Chapter 24 - meet grandma

"What did she want?" Ella asked, rolling her eyes.

"Ah, nothing much. She claims she wants Prime Group," Tristin said nonchalantly as he took a sip of the iced tea Ella had made for him.

"Oh, I see. But the Ntuli Group wouldn't send her for that. There's more to it, I'm sure. She's not smart enough to negotiate for a company as large as Prime Group," Ella said, biting her thumbnail thoughtfully.

Tristin took another sip and said, "Time will tell why she's really here."

As the two continued their picnic, Buhle made a call to her father from her car.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I can't do it. Tristin is too much for me, and I might have made him more alert now," Buhle cried.

"What have you done now, Buhle? How can you be so incompetent? Didn't you say Tristin is younger than you? It should be a breeze dealing with him!" Mr. Ntuli roared on the other end.

Buhle recounted her conversation with Tristin. Mr. Ntuli was amazed by how Tristin had played her and started complimenting Tristin's brilliance, which made Buhle feel belittled.

"Dad, why are you admiring him?" she asked, feeling uneasy.

Mr. Ntuli ignored her question, sighed, and said, "Buhle, you are not ready to deal with someone like Tristin at your current level. I'll come to Bongsburg next week and handle this myself." He hung up without waiting for a response.

Buhle sat in her car, disappointed but aware there wasn't much she could do against Tristin. She decided to visit Megan instead.

School continued normally after lunch. Due to Thomas's absence, the news about him being removed from the student committee was quickly forgotten, and soon it was after school.

"Do you need a ride for the baptism later?" Zinhle asked, hoping Tristin would use her car, which would mean driving her home first.

"No, I'll drive myself to your house later," Tristin said. He had decided not to stay low profile anymore. If Argus Web was watching him, there was no point. After tonight, he was confident they wouldn't be much of a threat.

"Okay, but how about I drop you off at your house then?" Zinhle insisted.

Tristin thought for a moment. He hadn't bought a bus ticket and needed to prepare for the baptism. "Alright, that would save me some time," he agreed.

They drove out of the school under the curious eyes of other students. Tristin decided to drive, and Zinhle didn't object.

"Zinhle, do you know what the baptism will be like?" Tristin asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. It'll be my first time witnessing it," Zinhle replied truthfully.

"Well, we'll see how it goes then," Tristin said, focusing on driving. He knew Zinhle wasn't much of a talker.

"Are you nervous?" Zinhle asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I am, but I'm also thrilled. I don't know what will happen, but I know whatever this is, it's on my side and won't do me wrong," Tristin replied.

Zinhle didn't have any more questions, so the car fell silent again. Soon, they arrived at Tristin's house. He thought for a moment and then said, "Come inside. Let me introduce you to my grandma."

Zinhle didn't object. She wanted to build a solid relationship with Tristin, whether as friends or something more. Time would tell.

"Grandma, I'm home," Tristin called as he entered the house with Zinhle.

"Tristin, I'm in here," his grandma replied from the living room.

They walked to the living room, where Zinhle was amazed by the furniture and interior design. Despite being born into wealth, she could tell that the design and furniture were more expensive than the house itself.

Grandma looked at Zinhle, who was admiring the decor, and asked, "Tristin, who is your friend?"

"Grandma, let me introduce you. This is Zinhle, a good friend of mine," Tristin said, holding Zinhle's hand, which made her even more nervous.

Grandma took a good look at Zinhle and saw she was shy but cute. Her shyness made her even more endearing as her face turned red as a tomato. "Hello, Zinhle, nice to meet you. Please take care of Tristin for me. He's hard to understand, but he's a good kid," Grandma said with a smile.

Zinhle smiled, lighting up the room. "Hello, Grandma, nice to meet you too. I'll do my best to take care of Tristin."

Tristin got goosebumps hearing his grandma sell him out to Zinhle. He thought, "I'm a grown man now. I don't need anyone to take care of me."

The three talked for a bit. Grandma liked how polite and well-mannered Zinhle was. Tristin took the opportunity to change his clothes while Grandma chatted with Zinhle.

"Zinhle, are you staying for dinner?" Grandma asked as she started preparing the meal.

"No, Grandma, but thank you. I have to go back home now," Zinhle said. She liked Tristin's grandma but also wanted to learn more about the baptism to be more useful to Tristin.

Grandma didn't insist. She knew well-behaved girls like Zinhle often came from families with strict rules. "It was nice meeting you, Grandma. I hope to see you soon," Zinhle said.

Grandma said her goodbyes. Tristin walked Zinhle to her car and told her he would see her later for the baptism. Then he went back inside.

"Tristin, I don't mind if you have a girlfriend, but don't wrong Ella or Zinhle. Don't play with these girls, Tristin. I won't tolerate that," Grandma said as soon as he walked in.

Tristin chuckled. "I know, Grandma. I won't do any of them wrong." He knew he liked Ella but had grown fond of Zinhle too. Then there was Miss Megan, who had a youthful but adult charm he couldn't help but think about. And he cared about Lerato too.

"Grandma, I'll be in my room. If you need anything, call me," Tristin said as he walked to his room.

Grandma knew Tristin wasn't the type to get carried away by how many girls liked him. He had always been on top of everything, so she didn't worry much.

Tristin entered his room and sat cross-legged on a mat. He wanted to understand his power and clear his mind by cultivating spiritual energy as he prepared for the baptism.