One Ride with Senzo Radebe

As a girl from a rural area, I never imagined I'd cross paths with the handsome television star, Senzo Radebe. With my new job just a stone's throw away from his neighborhood, I was thrilled at the prospect of possibly running into him. I'd been texting his i********: page every day, expressing my admiration for him and hoping to meet him one day. That day arrived sooner than I expected. I was running late for work, my heels clicking on the pavement as I rushed to catch a taxi. I was wearing my favorite dress, my hair styled to perfection, and a determined look on my face. But fate had other plans. The taxi I was aiming for sped past me, leaving me stranded. As I tried to wave down another ride, a sleek, lavish car slowed down beside me. I hesitated, unsure if I should ask for a lift. The car I was trying to stop passed me, and the one behind it stopped. The window rolled down, and a pair of piercing eyes met mine. "Hope in, I'll drop you," a deep voice said. As he took off his glasses, my heart skipped a beat. It was Senzo Radebe, the man of my dreams, staring back at me. I was in shock, my legs frozen in place. The next thing I knew, I was swooning into his arms, and he was whispering, "Are you okay?" I managed a weak "Yeah," still pinching myself to see if I was dreaming. "You're not where you're going, mam?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "Work," I replied, trying to gather my composure. "Don't hurt yourself," he said, glancing in the mirror. "Today is just your lucky day." "Senzo... I... finally saw you face to face," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "It happens," he smirked, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Many girls faint when they see me," he added, chuckling. I smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Oh, I saw you will drop me at that building. Now you make me feel like an Uber driver," he laughed. "Sorry and thank you," I replied, my voice liling with embarrassment. As we pulled up to my destination, he turned to me and said, "Hey, aren't you going to ask me for my number? Every girl does." I took a deep breath and replied, "How about you pick me up after work, 16:30?" He raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face. "I guess you are different from them. You're a go-getter." He handed me his card and said, "I'll pick you up, but give me your number so I can communicate with you as I come to pick you up." I nodded, feeling like I was walking on clouds. As I got out of the car, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for us. That day at work, I kept going to the bathroom to check myself in the mirror and fix my hair. I kept checking my phone, hoping he would text me, hoping he would call and say he was missing me. I kept smiling to myself like a crazy human being - I was a gone girl, for real. Time was moving so slowly, like a tortoise. My heart and mind were racing like a springbok in a marathon. My imagination was so wild that I kept swallowing my saliva, my blood singing now and then until I couldn't take it anymore. As I was going out of the building, I heard noises outside. People were screaming and beating themselves up and down. I heard people whispering and pointing. "What's going on?" I asked someone. They replied, "It's Solomzi... some say it's Sthembiso... some said the guy on Shaka iLembe... some said it's that guy who acts on TV." I smiled and walked past them. Almost five colleagues of mine had already fainted. I walked straight to him with confidence. You! He was standing, holding a bouquet of flowers, next to his car. I went to him with confidence, knowing how many colleagues of mine had been on a diet and had been body-shaming me, and others had been praised for their nice shapes. But here I was, going to be with someone they had dieted for and bleached their skin for. When he saw me, he smiled. "No more taxi," he said, as he hugged me and gave me flowers. He opened the door for me. The noise of my colleagues... I could tell they didn't believe their eyes. I thought we speak at the same time. You first. He said, "I thought you would call first." I said, "I thought you will call and ask if I'm still coming." He replied, "I didn't want to seem desperate, and besides, you are a busy man." I smiled. He replied, "Desperate? It's an understatement. I want you to be obsessed with me, like before, when you text me good morning, good afternoon, and good night, knowing I won't reply." "Don't remind me," I said. "Oh, so where do you stay? Katlegong accommodation i replied ,Oh, is the rent cheaper there?" He asked. "Do I look like someone who loves cheap stuff?" "No, you wouldn't be here if you liked cheap stuff," he replied. I laughed. "No, I'm just kidding. The rent there is very reasonable. Besides, I'm still an intern." We arrived there. "This is where I stay. Can I come in? I don't want people to faint, you know, or things that happened at work to happen again." He narrowed his gaze to convince me to say yes. "Okay, okay, it's fine. You can come in," I replied. He got inside. "Mmm, very nice," he said, looking around the room. "Are you sure you stay alone here?" he asked. I laughed. "No, Mr Radebe, I don't." "This place is very tidy," he said, looking around and sitting on the bed. I put my bag down and sat on the couch. "When are you leaving?" I asked. "Are you chasing me?" he replied. "No, I'm just asking. Are you feeling uncomfortable that I'm sitting on your bed?" "No, it's just that it's our first day meeting and you're already here and I don't know what to say." "Come and sit here. I want us to get to know each other, right here, right now," he said, looking at me with a serious face. I went to the bed. My feet were getting numb, my heart racing, trying to jump out of my body. He started telling me about himself, and when it was my turn, I told him everything. But I don't know why I was scared, so he brushed my face. "It's okay, go on," he said.