Busted! - Chapter 5.2: Hectic? No Way (continued)

In our offices, it is less stressful than it is out of them. It's one of the places where we get to relax and think properly about the activities that we have lined up for the day. It was Lincoln's first day at work and I hadn't gotten to see him and his new team. At 2pm that day, I got my SWAG files and headed over to the SWAG offices in Midrand.

As I was leaving, Sihle and Gavin came to my office to discuss the status report of the company. Business meetings with my best friends are a lot more playful than they are business. We spend more time talking about other things than we do about business because we strive to cover business first so as to buy time to talk about other things. It's a beautiful feeling when you see everything that you've worked so hard for bearing you fruits. Initially I had wanted to start a company with Lincoln, but I didn't go through with it because it was more of a ploy to keep him in my life until I had my values reassessed.

The press came that day to do their spread on 3Complex and I left everything in the capable hands of my best friends. The journalist was hot though. I'm pretty sure Gavin wasn't able to keep his pants on that day…

Busted! - Chapter 5.1: Hectic! No Way?

The next morning I woke up feeling fresh and energized. I had to go to the SWAG offices after my shift at 3Complex because our 42nd issue was due to be released the following week. The water at the hotel was boiling hot. My skin was even red. Hot water for me was a luxury since I lived in a commune.

I went down to the lounge to have breakfast and I found Menzi sitting there waiting for me. He saw me coming in so I couldn't turn back as much as I wanted to. I slowly walked towards him with my hands in my pocket and greeted him. "You look good in work gear" he said trying to break the ice. "What do you want here?" I asked. "I just need to talk to you" he said. I sat down and listened to what he had to say. He rehashed that whole issue with Lincoln and KG before telling me that he will tolerate anything as long as he gets to be with me.

So it was official, Menzi was moving in with me. I wasn't really impressed by his indecisive nature. I did however keep a happy front and ensured him that I would do everything within my power to make his stay with me pleasant. We had breakfast together and he asked to come to work with me because he wanted to see what I do. I felt that it was too soon for that so I refused and dropped him off at his place before I went to work. I knew that I'd see him later when I collect him and his stuff but I was missing him like I had last seen him decades ago.

A day at work for me isn't one of the nicest. I basically get to work to hear phones ringing like babies after birth. Gavin, Sihle and I then have a meeting with the rest of the team to find out if there are any new developments. That day, Johan who works for HR let us know about the three web designers he had hired for our new campaign. We knew one of them and all that was left was for us to meet the rest. We then report to the auditorium where our theatre group rehearses on a daily basis. They too had a big gig in China, a competition that paid up to R800 000. Once we have seen their progress, we head up to the fashion department where other projects are taking place. Costumes are being designed for the theatre group for their local gigs and dresses for top businesswomen in South Africa. Once that is done, we head over to the estate agency where we conduct audits to see if everything is being done in accordance with our code of conduct. Thereafter we head to our respective offices and deal with calls from clients all over the world, conferences that have to be attended and other adhoc work. That day, a national newspaper was coming into our office to do a spread on our company. We were all on our best behavior so as to avoid bad press…

Busted! - Chapter 4.5: Anger Management

I checked in to a hotel in Sandton whilst Menzi was at home preparing for his move. I had started contemplating if I still wanted to continue living at the Gigolo's Castle or if I wanted to move in to my own place. As much as I wanted to live alone, I knew that I didn't have it in me to make that work because I am a very co-dependent person.

Sihle called me to find out where I was, I told him and he told me that he'd stop by during the course of the day. I sat on my laptop for close to three hours working on some things for 3Complex. 3Complex was really doing well and if there's anything I had to be proud of, it was that. I remember I always wanted to believe that money didn't change me, but that wasn't really the case because there were people who called Sihle, Gavin and I The Plastics. I just thought that it had more to do with jealousy than the title itself. The receptionist called to tell me that I had visitors downstairs. I thought it was Sihle and Gavin so I went downstairs thinking that we'd chill at the lounge, have a few drinks and catch up as we usually would. When I got downstairs I found that it was actually Sihle and Menzi. The pair never liked each other in high school but I found them downstairs having a decent conversation. It was cute.

I told Sihle to go up to the hotel room whilst I took Menzi to the lounge to find out what was bothering him. He told me that he wouldn't be able to move in with me because he felt that KG and Lincoln were not really fond of him and that would just make his stay in the house very uncomfortable. I felt like it was just an excuse. Menzi was hiding something from me and I didn't really know what it was but I didn't bother to question him, I simply nodded and asked him if that's all he wanted to say. He said yes and he left.

I went up to the hotel room where I found Sihle helping himself to some wine. I joined him on that motive and he started telling me about Lincoln. Apparently Lincoln had told him that he would move out of the house if that's what I wanted. I really never wanted any of that, as much as the commune belonged to my mother, I didn't see the need to use that as leverage over anyone. Lincoln was just being his dramatic self and I was confused by his actions but I chose not to let it bother me. Menzi on the other hand was another one that I refused to follow around. I was just not in the mood to be chasing people around trying to make them see the world through my eyes. Sihle left at around 10pm that night.

As soon as he left, I felt so lonely. My mind was preoccupied with a thousand thoughts and I just couldn't get it to relax. I tried meditating but I wasn't on the right frequency to do that. Menzi tried calling me eight times and I ignored him. He then left me a message telling me that he would do anything to make me happy. How does one do that? I mean if you are not happy yourself, how do you expect to make someone else happy? I understand that there's being selfless but there's also being naïve. You cannot please someone if it makes you unhappy. If something is not right with you, accept it and try finding solutions that are fitting to both of you. Do not sacrifice yourself for someone else's happiness. I really do not agree with that.

Busted! - Chapter 4.4: Hangover

It was one o'clock in the afternoon when Sihle and Gavin budged into my bedroom to check if we were still alive. Menzi and I slept at around four in the morning that day so we were extremely tired. Sihle wanted to talk to me about Jake and Gavin just wanted to listen. I woke up and went to take a shower after telling them both that I'd join them downstairs for a catch up session.

When I was done I woke Menzi up because I had to return him home before his mother called and bit my head off. He woke up and went to go take a shower whilst I dressed up. I remember being so tired that day that I didn't want to do anything especially given the fact that I had to report to 3Complex the next day.

I went downstairs to join the rest of the crew. I found KG, Nigel, Zama, Morithi, Malcolm and Sihle. The others were chilling outside enjoying the beautiful weather that was that Sunday. I asked them how their night was. Everyone responded positively besides KG who got up and went to the kitchen. I followed him and found him drinking water. He was obviously not happy about something and I thought that it had Gavin written all over it. "Are you okay?" I asked. He told me that should be the least of my worries since I decided to reconnect with Menzi. "You can't be serious right now KG!" I said. I then went on to tell him that I'm not going to stop living my life because he developed a sudden unexplainable interest in me. KG was trying very hard to make my stay in the house completely uncomfortable and it was really starting to get to me. "As a matter of fact, Menzi is moving in!" I said to him out of anger. I think I said that to test his reaction but unfortunately for me Menzi was standing by the kitchen door and he heard me say that.

"I am?" Menzi asked. "Yes Menzi… you are" I replied and KG walked out of the kitchen. It was at that point that I realized that KG was being difficult for some other reasons. Maybe he wasn't happy with my return to the house or he was secretly hoping that I'd remain "faithful" to him whilst he played his games with Lerato. "Did you have to lie about me moving in?" Menzi asked. "I wasn't lying, I was going to ask you" I replied. "So what the hell are you waiting for? Ask me!" he said with excitement. Truth is I wasn't going to ask him at all. I guess I put myself on the spot with that one and before I could even ask him, he said yes.

He then jumped onto me and we started kissing before Lincoln entered the kitchen. "Guys, I believe we all have rooms" he said as he cleared his throat. People in that house had issues and it seemed like they all had issues with me. I was starving, so I sent Menzi to the room to collect my car keys and my wallet because I wasn't going to stay in that house until people had gotten enough time to get over themselves. Menzi left the kitchen and I was left with Lincoln. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Not you now! I'm really not in the mood for all of this" I replied. He called me a selfish bitch who didn't consider anyone else's feelings but my own. I didn't respond to anything that he said. I calmly walked out of the kitchen and waited for Menzi to come downstairs with the car keys.

Whilst I was in the car ready to drive off, I decided to take my work stuff and a few clothes because I was so fed up. I didn't want to return to the commune that day so I called to make reservations at a hotel in Sandton. "Where are you going Earl?" asked Sihle. I didn't say much to him except that I'd see him at work the next day. I had even forgotten that there was something he wanted to talk to me about. Menzi was also a bit confused so he asked me the same question. "I am not sleeping here tonight, some people are really hung-over!" I said as I drove off.

Busted! - Chapter 4.3: Let's Get It On

Menzi and I were in my bedroom when I decided to change into my sleepwear i.e. underwear. I really enjoyed being naked. I never was a fan of clothing. The only reason I wore clothes was because it was the right thing to do and not wearing clothes was illegal. I had always dreamt of being a model but my height didn't really agree with that. In fact, at some point I wanted to be a porn star but my dignity carried me.

I went inside the sheets whilst I waited for Menzi who was in the bathroom. He came out of the bathroom and decided that he wanted to give me a strip show. I had never received a private strip show and what was nice about this stripper was that I could actually sleep with him. At the end of his show when he had nothing left to take off, he jumped onto the bed and started kissing me. I went with the flow and then I pushed him off. Before anything could happen between him and me, we had to discuss a few things and know exactly where we stood. I personally just needed to know that he was ready for whatever was coming his way because when we broke up, that wasn't really the case. He assured me that he was and that he would do right by me the second time around. Horny people always know what to say.

After we had sex, we had our usual pillow talks, Menzi told me that he was ready to build something solid with me and that he would want us to move in together. Initially I had thought of getting my own place but as time went, I realised that there really wasn't a need for me to waste money whilst I could just tolerate the Gigolo's Castle and its clowns. I was waiting for the perfect companion before moving into my own place.  

Menzi then decided to spoil what could have been a beautiful night by dropping a bomb on me. "There's something I need to tell you.  Whilst you were away… I became a father" he said. I quickly got up and went to lock myself in the bathroom. I didn't know what to do or how to feel about that. He had a child, an innocent child that did nothing wrong BUT what did that mean for me and him? I just needed time to digest all of that. He told me that the sooner I knew the better it would be for him because he would know if he should carry on pushing for more or just let me go because he wasn't going to choose between me and his child. I then came out of the bathroom and asked him where the child was. He told me the child was with his mother and that his name was Uyanda. He was two years old.

I went back to bed and we started talking about how everything happened. I felt like I had rushed into things with Menzi, the thing with him was that I had dated him before and we were just picking up from where we left off. The only problem though, was that he gave me a lot to pick up, his baggage was heavy. I was however mature about the situation and pledged to make it work only if he would meet me halfway. In the mean time, Thebe was haunting me and I was trying everything I could to block out images of him.

Busted! - Chapter 4.2: Throw Up (continued)

Lincoln stood up to give us his confession. "Oh well guys, I got a job at 3Complex as a web designer" he said. It was quite clear that he didn't know what 3Complex was or who it was owned by. Gavin, Sihle and I were also in the dark with news related to Lincoln's employment because we didn't deal with any of that. "Wow, so you're going to be working for gay people?" said KG. Lincoln was a bit startled by the discovery. KG then went on to tell him that 3Complex was managed by the three gays in the room. Lincoln was shocked by this, including some of the housemates. Gavin was really not taking kindly to KG's attitude towards Lincoln working for "gays". "KG, darling, when you decide to come out of the closet, know that we have a managerial position waiting ESPECIALLY for you" Gavin said. Before we knew it, KG and Gavin were at each other's throats. Lerato asked KG if he was gay in front of everyone. This coming from your girlfriend obviously had to hurt one's ego. "But I love the gays!" she added. That house had a lot of interesting characters.

When that drama had died down a little, KG decided to stand up and give us his confession. I was so nervous. I didn't know what he would say but I was secretly hoping that I'd have nothing to do with it especially because Menzi was around. KG knew I was uncomfortable with him standing in front of us and he looked at me to ensure that I was pissing my pants. All this for him was exciting. "I don't have a confession guys, let's drink to that!" he said. The boys were rowdy but they had to just let it go because they couldn't force him to confess. I was relieved even though I knew that KG wouldn't say anything that would blow his cover.

It was my turn to confess. I had nothing to say obviously. The guys had met Menzi and I really didn't think there was anything that was newsworthy enough to be brought out. I snubbed my turn and passed it on to Gavin who wasn't a part of our tradition. The boys were okay with it. "Oh well, thanks for allowing me this great opportunity to let you know what has been going on in my mind. Let's just say I'm going to confess what I've been thinking. I think KG is a flaming faggot! Sorry Lerato…" Gavin said with a smile. The funniest thing about what Gavin said is that no one felt the need to contest it. The night obviously had to end there because people started dispersing to avoid having to be asked for their opinions. Lerato and Gavin had their mini catfight before KG intervened and became Gavin's second opponent that night. "You just want me dude, and you'll never get me" KG said to Gavin. "Oh shut up Sophie, go to bed with your girlfriend and meditate on getting erect!" replied Gavin. I took Menzi and we went to our bedroom. Whatever was brewing between Gavin and KG was a too hard for me to handle. Gavin and catfights though…

Busted! - Chapter 4.1: Throw Up!

As Menzi and I were driving to Zambezi to meet up with the rest of the guys, one of our favourite songs "When I See You" by Fantasia played on the radio. I remember in high school I used to have this undeniable crush on Menzi and every time I heard that song I would think of him. I was so afraid to tell him how I felt about him. In the end though, he revealed to me that he had also been feeling the same way about me but he too was afraid. I honestly believe that is the reason why good relationships don't happen these days, we're too afraid to express how we feel about certain people when we can actually find that those people feel the same way about us.

On our way to Zambezi we were stopped by a police officer. I reckon it's because we were playing loud music and he probably thought we were under the influence. He asked for my driver's license and when I gave it to him, he looked at it for a good two minutes before asking who the license belonged to between Menzi and me. It was quite evident that Menzi and I really looked alike. We managed to convince him though and drove off.

We arrived at the club to find KG and the group waiting for us outside. KG didn't look too happy to see that I had come with Menzi. He knew Menzi from school and also knew that I had something with him after Lincoln. Malcolm on the other hand was there with Sihle but he kept his distance. He didn't want to be seen next to Sihle in public. That's the one thing I hate about closet cases, you are only their boyfriend when it suits them!

We had a great time even though we were separated for social reasons. Gavin, Sihle, Menzi and I were on one end of the club, and the "straight" ones on the other. Gavin was fuming, he wanted to grab Malcolm and give him a piece of his mind. He was highly capable of doing that so we didn't try to stop him because the more you try to stop Gavin, the more you actually push him. We had a lot of fun though, so much that we forgot we were there with "straight" people until it was time to head back home. I was too drunk to drive. We dispersed ourselves amongst the three cars that were available to take us home. KG drove my car with me, Menzi, Nigel and Zama. Sihle drove away with Malcolm, Morithi and Thobile. Whilst Gavin drove with Lincoln, Kelebogile and Lerato. We all arrived at the commune safely and continued with the partying.

Whenever we got drunk with the boys, we liked to play a game called Drunk Confessions. Malcolm was the first to get up. He couldn't even stand straight. He turned off the music and looked at all of us before telling us that he and Sihle were an item and that we should f*%k off if we had a problem with it. Now that was obviously directed to his straight clique. Sihle seemed a bit shocked when Malcolm did that, but I reckon it was a bittersweet moment for him. The guys on the other hand were mumbling amongst themselves and KG said that my return to Johannesburg was confusing far too many people.

Nigel then decided to take his stand and told us that he was going to check himself into a rehabilitation centre for his alcohol addiction because he TOO wanted to get married to Zama. He received a round of applause, unlike Malcolm who got some blank stares. "Your friends are mad" Menzi whispered as he laughed. I loved them with their madness.

Morithi got up very slowly. Thobile was already up waiting for him to fall, but he didn't. He held his girlfriend who was all smiles before dropping the news on us. "We are pregnant!" he confessed. I was so happy. I was so excited, I felt like he told me that I was pregnant, or something of that nature because I really wanted a child with everything that I had but for a gay man, it's not that easy. Gavin yawned and turned the music back on. "I can't believe I wasted 2 minutes of my life listening to this!" he said. Sihle and I just laughed whilst the boys verbally attacked him. He stood there like a rock, unbothered by all their comments. "Are you fools done?" he calmly asked. Sihle and I intervened and took him away from the sound system. Menzi sat there laughing. Gavin is dramatic, we knew that. There was then an awkward silence because we were waiting for someone else to confess…