Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2
CHAPTER TWO
KHAYA MVELASE
It’s a very busy Monday at work I’ve already have enough CVs for ten security guards I need to train for Nsika enterprise. Now I need to choose which one I will call for an interview. I need to hire more stuff now, I can’t do all this alone. I manage to choose ten CVs, put them away and my mind drift to Smangele. Her beauty can not be compared to anything. Her sweet voice drives me crazy. I don’t know how to behave around her, I don’t know what to say. But I’m damaged, I am afraid I might hurt her or ruin her. As much as I want to keep her close to me, I need to keep her away from me, where she will be safe. I hear noise outside and I’m about to leave when Sethu is barging in with some woman.
“I tried to stop her …” He keeps talking but I don’t hear him I’m looking at Smangele confused.
“What are you doing here?” I ask ,looking into her eyes acting strong when I actually feel weak.
“I’m here to drop off my CV, I saw that you’re hiring.” I shake my head.
“But I did say that everyone must send their CV online.” She moves closer.
“ I know but I thought…”
I cut her off. “Fine, do you have a security certificate? PSIRA? Shooting?”
She replies, “Yes, I have all you’ve mentioned.” Sethu smiles behind her. I think for a moment then say, “ Okay here we offer our own training services before we hire. This is a private security company, some of our security guards have a license to kill, you need to know when to shoot, where to shoot to kill, to disarm or to scare. We also teach self defence. Can you do that?”
She nods, “Yes.” I open a drawer on behind me take out a gun and load it, She doesn’t flinch as I expected.
“Take her to a shooting range, teach her self defence and don’t forget to take the dolls from the store room and show her where to shoot to kill or to disarm.” They follow each other out. I slam the table groaning, wondering why she is following me. I stood up and walk around the office. It is not enough that I can’t stop thinking about her now she wants to work for me? No! She must fail the training and get out of here. I don’t need her here! She can’t work here. Sethu comes back sooner than I expected, Smangele is right behind him. I hope she failed dismally. I thought bitterly.
“She passed with flying colours,” Sethu announces.
Disappointed, I keep quiet for a moment then ask, “Are you sure?” I ask not believing what I hear. “Yes boss.”
SMANGELE DLAMINI
When I enter the office I hear the smell from my dream but disturbed when I see the face. Not him again! He is not happy that I’m here but there’s no turning back now. I was right, he doesn’t like me. When he hears that I passed he looks disappointed .
“Follow me, let me see for myself.” I follow him to the shooting range. He walks faster that I almost run after him. He gives me a gun and order me to shoot. I shoot three times straight to the target. He orders me to shoot again, I do, this time I almost miss the target but I’m still on point. I want to say something but he orders me to shoot for the last time. I felt like crying. I take deep breath before holding the gun up.
“Taking your time? There’s no such thing here, when I say shoot, just shoot,” he says firmly. I fight back tears waiting for him to order me so I can shoot as quick as he wants.
“Feeling like giving up already?” He mocks.
We leave shooting range. He motions me to lead the way and we walk silent. He cuts in the awkward silence, “Too early, I’m still going to show you where we keep the dead bodies.” I lose balance and almost fall, but he manages to hold me up by my waist. “ Careful beautiful.” He chuckles on my face then remove his hand on my waist but I could still feel his hold.
He leads the way now saying, “ The dead body is waiting for us, you need to help me bath it.”
I see now that I have met the real devil. What kind of business are they doing here? Is it legit as it looks or is all just a cover up? Seems like we arrive in the corpses room because he is now standing avoiding to look at me now all of a sudden. So this is real. What did I get myself into?
“Ready?” He asks opening the door. He enter alone, I just stand outside, terrified. “Lady! Come in the corpse is waiting.”
I still don’t come in. He comes closer to the door and give me a stern look, when he goes back inside I follow him, looking around, there’s no sign of corpses here. The room is cold but not cold enough to keep a dead person. I’m relieved. He opens the cupboard that’s labelled uniform outside. He pours it on the table. “ Pick your size.” I look through them and pick size thirty two. He leaves me alone to fit; and came back after few minutes when I’m done and already waiting for him.
KHAYA MVELASE
I give her enough time to fit and when I come back he’s fully dressed. My heartbeat almost stops, my mind racing to very dangerous places. A lump form in my throat, I swallow. Is this going to be my life now? Why am I hiring her if I’m struggling to control myself around her?
“Go outside and find Sethu he knows what to do.”
I need to be alone maybe I’ll think straight. I need to do something about this before it gets out of hand. But how? What do I say now? Hey I like you that’s why I’ve been torturing you. It’s too late now, I’ve hired her I can’t ask her out. But I couldn’t ignore her, she impressed me at the shooting range. I wanted to praise her but I couldn’t. I lay on the couch next to the table and fall asleep.
The door knob turning the door open, wakes me up.
“Sleeping on duty, must be nice to be a boss,” Sethu says.
“Don’t tell anyone about this,” I check time, it is almost time to leave. We go back to my office together, and Smangele is signing out. I offer her a lift home without even thinking twice. No, I didn’t think at all. When it comes to her my mind does not work, only my heart. We leave Sethu behind walking together quietly to my car. I open a back seat for her, I don’t want her so close to me, she gets in and sit comfortably. I go to driver’s seat, and take off. I drive straight to her place, as she directs me I say nothing,
I just turn when she says so. Then I walk straight as she said then I stop at the gate. I think this is where she stays, because she is now she is quiet. I stop the car. I look at her. She is sleeping. I sigh. I get out of the car, open a back door moving closer to her I smell her breath, fighting the urge to kiss her. I remember earlier today we were this close but I didn’t use the opportunity. I move away from her letting the cold breeze hit her face. She wakes up, embarrassed, thanks me and run inside. I stand glued looking at her until she disappears. I get back in the car and my phone has been ringing judging by the screen light. I take it and look at it, it’s a message.
It reads: “Tell the lady you love her and free yourself from this torture. I saw the way you look at her when she’s not paying attention.”
I don’t believe this, so if he noticed that means she will notice too if she hasn’t already.
“Fvck!” I curse repeatedly, slamming my hands on steering wheel. What if she noticed already? Earlier today I held when she almost fell, nobody does that for someone they don’t like. Groaning in frustration, I starts the car, turn and drive off to my place. I make something to eat, I need strength just in case she also arrive in my dreams like she does everywhere I go.
Done with my morning routine, now it is time to go to work. I look around if I could see Smangele but I don’t see her even on my way to work. Maybe she’s late, or maybe she has given up. I smile at the thought of her giving up. When I arrive at work everyone is already there including her. I didn’t know she was this serious. Clearly I’m still going to suffer because I don’t see myself asking her out now. I rush to my office and before, I breath she’s here. What does she wants now?
“Why do you hate me?” She asks, as soon as she is close to the table
I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. out. I raise an eyebrow.
She continues, “You don’t know what to say? Don’t you have sister, a girlfriend? Would you be okay if they’re treated the same way you treat me?” I take a deep breath.
“I don’t have a sister, and I don’t have a girlfriend, so you can shoot your shoot.” I don’t believe what I just said. She looks at me stunned by what I just said and I don’t blame her.
“You have no shame! You have a child and she has a mother.” I keep quiet for few seconds trying to regain my strength.
“She doesn’t have a mother.” I say coldly hiding the pain I feel inside.
“She’s no longer with us,” I say, almost quietly.
She looks at me in disbelief.
“I’m sorry, ” she rushes out.
Few minutes later I called her in again. She is not as cheeky as she was earlier. She sits slowly like she’s not sure about this. I get up from my chair, walk over to her bend over so we’re face to face.
“Why did you leave work and come all the way to my office and ask about my personal life?”
She stutters, I don’t hear what she says. “ I asked you a question.”
She opens her mouth to say something but close it again. After some time she manages to say, “sorry.” I move away from her seeing that she’s uncomfortable.
“Since you say I have no shame, I’ll show you how far that can go.” I move closer to her, she stands up, with every step I take forward, she takes a step back until her back is against the door.
“What are you trying do?” She asks. I smirk getting closer to her face. “All you should be saying right now is ‘no’ or ‘I don’t want this ‘ or press that button next to your hand and they will come and save you.”
She looks at the panic button then at me.
“Your five seconds is counting, five, four, three…” Getting closer with each count, she says nothing and she don’t press the button. “Two, One.” Still, nothing.
I brush my nose against hers, I am so close our lips are almost touching. I laugh thinking how brave she can be. When I move away from her, her soft hand grab my head back to her face and slammed her lips into mine. I kiss her back , passionately. For a moment I forget everything. The kiss feels so heavenly. Her lips soft. I kiss her back for a moment then quickly break the kiss. I should not be doing this, not with her. She works for me. Avoiding her eyes, I motion her to leave.
She blows me a kiss on her way out, “Just shot my shoot,” she says, winks
