Chapter 1
I have been staying in Giyani township for almost twenty years now.Giyani township lies
In the foot of Ma,nombe mountains and is hundred and seventy kilometres away from Polokwane,better known as Pietersburg.
It is home to mainly shangaans, who formed the core of the Gazankulu homeland under the
Leadership of the late chief minister Hudson Ntsanwisi.
The place is fast developing .There are many professional people today unlike in the days of the bantustan.There are also many people who are extremely rich as a result of the the tender-prenuers.There are many more things which turn a beggar into a millionaire today, some of these
things are evil practices which are swept under the carpet for no one to see.Corruption is rife
In these areas.
Women are fortunate .They buy their way to the top positions with their bodies.This is the norm.
Very few are faithfull to their partners when they think of the greener pastures .They use every available means to get to the top.I started working in the nineties as a teacher in a remote village on the outskirts of Giyani township.I can tell you that I was not lucky to find myself a suitable parner to
hold on to.I tried Thandi , a shop assistant in the township.
Thandi was from Madobi village , a few kilometres from Giyani township.Thandi was a typical shangaan who never went to shool, she was well built with an appealing body.
She fell in love with me immediately after learning that I was a teacher.The first day I met her,
I had put on my expensive floral shirt, a befitting trouser and shoes imported from Italy.Upon seeing the clothes that I had put on , she melted.I was almost good in selecting beatifull clothes that suited me.I was tall, masculine and my face was chocolate brown .I was not talkative, but quiet and modest.Many people preferred my company and often said that I was very good.
There was a guy , also a teacher like myself who always said that women look for many things in a man, one of which is was clothing.He said to attract women , men should look expensive in their
Outfit.I also knew that.
“ There are men around here who do not have these clothes , but date beatifull women”, I protested.
“ Look Thabo, like I said there are many things they look for ,apart from clothes , they will look if
’’You have money.”, said Lazi trying to to convince me.
Despite Lazi ,s atoning ways ,clothes usually put many women on ice.I liked to be clean.Cleanliness is next to godliness.They said.Even in schools where I attended ,teachers often told us to look clean.I bet this made Thandi to go beserk when I bumped on her for the first time after school.
She looked innocent when I met her on the way from a shebeen.I wanted so much to feel the warmth of a woman after I had parted ways with a much older lover Magrieta.
I exchanged some formal greetings with Thandi, then I explained myself.
“I am a teacher by profession and stays right here in this township.Please just accept me as your lover , perhaps my search for a wife will come to an end.” I pleaded with her.
I could see seriousness from her looks as I gave her my my parable and the desire
to settle down for marriage.I had tried many women on campus while I was studying for my teachers diploma at Giyani college of education, but seemingly many of them only wanted somebody to while time with not somebody to settle down with in marriage.
“I know how people like you behave.They keep dozens of women.These women fight amongst themselves because of guys like you.They sometimes end up killing each other.You see ,with the
Presence of foreigners with powerfull herbs, you can end up becoming mad.Women go to these
People looking for herbs to fight their opponents in terms of attracting favours from men.
I could see the the seriousness of her assertions.She was right on with her outburst.Teachers
Were known to be playboys.I was drunk , but I was carefull with the words that I spoke .
“I will take you to meet my mother.She would be so eager to meet you.I love you with the love
Of heaven.I mean , I do not want to loose a woman like you”, I pleaded.
She looked at me ,unsure of what to say because I looked at her with seriousness written all over me.
“What about your fellow-teachers,I mean lady teachers at school where you teach?,is it that birds of
the same feather will flock together.I dropped out of grade 10 ,I am not educated myself .You want to dump me when you meet your type after having a feel of me,?’’she protested.
She did not mince a word , but hit the target.I became patient and stood my ground.It was chilly with downpours watering the ground.I had only a shirt on, but I had to convince Thandi to love
Me.I wanted to caress her body , fondle her and have a feel of a typical shaangaan body.I had been told on numerous occasions that rural women do not do much injections on their bodies and that made penetrating them become beatifull, unlike the educated ones whose frequent injections make them ballons and become lazy and noisy in bed.
’’I am not like that .Not me ,I am serious about love, I mean true love.Please Thandi , love me .I mean it”, I said.
Thandi could talk no more , but she looked at me ramble with words.I was of age and was looking for
A wife , but I had a darker side .I drank a lot .I once slept with a woman and since I drank a lot that day, wet the bird that we slept on.The woman upon realising it called it a day.
“If you do not stop drinking like a fish in the pond,you will end up without a woman .Women hate drunkards”, my mother lashed out at me.
I wanted to stop drinking because I realised that it was driving me to the drain.I had to stop , but
drinking was my only route to escape the misery of this world.Although my mother slammed it ,
I could see no reason of quitting , not now or later.
“Please Thandi , please”, I continued to beg her.
Thandi finally gave in.She agreed , but did not tell if we had to meet after ten in the evening when
When she knocked off.I insisted anyway and she said she would phone me to confirm her position.We exchanged our phone numbers and parted.
On my way home I thought heavily of her although she was not the beauty of this world,she had a beautifull body to hold and quench the lust of the flesh.She was not a class, but a dignified human being who had been put down on the ground because of poverty.
She coughed out a lot about her background.She told me me about her her father who died years ago while working in the gold reef mines in Johhanersburg now known as Gauteng years ago.She did menial jobs to make ends meet.She did not conceal the fact that she had a child by a young man
Who had died.The child, she said was being cared for by her mother.She was doing her job to supplement her mother,s income.I felt pity for her .She was true to me despite her level of education.I felt that she had a lot in her shoulders.I then decided to love her the way she was.I saw in Thandi the world and the future.I got into my room and took off my clothes , my formal clothes and put a pair of jeans and a T-shirt lying on the couch nearby.Outside the room ,the downpours came heavily ,but you know Giyani area is one of the hottest spots so it matters not if it rains or it does not.Life had to go on.
There was nobody home except Msolwa, our household helper .I ate my food and lie on the bed .I
Only thought of Thandi .I got up and decided to make a headway to mama Florina , a shebben queen in our neighbourhood.I had cash to spend on some few quarts before I could meet Thandi.I had not slept with a woman for some weeks now and as it was alwasys after a drink, I would crave for a woman.Although I was cautious of Aids, and other dreadfull diseases , I did not think Thandi was the type to infect me with it,because she was illiterate.She looked dignified to do sex with any men she came across.
“You are skaars Thabo, what keeps you busy”, asked Mamikie, one of the the lazy women in the township who guzzled beer like a big fish.Mamikie changed men like her underwear and she did not bother about it.Men she said ,were a source of her livelihood.She brought in men and they gave her money to survive.She had many mouths to feed.
“I am around sis Mamikie .I do not want to go all around ,else I may pick up diseases.Life is bad these days,with our drinking , we may die young and
Yes, and have a bautifull corpse inside the coffin”, she intercepted me with the famous prase on those who die very young because of the type of life that they live.
There were many things to live for in this world.I and Mamikie dicussed a lot.We talked about football in the Psl,and the high cost of living.
“That is why I ask men to help me.I do not sell my body , they thank me for allowing them to explore me , to feel the delicacies that I have.Many say I am gorgeous’’,she laughed loudly with a bottle in her hand.
I nodded and realised that life was horrible sometimes.She was one of the laziest women in South Africa who looked sorerly on the government for survival.Like most of her ilk, they said foreigners
Were looting their wealth and taking their opportunities away.
‘’You see , they are our brothers with rare skills’’.I protested.
‘’ Voetsek, to hell with their skills.They are criminals and rapists,Why cant they use their skills
In their own countries and help develop their own countries.We are skilled already.we do not need
Any more skills.”said Mamikie in a thunderous laughter.
“I will book a flight for you to go to Cape town in parliament to tell them so’,intrupted mama Florina who had following our conversation keenly from her kitchen.
’She better go , she has some facts.”I said
There were still downpours , the kind that needed warmth in the form of a woman between
the sheets. I thought more of Thandi because I saw the upper part of her hairy thigh when the skirt
She had been wearing was blown away by wind.
This thought made the lust for Thandi to grow.I then bought airtime from mama Florina and begged Thandi to wait for me when she knocks off.
She still did not buy the idea, but I insisted until she agreed. I was so happy though I was drunk.
I began thinking of how to snatch her into my backyard room at home.Thandi mearnt a lot to me.
I took another sip,hopefully that I would feel the warmth of Thandi.She was innocent and unlike myself had a heavy burden upon her.
‘’You seem to be meditating’’, asked Mamikie as she saw me scrolling my phone again.
‘’I am checking on some of the numbers’,I replied.It was getting dark and I was feeling the heat.More
People came in to ease the stress of the day.
I finally got up.It was time to meet Thandi on the way from her work place.As agreed, I met her along the road to the stadium.The downpours of the day had soaked her clothes.I could see
she felt the sting of it,But I embraced her.I felt the warmth of her body despite all that.
‘’I am pleased you came’’,I said.She kept to herself and did not say a word.I held her close to me.She looked at me and our eyes met.
Where are you taking me to?she asked.
‘’O course, to my place’’,I replied.
I repeatedly assured her that evertying would be allright.
’’Men cannot be easily trusted.What if you have a wife.You look like like a married man.I was only thirty five years of age.I was still not married.I assured Thandi that she would be fine with me
I held her hand and we sneaked inside my back room.My mother was inside the main house, so was my sister Khetiwe.She worked as a clerk with the government.She was my elder sister.but we got along very well.’So you do not bother about this chilly weather.Where are you coming from……boozing’’,she charged at me like a roaring lion.I went to the kitchen to look for food for my visitor.I had left Thandi in the backyard , in my room herself.
‘’I went to see Lazi’’,I replied.
‘If you do not mind your drinking Thabo, history will repeat itself.’,she warned .I knew I was once expelled from my job as a teacher as a result of my excessive drinking.The principal had told me right in my face that if I do not change the manner in which I drank I would not be able to teach
Again.I had stopped drinking for a while ,but got into it again through depression and some friends.
I took the plate and went to my room.I had a visitor to look after.When I enterd the room I only discovered that she had taken her wet clothes off and put it on the couch to dry up.
I was not yet ready to see the beauty in her.I quickly put the bowl of food I had carried and lean
Next to her.The downpours came heavily ,but could not dampen our spirits.
’’will you marry me and take care of my daughter?’’she asked.
She whispered into my ears as we sank between the blankets.
‘’yes, I will Thandi’’,I replied.
