Secret Drinks at The Red Berry – Emelda Nyaradzai Gwitima

INT. HOTEL BAR LOUNGE – LATE NIGHT

A plush hotel bar in Cape Town. Charlotte (43), in a blue bodycon dress sits alone. Her straightened honey hair is in an intricate updo with wisps falling down the sides of her face. An Afro-Jazz band plays soft jazz in the far corner.

Charlotte traces the path a droplet has made down her blue cocktail glass. The bartender, Duke (26) wipes a glass down and sidles towards her.

DUKE: Like another one, ma’am?

CHARLOTTE: No, I’m good thanks.

Duke throws a chequered dishcloth over his shoulder, nods and walks away. 

A dapper man walks into the bar, fiddling with his dark wood shambala bracelets. Duke greets Jaha (46) with a nod. Jaha is bald, but the salt and pepper beard gives away his age. A woman in a booth raises her eyebrows as he strides past. He approaches Charlotte. She notices him but looks down at her drink.

JAHA: May I?

Charlotte looks him up and down. He puffs out his chest slightly. She nods. He sits, but his focus is on her.

JAHA (continues): Nice place.

Charlotte looks around.

CHARLOTTE: It’s not bad.

JAHA: My mother always said not bad means not good either.

CHARLOTTE: Wise woman.

JAHA: Indeed. 

JAHA: I’m Jaha.

CHARLOTTE: Charlotte. 

They shake hands.

CHARLOTTE: Jaha. That’s an interesting name. Very uncolonial.

JAHA: A real pleasure to meet you, Charlotte. Yes, well. One parent loves Kiswahili, and the other is Ndebele. So combining meaning from both cultures, it means dignified man.

Charlotte nods. Jaha smiles and flags the barman.

DUKE: What can I get you, sir?

JAHA: Apple juice and a bottle of water.

CHARLOTTE: Healthy guy.

JAHA: Trying to be. I used to be an athlete. Rugby. Then I became the proud owner of a beer gut that won’t quit.

CHARLOTTE: You look alright.

JAHA: Thanks. 

CHARLOTTE: So, what do you do now?

JAHA: Management. I’m in the hospitality business. You?

CHARLOTTE: Management, but fintech.

JAHA: Ah, money and machines. Sounds fun.

CHARLOTTE: I like it. It lets me travel, which is great.

JAHA: I travelled a lot when I was younger. Only thing I miss about travelling is the different types of food.

CHARLOTTE: Mmm. I’m a foodie.

JAHA: Something in common. Favorite cuisine?

CHARLOTTE: Thai. You?

JAHA: North Indian.

Charlotte nods and sips as Duke brings Jaha’s order. Jaha gulps the juice.

JAHA: Woah, sweet! Who needs Dutch courage when you can get a hit of sugar straight to the brain? 

CHARLOTTE: Fruit juice isn’t necessarily healthy.

JAHA: Guess it’ll just be water from now on. 

CHARLOTTE: The best choice.

JAHA: You’re here on business?

CHARLOTTE: A getaway. With my husband.

Charlotte swirls the glass.

JAHA: Lucky guy. You’re stunning.

CHARLOTTE: Thank you. Are you?

JAHA: Stunning? I should hope so.

They chuckle.

CHARLOTTE: Married?

JAHA: I am. No ring because of these fat fingers. I would propose a toast to marriage, but I don’t think your husband would enjoy seeing you clink glasses with another man. 

CHARLOTTE: Well, he’s not here. 

JAHA: Lucky me.

CHARLOTTE: We’ll see.

JAHA: And this husband, he just let you go out to the bar late at night? He’s not worried some guy will spot you and snatch you away?

CHARLOTTE: Don’t suppose he notices. He doesn’t see me anyway. I mean, really see me, even when we’re in the same bed.

She throws the last of her drink back.

JAHA: Ouch.

CHARLOTTE: It happens. He only really looks at me when he’s angry.

JAHA: Guys naturally bottle things up. Some grow up and…

Charlotte cuts him off.

CHARLOTTE: People always come up with some excuse backstory about how someone became what they are. He’s had a great life. He’s just a dick sometimes, by choice.

JAHA (shrugs): Aren’t we all?

Jaha calls out to Duke.

JAHA: Let me get a whiskey as well.

CHARLOTTE: That didn’t take much.

JAHA: What?

CHARLOTTE (amused): One quip about men and you’re in the liquor?

Jaha shrugs.

JAHA: We’re in a bar, I might as well. Marriage isn’t always a fairy tale, you know. Although, it can be. Sometimes.

CHARLOTTE: I suppose. Mine is Beauty and the Beast, but I’m the beast, you know. The old witch with all the rules. Who knows. Maybe it’s all in my head. My secret worries. 

JAHA: Which you should share with your person, makes things easier. Couples share secrets all the time. My wife and I saw our neighbour with another neighbour’s husband when we were on safari in Kenya. We giggle about it all the time.

CHARLOTTE: Couples share secrets with each other, not keep them from one another.

JAHA appears puzzled but before he can speak, six women stagger into the lounge, cackling and chatting. All are dressed in animal print catsuits and heavy metallic makeup. They all have extra-long twisted boho braids. Two wear sashes with BRIDE emblazoned on them. They fall into a booth beneath the largest window. 

BRIDE 1 shouts to the bartender.

BRIDE 1: Dukey! We’re back! We’ll have our special bottle now!

Duke gives a thumbs up and heads into the room behind the bar. Jaha appears fascinated by them. 

Charlotte follows his gaze and tilts her head.

CHARLOTTE: You look like you’d love to join them.

JAHA: No. They just reminded me of my bachelor party. 

Jaha grins.

BRIDE 2 gets up and totters over to the bar. She places her hand on Jaha’s shoulder. She turns to Charlotte.

JAHA: Wow. 

CHARLOTTE: Can we help you?

BRIDE 2 (slurring): This is super forward. So forward of me. But. Sisi, I don’t even do men. But this one is niiicee, honey!

Charlotte notices Jaha’s hand resting on the drunk bride’s waist. Charlotte’s nostrils flare. She gives a fake smile.

BRIDE 2 squeezes Jaha’s cheeks then gestures towards Charlotte’s drink. 

BRIDE 2: Ooh, is that a Sex in the Driveway? Love it! Isn’t vodka just the best? The absolute best! You guys know where the Ladies is? 

She attempts to whisper with a hand around her mouth. She leans towards Charlotte.

BRIDE 2 (continues): TMI but I gotta piss.

CHARLOTTE: I’m sure you can ask at the reception.

Bride 2 makes a face. She stumbles off.

Jaha watches her ample behind. Charlotte sighs loudly and rolls her eyes.

CHARLOTTE: You were telling me about your Bachelor party.

Jaha turns back with a mischievous grin.

JAHA: Was I? Long story short, it was wild!

With a smile he drinks and gestures to Duke for another. Charlotte raises her eyebrows. 

CHARLOTTE (quietly): I see.

JAHA: Now that I’ve shared mine, you said you and your husband have sexy secrets?

CHARLOTTE: I didn’t say sexy.

JAHA (low and suggestive): But about sex? All the best secrets are about sex.

CHARLOTTE: You’re fishing. I can’t just blurt something out.

JAHA: Sure you can. I’ll start, sometimes, when she thinks I’m still asleep, I peek at my wife getting dressed.

CHARLOTTE: That’s mild.

JAHA: At least you didn’t say ‘creepy’. Plus you’re a stranger, you won’t tell her.

CHARLOTTE: It’s easier with strangers, isn’t it? So much easier to be honest knowing you don’t live with them.

JAHA: Nah. Strangers would have nothing to lose if they had an opportunity to expose you. You gotta be open with the people closest to you. People you trust.

CHARLOTTE: There are some things you just can’t tell the people you love.

JAHA: If they love you, they’ll understand. That’s what love is. Trust and forgiveness, that’s what my wife says. I mean, what could be so bad? You killed someone? Even then, your family would hide that. Try me, pretty lady.

Charlotte faces him square. Her mouth quivers for a moment, her eyes glassy.

CHARLOTTE: I had an abortion, when we were still dating. I never told him. I guess I’ve always felt his anger was God’s punishment for what I did.

Jaha juts his jaw. Charlotte looks down. An uneasy silence descends as he contemplates with his glass to his lips. He slams the glass onto the counter.

Charlotte stares at him. 

JAHA (incredulous): And you kept it a secret? (To Duke, waving) Hey, man, why is there no fucking ice in my drink? Get me some bloody ice!

DUKE (apologetic): Sorry, sir.

JAHA: Fuck.

CHARLOTTE: I was devastated! But I couldn’t have your kid back then.

JAHA: Don’t do that! 

CHARLOTTE: You were a real playboy J, and, and I was pretty sure we wouldn’t ever settle down.

JAHA: But I married you! What are you doing, Charlotte? Why are you telling me this? The night was going great. Our game was going so great! I’m trying real hard not to lose my temper, like you asked. I’m trying, but, but why now, after 15 years! Why are you doing this?

CHARLOTTE: I don’t know. I don’t know! This all feels so…I’m sorry. I want to keep enjoying the night. We have three kids now but before we wouldn’t even talk about it – oh. Let’s not–

A loud laugh rings from BRIDE 2 at the window.

JAHA (annoyed): I wasn’t joking. I was serious about us starting over, but now–

He sighs and continues.

JAHA: I never wanted– I don’t want a divorce.

Charlotte speaks without raising her eyes.

CHARLOTTE: I know. And I wanted to forgive you for your cheating, but…

Brief silence passes. The jazz band changes tune to Skokiaan.

BRIDE 1: Woo! Finally some life in here!

The bridal party stands. They fumble, attempting to dance in pairs.

Jaha looks down at his empty glass. Duke addresses Charlotte.

DUKE: Another shot?

JAHA and Charlotte look into each other’s eyes. The band plays louder. 

CURTAIN

Emelda Nyaradzai Gwitimah is from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and currently resides in Canada. She holds an MFA in Writing and Publishing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. A finalist for the African Writers Awards for Poetry, her work has been published in Aké Review, The Michigan Quarterly Review, Bambazonke, The Willowherb Review, The Post Online Journal, Ipikai Poetry Journal, the Our Stories Redefined African Poetry Anthology, and twice in the Intwasa Festival Short Story Anthology.

*Image by George Bakos on Unsplash