REBEL GRAINED

TWO FACED

Palesa didn't understand her oldest daughter's eagerness to work or why her sixteen-year-old wished to help as well the next day. They got ready; the tea finally reeled in people when her daughter suggested getting some ice in the afternoon.

This was one of the good things about street food business ventures; one could change the menu's lineup to accommodate the situation.

Palesa decided to serve the tea warm in the morning and cold in the afternoon.

Lars got up early, too, he thought of his coffee. No, he thought of her, the mysterious dancer. Steven didn't reassure Lars when he told him girls disappeared and were raped on the regular.

South Africa was beautiful, but it had a brutally ugly side that foreigners didn't wish to assimilate to the country known to be fun.

Lars hoped the other woman didn't lie when she said the barista was ill.

The barista.

Lars didn't even know her name. The man promised himself to ask her if ever he saw her again.

He got ready; it wasn't like he had something else to do. He didn't even need to check the stock exchange or visit the start-ups where he invested his money. Dalai did the necessary. Lars didn't feel guilty letting Dalai take care of everything as he paid him enough in commissions.

Steven did see the way his friend let Dalai do in a good eye. He asked Lars to keep an eye on his assets, but his words evaporated into thin air as usual.

Lars loved the idea of making money in his sleep. He wondered how he held all these years working for Jonas doing nine to five, ten to six, or eleven to X hours.

For the first time in his life, Lars had time.

Was this what Jonas spoke about? The infamous moment where one began could think about non-financial matters and lived.

It's usually the moment when one falls in love. Jonas's words rang like an alarm.

Could he fall in love?

Lars was in an odd type of mood as he left his house and drove to the truck. This time, there were a few more people, and the man felt his heart step up a beat as he approached the van and got in line. He wished people would hurry up with their orders. Lars put on his brightest smile when his turn came, "Haㅡi."

Wtf, the man screamed in his mind but managed to muster a measured, "Where is she?"

"She isn't here."

"I can see that," Lars blurted with all the annoyance he could conjure in his voice.

"Ehhh," Palesa crossed her arms.

"You said tomorrow."

"I said maybe."

Behind Palesa, her daughter's died a thousand deaths as they swooned over Lars. The man resembled all these unearthly handsome guys that writers depicted in books online. The girls clearly envisioned Lars as the man with a heart of ice which melted when he found true love.

Nolwozi nudged her sister, "I told you it was worth it."

"Oh my Gawd, I look a mess. He won't notice me."

"You're sixteen; I hope he doesn't. You could surely be his child."

Palesa turned slowly. Her stare roared with flames as she finally understood why her girls were so enthusiastic about helping her out.

"Eh, madam."

Palesa glared.

"Miss?" Lars tried, "I really would like my coffee. Do you have more information for me concerning her return?"