29/10/2025
🌹🖤 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝟑 🖤🌹
𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐓 474
Zathi uma zithi 9pm izikhathi, esenama hour amabili uMkhululi efikile eclubini kaEnhle kodwa wayeseqede ama glass amathathu ewhiskey.
Izimpahla ayezifakile kwakusayilezi ayezifake izolo emsebenzini, ishirt elimhlophe neblukwe eli navy, ishirt eseze waliqaqa izinkinobho phezulu kwavele isifuba, engalifakile nangaphakathi eblukweni.
Kwakuthi uma kubuya indaba yamawele ekhanda kuvele kube engathi angaphuza kakhulu.
Kwakumele engabe akasekho nalapha kodwa kwakuthi uma ecabanga emuva, acabange nalezinkinga ayezishiyile avele ezwe inhliziyo ikhala igazi.
Kwathi uma ephakamisa iglass yakhe eyishayele ekhanda, no music usholo phansi amehlo akhe egijima iclub yonke no waiter bentanta nama drinks behambisa kwama tables, wabona ngo Enhle eqhamuka.
"I thought you were gone already," wamubuka ngokumangala uEnhle.
"Changed my mind," washo ebe ebeka iglass yakhe etafuleni uMkhululi.
Babesuke endlini bevumelene ngokuthi wayezofika eclubini athathe imoto ahambe.
Wamunyusela amashiya uEnhle, "Changed your mind about what? Drinking yourself to d*ath or just embarrassing yourself in my club again?"
He smirked faintly. "Guess you’ll have to find out."
She rolled her eyes and waved at a passing waiter. "Bring me two doubles, darling. Neat."
Kwathi uma ehlala eceleni kwakhe uEnhle iperfume yakhe enuka kamnandi yavele yathi thapuu. She crossed her legs, rested an elbow on the couch, and looked at him with a mix of curiosity.
"Umthetho wakho uzimisele ngoku drive back to Durban udakiwe?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. Bengingaka decide."
"You know," she said, leaning closer, "that's how people end up in coffins. Or prison."
He shot her a dry look. "And here I thought you were the caring type."
"I'm not," she chuckled. "I just don't want the paperwork when your ghost starts haunting my club."
Wahleka kancane uMkhululi. Her tone was playful, but there was something genuine under it — a strange, subtle warmth.
Baphazanyiswa uwaiter esebuya nama drinks abo. Wawabeka phambi kwabo, wabonga uEnhle, wamudlulisela uMkhululi eyakhe iglass.
Kwathi uma emugqolozela uEnhle, waze washawa amahloni uMkhululi wabuza ukuthi wasem'buka kangaka sekwenzenjani?
"You've got that look," she said. "The one men get when life's chewing them up. Namanje awukafuni ukung'tshela ukuthi udliwa yini?"
He gave a bitter laugh. "Ngiyabonga kakhulu ukuthi ung'nike indawo yokulanga, Enhle. Kodwa akushintshile ukuthi usayi stranger."
Wamuhlala emadevini uEnhle, "Yingakhoke kuyimi umuntu oright ongakhuluma naye. Asazi, asina history, angeke ngik'jaje. Ngizolalela nje kuphela kwazibani mhlampe ngiyovuka ngingasayazi naleyonto."
Akazange aphendule uMkhululi, kunalokho waphakamisa iglass yakhe wathatha isip namehlo akhe engawasusile ku Enhle.
"Suit yourself,”9" washo ebe ethatha isip no Enhle. "But I've been around long enough to know that silence k*lls faster than alc*hol."
Amazwi akhe ahlala, ngoba ebona naye ukuthi lento eyayimudla yayisiqala imphendula into angayazi, efile nangaphakathi.
Bake babukana noEnhle, esenanele nephunga lakhe elalisho kamnandi. Wathatha isip amehlo akhe agijima iclub yakho.
"Ngithole ukuthi izingane esengiz'khulise for eight years akusizo ezami," he said finally.
Wavula amehlo uEnhle, "What?"
"Yeah, ngizothola manje ukuthi my ex-wife slept with her father's bestfriend," wahleka kancane uMkhululi kodwa inhliziyo ikhala igazi. "That's who their father is."
"Jesus," washolo phansi uEnhle waswela namazwi okum'duduza.
Wanikina ikhanda uMkhululi nobuhlungu bavele bavuka bonke, kwisona sizathu esasenza kwasek'qaleni angafuni ukukhuluma ngalento.
"Ayikho into engingam'nikanga yona lowamuntu wesifazan. Ngamnika ikhaya, ngaxola kaningi ngisho enza izinto ngesibomu, ngalwa ngilwela irelationship yethu — only to find out bengiyisilima sonke leskhathi."
Washayela iwhiskey yakhe ekhanda, maqede wabeka iglass etafuleni. "And now... now everyone's telling me ukuthi angehlise umoya and let it go. How the hell do you let something like that go?"
Enhle let him speak — didn't interrupt, didn't comfort him yet — just listened.
When he paused, esephefumulela naphezu, she finally said, "So ubona kuncono ukuthi uzilahlele otshwaleni?"
Waphendula ikhanda wamubuka ngamehlo ayeseqala nezinyembezi. "Yini enye ekumele ngiyenze?"
"Ukuthi ubhekane nezinkinga zakho," washo ebe ebeka iglass iwhiskey yakhe naye etafuleni uEnhle ehlala kahle ebheka ngaku Mkhululi. "You can drown yourself in every bottle in this city, and you'll still wake up with the same pain in your chest. Utshwala doesn't bury the truth — it just delays the burial."
"You sound like a therapist."
She smirked. "Please. I just... own a club. But I've seen men like you more times than I can count — ngikhuluma ngamadoda alungile la who think whiskey can fix what betrayal broke. And let me tell you something... it never does."
Wake wayibuka uMkhululi lentombazane, there was something magnetic about her honesty — the way she cut straight through his excuses without judging him.
"Mhlampe uqinisile," washolo phansi. "Maybe I just don't know who I am anymore. If those kids aren't mine… what's left?"
Wasondeza isandla uEnhle wasibeka phezu kwesa Mkhululi esofeni. "You're still you, Mkhululi. You're still breathing, still standing. So the question isn't what's left. It's what are you gonna do next?"
He looked at her for a long time, his gaze tracing her face — the sharp jawline, the confidence, the way her eyes burned with something fierce and real.
"You talk too much," he said finally, trying to hide the small smile tugging at his lips.
Impendulo kaEnhle yathi, "And you drink too much. Guess we're both a mess in our own ways."
Bahleka bobabili uMkhululi ebe ephakamisa isandla ecela enye iwhiskey ku waiter.