REBEL GRAINED

GOOD WIFE

CAUTION: Some spelling mistakes are intentional.

"Aweh [hi], Chi-Du."

"Na-Na."

Best friends since forever, the girls were inseparable.

"Howzit [how are you?], Palesseaaaa?" Nandi said, letting her tongue hang out to amplify the sa sound.

Palesa shook her head in disapproval, "eish, the noisy one is here."

"Aww, Palesa, can't you say you are glad to see me? I come to entertain you."

The older woman smiled and went on to prepare the last dumplings of the service.

"Friend, you look sublime."

Nandi posed, a few passers-by stopped stare as they recognized her.

As always, her makeup and hair were flawless. She loved flat braids styles and knew how to do them. The skill assured Nandi a new hairdo every week.

Nandi was the girl one turned to see when she entered a place. She was one of the first people Thulile made coffee for, and on her cup, Nandi discovered the word star.

Whether the word prompted her or had always been a prerogative from that day forth, Nandi worked to make the prediction reality.

The last customers served, Palsea came out. At age thirty-six, Palesa felt like a gran when she should be thriving in life. She liked Nandi, who reminded the mother of five of her younger self despite what she said. She advanced to where the young women stood and went to hand Nandi a bag of Amagwinya.

"Palesa, please don't give her that," Thulile said and blocked Palsea's path while Nandi stretched her hands out behind her, "she needs to watch her figure."

"Ah, let me eat. I will use a filter on my videos."

"No, don't start lying to your followers."

Palesa profited from the distraction to pass the bag to Nandi.

Though she had the brains and the means to pursue her studies, Nandi quit the law school she enrolled in to embrace a career as a YouTuber.

Her parents threw her out, but she refused to conform. She worked as a hairdresser in a salon in Rosebank mall and created her content during her free time.

"What brings you?"

"This," Nandi handed Thulile a bag, "I got this as a gift from the makeup convention. I have so many, so best friend glow-up."

Thulile looked into the bag filled with black-owned brands: Suki Suki Naturals, Swiitch Cosmetics, Chick skincare, and many more.

"Na-na, you know this stuff isn't for me."

"Eh, earth calling Chi-Du. You are a woman, don't forget. You better keep everything and use it. Retinol is life, sister. You've got to keep the skin screaming Yé like Kim Kay."

"If she doesn't take them, I will," Palesa said and snatched the bag from Thulile hands.

The women took a break. They opened at 6 am and paused at 2 pm after the office lunches. While Palesa rummaged through the giveaway, Nandi tried once more to clarify her friend's thoughts, "Chi-Du, have you seen Elije lately?"

"He's busy; he has exams."

Nandi hesitated a second but went ahead with it. If she could not enlighten her friend, then who would?

"Chi-Du, Mabel saw him in Durban with this other girl. They looked very close."

"Eina [pain or infliction], Nana, please. Don't start with the mosquito nonsense."