The Valentine Frenzy

Chapter 1

"Jack! I hope you won't do what I won't do?" Yenzo said, slamming my shoes into the bag.

Jolted up from the bed, I stared at her. "Just saying, what do you think I will do in your absence?"

"Well, I don't know. You guys are always the same."

"Huh, even me?"

Since Yenzo got to know that I would be travelling, she'd been acting strangely. Every time I asked about the issues troubling her mind, she hissed and rolled her eyes. I couldn't make out what she believed I would do in Port-Elizabeth other than the assignment taking me there.

A few minutes earlier, she complained that the reason I shaved my beard was to attract ladies. Even before that, the complaint had been that I smiled too much; ladies in Port-Elizabeth would misinterpret it.

The clock on the wall showed half-past seven, and my sweetheart visited my Rosebank flat to spend the night with me. Being our last meeting before my departure, I thought she'd make it an unforgettable one. But Yenzo had been throwing temper tantrums instead.

"I hope you'll come back the same person?" she pointed her left index finger at me.

Ouch! That one hurt. My eyebrows lifted as I moved closer to her.

"Why the distrust? Do you have reasons to question my words?"

"I don't know. Port Elizabeth is far, and the ladies there...uh, uh."

"So what? Don't we have ladies here in Jo'burg? Why didn't I get hooked on them?"

She ignored me and walked towards the wardrobe; the sixth time she'd turned away in less than an hour. One would think we had a month-long feud, but I enjoyed seeing this amusing side of my darling.

She picked my jacket off the hanger. "You are not going with any of the suits. I will leave them here in the wardrobe."

"But I love to wear them. Wasn't it the reason you bit your tongue the very first day we met? "

She batted her eyelashes twice and returned the jacket. Even if my joke failed to win her over, I had to take my three-piece suit. Suits always sat well on my broad shoulders, and it fetched me admirers everywhere I went.

"What if I have a function to attend, and I feel like showing off a bit? You know, being a city guy from Jo'burg."

She surged towards me, flashing those big eyes of hers. "Show off what? You are going to a school, not to a business meeting. There are no special events in a school other than the exams."

For a moment, her eyes glowed brighter than the 60 Watts bulb in the room. But she soon stepped back and continued folding my clothes. "Always dress casually and remember to ask for the nearest church the minute you get there."

"You see. What will I wear to the chur—?"

"Wear tracksuits. Wear your jeans. I have packed six of them already. I can buy six more at the bus station tomorrow if those are not enough."

We argued for more than thirty minutes, but I managed to put my suit into the bag. Whenever Yenzo snapped into her sulky mood, she hardly reasoned objectively. Despite her grumpiness, she did a good job packing my bags. My furniture and electronics were in order; the fridge, carpets, and windows all sparkled.

Earlier in the day, we brainstormed on the things I would need for the trip. Conversant with Port-Elizabeth, her parents once lived in the Eastern Cape and she spent a good number of years growing up there. That knowledge was put to good use here as she took her time to brief me about the people, food, and environment.