Precious Rosé

CHAPTER FOUR

Our business trip was a success. Spha took me to some nice restaurants, I tasted some of the foods I used to see in movies. Mr Kruger invited us to his hotel grand opening where we did some wine tasting. I'm not really friends with wine and all the alcoholic stuff but I know how to taste good wine. It was fun and the fact that Spha revealed his feelings to me didn't affect our friendship. We are back at the Tshabangu Enterprises where I get stern looks everyday.

"Morning Ana." I greet the financial manager.

"What do you want you w***e?" She gives me an ugly stare, what did I do wrong to her?

"What? Ana, I respect you a lot but I won't tolerate you calling me names. I came here in peace."

"Peace you say? You call stealing my man and my job coming in peace!" She blurts out.

"I'm not sure I understand where you anger is coming from."

"Listen here b***h! Stay away from the boss, I came here before you and he's mine, I won't let you steal him away from me! You were all over the newspapers and tabloids posing for photos with him, why did he leave me this time? Huh? Is your p***y any different from mine?" She's pointing her finger at me.

"I didn't come here to steal anyone. Your boss is a grown up man and real men can not be stolen." I fire back. Why am I even fighting for Spha? He's a friend, yes but this drama I did not sign up for.

"I want you to resign or else you will regret ever stepping your stinky feet here!" She pushes me out of the way and leaves me standing in her office. What is going on here? Does Spha know that Ana loves him or worse, are they sleeping together? I go back to my office, I have even forgotten why I went there in the first place.

I'm busy with my laptop when Spha comes in, I ignore him and continue with my work. He puts something on the table but I don't even look at him.

"Nomtha, everything alright?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Why am I even angry at him?

"Whoever pissed you off, I apologize on behalf of that person." He tries to touch me but I stop him.

"I'm busy, Sir. If you allow it I would like to finish this and go home."

"What's wrong Nomtha?" He keeps persisting and I know he won't stop.

"I have a headache." I lie. He closes my laptop immediately.

"Go home. You can finish this whenever you feel better." I thank him. I'm about to exit the office when he offers to drop me home but I refuse.

Dad is sitting with mom in the verandah when I arrive home.

"Good afternoon mom, dad."

"Angel, what's wrong you don't look well?"

"I have a headache mom nothing serious. I just want to lie down and rest." I go inside the house before dad says something. I'm really not in the mood, I feel like crying and I don't know why I feel this way. If Ana is sleeping with the boss then what's my problem in that? Spha is just like all of them! How could he profess his love to me knowing exactly that she's sleeping with Ana? Tears fall freely as I throw myself on the bed and let all the flood gates open wide. My mind goes back to my college days when I used to believe in all those 'happily ever after' fairy tales. I dated a guy who was in his second year studying law and I was in my first year, he was handsome and all but hell, the dude really knew how to cheat and use women. I lost interest in everything that has to do with love until Sheila convinced me that not all men are the same but turns out they are all pigs! Someone knocks on my door but I scream at whoever is knocking to leave me alone. My phone rings, it's Spha, I quickly switch it off. I don't want to talk to him, maybe later. I cry myself to sleep.

I woke up with a very bad headache, my eyes red from the crying, my throat sore and my voice hoarse. Once again someone knocks.

"What? Leave me alone!" I yell.

"Princess, someone is here to see you." Dad quietly says. Yes, I'm angry but I can't disrespect my dad. I wipe my face with a wet towel, unlock the door and go outside.

"Who wants to see me, dad?" I'm not looking at him because I don't want him to see the hurt written all over my face.

"It's the Prince." What? What does the Prince want from me? I have no business with the royal family.

"Ok, after you." I follow him to the lounge where mom, Sne and someone are sitting. Dad bows his head, says "My Prince" and sits down. I come closer to the said Prince, oh no, this can't be! "Where is the Prince, dad?"

"He's the Prince, my child." He says looking at Spha. No! No! No! This can't be happening!

"You! You are the Prince, too! Unbelievable!" I really don't know how to feel about this.

"Nomtha, have you met before? He's the heir apparent to the throne, Spham------" Sne tries to reintroduce him. I raise my hand to silence her.

"Save it, Sne. I know him or no, I thought I knew him." I give him an ugly stare, he looks on confused.

"Princess, you don't talk like that to the Prince!" Dad scolds.

"Dad, what if I tell you that I've been addressing him as Spha all along? What if I tell you that this lying bastard is my boss whom I thought we understood each other so well." Once again I can't stop the tears, dad was right men are just liars and all they want from women is s*x! Sne leaps to her feet, she tries to hug me but I push her away. "I'm fine." I sniffle.

"Nomtha, what's wr------" Spha too tries to comfort me but I move away from him.

"Leave me alone and get out of here. I don't ever wanna see you again!"

"Nomtha---"

"Get out!" I scream, he hesitantly leaves. I collapse on the floor and scream, I feel like some just stabbed me in the chest.

"Angel, what's the matter? Did he do something to you?" Mom asks, I hug her tight and cry even more.

"MaNkonjeni, I don't understand your daughter sometimes how can she scream to the Prince like that? Even if he did something wrong, why not forgive the guy and continue squandering the royal money---"

"Shut up! Don't you start with taunting my daughter!" Dad reprimands Sne.

"Hay suka man! Nomthandazo Mahlangu awusule lezo nyembezi uyek' ukuzphathisa okwengane encane! (No man! Nomthandazo Mahlangu wipe those tears and stop behaving like a child)." Sne clicks her tongue and leaves.

"It's okay Princess. Hush now." Dad also comforts me. They all want to question me when I finally calm down but I tell them I don't want to talk about it.

SPHAMANDLA'S P.O.V

I really don't know what happened to Nomtha. We were fine until I stepped out of the office to get us some lunch. God knows what happened to her in my absence. Her anger seems to be more directed to me and I don't know what I did wrong. I hear car horns just then I remember I'm still driving on the busy road. I park my car in front of my friend's office, get down the car and go in.

"Dude, I've been calling you like million times." He says as soon as I enter his office. I throw myself on the couch and loosen my tie. "Spha, what's wrong?"

"I wish I knew what's wrong but now I'm just in the dark like you." I wipe my face with both my hands.

"What are you talking about?" He sits next to me.

"Nomtha is angry at me. For what? I don't know. I went to see her after she left work not looking good but she completely lost it upon seeing me."

"Did someone say something to her or did you hurt her in any way?"

"No. I wouldn't hurt her, I love her man. I really do and I revealed my feelings to her when we were away." I feel tears threatening to fall.

"Did she know you are the Prince?"

"Maybe thus why she's angry at me. I never told her that because I thought she knew but she said something like "you are the Prince too", I think there's more to her anger than only finding out that I'm the Prince of this kingdom."

"Do you want me to talk to her?

"Anthony, no! I'm a man and I can't let you talk to someone I love on my behalf." I wipe my tears.

"It's okay, buddy. You will figure it out." He gives me water to drink and pats my back. I will have to find out what is wrong with her, I can't lose her. My friend and confidant Anthony gives me some relationship advice, I thank him and leave.

"Hey brother, I've been calling you promised to take me to my favorite restaurant for some Italian dinner today." Kayise says pouting. I smile at my one and only sister.

"Hey Sis." I kiss her cheek. "I'm sorry for arriving late and I'm really tired today I had a very tiring day, can we go some other time?"

"Thus not fair brother. Your work is now more important than me maybe I should just go back to New York because here nobody cares about me." She turns to leave but I pull her back and hug her tight.

"I love you Sis and I will always care about you. Saturday, I promise. We will even go to the movies." This is the only way I can pacify my sister.

"Really?" She pulls out of the hug with her eyes sparkling with excitement. I nod. "Brother, you are the best." She hugs me once again. I sigh, relieved. She runs back inside the house leaving me outside, I follow behind her.

"Good evening dad and mom."

"Evening son. How is everything going at work?" Dad asks.

"Fine dad. I'm really tired, I need to shower and lie down a bit."

"Ok Sonny. I will bring your dinner later." Mom says putting down her fashion magazine. Eish women and clothes and jewelry!

After taking a bath I take my phone, try to call Nomtha but it goes straight to voicemail. I hope she has calmed down a bit. I decide to text her and go to bed. I toss and turn but I can't fall asleep. I reach for my laptop on the bedside table, switch it on and go to my gallery. Almost all my photos are that of Nomtha, she's a happy soul, always smiling. I run my fingers on her photo that I shot when we went to the beach, I captured it without her noticing. She was busy building a sand castle.

"Spha, what are you doing?" She quickly ran to me.

"Nothing. Just capturing the best memories." She tried to snatch the camera but failed.

"Sorry. You're not deleting these ones, I want to show them to my darling sister."

"No! Why would you do that?"

"Because I can, because my sister would love to see what I was up to." She rolled her eyes......

Someone opens my door without even knocking, I quickly close my laptop.

"Son, am I interrupting?"

"No mom. Come in." She's holding a tray.

"You shouldn't have bothered yourself mom, I'm not hungry." How do I manage to eat when Nomtha is angry at me.

"Come on. I will feed you if needed." She forcefully shoves a spoonful of rice in my mouth.

"Mom----" She repeats the same. I tell her to leave it, I will eat later. She kisses my forehead and leaves my room closing the door behind her. Once I again I try to call Nomtha but it still goes to voicemail.

*****Nomtha, I'm going crazy trying to figure out why you are mad at me, talk to me please.***** I press send.