Conscious that Bandele won't take it kindly should Mrs Malvin slip off his hands, Molefi won't leave anything to chance. He sets eyes on a visit to the University of Johannesburg to see how Sheline interacts with other students on campus. The visit will give him an idea of how she'll receive Bandele when he meets her on Sunday. Besides that, he'll pick a few hints about the lady's personality.

For once, Molefi poses like the owner of the Range Rover SUV while the driver steers the wheel. "This is an experimental visit," he says, beaming to the driver.

"Okay. Mr Bandele."

The men dissolve into laughter as they drive on. They arrive at the school exactly 12:25 pm on a Wednesday. After parking in the allotted space, they walk for twenty minutes to the Department of Journalism, Film and Television. Luckily, Sheline and her classmates just wrapped up the second lecture for the day. She's chatting with a group of ladies when Molefi beckons on her. "Hello."

Sheline doesn't recognise the face but still walks up to him. "Yes."

Now close with the young lady causing a ruckus in Bandele's castle, Molefi acknowledges Sheline's undeniable beauty. What a dark pretty girl with a peaceful persona! He notices the ring on her finger but waves it aside – Bandele doesn't care about such. "Have we met before?" Molefi observes the puzzle on her face. "I think I've seen you somewhere around Soweto."

"I'm not sure. I don't think we've met." Sheline sounds polite.

"Well, I just want to ask for the office of the faculty head."

She points towards a white building nearby. "Just over there."

"Thanks." Molefi turns around briskly, exiting the campus. The girl is soft-hearted, a friendly soul who won't snub a stranger, let alone a rich man cruising an expensive car.

He returns home fulfilled. His script is now complete. It's left for Bandele to act it out.

***

Sunday morning, Sheline leaves for church with Margaret and her kids, walking to the bus-stop waiting for a taxi that will take them to Jabulani.

"Can't we look for a Presbyterian church in Orlando here?" Sheline asks, frowning. Taking a taxi to a church fifteen kilometres away is becoming arduous. It's only half-past seven and the sun is already baring fangs. The situation is usually worse on their return when the sun shines at full blast while they await a taxi to bring them home.

"Many of my old friends go to Jabulani. And I like our pastor's lively sermons."

"Oh." Sheline touches her forehead to see if sweat is gathering.

Unbeknown to them, Pono's informants are around sending messages to the castle, providing vivid descriptions of the churchgoers' attires and shoes.

***

Sunday morning at the Polemann Castle, Molefi places gift packages on the back seat of a Toyota ForeRunner SUV. He then puts his boss on alert that Sheline has left for church. Bandele got up earlier than usual and is ready to attend the same service. He's been singing 'Hosanna in the Heavens' all morning in a manner Pono and Akida find amusing.

"Don't forget our agreement around midday." Molefi reminds the Marshal at Jabulani taxi rank, having paid them yesterday for which they screamed in joy. He has no doubt they'll do the needful.

Decked in a pink suit and a black bow tie, Dapper-looking Bandele hops into the ForeRunner at half-past eleven, his perfume challenges the car spray. The number of people he'll bring back to Orlando informs the choice of the vehicle. "You're not going with me?"

"I'll be behind you, sir." Molefi responds pointing at the Mercedes E-class.

Navigating his way around Jabulani shouldn't be a problem for the boss. Thanks to many years of scanning around for daughters of eve. Molefi watches with amusement as Bandele's tummy nearly touches the steering wheel. It's been a while the businessman drove himself around.

They leave the castle in a two-vehicle convoy, to the consternation of onlookers who seem not to understand why Bandele chooses to drive himself while his driver waits behind. Equally surprising is the sight of trailing Molefi who's coming along to help locate Sheline, upon which Bandele will do his thing.

The Lion of Soweto, who is attending a Sunday service for the second time in his life, parks his SUV some metres from the exit point of the car park. The church premises isn't big so locating an individual shouldn't be hard. Molefi pulls over by the roadside, just opposite the church. He alights from the car and waits for the programme to wrap-up.

Five minutes past noon, congregants troop out in their numbers, filling up the open space around the church. Most unfasten their umbrellas while moving towards the roadside to catch taxis which aren't in sight.

As Sheline, Margaret and kids move forth with the crowd, Molefi, from his vantage position, spots them in the distance. The descriptions sent to him earlier match perfectly, even to the seam of their dresses.

Molefi signals to Bandele who brings his car to life, tarries a bit for other road users to move out before exiting the parking area. He shakes up his suit to look slightly ruffled so that he'll come across as having attended the long service.

Bandele glides towards his target group who are by now wondering why the roads are free of commercial taxis. After parking close to them, he alights with an accustomed smile, retrieves the first set of packages from the backseat and then cups his right hand over his forehead to shield his eyes from the searing sun.

On recognising the man she snubbed a few weeks back, an act she later regretted, Margaret brightens up as Bandele locks eyes with her. "Hello, Madam. Your face is familiar. Do we attend the same church?" The degree of politeness Bandele oozes and the caring man he portrays himself to be can win over a coup-plotter.

Margaret blushes, giving her niece a knowing look while inching closer to him. "Ah yes, sir. We worship here too." Her radiant smile rubs off on Sheline. Bystanders glance at his SUV with admiration.

Bandele presents the package to Margaret's kids, starting from the younger one. He then returns to the vehicle to dig out another package which he gives to Margaret.

"Thank you so much, sir." Margaret relishes the attention from envious eyes.

Generous Bandele retrieves the largest of the parcels, rolling it playfully to hint at the valuables therein. He then throws a long glance before presenting it to Sheline with a widened grin and glowing eyes, acts that announce to onlookers that Sheline is the person of interest. "Today is the day the Lord has made and we must be glad in it."

"Thank you, sir," Sheline says courteously, glancing at Margaret.

"I wish I can do more to express my joy to you and your family. Do you come to this church every week?" he asks Sheline.

"Yes, sir, we do." Margaret hijacks the question.

Eyes still on Sheline, Bandele says: "I only come here sometimes because I go to the other one in town. If there is any ..." Bandele pauses, frowns as if in pain. "It's too hot. I need to go now?" He shakes his head. "Can I take you somewhere you can catch a taxi home?"

"Yes please." Margaret urges her kids towards the SUV. She wouldn't think otherwise.

"Please, come in."

Margaret settles her kids into the car one after the other. Sheline joins them, but Margaret won't let this opportunity pass by too fast – opportunity to enjoy the spotlight. She glances around as if searching for a missing member of the family, after which she dusts off her bag and then hops into the front seat in style. One will think she' Bandele's legal wife. Vehicles like this don't come around every day.

Savouring every moment of it, Margaret hasn't been so honoured since she started attending the church, much to the amazement of Molefi who continues to watch over the distance.

As they move leisurely along the highway, Margaret juxtaposes Bandele's reputation with that of the man seated next to her. Why should anyone hold grudges with someone this kind, this humble? Someone that goes to church regularly despite his stupendous wealth. It's easy to misjudge people from afar. Orlando residents are biased.

In a bid to downplay his largess, furthering Molefi's drama scripts, Bandele delves into poor people's problems in Soweto. "I don't know what government people are doing about this taxi scarcity problem. They just sit in their office and do nothing for the people."

The businessman condemns government's lack of interest in the people, even rephrasing biblical verses often repeated on TV.

Sheline exchanges puzzling looks with Margaret, both impressed at his God-consciousness.

"Where should I drop you?" Bandele asks, eyes on the road.

"You can please drop us at home," Margaret leans forward. "If that will not affect your schedule."

"Oh, no problem. I'm free this morning. Sunday morning is for serving God."

As they cruise into Orlando, just before they approach Princewill Street, Bandele requests Sheline's phone number.

The young lady glances at Margaret who peeks out of the window to read between the lines. Its obvious Sheline is the reason behind these favours. Only after her arrival here in Soweto did they bumped into him twice. Margaret chooses not to throw the child away with the bathwater.

"What's that your number again?" Margaret asks Sheline, stretching backwards to grab her phone since she's slow at it.

Sheline reads out the digits, gasping as she does so.

After saving the number, and buzzing it to confirm, Bandele says: "If you don't mind, I can bring you from church every Sunday."

"That will be okay, sir. We feel very honoured," Margaret replies, hands clasped together.

"It's alright."

"Thank you very much, sir." Margaret repeats, nudging Sheline to show appreciation.

The pensive young lady nods slowly. "We're grateful, sir."

Her soft voice sings a Ballard in Bandele's ears. Meeting this girl isn't a mistake. Her voice is too sweet.

Bandele drops them off in front of their apartment building, after which he drives off, waving. Residents of Princewill Street, gathered by the roadside with long faces, wonder when the Polemann landlord became a churchgoer. And of all the people he can associate with on Princewill, he chooses the lonely Zimbabwean woman in their midst. Something is wrong somewhere.

Those familiar with his antics knows he's up to something fishy. Perhaps his eyes are on the new lady living with Margaret. The fair-minded ones turn their faces upwards, praising the Almighty for finally touching Bandele's heart.