Rasta

RASTA
By Mak Manaka



This guy, what’s wrong with him? Does he ever get enough? Weekend after weekend he’s here, either with me or with that slut Thuli or one of these girls if he cant find both of us. He’s good for business though, but bad for my health, coz every time I am with him, it’s either he wants me to snot or pipe-up. Shit, he did it again, “Rasta, Rasta, wake up man”, fuck, “Chris! Chris!” eeish, this stupid Nigerian, where is he now, his fucken best customer is pasted out on my bed, “Rasta, Rasta wake up, Chris! Rasta is sleeping again!” Shit, he is not waking up, oh my god his eyes, “Rasta come on, wake up”. Jesus, he’s OD’ing, fuck, what do I do now? “Rasta wake up, please, don’t do this to me”.
Who could be calling him at this time, Lerato girl, just leave it and let it ring its none of your business. “Phew! thank god he is not OD’ing, Rasta can you hear me?” “Its me Lerato” he is too wasted to even hear me, “Chris, Chris, Rasta is finished, look at him he is useless, and anyway its late. Shh…listen he is saying something, he wants you to take him home”. Bloody Nigerian, he even knows where he stays, I wonder how long has Chris known Rasta, now I have to help him put Rasta in his car, eish. Prince and some other friend of theirs follow Chris and Rasta in Rasta’s car, but why all the trouble, anyway, “Ok, me I am going to sleep, take your keys”, Rossetenville at night or around this early, can be tricky, especially with the pigs being everywhere, taking money off these Nigers, and getting free blow-jobs from us so we wont have to spent a night in their dirty stinking cells.


Rasta’s wallet, he was married? Damn, so he’s real name is Nlhanlha, Nhlanhla Khubeka, born 1970 on September the 4th, no way, his birthday is today, well yesterday. No wonder he was drunk.

Oh shit, Rasta’s phone? Where is it? Who could be calling him at this time, ah, there we go, what the hell? Thuli? “Foetsek, sefebe, Rasta is with me, go fuck your self”. Crazy bitch, she wants to get high again, if only she knew where Rasta is right now, another phone call? “Wife?” don’t answer that phone Lerato, let it ring…………


Not again, he always does this on weekends. What’s wrong ka Nlhanlha? “Hi you’ve reached Nhlanhla please leave a massage”, “Nhlanhla ke na, where are you? We haven’t heard from you since Friday and its Sunday early morning, please answer your phone. We have to take the baby ko ma bitleng, to your father, remember?”


Good day Joburg, 12?, my god, I slept all morning, what a night.…………Chris’s car, and no noise in the house where are they, I wonder what time they came back. Ah yes, its Sunday, they at church, its funny that they are heavily religious and yet at the same time they are corruptors but anyway who is perfect……….20 missed calls damn, it’s a good thing I put Rasta’s phone on silent…

“………You have 13 new voice massages, to listen to your massages press 1…”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanlha, please leave a massage”
“Nhlanhla its me again, o bone ke nako manga, call me back”.
I hope its him calling, “Hello, Nlhanlha?, oh hi ma, yes, the baby is fine, we should be there before 9:30, he’s fine, see you just now ma, bye”, “If your father is not here in the next 30 minutes baby-boy, we are leaving without him. He was out the whole weekend having fun, I understand it was his birthday yesterday but he forgot that he has a family, don’t worry my love you will grow up strong and responsible not like your father, there we go, how does that feel? Clean and comfy, not wet and heavy right?” I wonder where could he be?

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanlha, please leave a massage”, “Nlhanlha…eeish…Nlhanlha, I am sorry baby, I am so sorry. I wanted to tell you on Friday, Nlhanlha, ngi zo hlala ngi ku thanda baby…Thandi speaking call me when you get a chance”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanlha, please leave a massage”
“Nlhanlha wake up man, we need you to cover a story, Holomisa’s daughter OD’d last night, she’s at J.G Strydom, not far from your house. Wake up man, we need you there at 10am for a live feed, peace”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanlha, please leave a massage”
“Rasta, my brother from another mother its Ike call me back, I got new stuff for you mabrada”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanlha, please leave a massage”
“Nhlanhla Mzilikazi Khubeka, mntanami, ukuphi? Your wife is worried about you. She was crying about how you spend less time with your family, your father and I never raised you that way, kwenzejani mfana wami. I remember when you had just turned 15 and we had just buried your father’s brother, remember what you said, you said you never want to be like him, abandon your family for alcohol and drugs. Remember when your father bought you that new bicycle, and you didn’t ride it for a week coz you were afraid to fall and hurt yourself, I remember how hard your father was on you. You are our only boy, my first and last born, your father was so happy when he found out it’s a boy. Nlhanlha mntanami, I have stood by you all these years, even when your father was against you marrying that sweet girl but after what she told me, I am so disappointed. Call me back my boy we need to talk”

“Hi you’ve reached Nhlanhla, please leave a massage” “Jahman, u sa lele, we still hooking up later right? Coz last night I tried some other dealer so, shit bra, zi ya buya mfo, anyway, call me back player, S’bu la”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Hi baby, I tried calling you last night and that bitch Lerato picked up, I told you not to see her, give me a call instead you know I will do everything for you. Anyway malove, I‘ll speak to you later, bye baby, Thuli here”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Nlhanlha, what’s going on man, its 11am now, and you were not at the Hospital covering the story, we’ve been trying to call you all morning, you’ve cost us brother, anyway I want you in my office tomorrow morning, bye”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Nlhanlha, its me, I am getting worried, u ko kae? I just got a disturbing voicemail, I thought…I thought you stopped, maara why Nlhanlha, we need to talk abut this when you get home. Your son and I are getting some stuff ko shopong, I hope you back when we get here. I love you no matter what”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Rasta my brada when are you paying me, I’ve been holding your stuff for 3 months, I am selling everything mabrada, call me dis is Richie”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Mshana hu malume la, ukuphi? Your mother is not happy about what’s going on with you, hamba ekhaya ndoda. You are a man now and not that quiet and naughty silly boy who used to follow me around and ask me for money, usuya sebenza manje and you have a family now, musa uku khathaza umamakho mshana, you guys have been through a lot. Remember after your father’s funeral, how your father’s family forgot about you guys and gave you none of his inheritance? Mshana you are a big man now take care of the only family you got. Call me back we need to talk”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Nhlanhla…….baby……I am pregnant. I wanted to tell you when we were together on Thursday night but I didn’t want to stress you coz you kept on going about your problems at home, anyway please call me back love, this is Elaine, I love you baby”

“Hi you’ve reached Nlhanhla, please leave a massage”
“Nlhanlha this is Thandi, it was not my fault, please understand, Nlhanlha……eeish……I am infected and we’ve been sleeping without a condom, I found out this past Thursday, Nlhanlha please forgive me”


Damn, Rasta was messed up, he is a father, he is HIV positive, and the pregnant colored girl Elaine, eeish…..Rasta’s family, shame poor son. I don’t understand what happens inside of people’s heads or life or whatever, to just destroy the things they love most, I just hope he got home safe, his wife was so worried.


“……A well known award winning journalist was found dead in Westdene dam by a civilian, he had been missing since last week Friday. He drove off the road and went straight into the dam, his face was badly bruised and his chest had a deep cut, the police are investigating the murder, he shall be dearly missed, and in other top stories, Holomisa’s daughter is still in hospital after surviving a fatal OD at a friend’s house in Melville, and private detectives wipe out the entire drug world of Westbury, more than 50 people were arrested and amongst the 50 the majority were juveniles………


Oh my god, Chris, have you heard what happened to Rasta, what? He told you to leave him down the road from his house, oh, his wife, he wanted to sober up, but then how does he get to the dam then?


“Top story at this hour, the police have discovered that Nhanhla Khubeka, the award winning journalist’s death was drug related……”


Dear Diary, its been two weeks since he’s been dead and they haven’t found the culprit, let them write or say all they want, but Nhanhla was abusive, he cheated on me and his baby, and I know he was doing drugs but told me he stopped, and what even got me more angry was that colored girl Elaine, she had the nerve to call and tell me she is expecting my husband’s child. I am so sorry baby, I am sorry I had to do that to you, growing up without a father is tough but we will make it you’l see baby boy. But your father was a piece of shit, he deserved it, I should have burnt him instead of the dam but anyway…. I tried to make a happy home big-boy, lord knows I tried.