By Abdool A. Aziz

A SCARY MOVE

LIVING with his ageing mom and finding it difficult to get a job, Leroy Johnson decided to try his luck ‘Pork-Knocking’ with no experience. He scoured the abandoned creeks and streams for gold. It would not be too long before ‘lady luck’ smiled at him. He found a nugget. He raced out of the bush sold the gold and began to party.
At his ‘free for all’, he met Lolita, a copper coloured beauty. He mined for the yellow metal now he found his real gold. He fondly called her ‘My Urban Gold’ and he fell for her. What he did not know was, she was a ‘gold-digger’. He rented an apartment, furnished it and enticed her to be his lover, putting all the amenities in her name. They adopted a lavish lifestyle. With the ‘bonanza’ drying up, Leroy decided to return to the bush. This was the opportunity Lolita was waiting for. She sold the furniture, embezzled the rent money and obtaining a U.S visitor VISA, she flew north.
Leroy struck it rich again and he rushed back to his ‘Urban Gold’, but she was in New York. He pleaded with her mother for a contact number for her and she gave him out of pity. He called in desperation. A guy answered.
“Is one Lolita Sampson there?” He asked. There was a pause and he said again after she answered, “Hello, is this Lolita? It’s me Leroy, your boyfriend. How are you, Baby?”
“I’m fine… and you?” She said.
“Great! I found more gold, come back and I will buy a house for you and lots of bling bling! Come back, sweetie. I love you.”
“Leroy, this is now my home, I’m happy here. If you love me, then you come over,” she said.
“Okay! Okay! I will!”
“Hoping to see you soon honey,” mumbled Lolita.
Leroy wasted no time in applying for the visa but he was denied and he felt downtrodden. He called his lover again. She promised to come, requesting a passage. He sent lots of cash to her but the gold-digger deceived him. She had a rich real estate mogul over in Manhattan. She changed her phone and all contact ceased. Heart-broken, the pork-knocker returned to the hinterland.
One day he saw a gallery of deportees in the newspapers. His Urban Gold was one of them. He hurried out of the bush and went to CID headquarters looking for her. Ashamed, she took refuge at a friend. He found her, much to his heart’s delight. He bought a house in her name and they lived in a conjugal relationship on a luxury level. The ‘bonanza’ dwindled. Leroy returned to his mining. Again Lolita deserted him. This time she left with a lumber magnate to Brazil.
Riding high on ‘cloud nine’ he raced to his residence only to find a new owner there. He turned to her mom for answers as to her whereabouts. Dejected, he turned to substances abuse and alcohol. He walked the streets of GT a pauper. One morning his mother found him dead on his cot. A photo of his beloved Lolita was in his hand and a note that said, “Please tell her I love her and I died for her.”
Lolita had beauty and charm to seduce any man. But she was only interested in wealth. Leroy saw her as a Goddess. Rumour has it that her rich paramour found her in a relationship with one of his crew and she lost her life at the jealous lover’s hands. Her mom was silent on the matter. To poor Leroy, the yellow metal was no match in value to the Urban Gold –Lolita.