Country Cliques: An international obstacle course of love

Jason and Kat are in the bathtub, soaking in the warm foamy and oil-scented bath with six candles safely lit on the either side of the bathtub. Jason has his back leaning against the edge of the bathtub. Kat is neatly tucked into the front of his naked body, leaning the back of her body against the front of his body. “I’m sorry you lost your case, baby.” Kat says to Jason, trying to console him after a really difficult day. “Thank you, my love. I just… I don’t understand how I lost that case. I had prepared it so well and I was so sure that I had not missed any loopholes. How could I miss this?!” Jason says in a disappointed tone, disappointed in himself. “You are human, baby. You are not always going to know the very last detail of every case that you work on.” There is silence for a brief moment. Then Jason breaks the silence, saying, “[y]ou know, it’s not even the loss that is getting to me. It’s the look on my client’s face when she has to accept that she is going to prison for ten years because she dared to defend her life against an abusive psychopath. I think I should appeal the case. Yes, I’m going to appeal that decision. I have another angle that I can come at this with”. “J, baby… relax. You need to relax.” Kat says. “I can’t relax, my love. I really can’t. My mom wants to see me in her office first thing in the morning. The only reason I’m probably not going to get fired is because my mom is a senior partner at that law firm. And I hate this because I wanted people to respect me for my work, not - “J, relax. Please”, Kat says as she faces him while climbing on top of him. The front of her body is now facing the front of Jason’s body. Her v****a is sitting right on top of Jason’s p***s. Kat kisses Jason. “I need you to relax”, she keeps saying as she kisses him, sliding his p***s into her v****a. Jason is already moaning. … It’s a rainy day and a busy morning in Jason’s and Kat’s apartment. They are both getting ready for work, and their domestic worker, Marissa, has arrived and has started working. “What’s your day looking like today?” Jason asks Kat as Jason drinks the coffee that Kat has prepared for him. She is also enjoying her own cup. “I have to meet with a few clients, but I should knock off early enough to come home and pack for our trip to South Africa.” Kat replies. “My PA has sorted out all our travelling arrangements. She just needs advice on where we would like to stay”, Jason tells Kat. “At my house. I have property in South Africa. We can stay there.” “And your family? Because they’ve been making a big deal about us not being married but living together”, Jason mentions. “Well… that’s just how things are done in our world. I’m a moSotho girl. Cohabitating with a boyfriend is not exactly what anyone expects of me back at home,” Kat says. “You think they are going to make a deal about us not getting married while we are there for your younger sister’s wedding? Especially because your younger sister is getting married before you?” Jason enquires with concern. “Well, we would still need to answer to how we left South Africa… to my parents, but most importantly, to my sister.” Kat says. “She’s getting married now. I mean… we are headed to her wedding. Do you think she would still care?” Jason asks Kat. “Her mother (my stepmother) and both her daughters (my two sisters) still don’t speak to me. The people who still speak to me are my dad, my biological mother and my brother. And they’ve all brought up how hurt and upset she still is. She even said that she cannot believe that I have the audacity to bring you to her wedding after what I did. Nobody blames you for any of this. It’s all on me.” Kat expresses. Jason puts his cup of coffee down, noticing that Kat couldn’t make it past one sip of her coffee. He takes her cup from her then he hugs her. “I still choose you. I chose you then and I’m still choosing you now. I love you, Kat. And I will marry you. Our relationship is not a scandal to me. It’s everything I prayed that a committed relationship would be for me.” Jason says as he holds Kat in his arms so passionately. Kat just holds onto Jason a lot tighter. Jason seals the moment with a gentle forehead kiss. The couple leaves their apartment in Brooklyn, heading to Manhattan via bus. The bus ride is as busy as always, but with their work bags intact, they get on the bus and make their way to their respective workplaces in Manhattan. This life is quite new for both of them. Jason Simmons comes from a family that falls under the 1% elite that can afford luxury accommodation in Manhattan. He went to top tier schools and joined all sorts of programs, one of those particular programs made his path cross with Kat's path. Katleho Motaung is South African. Home for her is a luxurious country estate in Pretoria. And that's just one of her homes. Her polygamous father has two wives, both live in golf estates: Kat's mother, the first wife, lives in a golf estate in Pretoria and his second wife lives in a golf estate in Kempton Park. They live in Brooklyn because without their parents' financial assistance and focusing on just their jobs, this is the accommodation that they can afford. They are not struggling; they are simply living within their means. Jason's first stop when he gets to the office is to make his way to his mother's office. Naomi Simmons, best referred to as Omi. She is the CEO and founder of OMI SIMMONS & ASSOCIATES. She's in a meeting when Jason knocks on her door. But when she sees her son waiting to speak to her as she had requested, she adjourns her meeting then invites Jason into her office. "Get us our usual breakfast, please", Omi requests from her assistant. "Yes, ma'am", the assistant says. Jason and Omi settle on Omi's couches in her office, settling and ready to have their mother-and-son morning conversation. “How are you doing, son?” Omi asks Jason. “I’m well, mother. I’m actually really happy. I’m just disappointed about losing my case yesterday”, Jason says. “You know that case was out of your hands, right? You were doing it pro-bono and your client’s in-laws threw a lot of money into that case - even towards people who were not supposed to receive the legal fees. Her husband came from a family that has no problem spending their money. She killed that husband. They don’t care that he was abusive and almost killed his wife.” Jason takes in what his mother is saying. Then Omi says, “Jason, I invested a lot of money in your education. While I appreciate that you think you owe people something because you were fortunate enough to have me as your mother and the inheritance that your father left for you, I’m tired of funding your passion projects”. “Passion projects?” Jason asks in a disturbed tone. “You work in a profit-earning law firm! Your cases are supposed to bring us money, not cost us money. We have a community engagement department in this firm that has its own projects that we don’t plan to see direct income from, but we do expect some kind of return on investment… even if it’s good publicity. These cases of yours bring us one stray dog after another and quite frankly, I’m tired of it. No more passion projects, Jason. Hell! You went on an exchange programme to the University of Cape Town in South Africa and came back with a girlfriend that moved you out of your penthouse in Manhattan to an apartment in Brooklyn. For goodness' sake, Jason!” “I should’ve known that my girlfriend would come up under the passion project topic. Really mother?!” Jason is now getting upset. “I’d actually like to know her values when it comes to family. Were you not her sister’s boyfriend? If she could do that to her sister, how will she treat our family?! And you know how important family is to us Simmonses”, Omi continues. “So important that you keep Terrence away from your image because he’s in prison?!” Omi is quiet and ashamed. “Your first-born son is in prison for defending you against dad - a similar case to the one you’ve just called my passion project by the way - and you are ashamed of him. Please! You are the last person to talk to anyone about family values!” “Jason Simmons!” Omi snaps. Fortunately for both their tempers, Omi’s assistant walks into the office, bringing in their ordered breakfast. The pair are quiet and are recollecting themselves. Omi’s assistant leaves the office after putting the food on the coffee table in Omi’s office. Omi and Jason are alone again. “Will you at least have dinner with your grandmother and I tonight?” Omi says as she plays with her latte before digging into her breakfast. “Kat and I have dinner plans today. Maybe we can do lunch tomorrow before Kat and I head to the airport. Our flight to South Africa is in the evening”, Jason says. “Fine. Please don’t cancel on us”, Omi says. Jason takes his breakfast then leaves Omi’s office.