The Diabolic Charmer

Prologue

Evaton Township, Gauteng, South Africa

Saturday,

11:30 AM.

A young boy in his shorts, playing around in a big dusty yard, showing a skinny torso, clutching on a magazine, ran toward his mother. His mother, a lady nearing her forties and looking a bit rugged from doing family laundry, with her dress neatly tucked in her panties from the side of her waists as most women her age would do in the township. She, like all other women her age, was discouraged to wear skirts or dresses which were short, and would find it difficult to do some work in these long dresses. To be comfortable, the women would tackle some part of the dress from the waist and tuck it into their panties from inside out. That on its own would allow the dress to move up a bit to show some part on their thighs.

She received the enthusiastic looking lad with a curios smile on her face. The boy got to her and opened a magazine, showing a picture of two young people wearing black ropes and funny looking hats, holding on to papers with big smiles on their faces. The young guy was fascinated by this couple and wanted to know from the mother, what the reason could be for their happiness.

‘What is it, baby?’

Smiling with a tiny grin, without opening his mouth, the boy asked softly.

‘Ma, why are these people so happy?’

The mother leaned forward and took the magazine and smiled. The picture was full paged and bright. She squatted to get to the boy’s height and explained.

‘Well, these people are learned and educated. They just passed their exams and are now happy because their future is brighter’.

Looking puzzled, the boy gave a frown. ‘Can I also do this when I am old?’

A middle aged mother smile turned to a serious, but subtle look. There’s no chance for you my son. She thought to herself. While she was gathering her thought, the boy gave her a gaze, like he read her thoughts.

‘Why are they wearing these funny looking costumes?’

The mother regained her composure and the smile was back on her face.

‘These are called gowns, but different kind of gowns. You wear these as a sign of achievement. The Academic achievement, do you understand?’

The young lad shook his head briskly. A little irritated by how to explain that to her son of 5 and half, she resorted to the nearest explanation she could find. In her mind, the odds were not favoring the young to get anywhere in life. He was the youngest of her children, the seventh to be precise. With herself doing maids job for Afrikaners and Indians, how could she raise enough money to send him to a decent school. Being this young and showing such passion for knowledge, his future was doomed before it even began.

‘They are scientists, and they have gone to school and have finished their studies. "Your brother, Edward, will be going to the university when he finishes school, and he also, shall wear these clothes one day". Her smile was now wide open and a beam of heavenly light shone on her face.

The young lad smiled with some satisfaction. To know his elder brother would make her mom happy one day, was enough explanation to these funny dressed, but happy characters. He quickly left his mother to the laundry and ran outside the yard to a yard opposite his. ‘Look out for the cars. Okay?’ The mother shouted out.

Too late for that, the boy was already where he wanted to be.

The opposite yard, adjacently placed to be exact, lived his friend, Ali. Like him, Ali was a youngest son to a retired boxer turned business man and politician. Bro Alex, as he was famously known to everyone around the neighborhood. Alex was a government’s local representative, a councilor, as they are called. His love for boxing, led him to name his youngest son after the greatest fighter of all time, Mohamed Ali.

Ali was much tinier than KC and a little younger too. The two were inseparable and very clever. Ali’s aunt Nelly just drove in bearing sweets and fruit, delights which had kids to run to her every time. Nelly was tall and very beautiful, with a complexion so bright and clear; she was like an angel to the boys and was treated as such. When Nelly was around, everybody was happy. Goodies for the young ones and wines for the adults, she brought home everything to everyone.

‘Ni thini Bafana?’ She greeted the boys and handed them some sweets and fruit. ‘Don’t finish them all at once’ she said.

Ali and KC would fight over who takes what. Though they were not related by blood or anything, they acted like they were brothers more than friends. Their friendship united both families. Nelly loved them both very much, as she was too busy to have her own. It was the way she looked at them that gave her away. She turned and walked towards the front door.

‘Hey aunty, I have been waiting for you. I hope you didn’t give those two some of the sweets because we both know they are going to be sick soon and I don’t money for Castor Oil’, came a voice of a young mother.

Ali’s mom, Mandisa, a nurse by profession, and a very strict mother with a semi hoarse voice, was bruised on her face. Nelly looked at her and an instant tear fell from her face. Not again! She bit her lower lip with fury.

"Where is he? Where is that bastard?’ ‘Haai wethu’ she took few steps back.

Ali and KC exchanged glances and went to their aunt’s car. A beautiful 1979 Ford Cortina XR3. They left the adults to their conversation and started chasing each other around, but could hear Nelly and Mandisa, both hollering at KC’s mother who was still busy with laundry.

‘Does she ever pay you a visit when she is around?’ Nelly asked Mandisa.

Mandisa shook her head. She never visits that one. She replied silently in her head. Nelly gazed at the bruises on Mandisa’s face. Don’t judge me!!! Mandisa said in her thoughts as she was not encouraged to say it in Nelly’s face. This was a woman who never took shit from nobody. Nelly was tough and strong willed. She never screwed around and would take a man with words and all. She gave courage to the neighborhood women, young and old, but was also charismatic in her approaches.

KC and Ali sat down, tired from all the chasing around the car. Ali loudly asked his aunt’s permission to get into the car. She nodded but was quick to tell them not to touch anything. She smiled faintly, still looking at Mandisa’s face, muttering something only she could hear. We are in the late seventies and this bull still continues. She thought to herself.

Rhhaaaa! She exploded, disgusted, in a Xhosa fashion.

In the car, KC leaned over toward Ali and said,’ I am going to wear a gown and work with Aunt Nelly when I am big’ and showed a smile.

Ali looked a little confused and not amused, as he didn’t understand the sudden conversation of gowns and work. KC could sense Ali’s lack of understanding. He turned around looking at the box in the back seat. He positioned himself to touch some wines in the box and smiled mischievously.

‘Aunty Nelly is a scientist and work with these bottles that makes adults happy. I want to work like her. I want to be a scientist.’

The topic was interrupted by Ali’s elder brother, Sheppard. Sheppard was a stout boy with a healthy appetite. His companion of all times was KC’s elder brother, Eddie. Both were always in trouble and got smacked almost every day. Though troublesome, they excelled in their studies and would compete with who gets the most A’s. They were both cream of the two families. Sheppard adored his little brother and showed by constantly giving him a hug or a brush over his head. Eddie on the other hand, never showed any affection towards his little brother. He would usually cast him out for no apparent reason.

Sheppard couldn’t understand the conversation the two were having, but heard the part of Aunt Nelly being a scientist.

She is not a scientist; she works for a winery in Cape Town. She promotes all these goodies you see in the box. That’s why people like her so much. People like you when you give them free drinks’. He looked at the two young boys with awe.

‘Ali’.

He touched his brother’s head lightly. He continued,’ what do you want to be when you grow up?’

Instantly Ali replied like he was programmed to say this…’ I am going to be a boxer liked Mohamed Ali’.

Sheppard saw Eddie walking towards the house and he called him over. Eddie quickly turned towards the car but stopped momentarily and went back to greet the adults. Nelly had a huge grin on her face. There was something about Eddie that made young girls, even young adults to melt when they see his face. Quite frankly, he was adorable, more handsome than Sheppard and a bit leaner but still fat. He was a cuddly character and adored by most. His mother thought the world of him.

Getting to his friend, Eddie looked like he was in a hurry. Sheppard could sense that it was time to roll, as it was close to noon.

‘Your younger brother wants to be a scientist when he grows up and mine wants to be a boxer’.

Sheppard chuckled as he received Eddie’s hand and greeted him clapping his hand in a funny way which they only knew how to greet each other.

Eddie quickly answered, ‘I think it should be the other way round. My brother is more of a brut than a book worm’.

He held Sheppard by the hand and pulled him away from the car.

’He’s got my hands full most of the time and wont amount to anything good. Can you come with to the stores; my mother wants some veggies for tomorrow. Maybe you should ask your mom also’. He suggested.

The heftier boy shrugged his shoulder. ‘I doubt that’s ever going to happen from now on’.

Eddie gave him a serious frown.

‘We squandered her change the last time she sent us to the store. What do you think the beating we got was for the other day?’ Sheppard explained.

Eddie smiled and they walked away. He was displeased with such a clever notion from his much hated brother. He didn’t even know what a scientist was. He shouldn’t be saying smart talks when he hadn’t asked first.

‘A Scientist!’ He looked at Sheppard.

‘I guess he meant Sales or Marketing, but he is 5. Cut him some slack’. Sheppard defended the young oukie.

‘Maybe he will work for South African Breweries someday and give us free booze; I heard they get paid well’. Sheppard chuckled.

I indefinitely doubt that. Eddie thought, looking back at the two young boys, playing in the car, mindlessly.

Chapter 1

Beneath the car, a young KC, 25, tried to use a wrench to fasten the loose engine screw. The wrench slipped. He tried to extend his hand to get to it, and he turned slightly to see a very shiny expensive Arbiter shoe, standing next to the wrench. He slowly crawled beneath the car to see the unexpected visitor. The paper box he used as a mat to prevent excessive soiling from the ground tore, as he positioned himself to attend to his unexpected guest.

Standing there was one on the best local mentor to young lads. Tyron Retune. He was wearing a double mercerized golf shirt, double mercerized pants and a very shiny shoe. With him, was also a well groomed gentleman from a well known local family, Pike Kappa? The two were dressed smart. The sort of attire that would melt a quill from a porcupine, these two were looking their best, casually though and were savoir fair. Tyron was an uncle to KC’s friend, Kent Leong. Half Chinese, half Black adorable looking guy, Kent too came from a reputable family in Evaton.

‘You should get a mechanic to fix your car, a young guy like you’ Tyron said with a smile, looking at KC mockingly.

Tyron had also a smile to go with his face and clothes. The guy should have been a male model for famous line of clothing. He kept only the best friends, wearing the best clothes, hanging out at the best public places, and driving best cars. Everyone adored him in their own way and he was friendly with everyone around him. He always looked to lend a hand, and those who were close, would tell that he always came with a selfish ulterior motive hanging from his sleeve, like a gambler who would throw few cards carelessly to lure his opponents, only to clean you right out. He was a smooth talker and a thief.

He started out as a teacher, spoiled rotten by their mother together with his little brother who he adored, Tyron never had serious responsibilities. He would use his money to buy clothes, booze, and would spend most of his money on friends and girls. He once bought a house, which later had to sell due to lack of financial commitment from his side of contract. He simply moved back to his mother’s house and later saw no need to work anymore. He resigned from teaching and spent two years of binge and prostitutes. Society at some point wrote him totally off its books of good lads. However, that was not the end of him. He was rescued by a friend, not within his then circles, and landed him a job with an International Beverages Company. He was quick to gather his strength and moved his way to South African Breweries, an alcoholic beverage based company.

Now there he stood in front of KC Martins’ house.

Pike was just smiling as Tyron was busy dissing the poor self made mechanic.

‘I am trying to save some funds for next year, man. I can’t afford to use my hard earned money to hire someone for something I can do myself’, KC defended himself.

‘I want to finish my studies altogether, man’.

Tyron frowned a little. ‘I was given the understanding that you had finished your studies 2 years ago, is that not correct?’

He moved closer to KC with a serious face.

‘I am here to recruit you. SAB is looking to employ young previously disadvantaged graduates to work in the east. This is the first of its kind in the company and we are looking into grooming young guys like you, to be the next generation of managers, groomed specially by us, the company, so as to lead us to new millennium with a bang. Soon we are going to be global company and we need a team of nerds and all. The bookworms with strategies from a fresher look of things, and facilitate to get products to new environments such as township and other unknown markets’. He explained.

Did he say he is here to recruit to me? KC thought to himself.

Quickly he gathered his thoughts to stick to the conversation at hand. ‘I completed my Bachelor of Commerce two years ago, that’s correct. Being black like me, a bachelor’s degree is nothing in the corporate world. We are competing with whites out there who are favored by the system. When you want to get there and get recognition, you need at least Honors to go with your bachelor’s degree, wouldn’t you agree?’

Did he say he is here to recruit to me?

KC felt like God himself had come down in a form of Tyron to offer him something he wanted for all his life. He knew he was looking at this man, but was not sure if he was having a smile on his face, a sheepish smiles that is, like a bull after sniffing the cows behind. He positioned his side to look at the mirror image of himself using the car’s window, just to make sure he was being himself. Tyron saw that but didn’t ask. He could see the beam in this young guy’s face. A seriously well contained delight. This was not happening. KC thought to himself. He grew up led to believe by his brother, that he shall never amount to anything. Here he was, passed his matric well, finished his university degree, first to buy car in the family, and yet his mother still believed that his brother was better than him.

Tyron looked at his watch and turned to Pike. ‘Do we still have enough time to get to Spruit?’

Pike shook his head, ‘we are running out time, and I am sure the party is going start without us’.

Tyron reached for his business card and handed it over to KC, and smiled broadly, like he was boosting, to show the much sought after card. You had this SAB card; you had a passport to live a pleasurable life, and this was everyone’s dream job. KC finally had a chance to prove himself to his peers. Finally!

The two fashionistas walked toward a C class Mercedes Benz, white, spotless clean. Tyron