Tryna forget you, trash girl

Themba Dlane woke up to a hungry stomach and bad mood. He stood up from the couch, he had fallen asleep while thinking about the girl who damaged his car.

"Bunch of ungrateful idiots". He said angrily.

" Good morning sir". He turned to the familiar voice. It was his nanny, Mrs Khumalo.

"Good morning ma". He answered politely. Mrs Khumalo was one of the three women he respected so much; the first being his mom and the Ayanda next. He told Mrs Khumalo never to call him sir but she wouldn't hear any of it.

" How was your journey to the country's capital?". She asked and sat down opposite him.

If it had been his mom or another person, he would have been irritated by the concern. But here she was, a woman who looked so much like the girl he fell in love with. He couldn't say no.

"Pretoria turned out to be good for me, I won the contract and even invited possible investors to visit the suburbs".

" Congrats". She smiled and then looked serious.

" What is it, ma'am?". He asked, suddenly a bit impatient to get her to leave.

" I told Dineo to come to Sandhurst, she should be in town by now".

"Dineo?".

" Ayanda....". And then her voice trailed off.

"It's okay Mrs Khumalo". He pleaded softly.

" No, it's nothing. I just carried away". She wiped the tears that were threatening to pour out in torrents.

"I meant about Dineo, that's her name right".

" Yeah, it is".

"She doesn't have to take over from Ayanda". He wished he could say n

more but there was nothing to say. He wanted to comfort this woman who had lost someone they had in common. It's been seven years since they lost Ayanda and it still seemed like yesterday. He looked away to avoid crying.

"Are you sure sir?". Mrs Khumalo's voice trembled.

" Yes, Mrs Khumalo".

Mrs Khumalo stood up and walked towards the door.

"Themba". She turned by the door and called him by his first name.

" Yes, Mary". He answered sheepishly and smiled. It was his first real smile in days.

"Thank you so much, Dineo will be so relieved". She smiled in gratitude.

Themba felt fulfilled to see this woman happy, a woman that had been like a mother to him. And Ayanda.

He walked to the bathroom to shower, thoughts of Ayanda been pushed away by the thoughts of the mystery girl. He thought of how she ate hungrily at The Grill House and smiled. His smile turned to an angry expression as he remembered her smiling at him after the accident.

" It's not an accident, it's an intentional act". He muttered under the shower.

He was angry at this girl he didn't know and even angrier because he didn't know her identity. He wanted to have her beaten and punished for her mistakes. He wanted to see her cry and beg for mercy. This girl didn't just manage to erase every thought of Ayanda but also memories. The Camaro had the best memories of Ayanda and their love life. Their first kiss, their first words of love, their first drive to a party together had happened in that car. The only thing that never happened was sex. Themba was nineteen when the deal was made and Ayanda was fourteen. She had just turned eighteen when she died.

Themba felt something unfamiliar yet very much familiar. A feeling that made him uneasy. The mystery girl had so much resemblance to Ayanda yet so much difference. Ayanda had a curvy shape, tall frame and perfect facial features while the mystery girl is skinny with average height and beauty. Ayanda was classy and graceful and the mystery girl was obviously just a piece of trash. But there was something very similar to both of them. He couldn't look at her twice without remembering Ayanda.

He stepped out of the shower, got his clothes on and went downstairs to begin his daily activities.

***************

"Good morning my son". His mom greeted. Her greeting was followed by hushed, mumbled greetings by the servants, their voices echoed.

" Where's dad?". He asked as he settled to eat breakfast. He didn't even answer his mom's greeting.

"That's no way to greet your mother". His dad reprimanded, stepping in the dining room.

" I'm sorry mom. Good morning mum and dad".

"Good morning". They both echoed.

The trio sat and had breakfast after Mrs Dlane spent minutes praying to the " Good Lord" and thanking Him for His blessings.

"Did Mary tell you that Dineo is in town". Mrs Dlane said in a tone that suggested that she was not happy with the latest development.

" I told her that it's fine, I have let go". He broke the news to his mum.

"Oh really. Are you sure about that"? She asked in surprise and feigned concern.

But of course, Themba knew his mom didn't care about Dineo. In fact, he was positive that his mom was pleased with the news. Her hypocrisy irritated him.

" Isn't that what you have always wanted?". He voiced his thoughts.

"Yes, it is". She hung her head, embarrassed.

"I'm off to work". He announced and stood up from the table.

" So soon?". His dad asked.

"I have had my fill".

" You work so hard my son". His father said with a slight frown as he had just noticed. "I like that". He finished his sentence with a smile.

Themba's mother loved and pampered him but he loved his father more. Themba's father respects the privacy and acknowledges limits, something his mother would never do. He could talk to his father about anything without having to worry about his reaction. Anything except one, if only they knew.

" I will see you at the office". His mom said and Themba felt that he didn't hear her well.

"Sorry?". He asked.

" I said I will see you at the office my son".

Dlane investments had two branches and Themba ran the headquarters while his parents oversaw the other branch. He was surprised that his mom was coming to the HQ, something she seldom did unless when Themba was away on business trips.

"What's the problem?". He was starting to get suspicious.

" I thought you would never ask. Since you have decided to let go of that trash girl...".

His mom's mention of trash girl made him remember the mystery girl and his anger came back in full force.

".....you can pick a girl of your choice". He heard his mom complete her sentence. He was not in the least interested and stormed out in anger.

Themba went to the garage and picked his BMW 507, he drove out with full speed.

The drive to Dlane investments was torture for him. He had refused the service of a personal driver and now more than ever, he regrets his decision.

He was tired from all the alcohol he drank and the trauma he experienced the night before. He needed the jolt of strong caffeine.

He stopped at a coffee shop and ordered their strongest product. His face twitched as he took in the feeling of undiluted caffeine. The caffeine was a balm to his sore nerves and he calmed down. He stopped thinking about the mystery and focused more on finding her and getting her punished. He knew nothing about her talkess how to find her. That was something his mom could help with; she had done it before but he doesn't want his mom in his business again. He decided to talk to his best friend who is a policeman about it.

****************

Dineo woke up with her Ayanda on her mind. She turned in the bed for hours thinking about the accident that almost happened the previous night. She couldn't stop thinking about her sister's last moment and also the fact that she could have joined her if not for the miracle. She stepped in the tub for a hot bath and applied soothing balm to where hands could reach afterwards. She ordered a late breakfast and ate.

Her mind was occupied all through breakfast. First, it was thoughts about her sister, next came the accident, the man at the airport and then her life ahead in Jozi.

*Sigh*

She shook her head. It was all too much for her.

***************

Themba called his friend as soon as he settled in office.

" Let's meet up after work hours, I have a job for you".

"Eish, my friend suddenly wants to hang". Xolani teased over the phone.

" It's not funny Xolani". Anger laced his voice.

"Ok man". Xolani knew better than to argue.

The day went on with no major highlight. Themba got bored and decided to call Xolani to see if he was free at the moment. He needed to talk in order to free his mind about this mystery girl.

He heard a knock as soon as he dialled Xolani's number. The door opened and it turned out to be his mother. He ended the call.

" Here". She handed him a file.

Themba opened the file suspiciously and saw that it contained bios of different high-class heiresses in South Africa. He shook his head and smiled.

"Mom....".

" Keep looking, son". She encouraged.

"I'd do that when I am less busy". He made to drop the file in the drawer, a picture fell and his mom quickly picked and hid it. Themba felt something familiar about the picture.

" Mom, let me see that".

"It's not important". She squeezed the picture into her small purse. Her action made Themba even more suspicious and he insisted.

His mom brought out the picture and he saw that he was right, he knew the girl. She is the crazy girl from the airport. He smiled, an Idea of perfect revenge forming in his mind.