Episode 2
‘No no no no don’t go there Danny. It’s dangerous, Danny no.’
I woke up screaming and that was one hell of a dream.
‘Are you okay? Were you having a nightmare?’ asked Hazel worriedly.
‘Can I have some water?’ I said to her ignoring her question.
She grabbed the bottle of water from the floor and opened it for me. She handed it to me.
‘Thank you,’ I said taking it from her and drank it as she was patting my back.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked after I had finished gulping the water.
‘Thank you,’ I responded wiping my mouth and handing her the empty bottle.
She placed it back on the floor.
‘I had a bad dream about my husband. I don’t know it felt so real, it’s like he couldn’t recognize me as I kept on telling him to come to my side cause where he was heading to, it was so dark that I could barely see what was at the front of it.’
‘Hmmm that’s weird. Do you want us to pray about it?’
‘Pray? You know I am not much of a prayer warrior,’ I said to her and she smiled.
‘I will lead the way. You should start praying anytime you feel like it Naledi. The world is never a safe place, spiritually you need to be very strong in this life we live in. you will never know who is always on your side or who is planning something big for you. Not everyone is perfect my love.’
‘Okay Pastor.’
‘I will kneel down and hold your hand. You just sit on the bed,’ she said getting off the bed and walked to my side.
She knelt down on the floor and started praying. Hazel, I honestly don’t know what I ever did to deserve her. She was just so perfect with everything. Though the dream was scarier and I know it meant something. I mean before my father died, I had the exact dream but then Dad didn’t listen to me and that’s when I found him dead the next following day. He had been waving a goodbye at me. I am now worried that something bad might have happened to my husband. I wouldn’t want to think a lot. I will have to keep on praying just like how Hazel advised me too. Let’s just home that everything is okay with him.
I finally fell asleep after that prayer but woke up earlier. Well I had had that dream at around 3 am. Getting off the bed, Hazel was already awake and I had to make the bed.
‘You should have called me,’ she said walking inside the room.
‘You treat me like a queen granny. I also need to help.’
‘Come on. You are pregnant and I want you to rest. Let me finish off, and I pour your water.’
‘I am taking a bath before eating?’ I said with a hint of complaining in my voice.
She laughed.
‘Do you know why I always ask you to take a bath first?’
‘No, I don’t. I always think that you are too smart.’
‘Baby mama no. once you eat and get really full, trust me you will feel lazy to bath.’
‘Of cause that.’
‘Yes that,’ she said with a laugh.
Once she was done, we both headed to the bathroom and I can’t believe she had been helping me to bath. When we were done, she had ironed my clothes. Today I need to go to the restaurant since Hazel is supposed to be at work. We had our breakfast and I washed the few dishes whilst Hazel packed some food for me. Yes, she said that I needed to eat what she had cooked because it was healthy for me and the baby. We walked out of the house and headed to her car which had been parked outside. She opened the gate remotely and drove out of the yard. Her house is so big but she doesn’t mind cleaning it. She doesn’t even have a maid. Well she is like Danny, the trust issues thing. I don’t know if I am the bad one or good one amongst them, I have a weakness of trusting too much you know.
‘If you need anything don’t hesitate to call me,’ she said as we were heading to the door of the restaurant.
She was actually holding my hand. One of my chefs opened it for us.
‘Morning.’
‘Morning and thank you,’ I smiled getting inside with Hazel.
‘Here is your basket of food. Please do make sure she eats,’ she said to the man who had opened the door for me.
‘Yes ma’am,’ he smiled responding to her.
‘And she mustn’t stand at the stove for long. Okay?’
‘Yes.’
‘And make sure that she drinks water.’
‘I will.’
‘And….’
‘Okay enough granny. He will make sure that I do everything. Can you leave now?’ I said gesturing her the way out.
‘Alright my child. I will call you later to check up on you.’
‘Yes granny and I will be expecting your call that later on.’
‘Alright, ciao. I love you,’ she said kissing me on the cheek and headed to the door, she stopped and looked back, ‘Make sure that you eat.’
‘I will do that granny,’ I waved at her, ‘Pheew, she can be a grandmother sometimes.’
‘No wonder you call her that,’ he agreed and we both laughed, ‘But you are very lucky to have her as your friend. She acts like your big sister.’
‘And she is one,’ I said staring at her as she drove off.
I was very lucky to have her as my best friend but she had turned out to be more than that. She was like a sister from another mother you know. I could never trade her for anyone.
‘She is single too,’ I said to him.
‘What’s on the menu?’ he asked changing the subject.
‘I can give you her number.’
‘I will just cook anything,’ he shouted while walking to the kitchen.
Mzi is a very shy guy, no wonder at his age he is still single. Mzi and I are co-partners. I loved him. I told myself that I will take him to my country. He is originally from this country but at the competition he was presenting South Africa. It was a tough competition and he became number 2. I figured out that it could be a successful restaurant if we become partners and add something to the food, a mixture and it was an excellent idea to partner with him. He was an amazing cook, trust me on that one and a very sexy chef. I am married but I need to hook him up with Hazel. I have seen the way he looks at her whenever she comes over to the restaurant. I don’t know why he hasn’t had the guts to ask her out.
‘But she is a nice girl,’ I continued whilst in the kitchen with him.
‘Peel these for me,’ he said handing me the potatoes.
He pushed the chair and took my hand. He made me sit on it but just after placing a pillow. This one is the grandfather, I am telling you. They will make a perfect couple with Hazel.
‘Don’t you like her?’
‘You are not giving up?’ he glared at me.
‘Not with that serious look. Why are you so scared to be in love?’
‘Heartbreak.’
‘What happened?’
‘My fiancée left me for another man when I had travelled for that cooking competition. She sent me a text message just after we had been given a break. I got so distracted and lost that competition to you.’
‘Meaning?’
‘I would have won,’ he said with a smile.
‘Silly.’
‘Anyway from then, I told myself that I will die single.’
‘You are too intelligent and cute to be single. You should find someone soon and get laid too.’
He laughed.
‘I am serious. Where are you even getting it?’
‘I can get it from you right now, right here and from the back,’ he winked at me and bit his lip.
‘Eeeeeew. You crazy man.’
‘Well to be honest with you, I do like your friend.’
‘I have seen the way you look at her.’
‘Yes, she is just humble and friendly. But I am scared that I won’t be giving her my all. I know what happened to her with her ex and I doubt if she is in a position of trusting anyone right now. I am just not ready too you know.’
‘I know and I wouldn’t want to see her getting hurt. But you are a good man and if you like her, do gather up some courage and tell her exactly how you feel. She might accept your request and you two look good together.’
‘Says who?’
‘Me a witness to your wedding.’
‘Isn’t it time for you to be eating your food.’
‘But I just got here now,’ I said to him and he laughed at me, ‘I hate you right now for always changing the subject.’
‘Peel the potatoes and stop talking too much.’
‘If you were not older than me, I would have beat the shit out on you.’
‘If you were not pregnant, I would have made you peel all the potatoes in those 5 sacks.’
He laughed, he enjoys making me suffer but nevertheless I am surrounded by good people. The other chefs arrived shortly and Mzi had to make me rest. I was just sitting in one of the tables doing nothing and granny Hazel had already called me. Business was fine as usual. People love this restaurant you know and our prices are not that expensive. In South Africa, Mzi mostly handles the restaurant since he is from that side but he had been telling me that he wants to move here permanently. Well that could be a good idea since Hazel stays this side. Me and matchmaking people, hilarious right. Time to knock off, Hazel came early and thanked Mzi for taking good care of me. We were now heading to her car when Mzi came calling out her name.
‘I will wait for you in the car,’ I took the car keys and headed to the car.
Oh my, I hope he was asking her out. When I got inside the car, I checked my phone and husband hadn’t called me. I had tried his phone but it seems as if it had been switched off. Hazel came to the car with a smile spreading across her face. She got inside the car and I handed her the keys. I thought she was going to say something since I had been staring at her.
‘What?
‘What did he say?’
‘What would you love to eat tonight?’
‘You bit…,’ I was almost saying but remembered that this is a woman of God, she had already glared at me.
‘You bitch,’ she finished off for me and laughed, ‘he just asked me if I was free tomorrow Saturday. He wants me to come over at his house and taste some new recipe that he would have prepared.’
‘And?’
‘I said yes.’
‘Hallelujah!’ I exclaimed with happiness.
‘And then?’
‘That simple means that he just asked you out.’
‘Did he?’ she asked blushingly.
‘Wait, why are you blushing?’
‘Am I?’
‘You whore. You like him. Don’t you?’
‘I mean he is hot.’
‘And you pretended to haven’t been noticing him.’
‘I only come over to that restaurant to see him, his body and face and lips…’
My goodness, I laughed so hard and here I thought she wasn’t going to be interested. You guys, this is so nice. It’s been long since she got that divorce, I will be so happy if they end up dating with Mzi, he is a very good man indeed. Hazel drove us home and when she parked outside the gate. There was a car which was parked near her gate. Hazel just smiled.
‘Who’s that?’ I asked her.
‘Come see,’ she said opening the car door.
We got out of the car and when the person opened the car door, it was my husband.
‘Babe!’ I exclaimed screaming as if I had last seen him centuries ago.
I hugged him and hit him hard on his back.
‘You were not picking up my calls.’
‘I had put my Zim line, I am sorry.’
‘You didn’t tell me that you were coming back today. Then how did she know.’
‘He passed by the hospital, he thought you were with me and so I had to come and pick you up whilst he drove here.
‘You two. I missed you a lot,’ I said to him.
‘I missed you more and my son.’
‘He missed you. What did you bring for me?’
‘Already?’ he said in a laugh.
