Lars laughed as Femi splashed water on his gran for the fourth time and got cursed out.

"I swear you need a good spanking," the older woman said while her face displayed a tight lip grin.

Lars looked up at Thulile's bedroom window and wondered when they would finish. Nandi was with her. She came in the morning to help Thulile take down her braids as she couldn't do it herself because of her broken ribs.

The man waited patiently, but Lars couldn't hold back his curiosity at noon. He crept upstairs like a thief and tiptoed in the corridor to the bedroom's door.

Luckily, the door was slightly open. Between the door's crack, Lars saw Thulile seated on a chair while Nandi used what reassembled a needle to unbraid.

The material used for the braids fell on the fabric Thulile had laid to receive the dropping braids.

The women giggled and spoke in Zulu. Lars picked up his name a couple of times. He didn't understand what was said, but Thulile's vivid reaction made the man wish he understood.

"So, how is it to live here?"

"It's nice, Nandi. I feel as though I'm dreaming. I need about thirty seconds every day to realize where I am. The bed is so comfortable. He has everything. Lars has such lovely pots," Thulile said with eyes twinkling with delight.

Nandi laughed, "you're with Lars, and all you're thinking of is his pots?"

"I'm not with Lars."

"You know what I mean. Don't tell me there's not a littleㅡ," Nandi said while she jiggled her friend's shoulders.

"There's no little, whatever. This situation is temporary. I work with Lars. Nothing else can happen."

Nandi mimicked Thulile behind her back as she undid the braids behind, "admit it, Thulile, he's a handsome man."

Thulile couldn't lie; Lars was a pretty boy. When he spoke to her, Thulile wished she was another woman. Despite this, another man haunted her thoughts. Though he betrayed her trust, Thulile still thought of Elije. She couldn't wipe out the years all at once. Not everything was terrible. There were good times, and when she thought of those moments, the woman found herself missing him.

Again, all she needed to do was look at Lars to ghost Elije. It was odd; Lars seemed so close, yet even more unattainable. All she was in the man's eyes was a casualty.

"Nandi, nothing will happen between this man and me."

"Ahh, don't speak such nonsense. Everyone can see there's something between you."

Thulile turned her head to the side, "Nanda, what are you talking about, like him-meh, me? she clapped in her hands, "you people are crazy. I told you, Iㅡ," Thulile stopped as she saw a shadow at the door. Her eyes became slits while her cheeks rose in embarrassment. Thank goodness the whole conversation was in Zulu.

Busted, thought Lars, who knocked and entered. The man had no other choice. Caught red-handed, Lars couldn't run down the hall like a kid even though the thought tempted him," ㅡeh, I was wondering if you were hungry."

"I'm good," Thulile replied with an icy pitch while giving Lars her you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourself glare.

"I'm not good, Thulile I'm hungry," Nandi replied.

Lars lowered his gaze and turned it away from Thulile to question Nandi, "what do you want to eat?"

Nandi smiled; Thulile could say what she wanted. There was reciprocity of feelings between the man and her.

Lars remained unfazed by her appearance with her half braided and half afro head. Her eyes were no longer black by Kungawo's blows, but she still had the marks. Yet the man stared at her as though she was the world's eighth wonder.

"I'd love Mopani worms."

The women watched the man's face color drain, "did you just say worms?" The man's voice hiccuped on the word worms that came out as a squeak.

Thulile bit her lips not to laugh and shook her head in disapproval.

"Lars, you should taste Thulile's pap spinach and Mopani worms."

Thulile glared at her friend.

"Has she cooked for you?"

"No, she hasn't."

"I told him to let me do, but he refuses. I guess he's scared I'll poison him," Thulile interrupted. She dreamt of using his pots, and the man refused to see her in the kitchen.

"No, it isn't that. It's just," Lars swiped a hand behind his head, "you're still recovering standing up to cook is exhausting."

"Trust me, Lars, you are missing out. I swear if you taste Thulile's food, you'll fall in love," Nandi said and brought her fingers to her lips to kiss them and emphasize her point.

The color that drained the man's face came back in an instant to tint him crimson red. Lars' ears burnt while Thulile's soul left her body.

"I mean, you'll fall in love with her food," Nandi said as she attempted to retrieve the bomb she let out.

Lars feigned a smile, "yeah, emㅡ, I'll go and order something. I don't know if they have Mopani worms on uber eats, but I'll check," the man turned and walked out of the room so fast one would think he hovered over the floor.

"Nanda."

"What?"

"I hate you, I swear. Right now, I hate you."

Nandi chuckled, "my tongue slipped. Then again, the truth comes out of the innocent's mouth."

Thulile lowered and lifted her gaze three times while scrunching her lips before saying, "com-meh a-gain?"

Nandi burst out laughing, "Thulile, stop it. Your face is killing me." Nandi held her ribs, "oh, Thulile, my baby. Stop faking, tell your sista, I won't sell you out."

Thulile rolled her gaze to the side while thinking it was too late Nandi already killed her softly with her words. Fifteen minutes later, it was Femi who knocked on the bedroom door to tell them the delivery had arrived.

Nandi hurried to open the last braids and did two flat braids. Thulile then put on a headscarf, and they went down. Lars chose practical, Chicken Licken, but also Pronto Italian. Thus, they had security with the chicken if they didn't like the other dishes. Lars also wanted everyone to eat something they didn't taste every day.

"Steven, here's your fiery prawn spaghetti. ㅡI ordered penne chorizo, penne salissiccia, L'estate pizza. It has bacon and avocado," Lars explained to everyone.

Thulile looked at the table. Again, the man went overboard with the order. Lars couldn't cook like his brother Jonas, yet he wished everyone to eat well.

"Lars, it's too much."

The man shrugged, "it's food. We can keep some for tonight. It won't go to waste."

"Ahh, if you don't want it, Thulile, let me prepare a few Tupperwares," Nandi said and winked.

Femi helped his gran, and Lars handed the salmon salad she ordered. Thulile watched the scene, it had been a while since her family had such variated meals, and the difference was visible on their faces. Both her gran and Femi's face glowed. Thulile was happy, but at the same time, she feared seeing the end of this life of luxury.

She didn't wish for them to return to the same precarity they were in before. Thuile prayed her enterprise with Lars would pay off and allow them to live more decently.

"So Nandi, Thulile told me you have a YouTube channel."

Thulile's eyes became slits. Where was the man going with his question?

"Yes, I jumped in the water. Now I'm just trying to catch the wave," Nandi replied.

"Nanda, you're there. You have three hundred thousand followers now," Thulile said.

Nandi lowered her gaze. She still couldn't believe it, "I'm not a big name yet."

"Would you be willing to pose with our coffee?"

"Lars," Thulile exclaimed. During that time, Femi waited for no one. The dishes vanished one by one.

"What? Your friend is a rising star. There's no stronger tool than product placement."

"I won't do it for free," Nandi interrupted.

"Of course, they'll be compensation."

"Lars, the coffee's are still in the works, and you're already looking for ambassadors."

"I'm anticipating our success," the man said with an uncanny smile. Thuile sighed and stretched her hand out to get the salt, but Lars' hand got there before. The man gave it to her. She then tried to grab the water. Again Lars took it and served her a glass.

Like Nandi, Steven looked at the take with interest.

How long would it take for them to realize? Thought the observers.

Who would make the first step?

Thulile's family had been there a week already, and a form of routine installed itself. The house was lively, and Lars loved every minute of it. This was how a household was supposed to be, Lars had not been so happy in a while, and he wondered if these spent with him procured Thulile the same feeling.

"Femi, stop it. You'll have to wait a least two hours if you want to swim again," Thulile scolded when she noticed how the boy gobbled the dishes.

Lars had learned quite a few things from her gran and brother. When he listened to them, he realized the woman had never done one thing for herself in her whole existence. Thulile's altruistic nature reminded Lars of Jonas. He, too, always went out of his way for others, sometimes forgetting his needs.

The meal ended, and the men cleared the table. This take, too, reminded Lars of his family. His father, brothers, and he almost always did the chore.

"What are you thinking about? You seem elsewhere," Steven asked once they were alone.

"I'm happy."

"Great, then why do you look like someone who just found out their dog has died."

"It's just, every time I grasped this feeling, something bad happened."

Steven gave him a pat on the shoulder, "just enjoy it, man. Be positive; who knows, perhaps it will last."

Lars nodded and virtually crossed his fingers while hoping Steven's statement became true.

Hi friends,

I hope the chapter is okay. I wrote it very quickly. Let me know if it doesn't make sense.

A reader left me a comment on Beauty Marks saying she couldn't understand the story because of spelling and grammar mistakes. It stressed me.

I know my stories contain many errors, so my apologies.

Take care