Missteps – Chapter One Hundred and Three

You know when you know that you know that you know that you know that you have no way out then you know there is definitely no way out, I thought of running through the sliding door and jumping in the pool and drowning myself but that would be a cowards way out, only cowards commit suicide and leave everyone else to deal with their mess and I was no coward, at least I thought, besides I had my friends whom I needed to protect from all this, so killing myself would leave them behind facing the music on their own which would be very unfair towards them. But to be honest death looked so attractive at that moment compared to going to jail, prison is no child’s play.

She Rocks looked at me and said “Should I open and say you not here?” I think she said that because I had been standing motionless for some time instead of going to the door, I shook my head and said “no, it’s okay, I’ve got this” I said this trying very hard to sound confident but I was shaking inside and outside. I went to the door, opened it and put on the biggest fake smile and said in an apologetic voice “Sanibonani bo-baba” my greeting sounded like someone begging not to be hand-cuffed. It was two gentleman they smiled extended their hands at me and introduced themselves, a smile I thought, well that’s a good sign, I asked if they wanted to come in and without any response they stepped inside the house, at least I would not have to be arrested outside my house I didn’t want any cars passing to see me being thrown at the back of a police van, reputation is very important, or else I will always be known as the criminal, people can just make up their own stories without even knowing facts. I know people think people who stay in the suburb’s mind their own business, they do but everybody loves a little bit of gossip especially when something scandalous happens to their neighbour right under their nose there will definitely be movements in windows and curtains being shifted so they can get a better view. They sat on the couch across She Rock and greeted her, she nervously greeted back. I sat next to She Rocks and we both held our breath as the police officers began to speak the one said “We’ve been trying to get hold of you for some time Mrs. Jumbe, your phone always goes to voicemail.” They must have been calling with private numbers and I had blocked all private calls from coming in since the time when Mfundo was harassing me, but I obviously couldn’t say that to the people of the law so I said my phone had been giving me problems, the one officer was eyeing She Rocks hectically he never said a word I think he had said his name was something Motaung, with all the nervous, stress and pressure I was under the last thing I was interested in was their names and rankings. The other officer continued “we actually got your address from your cellphone service provider, so when did you move this side?” was he seriously making small talk, I was waiting to be read my rights and stupid man was still asking me about my move dates, before I could reply She Rocks who had been shaking next to me, was now annoyed by these two who would not get to the point she irritably said “to go through all those lengths to find her, it must be something really important that you want from her.” The Motaung guy who had been drooling over She Rocks finally opened his mouth and said “Yes, we think we might have found her car.” I was a bit lost there for a second and so was my friend because we both said “her car?” they asked if was I not hijacked last year, I said “yes, ohhh, the hijacking, that car, that’s what you here for?” both cops looked at me with confused looks on their faces and said “yes, that car. How many cars have you been hijacked with kanti?” I smiled and said I had given up on that car ever being found. She Rocks looked at me and smiled and said “there is a God. Thank you baby Jesus for saving us.” the cops looked at her confused I cleared my throat and said “yes, thank you Jesus for saving our lives and car, not many people survive hijackings some get killed.” The one whose name I could not remember agreed with me and started telling us about how many crime scenes he’s attended where the victims of a hijacking were shot dead. They told me that my car was being kept by the police in Aeroten near Southgate Mall and they needed me to come and identify if it is indeed my car and I should bring all the car papers when I come to identify it, I said I would do so and thanked them I was so relieved not because they had found my car, a car at that moment was the least of my problems, I was just relieved that they had not come to arrest us.

As they were about to stand to leave, Motaung asked us “are you ladies not a least bit interested in knowing how and where your car was found?” We had been so happy that this was not about Mfundo that neither of us had even bothered to ask where or how the car was found. I give them an uneasy smile and said “I’m just grateful that the car has been found, but how did you guys find it?”

The cop said their colleagues in Pretoria had received a tip off from some white guy who was trying to buy a car from these 2 black guys and when he checked the engine number some numbers were scratched so he told the two guys to come back the following day he will have cash, he called the police and the following day 2 police officers came dressed in normal clothing and acted like they were the guy’s friend when the two crooks arrived, the cops checked the vin and engine numbers then the one went inside the house to call the police station so they could check the vin numbers when they checked they realised it was a stolen car, the two criminals were arrested on the spot. For the first time in a long time I was impressed by the cops, I never knew they actually did any work. I was so touched I wanted to hug them and thank them but I held myself and thanked them and told them to thank the white man too and the two police officers who went to investigate. They were modest about it and told me it’s their job, there is no need to thank them

We thanked the police for coming to tell us this and said we would contact the insurance company first as they had paid me out for the car and now the car belonged to them so they will decide what happens to the car I no longer had rights to the car. Cops said most people didn’t bother telling the insurance that the car had been discovered, I told them I didn’t want to break any laws or commit any type of fraud, insurance companies have private investigators everywhere those are the last people you want to lie to. A few years back a guy who stayed in the same street as our got hijacked there were hobos all around asking questions about the hijacking it turned out those hobos were actually private investigators undercover hired by the insurance company, so I knew not to mess with insurance, besides I had too many lies that I was trying to push under the carpet and they just kept crawling out.

I realised that with all the stress I was under I had not offered them anything to drink I asked if they would like something to drink and the Motaung cop said “yes please” and said pointing at She Rocks, “let’s go to the kitchen so you can pour me some water.” She smiled and said “I can’t” they both looked at her with confused looks on their faces I quickly replied so it doesn’t sound rude “she can’t walk” they looked at her and she pointed at her Wheelchair. Motaung was so embarrassed he apologised and become uncomfortable and said they needed to go because they have other places to go. She Rocks looked at me and rolled her eyes. They gave me some number to call when I was ready to come and identify the car. I thanked them and walked them out, when we were outside I saw my husband’s car parked down the street, he must have seen the cop’s car and stayed away. How my husband and I are always running from cops is just unnatural, I laughed at the thought and the cops asked if everything was okay I told them I was just thinking about something funny that had happened earlier. They got in their car and left. I waited for Mthobisi whom I was sure was watching from his car to come, as soon as they turned a corner and were out of sight my husband started his car and reversed it all the way to the house. When he got out of the car I just burst out laughing and said “which bank did you rob now? Cops found your fingerprints.” He laughed and hugged me and said in my ear “why walk in a bank to steal money when you can do it at the comfort of your own home with internet.” I pulled away and looked at him and said “don’t joke like that.” And walked back inside the house, he followed behind and said “come on baby I’m just teasing, I would never do that.” She Rocks asked “do what?” having guests at home sometimes is just a pain in the butt as you have to watch what you say all the time, especially when you have nosey ones. I looked at her and said “nothing.” She Rocks asked Mthobisi if he saw the cops, before he could even answer she started telling him about the car recovery and how it was found. He was as surprised as we were that the cops actually did all that. I cooked dinner while She Rocks and Mthobisi talked about the whole cops and car thing and chatted about nonsense, I made beef lasagne and salad which was quick to make as I was in no mood for cooking. We ate outside by the pool area and Mthobisi opened a bottle of wine, we chatted and just had a chilled relaxed time.

After super I fixed up the bedroom downstairs for my friend to sleep in, we said good night to her and went upstairs to our bedroom. Mthobisi was exhausted, he had not slept much in Durban with all the drama that was going on, he passed out before his head could even hit the pillow. I couldn’t sleep I just kept going through everything that had happened. I had really hoped 2015 would be better than the previous year, I eventually fell asleep. I the wee hours of the morning I heard a screaming sound I jumped out of bed immediately without even thinking, Mthobisi was still fast asleep, I shook him and told him to wake up, the second he was up there was the screaming again, he grabbed his gun from underneath the bed and walked out the door, I followed behind him, he turned back and said “stay here.”