The Mechanic

23

She called Maeraa who was in bed with her the next evening, gossiping as usual.

"Faizal broke up with me," Sebina blurted out of the blue.

Maeraa stopped yapping as her jaw dropped. "Come again?"

"Faizal...he broke up with me."

"I thought you guys were going good. What happened?"

"I kissed Bert."

Maeraa's jaw went even further down. "Stop lying."

"I did. And Faizal got angry-"

"He saw you?!" Maeraa gasped. "You know, when you cheat, you're not supposed to get caught!"

Sebina rolled her eyes. Before Maeraa got married, she used to cheat back on boyfriends who cheated on her and she found out. She said Karma was working too slow for her liking so she hurt the guys back the same way they hurt her. She was a woman of revenge and she served it cold, if not colder than her exes.

"So now what? What did Bert say? What did Faizal say?" Maeraa prompted.

"Well, Faizal wants nothing to do with me-"

Maeraa fake cried. "Look at you ruining all that good dick. He gave it to you good and he made you happy. That toy boy was in love with you. Even a blind man could see that."

"I was falling for him too," Sebina confessed. "But-"

"Don't tell me you still have feelings for Bert!" Maeraa gasped dramatically, clutching her chest.

Sebina guiltily looked at her. "At the hotel in Cameroon, I kissed him and claimed I was doing it to sell the fake engagement I told you about but the truth is...I just really wanted to kiss Bert. And then the pool thing happened-"

"What pool thing?! My heart is going up my throat right now! Speak up fast, chile!"

"We were playing adult truth or dare and-"

Maeraa grinned. "-and somebody dared you to fuck your supposed fiancé!"

"No! No! They dared me to do a strip tease. And I did it. At first, it was all fun and games but ..." Sebina dropped her voice to a whisper. "I enjoyed it a little more than I should have and he enjoyed it too. Girl, I was just about ready to swipe my panties to the side and do that man!"

Maeraa cackled, enjoying the gossip. She clapped her hands, laughing. "And how did you hold yourself back? Phela that silver fox is hot! Don't get me wrong, Faizal is hot but Bert just has this aura about him...like he could lay you over his lap, spank you and make you call him daddy. I would like to call him daddy if you don't want him."

"You're married!" Sebina laughed. "And you're supposed to be telling me how horrible I am for cheating on Faizal."

"I don't have the energy for that," Maeraa simply said. "What I do have time for, however, is for you to tell me how you're going forward since obviously you're over that handsome green eyed toy boy. You didn't even cry the whole time I was here and I had put a pad on my shoulder to suck in your tears and mamina (snot)."

This is why Sebina loved Maeraa. She was crazy and could make her laugh even through all that she was going through. Maeraa was a free spirited woman who could make anyone, regardless of age, feel comfortable.

"I'm staying single for now," Sebina said with a sad smile. "I guess we are not sewing any wedding dresses any time soon."

"Well, you're welcome to come to my second wedding. My husband is annoying me and I feel ready to leave him and the kids to start a new life with some rich old white man abroad."

Sebina laughed as Maeraa went on about giving her kids and husband up for adoption.

.

At the garage, Sebina found the workers sullen and unhappy, grumbling as they swept and cleaned up the workshop. Surprised, Sebina frowned, walking in, dressed in her usual stained overalls and sports shoes, her hair in a cap.

"Good morning," she greeted her staff.

"Madam!" one particularly talkative man spoke up bitterly. "Please fire Ntai, your assistant."

"What happened?"

"That boy thinks he is the boss!"

The other workers agreed. Ntai must have done something to piss them off.

"What did he do this time around?"

"We have been coming in over the weekend because he refused to pay us unless we cleaned the bathroom and the sleeping quarters! Madam, they were already clean!"

Sebina tried not to laugh. She knew Ntai was bossy which was why she had left him in charge of the garage. The men would grumble about how he led but he got things done, even if the workers hated him in that moment.

"I'll talk to him," Sebina promised as she walked to her office, only to find Ntai seated in her chair, swivelling around like a little child and giggling to himself.

He immediately stopped and stood up as soon as he saw her. "Good morning," he said with an embarrassed face. "So, while you were gone, we had a few cars come in and they were the latest models of some of the most expensive cars we've ever seen! And the clients paid really good money...one of them paid in cash. I almost ran away with the money."

Sebina laughed.

"So they transferred the money to my account because I am not allowed access to your account. I really should have run away and started a new life with that money. Anyway, business has been good and finally, the men cleaned the bathroom and their sleeping quarters. Absolutely spotless. You can thank me by means of mobile payment."

He gave her a boyish grin.

Sebina grinned back. "This is why I love you!" she said. "You get things done while I am away. How would you like to own 2% of this garage? For every million we make, you get 20 000 plus your salary with an increase of 5%. I mean after everything, I think you deserve it."

"I knew that I was your favorite!" Ntai said triumphantly. "Let me go and boss those guys around once more now that I am really a boss now."

He sauntered out with his head out and they hadn't even started the paperwork. Sebina shook her head and turned to the little work that awaited her because Ntai had really stepped up with the office work.