4. Shining amour in my face

"We choose those we like; those we love, we have no say in the matter." ~ Mignon McLaughlin

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Tsholofelo Mofokeng.

I set the table, just the way Mr. de Ruiter liked it. Sugar, Fresh warm milk, Rooibos and Coffee all on one side of the huge dining table. Maybe if I didn't make anymore mistakes today, just maybe he would reconsider his decision about not giving me my weekly wage.

"Politics never interest me." I heard Mr. De Ruiter chuckling, it seems he was making his way down the stairs.

"Politics are the reason why you have everything you have Johan." said the man I had got to know as Mr. Jacob Le Roux.

"The National Party and it's Afrikaner Nationalism has benefitted many Dutch people in South Africa." Their voices seemed to be getting closer with each step. "Did you not get massive land ?" Jacob questioned. "Enough Jacob, you are always prying in things that don't matter." Ruiter rudely replied as he came into view while I serving the table with bacon and eggs as well as cheese, Mr. De Ruiter's personal Favourite. He was all dressed in his usual, khaki pants and khaki button up. He only had two suits or less, the rest were khaki shorts, pants, shirts. As for Mr. Senior le roux he was dressed in a formal charcoal suit with a white shirt and blue tie.

"Goeie More Mnr. Jacob and Mnr. De Ruiter." I muttered not sure if I would be yelled at or -

"I want to have breakfast in peace get your disgusting face out of here you Kaefer." He spat pulling a chair so he could sit. Was i hurt ? Uhm no. He does that all the time besides I have worked here for almost two years I'm used to this. Mr. Jacob didn't say a word he just scrunched his nose in dismay.

"Uncle Johan you can't speak to her like that." a familiar voice joined the dinning room, dressed in a casual outfit. he looked so good...

"You are new here so if you didn't know, this is absolutely justified according to the apartheid law." Ruiter abruptly stood up he was a 6'2 giant but Leo still managed to tower over him with some few inches. I don't know why i felt relief and terror wash over me at the same time. Someone defended you for the first time not just someone, but one of their own.

"I could even beat her up, oh better yet rape her there's absolutely nothing that will be wrong with that because SY IS N KAEFER." He yelled.

"Johan calm down." Jacob interrupted.

"You are pathetic uncle Johan I can't believe I even once looked up to you. You would stoop so low as to rape an innocent girl because of her race." Leo- I mean junior Le Roux seemed calm as he said all these things, i just stood there not knowing what to do. My eyes met those of Leo and my heart skipped a beat, my insides felt like they were being heated up and being melted in a split second.

"Revise your manors while you are here because I'm still your uncle." Ruiter warned his eyes filled with fury, Jacob was panicking. "Leo sit down." Jacob said through gritted teeth.

"Fine." Leo sighed. "But I will never be okay with the mistreating of innocent people." Suddenly Jacob and Johan started laughing as they took their seats, i sighed with relief. "Jou seun is n' pussy."  Ruiter laughed as he as he took a cup making his Rooibos tea. Jacob just laughed along shaking his head slowly. I couldn't believe Jacob would sit and watch his Ruiter insult his son in front of him. He had just said Leo was a weakling in Afrikaans because he defended me. No one had ever done that for me before.

"Why are you still standing there like a confused cockroach, Felo get out !" Ruiter yelled as he shoved one of the toast in his mouth. Disgusting if you ask me, a part of hoped he would choke to death because of the reckless way he eats.

"Why are you smiling ? Are you also deaf." He continued but I just shrugged and made my way to the kitchen. I caught a smirk on Leo's face which made my stomach flutter.

"I swear I will go to a Sangoma (witch doctor) for him even if it's the last thing I do." Sis Nandi said shaking her head slowly as she looked at me with blazing eyes. She was back but I was sad that Ruiter said she could only work on Wednesdays. I missed her jokes and sarcasm, i remember when I first started working here...how i would always cry whenever Ruiter yelled at me.

"That would be a waste of time, Sis Nandi. He is the devil himself." I laughed. She gasped then joined in on the laughter.

"Anyways how's your father ?" Her expression changed to concerned and I shrugged.

"We haven't found him yet." I sighed. "I hope he is okay where ever he is." I added feeling the least happy about the situation.

"Don't worry dear, he will come back soon enough." She embraced me in a hug. "Did Sam go to the job interview I looked for him, the one for the handy man needed in Winchester hills ?"

"He said he doesn't want to work for peanuts." I shrugged feeling defeated.

"What  ?? but the Willems pay well, my sister used to work there."

"Samkelo has his own way of thinking, Sis Nandi."

"So what is he doing in the mean time ?" She questioned her hands on her hips, she was short and chubby...she was always like a mother figure to me.

"I don't know, gambling with Zola."

Zola, one of the notorious boys in Soweto around the same age as my brother. Zola always tried to hit on me whenever I saw him. He was known only for the bad things that happened around Soweto, he was involved in car hijackings, theft, shop lifting. He was always in prison every weekend but would be out by the end of the were I never understood how and why. My biggest fear was him involving my brother in all these ludicris ideas. My brother would be an easy target seeing as he wants easy money.

"I have bigger dreams than working for De Ruiter and being paid peanuts."  He's words rang in my head.

"Zola ?? that boy is trouble." She said with spite. "I heard that he was involved in the bombing that happened in church street, he must be a member of the ANC (African National Congress)."

I hoped Samkelo was not part of the people fighting against apartheid because most of them only ended up dead in police cells or disappear without a trace.

Why was everything in my life so complicated ? Out of everyone, i just had to be born on this part of the world and bear the problems that I have. I could have been black but born in America or England...they have less problems and they are more privileged to have received freedom centuries back.