The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Author:Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Published: 2018-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

VIDA, GENIE & MARCUS

On a bright and sunny day in May, as Genie and Vida drove to the Thomas Meikles Hyper, Vida was still wondering how the simple purchase of a mattress had turned into such a production. Genie had had them test all manner of mattresses, looking for the one that was just right, until the salespeople had given them a knowing look that Vida found presumptuous. He had been ready to leave after the second mattress, but Genie kept on finding ways to co-opt him into her decision-making. Was there really any difference between mattresses except how much they cost? When Vida had first suggested the purchase of a mattress, he had thought they would take no more than ten minutes to find the most affordable one and purchase it. But Genie obviously had other ideas.

A man who called attention to himself because he had a hump on his back and a beautiful woman by his side walked into the store. Almost immediately, Genie found herself standing next to him and pointing at two mattresses.

‘Which one do you think we should choose?’ It was as though she had been waiting all along for him to come and help her. The beautiful woman was clearly taken aback, but the man looked at Genie with … recognition.

‘You are Golide Gumede’s daughter?’ the man with a hump on his back said. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

‘Yes, I am Golide Gumede’s daughter; although that fact is not helping me make a choice at this very minute.’ She gestured towards Vida with her head. ‘And this one, who is useful for all other things, is being absolutely useless for this.’

The beautiful woman smiled apologetically at Vida, and the man with a hump on his back looked at him with eyes that said ‘Women, hey?’ With that look Vida suspected that the man was offering something that he rarely offered: friendship.

More than an hour later, the man with the hump on his back helped Vida secure the finally chosen mattress to the top of the Austin Mini Cooper. When they were done he offered Genie and Vida his hand, another rare offering, Vida was sure. ‘Valentine Tanaka,’ the man said as they shook hands.

But that had not been the end of it. Genie had then been determined that they go to the Thomas Meikles Hyper to get the ingredients for custard. So, to Vida’s chagrin, they had driven through the city with the telltale mattress on top of the car.

Getting out of the Mini, Vida looked at the mattress, which looked exactly like the other mattresses that they had not chosen, wondering if it had been worth it.

‘Don’t worry,’ Genie said as she made her way towards the store. ‘Given everything that it has and does, it was worth it.’

‘What does a mattress do?’ Vida asked.

But before Genie could answer, Marcus ambushed them.

Vida did what he did best on the street: he did not interfere. He let this moment in Marcus and Genie’s lives play itself out to its predestined end.

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