The substitute wife

The substitute wife Chapter one I don't know if it's the alcohol in my system that has me feeling like s**t. Here I am sitting outside my one room flat with a carry pack of savannah on my hand the other hand has an open bottle. Tomorrow I have to be at work but here I am drunk as F**ck. There comes my best friend Nompumelelo. Nompumelelo:" Alime ! It's 12 midnight why are you drinking during the night knowing very well tomorrow you have work." Me:" he is gone friend. " Nompumelelo:" you can not be serious Ali. Get up or thugs will rob you. You busy drinking here with your door open. This is a township not suburbs. " She says helping me up. I don't dare drop my alcohol. It's the only thing numbing my pain right now. She locks the the door and turns to look at me slumped on my once white rug. She looks around my room, it's a mess I know. Nompumelelo:" what happened here? Where is X man." It's just like she just opened fresh wounds. I start crying again. Nompumelelo:" you will have to talk I'm not a sangoma here." Me:" why are you like this? I'm feeling like s**t and you yelling at me." Nompumelelo:" im sorry. It's just that this all is not making sense. " Me:" he left me . " Only then she comes to sit next to me taking my savannah cider. Nompumelelo:" then why are you crying. We should be celebrating friend. " I look at her. She can't be serious. My 3 year old relationship just ended. Me:" why are you so insensitive Lelo. My boyfriend just walked out on me and you acting like this. Real friends would be consoling their friend. " Nompumelelo:" nonsense if you would have called me earlier I would have gotten some meet from the tshisanyama and bought more booze. This is good news. That guy has been sucking your bank balance dry. " Me:" that's my man Lelo. " Nompumelelo:" you will be fine choma otherwise I don't have comforting words for you but I will buy us booze tomorrow and drink the whole night after all it's Friday. I'm sure your boss won't be making use of you this weekend." Me:" we will see. But it hurts chommy." Nompumelelo:" drink your cider friend. All will be fine." • • • • • • I wake up to the sun blinding my eyes. I'm up in an instant looking over at the digital clock on my bed side. Oh s**t I'm late. It's 8:30 am I'm late and Nompumelelo is fast asleep. I don't have time to boil water I bath with it cold and quickly wear my clothes. I brush my teeth and put a head scarf around my hair. I don't have time to be styling it. Nompumelelo will lock up after herself. I take my purse and phone. It's off my battery is depleted. I walk quickly to the stop more like run and to my luck I find a full taxi. When I get into Faku minning industry I'm already an hour and 46 minutes late and breathless. I'm sweating in the wrong areas. I quickly take the elevator straight to my desk on the 12th floor and place my bag reaching for my table. I stand by my bosses door doing some breathing exercises. This women can be a b***h sometimes and I'm in no mood for her today. I never thought life of an assistant took this much effort. The only reason I'm still in this job is for the good pay and the unemployment in South Africa otherwise if I knew I would get another job after this then I would be out of that door. I knock on the door and open looking down on the floor. There she is turned away looking out of the glass window on a phone call. I wait for her to finish up while standing by the dood that is closed behind me. This gives me time to reel back what happened yesterday. Fuck Xolile. How could he live me after the years I have put in him making him a man. He couldn't even buy himself underwear and I did that for me. He promised to marry me after he got a job. Dear lord where did it all go wrong. Amanda:" you are late. " It's not a question but a statement. It's hard to know from her tone if she is angry at me or not. The women doesn't show much emotion. She is intimidating and everytime I stand any where next to her or Infront of her, I always feel small. Yes my body is small and I'm short but she makes me feel small even on the inside. Amanda:" are you going to talk or you suddenly went mute." Me:" I'm sorry I was late Miss Faku just that I woke up late and transport was hard to find." I didn't lie entirely, I did wake up late. Amanda:" how is that my problem?" She asks going through the files on top of her desk and picks up a red one. Me:" it's not your problem ma.am." Amanda:" you will loose this job if you carry on like this. Do you know how many people in this population of South Africa would kill to have this job of yours? And wena you choose to do as you like. Come in late as if this is your father's company. It is not your father's company just so you know it's my company. It's the 4th time since you have been late in these 6 months, to me your actions don't show that you need this job. If you don't need it then you are free to walk out that door and not look back. I'll have someone do what you can't do. " I nod my head looking down. Amanda:" don't act all pitifully Infront of me. Get your mess together and wear your grown up pants. It's either you in this or out. Go fix your self and wipe those tears. They won't work with me. If you are going through s**t at home leave your problems outside Faku Minning industry. Here you are here to work not look like this. " Me:" yes ma.am." I say holding up my head and wiping away my tears. Amanda:" go fix your self and cone back when you ready to work. I have a busy schedule today. " I nod and turn on my heels going out the door and quickly going to the bathroom. I look at my self in the mirror. My eyes are blood shot red for the crying from yesterday and hangover. I'm back and ready to work. I have my tablet on my hand on the other I have Amanda's coffee. Black with no milk and one tea spoon of sugar. Bitter just like her. I knock once and push the door. She is engrossed on her laptop when I get in. She doesn't spare me a glares. I put her coffee next to her. She reaches for it and takes a sip. Me:" Miss Faku today at lunch you have a meeting with Mr Tloko down at French restaurant. Straight at 11am. At 12HOO30 you have your doctor's appointment then site viewing at 14HOO for the new hotel and then at 3HOO30 you have to go to your daughters school for parent meeting teacher time and that will be all for the day. I have tomorrows schedule already and I have looked at the Botswana file and will be happy to be of assist in any thing else you need me to do. " I say putting on my best smile. She looks at me and the corner of her lips curve into something like a smile. U wouldn't be sure because she never smiles. She must be having some life crisis and here I am thinking it's a smile. Amanda:" then if we are to make it in time we should leave early." Me:" yes ma. am. I'll get the car ready ." She nodes. I walk out and call her driver telling him to get the car ready. I take my credit card and phone and iPad. Just in case I am needed for assistance in the meeting. But I doubt that. I most meeting with Mr Tloko I'm mind my distance. They always do the meetings alone. The door to her office opens and she walks out. I follow behind her into the elevator. When we appear on the first floor. Everyone is quick to disappear to their appointed work space. That's the effect Amanda has on her employees. They respect her some fear her just like me. I'm one of those who fear her. Rumor's say that during her divorce with her ex husband. She sucked his money dry. He took her to every court in the country. Even high court, all is left of him is...... Well I don't know