Taken By a Mafia King - Hlengiwe Mathebula (top 100 novels TXT) š
- Author: Hlengiwe Mathebula
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Chapter 1
Iām lying on the coach watching my favourite series for the hundredth time when someone knocks. I look at the time itās almost midnight. Who might that be? I pause the DVD player. This is my favourite scene, Iām so annoyed.
āWho is it?ā I ask looking at the watch on the wall just above the TV again.
āWeāre looking for the mechanicā replies a male voice.
āCome back tomorrow at 10am. Itās almost midnight. I closed the workshop almost 5 hours agoā I reply. He doesnāt say anything.
Who needs a car mechanic at this time of the night?
He left, Iām about to press play when thereās a loud knock on the door. I asked my neighbours so many times not to direct people to my house. Stupid neighbours.
āOpen the damn door. We need to see the mechanicā comes a very deep voice. If I wasnāt this annoyed I was going to be charmed by it.
āCome back tomorrow at 10am, Iāll see what I can do since regular clients have booked appointmentsā I reply.
āOpen the damn door young ladyā the voice threatens, but Iām not having it. Just because they are going to be paying me doesnāt mean they have to disrespect me like that. I press play and watch my favourite scene. Just when I think they left, they continue banging the door. Iām so annoyed if I had a gun, Iād open the door shoot and kill the guy. I walk over to the door. As soon as I open the door, the atmosphere changes, wasnāt I feeling hot just now? Itās like itās suddenly winter right in the middle of a summer night. A very powerful tall guy is standing there looking at me. Heās so annoyed if he was a cartoon character Iād see smoke coming out of his ears, but guess what? Iām also pissed.
āHow can I help you Mister?ā I ask him.
āI need to see the mechanic, right nowā he commands.
āYouāre looking at the mechanic and I told you to come back tomorrow morning at 10am. Which part do you find hard to understand? You look like a very clever guyā I reply really pissed. He doesnāt answer instead I hear someone laughing, heās not alone.
āIām not here for your stupid games. I said I need to see the mechanicā he tells me still looking pissed and very handsome I must say.
āCome back tomorrow, I need to restā I tell him closing the door, but he puts the tip of his expensive shoe to block the door. Thatās the problem with rich people they think they can order us around because we are not loaded like them.
āHello. My friend here doesnāt know how to speak. We are on our way to Free State. We have a very important meeting, and our car broke down. We really need your help. We have to be there by 10am, so can you kindly call the mechanic for usā he tells me smiling.
āIām the mechanicā I reply. I get that a lot. A 24 year old female mechanic is not something common.
āOkay, can you please help us?ā he asks smiling like he doesnāt believe me.
āOkay let me change to my overalls. Give me 5 minutesā if he didnāt ask me so nice, I wasnāt going to help them.
āIām not going to allow you to fix my carā Mr Deep Voice comments when Iām heading to my room.
I change and take the car keys, Iām not going to use their car. I donāt even know why Iām going with them during the time of the night. I take my dadās Toyota Tazz and I tell them to follow me. I drive to the workshop. Itās a 10 minutesā drive.
Ten minutes later, I open the roller door at the garage. They drive in. I wasnāt expecting this kind of a car, I mean the guys look super wealthy and the way they carry themselves but I guess you canāt judge a guy by the way he dresses or the way he carries himself. They are driving a Toyota Conquest. No wonder itās giving them problems these cars are very old. I turn to the driver, since heās the one driving heāll tell me whatās up. I look at the car because the driver doesnāt know whatās wrong. Itās the starter, they are so lucky I have new starters here because most of my clients drive this model and their most common problem is starter so to make things simple I buy a lot of starters for them.
āHereās your chequeā the driver tells me handing it over. Iām so pissed I donāt even look at it I put it in my pocket. They leave I lock up and head home. As soon as I get home I head straight to my room and I fall asleep immediately.
*
Iām walking home after a long day. I was writing my last paper today. Soon Iāll be working for a publication company, I canāt wait. I just need to sleep as soon as I get home. I know my dad did all the chores. He came back home 3 days back. Heās been helping around the house since my mom left with his best friend 20 years ago. He raised me alone with help from his family and some of our neighbours, he didnāt want to remarry even after I told him to. I donāt want him staying all alone in this place. He was retrenched 6 years ago while I was doing matric so I had to take a gap year after matric and get a job before I could study BA Degree in Literature. He didnāt want me to take a gap year but I did anyway. This other guy hired me to assist him with the paper work or give him the tools when he couldnāt reach them. Few weeks into the job his assistant decided to quit and he was desperate for a new assistant I decided to step in. He was hesitant at first but Iām a fast learner. I worked on the workshop full time for 2 years. After 2 years, I went to Varsity and I worked at the workshop when I didnāt have classes and on weekends plus recess or study break. It hasnāt been easy but I had to and my dad has been very supportive.
Bra Simon the owner decided to retire last year leaving me with the workshop, every month I send him money.
When I get home I see an old car. I told my dad so many times that he shouldnāt bring clients inside the house. I didnāt sleep, I had to work and study I was hoping Iād go straight to bed as soon as I get home. I open the door, the house is full. I greet everyone and I look at my dad, he looks very angry.
āHow was the paper?ā
āI nailed it. Just wait for the results. Have you eaten?ā I ask him. He shakes his head.
āIāll go make a quick mealā I tell him heading to the kitchen.
āShe has grownā someone comments. I wonder where they know me from for them to make such a comment.
I cook rice, mincemeat with cabbage my dadās favourite. I dish up as soon as Iām done. I walk to the lounge I start serving my dad, then the rest of the visitors. I keep wondering who they are until I see my mom. I donāt know how to feel. I donāt know how I look but she smiles at me. I feel like going to my room but I donāt want them to think my dad didnāt raise me well. I was so hungry but now I lost appetite and I donāt want my dad to be worried so I force myself to eat. I think my dad can see that I lost my appetite because he mouths āare you okayā I just nod. Iām lying and I think he can see that by the way heās looking at me.
āMzukulu (grandchild), weāre here to talk to you and your dad. Itās about my daughter, your motherā says an old lady.
Funny how I donāt remember these people. Itās like they disappeared with her. But at least I had my dad and his family. At some point I kept looking at the door thinking sheāll come back apologise and things would go back to how they were. But when I turned 16 I realised sheās not coming back and I accepted that. And now that I did, she comes out from nowhere and smiles at me like everything is okay? The nerve.
I just continue eating, Iām not going to say anything. I have many things to say and questions to ask but Iām not going to waste my time. Itās pointless, itās not going to change the past.
āYou must have wondered who she is because she left when you were very youngā she continues talking. I look at the clock itās 12 in the afternoon, I need to go to the workshop, and I need to work on a car. The owner will fetch it first thing tomorrow morning.
āItās been a long day, I have something important to do later in the evening. I need to sleepā I tell them.
āYou need to rest. Donāt worry about the dishes, Iāll wash them. Rest then weāll go to the workshop laterā my dad tells me.
I walk to my room and I go straight to bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
*****
I wake 5 hours later. I wash my face and brush my teeth then I go to look for my dad. I find him sitting at the lounge starring at the TV. I know heās stressing about my mom. If he thinks Iād want to leave with her then heās wrong, Iām not leaving him no matter what. I donāt want anything to do with my mom. She had 20 years to fix this and she didnāt. Just when I complete my studies she comes back? Some mothers we have. Iām still tired but I have bills to pay so my dad accompanies me. He tells me that heās tired so I need to drive, my dad and I usually talk all the way to the workshop and today heās quiet and Iām worried. But I donāt say anything. When we arrive at the workshop he decides to sit in the car which is strange. Heās been my assistant since I started running this place. If something happens to my dad, Iāll never forgive my mom and her family because clearly theyāre the ones stressing him.
*******
Itās been 2 weeks since my mom and her family came by and I got all the results. I passed all my modules with distinctions so automatically I qualify for Honours. Making my dad proud has been my number one goal.
āYouāve made me very proud. I couldnāt have asked for a better daughterā he tells me smiling and hugging me very tight like Iām going to run away. Maybe itās time I told him how I feel about my mom and her family. I open my mouth to say something but quickly close it when thereās a knock on the door. My dad and I hardly have visitors and when they visit they call us. Maybe itās one of the people who need their cars fixed real quick, but I left my contact details at the workshop after that powerful guy came here. I didnāt want to but I donāt feel comfortable with people coming here thatās why I left them. I open the door and Iām tempted to roll my eyes, itās mommy dearest and her family again. These people are going to annoy me. I donāt know whether to let them in or tell them to
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