Read Online Mr Not Quite Good Enough by Lauri Kubuitsile - Free Book Online Page B

Mark and Kelebogile. “Hello, you must be Amita,” Mmandu said, shaking her hand. “I understand you’re going to be a big star on Generations .”
    Amita and Mmandu started talking animatedly. Amita was given a seat next to the birthday girl, a place of honour, and Gorata knew the battle was lost. She had agreed that her sister could have a small party, but she’d forgotten that small and big had different definitions in Mmandu’s world.
    Gorata sighed and walked towards the house. She spotted Kelebogile and Mark, learning a traditional dance taught by none other than Quentin. Her uptight but now decidedly drunk neighbour had lost all his modern pretences and was stripped down to his bare chest. He was kicking his legs up in the air so high Gorata was sure when he woke up tomorrow with serious babalas he would realise he’d pulled a muscle.
    She got herself some wine and sat down on the steps of the back stoep. There wasn’t much else she could do now. They had agreed everything would be over at ten, so now it was just a matter of waiting.
    â€œHey, Lady Gorata.”
    She looked up and there was Ozee, carrying a cup of Mmandu’s beer. Gorata wasn’t quite sure if she was happy to see him or angry because he’d been so short with her when she’d phoned him that morning. She decided to avoid that topic and asked, “So how’s it?” while motioning to the beer.
    He took a sip. “Good, actually. Your sister has many talents.”
    Gorata laughed. “So you’ve met Mmandu?”
    â€œWho hasn’t?” Ozee sat down next to her on the steps. “She’s a special person, that sister of yours. I think she may be the embodiment of Botho – the living, breathing, walking, talking definition of Botho – she is because we are.”
    Gorata laughed but could see his point. “You think?”
    â€œYup.”
    â€œSo how’s your brother?” Gorata asked, even though she was still a bit sore about the way he’d shut her out in the morning. Still, she couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like to be told someone you love had been shot.
    â€œHe’ll be okay. Actually, this may end up being the thing that saves him,” Ozee said, suddenly very serious.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Gorata wondered how Ozee could say getting shot was a good thing. He was an optimist and a generally happy guy, but this was too much.
    â€œYou know how it is in the townships. Some boys just take the wrong way. My brother was running with thugs. Luckily he got shot in the arm. It has scared him, scared him a lot. I think it’ll be enough to make him finally see what my mother and I have been trying to tell him all along.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Gorata said.
    Ozee smiled at her. “Don’t be; he made his choices, we all do. He wanted all of the bling and he wanted it fast. So he thought hanging out with thugs, selling dope and stealing cars was the way to get it. A lot of us make that mistake in the townships. This has been a hard lesson for him, but I think he’s finally learnt it. I’m grateful for that – but I won’t lie, I was scared.”
    Gorata rubbed his hand resting next to her on the stoep. “Like I said, I’m sorry.”
    â€œYeah, thanks, that’s nice,” he said.
    Gorata took a sip of her wine. “So what’s up with you, Ozee? You’re so smart and you seem to know what’s right, why are you working at a petrol station?”
    Ozee laughed. “What’s wrong with that? It’s an honest day’s work.”
    â€œYeah, I know . . . I didn’t mean that . . .” Gorata didn’t really know what she meant. “Maybe . . . you owe it to yourself to do more?”
    â€œI like my life right now. I think people need to rethink what’s important. Why do I need a lot of stuff to clutter my life? It’s not about the stuff or