"Molefi!" Bandele calls out his aide from the lobbyroom while reclining on the sofa, watching TV.

"Yes, boss." The lad hurries up the stairs, wondering what manner of grouse prompts such a loud yell. He appears in front of his boss looking meek.

"Give me the list."

"Which one, sir?"

"Bring the three. I want to select a nice Saturday girl." Bandele sits up, creasing up his face as his voice rises. "The one that slept here last night was too thin. I was just touching bones all over. Did I ask you to give me Miss Soweto?"

"Sir, did she do anything wrong?"

"Her bum wasn't soft enough! "

"Sorry, sir. I thought the slender lady will be flexible. We later found out she padded her buttocks. That won't happen again, boss."

"What is padding?"

"She used foam to support her bum."

"You see." Bandele sits up. "You didn't check well when you selected her. Next time, you must grab her bum to know if it's original or fake." Using both hands, he squeezes the cushion of the sofa he's seated on.

Molefi's lower jaw drops. How is he supposed to invade ladies' personal spaces just to fulfil this request? "Okay, sir... sorry, sir."

"Sorry for yourself." Bandele waves his hands dismissively. "Must I teach you your job or do you need binoculars to compare a big bum and a small one? I thought you have gone past this level. Look, next time you're filling the form for a new girl, write down the size of her hip and breasts in millimetres or kilometres."

"You mean centimetres, sir?"

"Shut up! What do you know?" Bandele charges forward, perching on the edge of the chair.

Molefi recoils, both hands behind him.

"You want to correct me when you don't know the difference between a slender girl and skinny bone. Idiot."

"I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again."

"If it happens again I'll fire you." He points a warning finger. "Voetsek, wena! Get me the lists."

Downcast Molefi dashes downstairs, reflecting on the approach he'll use to include ladies' hip sizes in his electronic forms. Will Pono's boys start moving around with measuring tapes like a fashion designer? Or should he get a high-tech camera to scan ladies anatomy when they arrive here? This bum and bust measuring doesn't sound right at all.

He can't possibly demand such information without offending the ladies, no matter how well-intentioned it might sound. Bandele is taking his arrogance too far, thinking money can get him just anything. Except the ladies add their statistics on their social media profiles, he won't waste time asking them for some ridiculous data.

Molefi arrives at his desk to fetch the three lists, knowing the boss will check them all. Because that man is in a foul mood this morning, another scowl from him might be risky. He prints the CPL, CLL and the RPL.

On retrieving the sheets from the printer, Molefi collates and staples them accordingly, returning upstairs to Bandele. After dropping the printout on the table, Molefi picks the first bundle and crouches close to his principal who quickly feels the paper bulk. A shocking smile sneaks onto his face as he rubs his hairless scalp. "Our girls are increasing in number every day, huh?"

"Yes, boss."

"Go through the faces one after the other."

Molefi turns the first page of the CPL.

"This must be the faces I've not met before?"

"Yes, sir. This list is for those we recently profiled. We've identified new faces on this street and the next one."

Smiling impishly, Bandele shakes his legs. "Ride on."

Molefi turns the pages mentioning the name and residence of the profile in view. Most have a single picture. Some have more. When Pono does a thorough job, he'll include their Facebook and Instagram photographs. Otherwise, he'll rely on the camera shots sent in by his street lieutenants. Despite the visuals, Molefi still has to pass comments about the profiles.

Bandele places a hand on one page. "Who's this one looking like Boity?"

"She's Innocentia who recently moved into one of the flats. She studies at Jeppers' College in Joburg CBD. Her roommate is Ayanda Thulo. Must I send for her? "

"Wait, let me see again." Bandele tears the sheet off the booklet, bringing it closer to his face. "Is this picture original? I don't want chicken wings pretending to be drumsticks, like the one that came here last night. But this one looks nice." He assesses the lady more carefully. "Get her ready for dinner time tonight. Since she's new, she must come and greet the lion."

"Okay, boss."

"What of the girl that came here two weeks ago – that playful one. Which lists contains her picture?"

Molefi raises his head to recall the girl in question. Since Bandele doesn't report his bedroom activities, how will anyone know the playful ones? Well, if this person has been here only once, she's likely to be in the CPL. He swaps the lists.

Slowly flipping the pages over, he pauses on a certain page. "This one, sir?"

"Yes, this one with gap-tooth. I want her here now! That girl is wonderful." He shakes his head playfully, horse laughing.

"Okay boss. Any other one?"

"No. Those two are enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow morning. Do we have enough wine in the fridge?"

"Yes, boss. Pono refilled it this morning."

"Check my Viagra drawer to see if it's not empty?"

Molefi goes to the room to check the lower drawer of the dressing mirror which is half-filled with Viagra packs.

"The tablets are here, boss."

"Okay, bring the girl. Fast."

Molefi rushes downstairs to dial Pono, providing a clear description of Henrietta – the lady Bandele craves.

Wading through residents whistling and beckoning on him, Pono treks to the third floor of the second block of flats to convey his boss's message.

Thirty minutes later, Henrietta emerges ready for a walk to the Polemann Castle. "Pono, Pono. Heaven smiles on me for the second time in two weeks."

"You waited too long." Pono flap eyes. "I hope my boss won't change his mind."

Happy moments need good preparation. Bandele knows what he wants. He can't change his mind."

"You're only lucky. Rub my hands before we move from here."

"You never forget this, uh?" She dips into her purse and hands over eight hundred rands.

"Big Mama." Pono blurts. Only a few ladies tip this much.

"Call me again." She wriggles in excitement, eyeing the jealous faces escorting her towards the mansion.

Henrietta sashays into the castle's lobbyroom, recalling her last visit here – an evening of fun she'll never forget. Her performance will improve this evening. Hanging out with Orlando's wealthiest is special. The plump lady flashes an inviting smile.

Pono offers to serve her wine but she declines.

Bandele then emerges, inviting her to the room. "Yes, you're the one." He has a problem remembering names – the reason everyone is a princess. "Welcome, Princess. I've been expecting you the whole day."

"Now that I'm here, what can you do?"

Bandele grins to the challenge. Having stoked his system with Viagra, his bones irk and his muscles flex. Adrenalin pumps around his body. He takes another look at her. And then another. This one must be a favourite: bulky cleavages, luscious fore-arms and inviting red lips. The Soweto Lion smacks his lips slowly as his eyes twitch. Henrietta is graciously voluptuous, a feature her red low-cut gown accentuates. Her cheekbones bulge like half-cut oranges and her smooth chocolatey skin shades the room.

To stir him further, she takes a few steps towards the wardrobe, wriggling her waist here and there to his delight. Next, she takes a turn towards the wall clutching to the air stripper-style as though to an imaginary pole.

Bandele can wait no longer. This isn't the type to lift off the ground otherwise you'll end up in the emergency ward of a hospital. She's so big she'll easily top the list as a museum artefact.

He hurries out of the bed, drops his waist towel and walks towards her. Since she likes to play around, he'll give her a lesson or two in foreplay tactics. First, Bandele touches her nose with his index finger, stroking her hair and kissing her cheekbones. The lady giggles aloud. He counter-giggles. If she's having fun with this then he's just starting.

His middle bulge gets arrogant. "You can make a man run mad, you wena."

"Will you blame me for being so beautiful?"

"No, no, no. I can't blame you at all. As long as I live on this street, you'll be on my list."

"No one remains on your list forever – we all know that. The lion changes his girls every time."

A little surprised she knows he's now called the Soweto Lion, Bandele chuckles it off. "Come over here, let's start." Bandele walks towards the door, bangs it hard and turns the key. Next, he drags her to the bed, sliding into it. The two tussle for two hours.

Done, Bandele digs into bales of two-hundred rand notes in his wardrobe, picks a few bundles and then select a few loose notes, handing them over. A smile of appreciation appears on Henrietta's face as she heads to the door, weary.

Later in the evening, Soweto Lion welcomes the lady earmarked for dinner time who spends the night with him, leaving the mansion in the wee hours of Sunday morning when the tireless man calls Molefi for another selection process. It's time to pick ladies for Sunday.

Bandele hosts four ladies for the weekend, each leaving with a happy face as he oils their hands with crisp currency notes. Spending weekends in this manner becomes routine. The lion enjoys his Polemann den like no other person in the community.

Molefi and crew sometimes wonder how he does it. "How long has he been living like this?" Molefi asks Pono.

"Boss, this is how I met him three years ago. The person I took over from said the same thing."

"Whoah! This is serious." Molefi concludes that his boss doesn't bed them all. It should be about companionship for him. Whether or not that's the case, the profile lists get bulkier. No weekend passes without ladies coming around – two, three or four, but hardly one. A lady must be gifted to be worthy to stay with him for twenty-four hours. Bandele doles out special rewards to such a person – for her creativity.

Sometimes he invites two at a time. How he sorts them out is best left to him. When many of them have been recycled, he'll ask for a hunting rove – it will be time to survey the neighbourhood for new faces. The lists get to be overhauled.

When new tenants flood into the apartments, Bandele will host a welcome party, during which eligible leaseholders are encouraged to pay obeisance to their landlord. Bandele spares no amount to throw a lavish party. The ladies get a first-hand impression of why he's the Lion of Soweto.

Resident ladies, sensing the new reforms in the Polemann Castle, watches with dismay as Bandele drives around with unfamiliar ladies. To bulk the trend, the slender ones rack up calories and the bulky ones shed extra weight. The brown-skin-girls tone up their hues. All efforts might just be worth it someday.

Rumour peddlers wag tongues that Bandele pamper-spoils his dates. He takes them to shop for clothes, shoes and jewellery, the value of which can top a hundred thousand rands. The Soweto Lion steps up visits to the cinema and social gatherings. When love knocks on his door, he'll go all the way to lavish the lucky babe.

Bandele orders a new Toyota Corolla saloon car for Bridget, a lady whose personal misfortune evokes pity. She's to stay in one of his flats at no cost. The favours don't seal a permanent bond between them though. The Polemann landlord still welcomes other babes, should Bridget see the castle as an extension of her flat. Bandele's whims don't thrive on emotions.

"I'm tired of Lesego," Bandele declares to Molefi. "She's growing too fat just after two months."

"Okay, sir. I'll delete her from the Concurrent List."

"Do so, fast."

Tongues wag that only a few resident ladies have access to Bandele. The frequency of their daily gossips can worsen global warming. When ladies from adjacent visit him, their envy turns malicious.

The frenzy of activities around the Soweto Lion prods some ladies to relocate. Polemann Street's low rents no longer appeal if the supposed landlord sees them as sex objects.

The hopeful ones keep trying their luck at the castle. Those Bandele rebuffs get retained on the ground floor as meat for the boys. If he likes any, he'll invite her to his room; otherwise, Akida or Pono takes charge.