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what joe did (part 2)

 Joe?s parents and sister (carried by dad) disappeared through the terminal two doors and everyone waited for the plane to take off. After takeoff Joe recons “it?s party time” and this is while watching the plane disappear into the clouds.
Independence
Joe and his brother was now officially parent free, and on their way home they bought them a tray of beers. They got home and immediately started a fire. Joes mum had an old model boat that was made out wood and sea shells and he took it and put it in the fire that was the first things to change in his life, a new life of being independent at the age of 16.
He started changing after that, the next 2 months things got hard because Edison was not working and the only income was the grandmothers who had a house of her own to maintain as well. There were complications with the transfer of money from Malawi to Edison?s account. After about 2 months things eventually came right and the bills were all squared up.
Life was good for Joe a bit too good; he partied everyday and bunked school every day and never got caught at the end of that year failed grade 11, but even that did not bother him, he told his mum that he did not want to go back to school and that he wanted to go to a technical college the next year and mum agreed.
The next year arrived 1996 and Joe did not go to college because he and his brother got employment at a good established company (Rennies Fastflow Logistics) and it was permanent positions. Joe refused to stop working because he was good at his job and the money was great to have. Those years R2500 was a lot of money and for a 17 year old it was the best. He had the best shoes the best cloths and just had it all. Everything was going great for him, money, friends, girlfriend?s life was good. Joe thought he had it made and went on working. There he leaned a lot because he was the youngest, but did everything with his colleagues. He even smoked marijuana there for the first time. He worked 7 days a week and it was shifts, but enjoyed it. Joe and his brother decided to take leave the end of that year to visit their parents and their boss approved it.
In this time Joe had a girlfriend Tania. She had blond hair and was light of complexion and had huge breasts and Joe loved huge breasts and Tania had a killer body. Joe was never home because he worked shifts so his off days he would be at the girlfriend?s house in Goodwood. All Joe did was work and girlfriend...................... (This girlfriend was also the second cousin of his future wife, but Joe did not know this as yet) and a year before Joe dated Tania?s younger sister but that was only a summer holiday fling.
The Home Away From Home
At the end of the year Joe and his brother went to Malawi and had a ball of a time, they were treated like royalty there because of his dad?s status in that country. They woke up in the mornings and by the time they got out the toilet their beds were made up and room was clean. Their dad had a servant in the house that did all the house cleaning, a garden boy and 2 security guards because he had huge grounds as big as a soccer field. The country itself was marvellous; trees everywhere and fruit trees grew on the side of the road and did not belong to anyone so you could stop on the road and eat of the fruits. The only thing that bothered Joe was the lizards and chameleons. The lizards came in different sizes and colours and the
chameleons were huge and had horns on their heads and the people of Malawi did not believe in killing them, so when they visited someone?s house the walls were alive with those creatures. They said the creatures killed the mosquitoes and those mosquitoes could give you malaria .Joes mum could not stand the things and killed them as soon as she spotted one in the house.
When Joe or his brother were done eating the servant would come and collect the dirty plates but would kneel when they got close to them, (Joe was amazed at the humbleness of the Malawians) they would collect the plates on their knees and walk away on their knees and if Joe farted and the maid or garden boy was near they would apologise and Joe found that very funny and did it often.(they said sorry boss) .They never paid to go into any clubs all that was said at the door is “this is Mr G sons” and we could enter.
Joe could picture himself living there. Life was good in Malawi but all good things had to come to an end and they returned home after a month.
It was 1997 and Joe was 18 and soon got his licence and was sharing the car with his brother. Later that year Joe broke up with Tania and made plans to quit and move to Malawi but always had his eye on Joy who wanted nothing to do with him. Joy was different from his girls he dated before. She did not have blond or light coloured hair, she had black hair, she was not light of complexion, she was brown a light brown with a glow her tan was beautiful and she had a beautiful body. Even when he had girlfriends he always thought of Joy and could not wait to see her at school and in church and strangely enough Joes brother started seeing Joys best friend (Pearl) at the time, and eventually one night Pearl brought Joy to the house, Joy did not want to come with her cause she knew how Joe felt about her.
The Beginning
It was a cold Friday evening in June (winter) and Joe did not plan anything for the evening, Edison left to fetch his girlfriend Pearl and when they came back to his surprise Joy came in with them. There Joe stood looking at her standing in the doorway looking as beautiful as ever, his heart started beating fast and butterflies in his stomach, but he did not want to show her how he felt. He greeted and asked Edison “so what are you guys up to” he replied “nothing much just going to watch movies” with
that answer Joes sneaky mind started working and he said “Edison give me your car keys please I wont be long” and left but came back within 5 minutes with a bottle of southern comfort which he knew was Joys favourite. Joe knew he only had this chance to impress her and show her what a great guy he was and had to play it cool. Joy replied “is that for all of us” Joe answered “yes” and asked “is this ok what I bought” Joy answered “oh yes it?s my favourite drink” Joe replied “is it” and knew he was on his way to success.
So the four of them made themselves comfortable in the bedroom ,they watched movies and enjoyed the Bottle of southern comfort, Joe knew he had to show Joy a fun night without spooking her away and that is exactly what he done. At the end of the evening when it was time to take the ladies home Pearl pushed Joe and he fell on top of Joy. They had a laugh and then Joe gazed into her eyes and she gazed back, Joe thought to himself at that moment “it?s now or never” he kissed her and it was exactly how he imagined (heaven on earth), the night was a success..................................................!
Joe had a plan and had to work carefully, he totally figured out Joy and she was a complicated lady and he had to proceed with caution not to spoil everything. She did not want a boyfriend, but he did pick up a signal from her the Friday past and had to play all his cards. Joe had already made plans to leave the country to live with his parents and decided to use that although he was confident that she was the one, it was all or nothing.
The next week, Thursday after the Friday night, Joe was working night shift and decided to give Joy a call to ask her on an official date. It took him an hour and a half to get her to say yes to go with him to the movies. He convinced her she has nothing to loose, cause after 3 weeks he would be gone and never to return and she agreed, the 3 weeks past and he was right she fell head over heels in love with him and he with her, but it was too late to change the plans cause Joes mum was exited and waiting for him, now he was sitting with headache of his life, what to do? He constantly asked himself and decided this would be the ultimate test.
The night before he left his friends gave him a going away party and there is where Joy and Joe had a serious talk and Joy told him that she loves him and did not want him to leave, and Joe felt the same but is was too late to cancel everything. They never came to a conclusion they just decided to enjoy the night. Joy slept over at Joe?s house that night. Joe
did not want the night to end but it did. That night was the first time Joe cried in a long time (tears of joy and sorrow).
The morning arrived and Joy, Edison, Jack and Rosie (another close friend of Joy that lived in the same road of Joe. They were friends since primary school) took Joe to the airport, it was the saddest goodbye. Everyone cried, Joe left, and he was gone.
Joe?s Brief Thoughts
As he sits in the aeroplane “Its too late, I can?t turn around now, mum and dad would be so devastated not to talk about pilot and the air hostesses they would be pissed at me. It took me so long to get Joy and I finally have her and now I leave her, am I an idiot! Maybe time will heal this feeling I have, this feeling of being lost, this feeling of something missing, this feeling of regret and this feeling of disappointment”. Joe?s eyes closed and he fell asleep.
Arrival
Four and a half hours later he arrived in Malawi, and what a welcome. His parents and all his friends that he made on his first holiday to Malawi were waiting for him with open arms.
When he got home he immediately phoned Joy but that was a mistake because now he missed her even more. After he put the phone down he told himself he was on holiday and this made him feel a little better. He phoned Joy as much as he could. Two weeks past and Joe could not handle it anymore, he wanted to go home, and he missed Joy too much. This living like a king was not what he expected. He made up his mind and told his mother. She agreed with Joe because she could see he was not happy. When Joe?s dad got home that night Joe immediately told him, and he agreed to sort out his plane ticket the next day. Joe stayed another 2 weeks and was on his way home, but did not let Joy know. He wanted to surprise her. He told her to stay at home the Wednesday night because someone was going to bring her a present that he bought in Malawi.
That Wednesday he got home at 6pm and had enough time to get to Joys house before church. He knocked on the door and Joy opened and stood there shocked, he held her very tightly and told her he is never leaving her again. That night he went with her to church.
The next month Joe got his job back again and everything was back on track. Things were going great for Joe. The year passed and Joe?s relationship blossomed.
Tragedy strikes
It was now the year 1998, that year kicked off with a bang. Joe always wanted a tattoo but did not want to ask his mum, but when he was in Malawi he did mention that he wants to get him one and his mum just gave him “the look”, so that year he decided to do it but did not want to go alone and he asked Jack if he wanted a tattoo and he said yes but he did not have enough money. Joe told him its ok he will pay for it. The reason Joe wanted his friend with him is because if he did come into trouble he will not be alone in trouble that was Joe, always thinking ahead.
He decided to go the 25 April, a Saturday because that weekend he would have Edison?s car, because he was going away for the weekend on a youth trip.
The Friday 24 April, Joe and his friends went out and partied very late and got home after 3am and went to sleep. Jack slept over because that day was the day they would go for their tattoos. The alarm went off early and Joe got up all in a daze and put it off and went back to sleep. When he eventually woke up after 9am, they got done and Joe?s grandmother already left for work (she worked every Saturday). She did something strange that morning, she left a note with a list of things Joe had to buy and at the bottom of the note “please pack the things away in the cupboard”, that was strange for Joe because he and his brother never did shopping and never packed the things away. While Joe was driving to Steenberg (the tattoo parlour) he heard over the radio of a major accident that happened that morning on vanguard drive where a taxi burned with all the passengers but that did not cause any concern for him, he was too excited to get his tattoo, and besides he knew his grandmother did not travel by taxi, she hated taxis.
They arrived at the parlour and after 3 hours they walked out with the same tattoos on their left arms. They had panther tattoos. Joe left and went home and dropped Jack at home before he went home to freshen up. It was not every day that Joe had the car to himself and decided to make the best of it. Later that day he picked up his love of his life and went out
for the day. Jack and Peter (a work friend of Joe) went with. They had a good time at N1 city and a good meal at a pizza den.
It was after 6pm and he made his way home all exited to show his grandmother his tattoo. Joe lived on a corner house situated alongside a main road. As he came closer to the house he noticed that the lights of the house was off and told Joy who was next to him “that?s strange why are the lights still off mamma did not say that she is not coming home today”. Now and then Joe?s grandmother would go to her house and stay one or two days there but would always tell them before hand. Joe thought to himself “maybe she went to one of her friends”. He went in the house closed all the windows and packed the shopping away.
He and Joy sat a bit and were doing what they always do and eventually took her home because she had to be home a certain time and Joe respected that. After dropping her he went to Jacks house to find out if Jacks aunty (Jack stayed with his aunty and uncle) heard anything from his grandmother but she did not, he went home and started phoning everyone that he knew his grandmother would visit but no one knew anything. Joe started to worry because she would not be this late out; he immediately thought of the accident but brushed that thought off because he knew she hated taxis because she was knocked over by a taxi years ago. It was now getting very late and Joe was a bit lost so he phoned the rector of his church and told him the situation he was in and the rector reminded him of the accident.
Jack?s aunty and uncle came around after 10 pm to find out if he found out anything. (Jack lived with his aunty and uncle) they were worried and told Jack to stay by him, after they left the rector called me and told him its late and nothing could be done that time of the night and further told him to wait for him after church and they would take it from there.
Joe refused to go to sleep and bought them couple of beers, there they sat in the lounge drinking and chatting about the day they had until they both fell asleep on the couch. Joe had a flash of when his alarm went off, he could see the time of the clock and that was the time his grandmother woke up for work. He woke up and thought to himself “could it be, I put the alarm off so quick, is it possible that she overslept and missed her bus, no, no that can?t be” he could not sleep, so he decided to clean the house and when he was done he got into the bath to get ready for church.
He phoned his uncle and told him the situation and his uncle said he will come after church. When Joe arrived in church and he could feel all the eyes on him and that made him angry (we all know how the grapevine works). The hour passed and after church he met up with 2 of the ministers (Aubrey Paulse and Melvin Stout). The rector Melvin Stout who was the head of the congregation told him that it is most likely that his grandmother was in the taxi and he nodded his head.
Written by angryed
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