Life As We Know It 81-85

Life as we know it
Insert 81

Eugene:” so you want it now on the couch?” he said looking straight into my eyes looking like he was bottling up a serious laugh
Me:” I’d be happy”
Eugene:” what? I thought you’d say no…dude we are eating….no sexing” we looked at each other and burst out laughing. He scooped me up to his hips and I wrapped my legs around him
Eugene:” the love I have for you is immeasurable, you make me want to do things I never thought I’d do” he said as our eyes locked
Me:” such as?”
Eugene:” maybe one day I will tell you cupcake….for now I just want to love you”
Me:” you know I love you right?”
Eugene:” I know that yes”
Me:” I want to know more about Stacy and Rodriiiiiii-“
Eugene:” Rodriguez?”
Me:” yeah” I smiled
Eugene:” mhm do you really want to know about them?” I nodded
Eugene:” do you mind a drive to my house? I want show you pictures of them….it’s about time you know about that part of my life” he smiled
Me:” just kiss me already Eugene” he laughed out loud not even looking at me, I found myself laughing too
Me:” a girl’s gotta talk for herself boy…it’s been about two weeks now and we haven’t kiss” he didn’t say anything but just laughed, I loved seeing him like that, I loved this Eugene, the excited Eugene
Eugene:” owk my little Andi, come to daddy” he kissed my neck and it was tickling so I continued laughing
Eugene:” dude you are laughing, how in a world am I supposed to kiss you huh?” he laughed too
Me:” so just because I am laughing, I change from cupcake to your dude?”
Eugene:” I think that’s what happened”
Me:” let’s just go to your house already” he put me on the floor and squatted so that I’d climb on his back….damn this boy though….i climbed on his back and he used his hands to balance my weight at the back.
Me:”wow this feels great”
Eugene:” hahaha don’t feel too comfortable lady, I might ask you to do the same for me”
Me:” mhm that would be you trying to kill me” we walked to the dining table where Tebogo and Thaby were still busy eating
Tebogo:” wow and you expect us not to feel jealous? Ok” her mouth was full of food
Thabeleng:” it’s confirmed, I want a man who is a copy of my brother, seriously, I can’t deal with anything less than this”
Eugene:” good luck finding another me ladies…sorry to do this guys but we are off to my house, don’t worry we won’t be long, we will only be 30 minutes, or less” they looked at each other and then at us
Thabeleng:” so much for flying down here checking on you guys”
Me:” Thaby don’t be like that, like Eugene said we will be back before you even know we are gone”
Tebogo:” 30 minutes max?”
Eugene:”deal” Eugene walked out of the house with me still on his back. He put me down as soon as we got out
Me:” we got inside his Rover and drove to his house.

We got there and he took my hand and walked straight to his bedroom. He went to his closet and came back with a box. I sat on the bed and he sat next to me.
Eugene:”so you want to know about Stacy and Rod?” I nodded. Rodriguez? It didn’t sound like a black person’s name….no offense bakithi but I’m just tryna be honest here. Yes our names can range from Peter, Thomas or James but just not Rodriguez…that didn’t even sound like an English name…it sounded more like a Mexican, Italian, or Bulgarian name or something close to that
Me:”yep” he took out the first picture and laid it neatly on the bed…it was a picture of a man and a woman…I suspected they were Rod and his wife Stacy….like I suspected they were white but they looked a bit Mexican.
Eugene:” this is Rod and his wife Stacy….i miss them”
Me:” how did you meet them?”
Eugene:” through a friend, they were staying in Gauteng and had business there so after meeting them they felt sorry for me after what happened to my parents and we became very close. When I was studying here in Cape Town I moved into their house, I was highly affected by my parents’ death so I confided in them….especially to Stacy and they helped me through it, they helped me deal with it”
Me:” wow, I wish I had gotten the chance to meet them” he took out some more pictures of him and Stacy, some of him and Rod laughing, chilling in the beach and some with both of them
Me:” you really where close with them”
Eugene:”very” I smiled looking at the pics of Eugene as a young man in his early 20s
Me:” you’ve always been cute huh” he laughed
Eugene:” I wished they were still here to meet you. Stacy would have loved you so much Andi and Rod? Well he’d be eyeing you just to make sure that you don’t break my heart, he was very protective of me” he smiled
Me:” and you sisters” he looked away
Eugene:” they don’t know them, neither do they know the struggle I went through after mom and dad died. They were young Andi, I couldn’t lose control in front of them so I appeared like a strong big brother to them but the truth is it killed me, it killed a whole lot of me”
Me:” I am sorry”
Eugene:” thanks, when I lost Rod and Stacy I went crazy, like literally lost it for months”
Me:” but you eventually got over it”
Eugene:” I guess I did but now…”
Me:” but?”
Eugene:” I don’t know how to say this”
Me:” you can tell me anything”
Eugene:” what happened with us, what you did…the way you’ve hurt me….it triggered everything…every little pain I have went through is coming back in my sleep….i haven’t slept for days, whenever I close my eyes I have a nightmares about some things from my past and it’s a horrible past” he stood up and didn’t look at me. I stood up and went to him
Me:” I am so sorry” I said holding his hands
Eugene:” I love you, I know I do but right now…” he breathed…right now what?
Me:” right now?”
Eugene:” I am afraid for you” a tear escaped his eye and he let go of my hands and quickly walked to the bathroom. I walked after him and I found him washing his face
Me:” Eugene I love you and I want to be there for you, I know you’ve been through a lot and thank you for telling me but I will be here for you, I know that maybe you are scared that you’ll hurt me again but I know you won’t ok? And I am sorry for triggering everything I really am”
Eugene:” if only you know what you are loving cupcake, come here” he gave me a faint smile and opened his arms for me. I walked to him and we hugged. As much as I felt sorry for Eugene and everything he was going through, I was happy that at least he confided in me. It meant a lot to me, it meant that he trusted me
Me:” you have no idea how much this means to me, the fact that you’ve let me in to what you are going through, it means everything”
Eugene:” that makes me happy” he kissed me on the lips and then he put the pictures back into the box and then back to the closet.

We left the house and drove back to mine. His sisters were busy watching TV and joined them
Me:” Tebogo you had something to say”
Tebogo:”oww yah…well drum rolls please”
Eugene:”just say it already” I was sitting next to Eugene with my head rested on him
Tebogo:” well Thendo asked me to marry him and I said yes”
Me:” what!! Wow girl that’s great news” I got up and went to hug her
Thabeleng:” oww my God I knew it, I knew it….my sister is getting married” she said hugging Tebogo too, after the hugs we both looked at Eugene who was focused on the TV with a straight face
Me:” Eugene?”  he looked at both of us
Eugene:” what’s his plan exactly?”
Tebogo:” well we plan on getting married soon, so he wants to send his uncles for lobola, I mean you can try reason with our uncles to take part”
Eugene:” it’s not happening?”
Me:”what’s not happening? The lobola? Or your uncles?”
Eugene:” everything! I am not trusting some boy from the bundus with your life, I mean he wanna pay up few thousands and he expect me to give you to him just like that? No it’s not happening”
Me: “Eugene? But you are marrying me, my brothers and parents are letting you marry me”
Tebogo:” exactly Eugene and I am not a child anymore, I am 26”
Eugene:” exactly that’s why it’s not happening”
Tebogo:” but Eugene you know I respect you and all but you are being unreasonable right now”
Eugene:” well I think I am being very reasonable, I mean what if he treats you bad….like dad, no I can’t take the risk” he stood up
Tebogo:” but you are not like dad Eugene, what if he is like you? He is sweet”
Eugene:” no Tebogo I don’t want to take that risk, I just can’t ok….you can date him and have kids in my house I don’t mind but I just don’t want you marrying some boy, I can’t trust anyone with your life”
Me:” but I am trusting you with mine”
Eugene:” well I know myself and I know I am capable of love and I will never become my dad but the same can’t be said for any boy out there” he said that and walked to the bedroom
Thabeleng:” tjooo I don’t even know what to say, so now Eugene don’t want us to get married?”
Tabogo:” he is insane, too protective it’s crazy”
Me:” I will try talk to him ok? He will come around”
Thabeleng:” he better because I really want to help my sister with all the wedding preparations” we all smiled

Life as we know it
Insert 82

I followed Eugene to the bedroom and found him pacing in the room. I closed the door and stood against it
Me:” stop” he looked at me and stopped walking immediately
Eugene:” what? Don’t try to talk me out of this” I breathed
Me:” I am not going to try and do that, I just want to try and make you understand something”
Eugene:” Andani sweety love don’t, I don’t want to find myself fighting with you because of this”
Me:”me neither” I walked to the couch and sat on it and patted the other side of the couch signalling for him to come sit next to me…he slowly walked to me and sat down
Me:” now make me understand why you don’t want your sister getting married” he looked at me and breathed
Eugene:” well marriages are not usually easy”
Me:” and yet you’ve asked me to marry you”
Eugene:” because I know I can handle difficult situations….sorry to say this but I handled….you know….so as for Tebogo, I just don’t want her getting hurt, spending sleepless nights while the husband run around with other girls or worse….what if the guy Is abusive, I can’t bear to see the repeat of my mom in her, I just can’t”
Me:” I get what you are saying Gee but Tebogo is not a child anymore and I am saying this as a woman who knows what your sister is going through”
Eugene:” Go Dr Phil” I rolled my eyes
Me:” anyway, she will hate you for the rest of her life if you deny her this. Women are different from man Gee, we dream about getting married from as little as five years old, it’s just natural for us and the same applies for your sister…I am sure she’s been wanting to get married to that Thendo guy since day one, she was just waiting for him to propose and when he finally did…obviously she was overjoyed. So here you are, wanting to take that from her, her love, her dream wedding and her marriage. At least give her the time to try it out, if it doesn’t work then she can always come back home Gee” he looked at me and then away
Gee:” you really think she’ll hate me?”
Me:” I am not thinking here, I am telling you the truth…imagine if my parents tell me that they don’t want me to marry you? Do you think I’ll listen? I would rather cut them out of my life and continue with my life with you until the time they come around” he looked at me and breathed
Gee:” it’s no secret that I don’t want to lose my sister, so I guess I don’t have a choice”
Me:” just let her be happy, if he makes her happy then accept it”
Gee:” mhm what can I do without you Andani”
Me:” absolutely nothing dear” he gave me a hug and kissed my forehead
Gee:” come here” he took my hand and we walked back to the living room

Thabeleng:” guess who is back?”
Tebogo:” and?”
Eugene:” it’s not like I have a choice now, do i?” he let out his crazy laugh. Tebogo ran to him and hugged him…he carried her and spun her around while they both giggle with happiness. I was also happy, Tebogo was getting married, it was great news, I was just happy that she was happy
Thabeleng:” look whose sister is getting marriiiiiied” she shouted
Me:” it’s a wedding day, it’s a wedding day” I sang
Thabeleng:” ok I understand she is getting married but you can put her down already” we all got into serious laughs
Eugene:” I smell some green in here”
Me:” jealousy huh?”
Thabeleng:” I don’t care what you say….it’s my queue Tebza”
Eugene:” ok ok come here little sis…at least I know she will be my little sister for a while longer”
Thabeleng:” Thank you” she said bouncing all the way to Eugene
Thabeleng:” in fact I want you to carry me at your back, just like you did Andi”
Tebza:” if you do that then I will also want another turn”
Me:” me too” Eugene looked at all of us laughing
Eugene:” you all realise that I am a human being and not a camel right? I mean I do get tired people”
Thabeleng:” just carry me already”
Me:” ok this is how we are going to play this…you carry her outside the kitchen stoop and around the house and back at the stoop again”
Tebza:” it makes perfect sense, after her it’s my turn and then Andi’s turn and you’ll be done for the day”
Eugene:” and what do I get after this?”
Me:”uhm”
Tebza:”well…”
Thabeleng:” we will cook your favourite meal”
Yebza:”ahg no the whole house is gonna smell”
Me:” what are you guys talking about?”
Eugene:” I am doing this and we are having tripe’s and pap for supper…you guys are cooking” he giggled
Eugene:” come here Thaby”
Thabeleng:” yeeeeeyyyy Eugene you are the best”
Me:” I am not too excited about this anymore…I mean this will only last for five minutes and we get to cook tripe for hours and on top of that we should tolerate the smell
Tebogo:” makes the two of us sis” we walked after Eugene who was already walking out the door with Thebeleng on his back
Thaby:” so Tebza when is the wedding?” Tebogo and I walked after Eugene who was walking fast as he walked around the house
Tebza:” I will have to discuss that with daddy dearest first…the one who is carrying you right now but Thendo and I want it sooner….maybe in three months’ time”
Me:” tjoooo girl we should start with the preps already”
Thabeleng:” I agree with you Andi, we really should start looking for the dresses” we got to the kitchen stoop
Eugene:” there” he put Thabeleng down
Thaby:” that was way too short, you were walking too fast Eugene”
Eugene:” no no no that’s not gonna work, who’s next”
Tebza:” me me me and me” she bounced around and went to him. Thaby and I where now walking at the back. If you ask me about this, it looked so childish for all of us to be doing it but it was also fun at the same time
Tebogo:” so Eugene are you going to try and talk to Uncle Tom” she shouted
Thabeleng:” tjoo good luck talking to that man”
Eugene:” I am not the one getting married sis, so you’ll have to deal with it”
Tebogo:” Eugene please, you know he is stubborn…he won’t listen to me and we need him”  ok I just kept quiet and kept on walking because I knew nothing about “uncle Tom” at this moment I realised that I knew nothing about his family. He told me that his sisters were his only family and I stupidly believed him. I mean it’s not really possible, he obviously had extended family, maybe they just didn’t get along but they were still family
Thabeleng:” but I don’t really see a problem here, just get some two strangers and pay them few thousands and they can pose as our uncles during the negotiations”
Me:” Thaby! Nooo”
Tebogo:” hell no! I will never do such; I want to do everything by the book, that will obviously bring bad luck to my marriage”
Eugene:” then the sooner you make a trip to your uncle’s the better”
Thabeleng:” or better yet just bribe that old man. I mean we all know how much uncle Tom loves money so offer some money as a reward for taking part…believe me he will even call two more uncles and everything can get done the right way”
Eugene:” I like that idea” we got to the door and it was now my turn to be carried all around the house
Me:” my turn” I said walking to him as he was putting Tebogo down. I was now on his back again and we were walking
Eugene:” I can do this all day everyday” he whispered only for me to hear
Me:” carry us around the house?”
Eugene:” just you, I am so in love with you it’s not even a joke anymore….i feel like I can trust you with anything, it’s like you’ve become a light in my life”
Me:” that’s what love do to people”
Eugene:” I want you so bad” he was still whispering, I couldn’t help but giggle
Me:” but I am here”
Tebogo:” now the love birds are whispering
Eugene:” ignore them” I giggled again
Thabeleng:” wow listen to that”
Eugene:” ignore them again” he was still whispering
Me:” what do you plan to do about….you know?”
Eugene:” my sisters are all over the place, they are younger than me and even though they know we have sex, I just can’t disappear on them to make love, it would feel like they were actually watching us, you know that feeling?”
Me:” I absolutely feel you, I know what you mean. The moment we walk out of the room they will know that we were making love”
Eugene:” and that’s just weird” we laughed together. After arriving at the kitchen stoop he puts me down and we all chilled outside in the garden. My garden was appetising… green grass that were neatly cut and flowers on the sides of the drive way and the varender. We lay on the grass underneath a tree looking up at the leaves
Tebogo:” this right here is a perfect family moment”
Eugene:” this is my family, all of you guys here means the world to me….obviously there is one person missing…our boy Omphu”
Thaby:” talking about Omphu…when are we meeting the little chipy chipy”
Me:”Chipy chipy?” we giggled
Thaby:” yeah that’s what I will call him”
Eugene:” you will meet him soon enough”
So we spent close to an hour in that position and after a while Eugene and I went to do bed shopping. Yep I was very much serious about that. I wanted him to feel free; I wanted us to get back to normal again. Tebogo and Thaby came with us but make no mistake…they were not even least bit interested in bed shopping, nope they were about fashion….so they bought few items of clothes and I got carried away too and found myself shopping. Eugene was just lingering around with us complaining about taking too long and all that. So after shopping we came back home….i got a transport to come pick up my old bed because I was donating it to one of the orphanages around here.

Life as we know it
Insert 83

Tebogo:” now that we are done eating, I think we should hit the club”
Eugene:” thee what?” I got in s serious laughter by just looking at Eugene’s face….it was seriously priceless…it was as if Tebogo just suggested the impossible
Thabeleng:” I would love to but after eating the tripe? Tjoooo we smell like cow dung” everyone was in stitches of laughter
Tebogo:” but seriously guys…we had a beautiful day so what a better way to wrap it up than ending up in a club? Imagine the loud ecstatic music banging…owww damn people lets go already”
Me:” nope…that’s a big no for me”
Eugene:” you hardly know the city and yet you wanna go to a club? It’s not happening”
Thabeleng:” Andi this is for you to deal with girl…do the thing you did in the morning please…make him understand” what? What was I supposed to do? I didn’t wanna go to the club too, I didn’t even remember the last time I went clubbing, it’s been years. Vhusani and I used to go for drinks or girls night out but it was always civilised, not a serious club night
Tebogo:” and in the mean time we will be getting dressed….please talk to him”
Eugene:” are you seriously talking about me as if I am not here?”
Me:” guys just wait, I don’t think a club is a good idea”
Eugene:” ahhhh thank you cupcake”
Thabeleng:” Eugene you’ve never ever go to a club with us or partying with us…please let’s do this just once…as a way of celebrating Tebza’s engagement please”
Eugene:” now you are really pushing your luck girls…first it was Tebogo and the engagement, then I had to carry you guys around the house, and then there was that torturous shopping and now a club? Ahg no I am tired”
Tebogo:” ok, can we go on our own then?” his brows furrowed
Me:” sorry ladies let’s just call it a night”
Thabeleng:” Eugene please we are begging you, this will be the last thing we ask of you please”
Tebogo:” just do this one thing for us” I also looked at him and waited, he took a deep breath and I knew he was going to say yes. He was really in a good mood
Eugene:” 1 hour max….that’s all we will have in the club”
Thabeleng:” ow my God” she literally screamed and jumped up and down in excitement
Tebogo:” I will never ever forget this bro….i love you to Columbia and back” she shouted as she was running to the bedroom
Eugene:” goshhh there are too many women in my life it’s frustrating…I don’t think I can deal with this anymore” he said shaking his head
Me:” come love….i have to look for an outfit” I was suddenly feeling excited
Eugene:” I thought you were against the club idea”
Me:” but since we are going, I might as well enjoy it plus I don’t even remember when last I was out…do you ever go clubbing?”
Eugene:” who? Me? Never…not my cup ‘a tea”
Me:” well tonight will be your first….you can wear one of the outfits I bought you this afternoon…I know you didn’t want me to buy anything but at least now you gonna wear them” I was busy looking through my closet for an outfit and Eugene was standing behind me
Eugene:” you are really excited” I took out a short tight dress
Eugene:” is that supposed to be a dress?” I smiled
Me:” yep”
Eugene:” ok I don’t mean to be controlling love but nahhh” he said with a smile
Me:” Eugene you don’t have to be jealous I will be with you”
Eugene:” it’s not about that, I don’t want to find myself taking you to the bathrooms for a quickie….we still need time before we make love again remember?” I smiled
Me:” is that the reason?”
Eugene:” yeah unless you can tell me otherwise then I am game” I shook my head
Me:” for now I just want your presence”
Eugene:” cool then” I took out a different outfit, a decent one

I got dressed and Eugene did too. We then walked out of the room and found Thabeleng and Tebogo waiting for us. We walked out of the house to Eugene’s car and then drove to Shimmy’s beach club. We wanted to have some fun. It was Saturday night and we hoped there could be a DJ. I was not even sure if I was still a good dancer, I hadn’t done it in a long time. We got to the club and I could see how happy the girls were. They immediately went to the dance floor where the DJ was doing his thing  while Eugene and I sat at the VIP section sipping some juice. Yep Eugene refused to drink, I don’t know why but he said he didn’t want to, so I decided not to drink as well. Imagine I start drinking and get drunk while my man was sober, that couldn’t work. He gave the girls a serious instruction not to drink. Tebogo reasoned with him that she was old enough, he agreed to let her drink but Thabeleng was not allowed anywhere near alcohol. After sitting for a while I told him that I needed to sweat a little bit so I walked to the dance floor and joined Thaby and Tebza…Eugene was just sitting looking at us. After about two hours we drove back home. Tebogo was half drunk already and was talking non-stop. Me on the other side…well, I was just happy that we went out, it felt good to dance and get lost in the music. As for Eugene, I don’t think he enjoyed anything because he didn’t do anything other than just sit and look at us.

We got home and Eugene and I went to our bedroom and for a change, we were sleeping on the bed both of us. I went to the shower to take a quick shower because I was sweating while at the club. After the shower I came back and joined Eugene who was in bed already
Me:” I had a great time today” I said as soon as I got in bed
Eugene:” I saw that, you love dancing neh?”
Me:” why do you say that?”
Eugene:” you looked quite happy while at the dance floor” I smiled
Me:” I just missed it that’s why….thank you for today, I am sure Thaby and Tebza also had a great time”
Eugene:” it’s my pleasure” he pulled me to him and hugged me from behind and we fell asleep.

***
After shooting both his parents he sat there in the room sobbing realising what he had done. After a while he had the Police sirens, who could have called the police? Maybe his neighbours heard the gunshots and called the police. He started shaking realising the extent of what he had done. He didn’t just shoot his parents; he was also going to get arrested for two murder charges. He knew for a fact that there was no escaping something like that. He heard a knock on the door and put the gun on the floor and walked out. He decided that he was not going to run or deny anything. instead he was going to plead guilty so that he can start serving his sentence quickly. His heart ached for his sisters, how are they going to cope? He opened the door and two officers showed him their badges and introduced themselves. They told him that they received a call from the neighbour saying that there had been gun shorts.
Eugene:” come this way” he said to the officers and walked to his parents room crying. The two officers walked to the room and got shocked when they walked in
Officer 1:” what happened here?” they were all looking at him
Eugene:” I….it…..it was a mistake”
Officer2:” you shot them?” he nodded with tears on his face….this was it, this was the end
Officer 1:” are they your parents?” he nodded again
Officer 2:” how old are you?”
Eugene:” 15” they looked at each other for a while and then looked back at him
Officer 2:” you do know that this will be the end of you right? We are talking about two murders here” Eugene cried even more
Eugene:” I know that but I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear to you I didn’t….my dad was just horrible ok?”
Officer 1:” if we give you a choice to go free or let us arrest you now…which one will it be?” he looked at them confused
Officer2:” clock is ticking”
Eugene:” what do you mean?” he stopped crying for a while and paid attention to them
Officer:” which one? Jail or freedom?”
Eugene:” how can I be free? I killed two people”
Officer1:” or the two people killed each other…your father shot your mother and then he shot himself, it can be as easy as that” he kept quiet looking at the officers
Eugene:” and why will you do that for me?”
Officer1:” that’s a discussion for another day….give us the answer”
Eugene:” freedom” he mumbled
Officer 2:” then you are a free man my boy…we will write a report about what happened here, the two of us will be dealing with this case so we will make sure that the report we give is not questionable…we will have to hide the wound on his chest when we take pictures of the scene and we will have to shoot him on the head because that’s where people shoot themselves and then we will deal with everyone who will work on these corps to make sure that everything correspond to the original sta….”
***
 “Eugene…Eugene wake up!”

I was deep in my sleep when he woke me up. He was having another nightmare
Me:” Eugene wake up! Eugene!” I shook him. He was crying on his sleep again. He finally woke up and sat up
Me:” you were crying again” I said sitting up as well, he put both his hands on his face
Eugene:” Andi I don’t know what to do anymore” he said that and sobbed
Me:”shhhh!! It’s going to be ok Eugene, everything will be fine” I said rubbing his back. After a while he fell asleep again in my arms. I was hoping and praying that he don’t get another nightmare and luckily he didn’t.

The following morning I woke up and made him something to eat while he was still sleeping. I put the food I made on the bedside table and went to do some laundry. I walked to the kitchen to make breakfast and found Tebogo already there starting with breakfast for everyone.

We spent the day together as a family and in the afternoon Eugene and I took Tebogo and Thaby to the airport. I have to admit that I didn’t want them to leave but I knew I had no choice. We said goodbye and they left.

Eugene didn’t spend the evening in my house on a Sunday; he said he had to look into some work so I let him go, I think I also needed some me time.  Monday morning I woke up and prepared myself for work. I drove to work on my usual time. I parked my car at the parking lot and got out of the car. As soon as I got out of the car, two men in suits walked over to me. The other one was white and the other black
“Morning ma’am” one of them said
Me:” morning”
“My name is Officer McCarthy and this is Officer Gregory…we are the feds and we have some questions for you” huh the feds? And they want to question me? The first thing that came to my mind was Ria but if he got me arrested then there’d be normal police here not the feds….these are the police who deals with serious cases
Me:” what questions?”
Gregory:” you are associated with Mr Eugene Mankweng better known as Sir G....you are coming with us to the station for some questions about him ma’am”

Life as we know it
Insert 84

Me:” Eugene is my boyfriend yes but I am not going anywhere with anyone so if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to work” I tried to walk away but one of them slowly took my hand
Gregory:” I wouldn’t do that if I were you, this is a very serious case madam” I looked at him rolling my eyes, what case was he talking about here?
Me:” really gents I need to get to the office”
McCarthy: “we’ve talked to your boss that you’ll be an hour late so come with us” officer Gregory took my hand and pulled me to the white van that was parked opposite my car. That was not even a police van, lord was I being kidnapped? Officer McCarthy went to the drive’s side and Officer Gregory took my hand and opened the front seat for me. So all of us sat in the front  with me in the middle.
Me:” guys what’s this about? What did Eugene do?”
McCarthy:” we are few minutes from the station and you will hear all about it ma’am”
Again, I rolled my eyes. I was dying of curiosity….what could Eugene possibly do to make the feds come fetch me for questioning. And then something clicked….the Feds, we don’t have the feds in SA….My heart quickly raced….there were two possible explanations for why these guys said they were the feds, 1. They were telling the truth and Eugene had done something so big that the US Feds had to get involved which was obviously impossible, I mean what could he have possibly done? 2. I was kidnapped, which couldn’t have been the case, who kidnaps someone and put them in a front seat? I looked ahead and realised that we were entering the police station, so kidnapping was out of the window. So now what? Eugene was a criminal? Hell nah maybe he did business with someone who happens to be in trouble. I took out my phone wanting to call him but McCarthy snatched it away
McCarthy:”you’ll use that after we are done” jeez these gentlemen…no smile nothing, I mean not even a convo nyana during the drive, hauwa zero tjoo

Eugene just got to the office and was about to open his laptop when Lusani burst the door open without bothering with the knock, Eugene gave him his most irritated look
Eugene:” you just did that in my office?” Lusani was breathing hard
Lusani:” G something bad just happened”
Eugene:” ok?” he stood up looking at him
Lusani:” your Andani’s report”
Eugene:” what’s bad about that, she is supposed to be at work now….was she in an accident? What happened?” he was now a bit shaken
Lusani:” worse than that….McCarthy….McCarthy from the feds just picked her up from her office parking lot….i received a picture from the guys right now and I recogni-“
Eugene:” just shut the f*** up for a damn second….ho…how s..sure are you that its…its him?” he knew what this could mean, if it was really McCarthy
Lusani:”here” he handed him the phone.
Eugene took it and had a look at the picture of Andani with two man, one holding her hand…the one not holding her hand was a black man with no other name than Luke McCarthy, he smashed the phone on the table and covered his face with his hands
Eugene:” out” he said in a slow tired voice. Lusani took the phone and walked out. So McCarthy had it in for him so much so that he travelled all the way from the US for him? After everything that happened with Rod, McCarthy was still on their tail? Now he had Andani. Obviously McCarthy was thinking that Andani knew something but she knew zero and he was going to spill beans to her. He knew he had to do something, he had to go to the station and stop them from saying anything to her…but then she’ll wonder how he knew that she was at the station. Ahg he’ll find an excuse…nothing can be worse than Andani finding out the whole truth about him. He took his car keys and his cell phone…he had to ask the guys which Police Station they went to.

Back at the Police Station. So we were now sitting in the office
McCarthy:” thank you Miss for coming with us”
Me:” it’s not like I had a choice”
McCarthy:” but thank you”
Me:” let’s just do this already, some of us have lives to go back to”
McCarthy:” we are investigating a very serious case and that’s why we flew down all the way from the US to South Africa because we are partnering together on this case”
Me:” I really don’t care, just get on with the questions already”
Gregory:” ok so you are dating Sir G?” Gregory had a recorder while McCarthy had a questionnaire. They were sitting on a table opposite mine. They got three coffees on the table, I hadn’t touched mine because I really just wanted to answer their questions and walk out of there and then have to tell Eugene all about it.
Me:” Sir G? Am I supposed to know who that is?”
Gregory:” ow uhm Eugene I mean”
Me:” yeah we are engaged”
McCarthy:” so what can you tell us about his business…we don’t mean the little construction thing he is running…we mean his real business”
Me:” construction company is his real business”
McCarthy:” ok let’s do this. We know that Eugene is a criminal in a suit and you know that too…we know about the drug pipeline he is running, we know about the human trafficking operations as well as the brothels under his control but we need evidence for all this and you are going to help us” I popped my eyes out for the longest time trying to make sense of whatever was said in that long sentence. I heard something about human trafficking….something about drugs and about the brothels and all this with Eugene’s name in one big sentence…how is that possible?
Me:” ok ok ok guys what are you asking me? Scratch that what are you telling me? Eugene is not a criminal, he runs a construction company” I said in a desperate attempt to clear my fiancée’s name
Gregory:” don’t play dumb with us ma’am”
Me:”play dumb? Why is it that whenever a black man tries to do something with their life then they are always suspected of crimes?”
Gregory:” ma’am!”
Me:” what? I am done here, if this is why I am here then I am done” I got off the chair
McCarthy:” hey take a look here” he took out a file….a big file and handed it over to me. I took the file slowly and put it on the table, I was reluctant to open. I knew my Eugene was innocent but why was I scared to open the damn file
McCarthy:” open it” I opened the first page of the file and I saw a picture of Eugene with Rod…there were some notes made around the photo
McCarthy:” that’s Paulo Rodriguez” oww so Rodriguez was his surname
Gregory:” he was the biggest drug lord ever lived. He did everything from gun smuggling to human trafficking”
Me:”what? Noooo this can’t be” so Eugene’s Rod was a criminal? A thug of some sort? Eugene said he was like his dad mus? I paged the file once and found a picture of Eugene outside a big mantion. He was standing next to a….a Ferrari?
Gregory:” that’s his other house, he don’t go there with anyone…all the records we have are for him going in there alone and its always for a brief moment most of the times. He’s been there maybe once or twice with one guy but that’s just it” I felt my hair rising and cold creeping in….Eugene had a house I knew nothing about? Jeez this was not good, this was not good at all
Me:”no….no you are lying to me…Eugene couldn’t possibly own this house” I said almost in tears and in shouting. He snatched the file and paged few pages and gave it back to me
McCarthy:” that’s a house lease….he bought that house 2 years ago” noooo I stood up with one hand in my hips and started pacing while gasping for air…I was struggling to breath
McCarthy:” you really had no idea about anything….poor thing”
Gregory:” that’s good then….you have to help us nail the man who lied to you throughout your relationship. I can tell you right now that you mean nothing to him, that man is a cold blooded murderer and a first grade criminal”
McCarthy:” what Gregory is trying to say here is that….be our spy, find out whatever you can about him…gather as many information as you can about this man. We have evidence that can put him away for a while but a while is not what he deserves….he deserves a life time and if his trial is in the US, we are looking into a death sentence” I stopped pacing and looked at them
Me:” so the two of you are just going to overlook the fact that I am still in shock right? You just want me to help you two…why would I do that? Why would I wanna help?” I said crying.
I couldn’t believe my misfortune when it came to men. Though I thought Eugene was everything I wanted, everything that every woman wanted….the fraction of what I saw when he found out about Ria is what he really was, he was that kind of a monster. How did I miss it? How did I not know that he was living a double life? I guess the same way I failed to know that Ria was a women beater and that’s just because I am one stupid woman…how could I not know this. What I was feeling at that moment was not something that could be explained. I was in shock but most of all…I was terrified of what I had just heard. Eugene had been involved in human trafficking….do you have any idea how sick that is?
Gregory:” uhm ok I think we should give you some time to think about this. He should go down ma’am and you should be a better person and help us, you are the only one close to him who can get something we can use. Maybe from his phone or his computer or that other house of his”
Me:” I need to go”
McCarthy:” ok we will drive you back….think about this carefully and call us” he gave me the card. I wiped my tears and took it. I walked to the table and looked at the file one more time. I flipped through the file and saw articles and cases about human trafficking, murders, drugs and people being arrested and I felt nauseous when I remembered that everything in that book had something to do with Eugene.

I walked out of the office with McCarthy. I was walking out when I spotted Eugene talking to one officer. Our eyes met and he quickly walked to me
Eugene:” McCarthy really? What are you doing with my fiancée”
McCarthy:” well nice meeting you too G, my stay in South Africa is still blessed though it’s hot”
Eugene:” Andani babe lets go” I just looked at him and walked as fast as I could
Eugene:”Andani!” he called out. He turned around and grabbed McCarthy by his neck, I turned and looked at them
McCarthy:” we are at the police station bro”
Eugene:” and that’s supposed to stop me?” he roared
Me:” Eugene stop!” he looked at me and stopped and then walked after me, McCarthy walked out too. I walked to the van I drove in with.
Eugene:” love what’s going on? Why are you at the station?”
Me:” I can ask you the same question….Officer McCarthy, make it quick I got to get to work”
Eugene:” I will drive you”
Me:”no”
Eugene:” Andani”
Me:” Eugene or Sir G or whatever the hell they call you….stay the hell away from me” McCarthy unlocked the vehicle and I opened the door and walked in and closed it immediately. Eugene just stared at me with a horrified look as we drive away.

Life as we know it
Insert 85

Officer McCarthy parked the car at my office parking lot
McCarthy:” I expect to hear from you”
I didn’t say a word, I just opened the door and got out of the car. After closing the door he drove away. I stood there in one position unsure of what to do with myself or of what my world had become. My world had become something that I never thought in a million years it would become. I stood there and felt defeated by life, I felt all the strength leaving my body, I wanted to scream and just break down right there but I knew better than that. I tried to walk but I felt like my feet where glued to the floor and for the first time in my own life, I felt like my own feet where heavier than their actual weight. My heart pounded and heat rushed through my body and I knew that I needed a good cry. I couldn’t handle it. I walked to my car and got inside and closed the door and broke down.

How could he do this to me? Nausea rose in my stomach as I thought about everything that Eugene was and I as I recall the pictures on the file….i felt my eyes burning. After a very good cry for about five minutes I finally collected myself and felt better. I cleaned my face up and had already decided what I was going to do next. I saw Eugene’s car parking just close to me. Why though? Why did he have to come here? I didn’t want to break down or to cry in my office, I had done enough crying already for one day. I got out of the car and he was walking to me
Eugene:” cupcake” that word used to tickle me and made me smile but right now it made me feel absolutely nothing
Me:” Eugene please not here”
Eugene:” where then?”
Me:” my house, I am right behind you”
I needed some answers from him. I was obviously going to leave him but I needed some truth from his own mouth….i just wanted him to confirm what the police had already told me. I did a little bit of thinking during my crying episode in the car and I took a decision of what I was going to do with my life. I walked to the building and all the way to my office. I looked around and my heart ached at the thought that I was saying goodbye to this office so soon after having it as mine but it was the right thing to do. I sat in my desk and switched on my laptop and started typing right away. After I was done I printed the letter and walked to my boss’s office and knocked.
“Come in” he said. I walked in slowly
“Andani hey”
Me:” hey, sorry for coming in late”
“No its fine…the detectives told me that they needed you at the station for an hour or so…I hope all is well”
Me:” thanks but everything is fine. I want to hand you this” I breathed and gave him the letter. He took it and looked at it for a brief moment before he shot back at me with worry
“But why?”
Me:” I am leaving town….i am moving back to Limpopo, I am so sorry to inconvenience you like this but I have to resign with immediate effect” he breathed
“can’t say I am not disappointed….i know you just started working here but you were good at your job”
Me:” I know that and I am sorry to be leaving so soon”
“Wow this is hard to believe…uhm I will talk to the admin office and they will organise a farewell for you”
Me:” that won’t be necessary, I have to leave now….but thanks anyway”
“oww sorry to pry but does it have something to do with the incident? The miscarriage?”
Me:” yeah I am unable to cope and I wanna be home with my family” well I just wanted this man to let me go already
“I am so sorry Andi, I know that feeling. My wife and I went through it about three years ago so I completely get it”
Me:” I guess this is good bye”
“Yeah good bye”
I walked out of that office and took a sigh of relief. Now that part was done. I also had to say goodbye to Vhusani. Gosh she was so going to hate me for leaving her here all by herself but did I have a choice? I Just couldn’t stay in Cape Town with Eugene who will be up in my face every five minutes knowing what I already knew about him. I just couldn’t.

I walked to my car and then drove to my house. Eugene’s car was parked at the gate when I arrived. I opened the gate and he drove in first. I drove after him. We parked the cars outside. I walked out and he did too. I walked to the house and he walked after me. I got inside and took off my shoes and then stood against the kitchen table and looked at him as he was standing close to the door.
Me:” I am here”
Eugene:” whatever McCarthy told you cupcake, it’s a lie” I looked at him and laughed for several minutes, how stupid did he think I was?
Me:” do I look that stupid to you Eugene? Do I look that dumb? You’re are just going to stand here in my house and continue lying to my face? Eugene why? Why do you sell people? Of all things you could be capable of you sell people? Human trafficking? Ow my God Eugene why?” I said crying, I couldn’t believe it, I loved him I still did I wanted him to be mine, to be part of my future but it couldn’t happen, not after knowing what I knew.
He rubbed both his hands on his face before looking at me
Eugene:” I don’t sell people or do human trafficking”
Me:” if you are not ready to tell me the truth then leave”
Eugene:” what?”
Me:” I know that you are a cold blooded criminal and that Rod was one too so leave Eugene we are done….i don’t do criminals so I cannot do this anymore” I said and walked to my bedroom wiping my face off. He walked after me and I stopped on my tracks because I sure as hell didn’t want him anywhere near my bedroom, not anymore’
Me:” Eugene leave”
Eugene:” Andani you are breaking up with me?”
Me:” yes” I wiped the last tear I had and looked at him
Eugene:” but I love you…with all my heart Andi, you can’t hurt me like that” looking at him it looked like he meant it but how was I to know if it was the truth…..i didn’t even know who he was
Eugene:” you want to go back to him?”
Me:” who is him?”
Eugene:” Ria” I rolled my eyes
Me:” no of course not…..uhm well on second thought, maybe I will go back to him I mean at least I know where I stand with him and I also know that he is a woman beater but you? I have no idea what you are, I don’t know the person I have been sleeping with…one minute you are loving me, the next you are raping me and the next you are selling people and drugs”
Eugene:” the person you’ve been sleeping with? So I meant nothing to you?” looking at him I could see his chest rising as he was breathing hard
Me:” it doesn’t matter anymore Eugene because I can’t do this with you anymore….you’ve been lying to me for months and now I am giving you the chance to at least tell me the truth yourself, you can’t do that too….you still want to lie”
Eugene:” if I tell you the truth…will that change anything? Will that make you stay?” the fear was written all over his face…so even Sir Gee do get scared
Me:” I don’t know Eugene but I do know that if you don’t say anything then we are really done”
Eugene:” noooo, I won’t let you leave me” he shook his head moving to me. I moved backward slowly until stumbled onto the wall and couldn’t move anymore. He got to me and put his hands against the wall over my head and leaned over to my face
Me:” so you will force me to stay?”
Eugene:” I don’t want to….i just…..how do you expect me to live without you?” he cried
Me:” please Eugene don’t make this hard ok….you are the one who have big secrets here so please don’t” I said with my one hand on my forehead because I was suddenly feeling a bit hot
Eugene:” so you want the truth?” I nodded; he moved away and stood from the distance
Eugene:” but the truth is too much Andi, once you know it there is no unknowing it”
Me:” that’s what I want”
Eugene:” just know that I am only doing this because I am scared of a life without you and I am hoping that you won’t leave me”
Me:” just tell me already”

I walked to the living room and I sat on the couch, he sat on the couch opposite mine
Eugene:” give me a minute” he took his phone and made a phone call
Eugene:” Lusani bring me a strong whiskey at Andani’s house right now….five minutes is all you’ve got” he dropped the call and put his phone inside his pocket.
Me:’ and that?”
Eugene:” uhm I am nervous and I kinda need something to get me off the edge, something to help me talk”
Me:” ok”
So we waited in an awkward silence for the whiskey to finally make it to my house. After few minutes his phone rang and he walked out. He came back minutes later with a bottle, he took a glass and walked to the lounge and sat on his couch. He poured the first glass and gulped all of it. He poured another one and also gulped it; he poured the 3rd one and did the same. He then looked back at me
Eugene:” today you will hear everything about me and you are also going to see me drunk”
Me:” I just want the truth”
Eugene:” it started when my parents died” I rolled my eyes
Me:” like all the other dozen stories we’ve heard before…you had to fend for yourself and that’s why you ended up as a criminal right? I won’t understand because I still have both parents but that’s usually the lame excuse for people to end up as you are”
Eugene:” if I am to tell you this, you will have to keep quiet”
Me:” ok”
Eugene:” it was a usual morning and we had to go to school. My parents usually drove us so like any other day I prepared myself. I heard my parents bickering about in their bedroom; I knew what it meant so I didn’t bother with them. I drove the girls to school instead; I didn’t have a driver’s licence but sure could drive. After dropping the girls I came back home and found my parents still at it. I was suddenly not in the mood for school. I walked to my parents’ bedroom and opened the door, I found my dad pointing a gun at my mom. As scared as I was, I fought him for the gun and after a bit of a fight, I got it on my hand. The first thing I wanted to do was kill him obviously so I pulled the trigger without hesitation but unfortunately, my mom had jumped in front of the bullet and I shoot her instead” owwww nooooo
Eugene:” I realised what I had done and I knew I was going to go to jail so I couldn’t let my dad stay with my sisters by himself so I pulled the trigger again and shot him. They both died on the spot”
Me:” what?  i…owww my God…uhm but….but you said th..they died in a car accident”
Eugene:” I lied” he poured another glass and gulped it. This was already too much, Eugene killed his mom and dad
Eugene:” so I started crying obviously. After few minutes two officers came. I still have no idea who called them in. but they found me in that state and were shocked to hear that I killed my parents. They told me that I had a choice to either walk away free or serve my sentence. They said that if I choose walking out free then they can lie and said my dad killed my mom and then killed himself. We agreed on that and that’s what everyone else know”
Me:” tjooooo so you sisters?”
Eugene:” they know the other story….that dad killed mom and killed himself” I wanted to judge him for killing them but I couldn’t really do it. He was only 15 when it happened and could have done anything to stay out of jail but it still didn’t excuse what he had become
Me:”ow”
Eugene:” so after that the funeral was arranged and uncle Top volunteered to come stay with us. I was still 15 and couldn’t be given control over mom and dad finances and couldn’t really be given the custody of my sisters so to became their guardian. Tom was my father’s brother but he loved drinking too much and didn’t care about anything. So the first Saturday after the funeral one of the officers who came at the scene rocked up at my house on his private car and picked me up. He said it was about time I repay them for giving me my freedom back. He drove me to a flat in Sandton. That’s when I met Paulo Rodriguez for the first time. The officer was very nervous around Rod and I just knew that he was a dangerous man. He wasn’t convinced that I could do the job he wanted me to do but the officer insisted that with my history then he is convinced that I will do good. I was given some drugs to sell and was threatened and told that if ever I make a mistake or had the drugs confiscated then I’d follow my dead parents. I thought that was it, I thought that all I needed to do was sell drugs. There was a boy who used to sell and was killed so I had to stand in for that boy. I was told where I should be to sell the stuff. So I did that for few weeks and Rod was impressed with my work. So I moved from just selling to being his right wing man. He walked around with me on weekends and after school. I loved the fact that he didn’t make me leave school, he said he didn’t just want me to be good in business but he also wanted me to have brains”
Me:” so it all started with Rod?”
Eugene:” you can say that…I didn’t know why he trusted me to go with him everywhere but he later told me that since the first day he saw me…he saw himself in me and he knew he had to groom me to be like him, to take over everything. So as I was moving around with him. I was exposed to the things he was involved with but I couldn’t question him. All I did was do what he told me to do and watch as he do things. That’s when I found out that he was also into human trafficking…..i was still young and the idea of what it really was or how bad it was didn’t really appeal to my mind. He had a brothel as well and had gun smuggling and stuff going on. And oww he had lot of money…Rod was way too rich. So I learned all of that from him. I was lonely Andani, not really lonely but I was just troubled and battled to sleep so being with Rod gave me something to focus on, something to ponder on when I couldn’t sleep. I enjoyed it and I loved doing everything with him. I felt like I got myself another father. When I went to varsity, he helped me choose what to study and he literally went with me for registration. I know he wasn’t the best man in the world but he was good to me. He gave me something that I longed for. A parent”
Me:” and uncle Tom?” ‘
Eugene:” ahg that one sucked….he was just drinking my Parents’ money away and didn’t care what happens with us so as soon as I turned 18 during my first year at varsity. I gained control of everything and I sent him parking with Rod’s help of course. I got someone to look after my sisters while I was at school but I was going home every once a week. Rod asked me to move in with him and that’s when I met his wife Stacy. A lovely woman she was and she loved me like I was her own son. So I did my usual cry at night episode in my first night at their house and they both rushed to my room and asked me what’s wrong. I told them I was having nightmares which I had been having for the past almost three years. And shame they helped me through it”
Me:”how?” I was interested on how Rod and his wife helped him through it
Eugene:” every night before I sleep they would come to my room and I remember Rod saying ‘you didn’t do anything wrong Eugene, all you ever did was try to stop your dad from ruining your lives further but your mom loved him too much that she couldn’t let him die so she got herself killed as for your dad he deserved it…and as for lying….then it had to be done because your sisters need someone who cares about them out there’ and you know what? I believed him. They would tell me that It wasn’t my fault and just repeat that ‘it wasn’t your Fault, it wasn’t your fault’ until I fall asleep. Few days of doing that and the nightmares disappeared for good….until just recently”
Me:” ow”
Eugene:” so Stacy fell pregnant and damn Andi we were so excited. Nine months later she gave birth to a baby girl”
Me:” where is the girl now?”
Eugene:” I got her adopted….that’s what Rod told me to do before they killed him. He didn’t want anyone knowing where his daughter was and having her stay with me was risky….people were obviously going to suspect it because is Mexican so she’s adopted and I check up on her regularly….she is leading a normal life”
Me:” so….you are still running everything?” I wanted to know if he had stopped or if everything was still running. That was important to me.