chapter 3

Johannesburg, the Pinkz Head Quarter

Mpho Lesiba

It’s been a month since Kat resurfaced into her life or him trying so hard to be part of her life. The pitch with the Taiwanese went well and the contract has been signed. There is something bothering her with this relationship with the Taiwanese but she can’t put her finger on it. She has worked so hard to build the Pinkz as a brand and when she expanded to London, Dubai and Paris it was not so easy. She has a feeling that someone is behind this deal with the Taiwanese but who and most importantly what do they want with her company?

She will have to do her own investigation to find out the real story not that she is complaining but Mpho is the kind of a person who needs to be in charge of everything and understand the world behind her.  She will have to call Memory her PA to bring in all documents related to the Taiwanese pitch.

Memory, Mpho dialled her PA on a speed dial. "Please bring the file with the Taiwan contract to my office including all communication correspondences and documents."

"I will be there in a minute Ms Lesiba. Sorry, Mpho."

Memory hanged the phone wondering what might be the problem with her boss. She has not been herself lately; she hopes that it's nothing serious as people with money like Mpho are not supposed to have problems, according to Memory’s thinking. But she will not dare and ask if she is okay. Last time she did that she nearly lost her job. Mpho is a good boss but sometimes she is moody and you don’t want to mess with her when she is on one of her moods.

'She needs a boyfriend to calm her down.' Memory was just entertaining some silly thoughts which are none of her business. She better take the file upstairs before madam comes and screams at her in front of everyone not that she does that but with her mood lately, anything is possible.

"I found it, let me quickly run upstairs. I will use the stairs. The lifts have been misbehaving for the past week because of load shedding." Memory thought to herself.

Memory knocked at the door, "It is opened you may come in."

"Here is your file Mpho."

"Thank you, before you go Memory, do you have the first correspondence of the Taiwanese when they started getting interested at the Pinkz?"

"Yes Mpho, I have filed all the communications in this folder, I have also created a short cut that I have shared with you and you can access it anytime on cloud application."

"You know why I am asking, something does not sound right with all this but I don’t know what. Normally, I am the one who approaches investors to invest in my business, not the other way round. The way this relationship has come, it looks like someone approached them and sold the idea of them investing into Pinkz on my behalf but who is that person and what is their interest in my company?"

"I think you are reading too much on this Mpho. The Pinkz is an international brand now and anyone who likes style and good décor might get interested in it. I am thinking maybe the Taiwanese saw you on news or read somewhere about the Pinkz. And besides that, you are doing a lot of charitable events in many countries including Asia. Don’t beat yourself too hard. Can I ask you something, I hope you won’t get mad at me for asking?"

"Yes, go ahead, what is it Memory?"

"You don’t look yourself lately and other staff members have been talking you know if you are okay or what?"

"I am fine Memory and tell these staff members that are getting all excited about my life that I am okay and they should stop gossiping about me; instead they must do what I pay them for."

"I am sorry for asking but Mpho since that guy, what is his name... Kat came to your office last month your behaviour has changed. Did he do something to you or we are just reading things that are not there? But we know you and we love your passion and dedication and this month you have cancelled so many meetings, missed important business meetings, forgot to pick up your child at school three times.  It’s unlike you and one can see it in your face that something is bothering you."

"Memory closed the door and took a sit. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I did not realise that is written all over my face and my staff can sense it. You know how I always preached about productivity to my employees and if I am the one slacking behind it will not be a good example. Yes, my behaviour has to do with Kat. You know, what I am about to tell you, is something that not many people know about it except my closest friends and family. Kat and I met some years ago at the University. Kat was a senior student and as seniors, they used to assist us in some courses as tutors. We spent so much time together that we grew so close and before we knew it, we fell in love."

"Wow….that guy is so hot, any girl can fall in love with him. What happened that you don’t want to see him or talk to him? I get a sense that you hate him. What on earth did that beautiful man do?"

"Well, that guy is the father of my child. He got me pregnant and when I told him about it, he said I must abort it as he had a steady girlfriend that he was going to marry and he cannot be mixed on the baby issue. He crushed every dream I had about men. When I told him I am not aborting my child, he cut all ties with me and I was the talk of the town, some feeling pity for me, some saying it serves me right. It was such a bad experience for me. Remember all my parents died while I was young, I was raised by my grandmother and it really hurt her so bad when she learnt that I was pregnant. I felt betrayed, violated and I thought the whole world was crashing down on me. I had to lose one year of school to go home and raise my son and likely my grandma encouraged me to go back to school and finish my degree. To this day Thato thinks his father is dead because I told him so as to me Katlego Moiloa is dead."

Iyoh… Memory could not believe what she was just hearing and of all people Mpho to go through that. The Mpho she knew would not allow anyone to trample at her like that. Mpho might not be telling the truth. "Haibo Mpho, you are one of the most influential and strong women I have ever come across. How did this happen to you and how did you come back after all that?"

"Well Memory, every person has a weakness but it does not mean when that happens to you, it’s the end of the world. The experience taught me self-independent and to be in control of my life hence I studied hard to get my university education. I was no longer thinking of me but the little boy that I have brought into this earth. I have learned to be my own person hence after graduating I only worked for a year, quit and started the Pinkz from my grandma’s garage."

"You have been through a lot and one cannot tell unless you hear what you just shared with me. The guy really fucked up, to let a beautiful and intelligent girl like you down. I think he is very sorry, no wonder he is trying to get back with you. But how long are you going to avoid him? You need to talk to him one of these days."

"I know I have to talk to him but he can’t just show up now after all these years. My life is so perfect, everything is going so well and my business is expanding."

"I get a feeling that you still love him." Memory looking at Mpho feeling sorry for her.

"Well, I did love him some years ago but not anymore. The hurt he caused me made me not to commit to any man hence I don’t do much dating because I don’t trust all men."

"I hear you but you need to forgive him and move on with your life. This guy has hurt you and you have stayed angry all these years. Now you are in a position to tell him where to get off. You have power, money, he can’t hurt you with anything."

"I know that you love your son, speak to this guy or talk to Thato before Kat get to him. Apologise for not telling him the truth but tell him you did that to protect him."

"You know what Memory, I am so lucky to have someone like you who sometimes comes with good ideas. Tonight I am telling Thato the truth."

"I am glad I was able to assist, you need to get this out of the way and focus on your business."

"Thank you again for listening and coming up with ideas. No wonder you are good at your job. Now if you may excuse me, I have work to do and I am sure your office is complaining that our front lady is not on her desk."

Memory rose up and left Mpho’s office feeling proud that she has given her boss advice and she is going to do something about their conversation. She is not going to share it with anyone or else Mpho will kill her.

When Memory left the office, she couldn’t believe what Mpho had just told her. Wow, I thought people like me had problems, I never expected Mpho to have gone through what she had just told me. Anyway, she is my hero. She is running a big company actually an international company with more than three thousand staff members and she knows how each and every department is doing. She has meetings each and every week with heads of department online to discuss the status of the company and when there is a need to go and visit another office overseas she does exactly that.

When Memory arrived downstairs, she sees a delivery man holding a bouquet of flowers with a delivery note. Memory took it and signed it. Something tells her to open the card to see who the flowers are for, and when she did, a note read as ‘Mpho join me for lunch, Kat’.

Memory did not know what to do. Should she drop the flowers without letting her boss know that her ex had sent flowers? Should she take it upstairs but what if Mpho bites her head off? She was confused and she thought of asking a colleague for advice but on second thought she realised that if she did that Mpho's secret will be out in the air.

She decided that she would hold on to the flowers until she came up with a good reason on how to tell her boss the flowers were from Kat. She left the flowers on top of her table and they were tulips Mpho’s favourite.

Upstairs, Mpho was busy trying to catch up on her work.  After a brief discussion with Memory about her past and Kat resurfacing in her life, she felt a bit at ease. She just hoped for Memory’s sake she wouldn’t open her mouth and tell people what she just shared with her. She did not realise the time had passed to pick up Thato until she received a call from the aftercare that she must come and fetch her son as they will be closing in an hour. She apologised on the phone and quickly put her laptop in its bag, took her keys and file that she would need to use later at home. She dialled Memory to lock up her office as she was in a hurry and off she used the stairs to the parking and she did not even check what was on Memory’s desk. 

"Bye Memory, don’t forget to lock up, I am so late. This is the fourth time in a month I forgot to pick Thato up at school on time. The teacher was so angry at me when she called."

"Mpho," Memory called her boss, "There is something I've been meaning to tell you since this afternoon but I did not know how to say it."

"Memory… let's discuss it tomorrow, it should not be a big deal relax as I don’t have time now. Bye!"

Mpho rushed to the parking and Memory heard the sound of the car driving off and she is asking herself what if not giving her boss the note and the flowers will put her boss in a bad situation. Well, there is nothing that she can do now, she will have to tell Mpho tomorrow or call her later. Call her, she thought twice, no it is not a good idea, Mpho does not want to be disturbed when she is home unless is about the business and only if the person in charge of such department runs out of idea, she has equipped all her staff members to deal with any situation.

They only come to her when they have exhausted all avenues. Well, she will wait until tomorrow and tell her, yes it will be late but she will have to tell her.

Mpho is listening to the news and she is interested in the guy they are interviewing on talk radio about rand and the future of Asian countries and what it means in business. The rand has not been performing well lately, partly because of local politics, dollar performance and changes in other emerging markets. She likes what this financial expert is sharing about Asian markets and Asia as a place to invest and she thought about her deal with Taiwan that well, it does not matter who might have used his/her influence but it was a right choice to sign a contract with them.

She pulled in front of the school and quickly went and apologised to the teacher, who said to her, "I think you need to find someone to drop and pick up your son since you have become busy lately and I cannot be calling to remind you."

"I hear you Mrs Thomas; it will not happen again I will make the necessary arrangements."

"I don’t mind picking him up," Kat said approaching Mpho, the teacher and Thato. Mpho’s heartbeat so fast, why is Kat showing up here at all place.

"And who sir are you?" Mrs Thomas asked?

"Oh, please mind my manners, my name is Kat, I am Mpho’s friend, or should I let Mpho introduced me?"

"Oh yes, Kat is my friend, I did not realise he followed me to school. And what brings you here Kat?" Mpho asked and her tone tells that this man annoys her and she can’t wait to get rid of him.

"Didn’t you receive my note, I dropped something off at your office this afternoon, I thought your PA had told you." Mpho thought of Memory and that she wanted to tell her something but she was running late to fetch Thato. Oh damn, well she needs to be strategic before Thato starts asking a lot of question and run along with what Kat wants for now and she will handle the rest later.

"Oh Memory…she told me and it completely slipped my mind since I got busy. Mrs Thomas, thank you for waiting up, I promise from tomorrow onwards, I will arrange an alternative pickup for Thato. Thato, please go and wait in the car while I have a chat with Kat."

"Sure mommy, and Kat, that’s a cool car."

"I can take you for a ride one day, only if your mom agrees."

"Please say yes mommy, it’s a nice car."

"You know that’s not how we do things Thato, we will talk about it, now close the door and let me have a quick chat with Kat then we hit the road."

Thato closed the door but he feels like his mom is not happy to see this man. Who is he? He knows most of his mom’s friends and business associates but he has never met this one. Well, it's none of his business and he will not ask his mother as she has made it clear that she wants him to focus on his studies.

Mpho is talking to Kat and she is not happy at all with the stunt he pulled today.

"What the hell are you doing Kat, why show up at my son' school of all places and try to embarrass me in front of my son' teachers and Thato. What message don’t you get?"

"As I said earlier, I sent flowers and a note for you to meet me for lunch and when you did not call to confirm or show up at the restaurant, I came and parked my car next to your offices waiting for you to drive off. When I saw you driving like a madwoman, I followed you around wanting to ensure that you are safe until you arrived here. The minute I saw Thato, my heart skipped and I knew I was seeing my blood."

"So you followed me and you have met your son, I will appreciate in future not to comment on matters that don't concern you, like volunteering to drop and pick up Thato. Thato is my son and I know what’s best for him as I have been doing it for the last 11 years."

"Hey hey madam, get off your high horse, Thato is my son too and I would like to know him better. We can do that the easy way or the legal way, it’s your choice."

"I don’t get moved by threats Kat, and I don’t think you want your son to hate you if I tell him that you wanted me to abort him as you could not get mixed up with baby things, or are you forgetting?"

"It’s not threats Mpho, I will do whatever I can to share custody of my son with you or tell the judge how you are so irresponsible and always forgetting to pick up your son from school. From what I heard by the teacher, it is not the first time you forgot about him. I am sure the judge will rule on my favour."

"You know what Kat, I don’t have time for this, Thato is late for his martial arts lessons and I have to run. It wasn't good seeing you."

"It was good seeing both of you," Kat said looking at Mpho. "Let me say, you still look beautiful and I love the power you command when you talk, I like that in a woman. And think about our conversation as this is not over. I am giving you a week to think things through."

Mpho quickly went back to her car controlling her emotions as she does not want her son to see her like that.

"Are you okay mom? Who is that man, I mean Kat? You don’t seem happy to see him."

"I am okay my baby, Kat is an old friend and I was just surprised to see him. Well, why don’t you plug in your iPod to listen to Adele’s new album while we drive to your martial classes?"

"That’s cool mom, I love you."

"I love you too baby."

Mpho drives with her son listening to Adele trying not to think of Kat and the whole event that just went down.