Chapter 2 - Nolwazi

A WhatsApp video call interrupts my producer's debriefing of this morning's show. Zanele's face and contact name on the screen of my phone make me smile.

"Lunga, I need to take this. Anything else?"

He closes his mouth on whatever point he was about to make and grins. "You kicking me out of your office?"

"Perceptive. Anything else before you go?"

"No." He stands from his seat on the other side of my desk. "I'll email notes about tomorrow's viral TikTok segment. The one with the gogo from Ga-Rankuwa and her goat."

"Okay, I'll be on the lookout." The call rings again and I nod to my office door. "Close it behind you, please?"

"You were great today." The door inches shut on his smiling face. "You always are."

"Charmer," I yell, and accept Zanele's video call. "Zee, chomi. Long time, no hear. What you been up to?"

"A little of this. A little of that. How you been, sisi?"

"You know. Doing the best I can."

"I see you doing big things. Number-one morning show and all that."

"Ag, we're trying." I chuckle, carefully propping the phone against a teetering stack of books on the desk and leaning back in my chair. "How's higher learning treating you?"

"Still good. I'm loving my new position."

"Oh, yeah. I did read in the Convocation newsletter that one of our own was running Student Affairs now. Congrats."

"Enkosi."

"Why must I read about it? I thought you were my girl."

Her low laugh reaches across the distance. "You know how it is. I got busy."

"Hmmm. I'll let it slide this one. At least you're calling now."

"I'm calling to ask a big favour."