$trings

49

[10 November]

MAXIMUM GUESTS PER EACH student allowed on the courtyard were two, so mama and father were the only ones that ended up coming. But, of course, those relatives of mine hadn't come for nothing – they all waited for me in cars parked around the courtyard.

How convenient. Also, maybe a little distressing to have three cars holding dozens of eager faces watching you closely through the window.

...It was even more distressing when I was climbing up the podium stairs, getting sanitiser squirted onto my hand, and a loud brawl soared from those cars. The small crowd had looked around, wondering.

Argh, that was just so uncomfortable, yet absolutely hilarious; whilst getting off the podium moments later, with my certificate, I found myself stifling loud laughter behind my mask.

The event was made shorter as practised, and happiness was sustained over our crowd at the end, bliss floating with the wind. Ladies squealing. Men bawling. Mothers hugging daughters and sons, fathers holding sons and daughters. Friends cuddling, rocking back and forth in embrace. It was all nothing new.

But now, hugging was done secretly, rebelliously, against regulations. Celebrating was done five feet apart with the ones that listened.

Mama and father hugged me, then simply disappeared. So, left alone, I roamed amidst the crowds until I found Zuri, glowing utterly behind golden, embellished skin. She was unable to stop shaking with joy; she hugged me quickly after a moment, and pulled away.

We greeted each other awkwardly then. And moments later, we saw others like us, draped in gowns and graduation hats, swarming to the fountain right in the centre of this courtyard.

We drifted there too, found ourselves in the middle of a photo-shoot, and we posed as well.

Loads and loads of pictures were taken.

...And then, I heard it. The ululating. The loud piercing ululating of my relatives.

That made me drift from the mob still posing theatrically for the camera.

The relatives met me far from the mob, near to the now-empty chairs from the graduation. And the ululating began moving with our cavalcade towards our cars, so I simply kept going forward, staring down at the grass cruising under my sneakers, under my black graduation gown.

Alison stopped for a moment to hug me all over again, and she laughed in my shoulder. "I'm so proud of you," she yelled.

"Thank you," I yelled back, hugging her back.

She pulled away and lifted the graduation hat off my head. And she wore it and jumped around. Praising God. Showing the relatives. As we got closer to the cars, I stopped watching her and looked ahead, and I saw Carlos standing by a tree, leaning on it. Seeing him made me more shy. I waved at him while the noise around me died down.

He came strolling forward, pulling his mask down, then grinning at my family. And he hugged me, pulling my mask down as well, then made our lips touch.

I had not expected myself to extend this kiss. It was nerve. I felt the gazes: Mama's criticising one, father's controlled one, the relative's probably baffled ones.

The ones around were looking at me, grinning, when Carlos finally pulled away from me.

Mama was the first I saw. She appeared unruffled; I believed it was only a front. "This one is Vimbai's boyfriend," mama hollered to the relatives.

I felt the burning of shyness while looking down. And Aunty Joylene, Tete Prudence and Baba and Mai Terrence gathered around him and greeted him one by one.