ANOTHER KIND OF DIAMOND (19 page)

Ok! I’m in love with this girl.

What’s wrong with that, Wallis?

Temba keep cool and listen. I fell head over heels in love with this girl and then something bad happened.

Like what?

She shot somebody and the Police are on her tail right now as I’m talking to you, Wallis said without going into further details.

Then ditch her! Why do you wanna get yourselves involved in a mess like that? Temba reacted.

Didn’t you hear me say she is gonna be my future bride? This is the girl I want to make my wife, okay? So, what do you want me to do now, abandon her? No! I can’t do that! I can’t even ditch her even if I want because I witnessed the murder and didn’t report it. And I can’t report it because I don’t want to have issue with the Police and Temba you know why. Ditching her will do nothing but send me right back to that place I don’t wanna end up and that’s the Police. Would you want me be jailed for life? If that happens, what becomes of my dreams and aspirations? It is all so complicated, understand? I think I’m just too young to be tied up in that way. See, this hell of a bullshit stuff wasn’t even her fault altogether, I can tell you that for sure ‘cause I saw it all. The mother Fucker that got nailed acted real dumb. He deserved every single bit of what he got. Anyway, this is not important anymore ‘cause he is already dead. What matters now is how you can get me and my girl out of here’ cause we need to get very far away from all this mess. I mean a place where no one will recognize us at all, understand? So we can start afresh.

I think I get what is going on here! Huuuuh! This thing you are asking for is not going to be so easy! Temba said.

I know that but it can be done, right?

Yes! Anyway how do you want it played out?

I want you to help us get away to some African country for now. Can you do that for me? Wallis requested.

That part is easy.

So, where do you suggest?

I believe South Africa would be the ideal place but the whole business is gonna cost you a lot, continued Temba.

Come here I’m gonna show you something. And then Wallis took him to his made shift safe, where he had a whole lot of money stacked away. As he opened up the safe, Temba was dazed. He could hardly believe what his eyes just saw but his tongue spelt it out in, wow! Wallis, don’t tell me you have all this money hidden away all this time?

Yes! I do. The same place I kept your money for years! Remember?

Sure! How can I forget? Well I tell you something Wallis, from what I’ve seen in the hole you dug up, is like you have yourself and your babe a deal. So what do you want me do specifically? Temba got excited.

Like I said we need to get out to some African county but you know it like I do that we can’t touch much of this money and take it with us out of the US. Wallis said.

Oh no! That is impossible! Temba agreed.

So how do we get the thing across to where we gonna settle down eventually. I think that’s the main problem, Wallis inquired.

Leave that to me ‘cause it is a simple thing to do. The same route I take my money back to Congo will do it, Temba said.

What’s that way and how safe? Wallis asked with some concern.

One hundred percent fool proof. Much of the money would be used to buy cars and then shipped to where ever we decide you guys are gonna settle down, the cars sold off and you get back your money even with some profit, simple. Cars go fast in most African countries with their wealth in raw materials and corrupt politicians, so don’t worry about selling them. I’ve contacts all over there, from Brazzaville to Lagos and from Egypt to Pretoria you name it. I’ve been doing this stuff for years so there will be no problems ‘cause this is my area of specialty. My connections over there are very strong and my men very committed, Temba said with confidence.

How long do you think the whole thing would take before I get my money back? That’s the question.

Six months at most if we start tomorrow. Temba assured him.

We can start tomorrow, confirmed Wallis. Now, I also want some two brand new identities. I know you stock up lots of ID Cards from guys you need for your credit card stuff so we gonna be using two of them.

I can give you that right now. It is all stored up in this folder, he said and took it out from his pocket and showed it to Wallis. The only thing is you have to pay me extra for that, Temba demanded.

Don’t worry about the money, Wallis declared.

I’m not worrying. I now trust you with my life!

Good! Good man! Wallis said.

After a careful selection, both of them settled with Barry Pickles and Loretta Rowland and those choices were based on race, age and certain physical features that matched with Wallis and Isabel profiles.

We also need some kind of disguise to make us look more like these guys.

I know exactly how to handle that Temba continued. I’m gonna start work on it tonight so by tomorrow the passports will be ready and we make flight arrangements. My underground connects are very fast with Passports. I know the exact person to handle that. If we work hard enough, you guys will be on your way in a week or so. One thing though, as soon as you guys live we can’t talk on the phone any more, understands? All contacts will be through my other contacts that I’ll give you their numbers so that as soon as you talk to them they will let me know whatever it is Barry and Loretta need, is that ok.

I think that’s fine.

So let’s set the ball rolling. Temba said.

About how much do you think the whole thing will cost me? Wallis asked.

The disguise thing could cost like five grand and I think it will be a good idea to start with that. That kind of stuff cost money if you want the real thing. The passports for which I’ll need the photos of both of you will cost about the same thing. We discuss others as they come up.

So how much do you need for a start? Wallis asked.

Five grand will be fine, Temba said.

Ok, get into action.

With money at hand, Temba left the house and returned late in the night with some stuff which he showed to Wallis.

Perfect! That’s what I’m talking about, Temba! See why I’ll always need you? Wallis reacted thrilled that he got exactly what he asked for.

I know! Temba concurred. Tomorrow I’ll work on the Passport thing.

Fine! Isabel, that’s the name of my girl, will be here then.

Cool! I’ll get to meet her then, right?

Yeah! No hanky punkie man.

Cross my heart and hope to die, Temba said to the amusement of the two. I’m gonna start looking up cars to buy too and I think it would be better to buy some of the expense ones that could take up a whole lot of money at once.

That’s a good idea. But it could take a longer time to sell those off too, don’t you think so? I want quick action you know? Wallis said.

Trust me, the African rich have lots of money and buy real expensive cars fast.

Ok! I guess it’s what you’re used to so go ahead and do whatever you think is right, okay? Wallis conceded.

After so much effort, it took Temba one week to conclude all arrangements and get everything set up exactly the way it was meant to be with a high degree of success too. And by Sunday, everything had been taken care of before Barry Pickles and Loretta Rowland set out from a secret location in Arizona for the one way ticket journey to South Africa.

Once at the airport things proved a little difficult especially for Wallis now travelling as Barry. Increase in Police activities at the port that faithful day was enough to convince both that the guys in uniform was not fooled altogether. But after every background checks was done and everything returned ok, Barry was allowed to continue with his journey. There was no doubt by immigration officials that the guy standing before them is the same Barry Pickles whose passport and ID was verified and returned genuine so you can’t hold the guy.

Loretta had an easier passage. A sudden transformation by liposuction from a fat babe to a slim girl was most obvious to familiar observers and she carried herself just in the same fashion by relishing in her new slimmer body. Finally they made it into the airplane and confidently seated as the journey began for both who were not travelling as a couple but as separate individuals with a plan to hook up once in South Africa. That was another perfect arrangement from the fast thinking Temba.

Their first port of call was in Brazzaville Congo. Temba already had a solid arrangement with the immigrations there, so passing through the Congolese airport was really easy for both still travelling as separate individuals. In Brazzaville, following Temba’s plan both checked into separate hotels where each of them spent four quite days glued to their hotel rooms, after which the journey continued to their final destination of South African city of Johannesburg.

Zingy Nuwanga took it up from there. He was the guy contacted by Temba to make hotel arrangements and help the two some settle into their new lives in South Africa. Zingy shades his real business in cab operation and what that means is that he knows the ins and outs of the city to his fingertips. He was born and bred in that city anyway, he lived there all his life and never ventured into any other part of South Africa talk more of the world except for a few weeks spent in Soweto during the core Apartheid season and the Soweto massacre that followed. For him at fourteen years, all that the event offered was a golden opportunity to go looting Indian and Chinese stores and he was quite lucky in only a few cases. The Police was everywhere and no one allowed running wild beyond Police lines or you die. Yet the very crafty boy he was at the time was still able to lift a few items.

For the older man, everything has changed in the country that he once knew as a place made almost inhabitable for black folks. It still marveled him that things could turn out the way they did in today’s South Africa and he never stopped talking about it. He is not the type to judge anybody and never asks a lot of questions ‘cause he has seen it all. With Loretta and Barry as he called them sited in his cab now, he couldn’t help but relate the same story he had told to so many of his passengers in the past, a story he told with so much enthusiasm and excitement.

Hi guys! Welcome to the South African city of Johannesburg, ‘Jozi’ for short, he spoke in a heavy South African Ascent.

You call this place ‘Jozi’ too? Wallis asked.

Yes man! That’s the short for Johannesburg

Jozi! Sounds kind of cool, Wallis continued.

Yea! You guys know my name, right? He chattered willfully. I’m Zingy. Friends call me Zing for short.

Cool! Wallis affirmed.

I tell you something, you should count yourselves lucky you are coming into a different country. Zing continued. I can’t believe how fast things changed in here in such a short time, truly! It wasn’t always like this! Back in the days of Apartheid, I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, and that is operating my cab on the streets of Johannesburg like this. Oh no! That was unthinkable! A black guy like you and I couldn’t move around freely the way he wanted and his entire life tied up to some kind of pieces of papers. Yea man! You carry what is called ‘PASS’ everywhere you went.

What is called what? Wallis asked.

PASS man! PASS! That’s what every black folk needed to have to move around in the days of apartheid. In that piece laid the story of your entire life and without it you are nobody. Lose that ‘PASS’ guys, and you are considered as good as dead ‘cause you don’t exist no more. Dead, gone, finished! That’s, no pass no Zing, end of matter. Yea man! Those were hard times until the father of the nation came and changed everything.

And who is that? Wallis asked.

What?

I mean, father of the nation, who is the guy?

What is that supposed to mean? You don’t understand the word respect? Or are you joking with me or something? Well if that’s a joke, I tell you it is the wrong kind of joke with someone like Zing, okay? Anyways, I forgive you because we are just getting to know each other. Hey listen! If you go to the street with that kind of attitude, I tell you, you’ll be lynched in a minute. Don’t say I didn’t warn you man. Zing reacted.

I’m not trying to disrespect you or something, but just being curious. I want to know who the guy is, that’s it. Wallis said

Oh well, you use your words in the wrong way man. Anyway, I want you to find that out by yourself so you can learn. Go read some books and learn.

Hey! I didn’t do a lot of schooling, okay? But that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing, alright? Wallis stressed.

Sure! Sure! I myself didn’t go to school at all but there are things everyday people hear and talk about! Zing said in a jovial manner.

I understand! I must have heard about that South African do guy though, just can’t think right now. So forgive me.

Yea! I’m sure you must have heard of the greatest African alive, continued Zing. Today’s South Africa is different because of him. Look! Look at me now driving my cab around all over the places. It is really so sweet a feeling that I can say it for sure that nothing compares with the freedom.

So it is nice here, ha? Wallis asked.

Just like in any other country it is a fantastic place for the rich folks and for others, it is a better place today. You need to watch your back sometimes though ‘cause it is a very big city. A lot happen in Jozi that make me think sometimes that is only meant for smart folks.