[LARONA]
Kurhula is waiting for me in the car and these edges just won’t behave. I’ll fix them in the passenger seat. It’s court day today, meaning black and white. I have a love-hate relationship with murder cases. If I am to quit this profession one day, it will certainly be because of criminal law. Luckily, it’s just a bail hearing today.
I grab my tote and lunch bag. I miss Kago. She’ll be back in two weeks but still, I wish she hadn’t left.
‘Don’t you feel like being a passenger prince today? Let me drive’ I offer. He huffs out a laugh and fixes the rearview mirror.
‘Get in the car please, or else we’ll be late’
He went to bed early last night while I stayed up because of research. He greets the security guard with a hoot as he drives out. There’s an elephant in the room but I never want to discuss personal stuff when we should be focusing on work. He’s awfully quiet and I’m going to let him be.
The court proceeding is short as expected and we are back in the car. He asks for water and I give the bottle to him. At this point, I carry it for him because he’s always finishing my litres for the day. I’ll refill when I get to the office.
‘So, what’s going on?’ I ask. He promised we’d talk about it. He looks at me and sighs.
‘I did something stupid and now I feel like I’ve just taken myself ten steps back’
I am listening attentively.
‘I destroyed my dad’s grave with a sledgehammer’
I don’t know what I was expecting but this was definitely not it. Why would he do that?
‘Why?’
‘Because I felt like I needed to beat him up and you can’t exactly beat up the dead, can you? I also don’t know why Larona but it felt good in that moment’
‘That still doesn’t answer my question, love’
‘Apparently, he wants an apology from me. A blood sacrifice’
‘What for? Because of…’ I want to say the abuse situation but it brings spikes to my tongue.
He loosens his tie and undoes the top button of his shirt. I extend my hand and place my fingers over his cheek. He closes his eyes and puts his hand above mine.
‘Are you willing?’
‘Yeah. I’m gonna do it on Thursday. I want to put this behind me because I am not going to allow him to turn me into something I’m not’
‘But baby… I don’t think forgiveness is something you can just decide to do overnight’
‘I have to start somewhere. What I am simply saying is that I am willing to humble myself before him, and my mother. I actually want you to meet her before the ceremony’
‘Sure?’
He nods.
‘I have no problem with that’
He smiles and leans in for a kiss before switching the car on. The route leads back to the office and we part ways. I need to speak to Andy. We’ve known each other for such a short time for this but I don’t care. This girl is sisterhood defined so I am going to ask her the same way I did with Kago.
‘Just a second, chommie. Let me write this number down before it disappears’ she says while holding her index up – sitting behind the reception desk. She raises her eyes when she’s done. I love her unibrow so much. I am hairy but not when juxtaposed with her.
‘What’s up?’ she asks and I hand the box over. I’ve asked Tsholo and Rori over the phone because my girls are far. Rori relocated to Amsterdam after we graduated and Tsholo is in Durban. They both said yes.
‘You bought me a gift?’ she excitedly opens it and finds the satin gown with her name on it. I also included some chocolate and sweets because I know she has a sweet tooth. Kago’s box was also personalized with her favourite things; the gown, a romance novel, and a scented candle.
She screams in excitement after reading the card and rushes over to hug me – almost toppling me over.
‘I’ll take this as a yes, then?’
‘Of course! Are you crazy?! Of course I’ll be your bridesmaid babe!’
She breaks our hug and scurries back to her desk when Advocate Maila struts in, having a serious conversation on the phone, not even paying attention to us. Andy is afraid of Godzilla, as she always calls her. I used to be as well until I realized that she’s not as bad as people paint her to be. My mom always said I should always give people a chance so I can experience them for myself and Sandra is a perfect example of that. Or maybe she just has her people and I happen to be one of them. She came in a G-Wagon today. I once got an opportunity of tagging along to court with and I must say, she’s a badass in the law fraternity and perhaps that’s why she and Kurhula are such good friends. I leave Andy to her work and go catch the lift with her because I do need to go up. Her call ends and she turns in my direction after pressing for the last floor.
‘Congratulations. I heard the news’ she says with a smile. I don’t know but every time she speaks to me, I can sense that in her head, she feels like she’s addressing a child. She has this strict big sister energy about her and I don’t like it.
‘Thank you’
I compliment her tapered pants to cover the silence and she just says ‘Zara, hon’ while responding to a WhatsApp text. She walks out first when the lift opens – still very much focused on her phone. I follow and head to Kurhula’s office. I was here to pick his brain but I find his chair facing away from the door. He doesn’t even turn to see who just walked in. Okay, that’s it. He needs some stress relief. I close the door and walk towards him while unbuttoning my blouse. He loves the sight of my bxxbs so they’re handy tool for seduction.
‘What are you doing?’ he asks after I kneel in front of him. I have already unbuckled his belt. ‘Baby you know the rules. Not here’ he tries to protest but I can sense that if I turn on the heat, he won’t be able to stop me. I massage his crotch over his pants.
‘Larona…’
‘What? You need this’ I keep squeezing, softly. I see that smile.
‘You know that Beatrice likes barging into my office, right?’
‘Did you lock the door?’
I shake my head and undo his zipper.
‘This will teach her to stop’ I say before taking his flesh into my mouth. I see his mouth slightly open. He’s already semi-hard. I suck on it and finish the job with my hand, then swallow because I don’t want his semen all over his pants as he’s still at work. Listening to his groans is the main reason my underwear is wet right now. I put his member back into his underwear. He’ll sort the pants and belt out himself. I get up and button up, then fix my skirt.
‘Go lock the door baby’ he instructs and I laugh at how hxrny he looks.
‘Says Mr Not-At-The-Office’ I quickly step away from him when he attempts to grab me by the wrist.
‘Please love. We’ve already broken that rule, might as well go all the way’
I sway my hips as I take off my red lacy number. He wheels his chair towards me and hugs my behind.
‘Please go lock the door’
I remove his hands from me and place the thong in them.
‘Behave. I’ll see you at home’
‘Pearl?’
I walk away after kissing the top of his fade. When I’m about to close the door behind me, I see him smelling and taking in my natural scent – still looking at me with that ‘When I catch you’ smile on his face. I smile back before disappearing fully out of his sight.
