as I’m in bed, in blankets and watching some movie. 
“Natasha, it’s me.” It’s Kim. She’s one of the prostitutes that live here. And yes, I told everyone that my name is Natasha. 
I get out of bed and walk to the door, I unlock my door. 
My door is always locked. Always. I paid Immi to buy my own locks so that I could have my safety guaranteed. So you literally have to drill this door down to enter. Yes, I got a new door too. The men that come into this place sometimes get too lost around here. I don’t play those games. 
“Hey girl”, she says as she walks in. 
“Hey. You not working tonight?” I ask her. 
“My last client just left. I just thought that I’d come chill up here at five star with you.” 
The girls call my room five star. It’s just clean, unlike their rooms. And I stay alone, I’m not sharing with five other people like them. I kid you not… one bedroom houses six to ten girls. It’s crazy. Even I don’t know how they do the dirty with a million of them in there. 
I let Kim in then lock my door. 
I wound say that she’s my friend. I don’t have friends here. But of everyone in this house, she’s the one girl that I can trust. 

“I want out of this prostitution life hey”, she tells me.
She must not start. I’m not here for her like that. Please! I also have my own issues. 
“But I don’t have a plan. I have to send money back to Nigeria every month for my children, my sick mother and my sister. Even the peanuts I make here don’t really help me. I’ve tried to go to shops and apply for work, but they pay even less than the sex work. It’s probably because I’m a foreigner and I’m desperate because I don’t have the papers to be here. I’m easily cheap labour. The loan sharks don’t even give us money. They say we don’t have enough collateral.” 
“Kim, are you asking me for money?” Because really, this PowerPoint is unnecessary.
“Eh eh! I’m just sharing now!” 
I roll my eyes. 
“But if you do have money, my friend –
“I don’t have money. You can see that I spent my money on my room and rent. I help you guys around here with groceries as well. And unlike you, I don’t have a job.”
“You got a blesser neh?” 
“Kim, if I had a blesser, would I be living here? I mean really.”
“So where does your money come from?”
“You don’t need to know that. Ask Immi for money.” I say.
“Ah ah! Are you mad?!” 
“You are bitching and moaning here! I’m coming up with solutions. I don’t hear you coming up with solutions.” 
“Does Immi give you money, my friend? How much? And what do you do for him? I mean… he gives you the nicest room and you live alone in a mansion of a room.”
“Go ask him yourself.”
“You want Immi to kill me now? Eh eh eh!” 
I’m tired of this girl already. 
“Why don’t you open a business? Loan people like us money. No one in South Africa wants to loan us money. If you loan illegal foreigners money, you could make money.”
“I’m not going to do that because I’m not stupid. You are all undocumented. There’s a reason why even illegal financial service providers won’t touch you. And I don’t have money to hire hitmen to kill you if you refuse to pay me back.”
“Just think about it, my friend. You’ll even monopolise this thing… have an interest of your own… then while you live here, you know you have an income. Eh?! Come on now.” 
I just look at her. 
“I want to sleep, Kim.” I say.
“Let me sleep here with you for one night, please.” 
“No! Bye!” 
I don’t trust anyone here enough to share a bed with them. The hell?! 

…

It’s the silence that wakes me up. You know it’s the next morning around here when there is absolute silence. The unfaithful men who paid big money to cheat on their families with the likes of Basetsana have gone back to their homes to paint the perfect family picture before the public eye. Immi has been paid his money for the night. And the ladies are fast asleep… sleeping away the secrets of most men in this country, resting so that they can wake up later today and make Immi even more money. 
I stretch as I get out of bed. I make my bed, check that the only bag that I have is safely packed away. I don’t have anything in cupboards. I’m not stupid. Any day, a raid can happen here. I need to be ready to LEAVE! When I went to go buy myself some more clothes in these dodge CBD shops that sell clothes for R15 and the most expensive item is R150, I bought myself a bigger overnight bag. It’s actually a nice bag… a whole LV bag. And it’s the real deal. Sold for R150? Either these people don’t know LV, or the owner was probably mugged and the bag is literally a steal.

I finally found the time to count the money that I stole from those miners. I actually have R100k on me. I don’t understand how mere miners would have that kind of money. Maybe they are zama-zamas. But anyway, I packed the money all the way at the bottom of the bag. I put some money in the inner side pocket. That would be transport money should I need to run. Then my clothes are all on top of the money. 
As soon as I’m done showering, I put my toiletries in my bag. The only things that are not in here are my wet underwear and wet face cloth. 
I quickly get dressed, put my bag under the bed, then head to the kitchen. My plan is to make breakfast, but I’m distracted by seeing police vans and inyalas parking outside the gate of this house. 
What if these people are here for me? 
I’m instantly shaking! 
I head to the bedroom and grab my bag, put my face cloth and wet underwear in there. I check the back… there are no cars or cops in there. I use the back door to leave the house. I jump the fence and find myself in a block of flats. I keep moving. None of these flats are supervised. Like zero! 

I go into some Chinese shop. I buy a cheap phone nyana and pay for it. I buy airtime and data. Then, I head to a taxi rank. 
“Uyaphi sisi?” A driver asks me. 
Now I actually need to have a plan. 
“Bloemfontein”, I say.
“Okay sisi, it’s two taxis ahead.” He says. 
I walk to the taxi. 
There are a few people here, but it still needs more people before it’s full. 
I sit at the back, next to some woman. I’m in the middle again. Perfect. 
I switch on this phone. I load the airtime and data that I bought. I put this phone on silent.
I check twitter. Maybe I’ll see what’s happening at that house. 
I check what’s trending. 
Nothing about that house. 
Some two ladies come in with a bunch of kids, so the taxi is now full. 
“Sisi, do you have R50? Ngiyashoda tu.” the lady next to me says.
“I’ll pay for you. It’s fine.” I say. I take out enough money for two people then I give it to the person in front of me. 
In no time, people have paid and the taxi is moving. 

Someone starts, “Did you see that the police did a raid at the prostitution houses?” Someone in the taxi says. 
“About time! Yoh!” 
“There’s a specific drug lord that they were looking for. Phela they raided them all at once. So many prostitutes and  people found in the houses got arrested.”
“Kuyafana! They will be released in no time. Umuntu nje must just move to Tholoana Kingdom. That’s the only place where amanyala anjena don’t happen. And if they do, they make sure that the people involved are dealt with. Manje thina la… we have too many rights! And we probably have government officials that are on the payroll of these people. That’s why they are forever getting away with it!” 
This conversation goes on for a while. 
I decide to phone my mom while the conversation is on-going, hoping no one will pay attention to me.

“Hello? It’s Cheryl speaking.” 
“Mommy. Is ek.” 
She’s silent. She even sobs.
“I’ve been worried sick about you! The police say that you were kidnapped!”
“Huh?!”
“Ja. They said a prison warden who’s just been arrested for kidnapping female prisoners and feeding them to zama-zamas took you and there’s no guarantee that I’d ever get you back! Where are you?!”
I just breathe.
“Are you at least okay?”
“I’m okay, mommy. I miss Keith so badly.” I find myself saying, then I even start crying. 
“Keith has moved on, Noria. And I strongly suggest that you do the same.”
“It’s so difficult, mommy. I miss him so badly.”
“Look, your father is coming out of prison soon.” 
“How?”
“He has his ways and his connections. When he comes out, what’s left of our family is getting on a private plane and we are moving to the UK. Noria, come with us. Aseblief my babatjie.”
This is actually not a bad idea at all. 
“Okay.” I say.
“Dankie Lord! Dankie! We leave from Cape Town. Can you get to ouma’s house by tomorrow evening? We fly out at 10pm.” 
“Okay.”
“Good. Ek is lief vir jou, my babatjie.”
“Ek is lief vir jou, mommy.”
We hang up. 
I wipe my tears. 
They are still talking about the prostitutes and their arrest. 
I take a deep breath. 
I think about calling Keith. But that could be my downfall. Honestly. He could throw the cops on my scent. I just want to say goodbye. But with him, maybe I must just say goodbye in my heart. 

Goodbye my Keith. I hope wherever you are, you’ve found your happiness. I’ll always love you, my Mr Nkuna.