My Sisters Keeper

40

There is no better time than now. That's what they say right? To urge you to take that first step towards your dream, to urge you to believe in your own capabilities and what you can do if you put your mind to it. Well, I decided to take that into consideration when I decided to apply for an opportunity to help the auditors at our firm audit one of the biggest companies in Africa, and possibly the world.

Mr Hlophe told us about an opportunity for us to help the auditors who will be flying to Joburg to join Biyela Holdings for a couple of weeks. Although Biyela Holdings has its own inhouse accountants and auditors, the CEO apparently also wants an independent contractor to check on the books atleast once a year to make sure all is well. Makes me wonder what the accounting department feels about someone else watching over their every move.

I packed my bags ready to hit the road. Biyela  Holdings booked us flight tickets to Joburg. There are four auditors and four accountants who will be serving as assistants throughout. And that includes me. Its amazing isn't it. I cant wait to experience a whole different vibe.

"You do know I can drive you right?" Lungelo said as he woke up. He's been sulking since I told him about my trip.
"I know you can that's why you're driving me to the airport."
"You do know how long two weeks is?"
"Yep, fourteen days."
"That is so long Sthandwa sam. I will be bored out of my mind."
"You have Muzi to keep you company. Besides, when I get to Joburg I'll get a chance to meet up with Khanya about the custody suit." He laughs.
"A custody suit for a sixteen year old. How dumb can Paul be."
"Yeah well, he thinks his money will automatically buy Bontle's love and make him daddy of the year."
"Mxm, he doesnt deserve her and he sure as hell never deserved you." He says wrapping his arms around me while I finish off my make up.
"You need to take a shower so we can go, I dont want to be late.
"Fine." He groaned and kissed me on the head before heading to the bathroom.

He came back after taking his shower and put on chinos and a golf tshirt. He drove me to the airport. He helped me carry my bags in and we looked around for my colleagues. I called one of them who told me they were in the business lounge so we headed there. We found three of them sitting around waiting for the others. Lungelo offered to sit and wait with me but after a while he decided to leave.

When everyone had showed up we boarded our flight. We got to Joburg and found a Mercedes Benz viano waiting. We got in and headed straight to the hotel. We freshened up and had breakfast at the hotel restaurant before we headed to Biyela Holdings.

We got to the building and it was huge. This building was probably double the size of our building in Durban. We got in and we were led to a huge boardroom. We sat around the table and took out our laptops and set up. A man and a woman came in soon as we were done setting up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Biyela Holdings. My name is Philani Biyela, and this is my wife Landokuhle Biyela, the Chief Operations Officer. Please feel free to do what you need to do to make yourselves comfortable. The staff is ready and available to help you with whatever you need." The man said.

"Before my husband works you to the bone, we have a refreshment station just outside the boardroom, there are cold drinks and hot drinks and there is a cafeteria on the first floor." Lando said. She seems nice and sweet.
"Thank you for having us. We hope to give you the answers you need." Zonke said. She is a Junior partner at the firm and right now she is our supervisor on this trip. She went on to introduce us all to the couple. They smiled and greeted us one by one. Well they smiled until they got to me. I'm not sure if I was just reading too much into it but I could have sworn their smiles dissapeared when they heard my name.

After they left we got down to work and I tried to put the whole awkward moment to the back of my mind. We were so engrossed in  work we almost missed lunch. By the time we got our heads away from the computer it was almost three o'clock. We decided to go down to the cafeteria to get some sandwiches. By the time we knocked off we were dead tired. Biyela Holdings is huge. And the fact that it holds so many different companies under its roof means we literally have to audit all those companies in two weeks. As heavy as the work is, its exciting and I'm loving every minute of it.