New Year’s Eve, a frying pan, and a piece of halloumi that somehow started it all. The truth is, that’s not where the story really begins. Because when Mandi and I met, I wasn’t ready. Not for her, not for anything real. And what followed wasn’t a straight line, it was friendship, distance, silence… and a series of moments that didn’t make sense at the time but somehow led us exactly where we needed to be. This isn’t a story about how we met. It’s a story about timing, about growth… and about what happens when the right person shows up before you’re ready to see them.
[00:00:00] I'm Jason Shapiro, bringing you an enhanced audiovisual experience, the legend of Two Cities podcast. You're honestly not going to believe me if I told you where I've been in the last six months. All I can tell is it's been like I'm inside a hole and sand just keeps filling that hole
[00:00:26] and filling that hole and I don't know what to do and I don't know how to get out until right now. The amount of times that I stepped into the studio, glanced at all my equipment, thought about how to continue with a series, blank, emptiness, no zest, no less,
[00:00:53] until I sat today and thought to myself, what is the most important thing to me? What has this whole journey come to? And then I realized it has absolutely everything to do with my family,
[00:01:18] my nucleus, my inner circle, my wife, Nanny, who is so incredible in every way possible.
[00:01:38] I cannot even explain to you ever how much this woman truly means to me. The strong-willed sense of character that she has, the ability as a mother, as a wife.
[00:02:01] So let's get started on how we actually met, how our union began. This isn't your usual boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl. It's not that kind of story. So Mandy and I met at a New Year's Eve function.
[00:02:29] Some friends of ours had just come back from Israel. And I was very friendly with a guy and she was very friendly with a girl. They had gotten married in Israel, had a child and decided to come back. So I'm sitting there over a frying pan, frying chalumi cheese and butter.
[00:02:54] And Mandy, who is the most sensational chef, comes to me all coy and quiet and she says, What are you doing? That looks interesting. Mandy was hooked. I was emotionally unavailable. Could have been Mandy. Could have been anybody. I just wasn't ready.
[00:03:24] I just wasn't ready. Too much had happened. Too much had gone on behind the scenes of my life. And I didn't know how to feel anything literally for anybody. And time went on and we became sick as thieves. We were uber best friends. It was ridiculous. We would have coffee dates daily.
[00:03:52] Dinners as often as possible. We would watch every movie together. We did everything together. She was my everything. I have never been so intertwined with a human being ever before. Where we literally finished each other's sentences. We literally.
[00:04:23] It was Mandy and I. And then disaster struck. At least the first disaster. Mandy's grandparents. That same year. Of that. December. That same year. 2015.
[00:04:55] Mandy. And I got a call. That her grandparents. Had been in this crazy home invasion. And they were attacked to almost. Almost dead. And we rushed to the hospital. And we saw the situation. It was chaos. And the whole family were there. And I met this family. Who would soon.
[00:05:25] Take me on a ten year journey. That I was not ready for it. Regardless. I found myself. At the hospital waiting room. Every day. In the canteen. Eating a toasted sandwich. Waiting for visiting hours. Waiting for Mandy. I wanted to make sure. That I beat the family there. And I was there on time. Because timing is not.
[00:05:54] As you can see. Timing is not exactly. My photo. And one night. I did exactly that. It was visiting hours. I was there half an hour early. Got my toasted sandwich. And in walk Mandy. But something was different. I felt different. And her grandfather.
[00:06:23] Had just woken up. From this. Horrendous encounter. And it was time. For Mandy. To go and see. Her grandfather. And she said to me. I must come with. I had been there. Every single day. Of this. Post this attack. The old man. Looked up at us. With fondness. In his eyes.
[00:06:55] He was in and out. I strongly believe. That people. Who have been. Through that kind of trauma. Who are knocking. Literally on death's door. I believe. They speak a completely. Different name. And he said. You two. And we looked at each other. And we laughed. We said to him. No, no. No. That's not going to happen.
[00:07:26] It was that same day. That Mandy. Sent me a message. She said. About this. Coming to the hospital. And seeing me. And waiting for me. And everything that you do. I said yes. She says. You're trying to be my boyfriend.
[00:07:57] It came like such a shock. It came like a dagger through me. That I couldn't explain. I'd never had an experience like this before. I'd never felt. This way before. Where I said to her. Okay. Then let's not. And we severed. We broke. Complete communication.
[00:08:27] And that was. About July. 2015. After the most. Incredible friendship. I have ever. Had. And then things just went dark. I. Lost myself. I was. Empty.
[00:09:00] Side story. Side story. I had a friend. I can laugh. And smile at him today. He was an. Absolute. Sociopath. Narcissist. Scum of the earth. Of note.
[00:09:33] We were friends from teenagers. And he. Always wanted. To be. Me. Everything. From the cars that he bought. To the things that he did. To how he carried himself. How he walked. How he spoke.
[00:10:05] So much so. He. Thought he'd have a go at me. But. This guy. Was cunning. This was the kind of guy. Who had so many. Different. Lifestyles. Lives. And people. Within. Those lives. Nobody. Ever knew. Where he was. At any given time. He was engaged. To be married.
[00:10:35] At the time. That Mandy. And I. Stopped. And. I was very close. To his fiance. And him. Obviously. All of a sudden. He became a lot more. Unavailable. Mysterious. Something was going on. But. I maintained my friendship.
[00:11:05] I maintained my close connection. To his fiance. Mandy became this unbroken. Sacred person. That I never spoke. Of at all. Not good. Not bad. I just didn't speak about Mandy. It is just. She was just my. My. My quiet. My. Anyway.
[00:11:37] One day. This. Ah. Character. Everything started to catch up with him. Where he was. How he was. Who he was with. What he was doing. And the one Friday afternoon. In April. Of 2026. Of 2026. Nine months. After Mandy. And I. Parted ways.
[00:12:09] He got arrested. In front of me. We were on one of these. Joy rides. Where he'd take me on a thrill. And we go around the city. And. He got arrested. For fraud. In front of my very own eyes. He threw me with his cell phone. He threw me with his car keys. And he says. Go to my parents. They will know what to do.
[00:12:40] At this point. I am so naive. And so stupid. About who this person is. I am. So blind. And I've been friends with him. For like 15 years. It's insane. House. Ah. Stupid. I am. So he goes to jail. It was very strategic. If you go to jail on a Friday. There is no. Conceivable way.
[00:13:09] That you're getting out. You are sitting that weekend. You are going to sit. So he was in Hillbrow. And I was consoling his fiance. Who. Was in the process of selling. Everything that they own. Just to make the bail. For the charges. Of fraud.
[00:13:39] And she's sitting with me. On a Saturday night. And she's saying. He's cheating on me. He's cheating on me. I know it. He's just cheating on me. And as naive. And as stupid as I was. I said to her. No. He's not cheating on me. Because I would know. And I would have done the right thing. In telling you. Boy. Oh boy. Did I know what hit me.
[00:14:10] So Monday morning. His fiance is there. There were the bail money. That his father. His fiance. My mother. Sitting in the courtroom. Watching this lump of a man. Dirty. Filthy. Come out. To get him. To see the. To see the judge. And to get his. Get the verdict. On his situation. And he made bail.
[00:14:40] Jeez. This guy could get out of a lot of problems. He could get out of literally anything. And I leave the court. And we're on the way home. And he's on the way home. With his fiance and his father. To have a shower. And get himself back together. And I get a familiar message. It's Mandy.
[00:15:10] But she's not checking on me. She wants to know where he is. With prior knowledge of the exchange with his fiance. I say to her. Mans. It's so good to hear from you. Whatever's going on. Just know he is engaged to be married. And maybe it's best left where it is.
[00:15:37] And we talk. And we talk. And we talk. And we continue to talk. All the way through the night. That Monday night. Into the Tuesday morning. And I'm feeling frisky now. I'm like Mandy. Come on. We never did anything. We never said anything. We never nothing. Let's.
[00:16:07] Let's do this. And she says. Well gee. You know. You know. There's this guy. Again. I am so stupid back then. I thought I had street smarts. Street smarts. I have nothing. So I basically say to. Who's this guy? What's this guy? Let's just. Let's just get it. Get on with it. And Mandy says.
[00:16:36] I just want to be serious. And I responded in about. A split second. I said. Okay. Let's be serious. Little did I know. Those words. Would change. My life. Forever. Mandy. Said. I can't come to you. Just yet. There's something.
[00:17:06] That I need. To do. So. She only got to me. On the Tuesday. Sort of midday. Early afternoon. I remember the passion. And the extent. Of the energy. When we. Now. When our souls. Collarded.
[00:17:35] And I just sat her down. And said. You know Mandy. I always. I said. I said Mandy. Love you. You know. She looked at me. She said. Jason. I always. Loved you.
[00:18:05] Yes. It all came out. That it was him. And he was having an affair. And he was. That. That's all very obvious. And he would soon. Not exist in my world. Or be a part of my story. He actually. Married the girl. Can you believe. That fact. He managed. To get away. With everything.
[00:18:34] This guy. Everything. And I guess. The take home is. Everything. Everything. Has its time. Everything. Is supposed to happen. When it's supposed to happen. Take this episode. This episode. Is supposed to happen. Right now. It is. Supposed to be. In this way.
[00:19:04] Unscripted. Unfiltered. Mandy and I. Were not. Meant. To be together. We were not. Destined. There was so much. That is still going to happen. That I was not ready. Or that she was not ready. Or we just weren't ready. This took effort. This took growth. This took two people. Meeting.
[00:19:33] Over chalumi. Cheese. In a frying pan. Who were both. Both broken and lost. Who needed. Nine months. Of full separation. To figure their shit out. Get it together. Come back together. Through the devastation. Of the stupid idiots. Going to jail.
[00:20:03] And being strong enough. For the other. To have this relationship. To experience this incredible union. Of two people. To soon create. The legend of two cities. In leaving for Cape Town. And just to remember. That not. Everything in this world.
[00:20:35] Happens. When you want it. To happen. Sometimes. Things. Just need to come. At the right. Time. Message me. At legend of two cities. Dot com.