Chapter 5: Nkosi Construction

 

I leaned back in my chair, watching Sandile fiddling with his coffee mug. 

Nomusa: “Hey, Sandile… have you ever thought about starting a construction company?” 

I asked, casually at first.

He looked up, eyebrows raised. 

Sandile: “Construction? Me? Bru, that’s for rich people. People who went to fancy universities, not… me.”

I chuckled. 

Nomusa: “Hayi, stop underestimating yourself, bru. You’ve got the skills the building know-how, even that stuff you learned at varsity before life threw curveballs at you. That’s enough to start. You just need a plan, a strategy… and a little faith.”

He shook his head, half-smiling. 

Sandile: “Faith, hey? Nomusa, I don’t have money. You know how it is… these things just don’t come to people like me.”

I leaned forward, determined. 

Nomusa: “Listen, Sandile. Just because you come from nothing doesn’t mean you can’t build something. I can help you, I’ll start with a business plan, register the company, everything. You focus on what you know best, and we’ll make it work.”

His eyes softened, and I could see that glimmer of hope fighting with doubt.

Sandile: “You really think it’s possible?”

I grinned. 

Nomusa: “Yeah, I know it’s possible. Nkosi Construction, strong name, strong us. We’re gonna show them that background doesn’t define destiny.”

He laughed, shaking his head. 

Sandile: “You are a God sent angel, Nomusa… only you would make me feel like I can take on the world.”

I pulled out my laptop and started drafting the business plan right there, my fingers flying over the keys. Sandile hovered nearby, making jokes about how “he was the brains behind the coffee, not the buildings.” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help laughing at him.

By the end of the week, Nkosi Construction was officially registered. Holding the certificate in my hand, I felt a rush of pride. We had turned an idea into reality, proving that even from humble beginnings, big things could rise.

That evening, as we sat on the veranda, I watched Sandile joke about how he was now a “CEO-in-training.” I nudged him. 

Nomusa: “Stop flexing, bru. You’re gonna scare the neighbours.”

He laughed, taking my hand.

Sandile: “Aight, alright… maybe. But only because you make it fun, Nomusa.”

I rested my head on his shoulder, thinking that this was just the beginning of Nkosi Construction, of our dreams, and maybe, of something more between us.