Chapter 22: Opera and Salomie

 …continued from 31 May 2026...

Next to him sat a resplendent Aletta, who had continued her transformation since meeting Stanley. She turned heads in a body-hugging black dress, which, while tastefully fell to just below her knees, could not hide her smouldering sexiness.

Her hair was long and strikingly blonde, and her make up, which was now done for her at a beauty salon, was understated, but sublimely effective in highlighting her beautiful blue eyes and sultry lips. 

She found herself forever smiling around Stanley, spellbound in the rapture that was her beau and his generous gifts of passion and largesse.

She felt the hold of Stanley’s hand around hers tighten and relax during the ebb and flow of the Opera and she loved that he was sharing this experience with her.

She knew that he would be channeling this passion straight into her later on tonight. She giggled quietly at the thought. 

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the tears trickling slowly, almost imperceptibly out of both of Stanley’s eyes…gently rolling down his cheeks, falling softly onto his coat.

He seemed completely immersed in the final scene.

She turned her head, ever so slightly, so as not to break the spell, and saw Stanley’s tear-glazed eyes blinking rapidly as he took in Rodolfo’s desperate pain when he realises Mimi is actually dead and not sleeping. Aletta felt her own tears welling up as Marcello’s horrific expression at receiving the news, brought out an involuntary, chest-racking sob from Stanley. 

Despite her tears, Aletta smiled and was overwhelmed that this enigmatic man of hers involuntarily revealed his softer side. At that moment she felt her heart would overflow with even more love for him. 

The rousing applause from the audience burst into Stanley’s consciousness and he was up in and instant shouting “bravo, bravo, bravo,” at the top of his lungs. Unclasping his hand from Aletta’s he smacked the palms and fingers of each hand against the other, applauding the performance in wild abandon, not bothering to wipe away his tears.

Aletta felt his joy and passion and clapped on in blissful admiration of both the performance, and her boyfriend. After a lengthy applause and several encores. The patrons of the opera began to slowly make their way out of the theatre.

Stanley was rabbiting on to Aletta about the opera, explaining how the different scenes had moved him. He went on and on until they approached the foyer when he realised that he was quite hungry and so would Aletta be.

“Are you hungry my skat?” he said to Aletta. (skat in this context is an Afrikaans term of endearment meaning treasure)

“I could eat a horse,” came her reply while kissing him lovingly on the cheek. 

He smiled again, he just loved how her little tokens of affection made his tummy tickle inside. 

“I have an idea,” said Stanley. “I know an all night roti take-out place not far from here. How would you like to try a proper Cape Malay Salomie?”

“What is a Salomie?” Aletta asked innocently.

“It’s a roti, filled with whatever curry you choose, like chicken, mince or mutton. The meat is rolled into the roti and you eat it like you would a hot dog.” 

Aletta seemed dubious, especially since they were both dressed to the nines. Eating out of one’s hand didn’t see quite appropriate.

Stanley sensed her thoughts. “I know, I know, I know what you’re thinking, but we’ll get it to go and have it at my place okay. I’ll open a bottle of the red wine you like, and you can eat it in a plate with a knife and fork, if you like,” he said with a huge grin. 

When Stanley smiled like that, something always became undone inside her soul. She could not deny him anything. “Okay my skat,” she smiled back at him.

Stanley eased his foot down onto the accelerator pedal and the car set-off to the Bo-Kaap, an area known for its vibrant Malay community and delicious food.

Continued tomorrow 2 June 2026, before 12pm